[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72791-72795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-7011]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and 
Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students; Overview 
Information; Native American and Alaska Native Children in School 
Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 
(FY) 2006

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.365C.
    Dates: Applications Available: December 5, 2005.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: December 30, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 18, 2006.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 18, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: The following entities, when they operate 
elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools primarily for Native 
American children (including Alaska Native children), are eligible 
applicants under this program: Indian tribes; tribally sanctioned 
educational authorities; Native Hawaiian or Native American Pacific 
Islander native language educational organizations; elementary schools 
or secondary schools that are operated or funded by the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs (BIA), or a consortium of such schools; elementary 
schools or secondary schools operated under a contract with or grant 
from the BIA in consortium with another such school or a tribal or 
community organization; and elementary schools or secondary schools 
operated by the BIA and an institution of higher education (IHE), in 
consortium with elementary schools or secondary schools operated under 
a contract with or a grant from the BIA or a tribal or community 
organization.


    Note: Any eligible entity that receives Federal financial 
assistance under this program is not eligible to receive a subgrant 
under section 3114 of Title III of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind 
Act of 2001 (Pub. L. 107-110)(NCLB).



[[Page 72792]]


    Note: Eligible applicants seeking to apply as a consortium 
should read and follow the regulations in 34 CFR 75.127 through 
75.129.


    Estimated Available Funds: $4,950,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$175,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $150,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 33.


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


    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to provide 
grants for eligible entities to develop high levels of academic 
attainment in English among limited English proficient (LEP) children, 
and to promote parental and community participation in language 
instruction educational programs.
    Priorities: Under this competition we are particularly interested 
in applications that address the following priorities.
    Invitational Priorities: For FY 2006 these priorities are 
invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an 
application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or 
absolute preference over other applications.
    These priorities are:
    Invitational Priority 1. Applications that propose to prepare 
teachers to more effectively involve parents and community groups in 
school improvement.
    Invitational Priority 2. Applications that propose instructional 
services at the secondary school level that are designed to reduce the 
high school drop-out rate of LEP students.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6821(c)(1)(A)-6822.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 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 IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $4,950,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$175,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $150,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 33.


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


    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: The following entities, when they operate 
elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools primarily for Native 
American children (including Alaska Native children), are eligible 
applicants under this program: Indian tribes; tribally sanctioned 
educational authorities; Native Hawaiian or Native American Pacific 
Islander native language educational organizations; elementary schools 
or secondary schools that are operated or funded by the BIA, or a 
consortium of such schools; elementary schools or secondary schools 
operated under a contract with or grant from the BIA in consortium with 
another such school or a tribal or community organization; and 
elementary schools or secondary schools operated by the BIA and an IHE, 
in consortium with elementary schools or secondary schools operated 
under a contract with or a grant from the BIA or a tribal or community 
organization.


    Note: Any eligible entity that receives Federal financial 
assistance under this program is not eligible to receive a subgrant 
under section 3114 of Title III of the ESEA, as amended by NCLB.


    Note: Eligible applicants applying as a consortium should read 
and follow the regulations in 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129.


    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: Patrice Swann, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, 
room 10070, Washington, DC 20202-6510. Telephone: (202) 245-7130, 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: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: If you intend to apply for a grant under 
this competition, contact Patrice Swann: Telephone: (202) 245-7130 or 
by e-mail: [email protected].


    Note: We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. However, we will consider an 
application submitted by the deadline date for transmittal of 
applications, even if the applicant did not provide us notice of its 
intent to apply. 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. You must 
limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than 35 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 or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract. 
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    We will reject your application if--
     You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: December 5, 
2005.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: December 30, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 18, 2006.
    Applications for grants under this program may be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Web site (Grants.gov), 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.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 18, 2006.
    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

[[Page 72793]]

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 may be submitted electronically or in paper format by 
mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications. We have been accepting 
applications electronically through the Department's e-Application 
system since FY 2000. In order to expand on those efforts and comply 
with the President's Management Agenda, we are continuing to 
participate as a partner in the new government wide Grants.gov Apply 
site in FY 2006. The Native American and Alaska Native Children in 
School Program-CFDA Number 84.365C is one of the programs included in 
this project. We request your participation in Grants.gov.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through this 
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, 
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You 
may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    You may access the electronic grant application for The Native 
American and Alaska Native Children in School Program at: http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application 
package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA 
number's alpha suffix in your search.
    Please note the following:
     Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application 
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we 
retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are 
rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the 
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf
     To submit your application through Grants.gov, you must 
complete the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.Grants.gov/GetStarted) and provide on your application the same D-
U-N-S number used with the registration. Please note that the 
registration process may take five or more business days to complete.
     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 may submit all documents electronically, including all 
information typically included on the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 
524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. If you choose to 
submit your application electronically, 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.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your 
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying 
number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
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 of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an 
application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, 
please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an explanation of the 
technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your 
application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with 
the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to 
submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a 
determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.


    Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the 
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system. 
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register 
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date 
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to 
the Grants.gov system.


    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 
84.365C), 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 
84.365C), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.

[[Page 72794]]

    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 84.365C), 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 Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (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: The selection criteria for this competition are 
from 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR and section 3115 of the ESEA, as amended by 
NCLB. The maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points. The 
maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses.
    (a) Project activities. (15 points) The Secretary reviews each 
application to determine how well the applicant proposes to carry out 
activities that will--
    (1) Increase the English language proficiency of LEP children by 
providing high-quality language instruction educational programs that 
are based on scientifically based research demonstrating the 
effectiveness of the programs in increasing English proficiency and 
student academic achievement in core academic subjects;
    (2) Provide high-quality professional development to classroom 
teachers (including teachers in classroom settings of language 
instruction educational programs), principals, administrators, and 
other school or community-based organizational personnel, that is--
    (i) Designed to improve the quality of instruction to and 
assessment of LEP children;
    (ii) Designed to enhance the ability of such teachers to understand 
and use curricula, assessment measures, and instructional strategies 
for LEP children; and
    (iii) Based on scientifically based research demonstrating the 
effectiveness of the professional development in substantially 
increasing these teachers' subject matter knowledge, teaching 
knowledge, and teaching skills.
    (b) Need for project. (10 points) The Secretary considers the need 
for the proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the 
proposed project.
    (2) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or 
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project will provide services 
or otherwise address the needs of students at risk of educational 
failure.
    (c) Significance. (5 points) The Secretary considers the 
significance of the proposed project. In determining the significance 
of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the importance or 
magnitude of the results or outcomes likely to be attained by the 
proposed project, especially improvements in teaching and student 
achievement.
    (d) Quality of the project design. (15 points) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In 
determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (2) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs.
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build 
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of 
Federal financial assistance.
    (4) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects 
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
    (5) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a 
comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and to support 
rigorous academic standards for students.
    (6) The quality of the proposed demonstration design and procedures 
for documenting project activities and results.
    (7) The extent to which the proposed project encourages parental 
involvement.
    (8) The quality of the methodology to be employed in the proposed 
project.
    (e) Quality of project personnel. (10 Points) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed 
project. 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 groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director.
    (2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel.
    (3) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of project consultants or subcontractors.
    (f) Adequacy of resources. (10 points) The Secretary considers the 
adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the 
adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers 
the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project.

[[Page 72795]]

    (2) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.
    (3) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and 
benefits.
    (g) Quality of the management plan. (15 points) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. 
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives 
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks.
    (2) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate 
to meet the objectives of the proposed project.
    (3) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project.
    (h) Quality of the project evaluation. (20 points) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project.
    (2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible.
    (3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for 
examining the effectiveness of project implementation strategies.
    (4) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
timely guidance for quality assurance.
    (5) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: 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: The performance measures for the Native 
American and Alaska Native Children in School Program are:
    (1) The percentage of limited English proficiency (LEP) students in 
the program who make gains in English.
    (2) The percentage of LEP students in the program who make gains in 
core academic subjects.
    Grantees will be expected to report on progress in meeting these 
performance measures for the Native American and Alaska Native Children 
in School Program in their Annual Performance Report and in their Final 
Performance Report.

VII. Agency Contact

For Further Information Contact:  Trini Torres, 400 Maryland Avenue, 
SW., Potomac Center Plaza, room 1082, Washington, DC 20202-6510. 
Telephone: (202) 245-7134, 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: November 30, 2005.
Kathleen Leos,
Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director, Office of English Language 
Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited 
English Proficient Students.
 [FR Doc. E5-7011 Filed 12-6-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P