FR Doc 04-12209
[Federal Register: May 28, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 104)]
[Notices]
[Page 30799-30801]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28my04-145]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information;
Mentoring Programs; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for
Fiscal Year (FY) 2004
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.184B.
Dates: Applications Available: May 28, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 7, 2004.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 28, 2004.
Eligible Applicants: (1) Local educational agencies (LEAs); (2)
nonprofit, community-based organizations (CBOs), which may include
faith-based organizations; and (3) a partnership between an LEA and a
CBO.
Estimated Available Funds: $29,375,000. Contingent upon the
availability of funds, we may make additional awards in FY 2005 and
subsequent years from the rank-ordered list of unfunded applications
from this competition.
Estimated Number of Awards: 195.
Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$200,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $150,000.
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: This program provides assistance to promote
mentoring programs for children with greatest need that: (1) Assist
these children in receiving support and guidance from a mentor; (2)
improve the academic performance of the children; (3) improve
interpersonal relationships between the children and their peers,
teachers, other adults, and family members; (4) reduce the dropout rate
of the children; and (5) reduce juvenile delinquency and involvement in
gangs by the children.
Priorities: The following absolute and competitive preference
priorities are from the notice of final priorities, requirements, and
selection criteria for this program published elsewhere in this issue
of the Federal Register. These priorities are for the FY 2004 grant
competition and any future awards made on the basis of the funding
slate from this competition.
Absolute Priority: This priority is an absolute priority. Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.
This priority supports projects that address the academic and
social needs of children with the greatest need through school-based
mentoring programs and activities and provide these students with
mentors. These programs and activities must serve children with the
greatest need in one or more grades 4 through 8 living in rural areas,
high-crime areas, or troubled home environments, or who attend schools
with violence problems.
Competitive Preference Priority
Within this absolute priority, we give competitive preference to
applications that address the following priority.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we will award an additional five
points to an application that meets this priority.
This priority is for applications proposing a consortium of
eligible applicants that includes either: (a) At least one LEA and at
least one CBO that is not a school and that provides services to youth
and families in the community; or (b) at least one private school that
qualifies as a nonprofit CBO and at least one other CBO that is not a
school and that provides services to youth and families in the
community.
The consortium must designate one member of the group to apply for
the grant, unless the consortium is itself eligible as a partnership
between a LEA and a nonprofit CBO. To receive this competitive
preference, the applicant must clearly identify the agencies that
comprise the consortium and must include a detailed plan of their
working relationship and of the activities that each member will
perform, including a project budget that reflects the contractual
disbursements to the members of the consortium. For the purpose of this
priority, a ``consortium'' means a group application in accordance with
the provisions of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7140.
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, 99 and 299. (b) the notice of final
priorities, requirements, and selection criteria for this program as
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: $29,375,000. Contingent upon the
availability of funds, we may make additional awards in FY 2005 and
subsequent years from the rank-ordered list of unfunded applications
from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$200,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $150,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 195.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: (1) LEAs; (2) CBOs, which may include
faith-based organizations; and (3) a partnership between an LEA and a
CBO.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other:
(a) To be eligible for funding, each applicant must include in its
application an assurance that it will: (1) Establish clear, measurable
performance goals; and (2) collect and report to the Department data
related to the established Government Performance and Results Act
(GPRA) performance measures for the Mentoring Programs grant
competition. We will reject any application that does not contain this
assurance.
(b) To be eligible for funding, each community-based organization
is also required to provide an assurance that: (a) It is an eligible
applicant under the definitions provided in the application package;
(b) timely and meaningful consultation with an LEA or private school
has taken place during the design and/or development of the proposed
program; (c) LEA or private school staff will participate in the
identification and referral of students to the CBO's proposed program;
and (d) the LEA or private school will participate in the collection of
data related to the established GPRA performance measures for the
Mentoring Programs grant competition.
Equitable Participation by Private School Children and Teachers
LEAs are required to provide for the equitable participation of
private school children, their teachers, and other educational
personnel in private schools
[[Page 30800]]
located in areas served by the grant recipient.
