Applications for New Awards; Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program (NHCTEP), 1462-1469 [2025-00209]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 8, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1462-1469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00209]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Native Hawaiian Career and Technical 
Education Program (NHCTEP)

AGENCY: Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the 
Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program (NHCTEP).

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DATES: 
    Applications Available: January 8, 2025.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: Applicants are strongly 
encouraged, but not required, to submit a notice of intent to apply by 
February 7, 2025.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 7, 2025.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 9, 2025.
    Pre-Application Webinar Information: For information about a pre-
application webinar or potential future webinars, visit the Perkins 
Collaborative Resource Network (PCRN) at https://cte.ed.gov/.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an 
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to 
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the 
Federal Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patti Beltram, Ed.D., U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4A115, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 987-1370. Email: [email protected].
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and 
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: NHCTEP provides grants to improve career and 
technical education (CTE) programs that are consistent with the 
purposes of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 
2006 (the Act or Perkins V), and that benefit Native Hawaiians.
    Assistance Listing Number: 84.259A.
    OMB Control Number: 1894-0006.
    Background: This notice invites applications for a NHCTEP 
competition that implements section 116 of the Act. Section 116(h) of 
the Act authorizes the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to award 
grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with, 
community-based organizations primarily serving and representing Native 
Hawaiians to plan, conduct, and administer programs, or portions of 
programs, that are for the benefit of Native Hawaiians and authorized 
by and consistent with Perkins V.
    Priorities: This competition has one absolute priority. The 
absolute priority is from section 116 of the Act.
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2025, and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority.
    The priority is:
    Authorized Program.
    To meet this priority, applicants must propose and carry out a CTE 
program consistent with Perkins V. (20 U.S.C. 2302(5))
    Note: If an applicant with an open NHCTEP grant receives a grant 
under this competition, they must demonstrate that the activities and 
objectives of the grant will not duplicate or overlap with the 
expenses, activities, and objectives of other open grants with the same 
or similar activities and objectives. (2 CFR 200.403 and 200.404)
    Requirements:
    This notice includes one application and two program requirements 
that are based on statutory requirements or the Notice of final 
requirements, definitions, and selection criteria (Notice of Final 
Requirements) published in the Federal Register on March 24, 2009 (74 
FR 12341). The source is noted after each requirement.
    The application requirement is:
    Career and technical education agreement. Any applicant that is not 
proposing to provide career and technical education directly to Native 
Hawaiian students and proposes instead to pay one or more qualified 
educational entities to provide such career and technical education to 
Native Hawaiian students must include with its application a written 
career and technical education agreement between the applicant and the 
educational entity. The written agreement must describe the commitment 
between the applicant and the educational entity and must include, at a 
minimum, a statement of the responsibilities of the applicant and the 
entity. The agreement must be signed by the appropriate individuals on 
behalf of each party, such as the authorizing official or 
administrative head of the applicant Native Hawaiian community-based 
organization. (Notice of Final Requirements).
    The program requirements are:
    Requirement 1--Authorized Use of NHCTEP Funds:
    Section 116(c) of the Act requires that funds awarded under NHCTEP 
be used to carry out ``career and technical education programs'' (20 
U.S.C. 2326(c), as the term ``career and technical education'' is 
defined by the Act as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical 
Education for the 21st Century Act (20 U.S.C. 2302(5)). Grantees may 
use funds awarded under NHCTEP to--
    (1) Provide preparatory, refresher, and remedial education services 
that are designed to enable students to achieve success in career and 
technical education programs or programs of study.
    (2) Provide stipends to students who are enrolled in career and 
technical education programs and who have acute economic needs which 
cannot be met through work-study programs. Stipends shall not exceed 
reasonable amounts as prescribed by the Secretary. (Section 116(c) of 
the Act)
    Requirement 2--Direct Assistance to Students:
    A grantee may provide direct assistance to students only if the 
following conditions are met:
    (1) The recipient of the direct assistance is an individual who is 
a member of a special population (as defined in section 3(29) of the 
Act) and who is participating in the grantee's NHCTEP project.
    Note: As a result of the reauthorization of Perkins V, the 
definition for ``special population'' referenced above is now found at 
section 3(48) of the Act, and is provided in the definitions section of 
this notice.
    (2) The direct assistance is needed to address barriers to the 
individual's successful participation in a NHCTEP project.
    (3) The direct assistance is part of a broader, more generally 
focused program or activity for addressing the needs of an individual 
who is a member of a special population.
    Note: Direct assistance to individuals who are members of special 
populations is not, by itself, a ``program or activity for special 
populations.''
    (4) The grant funds used for direct assistance must be expended to 
supplement, and not supplant, assistance that is otherwise available 
from non-Federal sources. For example, generally, a community-based 
organization could not use NHCTEP funds to provide child care for 
single parents if non-Federal funds previously were made available for 
this purpose, or if non-Federal funds are used to provide child care 
services for single parents participating in non-CTE programs and these 
services otherwise (in the absence of NHCTEP funds) would have been 
available to CTE students.
    (5) In determining how much of the NHCTEP grant funds it will use 
for direct assistance to an eligible student, a grantee--

