FR Doc 04-9853
[Federal Register: April 30, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 84)]
[Notices]
[Page 24008-24013]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30ap04-136]
Download: 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information;
Transition to Teaching Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.350A,
84.350B, and 84.350C.
DATES: Applications Available: April 30, 2004.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: May 14, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 14, 2004.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 13, 2004.
Eligible Applicants: A State educational agency (SEA); a high-need
local educational agency (LEA); a for-profit or nonprofit organization
that has a proven record of effectively recruiting and retaining highly
qualified teachers, in a partnership with a high-need LEA or an SEA; an
institution of higher education, in a partnership with a high-need LEA
or an SEA; a regional consortium of SEAs; or a consortium of high-need
LEAs.
Estimated Available Funds: $12-$13 million. The Department has
established separate funding categories for projects of different
scope. These categories are:
(1) National/regional projects (84.350C) that serve eligible high-
need LEAs in more than one state;
(2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that serve eligible high-need LEAs
statewide or eligible high-need LEAs in more than one area of a state;
and
(3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve one eligible high-need LEA
or two or more eligible high-need LEAs in a single area of a state.
Estimated Range of Awards: National/regional projects--$300,000-
$1,000,000 per year; Statewide projects--$150,000-$600,000 per year;
and Local projects--$100,000-$400,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: National/regional projects--
$750,000 per year; Statewide projects--$375,000 per year; and Local
projects--$225,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: National/regional projects--2;
Statewide projects--10; and Local projects--20.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Transition to Teaching program encourages
(1) The development and expansion of alternative routes to full State
teacher certification, as well as (2) the recruitment and retention of
highly qualified mid-career professionals, recent college graduates who
have not majored in education, and highly qualified paraprofessionals
as teachers in high-need schools operated by high-need LEAs, including
charter schools that operate as high-need LEAs.
Priorities: The Department has established three priorities that
are explained in the following paragraphs. One priority is from the
statute for this program and two priorities are from the notice of
final priorities and requirements for this program, published elsewhere
in this issue of the Federal Register.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2004, these priorities
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we
award 5 additional points to an application that meets Competitive
Preference Priority 1, and up to an additional 20 points to an
application, depending on how well the application meets either
Competitive Preference Priority 2 or 3. These points are in addition to
any points the application earns under the program's selection
criteria.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Partnerships or Consortia That
Include a High-Need LEA or a High-Need SEA
In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from
section 2313(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 6683(c)). This priority supports projects
that are designed and implemented in active partnerships or consortia
that include at least one high-need LEA or high-need SEA.
[[Page 24009]]
Competitive Preference Priority 2--State Projects to Create or Expand,
and Then Implement, Alternative Pathways to Teacher Certification
This priority is from the notice of final priorities and
requirements for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the
Federal Register. This priority supports projects designed and
implemented by an SEA or a consortium of SEAs and the respective
teacher certification agency of each State (if different from the SEA)
to create or expand, and then implement, alternative pathways to
certification. The project period is up to five years. Grantees will
need to conduct both of the following activities:
(a) Create alternatives to the State's traditional certification
requirements. In conducting this activity, States are encouraged to
develop a variety of alternative pathways to certification as important
options in their menu of State-approved procedures for teacher
certification and licensure. For example, competency-based alternative
routes would permit talented individuals interested in teaching to
become fully certified through rigorous assessments of their content
and professional teaching competence, thereby enabling LEAs to recruit
from a larger and more talented pool of prospective teachers.
(b) Use the alternative routes to recruit individuals from groups
eligible to participate in the Transition to Teaching program. Funded
projects also would, among other things, need to work with
participating high-need LEAs to--
(1) Increase the number and quality of mid-career changers, recent
college graduates who have not majored in education, and qualified
paraprofessionals recruited to teach high-need subjects (such as
mathematics, science, and special education) in identified high-need
LEAs (which may include LEAs that are charter schools), particularly
those in urban and rural areas; and
(2) Provide these newly hired teachers with the support they need
to become certified and effective teachers who will choose to make
teaching their new long-term profession.
In particular, SEAs receiving project funds must--
(i) Target recruitment efforts on, and rigorously screen,
candidates in areas where participating high-need LEAs have documented
teacher shortages (e.g., mathematics, science, and special education);
(ii) Place prospective teachers only in high-need schools operated
by high-need LEAs;
(iii) Prepare individuals for specific positions in specific LEAs
and place them in these positions early in the training process;
(iv) Ensure that recruited teachers receive the specific training
they need to become fully certified or licensed teachers; and
(v) Have recruited teachers participate in a well-supervised
induction period that may include the support of experienced, trained
mentors.
