[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 42 (Monday, March 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11504-11510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4044]



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Part IV





Department of Education





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Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information: School 
Leadership Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards 
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 42 / Monday, March 3, 2008 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information: 
School Leadership Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.363A.
    Dates:
    Applications Available: March 3, 2008.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 2, 2008.
    Dates of Pre-Application Meetings: March 31, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 2, 2008.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 1, 2008.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The School Leadership program is designed to 
assist high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) in the development, 
enhancement, or expansion of innovative programs to recruit, train, and 
retain principals (including assistant principals) through such 
activities as:
     Providing financial incentives to aspiring new principals;
     Providing stipends to principals who mentor new 
principals;
     Carrying out professional development programs in 
instructional leadership and management; and
     Providing incentives that are appropriate for teachers or 
individuals from other fields who want to become principals and that 
are effective in retaining new principals.
    Priorities: This competition includes one competitive preference 
priority and one invitational priority that are explained in the 
following paragraphs.
    Competitive Preference Priority: This priority is from the notice 
of final priorities for discretionary grant programs, published in the 
Federal Register on October 11, 2006 (71 FR 60046). Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an additional 15 points to an 
application, depending on how well the application meets this priority.
    This priority is:
    School Districts with Schools in Need of Improvement, Corrective 
Action, or Restructuring. Projects that help school districts implement 
academic and structural interventions in schools that have been 
identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring under 
section 1116 of Title I, part A, of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind 
Act of 2001.

    Note: In addressing this priority, applicants are encouraged to 
describe how they will assess the specific instructional needs of 
the teachers and the academic needs of the student population in 
schools that have been identified for improvement, corrective 
action, or restructuring. Applicants are encouraged to use the 
information from the assessment and describe how the applicant will 
recruit, select, train, and support school leader candidates to 
address the teaching and learning challenges identified in the 
schools to be served by the project.

    Invitational Priority: For FY 2008, this priority is an 
invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an 
application that meets the invitational priority a competitive or 
absolute preference over other applications.
    This priority is:
    Projects that develop and implement or expand innovative programs 
that address the leadership needs specific to schools in the high-need 
LEAs to be served by the project and that lead to the certification, 
hiring, and retention of principals or assistant principals in those 
schools.
    Background: The Department recognizes the important impact that 
effective school leaders can have on teaching and learning. We know 
that successful principals promote in their schools a culture of 
achievement for all students. These principals hold themselves and 
others accountable for improving their schools. They work to ensure 
that teachers and other instructional staff have the resources and 
other supports they need to foster high academic achievement in all 
students.
    In the course of administering the School Leadership program over 
the last six years, we have found that high-need LEAs typically 
encounter a number of barriers to recruiting, selecting, and retaining 
high quality principals and assistant principals. The Secretary 
believes the School Leadership program should assist these LEAs in 
overcoming these barriers and enhance their ability to retain school 
leaders qualified to address how to improve student academic 
achievement and other school challenges.
    One of the barriers high-need LEAs face is recruiting a sufficient 
number of qualified and talented school leaders to serve in their 
schools. Only a limited number of individuals who are certified to work 
as principals or assistant principals choose to take a school 
leadership position in high-need LEAs, much less schools in need of 
improvement or corrective action. Some reasons prospective candidates 
avoid leadership positions in high-need LEAs include the long hours 
required, reduced job security, stress, and high levels of 
accountability for student achievement. Many candidates also have 
limited understanding of how to work in schools with high poverty 
rates, racial isolation, and low salaries for school personnel. In 
addition, unless they are well aligned with the conditions of a high-
need LEA and the demands of its school leadership positions, State-
approved certification programs may not adequately prepare potential 
candidates to assume responsibility as instructional leaders of their 
schools and greater school communities for effectively promoting 
increased student achievement of all students.
    Data reported in the annual performance reports submitted to the 
Department by FY 2002 and FY 2005 School Leadership program grantees 
indicate that projects demonstrating the greatest success in meeting 
their application objectives were closely aligned with the needs of the 
LEAs served. According to these data, projects were successful if their 
school leadership development strategy (1) considered the leadership 
skills needed in a particular school context, and then (2) designed 
program curriculum and other supports to help program participants 
develop those skills.
    Finally, while somewhat limited in scope, several studies have 
produced compelling evidence showing that retention of school leaders 
is linked to (1) rigorous selection criteria, as well as (2) 
preparation that is both aligned with national, State, or local 
standards, and includes job-embedded training linked to a well-
articulated and designed mentoring and coaching strategy. (Hess, F.M., 
& Kelly, A.P. (2005). Learning to Lead: What Gets Taught in Principal 
Preparation Programs. Cambridge: Harvard University.) (Levine, A. 
(2005, March). Educating School Leaders. New York: The Education 
Schools Project, Teachers College Columbia University.)
    Given the importance of developing school leaders who have the 
skills needed to help all students in schools in high-need LEAs achieve 
to high academic standards, the Secretary specifically invites 
applications that propose projects that will--
    (1) Conduct an assessment to identify the school leadership needs 
of schools that are not being met by existing applicant pools and 
existing school leadership training programs;
    (2) Develop and implement, or expand, an innovative program leading 
to certification of school principals and assistant principals (or 
both) that includes recruitment, selection, and

