[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 98 (Tuesday, May 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29121-29128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-11271]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Vocational and Adult Education; Overview Information; 
Promoting Rigorous Career and Technical Education Programs of Study 
Through Statewide or Multi-State Articulation Agreements

    Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards Using Fiscal Year (FY) 
2007 Funds.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.051C.

    DATES: 
    Applications Available: May 20, 2008.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: May 30, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 7, 2008.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 2, 2008.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of the Program: Section 114(c)(1) of the Carl D. Perkins 
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Act), 20 U.S.C. 2324(c)(1), 
authorizes the Secretary to carry out research, development, 
dissemination, evaluation and assessment, capacity building, and 
technical assistance with regard to the career and technical education 
(CTE) programs under the Act. Under that authority, the Secretary plans 
to support State efforts to offer rigorous CTE programs of study and to 
institutionalize those rigorous CTE programs of study using 
articulation agreements.

Background Information

    The current Act continues the commitment to high-quality CTE 
embodied in the previous Perkins Act. The Act also continues the 
previous law's focus on developing challenging academic and technical 
standards and assisting students in meeting such standards, including 
through preparation for high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand 
occupations in current or emerging professions and in nontraditional 
fields.
    Through this competition, the Department continues its efforts to

[[Page 29122]]

promote rigorous secondary and postsecondary CTE programs of study and 
to implement the reauthorized statute. The competition is intended to 
(1) build on the efforts of States and localities to develop 
challenging academic and technical standards and to assist students in 
meeting such standards, including through preparation for high-skill, 
high-wage, or high-demand occupations in current or emerging 
professions, and (2) promote the development of services and activities 
that integrate rigorous and challenging academic and career and 
technical instruction, and that link secondary education and 
postsecondary education for participating CTE students. Through this 
competition, we also intend to build States' capacities to offer 
rigorous CTE programs of study that are implemented through statewide 
or multi-State articulation agreements that will continue after Federal 
funding under this competition ends.

Definitions

    The definitions in section 3 of the Act apply to this competition. 
(20 U.S.C. 2302)

