[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15392-15397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4498]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Territories and 
Freely Associated States Education Grant (T&FASEG) Program; Notice 
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.256A.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: March 28, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 12, 2006.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 12, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: Only local educational agencies (LEAs) in 
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, 
the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
    Estimated Available Funds: $4,750,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $650,000-1,500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $792,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 4-6.



[[Page 15393]]


    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: Territories and Freely Associated States 
Education grants support projects to raise student achievement through 
direct educational services. Grants are awarded to LEAs in the U.S. 
Territories (American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and the Republic of Palau. 
The LEA may use grant funds to carry out activities authorized by the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by 
the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), including teacher 
training, curriculum development, development or acquisition of 
instructional materials, and general school improvement and reform.
    Under the T&FASEG program, the Secretary awards grants for projects 
to--
    (a) Conduct activities consistent with the purposes of the ESEA, as 
amended by NCLB, including the types of activities authorized by these 
ESEA titles--
    (1) Title I--Improving the Academic Achievement of the 
Disadvantaged.
    (2) Title II--Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High-quality 
Teachers and Principals.
    (3) Title III--Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient 
and Immigrant Students.
    (4) Title IV--21st Century Schools.
    (5) Title V--Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative 
Programs.
    (b) Provide direct educational services that assist all students 
with meeting challenging State academic achievement standards.


    Note: The Secretary interprets the term direct educational 
services to--

    (1) Mean activities that are designed to improve student 
achievement or the quality of education; and
    (2) Include instructional services for students and teacher 
training.


    Note:  The full text of the ESEA, as amended by NCLB, may be 
found on the Internet at: http://www.ed.gov/legislation/ESEA02/.


    Priorities: Under this competition we are particularly interested 
in applications that address the following priorities.
    Invitational Priorities: For FY 2006 these priorities are 
invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an 
application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or 
absolute preference over other applications.
    These priorities are:
    Invitational Priority 1--Reading Literacy: The Secretary is 
particularly interested in receiving applications that focus on 
building early reading literacy skills that will help to improve 
student achievement in reading and language performance as measured by 
State academic standards. Research shows that children who read well in 
the early grades are far more successful in later years, and those who 
fall behind often stay behind when it comes to academic achievement 
(Snow, Burns, and Griffin 1998). Reading opens the door to learning 
about math, history, science, literature, geography, and much more. 
Thus, young, capable readers can succeed in these subjects, take 
advantage of other opportunities, and develop confidence in their own 
abilities. On the other hand, those students who cannot read well are 
much more likely to drop out of school and be limited to low-paying 
jobs throughout their lives. Reading is undeniably critical to success 
in today's society. The Secretary encourages applicants to align their 
projects with the performance measures described in section VI. 4. 
Performance Measures of this notice.
    Invitational Priority 2--Teacher Quality: The Secretary is 
particularly interested in LEA projects that focus on professional 
development and teacher training that improve teacher qualifications 
and the quality of teaching and instruction. A major objective of NCLB 
is to ensure that all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or 
income, have the best teachers possible. A well-prepared teacher is 
vitally important to a child's education. In fact, research 
demonstrates the clear correlation between student academic achievement 
and teacher quality (Whitehurst, G. 2002). The Secretary encourages 
applicants to align their projects with the performance measures 
described in section VI. 4. of this notice.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6331.

    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $4,750,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $650,000-$1,500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $792,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 4-6.


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


    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Only LEAs in American Samoa, the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin 
Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
    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 the 
application package electronically by downloading it from the 
Territories and Freely Associated States Education Program Web site: 
http://www.ed.gov/programs/tfasegp/applicant.html.
    You may also request an application package by contacting Valerie 
Rogers, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 
3E245, Washington, DC 20202-6400. Telephone 202-260-2543 or by e-mail: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact 
person listed above in this section of the 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.
    Page Limit: The project narrative (Section D of the application 
package) is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria 
that the reviewers will use to evaluate your application. Applicants 
are strongly encouraged to limit the project narrative (text plus all 
figures, charts, tables, and diagrams) to the equivalent of no more 
than 35 single-sided pages, using the following standards:
    A ``page'' is 8.5 x 11, on one side only, with 1'' margins at the 
top, bottom, and both sides.
    Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text 
in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, 
quotations,

