[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 60 (Thursday, March 27, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16277-16283]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-6236]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and
Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students; Overview
Information; Foreign Language Assistance Program--Local Educational
Agencies; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year
(FY) 2008
[Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.293B].
Dates: Applications Available: March 27, 2008.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 11, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 30, 2008.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 30, 2008.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP)
provides grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) for innovative
model programs providing for the establishment, improvement, or
expansion of foreign language study for elementary and secondary school
students. Under this competition, as required by the fiscal year 2008
Appropriations Act, 5-year grants will be awarded to LEAs to work in
partnership with one or more institutions of higher education (IHEs) to
establish or expand articulated programs of study in languages critical
to United States national security in order to enable successful
students to achieve a superior level of proficiency in those languages
as they advance from elementary school through high school and college.
In addition, an LEA that receives a grant under this program must use
the funds to support programs that show the promise of being continued
beyond the grant period and demonstrate approaches that can be
disseminated to and duplicated in other LEAs. Projects supported under
this program may also include a professional development component.
Priorities: This notice involves an absolute priority and four
competitive preference priorities. The absolute priority is from Public
Law 110-161, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008, Division G,
Title III, School Improvement Programs. In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(iv), Competitive Preference Priorities 1 through
4 are from section 5493 of the Foreign Language Assistance Act
of 2001 (20 U.S.C. 7259b).
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Absolute Priority: For FY 2008, and any subsequent year in which we
make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition,
this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we
consider only applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
Sequential Study of Critical Languages
This priority supports projects to establish or expand articulated
programs of study in foreign language learning that exclusively teach
one or more of the following languages critical to United States
national security--Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, and
languages in the Indic, Iranian, and Turkic language families. Such
programs must be designed to enable successful students to achieve a
superior level of proficiency in those languages as they advance from
elementary school through high school and college.
The following definitions apply to this priority:
(1) Articulated program of study. Each grade level of the
elementary-school-through-college foreign language program is designed
to expand sequentially on the achievement students have made in the
previous level, with a goal of achieving a superior level of language
proficiency.
(2) Superior level of language proficiency. A proficiency level of
3, as measured by the Federal Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR),
achieved by a student.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2008, and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from
this competition, these priorities are competitive preference
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii) we give preference to an
application that meets one or more of these priorities over an
application of comparable merit that does not meet the priorities.
Note: There is no advantage to addressing all four competitive
preference priorities. Creating a program around all four priorities
may result in an unfocused program design. We give preference to
applications describing programs that address any of these
priorities.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority #1. Projects that include intensive
summer foreign language programs for professional development.
Competitive Preference Priority #2. Projects that link non-native
English speakers in the community with the schools in order to promote
two-way language learning.
Competitive Preference Priority #3. Projects that make effective
use of technology, such as computer-assisted instruction, language
laboratories, or distance learning, to promote foreign language study.
Competitive Preference Priority #4. Projects that promote
innovative activities, such as foreign language immersion, partial
foreign language immersion, or content-based instruction.
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 rules. Section 437(d)(1) of the General
Education Provisions Act (GEPA), however, allows the Secretary to
exempt from rulemaking rules governing the first grant competition
under a new or substantially revised program authority. This program
was substantially revised by Public Law 110-161, the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2008, Division G, Title III, School Improvement
Programs and, therefore, qualifies for this exemption. In order to
ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public
comment under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA on the absolute priority and
definitions in this notice. The absolute priority and definitions will
apply to the FY 2008 grant competition only.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7259a-7259b and Public Law 110-161,
the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008, Division G, Title III,
School Improvement Programs.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81,
82, 84, 85, 97, 98 and 99.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $2,360,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2009 from the list of
unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$300,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $200,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 12.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: 60 months. Applications that request funding for a
project period of other than 60 months will be deemed ineligible and
will not be read.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs, including charter schools that are
considered LEAs under State law, in partnership with one or more
institutions of higher education.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Section 5492(c)(2) of the Foreign
Language Assistance Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. 7259a(c)) requires that the
Federal share of a project funded under this program for each fiscal
year be 50 percent. For example, an LEA requesting $100,000 in Federal
funding for its foreign language program each fiscal year must match
that amount with $100,000 of non-Federal funding for each year. Section
80.24 of EDGAR addresses Federal cost-sharing requirements.
