[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 15, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27297-27304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-9314]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE); Overview 
Information; Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Career and Technical 
Institutions Program (TCPCTIP); Notice Inviting Applications for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.245.

DATES: Applications Available: May 15, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 14, 2007.
    Eligible Applicants: A tribally controlled postsecondary career and 
technical institution that does not receive Federal support under the 
Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978 (25 
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), or the Navajo Community College Act (25 U.S.C. 
640a et seq.).
    Estimated Available Funds: $7,366,000 for the first 12 months of 
this project period. Funding for years two through five is subject to 
the availability of funds and to a grantee meeting the requirements of 
34 CFR 75.253.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $3,000,000 to $4,000,000 for the first 
12 months.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $3,683,000 for a single budget 
period of 12 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 2.

    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: Section 117 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
Technical Education Act of 2006 (Act or Perkins IV), authorizes the 
Secretary to make grants to tribally controlled postsecondary career 
and technical institutions that do not receive Federal support under 
the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978 or 
the Navajo Community College Act to provide basic support for the 
education and training of Indian students in career and technical 
education programs.
    Statutory Changes Affecting TCPCTIP: For the convenience of 
applicants, we describe in this section the major statutory changes 
made to the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 
1998 (Perkins III), which was amended by the Act, that affect TCPCTIP.
    (a) Purpose. In the Act, Congress has expanded and added elements 
to the law's statement of purpose, most significantly by stating that, 
among other statutory purposes, programs supported under the Act should 
build on the efforts of States and localities to develop challenging 
academic and technical standards and should assist students in meeting 
such standards, including student academic achievement standards, 
especially in preparation for high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand 
occupations in emerging or established professions. (20 U.S.C. 2301(1)) 
Congress also added to the statement of purpose a requirement that 
programs provide technical assistance that promotes leadership, initial 
preparation, and professional development at the State and local 
levels, and improves the quality of career and technical education 
teachers, faculty, administrators, and counselors. (20 U.S.C. 2301(5)) 
Additionally, the Act's statement of purpose was amended to support 
partnerships among secondary schools, postsecondary institutions, 
baccalaureate degree-granting institutions, area career and technical 
education schools, local workforce investment boards, business and 
industry, and intermediaries, and to provide career and technical 
education students with opportunities throughout their lifetimes to 
develop, in conjunction with other education and training programs, the 
knowledge and skills needed to keep the United States competitive. (20 
U.S.C. 2301(6) and (7))
    (b) Definitions. Congress replaced the term ``vocational and 
technical education'' with the term ``career and technical education'' 
throughout the Act. The term career and technical education is defined 
in section 3(5) of the Act and, for the convenience of potential 
applicants, is reiterated in the Definitions section of this notice. 
(20 U.S.C. 2302(5)(A))
    (c) Annual needs estimates, facilities reports, and long-term 
facilities study. Congress eliminated the requirements that the 
Department prepare annual institutional needs estimates, facilities 
reports, and long-term facilities studies.
    (d) Indian student count. As described in detail elsewhere in this 
notice, the Act made changes to the statutory definition of the term 
``Indian student count.'' These changes mean that the Department will 
require somewhat different certified data from grantees for grant 
calculations in years when the amounts appropriated for TCPCTIP are 
insufficient to pay the total allowable costs proposed by grantees.
    (e) Requirement for Complaint Resolution Procedure. The Act 
requires the Department to establish, after consultation with tribally 
controlled postsecondary career and technical institutions, a complaint 
resolution procedure for grant determinations and calculations. The 
Department developed what it believes is a fair, effective, and 
efficient complaint resolution procedure that will provide program 
grantees with a process for resolving complaints regarding grant 
determinations and grant amount calculations without resulting in 
inordinate delays in the grant award process. To effectuate the 
consultation process, the Department requested input from the two 
current TCPCTIP grantees on the procedure, placed the Department's 
proposed procedure on the Department's Web site, and made it available 
to the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). The 
Department appreciated the input it received during the consultation 
process and carefully considered the suggestions provided in finalizing 
its complaint resolution procedure.

