[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21542-21547]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8616]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Elementary and Secondary School
Counseling Programs
AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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Overview Information: Elementary and Secondary School Counseling
Programs Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year
(FY) 2012.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215E.
DATES: Applications Available: April 10, 2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 25, 2012.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 24, 2012.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Elementary and Secondary
School Counseling Programs is to support efforts by local educational
agencies (LEAs) to establish or expand elementary school and secondary
school counseling programs.
Priorities: This notice contains two absolute and three competitive
preference priorities. The absolute priorities are from section 5421 of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA)
(20 U.S.C. 7245) and from the notice of Supplemental Priorities for
Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on
December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78485), and corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR
27637) (the ``Supplemental Priorities''). The competitive preference
priorities are from the Supplemental Priorities and the notice of final
priority published in the Federal Register on December 16, 2011 (76 FR
78250).
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2012 and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet these priorities.
These priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1: Establish or expand counseling programs in
elementary schools, secondary schools, or both.
Absolute Priority 2: Enabling More Data-Based Decision-Making.
Projects that are designed to collect (or obtain), analyze, and use
high-quality and timely data, including data on program participant
outcomes, in accordance with privacy requirements (as defined in this
notice), in the following priority area: improving instructional
practices, policies, and student outcomes in elementary or secondary
schools.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2012 and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from
this competition, these priorities are competitive preference
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional
5 points to an application, depending on how well the application meets
one of the following three priorities. Applicants may address more than
one of the competitive preference priorities; however, the Department
will review and award points under only one of the priorities.
Therefore, an applicant must identify in its application the
competitive preference priority under which it is seeking points. An
applicant must identify in the abstract section of its application the
priority it wishes the Department to consider for purposes of earning
competitive preference priority points.
Note: The Department will not review or award points under any
competitive preference priority for an application that (1) fails to
clearly identify in the abstract the competitive preference priority
the applicant wishes the Department to consider for purposes of
earning competitive preference priority points, or (2) identifies
more than one competitive preference priority the applicant wishes
the Department to consider for purposes of earning competitive
preference priority points.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1: Projects Serving Students
Residing on Indian Lands.
Under this priority, we give priority to applications for projects
that are
[[Page 21543]]
proposed by any eligible entity serving students residing on ``Indian
lands'' as that term is defined by section 8013 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C.
7713(7)). The eligible entity must be the only applicant or the lead
applicant in a consortium of eligible entities.
Competitive Preference Priority 2: Turning Around Persistently
Lowest-Achieving Schools.
Under this priority, we give priority to applications for projects
providing services to students enrolled in persistently lowest-
achieving schools (as defined in this notice).
Note: For the purposes of this priority, the Department
considers schools that are identified as Tier I or Tier II schools
under the School Improvement Grants Program (see 75 FR 66363) as
part of a State's approved FY 2009 or FY 2010 application to be
persistently lowest-achieving schools. A list of these Tier I and
Tier II schools can be found on the Department's Web site at
www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/index.html.
Competitive Preference Priority 3: Support for Military Families.
Under this priority, we give priority to applications for projects
that are designed to address the needs of military-connected students
(as defined in this notice).
Definitions: The following definitions are from 34 CFR part 77 and
the Supplemental Priorities and apply to this competition. Additional
definitions applicable to this program are found in the authorizing
statute for this program at 20 U.S.C. 7245 and in the program
regulations in 34 CFR part 77, and they will be included in the
application package.
Elementary school means a day or residential school that provides
elementary education, as determined under State law.
Secondary school means a day or residential school that provides
secondary education, as determined under State law. In the absence of
State law, the Secretary may determine, with respect to that State,
whether the term includes education beyond the twelfth grade.
Military-connected student means (a) a child participating in an
early learning program, a student in preschool through grade 12, or a
student enrolled in postsecondary education or training who has a
parent or guardian on active duty in the uniformed services (as defined
by 37 U.S.C. 101, in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast
Guard, National Guard, or the reserve component of any of the
aforementioned services) or (b) a student who is a veteran of the
uniformed services, who is on active duty, or who is the spouse of an
active-duty service member.
Persistently lowest-achieving schools means, as determined by the
State: (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring that (a) is among the lowest-achieving five percent of
Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring or
the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in improvement, corrective
action, or restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools is
greater; or (b) is a high school that has had a graduation rate as
defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number
of years; and (ii) any secondary school that is eligible for, but does
not receive, Title I funds that: (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five
percent of secondary schools or the lowest-achieving five secondary
schools in the State that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I
funds, whichever number of schools is greater; or (b) is a high school
that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is
less than 60 percent over a number of years.
To identify the persistently lowest achieving schools, a State must
take into account both: (i) The academic achievement of the ``all
students'' group in a school in terms of proficiency on the State's
assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language
arts and mathematics combined; and (ii) the school's lack of progress
on those assessments over a number of years in the ``all students''
group.
Privacy requirements means the requirements of the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232g, and its
implementing regulations in 34 CFR part 99, the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C.
