[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4442-4449]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-763]



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Part III





Department of Education





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Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Transition 
to Teaching Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards 
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2006 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; 
Transition to Teaching Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for 
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.350A, 
84.350B, and 84.350C.

    Dates: Applications Available: January 27, 2006. Deadline for 
Notice of Intent to Apply: February 21, 2006. Deadline for Transmittal 
of Applications: March 20, 2006. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: 
May 19, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: A State educational agency (SEA); a high-need 
local educational agency (LEA); a for-profit or nonprofit organization 
that has a proven record of effectively recruiting and retaining highly 
qualified teachers, in a partnership with a high-need LEA or an SEA; an 
institution of higher education (IHE), in a partnership with a high-
need LEA or an SEA; a regional consortium of SEAs; or a consortium of 
high-need LEAs. For further information on whether an LEA qualifies as 
a ``high-need LEA,'' see section III. 1. Eligible Applicants in this 
notice.
    Estimated Available Funds: $5-6 million. The Department has 
established separate funding categories for projects of different 
scope. These categories are:
    (1) National/regional projects (84.350C) that serve eligible high-
need LEAs in more than one State;
    (2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that serve eligible high-need LEAs 
statewide or eligible high-need LEAs in more than one area of a State; 
and
    (3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve one eligible high-need LEA 
or two or more eligible high-need LEAs in a single area of a State.
    Estimated Range of Awards: National/regional projects--$300,000-
$1,000,000 per year; Statewide projects--$150,000-$600,000 per year; 
and Local projects--$100,000-$400,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: National/regional projects--
$750,000 per year; Statewide projects--$375,000 per year; and Local 
projects--$225,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: National/regional projects--2; 
Statewide projects--5; and Local projects--10.

    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 Transition to Teaching program encourages 
(1) the development and expansion of alternative routes to full State 
teacher certification, as well as (2) the recruitment and retention of 
highly qualified mid-career professionals, recent college graduates who 
have not majored in education, and highly qualified paraprofessionals 
as teachers in high-need schools operated by high-need LEAs, including 
charter schools that operate as high-need LEAs.
    Priorities: The Department has established three competitive 
preference priorities and one invitational priority that are explained 
in the following paragraphs. One competitive preference priority is 
from the statute for this program and the other two competitive 
preference priorities are from the notice of final priorities and 
requirements for this program, published in the Federal Register on 
April 30, 2004 (69 FR 24002, 24005)(NFP).
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2006, these priorities 
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we 
award 5 additional points to an application that meets Competitive 
Preference Priority 1, and up to an additional 20 points to an 
application, depending on how well the application meets either 
Competitive Preference Priority 2 or 3. These points are in addition to 
any points the application earns under the program's selection 
criteria.
    These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Partnerships or Consortia That 
Include a High-Need LEA or a High-Need SEA

    In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from 
section 2313(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
as amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 6683(c)). This priority supports projects 
that are designed and implemented in active partnerships or consortia 
that include at least one high-need LEA or high-need SEA.

Competitive Preference Priority 2--State Projects To Create or Expand, 
and Then Implement, Alternative Pathways to Teacher Certification

    This priority is from the NFP (69 FR 24002, 20005). This priority 
supports projects designed and implemented by an SEA or a consortium of 
SEAs and the respective teacher certification agency of each State (if 
different from the SEA) to create or expand, and then implement, 
alternative pathways to certification. The project period is up to five 
years. Grantees will need to conduct both of the following activities:
    (a) Create alternatives to the State's traditional certification 
requirements. In conducting this activity, States are encouraged to 
develop a variety of alternative pathways to certification as important 
options in their menu of State-approved procedures for teacher 
certification and licensure. For example, competency-based alternative 
routes would permit talented individuals interested in teaching to 
become fully certified through rigorous assessments of their content 
and professional teaching competence, thereby enabling LEAs to recruit 
from a larger and more talented pool of prospective teachers.
    (b) Use the alternative routes to recruit individuals from groups 
eligible to participate in the Transition to Teaching program. Funded 
projects also would, among other things, need to work with 
participating high-need LEAs to--
    (1) Increase the number and quality of mid-career changers, recent 
college graduates who have not majored in education, and qualified 
paraprofessionals recruited to teach high-need subjects (such as 
mathematics, science, and special education) in identified high-need 
LEAs (which may include LEAs that are charter schools), particularly 
those in urban and rural areas; and
    (2) Provide these newly hired teachers with the support they need 
to become certified and effective teachers who will choose to make 
teaching their new long-term profession.
    In particular, SEAs receiving project funds must--
    (i) Target recruitment efforts on, and rigorously screen, 
candidates in areas where participating high-need LEAs have documented 
teacher shortages (e.g., mathematics, science, and special education);
    (ii) Place prospective teachers only in high-need schools operated 
by high-need LEAs;
    (iii) Prepare individuals for specific positions in specific LEAs 
and place them in these positions early in the training process;
    (iv) Ensure that recruited teachers receive the specific training 
they need to become fully certified or licensed teachers; and
    (v) Have recruited teachers participate in a well-supervised 
induction period that may include the support of experienced, trained 
mentors.


