[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12333-12341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-6444]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


 Office of Vocational and Adult Education; Native Hawaiian Career 
and Technical Education Program (NHCTEP); Notice Inviting Applications 
for New Awards Using Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Funds.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.259A.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: March 24, 2009.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 23, 2009.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Native Hawaiian Career and Technical 
Education Program (NHCTEP) provides grants to eligible applicants to 
plan, conduct, and administer programs, or portions of programs, that 
are authorized by and consistent with the purposes of section 116 of 
the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Act) 
for the benefit of Native Hawaiians.
    Background: Under section 116(h) of the Act, eligible community-
based organizations receive NHCTEP grants to plan, conduct, and 
administer programs, or portions thereof, that are consistent with the 
purposes of section 116 of the Act, for the benefit of Native 
Hawaiians. Section 116(e) of the Act provides that educational 
programs, services, and activities funded under NHCTEP must support and 
help to improve career and technical education programs. (20 U.S.C. 
2326(e)) This requirement, along with the statutory definition of 
career and technical education, aligns NHCTEP with other programs 
authorized under the Act that require grantees to offer a sequence of 
courses that provides individuals with coherent and rigorous content 
aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical 
knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and 
careers in current or emerging professions. (20 U.S.C. 2302(5))
    Under this competition the Secretary awards grants to carry out 
projects that provide organized educational activities offering a 
sequence of courses that--
    (a) Provide individuals with coherent and rigorous content aligned 
with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge 
and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in 
current or emerging professions;
    (b) Provide technical skill proficiency, an industry-recognized 
credential, a certificate, or an associate degree; and
    (c) Include competency-based applied learning that contributes to 
the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving 
skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, 
and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of an 
industry, including entrepreneurship, of an individual. Projects may 
include prerequisite courses (other than remedial courses) that meet 
the definitional requirements of section 3(5)(A) of the Act. (20 U.S.C. 
2302(5)(A)).
    Requirements: The Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult 
Education has established the following requirements for this program. 
These requirements are from the notice of final requirements, 
definitions, and selection criteria published elsewhere in this issue 
of the Federal Register.
    Authorized Programs, Services, and Activities:
    (a) Authorized Programs. Under this competition the Secretary 
awards grants to carry out projects that--
    (1) Develop new programs, services, or activities or improve or 
expand existing programs, services, or activities that are consistent 
with the purposes of the Act. In other words, the Department will 
support ``expansions'' or ``improvements'' that include, but are not 
necessarily limited to, the expansion of effective programs or 
practices; upgrading of activities, equipment, or materials; increasing 
staff capacity; adoption of new technology; modification of curriculum; 
or implementation of new policies to improve program effectiveness and 
outcomes; and
    (2) Fund a career and technical education program, service, or 
activity that--
    (i) Is a new program, service, or activity that was not provided by 
the applicant during the instructional term (a defined period, such as 
a semester, trimester, or quarter, within the academic year) that 
preceded the request for funding under NHCTEP;
    (ii) Will improve or expand an existing career and technical 
education program; or
    (iii) Inherently improves career and technical education. A 
program, service, or activity ``inherently improves career and 
technical education'' if it--
    (A) Develops new career and technical education programs of study 
for approval by the appropriate accreditation agency;
    (B) Strengthens the rigor of the academic and career and technical 
components of funded programs;
    (C) Uses curriculum that is aligned with industry-recognized 
standards and will result in students attaining industry-recognized 
credentials, certificates, or degrees;
    (D) Integrates academics (other than remedial courses) with career 
and technical education programs through a coherent sequence of courses 
to help ensure learning in the core academic and career and technical 
subjects;
    (E) Links career and technical education at the secondary level 
with career and technical education at the postsecondary level, and 
facilitates students' pursuit of a baccalaureate degree;
    (F) Expands the scope, depth, and relevance of curriculum, 
especially content that provides students with a comprehensive 
understanding of all aspects of an industry and a variety of hands-on, 
job-specific experiences; or
    (G) Offers--
    (1) Work-related experience, internships, cooperative education, 
school-based enterprises, studies in entrepreneurship, community 
service learning, and job shadowing that are

