[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 18, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2916-2922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-446]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview 
Information; Early Reading First Program; Notice Inviting Applications 
for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.359A/B.

    Dates: Applications Available: January 20, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Pre-Applications: February 20, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Full Applications: May 8, 2006.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 7, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: Under this competition, eligible applicants 
are (a) one or more local educational agencies (LEAs) that are eligible 
to receive a subgrant under the Reading First program (title I, part B, 
subpart 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (ESEA)); (b) one or more public or private organizations or 
agencies (including faith-based organizations) located in a community 
served by an eligible LEA; or (c) one or more eligible LEAs, applying 
in collaboration with one or more eligible organizations or agencies. 
To qualify under paragraph (b) of this definition, the organization's 
or agency's application must be on behalf of one or more programs that 
serve preschool-age children (such as a Head Start program, a child 
care program, or a family literacy program such as Even Start, or a lab 
school at a university), unless the organization or agency itself 
operates a preschool program.
    Estimated Available Funds: $102,087,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $1,500,000-$4,500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $3,000,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 23-68.

    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 local efforts to enhance 
the oral language, cognitive, and early reading skills of preschool-age 
children, especially those from low-income families, through 
strategies, materials, and professional development that are grounded 
in scientifically based reading research.
    The specific activities for which recipients must use grant funds 
are identified in the program statute, which is included in the 
application package.

[[Page 2917]]

    Priorities: This competition includes three invitational priorities 
and one competitive preference priority that are as follows.
    Under this competition, we are particularly interested in 
applications that address the following invitational 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--Intensity

    The Secretary is especially interested in preschool programs that 
operate full-time, full-year early childhood educational programs, at a 
minimum of 6.5 hours per day, 5 days per week, 46 weeks per year, and 
that serve children for the two consecutive years prior to their entry 
into kindergarten.
    Scientifically based research on increasing the effectiveness of 
early childhood education programs serving children from low-income 
families tells us that children attending programs that have a greater 
intensity of service make higher and more persistent gains in the 
language and cognitive domains than children who attend early childhood 
programs that have lesser intensity of service. In other words, 
children who spend more time in high-quality early childhood education 
programs learn more than children who spend less time in those 
programs. The purpose of Invitational Priority 1 is to encourage 
preschool programs supported with Early Reading First funds to provide 
services that are of a sufficient duration and intensity to maximize 
language and early literacy gains for children enrolled in those 
programs.

Invitational Priority 2--Children From Low-Income Families

    The Secretary is especially interested in projects in which, in all 
preschool centers supported by the Early Reading First funds, at least 
75 percent of the children enrolled in the preschool qualify to receive 
free or reduced priced lunches or at least 75 percent of the children 
enrolled in the elementary school in the school attendance area in 
which that center is located qualify to receive free or reduced priced 
lunches.
    One of the statutory purposes of the Early Reading First program is 
to enhance the early language, literacy, and early reading development 
of preschool-age children, particularly those from low-income families. 
This invitational priority is intended to increase the likelihood that 
preschool programs supported with Early Reading First funds serve 
children primarily from low-income families.

Invitational Priority 3--English Language Acquisition Plan

    The Secretary is especially interested, for applicants serving 
children with limited English proficiency, in applications that include 
a specific plan for the development of English language proficiency for 
these children from the start of their preschool experience. The Early 
Reading First program is designed to prepare children to enter 
kindergarten with the necessary cognitive, early language, and literacy 
skills for success in school. School success often is dependent on each 
child entering kindergarten being as proficient as possible in English 
so that the child is ready to benefit from formal reading instruction 
in English when the child starts school.
    The English language acquisition plan should, at a minimum: (1) 
Include a description of the approach for the development of language, 
based on the linguistic factors or skills that serve as the foundation 
for a strong language base, which is a necessary precursor for success 
in the development of pre-literacy and literacy skills for children 
with limited English proficiency; (2) explain the instructional 
strategies, based on best available valid and reliable research, that 
the applicant will use to address English language acquisition in a 
multi-lingual classroom; (3) describe how the project will facilitate 
the children's transition to English proficiency by means such as the 
use of environmental print in appropriate multiple languages and hiring 
bilingual teachers, paraprofessionals, or translators to work in the 
preschool classroom; (4) include intensive professional development for 
instructors and paraprofessionals on the development of English 
language proficiency; and (5) include a timeline that describes 
benchmarks for the introduction of the development of English language 
proficiency and the use of measurement tools.
    Ideally, at least one instructional staff member in each Early 
Reading First classroom should be dual-language proficient both in a 
child's first language and in English to facilitate the child's 
understanding of instruction and transition to English proficiency. At 
a minimum, each classroom should include a teacher who is proficient in 
English.
    Competitive Preference Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 
75.105(b)(2)(ii), this priority is from Sec.  75.225 of the Education 
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), which apply to 
this program (34 CFR 75.225).

