[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 144 (Friday, July 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41301-41307]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14539]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Vocational and Adult Education; Overview Information; 
Ready for College: Adult Education Transitions Program Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.191A.
    Dates:
    Applications Available: July 27, 2007.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: August 6, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 27, 2007.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 27, 2007.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of the Program: Section 243 of the Adult Education and 
Family Literacy Act (Act), 20 U.S.C. 9253, authorizes the Secretary to 
establish and carry out a program of national leadership activities to 
enhance the quality of adult education and literacy programs 
nationwide. Under the authority of that section of the Act, the 
Secretary plans to support State and local efforts to increase the rate 
at which adults, aged 18 to 24, successfully complete adult secondary 
education (ASE) and transition to postsecondary education.

Background Information

    The President's American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) 
recognizes that a high school diploma or equivalency diploma is no 
longer adequate for 21st century workforce demands and that the bedrock 
of America's competitiveness is a well-educated and skilled workforce. 
Some form of postsecondary education and training is now critical for 
workers to succeed in the new global economy. Yet, in 2004, one in five 
18- to 24-year-olds had not yet completed high school. While about half 
of the students who leave school early eventually obtain a credential, 
millions never receive one. Further, an estimated 3.8 million youth 
between the ages of 18 and 24 are neither employed nor in school. Young 
adults with low levels of literacy and educational attainment also have 
a lower chance of escaping unemployment. And those who do become 
employed are often limited to low-wage jobs. For America to continue to 
prosper economically, educators and others need to focus on ways to 
help more out-of-school youth obtain high school-level equivalency 
diplomas and transition successfully to postsecondary education.
    Many State and local agencies have developed a variety of 
interventions designed to re-engage out-of-school youth and help them 
obtain both a high school equivalency credential and a postsecondary 
certificate or degree. While the Department is generally aware of these 
efforts, there is little documentation of either their specific 
composition or their effectiveness. More importantly, little 
investigation has been conducted on why a particular practice has 
positive results with out-of-school youth. We are, therefore, using 
this competition to support projects that will identify and, when 
necessary, further develop, strengthen, enhance, or expand educational 
strategies (e.g., program design elements such as scheduling, 
educational counseling, supportive services for students, and 
professional development for staff; enhanced curricula; or linkages 
with postsecondary education programs) already utilized in local ASE 
programs. Because we want to begin documenting the specific composition 
of the educational strategies, the projects funded under this 
competition will also help local programs to establish procedures for 
demonstrating, documenting, and gathering data on the effectiveness of 
their educational strategies. This data will also help us better 
understand why the educational strategies facilitate the transition of 
out-of-school youth to postsecondary education. Further, descriptions 
of the educational practices demonstrated to be effective by the 
projects will be packaged for national dissemination.
    This competition is the first of several activities the Department 
anticipates

[[Page 41302]]

supporting to assist States in improving the quality of ASE and 
building capacity to increase the rate of out-of-school youth 
successfully transitioning to postsecondary education. By identifying 
and documenting existing effective educational practices of State and 
local agencies, we will be better able to (1) Disseminate effective 
models for other States to adopt, and (2) plan next steps for assisting 
States to improve the quality of adult education services so that more 
adults become ``college ready'' and actually transition to 
postsecondary education.

