Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Overview Information; Smaller Learning Communities Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards Using Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Funds, 65951-65957 [E7-22957]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 226 (Monday, November 26, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65951-65957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22957]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Overview 
Information; Smaller Learning Communities Program; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards Using Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Funds

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215L.


DATES: Applications Available: November 26, 2007.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: January 10, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 25, 2008.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 24, 2008.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program 
awards discretionary grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to 
support the implementation of SLCs and activities to improve student 
academic achievement in large public high schools with enrollments of 
1,000 or more students. SLCs include structures such as freshman 
academies, multi-grade academies organized around career interests or 
other themes, ``houses'' in which small groups of students remain 
together throughout high school, and autonomous schools-within-a-
school, as well as personalization strategies, such as student 
advisories, family advocate systems, and mentoring programs.
    Priority: This priority is from the notice of final priority, 
requirements, and selection criteria for this program published in the 
Federal Register on May 18, 2007 (72 FR 28426).
    Absolute Priority: For new awards made using FY 2007 funds and any 
subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applicants from this competition, this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Preparing All Students to Succeed in Postsecondary Education and 
Careers.
    This priority supports projects that create or expand SLCs that are 
part of

[[Page 65952]]

a comprehensive effort to prepare all students to succeed in 
postsecondary education and careers without need for remediation.
    In order to meet this priority an applicant must demonstrate that, 
using SLC grant funds or other resources, it will:
    (1) Provide intensive interventions to assist students who enter 
high school with reading/language arts or mathematics skills that are 
significantly below grade level to ``catch up'' quickly and attain 
proficiency by the end of 10th grade;
    (2) Enroll students in a coherent sequence of rigorous English 
language arts, mathematics, and science courses that will equip them 
with the skills and content knowledge needed to succeed in 
postsecondary education and careers without need for remediation;
    (3) Provide tutoring and other academic supports to help students 
succeed in rigorous academic courses;
    (4) Deliver comprehensive guidance and academic advising to 
students and their parents that includes assistance in selecting 
courses and planning a program of study that will provide the academic 
preparation needed to succeed in postsecondary education, early and 
ongoing college awareness and planning activities, and help in 
identifying and applying for financial aid for postsecondary education; 
and
    (5) Increase opportunities for students to earn postsecondary 
credit through Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate 
courses, or dual credit programs.
    Competitive Preference Priority: Within this absolute priority, we 
give competitive preference to applications that address the following 
priority.
    This priority is from the notice of final priorities for 
discretionary grant programs published in the Federal Register on 
October 11, 2006 (71 FR 60045).
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional 4 points to an 
application that meets this priority.
    This priority is:

School Districts With Schools in Need of Improvement, Corrective 
Action, or Restructuring.

    Projects that help school districts implement academic and 
structural interventions in schools that have been identified for 
improvement, corrective action, or restructuring under the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left 
Behind Act of 2001.

    Note: To meet this priority, a school must receive funds under 
Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (ESEA), and 
have been identified by a State educational agency as in need of 
improvement, corrective action, or restructuring at the time the 
application is submitted.

    Invitational Priority: For new awards made using FY 2007 funds and 
any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applicants from this competition, this priority is an invitational 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), we do not give an application that 
meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference 
over other applications.
    This priority is:

Applications That Propose to Engage Faith-Based and Community 
Organizations in the Delivery of Services Under This Program.