Note: Applicants that choose to respond to Competitive
Preference Priority 2 may do so however they choose. Those that
respond to this priority may want to consider addressing such key
factors as: (1) The data and other information the State has used to
assess how and the extent to which current State certification
requirements inhibit talented individuals from entering teaching;
(2) the level of commitment of State leaders and policymakers to
developing new or enhanced alternative certification requirements;
(3) the State's statutory and/or regulatory authority to implement
alternative pathways to certification; (4) how the SEA and other
participating State agencies will actively involve all stakeholders
with responsibility or authority for teacher preparation, hiring,
and retention; and (5) a timeline for major actions that the SEA and
other participating state agencies intend to implement to develop
new or improved alternative pathways to teacher certification.
Competitive Preference Priority 3--District Projects to Streamline
Teacher Hiring Systems, Timelines, and Processes
This priority is from the notice of final priorities and
requirements, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register. This priority supports projects by one or more LEAs to
streamline their hiring systems, timelines, and processes. The project
period is up to five years. A participating high-need LEA will need to
conduct both of the following activities:
(a) Examine its current hiring system, processes, and policies to
identify the critical barriers to hiring highly qualified teachers. The
lack of highly qualified teachers in most urban and rural LEAs has
often been attributed to their difficulty in recruiting interested and
qualified individuals. However, recent research indicates that the
problem may not be one of recruitment but may stem from inefficient and
untimely LEA hiring systems and processes. This is especially true in
high-poverty LEAs and schools--the very LEAs and schools the Transition
to Teaching program is targeted to serve. Accordingly, each
participating LEA will need to examine its current hiring processes and
policies and, based upon that examination, identify the critical
barriers to hiring highly qualified teachers.
(b) Design and implement efforts to remove the identified barriers
and put in place systems that streamline and revamp the hiring process.
In conducting this activity, LEAs are encouraged to create an efficient
and timely applicant hiring process with a strong data tracking system
and clear hiring goals. These efforts also should involve negotiating
policy reforms that remove critical barriers, such as delayed
notification of vacancies and seniority and retirement rules.
Participating LEAs also will carry out the requirements of the
Transition to Teaching program by recruiting nontraditional candidates,
using the streamlined hiring system to hire these individuals for
teaching in high-need schools, working with them to achieve full State
certification, and retaining them for at least three years.
Note: Applicants that choose to respond to Competitive
Preference Priority 3 may do so however they choose. Those that
respond to this priority may want to consider addressing such key
factors as: (1) The existing barriers to early notification and
hiring of new teachers; (2) the active engagement of LEA officials,
teacher unions, and other stakeholders in developing a plan to
remove existing barriers and implementing changes; (3) the actions
each participating LEA intends to undertake to implement policies
and systems for early notification and hiring of new teachers; and
(4) a timeline for major action steps that each participating LEA
intends to implement to develop the new hiring policies and systems.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6681-6684.
Applicable Regulations: (a) 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. (b) The notice of final priorities
and requirements for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of
the Federal Register.
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-$13 million. The Department has
established separate funding categories for projects of a different
scope. These categories are:
(1) National/regional projects (84.350C) that serve eligible high-
need LEAs in more than one state;
(2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that serve eligible high-need LEAs
statewide
[[Page 24010]]
or eligible high-need LEAs in more than one area of a state; and
(3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve one eligible high-need LEA
or two or more eligible high-need LEAs in a single area of a state.
Estimated Range of Awards: National/regional projects--$300,000-
$1,000,000 per year; Statewide projects--$150,000-$600,000 per year;
and Local projects--$100,000-$400,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: National/regional projects--
$750,000 per year; Statewide projects--$375,000 per year; and Local
projects--$225,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: National/regional projects--2;
Statewide projects--10; and Local projects--20.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: An SEA; a high-need LEA; a for-profit or
nonprofit organization that has a proven record of effectively
recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, in a partnership
with a high-need LEA or an SEA; an institution of higher education, in
a partnership with a high-need LEA or an SEA; a regional consortium of
SEAs; or a consortium of high-need LEAs. Each application must identify
participating LEAs that meet the definition of ``high-need'' in section
2102(3) of the ESEA. Applicants also should refer to the notice of
final priorities and requirements, published elsewhere in this issue of
the Federal Register, for further information, including definitions,
regarding eligibility.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost
sharing or matching but does involve supplement-not-supplant funding
provisions. In accordance with section 2313(h)(2) of the ESEA, funds
made available under this section shall be used to supplement, and not
supplant, State and local public funds expended for teacher recruitment
and retention programs, including programs to recruit the teachers
through alternative routes to certification.