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    (i) May only provide assistance to the extent that it is needed to 
address barriers to the individual's successful participation in CTE; 
and
    (ii) Considers whether the specific services to be provided are a 
reasonable and necessary cost of providing CTE programs for special 
populations. However, the Secretary does not envision a circumstance in 
which it would be a reasonable and necessary expenditure of NHCTEP 
project funds for a grantee to utilize a majority of a project's budget 
to pay direct assistance to students, in lieu of providing the students 
served by the project with CTE. (Notice of Final Requirements).
    Definitions: These definitions are from the Act or the Notice of 
Final Requirements. The source of each definition is noted after the 
definition.
    Acute economic need means an income that is at or below the 
national poverty level according to the latest available data from the 
U.S. Department of Commerce or the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services Poverty Guidelines. (Notice of Final Requirements).
    Career and technical education (CTE) means organized educational 
activities that--
    (a) Offer a sequence of courses that--
    (1) Provides individuals with rigorous academic content and 
relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further 
education and careers in current or emerging professions, which may 
include high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or 
occupations, which shall be, at the secondary level, aligned with the 
challenging State academic standards adopted by a State under section 
1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1964, as 
amended (ESEA);
    (2) Provides technical skill proficiency or a recognized 
postsecondary credential, which may include an industry-recognized 
credential, a certificate, or an associate degree; and
    (3) May include prerequisite courses (other than a remedial course) 
\1\ that meet the requirements of this paragraph (a);
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    \1\ Section 116(c)(2) of the Act provides that, notwithstanding 
the exclusion of remedial courses from the Act's definition of CTE, 
funds made available under NHCTEP ``may be used to provide 
preparatory, refresher, and remedial education services that are 
designed to enable students to achieve success in career and 
technical education programs or programs of study.''
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    (b) Include competency-based, work-based, or other applied learning 
that supports the development of academic knowledge, higher-order 
reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, employability 
skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge 
of all aspects of an industry, including entrepreneurship, of an 
individual;
    (c) To the extent practicable, coordinate between secondary and 
postsecondary education programs through programs of study, which may 
include coordination through articulation agreements, early college 
high school programs, dual or concurrent enrollment program 
opportunities, or other credit transfer agreements that provide 
postsecondary credit or advanced standing; and
    (d) May include career exploration at the high school level or as 
early as the middle grades (as such term is defined in section 8101 of 
the ESEA). (20 U.S.C. 2302(5)).
    CTE concentrator means--
    (a) At the secondary school level, a student served by an eligible 
recipient who has completed at least 2 courses in a single career and 
technical education program or program of study; and
    (b) At the postsecondary level, a student enrolled in an eligible 
recipient who has--
    (1) Earned at least 12 credits within a career and technical 
education program or program of study; or
    (2) Completed such a program if the program encompasses fewer than 
12 credits or the equivalent in total. (20 U.S.C. 2302(12))
    Direct assistance to students means tuition, dependent care, 
transportation, books, and supplies that are necessary for a student to 
participate in a project funded under this program. (Notice of Final 
Requirements).
    In-demand industry sector or occupation means--
    (a) An industry sector that has a substantial current or potential 
impact (including through jobs that lead to economic self-sufficiency 
and opportunities for advancement) on the State, regional, or local 
economy, as appropriate, and that contributes to the growth or 
stability of other supporting businesses, or the growth of other 
industry sectors; or
    (b) An occupation that currently has or is projected to have a 
number of positions (including positions that lead to economic self-
sufficiency and opportunities for advancement) in an industry sector so 
as to have a significant impact on the State, regional, or local 
economy, as appropriate. (20 U.S.C. 2302(26); 29 U.S.C. 3102).
    Institution of higher education means--
    (a) An educational institution in any State that--
    (1) Admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of 
graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the 
recognized equivalent of such a certificate or persons who meet the 
requirements of section 1091(d) of this title;
    (2) Is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of 
education beyond secondary education;
    (3) Provides an educational program for which the institution 
awards a bachelor's degree or provides not less than a 2-year program 
that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree, or awards a 
degree that is acceptable for admission to a graduate or professional 
degree program, subject to review and approval by the Secretary;
    (4) Is a public or other nonprofit institution; and
    (5) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or 
association or, if not so accredited, is an institution that has been 
granted pre-accreditation status by such an agency or association that 
has been recognized by the Secretary of Education for the granting of 
pre-accreditation status, and the Secretary has determined that there 
is satisfactory assurance that the institution will meet the 
accreditation standards of such an agency or association within a 
reasonable time.
    (b) The term ``institution of higher education'' also includes--
    (1) Any school that provides not less than a 1-year program of 
training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized 
occupation and that meets the provisions of paragraphs (1), (2), (4), 
and (5) of paragraph (a); and
    (2) A public or nonprofit private educational institution in any 
State that, in lieu of the requirement in paragraph (a)(1) of this 
definition, admits as regular students individuals--
    (A) who are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the 
State in which the institution is located; or,
    (B) who will be dually or concurrently enrolled in the institution 
and a secondary school. (20 U.S.C. 2302(30); 20 U.S.C. 1001(a) and 
(b)).
    Native Hawaiian means any individual any of whose ancestors were 
natives, prior to 1778, of the area which now comprises the State of 
Hawaii. (20 U.S.C. 2326(a)(3)).
    Professional development means activities that--
    (a) are an integral part of eligible agency, eligible recipient, 
institution, or school strategies for providing educators (including 
teachers, principals, other school leaders, administrators, specialized 
instructional support

