FR Doc E5-694
[Federal Register: February 22, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 34)]
[Notices]
[Page 8573-8578]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22fe05-50]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Innovation and Improvement
Overview Information; School Leadership Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.363A.
Dates
Applications Available: February 22, 2005.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: March 24, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 15, 2005.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 14, 2005.
Eligible Applicants: High-need local educational agencies (LEAs),
consortia of high-need LEAs, or partnerships that consist of at least
one high-need LEA and at least one nonprofit organization (which may be
a community- or faith-based organization) or institution of higher
education. (See section III. Eligibility Information, 3. Other:
Definition of ``High-Need LEA'' and other Eligibility Information) in
this notice.
Estimated Available Funds: $12 million.
Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000-$750,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $500,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 24.
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 School Leadership program is designed to
assist high-need LEAs in the development, enhancement, or expansion of
innovative programs to recruit, train, and mentor principals (including
assistant principals) to serve in high-need schools through such
activities as:
Providing financial incentives to aspiring new principals;
Providing stipends to principals who mentor new
principals;
Carrying out professional development programs in
instructional leadership and management; and
Providing incentives that are appropriate for teachers or
individuals from other fields who want to become principals and that
are effective in retaining new principals.
Priorities: Under this competition we are particularly interested
in applications that address the following priorities.
Invitational Priorities: For FY 2005 these priorities are
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:
Invitational Priority 1--Commitment from the LEA. To successfully
meet the purpose of this program and to develop institutional capacity
and sustainability, projects need the full support of each
participating high-need LEA. Therefore, the Secretary strongly
encourages applicants to develop strategies for maximizing the
involvement of each participating LEA in the project's design,
development and implementation. These strategies, for example, might
focus on ensuring that--
The proposed project is part of an already well-defined
and articulated district-wide strategy for improving student
achievement in each participating high-need LEA;
Each participating LEA's superintendent and his or her
staff play key roles in identifying the competencies that program
participants need to know and demonstrate, and use those competencies
to implement and build the training program;
Each participating LEA has established procedures for
placing participants in part-time or full-time leadership positions or
residencies in high-need schools as part of their training and
preparation; and
Each participating LEA is firmly committed to hiring
successful program completers.
Invitational Priority 2--Innovative approaches to recruiting and
preparing school leaders through alternative routes. Over the next five
years the number of vacancies among principals and other school leaders
is expected to grow by 20 percent; filling these positions will be
particularly challenging for rural and urban districts, which tend to
receive fewer applications for open positions.
Studies show that there is no overall shortage of candidates with
the credentials that States require for school principals. However,
those same studies indicate that most of these candidates typically
acquired their credentials in order to obtain salary increases or
attain an advanced degree, and not necessarily because of a strong
personal commitment to becoming leaders of their schools and school
communities.
The Department recognizes that some States have addressed the need
to increase the pool of candidates who are committed to becoming school
leaders in high-need LEAs and schools, in particular by making
available alternative routes to meeting requirements for certification
or licensure as a school principal or assistant principal. The
Secretary strongly encourages eligible entities in States with these
approved alternative routes to submit applications that propose to
recruit individuals of diverse professional backgrounds who can take
advantage of the alternative routes, and then create incentives for
these individuals to participate in the program and to take leadership
positions in high-need schools that face the greatest challenges.
Applicants may choose to address one or more of these invitational
priorities within their responses to the selection criteria.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6651(b).
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: $12 million.
[[Page 8574]]
Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000-$750,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $500,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 24.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: High-need LEAs, consortia of high-need
LEAs, or partnerships that consist of at least one high-need LEA and at
least one nonprofit organization (which may be a community- or faith-
based organization) or institution of higher education. Applicants are
expected to identify and confirm in their applications that the
participating LEA(s) meet the definition of ``high-need'' in section
2102(3) of the ESEA, as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act 0f
2001. (See section III. Eligibility Information, 3. Other: Definition
of ``High-Need LEA'' and other Eligibility Information of this notice
for the definition of high-need LEA.)
