Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; High-Quality Supplemental Educational Services and After-School Partnerships Demonstration; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008., 38430-38436 [E8-15363]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 130 (Monday, July 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38430-38436]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-15363]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; High-
Quality Supplemental Educational Services and After-School Partnerships 
Demonstration; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2008.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.287N.

DATES:
    Applications Available: July 7, 2008.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: July 21, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 12, 2008.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 15, 2008.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the High-Quality Supplemental 
Educational Services and After-School Partnerships Demonstration 
competition is to encourage the establishment or expansion of 
partnerships between supplemental educational services (SES) programs 
and 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21stCCLC) projects in 
order to increase the academic achievement of low-income students in 
Title I schools \1\ identified for improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring. Through this competition, the Department will fund 
projects that will serve as national models of how these two federally 
authorized after-school initiatives can be coordinated so that a 
greater number of students enroll in, participate in, and complete 
academic after-school services that improve their achievement in 
reading and mathematics.
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    \1\ A Title I school is a school that receives funds under Title 
I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 
amended.
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    SES programs, authorized under section 1116(e) of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left 
Behind Act of 2001 (ESEA), provide free academic instruction to 
students from low-income families who attend a Title I school in the 
second year of improvement, in corrective action, or in restructuring. 
SES programs provide tutoring, remediation, and other research-based 
educational interventions that are consistent with the content and 
instruction used by the local educational agency (LEA) and aligned with 
the State's academic content standards.
    The 21stCCLC program, authorized under Title IV, Part B of the 
ESEA, provides opportunities for communities to establish or expand 
activities in community learning centers that offer academic 
enrichment, including tutorial services, to help students, particularly 
students who attend low-performing schools, meet State and local 
academic achievement standards in core academic subjects. The program 
also provides a broad array of additional services and activities for 
students and their families that are designed to reinforce and 
complement the regular academic program of participating students. 
Centers can be located in elementary or secondary schools or other 
similarly accessible facilities.
    Priorities: This competition has one absolute priority and two 
invitational priorities within the absolute priority.
    Absolute Priority: This priority is an absolute priority. We are 
establishing this priority for the FY 2008 grant competition only, in 
accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions 
Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider 
only applications that meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    High-Quality Supplemental Educational Services and After-School 
Partnerships Demonstration.
    Background: Under the ESEA, students in low-performing Title I 
schools across the country may be eligible to participate in the 
21stCCLC and SES programs. Both programs provide after-school services 
designed to help raise students' academic achievement.
    Evidence indicates that participation in SES improves student 
academic achievement. A recent study by the RAND Corporation, supported 
by the U.S. Department of Education (Department), found that in five 
out of the seven large urban LEAs studied in

[[Page 38431]]

