Federal Register, Volume 70 Issue 197 (Thursday, October 13, 2005)

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 197 (Thursday, October 13, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59730-59737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20566]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview
Information Comprehensive Centers--Great Lakes West Region; Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.283B.

DATES: Applications Available: October 13, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 28, 2005.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: December 27, 2005.
Eligible Applicants: Research organizations, institutions,
agencies, institutions of higher education, or partnerships among such
entities, or individuals, with the demonstrated ability or capacity to
carry out the activities described in this notice. An application from
a consortium of eligible entities must include a consortium agreement.
Letters of support do not meet the requirement for a consortium
agreement.

Note: The Department will reject any application that does not
meet these eligibility requirements.

Number of Awards: 1.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,243,322 for a start-up award of
approximately 6 months. The actual level of funding, if any, is
contingent on final congressional action on the Department's FY 2006
appropriations bill.
Estimated Size of Award: $1,243,322. Funding for the Regional
Center (as defined in Section I of this notice) for the Great Lakes
West region was calculated by formula, based equally on shares of
population and poor children, ages 5-17 in the States (including DC,
Puerto Rico, and the Outlying Areas). The most recent Department
estimates for awards to the comprehensive centers, including the Great
Lakes Regional Center, are provided at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/newccp/index.html.

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

Project Period: Up to 57 months.
Budget Period: The first budget period will be approximately six
months. Budget periods 2 through 4 will be 12 months. Budget period 5
will be 15 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The Comprehensive Centers program supports the
establishment of not fewer than 20 comprehensive technical assistance
centers that provide technical assistance to States as States work to
help districts and schools to close achievement gaps in core content
areas and raise student achievement in schools, especially those in
need of improvement (as defined by section 1116(b) of the Elementary
and Secondary Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA)).
Background: On June 3, 2005, the Department published a notice
announcing a competition for the Comprehensive Centers program (70 FR
32583; correction notice 70 FR 35415). The notice invited applications
for 21 comprehensive centers--16 regional comprehensive centers to
serve States within defined geographic boundaries (Regional Centers)
and 5 content comprehensive centers, each having a specific content
expertise and focus, to support the work of the Regional Centers
(Content Centers). The comprehensive centers provide technical
assistance to States as States work to help districts and schools to
close achievement gaps in core content areas and raise student
achievement in schools, especially those in need of improvement (as
defined by section 1116(b) of the ESEA).
As a result of the competition announced on June 3, 2005, the
Department funded 20 Centers--15 Regional Centers and 5 Content
Centers--with FY 2005 funds. However, the Department did not fund a
Regional Center for the region designated to serve the States of
Illinois and Wisconsin, the region identified as the Great Lakes West
region.
This notice, therefore, invites applications for a Regional Center
to serve the Great Lakes West region so as to complete the
Comprehensive Centers program's technical assistance system established
by the Department in FY 2005.
For more information on the functions and activities of the five
Content Centers funded in FY 2005 and how they relate to the Regional
Centers, see 70 FR 32583.
Background on the Comprehensive Centers Program: The ESEA, as
amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), holds States
accountable for closing achievement gaps and ensuring that all
children, regardless of ethnicity, income, language proficiency, or
disability, receive a high-quality education and meet State academic
standards in reading/language arts and mathematics by 2013-2014.
To that end, NCLB requires States to set standards for student
performance, implement statewide testing and accountability systems to
measure school and student performance toward achieving those
standards, adopt research-based instructional and program improvements
related to teaching and learning in the classroom, ensure that all
teachers in core subject areas are highly qualified, and improve or
ultimately restructure schools that are consistently low-performing.
The comprehensive centers funded under the Comprehensive Centers
program, including the Regional Center funded under this competition,
will begin providing technical assistance at a time when States,
districts, and schools have accomplished much of the initial
implementation of NCLB but still require assistance in many areas.
Specifically, the new centers funded under this program will
provide intensive technical assistance in several areas that are key to
success in meeting NCLB goals. Recent assessments conducted to help
determine technical assistance priorities for the Comprehensive Centers
program indicate that States need assistance, for example, in helping
districts and schools to implement improvements and meet school and
district adequate yearly progress requirements; in identifying and
adopting instructional and assessment methods that have been proven
effective through scientifically based research, especially for
students with special needs; in designing programs and strategies and
allocating resources to recruit, retain, and train talented teachers
and school leaders; and in enhancing assessment and accountability
systems.
Because States have the primary responsibility for school
improvement efforts, the comprehensive centers, including the Regional
Center funded under this competition, will focus