[[Page 12334]]

related to career and technical education programs;
    (2) Coaching/mentoring, support services, and extra help for 
students after school, on the weekends, or during the summer so they 
can meet higher standards;
    (3) Career guidance and academic counseling for students 
participating in career and technical education programs under NHCTEP;
    (4) Placement services for students who have successfully completed 
career and technical education programs and attained a technical skill 
proficiency that is aligned with industry-recognized standards;
    (5) Professional development programs for teachers, counselors, and 
administrators;
    (6) Strong partnerships among grantees and local educational 
agencies, postsecondary institutions, community leaders, adult 
education providers, and, as appropriate, other entities, such as 
employers, labor organizations, parents, and local partnerships, to 
enable students to achieve State academic standards and attain career 
and technical skills;
    (7) The use of student assessment and evaluation data to 
continually improve instruction and staff development; or
    (8) Research, development, demonstration, dissemination, evaluation 
and assessment, capacity-building, and technical assistance related to 
career and technical education programs.
    (b) Student stipends.
    (1) A portion of an award under this program may be used to provide 
stipends (as defined elsewhere in this notice under the heading 
Definitions) to help students meet the costs of participation in a 
NHCTEP project.
    (2) To be eligible for a stipend a student must--
    (i) Be enrolled in a career and technical education project funded 
under this program;
    (ii) Be in regular attendance in a NHCTEP project and meet the 
training institution's attendance requirement;
    (iii) Maintain satisfactory progress in his or her program of study 
according to the training institution's published standards for 
satisfactory progress; and
    (iv) Have an acute economic need that--
    (A) Prevents participation in a project funded under this program 
without a stipend; and
    (B) Cannot be met through a work-study program.
    (3) The amount of a stipend is the greater of either the minimum 
hourly wage prescribed by State or local law, or the minimum hourly 
wage established under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
    (4) A grantee may award a stipend only if the stipend combined with 
other resources the student receives does not exceed the student's 
financial need. A student's financial need is the difference between 
the student's cost of attendance and the financial aid or other 
resources available to defray the student's cost of attending a NHCTEP 
project.
    (5) To calculate the amount of a student's stipend, a grantee must 
multiply the number of hours a student actually attends career and 
technical education instruction by the amount of the minimum hourly 
wage that is prescribed by State or local law or by the minimum hourly 
wage that is established under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The 
grantee must reduce the amount of a stipend if necessary to ensure that 
it does not exceed the student's financial need.
    Example: If a grantee uses the Fair Labor Standards Act minimum 
hourly wage of $7.25 and a student attends classes for 20 hours a week, 
the student's stipend would be $145 for the week during which the 
student attends classes ($7.25 x 20 = $145). If the program lasts 16 
weeks and the student's total financial need is $2,000, the grantee 
must reduce the weekly stipend to $125, because the total stipend for 
the course would otherwise exceed the student's financial need by $320 
(or $20 a week).

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

    (6) An eligible student may earn a stipend when taking a course for 
the first time, although a stipend may not be provided to a student for 
a particular course if the student has already taken, completed, and 
had the opportunity to benefit from the course and is merely repeating 
the course.
    (7) An applicant must include, in its application, the procedure it 
intends to use in determining student eligibility for stipends and 
stipend amounts, and its oversight procedures for the awarding and 
payment of stipends.
    (c) Direct assistance to students. A grantee may provide direct 
assistance (as defined elsewhere in this notice under the heading 
Definitions) to a student only if the following conditions are met:
    (1) The recipient of the direct assistance is an individual who is 
a member of a special population (as defined in section 3(29) of the 
Act) and who is participating in a NHCTEP project.
    (2) The direct assistance is needed to address barriers to the 
individual's successful participation in a NHCTEP project.
    (3) The direct assistance is part of a broader, more generally 
focused program or activity for addressing the needs of an individual 
who is a member of a special population.

    Note: Direct assistance to individuals who are members of 
special populations is not, by itself, a ``program or activity for 
special populations.''