Requirements and Priority

    Required Cooperative Agreement: The Secretary will make awards to 
each grantee under the terms of a cooperative agreement. The Secretary 
expects to have substantial involvement with grantees during the 
performance period of funded projects. Substantial involvement on the 
part of the Department includes--
    (a) Reviewing and approving project activities;
    (b) Halting an activity immediately if detailed performance 
specifications or requirements are not met;
    (c) Reviewing and approving one stage of work before the grantee 
can begin a subsequent stage during the project period;
    (d) Collaborating or participating jointly in the assisted 
activities; and
    (e) Reviewing and approving plans for developing a CTE program of 
study and statewide or multi-State articulation agreement.
    Required Project Activities: Through this competition, the 
Secretary will award cooperative agreements to applicants that propose 
projects that will build a State's capacity, or the capacity of two or 
more States in the case of consortia, to promote rigorous CTE programs 
of study. A project must propose to incorporate all of the following 
elements.
    (a) Use of Partnership. (1) Use a partnership to develop a new 
program of study, or adopt or adapt an existing program of study, that 
aligns secondary and postsecondary education courses that are needed to 
prepare students for further education and employment.
    (2) Use a partnership to develop a statewide or multi-State 
articulation agreement that the grantee will use to implement the 
program of study. The statewide or multi-State articulation agreement 
developed under this competition must be designed to continue after 
Federal funding under this competition ends.
    (b) CTE programs of study. (1) Develop a new CTE program of study, 
or adopt or adapt an existing CTE program of study, that--
    (i) Incorporates secondary and postsecondary education elements;
    (ii) Includes coherent and rigorous content aligned with 
challenging academic standards and relevant career and technical 
content in a coordinated, non-duplicative progression of courses that 
aligns secondary education with postsecondary education to adequately 
prepare students to succeed in postsecondary education; and
    (iii) Leads to an industry-recognized credential or certificate at 
the postsecondary level or an associate or baccalaureate degree.
    (2) In addition, each grantee's program of study must--
    (i) At the secondary education level, align coherent and rigorous 
academic curriculum with challenging academic content standards and 
student academic achievement standards in reading/language arts, 
mathematics, and science that the State (or States) in a consortium in 
which the program of study will be implemented has (or have) 
established under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) (ESEA), as amended by the 
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.);
    (ii) Enable secondary education students to meet State high school 
graduation requirements;
    (iii) Offer the opportunity for CTE secondary education students to 
participate in dual or concurrent enrollment programs with 
postsecondary institutions or otherwise acquire postsecondary education 
credits;
    (iv) Include either--
    (A) One of the 16 career clusters recognized by the Department (on 
the Internet at: http://www.careerclusters.org/16clusters.cfm);
    (B) A career cluster approach previously developed by one or more 
States; or
    (C) An approach that a State or a consortium of States wants to 
develop with funds awarded under this competition;
    (v) Incorporate CTE content standards that have been validated by a 
State, regional, or national third-party entity that is qualified to 
assess and confirm the rigor of the program of study (e.g., the 
National Home Builders Association, Oklahoma General Contractor's 
Association, or NASDCTEc National Advisory Committees) in conjunction 
with employers and postsecondary institutions that are familiar with 
the elements of the program of study (e.g., with the CTE courses, 
industry-recognized standards, or technical skill proficiencies that 
will be embedded in the program of study);
    (vi) Ensure alignment between the State secondary CTE and 
postsecondary CTE referred to in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section; 
and
    (vii) Offer academic and career counseling.
    (c) Partnership Activities. (1) Establish a partnership that, at a 
minimum, includes the State agencies responsible for the administration 
of CTE, secondary education, and postsecondary education (both two- and 
four-year institutions); at least one State workforce agency; and 
representatives of employers and of faculty and administrators from the 
State's or States' secondary and postsecondary education institutions 
who are familiar with elements of the program of study (e.g., with the 
CTE courses, industry-recognized standards, or technical skill 
proficiencies that will be embedded in the program of study).
    (i) The partnership must--
    (A) Ensure the rigor and quality of the CTE program of study to be 
developed under the cooperative agreement, as described in paragraph 
(b) of this section; and
    (B) Develop a statewide or multi-State articulation agreement that 
will be used to implement the program of study within the State, or 
within the States within a consortium.
    (ii) Ensure that the projects proposing to develop multi-State 
articulation agreements include each of the partners listed in 
paragraph (c)(1) of this section for each State participating in the 
project.
    (2) Actively involve the partners in the project (i.e., each of the 
partners must have a clearly defined leadership role in planning, 
developing, and implementing the CTE program of study) as evidenced by 
clearly delineated responsibilities that are described in the 
application and by a letter from each State agency committing the 
agency to carry out the agreed upon partnership responsibilities.

[[Page 29123]]