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personnel, career guidance and academic counselors, and 
paraprofessionals) with the knowledge and skills necessary to enable 
students to succeed in career and technical education, to meet 
challenging State academic standards under section 1111(b)(1) of ESEA, 
or to achieve academic skills at the postsecondary level; and
    (b) Are sustained (not stand-alone, 1-day, or short-term 
workshops), intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven, and 
classroom-focused, to the extent practicable evidence-based, and may 
include activities that--
    (1) Improve and increase educators'--
    (A) Knowledge of the academic and technical subjects;
    (B) Understanding of how students learn; and
    (C) Ability to analyze student work and achievement from multiple 
sources, including how to adjust instructional strategies, assessments, 
and materials based on such analysis;
    (2) Are an integral part of eligible recipients' improvement plans;
    (3) Allow personalized plans for each educator to address the 
educator's specific needs identified in observation or other feedback;
    (4) Support the recruitment, hiring, and training of effective 
educators, including educators who became certified through State and 
local alternative routes to certification;
    (5) Advance educator understanding of--
    (A) Effective instructional strategies that are evidence-based; and
    (B) Strategies for improving student academic and technical 
achievement or substantially increasing the knowledge and teaching 
skills of educators;
    (6) Are developed with extensive participation of educators, 
parents, students, and representatives of Indian Tribes (as 
applicable), of schools and institutions served under the Act;
    (7) Are designed to give educators of students who are English 
learners in career and technical education programs or programs of 
study the knowledge and skills to provide instruction and appropriate 
language and academic support services to those students, including the 
appropriate use of curricula and assessments;
    (8) As a whole, are regularly evaluated for their impact on 
increased educator effectiveness and improved student academic and 
technical achievement, with the findings of the evaluations used to 
improve the quality of professional development;
    (9) Are designed to give educators of individuals with disabilities 
in career and technical education programs or programs of study the 
knowledge and skills to provide instruction and academic support 
services to those individuals, including positive behavioral 
interventions and supports, multi-tier system of supports, and use of 
accommodations;
    (10) Include instruction in the use of data and assessments to 
inform and instruct classroom practice;
    (11) Include instruction in ways that educators may work more 
effectively with parents and families;
    (12) Provide follow-up training to educators who have
    participated in activities described in this definition that are 
designed to ensure that the knowledge and skills learned by the 
educators are implemented in the classroom;
    (13) Promote the integration of academic knowledge and skills and 
relevant technical knowledge and skills, including programming jointly 
delivered to academic and career and technical education teachers; or
    (14) Increase the ability of educators providing career and 
technical education instruction to stay current with industry 
standards. (20 U.S.C. 2302(40)).
    Program of study means a coordinated, nonduplicative sequence of 
academic and technical content at the secondary and postsecondary level 
that--
    (A) Incorporates challenging State academic standards, including 
those adopted by a State under section 1111(b)(1) of ESEA;
    (B) Addresses both academic and technical knowledge and skills, 
including employability skills;
    (C) Is aligned with the needs of industries in the economy of the 
State, region, Tribal community, or local area;
    (D) Progresses in specificity (beginning with all aspects of an 
industry or career cluster and leading to more occupation-specific 
instruction);
    (E) Has multiple entry and exit points that incorporate 
credentialing; and
    (F) Culminates in the attainment of a recognized postsecondary 
credential. (20 U.S.C. 2302(41)).
    Recognized postsecondary credential means a credential consisting 
of an industry-recognized certificate or certification, a certificate 
of completion of an apprenticeship, a license recognized by the State 
involved or Federal Government, or an associate or baccalaureate 
degree. (20 U.S.C. 2302(43); 29 U.S.C. 3102(52)).
    Secondary school means a nonprofit institutional day or residential 
school, including a public secondary charter school, that provides 
secondary education, as determined under State law, except that the 
term does not include any education beyond grade 12. (20 U.S.C. 
2302(44); 20 U.S.C. 7801(45)).
    Special populations means--
    (a) Individuals with disabilities;
    (b) Individuals from economically disadvantaged families, including 
low-income youth and adults;
    (c) Individuals preparing for non-traditional fields; (d) Single 
parents, including single pregnant women;
    (e) Out-of-workforce individuals;
    (f) English learners;
    (g) Homeless individuals described in section 725 of the McKinney-
Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a);
    (h) Youth who are in, or have aged out of, the foster care system; 
and
    (i) Youth with a parent who--
    (i) Is a member of the armed forces (as such term is defined in 
section 101(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code); and
    (ii) Is on active duty (as such term is defined in section 
101(d)(1) of such title). (20 U.S.C. 2302(48)).
    Support services means services related to curriculum modification, 
equipment modification, classroom modification, supportive personnel 
(including paraprofessionals and specialized instructional support 
personnel), and instructional aids and devices. (20 U.S.C. 2302(50)).
    Work-based learning means sustained interactions with industry or 
community professionals in real workplace settings, to the extent 
practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution 
that foster in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required of a 
given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and instruction. (20 
U.S.C. 2302(55)).
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 2326(h).
    Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner 
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal 
civil rights laws.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 
84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension 
(Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as 
regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform 
Guidance in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of 
the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) Notice of Final Requirements.
    Note: As of October 1, 2024, grant applicants must follow the 
provisions stated in the updated OMB Uniform