    Application Requirements: In the notice of final priorities 
published in the Federal Register on April 28, 2005 (70 FR 22233), we 
established application requirements in the following areas for 
competitions conducted under this program: Eligibility; School Report 
Cards; Consortium Applications and Educational Service Agencies; 
Student Placement; Including All Students; and Evaluation. In the 
notice of final priority, requirements, and selection criteria 
published in the Federal Register on May 18, 2007 (72 FR 28426), we 
established additional application requirements in the following areas: 
Types of Grants; Budget Information for Determination of Award; 
Indirect Costs; Performance Indicators; Required Meetings Sponsored by 
the Department; and Previous Grantees.
    These requirements are in addition to the content that all SLC 
grant applicants must include in their applications as required by the 
program statute in title V, part D, subpart 4, section 5441(b) of the 
ESEA.
    We have incorporated the terms of these requirements under 
appropriate sections of this notice (e.g., the Eligibility requirement 
is listed in section III. Eligibility Information, elsewhere in this 
notice).
    Definitions: In addition to the definitions in the authorizing 
statute and 34 CFR 77.1, the following definitions apply to this 
program:
    BIE School means a school operated or supported by the Bureau of 
Indian Education of the U.S Department of the Interior (DOI). Formerly, 
these schools were operated or supported by the DOI Bureau of Indian 
Affairs and were known as ``BIA schools.''
    Large High School means a public school that includes grades 11 and 
12 and has an enrollment of 1,000 or more students in grades 9 and 
above.
    Smaller Learning Community (SLC) means an environment in which a 
core group of teachers and other adults within the school knows the 
needs, interests, and aspirations of each student well, closely 
monitors each student's progress, and provides the academic and other 
support each student needs to succeed.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7249.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 
82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final priorities 
published in the Federal Register on April 28, 2005 (70 FR 22233). (c) 
The notice of final priorities for discretionary grant programs 
published in the Federal Register on October 11, 2006 (71 FR 60045). 
(d) The notice of final priority, requirements, and selection criteria 
published in the Federal Register on May 18, 2007 (72 FR 28426).

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $88,323,609.
    At the time of the initial award, the Department will provide funds 
for the first 36 months of the performance period. Funding to cover the 
remaining 24 months will be contingent on the availability of funds and 
each grantee's substantial progress toward accomplishing the goals and 
objectives of the project as described in its approved application. 
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards using FY 2008 funds from 
the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $1,250,000-$14,000,000.
    The following chart provides the ranges of awards per high school 
size:

                         SLC Grant Award Ranges
------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Student enrollment                Award ranges per school
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1,000-2,000 Students.........................      $1,000,000-$1,250,000
2,001-3,000 Students.........................      $1,000,000-$1,500,000
3,001 and Up.................................      $1,000,000-$1,750,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,208,090 for the first 36 
months of the 60-month project period. LEAs may receive, on behalf of a 
single school, up to $1,750,000, depending upon student

[[Page 65953]]

enrollment in the school, during the 60-month project period. To ensure 
that sufficient funds are available to support awards to LEAs of all 
sizes, and not only the largest LEAs, we limit to eight the number of 
schools that an LEA may include in a single application for a grant. 
LEAs applying on behalf of a group of eligible schools thus could 
receive up to $14,000,000 per grant. The actual size of awards will be 
based on a number of factors, including the scope, quality, and 
comprehensiveness of the proposed project, and the range of awards 
indicated in the application.
    Maximum Award: Applications that request more funds than the 
maximum amounts specified for any school or for the total grant will 
not be read as part of the regular application process. However, if, 
after the Secretary selects applications to be funded, it appears that 
additional funds remain available, the Secretary may choose to read 
those additional applications that requested funds exceeding the 
maximum amounts specified. If the Secretary chooses to fund any of 
those additional applications, applicants will be required to work with 
the Department to revise their proposed budgets to fit within the 
appropriate funding range.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 40.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Local educational agencies (LEAs), 
including educational service agencies and BIE schools, applying on 
behalf of one or more large high schools.
    An LEA may apply only on behalf of a school or schools that is not 
included in an SLC implementation grant that has a performance period 
that extends beyond the current fiscal year (September 30, 2008).
    To be considered for funding, LEAs must identify in their 
applications the name or names of the eligible large high school or 
schools and the number of students enrolled in each school. A large 
high school is defined as one having grades 11 and 12, with 1,000 or 
more students enrolled in grades 9 and above. Enrollment figures must 
be based upon data from the current school year.

