[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 72 (Friday, April 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19933-19934]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-7591]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.372]


Institute of Education Sciences; Notice Inviting Applications for 
Grants To Support Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems For Fiscal Year 
(FY) 2005

    Summary: The Director of the Institute of Education Sciences 
(Institute) announces a competition for grants to support statewide 
longitudinal data systems. The Director takes this action under the 
Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (Act), Title II of Pub. L. 
107-279. The intent of these grants is to support the design, 
development, and implementation of statewide longitudinal data systems.

Supplementary Information:

    Purpose of the Program: The purpose of the program is to provide 
financial assistance to State educational agencies (SEAs) for the 
development of longitudinal data systems to efficiently and accurately 
manage, analyze, disaggregate, and use individual student data, 
consistent with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 
amended. These data systems will respond to the multiple information 
needs of key stakeholders, support State and local decision-making and 
facilitate needed research to improve student academic achievement and 
close achievement gaps.
    Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants are limited to SEAs.
    Request for Applications and Other Information: Information 
regarding program and application requirements for this competition is 
contained in the Request for Applications package (RFA) that will be 
available on April 15, 2005 at the following Web site: http://

[[Page 19934]]

www.ed.gov/programs/edresearch/applicant.html Interested potential 
applicants should periodically check the Institute's Web site.
    Information regarding selection criteria and review procedures will 
also be posted at this Web site.
    Letter of Intent: A letter indicating a potential applicant's 
intent to submit an application is optional but encouraged. The letter 
of intent must be submitted electronically by May 13, 2005, using the 
instructions provided at the following Web site: http://ies.constellagroup.com/. Receipt of the letter of intent will be 
acknowledged by e-mail.
    Applications Available: April 15, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: 8 p.m. eastern time, June 
30, 2005.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000 to $6,000,000 for the entire 
project.
    Project Period: Up to three years.
    Fiscal Information: The number of awards made under this 
competition will depend upon the quality of the applications received. 
The size of the awards will depend upon the scope of the projects 
proposed. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2006 from the list of 
unfunded applications from this competition.

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

    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 77, 80, 81, 82, 84, 
85, 97, 98, and 99. In addition, 34 CFR part 75 is applicable, except 
for the provisions in 34 CFR 75.100, 75.101(b), 75.102, 75.103, 75.105, 
75.109(a), 75.200, 75.201, 75.209, 75.210, 75.211, 75.217, 75.219, 
75.220, 75.221, 75.222, and 75.230.
    Performance Measures: To evaluate the overall success of this 
program, the Institute will determine at the end of each grant whether 
the SEA has in operation a statewide longitudinal data system. Grantees 
will be expected to report in annual and final reports on the status of 
their development and implementation of these systems.
    Application Procedures: The Government Paperwork Elimination Act 
(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.
    We are requiring that applications for this competition be 
submitted electronically to the following Web site: http://ies.constellagroup.com. Information on the software to be used in 
submitting applications will be available at the same Web site.
    For Further Information Contact: Kashka Kubzdela, U.S. Department 
of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1990 K Street, 
NW., room 9067, Washington, DC 20006. Telephone: (202) 502-7411 or via 
Internet: [email protected].
    The date on which applications will be available, the deadline for 
transmittal of applications, the estimated range of awards, and the 
project period will also be listed in the RFA for this competition that 
will be posted at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/edresearch/applicant.html.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) 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. Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the RFA in 
an alternative format by contacting that person.
    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.



    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9607.

    Dated: April 12, 2005.
Grover J. Whitehurst,
Director, Institute of Education Sciences.
[FR Doc. 05-7591 Filed 4-14-05; 8:45 am]
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