FR Doc E8-15363[Federal Register: July 7, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 130)]
[Notices]
[Page 38430-38436]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07jy08-77]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; High-
Quality Supplemental Educational Services and After-School Partnerships
Demonstration; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal
Year (FY) 2008.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.287N.
DATES:
Applications Available: July 7, 2008.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: July 21, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 12, 2008.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 15, 2008.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the High-Quality Supplemental
Educational Services and After-School Partnerships Demonstration
competition is to encourage the establishment or expansion of
partnerships between supplemental educational services (SES) programs
and 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21stCCLC) projects in
order to increase the academic achievement of low-income students in
Title I schools \1\ identified for improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring. Through this competition, the Department will fund
projects that will serve as national models of how these two federally
authorized after-school initiatives can be coordinated so that a
greater number of students enroll in, participate in, and complete
academic after-school services that improve their achievement in
reading and mathematics.
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\1\ A Title I school is a school that receives funds under Title
I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended.
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SES programs, authorized under section 1116(e) of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001 (ESEA), provide free academic instruction to
students from low-income families who attend a Title I school in the
second year of improvement, in corrective action, or in restructuring.
SES programs provide tutoring, remediation, and other research-based
educational interventions that are consistent with the content and
instruction used by the local educational agency (LEA) and aligned with
the State's academic content standards.
The 21stCCLC program, authorized under Title IV, Part B of the
ESEA, provides opportunities for communities to establish or expand
activities in community learning centers that offer academic
enrichment, including tutorial services, to help students, particularly
students who attend low-performing schools, meet State and local
academic achievement standards in core academic subjects. The program
also provides a broad array of additional services and activities for
students and their families that are designed to reinforce and
complement the regular academic program of participating students.
Centers can be located in elementary or secondary schools or other
similarly accessible facilities.
Priorities: This competition has one absolute priority and two
invitational priorities within the absolute priority.
Absolute Priority: This priority is an absolute priority. We are
establishing this priority for the FY 2008 grant competition only, in
accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions
Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider
only applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
High-Quality Supplemental Educational Services and After-School
Partnerships Demonstration.
Background: Under the ESEA, students in low-performing Title I
schools across the country may be eligible to participate in the
21stCCLC and SES programs. Both programs provide after-school services
designed to help raise students' academic achievement.
Evidence indicates that participation in SES improves student
academic achievement. A recent study by the RAND Corporation, supported
by the U.S. Department of Education (Department), found that in five
out of the seven large urban LEAs studied in
[[Page 38431]]
which there were sufficient numbers of students to analyze the effects,
students participating in SES showed statistically significant positive
effects in both reading and mathematics achievement.\2\ Additionally, a
recent study of 35 quasi-experimental and experimental studies of
after-school programs for at-risk youth found that after-school
programs demonstrated positive effects on reading and mathematics
achievement for students.\3\
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\2\ U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation
and Policy Development, Policy and Program Studies Service. (2007).
State and Local Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act,
Volume I--Title I School Choice, Supplemental Educational Services,
and Student Achievement, Washington, DC: Author.
\3\ Lauer, et al. (2006). ``Out-of-School-Time Programs: A Meta-
Analysis of Effects for At-Risk Students,'' Review of Education
Research, vol. 76 (pp. 275-313).
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This priority will support innovative approaches to coordinating
SES and 21stCCLC programs in order to increase and sustain students'
participation in these programs and improve students' academic
achievement. Through this priority, we will fund demonstration projects
that coordinate the after-school academic and enrichment services of
recipients of 21stCCLC local grants with the academic instruction of
one or more State-approved SES providers, in an LEA that is identified
by the State as in need of improvement or corrective action. The
projects funded under this priority will develop strategies to
coordinate the resources of the SES and 21stCCLC programs so that (1)
greater numbers of students in the LEA enroll in and benefit from
intensive, standards-based academic services, and (2) the projects will
be sustained after the grant period ends.
We believe that coordinating the Federal investments in the SES and
21stCCLC programs has the potential to strengthen the quality and
intensity of services available to students by leveraging the resources
of the two programs and providing services that meet a wide range of
academic and after-school needs of students and families.