    Note: Applicants that choose to respond to Competitive 
Preference Priority 2 may do so however they choose. Those who 
respond to this priority may want to consider addressing such key 
factors as: (1) The data and other information the State has used to 
assess how and the extent to which current State certification 
requirements inhibit talented individuals from entering teaching; 
(2) the

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level of commitment of State leaders and policymakers to developing 
new or enhanced alternative certification requirements; (3) the 
State's statutory and regulatory authority to implement alternative 
pathways to certification; (4) how the SEA and other participating 
State agencies will actively involve all stakeholders with 
responsibility or authority for teacher preparation, hiring, and 
retention; and (5) a timeline for major actions that the SEA and 
other participating State agencies intend to implement to develop 
new or improved alternative pathways to teacher certification.

Competitive Preference Priority 3--District Projects to Streamline 
Teacher Hiring Systems, Timelines, and Processes

    This priority is from the NFP (69 FR 24002, 20005). The priority 
supports projects by one or more LEAs to streamline their hiring 
systems, timelines, and processes. The project period is up to five 
years. A participating high-need LEA will need to conduct both of the 
following activities:
    (a) Examine its current hiring system, processes, and policies to 
identify the critical barriers to hiring highly qualified teachers. The 
lack of highly qualified teachers in most urban and rural LEAs has 
often been attributed to their difficulty in recruiting interested and 
qualified individuals. However, recent research indicates that the 
problem may not be one of recruitment but may stem from inefficient and 
untimely LEA hiring systems and processes. This is especially true in 
high-poverty LEAs and schools--the very LEAs and schools the Transition 
to Teaching program is targeted to serve. Accordingly, each 
participating LEA will need to examine its current hiring processes and 
policies and, based upon that examination, identify the critical 
barriers to hiring highly qualified teachers.
    (b) Design and implement efforts to remove the identified barriers 
and put in place systems that streamline and revamp the hiring process. 
In conducting this activity, LEAs are encouraged to create an efficient 
and timely applicant hiring process with a strong data tracking system 
and clear hiring goals. These efforts also should involve negotiating 
policy reforms that remove critical barriers, such as delayed 
notification of vacancies and seniority and retirement rules.
    Participating LEAs also will carry out the requirements of the 
Transition to Teaching program by recruiting nontraditional candidates, 
using the streamlined hiring system to hire these individuals for 
teaching in high-need schools, working with them to achieve full State 
certification, and retaining them for at least three years.


    Note: Applicants that choose to respond to Competitive 
Preference Priority 3 may do so however they choose. Those that 
respond to this priority may want to consider addressing such key 
factors as: (1) The existing barriers to early notification and 
hiring of new teachers; (2) the active engagement of LEA officials, 
teacher unions, and other stakeholders in developing a plan to 
remove existing barriers and implementing changes; (3) the actions 
each participating LEA intends to undertake to implement policies 
and systems for early notification and hiring of new teachers; and 
(4) a timeline for major action steps that each participating LEA 
intends to implement to develop the new hiring policies and systems.


    Under this competition, we are particularly interested in 
applications that address the following priority. Invitational 
Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an invitational priority. Under 
34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets this 
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other 
applications.
    This priority is:

Invitational Priority--Recruitment and Retention of Teachers of 
Mathematics or Science at the High School Level

    This priority supports projects that focus on the recruitment, 
preparation, placement, support, and retention of mid-career 
professionals, including highly qualified paraprofessionals, and recent 
college graduates who did not major in education to serve as 
mathematics or science teachers in high schools that are high-need 
schools in high-need LEAs.


