[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 84 (Friday, April 30, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24008-24013]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9853]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; 
Transition to Teaching Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for 
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.350A, 
84.350B, and 84.350C.

DATES: Applications Available: April 30, 2004.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: May 14, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 14, 2004.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 13, 2004.
    Eligible Applicants: A State educational agency (SEA); a high-need 
local educational agency (LEA); a for-profit or nonprofit organization 
that has a proven record of effectively recruiting and retaining highly 
qualified teachers, in a partnership with a high-need LEA or an SEA; an 
institution of higher education, in a partnership with a high-need LEA 
or an SEA; a regional consortium of SEAs; or a consortium of high-need 
LEAs.
    Estimated Available Funds: $12-$13 million. The Department has 
established separate funding categories for projects of different 
scope. These categories are:
    (1) National/regional projects (84.350C) that serve eligible high-
need LEAs in more than one state;
    (2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that serve eligible high-need LEAs 
statewide or eligible high-need LEAs in more than one area of a state; 
and
    (3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve one eligible high-need LEA 
or two or more eligible high-need LEAs in a single area of a state.
    Estimated Range of Awards: National/regional projects--$300,000-
$1,000,000 per year; Statewide projects--$150,000-$600,000 per year; 
and Local projects--$100,000-$400,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: National/regional projects--
$750,000 per year; Statewide projects--$375,000 per year; and Local 
projects--$225,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: National/regional projects--2; 
Statewide projects--10; and Local projects--20.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Transition to Teaching program encourages 
(1) The development and expansion of alternative routes to full State 
teacher certification, as well as (2) the recruitment and retention of 
highly qualified mid-career professionals, recent college graduates who 
have not majored in education, and highly qualified paraprofessionals 
as teachers in high-need schools operated by high-need LEAs, including 
charter schools that operate as high-need LEAs.
    Priorities: The Department has established three priorities that 
are explained in the following paragraphs. One priority is from the 
statute for this program and two priorities are from the notice of 
final priorities and requirements for this program, published elsewhere 
in this issue of the Federal Register.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2004, these priorities 
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we 
award 5 additional points to an application that meets Competitive 
Preference Priority 1, and up to an additional 20 points to an 
application, depending on how well the application meets either 
Competitive Preference Priority 2 or 3. These points are in addition to 
any points the application earns under the program's selection 
criteria.
    These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Partnerships or Consortia That 
Include a High-Need LEA or a High-Need SEA

    In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from 
section 2313(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
as amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 6683(c)). This priority supports projects 
that are designed and implemented in active partnerships or consortia 
that include at least one high-need LEA or high-need SEA.

[[Page 24009]]

Competitive Preference Priority 2--State Projects to Create or Expand, 
and Then Implement, Alternative Pathways to Teacher Certification

    This priority is from the notice of final priorities and 
requirements for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the 
Federal Register. This priority supports projects designed and 
implemented by an SEA or a consortium of SEAs and the respective 
teacher certification agency of each State (if different from the SEA) 
to create or expand, and then implement, alternative pathways to 
certification. The project period is up to five years. Grantees will 
need to conduct both of the following activities:
    (a) Create alternatives to the State's traditional certification 
requirements. In conducting this activity, States are encouraged to 
develop a variety of alternative pathways to certification as important 
options in their menu of State-approved procedures for teacher 
certification and licensure. For example, competency-based alternative 
routes would permit talented individuals interested in teaching to 
become fully certified through rigorous assessments of their content 
and professional teaching competence, thereby enabling LEAs to recruit 
from a larger and more talented pool of prospective teachers.
    (b) Use the alternative routes to recruit individuals from groups 
eligible to participate in the Transition to Teaching program. Funded 
projects also would, among other things, need to work with 
participating high-need LEAs to--
    (1) Increase the number and quality of mid-career changers, recent 
college graduates who have not majored in education, and qualified 
paraprofessionals recruited to teach high-need subjects (such as 
mathematics, science, and special education) in identified high-need 
LEAs (which may include LEAs that are charter schools), particularly 
those in urban and rural areas; and
    (2) Provide these newly hired teachers with the support they need 
to become certified and effective teachers who will choose to make 
teaching their new long-term profession.
    In particular, SEAs receiving project funds must--
    (i) Target recruitment efforts on, and rigorously screen, 
candidates in areas where participating high-need LEAs have documented 
teacher shortages (e.g., mathematics, science, and special education);
    (ii) Place prospective teachers only in high-need schools operated 
by high-need LEAs;
    (iii) Prepare individuals for specific positions in specific LEAs 
and place them in these positions early in the training process;
    (iv) Ensure that recruited teachers receive the specific training 
they need to become fully certified or licensed teachers; and
    (v) Have recruited teachers participate in a well-supervised 
induction period that may include the support of experienced, trained 
mentors.