Priority: To meet this priority, the proposed project must be
designed to--
(1) Serve as a national model that provides innovative approaches
to after-school services by coordinating the academic services offered
by SES programs with the after-school services offered by 21stCCLC
programs in a manner that is designed to result in significant gains in
reading and mathematics achievement among low-income students who are
at greatest risk of not meeting challenging State academic standards;
(2) Provide or coordinate intensive academic after-school services
to students who attend a Title I school in the LEA that is in its
second year of improvement, in corrective action, or in restructuring,
under section 1116 of the ESEA.
(3) Increase the number of students in the LEA receiving academic
after-school services designed to improve their academic achievement;
(4) Provide or coordinate academic after-school services that are
consistent with the instructional program of the LEA served and aligned
with the academic standards of the State in which the LEA is located;
and
(5) Collect data on student eligibility, enrollment, and
participation in the academic after-school services provided by the
project, as well as pre- and post-intervention test data to assess the
effectiveness of the project on improving the academic achievement of
student participants.
The activities conducted by the proposed project to meet the
requirements in paragraphs (1) through (5) of this priority can
include, but are not limited to, the following: project planning,
coordination, and administration; data collection, program evaluation,
and information sharing among partners; and outreach services to
parents and students.
Invitational Priorities: Within this absolute priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that address one or both of the
following invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not
give an application that meets these invitational priorities a
competitive or absolute preference over other applications.
These priorities are:
(1) Academic After-School Services for High School Students.
Background: High school students are less likely to participate in
SES and 21stCCLC programs than students in earlier grades. According to
recent data, only one-third of LEAs required to offer SES to eligible
high school students actually did so, compared to 90 percent and 96
percent of LEAs, respectively, required to offer SES to eligible
elementary and middle school students.\4\ Similar difficulties exist in
achieving high participation rates for high school students in the
21stCCLC program. Of the 1.4 million students served in 21stCCLC
centers, less than 10 percent are high school students. Even though
after-school opportunities are available for high school students at
21stCCLC centers, less than five percent of LEAs with after-school
programs report that high school students take advantage of these
programs.\5\
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\4\ U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Policy Development, Policy and Program Studies
Service, State and Local Implementation of the No Child Left Behind
Act, Volume IV--Title I School Choice and Supplemental Educational
Services: Interim Report, Washington, D.C., 2008.
\5\ Data come from the 21st CCLC Program and Performance
Information Collection System Database.
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Priority: To meet this priority, the proposed project must be
designed to provide after-school services aimed at improving the
academic achievement of high school students.
(2) Faith-Based and Other Community Organizations as SES Providers.
Background: Faith-based and other community organizations have had
significant participation in SES and 21stCCLC programs since their
inception, as State-approved SES providers, as partners in providing
outreach to parents and improving student participation in SES
programs, and as recipients of local 21stCCLC grants. These
organizations are often integral and vital parts of a community and can
serve as high-quality providers of academic services for students, in
part because they offer an attractive after-school option to parents
because of their local and familiar presence in a community.
Priority: To meet this priority, the applicant must include as a
partner one or more SES providers that are faith-based or other
community organizations.
Application Requirements: An application under this competition
must include the following:
(1) A list of partner entities, including one or more State-
approved SES providers that meet the eligibility requirements, that
will assist the applicant in coordinating or providing services.
(2) A memorandum of understanding between the applicant and all
partner entities that (i) describes the activities that each member of
the group plans to carry out and (ii) binds each member of the group to
every statement and assurance made by the applicant in the application,
as set forth in 34 CFR 75.128(b).
(3) A comprehensive plan that describes the design of the proposed
project.
(4) A description of--
(a) The resources that will be used for the proposed project;
(b) The applicant's plan for the management of the proposed
project, including planning, implementation, and oversight; and
(c) The applicant's plan for the evaluation of the proposed
project.
[[Page 38432]]
Applications that do not meet these requirements will not be read
and will not be considered for funding.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties
the opportunity to comment on proposed rules or regulations governing a
program. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to
exempt from rulemaking requirements regulations governing the first
grant competition under a new or substantially revised program
authority. This is the first grant competition for this program under
the national activities authority in section 4202(a)(2) of the ESEA
and, therefore, the priorities, requirements, and selection criteria
governing this competition qualify for this exemption. In order to
ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public
comment on the eligibility requirements, priorities, application
requirements, and selection criteria applicable to this competition
under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. These eligibility requirements,
priorities, application requirements, and selection criteria will apply
to the FY 2008 grant competition only.
Program Authority:
Section 4202(a)(2) of the ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 7172(a)(2).
Applicable Regulations: 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.
