Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: Overview Information; Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008, 3707-3711 [E8-1007]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3707-3711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1007]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: Overview 
Information; Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program; 
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.364A.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: January 22, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 7, 2008.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 6, 2008.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to improve 
student reading skills and academic achievement by providing students 
with increased access to up-to-date school library materials; well-
equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and 
well-trained, professionally certified school library media 
specialists.
    Priorities: This notice contains one competitive preference 
priority and one invitational priority.
    Competitive Preference Priority: This priority is from the notice 
of final priority for this program, published in the Federal Register 
on February 16, 2007 (72 FR 7629). For FY 2008, and any subsequent year 
in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition, this priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 
34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an additional 5 points to an 
application, depending on how well the application meets this priority.
    Under this priority, we give priority to projects that demonstrate 
in their grant applications that the proposed library literacy project 
services are comprehensive and aligned with a school or district 
improvement plan. A school improvement plan may include the required 
two-year plan (under section 1116(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 
2001) that addresses the academic issues that caused a school to be 
identified as in need of improvement. The plan could also include a 
voluntary plan developed by the school or district to improve academic 
achievement. The applicant must clearly describe the improvement plan 
that is in place, whether it is for the school or the entire district, 
the reasons why the plan was put in place, and how the proposed project 
and the operation of the school library media center will directly 
support the academic goals established in the improvement plan.
    Invitational 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 60046). For FY 2008 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 for 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

[[Page 3708]]

amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6383.
    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 clarification of 
eligible local activities, published in the Federal Register on April 
5, 2004 (69 FR 17894). (c) The notice of final priority, published in 
the Federal Register on February 16, 2007 (72 FR 7629). (d) The notice 
of final priorities for discretionary grant programs published in the 
Federal Register on October 11, 2006 (71 FR 60046).

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $18,570,261. Contingent upon the 
availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make 
additional awards in FY 2009 from the list of unfunded applicants from 
this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $30,000--$500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 80.

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

    Project Period: Up to 12 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs in which at least 20 percent of the 
students served by the LEA are from families with incomes below the 
poverty line based on the most recent satisfactory data available from 
the U.S. Census Bureau at the time this notice is published. These data 
are Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates for school districts for 
income year 2005. A list of LEAs with their family poverty rates (based 
on these Census Bureau data) is posted on our Web site at: https://
www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/eligibility.html. 
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. Funds made available under this program 
must be used to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, and 
local funds expended to carry out activities relating to library, 
technology, or professional development activities (20 U.S.C. 6383(i)).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address To Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use either of the 
following addresses: https://www.grants.gov or https://www.ed.gov/
programs/lsl/applicant.html. To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, 
or call the following: Education Publications Center, 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), 
call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.
    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: https://www.ed.gov/
pubs/edpubs.html or at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov. 
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.364A.
    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: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this program. Page 
Limit: The application narrative (Part IV of the application) is where 
you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use 
to evaluate your application. You must limit the application narrative 
(Part IV) to no more than 15 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, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     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 
III, the one-page abstract; Part VI, the other attachments including 
the resumes, and the endnotes, if applicable; and Part VII, the 
assurances and certifications. However, you must include all of the 
application narrative in Part IV. Charter schools and State 
administered schools must include some form of documentation from their 
State educational agency (SEA) confirming eligibility for this program. 
This documentation is not counted toward the page limit.
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that 
exceed the page limit if you apply these standards. Appendices to the 
narrative are not permitted, with the exception of resumes and 
endnotes. None of the material sent as appendices to the narrative, 
with the exception of resumes and endnotes, will be sent to the 
reviewers.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: January 22, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 7, 2008.
    Applications for grants under this program 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: May 6, 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 in the application package for this program.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this program must be submitted

[[Page 3709]]

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 Improving Literacy Through School 
Libraries program, CFDA Number 84.364A must be submitted electronically 
using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at http//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 Improving 
Literacy Through School Libraries program at https://www.Grants.gov You 
must search for the downloadable application package for this program 
by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in 
your search (e.g., search for 84.364, not 84.364A).
    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 Education 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

[[Page 3710]]

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: Irene Harwarth, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3W227, 
Washington, DC 20202-6200, Fax: (202) 260-8969.
    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 
84.364A), 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 
84.364A), 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, or
    (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 84.364A), 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

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from section 1251 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965, as amended (ESEA), and 34 CFR 75.210 and are as follows. The 
maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points. The maximum 
score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses. We evaluate an 
application by determining how well the proposed project meets the 
following criteria:
    (a) Need for school library resources (10 points). How well the 
applicant demonstrates the need for school library media improvement, 
based on the age and condition of school library media resources, 
including book collections; access of school library media centers to 
advanced technology; and the availability of well-trained, 
professionally certified school library media specialists, in schools 
served by the applicant.
    (b) Use of funds (30 points). How well the applicant will use the 
funds made available through the grant to carry out one or more of the 
following activities that meet its demonstrated needs:
    (1) Acquiring up-to-date school library media resources, including 
books.
    (2) Acquiring and using advanced technology, incorporated into the 
curricula of the school, to develop and enhance students' skills in 
retrieving and making use of information and in critical thinking.
    (3) Facilitating Internet links and other resource-sharing networks 
among schools and school library media centers, and public and academic 
libraries.
    (4) Providing professional development (as described in the notice 
of final clarification of eligible local activities published in the 
Federal Register on April 5, 2004 (69 FR 17894)) for school library 
media specialists that is designed to improve literacy in grades K-3, 
and for school library media specialists as described in section 
1222(d)(2) of the ESEA and providing activities that foster increased

[[Page 3711]]

collaboration between school library media specialists, teachers, and 
administrators.
    (5) Providing students with access to school libraries during non-
school hours, including the hours before and after school, during 
weekends, and during summer vacation periods.
    (c) Quality of the project design (20 points). In determining the 
quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers 
the extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved 
by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (d) Quality of the management plan (20 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.
    (e) Broad-based involvement and coordination (10 points). How well 
the applicant will extensively involve school library media 
specialists, teachers, administrators, and parents in the proposed 
project activities and effectively coordinate the funds and activities 
provided under this program with other literacy, library, technology, 
and professional development funds and activities.
    (f) Evaluation of quality and impact (10 points). How well the 
applicant will collect and analyze data on the quality and impact of 
the proposed project activities, including the extent to which the 
availability of, the access to, and the use of up-to-date school 
library media resources in the elementary schools and secondary schools 
served by the applicant increase; and the impact of the project on the 
reading skills of students.
    2. Review and Selection Process: An additional factor we consider 
in selecting an application for an award is the equitable distribution 
of grants across geographic regions and among LEAs serving urban and 
rural areas.

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. For specific requirements on reporting, please go to 
https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: In response to the Government Performance 
and Results Act (GPRA), the Department developed three measures for 
evaluating the overall effectiveness of the Improving Literacy Through 
School Libraries program. These measures gauge improvement in student 
achievement and resources in the schools and districts served by the 
Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program by assessing 
increases in: (1) The percentage of students in schools served by the 
Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program who are proficient 
in reading; (2) The number of books and media resources purchased per 
student, pre- and post-grant, compared to the national average; and (3) 
The difference in the number of purchases of school library materials 
(books and media resources) between schools participating in the 
Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program and the national 
average. The Department will collect data for these measures from 
grantees' final performance reports and other data sources.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Irene Harwarth, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W227, Washington, DC 20202-
6200. Telephone: (202) 401-3751 or by e-mail: Irene.Harwarth@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: January 16, 2008.
Kerri Briggs,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. E8-1007 Filed 1-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P