Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Overview Information; Smaller Learning Communities Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards Using Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Funds, 35894-35900 [2010-15084]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35894-35900]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-15084]



[[Page 35893]]

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Part III





Department of Education





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Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards Using Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 
Funds; Smaller Learning Communities Program; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 75 , No. 120 / Wednesday, June 23, 2010 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Overview 
Information; Smaller Learning Communities Program; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards Using Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Funds

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

    Dates: Applications Available: June 23, 2010.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: July 15, 2010.
    Date of Pre-Application Meeting: The application package on the 
Smaller Learning Communities Web site at https://www.ed.gov/programs/slcp/ includes specific dates and times for technical 
assistance webinar events that will instruct applicants in completing 
the application package.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 6, 2010.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program 
awards discretionary grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to 
support the restructuring of large public high schools (i.e., schools 
with enrollments of 1,000 or more students) into smaller units for the 
purpose of improving academic achievement in large public high schools. 
These smaller units include freshman academies, multi-grade academies 
organized around career interests or other themes, ``houses'' in which 
small groups of students remain together throughout high school, and 
autonomous schools-within-a-school. These structural changes are 
typically complemented by other personalization strategies, such as 
student advisories, family advocate systems, and mentoring programs.
    Priorities: There are four priorities in this notice; two are 
absolute priorities and two are competitive preference priorities. 
Absolute priority one is from the notice of final priorities (NFP) for 
this program, published in the Federal Register on May 18, 2007 (72 FR 
28426) (the 2007 SLC NFP). Absolute priority two and the competitive 
preference priorities are from the NFP for this program, published 
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
    Absolute Priorities: For this competition using FY 2009 funds and 
any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applicants from this competition, these priorities are absolute 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications 
that meet these priorities.
    These priorities are:
    Preparing All Students to Succeed in Postsecondary Education and 
Careers.
    This priority supports projects that create or expand SLCs that are 
part of a comprehensive effort to prepare all students to succeed in 
postsecondary education and careers without need for remediation. In 
order to meet this priority an applicant must demonstrate that, using 
SLC grant funds or other resources, it will--
    (1) Provide intensive interventions to assist students who enter 
high school with reading/language arts or mathematics skills that are 
significantly below grade level to ``catch up'' quickly and attain 
proficiency by the end of 10th grade;
    (2) Enroll students in a coherent sequence of rigorous English 
language arts, mathematics, and science courses that will equip them 
with the skills and content knowledge needed to succeed in 
postsecondary education and careers without need for remediation;
    (3) Provide tutoring and other academic supports to help students 
succeed in rigorous academic courses;
    (4) Deliver comprehensive guidance and academic advising to 
students and their parents that includes assistance in selecting 
courses and planning a program of study that will provide the academic 
preparation needed to succeed in postsecondary education, early and 
ongoing college awareness and planning activities, and help in 
identifying and applying for financial aid for postsecondary education; 
and
    (5) Increase opportunities for students to earn postsecondary 
credit through Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate 
courses, or dual credit programs.
    Common Planning Time for Teachers.
    This priority supports projects that increase the amount of time 
regularly provided to teachers who share the same students or teach the 
same academic subject for common planning and collaboration during or 
immediately following the school day without decreasing the amount of 
time provided to teachers for individual planning and preparation 
during the school day. To meet this priority, the common planning time 
must be used for one or more of the following activities:
    (1) Structured examination of student work and outcome data.
    (2) Collaborative professional development and coaching, including 
classroom observation.
    (3) Identifying instructional and other interventions for 
struggling students.
    (4) Curriculum and assessment development.
    An applicant that proposes to meet this priority by regularly 
scheduling common planning time immediately following the school day 
must provide a description of how it will ensure that the teachers who 
will be included are able to and will participate regularly in the 
common planning time activities.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For this competition using FY 
2009 funds and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the 
list of unfunded applicants from this competition, these priorities are 
competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award an additional 4 points to an application that meets Competitive 
Preference Priority 1--Projects in which Fifty Percent or More of the 
Included Schools are Low-Achieving and an additional 2 points to an 
application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2--Projects in 
which at Least One, but Less than Fifty Percent, of the Included 
Schools are Low-Achieving.
    These priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1--Projects in which Fifty Percent 
or More of the Included Schools are Low-Achieving.
    This priority supports projects in which 50 percent or more of the 
schools to be served by the SLC grant are in any of the following 
categories:
    (a) Persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in the final 
requirements for the School Improvement Grants program (see 74 FR 
65618, 65652)).
    (b) Title I schools that are in corrective action or restructuring 
under section 1116 of the ESEA.
    (c) Schools that are eligible for, but do not receive Title I funds 
provided that, if the schools received Title I funds, they would be in 
corrective action or restructuring under section 1116 of the ESEA.
    (d) Title I schools and schools that are eligible for, but do not 
receive Title I funds that have a graduation rate, as defined in the 
State's approved accountability plan for Part A of Title I of the ESEA, 
that is less than 60 percent.
    To meet this priority, the applicant must provide evidence that its 
proposed project includes 50 percent or more of schools from one of the 
categories (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this priority. This evidence must be 
based upon data from the current school year or the most recently 
completed school year and must consist of a signed and dated 
certification from the Superintendent of the LEA in which the schools 
are located. This certification must identify the specific category of 
the priority (i.e.,

