[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 83 (Monday, May 1, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25577-25580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-6528]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Overview 
Information; Enhanced Assessment Instruments; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.368.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: May 1, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 15, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); consortia 
of SEAs.
    Estimated Available Funds: $11,680,000 in FY 2005 funds.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000 to $2,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,460,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 8.


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


    Project period: Up to 18 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: To enhance the quality of assessment 
instruments and systems used by States for measuring the achievement of 
all students.
    Priorities: This application includes four absolute and three 
competitive preference priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 
75.105(b)(2)(iv), the absolute priorities are from section 6112 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). The 
competitive preference priorities are from Appendix E to the notice of 
final requirements for optional State consolidated applications 
submitted under section 9302 of the ESEA, published in the Federal 
Register on May 22, 2002 (67 FR 35967).
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2005, these priorities are absolute 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications 
that address one or more of these priorities.
    These priorities are:
    a. Collaborate with institutions of higher education, other 
research institutions, or other organizations to improve the quality, 
validity, and reliability of State academic assessments beyond the 
requirements for these assessments described in section 1111(b)(3) of 
the ESEA;
    b. Measure student academic achievement using multiple measures of 
student academic achievement from multiple sources;
    c. Chart student progress over time; and
    d. Evaluate student academic achievement through the development of 
comprehensive academic assessment instruments, such as performance and 
technology-based academic assessments.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2005, these priorities 
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
will award up to an additional 35 points to an application, depending 
on the extent to which the application meets these priorities.
    These priorities are: Test accommodations and alternate assessments 
(up to 15 points), collaborative efforts (up to 10 points), and 
dissemination (up to 10 points).


    Note: The full text of these priorities is included in the 
notice of final requirements published in the Federal Register on 
May 22, 2002 (67 FR 35967) and in the application package.


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7842 and 7301a.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81, 
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
    (b) The notice of final requirements published in the Federal 
Register on May 22, 2002 (67 FR 35967).

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $11,680,000 in FY 2005 funds.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000 to $2,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,460,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 8.


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


    Project period: Up to 18 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; consortia of SEAs.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: An application from a consortium of SEAs must designate 
one SEA as the fiscal agent.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Zollie Stevenson, Jr., 
Student Achievement and School Accountability Program, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3W226, Washington, DC 
20202-6132. Telephone: (202) 260-1824 or by e-mail: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact 
person listed in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to 
the equivalent of no more than 40 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, 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 the cover sheet, budget section 
(chart and

[[Page 25578]]

narrative), assurances and certifications, response regarding research 
activities involving human subjects, GEPA 427 response, one-page 
abstract, personnel resumes, and letters of support; however, 
discussion of how the application meets the absolute priorities, how 
well the application meets the competitive preference priorities, and 
how well the application addresses each of the selection criteria must 
be included within the page limit.
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application if--
     You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: May 1, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 15, 2006.
    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.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is not subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the Enhanced Assessment Instruments-
CFDA Number 84.368 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 Enhanced 
Assessment Instruments 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 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://eGrants.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 acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your 
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying 
number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of 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.,

[[Page 25579]]

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

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


    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: Zollie Stevenson, Jr., 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3W226, 
Washington, DC 20202-6132. FAX: (202) 260-7764.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier), your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable 
following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.368), 
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 84.368), 
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: 
(CFDA Number 84.368), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays and Federal holidays.
    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail 
or hand deliver your application to the Department:
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the 
Department--in Item 4 of the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424) the CFDA number--and suffix letter, if any--of the 
competition under which you are submitting your application.
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application 
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant 
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
from Appendix E to the notice of final requirements published in the 
Federal Register on May 22, 2002 (67 FR 35967) and are listed in the 
application package.

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 Notice 
(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

[[Page 25580]]

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: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), the Department has developed three measures for 
evaluating the effectiveness of the Enhanced Assessment Instruments 
program: (1) The number of States that participated in pilot activities 
described in each proposal; (2) the number of States that participated 
in Enhanced Assessment grant projects funded by the current or prior 
competitions; and (3) the number of presentations at national 
conferences sponsored by professional education organizations and 
papers submitted for publication in refereed journals.
    All grantees will be expected to submit an annual performance 
report documenting their success in addressing the performance 
measures.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sue Rigney, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3C139, Washington, DC 20202-
6132. Telephone: (202) 260-0931, or by e-mail: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this 
section.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.


    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: April 25, 2006.
Henry L. Johnson,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
 [FR Doc. E6-6528 Filed 4-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P