[[Page 27298]]

    (f) Complaint Resolution Procedure. (1) Under the complaint 
resolution procedure established by the Department pursuant to section 
117(g) of the Act, a tribally controlled postsecondary career and 
technical institution may file a complaint with the Assistant Secretary 
for Vocational and Adult Education (Assistant Secretary) seeking an 
administrative review of a grant determination or calculation made 
under section 117 of the Act regarding any prospective grant award to 
that institution, including for:
    (i) A determination regarding the institution's eligibility to 
apply for a grant under section 117 of the Act.
    (ii) A determination arising from the Indian student count 
information and data that the institution has provided to OVAE.
    (iii) A determination of the allowability of proposed project 
spending that the institution has identified in its application, 
including its proposed budget.
    (iv) The calculation of the institution's grant amount.
    (2) A section 117(g) complaint requesting administrative review 
must--
    (i) Be submitted in writing and mailed to the Assistant Secretary 
for Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW., room PCP-11138, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, 
DC 20202-7241, within ten days of the applicant being notified by OVAE 
of the decision in question;
    (ii) Include a clear and concise statement of the factual and legal 
basis upon which the complaint is based as well as any calculations 
supporting the complaint, any supporting documentation or evidence, and 
a statement of the relief sought, arising from the complaint; and
    (iii) Be signed by the tribally controlled postsecondary career and 
technical institution's authorized official.
    (3) During the administrative review of any section 117(g) 
complaint, OVAE may request additional information from the institution 
that has submitted the complaint or conduct other proceedings, as 
appropriate, for a fair and complete review of the complaint.
    (4) The Assistant Secretary will send the complainant a letter of 
final determination that will include the legal and factual grounds for 
the Assistant Secretary's determination.
    Program Requirements, Application Requirements, Evaluation 
Requirements, and Definitions
    Program Requirements:
    (a) Program Expenditures. TCPCTIP grants fund programs for Indian 
students and the institutional support costs of the TCPCTIP grant, 
including the specific types of costs described in section 117(e) of 
the Act, which include--
    (1) The maintenance and operation of the program, including 
development costs, costs of basic and special instruction (including 
special programs for individuals with disabilities and academic 
instruction), materials, student costs, administrative expenses, 
boarding costs, transportation, student services, daycare and family 
support programs for students and their families (including 
contributions to the costs of education for dependents), and student 
stipends;
    (2) Capital expenditures, including operations and maintenance, and 
minor improvements and repair, and physical plant maintenance costs, 
for the conduct of programs funded under this section;
    (3) Costs associated with repair, upkeep, replacement, and 
upgrading of instructional equipment; and
    (4) Institutional support of career and technical education.
    (b) Allowable Expenses.
    (1) Under TCPCTIP, allowable costs include costs for basic support 
of a grantee's career and technical education programs. Costs that are 
not specifically authorized by section 117 of the Act or clearly 
associated with career and technical education programs for Indian 
students, such as an institution's general administrative costs, will 
not be considered allowable direct costs under this program.
    (2) TCPCTIP funds may be used for capital expenditures, including 
operations and maintenance, minor improvements and repair, and physical 
plant maintenance costs, only when incurred for the conduct of programs 
funded under section 117 of the Act.
    (3) Stipends may be paid to enable students to participate in a 
TCPCTIP career and technical education program.
    (i) To be eligible for a stipend, a student must--
    (A) Be enrolled in a career and technical education project funded 
under this program;
    (B) Be in regular attendance in a TCPCTIP project and meet the 
training institution's attendance requirement;
    (C) Maintain satisfactory progress in his or her program of study 
according to the training institution's published standards for 
satisfactory progress; and
    (D) Have an acute economic need that prevents participation in a 
project funded under this program without a stipend and that cannot be 
met through a work-study program.
    (ii) The amount of a stipend is the greater of either the minimum 
hourly wage prescribed by State or local law or the minimum hourly wage 
established under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
    (iii) A grantee may only award a stipend if the stipend combined 
with other resources the student receives does not exceed the student's 
financial need. A student's financial need is the difference between 
the student's cost of attendance and the financial aid or other 
resources available to defray the student's cost of participating in a 
TCPCTIP project.
    (iv) To calculate the amount of a student stipend, a grantee would 
multiply the number of hours a student actually attends career and 
technical education instruction by the amount of the minimum hourly 
wage that is prescribed by State or local law or by the minimum hourly 
wage that is established under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

    Example: If a grantee uses the Fair Labor Standards Act minimum 
hourly wage of $5.15 and a student attends classes for 20 hours a 
week, the student's stipend would be $103 for the week during which 
the student attends classes ($5.15 x 20 = $103).