Application Requirements and Required Project Activities

    An application under this competition must propose a project that 
identifies, demonstrates, and documents practices that improve ASE and 
that facilitate the successful transition of out-of-school youth to 
postsecondary education. The project must--
    (a) Identify, demonstrate, and document, in at least four existing 
local ASE programs funded under the Act, educational strategies (e.g., 
program design elements such as scheduling, educational counseling, 
supportive services for students, and professional development for 
staff; enhanced curricula; or linkages with postsecondary education 
programs) designed to improve the ability of out-of-school youth to 
transition to postsecondary education. The educational strategies must 
be authorized under the Act and must currently be utilized in the local 
ASE programs participating in a project under this competition. An 
applicant must describe in its application the criteria and process it 
proposes to use to identify and select educational strategies to be 
demonstrated;
    (b) Assist the local ASE programs identified under paragraph (a) of 
this section to--
    (1) Further develop, strengthen, enhance, or expand educational 
strategies in order to improve the capacity of the programs to increase 
the percentage of out-of-school youth who are ready for, and actually 
transition to, postsecondary education;
    (2) Establish procedures that help the local ASE programs 
demonstrate, document, and gather data on educational strategies that 
improve ASE and facilitate the transition of out-of-school youth to 
postsecondary education; and
    (3) Offer opportunities for out-of-school youth to participate in 
course work and other activities that are coordinated with, and make it 
easier for out-of-school youth to transition to, postsecondary 
institutions;
    (c) Periodically communicate with the eligible agency, as defined 
under section 203(4) of the Act (20 U.S.C. 9202(4)), in the State in 
which the project will operate, regarding the planning, development, 
and implementation of the project;
    (d) Use an independent evaluator to gather data validating whether 
the educational strategies demonstrated by the local ASE programs 
actually--
    (1) Enhance learning for participating out-of-school youth;
    (2) Improve ASE instruction in participating local programs;
    (3) Increase the percentage of participating out-of-school youth 
who transition to postsecondary education; and
    (4) Result in measurable college readiness of out-of-school youth, 
including by providing a description of the standard the project used 
to define college readiness;
    (e) Package, for dissemination, a description of the educational 
practices demonstrated to be effective by the project, including by 
documenting, to the extent possible, the effectiveness of the 
educational practices in improving ASE and facilitating the transition 
of out-of-school youth to postsecondary education;
    (f) Be coordinated with similar or related efforts, and with other 
appropriate community, State, and Federal resources in order to 
increase the likelihood that the project will result in system change 
or improvement; and
    (g) At the conclusion of the project, propose the next steps that 
educators and researchers should under take to further validate the 
effectiveness of the educational strategies demonstrated in the 
project.
    Priority: We are establishing this priority for the FY 2006 grant 
competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the 
list of unfunded applicants from this competition, in accordance with 
section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 
U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
    Competitive Preference Priority: This priority is a competitive 
preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an 
additional 20 points to an application, depending on how well the 
application meets the priority. The points awarded under this priority 
are in addition to any points the application earns under the selection 
criteria for this competition, provided elsewhere in this notice.
    The priority is:

Involvement of an Eligible Agency

    Projects for which the eligible agency, as defined under section 
203(4) of the Act (20 U.S.C. 9202(4)), in the State in which the 
project will operate is actively involved in the project (i.e., has a 
clearly defined leadership role in planning, developing, and 
implementing the proposed demonstration project) as evidenced by 
clearly delineated responsibilities that are described in the 
application and by a letter from the eligible agency committing to 
carry out the agreed upon responsibilities.

    Note: The definitions in section 203 of the Act apply to this 
competition. (20 U.S.C. 9202).


    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed non-statutory requirements, 
priorities, and selection criteria. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, 
allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements non-
statutory requirements, priorities, and selection criteria governing 
the first grant competition under a new or substantially revised 
program authority. This is the first grant competition under section 
243 of the Act and, therefore, qualifies for this exemption. In order 
to ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo 
public comment on the non-statutory requirements, priority, and 
selection criteria under the authority of section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. 
The non-statutory requirements, priority, and selection criteria set 
forth in this notice will apply to the FY 2006 competition and any 
subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applications from this competition.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9253.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General.
    Administrative Regulations: (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 
80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, 99.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $2,000,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000 to $1,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $750,000.

[[Page 41303]]

    Estimated Number of Awards: 2 to 4.