    (3) Include in the project representatives of partners who are able 
to answer questions and influence decisions, have excellent knowledge 
of the program of study to be developed, adapted, or adopted, and have 
the authority to communicate information to decision-makers.
    (4) Develop a clear rationale for selecting the program of study 
(e.g., a program of study will provide training in a high-growth, high-
demand, or high-wage occupation as reflected in the national, State, or 
regional labor market), including information about the number of 
students, schools, and institutions statewide (or within the 
consortium) that would implement the program of study.
    (5) Identify or develop the academic and career content standards, 
validated by a qualified third-party as described in paragraph 
(b)(2)(v) of this section, that students would strive to meet under the 
program of study.
    (6) For the program of study, identify the coherent and rigorous 
sequence of courses the State will require students to take at the 
secondary and postsecondary (at both two- and four-year institutions) 
levels.
    (7) Perform a course-by-course analysis of the State's secondary 
and postsecondary CTE courses to identify courses that meet the 
requirements of the program of study and, if there are missing courses, 
design courses to complete the program of study.
    (8) Identify or develop courses that provide opportunities for 
secondary education students to participate in dual or concurrent 
enrollment programs or otherwise acquire postsecondary education 
credits.
    (9) Identify or develop postsecondary courses that, when 
successfully completed, allow students to transfer to another community 
college or institution of higher education without losing credit for 
courses already completed.
    (10) Review State and local policies and issues in the following 
areas and determine how they enhance or inhibit the establishment of a 
statewide or multi-State articulation agreement for the program of 
study:
    (i) Funding.
    (ii) Faculty certification.
    (iii) Assessments documenting student attainment of technical 
skills.
    (iv) Credit transfer.
    (v) Tracking student transitions.
    (vi) Awarding of credit.
    (vii) Statewide program of study availability.
    (11) Develop and implement plans addressing issues that inhibit the 
establishment of a program of study and a statewide or multi-State 
articulation agreement.
    (d) Statewide or multi-State articulation agreement.
    (1) Prepare a written articulation agreement that is signed by the 
chief executive of each of the State agencies responsible for the 
administration of CTE, secondary, and postsecondary education (both 
two- and four-year institutions) agreeing to implement the program of 
study.
    (2) The articulation agreement must--
    (i) Describe the program of study, including--
    (A) The specific coursework requirements at the secondary, two-year 
college, and four-year college levels, including pre-requisites;
    (B) As appropriate, course grade requirements, end-of-course exams, 
certifications, or minimum grade-point average for each secondary and 
postsecondary level course;
    (C) Options available for students to transfer credits to community 
colleges or four-year institutions; and
    (D) The minimum qualifications for faculty teaching courses in the 
program of study;
    (ii) Describe how the program of study meets the requirements in 
paragraph (b) of this section of the notice;
    (iii) Describe plans for implementing the statewide or multi-State 
articulation agreement;
    (iv) Describe plans for periodically reviewing and updating the 
program of study and statewide or multi-State articulation agreement 
and for maintaining the involvement of the partners;
    (v) Identify the curriculum standards and admission requirements 
for two- and four-year postsecondary institutions for the program of 
study;
    (vi) Describe the procedures and requirements for transferring 
secondary and community college coursework for credit;
    (vii) Describe the procedures for secondary education students to 
participate in dual or concurrent enrollment programs or otherwise 
acquire postsecondary education credits;
    (viii) Explain how credit is awarded to students under the program 
of study;
    (ix) Describe the State's or States' plans for developing statewide 
or multi-State articulation agreements for additional CTE programs of 
study after the project ends; and
    (x) Describe the State's or States' plans for providing, after 
Federal funding ends, professional development opportunities, including 
faculty certification training or in-service training designed to 
prepare staff for implementation of the program of study developed 
under the project.
    (e) Documentation. (1) Document the process the grantee used to 
design, adapt, or adopt and reach agreement on the program of study, 
maintain the partnership, build collaborative relationships, develop 
the statewide or multi-State articulation agreement, and enhance 
students' ability to transition from secondary to postsecondary 
education, including how the grantee analyzed courses and reviewed and 
negotiated transfer and admissions requirements.
    (2) Document the process the qualified third party used to assess 
and confirm the rigor of the content standards of the program of study, 
as described in paragraph (b)(2)(v) of this section.
    (3) Document the State and local policies and issues that enhanced 
or inhibited the development of the program of study and the statewide 
or multi-State articulation agreement.
    (4) Describe the methods the partnership used to incorporate into 
the program of study and the articulation agreement State and local 
policies that facilitated the development of a program of study and 
facilitated the development of the articulation agreement.
    (5) Describe the methods the partnership used to address the 
obstacles in the following areas:
    (i) Funding.
    (ii) Faculty certification.
    (iii) Assessments documenting student attainment of technical 
skills.
    (iv) Credit transfer.
    (v) Tracking student transitions.
    (vi) Awarding of credit.
    (vii) Statewide program of study availability.
    (6) Prepare materials for dissemination that describe the process 
the grantee followed when designing, adapting, or adopting and reaching 
agreement on the program of study and developing the statewide or 
multi-State articulation agreement.
    (f) Dissemination. Disseminate--
    (1) Material on the process the grantee followed when designing, 
adapting, or adopting and reaching agreement on the program of study; 
and
    (2) Program-specific material developed for the program of study.
    (g) Technical assistance. Plan to participate in technical 
assistance activities sponsored by the Department, including two 
meetings in which grantees will describe their projects' progress, make 
connections with other projects, and discuss common issues, strategies, 
best practices, and actual or potential barriers to implementation.
    Priority: We are establishing this priority for the FY 2007 funds 
grant