    Note: Grantees must maintain records that fully support their 
decisions to award stipends and the amounts that are paid, such as 
proof of a student's enrollment in a TCPCTIP, stipend applications, 
timesheets showing the number of attendance hours confirmed in 
writing by an instructor, student financial status information, and 
evidence that a student would not be able to participate in the 
TCPCTIP project without a stipend. (20 U.S.C. 1232f; 34 CFR 75.700-
75.702; 75.730; and 75.731)

    (v) An eligible student may receive a stipend when taking a course 
for the first time. However, a stipend may not be provided to a student 
who has already taken, completed, and had the opportunity to benefit 
from a course and is merely repeating the course.
    (vi) An applicant must include in its application the procedure it 
intends to use to determine student eligibility for stipends and 
stipend amounts, and its oversight procedures for the awarding and 
payment of stipends.
    (c) Annual and Final Progress Reports. In addition to the reports 
required under the Reporting section of this notice, grantees must 
provide the Department with annual and final progress reports showing 
the findings of an independent evaluator's review of their CTE 
programs' effectiveness.
    (d) Attendance Costs Are Not Income. (1) Under TCPCTIP, the portion 
of any student financial assistance received under the Act that is made 
available for attendance costs described in paragraph (2) of this 
section may not be considered as income or resources in determining

[[Page 27299]]