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

    Project Period: Up to 24 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: The following entities are eligible for a 
grant:
    (a) A State educational agency.
    (b) A local educational agency.
    (c) A postsecondary educational institution.
    (d) Other public or private agencies, organizations, and 
institutions.
    (e) A consortium of eligible applicants. Eligible applicants 
seeking to apply as a consortium must comply with the regulations in 34 
CFR 75.127-75.129, which address group applications.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Karen Lee, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 11047, Potomac 
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-7240. Telephone: (202) 245-7720 or 
by e-mail: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can 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.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to develop a 
more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if it has a 
better understanding of the number of entities that intend to apply for 
funding under this competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly 
encourages each potential applicant to notify the Department by sending 
a short e-mail message indicating the applicant's intent to submit an 
application for funding. The e-mail should include only the applicant's 
intent to submit an application; it does not need to include 
information regarding the content of the proposed application. This e-
mail notification should be sent 10 days after the publication of this 
notice to Diane DeMaio at: [email protected].
    We will consider an application submitted by the deadline date for 
transmittal of applications even if the applicant did not provide 
notice of its intent to apply.
    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 25 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, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is 12 point, double-spaced.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one page abstract, the 
resumes, or the letters of support. However, the page limit does apply 
to all of the application narrative section (Part III).
    We will reject 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: July 27, 2007.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: August 6, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 27, 2007.
    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 in 
paper format 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 in section VII 
in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 27, 2007.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section in 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.
    To comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are 
participating as a partner in the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site. 
Ready for College: Adult Education Transitions, CFDA Number 84.191A, 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 the Ready for 
College: Adult Education Transitions 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 (e.g., search for 84.191, not 84.191A).
    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

[[Page 41304]]

than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. 
When we retrieve an 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 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 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://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 the 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 
the application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, 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 in section VII in this notice 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 84.191A), 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 
84.191A), 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.


[[Page 41305]]


    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 
84.191A), 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 Secretary uses the following program 
criteria to evaluate an application. The maximum score for each 
criterion is indicated in parentheses. The maximum score for all of 
these criteria is 110 points.
    (a) Significance. (20 points) In determining the significance of 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which--
    (i) The proposed project will identify, demonstrate, and document, 
in at least four existing local ASE programs funded under the Act, 
educational strategies (e.g., program design elements such as 
scheduling, educational counseling, supportive services for students, 
and professional development for staff; enhanced curricula; or linkages 
with postsecondary education programs) designed to improve the ability 
of out-of-school youth to transition to postsecondary education. The 
educational strategies must be authorized under the Act and must 
currently be utilized in the local ASE programs participating in a 
project under this competition;
    (ii) The applicant describes the criteria and process it proposes 
to use to identify and select educational strategies to be 
demonstrated; and
    (iii) The proposed project will assist the local ASE programs to--
    (A) Further develop, strengthen, enhance, or expand educational 
strategies in order to improve the capacity of the programs to increase 
the percentage of out-of-school youth who are ready for, and actually 
transition to, postsecondary education;
    (B) Establish procedures that help the local ASE programs 
demonstrate, document, and gather data on educational strategies that 
improve ASE and facilitate the transition of out-of-school youth to 
postsecondary education; and
    (C) Offer opportunities for out-of-school youth to participate in 
course work and other activities that are coordinated with, and make it 
easier for out-of-school youth to transition to, postsecondary 
institutions.
    (2) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in ASE 
curricula or program designs have been identified and will be addressed 
by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude of those 
gaps or weaknesses.
    (b) Quality of the project design. (45 points) In determining the 
quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers 
the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which clearly specified and measurable goals, 
objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are 
aligned with the activities described in the Application Requirements 
and Required Project Activities section in this notice.
    (2) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects 
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practices.
    (3) The extent to which the applicant describes effective 
strategies to--
    (i) Improve program completion rates;
    (ii) Increase the percentage of out-of-school youth who obtain a 
General Educational Development or high school equivalency credential;
    (iii) Increase the percentage of out-of-school youth who 
demonstrate college readiness; and
    (iv) Increase the percentage of out-of-school youth who 
successfully transition to postsecondary education.
    (4) The extent to which the proposed project will periodically 
communicate with the eligible agency, as defined under section 203(4) 
of the Act (20 U.S.C. 9202(4)), in the State in which the project will 
operate, regarding the planning, development, and implementation the 
project.
    (5) The extent to which the design will result in replicable 
educational strategies that can be packaged for dissemination 
nationally.
    (6) The extent to which the proposed project will package, for 
dissemination, a description of the educational practices demonstrated 
to be effective by the project, including by documenting, to the extent 
possible, the effectiveness of the educational practices in improving 
ASE and facilitating the transition of out-of-school youth to 
postsecondary education.
    (7) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated 
with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community, 
State, and Federal resources in order to increase the likelihood that 
the project will result in system change or improvement.
    (8) The extent to which, at the conclusion of the proposed project, 
the project will propose the next steps that educators and researchers 
should undertake to further validate the effectiveness of the 
educational strategies demonstrated in the project.
    (c) Quality of project personnel. (5 Points) In determining the 
quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the following 
factors:
    (1) The extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that traditionally 
have been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, 
gender, age, or disability.
    (2) The extent to which the qualifications, including relevant 
training and experience, of the project director, key personnel, and 
subcontractors match the requirements of the project.
    (d) Quality of the management plan. (20 points) In determining the 
quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the management plan is designed to achieve 
the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, 
including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones 
for accomplishing project tasks.
    (2) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate 
to meet the objectives of the proposed project.
    (3) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project.