    Note: Applicants are encouraged to identify high-need high 
schools in high-need LEAs with a shortage of mathematics or science 
teachers, and recruit qualified individuals as teachers for these 
schools. In addition, applicants are encouraged to address how their 
efforts to recruit and retain mathematics and science teachers 
through the Transition to Teaching program can support other reform 
efforts in the high-need schools and districts to improve the 
quality of instruction in mathematics, science, and high schools in 
general.


    Note: The NFP includes definitions for terms used in these 
priorities, including ``highly qualified paraprofessional,'' ``high-
need subject,'' and ``high-need SEA.''


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6681-6684.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99. (b) The notice of final priorities 
and requirements for this program published in the Federal Register on 
April 30, 2004 (69 FR 24002).


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $5-6 million. The Department has 
established separate funding categories for projects of a different 
scope. These categories are:
    (1) National/regional projects (84.350C) that serve eligible high-
need LEAs in more than one State;
    (2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that serve eligible high-need LEAs 
statewide or eligible high-need LEAs in more than one area of a State; 
and
    (3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve one eligible high-need LEA 
or two or more eligible high-need LEAs in a single area of a State.
    Estimated Range of Awards: National/regional projects--$300,000-
$1,000,000 per year; Statewide projects--$150,000-$600,000 per year; 
and Local projects--$100,000-$400,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: National/regional projects--
$750,000 per year; Statewide projects--$375,000 per year; and Local 
projects--$225,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: National/regional projects--2; 
Statewide projects--5; and Local projects--10.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: An SEA; a high-need LEA; a for-profit or 
nonprofit organization that has a proven record of effectively 
recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, in a partnership 
with a high-need LEA or an SEA; an IHE, in a partnership with a high-
need LEA or an SEA; a regional consortium of SEAs; or a consortium of 
high-need LEAs. Each application must identify participating LEAs that 
meet the definition of ``high-need LEA'' in section 2102(3) of the 
ESEA.


    Note: Section 2102(3) of the ESEA defines a high-need LEA as an 
LEA--
    (a) That serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families 
with incomes below the poverty line (as that term is defined in 
section 9101(33) of the ESEA), or for which not less than 20 percent 
of the children served by the LEA are from families with incomes 
below the poverty line; and
    (b) For which there is (1) a high percentage of teachers not 
teaching in the academic subjects or grade levels that the teachers 
were trained to teach, or (2) a high percentage of

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teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification or 
licensing.


    The NFP describes how applicants must demonstrate that a 
participating LEA meets this statutory definition of ``high-need LEA.'' 
(See 69 FR 24002, 24006) Pursuant to the NFP, we provide the following 
supplementary information regarding the data applicants use to 
demonstrate eligibility as a ``high-need LEA'' under this competition:
    As described in the NFP, absent a showing of alternative LEA data 
that reliably show the number of children from families with incomes 
below the poverty line that are served by the LEA, the eligibility of 
an LEA as a ``high-need LEA'' under component (a) of the definition 
must be determined on the basis of the most recent U.S. Census Bureau 
data. The most recent U.S. Census Bureau data can be found in the 
charts on the Internet at: http://www.census.gov/housing/saipe/sd03/ 
The Department examines the eligibility of any LEA not listed on these 
charts on a case-by-case basis.
    As discussed in the NFP, with respect to component (b)(1) of the 
definition of ``high-need LEA,'' whether an LEA has a ``high percentage 
of teachers not teaching in the academic subjects or grade levels that 
the teachers were trained to teach'' is determined on a case-by-case 
basis.
    In addition, as noted in the NFP, with respect to component (b)(2) 
of the definition of ``high-need LEA,'' an LEA has a ``high 
percentage'' of teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary 
certification or licensing if the percentage of teachers on waivers, as 
the LEA reported to the State for purposes of the State's latest report 
to the Secretary under section 207 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(HEA), was at least the national average percentage of teachers on 
waivers of State certification for all LEAs. As outlined in the NFP, 
the Secretary determines the national average percentage of teachers on 
waivers based on data contained in the most currently available HEA 
section 207 State reports. At the time of publication of this notice, 
the Department has received all 2005 State HEA section 207 reports and 
those reports reflect a national average percentage of teachers on 
waivers of State certification in all LEAs of 2.5 percent.
    Because the Department is in the process of certifying all data 
received in the 2005 State HEA section 207 reports, the data in these 
reports, including the national average of teachers on waivers of State 
certification, are still provisional. However, to provide adequate time 
for the preparation and review of project applications and award of new 
grants before FY 2006 program funds lapse on September 30, 2006, the 
Department will use the 2.5 percent national average for purposes of 
this competition. Accordingly, an LEA will be considered to have met 
component (b)(2) of the definition of ``high-need LEA'' if the data 
that it provided to the State for purposes of the State's October 2005 
HEA section 207 report demonstrate that at least 2.5 percent of its 
teachers were on waivers of State certification requirements.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost 
sharing or matching but does involve supplement-not-supplant funding 
provisions. In accordance with section 2313(h)(2) of the ESEA, funds 
made available under this section shall be used to supplement, and not 
supplant, State and local public funds expended for teacher recruitment 
and retention programs, including programs to recruit the teachers 
through alternative routes to certification.
    3. Other: The NFP describes eligibility restrictions for 
individuals participating in this program.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