Competitive Preference Priority--Novice Applicant

    For FY 2006 this priority is a competitive preference priority. 
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional five (5) points to 
a pre-application and an additional five (5) points to a full 
application meeting this competitive preference priority.
    This priority is:

Novice Applicant

    The applicant must be a ``novice applicant'' as defined in 34 CFR 
75.225.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6371-6376.
    Applicable Regulations: EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99 as applicable.

    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: Discretionary grant.
    Estimated Available Funds: $102,087,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $1,500,000-$4,500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $3,000,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 23-68.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    Under this competition, eligible applicants are (a) one or more 
LEAs that are eligible to receive a subgrant under the Reading First 
program (title I, part B, subpart 1, ESEA); (b) one or more public or 
private organizations or agencies (including faith-based organizations) 
located in a community served by an eligible LEA; or (c) one or more 
eligible LEAs, applying in collaboration with one or more eligible 
organizations or agencies. To qualify under paragraph (b) of this 
definition, the organization's or agency's application must be on 
behalf of one or more programs that serve preschool-age children (such 
as a Head Start program, a child care program, or a family literacy 
program such as Even Start, or a lab school at a university), unless 
the organization or agency itself operates a preschool program.

[[Page 2918]]

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

    This program 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 
Education Publications Center (ED Pubs). To obtain an application via 
the Internet, use the following Web address: http://www.ed.gov/programs/earlyreading/applicant.html.
    To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write or call Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll 
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 
1-877-576-7734.
    You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: 
[email protected].
    If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to 
identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.359A/B.
    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 section VII of this notice.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

    Requirements concerning the content of the pre-application and the 
full application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the 
application package for this competition. All applicants must apply in 
the pre-application phase; applicants must be invited to submit a full 
application.
    Page Limits: The pre-application narrative and the full application 
narrative for this program (Part II of the pre- and full applications) 
are where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your pre- and full applications. You must 
limit Part II of the pre-application to the equivalent of no more than 
ten (10) pages and Part II of the full application to the equivalent of 
no more than thirty-five (35) pages.
    Part III of the pre-application is where you, the applicant, 
provide the Appendices. Pre-application Appendices are limited to the 
following: A list and a brief description of the existing preschool 
programs that the proposed Early Reading First project would support; a 
language acquisition plan, if applicable; and endnote citations for 
research cited specifically in the pre-application narrative. You must 
limit the list and the brief description of the existing preschool 
programs to the equivalent of no more than five (5) pages. You must 
limit any English language acquisition plan to the equivalent of no 
more than two (2) pages for the pre-application. No page limit applies 
to the pre-application endnote citations.
    Part III of the full application is where you, the applicant, 
provide a budget narrative that reviewers use to evaluate your full 
application. You must limit the budget narrative in Part III of the 
full application to the equivalent of no more than five (5) pages.
    Part IV of the full application is where you, the applicant, 
provide the Appendices. Full application Appendices are limited to the 
following: A list and a brief description of the existing preschool 
programs that the proposed Early Reading First project would support; 
an English language acquisition plan, if applicable; position 
descriptions (and resumes or curriculum vitae if available) for up to 
five (5) key personnel; endnote citations for research cited 
specifically in the full application narrative; and documentation 
demonstrating the stakeholder support for the project. You must limit 
the list and the brief description of the existing preschool programs 
to the equivalent of no more than five (5) pages. You must limit each 
resume or curriculum vitae to the equivalent of no more than three (3) 
pages each, and limit the documentation demonstrating stakeholder 
support for the project to the equivalent of no more than five (5) 
pages. You must limit any English language acquisition plan to the 
equivalent of no more than five (5) pages for the full application.
    For all page limits, use 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 and budget narratives, including titles, 
headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions included in 
the body of the narrative.
     Text in endnotes, charts, tables, figures, and graphs may 
be single-spaced.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch), including text in endnotes, 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
    For the full application, the page limits do not apply to the 
budget form (ED Form 524) in Part III, or to the assurances and 
certifications, position descriptions, and endnotes in Part IV.
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your pre-application or 
full application that--
     Exceed the page limit if you apply these standards; or
     Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other 
standards.