    Note: In prior years' competitions, we have also accepted 
enrollment data from the most recently completed school year, since 
applications were due after some schools had already completed the 
school year. This was done in an effort to give applicants the 
necessary flexibility required by the timing of the competition. 
However, applications for awards under this competition will be due 
during the school year and, thus, schools can easily determine 
enrollment data for the current school year. Further, allowing 
applicants to use data from the previous school year in these 
circumstances could result in inaccurate eligibility determinations. 
Consequently, in an effort to ensure consistent application of the 
eligibility requirements, applicants must submit data from the 
current school year to demonstrate that each school included in the 
application meets the definition of large high school.

    We will not accept applications from LEAs applying on behalf of 
schools that are being constructed and do not have an active student 
enrollment at the time of application. LEAs may apply on behalf of no 
more than eight schools.
    In an effort to encourage systemic, district-level reform efforts, 
we permit an individual LEA to submit only one grant application in a 
competition, specifying in each application which high schools the LEA 
intends to fund.
    In addition, we require that an LEA applying for a grant under this 
competition apply only on behalf of a high school or high schools for 
which it has governing authority, unless the LEA is an educational 
service agency that includes in its application evidence that the 
entity that has governing authority over the eligible high school 
supports the application. An LEA, however, may form a consortium with 
another LEA and submit a joint application for funds. The consortium 
must follow the procedures for group applications described in 34 CFR 
75.127 through 75.129 in EDGAR.
    An LEA is eligible for only one grant whether the LEA applies 
independently or as part of a consortium.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet, or from the program office.
    To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: 
https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/.
    To obtain a copy from the program office, contact: Angela 
Hernandez-Marshall, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W236, 
Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 205-1909 or by e-mail: 
smallerlearningcommunities@ed.gov.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team 
listed under Alternative Format in section VIII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: All applicants must 
include in their applications the information required by the program 
statute in title V, part D, subpart 4, section 5441(b) of the ESEA. 
Applicants also must meet the following requirements:
    (a) School Report Cards. We require that LEAs provide, for each 
school included in the application, the most recent ``report card'' 
produced by the State or the LEA to inform the public about the 
characteristics of the school and its students, including information 
about student academic achievement and other student outcomes. These 
``report cards'' must include, at a minimum, the following information 
that LEAs are required to report for each school under section 
1111(h)(2)(B)(ii) of the ESEA: (1) Whether the school has been 
identified for school improvement; and (2) Information that shows how 
the academic assessments and other indicators of adequate yearly 
progress compare to those indicators for students in the LEA as a whole 
and also shows the performance of the school's students on statewide 
assessments.
    (b) Student Placement. We require applicants for SLC grants to 
include a description of how students will be selected or placed in an 
SLC and an assurance that students will not be placed according to 
ability or any other measure, but will be placed at random or by 
student/parent choice and not pursuant to testing or other judgments.
    (c) Including All Students. We require applicants for grants to 
create or expand an SLC project that will include every student within 
the school by no later than the end of the fifth school year of 
implementation. Elsewhere in this notice, we define an SLC as an 
environment in which a group of teachers and other adults within the 
school knows the needs, interests, and aspirations of each student 
well, closely monitors each student's progress, and provides the 
academic and other support each student needs to succeed.
    (d) Performance Indicators. We require applicants to identify in 
their application specific performance indicators and annual 
performance objectives for each of these indicators. Specifically, we 
require applicants to use the following performance indicators to 
measure the progress of each school:

[[Page 65954]]