eligibility for assistance under any other program funded in whole or 
in part with Federal funds.
    (2) For purposes of this section, attendance costs are--
    (i) Tuition and fees normally assessed a student carrying the same 
academic workload as determined by the institution, and including costs 
for rentals or purchases of any equipment, materials, or supplies 
required of all students in the same course of study; and
    (ii) An allowance for books, supplies, transportation, dependent 
care, and miscellaneous personal expenses for a student attending an 
institution on at least a half-time basis, as determined by the 
institution. (20 U.S.C. 2415)
    (e) Eligibility for Assistance under TCPCTIP May Not Preclude 
Assistance under Other Programs. Except as specifically provided in the 
Act, eligibility for assistance under this program does not preclude 
any tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical institution 
from receiving Federal financial assistance under any program 
authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965, or under any other 
applicable program for the benefit of institutions of higher education 
or career and technical education. (20 U.S.C. 2327(f)(1))
    Application Requirements:
    To receive a TCPCTIP grant, an applicant must include in its 
application:
    (a) Documentation showing that the applicant is eligible according 
to each of the requirements in the Eligible Applicants section of this 
notice, including meeting the definition of the terms ``tribally 
controlled postsecondary career and technical institution'' and 
``institution of higher education'' (e.g., proof of the institution's 
accreditation status) and certification that the institution does not 
receive Federal support under the Tribally Controlled College or 
University Assistance Act of the 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) or the 
Navajo Community College Act (25 U.S.C. 640a et seq.).
    (b) Descriptions of the programs of study, including academic 
courses, to be supported under the proposed TCPCTIP project. Projects 
funded under this competition must propose organized educational 
activities that meet the definition of career and technical education, 
as that term is defined in section 3(5) of the Act (and as reiterated 
in the Definitions section of this notice).
    (c) The estimated number of students to be served by the proposed 
five-year project in each course of study.
    (d) Goals and objectives for the proposed project, including how 
the attainment of the goals and objectives would further any tribal 
economic development plans.
    (e) Long-range and short-range needs to be addressed by the 
project, including the institution's plans for the placement of 
students (e.g., placement into additional training or education, 
military service, or employment).
    (f) A detailed budget identifying the costs to be paid with funds 
under this program for the first year of the five-year project period, 
and resources available from other Federal, State, and local sources, 
including any student financial aid that will be used to achieve the 
goals and objectives of the proposed project.
    Evaluation Requirements:
    To ensure the high quality of TCPCTIP projects and the achievement 
of the goals and purposes of section 117 of the Act, each grantee must 
budget for and conduct an ongoing evaluation of its TCPCTIP project's 
effectiveness. An independent evaluator must conduct the evaluation. 
The evaluation must--
    (a) Be appropriate for the project and be both formative and 
summative in nature;
    (b) Include--
    (1) The performance measures for TCPCTIP that are identified in the 
Performance Measures section of this notice;
    (2) Qualitative and quantitative data with respect to--
    (i) Academic, and career and technical, competencies demonstrated 
by the participants and the number and kinds of academic and work 
credentials acquired by individuals, including participation in 
programs providing skill proficiency assessments, industry 
certifications, or training at the associate degree level that is 
articulated with an advanced degree option;
    (ii) Student progress in achieving technical skill proficiencies 
necessary to obtain employment in the field for which the student has 
been prepared;
    (iii) Activities during the formative stages of the project, to 
help guide and improve the project, as well as a summative evaluation 
that includes recommendations for improving programs of study and 
disseminating information about high-quality programs of study;
    (iv) The number and percentage of students who obtained industry-
recognized credentials, certificates, or degrees; and
    (v) The outcomes of students' technical assessments, by type and 
scores.
    (c) Measure the effectiveness of the project, through a comparison 
between the intended and observed results, and a demonstration of a 
clear link between the observed results and the specific treatment 
given to project participants;
    (d) Measure the extent to which information about or resulting from 
the project was disseminated at other sites, such as through the 
grantee's development and use of guides or manuals that provide step-
by-step directions for practitioners to follow when initiating similar 
career and technical education efforts; and
    (e) Measure the long-term impact of the project by, for example, 
examining follow-up data on students' employment, sustained employment, 
promotions, further higher education or training, or the impact the 
project had on tribal economic development or career and technical 
education activities.
    Definitions:
    Career and technical education means organized educational 
activities that--
    (a) Offer a sequence of courses that--
    (1) Provides individuals with coherent and rigorous content aligned 
with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge 
and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in 
current or emerging professions;
    (2) Provides technical skill proficiency, an industry-recognized 
credential, a certificate, or an associate degree; and
    (3) May include prerequisite courses (other than remedial courses) 
that meet the requirements of this definition; and
    (b) Include competency-based applied learning that contributes to 
the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving 
skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, 
and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of an 
industry, including entrepreneurship, of the individual. (20 U.S.C. 
2302(5))
    Indian means a person who is a member of an Indian tribe, as 
defined in section 2 of the Tribally Controlled College or University 
Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801).
    Indian student count means a number equal to the total number of 
Indian students enrolled in each tribally controlled postsecondary 
career and technical institution, as determined in accordance with the 
following:
    (a) Enrollment. For each academic year, the Indian student count 
must be determined on the basis of the enrollments of Indian students 
as in effect at the conclusion of--
    (1) In the case of the fall term, the third week of the fall term; 
and
    (2) In the case of the spring term, the third week of the spring 
term.

[[Page 27300]]