3. Other: The notice of final priorities and requirements for this
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register,
describes eligibility restrictions for individuals participating in
this program.
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.
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 84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C.
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 under For Further Information Contact elsewhere in this
notice.
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: May 14, 2004.
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.
The Secretary requests that this e-mail notification be sent to Thelma
Leenhouts at: Transitiontoteaching1@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. Applicants must 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 the bibliography of literature cited. However, you
must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that--
Exceed the page limit if you apply these
standards; or
Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you
apply other standards.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: April 30, 2004.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: May 14, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 14, 2004.
Note: We are requiring that applications for grants under this
program be submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-Application) available through the
Department's e-GRANTS system. For information about how to access
the e-GRANTS system or to request a waiver of the electronic
submission requirement, please refer to Section IV, item 6, Other
Submission Requirements, in this notice.
The application package for this program specifies the hours of
operation of the e-Application Web site. If you are requesting a waiver
of the electronic submission requirement, the dates and times for the
transmittal of applications by mail or by hand (including a courier
service or commercial carrier) are also in the application package.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 13, 2004.
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 and
in the notice of final priorities and requirements for this program,
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Additional information concerning
application content requirements is in the notice of final priorities
and requirements, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register.
Instructions and requirements for the transmittal of applications
by mail or by hand (including a courier service or commercial carrier)
are in the application package for this competition.
Application Procedures: The Government Paperwork Elimination Act
[[Page 24011]]
(GPEA) of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-277) and the Federal Financial Assistance
Management Improvement Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-107) encourage us to
undertake initiatives to improve our grant processes. Enhancing the
ability of individuals and entities to conduct business with us
electronically is a major part of our response to these Acts.
Therefore, we are taking steps to adopt the Internet as our chief means
of conducting transactions in order to improve services to our
customers and to simplify and expedite our business processes.
Some of the procedures in these instructions for transmitting
applications differ from those in the Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.102). Under the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally
offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed
regulations. However, these amendments make procedural changes only and
do not establish new substantive policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined that proposed rulemaking is not
required.
We are requiring that applications for grants under Transition to
Teaching--CFDA Number 84.350A, 84.350B, and 84.350C be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) available through the Department's e-GRANTS system. The e-
GRANTS system is accessible through its portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov
.
If you are unable to submit an application through the e-GRANTS
system, you may submit a written request for a waiver of the electronic
submission requirement. In your request, you should explain the reason
or reasons that prevent you from using the Internet to submit your
application. Address your request to: Thelma Leenhouts, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3C102, Washington, DC
20202-5942. Please submit your request no later than two weeks before
the application deadline date.
If, within two weeks of the application deadline date, you are
unable to submit an application electronically, you must submit a paper
application by the application deadline date in accordance with the
transmittal instructions in the application package. The paper
application must include a written request for a waiver documenting the
reasons that prevented you from using the Internet to submit your
application.
Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications
We are continuing to expand our pilot project for electronic
submission of applications to include additional formula grant programs
and additional discretionary grant competitions. Transition to
Teaching--CFDA Number 84.350A, 84.350B, and 84.350C is one of the
programs included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under
Transition to Teaching, you must submit your application to us in
electronic format or receive a waiver.
The pilot project involves the use of e-Application. If you use e-
Application, you will be entering data online while completing your
application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant
application to us. The data you enter online will be saved into a
database. We shall continue to evaluate the success of e-Application
and solicit suggestions for its improvement.
If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
When you enter the e-Application system, you
will find information about its hours of operation. We strongly
recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to
initiate an e-Application package.
You will not receive additional point value
because you submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will
we penalize you if you submit an 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.
Your e-Application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your
application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement, which 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 Application for
Federal Education Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center
after following these steps:
1. Print ED 424 from e-Application.
2. The institution'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)
260-1349.
We may request that you give us original
signatures on other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System
Unavailability: If you are prevented from 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 e-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
during the last hour of operation (that is, 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 persons listed elsewhere in this notice under
For Further Information Contact (see VII. Agency Contacts) or (2) the
e-GRANTS help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
You may access the electronic grant application for Transition to
Teaching at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are as follows. These criteria are from the statute for this program
and 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'' we have included after each criterion are guidance to
help applicants in preparing their applications and are not required by
statute or regulation.
