FR Doc E9-5097[Federal Register: March 10, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 45)]
[Notices]
[Page 10244-10248]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10mr09-50]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview
Information; Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grants Program--Enhanced
Assessment Instruments; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards
Using Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Funds
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.368A.
DATES: Applications Available: March 10, 2009.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 11, 2009.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to enhance the
quality of assessment instruments and systems used by States for
measuring the achievement of all students.
Priorities: This competition includes four absolute priorities and
three competitive preference priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(iv), the absolute priorities are from section 6112 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) (20
U.S.C. 7301a). The competitive preference priorities are from Appendix
E to the notice of final requirements for optional State consolidated
applications submitted under section 9302 of the ESEA, published in the
Federal Register on May 22, 2002 (67 FR 35967).
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2008 funds, these priorities are
absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only
applications that meet one or more of these priorities.
These priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1. Collaborate with institutions of higher
education, other research institutions, or other organizations to
improve the quality, validity, and reliability of State academic
assessments beyond the requirements for these assessments described in
section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA.
Absolute Priority 2. Measure student academic achievement using
multiple measures of student academic achievement from multiple
sources.
Absolute Priority 3. Chart student progress over time.
Absolute Priority 4. Evaluate student academic achievement through
the development of comprehensive academic assessment instruments, such
as performance- and technology-based academic assessments.
Competitive Preference Priorities: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we
award
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up to an additional 35 points to an application, depending on how well
an application meets these competitive preference priorities.
For FY 2008 funds, these priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1. Accommodations and alternate
assessments (up to 20 points). Applications that can be expected to
advance practice significantly in the area of increasing accessibility
and validity of assessments for students with disabilities or limited
English proficiency, or both, including strategies for test design,
administration with accommodations, scoring, and reporting.
Competitive Preference Priority 2. Collaborative efforts (up to 10
points). Applications that are sponsored by a consortium of States.
Competitive Preference Priority 3. Dissemination (up to 5 points).
Applications that include an effective plan for dissemination of
results.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7301a and 7842.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81,
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final requirements
published in the Federal Register on May 22, 2002 (67 FR 35967).
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $8,760,000 in FY 2008 funds.
Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$2,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,460,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 6.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 18 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs) as
defined in section 9101(41) of the ESEA and consortia of such SEAs.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: An application from a consortium of SEAs must designate
one SEA as the fiscal agent.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: You can access the
electronic grant application for the Enhanced Assessment Instruments
Grants Program at http://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 84.368, not 84.368A). You can also obtain a copy of
the application package by contacting the program contact persons
listed under Agency Contacts in section VII of this notice.
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 (Part III of the application)
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your application and the absolute and
competitive preference priorities. You must limit Part III to the
equivalent of no more than 40 pages, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font no smaller than 11.0 point for 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. (Font sizes that round up to 11, such as
10.7 point, will be considered as smaller than 11.0.)
The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet, budget section
(chart and narrative), assurances and certifications, response
regarding research activities involving human subjects, General
Education Provisions Act 427 response, one-page abstract, personnel
r[eacute]sum[eacute]s, and letters of support; however, discussion of
how the application meets the absolute priorities, how well the
application meets the competitive preference priorities, and how well
the application addresses each of the selection criteria must be
included within the application narrative and therefore is subject to
the page limit.
Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that
exceed the page limit or exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you
apply other standards.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: March 10, 2009.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 11, 2009.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (http://Grants.gov). For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission
Requirements of this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII
in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is not subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements. Applications for grants under
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the
instructions in this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the Enhanced Assessment Instruments
competition, CFDA number 84.368A, must be submitted electronically
using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at http://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
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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 Enhanced
Assessment Instruments competition at http://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 84.368, not 84.368A).
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 at
http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must
complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps include
(1) registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes
registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (2)
registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative
(AOR); and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization.
Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step
Registration Guide (see
http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
You also must provide on your
application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please
note that the registration process may take five or more business days
to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to
allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual
basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information you typically provide on the following forms:
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications.
You must attach any narrative sections of your application
as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable
Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the three file
types specified in this paragraph or submit a password-protected file,
we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified
identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT of section VII in 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
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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: Gregory Dennis, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W243,
Washington, DC 20202-6200. Fax: (202) 205-4921.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.368A), 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 84.368A), 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
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
from Appendix E to the notice of final requirements published in the
Federal Register on May 22, 2002 (67 FR 35967) and are listed in the
application package.
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 in this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, or at the end of
your no-cost extension, if any, you must submit a final performance
report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary.
Grantees must also submit an interim progress report twelve months
after the award date 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 http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has developed four measures
to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the Enhanced Assessment
Instruments Grants Program: (1) The number of States that participate
in Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grants projects funded by this
competition; (2) the percentage of grantees that, at least twice during
the period of their grants, make available to SEA staff in non-
participating States and to assessment researchers information on
findings resulting from the Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grants
through presentations at national conferences, publications in refereed
journals, or other products disseminated to the assessment community;
(3) for each grant cycle and as determined by an expert panel, the
percentage of Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grants that yield
significant research, methodologies, products, or tools regarding
assessment systems or assessments; and (4) for each grant cycle and as
determined by an expert panel, the percentage of Enhanced Assessment
Instruments Grants that yield significant research, methodologies,
products, or tools specifically regarding accommodations and alternate
assessments for students with disabilities and limited English
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proficient students. Grantees will be expected to include in their
performance reports information about the accomplishments of their
projects because the Department will need to implement and aggregate
data on these measures.
VII. Agency Contacts
For Further Information Contact: Collette Roney or Sharon Hall,
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3W118, Washington, DC 20202-
6132. Telephone: (202) 260-0934, or by e-mail: Collette.Roney@ed.gov or
Sharon.Hall@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll-free, at 1-800-877-8339.
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to one of the program contact persons listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in 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: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.
Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated
authority to Joseph C. Conaty, Director, Academic Improvement and
Teacher Quality Programs for the Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education, to perform the functions of the Assistant Secretary for
Elementary and Secondary Education.
Dated: March 5, 2009.
Joseph C. Conaty,
Director, Academic Improvement and Teacher Quality Programs.
[FR Doc. E9-5097 Filed 3-9-09; 8:45 am]
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