In order to ensure that grant program activities address the needs
of private school children, the LEA must engage in timely and
meaningful consultation with private school officials during the design
and development of the program. This consultation must take place
before any decision is made that affects the opportunities of eligible
private school children, teachers, and other educational personnel to
participate.
In order to ensure equitable participation of private school
children, teachers, and other educational personnel, the LEA must
consult with private school officials on issues such as: how children's
needs will be identified; what services will be offered; how and where
the services will be provided; who will provide the services; how the
services will be assessed and how the results of assessment will be
used to improve those services; the amount of funds available for
services; the size and scope of the services to be provided; how and
when decisions about the delivery of services will be made; and the
provision of contract services through potential third-party providers.
See Section 9501 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965, as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Maintenance of Effort
An LEA may receive a grant under the Mentoring Programs grant
competition only if the State educational agency finds that the
combined fiscal effort per student or the aggregate expenditures of the
agency and the State with respect to the provision of free public
education by the agency for the preceding fiscal year was not less than
90 percent of the combined fiscal effort or aggregate expenditures for
the second preceding fiscal year.
IV. Application 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 84.184B.
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 section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements and
definitions concerning the content of an application are in the notice
of final priorities published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register. Additional requirements, together with the forms you must
submit, are in the application package for this program.
Page Limit: The program narrative section should not exceed 25
double-spaced pages using a standard font no smaller than 12-pt, with
1-inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right). The narrative should
follow the format and sequence of the selection criteria.
3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: May 28,
2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 7, 2004.
The dates and times for the transmittal of applications by mail or
by hand (including a courier service or commercial carrier) are in the
application package for this program. The application package also
specifies the hours of operation of the e-Application Web site.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 28, 2004.
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 program.
5. Funding Restrictions: Grant funds may not be used to (1)
directly compensate mentors; (2) obtain educational or other materials
or equipment that would otherwise be used in the ordinary course of the
grantee's operations; or (3) support litigation of any kind. We
reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions in the
Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: 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
program.
Application Procedures:
Note: 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.
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. Mentoring Programs--
CFDA Number 84.184B is one of the programs included in the pilot
project. If you are an applicant under Mentoring Programs, you may
submit your application to us in either electronic or paper format.
The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant
Application System (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. If you
participate in this voluntary pilot project by submitting an
application electronically, the data you enter online will be saved
into a database. We request your participation in e-Application. We
shall continue to evaluate its success and solicit suggestions for its
improvement.
If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
Your participation is voluntary.
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 may 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).
[[Page 30801]]
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)
245-6272.
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 elect to participate in the e-Application pilot
for Mentoring Programs competition and 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 the Mentoring
Programs competition at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
in the application package.
2. Review and Selection Process: Additional factors we consider in
selecting an application for an award are: (1) The geographic
distribution of the projects, including urban and rural locations, in
addition to the rank order of applicants; and (2) to the extent
practicable, we will select not less than one grant recipient from each
State for which there is an eligible entity that submits an application
of sufficient quality.
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. We may also require more frequent performance reports.
4. Performance Measures: We have identified the following key GPRA
performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of this program:
(1) The percentage of student/mentor matches that are sustained for a
period of twelve months will increase; (2) The percentage of mentored
students who demonstrate improvement in core academic subjects as
measured by grade point average after 12 months will increase; and (3)
The percentage of mentored students who have unexcused absences from
school will decrease. To be eligible for funding, each applicant must
include in its application an assurance that it will collect and report
to the Department data related to the GPRA performance measures for the
Mentoring Program.
VII. Agency Contacts
For Further Information Contact: Earl Myers, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E254, Washington, DC 20202-
6450. Telephone: (202) 708-8846. Email address: earl.myers@ed.gov.
Bryan Williams, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue,
SW., room 3E259, Washington, DC 20202-6123. Telephone: (202) 260-2391.
Email address: bryan.williams@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 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.
You may also view this document in text or PDF at the following
site: http://www.ed.gov/programs/dvpmentoring/applicant.html.
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: May 26, 2004.
Deborah A. Price,
Deputy Under Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. 04-12209 Filed 5-27-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U