If an LEA does not have adequate resources to pay the non-Federal
share of the cost, a waiver may be requested. An LEA may request a
waiver of part or all of the matching requirement. The waiver request
should be submitted by letter to the Secretary of Education and
included in the application. An authorized representative of the school
district, such as the Superintendent of Schools, should sign the
letter. Further information on submitting a waiver request is included
in the application package.
The request for waiver should--
Provide an explanation, supported with appropriate
documentation, of the basis for the LEA's position that it does not
have adequate resources to pay the non-Federal share of the cost of the
project.
Specify the amount, if any, of the non-Federal share that
the LEA can pay.
We recommend that LEAs that are unable to provide the required
level of non-Federal support for their project provide as much non-
Federal support as possible.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Yvonne Putney-Mathieu,
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 10070,
PCP, Washington, DC 20202-6500. Telephone: (202) 245-7155, or by e-
mail: [email protected].
Note: Please include ``FLAP Application Request'' in the subject
heading of your e-mail.
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.
[[Page 16279]]
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: If you intend to apply for a grant under
this competition, contact Yvonne Mathieu by e-mail:
[email protected].
Note: Please include ``FLAP Intent to Apply'' in the subject
heading of your e-mail. The e-mail should specify: (1) The LEA name,
(2) city, (3) state, (4) number of grants, and (5) language(s) of
instruction. We do not consider an application that does not comply
with the deadline requirements established in this notice. However,
we will consider an application submitted by the deadline date for
transmittal of applications, even if the applicant did not provide
us 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 the application narrative to the equivalent of no more than 35
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
two-page abstract. However, the page limit does apply to all of the
application narrative section in Part III.
We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit or
if you apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page
limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: March 27, 2008.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 11, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 30, 2008.
Applications for grants under this program may be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (http://www.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 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: June 30, 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 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 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.
The Foreign Language Assistance Program, CFDA Number 84.293B, 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 Foreign
Language Assistance 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 84.293, not for 84.293B).
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://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
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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, 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 either person listed
elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT and
provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with
Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. 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 84.293B), 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
84.293B), 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
84.293B), 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 evaluates an application by
determining how well the proposed project meets the
[[Page 16281]]
following selection criteria. The selection criteria for this program
are from 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. Applicants are not required to address
the criteria as outlined in the Notes. However, the Notes we have
included are guidance to assist applicants in understanding each
criterion as they prepare their applications and are not required by
statute or regulation. In addressing each criterion, applicants are
encouraged to make explicit connections to relevant aspects of the
Purpose of the Program including the Absolute Priority as described in
section I of this notice. The maximum score for all of these criteria
is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in
parentheses.
(a) Need for project. (5 points)
The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In
determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers
the following factor:
(1) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services,
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude
of those gaps or weaknesses.
Notes for (a) Need for project: The Secretary encourages
applicants to describe current characteristics of the LEA and
targeted schools, including the specific foreign languages offered
and, for each foreign language offered, the number of students
enrolled in classes, grade levels served or, in the case of
secondary education, the course levels served; the number of schools
providing instruction; the type of foreign language instructional
model provided; and, the minutes of instruction per day and number
of days per week.
Applicants are also encouraged to address how the proposed
project will increase enrollment in critical foreign languages
during the course of the grant by adding languages, adding grades or
course levels, recruiting students, and expanding to additional
schools. Finally, applicants are encouraged to describe how the
proposed project will improve instruction by hiring highly qualified
teachers, improving teacher skills through professional development,
expanding the curriculum, and increasing the minutes of instruction
per day or week.
(b) Quality of the project design. (60 points)
The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
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 for implementing and evaluating
the proposed project will result in information to guide possible
replication of project activities or strategies, including information
about the effectiveness of the approach or strategies employed by the
project.