[[Page 15394]]

references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, 
figures, and graphs.
    Use a font that is 12 point or larger. The page limit does not 
apply to the cover sheet; required standard forms, budget section, 
including the budget justification narrative; assurances and 
certifications; one-page abstract; endnotes; or resumes. However, you 
must include all of the application narrative in the narrative section. 
Appendices to the narrative are not permitted.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: March 28, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 12, 2006.
    Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov) or in paper 
format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates and 
times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by mail 
or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission 
Requirements in this notice.
    The Department does not consider an application that does not 
comply with the deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 12, 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.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by 
mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    We have been accepting applications electronically through the 
Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on 
those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are 
continuing to participate as a partner in the new governmentwide 
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2006. The T&FASEG program-CFDA Number 
84.256A is one of the programs included in this project. We request 
your participation in Grants.gov.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through this 
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, 
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You 
may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the T&FASEG 
program at: http://www.grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable 
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include 
the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search.
    Please note the following:
     Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and 
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application 
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we 
retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are 
rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the 
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
     To submit your application 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 submit your application in paper format.
     You may submit all documents electronically, including all 
information typically included on the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 
524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. If you choose to 
submit your application electronically, you must attach any narrative 
sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich 
text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type 
other than the three file types specified above or submit a password 
protected file, we will not review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic 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 System 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting 
your application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If

[[Page 15395]]

you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
deadline date, please contact the person listed elsewhere in this 
notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an 
explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, 
along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We 
will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem 
occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your 
ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after 
a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.


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


    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the 
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the 
original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable 
following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA Number 84.256A, 
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 84.256A, 
7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
    Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing 
consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service,
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier, or
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark, or
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.


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


    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, 
you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of 
your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, 
to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 84.256A, 550 12th 
Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-
4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays and Federal holidays.
    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail 
or hand deliver your application to the Department:
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the 
Department--in Item 4 of the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424) the CFDA number--and suffix letter, if any--of the 
competition under which you are submitting your application.
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application 
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant 
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria are from 34 CFR 75.209-
75.210. The maximum possible score for this competition is 100 points.
    As provided for in the ESEA, as amended by NCLB, the Secretary, in 
making awards under this program, will take into consideration the 
recommendations of Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). 
PREL will use the following criteria in developing its recommendations, 
and the Secretary will use them in making final funding decisions. The 
Notes following the selection criteria are meant to serve as guidance 
to assist the applicant in creating a stronger application, and are not 
required by statute or regulation.
    (a) Need for Project. (5 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (i) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the 
proposed project.
    (ii) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or 
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project will provide 
services or otherwise address the needs of students who are at risk of 
educational failure.


    Note: In meeting this criterion, the Secretary encourages the 
applicant to clearly demonstrate unique needs and circumstances that 
justify funding support for this project. The Secretary also 
encourages the applicant to demonstrate the extent to which local 
resources are used to meet the needs addressed by the project 
proposal.


    (b) Significance. (10 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed 
project.
    (2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The national significance of the proposed project.
    (ii) The significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by 
the proposed project.
    (iii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in 
teaching and student achievement.
    (c) Quality of the Project Design. (25 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (ii) 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.
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated 
with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community, 
State, and Federal resources.
    (iv) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a 
comprehensive effort

[[Page 15396]]

to improve teaching and learning and support rigorous academic 
standards for students.
    (v) The extent to which the proposed project encourages parental 
involvement.
    (vi) The extent to which performance feedback and continuous 
improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project.
    (d) Adequacy of Resources. (5 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project.
    (ii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to 
the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed 
project.
    (iii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to 
the number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and 
benefits.
    (e) Quality of project personnel. (15 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will 
carry out the proposed project. (2) In determining the quality of the 
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.
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator.
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of key project personnel.
    (iii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors.

    Note: In meeting this criterion, the Secretary encourages the 
applicant to attach curricula vitae, r[eacute]sum[eacute]s, etc., of 
key project personnel.

    (f) Quality of the project evaluation. (25 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be 
conducted of the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for 
examining the effectiveness of project implementation strategies.
    (ii) 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.


    Note: In meeting this criterion, the Secretary encourages the 
applicant to align its evaluation with the performance measures 
described in section VI.4 of this notice.

    (g) Quality of project services. (15 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be 
provided by the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and 
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for 
eligible project participants who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability.
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) 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.
    (ii) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the 
proposed project on the intended recipients of those services.
    (iii) 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.
    (iv) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project are focused on those with greatest needs.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118.
    4. Performance Measures: The Department has developed two 
performances measures for evaluating the effectiveness of the T&FASEG 
program--(1) The percentage of students who participate in reading 
programs under the T&FASEG program reading at or above grade level on 
State assessments; and (2) The percentage of teachers who participate 
in professional development activities under the T&FASEG program 
meeting State teacher certification standards.
    All grantees must submit an annual performance report addressing 
these performance measures, to the extent that they apply to the 
grantee's project.

VII. Agency Contacts

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Valerie Rogers, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E245, Washington, DC 20202-
6140. Telephone: (202) 260-2543 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 1-888-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request from the contact person listed in this section.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to this Document. You may view this document, as 
well as all other Department of Education documents 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.



[[Page 15397]]


    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 html.


    Dated: March 23, 2006.
Henry L. Johnson,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. E6-4498 Filed 3-27-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P