FR Doc 04-7796
[Federal Register: April 6, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 66)]
[Notices]
[Page 18061-18063]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06ap04-84]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview
Information; Migrant Education Even Start Family Literacy Program;
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Years (FYs) 2003
and 2004
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.214A
Dates: Applications Available: April 6, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 21, 2004.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 20, 2004.
Eligible Applicants: Any entity is eligible to apply for a grant
under the Migrant Education Even Start (MEES) Family Literacy program.
For example, the following types of entities are eligible to apply:
State educational agencies (SEAs) that administer migrant education
programs; local educational agencies (LEAs) that have a high percentage
of migratory students; non-profit community-based organizations that
work with migratory families; and faith-based organizations.
Estimated Available Funds: $4,500,000. This is the combined
estimate from both FY 2003 and FY 2004 funds. We are inviting
applications at this time for new awards for both FY 2003 and for FY
2004 to make the most efficient use of competition resources. The
Department may use the funding slate resulting from this competition as
the basis for future years' awards.
Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$500,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $300,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 12-15.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 48 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: Migrant Education Even Start Family Literacy
program grants are intended to help break the cycle of poverty and
illiteracy of migratory families by improving the educational
opportunities of these families through the integration of early
childhood education, adult literacy or adult basic education, and
parenting education into a unified family literacy program. This
program is implemented through cooperative activities that: build on
high-quality existing community resources to create a new range of
educational services for most-in-need migratory families; promote the
academic achievement of migratory children and adults; assist migratory
children and adults from low-income families to achieve to challenging
State content standards and challenging State student performance
standards; and use instructional programs based on scientifically based
research on preventing and overcoming reading difficulties for children
and adults. A description of the required fifteen program elements for
which funds must be used under title I, part B, section 1235 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), is
included in the application package.
Priority: This notice includes one competitive preference priority
and three invitational priorities. These priorities are for the
combined FY 2003 and FY 2004 grant competition and any future awards
made on the basis of the funding slate from this competition.
Competitive Preference Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(ii),
[[Page 18062]]
this priority is from section 75.225 of the Education Department
General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) that apply to this program
(34 CFR 75.225). This priority is a competitive preference priority.
Under 34 CFR 75.105 (c)(2)(i) we award an additional 5 points to an
application that meets this priority.
This priority is:
Novice Applicant
The applicant must be a ``novice applicant.'' Under 34 CFR 75.225 a
novice applicant is an applicant that has never received a grant or
subgrant under the MEES program; has never been a participant in a
group application, submitted in accordance with sections 75.127-75.129
of EDGAR, that received a grant under the MEES program; and has not had
an active discretionary grant from the Federal Government in the five
years before the deadline date for applications under the MEES program.
(34 CFR 75.225.)
Invitational Priorities: These priorities are invitational
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application
that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or absolute
preference over other applications.
These priorities are:
Invitational Priority 1--Partnerships To Improve School Readiness
The Secretary is especially interested in applications that would
create Federal, State, and local partnerships to improve reading
proficiency and advance English language acquisition so that migratory
children enter elementary school with strong early reading skills.
Invitational Priority 2--Collaboration With Experienced MEES Projects
The Secretary is especially interested in applications that would
build networks among novice applicants and experienced MEES projects
that will leverage resources to eliminate disruptions in the education
of participating families and engage migrant families wherever they
move outside the project. Networks among experienced and novice
projects increase the likelihood of maintaining the academic progress
of migratory adults and children regardless of where migratory families
travel to work.
Invitational Priority 3--Agricultural Employer Partnerships
The Secretary is especially interested in applications that would
build networks with agricultural employers that will supplement
resources available to develop English proficiency for migratory
agricultural families with limited English or native-language literacy.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6381a(a)(1)(A).
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR Part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $4,500,000. This is the combined
estimate from both FY 2003 and FY 2004 funds. We are inviting
applications at this time for new awards for both FY 2003 and for FY
2004 to make the most efficient use of competition resources. The
Department may use the funding slate resulting from this competition as
the basis for future years' awards.
Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$500,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $300,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 12-15.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 48 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Any entity is eligible to apply for a grant
under the MEES Family Literacy program. For example, the following
types of entities are eligible to apply: SEAs that administer migrant
education programs; LEAs that have a high percentage of migratory
students; non-profit community-based organizations that work with
migratory families; and faith-based organizations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: See section 1234(b) of the ESEA.
Matching costs requirements for the MEES program begin at 10 percent in
the project's first year and increase incrementally as the project
continues to receive Federal support. A project funded for a second
cycle, years 5 through 8, must maintain a 50 percent cost share. A
project funded for cycles beginning in year 9 must maintain a 65
percent cost share.
3. Other: Eligible MEES participants consist of migratory children
and their parents as defined in 34 CFR 200.81 who also meet the
conditions specified in section 1236(a) of the ESEA.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: You may obtain an
application package via Internet or from the ED Publication
Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via Internet use the
following address: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html. To obtain a copy
from ED Pubs, write or call the following: 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 the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.214A.
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 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.
Page, Appendices, and other Limits: (1) The application narrative
(Part III of the application) is where you, the applicant, address the
selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. In
addition, the budget narrative is where you provide an itemized budget
breakdown, by project year, for each budget category listed in Sections
A and B of Budget Form 524. You are encouraged to limit your
application narrative (Part III of the application) to the equivalent
of no more than 25 pages and limit the additional budget narrative to
the equivalent of no more than four pages. Use the following standards
for both the application and budget narratives:
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) text in the application and budget narratives, including
titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions.
However, you may single space information in tables, charts, or graphs
in the application and budget narratives.
Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or
no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). You may use other point
fonts for any tables, charts, and graphs, but those tables charts, and
graphs should be in a font size that is easily readable by the
reviewers of your application.
[[Page 18063]]
Any application narrative, table, chart, or
graph is included in the overall narrative page limit. The budget
narrative and Appendices are not part of this page limit.
(2) You are encouraged to limit the appendices to curriculum vitae
or position descriptions of no more than five (5) people (including key
contract personnel and consultants), and the endnote citations to no
more than two (2) pages for the scientifically based reading research
upon which your instructional programs are based.
(3) Additionally, please limit other application materials to the
specific materials indicated in the application package, and do not
include any video or other non-print materials.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: April 6, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 21, 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.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 20, 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: Recipients of a MEES grant may not use
funds awarded under this competition for the indirect costs of a
project, or claim indirect costs as part of the local project share.
(Section 1234(b)(3), ESEA.) We reference regulations outlining
additional 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.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are in
34 CFR 75.210. The selection criteria are included in the application
package.
VI. Award Administrative Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: The Government Performance and Results Act
(GPRA) directs Federal departments and agencies to improve the
effectiveness of their programs by engaging in strategic planning,
setting outcome-related goals for programs, and measuring program
results against those goals. Program officials must develop performance
measures for all of their grant programs to assess their performance
and effectiveness. The Department has established a set of indicators
to assess the effectiveness of the Even Start program, which MEES
projects will use to measure increases in the (1) percentages and
numbers of adults achieving significant learning gains on measures of
literacy and mathematics, and percentages and numbers of limited
English proficient (LEP) adults who achieve significant learning gains
on measures of English language acquisition; (2) percentages and
numbers of Even Start school-age parents who earn a high school
diploma, and percentages and numbers of Even Start non-school-age
parents who earn a high school diploma or a General Equivalency Diploma
(GED); and (3) percentages and numbers of Even Start children entering
kindergarten who achieve significant learning gains on measures of
language development and reading readiness.
All grantees will be expected to submit, as part of an annual
performance report, information documenting their progress with regard
to these performance measures.
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: DonnaMarie Marlow, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room 3E313, Washington, DC
20202-6135. Telephone: (202) 260-2815, or by e-mail:
DonnaMarie.Marlow@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 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 31, 2004.
Raymond Simon,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 04-7796 Filed 4-5-04; 8:45 am]
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