    Note: Applicants that choose to respond to Competitive 
Preference Priority 2 may do so however they choose. Those that 
respond to this priority may want to consider addressing such key 
factors as: (1) The data and other information the State has used to 
assess how and the extent to which current State certification 
requirements inhibit talented individuals from entering teaching; 
(2) the level of commitment of State leaders and policymakers to 
developing new or enhanced alternative certification requirements; 
(3) the State's statutory and/or regulatory authority to implement 
alternative pathways to certification; (4) how the SEA and other 
participating State agencies will actively involve all stakeholders 
with responsibility or authority for teacher preparation, hiring, 
and retention; and (5) a timeline for major actions that the SEA and 
other participating state agencies intend to implement to develop 
new or improved alternative pathways to teacher certification.


Competitive Preference Priority 3--District Projects to Streamline 
Teacher Hiring Systems, Timelines, and Processes

    This priority is from the notice of final priorities and 
requirements, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register. This priority supports projects by one or more LEAs to 
streamline their hiring systems, timelines, and processes. The project 
period is up to five years. A participating high-need LEA will need to 
conduct both of the following activities:
    (a) Examine its current hiring system, processes, and policies to 
identify the critical barriers to hiring highly qualified teachers. The 
lack of highly qualified teachers in most urban and rural LEAs has 
often been attributed to their difficulty in recruiting interested and 
qualified individuals. However, recent research indicates that the 
problem may not be one of recruitment but may stem from inefficient and 
untimely LEA hiring systems and processes. This is especially true in 
high-poverty LEAs and schools--the very LEAs and schools the Transition 
to Teaching program is targeted to serve. Accordingly, each 
participating LEA will need to examine its current hiring processes and 
policies and, based upon that examination, identify the critical 
barriers to hiring highly qualified teachers.
    (b) Design and implement efforts to remove the identified barriers 
and put in place systems that streamline and revamp the hiring process. 
In conducting this activity, LEAs are encouraged to create an efficient 
and timely applicant hiring process with a strong data tracking system 
and clear hiring goals. These efforts also should involve negotiating 
policy reforms that remove critical barriers, such as delayed 
notification of vacancies and seniority and retirement rules.
    Participating LEAs also will carry out the requirements of the 
Transition to Teaching program by recruiting nontraditional candidates, 
using the streamlined hiring system to hire these individuals for 
teaching in high-need schools, working with them to achieve full State 
certification, and retaining them for at least three years.


    Note: Applicants that choose to respond to Competitive 
Preference Priority 3 may do so however they choose. Those that 
respond to this priority may want to consider addressing such key 
factors as: (1) The existing barriers to early notification and 
hiring of new teachers; (2) the active engagement of LEA officials, 
teacher unions, and other stakeholders in developing a plan to 
remove existing barriers and implementing changes; (3) the actions 
each participating LEA intends to undertake to implement policies 
and systems for early notification and hiring of new teachers; and 
(4) a timeline for major action steps that each participating LEA 
intends to implement to develop the new hiring policies and systems.



    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6681-6684.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) 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. (b) The notice of final priorities 
and requirements for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of 
the Federal Register.

