FR Doc E5-536 [Federal Register: February 9, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 26)] [Notices] [Page 6846-6849] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr09fe05-38] Download:----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students; Overview Information; Foreign Language Assistance Program--State Educational Agencies; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.293C. DATES: Applications Available: February 11, 2005. Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: February 28, 2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 25, 2005. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 25, 2005. Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs). Estimated Available Funds: $2,000,000. Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$150,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $125,000. Estimated Number of Awards: 16. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 36 months. Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) provides grants to State educational agencies for innovative model programs providing for the establishment, improvement, or expansion of foreign language study for elementary and secondary school students. A State educational agency that receives a grant under this program must use the funds to support programs that promote systemic approaches to improving foreign language learning in the State. Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from section 5493 of the Foreign Language Assistance Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. 7259b). Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2005 this priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii) we give preference to an application that meets this priority over an application of comparable merit that does not meet the priority. This priority is: Applications describing programs that are carried out through a consortium comprised of the agency receiving the grant and an elementary or secondary school. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7259a-7259b. Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99. II. Award Information Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Estimated Available Funds: $2,000,000. Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$150,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $125,000. Estimated Number of Awards: 16. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 36 months. III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: In order to build foreign language program capacity at the State level, cost sharing is required. Please note that the Federal share of the cost of activities assisted under this program for each fiscal year is 50 percent. See 20 U.S.C. 7259a(c). IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address to Request Application Package: Patrice Swann, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 10074, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7130, or by e- mail: patrice.swann@ed.gov. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, [[Page 6847]] large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed in this section. 2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this competition. Notice of Intent to Apply: If you intend to apply for a grant under this competition, contact Patrice Swann by e-mail: patrice.swann@ed.gov. 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 must limit 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. Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). 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. However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III. We will reject your application if-- You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit. 3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: February 11, 2005. Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: February 28, 2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 25, 2005. Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e- Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants system, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. However, we will consider an application, submitted by the application deadline date, even if the applicant did not provide us with notice of its intent to apply by the deadline date for notices of intent to apply. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 25, 2005. 4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this competition. 5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice. 6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. a. Electronic Submission of Applications. If you choose to submit your application to us electronically, you must use e-Application available through the Department's e-Grants system, accessible through the e-Grants portal page at: http://www.grants.gov . 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: Your participation in e-Application is voluntary. You must complete the electronic submission of your grant application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application for this competition after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process. The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. 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 submit your application in paper format. You must submit all documents electronically, including the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Any narrative sections of your application should be attached as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. 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 acknowledgement 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 ED 424 to the Application Control Center after following these steps: (1) Print ED 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 ED 424. (4) Fax the signed ED 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 System Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because the e- Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day in order 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) The e-Application system 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) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 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 [[Page 6848]] acknowledgement 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 the system is down 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 the Department's e-Application system. If the e- Application system is available, and, for any reason, you are unable to submit your application electronically or you do not receive an automatic acknowledgement of your submission, you may submit your application in paper format by mail or hand delivery in accordance with the instructions in this notice. b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail. If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and three copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable following address: By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA Number 84.293C, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: CFDA Number 84.293C, 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506. Regardless of which address you use, 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, or (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, or (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 submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and three 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 84.293C, 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260. The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8 a.m. and 4:30 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 4 of the ED 424 the CFDA number--and suffix letter, if any--of the competition under which you are submitting your application. (2) The Application Control Center will mail a Grant Application Receipt Acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant application receipt acknowledgment 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 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR and are as follows: (a) Need for project. (5 points) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factor: (1) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude of those gaps or weaknesses. (b) Significance. (5 points) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factor: (1) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system change or improvement. (c) Quality of the project design. (50 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors: (1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. (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. (3) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of Federal financial assistance. (4) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (5) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support rigorous academic standards for students. (d) Quality of project personnel. (10 Points) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project. In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors: (1) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the project director. (2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel. (e) Adequacy of resources. (5 points) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factor: (1) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project. (f) Quality of the management plan. (10 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors: (1) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the [[Page 6849]] proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (2) The extent to which the time commitments of the project director and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project. (g) Quality of the project evaluation. (15 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors: (1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project. (2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation 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. (3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes. 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 also notify you informally. 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 specified by the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118. 4. Performance Measure: In response to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the Department developed one measure for evaluating the overall effectiveness of the Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP). The measure assesses the percentage of FLAP projects that report improvements in foreign language proficiency for three- quarters of school participants. We will expect each SEA that carries out a school-based project funded under this competition to document how its project is helping the Department meet this performance measure, including data on the proficiency of students served by projects. Grantees will be expected to report on progress in meeting this performance measure for FLAP in their Annual Performance Report and in their Final Performance Report. VII. Agency Contact For Further Information Contact: You may contact either of the following: Rebecca Richey, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 10080, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7133, or by e-mail: rebecca.richey@ed.gov. Sharon Manassa, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 10071, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7124, or by e-mail: sharon.manassa@ed.gov. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this section. VIII. Other Information Electronic Access to This Document: You may 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. Dated: February 4, 2005. Kathleen Leos, Associate Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students. [FR Doc. E5-536 Filed 2-8-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P