[[Page 59731]]

technical assistance on States and on helping States increase their
capacity to provide sustained support to districts and schools as they
implement NCLB reforms.
The comprehensive centers will serve as field agents for the
Department to help further the understanding of the States they serve
of the provisions and purposes of NCLB and related Federal programs and
help those States adopt proven approaches to achieve the school
improvement and student performance goals required under NCLB. The
centers will work closely with, and leverage the resources of, other
technical assistance providers and research organizations, including
the Regional Educational Laboratories, the Special Education Technical
Assistance Network, the Parental Information and Resource Centers, the
Equity Assistance Centers, the Reading First National Technical
Assistance Center, the Institute of Education Sciences' research
centers and its What Works Clearinghouse, and other Federal, regional,
and State entities and postsecondary institutions, to gather and
disseminate information and knowledge about what works and to help
States translate that knowledge into meaningful practice.
The approach to technical assistance delivery for the Comprehensive
Centers system is two-tiered: the Regional Centers have the primary
relationships with, and provide services to, the States in their
regions; in serving their State clients, the Regional Centers will draw
heavily on the research-based information, products, guidance, and
knowledge on key NCLB topics supplied by the Content Centers.
Regional Centers must provide frontline assistance to States to
help them implement NCLB and other related Federal school improvement
programs and help increase State capacity to assist districts and
schools meet their student achievement goals. Regional Centers must be
embedded in regions and responsible for developing strong relationships
and partnerships within their regional community. While Content Centers
must focus almost entirely on specific content areas, analyzing
research, and developing useful products and tools for Regional Centers
and other clients, the Regional Centers will be the ``on-the-ground''
providers to States.
Drawing from the information and resources provided by the Content
Centers funded through this program and other sources, the Regional
Centers must provide a program of technical assistance to States that
will enable them to, among other things--
1. Assess the improvement needs of districts and schools and assist
them in developing solutions to address those needs;
2. Build and sustain systemic support for district and school
improvement efforts to--(a) Close existing achievement gaps; and (b)
adopt proven practices to improve instruction and achievement outcomes
for students in schools identified as in need of improvement; and
3. Improve the tools and systems for school improvement and
accountability for achievement outcomes.
The Department intends to have substantial and sustained
involvement in the activities of the center to be funded under this
competition, including by shaping grantee priorities, activities, and
major products to meet the purposes of this program. The details and
parameters of the Department's expectations and involvement with each
center funded under this program will be included in the Department's
cooperative agreement with the grantee that receives an award for that
center.
Regional Advisory Committees: To help inform the Secretary's
priorities for the comprehensive centers, the Secretary (in accordance
with section 206 of the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002
(TA Act)) established 10 Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) charged
with conducting education needs assessments within the geographical
regions served by the current regional educational laboratories.
The RACs conducted their needs assessments during the period from
December 2004 to March 2005 and submitted their reports to the
Secretary on March 31, 2005. The full reports are available at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/newccp/index.html.
Applicants for the Regional Center for the Great Lakes West Region
are encouraged to consider the specific priorities and recommendations
contained in the RAC report for Wisconsin and Illinois when preparing
their applications.
Priorities: We are using these priorities in accordance with
section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act. These
absolute priorities are the same priorities established in the FY 2005
Comprehensive Centers competition for all centers and for Regional
Centers.
For the Regional Center--Great Lakes West Region award, under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet these
priorities.

Absolute Priorities

Priority 1--Focus on States: To meet this priority, applicants must
propose a plan of technical assistance specifically focused on helping
the two States in the Great Lakes West Region (Illinois and Wisconsin)
implement the provisions of NCLB applicable to those States, and
helping the States in the Great Lakes West region build the capacity to
help school districts and schools implement NCLB provisions and
programs.
To the extent that an applicant proposes to work with individual
school districts and schools, the applicant must propose a technical
assistance plan that proposes work with districts and schools only
where the effort: (a) Involves a high-leverage strategy (i.e., reaches
a large number or proportion of schools, teachers, and administrators
needing the assistance within the State); (b) responds to a need
identified by the State; and (c) is planned and coordinated with the
State.