    (4) The grant funds used for direct assistance must be expended to 
supplement, and not supplant, assistance that is otherwise available 
from non-Federal sources. For example, generally, a community-based 
organization could not use NHCTEP funds to provide child care for 
single parents if non-Federal funds previously were made available for 
this purpose, or if non-Federal funds are used to provide child care 
services for single parents participating in non-career and technical 
education programs and these services otherwise (in the absence of 
NHCTEP funds) would have been available to career and technical 
education students.
    (5) In determining how much of the NHCTEP grant funds it will use 
for direct assistance to an eligible student, a grantee--
    (i) May only provide assistance to the extent that it is needed to 
address barriers to the individual's successful participation in career 
and technical education; and
    (ii) Considers whether the specific services to be provided are a 
reasonable and necessary cost of providing career and technical 
education programs for special populations. However, the Secretary does 
not envision a circumstance in which it would be a reasonable and 
necessary expenditure of NHCTEP project funds for a grantee to utilize 
a majority of a project's budget to pay direct assistance to students, 
in lieu of providing the students served by the project with career and 
technical education.
    (d) Career and technical education agreement. Any applicant that is 
not proposing to provide career and technical education directly to 
Native Hawaiian students and proposes instead to pay one or more 
qualified educational entities to provide such career and technical 
education to Native Hawaiian

[[Page 12335]]

students must include with its application a written career and 
technical education agreement between the applicant and the educational 
entity. The written agreement must describe the commitment between the 
applicant and the educational entity and must include, at a minimum, a 
statement of the responsibilities of the applicant and the entity. The 
agreement must be signed by the appropriate individuals on behalf of 
each party, such as the authorizing official or administrative head of 
the applicant Native Hawaiian community-based organization.
    (e) Supplement-Not-Supplant. Grantees may not use funds under 
NHCTEP to replace otherwise available non-Federal funding for ``direct 
assistance to students'' (as defined elsewhere in this notice under the 
heading Definitions) and family assistance programs. For example, 
NHCTEP funds must not be used to supplant non-Federal funds to pay the 
costs of students' tuition, dependent care, transportation, books, 
supplies, and other costs associated with participation in a career and 
technical education program.
    Further, funds under NHCTEP may not be used to replace Federal 
student financial aid. The Act does not authorize the Secretary to fund 
projects that serve primarily as entities through which students may 
apply for and receive tuition and other financial assistance.
    Evaluation Requirements:
    To help ensure the high quality of NHCTEP projects and the 
achievement of the goals and purposes of section 116(h) of the Act, 
each grantee must budget for and conduct an ongoing evaluation of the 
effectiveness of its project. An independent evaluator must conduct the 
evaluation. The evaluation must--
    (a) Be appropriate for the project and be both formative and 
summative in nature; and
    (b) Include--
    (1) Collection and reporting of the performance measures for NHCTEP 
that are identified in the Performance Measures section of this notice; 
and
    (2) Qualitative and quantifiable data with respect to--
    (i) Academic and career and technical competencies demonstrated by 
the participants and the number and kinds of academic and work 
credentials acquired by individuals, including their participation in 
programs providing skill proficiency assessments, industry 
certifications, or training at the associate degree level that is 
articulated with an advanced degree option;
    (ii) Enrollment, completion, and placement of participants by 
