Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Teaching American History Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, 78762-78767 [E8-30554]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 247 (Tuesday, December 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78762-78767]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30554]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; 
Teaching American History Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications 
for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215X


Dates: Applications Available: December 23, 2008. Deadline for Notice 
of Intent to Apply: January 22, 2009. Dates of Pre-Application 
Meetings: January 8, 2009 and January 12, 2009. Deadline for 
Transmittal of Applications: March 9, 2009. Deadline for 
Intergovernmental Review: May 7, 2009.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Teaching American History Grant Program 
supports projects that aim to raise student achievement by improving 
teachers' knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of traditional 
American history. Grant awards assist local educational agencies 
(LEAs), in partnership with entities that have extensive content 
expertise, to develop, implement, document, evaluate, and disseminate 
innovative, cohesive models of professional development. By helping 
teachers to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of 
traditional American history as a separate subject within the core 
curriculum, these programs are intended to improve instruction and 
raise student achievement.
    Priorities: This competition includes one absolute priority and one 
competitive preference priority that are explained in the following 
paragraphs.
    Absolute Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this 
priority is from section 2351 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (the No 
Child Left Behind Act of 2001) (20 U.S.C. 6721(b)). For FY 2009 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:

Partnerships With Other Agencies or Institutions

    Each applicant LEA must propose to work in partnership with one or 
more of the following:
     An institution of higher education.

[[Page 78763]]

     A non-profit history or humanities organization.
     A library or museum.
    Competitive Preference Priority: This priority is from the notice 
of final discretionary grant priorities for FY 2009, published in the 
Federal Register on November 21, 2008 (73 FR 70627). For FY 2009 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 10 points to an application, depending on how well the 
application meets this priority.
    This priority is:
    School Districts with Schools in Need of Improvement, Corrective 
Action, or Restructuring (up to 10 additional points).
    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: In addressing this priority, each applicant is encouraged 
to include a plan for how the applicant will assess the specific 
needs in the content area of traditional American history in schools 
that have been identified for improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring. In addition, each applicant is encouraged to include 
a plan for how the applicant will recruit U.S. history teachers from 
schools that have been identified for improvement, corrective 
action, or restructuring. Further, each applicant is encouraged to 
describe how each of these two plans will be implemented.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6721.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final selection 
criteria and other application requirements for this program, published 
in the Federal Register on April 15, 2005 (70 FR 19939). (c) The notice 
of final revisions to selection criteria published elsewhere in this 
issue of the Federal Register. (d) The notice of final discretionary 
grant priorities for FY 2009, published in the Federal Register on 
November 21, 2008 (73 FR 70627).

    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: The Administration has requested 
$50,000,000 for new awards for this program for FY 2009. The actual 
level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. 
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete 
the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    The Department assumes that Congress will appropriate sufficient 
funds to provide funding for the first three years (36 months) of the 
project period for each grantee. Thus, we anticipate that initial 
awards under this competition will be made for a three-year period.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and each grantee's 
substantial progress towards accomplishing the goals and objectives of 
the project as described in its approved application, we may make 
continuation awards to grantees for the remaining 24 months of the 
program. Review of each grantee's progress may include consideration of 
evidence of promising practice and strong evaluation design. Further, 
contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2010 from the list of 
unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Maximum Award: The following maximum award amounts are from the 
notice of final selection criteria and other application requirements 
for this program, published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2005 
(70 FR 19939).
    (1) Total funding for a three-year project period is a maximum of 
$500,000 for LEAs with enrollments of less than 20,000 students; 
$1,000,000 for LEAs with enrollments of 20,000-300,000 students; and 
$2,000,000 for LEAs with enrollments above 300,000 students. LEAs may 
form consortia and combine their enrollments in order to receive a 
grant reflective of their combined enrollment. For districts applying 
jointly as a consortium, the maximum award is based on the combined 
enrollment of the individual districts in the consortium. See section 
III. Eligibility Information for information on joint applications.
    (2) A maximum of one grant will be awarded per applicant per 
competition.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 52-65.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs, including charter schools that are 
considered LEAs under State law and regulations, that must work in 
partnership with one or more of the following entities:
     An institution of higher education.
     A non-profit history or humanities organization.
     A library or museum.
    An LEA may form a consortium with one or more other LEAs and submit 
a joint application for funds. The consortium must follow the 
procedures for joint applications described in 34 CFR 75.127-129 of 
EDGAR.
    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: Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone, toll 
free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), 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 package from ED Pubs, be sure to 
identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.215X.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team listed under 
Accessible 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.
    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. The