    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 from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C.
    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 under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of 
this notice.

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 
competition. Additional information concerning application content 
requirements is in the NFP.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: February 21, 2006.
    The Department will be able to develop a more efficient process for 
reviewing grant applications if it has a better understanding of the 
number of entities that intend to apply for funding under this 
competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly encourages each 
potential applicant to notify the Department by sending a short e-mail 
message indicating the applicant's intent to submit an application for 
funding. The e-mail need not include information regarding the content 
of the proposed application, only the applicant's intent to submit it. 
The Secretary requests that this e-mail notification be sent to Thelma 
Leenhouts at: [email protected]. Applicants that fail to 
provide this e-mail notification may still apply for funding.
    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. Applicants must limit Part 
III to the equivalent of no more than 50 pages, using the following 
standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5[sec] x 11[sec], on one side only, with 
1[sec] margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, except 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, 
curriculum vitae, or the bibliography of literature cited. However, you 
must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that--
     Exceed the page limit if you apply these standards; or
     Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other 
standards.

2. Submission Dates and Times

    Applications Available: January 27, 2006.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: February 21, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 20, 2006.

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    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (http://www.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: May 19, 2006.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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 and 
in the NFP.
    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 Transition to Teaching 
Competition-CFDA Number 84.350A, 84.350B, and 84.350C must be submitted 
electronically using 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.
    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.
    You may access the electronic grant application for Transition to 
Teaching 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 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 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 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 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 
application 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 an 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 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 acknowledgment 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 Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: 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

[[Page 4446]]

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.

    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 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 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: Thelma Leenhouts, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W302, 
Washington, DC 20202-5960. FAX: (202) 401-8466.
    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: 84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C, 
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: 84.350A, 84.350B, or 
84.350C, 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 the 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: 
84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C, 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

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from the statute for this program and Sec.  75.210 of EDGAR and are 
listed in this section. The maximum score for all the selection 
criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is 
indicated in parentheses. Each criterion also includes the factors that 
the reviewers will consider in determining how well an application 
meets the criterion. In addressing each criterion, applicants are 
encouraged to make explicit connections to relevant aspects of 
responses to other selection criteria.
    The Notes we have included after each criterion are guidance to 
assist applicants in understanding the criterion as they prepare their 
applications and are not required by statute or regulation.

A. Significance of the Project (20 Points)

    The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. 
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by the 
proposed project.
    (2) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system 
change or improvement.
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.


    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this 
criterion by identifying specific gaps and weaknesses in the 
services and infrastructure currently in place for the recruitment, 
preparation, placement, and retention of teachers and by stating how 
the proposed project will address these gaps and weaknesses. The 
Secretary encourages applicants to identify (1) current barriers 
that the high-need LEAs to be served by the project face in meeting 
their teacher

[[Page 4447]]

recruitment needs, including, if relevant, barriers caused by 
existing State certification or licensure requirements, (2) why 
these barriers exist, and (3) how the project would significantly 
help those LEAs overcome these barriers.
    Applicants are also encouraged to address this criterion by 
identifying the specific teacher-shortage areas faced by the 
participating high-need LEAs on which their proposed projects would 
focus. These may include such high-need subject areas as 
mathematics, science, special education, and English as a second 
language and particular grade levels, including middle and high 
schools. Applicants should understand that a project's strategy for 
helping participating high-need LEAs to identify and hire highly 
qualified individuals to fill teaching positions in high-need 
subjects may rely on existing alternative routes to certification, 
expansions of them into new areas, or creation of wholly new 
alternative routes.