gender, for each occupation for which training was provided;
    (iii) Job or work skill attainment or enhancement, including 
participation in apprenticeship and work-based learning programs, and 
student progress in achieving technical skill proficiencies necessary 
to obtain employment in the field for which the student has been 
prepared, including attainment or enhancement of technical skills in 
the industry the student is preparing to enter;
    (iv) Activities, during the formative stages of the project, to 
help guide and improve the project, as well as a summative evaluation 
that includes recommendations for disseminating information on project 
activities and results;
    (v) The number and percentage of students who obtained industry-
recognized credentials, certificates, or degrees;
    (vi) The outcomes of students' technical assessments, by type and 
scores, if available;
    (vii) The rates of attainment of a proficiency credential or 
certificate, in conjunction with a secondary school diploma;
    (viii) The effectiveness of the project, including a comparison 
between the intended and observed results and a demonstration of a 
clear link between the observed results and the specific treatment 
given to project participants;
    (ix) The extent to which information about or resulting from the 
project was disseminated at other sites, such as through the grantee's 
development and use of guides or manuals that provide step-by-step 
directions for practitioners to follow when initiating similar efforts; 
and
    (x) The impact of the project, e.g., follow-up data on students' 
employment, sustained employment, promotions, further and continuing 
education or training, or the impact the project had on Native Hawaiian 
economic development or career and technical education activities.
    Performance Measures: The Assistant Secretary establishes the 
following core factors and measures for evaluating the overall 
effectiveness of the NHCTEP and projects supported under this program.
    (a) Number of Secondary, Postsecondary, and Adult Projects. The 
number of secondary, postsecondary, and adult programs that--
    (1) Apply industry-recognized skill standards so that students can 
earn skill certificates in those projects; and
    (2) Offer skill competencies, related assessments, and industry-
recognized skill certificates in an area of study offered by secondary 
and postsecondary institutions.
    (b) Secondary Projects. The percentage of participating secondary 
career and technical education students who--
    (1) Meet or exceed State proficiency standards in reading/language 
arts and mathematics;
    (2) Attain a secondary school diploma or its State-recognized 
equivalent, or a proficiency credential in conjunction with a secondary 
school diploma;
    (3) Attain career and technical education skill proficiencies 
aligned with industry-recognized standards; and
    (4) Are placed in postsecondary education, advanced training, 
military service, or employment in high-skill, high-wage, and high-
demand occupations or in current or emerging occupations.
    (c) Postsecondary Projects.
    The percentage of participating postsecondary students in career 
and technical education programs who--
    (1) Receive postsecondary degrees, certificates, or credentials;
    (2) Attain career and technical education skill proficiencies 
aligned with industry-recognized standards;
    (3) Receive industry-recognized credentials, certificates, or 
degrees;
    (4) Are retained in postsecondary education or transfer to a 
baccalaureate degree program; and
    (5) Are placed in military service or apprenticeship programs, or 
are placed in employment, receive an employment promotion, or retain 
employment.
    (d) Adult Projects. The percentage of participating adult career 
and technical education students who--
    (1) Enroll in a postsecondary education or training program;
    (2) Attain career and technical education skill proficiencies 
aligned with industry-recognized standards;
    (3) Receive industry-recognized credentials, certificates, or 
degrees; and
    (4) Are placed in employment, receive an employment promotion, or 
retain employment.