[[Page 35895]]

the categories of schools described in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and 
(d) of this priority) that applies to each school included in the 
application.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2--Projects in which at Least One, 
but Less than Fifty Percent, of the Included Schools are Low-Achieving.
    This priority supports projects in which at least one, but less 
than 50 percent of the schools to be served by the SLC grant are in any 
of the following categories:
    (a) Persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in the final 
requirements for the School Improvement Grants program (see 74 FR 
65618, 65652)).
    (b) Title I schools that are in corrective action or restructuring 
under section 1116 of the ESEA.
    (c) Schools that are eligible for, but do not receive Title I funds 
provided that, if the schools received Title I funds, they would be in 
corrective action or restructuring under section 1116 of the ESEA.
    (d) Title I schools and schools that are eligible for, but do not 
receive Title I funds that have a graduation rate, as defined in the 
State's approved accountability plan for Part A of Title I of the ESEA, 
that is less than 60 percent.
    To meet this priority, the applicant must provide evidence that at 
least one, but less than 50 percent of schools that are included in its 
application is in one of the categories (a), (b), (c), or (d) of this 
priority. This evidence must be based upon data from the current school 
year or the most recently completed school year and must consist of a 
signed and dated certification from the Superintendent of the LEA in 
which the school or schools are located. This certification must 
identify the specific category of the priority (i.e., the categories of 
schools described in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this 
priority) that applies to each school included in the application.
    Application Requirements: All applicants must include in their 
applications the information required by the program statute in title 
V, part D, subpart 4, section 5441(b) of the ESEA. Applicants also must 
meet the following requirements:
    (a) Student Placement: We require applicants for SLC grants to 
include a description of how students will be selected or placed in an 
SLC and an assurance that students will not be placed according to 
ability or any other measure, but will be placed at random or by 
student/parent choice and not pursuant to testing or other judgments. 
(2005 SLC NFP, 70 FR 22233, 22236)
    (b) Including All Students: We require applicants for grants to 
create or expand an SLC project that will include every student within 
the school by no later than the end of the fifth school year of 
implementation. Elsewhere in this notice, we define an SLC as an 
environment in which a group of teachers and other adults within the 
school knows the needs, interests, and aspirations of each student 
well, closely monitors each student's progress, and provides the 
academic and other support each student needs to succeed. (2005 SLC 
NFP, 70 FR 22233, 22236)
    (c) Indirect Costs: Eligible applicants that propose to use SLC 
grant funds for indirect costs must include, as part of their 
applications, a copy of their approved indirect cost agreement. (2007 
SLC NFP, 72 FR 28426, 28430)
    (d) Use of Funds for Equipment: A grantee may not use more than one 
percent of the grant award in any single budget period during the 
project period for the acquisition of equipment (as that term is 
defined in this notice). The first budget period of the SLC project 
period is 24 months in length and each of the three subsequent budget 
periods is 12 months in length, for a total of four budget periods. 
(NFP for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register)
    (e) Grant Award Administration: Grantees must designate a single 
project director who will be principally responsible for managing and 
providing leadership for the implementation of the practices, programs, 
and strategies the grantee identified in its application and for 
communicating with the Department.
    Each grantee must ensure that its designated project director--for 
a grant that includes one school--be not less than fifty percent of a 
full-time equivalent (FTE) position and that the time commitment of a 
project director for a grant that includes more than one school be not 
less than one FTE. (NFP for this program, published elsewhere in this 
issue of the Federal Register)
    (f) Required Meetings Sponsored by the Department: Applicants must 
set aside adequate funds within their proposed budget to send their 
project director and at least two individuals from each school included 
in the application to a two-day technical assistance meeting in 
Washington, DC, in each year of the project period. The Department will 
host these meetings. (2007 SLC NFP, 72 FR 28426, 28430)
    (g) Collection of Performance Data: Refer to the Performance 
Measures section of this notice.
    (h) No Evaluation: No applicant is required to provide assurances 
that it will support an evaluation of the project that will produce an 
annual report for each year of the performance period. (NFP for this 
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register)
    (i) No School Report Cards: No applicant is required to include in 
its application any report card for the schools included in its 
application. (NFP for this program, published elsewhere in this issue 
of the Federal Register)
    Program Definitions: In addition to the definitions in the 
authorizing statute and 34 CFR 77.1, the following definitions apply to 
this program:
    BIE School (formerly referred to as a ``BIA School'') means a 
school operated or supported by the Bureau of Indian Education of the 
U.S Department of the Interior. (2005 SLC NFP, 70 FR 22233, 22237)