(3) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of
Federal financial assistance.
(4) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
(5) The extent to which the proposed project will establish
linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing
services to the target population.
(6) 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.
Notes for (b) Quality of the project design--factors 1 through
6: The Secretary encourages applicants to address the factors under
this criterion by discussing the extent to which the proposed
project addresses key components of project design, such as
measurable objectives for all Government Performance and Results Act
(GPRA) measures, including measures of improved student foreign
language proficiency and expected student achievement. Further, the
applicant is encouraged to describe the extent to which the proposed
project will use its ambitious project objectives and will ensure
that they are challenging, raise expectations, provide ways for
students to demonstrate progress, and are specific to each year
served by the grant. Finally, the applicant is encouraged to
describe the extent to which performance guidelines for K-12
students are incorporated by targeting the student proficiency level
of Advanced, as measured by the American Council on the Teaching of
Foreign Languages (ACTFL), for students exiting the K-12 program.
The Secretary encourages applicants to discuss their plans to
develop and implement an articulated curriculum with minimal content
repetition, so that students in the project will, when they graduate
from high school, have the skills needed to achieve a superior level
of proficiency by the end of an undergraduate program.
The Secretary encourages applicants to address the extent to
which the proposed project describes how it will disseminate its
innovative model and best practices for duplication by other LEAs.
The Secretary encourages applicants to describe the specific
assessments to be used or, if assessments are not available, how
assessments will be developed and how assessment results will be
used to inform decisions on instruction and articulation.
The Secretary encourages applicants to describe a plan to carry
out activities under the grant as part of their required partnership
with one or more IHEs, including how each member will be involved in
the planning, development, and implementation of the project; the
resources to be provided by each partner; the rationale for
selecting the partner(s); the specific activities that the
partner(s) will contribute to the grant during each year of the
project; and the identity of each member of the partnership,
including contact information, with a one-page letter of commitment
from the partner(s) in an appendix to the application narrative.
The Secretary encourages applicants to address the commitment of
partner(s) to building local capacity so that the program will be
institutionalized and sustained after Federal funds are expended.
The Secretary encourages applicants to discuss the overall
project model, its key components, and the degree to which the
model's key components are based on sound research and practice.
The Secretary encourages applicants to include evidence of how
they will establish linkages with the State educational agency,
foreign language organizations, community-based organizations, and
the heritage communities of the target language(s) in order to
support the program. Further, the Secretary encourages applicants to
address the extent to which the proposed project encourages parental
involvement.
Finally, the Secretary encourages applicants to include
information on how they will use State and national standards for
foreign language learning (including standards related to
communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities)
as a framework for teaching and learning.
(c) Quality of project personnel. (10 points)
The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry
out the proposed project. In determining the quality of project
personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant
encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of
groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race,
color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the
Secretary considers the following factors:
(1) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director.
(2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of key project personnel.
Note for (c) Quality of project personnel--factors 1 and 2: The
Secretary encourages applicants to address the factors under this
criterion by including position descriptions (not resumes) for the
project director and other key personnel. Further, the applicant is
encouraged to describe the qualifications, including relevant
training and experience, of current district employees who will be
teaching critical languages, and, if applicable, how the proposed
project plans to recruit highly qualified teachers of critical
languages. Finally the applicant is encouraged to include the
qualifications,
[[Page 16282]]
including relevant training and experience, of other key project
personnel and consultants.
(d) Quality of the management plan. (10 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 other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate
to meet the objectives of the proposed project.
Notes for (d) Quality of the management plan--factors 1 and 2:
Section 75.112 of EDGAR requires an applicant to include a narrative
that describes how and when, in each budget period of the project,
the applicant plans to meet each project objective. The Secretary
encourages applicants to address the factors under this criterion by
including in this narrative a clear, well thought-out implementation
plan that includes annual timelines, key project milestones, a
schedule of activities with sufficient time for developing an
adequate implementation plan, and the persons responsible for each
management activity. The Secretary encourages applicants to include
the percentage of time the project director, partner staff,
consultants, and other key personnel will spend on the project.