    Note: All grantees must submit an annual performance report 
addressing these performance measures, to the extent feasible and to 
the extent that they apply to each grantee's NHCTEP project.

    Additional Statutory Requirement:
    Limitation on services. Section 315 of the Act prohibits the use of 
funds received under the Act to provide career and technical education 
programs to students prior to the seventh grade, except that equipment 
and facilities purchased with funds under the Act may be used by such 
students. (20 U.S.C. 2395)

[[Page 12336]]

    Definitions: The following definitions govern this program. The 
definitions of the terms acute economic need, coherent sequence of 
courses, direct assistance to students, and stipend are from the notice 
of final requirements, definitions, and selection criteria published 
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. The definitions of the 
remaining terms are from section 3 of the Act (20 U.S.C. 2303).
    Acute economic need means an income that is at or below the 
national poverty level according to the latest available data from the 
U.S. Department of Commerce or the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services Poverty Guidelines.
    Career and technical education means organized educational 
activities that--
    (a) Offer a sequence of courses that--
    (1) Provides individuals with coherent and rigorous content aligned 
with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge 
and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in 
current or emerging professions;
    (2) Provides technical skills proficiency, an industry-recognized 
credential, a certificate, or an associate degree; and
    (3) May include prerequisite courses (other than remedial courses) 
that meet the requirements of this definition; and
    (b) Include competency-based applied learning that contributes to 
the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving 
skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, 
and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of an 
industry, including entrepreneurship, of an individual. (20 U.S.C. 
2302(5))
    Coherent sequence of courses means a series of courses in which 
career and academic education are integrated, and that directly relates 
to, and leads to, both academic and occupational competencies. The term 
includes competency-based education and academic education, and adult 
training or retraining, including sequential units encompassed within a 
single adult retraining course that otherwise meets the requirements of 
this definition.
    Direct assistance to students means tuition, dependent care, 
transportation, books, and supplies that are necessary for a student to 
participate in a project funded under this program.
    Individual with a disability means an individual with any 
disability (as defined in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities 
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102)). (20 U.S.C. 2302(17))
    Individual with limited English proficiency means a secondary 
school student, an adult, or an out-of-school youth, who has limited 
ability in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English 
language, and--
    (a) Whose native language is a language other than English; or
    (b) Who lives in a family or community environment in which a 
language other than English is the dominant language. (20 U.S.C. 
2302(16))
    Native Hawaiian means any individual any of whose ancestors were 
natives, prior to 1778, of the area that now comprises the State of 
Hawaii. (20 U.S.C. 2326(a)(4))
    Non-traditional fields means occupations or fields of work, 
including careers in computer science, technology, and other current 
and emerging high-skill occupations, for which individuals from one 
gender comprise less than 25 percent of the individuals employed in 
each such occupation or field of work. (20 U.S.C. 2302(20))
    Special populations means--
    (a) Individuals with disabilities;
    (b) Individuals from economically disadvantaged families, including 
foster children;
    (c) Individuals preparing for non-traditional fields;
    (d) Single parents, including single pregnant women;
    (e) Displaced homemakers; and
    (f) Individuals with limited English proficiency. (20 U.S.C. 
2302(29))
    Stipend means a subsistence allowance--
    (a) For a student who is enrolled in a career and technical 
education program funded under the NHCTEP;
    (b) For a student who has an acute economic need that cannot be met 
through work-study programs; and
    (c) That is necessary for the student to participate in a project 
funded under this program.
    Support services means services related to curriculum modification, 
equipment modification, classroom modification, supportive personnel, 
and instructional aids and devices. (20 U.S.C. 2302(31))
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 2326(a)-(h).
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 81, 82, 
84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final requirements, 
definitions, and selection criteria published elsewhere in this issue 
of the Federal Register.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $2,898,270 is available for the NHCTEP 
from the FY 2008 appropriation. Funding for the second and third years 
is subject to the availability of funds and 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 2010 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000--$500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $289,827.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 10.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    (a) Community-based organizations primarily serving and 
representing Native Hawaiians. For purposes of the NHCTEP, a community-
based organization means a public or private organization that provides 
career and technical education, or related services, to individuals in 
the Native Hawaiian community.
    (b) Any community-based organization may apply individually or as a 
part of a consortium with one or more eligible community-based 
organizations. (34 CFR 75.127)
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost 
sharing or matching requirements, but does involve supplement-not-
supplant funding provisions. (See the Supplement-Not-Supplant section 
of this notice.)
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: In accordance with section 311(a) of 
the Act, funds under this program may not be used to supplant non-
Federal funds used to carry out career and technical education 
activities and tech prep program activities. Furthermore, the 
prohibition against supplanting also means that grantees are required 
to use their negotiated restricted indirect cost rates under this 
program. (34 CFR 75.563)
    The Secretary cautions applicants not to plan to use funds under 
NHCTEP to replace otherwise available non-Federal funding for ``direct 
assistance to students,'' (as defined elsewhere in this notice) and 
family assistance programs. For example, NHCTEP funds must not be used 
to supplant non-Federal funds to pay the costs of students' tuition, 
dependent care, transportation, books, supplies, and other costs 
associated with participation in a career and technical education 
program.

[[Page 12337]]

    Further, funds under NHCTEP may not be used to replace Federal 
student financial aid. The Secretary wishes to highlight that the Act 
does not authorize the Secretary to fund projects that serve primarily 
as entities through which students may apply for and receive tuition 
and other financial assistance.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Nancy Essey, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 11070, Potomac 
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-7241. Telephone: (202) 245-
7789. Fax: (202) 245-7170 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.
    You can also obtain an application package via the Internet from 
the following address: http://www.grants.gov/.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy the application 
package in an accessible 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. 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 [Part III] to no more than 50 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, the letters of support, or documentation of 
the applicant's eligibility. However, the page limit does apply to all 
of the application narrative section [Part III].
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that 
exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: March 24, 2009.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 23, 2009.
    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 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 of 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 
of 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.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restriction in the Applicable Regulations section of 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 NHCTEP, CFDA number 84.259A, must 
be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply 
site at 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 NHCTEP at 
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 84.259, not 
84.259A).
    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 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. 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 
4:30:00 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

