Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Transition to Teaching Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, 753-760 [E7-34]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 4 (Monday, January 8, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 753-760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-34]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; 
Transition to Teaching Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for 
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.350A, 
84.350B, and 84.350.
    Dates: Applications Available: January 8, 2007.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: February 7, 2007.
    Pre-Application Meeting: A pre-application meeting for prospective 
applicants will be held in January 2007 in Washington, DC. Further 
information on the date, time, and location will be made available 
through a notice published in the Federal Register and through the 
Transition to Teaching Web site at https://www.ed.gov/programs/
transitionteach.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 26, 2007.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 23, 2007.
    Eligible Applicants: A State educational agency (SEA); a high-need 
local educational agency (LEA); a for-profit or nonprofit organization 
that has a proven record of effectively recruiting and retaining highly 
qualified teachers, in a partnership with a high-need LEA or an SEA; an 
institution of higher education (IHE) in a partnership with a high-need 
LEA or an SEA; a regional consortium of SEAs; or a consortium of high-
need LEAs. For further information on whether an LEA qualifies as a 
``high-need LEA,'' see section III. 1. Eligible Applicants in this 
notice.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$44,484,000 for this program for FY 2007, of which we intend to use an 
estimated $19,000,000 for this competition. The actual level of 
funding, if any, depends on final Congressional action. However, we are 
inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant 
process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    The Department has established separate funding categories for 
projects of different scope. These categories are:
    (1) National/regional projects (84.350C) that serve eligible high-
need LEAs in more than one State;

[[Page 754]]

    (2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that serve eligible high-need LEAs 
statewide or eligible high-need LEAs in more than one area of a State; 
and
    (3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve one eligible high-need LEA 
or two or more eligible high-need LEAs in a single area of a State.
    Estimated Range of Awards: National/regional projects--$350,000-
$750,000 per year; Statewide projects--$250,000-$650,000 per year; and 
Local projects--$150,000-$450,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: National/regional projects--
$600,000 per year; Statewide projects--$375,000 per year; and Local 
projects--$225,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: National/regional projects--5; 
Statewide projects--20; and Local projects--40.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.


    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Full Text of Announcement

    I. Funding Opportunity Description
    Purpose of Program: The Transition to Teaching program encourages 
(1) the development and expansion of alternative routes to full State 
teacher certification, as well as (2) the recruitment and retention of 
highly qualified mid-career professionals, recent college graduates who 
have not majored in education, and highly qualified paraprofessionals 
as teachers in high-need schools operated by high-need LEAs, including 
charter schools that operate as high-need LEAs.
    Priorities: The Department has established two competitive 
preference priorities that are explained in the following paragraphs. 
In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), Competitive Preference 
Priority 1 is from section 2313(c) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 6683(c)). 
Competitive Preference Priority 2 is from the notice of final 
priorities and requirements for this program, published in the Federal 
Register on April 30, 2004 (69 FR 24002) (NFP).
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2007, these priorities 
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we 
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets Competitive 
Preference Priority 1, and up to an additional 10 points to an 
application, depending on how well the application meets Competitive 
Preference Priority 2. These points are in addition to any points the 
application earns under the program's selection criteria.
    The priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Partnerships or Consortia that 
Include a High-need LEA or a High-need SEA. This priority supports 
projects that are designed and implemented in active partnerships or 
consortia that include at least one high-need LEA or high-need SEA.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2--District Projects to Streamline 
Teacher Hiring Systems, Timelines, and Processes. This priority 
supports projects by one or more high-need LEAs to streamline their 
hiring systems, timelines, and processes. The project period is up to 
five years. A participating high-need LEA will need to conduct both of 
the following activities:
    (a) Examine its current hiring system, processes, and policies to 
identify the critical barriers to hiring highly qualified teachers. The 
lack of highly qualified teachers in most urban and rural LEAs has 
often been attributed to their difficulty in recruiting interested and 
qualified individuals. However, recent research indicates that the 
problem may not be one of recruitment but may stem from inefficient and 
untimely LEA hiring systems and processes. This is especially true in 
high-poverty LEAs and schools--the very LEAs and schools the Transition 
to Teaching program is targeted to serve. Accordingly, each 
participating LEA will need to examine its current hiring processes and 
policies and, based upon that examination, identify the critical 
barriers to hiring highly qualified teachers.
    (b) Design and implement efforts to remove the identified barriers 
and put in place systems that streamline and revamp the hiring process. 
In conducting this activity, LEAs are encouraged to create an efficient 
and timely applicant hiring process with a strong data tracking system 
and clear hiring goals. These efforts also should involve negotiating 
policy reforms that remove critical barriers, such as delayed 
notification of vacancies and seniority and retirement rules.
    Participating LEAs also will carry out the requirements of the 
Transition to Teaching program by recruiting nontraditional candidates, 
using the streamlined hiring system to hire these individuals for 
teaching in high-need schools, working with them to achieve full State 
certification, and retaining them for at least three years.