    (1) The percentage of students who score at or above the proficient 
level on the reading/language arts and mathematics assessments used by 
the State to determine whether a school has made adequate yearly 
progress under part A of title I of the ESEA, as well as these 
percentages disaggregated by subject matter and the following 
subgroups:
    (A) Major racial and ethnic groups;
    (B) Students with disabilities;
    (C) Students with limited English proficiency; and
    (D) Economically disadvantaged students.
    (2) The school's graduation rate, as defined in the State's 
approved accountability plan for part A of title I of the ESEA.
    (3) The percentage of graduates who enroll in postsecondary 
education, advanced training, or a registered apprenticeship program in 
the semester following high school graduation.
    Applicants must include in their applications baseline data for 
each of these indicators and identify performance objectives for each 
year of the project period. We further require recipients of grant 
funds to report annually on the extent to which each school achieves 
its performance objectives for each indicator during the preceding 
school year. We require grantees to include in these reports comparable 
data, if available, for the preceding three school years so that trends 
in performance will be more apparent.
    Grantees must submit this additional data using the Department's 
SLC electronic reporting Web site within three months after awards are 
made.
    (e) Evaluation. We require each applicant to provide assurances 
that it will support an evaluation of the project that provides 
information to the project director and school personnel, and that will 
be useful in gauging the project's progress and in identifying areas 
for improvement. Each evaluation must include an annual report for each 
of the first four years of the project period and a final report that 
would be completed at the end of the fifth year of implementation and 
that will include information on implementation during the fifth year 
as well as information on the implementation of the project across the 
entire project period. We require grantees to submit each of these 
reports to the Department.
    In addition, we require that the evaluation be conducted by an 
independent third party, selected by the applicant, whose role in the 
project is limited to conducting the evaluation.
    (f) Required Meetings Sponsored by the Department. Applicants must 
set aside adequate funds within their proposed budget to send their 
project director and at least two individuals from each school included 
in the application to a two-day technical assistance meeting in 
Washington, DC, in each year of the project period. The Department will 
host these meetings.
    (g) Additional Requirements. Additional requirements concerning the 
content of an application for this program, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. We encourage you to limit the narrative to the equivalent 
of no more than 40 pages and suggest that you use 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. Titles, headings, footnotes, 
quotations, references, and captions, as well as text in charts, 
tables, figures, and graphs, can be single spaced.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
     Number all pages consecutively using the style 1 of 40, 2 
of 40, and so forth.
     Include a Table of Contents with page references.
    The suggested page limit does not apply to the Table of Contents; 
forms; the budget section, including the narrative budget 
justification; the assurances and certifications; the one-page 
abstract; the resumes; school report cards; the indirect cost 
agreement; or letters of support. However, the suggested page limit 
does apply to all of the application narrative section. We further 
encourage applicants to limit to no more than 20 pages any attachments 
or appendices that are not resumes; school report cards; the indirect 
cost agreement; or letters of support.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: November 26, 2007.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: January 10, 2008. We will 
be able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant 
applications if we have a better understanding of the number of 
entities that intend to apply for funding.
    Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to send a 
notification of its intent to apply for funding to 
smallerlearningcommunities@ed.gov by January 10, 2008. The notification 
of intent to apply for funding is optional. Applicants that do not 
supply this e-mail notification may still apply for funding.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 25, 2008.
    Applications for grants under this 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 in paper format 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 in section VII 
in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 24, 2008.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program 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 the application package for this competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: Eligible applicants that propose to use 
SLC grant funds for indirect costs must include, as part of their 
applications, a copy of their approved indirect cost agreement. We 
reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable 
Regulations section in this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.

[[Page 65955]]

a. Electronic Submission of Applications

    Applications for grants under the Smaller Learning Communities 
Program, CFDA Number 84.215L, 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 the Smaller 
Learning Communities Program at https://www.Grants.gov. You must search 
for the downloadable application package for this competition by the 
CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your 
search (e.g., search for 84.215, not 84.215L).
    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 competition 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-
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, toll free, 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 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice 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

[[Page 65956]]

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: Angela Hernandez-
Marshall, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W236, Washington, DC 
20202-6200. Fax: (202) 205-4921.
    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 Number 
84.215L), 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 Number 
84.215L), 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 Number 84.215L), 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--
    (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

    Selection Criteria: The following selection criteria will be used 
to evaluate applications for new grants under this program and are from 
the notice of final priority, requirements, and selection criteria 
published in the Federal Register on May 18, 2007 (72 FR 28426).