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training activities that address these unmet needs;
    (3) Develop and implement innovative strategies to retain project 
participants in schools in need of improvement or corrective action; 
and
    (4) Complete a high-quality project evaluation.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6651(b).
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99. (b) The notice of final priorities 
for discretionary grant programs published in the Federal Register on 
October 11, 2006 (71 FR 60046).

    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 institutions of 
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $14,300,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000-$750,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $500,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 24-30.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: High-need LEAs, consortia of high-need 
LEAs, or partnerships that consist of high-need LEAs, and nonprofit 
organizations (which may be a community- or faith-based organization), 
or institutions of higher education. Applicants are expected to 
identify and confirm in their applications that the participating 
LEA(s) meet the definition of ``high-need'' in section 2102(3) of the 
ESEA.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other Eligibility Information: Definition of ``High-Need LEA.'' 
An eligible application must propose a project that benefits one or 
more ``high-need LEAs.'' As defined in section 2102(3) of the ESEA, the 
term ``high-need LEA'' is an LEA--
    (a)(1) That serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families 
with incomes below the poverty line, or (2) for which not less than 20 
percent of the children served by the LEA are from families with 
incomes below the poverty line; and
    (b) For which there is (1) a high percentage of teachers not 
teaching in the academic subjects or grade levels the teachers were 
trained to teach, or (2) a high percentage of teachers with emergency, 
provisional, or temporary certification or licensing.
    So that the Department may be able to confirm the eligibility of 
the LEAs that projects propose to serve, applicants are expected to 
include information in their applications that demonstrates that each 
participating LEA in the project is a high-need LEA, as defined in 
section 2102(3) of the ESEA. Generally, this information should be 
based on the most recent available data on the number of children from 
families with incomes below the poverty line that the LEA serves. In 
this regard, when presenting evidence to support that each 
participating LEA meets the definition of a high-need LEA, an 
application should consider the following:
    The Department is not aware of any consistent available LEA data--
other than data periodically gathered by the U.S. Census Bureau--that 
would show that an LEA serves the required number or percentage of 
children (individuals ages 5 through 17) from families below the 
poverty line (as defined in section 9101(33) of the ESEA).

    Note: The data that many LEAs collect on the number of children 
eligible for free- and reduced-priced meal subsidies may not be used 
to satisfy the requirements under component (a) of the statutory 
definition of high-need LEA. Those data do not reflect children from 
families with incomes below the poverty line, as that term is 
defined in section 9101(33) of the ESEA.

    Therefore, absent a showing of alternative LEA data that reliably 
show the number of children from families with incomes below the 
poverty line that are served by the LEA, the Department expects that 
the eligibility of an LEA as a ``high-need LEA'' under component (a) 
will be determined on the basis of the most recent U.S. Census Bureau 
data. U.S. Census Bureau data are available for all school districts 
with geographic boundaries that existed when the U.S. Census Bureau 
collected its information. The link to the census data is: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/saipe/district.html. The Department also makes 
these data available at its Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/eligibility.html. (Although the Department posted this listing 
specifically for the Improving Literacy through School Libraries 
program, these same data apply to the definition of a ``high-need LEA'' 
used for purposes of eligibility under the School Leadership program.)
    LEAs, such as newly formed school districts or charter school in 
States that accord them LEA status, are not included in Census Bureau 
poverty data. Eligibility of these particular LEAs will be determined 
on a case-by-case basis after review of information in the application 
that addresses as well as possible the poverty level of children these 
LEAs serve in relation to section 2102(3) of the ESEA.
    With regard to component (b)(1) of the definition of ``high-need 
LEA'' in section 2102(3) of the ESEA, the Department interprets the 
phrase ``a high percentage of teachers not teaching in the academic 
subjects or grade levels that the teachers were trained to teach'' as 
being equivalent to ``a high percentage of teachers teaching out of 
field.'' The Department expects that LEAs that rely on component (b)(1) 
of the definition will demonstrate that they have a high percentage of 
teachers teaching out of field. The Department is not aware of any 
specific data that would demonstrate a ``high percentage'' of teachers 
teaching out of field. Accordingly, the Department will review this 
aspect of an LEA's proposed eligibility on a case-by-case basis. To 
decrease the level of uncertainty, an applicant might choose instead to 
demonstrate that each participating LEA meets the eligibility test for 
a high-need LEA under component (b)(2) of the definition.
    For component (b)(2) of the definition of ``high-need LEA,'' the 
data that LEAs likely will find most readily available on the 
percentage of teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary 
certification or licensing are the data they provide to their States 
for inclusion in the reports on the quality of teacher preparation that 
the States provide to the Department in October of each year as 
required by section 207 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended 
(HEA). In these reports, States provide the percentage of teachers in 
their LEAs teaching on waivers of State certification, both on a 
statewide basis and in high-poverty LEAs. The ``provisional'' HEA Title 
II accountability data for the national percentage of teachers on 
waivers to full State certification is 1.5 percent for the 2006-2007 
reporting year.
    Because the Department is in the process of certifying all data 
received in the October 2007 State HEA section 207 reports, the data in 
these reports, including the national average of teachers on waivers of 
State certification, are still provisional. However, to provide 
adequate time for the preparation and review of project applications 
and award of new grants,