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: Definition of ``High-Need LEA'' and other Eligibility
Information. An eligible application must propose a project that
benefits one or more ``high-need LEAs.'' As defined in section 2102(3)
of the ESEA, the term ``high-need LEA'' is an LEA--
(a)(1) That serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families
with incomes below the poverty line, or (2) for which not less than 20
percent of the children served by the LEA are from families with
incomes below the poverty line; and
(b) For which there is (1) a high percentage of teachers not
teaching in the academic subjects or grade levels the teachers were
trained to teach, or (2) a high percentage of teachers with emergency,
provisional, or temporary certification or licensing.
So that the Department may be able to confirm the eligibility of
the LEAs that projects propose to serve, applicants are expected to
include information in their applications that demonstrates that each
participating LEA in the project is a high-need LEA, as defined in
section 2102(3) of the ESEA. Generally, this information should be
based on the most recent available data on the number of children from
families with incomes below the poverty line that the LEA serves. In
addition, when presenting evidence to support that each participating
LEA meets the definition of a high-need LEA, an application should
consider the following.
The Department is not aware of any consistent available
LEA data--other than data periodically gathered by the U.S. Census
Bureau--that would show that an LEA serves the required number or
percentage of children (individuals ages 5 through 17) from families
below the poverty line (as defined in section 9101(33) of the ESEA).
Note: The data that many LEAs collect on the number of children
eligible for free- and reduced-priced meal subsidies may not be used to
satisfy the requirements under component (a) of the statutory
definition of high-need LEA. Those data do not reflect children from
families with incomes below the poverty line, as defined in section
9101(33) of the ESEA.
Therefore, absent a showing of alternative LEA data that reliably
show the number of children from families with incomes below the
poverty line that are served by the LEA, the Department would expect
that the eligibility of an LEA as a ``high-need LEA'' under component
(a) Would be determined on the basis of the most recent U.S. Census
Bureau data. U.S. Census Bureau data are available for all school
districts with geographic boundaries that existed when the U.S. Census
Bureau collected its information. The link to the census data is:
http://www.census.gov/housing/saipe/sd02/. (Applicants are encouraged
to review the README file at the directory level, which provides a
description of how the files are organized.) The Department also makes
these data available at its Web site at:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/eligibility.html.
(Although the Department posted this listing
specifically for the Improving Literacy through School Libraries
program, these same data apply to the definition of a ``high-need LEA''
used for purposes of eligibility under the School Leadership program.)
With regard to component (b)(1) of the definition of
``high-need LEA,'' the Department interprets the phrase ``a high
percentage of teachers not teaching in the academic subjects or grade
levels that the teachers were trained to teach'' as being equivalent to
``a high percentage of teachers teaching out of field.'' The Department
expects that LEAs that rely on component (b)(1) of the definition will
demonstrate that they have a high percentage of teachers teaching out
of field. The Department is not aware of any specific data that would
demonstrate a ``high percentage'' of teachers teaching out of field.
Accordingly, the Department will review this aspect of an LEA's
proposed eligibility on a case-by-case basis. To decrease the level of
uncertainty, an applicant might choose instead to demonstrate that each
participating LEA meets the eligibility test for a high-need LEA under
component (b)(2) of the definition.
For component (b)(2) of the definition of ``high-need
LEA,'' the data that LEAs likely will find most readily available on
the percentage of teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary
certification or licensing are the data they provide to their States
for inclusion in the reports on the quality of teacher preparation that
the States provide to the Department in October of each year as
required by section 207 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). In
these reports, States provide the percentage of teachers in their LEAs
teaching on waivers of State certification, both on a statewide basis
and in high-poverty LEAs. As reflected in the State reports the
Department most recently received in October 2004, the national average
percentage of teachers on waivers in high-poverty LEAs is 3.5 percent.