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Guidance (89 FR 30046, April 22, 2024) when preparing an application. 
For more information about these regulations please visit: www.cfo.gov/resources-coffa/uniform-guidance/.
    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR 86 apply to institutions of higher 
education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Department estimates $3,800,000 will 
be available for awards made in FY 2025.
    Note: Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, the Department anticipates making awards for the first 
12-month budget period using FY 2024 appropriations available in FY 
2025 and FY 2025 appropriations, if any, that become available in FY 
2026. The Department may make partial awards using FY 2024 
appropriations available in FY 2025 and award the remaining funds using 
FY 2025 appropriations available in FY 2026 when they become available.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $650,000 for each 12-month 
budget period (i.e., a total of approximately $750,000 to $3,250,000 
for a full 60-month project period).
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $500,000 for each 12-month budget 
period.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 6-8.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: The following entities are eligible to 
apply under this competition:
    (a) Community-based organizations primarily serving and 
representing Native Hawaiians.
    (b) Any community-based organization may apply individually or as 
part of a consortium with one or more one or more eligible community-
based organizations. (Eligible applicants seeking to apply for funds as 
a consortium must meet the requirements in 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, which 
apply to group applications.)
    Note: If you are a nonprofit organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you 
may demonstrate your nonprofit status by providing: (1) proof that the 
Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as an 
organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a State 
taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that the 
organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the State and 
that no part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private 
shareholder or individual; (3) a certified copy of the applicant's 
certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly 
establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) any item 
described above if that item applies to a State or national parent 
organization, together with a statement by the State or parent 
organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.
    Note: A faith-based organization is eligible to apply for and 
receive a grant under this program on the same basis as any other 
private organization, consistent with Appendix A to 34 CFR part 75.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This competition involves supplement-
not-supplant funding requirements. In accordance with section 211(a) of 
the Act (20 U.S.C. 2391(a)), funds under this program may not be used 
to supplant non-Federal funds used to carry out CTE activities. 
Further, the prohibition against supplanting also means that grantees 
will be required to use their negotiated restricted indirect cost rates 
under this program. (34 CFR 75.563)
    We caution applicants not to plan to use funds under NHCTEP to 
replace otherwise available non-Federal funding for direct assistance 
to students and family assistance programs. For example, NHCTEP funds 
must not be used to supplant non-Federal funds with Federal funds in 
order to pay the costs of students' tuition, dependent care, 
transportation, books, supplies, and other costs associated with 
participation in a CTE program.
    Funds under NHCTEP should not be used to replace Federal student 
financial aid. The Act does not authorize the Secretary to fund 
projects that serve primarily as entities through which students may 
apply for and receive tuition and other financial assistance.
    c. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses a restricted 
indirect cost rate. For more information regarding indirect costs, or 
to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please see www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ofo#Indirect-Cost-Division.
    d. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include 
any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All 
administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to 
Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform 
Guidance.
    e. Limitation on Services: Section 215 of the Act (20 U.S.C. 2395) 
forbids the use of Perkins funds for the education of students prior to 
the middle grades. The term middle grades refers to grades 5 through 8, 
as defined in section 8101 of ESEA.
    3. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR 75.708 (b) and (c), a grantee under 
this competition may award subgrants--to directly carry out project 
activities described in its application--to the following types of 
entities: institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, 
local educational agencies. The grantee may only award subgrants to 
entities it has identified in an approved application, including any 
amendments to an approved application.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to 
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of 
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal 
Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs, which contain requirements and information on how to 
submit an application.
    2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for NHCTEP, your 
application may include business information that you consider 
proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define ``business information'' and 
describe the process we use in determining whether any of that 
information is proprietary and, thus, protected from disclosure under 
Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as 
amended).
    Because we plan to make successful applications available to the 
public on the Department's website, you may wish to request 
confidentiality of business information.
    Consistent with Executive Order 12600 (Predisclosure Notification 
Procedures for Confidential Commercial Information), please designate 
in your application any information that you believe is exempt from 
disclosure under Exemption 4. In the appropriate Appendix section of 
your application, under ``Other Attachments Form,'' please list the 
page number or numbers on which we can find this information. For 
additional information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).