    Note: Applicants that choose to respond to Competitive 
Preference Priority 2 may do so however they choose. Those that 
respond to this priority may want to consider addressing such key 
factors as: (1) The existing barriers to early notification and 
hiring of new teachers; (2) the active engagement of LEA officials, 
teacher unions, and other stakeholders in developing a plan to 
remove existing barriers and implementing changes; (3) the actions 
each participating LEA intends to undertake to implement policies 
and systems for early notification and hiring of new teachers; and 
(4) a timeline for major action steps that each participating LEA 
intends to implement to develop the new hiring policies and systems.


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6681-6684.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99. (b) The notice of final priorities 
and requirements for this program published in the Federal Register on 
April 30, 2004 (69 FR 24002) (NFP).


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$44,484,000 for this program for FY 2007, of which we intend to use an 
estimated $19,000,000 for this competition. The actual level of 
funding, if any, depends on final Congressional action. However, we are 
inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant 
process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    The Department has established separate funding categories for 
projects of different scope. These categories are:
    (1) National/regional projects (84.350C) that serve eligible high-
need LEAs in more than one State;
    (2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that serve eligible high-need LEAs 
statewide or eligible high-need LEAs in more than one area of a State; 
and
    (3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve one eligible high-need LEA 
or two or more eligible high-need LEAs in a single area of a State.
    Estimated Range of Awards: National/regional projects--$350,000-
$750,000 per year; Statewide projects--$250,000-$650,000 per year; and 
Local projects--$150,000-$450,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: National/regional projects--
$600,000 per year; Statewide projects--$375,000 per year; and Local 
projects--$225,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: National/regional projects--5; 
Statewide projects--20; and Local projects--40.


[[Page 755]]


    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1.  Eligible Applicants: An SEA; a high-need LEA; a for-profit or 
nonprofit organization that has a proven record of effectively 
recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, in a partnership 
with a high-need LEA or an SEA; an IHE in a partnership with a high-
need LEA or an SEA; a regional consortium of SEAs; or a consortium of 
high-need LEAs. Each application must identify participating LEAs that 
meet the definition of ``high-need LEA'' in section 2102(3) of the 
ESEA.


    Note: Section 2102(3) of the ESEA defines a high-need LEA as an 
LEA--
    (a) That serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families 
with incomes below the poverty line (as that term is defined in 
section 9101(33) of the ESEA), or for which not less than 20 percent 
of the children served by the LEA are from families with incomes 
below the poverty line; and
    (b) For which there is (1) a high percentage of teachers not 
teaching in the academic subjects or grade levels that the teachers 
were trained to teach, or (2) a high percentage of teachers with 
emergency, provisional, or temporary certification or licensing.

