Improving Literacy Through School Libraries; Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview Information; Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, 4874-4879 [2011-1672]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 18 (Thursday, January 27, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4874-4879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1672]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Improving Literacy Through School Libraries; Office of Elementary 
and Secondary Education; Overview Information; Improving Literacy 
Through School Libraries Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards 
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011

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

    Dates:
    Applications Available: January 27, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 28, 2011.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 26, 2011.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to improve 
student reading skills and academic achievement by providing students 
with increased access to up-to-date school library materials; well-
equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and 
well-trained, professionally certified school library media 
specialists.
    Eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) may use funds for the 
following activities: purchasing up-to-date school library media 
resources, including books; acquiring and using advanced technology 
that is incorporated into the curricula of the school in order to 
develop and enhance the information literacy, information retrieval, 
and critical-thinking skills of students; facilitating Internet links 
and other resource-sharing networks among schools and school library 
media centers, and public and academic libraries, where possible; 
providing professional development for school library media specialists 
and providing activities that foster increased collaboration among 
library specialists, teachers, and administrators; and providing 
students with access to school libraries during non-school hours, 
including before and after school, weekends, and summer vacation 
periods. (20 U.S.C. 6383(g))
    Priority: This priority is from the notice of final supplemental 
priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published 
in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486).
    Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2011 and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards based on 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 an additional five 
points to an applicant that meets this priority.
    This priority is:

Turning Around Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools

    Projects that are designed to address one or more of the following 
priority areas:
    (a) Improving student achievement (as defined in this notice) in 
persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in this notice).
    (b) Increasing graduation rates (as defined in this notice) and 
college enrollment rates for students in persistently lowest-achieving 
schools (as defined in this notice).
    (c) Providing services to students enrolled in persistently lowest-
achieving schools (as defined in this notice).
    Definitions: For purposes of this priority, the following 
definitions apply. These definitions are from the notice of final 
supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant 
programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 
78486).
    Student achievement means--
    (a) For tested grades and subjects: (1) A student's score on the 
State's assessments under the ESEA; and, as appropriate, (2) other 
measures of student learning, such as those described in paragraph (b) 
of this definition, provided they are rigorous and comparable across 
schools.
    (b) For non-tested grades and subjects: alternative measures of 
student learning and performance, such as student scores on pre-tests 
and end-of-course tests; student performance on English language 
proficiency assessments; and other measures of student achievement that 
are rigorous and comparable across schools.
    Persistently lowest-achieving schools means, as determined by the 
State: (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring that (a) is among the lowest-achieving five percent of 
Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring or 
the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in improvement, corrective 
action, or restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools is 
greater; or (b) is a high school that has had a graduation rate as 
defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60

[[Page 4875]]

percent over a number of years; and (ii) any secondary school that is 
eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that: (a) is among 
the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools or the lowest-
achieving five secondary schools in the State that are eligible for, 
but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever number of schools is 
greater; or (b) is a high school that has had a graduation rate as 
defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number 
of years.
    To identify the persistently lowest-achieving schools, a State must 
take into account both: (i) the academic achievement of the ``all 
students'' group in a school in terms of proficiency on the State's 
assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language 
arts and mathematics combined; and (ii) the school's lack of progress 
on those assessments over a number of years in the ``all students'' 
group.
    Graduation rate means a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate 
consistent with 34 CFR 200.19(b)(1) and may also include an extended-
year adjusted cohort graduation rate consistent with 34 CFR 
200.19(b)(1)(v) if the State in which the proposed project is 
implemented has been approved by the Secretary to use such a rate under 
Title I of the ESEA.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6383.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 
82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final clarification of 
eligible local activities, published in the Federal Register on April 
5, 2004 (69 FR 17894). (c) The notice of final supplemental priorities 
and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the 
Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486).

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration's budget request for 
FY 2011 does not include funds for this program. However, we are 
inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant 
process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2012 from the list of 
unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$600,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $371,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 50.

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

    Project Period: Up to 12 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs, including charter schools and State-
administered schools that are considered LEAs under State law, in which 
at least 20 percent of the students served by the LEA are from families 
with incomes below the poverty line based on the most recent 
satisfactory data available from the U.S. Census Bureau at the time 
this notice is published. These data are Small Area Income and Poverty 
Estimates for school districts for income year 2009. A list of LEAs 
with their family poverty rates (based on these Census Bureau data) is 
posted on our Web site at https://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/eligibility.html.

    Note: Charter schools and State-administered schools must 
include documentation from their State educational agency (SEA) 
confirming eligibility for this program.

    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. Funds made available under this program 
must be used to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, and 
local funds expended to carry out activities relating to library, 
technology, or professional development activities (20 U.S.C. 6383(i)).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following 
address: https://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/applicant.html. To obtain a 
copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S. 
Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. 
Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. 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.EDPubs.gov or at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.364A.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an 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 competition.
    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 
15 pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget 
section, including the recommended five-page budget narrative; the one-
page abstract; the assurances and certifications; and the other 
attachments, including the resumes, endnotes, indirect cost rate 
agreements, if applicable, and the program eligibility form. However, 
the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative section.
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that 
exceed the page limit. None of the material sent as appendices to the 
narrative, with the exception of resumes and endnotes, will be sent to 
the reviewers.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: January 27, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 28, 2011.
    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

[[Page 4876]]

section IV. 7. 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. Deadline for 
Intergovernmental Review: May 26, 2011.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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 of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant 
database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    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.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the 
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see https://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
    7. 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 Improving Literacy through School 
Libraries program, CFDA number 84.364A, 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 Improving 
Literacy through School Libraries 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 84.364, not 84.364A).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
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 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 under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at https://www.G5.gov.
     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: 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 .PDF (Portable Document) format only. If you upload a 
file type other than a .PDF 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.