3. Submission Dates and Times

    Applications Available: January 20, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Pre-Applications: February 20, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Full Applications: May 8, 2006.
    Pre- and full applications for grants under this competition must 
be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site 
(Grants.gov). 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: July 7, 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 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

    Pre- and full 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
    Pre- and full applications for grants under the Early Reading First 
program-CFDA Number 84.359A (pre-application) and CFDA Number 84.359B 
(full application) must be submitted electronically using the 
Grants.gov Apply site at: http://www.grants.gov

[[Page 2919]]

Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the 
application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit 
your pre- or full application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of 
a grant application to us.
    We will reject your pre- or full 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 pre- or full 
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 pre- or full 
application deadline date is provided later in this section under 
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Early 
Reading First 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:
     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 pre- and full applications 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 pre- or full 
application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, 
we will not consider your pre- or full application if it is date/time 
stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the pre- or full application deadline date. When we retrieve 
your pre- or full application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we 
are rejecting your pre- or full application because it was date/time 
stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the pre- or full 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 pre- or full 
application deadline date to begin the submission 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 pre- and any full 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 pre- or full application via Grants.gov, 
you must complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration 
process (see http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted). These steps include (1) 
registering your organization, (2) registering yourself as an 
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting 
authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on these steps are 
outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/assets/GrantsgovCoBrandBrochure8X11.pdf). You also must 
provide on your pre- and full applications the same D-U-N-S Number used 
with this registration. Please note that the registration process may 
take five or more business days to complete, and you must have 
completed all registration steps to allow you to successfully submit a 
pre- or full application via Grants.gov.
     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 
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. You 
must attach any narrative sections of your pre- and full applications 
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 pre- and full applications must comply 
with any page limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your pre- or full 
application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment from 
Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. The Department 
will retrieve your pre- or full 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 pre- or full 
application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are prevented from electronically 
submitting your pre- or full application on the pre- or full 
application deadline dates 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 pre- or full application electronically, or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your pre- and full applications by 
following the mailing instructions as described elsewhere in this 
notice. If you submit a pre- or full 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 pre- or full 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 pre- or full 
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the pre- or full 
application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a 
determination is made on whether your pre- or full 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 pre- or full application to Grants.gov before the 
deadline date and time or if the technical problem you experienced 
is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
pre- or full application in paper format, if you are unable to submit a 
pre- or full application through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system; and
     No later than two weeks before the pre- or full 
application deadline date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth 
calendar day before the pre- or full

[[Page 2920]]

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 pre- or full 
application. If you mail your written statement to the Department, it 
must be postmarked no later than two weeks before the pre- or full 
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 pre- or full application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Jill Stewart, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3C136, 
Washington, DC 20202-6132. Telephone: (202) 260-2533; FAX number (202) 
260-7764 or Rebecca Haynes, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., room 3C138, Washington, DC 20202-6132. Telephone: (202) 
260-0968; FAX number (202) 260-7764.
    Your paper pre- or full 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 pre- or full application to the Department. 
You must mail the original and two copies of your pre- or full 
application, on or before the pre- or full 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 84.359A/B), 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 84.359A/B), 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 pre- or full 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 pre- or full application is postmarked after the pre- or 
full application deadline date, we will not consider your pre- or full 
application.

    Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your 
local post office.

c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper pre- or 
full application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the 
original and two copies of your pre- or full application by hand, on or 
before the pre- or full application deadline date, to the Department at 
the following address:

    U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, 
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.359A/B), 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 pre- or full 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 pre- or full 
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 
pre- or full application deadline date, you should call the U.S. 
Department of Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria

    This program has separate selection criteria for pre-applications 
and full applications.
A. Pre-Applications
    The following selection criterion for pre-applications is from 34 
CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. Additional information about this selection 
criterion is in the application package. The maximum score for the pre-
application selection criterion is 100 points.
    (i) Quality of the project design (0-100 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:
    (a) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects 
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (34 CFR 
75.210(c)(2)(xiii))
    (b) The extent to which the proposed project represents an 
exceptional approach for meeting statutory purposes and requirements. 
(34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(xiv))
    (c) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated 
with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community, 
State, and Federal resources. (34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(xvi))
B. Full Application
    The following selection criteria for full applications are from 
Sec.  75.210 of EDGAR (34 CFR 75.210). Additional information about 
each of these selection criteria is in the application package. The 
maximum score for each criterion is indicated after the title of the 
criterion. The maximum score for the full application selection 
criteria is 100 points.
    (i) Quality of the project design (0-60 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:
    (a) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects 
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (34 CFR 
75.210(c)(2)(xiii))
    (b) The extent to which the proposed project represents an 
exceptional approach for meeting statutory purposes and requirements. 
(34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(xiv))
    (c) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated 
with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community, 
State, and Federal resources. (34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(xvi))
    (ii) Quality of project personnel (0-10 points)
    The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry 
out the

[[Page 2921]]

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. (34 CFR 75.210(e)(1), (2))
    In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (a) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator. (34 CFR 
75.210(e)(3)(i))
    (b) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel. (34 CFR 75.210(e)(3)(ii))
    (c) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of project consultants or subcontractors. (34 CFR 75.210(e)(3)(iii))
    (iii) Adequacy of resources (0-5 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:
    (a) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in 
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project. 
(34 CFR 75.210(f)(2)(ii))
    (b) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. 
(34 CFR 75.210(f)(2)(iv))
    (iv) Quality of the management plan (0-15 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:
    (a) 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. (34 CFR 75.210(g)(2)(i))
    (b) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (34 CFR 
75.210(g)(2)(ii))
    (c) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project. (34 CFR 75.210(g)(2)(iv))
    (v) Quality of the project evaluation (0-10 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:
    (a) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project. (34 CFR 75.210(h)(2)(i))
    (b) 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. (34 CFR 75.210(h)(2)(iv))

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

    If your pre-application is successful, we notify you in writing and 
post the list of successful applicants on the Early Reading First Web 
site at http://www.ed.gov/programs/earlyreading/awards.html. If your 
full 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 pre-application is not evaluated, or following the 
submission of your pre-application you are not invited to submit a full 
application, we notify you. If your full 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. Early Reading First grantees also are required to meet the 
annual reporting requirements outlined in section 1225 of the ESEA. For 
specific requirements on grantee reporting, please go to: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

4. Performance Measures

    Under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the 
Secretary has established the following two measures for evaluating the 
overall effectiveness of the Early Reading First program: (1) The 
percentage of preschool-age children participating in Early Reading 
First programs who achieve significant gains on oral language skills as 
measured by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III, Receptive; and (2) 
the average number of letters that preschool-age children are able to 
identify as measured by the Upper Case Alphabet Knowledge subtask on 
the PALS Pre-K assessment.
    We will expect all grantees to document their success in addressing 
these performance measures in the annual performance report described 
in section VI.3. of this notice.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Stewart, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3C136, Washington, DC 20202-
6132. Telephone: (202) 260-2533 or by e-mail: [email protected] or 
Rebecca Haynes, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
room 3C138, Washington, DC 20202-6132. Telephone: (202) 260-0968 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-

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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: January 12, 2006.
Henry L. Johnson,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 06-446 Filed 1-12-06; 2:47 pm]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P