A. Quality of the Project Design (40 points)
The Secretary considers the quality of the project design for the
proposed project by considering how well the applicant describes a
plan--
[[Page 24012]]
(1) To develop a program to recruit and retain highly qualified
mid-career professionals (including highly qualified paraprofessionals)
and recent graduates of an institution of higher education as highly
qualified teachers in high-need schools operated by high-need LEAs and
(2) To enable individuals to become eligible for teacher
certification under State-approved programs within a reduced period of
time, relying on factors in lieu of traditional course work in
education.
In determining the above, the Secretary considers the following
factors:
a. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
b. The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
c. 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.
d. 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:
recruitment and selection strategies; accelerated training program;
integration of coursework and field experience; delivery system for
training and support; role of partners; mentoring and support
system; tracking of teacher placement; and timeline for full
certification.
B. Significance of the Project (25 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 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 discussing how the project will lower the barriers to
teacher certification for eligible participant groups while setting
high standards for selecting from among these groups the most
talented and qualified individuals. The Secretary also encourages
the applicant to describe the ways in which their efforts will help
the States and/or high-need LEAs to be served by the project meet
their clearly identified teacher quality challenges.
C. 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.
D. 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 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.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this
criterion by including benchmarks to monitor progress toward
specific project objectives and also outcome measures to assess the
impact on teaching and learning or other important outcomes for
project participants. (Specific performance measures established for
the overall Transition to Teaching program are discussed elsewhere
in this notice in Section VI. Award Administration, 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.
Finally, applicants are encouraged to indicate: (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 about both the success at the initial
site or sites and effective strategies for replication in other
settings. Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level
of resources to project evaluation.
2. Review and Selection Process: Additional information concerning
our review and selection of grant applications in this competition are
contained in the notice of final requirements and priorities for this
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
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: The Secretary requires successful applicants to
submit annual performance reports and, after the last year of the
project, a final report. The annual performance report documents the
grantee's yearly progress toward meeting expected programmatic
outcomes. These outcomes must be based on measurable performance
objectives including, but not limited to, the performance measures
described in paragraph 4 of this section. These reports must evaluate--
(1) The grantee's progress in meeting the application's objectives;
(2) The project's effectiveness in meeting the purposes of the
Transition to Teaching program; and
(3) The project's effect on specific LEAs the project serves.
Among other things, the Department uses the annual performance
reports to determine whether a grantee has demonstrated substantial
progress in meeting the goals and objectives (as described in its
approved application), and thereby merits a continuation award (for
years 2-5). See Sec. 75.118 of EDGAR.
Grantees also will be required to submit a final performance
report, due no later than 90 days after the end of the project period.
In addition, section 2314 of the ESEA requires grantees to submit
to the Department and to the Congress interim and final evaluations at
the end of the third and fifth years of the grant period, respectively.
These evaluations must
[[Page 24013]]
describe the extent to which high-need LEAs that received funds through
the grant have met their goals relating to teacher recruitment and
retention as described in the project application. Additional
requirements pertaining to these reports are in the notice of final
priorities and requirements for this program, published elsewhere in
this issue of the Federal Register.
4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established two
performance indicators for assessing the effectiveness of the
Transition to Teaching Program: (1) The percentage of new, highly
qualified Transition to Teaching teachers who teach in high-need
schools in high-need LEAs for at least three years and (2) the
percentage of Transition to Teaching teachers who receive full State
certification or licensure. We will track these indicators through the
use of four performance measures. We will gather the data for these
measures from the grantees.
Measure One: The percentage of all recruits who become highly
qualified teachers and teach in high-need schools in high-need LEAs
will increase.
Measure Two: The percentage of all recruits who become highly
qualified mathematics or science teachers will increase.
Measure Three: The percentage of new, highly qualified Transition
to Teaching teachers who teach in high-need schools in high-need LEAs
for at least three years will increase.
Measure Four: The percentage of teachers receiving full
certification/licensure will increase.
VII. Agency Contacts
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thelma Leenhouts, Beatriz Ceja, Amy
Wooten, Margarita Melendez, Peggi Zelinko, or Bill Mattocks, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5E114,
Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 260-0223 (Thelma Leenhouts);
(202) 205-5009 (Beatriz Ceja); (202) 260-0464 (Amy Wooten); (202) 260-
3548 (Margarita Melendez); (202) 260-2614 (Peggi Zelinko); or (202)
260-2826 (Bill Mattocks). By e-mail: transitiontoteaching1@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 persons 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: April 27, 2004.
Nina S. Rees,
Deputy Under Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 04-9853 Filed 4-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P