[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 18 (Friday, January 28, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4097-4101]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1652]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview 
Information; Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program; 
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.364A.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: January 28, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 14, 2005.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 13, 2005.
    Eligible Applicants: Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in which at 
least 20 percent of the students served by the LEA are from families 
with incomes below the poverty line based on the most recent 
satisfactory data available from the U.S. Census Bureau at the time 
this notice is published. This data is Small Area Income and Poverty 
Estimates for school districts for income year 2002. A list of LEAs 
with their family poverty rates (based on this Census Bureau data) is 
posted on our Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/eligibility.html.
    Estimated Available Funds: $19,683,264. Of that amount, $19,092,766 
will be awarded competitively. Contingent upon the availability of 
funds and quality of applications, the Secretary may make additional 
awards in FY 2006 from the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $30,000 to $350,000.

    Note: Actual award amounts will be based on the number of 
schools and students served by the project.

    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $190,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 100.

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

    Project Period: Up to 12 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to improve 
student reading skills and academic achievement by providing students 
with

[[Page 4098]]

increased access to up-to-date school library materials; well-equipped, 
technologically advanced school library media centers; and well-
trained, professionally certified school library media specialists.
    Priority: Under this competition we are particularly interested in 
applications that address the following priority.
    Invitational Priority: For FY 2005 this priority is an invitational 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that 
meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference 
over other applications.
    Under this priority the Secretary strongly encourages applicants to 
focus their efforts on elementary schools to maximize the impact of the 
project on improving reading achievement.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6383.
    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 notice of final clarification of 
eligible local activities, published April 5, 2004 in the Federal 
Register, 69 FR 17894.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $19,683,264. Of that amount, $19,092,766 
will be awarded competitively. Contingent upon the availability of 
funds and quality of applications, the Secretary may make additional 
awards in FY 2006 from the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition.

    Note: Actual award amounts will be based on the number of 
schools and students served by the project.

    Estimated Range of Awards: $30,000 to $350,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $190,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 100.

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

    Project Period: Up to 12 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs in which at least 20 percent of the 
students served by the LEA are from families with incomes below the 
poverty line based on the most recent satisfactory data available from 
the U.S. Census Bureau at the time this notice is published. This data 
is Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates for school districts for 
income year 2002. A list of LEAs with their family poverty rates (based 
on this Census Bureau data) is posted on our Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/eligibility.html.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost 
sharing or matching, but does involve supplement-not-supplant funding 
provisions. Funds made available under this program must be used to 
supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, and local funds 
expended to carry out activities relating to library, technology, or 
professional development activities (20 U.S.C. 6383(i)).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You may 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/lsl/applicant.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 (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 84.364A.
    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. An 
Eligibility Form is included in the application package. You must fill 
out the Eligibility Form, following the instructions provided in the 
application package.
    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 narrative to the equivalent of no more 
than 15 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.
    The page limit does not apply to the forms, budget section, budget 
justification, assurances and certifications, one-page abstract, 
endnotes, or resumes. However, you must include all of the application 
narrative in the narrative section. Charter Schools and State 
Administered Schools must include some form of documentation from their 
State Educational Agency (SEA) confirming eligibility for this program. 
This documentation is not counted toward the page limit.
    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.
    Appendices to the narrative are not permitted, with the exception 
of resumes and endnotes. None of the material sent as appendices to the 
narrative, with the exception of resumes and endnotes, will be sent to 
the reviewers.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: January 28, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 14, 2005.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) available through the Department's e-Grants system. For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify 
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer 
to section IV.6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 13, 2005.
    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: We reference regulations outlining funding

[[Page 4099]]

restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted electronically, unless you qualify 
for an exception to requirement in accordance with the instructions in 
this section.
    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.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the Improving Literacy Through School 
Libraries program--CFDA Number 364A must be submitted electronically 
using e-Application available through the Department's e-Grants system, 
accessible through the e-Grants portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    While completing your electronic application, you will be entering 
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     You must complete the electronic submission of your grant 
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application 
for this competition after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do 
not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application 
process.
     The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site 
are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until 
midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is 
unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on 
Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any modifications to 
these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.
     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 
the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget 
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary 
assurances and certifications.
     Any narrative sections of your application should be 
attached as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF 
(Portable Document) format.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may 
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement that 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 ED 424 after following these 
steps:
    (1) Print ED 424 from e-Application.
    (2) The applicant'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 (202) 742-5418.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application System 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically 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 electronic 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 
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 person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down and therefore 
the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all 
registered users who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions 
referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability of the 
Department's e-Application 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 e-Application system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Department's e-Application system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you 
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax 
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed 
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Irene Harwarth, U.S. 
Department of Education, Room 3W227, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20202. Fax: (202) 260-8969.
    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 any exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable 
following address:

[[Page 4100]]

    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.364A) 
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or
    By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.364A) 
7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
    Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing 
consisting of one of the following:
    1. A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
    2. A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service,
    3. A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier, or
    4. Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Secretary 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, or
    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 84.364A, 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 4 of the ED424 the CFDA number--and suffix letter, 
if any--of the competition under which you are submitting your 
application.
    2. The Application Control Center will mail a Grant Application 
Receipt Acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the notification 
of application receipt 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: We use the following selection criteria to 
evaluate applications for new grants under this competition. The 
maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points. The maximum 
score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses.
    We evaluate an application by determining how well the proposed 
project meets the following criteria:
    (a) Meeting the purpose of the statute (10 points). How well the 
proposed project addresses the intended outcome of the statute to 
improve student reading skills and academic achievement by providing 
students with increased access to up-to-date school library materials; 
a well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media center; 
and well-trained, professionally certified school library media 
specialists.
    (b) Need for school library resources (10 points). How well the 
applicant demonstrates the need for school library media improvement, 
based on the age and condition of school library media resources, 
including: Book collections; access of school library media centers to 
advanced technology; and the availability of well-trained, 
professionally certified school library media specialists, in schools 
served by the applicant.
    (c) Use of funds (50 points). How well the applicant will use the 
funds made available through the grant to carry out one or more of the 
following activities that meet its demonstrated needs:
    (1) Acquiring up-to-date school library media resources, including 
books.
    (2) Acquiring and using advanced technology, incorporated into the 
curricula of the school, to develop and enhance the information 
literacy, information retrieval, and critical thinking skills of 
students.
    (3) Facilitating Internet links and other resource-sharing networks 
among schools and school library media centers, and public and academic 
libraries, where possible.
    (4) Providing professional development for school library media 
specialists, that improves literacy in grades K-3 as well as 
professional development for school library media specialists as 
described in section 1222(d)(2) of the ESEA (as described in the 
clarification of eligible local activities as published in the notice 
of final clarification of eligible local activities published April 5, 
2004, in the Federal Register, 69 FR 17894) and providing activities 
that foster increased collaboration between school library media 
specialists, teachers, and administrators.
    (5) Providing students with access to school libraries during non-
school hours, including the hours before and after school, during 
weekends, and during summer vacation periods.
    (d) Use of scientifically based research (10 points). How well the 
applicant will use programs and materials that are grounded in 
scientifically based research, as defined in section 9101(37) of the 
ESEA, in carrying out one or more of the activities described under 
criterion (c).
    (e) Broad-based involvement and coordination (10 points). How well 
the applicant will extensively involve school library media 
specialists, teachers, administrators, and parents in the proposed 
project activities and effectively coordinate the funds and activities 
provided under this program with other literacy, library, technology, 
and professional development funds and activities.
    (f) Evaluation of quality and impact (10 points). How well the 
applicant will collect and analyze data on the quality and impact of 
the proposed project activities, including the extent to which the 
availability of, the access to, and the use of up-to-date school 
library media resources in the elementary schools and secondary schools 
served by the applicant were increased; and the impact on improving the 
reading skills of students.
    2. Review and Selection Process: An additional factor we consider 
in selecting an application for an award is the equitable distribution 
of grants across geographic regions and among LEAs serving urban and 
rural areas.

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

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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.
    4. Performance Measures: In response to the Government Performance 
and Results Act (GPRA), the Department developed two measures for 
evaluating the overall effectiveness of the Improving Literacy Through 
School Libraries program. These measures gauge improvement in student 
achievement and resources in the schools and districts served by the 
Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program by assessing 
increases in: (1) The percentage of participating schools and districts 
that exceed State Adequate Yearly Progress targets for reading 
achievement for all students; and (2) the school library media 
collections at participating schools, compared to schools not 
participating in the program.
    The Department will collect data for these measures from grantees' 
annual performance reports and other existing data sources.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Irene Harwarth, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W227, Washington, DC 20202-
6200. Telephone: (202) 401-3751 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: 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: January 25, 2005.
Raymond Simon,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 05-1652 Filed 1-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U