    Note: The maximum score for all selection criteria is 100 
points. The points or weights assigned to each criterion or 
subcriterion are indicated in parentheses.

Need for the Project (6)

    In determining the need for the proposed project, we will consider 
the magnitude of the need for the services that will be provided and 
the activities that will be carried out by the proposed project.

Quality of the Project Design

    In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, 
we will consider the extent to which--
    (1) Teachers, school administrators, parents and community 
stakeholders support the proposed project and have been and will 
continue to be involved in its development and implementation (5);
    (2) The applicant has carried out sufficient planning and 
preparatory activities to enable it to implement the proposed project 
during the school year in which the grant award will be made (5);
    (3) School administrators, teachers, and other school employees 
will receive effective, ongoing technical assistance and support in 
implementing structural and instructional reforms (7);
    (4) The applicant will offer all students a coherent sequence of 
rigorous English language arts, mathematics, and science courses that 
will provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed 
in postsecondary education and careers without need for remediation 
(7); and
    (5) The proposed project is part of a districtwide strategy for 
high school redesign and strengthens the district's capacity to develop 
and implement smaller learning communities and improve student academic 
achievement as part of that strategy (1).

[[Page 65957]]

Quality of Project Services

    In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the 
proposed project, we will consider the extent to which the proposed 
project is likely to be effective in--
    (1) Creating an environment in which a core group of teachers and 
other adults within the school know the needs, interests, and 
aspirations of each student well, closely monitor each student's 
progress, and provide the academic and other support each student needs 
to succeed (9);
    (2) Equipping all students with the reading/English language arts, 
mathematics, and science knowledge and skills they need to succeed in 
postsecondary education and careers without need for remediation (8);
    (3) Helping students who enter high school with reading/English 
language arts or mathematics skills that are significantly below grade-
level ``catch up'' quickly and attain proficiency by the end of the 
10th grade (8);
    (4) Providing teachers with the professional development, coaching, 
regular opportunities for collaboration with peers, and other supports 
needed to implement a rigorous curriculum and provide high-quality 
instruction (8);
    (5) Increasing the participation of students, particularly low-
income students, in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or 
dual credit courses (8); and
    (6) Increasing the percentage of students who enter postsecondary 
education in the semester following high school graduation (8).

Support for Implementation

    In determining the adequacy of the support the applicant will 
provide for implementation of the proposed project, we will consider 
the extent to which--
    (1) The management plan is likely to achieve the objectives of the 
proposed project on time and within budget and includes clearly defined 
responsibilities and detailed timelines and milestones for 
accomplishing project tasks (7);
    (2) The project director and other key personnel are qualified to 
carry out their responsibilities, and their time commitments are 
appropriate and adequate to implement the SLC project effectively (4);
    (3) The applicant will support the proposed project with funds 
provided under other Federal or State programs and local cash or in-
kind resources (2); and
    (4) The requested grant amount and the project costs are sufficient 
to attain project goals and reasonable in relation to the objectives 
and design of the project (2).

Quality of the SLC Project Evaluation

    In determining the quality of the proposed project evaluation to be 
conducted by an independent, third-party evaluator, we consider the 
extent to which--
    (1) The evaluation will provide timely, regular, and useful 
feedback to the LEA and the participating schools on the success and 
progress of implementation, and identify areas for needed improvement 
(3); and
    (2) The independent evaluator is qualified to conduct the 
evaluation (2).

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 notify you informally, also.
    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 in this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section in 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: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary 
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent 
performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements 
on reporting, please go to https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/
appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: The application requirements and other 
information related to performance indicators and objectives are 
described elsewhere in this notice under section IV. Application and 
Submission Information, 2. Content and Form of Application Submission.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Angela Hernandez-Marshall, Office 
of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W236, Washington, DC 20202-6200. 
Telephone: (202) 205-1909 or by e-mail: 
smallerlearningcommunities@ed.gov.
    If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format 
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can 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: November 20, 2007.
Kerri L. Briggs,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. E7-22957 Filed 11-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P