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: $500,000-$1,300,000 for a three-year
project period.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $900,000 for a three-year project
period.
Maximum Award: The maximum award amount is $1,300,000 for a three-
year project period. We may choose not to consider an application with
a budget request that exceeds this amount for any 36-month budget
period 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: 4-6.
Note: The Department plans to fund projects entirely out of FY
2008 funds.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Budget Period: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Current recipients of 21stCCLC local grants
that will provide services in the 2008-2009 school year and that (1)
apply in partnership with one or more State-approved SES providers able
to serve students in the grantee's LEA in the 2008-2009 school year,
(2) serve students in an LEA that is identified by its State as in need
of improvement or corrective action during the 2007-2008 or 2008-2009
school year, and (3) serve students enrolled in at least one Title I
school identified as in need of improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring during the 2007-2008 or 2008-2009 school years.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Joan Scott-Ambrosio,
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W225,
Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 260-2715 or by e-mail:
HQSESAfterschool@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, 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: 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
HQSESAfterschool@ed.gov. 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 25 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).
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: July 7, 2008.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: July 21, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 12, 2008.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (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 in 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
[[Page 38433]]
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.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 15, 2008.
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 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 High-Quality Supplemental
Educational Services and After-School Partnerships Demonstration
competition, CFDA Number 84.287N, 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
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 High-
Quality Supplemental Educational Services and After-School Partnerships
Demonstration 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 84.287, not 84.287N).
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
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--later than 4:30 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 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. Please note that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the
Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424--have
replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance).
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
[[Page 38434]]
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 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 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in 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 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 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: Joan Scott-Ambrosio,
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W225,
Washington, DC 20202-5970 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 applicable
following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.287N), 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
84.287N), 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.
(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 84.287N), 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 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: We are establishing the following selection
criteria, for the FY 2008 grant competition only, in accordance with
section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1). The maximum score for
all of the selection criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each
criterion is indicated in parentheses with the criterion.
The criteria are as follows:
(1) Quality of the project design (up to 35 points).
(a) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the
proposed project.
(b) 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 demonstrated need to be met, including the academic and
after-school needs of the students, schools, and LEAs to be served;
(ii) The objectives and expected outcomes designed to address the
need described under paragraph (b)(i) of this selection criterion; and
[[Page 38435]]
(iii) The after-school academic services to be provided or
coordinated by the applicant and its partner entities, and the extent
to which those services will meet the requirements of the absolute
priority described in this notice.
(2) Adequacy of resources (up to 15 points).
(a) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the
proposed project.
(b) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of the instructional program to be provided to
students, including the extent to which the program is intensive,
research-based, consistent with the instructional program of the LEA
served, and aligned with State academic standards.
(ii) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
(iii) The extent to which costs are reasonable in relation to the
number of persons to be served and services to be provided.
(3) Quality of the management plan (up to 25 points).
(a) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for
the proposed project.
(b) In determining the quality of the management plan for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks.
(ii) The adequacy of the management plan in explaining the
planning, coordination, implementation, management, and oversight
services that the applicant and its partner entities will provide or
coordinate for the proposed project, including an explanation of the
role of the 21stCCLC grantee, LEA, SES provider(s), school principals,
teachers, other partner entities, parents, and members of the community
in the proposed project.
(iii) 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.
(4) Quality of the project evaluation (up to 25 points).
(a) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project.
(b) 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, and effectiveness of the project;
(iii) Will provide guidance on or strategies for replicating or
testing the project intervention in multiple settings; and
(iv) Meets the evaluation criteria specified in paragraph (5) of
the absolute priority.
Note: 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 student participation and achievement, as well
as 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 conduct an evaluation
that meets the criteria of paragraph (5) of the absolute priority.
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 Notice
(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, 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 three
performance indicators for this competition: (1) The number of eligible
students who enroll in 21stCCLC and SES programs at grantee sites, (2)
the number of enrolled students who complete full programs of service
at grantee sites, and (3) the percentage of enrolled students,
including the lowest achieving students, who improve their academic
performance on their State assessments in reading or mathematics. 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 these performance indicators, as
well as performance on project-specific indicators.
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Michelle Armstrong, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W217,
Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 205-1729 or by e-mail:
HQSESAfterschool@ed.gov. If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at
1-800-877-8339.
VIII. Other Information
Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
[[Page 38436]]
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.
Dated: July 1, 2008.
Douglas B. Mesecar,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. E8-15363 Filed 7-3-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P