[Federal Register: January 8, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 4)]
[Notices]
[Page 748-753]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information;
Teaching American History Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications
for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215X.
Dates:
Applications Available: January 8, 2007.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: February 7, 2007.
Pre-Application Meeting: A pre-application meeting for prospective
applicants will be held in January 2007 in Washington, DC. Further
information on the date, time, and location will be made available
through a notice published in the Federal Register and through the
Teaching American History Web site at http://www.ed.gov/programs/teachinghistory
.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 9, 2007.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 8, 2007.
Eligible Applicants: Local educational agencies (LEAs), including
charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law and
regulations, that must work in partnership with one or more of the
following entities:
An institution of higher education.
A non-profit history or humanities organization.
A library or museum.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$50,000,000 for this program for FY 2007. The actual level of funding,
if any, depends on final Congressional action. However, we are inviting
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Maximum Award: The following maximum award amounts are from the
notice of final selection criteria and other application requirements
for this program, published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2005
(70 FR 19939).
(1) Total funding for a three-year project period is a maximum of
$500,000 for LEAs with enrollments of less than 20,000 students;
$1,000,000 for LEAs with enrollments of 20,000-300,000 students; and
$2,000,000 for LEAs with enrollments above 300,000 students. LEAs may
form consortia and combine their enrollments in order to receive a
grant reflective of their combined enrollment. For districts applying
jointly as a consortium, the maximum award is based on the combined
enrollment of the individual districts in the consortium. If more than
one LEA wishes to form a consortium, they must follow the procedures
for group applications described in 34 CFR 75.127 through 34 CFR 75.129
of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations.
(2) A maximum of one grant will be awarded per applicant per
competition.
Estimated Number of Awards: 120-135.
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: Teaching American History grants support
projects to raise student achievement by improving teachers' knowledge,
understanding, and appreciation of traditional American history. Grant
awards assist LEAs, in partnership with entities that have extensive
content expertise, to develop, document, evaluate, and disseminate
innovative, cohesive models of professional development. By helping
teachers to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of
traditional American history as a separate subject within the core
curriculum, these programs improve instruction and raise student
achievement.
Priorities: This competition includes one absolute priority and two
competitive preference priorities that are explained in the following
paragraphs.
Absolute Priority: This priority is from the statute for this
program (20 U.S.C. 6721(b)). Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only
applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
Partnerships with Other Agencies or Institutions. Each applicant
LEA must propose to work in collaboration with one or more of the
following:
An institution of higher education.
A non-profit history or humanities organization.
A library or museum.
Competitive Preference Priorities: These priorities are from the
notice of final priorities for discretionary grant programs published
in the Federal Register on October 11, 2006 (71 FR 60046). Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional 25 points
[[Page 749]]
to an application, depending on how well the application meets these
priorities. These points are in addition to any points the application
earns under the selection criteria.
These priorities are:
Priority 1--School Districts with Schools in Need of Improvement,
Corrective Action, or Restructuring (up to 15 additional points).
Projects that help school districts implement academic and structural
interventions in schools that have been identified for improvement,
corrective action, or restructuring under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of
2001.
Note: In response to this priority, applicants are encouraged to
describe how they will assess the district's or consortium of
districts' needs and focus on recruiting U.S. history teachers from
schools identified as in need of improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring within the district or consortium of districts.
Priority 2--Student Achievement Data (up to 10 additional points).
Projects that collect pre- and post-intervention test data to assess
the effects of the projects on the academic achievement of student
participants relative to appropriate comparison or control groups.
Note: In response to this priority, applicants are encouraged to
submit a plan describing how they propose to collect test data on
students of teachers trained in the Teaching American History
program and compare those data to test data from students of
teachers who are not trained in the Teaching American History
program.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6721.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81,
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final selection
criteria and other application requirements for this program published
in the Federal Register on April 15, 2005 (70 FR 19939). (c) The notice
of final priorities for discretionary grant programs published in the
Federal Register on October 11, 2006 (71 FR 60046).
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: The Administration has requested
$50,000,000 for this program for FY 2007. The actual level of funding,
if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Maximum Award: The following maximum award amounts are from the
notice of final selection criteria and other application requirements
for this program published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2005
(70 FR 19939).
(1) Total funding for a three-year project period is a maximum of
$500,000 for LEAs with enrollments of less than 20,000 students;
$1,000,000 for LEAs with enrollments of 20,000-300,000 students; and
$2,000,000 for LEAs with enrollments above 300,000 students. LEAs may
form consortia and combine their enrollments in order to receive a
grant reflective of their combined enrollment. For districts applying
jointly as a consortium, the maximum award is based on the combined
enrollment of the individual districts in the consortium. If more than
one LEA wishes to form a consortium, they must follow the procedures
for group applications described in 34 CFR 75.127 through 34 CFR 75.129
of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations.