552a, as well as all applicable Federal, State and local requirements
regarding privacy.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7245.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81,
82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR part 299. (c)
The notice of final eligibility requirements for the Office of Safe and
Drug-Free Schools discretionary grant programs published in the Federal
Register on December 4, 2006 (71 FR 70369). (d) The notice of final
priority for the Office of Safe and Healthy Students discretionary
grant programs published in the Federal Register on December 16, 2011
(76 FR 78250). (e) The Supplemental Priorities.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $21,305,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards later in FY 2012 and in
subsequent years from the list of unfunded applicants from this
competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000-$400,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $350,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $400,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.
Note: Section 5421(a)(5) of the ESEA limits the amount of a
grant under this program in any one year to a maximum of $400,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 61.
Note: Section 5421(g)(1) of the ESEA requires that for any
fiscal year in which the amount of funds made available by the
Secretary for this program equals or exceeds $40,000,000, the
Secretary shall award not less than $40,000,000 to enable LEAs to
establish or expand counseling programs in elementary schools. Under
this notice, applicants may propose projects that establish or
expand counseling programs in elementary schools, secondary schools,
or both.
Note: We will use the highest grade level an applicant proposes
to serve under its grant, along with the information obtained by
examining the applicant State's law that defines what grade levels
constitute an elementary school in the State, to determine if the
application will be considered for funding from amounts available
for elementary school counseling programs only, from amounts
available for elementary or secondary school counseling programs, or
both.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months. Budgets should be developed for
each year of funding requested up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: (a) LEAs, including charter schools that
are considered LEAs under State law.
(b) LEAs that currently have an active grant under the Elementary
and Secondary School Counseling Programs are not eligible to apply for
an award in this competition. For the purpose of this eligibility
requirement, a grant is considered active until the end of the grant's
project or funding period, including any extensions of those periods
that extend the grantee's authority to obligate funds.
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2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program has supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. Section 5421(b)(2)(G) of the ESEA
requires applicants under this program to assure that program funds
will be used to supplement, and not supplant, any other Federal, State,
or local funds used for providing school-based counseling and mental
health services to students.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package: You can obtain an
application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following
address: www.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/applicant.html. To obtain
a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S.
Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207 Alexandria, VA 22304.
Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. Fax: (703) 605-6794. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY),
call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.
You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at
its email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.215E.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or compact disc) by contacting the program contact person listed under
Accessible Format 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.
Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your
application. You must limit the application narrative to 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 that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
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, the page
limit does apply to all of the application narrative section [Part
III].
Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that
exceed the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: April 10, 2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 25, 2012.
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 in paper format by mail or hand delivery
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission
Requirements of 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 in section VII
in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice. Deadline for
Intergovernmental Review: July 24, 2012.
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: Section 5421(d) of the ESEA requires that
no more than four percent of a grant award may be used for
administrative costs to carry out the project. We reference additional
regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section in this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, you must--
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant
database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take
three or more business days to complete.
In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov,
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
7. 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 Elementary and Secondary School
Counseling Program, CFDA number 84.215E, must be submitted
electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site
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at 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 email 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 the Elementary
and Secondary School Counseling Programs at 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 (e.g., search for 84.215, not 84.215E).
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 accept your application if
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system--after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply
with the deadline requirements. 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 under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home
page at www.G5.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 you typically provide on the following forms: The
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.
You must upload any narrative sections and all other
attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document)
read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only,
non-modifiable PDF 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 email. 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, toll free, 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
under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this notice 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
[[Page 21546]]
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: Lisa Harrison, U.S.
Department of Education, 550 12th Street SW., Room 10070, Potomac
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-6450. Fax: (202) 245-7166 or
Loretta McDaniel, U.S. Department of Education, 550 12th Street SW.,
Room 10080, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-6450. Fax:
(202) 245-7166.
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 following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.215E), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
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 84.215E), 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 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 program are
from 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR and are listed in the application package.
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
Additional factors we consider in selecting an application for an
award are from section 5421(a)(3) of the ESEA, which requires an
equitable geographic distribution among the regions of the United
States and among LEAs located in urban, rural, and suburban areas.
3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance;
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
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 notify you informally, also.
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 in this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section in 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: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) 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 directed by the Secretary under 34
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting,
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The Department has established the
following Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA)
performance measures for the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling
Programs:
[[Page 21547]]
(1) the percentage of grantees closing the gap between their student/
mental health professional ratios and the student/mental health
professional ratios recommended by the statute; and (2) the average
number of referrals per grant site for disciplinary reasons in schools
participating in the program.
These measures constitute the Department's indicators of success
for this program. Consequently, we advise an applicant for a grant
under this program to give careful consideration to these measures in
conceptualizing the approach and evaluation for the applicant's
proposed project. Each grantee will be required to provide, in its
annual performance and final reports, data about the grantee's progress
against these measures.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
VII. Agency Contacts
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Harrison, U.S. Department of
Education, 550 12th Street SW., room 10070, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP),
Washington, DC 20202-6450. Telephone: 202-245-7873 or by email:
Lisa.Harrison@ed.gov or Loretta McDaniel, U.S. Department of Education,
550 12th Street, SW., room 10080, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP),
Washington, DC 20202-6450. Telephone: 202-245-7870 or by email:
Loretta.McDaniel@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD or TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to
the program contact person listed under For Further Information Contact
in section VII in this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can 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). To use PDF
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the
site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dated: April 5, 2012.
Michael Yudin,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2012-8616 Filed 4-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P