    (b) Calculation. For each academic year, the Indian student count 
for a tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical 
institution must be the quotient obtained by dividing the sum of the 
credit hours of all Indian students enrolled in the tribally controlled 
postsecondary career and technical institution by 12.
    (c) Summer Term. Any credit earned in a class offered during a 
summer term must be counted in the determination of the Indian student 
count for the succeeding fall term.
    (d) Students Without Secondary School Degrees.
    (1) A credit earned at a tribally controlled postsecondary career 
and technical institution by any Indian student who has not obtained a 
secondary school degree (or the recognized equivalent of such a degree) 
must be counted toward the determination of the Indian student count if 
the institution at which the student is enrolled has established 
criteria for the admission of the student on the basis of the ability 
of the student to benefit from the education or training of the 
institution.
    (2) The institution must be presumed to have established the 
criteria described in paragraph (d)(1) of this definition if the 
admission procedures for the institution include counseling or testing 
that measures the aptitude of a student to complete successfully a 
course in which the student is enrolled.
    (3) No credit earned by an Indian student for the purpose of 
obtaining a secondary school degree (or the recognized equivalent of 
such a degree) may be counted toward the determination of the Indian 
student count.
    (4) Any credit earned by an Indian student in a continuing 
education program of a tribally controlled postsecondary career and 
technical institution must be included in the determination of the sum 
of all credit hours of the student if the credit is converted to a 
credit-hour basis in accordance with the system of the institution for 
providing credit for participation in the program. (20 U.S.C. 
2327(h)(2))
    Indian tribe means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other 
organized group or community, including any Alaskan Native village or 
regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant 
to the Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), 
that is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services 
provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as 
Indians. (20 U.S.C. 2327(h)(1); 25 U.S.C. 1801(a)(2))
    Institution of higher education, as defined in section 3(18) of the 
Act and in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, means--
    (a) An educational institution in any State that--
    (1) Admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of 
graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the 
recognized equivalent of such a certificate;
    (2) Is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of 
education beyond secondary education;
    (3) Provides an educational program for which the institution 
awards a bachelor's degree or provides not less than a two-year program 
that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree;
    (4) Is a public or other nonprofit institution; and
    (5) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or 
association or, if not so accredited, is an institution that has been 
granted pre-accreditation status by such an agency or association that 
has been recognized by the Secretary of Education for the granting of 
pre-accreditation status, and the Secretary of Education has determined 
that there is satisfactory assurance that the institution will meet the 
accreditation standards of such an agency or association within a 
reasonable time.
    (b) The term also includes--
    (1) Any school that provides not less than a one-year program of 
training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized 
occupation and that meets the provisions of paragraphs (a)(1), (2), (4) 
and (5) of this definition.
    (2) A public or nonprofit private educational institution in any 
State that, in lieu of the requirement in paragraph (a)(1) of this 
definition, admits as regular students persons who are beyond the age 
of compulsory school attendance in the State in which the institution 
is located. (20 U.S.C. 1001 and 2302(18))
    Non-traditional fields means occupations or fields of work, 
including careers in computer science, technology, and other current 
and emerging high-skill occupations, for which individuals from one 
gender comprise less than 25 percent of the individuals employed in 
each such occupation or field of work. (20 U.S.C. 2302(20))
    Stipend means a subsistence allowance for a student that is 
necessary for the student to participate in a project funded under this 
program.
    Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Career and Technical Institution 
means an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965, except that subsection (a)(2) of such 
section shall not be applicable and the reference to Secretary in 
subsection (a)(5) of such section shall be deemed to refer to the 
Secretary of the Interior) that--
    (a) Is formally controlled, or has been formally sanctioned or 
chartered, by the governing body of an Indian tribe or tribes;
    (b) Offers a technical degree or certificate granting program;
    (c) Is governed by a board of directors or trustees, a majority of 
whom are Indians;
    (d) Demonstrates adherence to stated goals, a philosophy, or a plan 
of operation, that fosters individual Indian economic and self-
sufficiency opportunity, including programs that are appropriate to 
stated tribal goals of developing individual entrepreneurships and 
self-sustaining economic infrastructures on reservations;
    (e) Has been in operation for at least three years;
    (f) Holds accreditation with or is a candidate for accreditation by 
a nationally recognized accrediting authority for postsecondary career 
and technical education; and
    (g) Enrolls the full-time equivalent of not less than 100 students, 
of whom a majority are Indians. (20 U.S.C. 2302(34))
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedures 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed non-statutory requirements, 
definitions, and selection criteria. Section 437(d)(1) of the General 
Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1)), however, allows the 
Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements non-statutory 
requirements, definitions, and selection criteria governing the first 
grant competition under a new or substantially revised program 
authority. This is the first grant competition for this program under 
the Act and, therefore, qualifies for this exemption. In order to 
ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public 
comment on certain non-statutory requirements, definitions, and 
selection criteria in this notice. These requirements and selection 
criteria will apply to the FY 2007 grant competition only.

    Program Authority: The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
Education Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-270, 20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.), in 
particular, section 117 (20 U.S.C. 2327).