    The NFP describes how applicants must demonstrate that a 
participating LEA meets this statutory definition of ``high-need LEA.'' 
(69 FR 24002, 24006) Pursuant to the NFP, we provide the following 
supplementary information regarding the data an applicant uses to 
demonstrate eligibility as a ``high-need LEA'' under this competition:
    As described in the NFP, absent a showing of alternative LEA data 
that reliably show the number of children from families with incomes 
below the poverty line that are served by the LEA, the eligibility of 
an LEA as a ``high-need LEA'' under component (a) of the definition 
must be determined on the basis of the most recent U.S. Census Bureau 
data. The most recent U.S. Census Bureau data can be found in the 
charts on the Internet at: https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/saipe/
downloads/sd04/. The Department examines the eligibility of any LEA not 
listed on these charts on a case-by-case basis.
    As discussed in the NFP, with respect to component (b)(1) of the 
definition of ``high-need LEA,'' whether an LEA has a ``high percentage 
of teachers not teaching in the academic subjects or grade levels that 
the teachers were trained to teach'' is determined on a case-by-case 
basis.
    In addition, as noted in the NFP, with respect to component (b)(2) 
of the definition of ``high-need LEA,'' an LEA has a ``high 
percentage'' of teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary 
certification or licensing if the percentage of teachers on waivers, as 
the LEA reported to the State for purposes of the State's latest report 
to the Secretary under section 207 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(HEA), was at least the national average percentage of teachers on 
waivers of State certification for all LEAs. As outlined in the NFP, 
the Secretary determines the national average percentage of teachers on 
waivers based on data contained in the most currently available HEA 
section 207 State reports. At the time of publication of this notice, 
the Department has received all 2006 State HEA section 207 reports and 
those reports reflect a national percentage of teachers on waivers of 
State certification in all LEAs of 1.8 percent.
    Because the Department is in the process of certifying all data 
received in the 2006 State HEA section 207 reports, the data in these 
reports, including the national average of teachers on waivers of State 
certification, are still provisional. However, to provide adequate time 
for the preparation and review of project applications and award of new 
grants before FY 2007 program funds lapse on September 30, 2007, the 
Department will use the 1.8 percent national average for purposes of 
this competition. Accordingly, an LEA will be considered to have met 
component (b)(2) of the definition if the data that it provided to the 
State for purposes of the State's October 2006 HEA section 207 report 
demonstrate that at least 1.8 percent of its teachers were on waivers 
of State certification requirements.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost 
sharing or matching but does involve supplement-not-supplant funding 
provisions. In accordance with section 2313(h)(2) of the ESEA, funds 
made available under this section shall be used to supplement, and not 
supplant, State and local public funds expended for teacher recruitment 
and retention programs, including programs to recruit teachers through 
alternative routes to certification.
    3. Other: The NFP describes eligibility restrictions for 
individuals participating in this program.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll 
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 
1-877-576-7734.
    You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: https://www.ed.gov/
pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: 
edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact 
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of 
this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition. 
Additional information concerning application content requirements is 
in the NFP.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: February 7, 2007. The Department will be 
able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant 
applications if it has a better understanding of the number of entities 
that intend to apply for funding under this competition. Therefore, the 
Secretary strongly encourages each potential applicant to notify the 
Department by sending a short e-mail message indicating the applicant's 
intent to submit an application for funding. The e-mail need not 
include information regarding the content of the proposed application, 
only the applicant's intent to submit it. The Secretary requests that 
this e-mail notification be sent to Thelma Leenhouts at: 
transitiontoteaching@ed.gov.
    Applicants that fail to provide this e-mail notification may still 
apply for funding.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. Applicants must limit Part 
III to the equivalent of no more than 50 pages, using the following 
standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, except titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures and graphs.

[[Page 756]]

     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the 
resumes, or letters of support. However, you must include all of the 
application narrative in Part III.
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that--
     Exceed the page limit if you apply these standards; or
     Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other 
standards.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: January 8, 2007.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: February 7, 2007.
    Pre-Application Meeting: A pre-application meeting for prospective 
applicants will be held in January 2007 in Washington, DC. Further 
information on the date, time, and location will be made available 
through a notice published in the Federal Register and through the 
Transition to Teaching Web site at https://www.ed.gov/programs/
transitionteach.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 26, 2007.
    Applications for grants under this program competition must be 
submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). 
For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify 
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer 
to section IV.6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 23, 2007.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this 
competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
in the NFP.
    6. Other Submission Requirements. Applications for grants under 
this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an 
exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in 
this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications. Applications for grants 
under the Transition to Teaching Competition--CFDA Number 84.350A, 
84.350B, and 84.350C must be submitted electronically using the 
Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at https://www.Grants.gov. Through 
this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application 
package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your 
application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant 
application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for Transition to 
Teaching at https://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable 
application package for this program or competition by the CFDA number. 
Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., 
search for 84.350, not 84.350A).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and 
must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 
4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. 
Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your 
application if it is date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system 
later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline 
date. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify 
you if we are rejecting your application because it was date and time 
stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you 
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. 
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to 
Grants.gov at https://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/
GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
     To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must 
complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see https://
www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps include (1) 
registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes 
registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (2) 
registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative 
(AOR); and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization. 
Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step 
Registration Guide (see https://www.grants.gov/section910/
Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf). You also must provide on your 
application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please 
note that the registration process may take five or more business days 
to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to 
allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In 
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual 
basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: 
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-