Consistent with the methodology the Department used in the FY 2004
competition under the Transition to Teaching program, in which
participating LEAs were required to be ``high-need LEAs'' (as defined
in section 2102(3) of the ESEA), the Department would expect that an
LEA with over 3.5 percent of its teachers having emergency,
provisional, or temporary certification or licensing (i.e., teachers on
waivers) has a ``high percentage'' of its teachers in this category. We
expect that an LEA that is not relying on the data it provides to the
State for purposes of reporting required by section 207 of the HEA will
provide other evidence that demonstrates that it meets the eligibility
requirement under component (b)(2) of the statutory definition of
``high-need LEA.'' Moreover, should an LEA with a percentage of
teachers on waivers of less than 3.5 percent believe it too has a
``high percentage'' of its teachers with emergency, provisional, or
temporary certification or licensing, the Department will determine
whether that LEA meets element (b)(2) of the definition of high-need
LEA on a case-by-case basis.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free):
1-877-576-7734.
[[Page 8575]]
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html
or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.363A.
You may also obtain the application package for the program via the
Internet at the following address:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/leadership/applicant.html.
Individuals with disabilities may 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 notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (See
section VII. Agency Contact).
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 program.
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 Peggi
Zelinko at: SLP@ed.gov.
Applicants that fail to provide this e-mail notification may still
apply for funding.
Page Limit for Program Narrative: The program narrative (Part III
of the application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection
criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. Applicants
are strongly encouraged to limit Part III to the equivalent of no more
than 50 single-sided, double-spaced pages printed in 12-font type or
larger.
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,
curriculum vitae, or bibliography of literature cited. However, you
must include all of the program narrative in Part III.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: February 22, 2005.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: March 24, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 15, 2005.
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) available through the Department's e-Grants system. For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically or 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.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 14, 2005.
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 of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this program must be submitted electronically, unless you qualify for
an exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in
this section.
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.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications. Applications for grants
under the School Leadership Program-CFDA Number 84.363A must be
submitted electronically using e-Application available through the
Department's e-Grants system, accessible through the e-Grants portal
page at: http://e-grants.ed.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:
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 program 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 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
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.
[[Page 8576]]
(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 e-Application 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 acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see section 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.
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 e-Application system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Department's e-Application 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: Peggi Zelinko, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W226,
Washington, DC 20202-4260. FAX: (202) 401-8466.
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
84.363A), 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
84.363A), 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
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
84.363A), 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 following selection criteria for this
competition are from Sec. 75.210 of EDGAR. The maximum score for all
the selection criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each
criterion is indicated in parentheses. Each criterion also includes the
factors that the reviewers will consider in determining how well an
application meets the criterion. The notes following each of the
selection criteria are guidance to help applicants in preparing their
applications and are not required by statute or regulations. The
criteria are as follows:
A. Need for project (20 points). The Secretary considers the need
for the project. In determining the need for the project the Secretary
considers the following factors:
[[Page 8577]]
1. The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the
proposed project.
2. 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.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this criterion
by discussing--
The reasons the participating LEAs have need of the
services proposed and why those needs are not met by current efforts,
and
Specific studies, surveys, or other sources that have
yielded objective data to confirm the participating LEAs' needs.
B. Quality of the project design (25 points). The Secretary
considers the quality of the design for the proposed project. In
determining the quality of the design of the 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 reflects
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
3. 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.
4. 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. Note: The Secretary
encourages applicants to address this criterion by discussing the
overall project model, including such key elements as the project's--
Research base;
Proposed applicants;
Recruitment and selection strategies;
Plans for using incentives for teachers or individuals
from other fields who want to become principals and assistant
principals;
Activities to prepare principals and assistant principals;
Program delivery strategy(ies);
Plans for implementing on-site or school-based work
experiences;
Activities for participant placement and follow-up
support; and
Retention strategies.