which there were sufficient numbers of students to analyze the effects, 
students participating in SES showed statistically significant positive 
effects in both reading and mathematics achievement.\2\ Additionally, a 
recent study of 35 quasi-experimental and experimental studies of 
after-school programs for at-risk youth found that after-school 
programs demonstrated positive effects on reading and mathematics 
achievement for students.\3\
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    \2\ U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation 
and Policy Development, Policy and Program Studies Service. (2007). 
State and Local Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, 
Volume I--Title I School Choice, Supplemental Educational Services, 
and Student Achievement, Washington, DC: Author.
    \3\ Lauer, et al. (2006). ``Out-of-School-Time Programs: A Meta-
Analysis of Effects for At-Risk Students,'' Review of Education 
Research, vol. 76 (pp. 275-313).
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    This priority will support innovative approaches to coordinating 
SES and 21stCCLC programs in order to increase and sustain students' 
participation in these programs and improve students' academic 
achievement. Through this priority, we will fund demonstration projects 
that coordinate the after-school academic and enrichment services of 
recipients of 21stCCLC local grants with the academic instruction of 
one or more State-approved SES providers, in an LEA that is identified 
by the State as in need of improvement or corrective action. The 
projects funded under this priority will develop strategies to 
coordinate the resources of the SES and 21stCCLC programs so that (1) 
greater numbers of students in the LEA enroll in and benefit from 
intensive, standards-based academic services, and (2) the projects will 
be sustained after the grant period ends.
    We believe that coordinating the Federal investments in the SES and 
21stCCLC programs has the potential to strengthen the quality and 
intensity of services available to students by leveraging the resources 
of the two programs and providing services that meet a wide range of 
academic and after-school needs of students and families.
    Priority: To meet this priority, the proposed project must be 
designed to--
    (1) Serve as a national model that provides innovative approaches 
to after-school services by coordinating the academic services offered 
by SES programs with the after-school services offered by 21stCCLC 
programs in a manner that is designed to result in significant gains in 
reading and mathematics achievement among low-income students who are 
at greatest risk of not meeting challenging State academic standards;
    (2) Provide or coordinate intensive academic after-school services 
to students who attend a Title I school in the LEA that is in its 
second year of improvement, in corrective action, or in restructuring, 
under section 1116 of the ESEA.
    (3) Increase the number of students in the LEA receiving academic 
after-school services designed to improve their academic achievement;
    (4) Provide or coordinate academic after-school services that are 
consistent with the instructional program of the LEA served and aligned 
with the academic standards of the State in which the LEA is located; 
and
    (5) Collect data on student eligibility, enrollment, and 
participation in the academic after-school services provided by the 
project, as well as pre- and post-intervention test data to assess the 
effectiveness of the project on improving the academic achievement of 
student participants.
    The activities conducted by the proposed project to meet the 
requirements in paragraphs (1) through (5) of this priority can 
include, but are not limited to, the following: project planning, 
coordination, and administration; data collection, program evaluation, 
and information sharing among partners; and outreach services to 
parents and students.
    Invitational Priorities: Within this absolute priority, we are 
particularly interested in applications that address one or both of the 
following invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not 
give an application that meets these invitational priorities a 
competitive or absolute preference over other applications.
    These priorities are:
    (1) Academic After-School Services for High School Students.
    Background: High school students are less likely to participate in 
SES and 21stCCLC programs than students in earlier grades. According to 
recent data, only one-third of LEAs required to offer SES to eligible 
high school students actually did so, compared to 90 percent and 96 
percent of LEAs, respectively, required to offer SES to eligible 
elementary and middle school students.\4\ Similar difficulties exist in 
achieving high participation rates for high school students in the 
21stCCLC program. Of the 1.4 million students served in 21stCCLC 
centers, less than 10 percent are high school students. Even though 
after-school opportunities are available for high school students at 
21stCCLC centers, less than five percent of LEAs with after-school 
programs report that high school students take advantage of these 
programs.\5\
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    \4\ U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, 
Evaluation, and Policy Development, Policy and Program Studies 
Service, State and Local Implementation of the No Child Left Behind 
Act, Volume IV--Title I School Choice and Supplemental Educational 
Services: Interim Report, Washington, D.C., 2008.
    \5\ Data come from the 21st CCLC Program and Performance 
Information Collection System Database.
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    Priority: To meet this priority, the proposed project must be 
designed to provide after-school services aimed at improving the 
academic achievement of high school students.
    (2) Faith-Based and Other Community Organizations as SES Providers.
    Background: Faith-based and other community organizations have had 
significant participation in SES and 21stCCLC programs since their 
inception, as State-approved SES providers, as partners in providing 
outreach to parents and improving student participation in SES 
programs, and as recipients of local 21stCCLC grants. These 
organizations are often integral and vital parts of a community and can 
serve as high-quality providers of academic services for students, in 
part because they offer an attractive after-school option to parents 
because of their local and familiar presence in a community.
    Priority: To meet this priority, the applicant must include as a 
partner one or more SES providers that are faith-based or other 
community organizations.
    Application Requirements: An application under this competition 
must include the following:
    (1) A list of partner entities, including one or more State-
approved SES providers that meet the eligibility requirements, that 
will assist the applicant in coordinating or providing services.
    (2) A memorandum of understanding between the applicant and all 
partner entities that (i) describes the activities that each member of 
the group plans to carry out and (ii) binds each member of the group to 
every statement and assurance made by the applicant in the application, 
as set forth in 34 CFR 75.128(b).
    (3) A comprehensive plan that describes the design of the proposed 
project.
    (4) A description of--
    (a) The resources that will be used for the proposed project;
    (b) The applicant's plan for the management of the proposed 
project, including planning, implementation, and oversight; and
    (c) The applicant's plan for the evaluation of the proposed 
project.

[[Page 38432]]

    Applications that do not meet these requirements will not be read 
and will not be considered for funding.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed rules or regulations governing a 
program. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to 
exempt from rulemaking requirements regulations governing the first 
grant competition under a new or substantially revised program 
authority. This is the first grant competition for this program under 
the national activities authority in section 4202(a)(2) of the ESEA 
and, therefore, the priorities, requirements, and selection criteria 
governing this competition qualify for this exemption. In order to 
ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public 
comment on the eligibility requirements, priorities, application 
requirements, and selection criteria applicable to this competition 
under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. These eligibility requirements, 
priorities, application requirements, and selection criteria will apply 
to the FY 2008 grant competition only.

    Program Authority: 

    Section 4202(a)(2) of the ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 7172(a)(2).

    Applicable Regulations: 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.

    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 institutions of 
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $5,000,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$1,300,000 for a three-year 
project period.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $900,000 for a three-year project 
period.
    Maximum Award: The maximum award amount is $1,300,000 for a three-
year project period. We may choose not to consider an application with 
a budget request that exceeds this amount for any 36-month budget 
period if we conclude, during our initial review of the application, 
that the proposed goals and objectives cannot be obtained with the 
specified maximum amount.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 4-6.

    Note: The Department plans to fund projects entirely out of FY 
2008 funds.