[[Page 78764]]

Secretary requests that this e-mail notification be sent to Alex Stein 
at: alex.stein@ed.gov.
    Applicants that fail to provide this e-mail notification may still 
apply for funding.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. Applicants are strongly 
encouraged to limit the application narrative 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: December 23, 2008.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: January 22, 2009.
    Dates of Pre-Application Meetings: There will be three pre-
application meetings for prospective applicants: (1) January 8, 2009, 
from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton New 
York Hotel, 1335 Avenue of Americas, New York, NY 10019; (2) January 
12, 2009, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the LBJ Auditorium at the 
U.S. Department of Education headquarters, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20202; and (3) January 12, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 
p.m. in the LBJ Auditorium at the U.S. Department of Education 
headquarters, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202. The 
Department is accessible by Metro on the Blue, Orange, Green, and 
Yellow lines at the 7th Street and Maryland Avenue exit of the L'Enfant 
Plaza Metro Station. Please contact the U.S. Department of Education 
contact persons listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT if you 
have any questions about the details of the pre-application meetings.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 9, 2009.
    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 of 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 
either one of the two individuals 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 7, 2009.
    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 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 Teaching American History Grant 
Program, CFDA Number 84.215X, must be submitted electronically using 
the Government-wide Grants.gov Apply site at 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 Teaching 
American History Grant Program at 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 84.215, not 84.215X).
    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 4:30:00 
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--after 4:30:00 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 
4:30:00 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

[[Page 78765]]

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.
     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 4:30:00 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 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of 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 4:30:00 
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: Alex Stein, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W206, 
Washington, DC 20202-5960. FAX: (202) 401-8466.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.215X) LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    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:

[[Page 78766]]

    (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 84.215X) 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 4:30:00 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 the notice of final selection criteria and other application 
requirements published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2005 (70 FR 
19939) and from 34 CFR 75.210, as permitted under the notice of final 
revisions to selection criteria, published elsewhere in this issue of 
the Federal Register. They are as follows:
    (1) Project quality (45 points). The Secretary considers the 
quality of the proposed project by considering:
    (a) The likelihood that the proposed project will develop, 
implement, and strengthen programs to teach traditional American 
history as a separate academic subject (not as a component of social 
studies) within elementary school and secondary school curricula.
    (b) How specific traditional American history content (including 
the significant issues, episodes, and turning points in the history of 
the United States; how the words and deeds of individual Americans have 
determined the course of our Nation; and how the principles of freedom 
and democracy articulated in the founding documents of this Nation have 
shaped America's struggles and achievements and its social, political, 
and legal institutions and relations) will be covered by the grant; the 
format in which the project will deliver the history content; and the 
quality of the staff and consultants responsible for delivering these 
content-based professional development activities, emphasizing, where 
relevant, their postsecondary teaching experience and scholarship in 
subject areas relevant to the teaching of traditional American history. 
The applicant may also attach curriculum vitae for individuals who will 
provide the content training to the teachers.
    (c) How well the applicant describes a plan that meets the 
statutory requirement to carry out activities under the grant in 
partnership with one or more of the following:
    (i) An institution of higher education.
    (ii) A non-profit history or humanities organization.
    (iii) A library or museum.
    (d) The applicant's rationale for selecting the partner(s) and its 
description of specific activities that the partner(s) will contribute 
to the grant during each year of the project. The applicant should 
include a memorandum of understanding or detailed letters of commitment 
from the partner(s) in an appendix to the application narrative.

    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to describe how the 
proposed history content addresses traditional American history as 
discussed in section V. (1)(b) of the Project quality criterion. 
Applicants are also encouraged to submit a detailed course of study 
for project participants, including a rationale for selecting the 
course of study, and a schedule of activities to be carried out. 
Finally, applicants are encouraged to discuss the role and 
commitment of each partner and document that each partner has been 
apprised of the partner's responsibilities for the project.

