Advanced Placement Incentive Program; Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview Information; Advanced Placement Incentive Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, 14379-14385 [2011-6138]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14379-14385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6138]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Advanced Placement Incentive Program; Office of Elementary and 
Secondary Education; Overview Information; Advanced Placement Incentive 
Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 
(FY) 2011

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.330C.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: March 16, 2011.

[[Page 14380]]

    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 15, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 16, 2011.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 14, 2011.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Advanced Placement Incentive (API) program 
awards competitive grants designed to increase the successful 
participation of low-income students in advanced placement courses and 
tests. The program expands opportunities for low-income students to 
take college-level classes and earn college credit while still in high 
school. The program also supports efforts to raise the rigor of the 
academic curriculum for all students attending high-poverty schools.
    Priorities: This competition includes two absolute priorities and 
one competitive preference priority.
    Absolute Priority 1: Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, 
and Mathematics (STEM) Education and the competitive preference 
priority 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) (2010 NFP). In accordance 
with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), Absolute Priority 2: Expanding Access for 
Low-Income Individuals to Advanced Placement Programs is from section 
1705(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (ESEA), 20 U.S.C 6535(c).
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2011 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:

Absolute Priority 1: Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and 
Mathematics (STEM) Education

    Projects that are designed to address the following priority area:
    Providing students with increased access to rigorous and engaging 
coursework in STEM.

    Note:  The Advanced Placement Incentive program is designed to 
increase successful participation of low-income students in advanced 
placement courses and tests. Consequently, in responding to this 
priority, applicants must demonstrate how the project is designed to 
increase the access of low-income students to rigorous and engaging 
pre-advanced placement and advanced placement coursework in STEM.

Absolute Priority 2: Expanding Access for Low-Income Individuals to 
Advanced Placement Programs

    This priority supports projects that expand access for low-income 
individuals to advanced placement programs by--
    (1) Demonstrating an intent to carry out activities that target 
schools with a high concentration of low-income students (as defined in 
the notice) or local educational agencies (LEAs) serving schools with a 
high concentration of low-income students;
    (2) Demonstrating a pervasive need for access to advanced placement 
incentive programs;
    (3) Demonstrating a focus on developing or expanding advanced 
placement programs and participation in the core academic areas of 
English, mathematics, and science;
    (4) Involving business and community organizations in the 
activities to be assisted;
    (5) Assuring the availability of matching funds from State, local, 
or other sources to pay for the costs of activities to be assisted; and
    (6) Demonstrating an intent to carry out activities to increase the 
availability of, and participation in, on-line advanced placement 
courses.

    Note:  In responding to this absolute priority, an application 
must--
    (1) Identify the specific schools (both middle and high schools) 
that would receive project services, and provide evidence that each 
school currently (i.e., during the 2010-11 school year) has a high 
concentration of low-income students; and
    (2) Identify the amount and sources of matching funds. 
Consistent with 20 U.S.C. 6536, matching contributions under the API 
program must be resources that add ``new monies'' to an applicant's 
current level of funding for advanced placement activities.

    Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2011 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 an additional five points to an 
application that meets this priority.
    This priority is:
Turning Around Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools
    Projects that are designed to address the following priority area:
    Providing services to students enrolled in persistently lowest-
achieving schools (as defined in this notice).

    Note:  To meet this competitive preference priority, the 
applicant must provide evidence in its application that its proposed 
project will serve one or more persistently lowest-achieving 
schools.

    Definitions: The following definitions are taken from the API 
program authorizing statute in section 1707 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 
6537) and the 2010 NFP.
    Advanced placement test means an advanced placement test 
administered by the College Board or approved by the Secretary (20 
U.S.C. 6537).

    Note:  The Secretary approves as advanced placement tests 
International Diploma Programme examinations administered by the 
International Baccalaureate Organization, and Cambridge 
International A and AS Levels administered by Cambridge University 
International Examinations. As part of the grant application 
process, applicants may request approval of tests from other 
educational entities that provide comparable programs of rigorous 
academic courses and testing through which students may earn college 
credit.

