FR Doc 05-6265 [Federal Register: March 30, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 60)] [Notices] [Page 16244-16249] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr30mr05-67] Download:----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Professional Development for Arts Educators; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.351C. Dates: Applications Available: March 30, 2005. Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 29, 2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 20, 2005. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 19, 2005. Eligible Applicants: A local educational agency (LEA), which may be a charter school that is considered an LEA under State law and regulations, that is acting on behalf of an individual school or schools that meets the poverty criterion with respect to children from low-income families that is specified in the application requirement section elsewhere in this notice, and that must work in partnership with one or more of the following-- A State or local non-profit or governmental arts organization; A State educational agency (SEA) or regional educational service agency; An institution of higher education; or A public or private agency, institution, or organization, including a museum, an arts education association, a library, a theater, or a community- or faith-based organization. Estimated Available Funds: $6,262,000. Contingent upon the availability of funds and quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2006 from the list of unfunded applications from this competition. Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$350,000 for the first year of the project. Funding for the second and third years is subject to the availability of funds and the approval of continuation awards (see 34 CFR 75.253). Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,480. Estimated Number of Awards: 25. 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 supports the implementation of high-quality professional development model programs in elementary and secondary education for music, dance, drama, media arts, or visual arts, including folk arts, educators and other arts instructional staff of kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) students in high-poverty schools. The purpose of this program is to strengthen standards-based arts education programs and to help ensure that all students meet challenging State academic content standards and challenging State student academic achievement standards in the arts. Priority: This priority is from the notice of final priority, requirements, and definitions for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. Absolute Priority: For FY 2005 and any subsequent year in which we make awards on the basis of the list of unfunded applications from this [[Page 16245]] competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority. This priority is: This priority supports professional development programs for K-12 arts educators and other instructional staff that use innovative instructional methods and current knowledge from education research and focus on-- (1) The development, enhancement, or expansion of standards-based arts education programs; or (2) The integration of standards-based arts instruction with other core academic area content. In order to meet this priority, an applicant must demonstrate that the project for which it seeks funding is linked to State and national standards intended to enable all students to meet challenging expectations, and to improving student and school performance. Application Requirement: To be eligible for Professional Development for Arts Educators Program funds, applicants also must propose to carry out professional development programs for arts educators and other instructional staff of K-12 low-income children and youth by implementing projects in schools in which 50 percent or more of the children enrolled are from low-income families (based on the poverty criteria in Title I, Section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (ESEA)). Definitions: For the purpose of this program-- Arts include music, dance, theater, media arts, and visual arts, including folk arts. Arts educator means a teacher who works with music, dance, theater, media arts, or visual arts, including folk arts. Integrate means to strengthen (i) the use of high-quality arts instruction within other academic content areas, and (ii) the place of the arts as a core academic subject in the school curriculum. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7271. 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, and 99. (b) The notice of final priority, requirements, and definitions for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. 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: $6,262,000. Contingent upon the availability of funds and quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2006 from the list of unfunded applications from this competition. Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$350,000 for the first year of the project. Funding for the second and third years is subject to the availability of funds and the approval of continuation awards (see 34 CFR 75.253). Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,480. Estimated Number of Awards: 25. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 36 months. III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: An LEA, which may be a charter school that is considered an LEA under State law and regulations, that is acting on behalf of an individual school or schools that meets the poverty criterion with respect to children from low-income families that is specified in the application requirement section elsewhere in this notice, and that must work in partnership with one or more of the following-- A State or local non-profit or governmental arts organization; A State educational agency (SEA) or regional educational service agency; An institution of higher education; or A public or private agency, institution, or organization, including a museum, an arts education association, a library, a theater, or a community- or faith-based organization. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost sharing or matching but does involve supplement-not-supplant funding provisions. Under section 5551(f)(2) of the ESEA, the Secretary requires that assistance provided under this program be used only to supplement, and not to supplant, any other assistance or funds made available from non-Federal sources for the activities assisted under this subpart. This restriction also has the effect of allowing projects to recover indirect costs only on the basis of a restricted indirect cost rate, according to the requirements in 34 CFR 75.563 and 34 CFR 76.564 through 569. As soon as they decide to apply, applicants are urged to contact the ED Indirect Cost Group at (202) 377-3833 for guidance about obtaining a restricted indirect cost rate to use on the Budget Information form (ED Form 524) included with the application package. 