B. Quality of the Project Design (35 Points)

    The Secretary considers the quality of the project design for the 
proposed project by considering how well the applicant describes a 
plan--
    (1) To develop a program to recruit and retain highly qualified 
mid-career professionals (including highly qualified paraprofessionals) 
and recent graduates of an IHE as teachers in high-need schools 
operated by high-need LEAs; and
    (2) To enable individuals to become eligible for teacher 
certification under State-approved alternative routes to certification 
programs within a reduced period of time, relying on such factors as 
experience, expertise, and academic qualifications in lieu of 
traditional course work in education.
    In considering the quality of the project design and the 
applicant's plan, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (a) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (b) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects 
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
    (c) 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.
    (d) 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.


    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this 
criterion by discussing the overall project model and its key 
components, and the degree to which the model's key components are 
based on sound research and practice. Applicants may want to address 
such key components of project design as:
    (1) Recruitment and selection, including identifying the target 
group(s) on which the program will focus and why and how the program 
is designed to rigorously select participants with the requisite 
content knowledge, skills, and commitment to teach in high-need LEAs 
and schools.
    (2) Training and preparation, including how the project provides 
a route to certification that is accelerated, integrates coursework 
and field experience, and is adapted to participants' learning 
needs.
    (3) Mentoring and support, including services that are designed 
to meet the target participants' needs in terms of length, content, 
and means of delivery in order to be successful in high-needs 
schools and LEAs.
    (4) Teacher placement, including evidence that the proposed 
project will meet the needs of high-need LEAs and is developed in 
coordination with appropriate partners, that the timing of 
placements will be appropriate to the needs of program participants, 
and that the project includes a system of tracking to meet statutory 
requirements.
    (5) Certification, including consideration of how the timeline 
for achieving full certification will meet the needs of 
participants, LEAs, and partners, as well as the ``Highly Qualified 
Teacher'' requirements established in section 9101(23) of the ESEA.
    In addition, applicants are encouraged to clarify the means by 
which the project's specified outcomes and benefits may be sustained 
once Federal funding has ended.

C. Quality of Project Services (20 Points)

    In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or 
beneficiaries of those services.
    (2) The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient 
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice 
among the recipients of those services.
    (3) The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are likely to alleviate 
the personnel shortages that have been identified or are the focus of 
the proposed project.
    (4) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for 
maximizing the effectiveness of project services.


    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this 
criterion by discussing how the proposed project services will meet 
the needs both of the high-need LEAs identified in the application 
and of the program participants they would recruit to become 
teachers. Applicants are encouraged to consult the list of 
authorized activities in section 2313(g) of the ESEA in describing 
the specific services to be delivered to recruit, prepare, and 
retain participants that will increase the number of highly 
qualified teachers in high-need schools in high-need LEAs. In 
addition, the Secretary encourages applicants to consider carefully 
the breadth of activities that section 2313(g) of the ESEA 
authorizes and then to address how the project will:
    (1) Provide training that meets the learning needs of the 
participants and makes use of appropriate media (such as face-to-
face and Web-based instruction, and distance learning) to provide 
them with the skills needed to be highly qualified and effective 
teachers in the identified high-need subject areas and high-needs 
schools and LEAs.
    (2) Support project participants' success in high-need schools 
and LEAs during the period of their service obligation through 
individual mentoring, support of participants as a group, use of 
technology, or other appropriate means.
    (3) Encourage the participation of all project partners, 
including school leaders, in providing services related to the 
recruitment, preparation, and retention of project participants and 
ensuring lasting benefits or outcomes. Applicants are encouraged to 
clarify the roles of partners in each phase of the project and the 
extent of coordination that will occur with similar efforts at the 
State and district levels. In addition, applicants are encouraged to 
consider how they might demonstrate (e.g., through narrative 
discussion, letters of support, or formal memoranda of 
understanding) the commitment of partners to the project and the 
partners' understanding of responsibilities they have agreed to 
assume in service delivery.

D. Quality of the Management Plan (10 Points)

    In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers 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.