[[Page 757]]

Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications. Please note that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the 
Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424--have 
replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance).
     You must attach any narrative sections of your application 
as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable 
Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the three file 
types specified in this paragraph or submit a password-protected file, 
we will not review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified 
identifying number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support 
Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed 
elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT and 
provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with 
Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will 
accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem 
occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your 
ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after 
a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.


    Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply 
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the 
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed 
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before 
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem 
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.


    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Thelma Leenhouts, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W302, 
Washington, DC 20202-5960. FAX: (202) 401-8466.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail. If you qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail 
(through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your 
application to the Department. You must mail the original and two 
copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, 
to the Department at the applicable following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Numbers: 
84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20202-4260; or
    By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center, Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Numbers: 
84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 
20785-1506.
    Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing 
consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.


    Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your 
local post office.


    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery. If you 
qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you 
(or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the 
Department by hand. You must deliver the original and two copies of 
your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, 
to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Numbers: 
84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac 
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays, and Federal holidays.
    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail 
or hand deliver your application to the Department--

[[Page 758]]

    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the 
Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix 
letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your 
application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification 
of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this 
notification within 15 business days from the application deadline 
date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application 
Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from the statute for this program and Sec.  75.210 of EDGAR and are 
listed in this section. The maximum score for all the selection 
criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is 
indicated in parentheses. Each criterion also includes the factors that 
the reviewers will consider in determining how well an application 
meets the criterion. In addressing each criterion, applicants are 
encouraged to make explicit connections to relevant aspects of 
responses to other selection criteria.
    The Notes we have included after each criterion are guidance to 
assist applicants in understanding the criterion as they prepare their 
applications and are not required by statute or regulation.
    A. Significance of the Project (20 points). The Secretary considers 
the significance of the proposed project. In determining the 
significance of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the 
following factors:
    (1) The significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by the 
proposed project.
    (2) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system 
change or improvement.
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
    (4) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build 
local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the 
needs of the target population.


    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this 
criterion by identifying specific gaps and weaknesses in the 
services and infrastructure currently in place for the recruitment, 
selection, preparation, placement, and retention of teachers and by 
stating how the proposed project will address these gaps and 
weaknesses. The Secretary encourages applicants to identify (1) 
current barriers that the high-need LEAs to be served by the project 
face in meeting their teacher recruitment needs, including, if 
relevant, barriers caused by existing State certification or 
licensure requirements, (2) why these barriers exist, and (3) how 
the project would significantly help those LEAs overcome these 
barriers.


    Applicants are also encouraged to address this criterion by 
connecting the project design to the needs of the partner districts and 
identifying the specific teacher-shortage areas faced by the 
participating high-need LEAs on which their proposed projects would 
focus. These may include such high-need subject areas as mathematics, 
science, special education, and English as a second language, and 
particular grade levels, including middle and high schools. Applicants 
should understand that a project's strategy for helping participating 
high-need LEAs to identify and hire highly qualified individuals to 
fill teaching positions in high-need subjects may rely on existing 
alternative routes to certification, the expansion of alternative 
routes to certification into new areas, or the creation of wholly new 
alternative routes.
    B. Quality of the Project Design (30 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the project design for the proposed project by 
considering how well the applicant describes a plan--
    (1) To develop a program to recruit and retain highly qualified 
mid-career professionals (including highly qualified paraprofessionals) 
and recent graduates of an IHE as teachers in high-need schools 
operated by high-need LEAs; and
    (2) To enable individuals to become eligible for teacher 
certification under State-approved alternative routes to certification 
programs within a reduced period of time, relying on such factors as 
experience, expertise, and academic qualifications in lieu of 
traditional course-work in education.
    In considering the quality of the project design and the 
applicant's plan, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (a) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (b) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects 
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
    (c) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs.
    (d) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build 
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of 
Federal financial assistance.