Finally, each applicant is encouraged to address this criterion by
describing the roles of the LEA and its IHE partner(s) in each phase
of the proposed project.
(e) Quality of the project evaluation. (15 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 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 will produce quantitative and
qualitative data to the extent possible.
(3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes.
Notes for (e) Quality of the project evaluation--factors 1
through 3. A strong evaluation plan should be included in the
application narrative and should be used, as appropriate, to shape
the development of the project from the beginning of the grant
period. The plan should include benchmarks to monitor progress
toward specific project objectives and also outcome measures to
assess the impact on teaching and learning or other important
outcomes for project participants. More specifically, the plan
should identify the individual or organization that has agreed to
serve as evaluator for the project and describe the qualifications
of that evaluator. The applicant is encouraged to describe how it
will select an independent, objective evaluator who has experience
in evaluating foreign language programs and who will play an active
role in the design and development of the project. The plan should
describe the evaluation design, indicating: (1) What types of data
will be collected; (2) when various types of data will be collected;
(3) what methods will be used; (4) what instruments will be
developed and when; (5) how the data will be analyzed; (6) when
reports of results and outcomes will be available; and (7) 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 success at the initial site
and effective strategies for replication in other settings.
Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level of
resources to project evaluation.
The Secretary encourages applicants to address the factors under
this criterion by describing how the evaluation plan is aligned with
the goals, objectives and activities described in the Quality of
Project Design criterion. In addition, each applicant is encouraged
to provide how each objective will be evaluated and when the
applicant will collect, analyze, and report quantitative and
qualitative data. (The specific performance measures established for
the overall Foreign Language Assistance Program are discussed under
Performance Measures in section VI of this notice.) Grantees are
required to submit annual performance reports for each of the first
four years of the grant and a final evaluation at the end of the
fifth year. Further, the Secretary encourages applicants to address
this criterion by describing how they will monitor progress toward
specific project objectives and outcome measures, in order to assess
the impact on teaching and learning or other important project
outcomes. Each applicant is encouraged to describe how it will
monitor progress in meeting annual targets established for project
objectives, as well as for the GPRA measures.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Grant Administration: Applicants should budget for a two-day
meeting for project directors to be held in Washington, DC.
4. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118. 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.
5. Performance Measures: In response to the Government Performance
and Results Act (GPRA), the Department developed three objectives for
evaluating the overall effectiveness of the Foreign Language Assistance
Program (FLAP) LEA program.
Objective 1: To expand foreign language study for students served
by FLAP.
Measure 1.1 of 2: The number of students participating in foreign
language instruction in the target languages(s) in the schools served
by FLAP.
Measure 1.2 of 2: The number of minutes of foreign language
instruction in the target languages(s) provided in the schools served
by FLAP.
Objective 2: To expand foreign language study in critical languages
for students served by the FLAP program.
Measure 2.1 of 1: The number of students participating in critical
languages in the schools served by FLAP.
Objective 3: To improve the foreign language proficiency of
students served by FLAP.
Measure 3.1 of 1: The number of students in FLAP projects who meet
ambitious project objectives for foreign language proficiency.
We will expect each LEA funded under this competition to document
how its project is helping the
[[Page 16283]]
Department meet these performance measures. Grantees will be expected
to report on progress in meeting these performance measures for FLAP in
their Annual Performance Report and in their Final Performance Report.
VII. Agency Contacts
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebecca Richey, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, room 10080,
Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7133, or by e-mail:
[email protected] or Sharon Coleman, U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, room 10071, Washington,
DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7124, or by e-mail:
[email protected].
If you use TDD, call 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 persons 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: March 19, 2008.
Margarita P. Pinkos,
Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director, Office of English Language
Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited
English Proficient Students.
[FR Doc. E8-6236 Filed 3-26-08; 8:45 am]
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