(2) A maximum of one grant will be awarded per applicant per
competition.
Estimated Number of Awards: 120-135.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs, including charter schools that are
considered LEAs under State law and regulations, that must work in
partnership with one or more of the following entities:
An institution of higher education.
A non-profit history or humanities organization.
A library or museum.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
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 84.215X.
You may also obtain the application package for this program via
the Internet at the following address: http//http://www.ed.gov/programs/teachinghistory/applicant.html
.
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 one of the program
contact persons 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 and instructions 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 LEAs that intend to apply for
funding under this competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly
encourages each potential applicant to notify the Department with a
short e-mail 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. This e-mail notification should be sent to Alex Stein at:
TeachingAmericanHistory@ed.gov. Applicants who do not 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 are strongly
encouraged to limit the application narrative 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 application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font not less than 12-point font.
[[Page 750]]
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, or letters of support. 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: January 8, 2007.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: February 7, 2007.
Pre-Application Meeting: A pre-application meeting for prospective
applicants will be held in January 2007 in Washington, DC. Further
information on the date, time, and location will be made available
through a notice published in the Federal Register and through the
Teaching American History Web site at http://www.ed.gov/programs/teachinghistory
.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 9, 2007.
Applications for grants under this program 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.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 8, 2007.
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.
6. Other Submission Requirements. Applications for grants under
this program 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 Teaching American History Program--CFDA Number 84.215X must
be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide 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 Teaching
American History Grant Program at http://www.Grants.gov. You must
search for the downloadable application package for this program or
competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha
suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.215, not 84.215X).
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 date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and
must be date and 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 and 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 and time
stamped by the Grants.gov system 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 submission 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 program 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://e-grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf
.
To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must
complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp
).
These steps include (1) registering your organization, a multi-part
process that includes registration with the Central Contractor Registry
(CCR); (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/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.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 submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual
basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
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 you typically provide on the following forms:
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications. Please note that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the
Department of Education
[[Page 751]]
Supplemental Information for SF 424--have replaced the ED 424
(Application for Federal Education Assistance).
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 in this paragraph 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 from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application 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 experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support
Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
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., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application 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. 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: The extensions to which we refer 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 application 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: Alex Stein, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W206,
Washington, DC 20202-5960. FAX: (202) 401-8466.
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 84.215X), 400 Maryland Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20202-5960; or By mail through a commercial
carrier: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Stop
4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.215X), 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.
(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.
(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
84.215X), 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 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix
letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your
application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification
of receipt
[[Page 752]]
of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification
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
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from the notice of final selection criteria and other application
requirements published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2005 (70 FR
19939).
The Secretary uses the following selection criteria to evaluate
applications under this program. The maximum score for all of these
criteria is 100 points.
(1) Project Quality (50 points). The Secretary considers the
quality of the proposed project by considering--
(a) The likelihood that the proposed project will develop,
implement, and strengthen programs to teach traditional American
history as a separate academic subject (not as a component of social
studies) within elementary school and secondary school curricula.
(b) How specific traditional American history content will be
covered by the grant (including the significant issues, episodes, and
turning points in the history of the United States; how the words and
deeds of individuals have determined the course of our Nation; and how
the principles of freedom and democracy articulated in the founding
documents of this Nation have shaped America's struggles and
achievements and its social, political, and legal institutions and
relations); the format in which the project will deliver the history
content; and the quality of the staff and consultants responsible for
delivering these content-based professional development activities,
emphasizing, where relevant, their postsecondary teaching experience
and scholarship in subject areas relevant to the teaching of
traditional American history. The applicant may also attach curriculum
vitae for individuals who will provide the content training to the
teachers.
(c) How well the applicant describes a plan that meets the
statutory requirement to carry out activities under the grant in
partnership with one or more of the following:
(i) An institution of higher education.
(ii) A nonprofit history or humanities organization.
(iii) A library or museum.
(d) The applicant's rationale for selecting the partner(s) and its
description of specific activities that the partner(s) will contribute
to the grant during each year of the project. The applicant should
include a memorandum of understanding or detailed letters of commitment
from the partner(s) in an appendix to the application narrative.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this
criterion by providing a detailed description of the actual history
subject content of the professional development and teacher
education activities to be carried out under this grant. The
Secretary also encourages applicants to include a discussion of the
research base for the professional development strategies and how
this research can be used to assist the applicant in designing a
project that ensures successful achievement of project objectives.