    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this 
criterion by discussing the overall project model and its key 
components, and the degree to which the model's key components are 
based on sound research and practice, as well as the extent to which 
the proposed services address the identified needs of the 
participating high-need LEAs. Applicants may want to address such 
key components of project design as:
    (1) Recruitment and selection, including identifying the target 
group(s) on which the program will focus and why and how the program 
is designed to rigorously select participants with the requisite 
content knowledge, skills, and commitment to teach in high-need LEAs 
and schools.
    (2) Training and preparation, including how the project provides 
a route to certification that is accelerated, integrates coursework 
and field experience, and is adapted to participants' learning 
needs.
    (3) Support services, including mentoring, that are designed to 
retain participants and meet their needs in terms of length, 
content, and means of delivery in order to be successful in high-
needs schools and LEAs.
    (4) Teacher placement, including evidence that the proposed 
project will meet the needs of high-need LEAs and is developed in 
coordination with appropriate partners, and that the project 
includes a system of tracking to meet statutory requirements.
    (5) Certification, including consideration of how the timeline 
for achieving certification will meet the needs of participants, 
LEAs, and partners, as well as the ``Highly Qualified Teacher'' 
requirements established in section 9101(23) of the ESEA.


    In addition, applicants are encouraged to clarify the means by 
which the project's specified outcomes and benefits may be sustained 
once Federal funding has ended.
    C. Quality of Project Services (20 points). In determining the 
quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or 
beneficiaries of those services.
    (2) The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient 
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice 
among the recipients of those services.
    (3) The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are likely to alleviate 
the personnel shortages that have been identified or are the focus of 
the proposed project.
    (4) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project

[[Page 759]]

involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for maximizing the 
effectiveness of project services.


    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this 
criterion by discussing how the proposed project services will meet 
the needs both of the high-need LEAs identified in the application 
and of the program participants they would recruit to become 
teachers. Applicants are encouraged to consult the list of 
authorized activities in section 2313(g) of the ESEA in describing 
the specific services to be delivered to recruit, prepare, and 
retain participants that will increase the number of highly 
qualified teachers in high-need schools in high-need LEAs. In 
addition, the Secretary encourages applicants to consider carefully 
the breadth of activities that section 2313(g) of the ESEA 
authorizes and then to address how the project will:


    (1) Provide training that meets the learning needs of the 
participants and makes use of appropriate media (such as face-to-
face instruction, Web-based instruction, and distance learning) to 
provide them with the skills needed to be highly qualified and 
effective teachers in the identified high-need subject areas and 
high-need schools and LEAs.
    (2) Support project participants' success in high-need schools 
and LEAs, during the period of their service obligation, through 
individual mentoring, support of participants as a group, use of 
technology, or other appropriate means.
    (3) Encourage the participation of all project partners, 
including school leaders, in providing services related to the 
recruitment, preparation, and retention of project participants and 
ensuring lasting benefits or outcomes. Applicants are encouraged to 
clarify the roles of partners in each phase of the project and the 
extent of coordination that will occur with similar efforts at the 
State and district levels. In addition, applicants are encouraged to 
consider how they might demonstrate (e.g., through narrative 
discussion, letters of support, or formal memoranda of 
understanding) the commitment of partners to the project, and the 
partners' understanding of responsibilities they have agreed to 
assume in service delivery.
    D. Quality of the Management Plan (15 points). In determining 
the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the adequacy of the management plan to achieve 
the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, 
including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and 
milestones for accomplishing project tasks.

    Note: Section 75.112 of EDGAR requires an applicant for a multi-
year grant to include a narrative that describes how and when, in 
each budget period of the project, the applicant plans to meet each 
project objective. The Secretary encourages applicants to address 
this criterion by including in this narrative a clear, well thought-
out implementation plan that includes annual timelines, key project 
milestones, and a schedule of activities with sufficient time for 
developing an adequate implementation plan, as well as timelines for 
providing program participants the support they need in their 
initial years as teachers.

    E. Quality of the Project Evaluation (15 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the evaluation to be conducted, 
the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible.
    (2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.