[[Page 41306]]

    (e) Quality of the project evaluation. (20 points) In determining 
the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers the following 
factors:
    (1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project.
    (2) 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 to the performance measures 
discussed in Section VI. 4. Performance Measures in this notice and the 
extent to which the methods of evaluation will produce valid and 
reliable quantitative and qualitative data.
    (3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide a 
coordinated strategy for examining the effectiveness of project 
implementation strategies across multiple programs within a State.
    (4) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback.
    (5) The extent to which the proposed project will use an 
independent evaluator to gather data validating whether the educational 
strategies demonstrated by the local ASE programs actually--
    (i) Enhance learning for participating out-of-school youth;
    (ii) Improve ASE instruction in participating local programs;
    (iii) Increase the percentage of participating out-of-school youth 
who transition to postsecondary education; and
    (iv) Result in measurable college readiness of out-of-school youth, 
including by providing a description of the standard the project used 
to define college readiness.

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 notify you informally, also.
    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 in this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates the approved application as part of the binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting. (a) 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 under 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.
    (b) In addition, grantees under this competition must submit--
    (1) An interim report six months after the grant is awarded;
    (2) An evaluation report that--
    (i) Reports on the effectiveness of the project;
    (ii) Reports on the effectiveness of practices demonstrated during 
the project, including whether educational strategies actually--
    (A) Enhanced learning for out-of-school youth;
    (B) Improved ASE programs;
    (C) Improved States' capacity to increase the percentage of out-of-
school youth who transition to postsecondary education; and
    (D) Resulted in, or contributed to, measurable college readiness of 
out-of-school youth, including by providing a description of the 
standard the project used to define college readiness;
    (iii) Contains recommendations on how to further evaluate the 
effectiveness of practices demonstrated during the project; and
    (iv) Reports on the percentage of out-of-school youth enrolled in 
the project who were retained during the project period and who 
demonstrated measurable college readiness; and
    (3) An annual report on the GPRA measures identified in the 
Performance Measures section of this notice.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance Results 
Act of 1993, 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. In evaluating the 
overall effectiveness of projects funded under this competition, 
grantees must also be prepared to measure and report on the following 
measures of effectiveness:
    a. The percentage of out-of-school youth served by the project 
whose goal is to complete high school, and who earn a high school 
diploma or recognized equivalent.
    b. The percentage of out-of-school youth served by the project 
whose goal is to enter postsecondary education and who enroll in a 
postsecondary education program.
    c. The percentage of out-of-school youth served by the project who 
demonstrate measurable college readiness.
    d. The percentage of out-of-school youth served by the project who 
demonstrate improved literacy and mathematics skills using pre- and 
post-tests that are approved for use in the National Reporting System 
for Adult Education and that are identified in the assessment policy of 
the State in which the project will operate.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For Further Information Contact: Diane DeMaio or Ursula Lord, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 11002, Potomac 
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-6121. Telephone: (202) 245-7841 or 
(202) 245-7734, respectively, or by e-mail: [email protected] or 
[email protected].
    If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format 
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can 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

[[Page 41307]]

Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: July 24, 2007.
Troy R. Justesen,
Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. E7-14539 Filed 7-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P