    (2) Quality of the project evaluation (25 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers:
    (a) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible.
    (b) How well the evaluation plans are aligned with the project 
design explained under the Project quality criterion.
    (c) Whether the evaluation includes benchmarks to monitor progress 
toward specific project objectives, and outcome measures to assess the 
impact on teaching and learning or other important outcomes for project 
participants.
    (d) Whether the applicant identifies the individual and/or 
organization that have agreed to serve as evaluator for the project and 
includes a description of the qualifications of that evaluator.
    (e) The extent to which the applicant indicates the following:
    (i) What types of data will be collected.
    (ii) When various types of data will be collected.
    (iii) What methods will be used to collect data.
    (iv) What data collection instruments will be developed.
    (v) How the data will be analyzed.
    (vi) When reports of results and outcomes will be available.
    (vii) How the applicant will use the information collected through 
the evaluation to monitor the progress of the funded project and to 
provide accountability information about both success at the initial 
site and effective strategies for replication in other settings.
    (viii) How the applicant will devote an appropriate level of 
resources to project evaluation.

    Note: The Secretary encourages each applicant to include a plan 
of how the project's evaluation plan will address the Teaching 
American History Grant Program performance measures established by 
the Department under the Government Performance and Results Act of 
1993 (GPRA). (The specific performance measures established for the 
overall Teaching American History Grant Program are discussed under 
Performance Measures in section VI of this notice.) Further, each 
applicant is encouraged to describe how the applicant's evaluation 
plan will be designed to collect both output data (e.g., number of 
teachers participating in a project, number of workshops held) and 
outcome data (e.g., improvements in teacher classroom practice or 
increases in student history achievement). Finally, each applicant 
is encouraged to select an independent, objective evaluator who has 
experience in evaluating educational programs and who will play an 
active role in the design and development of the project. For 
resources on what to consider in designing and conducting project 
evaluations, go to https://www.whatworkshelpdesk.ed.gov/.


[[Page 78767]]


    (3) Need for project (15 Points). The Secretary considers the need 
for the proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers of the following factors:
    (a) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or 
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.
    (b) The extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving 
or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals.
    (c) The extent to which the proposed project will prepare personnel 
for fields in which shortages have been demonstrated.

    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to provide information 
on the district's history program, including the number of teachers, 
the teachers' qualifications and certifications, the history 
professional development currently being offered in the district, 
and student performance in American history class. The applicant is 
also encouraged to address how its proposed professional development 
strategy will significantly improve both history teachers' ability 
to teach traditional American history content and student 
performance in history.

    (4) Quality of the management plan (15 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. 
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (a) 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.
    (b) 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.

    Note: Section 75.112 of EDGAR requires that an applicant (a) 
propose a project period for the project and (b) include a narrative 
that describes how and when, in each budget period of the project, 
the applicant plans to meet each project objective. The Secretary 
encourages each applicant to address this criterion by including in 
this narrative a clear implementation plan that includes annual 
timelines, key project milestones, and a schedule of activities, as 
well as a description of the personnel who would be responsible for 
each activity and the level of effort each activity entails.

    2. Applicant's Past Performance and Compliance History: In 
accordance with 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3)(ii) and (iii), the Secretary may 
consider an applicant's past performance and compliance history when 
evaluating applications and in making funding decisions.

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 of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: 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: We have established two performance 
measures for the Teaching American History Grant Program. The measures 
are: (1) The average percentage change in the scores (on a pre-post 
assessment of American history) of participants who complete at least 
75% of the professional development hours offered by the project. The 
assessment will be aligned with the content provided by the Teaching 
American History project, and at least 50% of its questions will come 
from a validated test of American history, and (2) The percentage of 
Teaching American History participants who complete 75% or more of the 
total hours of professional development offered. Grantees will be 
expected to provide data on the two measures.

VII. Agency Contacts

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alex Stein or Mia Howerton, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W206, 
Washington, DC 20202-5960. Telephone: (202) 205-9085 or (202) 205-0147 
or by e-mail: TeachingAmericanHistory@ed.gov.
    If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the program contact persons listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of 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: December 18, 2008.
Amanda L. Farris,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. E8-30554 Filed 12-22-08; 8:45 am]
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