    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General

[[Page 27301]]

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 81, 82, 
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $7,366,000 for the first 12 months of 
this project period. Funding for years two through five is subject to 
the availability of funds and to a grantee meeting the requirements of 
34 CFR 75.253.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $3,000,000 to $4,000,000 for the first 
12 months.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $3,683,000 for a single budget 
period of 12 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 2.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Any tribally controlled postsecondary 
career and technical institution that meets the definition in section 
3(34) of the Act is eligible to apply for a grant under this program if 
it is not receiving Federal support under the Tribally Controlled 
College or University Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), 
or the Navajo Community College Act (25 U.S.C. 640a et seq.).
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. (20 U.S.C. 2391(a))
    3. Other--Indirect Costs: Institutions receiving grants under this 
program will not be required to use a restricted indirect cost rate. 
(20 U.S.C. 2327(c)(3))

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Lois Davis, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 11063, Potomac 
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-7241. Telephone: (202) 245-7784. 
FAX: (202 245-7170) or e-mail: [email protected] You also may obtain an 
application package via the Internet from the following address: http://www.ed.gov/GrantApps/.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact 
person listed in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: May 15, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 14, 2007.
    Applications for grants under this program 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.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program 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 program may be submitted 
electronically or in paper format by mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    To comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are 
participating as a partner in the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site. 
TCPCTIP, CFDA Number 84.245, is included in this project. We request 
your participation in Grants.gov.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Governmentwide 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 TCPCTIP 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 (e.g., search for 84.245, not 
84.245A).
    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 date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and 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 and 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 and 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 program 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 steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps include (1) 
Registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes 
registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (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://

[[Page 27302]]

www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.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 submit successfully an application 
via Grants.gov. In addition you will need to update your CCR 
registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business 
days to complete.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you submit your application in paper format.
     If you submit your application electronically, you must 
submit all documents electronically, including all information you 
typically provide on the following forms: Application for Federal 
Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental 
Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs 
(ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Please note 
that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the Department of Education 
Supplemental Information for SF 424--have replaced the ED 424 
(Application for Federal Education Assistance).
     If you 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 in 
this paragraph 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 from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application 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 experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support 
Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    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 described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed 
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. 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: The extensions to which we refer 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 application 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 
84.245A), 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 
84.245A), 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.
    (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.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

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

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, 
you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of 
your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, 
to the Department at the following address:
    U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, 
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.245A), 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 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this notification 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 program are 
as follows.

[[Page 27303]]