    Note: Section 75.112 of EDGAR requires an applicant for a 
multiyear grant to include a narrative that describes how and when, 
in each budget period of the project, the applicant plans to meet 
each project objective. The Secretary encourages applicants to 
address this criterion by including in this narrative a schedule of 
activities with sufficient time for developing an adequate 
implementation plan, as well as timelines for providing program 
participants the support they need in their initial years as 
teachers.


[[Page 4448]]



E. Quality of the Project Evaluation (15 Points)

    The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be 
conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the 
evaluation to be conducted, the Secretary considers the following 
factors:
    (1) 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.
    (2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.


    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this 
criterion by including benchmarks to monitor progress toward 
specific project objectives and also outcome measures to assess the 
impact on teaching and learning or other important outcomes for 
project participants. (The specific performance measures established 
for the overall Transition to Teaching program are discussed under 
Performance Measures in section VI of this notice. Section 2314 of 
the ESEA also requires grantees to submit both an interim evaluation 
of the first three years of the grant and a final evaluation at the 
end of the grant.)
    The Secretary also encourages applicants to identify the 
individual or organization that has agreed to serve as evaluator for 
the project and describe the qualifications of that evaluator. 
Finally, applicants are encouraged to indicate: (1) What types of 
data will be collected; (2) when various types of data will be 
collected; (3) what methods will be used; (4) what instruments will 
be developed and when; (5) how the data will be analyzed; (6) when 
reports of results and outcomes will be available; and (7) how the 
applicant will use the information collected through the evaluation 
to monitor progress of the funded project and to provide 
accountability information about both the success at the initial 
site or sites and effective strategies for replication in other 
settings. Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level 
of resources to project evaluation.

    2. Review and Selection Process: Additional information concerning 
our review and selection of grant applications in this competition are 
contained in the NFP.

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: The Secretary requires successful applicants to 
submit annual performance reports and, after the last year of the 
project, a final report. The annual performance report documents the 
grantee's yearly progress toward meeting expected programmatic 
outcomes. These outcomes must be based on measurable performance 
objectives including, but not limited to, the performance measures 
described in paragraph 4 of this section. These reports must evaluate--
    (1) The grantee's progress in meeting the application's objectives;
    (2) The project's effectiveness in meeting the purposes of the 
Transition to Teaching program; and
    (3) The project's effect on the specific LEAs the project serves.
    Among other things, the Department uses the annual performance 
reports to determine whether a grantee has demonstrated substantial 
progress in meeting the goals and objectives (as described in its 
approved application), and thereby merits a continuation award (for 
years 2-5). See Sec.  75.118 of EDGAR.
    Grantees also will be required to submit a final performance 
report, due no later than 90 days after the end of the project period.
    In addition, section 2314 of the ESEA requires grantees to submit 
to the Department and to the Congress interim and final evaluations at 
the end of the third and fifth years of the grant period, respectively. 
These evaluations must describe the extent to which high-need LEAs that 
received funds through the grant have met their goals relating to 
teacher recruitment and retention as described in the project 
application. Additional requirements pertaining to these reports are in 
the NFP.
    For specific requirements on grantee reporting, please go to http:/
/www/ed/gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established one 
performance indicator for assessing the effectiveness of the Transition 
to Teaching program: the percentage of new, highly qualified Transition 
to Teaching teachers who teach in high-need schools in high-need LEAs 
for at least three years. We will track this indicator through the use 
of the following three performance measures. We will gather the data 
for these measures from the grantees.
    Measure One: The percentage of all Transition to Teaching 
participants who become teachers of record in high-need schools in 
high-need LEAs.
    Measure Two: The percentage of Transition to Teaching participants 
receiving certification/licensure within three years.
    Measure Three: The percentage of Transition to Teaching teachers of 
record who teach in high-need schools in high-need LEAs for at least 
three years.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For Further Information Contact: Thelma Leenhouts, Gillian Cohen-
Boyer, Beatriz Ceja, or Anthony Sepulveda, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W318, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 260-0223 (Thelma Leenhouts); (202) 401-2159 (Gillian 
Cohen-Boyer); (202) 260-3548 (202) 205-5009 (Beatriz Ceja); or (202) 
260-0464 (Anthony Sepulveda). 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 persons 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.



[[Page 4449]]


    Dated: January 20, 2006.
Christopher J. Doherty,
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 06-763 Filed 1-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P