[[Page 4877]]

     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 
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: Peter D. Eldridge, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E246, 
Washington, DC 20202-6200. FAX: (202) 260-8969; or David Miller, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E242, 
Washington, DC 20202-6200. FAX: (202) 260-8969.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.364A), 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 84.364A), 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 competition 
are from section 1251 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965, as amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 6383) and 34 CFR 75.210 and are as 
follows. The maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points. The 
maximum score for

[[Page 4878]]

each criterion is indicated in parentheses.
    (a) Need for school library resources (10 points). In determining 
the need for school library resources, the Secretary considers how well 
the applicant demonstrates the need for school library media 
improvement, based on the age and condition of school library media 
resources, including: book collections; access of school library media 
centers to advanced technology; and the availability of well-trained, 
professionally certified school library media specialists in schools 
served by the applicant.
    (b) Use of funds (20 points). In determining the quality of the 
proposed use of funds, the Secretary considers how well the applicant 
will use the funds made available through the grant to carry out one or 
more of the following activities that meet its demonstrated needs:
    (1) Acquiring up-to-date school library media resources, including 
books.
    (2) Acquiring and using advanced technology, incorporated into the 
curricula of the school, to develop and enhance students' skills in 
retrieving and making use of information and in critical thinking.
    (3) Facilitating Internet links and other resource-sharing networks 
among schools and school library media centers, and public and academic 
libraries.
    (4) Providing professional development (as described in the notice 
of final clarification of eligible local activities published April 5, 
2004, in the Federal Register (69 FR 17894)), for school library media 
specialists that is designed to improve literacy in grades K-3, and for 
school library media specialists as described in section 1222(d)(2) of 
the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6383), and providing activities that foster 
increased collaboration between school library media specialists, 
teachers, and administrators.
    (5) Providing students with access to school libraries during non-
school hours, including the hours before and after school, during 
weekends, and during summer vacation periods.
    (c) Use of scientifically based research (10 points). In 
determining the quality of the proposed use of scientifically based 
research, the Secretary considers how well the applicant will use 
programs and materials that are grounded in scientifically based 
research, as defined in section 9101(37) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 
7801(37)), in carrying out one or more of the activities described 
under criterion (b).
    (d) Broad-based involvement and coordination (10 points). In 
determining the quality of the proposed plan for broad-based 
involvement and coordination, the Secretary considers how well the 
applicant will extensively involve school library media specialists, 
teachers, administrators, and parents in the proposed project 
activities and effectively coordinate the funds and activities provided 
under this program with other literacy, library, technology, and 
professional development funds and activities.
    (e) Quality of the project design (20 points). In determining the 
quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers 
the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (2) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs.
    (f) Quality of project personnel (15 points). In determining the 
quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel.
    (2) The extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability.
    (g) Adequacy of resources (10 points). In determining the adequacy 
of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the 
following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project.
    (2) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.
    (h) Evaluation of quality and impact (5 points). In determining the 
quality of the proposed plan for evaluation, the Secretary considers 
how well the applicant will collect and analyze data on the quality and 
impact of the proposed project activities, including data on the extent 
to which the availability of, the access to, and the use of up-to-date 
school library media resources in the elementary schools and secondary 
schools served by the applicant increase and on the impact of the 
project on improving the reading skills of students.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds and achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    An additional factor we consider in selecting an application for an 
award is the equitable distribution of grants across geographic regions 
and among LEAs serving urban and rural areas (20 U.S.C. 6383(e)(3)).
    3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary 
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is 
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; 
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the 
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled 
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

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.

[[Page 4879]]

    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) 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 Department has established the 
following Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) 
performance measures for this program. These measures gauge improvement 
in student achievement and resources in the schools and LEAs served by 
the program by assessing:
    (1) The percentage of students in schools served by the Improving 
Literacy through School Libraries program who are proficient in 
reading;
    (2) The number of books and media resources purchased per student, 
pre- and post-grant, compared to the national average; and
    (3) The difference in the number of purchases of school library 
materials (books and media resources) between schools participating in 
the Improving Literacy through School Libraries program and the 
national average.
    The Department will collect data for these measures from grantees' 
final performance reports and other data sources.

VII. Agency Contacts

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter D. Eldridge, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E246, Washington, DC 20202-
6200. Telephone: (202) 260-2514 or by e-mail: Peter.Eldridge@ed.gov; or 
David Miller, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
room 3E242, Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 453-5621 or by 
e-mail: David.Miller@ed.gov.
    If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service (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. You can view this document in text or PDF at the following 
site, also: https://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/applicant.html.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/.


    Dated: January 21, 2011.
Thelma Mel[eacute]ndez de Santa Ana,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-1672 Filed 1-26-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P