    Note:  We have updated this definition because BIA schools are 
now operated by the U.S. Department's Bureau of Indian Education. 
When this definition was originally established for the SLC program, 
these schools were operated by the U.S. Department's Bureau of 
Indian Affairs and were referred to as ``BIA Schools''.

    Equipment means an article of nonexpendable, tangible personal 
property that has a useful life of more than one year and that has an 
acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of the 
capitalization level established by the governmental unit for financial 
statement purposes, or $500. It includes, but is not limited to, office 
equipment and furnishings, modular offices, telephone networks, 
information technology equipment and systems, air conditioning 
equipment, reproduction and printing equipment, and motor vehicles. 
(NFP for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register)
    Large High School means an entity that includes grades 11 and 12 
and has an enrollment of 1,000 or more students in grades 9 and above. 
(2005 SLC NFP, 70 FR 22233, 22237)
    Smaller Learning Community (SLC) means an environment in which a 
core group of teachers and other adults within the school knows the 
needs, interests, and aspirations of each student well, closely 
monitors each student's progress, and provides the academic and other 
support each student needs to succeed. (2005 SLC NFP, 70 FR 22233, 
22236)
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7249.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 
82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final

[[Page 35896]]

priorities published in the Federal Register on April 28, 2005 (70 FR 
22233). (c) The notice of final priority, requirements, and selection 
criteria published in the Federal Register on May 18, 2007 (72 FR 
28426). (d) The notice of final priorities, requirements, definition, 
and selection criteria published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $32,674,540.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards using FY 2010 funds from 
the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Budget and Performance Periods: Grantees will be awarded grants for 
a period up to 60 months, with the initial award to provide funding for 
the first 24 months of the performance period. Funding for the 
remainder of the performance period will be made annually, contingent 
on the availability of funds and each grantee's substantial progress 
toward accomplishing the goals and objectives of the project as 
described in its approved application.
    In its application, the applicant must provide detailed, yearly 
budget information for the total grant period requested. (NFP for this 
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register)
    Estimated Range of Awards: $800,000-$5,000,000 for the first 24 
months of the project period.
    Maximum Award Amounts and Number of Schools: An eligible LEA may 
receive, on behalf of a single school, up to $2,500,000 of SLC grant 
funds, depending upon student enrollment in the school, for the entire 
60-month project period.
    The following chart provides the ranges of awards per high school 
size:

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

    An LEA may include up to five schools in a single application for a 
SLC grant. Therefore, an LEA applying on behalf of a group of eligible 
schools would be able to receive up to $12,500,000 for its SLC grant 
for the entire 60-month project period.
    Applications requesting more funds than the maximum amounts 
specified for any school or for the total grant will not be read as 
part of the regular application process. However, if, after the 
Secretary selects applications to be funded, it appears that additional 
funds remain available, the Secretary has the option of reviewing 
applications that requested funds exceeding the maximum amounts 
specified. Under this requirement, if the Secretary chooses to fund any 
of the additional applications, selected applicants will be required to 
work with the Department to revise their proposed budgets to fit within 
the appropriate funding range. (NFP for this program, published 
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register).
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,400,000 for the first 24 
months of the 60-month project period.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 14.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants:
    Evidence of Eligibility: LEAs, including schools funded by the 
Bureau of Indian Education and educational service agencies, applying 
on behalf of large public high schools, are eligible to apply for a 
grant. We will not accept applications from LEAs applying on behalf of 
schools that are being constructed and do not have an active student 
enrollment at the time of application. LEAs may apply on behalf of no 
more than five schools. Along with its application, each applicant must 
provide for each school included in its application:
    (a) The school's name, postal mailing address, and the 12-digit 
identification number assigned to the school by the National Center for 
Education Statistics.
    (b) A signed and dated certification from the Superintendent of the 
LEA in which the school is located that, based upon data from the 
current school year or the most recently completed school year, the 
school is a large public high school as that term is defined in the 
2005 SLC NFP (see Definitions section elsewhere in this notice).
    Consortium Applications and Educational Service Agencies: In an 
effort to encourage systemic, district-level reform efforts, we permit 
an individual LEA to submit only one grant application in a 
competition, specifying in each application which high schools the LEA 
intends to fund. In addition, we require that an LEA applying for a 
grant under this competition apply only on behalf of a high school or 
high schools for which it has governing authority, unless the LEA is an 
educational service agency that includes in its application evidence 
that the entity that has governing authority over the eligible high 
school supports the application. An LEA, however, may form a consortium 
with another LEA and submit a joint application for funds. The 
consortium must follow the procedures for group applications described 
in 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 in EDGAR. An LEA is eligible for only 
one grant whether the LEA applies independently or as part of a 
consortium. (2005 SLC NFP, 70 FR 22233, 22236)
    Previous Grantees: An LEA may only apply on behalf of a school or 
schools that are not included in an SLC implementation grant that has a 
performance period that extends beyond the current fiscal year (i.e., 
September 30, 2010). (2007 SLC NFP, 72 FR 28426, 28430)
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet or from the program office.
    To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: 
https://www.ed.gov/programs/slcps/.
    To obtain a copy from the program office, contact: Lynyetta 
Johnson, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 
3E332, LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 260-1990 or by 
e-mail: smallerlearningcommunities@ed.gov.
    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 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: July 13, 2010.
    Date of Pre-Application Meeting: The application package on the 
Smaller Learning Communities Web site at https://www.ed.gov/programs/slcp/ includes specific dates and times for technical 
assistance webinar events that will instruct applicants in completing 
the application package.

