FR Doc 2010-13781
[Federal Register: June 8, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 109)]
[Notices]
[Page 32428-32435]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08jn10-73]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Full-
Service Community Schools Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215J.
Applications Available: June 8, 2010.
Deadline of Notice of Intent to Apply: June 23, 2010.
Date of Pre-Application Meeting: June 17, 2010.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 23, 2010.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 21, 2010.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Fund for the Improvement of Education
(FIE), which is authorized by section 5411 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), supports nationally
significant programs to improve the quality of elementary and secondary
education at the State and local levels and help all children meet
challenging academic content and academic achievement standards. The
Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) program, which is funded under
FIE, encourages coordination of academic, social, and health services
through partnerships between (1) Public elementary and secondary
schools; (2) the schools' local educational agencies (LEAs); and (3)
community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and other
public or private entities. The purpose of this collaboration is to
provide comprehensive academic, social, and health services for
students, students' family members, and community members that will
result in improved educational outcomes for children. The Full-Service
Community Schools program is a ``place-based'' program (see
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/memoranda_fy2009/m09-28.pdf) that can
leverage investments by focusing resources in targeted places, drawing
on the compounding effects of well-coordinated actions. Place-based
approaches can also streamline otherwise redundant and disconnected
programs.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7243-7243b.
Priorities:
These priorities are from the notice of final priorities, selection
criteria, definitions, and requirements for this program, published
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Absolute Priority: For FY 2010 and any subsequent year in which we
make awards from the list of unfunded applications, this priority is an
absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only
applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
Projects That Establish or Expand Full-Service Community Schools
Background: In order for children to be ready and able to learn,
they need academic, social, and health supports. The National Research
Council has cited the presence of these supports as important
predictors of future adult success.\1\ Students' needs are better met
when academic, social, and health services are delivered to them in a
well-coordinated, results-focused, and integrated manner.
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\1\ Committee on Community-Level Programs for Youth (2002).
Community Programs to Promote Youth Development. Edited by J.S.
Eccles and J. Gootman. Washington, DC: National Research Council,
Institute of Medicine, and National Academy Press.
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A full-service community school, as defined in this notice, is a
public elementary or secondary school that works with its local
educational agency and community-based organizations, nonprofit
organizations, and other public or private entities to provide a
coordinated and integrated set of comprehensive academic, social, and
health services that respond to the needs of its students, students'
family members, and community members, as defined in this notice. These
results-focused partnerships, as defined in this notice, are based on
identified needs and organized around a set of mutually defined results
and outcomes.
Full-service community schools recognize that schools do not
operate in total isolation from the communities in which they are
located. Community challenges such as poverty, violence, poor physical
health, and family instability can become education issues when left
unaddressed. When schools and community partners collaborate to address
these issues and align their resources to achieve common results,
children are more likely to succeed
[[Page 32429]]
academically, socially, and physically. Full-service community schools
seek to address these challenges by connecting students, students'
family members, and community members with available services and
opportunities, creating the conditions for students to achieve in
school and beyond.
The Department recognizes that in order for students and the
members of the communities in which they reside to thrive, their
schools must be effective. Effective schools create learning
environments that support student academic success and foster student
engagement. When characterized by stable leadership and a strong
instructional program, full-service community schools have been
associated with improved attendance and student achievement,\2\
increased family and community engagement,\3\ and improved student
behavior and youth development.\4\ In addition, system-wide support
should be present for developing, implementing, and sustaining
effective full-service community schools. There is greater potential
impact when full-service community schools have a strong infrastructure
in place to support sustaining the overall effort and expanding the
number of FSCS sites throughout an LEA.
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\2\ Krenichyn, Kira, Helene Clark, and Lymari Benitez (2008).
Children's Aid Society 21st Century Community Learning Centers
After-School Programs at Six Middle Schools: Final Report of a
Three-Year Evaluation, 2004-2007. New York: ActKnowledge.
\3\ Quinn, Jane, and Joy Dryfoos (2009). Freeing teachers to
teach: Students in full-service community schools are ready to
learn. American Educator, Summer 2009:16-21.
\4\ Whalen, Samuel (2007). Three Years Into Chicago's Community
Schools Initiative (CSI): Progress, Challenges, and Emerging
Lessons. Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago. Retrieved April
9, 2010, from http://www.aypf.org/documents/CSI_ThreeYearStudy.pdf.