[[Page 29124]]

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 an 
additional 10 points to an application that meets this priority.
    The priority is:
    Commitment to the project: In order to build States' capacities to 
offer rigorous CTE programs of study through statewide or multi-State 
articulation agreements that will continue after Federal funding ends 
under this competition, we award 10 points to an application that 
demonstrates commitment to the project funded under this competition 
and to enhancing project activities by providing 30 percent of the 
total cost of the proposed project using either State leadership funds 
awarded under the Act; or non-Federal contributions, including use of 
facilities, equipment, supplies, services, third-party in-kind 
contributions, and other resources; or a combination of both State 
leadership funds and non-Federal contributions.
    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 for this program 
under section 114 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 2007 
funds competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from 
the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 2324(c)(1).

    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, and 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 institutions of 
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreements.
    Estimated Available Funds: $750,000 is available from the FY 2007 
appropriation for the first 12 months of the project period. $500,000 
is available from the FY 2008 appropriation for the second 12 months 
and is subject to a grantee meeting the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253.
    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: $120,000 to $130,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $125,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 6.

    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 to 
apply under this competition:
    (a) A State board designated or created consistent with State law 
as the sole State agency responsible for the administration of CTE in 
the State or for the supervision of the administration of CTE in the 
State.
    (b) A consortium of State boards identified in paragraph (a) of 
this section. Eligible applicants proposing to develop a multi-State 
articulation agreement must apply for funds as a consortium and must 
comply with the regulations in 34 CFR 75.127 through 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: Scott Hess, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 11073, Potomac 
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-7241. Telephone: (202) 245-7772 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 no later than May 30, 2008 to Scott 
Hess 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.
    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 if you apply other standards and exceed the 
equivalent of the page limit.

[[Page 29125]]

    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: May 20, 2008.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: May 30, 2008.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 7, 2008.
    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 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: September 2, 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 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. Promoting Rigorous Career and 
Technical Education Programs of Study Through Statewide or Multi-State 
Articulation Agreements, CFDA Number 84.051C, 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 Promoting 
Rigorous Career and Technical Programs of Study Through Statewide 
Articulation Agreements competition 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 84.051, not 84.051C).
    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 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 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.

[[Page 29126]]

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 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 84.051C), 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 
84.051C), 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 84.051C), 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 selection 
criteria to evaluate an application for this competition. The maximum 
score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses. The maximum score 
for all of these selection criteria is 150 points.
    (a) Project design (50 points). In determining the quality of the 
design of the proposed project, the Assistant Secretary considers the 
extent to which the project design is an effective strategy for 
building a State's capacity, or the capacity of the States in the case 
of consortia, to promote a rigorous CTE program of study and developing 
a statewide or multi-State articulation agreement that will extend 
beyond the period of Federal financial assistance under this 
competition, including by--
    (1) Carrying out the project using a partnership among State 
agencies responsible for the administration of CTE, secondary 
education, and postsecondary education (both two- and four-year 
institutions); at least one State workforce agency; representatives of 
employers and of faculty and administrators from the State's or States' 
secondary and postsecondary education institutions who are familiar 
with elements of the program of study (e.g., with CTE courses, 
industry-recognized standards, or technical skill proficiencies that 
will be embedded in the program of study);
    (2) Making effective use of the partnership described in paragraph 
(a)(1) of this section and its individual members to reach agreement on 
the content standards for a State program of study that will improve 
the rigor and quality of CTE programs within the State or States within 
a consortium and to develop an articulation agreement for implementing 
the CTE program of study;
    (3) For projects proposing to develop a multi-State articulation 
agreement, including the partners listed in paragraph (a)(1) of this 
section of the notice for each State participating in the project;
    (4) Actively involving partners in the project (i.e., each partner 
will have a clearly defined leadership role in planning, developing, 
and implementing the program of study) as evidenced by clearly 
delineated responsibilities that are described in the application and 
by a letter from the State agency committing the agency to

