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| 84.295 READY-TO-LEARN TELEVISION |
| FEDERAL AGENCY |
| OFFICE OF INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION |
| AUTHORIZATION |
| Elementary and Secondary Education, Title II, Part D, Subpart3. |
| OBJECTIVES |
| To facilitate student academic achievement by developing educational programming, with accompanying educational support materials, for preschool and early elementary school children and their families. |
| TYPES OF ASSISTANCE |
| Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements or Contracts). |
| USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS |
| Administrative costs are limited by the authorizing statute. Entities receiving a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement from the Secretary may not use more than five percent of the amounts received for the normal and customary expenses of administering the grant. |
| Applicant Eligibility |
| To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under Subsection (a) an entity shall be a public telecommunications entity that can demonstrate a capacity to: (1) develop and disseminate educational and instructional television programming nationwide; (2) contract with the producers of children's television programming; (3) negotiate such contracts in a manner that returns an appropriate share of ancillary income from sales of program-related products; and (4) localize programming and materials to meet specific State and local needs. |
| Beneficiary Eligibility |
| Programming is to be made widely available, with support materials as appropriate, to young children, their parents, child care workers, and Head Start providers. |
| Credentials/Documentation |
| None. |
| Preapplication Coordination |
| This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or the official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. |
| Application Procedure |
| This procedure is described in the application notice published annually in the Federal Register. Contact the headquarters office listed below for application packages containing the announcement, application, and forms. |
| Award Procedure |
| Applications are reviewed and evaluated by outside experts and program staff, in accordance with the Evaluation of Applications for Grants and Cooperative Agreements (34 CFR 700). |
| Deadlines |
| Application deadlines and other information for applicants are published in the Federal Register. |
| Range of Approval/Disapproval Time |
| Approximately two months. |
| Appeals |
| None. |
| Renewals |
| As required by the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) for direct grant program (see 34 CFR 75.253). Generally, for multiple-year awards, continuation awards after the first budget period are made if: sufficient funds have been appropriated; the recipient has either made substantial progress in meeting the goals of the project or obtaining approval for changes in the project; the recipient has submitted all required reports; and continuation is in the best interest of the government. |
| Formula and Matching Requirements |
| None. |
| Length and Time Phasing of Assistance |
| Following an initial award of 12 months, four additional 1-year, non-competing continuation awards may be made, for a total term of 5 years. Renewals are subject to the availability of funds. |
| Reports |
| The recipient must submit an annual report. At a minimum, the report must describe the program activities including: (1) Programming that has been developed directly or indirectly and the target population of the programs developed; (2) supporting materials that have been developed to accompany the programming and the method by which materials are distributed to consumers and users of the programming; (3) the means by which programming developed under this Section has been distributed, including the distinct learning technologies that have been utilized to make programming available and the geographic distribution achieved through such technologies; and (4) the initiatives undertaken to develop public or private partnerships to secure nonfederal support to develop and distribute the broadcasting of educational and instructional programming. |
| Audits |
| See 34 CFR 74.26. Institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations are subject to the audit requirements of OMB Circular No. A-133. State and local governments are subject to the requirements in the Single Audit Act and ED regulations implementing OMB Circular No. A-133 (see 34 CFR 80). In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. |
| Records |
| As required by EDGAR for direct grant programs (34 CFR 75). Generally, records related to grant funds, compliance, and performance must be maintained for a period of five years after completion. |
| Account Identification |
| 91-0204-0-1-501. |
| Obligations |
| (Grants) FY 07 est $24,255,000; FY 08 est $23,831,000; and FY 09 est $23,831,000. |
| Range and Average of Financial Assistance |
| In FY 2008, the range of awards is expected to be $400 to $11.2 million; the average award is expected to be $8,084,000. |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| In FY 2007, three continuation awards were made. |
| REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE |
| The regulations applicable to this program are in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations 34 CFR, 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, and 86. |
| Regional or Local Office |
| None. |
| Headquarters Office |
| Department of Education, OII Technology in Education Programs 400 Maryland Ave., Washington, DC 20202. Contact: Joe Caliguro. E-mail: joseph.caliguro@ed.gov Telephone: (202) 205-5449. |
| Web Site Address |
| http://www.ed.gov/programs/rtltv/index.html |
| RELATED PROGRAMS |
| None. |
| EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS |
| Under the current Ready to Learn 5-year awards, which began in fiscal year 2005, WTTW-Channel 11 (Chicago public television) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) received awards to develop, produce, and distribute age-appropriate educational programming and curricula that utilize scientifically based reading research for children ages 2 through 8 years old, along with their parents and caregivers. WTTW-Channel 11 will develop four new literacy-based children's series, including Word World, Everyday Alphabet, and R U There. CPB is also developing several new literacy-based children's programs, including Super Why, the New Electric Company, and Martha Speaks. In addition to these new series, CPB will also support additional episodes of current series, such as Sesame Street and Between the Lions. |
| CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS |
| The criteria for selecting applications under this program are contained in 34 CFR 700, Evaluation of Applications for Grants and Cooperative Agreements. The specific criteria to be used for a particular grant competition are selected from among those in 34 CFR 700, and announced in the application package or the application notice in the Federal Register. |
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General Services Administration Office of Chief Acquisition Officer Regulatory and Federal Assistance Division (VIR) |
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