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In this and other programs, it is imperative that we pay close
attention to our most educationally disadvantaged, persistently lowest-
achieving schools, as defined in this notice. These are the schools
that continue to challenge our country's system of public education and
fail to adequately educate our Nation's youth. Persistently lowest-
achieving schools can be transformed into schools that enable all
students to meet high standards when these schools implement school
intervention models, as defined in this notice, that are aligned with a
well-coordinated system of comprehensive academic, social, and health
services. The Department believes that the full-service community
school model can create the needed synergy to bolster efforts to
transform persistently lowest-achieving schools into schools that
enable all students to meet high standards.
This absolute priority supports projects that propose to establish
or expand (through collaborative efforts among local educational
agencies, community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and
other public and private entities) full-service community schools, as
defined in this notice, offering a range of services. To meet this
priority, an applicant must propose a project that is based on
scientifically based research--as defined in section 9101(37) of the
ESEA--and that establishes or expands a full-service community school.
Each applicant must propose to provide at least three of the following
eligible services at each participating full-service community school
included in its proposed project:
1. High-quality early learning programs and services.
2. Remedial education, aligned with academic supports and other
enrichment activities, providing students with a comprehensive academic
program.
3. Family engagement, including parental involvement, parent
leadership, family literacy, and parent education programs.
4. Mentoring and other youth development programs.
5. Community service and service learning opportunities.
6. Programs that provide assistance to students who have been
chronically absent, truant, suspended, or expelled.
7. Job training and career counseling services.
8. Nutrition services and physical activities.
9. Primary health and dental care.
10. Activities that improve access to and use of social service
programs and programs that promote family financial stability.
11. Mental health services.
12. Adult education, including instruction of adults in English as
a second language.
Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2010 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 2 points to an
application, depending on how well the application meets this priority.
This priority is:
Strategies That Support Turning Around Persistently Lowest-Achieving
Schools
We give competitive preference to applications that propose to
serve persistently lowest-achieving schools, as defined in this notice,
and are currently implementing or plan to implement one of three school
intervention models, as defined in this notice, to enable these schools
to become full-service community schools. Applicants seeking to receive
this priority must describe (a) The school intervention model that
would be or is being implemented to improve academic outcomes for
students; (b) the academic, social, and/or health services that would
be provided and why; and (c) how the academic, social and/or health
services provided would align with and support the school intervention
model implemented.
Application Requirements:
The following requirements are from the NFP for this program,
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Background: Children, particularly those living in poverty, need a
variety of family and community resources, including intellectual,
social, physical, and emotional supports, to have the opportunity to
attain academic success. Many children live in communities that lack
not only high-performing schools, but also the supports needed to be
ready and able to learn when they start school. School-community
partnerships can be key strategies for providing resources to these
individual students. A variety of organizations can help provide the
missing resources for children living in poverty and, therefore, begin
to transform struggling schools and communities. These organizations
can be public or private, community-based or faith-based, governmental
or non-governmental, or a combination thereof, but they must work
together with clearly articulated and mutually agreed upon goals,
target populations, roles, and desired results and outcomes.
Partnerships between schools and organizations may take many forms and
should be based on overlapping vital interests. For example, a
telecommunications firm might provide internships to high school
students to foster real-world connections to the school's science
curriculum. Or, a local police department might provide mentors for
troubled youth in order to keep students in school. Such results-
focused partnerships, as defined in this notice, can transform the
capacity of both the school and its partners to better serve students'
and families' diverse needs and improve their outcomes.
A full-service community school coordinator, as defined in this
notice, is often central to the effective facilitation of these
partnerships, as well as the coordination and integration of services,
[[Page 32430]]
programs, supports, and available opportunities. The FSCS coordinator's
main responsibility is to work closely and plan jointly with the
school's principal to drive, develop, and implement the community
school effort. The FSCS coordinator convenes a cross-section of school
staff, parents, and community organizations to develop systems with
which to coordinate new and existing programs that respond to the needs
of the school and community through ongoing needs assessments. The FSCS
coordinator adds capacity to the principal's leadership of the school
and is essential to ensuring that all programs, supports, services,
opportunities, and the mutually defined results and outcomes are fully
aligned.
In order to receive funding, an applicant must include the
following in its application:
1. A description of the needs of the students, students' family
members, and community members to be served, including information
about (a) The basic demographic characteristics of the students,
students' family members, and community members; (b) the magnitude or
severity of the needs to be addressed by the project; and (c) the
extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services,
infrastructures, or opportunities have been identified and will be
addressed by the proposed project.
2. A list of entities that will partner with the applicant to
coordinate existing services or to provide additional services that
promote successful student, family, and community results and outcomes.
The applicant must describe how existing resources and services will be
coordinated and integrated with new resources and services.