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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.
    Budget Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Current recipients of 21stCCLC local grants 
that will provide services in the 2008-2009 school year and that (1) 
apply in partnership with one or more State-approved SES providers able 
to serve students in the grantee's LEA in the 2008-2009 school year, 
(2) serve students in an LEA that is identified by its State as in need 
of improvement or corrective action during the 2007-2008 or 2008-2009 
school year, and (3) serve students enrolled in at least one Title I 
school identified as in need of improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring during the 2007-2008 or 2008-2009 school years.
    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: Joan Scott-Ambrosio, 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W225, 
Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 260-2715 or by e-mail: 
HQSESAfterschool@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 program contact 
person listed in this section.
    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.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: 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. This e-mail notification should be sent to 
HQSESAfterschool@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.
    You should limit the application narrative [Part III] to the 
equivalent of no more than 25 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).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    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, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the page 
limit does apply to all of the application narrative section [Part 
III].
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: July 7, 2008.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: July 21, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 12, 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

[[Page 38433]]

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: September 15, 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 competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: 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.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the High-Quality Supplemental 
Educational Services and After-School Partnerships Demonstration 
competition, CFDA Number 84.287N, 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 High-
Quality Supplemental Educational Services and After-School Partnerships 
Demonstration competition 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 84.287, not 84.287N).
    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 accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. 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

[[Page 38434]]

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 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: Joan Scott-Ambrosio, 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W225, 
Washington, DC 20202-5970 Fax: (202) 205-5630.
    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 84.287N), 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 
84.287N), 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 84.287N), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 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: We are establishing the following selection 
criteria, for the FY 2008 grant competition only, in accordance with 
section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). The maximum score for 
all of the selection criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each 
criterion is indicated in parentheses with the criterion.
    The criteria are as follows:
    (1) Quality of the project design (up to 35 points).
    (a) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the 
proposed project.
    (b) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the extent to which the proposed 
project consists of a comprehensive plan that includes a description 
of--
    (i) The demonstrated need to be met, including the academic and 
after-school needs of the students, schools, and LEAs to be served;
    (ii) The objectives and expected outcomes designed to address the 
need described under paragraph (b)(i) of this selection criterion; and

[[Page 38435]]

    (iii) The after-school academic services to be provided or 
coordinated by the applicant and its partner entities, and the extent 
to which those services will meet the requirements of the absolute 
priority described in this notice.
    (2) Adequacy of resources (up to 15 points).
    (a) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the 
proposed project.
    (b) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The adequacy of the instructional program to be provided to 
students, including the extent to which the program is intensive, 
research-based, consistent with the instructional program of the LEA 
served, and aligned with State academic standards.
    (ii) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in 
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
    (iii) The extent to which costs are reasonable in relation to the 
number of persons to be served and services to be provided.
    (3) Quality of the management plan (up to 25 points).
    (a) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project.
    (b) In determining the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) 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.
    (ii) The adequacy of the management plan in explaining the 
planning, coordination, implementation, management, and oversight 
services that the applicant and its partner entities will provide or 
coordinate for the proposed project, including an explanation of the 
role of the 21stCCLC grantee, LEA, SES provider(s), school principals, 
teachers, other partner entities, parents, and members of the community 
in the proposed project.
    (iii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate 
to meet the objectives of the proposed project.
    (4) Quality of the project evaluation (up to 25 points).
    (a) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be 
conducted of the proposed project.
    (b) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the proposed evaluation--
    (i) Sets out methods of evaluation that 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;
    (ii) Will provide timely and valid information on the management, 
implementation, and effectiveness of the project;
    (iii) Will provide guidance on or strategies for replicating or 
testing the project intervention in multiple settings; and
    (iv) Meets the evaluation criteria specified in paragraph (5) of 
the absolute priority.

    Note: A strong evaluation plan should be included in the 
application narrative and should be used, as appropriate, to shape 
the development of the project from the beginning of the project 
period. The plan should include benchmarks to monitor progress 
toward specific project objectives and also outcome measures to 
assess the impact on student participation and achievement, as well 
as other important outcomes for project participants. More 
specifically, the plan should identify the individual or 
organization that has agreed to serve as evaluator for the project 
and describe the qualifications of that evaluator.

    The plan should describe the evaluation design, indicating: (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 of the funded project and to provide accountability 
information both about success at the initial site and about effective 
strategies for replication in other settings. Applicants are encouraged 
to devote an appropriate level of resources to conduct an evaluation 
that meets the criteria of paragraph (5) of the absolute priority.

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 Notice 
(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 Secretary has established three 
performance indicators for this competition: (1) The number of eligible 
students who enroll in 21stCCLC and SES programs at grantee sites, (2) 
the number of enrolled students who complete full programs of service 
at grantee sites, and (3) the percentage of enrolled students, 
including the lowest achieving students, who improve their academic 
performance on their State assessments in reading or mathematics. All 
grantees will be required to submit an annual performance report 
documenting their contribution in assisting the Department in measuring 
the performance of the program against these performance indicators, as 
well as performance on project-specific indicators.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Michelle Armstrong, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W217, 
Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 205-1729 or by e-mail: 
HQSESAfterschool@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

[[Page 38436]]

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: July 1, 2008.
Douglas B. Mesecar,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. E8-15363 Filed 7-3-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P