    High concentration of low-income students, used with respect to a 
school, means a school that serves a student population 40 percent or 
more of whom are low-income individuals (20 U.S.C. 6537).
    Low-income individual means an individual who is determined by a 
State educational agency (SEA) or LEA to be a child, ages 5 through 19, 
from a low-income family, on the basis of data used by the Secretary to 
determine allocations under section 1124 of the ESEA, data on children 
eligible for free or reduced-price lunches under the National School 
Lunch Act, data on children in families receiving assistance under Part 
A of title IV of the Social Security Act, or data on children eligible 
to receive medical assistance under the medicaid program under title 
XIX of the Social Security Act, or through an alternate method that 
combines or extrapolates from those data (20 U.S.C. 6537).
    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 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

[[Page 14381]]

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 (NFP 2010).

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6531-6532; 6535-6537.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) 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. In place of this and 
several other narrowly targeted programs that seek to improve student 
achievement in high schools or provide an accelerated curriculum, the 
Administration has proposed to create, through the reauthorization of 
the ESEA reauthorization, a broader program, College Pathways and 
Accelerated Learning, that would support efforts to increase 
preparation for college matriculation and success through the 
introduction of advanced courses in high-poverty middle and high 
schools as well as other accelerated curriculum options (such as dual 
high school/college enrollment and early college schools) in those 
schools. However, we are inviting applications for the API program 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: $200,000-$650,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $425,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $650,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education may change 
the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 17.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    (a) SEAs;
    (b) LEAs, including charter schools that are considered LEAs under 
State law; or
    (c) National nonprofit educational entities with expertise in 
advanced placement services.

    Note:  In the case of an eligible entity that is an SEA, the SEA 
may use API grant funds to award subgrants to LEAs to enable those 
LEAs to carry out authorized activities that support the absolute 
priorities for this competition.

    2.a. Cost Sharing or Matching: In order to meet Absolute Priority 
2: Expanding Access for Low-Income Individuals to Advanced Placement 
Programs for this competition, an applicant must provide matching funds 
from State, local, or other sources to pay for the costs of activities 
to be assisted.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. Funds provided under this program must 
be used only to supplement, and not supplant, other non-Federal funds 
that are available to assist low-income individuals to pay for the cost 
of advanced placement test fees or to expand access to advanced 
placement or pre-advanced placement courses (20 U.S.C. 6536). This 
restriction also has the effect of allowing projects to recover 
indirect costs only on the basis of a restricted indirect cost rate, 
according to the requirements in 34 CFR 75.563 and 34 CFR 76.564 
through 76.569.

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/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/.
    To obtain a copy from the program office, contact: Ivonne Jaime, 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., LBJ Building, 
Room 3E310, Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 260-1519 or by 
e-mail: AdvancedPlacementProgram@ed.gov.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at: 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed 
in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
    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 entities that intend to apply for 
funding. Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to 
send a notification of its intent to apply for funding to 
AdvancedPlacementProgram@ed.gov by April 15, 2011. The notification of 
intent to apply for funding is optional. Applicants that do not supply 
this e-mail notification may still apply for funding.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. We encourage you to limit the narrative to the equivalent 
of no more than 40 pages and suggest that you use 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. Titles, headings, footnotes, 
quotations, references, and captions, as well as text in charts, 
tables, figures, and graphs, can be single spaced.
     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.
     Number all pages consecutively using the style 1 of 40, 2 
of 40, and so forth.
     Include a table of contents with page references.
    The suggested page limit does not apply to the table of contents; 
forms; the budget section, including the narrative budget 
justification; the assurances and certifications; the one-page 
abstract; the resumes; or the letters of support.

