The U.S. Department of Education will hold one on site technical assistance workshop and three webinars (web based technical assistance workshops) to assist prospective applicants who are interested in submitting applications in this year's API grant competition. We will present information about the API program, the absolute and competitive priorities, selection criteria, program requirements, the submission of applications through Grants.gov, and other information. Materials presented at these meetings will also be posted on the API website applicant information page.

Registration

You must register in advance to attend either the on site workshop or webinar. Please register at:
https://www.regonline.com/63344_616417A

• Prospective applicants that have registered for the on site workshop will receive an e-mail message that will confirm the time and location of the workshop.
• Prospective applicants that have registered for the webinars will receive an e-mail message with the required webinar access information.

Schedule of Web Based Technical Assistance Workshops

• Webinar # 1
  May 14, 2008, 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm (Washington, D.C. time)
• Webinar # 2
  May 20, 2008, 9:00 am - 12:00 noon (Washington, D.C. time)
• Webinar # 3
  May 21, 2008, 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm (Washington, D.C. time)

Schedule of On site Technical Assistance Workshop

• The Westin Arlington
  801 North Glebe Rd
  Arlington, Virginia 22203
  Phone: (703) 717-6200
  May 22, 2008, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm (Washington, D.C. time)

Technical Assistance Presentations

• Making Grants.gov Work for You --
  PDF (878kB)

• Advanced Placement Incentive Program FY 2008 Grant Competition --
  PDF (289kB)

• Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Funds (May 7, 2008)
• Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 6, 2008
• Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 7, 2008

To apply go to: Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov

Note: Once on the Grants.gov homepage, please select Find Grant Opportunities. From this page click on Basic Search and after arriving at the subsequent screen, select Search by CFDA number. The CFDA number for the API program is 84.330.

The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) in the U.S. Department of Education is seeking qualified individuals to evaluate applications and facilitate peer review panels for funding under the FY 2008 Advanced Placement Incentive (API) program competition.

At this time, the review is scheduled for July 28-August 8, 2008. Upon completion of all required duties, OESE will pay reviewers and facilitators an honorarium of $1,400.

Experience

Reviewers and facilitators should have experience implementing, documenting, or evaluating policies, programs, or practices at the national, state, or district level to improve the academic achievement of public high school students. OESE is particularly seeking individuals who have experience and expertise in:

• Developing, enhancing, and/or implementing advanced placement programs in high schools with a high concentration of low-income students;
• Implementing programs of ongoing professional development that will equip teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to increase participation of low-income students in advanced courses and tests
• Aligning and strengthening curriculum across grade levels in order to prepare more students with the content knowledge and skills needed to succeed in advanced placement courses and tests;
• Developing systems for providing supplemental academic supports for students to be prepared to successfully participate in advanced placement courses and tests;
• Developing financial incentives systems that reward teachers for the successful performance of their students on advanced placement tests;
• Developing compensation systems for advanced placement teachers that participate in intensive professional development that enhances their content knowledge; or
• Implementing a set of services and activities that will increase the percentage of students who enroll in postsecondary education after graduating from high school.

Other Requirements

The review process will involve remote panel conferencing over a period of two weeks, therefore all reviewers and facilitators must:

• Be a proficient PC user
• Have Internet access and proficiency in Internet navigation
• Be flexible and available to schedule and participate in panel conference call discussions during this 2-week period.

Resumes or Curriculum Vitae

Individuals interested in serving as reviewers or facilitators should email their resume or curriculum vitae to AdvancedPlacementProgram@ed.gov. Please make "API peer review" the subject line of your email.

Each resume or curriculum vitae should include information that makes clear the individual’s relevant experience and expertise.

Each resume or curriculum vitae also must include:

• Contact information: The individual’s preferred postal and email addresses and work, home, and fax telephone numbers.
• Current position: The title of the individual’s current position, the name of the individual’s employer, and a summary of the individual’s duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments. Individuals who are consultants should identify their most recent clients and describe the services they provided to them.
• Previous positions: A list and description of each of the professional positions the individual has held over the last 10 years, including the title of each position, the employer, dates of employment, and a summary of the individual’s duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments.
• Education: A list of all postsecondary degrees earned by the individual, including the year each degree was awarded, the institution that awarded the degree, and major area of study.
• Publications: If applicable, a list of relevant articles or books the individual authored or co-authored, including the title, publisher, and date of publication.

Conflict of Interest

Some individuals may have a conflict of interest that disqualifies them from participating as reviewers. An individual may not serve as a reviewer, and should not submit a resume for consideration, if a local educational agency, state educational agency, or national nonprofit submits a grant application for the API competition that:

• The individual helped to develop; or
• If funded, would benefit the individual or his/her spouse financially.

In addition, individuals should not submit resumes or curriculum vitae if employed by a state department of education submitting an application. If working for a local educational agency or a national nonprofit submitting an application or a school named in that application, individuals are not eligible to participate in the peer review process.

About the Advanced Placement Incentive Program

The program provides grants to eligible entities to enable them to increase the participation of low-income students in both pre-advanced placement and advanced placement courses and tests administered by the College Board, the International Baccalaureate Organization, or approved by the Secretary.

Allowable activities include: (1) professional development for teachers; (2) curriculum development; (3) the purchase of books and supplies; and (4) other activities directly related to expanding access to and participation in advanced placement courses and tests for low-income students.