FR Doc E6-6528
[Federal Register: May 1, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 83)]
[Notices]
[Page 25577-25580]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01my06-44]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Overview
Information; Enhanced Assessment Instruments; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.368.
Dates:
Applications Available: May 1, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 15, 2006.
Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); consortia
of SEAs.
Estimated Available Funds: $11,680,000 in FY 2005 funds.
Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000 to $2,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,460,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 8.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project period: Up to 18 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: To enhance the quality of assessment
instruments and systems used by States for measuring the achievement of
all students.
Priorities: This application includes four absolute and three
competitive preference priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(iv), the absolute priorities are from section 6112 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). The
competitive preference priorities are from Appendix E to the notice of
final requirements for optional State consolidated applications
submitted under section 9302 of the ESEA, published in the Federal
Register on May 22, 2002 (67 FR 35967).
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2005, these priorities are absolute
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications
that address one or more of these priorities.
These priorities are:
a. Collaborate with institutions of higher education, other
research institutions, or other organizations to improve the quality,
validity, and reliability of State academic assessments beyond the
requirements for these assessments described in section 1111(b)(3) of
the ESEA;
b. Measure student academic achievement using multiple measures of
student academic achievement from multiple sources;
c. Chart student progress over time; and
d. Evaluate student academic achievement through the development of
comprehensive academic assessment instruments, such as performance and
technology-based academic assessments.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2005, these priorities
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we
will award up to an additional 35 points to an application, depending
on the extent to which the application meets these priorities.
These priorities are: Test accommodations and alternate assessments
(up to 15 points), collaborative efforts (up to 10 points), and
dissemination (up to 10 points).
Note: The full text of these priorities is included in the
notice of final requirements published in the Federal Register on
May 22, 2002 (67 FR 35967) and in the application package.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7842 and 7301a.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81,
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
(b) The notice of final requirements published in the Federal
Register on May 22, 2002 (67 FR 35967).
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $11,680,000 in FY 2005 funds.
Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000 to $2,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,460,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 8.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project period: Up to 18 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; consortia of SEAs.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: An application from a consortium of SEAs must designate
one SEA as the fiscal agent.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Zollie Stevenson, Jr.,
Student Achievement and School Accountability Program, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3W226, Washington, DC
20202-6132. Telephone: (202) 260-1824 or by e-mail:
Zollie.Stevenson@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 a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact
person listed in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application)
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to
the equivalent of no more than 40 pages, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only with
1 margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, and captions as well as all text in charts,
tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet, budget section
(chart and
[[Page 25578]]
narrative), assurances and certifications, response regarding research
activities involving human subjects, GEPA 427 response, one-page
abstract, personnel resumes, and letters of support; however,
discussion of how the application meets the absolute priorities, how
well the application meets the competitive preference priorities, and
how well the application addresses each of the selection criteria must
be included within the page limit.
Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application if--
You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: May 1, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 15, 2006.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically or 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.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is not subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
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 competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the
instructions in this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the Enhanced Assessment Instruments-
CFDA Number 84.368 must be submitted electronically using the
Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.Grants.gov.
Through this site, you
will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it
offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-
mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant application for Enhanced
Assessment Instruments at: http://www.Grants.gov.
You must search for
the downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA
number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search.
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we
retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are
rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped after 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures
pertaining to Grants.gov at http://eGrants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf
.
To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must
complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see
http://www.Grants.gov/GetStarted). These steps include (1) registering
your organization, (2) registering yourself as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting authorized as an AOR
by your organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/assets/GrantsgovCoBrandBrochure8X11.pdf
). You also must provide on your
application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please
note that the registration process may take five or more business days
to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to
allow you to successfully submit an application via Grants.gov.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information typically included on the Application for Federal
Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction
Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. You
must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a
.DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format.
If you upload a file type other than the three file types specified
above or submit a password protected file, we will not review that
material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying
number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are prevented from electronically
submitting your application on the application deadline date because of
technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an
extension until 4:30 p.m.,
[[Page 25579]]
Washington, DC time, the following business day to enable you to
transmit your application electronically, or by hand delivery. You may
also mail your application by following the mailing instructions as
described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an application after
4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, please contact
the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an explanation of the technical
problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov
Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your
application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with
the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to
submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a
determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.
Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system.
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to
the Grants.gov system.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Zollie Stevenson, Jr.,
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3W226,
Washington, DC 20202-6132. FAX: (202) 260-7764.
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 84.368),
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 84.368),
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 84.368), 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 Application for Federal Education
Assistance (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 selection criteria for this competition are
from Appendix E to the notice of final requirements published in the
Federal Register on May 22, 2002 (67 FR 35967) and are listed in the
application package.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notice
(GAN). We may 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
[[Page 25580]]
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: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA), the Department has developed three measures for
evaluating the effectiveness of the Enhanced Assessment Instruments
program: (1) The number of States that participated in pilot activities
described in each proposal; (2) the number of States that participated
in Enhanced Assessment grant projects funded by the current or prior
competitions; and (3) the number of presentations at national
conferences sponsored by professional education organizations and
papers submitted for publication in refereed journals.
All grantees will be expected to submit an annual performance
report documenting their success in addressing the performance
measures.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sue Rigney, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3C139, Washington, DC 20202-
6132. Telephone: (202) 260-0931, or by e-mail:
Sue.Rigney@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: April 25, 2006.
Henry L. Johnson,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. E6-6528 Filed 4-28-06; 8:45 am]
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