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the Department will use the 1.5 percent national average for purpose of 
this competition. Accordingly, an LEA will be considered to have met 
component (b)(2) of the definition if the data that it provided to the 
State for purpose of the State's October 2007 HEA section 207 report 
demonstrate that at least 1.5 percent of its teachers were on waivers 
of State certification requirements.
    Consistent with the methodology the Department used in the FY 2007 
competition under the Transition to Teaching program, in which 
participating LEAs were required to be ``high-need LEAs'' as defined in 
section 2102(3) of the ESEA, the Department will determine that an LEA 
with over 1.5 percent of its teachers having emergency, provisional, or 
temporary certification or licensing (i.e., teachers on waivers), as 
reflected in data the State uses to compile its October 2007 State 
report, has a ``high percentage'' of its teachers in this category. We 
expect that an LEA that chooses not to rely on the data provided to the 
State for purposes of October 2007 reporting required by section 207 of 
the HEA would provide other evidence that demonstrates that it meets 
the eligibility requirement under component (b)(2) of the statutory 
definition of ``high-need LEA.'' Moreover, should an LEA with a 
percentage of teachers on waivers of less than 1.5 percent believe it 
too has a ``high percentage'' of its teachers with emergency, 
provisional, or temporary certification or licensing, the Department 
will determine whether that LEA meets element (b)(2) of the definition 
of high-need LEA on a case-by-case basis.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address To Request Application Package: Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone, toll 
free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll free: 1-877-
576-7734.
    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or at its e-mail address: [email protected].
    If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to 
identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.363A.
    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 person listed under 
Alternative Format in section VIII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. Applicants are strongly 
encouraged to limit the application narrative 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 either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    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, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the page 
limit does apply to all of the application narrative section (Part 
III).
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: March 3, 2008.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent To Apply: April 2, 2008.
    Dates of Pre-Application Meetings: The Department will hold two 
pre-application meetings for prospective applicants on March 31, 2008. 
The first meeting will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and the 
second meeting (a repeat of the morning meeting) will be held from 2:30 
p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the U.S. Department of Education, Barnard 
Auditorium, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC. Interested 
parties are invited to participate in either meeting to discuss the 
purpose of the School Leadership Program, competitive and invitational 
priorities, selection criteria, application content, submission 
requirements, and reporting requirements.
    Individuals interested in attending this meeting are encouraged to 
pre-register by e-mailing their name, organization, and contact 
information with the subject heading PRE-APPLICATION MEETING to 
[email protected]. There is no registration fee for attending this meeting. 
For further information contact Beatriz Ceja, U.S. Department of 
Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement, room 4W210, 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 205-5009 
or by e-mail: [email protected].

Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities at the Pre-Application 
Meeting

    The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If 
you will need an auxiliary aid or service to participate in the meeting 
(e.g., interpreting service, assistive listening device, or materials 
in an alternate format), notify the contact person listed in this 
notice at least two weeks before the scheduled meeting date. Although 
we will attempt to meet a request we receive after that date, we may 
not be able to make available the requested auxiliary aid or service 
because of insufficient time to arrange it.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 2, 2008.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission 
Requirements in this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    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 a 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: July 1, 2008.
    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

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is in the application package for this program.
    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 program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an 
exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in 
this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications. 
    Applications for grants under the School Leadership Grant Program, 
CFDA Number 84.363A, must be submitted electronically using 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.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the School 
Leadership Grant 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 84.363, not 84.363A).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are 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://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 qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information 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).
     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, 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

[[Page 11508]]

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.