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    3. 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.
    4. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    5. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, 
the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the 
application narrative to 35 pages and (2) 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, 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, and no 
smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the 
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the 
assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, 
the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the recommended 
page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.
    6. Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to review 
grant applications more efficiently if we know the approximate number 
of applicants that intend to apply. Therefore, we strongly encourage 
each potential applicant to notify us of their intent to submit an 
application. To do so, please email the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT with the subject line ``Intent to 
Apply,'' and include the applicant's name and a contact person's name 
and email address. Applicants that do not submit a notice of intent to 
apply may still apply for funding; applicants that do submit a notice 
of intent to apply are not bound to apply or bound by the information 
provided.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from the Notice of Final Requirements or 34 CFR 75.210. The source is 
noted after each criterion.
    The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses.
    (a) Quality of the project design (Up to 26 points). In determining 
the quality of the design of the proposed project, we consider the 
following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the proposed project proposes specific, 
measurable targets, connected to strategies, activities, resources, 
outputs, and outcomes, and uses reliable administrative data to measure 
progress and inform continuous improvement. (34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(v)). 
(Up to 16 points).
    (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 (as evidenced by such data as 
local labor market demand, occupational trends, and surveys). (Notice 
of Final Requirements). (Up to 10 points).
    (b) Quality of the project services (Up to 30 points). In 
determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed 
project, we consider the following factors:
    (1) The quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring 
equitable and adequate access and participation for project 
participants who experience barriers based on one or more of the 
following: economic disadvantage; gender; race; ethnicity; color; 
disability; age; language; living in a rural location; experiencing 
homelessness or housing insecurity; involvement with the justice 
system; pregnancy, parenting, or caregiver status. This determination 
includes the steps developed and described in the form Equity For 
Students, Teachers, And Other Program Beneficiaries (OMB Control No. 
1894-0005) (section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 
U.S.C. 1228a)). (34 CFR 75.210(d)(2)). (Up to 12 points).
    (2) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project will create and offer activities that focus on enabling 
participants to obtain the skills necessary to gain employment in high-
skill, high-wage, and high-demand occupations in emerging fields or in 
a specific career field (Notice of Final Requirements). (Up to 10 
points).
    (3) The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient 
quality, intensity, and duration to build recipient and project 
capacity in ways that lead to improvements in practice among the 
recipients of those services. (34 CFR 75.210(d)(3)(v)). (Up to 8 
points).
    (c) Adequacy of resources (Up to 22 points). In determining the 
adequacy of resources for the proposed project, we consider the 
following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project and the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. 
(34 CFR 75.210(f)(2)(iii)). (Up to 8 points).
    (2) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization(s) and 
the entities to be served, including the evidence and relevance of 
commitments (e.g., articulation agreements, memoranda of understanding, 
letters of support, or commitments to employ project participants) of 
the applicant, local employers, or entities to be served by the 
project. (Notice of Final Requirements). (Up to 7 points).
    (3) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
number of persons to be served, the depth and intensity of services, 
and the anticipated results and benefits. (34 CFR 75.210(f)(2)(iv)). 
(Up to 7 points).
    (d) Quality of the management plan (Up to 22 points). In 
determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, we consider the following factors:
    (1) The feasibility of the management plan to achieve project 
objectives and goals on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks. (34 CFR 75.210(g)(2)(i)). (Up to 10 points).
    (2) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and other key project personnel, including instructors, are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project. (Notice of Final Requirements). (Up to 5 points).
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project team maximizes diverse 
perspectives, for example by reflecting the lived experiences of 
project participants, or relevant experience working with the target 
population. (34 CFR 75.210(e)(3)(iv)). (Up to 7 points).
    3. 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