Finally, the Secretary encourages applicants to describe their
efforts to conduct a needs assessment of teachers' content needs and
describe how that needs assessment is part of a comprehensive, long-
term strategy to upgrade teacher quality throughout the school
districts.
(2) Significance (20 points). The Secretary considers the
significance of the proposed project. In determining the significance
of the project, the Secretary considers--
(a) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build
local capacity to improve or expand the LEA's ability to provide
American history teachers professional development in traditional
American history subject content and content-related teaching
strategies.
(b) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in
teaching and student achievement.
(c) How teachers will use the knowledge acquired from project
activities to improve the quality of instruction. This description may
include plans for reviewing how teachers' lesson planning and classroom
teaching are affected by their participation in project activities.
Note: In meeting this criterion, the Secretary encourages the
applicant to include a description of its commitment to build local
capacity by primarily serving teachers in its LEA or consortium of
LEAs. The Secretary also encourages the applicant to include
background and statistical information to explain the project's
significance. For example, the applicant could include information
on: The extent to which teachers in the LEA are not certified in
history or social studies; student achievement data in American
history; and rates of student participation in courses such as
Advanced Placement U.S. History.
(3) 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:
(a) 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.
(b) The extent to which the time commitments of the project
director and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate
to meet the objectives of the proposed project.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this
criterion by including in the narrative the roles of partners in
each phase of the project. In addition, applicants are encouraged to
consider how they might demonstrate (e.g., through narrative
discussion, letters of support, or formal memoranda of
understanding) the commitment of partners to the project and the
partners' understanding of responsibilities they have agreed to
assume in service delivery. Finally, applicants may include in this
narrative a schedule of activities with sufficient time for
developing an adequate implementation plan.
(4) Quality of the project evaluation (15 points). The Secretary
considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted on the proposed
project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers:
(a) 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.
(b) How well the evaluation plans are aligned with the project
design explained under the Project Quality criterion.
(c) Whether the evaluation includes benchmarks to monitor progress
toward specific project objectives, and outcome measures to assess the
impact on teaching and learning or other important outcomes for project
participants.
(d) Whether the applicant identifies the individual and/or
organization that has agreed to serve as evaluator for the project and
includes a description of the qualifications of that evaluator.
(e) The extent to which the applicant indicates the following:
(i) What types of data will be collected.
(ii) When various types of data will be collected.
(iii) What methods will be used to collect data.
(iv) What data collection instruments will be developed.
(v) How the data will be analyzed.
(vi) When reports of results and outcomes will be available.
(vii) How the applicant will use the information collected through
the
[[Page 753]]
evaluation to monitor the progress of the funded project and to provide
accountability information both about success at the initial site and
about effective strategies for replication in other settings.
(viii) How the applicant will devote an appropriate level of
resources to project evaluation.
Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to describe the
project's capability to address the Teaching American History
performance indicators (see section entitled ``Performance
Measures''). Further, applicants are encouraged to describe how
their evaluation plans will be designed to collect both output data
(number of teacher participants, number of workshops held, etc.) and
outcome data (improvements in teacher classroom practice, increases
in student history achievement, etc.). Finally, applicants are
encouraged to select an independent, objective evaluator who has
experience in evaluating educational programs and who will play an
active role in the design and development of the project.
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. Budgets should include funds for at least
two project staff members to attend a two-day annual meeting of the
Teaching American History Grant program in Washington, DC, each year of
the project. Applicants also should include in their budgets' funds to
cover the travel and lodging expenses for these training activities
during each year of the project.
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. For specific requirements on grantee reporting, please
go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: We have established two performance
measures for the Teaching American History program. The measures are:
(1) Students in experimental and quasi-experimental studies of
educational effectiveness of Teaching American History projects will
demonstrate higher achievement on course content measures and/or
statewide U.S. history assessments than students in control and
comparison groups, and (2) Teachers will demonstrate an increased
understanding of American history through the use of nationally
validated tests of American history that can be directly linked to
their participation in the Teaching American History program.
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Alex Stein or Emily Fitzpatrick,
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W206,
Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: Alex Stein (202) 205-9085 or
Emily Fitzpatrick (202) 260-1498 or by e-mail:
TeachingAmericanHistory@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 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: January 3, 2007.
Morgan S. Brown,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. E7-33 Filed 1-5-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P