3. Coordination Requirement: Under section 5551(f)(1) of the ESEA, the Secretary requires that each entity funded under this program coordinate, to the extent practicable, each project or program carried out through its grant with appropriate activities of public or private cultural agencies, institutions, and organizations, such as museums, arts education associations, libraries, and theaters. IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address To Request Application Package: You may obtain an application package via Internet or from the ED Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via Internet use the following address: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index. To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write or call the following: 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 84.351C. 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 section VII of 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: 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 [[Page 16246]] 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 e-mail notification should be sent to Carol Sue Fromboluti at carol.fromboluti@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 (i.e., within the context of the absolute priority) as well as the requirements that reviewers use to evaluate your application. Applicants are strongly encouraged to limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than 25 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 program narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, 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 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, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, you must include all of the program narrative in Part III. A complete description of the requirements for the program narrative section is found in the application package in Section C: Application Forms and Instructions. 3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: March 30, 2005. Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 29, 2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 20, 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: July 19, 2005. 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 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 competition 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 Professional Development for Arts Educators program--CFDA Number 84.351C--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 competition 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. (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 [[Page 16247]] 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 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: Carol Sue Fromboluti, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W223, Washington, DC 20202-5950. FAX: (202) 205-5630. 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 84.351C), 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 84.351C), 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 84.351C), 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 selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210. The maximum score for all of 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 any 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) Significance (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 likelihood that the proposed project will result in system change or improvement. (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, especially improvements in teaching and student achievement. (b) Quality of the project design (15 points). The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed [[Page 16248]] project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 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 performance feedback and continuous improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project. (c) Quality of project services (25 points). The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project. In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors: (1) The extent to which the training or professional development services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice among the recipients of those services. (2) The likelihood that the services to be provided by the proposed project will lead to improvements in the achievement of students as measured against rigorous academic standards. (d) Quality of project personnel (10 points). The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project. In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors: (1) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal investigator. (2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel. (3) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of project consultants or subcontractors. (e) Adequacy of resources (10 points). The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors: (1) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project. (2) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and benefits. (f) Quality of the management plan (5 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 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. (g) Quality of the project evaluation (15 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 evaluation will provide guidance about effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other settings. Note: A strong evaluation plan should be included in the application narrative and should be used, as appropriate, to shape the development of the project from the beginning of the grant period. The plan should include 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. More specifically, the plan should identify the individual and/or organization that has agreed to serve as evaluator for the project and describe the qualifications of that evaluator. The plan should describe the evaluation design, indicating: (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 both about success at the initial site and 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. Grants Administration: Applicants should budget for a three-day meeting for project directors to be held in Washington, DC. 4. 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. For specific requirements on grantee reporting, please go to: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html. 5. Performance Measures: The Secretary has developed a performance measure for assessing the effectiveness of the Professional Development for Arts Educators program. The measure is: The percentage of participating teachers who receive professional development that is sustained and intensive. In implementing this measure, the Department will collect from grantees data on the extent to which they provide professional development that occurs over the course of the school year, which may include the summer, and that includes a sufficient number of hours of participation to make a significant difference in teaching and learning. VII. Agency Contact FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Sue Fromboluti, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, [[Page 16249]] SW., room 4W223, Washington, DC 20202-5943. Telephone: (202) 205-9654 or by e-mail: carol.fromboluti@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: March 24, 2005. Michael J. Petrilli, Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement. [FR Doc. 05-6265 Filed 3-29-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P