3. A memorandum of understanding between the applicant and all
partner entities, describing the role each partner will assume, the
services or resources each one will provide, and the desired results
and outcomes.
4. A description of the organizational capacity of the applicant to
provide and coordinate eligible services at a full-service community
school that will support increased student achievement. The description
must include the applicant's experience partnering with the target
school(s) and other partner entities; examples of how the applicant has
responded to challenges working with these schools and entities;
lessons learned from similar work or previous community-school efforts,
and a description of the existing or proposed infrastructure to support
the implementation and sustainability of the full-service community
school. Applicants must also describe their past experience (a)
building relationships and community support to achieve results; and
(b) collecting and using data for decision-making and continuous
improvement.
5. A comprehensive plan based on results-focused partnerships, as
defined in this notice, that includes a description of well-aligned
goals, services, activities, objectives, performance measures, and
project results and outcomes. In addition, the plan must include the
estimated total number of individuals to be served, disaggregated by
the number of students, students' family members, and community
members, and the type and frequency of services to be provided to each
group.
6. A list and description of the eligible services to be provided
or coordinated by the applicant and the partner entities; a description
of the applicant's approach to integrating new and existing programs
and services with the school's (or schools') core instructional
program; and identification of the intended results and outcomes.
7. A description of how the applicant will use data to drive
decisionmaking and measure success. This includes a description of the
applicant's plans to monitor and assess outcomes of the eligible
services provided and coordinated by the FSCS project, as well as the
number of individuals served, while complying with Federal, State, and
other privacy laws and requirements.
8. A description of the roles and responsibilities of a full-time
FSCS coordinator and the proposed approach to ensuring that the FSCS
coordinator engages in joint planning with the principal and key
community stakeholders to guide the proposed full-service community
school.
Applications that do not meet these requirements will not be read
and will not be considered for funding.
Definitions: The following definitions are from the NFP for this
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
These definitions are:
Community member means an individual who is not a student or a
student's family member, as defined in this notice, but who lives in
the community served by the FSCS grant.
Full-service community school means a public elementary or
secondary school that works with its local educational agency and
community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and other
public or private entities to provide a coordinated and integrated set
of comprehensive academic, social, and health services that respond to
the needs of its students, students' family members, and community
members. In addition, a full-service community school promotes family
engagement by bringing together many partners in order to offer a range
of supports and opportunities for students, students' family members,
and community members.
Full-service community school coordinator means an individual who
works closely and plans jointly with the school's principal to drive
the development and implementation of the FSCS effort and who, in that
capacity, facilitates the partnerships and coordination and integration
of service delivery.
Persistently lowest-achieving school means, as determined by the
State under the School Improvement Grants program (pursuant to the
final requirements for the School Improvement Grants program, 74 FR
65618, published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2009)--
(1) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring that--
(i) 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
(ii) 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
(2) Any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not
receive, Title I funds that--
(i) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools
or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State that are
eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever number of
schools is greater; or
(ii) 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.
Results-focused partnership means a partnership between a full-
service community school and one or more nonprofit organizations
(including community-based organizations) that is based on identified
needs and organized around a set of mutually defined results and
outcomes for increasing student success and improving access to family
and community services.
School intervention model means one of the following three specific
interventions described in the final requirements for the School
[[Page 32431]]
Improvement Grants program, 74 FR 65618, published in the Federal
Register on December 10, 2009 and summarized as follows:
(1) Turnaround model, which includes, among other actions,
replacing the principal and rehiring no more than 50 percent of the
school's staff, adopting a new governance structure, and implementing
an instructional program that is research-based and vertically aligned
from one grade to the next as well as aligned with a State's academic
standards.
(2) Restart model, in which a local educational agency converts the
school or closes and reopens it under the management of a charter
school operator, a charter management organization, or an education
management organization that has been selected through a rigorous
review process.
(3) Transformation model, which addresses four specific areas
critical to transforming persistently lowest-achieving schools: (i)
Replace the principal and take steps to increase teacher and school
effectiveness; (ii) institute comprehensive instructional reforms;
(iii) increase learning time and create community-oriented schools;
(iv) provide operational flexibility and sustained support.
Student means a child enrolled in a public elementary or secondary
school served by the FSCS grant.
Student's family member means the student's parents/guardians,
siblings, and any other related individuals living in the same
household as the student and not enrolled in the school served by the
FSCS grant.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7243-7243b.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final priorities,
requirements, definitions, and selection criteria (NFP) for this
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
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: $5,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $275,000-$500,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $415,000.