    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: $12-$13 million. The Department has 
established separate funding categories for projects of a different 
scope. These categories are:
    (1) National/regional projects (84.350C) that serve eligible high-
need LEAs in more than one state;
    (2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that serve eligible high-need LEAs 
statewide

[[Page 24010]]

or eligible high-need LEAs in more than one area of a state; and
    (3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve one eligible high-need LEA 
or two or more eligible high-need LEAs in a single area of a state.
    Estimated Range of Awards: National/regional projects--$300,000-
$1,000,000 per year; Statewide projects--$150,000-$600,000 per year; 
and Local projects--$100,000-$400,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: National/regional projects--
$750,000 per year; Statewide projects--$375,000 per year; and Local 
projects--$225,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: National/regional projects--2; 
Statewide projects--10; and Local projects--20.


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


    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: An SEA; a high-need LEA; a for-profit or 
nonprofit organization that has a proven record of effectively 
recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, in a partnership 
with a high-need LEA or an SEA; an institution of higher education, in 
a partnership with a high-need LEA or an SEA; a regional consortium of 
SEAs; or a consortium of high-need LEAs. Each application must identify 
participating LEAs that meet the definition of ``high-need'' in section 
2102(3) of the ESEA. Applicants also should refer to the notice of 
final priorities and requirements, published elsewhere in this issue of 
the Federal Register, for further information, including definitions, 
regarding eligibility.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost 
sharing or matching but does involve supplement-not-supplant funding 
provisions. In accordance with section 2313(h)(2) of the ESEA, funds 
made available under this section shall be used to supplement, and not 
supplant, State and local public funds expended for teacher recruitment 
and retention programs, including programs to recruit the teachers 
through alternative routes to certification.
    3. Other: The notice of final priorities and requirements for this 
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, 
describes eligibility restrictions for individuals participating in 
this program.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. 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: 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 84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C.
    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 For Further Information Contact elsewhere in 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.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: May 14, 2004.
    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 entities that intend to apply for funding under this 
competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly encourages each 
potential applicant to notify the Department by sending a short e-mail 
message 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. 
The Secretary requests that this e-mail notification be sent to Thelma 
Leenhouts at: [email protected]. Applicants that fail to 
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 must limit Part 
III to the equivalent of no more than 50 single-sided, double-spaced 
pages printed in 12 font type or larger.
    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, 
curriculum vitae, or the bibliography of literature cited. 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: April 30, 2004.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: May 14, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 14, 2004.

    Note: We are requiring that applications for grants under this 
program be submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant 
Application System (e-Application) available through the 
Department's e-GRANTS system. For information about how to access 
the e-GRANTS system or to request a waiver of the electronic 
submission requirement, please refer to Section IV, item 6, Other 
Submission Requirements, in this notice.


    The application package for this program specifies the hours of 
operation of the e-Application Web site. If you are requesting a waiver 
of the electronic submission requirement, the dates and times for the 
transmittal of applications by mail or by hand (including a courier 
service or commercial carrier) are also in the application package.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 13, 2004.
    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 and 
in the notice of final priorities and requirements for this program, 
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Additional information concerning 
application content requirements is in the notice of final priorities 
and requirements, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register.
    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 competition.
    Application Procedures: The Government Paperwork Elimination Act

[[Page 24011]]

(GPEA) of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-277) and the Federal Financial Assistance 
Management Improvement Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-107) encourage us to 
undertake initiatives to improve our grant processes. Enhancing the 
ability of individuals and entities to conduct business with us 
electronically is a major part of our response to these Acts. 
Therefore, we are taking steps to adopt the Internet as our chief means 
of conducting transactions in order to improve services to our 
customers and to simplify and expedite our business processes.
    Some of the procedures in these instructions for transmitting 
applications differ from those in the Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.102). 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 amendments 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.
    We are requiring that applications for grants under Transition to 
Teaching--CFDA Number 84.350A, 84.350B, and 84.350C be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) available through the Department's e-GRANTS system. The e-
GRANTS system is accessible through its portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    If you are unable to submit an application through the e-GRANTS 
system, you may submit a written request for a waiver of the electronic 
submission requirement. In your request, you should explain the reason 
or reasons that prevent you from using the Internet to submit your 
application. Address your request to: Thelma Leenhouts, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3C102, Washington, DC 
20202-5942. Please submit your request no later than two weeks before 
the application deadline date.
    If, within two weeks of the application deadline date, you are 
unable to submit an application electronically, you must submit a paper 
application by the application deadline date in accordance with the 
transmittal instructions in the application package. The paper 
application must include a written request for a waiver documenting the 
reasons that prevented you from using the Internet to submit your 
application.

Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications

    We are continuing to expand our pilot project for electronic 
submission of applications to include additional formula grant programs 
and additional discretionary grant competitions. Transition to 
Teaching--CFDA Number 84.350A, 84.350B, and 84.350C is one of the 
programs included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under 
Transition to Teaching, you must submit your application to us in 
electronic format or receive a waiver.
    The pilot project involves the use of e-Application. If you use e-
Application, you will be entering data online while completing your 
application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant 
application to us. The data you enter online will be saved into a 
database. We shall continue to evaluate the success of e-Application 
and solicit suggestions for its improvement.
    If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
     When you enter the e-Application system, you 
will find information about its hours of operation. We strongly 
recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to 
initiate an e-Application package.
     You will not receive additional point value 
because you submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will 
we penalize you if you submit an application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, 
including the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), 
Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all 
necessary assurances and certifications.
     Your e-Application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your 
application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will 
include a PR/Award number (an identifying number unique to your 
application).
     Within three working days after submitting your 
electronic application, fax a signed copy of the Application for 
Federal Education Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center 
after following these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 from e-Application.
    2. The institution's Authorizing Representative must sign this 
form.
    3. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard copy signature page of the ED 424.
    4. Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 
260-1349.
     We may request that you give us original 
signatures on other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from submitting your application 
on the application deadline date because the e-Application system is 
unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day in 
order to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by hand 
delivery. We will grant this extension if--
    1. You are a registered user of e-Application and you have 
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
    2. (a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or 
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC, 
time, on the application deadline date; or
    (b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time 
during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time 
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC, time) on the 
application deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the persons listed elsewhere in this notice under 
For Further Information Contact (see VII. Agency Contacts) or (2) the 
e-GRANTS help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
    You may access the electronic grant application for Transition to 
Teaching at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are as follows. These criteria are from the statute for this program 
and Sec.  75.210 of EDGAR. The maximum score for all the selection 
criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is 
indicated in parentheses. Each criterion also includes the factors that 
the reviewers will consider in determining how well an application 
meets the criterion.
    The ``Notes'' we have included after each criterion are guidance to 
help applicants in preparing their applications and are not required by 
statute or regulation.

A. Quality of the Project Design (40 points)

    The Secretary considers the quality of the project design for the 
proposed project by considering how well the applicant describes a 
plan--

[[Page 24012]]

    (1) To develop a program to recruit and retain highly qualified 
mid-career professionals (including highly qualified paraprofessionals) 
and recent graduates of an institution of higher education as highly 
qualified teachers in high-need schools operated by high-need LEAs and
    (2) To enable individuals to become eligible for teacher 
certification under State-approved programs within a reduced period of 
time, relying on factors in lieu of traditional course work in 
education.
    In determining the above, the Secretary considers the following 
factors:
    a. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    b. The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects 
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
    c. The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs.
    d. The extent to which the proposed project is part of a 
comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support 
rigorous academic standards for students.

    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this 
criterion by discussing the overall project model, including: 
recruitment and selection strategies; accelerated training program; 
integration of coursework and field experience; delivery system for 
training and support; role of partners; mentoring and support 
system; tracking of teacher placement; and timeline for full 
certification.


B. Significance of the Project (25 Points)

    The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. 
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    1. The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
    2. The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely to 
be attained by the proposed project.

    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this 
criterion by discussing how the project will lower the barriers to 
teacher certification for eligible participant groups while setting 
high standards for selecting from among these groups the most 
talented and qualified individuals. The Secretary also encourages 
the applicant to describe the ways in which their efforts will help 
the States and/or high-need LEAs to be served by the project meet 
their clearly identified teacher quality challenges.


C. 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:
    1. 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.
    2. The extent to which the time commitments of the project director 
and principal investigator and other key project personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project.