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    Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. You must limit the application narrative to no more than 
40 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 the cover sheet; the table of 
contents; the budget section, including the narrative budget 
justification; the assurances and certifications; the one page 
abstract; the resumes; the indirect cost agreement; or letters of 
support. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application 
narrative section. You must also limit each resume to no more than 
three pages. We further encourage applicants to limit all other 
attachments or appendices to no more than 20 pages.
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application narrative 
that exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: June 23, 2010.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: We will be able to develop 
a more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we have a 
better understanding of the number of applications we will receive. 
Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to send an 
email notice of its intent to apply for funding by July 13, 2010. The 
notice of intent to apply is optional; you still may submit an 
application if you have not notified us of your intention to apply. 
Send the e-mail to: smallerlearningcommunities@ed.gov.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 9, 2010.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants site. 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 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of 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.
    4. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    5. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the 
Department of Education, (1) you must have a Data Universal Numbering 
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); (2) 
you must register both of those numbers with the Central Contractor 
Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database; and (3) 
you must provide those same numbers on your application.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one business day.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to 
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not 
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN 
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will 
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take 
three or more business days to complete.
    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 Smaller Learning Communities 
Program--CFDA Number 84.215L must be submitted electronically using e-
Application, accessible through the Department's e-Grants Web site at: 
https://e-grants.ed.gov.
    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.
    While completing your electronic application, you will be entering 
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
     Please note the following:
     You must complete the electronic submission of your grant 
application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. E-Application will not accept an application for this 
competition after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait 
until the application deadline date to begin the application process.
     The hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00 
a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until 
8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of 
maintenance, the system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and 
6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 a.m. 
on Thursdays, Washington, DC time. Any modifications to these hours are 
posted on the e-Grants Web site.
     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

[[Page 35898]]

forms: The 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.
     Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may 
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number 
(an identifying number unique to your application).
     Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the Application Control 
Center after following these steps:
    (1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
    (2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
    (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
    (4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at 
(202) 245-6272.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting 
your application on the application deadline date because e-Application 
is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by 
hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
    (1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have 
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
    (2)(a) E-Application is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between 
the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date; or
    (b) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between 
3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If e-Application is unavailable due 
to technical problems with the system and, therefore, the application 
deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users 
who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions referred to in this 
section apply only to the unavailability of e-Application.
    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 e-Application because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
e-Application; 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 
prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you 
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax 
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed 
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Angela Hernandez-
Marshall, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 
3E308, LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-6200. FAX: (202) 205-4921.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.215L), 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:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

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

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application, by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.215L), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 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 grant 
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.

[[Page 35899]]

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
from the NFP, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register, and are as follows:
    The maximum points assigned to each criterion are indicated in 
parentheses next to the criterion. Applicants may earn up to a total of 
100 points for these selection criteria.
    (a) Quality of the Project Design. In determining the quality of 
the design of the proposed project, we will consider the extent to 
which--
    (1) Teachers, school administrators, parents, and community 
stakeholders support the proposed project and have been and will 
continue to be involved in its development and implementation (5 
points);
    (2) The applicant has carried out sufficient planning and 
preparatory activities to enable it to implement the proposed project 
during the school year in which the grant award will be made (5 
points);
    (3) School administrators, teachers, and other school employees 
will receive effective, ongoing technical assistance and professional 
development in implementing structural and instructional reforms and 
providing effective instruction (5 points); and
    (4) The applicant demonstrates that the proposed project is aligned 
with and advances a coordinated, district-wide strategy to improve 
student academic achievement and preparation for postsecondary 
education and careers without need for remediation (5 points).
    (b) Quality of Project Services. In determining the quality of the 
services to be provided by the proposed project, we will consider the 
extent to which the proposed project is likely to be effective in--
    (1) Creating an environment in which a core group of teachers and 
other adults within the school know the needs, interests, and 
aspirations of each student well, closely monitor each student's 
progress, and provide the academic and other support each student needs 
to succeed (10 points);
    (2) Equipping all students with the reading/English language arts, 
mathematics, and science knowledge and skills they need to succeed in 
postsecondary education and careers without need for remediation (8 
points);
    (3) Helping students who enter high school with reading/English 
language arts or mathematics skills that are significantly below grade-
level to ``catch up'' and attain, maintain and exceed proficiency by 
providing supplemental instruction and supports to these students 
during the ninth grade and, to the extent necessary, in later grades (8 
points);
    (4) Increasing the amount of time regularly provided to teachers 
for common planning and collaboration during the school day, without 
decreasing the amount of time provided to teachers for individual 
planning and preparation during the school day (9 points);
    (5) Ensuring, through technical assistance, professional 
development, and other means, that teachers use opportunities for 
common planning and collaboration effectively to improve instruction 
and student academic achievement (9 points);
    (6) Increasing the participation of students, particularly low-
income students, in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or 
dual credit courses that offer students the opportunity to earn 
simultaneously both high school and college credit (8 points); and
    (7) Increasing the percentage of students who enter postsecondary 
education in the semester following high school graduation by 
delivering comprehensive career guidance and academic advising to 
students and their parents that includes assistance in selecting 
courses and planning a program of study that will provide the academic 
preparation needed to succeed in postsecondary education and careers, 
early and ongoing career and college awareness and planning activities, 
and help in identifying and applying for financial aid for 
postsecondary education (8 points).
    (c) Support for Implementation. In determining the adequacy of the 
support the applicant will provide for implementation of the proposed 
project, we will consider the extent to which--
    (1) The management plan is likely to achieve the objectives of the 
proposed project on time and within budget and includes clearly defined 
responsibilities and detailed timelines and milestones for 
accomplishing project tasks (7 points); and
    (2) The project director and other key personnel are qualified and 
have sufficient authority to carry out their responsibilities, and 
their time commitments are appropriate and adequate to implement the 
SLC project effectively (7 points).
    (d) Need for the Project. In determining the need for the proposed 
project, we will consider the extent to which the applicant has 
identified specific gaps and weaknesses in the preparation of all 
students for postsecondary education and careers without need for 
remediation, the nature and magnitude of those gaps and weaknesses, and 
the extent to which the proposed project will address those gaps and 
weaknesses effectively (6 points).