Maximum Award: The maximum award amount is $500,000 per year. We
may choose not to further consider or review applications with budget
requests for any 12-month budget period that exceed this amount, if we
conclude, during our initial review of the application, that the
proposed goals and objectives cannot be obtained with the specified
maximum amount.
Estimated Number of Awards: 8-12.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: To be eligible for a grant under this
competition, an applicant must be a consortium consisting of a local
educational agency and one or more community-based organizations,
nonprofit organizations, or other public or private entities. Consortia
must comply with the provisions governing group applications in 34 CFR
75.127 through 75.129 of EDGAR.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: To be eligible for an award, a portion
of the services provided by the applicant must be supported through
non-Federal contributions, either in cash or in-kind donations. The
applicant must propose the amount of cash or in-kind resources to be
contributed for each year of the grant.
3. Planning: Interagency collaborative efforts are highly complex
undertakings that require extensive planning and communication among
partners and key stakeholders. Partnerships should be based on
identified needs and organized around a set of mutually-defined results
and outcomes. Applicants under this program may devote funds received
during the first year of the project period to comprehensive program
planning, establishing results-focused partnerships, and capacity
building. Funding received by grantees during the remainder of the
project period must be devoted to program implementation.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package:
You can obtain an application package via the Internet or from the
Education Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the
Internet, use the following address:
http://www2.ed.gov/programs/communityschools/applicant.html.
To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following:
ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA
22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If
you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll
free: 1-877-576-7734.
You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also:
http://www.EDPubs.gov or at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.215J.
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.
Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to develop a
more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if it has a
better understanding of the number of entities that intend to apply for
funding under this competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly
encourages each potential applicant to notify the Department by sending
a short e-mail message indicating the applicant's intent to submit an
application for funding. The e-mail need not include information
regarding the content of the proposed application, only the applicant's
intent to submit it. This e-mail notification should be sent to
FSCS@ed.gov with ``INTENT TO APPLY'' in the subject line by June 23,
2010. Applicants that fail to provide this e-mail notification may
still apply for funding.
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.
You should limit the application narrative [Part III] to the
equivalent of no more than 35 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.
[[Page 32432]]
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the
resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the page
limit does apply to all of the application narrative section [Part
III].
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: June 8, 2010.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 23, 2010.
Date of Pre-Application Meeting: The Department will hold a pre-
application meeting for prospective applicants on June 17, 2010 from
1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the U.S. Department of Education, Barnard
Auditorium, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC. Interested
parties are invited to participate in this meeting to discuss the
purpose of the FSCS program, absolute and competitive priorities,
application requirements, definitions, selection criteria, application
content, submission requirements, and reporting requirements.
Interested parties may participate in this meeting either by conference
call or in person. This site is accessible by Metro on the Blue,
Orange, Green, and Yellow lines at the Seventh Street and Maryland
Avenue exit of the L'Enfant Plaza station.
Individuals interested in attending this meeting must register no
later than June 11, 2010 by e-mailing their name, organization, and
contact information with ``PRE-APPLICATION MEETING'' in the subject
line to FSCS@ed.gov. There is no registration fee for attending this
meeting. For further information contact Jill Staton, U.S. Department
of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement, room 4W245, 400
Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 401-2091
or by e-mail: FSCS@ed.gov.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities at the Pre-Application
Meeting
The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If
you will need an auxiliary aid or service to participate in the meeting
(e.g., interpreting service, assistive listening device, or materials
in an alternate format), notify the contact person listed in this
notice at least two weeks before the scheduled meeting date. Although
we will attempt to meet a request we receive after that date, we may
not be able to make available the requested auxiliary aid or service
because of insufficient time to arrange it.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 23, 2010.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants site. For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, please refer to section IV.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: September 21, 2010.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, (1) You must have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); (2)
you must register both of those numbers with the Central Contractor
Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database; and (3)
you must provide those same numbers on your application.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take
three or more business days to complete.
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 Full-Service Community Schools
program--CFDA Number 84.215J must be submitted electronically using e-
Application, accessible through the Department's e-Grants Web site at:
http://e-grants.ed.gov.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
While completing your electronic application, you will be entering
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
Please note the following:
You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. E-Application will not accept an application for this
competition after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait
until the application
[[Page 32433]]
deadline date to begin the application process.
The hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00
a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until
8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of
maintenance, the system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and
6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 a.m.
on Thursdays, Washington, DC time. Any modifications to these hours are
posted on the e-Grants Web site.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information you typically provide on the following forms: the
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications. You must attach any narrative sections of your
application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF
(Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the
three file types specified in this paragraph or submit a password
protected file, we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number
(an identifying number unique to your application).
Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
(1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
(2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
(3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
(4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at
(202) 245-6272.
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting
your application on the application deadline date because e-Application
is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by
hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
(1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
(2) (a) E-Application is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between
the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date; or
(b) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between
3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For
Further Information Contact (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If e-Application is unavailable due
to technical problems with the system and, therefore, the application
deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users
who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions referred to in this
section apply only to the unavailability of e-Application.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through e-Application because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
e-Application; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevents you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Jill Staton, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W245,
Washington, DC 20202. FAX: (202) 205-5630.
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 84.215J), 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:
[[Page 32434]]
(CFDA Number 84.215J), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this grant notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
from the NFP for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the
Federal Register. These selection criteria are listed in the
application package as well as this notice. We may apply one or more of
these criteria in any year in which this program is in effect. The
maximum score for all the selection criteria is 100 points. The maximum
score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses with the
criterion. The selection criteria are as follows:
(a) Quality of the Project Design (up to 25 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the extent to which the proposed
project consists of a comprehensive plan that includes a description
of--
(i) The project objectives;
(ii) The students, students' family members, and community to be
served, including information about the demographic characteristics and
needs of the students, students' family members, and other community
members and the estimated number of individuals to be served; and
(iii) The eligible services (as listed in the Absolute Priority
described elsewhere in this notice) to be provided or coordinated by
the applicant and its partner entities, how those services will meet
the needs of students, students' family members, and other community
members, and the frequency with which those services will be provided
to students, students' family members, and community members.
(b) Adequacy of Resources (up to 20 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources to be provided by the applicant and
consortium partners;
(ii) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project;
and
(iii) The extent to which costs are reasonable in relation to the
number of persons to be served and services to be provided.
(c) Quality of the Management Plan (up to 25 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for
the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the proposed project consists of a
comprehensive plan that includes a description of planning,
coordination, management, and oversight of the eligible services (as
listed in the Absolute Priority described elsewhere in this notice) to
be provided at each school to be served, including the role of the
school principal, the FSCS coordinator, partner entities, parents, and
community members;
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of the FSCS coordinator and other key project personnel
including prior performance of the applicant on similar or related
efforts; and
(iii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project
director, the FSCS coordinator, and other key project personnel are
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed
project.
(d) Quality of Project Services (up to 20 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be
provided by the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the project services, the
Secretary considers the following:
(i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective
practice; and
(ii) The likelihood that the services to be provided by the
proposed project will lead to improvements in the achievement of
students as measured against rigorous academic standards.
(e) Quality of the Project Evaluation (up to 10 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the proposed evaluation--
(i) Sets out methods of evaluation that include the use of
objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended
outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative
data to the extent possible;
(ii) Will provide timely and valid information on the management,
implementation, or efficiency of the project; and
(iii) Will provide guidance on or strategies for replicating or
testing the project intervention in multiple settings.
Factors Applicants May Wish To Consider in Developing an Evaluation
Plan
The quality of the evaluation plan is one of the selection criteria
by which applications in this competition will be judged. A strong
evaluation plan should be included in the application narrative and
should be used, as appropriate, to shape the development of the project
from the beginning of the project period. The plan should include
benchmarks to monitor progress toward specific project objectives and
also outcome measures to assess the impact on teaching and learning or
other important outcomes for project participants. More specifically,
the plan should identify the individual or organization that has agreed
to serve as evaluator for the project and describe the qualifications
of that evaluator. The plan should describe the evaluation design,
indicating: (1) What types of data will be collected; (2) when various
types of data will be collected; (3) what methods will be used; (4)
what instruments will be developed and when; (5) how the data will be
analyzed; (6) when reports of results and outcomes will be available;
and (7) how the applicant will use the information collected through
the evaluation to monitor progress of the funded project and to provide
accountability information both about success at the initial site and
about effective strategies for replication in other settings.
Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level of resources
to project evaluation.
[[Page 32435]]
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent
performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements
on reporting, please go to
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established one
performance indicator for this program: The percentage of individuals
targeted for services who receive services during each year of the
project period. All grantees will be required to submit an annual
performance report documenting their contribution in assisting the
Department in measuring the performance of the program against this
indicator, as well as performance on project-specific indicators.
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Jill Staton, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W245, Washington, DC 20202.
Telephone: (202) 401-2091 or by e-mail: FSCS@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) by
contacting the Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC
20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7363. If you use a TDD, call the FRS,
toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
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.
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.
Dated: June 3, 2010.
James H. Shelton, III,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2010-13781 Filed 6-7-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P