C. Significance of the Project (20 points). The Secretary considers
the significance of the proposed project. In determining the
significance of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the
following factors:
1. The extent to which the proposed project involves the
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on,
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
2. The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build
local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the
needs of the target population.
3. The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely to
be attained by the proposed project.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this criterion
by describing such key factors as how the project--
Will help the participating LEAs to achieve important
results during the project period that the LEAs could not otherwise
achieve;
Is part of a long-term response to the participating LEA's
(or LEAs') school leadership needs, and one that will be part of the
LEA's (or LEAs') overall school improvement plan; and
How this project will build or stimulate the capacity of
the participating LEAs to continue this project after the grant period
ends, including how and when the LEAs will identify resources to
support this endeavor.
Moreover, in addressing ``[t]he extent to which the proposed
project is likely to build local capacity to provide, improve, or
expand services that address the needs of the target population,''
applicants also might consider including a letter of support or other
information from each participating LEA that confirms both the LEA's
interest in participating in this project and the results the LEA
expects from it.
D. Quality of the management plan (15 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 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 principal investigator and other key project personnel are
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed
project.
3. The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous
improvement in the operation of the proposed project.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this criterion
by providing specific information such as--
The name, title, and time commitment of each key person,
and the responsibilities of each individual working to help implement
the project's goals and objectives;
A year-to-year timeline for undertaking important project
activities, with benchmarks for determining whether the project is
achieving its stated goals and objectives; and
The strategies for monitoring whether or not the project
is meeting its goals and objectives, and for making mid-course
corrections, as appropriate.
E. Quality of the project evaluation (20 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 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.
2. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to consider how this
criterion may affect both their annual performance reports and the
final evaluation submitted under 34 CFR 75.590. In addition, the
Secretary encourages applicants to address this criterion by including
proposed benchmarks for assessing both short- and long-term progress
toward the specific project objectives and outcome measures they would
use to assess the project's impact on teaching and learning or other
important outcomes for project participants. (Specific performance
measures established for the overall School Leadership program are
discussed in the Award Administration Information section of this
notice (section VI, item 4, Performance Measures.)
The Secretary also encourages applicants to identify the individual
and/or organization that has agreed to serve as evaluator for the
project and describe the qualifications of that evaluator as well as--
The types of data that will be collected;
[[Page 8578]]
When these various types of data will be collected;
What methods of data collections will be used;
What evaluation instruments will be developed and when;
How the data will be analyzed;
When reports of evaluation results and outcomes will be
available; and
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 the success at the
initial site or sites and about effective strategies for replication in
other settings.
Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level of
resources to project evaluation.
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 Measures: In response to the Government Performance
and Results Act (GPRA), the Department has established two overall
performance indicators for assessing the effectiveness of the School
Leadership program. We will collect the data for these indicators from
the grantees using the measures indicated.
Performance Indicator 1: To recruit, prepare, and support teachers
and individuals from other fields to become principals and assistant
principals in high-need schools in high-need LEAs. We will track this
indicator through the use of the following two performance measures:
Measure One: The percentage of those enrolled in the training
program who become certified as principals and assistant principals.
Measure Two: The percentage of program completers earning
certification as a principal or assistant principal and who are
employed in those positions in high-need schools in high-need LEAs.
Performance Indicator 2: To provide professional development,
coaching, mentoring, and other support activities to current,
practicing principals and assistant principals in high-need schools in
high-need LEAs. We will track this indicator through the use of the
following performance measure:
Measure: The percentage of current, practicing principals and
assistant principals serving in high-need schools in high-need LEAs and
who participate in a structured, job-embedded program of professional
development that includes mentoring, coaching, and other support
activities.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peggi Zelinko, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5E114, Washington, DC 20202-
4260. Telephone: (202) 260-2614 or by e-mail: SLP@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) 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 16, 2005.
Michael J. Petrilli,
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. E5-694 Filed 2-18-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P