[[Page 29127]]

carry out the agreed upon responsibilities; and
    (5) Involving partners whose representatives are able to answer 
questions and influence decisions, have excellent knowledge of the 
program of study to be developed, and have the authority to communicate 
information to decision-makers.
    (b) Technical approach (45 points). In determining the quality of 
the technical approach of the proposed project, the Assistant Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the application comprehensively addresses 
each required project activity, clearly defining the actions to be 
undertaken to accomplish each activity.
    (2) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a thorough 
understanding of effective practices in the development of articulation 
agreements and of CTE programs of study.
    (3) The extent to which the applicant describes in a clear and 
sequential manner effective strategies for accomplishing the required 
project activities.
    (c) Project management (30 points). In determining the quality of 
the management plan for the proposed project, the Assistant Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the Project Director has clearly identified 
and documented professional qualifications, competencies, and 
experience necessary to carry out project tasks. (10 points)
    (2) The extent to which--
    (i) The applicant includes a description, in a clear and sequential 
manner, of the plan for managing the project; and
    (ii) The plan provides credible evidence that the management of 
personnel, physical resources, and activities will result in orderly 
and timely completion of work within the project performance period. 
(15 points)
    (3) The extent to which the time commitments of the Project 
Director, key personnel, and partners are appropriate to the tasks 
assigned. (5 points)
    (d) Dissemination (15 points). In determining the quality of the 
dissemination activities of the proposed project, the Assistant 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the proposed project will result in 
replicable strategies that are practical and can be packaged for 
dissemination nationally.
    (2) The extent to which the proposed project will develop material 
that can be packaged for dissemination, particularly the extent to 
which such material will include a description of the procedure the 
grantee used to develop the statewide or multi-State articulation 
agreement and to develop, adapt, or adopt a program of study, including 
any specific material or curriculum developed for the program of study.
    (e) Adequacy of resources (10 points). In determining the adequacy 
of resources for the proposed project, the Assistant Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The adequacy of resources for the proposed project, including 
facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources needed to carry 
out successfully the purpose and activities of the proposed project.
    (2) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project.
    (3) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
technical approach and significance of the proposed project.

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 your 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; and
    (2) An annual report on the GPRA measures identified in the 
Performance Measures section of this notice.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
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. In 
determining the overall effectiveness of projects funded under this 
competition, grantees must be prepared to measure and report on the 
following measures of effectiveness:
    a. The percentage of the State's CTE secondary students in the 
career cluster for the program of study developed by the grantee who 
can participate in dual or concurrent enrollment programs with 
postsecondary institutions, or otherwise acquire postsecondary 
education credits, as determined by the number of CTE concentrators in 
the career cluster in those secondary schools that commit to 
implementing the articulation agreement developed by the grantee 
divided by the total number of CTE concentrators in the State in the 
career cluster for the program of study.
    b. The percentage of the State's CTE postsecondary students in the 
career cluster for the program of study developed by the grantee who 
can transfer to another community college or four-year college without 
losing credit for courses already completed, as determined by the 
number of CTE concentrators in the career cluster in those 
postsecondary institutions that commit to implementing the articulation 
agreement developed by the grantee divided by the total number of CTE 
concentrators in the State's postsecondary institutions in the career 
cluster for the program of study.
    c. The percentage of the State's secondary schools offering the 
career cluster for the grantee's program of study that commit to 
implementing the articulation agreement developed by the grantee.
    d. The percentage of the State's postsecondary institutions 
offering the career cluster for the grantee's program of study that 
commit to implementing the articulation agreement developed by the 
grantee.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Hess, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 11073, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-7241. Telephone: (202) 245-7772, or by e-mail: 
[email protected].

[[Page 29128]]

    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: May 15, 2008
Troy R. Justesen,
Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education.
 [FR Doc. E8-11271 Filed 5-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P