Note: This priority does not support research, program
evaluation, or curriculum development. Thus, an applicant will not
satisfy this priority if it proposes a technical assistance plan
to--
a. Design or develop curricula or instructional materials for
use in classrooms or develop professional development programs where
proven models already exist; or
b. Conduct basic research or program evaluations on behalf of
States or districts.

Priority 2--Crosscutting Expertise. To meet this priority, an
applicant must demonstrate that proposed center staff have expertise on
several issues of crosscutting importance related to the delivery of
technical assistance in specific regions and content areas. These
issues are:
a. Proven strategies for addressing the needs of schools with
populations at risk of failure, especially children who have limited
proficiency in English, children with disabilities, and children from
economically disadvantaged families.
b. Effective uses of technology to improve instruction, and as an
efficient means of delivering technical assistance.
c. Implementing school improvement reforms within urban and rural
contexts.
Priority 3--Location of Regional Center. In order to meet the
requirement of this priority, the proposed Regional Center must be
located in and serve the Great Lakes West region defined by the
Department as the following States: Illinois and Wisconsin.
Priority 4--Regional Technical Assistance Activities. To meet this
priority, the work of the proposed

[[Page 59732]]

Regional Center must involve activities that address State technical
assistance needs by:
(a) Working closely with each State in its region on an ongoing
basis;
(b) Linking States with the resources of Content Centers,
Department staff, Regional Educational Laboratories, the What Works
Clearinghouse, and other entities that have, or may be able to, design
products and services tailored to State needs;
(c) Suggesting sources of appropriate service providers or
assistance for State activities that are not within the core mission of
the centers--including, for example, activities to address needs
related to curriculum development, designing school-level training
programs, or conducting basic research or impact evaluations;
(d) Assisting State efforts to build statewide systems of support
for districts and schools in need of improvement, partly by leveraging
the resources of Content Centers and other sources of scientifically
based education research and high-quality technical assistance on
behalf of State and district clients;
(e) Working to identify, broker, leverage, and deliver information,
resources, and services from the Content Centers and other sources that
focus on research-based knowledge of promising practices, including
assistance to States and districts on securing high-quality consultants
and experts to meet specific education needs;
(f) Convening, in partnership with Content Centers and others, as
appropriate, States and districts to receive training and information
on best practices and research-based improvement strategies;
(g) Providing guidance and training on implementation of
requirements under NCLB and other related Federal programs;
(h) Facilitating collaboration at the State level to align Federal,
State, district, and school improvement programs and help States
understand and use the flexibility provided by NCLB to target resources
and programs to address the greatest needs; and
(i) Helping Content Centers to identify, document, and disseminate
emerging promising practices by working with States to distill and
document the experiences of high-performing districts and schools.
Priority 5--Knowledge and Expertise. To satisfy this priority, the
proposed Regional Center must demonstrate in-depth knowledge of
regional and local issues, conditions, and needs, particularly as those
relate to the roles and responsibilities of States, districts, and
schools in implementing the provisions of NCLB and other related
Federal programs. In addition, the proposed Regional Center must have
expertise in comprehensive planning, needs assessment, and State,
district, and school improvement processes.
Priority 6--Coordination and Cooperation. To meet this priority,
the proposed Regional Center must create and maintain cooperative
working relationships with the States in the Great Lakes West region
and other technical assistance providers serving that region, including
the Regional Educational Laboratories, the Special Education Technical
Assistance Network, Parental Information and Resource Centers, Equity
Assistance Centers, the Reading First National Technical Assistance
Center, and other regional and State entities, including, for example,
regional service providers and postsecondary institutions.