    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this 
criterion by including benchmarks to monitor progress toward 
specific and measurable project objectives, as well as outcome 
measures to assess the impact on teaching and learning or other 
important outcomes for project participants. (The specific 
performance measures established for the overall Transition to 
Teaching program are discussed under Performance Measures in section 
VI of this notice. Section 2314 of the ESEA also requires grantees 
to submit both an interim evaluation of the first three years of the 
grant and a final evaluation at the end of the grant.)


    The Secretary also encourages applicants to identify the individual 
or organization that has agreed to serve as evaluator for the project 
and describe the qualifications of that evaluator. Finally, with 
respect to the implementation of the program and monitoring progress 
toward achieving project objectives, applicants are encouraged to 
describe the following: (1) What types of data will be collected; (2) 
when various types of data will be collected; (3) what methods will be 
used; (4) what instruments will be developed and when; (5) how the data 
will be analyzed; (6) when reports of results and outcomes will be 
available; and (7) how the applicant will use the information collected 
through the evaluation to monitor progress and improve implementation 
of the funded project and to provide accountability information about 
project success. Applicants are encouraged to design an evaluation that 
provides data for annual as well as midpoint and final reporting. 
Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level of resources 
to project evaluation.
    2. Review and Selection Process: Additional information concerning 
our review and selection of grant applications in this competition are 
contained in the NFP.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: The Secretary requires successful applicants to 
submit annual performance reports and, after the last year of the 
project, a final report. The annual performance report documents the 
grantee's yearly progress toward meeting expected programmatic and 
project specific outcomes. These outcomes must be based on measurable 
performance objectives including, but not limited to, the performance 
measures described in paragraph 4 of this section. These reports must 
evaluate--
    (1) The grantee's progress in meeting the application's objectives;
    (2) The project's effectiveness in meeting the purposes of the 
Transition to Teaching program; and
    (3) The project's effect on the specific LEAs the project serves.
    Among other things, the Department uses the annual performance 
reports to determine whether a grantee has demonstrated substantial 
progress in meeting the goals and objectives (as described in its 
approved application), and thereby merits a continuation award (for 
years 2-5). See Sec.  75.118 of EDGAR.
    Grantees also will be required to submit a final performance 
report, due no later than 90 days after the end of the project period.
    In addition, section 2314 of the ESEA requires grantees to submit 
to the Department and to the Congress interim and final evaluations at 
the end of the third and fifth years of the grant period, respectively. 
These evaluations must

[[Page 760]]

describe the extent to which high-need LEAs that received funds through 
the grant have met their goals relating to teacher recruitment and 
retention as described in the project application. Additional 
requirements pertaining to these reports are in the NFP.
    For specific requirements on grantee reporting, please go to http:/
/www/ed/gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established one 
performance indicator for assessing the effectiveness of the Transition 
to Teaching program: the percentage of new, highly qualified Transition 
to Teaching teachers who teach in high-need schools in high-need LEAs 
for at least three years. We will track this indicator through the use 
of the following three performance measures. We will gather the data 
for these measures from the grantees.
    Measure One: The percentage of all Transition to Teaching 
participants who become teachers of record in high-need schools in 
high-need LEAs. For this measure we will collect data on the number of 
participants and the number of teachers of record in high-need schools 
in high-need LEAs.
    Measure Two: The percentage of Transition to Teaching participants 
receiving certification/licensure within three years. For this measure, 
we will collect data on the number of participants who become certified 
within three years.
    Measure Three: The percentage of Transition to Teaching teachers of 
record who teach in high-need schools in high-need LEAs for at least 
three years. For this measure, we will collect data on the number of 
participants who become teachers of record who have been teaching in 
high-need schools in high-need LEAs for at least three years.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For Further Information Contact: Thelma Leenhouts or Anthony 
Sepulveda Taber, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, 
SW., room 4W320, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 260-0223 
(Thelma Leenhouts) or (202) 260-0464 (Anthony Sepulveda). By e-mail: 
transitiontoteaching@ed.gov.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the program contact persons listed in this 
section.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: https://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498 or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/
nara/.


    Dated: January 3, 2007.
Morgan S. Brown,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. E7-34 Filed 1-5-07; 8:45 am]
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