[[Page 14382]]

However, the suggested page limit does apply to all of the application 
narrative section. We further encourage applicants to limit to no more 
than 20 pages any attachments or appendices that are not resumes or 
letters of support.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: March 16, 2011.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 15, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 16, 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 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: July 14, 2011.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section 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 API program, CFDA number 84.330C, 
must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide 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 the API program 
at https://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable 
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include 
the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.330, 
not 84.330C).
    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 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

[[Page 14383]]

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 upload any narrative sections and all other 
attachments to 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.
     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: Ivonne Jaime, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E310, 
Washington, DC 20202-4260. 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 84.330C) 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 84.330C), 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

[[Page 14384]]

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 34 CFR 75.210 and, where otherwise noted, sections 1702 and 
1705 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6532 and 6535) and are listed in the 
following paragraphs.

    Note: The maximum score for all selection criteria is 95 points. 
The points assigned to each criterion or subcriterion are indicated 
in parentheses.

Need for the Project

    In determining the need for the proposed project, we will consider 
the extent to which the application demonstrates a pervasive need for 
access to advanced placement incentive programs by low-income 
individuals (10 points) (20 U.S.C. 6535(c)(1)).

Quality of Project Design

    In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, 
we will consider 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 
(10 points).
    (2) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a focus 
on developing or expanding advanced placement programs and 
participation in the core academic areas of English, mathematics, and 
science (15 points) (20 U.S.C. 6532(c)(4).
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project will expand access to 
and participation in advanced placement incentive programs, 
particularly for low-income individuals (10 points) (20 U.S.C. 
6535(d)(F)).
    (4) The extent to which the proposed project will increase the 
numbers of students who receive advanced placement test scores for 
which college academic credit is awarded (10 points) (20 U.S.C. 
6532(7)).
    (5) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a 
comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support 
rigorous academic standards for students (15 points).

Quality of the Management Plan

    In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, we will consider the following factors:
    (1) 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 (10 points).
    (2) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project 
(5 points).
    (3) Consistent with 34 CFR 75.209(a)(1)(iv), the extent to which 
the applicant demonstrates that it will have the capacity to report 
annually the data required by section 1705(f) of the ESEA and section 
VI. 5. (Performance Measures) of this notice (10 points).
    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, 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).
    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 in 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. Transparency: After awards are made under this competition, all 
of the applications selected for funding, together with reviewer scores 
and comments for those applications, will be posted on the Department's 
Web site.
    4. 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.
    5. Performance Measures: The Department has established two 
performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of the API program 
in improving the successful participation in advanced placement courses 
and tests by students attending public high schools served by API 
grants. These measures are:
    (1) The ratio of Advanced Placement (AP), International 
Baccalaureate (IB), and other advanced placement tests recognized by 
the Secretary taken in public high schools served by API grants to the 
number of seniors enrolled at those high schools.
    (2) The ratio of AP, IB, and other approved advanced placement 
tests passed (AP tests receiving scores of 3 or higher, IB tests 
receiving scores of 4 or higher, or other advanced placement tests 
receiving equivalent scores) by low-income students in public high 
schools served by API grants to the number of low-income seniors 
enrolled at those schools.
    These measures constitute the Department's measures of success for 
this program. Consequently, applicants for a grant under this program 
are

[[Page 14385]]

advised to give careful consideration to these measures in identifying 
their goals and objectives and conceptualizing the approach and 
evaluation of their proposed projects. If funded, applicants will be 
asked to collect and report data in their performance and final reports 
about progress with respect to these measures. In addition, applicants 
will also be asked to collect and report data in their performance and 
final reports on the statutorily mandated reporting requirements 
outlined in section 1705(f) of the ESEA.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the 
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a 
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives 
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review 
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes 
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds 
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and 
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    7. Grant Administration: Projects funded under this competition are 
encouraged to budget for a two-day meeting for project directors to be 
held annually in Washington, DC.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ivonne Jaime, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., LBJ Building, room 3E310, 
Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 260-1519 or by e-mail: 
AdvancedPlacementProgram@ed.gov.
    If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an 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 extr 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 via the Federal Digital System at: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys.


    Dated: March 11, 2011.
Thelma Mel[eacute]ndez de Santa Ana,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-6138 Filed 3-15-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P