D. Quality of the Project Evaluation (20 Points)

    The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be 
conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the 
evaluation, the Secretary considers 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.

    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this 
criterion by including benchmarks to monitor progress toward 
specific project objectives and also outcome measures to assess the 
impact on teaching and learning or other important outcomes for 
project participants. (Specific performance measures established for 
the overall Transition to Teaching program are discussed elsewhere 
in this notice in Section VI. Award Administration, 4. Performance 
Measures.) The Secretary also encourages applicants to identify the 
individual and/or organization that has agreed to serve as evaluator 
for the project and describe the qualifications of that evaluator. 
Finally, applicants are encouraged to indicate: (1) What types of 
data will be collected; (2) when various types of data will be 
collected; (3) what methods will be used; (4) what instruments will 
be developed and when; (5) how the data will be analyzed; (6) when 
reports of results and outcomes will be available; and (7) how the 
applicant will use the information collected through the evaluation 
to monitor progress of the funded project and to provide 
accountability information about both the success at the initial 
site or sites and effective strategies for replication in other 
settings. Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level 
of resources to project evaluation.


    2. Review and Selection Process: Additional information concerning 
our review and selection of grant applications in this competition are 
contained in the notice of final requirements and priorities for this 
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

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.
    3. Reporting: The Secretary requires successful applicants to 
submit annual performance reports and, after the last year of the 
project, a final report. The annual performance report documents the 
grantee's yearly progress toward meeting expected programmatic 
outcomes. These outcomes must be based on measurable performance 
objectives including, but not limited to, the performance measures 
described in paragraph 4 of this section. These reports must evaluate--
    (1) The grantee's progress in meeting the application's objectives;
    (2) The project's effectiveness in meeting the purposes of the 
Transition to Teaching program; and
    (3) The project's effect on specific LEAs the project serves.
    Among other things, the Department uses the annual performance 
reports to determine whether a grantee has demonstrated substantial 
progress in meeting the goals and objectives (as described in its 
approved application), and thereby merits a continuation award (for 
years 2-5). See Sec.  75.118 of EDGAR.
    Grantees also will be required to submit a final performance 
report, due no later than 90 days after the end of the project period.
    In addition, section 2314 of the ESEA requires grantees to submit 
to the Department and to the Congress interim and final evaluations at 
the end of the third and fifth years of the grant period, respectively. 
These evaluations must

[[Page 24013]]

describe the extent to which high-need LEAs that received funds through 
the grant have met their goals relating to teacher recruitment and 
retention as described in the project application. Additional 
requirements pertaining to these reports are in the notice of final 
priorities and requirements for this program, published elsewhere in 
this issue of the Federal Register.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established two 
performance indicators for assessing the effectiveness of the 
Transition to Teaching Program: (1) The percentage of new, highly 
qualified Transition to Teaching teachers who teach in high-need 
schools in high-need LEAs for at least three years and (2) the 
percentage of Transition to Teaching teachers who receive full State 
certification or licensure. We will track these indicators through the 
use of four performance measures. We will gather the data for these 
measures from the grantees.
    Measure One: The percentage of all recruits who become highly 
qualified teachers and teach in high-need schools in high-need LEAs 
will increase.
    Measure Two: The percentage of all recruits who become highly 
qualified mathematics or science teachers will increase.
    Measure Three: The percentage of new, highly qualified Transition 
to Teaching teachers who teach in high-need schools in high-need LEAs 
for at least three years will increase.
    Measure Four: The percentage of teachers receiving full 
certification/licensure will increase.

VII. Agency Contacts

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thelma Leenhouts, Beatriz Ceja, Amy 
Wooten, Margarita Melendez, Peggi Zelinko, or Bill Mattocks, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5E114, 
Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 260-0223 (Thelma Leenhouts); 
(202) 205-5009 (Beatriz Ceja); (202) 260-0464 (Amy Wooten); (202) 260-
3548 (Margarita Melendez); (202) 260-2614 (Peggi Zelinko); or (202) 
260-2826 (Bill Mattocks). 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 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: 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: www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: April 27, 2004.
Nina S. Rees,
Deputy Under Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 04-9853 Filed 4-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P