[[Page 1468]]

submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of 
unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
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 (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    4. Risk Assessment and Special Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.206, before awarding grants under this competition, the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
200.208, the Secretary may impose special conditions and, under 2 CFR 
3474.10, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk 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 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not 
responsible.
    5. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your 
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal 
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make 
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that 
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as 
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System 
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management (SAM). 
You may review and comment on any information about yourself that a 
Federal agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
    Please note that, if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the 
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity 
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal 
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

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); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may also notify you 
informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    4. 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.
    5. Open Licensing Requirement: Unless an exception applies, if you 
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to 
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in 
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of 
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those 
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent 
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or 
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. 
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant 
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. 
The dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your 
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional 
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 
3474.20.
    6. 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. See the standards in 
2 CFR 170.105 to determine whether you are covered by 2 CFR part 170.
    (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 multiyear 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 www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    7. Performance Measures: The Department has established the 
following performance measures for purposes of Department reporting 
under 34 CFR 75.110, which it will use to evaluate the overall 
performance of the grantee's project, as well as NHCTEP as a whole:
    (a) At the secondary level: An increase in--
    (1) The percentage of CTE concentrators who graduate high school, 
as measured by--
    (A) The four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (defined in 
section 8101 of ESEA); and
    (B) At the grantee's discretion, the extended-year adjusted cohort 
graduation rate (defined in section 8101 of ESEA);
    (2) The percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school 
having attained postsecondary credits in the relevant CTE program 
earned through a dual or concurrent enrollment program or another 
credit transfer agreement;
    (3) The percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school 
having participated in work-based learning;
    (4) The percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school 
having attained a recognized postsecondary credential; and
    (5) The percentage of CTE concentrators who, after exiting from 
secondary education, are in postsecondary education or advanced 
training, military service, or a service program, or are employed.
    (b) At the postsecondary level: An increase in--
    (1) The percentage of CTE concentrators who remain enrolled in 
postsecondary education, are in advanced training, military service, or 
a service program, or are employed; and
    (2) The percentage of CTE concentrators who receive a recognized 
postsecondary credential.
    Project-Specific Performance Measures:
    In addition to the performance measures noted above, applicants may 
propose project-specific performance measures and performance targets 
consistent with the objectives of the proposed project. Examples of 
such project-specific performance measures

[[Page 1469]]

could include student recruitment, student participation in work-based 
learning at the postsecondary level, and teacher and faculty 
participation in professional development.
    Note: All grantees will be expected to submit a semi-annual and an 
annual performance report addressing these performance measures, to the 
extent that these performance measures apply to each grantee's NHCTEP 
project.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether 
the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the performance 
targets in the grantee's approved application.
    In making a continuation award, 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).

VII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an 
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an 
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text 
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3, braille, large print, audiotape, 
compact disc, or other accessible format.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this 
document, as well as all other Department documents published in the 
Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
site.
    You may also access Department documents published in the Federal 
Register by using the article search feature at 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

Luke Rhine,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 2025-00209 Filed 1-7-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P