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 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: Each applicant must identify in its 
application the following specific performance indicators as well as 
the annual performance objectives to be used for each of these 
indicators. Specifically, each applicant must use the following 
performance indicators to measure the progress of each school included 
in its application:
    (a) The percentage of students who score at or above the proficient 
level on the reading/language arts and mathematics assessments used by 
the State to determine whether a school has made adequate yearly 
progress under part A of title I of the ESEA, as well as these 
percentages disaggregated by subject matter and the following 
subgroups:
    (1) Major racial and ethnic groups.
    (2) Students with disabilities.
    (3) Students with limited English proficiency.

[[Page 35900]]

    (4) Economically disadvantaged students.
    (b) The school's graduation rate, as defined in the State's 
approved accountability plan for part A of title I of the ESEA, as well 
as the graduation rates for the following subgroups:
    (1) Major racial and ethnic groups.
    (2) Students with disabilities.
    (3) Students with limited English proficiency.
    (4) Economically disadvantaged students.
    (c) The percentage of all graduates who enroll in postsecondary 
education in the semester following high school graduation, as well as 
the percentage disaggregated by the following subgroups:
    (1) Major racial and ethnic groups.
    (2) Students with disabilities.
    (3) Students with limited English proficiency.
    (4) Economically disadvantaged students.
    Each applicant must identify in its application its performance 
objectives for each of these indicators for each year of the project 
period and provide baseline data for the third indicator (postsecondary 
enrollment). The Department will obtain baseline data for the first and 
second performance indicators (student performance on reading/language 
arts and mathematics assessments and the graduation rate) and data on 
the extent to which each school included in a grant achieves its annual 
performance objectives for each year of the project period from the 
data that are now reported to the Department by SEAs using the EDEN 
Submission System (ESS). Grantees are not required to provide these 
data. However, each grantee must report to the Department annually on 
the extent to which each school in its grant achieves its performance 
objectives for the third indicator (postsecondary enrollment).
    Finally, grantees must use administrative records maintained by 
State, national, or regional entities that already collect data on 
student enrollment in postsecondary education as the principal source 
of data for this performance indicator. These administrative records 
include, for example, data available through State longitudinal 
databases or other sources. Grantees may supplement these records with 
data collected through surveys administered to students or parents 
after graduation. (NFP for this program, published elsewhere in this 
issue of the Federal Register).

VII. Agency Contact

For Further Information Contact: Angela Hernandez-Marshall, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E308, 
Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: 202-205-1909 or by e-mail: 
smallerlearningcommunities@ed.gov.
    If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service, 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 person 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.

    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: June 17, 2010.
Thelma Mel[eacute]ndez de Santa Ana,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2010-15084 Filed 6-22-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P