Additional Requirements

1. Plan of Technical Assistance. All applicants under this
competition must submit as part of their application a 5-year plan of
technical assistance that describes the strategies and approaches the
applicant will use to carry out the activities of the proposed center
in a manner that addresses the statutory requirements of sections 203
through 207 of the TA Act, and the priorities and additional
requirements described in this notice.
2. Focus on Districts and Schools that are High-Need and Identified
as in Need of Improvement. Applicants must demonstrate how the proposed
plan of technical assistance will give priority to helping States,
districts, and schools build the capacity to develop and implement
programs targeted specifically to meet the educational needs of
students in school districts and schools with high percentages or
numbers of school-age children from low-income families, including such
school districts and schools in rural and urban areas; and schools in
the region that have been identified for school improvement under
section 1116(b) of the ESEA.
3. Focus on State/Regional Priorities. Applicants must tailor the
strategies and activities they propose to address to the educational
priorities and related technical assistance needs of States. The
applicant's proposed plan of technical assistance must reflect a
thorough understanding of the technical assistance needs and propose
strategies that specifically address those needs for the States the
Regional Center will serve, considering: (a) The educational goals and
priorities of States to be served, including major reform efforts
underway; (b) the current status of States in meeting the requirements
and goals of NCLB; (c) the types of technical assistance and related
strategies that would help States, districts, and schools implement the
programs and goals of NCLB and close existing achievement gaps in the
content areas; and (d) State and regional student demographics and
other contextual factors, such as urban and rural locality.
4. Allocation of Resources. Proposed technical assistance plans
must allocate resources to and within States and regions in a manner
that reflects the need for assistance, taking into account such factors
as the proportion of economically disadvantaged students, the increased
cost burden of service delivery in areas of sparse population, and any
special initiatives being undertaken by State, intermediate, and local
educational agencies, or schools funded under the jurisdiction of the
Bureau of Indian Affairs, which may require special assistance from the
center.
5. Coordination and Collaboration. Each applicant must describe in
its technical assistance plan how the proposed center will: (a)
Communicate regularly with the U.S. Department of Education, other
comprehensive centers, the Regional Educational Laboratories, State
educational agencies, and other technical assistance providers as
appropriate; and (b) plan and coordinate activities funded under this
competition with the activities of those other entities to leverage
available knowledge and resources and avoid duplicating efforts.
6. Advisory Board. Each application must propose, as part of its
technical assistance plan, establishing an advisory board to advise the
proposed comprehensive center on: (a) The activities of the center
relating to its allocation of resources to and within each State in a
manner that reflects the need for assistance in accordance with section
203(d) of Title II of the TA Act; (b) strategies for monitoring and
addressing the educational needs of the region, on an ongoing basis;
(c) maintaining a high standard of quality in the performance of the
center's activities; and (d) carrying out the center's duties in a
manner that promotes progress toward improving student academic
achievement.
The plan must (1) detail the composition of the board by name and
affiliation in accordance with the requirements described in section
203 of the TA Act and in the application instructions found in the
application package, and (2) include a letter of

[[Page 59733]]

commitment from each proposed board member. In the alternative to
submitting a plan that meets the requirements in (1) and (2) in the
previous sentence, an applicant may include, in its plan, a statement
of commitment that it will comply with section 203(g) of the TA Act as
well as a narrative statement of how the board will operate.
7. Evaluation Plan. Each applicant must provide, as part of its
technical assistance plan, a plan to assess: (a) The needs of the
States served by the comprehensive center on an ongoing basis, and (b)
the progress and performance of the center in meeting the educational
needs of its clients. The plan must identify the performance objectives
the project intends to achieve and performance measures for each
performance objective; explain the quantitative and qualitative methods
that will be used to collect, analyze, and report performance data; and
describe the methods that it uses to monitor progress and make mid-
course corrections, as appropriate.
8. Project Meetings. Applicants must budget for:
(a) The Project Director to attend a 2-day meeting in Washington,
DC at least once a year for each year of the project period.
(b) Key staff to attend the following:
(i) A 2-day post-award conference with Department officials in
Washington, DC, to be held within 45 days from the grant award date.
The purpose of this conference will be to:
Refine the grantee's technical assistance plan as
appropriate;
Review with the grantee the Department's intentions
regarding the role of the grantee's center;
Define how the grantee's center and the Department will
work together as partners to accomplish the purposes of the grant;
Establish lines of communication and feedback between
grantees and the Department;
Establish content for a cooperative agreement; and
(ii) A 1-day annual performance review with Department officials in
Washington DC beginning one year after the post-award conference and
each year of the grant thereafter.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities and other non-
statutory program requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of the General
Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1)), however, allows the
Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements, regulations governing
the first competition under a new program authority. The Comprehensive
Centers--Great Lakes West Regional Center is part of the first
competition for new Comprehensive Centers program under Title II of the
TA Act and, therefore, qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure
timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forego public comment
on the absolute priorities, selection criteria and non-statutory
requirements under section 437(d)(1). These absolute priorities,
selection criteria, and non-statutory requirements will apply to this
grant competition only.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9602-9606.

Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administration 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 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
Number of Awards: 1.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,243,322 for a start-up award of
approximately 6 months. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on
final congressional action on the Department's FY 2006 appropriations
bill.
Estimated Size of Award: $1,243,322. Funding for the Regional
Center for the Great Lakes West region was calculated by formula, based
equally on shares of population and poor children, ages 5-17 in the
States (including DC, Puerto Rico, and the Outlying Areas). The most
recent Department estimates for awards to the comprehensive centers,
including the Great Lakes West Regional Center, are provided at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/newccp/index.html

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

Project Period: Up to 57 months.
Budget Period: The first budget period will be approximately six
months. Budget periods 2 through 4 will be 12 months. Budget period 5
will be 15 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants
Research organizations, institutions, agencies, institutions of
higher education, or partnerships among such entities, or individuals,
with the demonstrated ability or capacity to carry out the activities
described in this notice. An application from a consortium of eligible
entities must include a consortium agreement. Letters of support do not
meet the requirement for a consortium agreement.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
This competition does not involve cost sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package
You may obtain an application package via the Internet or from the
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of
this notice. To obtain an application via the Internet, use the
following address: http://www.ed.gov/programs/newccp/index.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 a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the person listed under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of the application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
Page Limit: Applicants are strongly encouraged to limit their
application to 150 pages.
3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: October 13,
2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 28, 2005.
Applications for grants under this competition 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: December 27, 2005.

[[Page 59734]]

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 competition.
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 competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the
instructions in this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications. Applications for grants
under the Comprehensive Centers-- Great Lakes West Region Competition
CFDA Number 84.283B 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.
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.
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. You must attach any narrative sections
of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or
.PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than
the three file types specified above or submit a password protected
file, we will not review that material.
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 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 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 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 to enable you 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.
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: Enid Simmons, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E307,
Washington, DC 20202. FAX: (202) 250-5870.

[[Page 59735]]

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 an 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:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA Number 84.283B,
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260.
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.283B), 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 qualify for an exception to 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:
(CFDA Number 84.283B), 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 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: We will use the following selection criteria to
evaluate applications under this competition. The maximum score for
each criterion is indicated in parentheses with the criterion. The
maximum number of points an application may earn based on the selection
criteria is 100 points.

a. Need for the Center (10 Points)

In determining the need for the proposed center, the Secretary
considers the following:
(i) The extent to which the proposed plan of technical assistance
presents strategies that address the priority technical assistance
needs of States as evidenced by in-depth knowledge and understanding
of--
(A) The specific educational goals and priorities of the States to
be served by the center, including relevant major reform efforts
underway;
(B) The status of States in meeting the requirements of NCLB,
including the number and proportion of districts and schools in need of
improvement within each State, the number and proportion of students
not meeting State standards in reading and mathematics; and
(C) Applicable State and regional demographics and other contextual
factors and their relevance for the purposes, goals, and challenges for
implementing the provisions of NCLB.
(ii) The likelihood that activities of the proposed center will
result in products and services that are of high quality, high
relevance, and high usefulness to clients.

b. Significance (10 Points)

In determining the significance of the proposed center, the
Secretary considers the following:
(i) The extent to which the proposed technical assistance plan
presents an approach that will likely result in systems change or
improvement at the State or district levels.
(ii) The potential contribution of the center proposal to increase
knowledge or understanding of effective strategies.
(iii) The importance of outcomes likely to be attained by the
proposed center, especially improvements in teaching and student
achievement.

c. Quality of the Project Design (25 Points)

In determining the quality of the design of the proposed center,
the Secretary will consider the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the application proposes an exceptional
approach for carrying out the purposes and activities for the center
for which the applicant is applying.
(ii) The extent to which the application proposes high-leverage
approaches that focus assistance at the State level and on helping
States build capacity to support district and school improvement and
programs.
(iii) The extent to which the proposed technical assistance plan
reflects in-depth knowledge and understanding of NCLB, as well as
supporting regulations and guidance pertinent to carrying out the
purposes and activities of the center for which the applicant is
applying.
(iv) The extent to which the proposed technical assistance plan
reflects in-depth knowledge and understanding of available
scientifically valid, research-based and/or evidence-based practices to
improve student achievement and close achievement gaps and demonstrates
knowledge of and access to reliable sources for obtaining such
knowledge on an ongoing basis.
(v) The extent to which the proposed technical assistance plan
reflects in-depth knowledge and understanding of current scientifically
valid, research-based and/or evidence-based technical assistance
methods and practices.

d. Quality of Project Personnel and Adequacy of Grantee Resources (25
Points).