The maximum score for each criterion and for each factor is indicated 
in parentheses. The total maximum score for these selection criteria is 
105 points.
    (a) Quality of the project design. (30 points) In determining the 
quality of the design of the proposed project, we consider 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 
(for example, we look for clear descriptions of proposed student career 
and technical education activities; recruitment and retention 
strategies; expected enrollments, completions, and student placements 
in jobs, military specialties, and continuing education/training 
opportunities; the number of project staff to be trained; and 
identification of requirements for each program of study to be provided 
under the project, including related training areas and a description 
of performance outcomes). (5 points)
    (ii) The extent to which the proposed project will establish 
linkages with other appropriate agencies (e.g., Indian Health Services, 
Tribal Planning Offices, the Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian 
Affairs and Office of Indian Education, the Department of Labor) and 
organizations providing services to the target population. (5 points)
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project will strengthen the 
rigor of the institution's career and technical education programs of 
study by offering programs with challenging academic content and 
technical skill proficiency, including by administering technical 
assessments that are aligned with industry-recognized standards, and 
awarding industry-recognized credentials, certificates, or degrees. (5 
points)
    (iv) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project will prepare students to gain employment in high-
skill, high-wage, and high-demand occupations or in non-traditional 
fields. (5 points)
    (v) The extent to which the services to be provided will improve 
student achievement, as measured against rigorous academic and career 
and technical standards, and will promote student retention in the 
grantee institution or transfer to a baccalaureate degree program. (5 
points)
    (vi) The extent to which the proposed project will provide 
opportunities for high-quality professional development that--
    (A) Will improve instructional personnel's knowledge and skills so 
that they can help students attain challenging and rigorous academic 
content and career and technical skill proficiencies;
    (B) Will advance instructional personnel's understanding of 
effective instructional strategies that are supported by 
scientifically-based research; and
    (C) Are sustained, intensive, and classroom-focused. (5 points)
    (b) Quality of the management plan. (15 points) In determining the 
quality of the management plan for the proposed project, we consider 
the following factors:
    (i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the goals and 
objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including 
clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and the milestones and 
performance standards for accomplishing project tasks. (5 points)
    (ii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and other key project personnel, including instructional 
staff, are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the 
proposed project. (5 points)
    (iii) The adequacy of procedures for student recruitment and 
retention. (5 points)
    (c) Quality of project personnel. (15 points) In determining the 
quality of project personnel, we consider the following factors:
    (i) 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. (5 points)
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training, expertise, 
and experience, of the project director, other key personnel, and 
project consultants. (5 points)
    (iii) The extent to which the project will use instructors who are 
certified to teach in the field in which they will provide instruction. 
(5 points)
    (d) Adequacy of resources. (20 points) In determining the adequacy 
of resources for the proposed project, we consider the following 
factors:
    (i) The adequacy of support from the applicant organization(s), 
including facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources. (5 
points)
    (ii) The extent to which the budget is adequate and the costs are 
reasonable in relation to the number of persons to be served and the 
anticipated results and benefits of the proposed project. (5 points)
    (iii) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of the applicant, 
local employers, or tribal entities to be served by the project (as 
evidenced by, for example, memoranda of understanding, letters of 
support, commitments to employ project participants). (5 points)
    (iv) The potential for continued support of the project after 
Federal funding ends. (5 points)
    (e) Quality of the project evaluation. (25 points) In determining 
the quality of the evaluation, we consider the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation proposed by the 
grantee are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, 
objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project. (5 points)
    (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 the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) performance measures discussed elsewhere in 
this notice and will produce quantitative and qualitative data. (5 
points)
    (iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and continuous improvement toward achieving 
intended outcomes. (5 points)
    (iv) The extent to which the proposed evaluation will be conducted 
by an external evaluator with appropriate background and technical 
expertise to carry out the evaluation. (5 points)
    (v) The extent to which the methods of the evaluation include 
processes that consider the validity and integrity of data collection 
and analysis; accessibility of appropriate and timely data; accurate 
descriptions of performance; collection processes that yield unbiased, 
unprejudiced, and impartial data results; and the extent to which 
representation of the data clearly communicates an accurate picture of 
performance. (5 points)

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

[[Page 27304]]

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 directed by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html. 
We strongly encourage grantees to submit their reports through e-
Reports, the Department's electronic performance reporting initiative.
    4. Performance Measures: Under GPRA, Federal departments and 
agencies must clearly describe the goals and objectives of programs, 
identify resources and actions needed to accomplish goals and 
objectives, develop a means of measuring progress made, and regularly 
report on achievement. One important source of program information on 
successes and lessons learned is the project evaluation conducted under 
individual grants. The Department has developed the following GPRA 
performance measures for evaluating the overall effectiveness of 
TCPCTIP projects:
    (a) The percentage of students mastering academic knowledge and 
skills that meet challenging State-defined or program-defined academic 
standards, as measured by the percentage of career and technical 
education students who receive degrees, certificates, or credentials.
    (b) The percentage of students who meet State-established or 
program-established industry-validated career and technical skills 
standards.
    (c) The percentage of programs offering skill competencies, related 
assessments, and industry-recognized skills certificates in 
postsecondary programs.
    (d) The percentage of students who are retained in, and complete 
postsecondary career and technical education programs.
    (e) The percentage of student placed in jobs, military service, or 
higher-level continuing education programs upon graduation or 
completion of the postsecondary career and technical education 
programs. Accordingly, each TCPCTIP grantee must assess progress on the 
above performance measures in evaluating the success of its project, 
and provide, in its annual performance and final reports, data about 
its progress on these measures.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Lois Davis, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 11063, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-7241. Telephone: (202) 245-7784 or 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: May 10, 2007.
Troy R. Justesen,
Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education.
 [FR Doc. E7-9314 Filed 5-14-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P