[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 130 (Friday, July 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39496-39499]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-13578]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Vocational and Adult Education, Overview Information, 
School Dropout Prevention Program; Notice inviting applications for new 
awards for fiscal year (FY) 2005.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.360A.

DATES: Application Available: July 8, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 17, 2005.
    Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs), as defined 
in 34 CFR 77.1.
    Estimated Available Funds: $4,500,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $2,000,000-$2,500,000 for the 36-month 
project period.

    Note: The Department will fund multi-year projects for a project 
period of 36 months entirely from the FY 2005 appropriation in order 
to assist grantees in meeting the statutory purposes of the School 
Dropout Prevention (SDP) program and the requirements of this 
notice.

    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,200,000.
    Maximum Award: Applications that propose a budget exceeding 
$2,500,000 for a project period of 36 months will not be reviewed as 
part of the regular application process. However, if after the 
Secretary selects applications to be funded, it appears that additional 
funds remain available, the Secretary may choose to review those 
additional applications that requested funds exceeding the maximum 
amount specified. If the Secretary chooses to fund any of those 
additional applications, applicants will be required to work with the 
Department to revise their proposed budgets to fit within the 
appropriate funding range.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 2.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: This program supports the development and 
implementation of an effective, sustainable, and coordinated school 
dropout prevention and reentry programs. An additional purpose is for 
SEAs to create collaborations with other agencies and work with local 
educational agencies (LEAs) to assist schools in dropout prevention and 
reentry activities, including using eighth grade assessments and other 
data to develop and implement individual performance plans for students 
entering the ninth grade who are at risk of failing to meet challenging 
State academic standards and of dropping out of high school. The 
dropout prevention and reentry strategies implemented by the SEA must 
be scientifically-based, sustainable, and widely replicated.
    SEAs must use the funds received under this competition to support 
activities--
    (1) in schools that--
    (a) serve students in grades 6 through 12; and
    (b) have annual school dropout rates that are above the State 
average annual dropout rate; or
    (2) in the middle schools that feed students into the schools 
described above.
    Priorities: These priorities are from the notice of final 
priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this 
program (NFP), published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register.

[[Page 39497]]

    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2005 these priorities are absolute 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications 
that meet these priorities.
    The priorities are:
    Priority 1--Collaboration with other agencies and Priority 2--
Individual Performance Plans for At-Risk Incoming Ninth Grade Students
    The requirements for meeting these priorities are in the NFP, 
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Application Requirements
    Additional requirements for all projects funded through this 
competition are in the NFP, published elsewhere in this issue of the 
Federal Register.
    These additional requirements are: Eligibility Requirement--State 
Educational Agencies, Evaluation Requirements, Performance Measures 
Requirements and Requirements for Accountability for Results.
    Definitions: In addition to the definitions in the authorizing 
statute and 34 CFR 77.1, the definitions in the NFP, published 
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, apply.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6551, et seq.
    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 priorities, requirements, 
definitions, and selection criteria contained in the NFP, published 
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $4,500,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $2,000,000-$2,500,000 for the 36-month 
project period.

    Note: The Department will fund multi-year projects for a project 
period of 36 months entirely from the FY 2005 appropriation in order 
to assist grantees in meeting the statutory purposes of the SDP and 
the requirements of this notice.

    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,200,000.
    Maximum Award: Applications that propose a budget exceeding 
$2,500,000 for a project period of 36 months will not be reviewed as 
part of the regular application process. However, if after the 
Secretary selects applications to be funded, it appears that additional 
funds remain available, the Secretary may choose to review those 
additional applications that requested funds exceeding the maximum 
amount specified. If the Secretary chooses to fund any of those 
additional applications, applicants will be required to work with the 
Department to revise their proposed budgets to fit within the 
appropriate funding range.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 2.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs, as defined in 34 CFR 77.1.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost 
sharing or matching but does involve supplement-not-supplant funding 
provisions (Section 1823(a)(1)(F) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965, as amended).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address To Request Application Package: Valerie Randall-Walker, 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Potomac Center 
Plaza, room 11081, Washington, DC 20202-7241. Telephone: (202) 245-7794 
or by e-mail: [email protected].
    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 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 in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Applications must 
include the State's event dropout rate and the event dropout rate of 
each school to be served under this grant. Definitions of ``State event 
dropout rate'' and ``school event dropout rate'' are included in both 
the NFP, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, and 
the application package for this program. Other requirements concerning 
the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, 
are in the application package.
    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. We highly encourage you to 
limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than 25 pages.
     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 or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    The page limit recommendation 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, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of 
support. However, you must include all of the application narrative in 
Part III.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: July 8, 
2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 17, 2005.
    Applications for grants under this program may be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants system, or in 
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates 
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by 
mail or hand delivery, 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.
    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 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this program may be submitted electronically or in paper format by mail 
or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    If you choose to submit your application to us electronically, you 
must use 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:

[[Page 39498]]

     Your participation in e-Application is voluntary.
     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 program 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 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 must 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 acknowledgment 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 to the Application Control 
Center after following these steps:
    (1) Print ED 424 from e-Application.
    (2) The SEA'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) 245-6272.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of 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 acknowledgment 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. If the e-
Application system is available, and, for any reason, you are unable to 
submit your application electronically or you do not receive an 
automatic acknowledgment of your submission, you may submit your 
application in paper format by mail or hand delivery in accordance with 
the instructions in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the 
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), 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:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service:

U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.360A), 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 84.360A), 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. Department 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 submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, 
you (or a courier service) 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: 
(CFDA Number 84.360A), 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 ED 424 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 grant 
application receipt

[[Page 39499]]

acknowledgment 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

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
from the NFP, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register. The specific selection criteria to be used for this 
competition are listed in the application package.

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. Administration and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administration and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Application 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Application 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: We explain the requirements for 
performance measures and accountability for results applicable to this 
program in the Performance Measures Requirements and Requirements for 
Accountability for Results sections of the Additional Requirements in 
the NFP, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie Randall-Walker, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Potomac Center 
Plaza, room 11081, Washington, DC 20202-7241. Telephone: (202) 245-7794 
or by e-mail: [email protected].
    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.

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.access.gpo.gov/nara/index/html.


    Dated: July 5, 2005.
Susan Sclafani,
Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 05-13578 Filed 7-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P