In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are members of

[[Page 59736]]

groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race,
color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.
In addition, the Secretary will consider the following factors
under this criterion:
(i) The extent to which the application presents evidence of
professional preparation and successful prior experience of the center
director and other key staff, including sub-grantees and key
consultants and partners that would indicate that each has the
knowledge, skills and ability to successfully carry out the
responsibilities they are assigned. For example, the extent to which
the application presents evidence of expertise and demonstrated
successful experience assisting States with comprehensive planning,
needs assessments and implementing school improvement programs and
processes, with a particular focus on improving outcomes for students
at risk of failure, including students from low-income families,
disabled students, students with limited proficiency in English, and
migrant students.
(ii) The extent to which proposed center staff have expertise using
technology to deliver technical assistance and implementing school
improvement reforms within urban and rural contexts.
(iii) The extent to which the applicant has demonstrated experience
providing technical assistance and professional development in reading,
mathematics, science and technology, especially in schools and
districts identified as in need of improvement.
(iv) The extent to which the applicant has prior relevant
experience operating a project of the scope required for the purposes
of the center being proposed.
(v) The extent to which the application proposes an advisory board
membership in accordance with the requirements of the TA Act and
includes reasonable assurance of their commitment to serve on the
board. The extent to which the resources and plans for the board's
operation are reasonable and cost-efficient.
(vi) The adequacy of resources for the proposed project, including
facilities and equipment, to successfully carry out the purposes and
activities of the proposed project.

e. Quality of the Management Plan (20 Points)

In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed
project, the Secretary will consider the following factors:
(i) The extent to which resources are allocated within the region
in a manner that reflects the need for assistance.
(ii) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the project on time and within budget, including clearly defined
responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project
tasks.
(iii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project
director and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate
to meet the objectives of the proposed project.
(iv) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback on
performance measures and continuous improvement in the operation of the
proposed project.
(v) The extent to which the application proposes exceptional,
innovative and workable approaches and plans to--
(A) Communicate on an ongoing basis with other comprehensive
centers, as appropriate, the Regional Educational Laboratories, the
client State educational agencies and other technical assistance
providers serving the region; and
(B) Coordinate the plans and activities funded by this grant with
the plans and activities of the State and other agencies, in order to
leverage resources, avoid duplications and otherwise maximize the
effectiveness of services; and make effective use of available
technologies to widely disseminate information about proven practices.

f. Quality of the Project Evaluation (10 Points)

In determining the quality of the evaluation plan, the Secretary
will consider the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the performance goals and objectives for
the project are clearly specified and measurable in terms of the
project activities to be accomplished and their stated outcomes for
clients.
(ii) The extent to which the methods for monitoring performance and
evaluating the effectiveness of project strategies in terms of outcomes
for clients are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals,
objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project.
(iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
continuous performance feedback and permit the continuous assessment of
progress toward achieving intended outcomes.
(iv) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a strong
capacity to provide reliable data on performance measures.

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 will 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, 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: To evaluate the overall success of the
Comprehensive Centers program, beginning in FY 2006, the Department
will use three performance measures to assess the quality, relevance,
and usefulness of center activities funded under this competition.
These new measures, adapted from a set of common measures developed to
help assess performance across the Department's technical assistance
programs, are: (1) The percentage of technical assistance services that
are deemed to be of high quality by an independent review panel of
expert stakeholders; (2) the percentage of technical assistance
services that are deemed to be of high relevance to educational policy
or practice by an independent review panel of qualified practitioners;
and (3) the percentage of technical assistance services that are deemed
to be of high usefulness to educational policy or practice by target
audiences.
All grantees, including the Great Lakes West Regional Center, will
be expected to submit, as part of their performance report,
quantitative data documenting their progress with regard to these
performance measures. The Department will provide information to

[[Page 59737]]

grantees about the independent panels conducting the review, the review
process, and the definitions and criteria that will be used to evaluate
the quality, relevance and usefulness of technical assistance services.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Enid Simmons, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E307, Washington, DC 20202-
6335. Telephone: (202) 401-0039 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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.

Dated: October 7, 2005.
Henry Johnson,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 05-20566 Filed 10-12-05; 8:45 pm]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P