[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18061-18063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-7796]


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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: 
[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 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]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P