[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 119 (Thursday, June 20, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41968-41970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-15627]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.336C]


Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program--Teacher Recruitment 
Competition; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2002

    Purpose of Program: This program provides grants to States and to 
partnerships to promote improvements in the quality of new teachers 
with the ultimate goal of increasing student achievement in pre-K-12 
classrooms.
    Eligible Applicants: States (including the District of Columbia, 
Puerto Rico and the insular areas) and partnerships comprised, at a 
minimum, of an institution of higher education with an eligible teacher 
preparation program, a school of arts and sciences, and a high-need 
local educational agency (LEA). These terms are defined in section 203 
of the Higher Education Act and in regulations for this program in 34 
CFR 611. States and partnerships that received an FY 1999 grant under 
this program are not eligible for this competition.
    Applications Available: June 20, 2002.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 25, 2002.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 24, 2002.
    Estimated Available Funds: $8,920,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $195,000 -- $465,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $372,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 24.


    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.


    Project Period: Up to 36 months.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. You must limit your narrative to the equivalent of no more 
than 50 pages. In addition, you must limit your accompanying work plan 
to the equivalent of no more than 10 pages, your budget narrative to 
the

[[Page 41969]]

equivalent of no more than 10 pages and your evaluation plan to the 
equivalent of no more than 5 pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5[sec] x 11[sec], on one side only, with 
1[sec] margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, work plan, budget narrative, and 
evaluation plan, including titles, headings, 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).
    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.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
82, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99. (b) The regulations for this program appear 
in 34 CFR part 611.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Teacher Recruitment Grants program, one 
of the three Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant programs contained in 
Title II, Part A of the Higher Education Act (HEA), is authorized in 
section 204 of the HEA. The program affords an opportunity for States 
and partnerships to address the challenge of America's teacher shortage 
by making significant and lasting systemic changes to the ways that 
teachers are recruited, prepared--either through postsecondary teacher 
preparation programs or alternative routes to teaching for those coming 
to the profession from other careers or educational backgrounds--and 
supported to teach in high-need schools. In administering the program, 
the Department of Education's goal is to support the efforts of the 
States and partnerships to ensure that all students, especially those 
in high-need school districts, have a highly qualified teacher to help 
them achieve to challenging State content and performance standards.
    Through this notice the Secretary announces requirements and 
procedures to govern the competition for FY 2002 grant funds. In 
particular, the Department will implement only a single application 
review process and use the selection criteria identified in 34 CFR 
611.32 rather than the two-step review process identified in 34 CFR 
611.3(a)(iii). In all other respects the requirements and procedures 
for the upcoming FY 2002 competition are the same as those authorized 
in the Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant program regulations (34 CFR 
part 611) and the Education Department General Administrative 
Regulations (EDGAR).

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the 
Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to 
comment on proposed regulations. However, these regulations make 
procedural changes only and do not establish new substantive policy. 
Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(a), the Secretary has determined that 
proposed rulemaking is not required. These requirements will apply to 
the FY 2002 grant competition only.
    Because the Department did not receive from Congress a FY 2002 
appropriation for this and other programs until January of 2002, the 
Department has had insufficient time to implement the two-stage 
application process otherwise required by 34 CFR 611.3(a)(3) and still 
make awards by September 30, 2002, the last day on which the Department 
may obligate these funds. The public is not prejudiced by eliminating 
the first of the two-stage review procedures in the upcoming 
competition because all potential applicants are eligible to apply for 
awards under the selection criteria identified in 34 CFR 611.32 and 
will be treated equally.

Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of This Application

    In FY 2002, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to 
expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to 
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary 
grant competitions. The Title II, Teacher Recruitment Program (CFDA No. 
84.336C) is included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant 
under the Title II, Teacher Recruitment Program, you may submit your 
application to us in either electronic or paper format.
    The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant 
Application System (e-APPLICATION, formerly e-GAPS) portion of the 
Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS). We request your 
participation in this pilot project. We shall continue to evaluate its 
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
    If you participate in this e-APPLICATION pilot, please note the 
following:
     Your participation is strictly voluntary.
     You will not receive any additional point value or penalty 
because you submit a grant application in electronic or paper format.
     You can submit all grant documents electronically, 
including the Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424), Budget 
Information-Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary 
assurances and certifications.
     Within three working days of submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal 
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following 
these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 from the e-APPLICATION system.
    2. Make sure that the institution's Authorizing Representative 
signs this form.
    3. Before faxing this form, submit your electronic application via 
the e-APPLICATION system. You will receive an automatic 
acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying 
number unique to your application).
    4. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of ED 
424.
    5. Fax ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 260-1349.
     We may request that you give us original signatures on all 
other forms at a later date.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Title II, 
Teacher Recruitment Grants program at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    We have included additional information about the e-APPLICATION 
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic 
Applications) in the application package.

For Applications Contact: 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: 
[email protected].
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.336C. You may also request 
application forms by calling (202) 502-7878 or submitting the name of 
the competition and your name and postal address to: 
[email protected].
    Applications are also available on the Teacher Quality Web Site: 
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/heatqp/.

[[Page 41970]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brenda Shade, U.S. Department of 
Education, 1919 K Street, NW., Room 6148, Washington, DC 20006-8525. 
Telephone: (202) 502-7878 or via Internet: [email protected].
    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 
alternative format, (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format by contacting that person. However, 
the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative format the 
standard forms included in the application package.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 
www.ed.gov/legislation/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.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1024.

    Dated: June 17, 2002.
Sally L. Stroup,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 02-15627 Filed 6-19-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P