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Beatriz Ceja, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W210, 
Washington, DC 20202-5960. FAX: (202) 401-8466.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable 
following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.363A) 
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 84.363A) 
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 qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.363A), 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 
from 34 CFR 75.210. The maximum score for all of the selection criteria 
is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in 
parentheses. Each criterion also includes the factors that the 
reviewers will consider in determining how well an application meets 
the criterion. Any notes following a selection criterion are intended 
to provide guidance to help applicants in preparing their applications 
only, and are not statutory or regulatory requirements for this 
competition. The criteria are as follows:
    A. Quality of the project design (40 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the design for the proposed project. In 
determining the quality of the design of the project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    1. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    2. The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects 
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
    3. The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs.
    4. The extent to which the proposed project is part of a 
comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support 
rigorous academic standards for students.

    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this 
criterion by discussing the overall project model, including such 
key elements as the project's research base, proposed participants, 
participant recruitment and selection strategies, plans for using 
incentives for teachers or individuals from other fields who want to 
become principals and assistant principals, activities to prepare 
and certify principals and

[[Page 11509]]

assistant principals, program delivery strategies, plans for 
implementing on-site or school-based work experiences, activities 
for participant placement, and retention strategies that include 
follow-up support.

    B. Quality of the project evaluation (25 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    1. The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of 
objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended 
outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative 
data to the extent possible.
    2. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.

    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to consider how this 
criterion may affect both their annual performance reports and the 
final evaluation submitted under 34 CFR 75.590. In addition, the 
Secretary encourages applicants to address this criterion by 
including proposed benchmarks for assessing both short- and long-
term progress toward the specific project objectives and outcome 
measures they would use to assess the project's impact on teaching 
and learning or other important outcomes for project participants. 
Applicants may consider the use of logic models to identify the 
project's inputs, outputs, and outcomes.

    The Secretary also encourages applicants to describe the 
qualifications of that evaluator as well as
     The types of data that will be collected;
     When these various types of data will be collected;
     What methods of data collections will be used;
     What evaluation instruments will be developed and when;
     How the data will be analyzed;
     When reports of evaluation results and outcomes will be 
available; and
     How the applicant will use the information collected 
through the evaluation to monitor progress of the funded project and to 
provide accountability information both about the success at the 
initial site or sites and about effective strategies for replication in 
other settings.
    Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level of 
resources to project evaluation.
    C. Quality of project services (20 points). The Secretary considers 
the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project. In 
determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of 
strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project 
participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been 
underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or 
disability. In addition, the Secretary considers one or more of the 
following factors;
    1. The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or 
beneficiaries of those services.
    2. The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient 
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice 
among the recipients of those services.
    3. The likelihood that the services to be provided by the proposed 
project will lead to improvements in the achievement of students as 
measured against rigorous academic standards.
    4. The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for 
maximizing the effectiveness of project services.

    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to describe how the 
proposed services will be responsive to the leadership needs of the 
LEAs served by the project and how they will be different from or 
will strengthen current leadership programs, and how the proposed 
services will prepare, certify, place, and support highly qualified 
school leaders who are able to address the needs of the schools in 
which they will be placed.

    D. Quality of the management plan (15 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. 
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    1. The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of 
the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks.
    2. The extent to which the time commitments of the project director 
and principal investigator 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.

    Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this 
criterion by providing specific information such as--
     The name, title, and time commitment of each key 
person, and the responsibilities of each individual working to help 
implement the project's goals and objectives;
     A year-to-year timeline for undertaking important 
project activities, with benchmarks for determining whether the 
project is achieving its stated goals and objectives; and
     The strategies for monitoring whether or not the 
project is meeting its goals and objectives, and for making mid-
course corrections, as appropriate.

    2. Applicant's Past Performance and Compliance History: In 
accordance with 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3)(ii), the Secretary may consider an 
applicant's past performance and compliance history when evaluating 
applications and in making funding decisions.

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 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 
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.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established two 
performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of the School 
Leadership Program: (1) the percentage of participants who become 
certified principals or assistant principals who are then placed and 
retained in schools

[[Page 11510]]

in high-need LEAs, and (2) the percentage of principals or assistant 
principals who participate in professional development activities and 
show an increase in their pre-post scores on a standardized measure of 
principal skills and who are retained in their positions in schools in 
high-need LEAs for at least two years. Grantees will be expected to 
provide data on each component of the two measures.

VII. Agency Contacts

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beatriz Ceja, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W210, Washington, DC 20202-
5960. Telephone: (202) 205-5009 or or by e-mail: [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 Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: February 27, 2008.
Morgan S. Brown,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. E8-4044 Filed 2-29-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P