[[Page 12338]]

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.
     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 4:30:00 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 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of 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 4:30:00 
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: Nancy Essey, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 11070, PCP, 
Washington, 20202-7241. FAX: (202) 245-7170.
    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 following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.259A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    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:

[[Page 12339]]

    (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 84.259A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from the notice of final requirements, definitions, and selection 
criteria published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register and 
are as follows:
    (a) Quality of the project design. (35 points) In determining the 
quality of the design of the proposed project, we consider the 
following factors:
    (1) 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 (as evidenced by such data as 
local labor market demand, occupational trends, and surveys). (5 
points)
    (2) The extent to which goals, objectives, and outcomes are clearly 
specified and measurable. (For example, we look for clear descriptions 
of proposed student career and technical education activities; 
recruitment and retention strategies; expected student enrollments, 
completions, and placements in jobs, military specialties, and 
continuing education/training opportunities; the number of teachers, 
counselors, and administrators to be trained; and identification of 
requirements for each program of study to be provided under the 
project, including related training areas and a description of 
performance outcomes.) (10 points)
    (3) The extent to which the proposed project will establish 
linkages with other appropriate agencies (e.g., community, State, and 
other Federal resources) and organizations providing services to the 
target population in order to improve services to students and 
strengthen outcomes for the proposed project. (5 points)
    (4) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project will create and offer activities that focus on enabling 
participants to obtain the skills necessary to gain employment in high-
skill, high-wage, and high-demand occupations in emerging fields or in 
a specific career field. (5 points)
    (5) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project will create opportunities for students to acquire skills 
identified by the State at the secondary level or by industry-
recognized career and technical education programs for licensure, 
degree, certification, or as required by a career or profession. (5 
points)
    (6) The extent to which the proposed project will provide 
opportunities for high-quality training or professional development 
services that--
    (i) Are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration to lead to 
improvements in practice among instructional personnel;
    (ii) Will improve and increase instructional personnel's knowledge 
and skills to help students meet challenging and rigorous academic and 
career and technical skill proficiencies;
    (iii) Will advance instructional personnel's understanding of 
effective instructional strategies that are supported by scientifically 
based research; and
    (iv) Include professional development plans that clearly address 
ways in which learning gaps will be addressed and how continuous review 
of performance will be conducted to identify training needs. (5 points)
    (b) Quality of the management plan. (15 points) In determining the 
quality of the management plan for the proposed project, we consider 
the following factors:
    (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 the milestones and performance 
standards for accomplishing project tasks. (5 points)
    (2) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and other key project personnel, including instructors, are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project. (5 points)
    (3) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (5 points)
    (c) Quality of data collection plan. (10 points) In determining the 
quality of the data collection plan, we consider the following factors:
    (1) The adequacy of procedures and methods for collecting data. (5 
points)
    (2) The adequacy of the data collection plan in allowing comparison 
with other similar secondary, postsecondary, and adult career and 
technical education programs. (5 points)
    (d) Quality of project personnel. (25 points) In determining the 
quality of project personnel, we consider the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability. (5 points)
    (2) The qualifications, including relevant training, expertise, and 
experience, of the project director. (5 points)
    (3) The qualifications, including relevant training, expertise, and 
experience, of key project personnel, especially the extent to which 
the project will use instructors who are certified to teach in the 
field in which they will provide instruction. (10 points)
    (4) The qualifications, including training, expertise, and 
experience, of project consultants. (5 points)
    (e) Adequacy of resources. (15 points) In determining the adequacy 
of resources for the proposed project, we consider the following 
factors:
    (1) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization(s) and 
the entities to be served, including the evidence and relevance of 
commitments (e.g., articulation agreements, memoranda of understanding, 
letters of

[[Page 12340]]

support, or commitments to employ project participants) of the 
applicant, local employers, or entities to be served by the project. (5 
points)
    (2) The extent to which the budget is adequate and costs are 
reasonable in relation to the objectives and design of the proposed 
project. (5 points)
    (3) The potential for continued support of the project after 
Federal funding ends. (5 points)
    (f) Quality of the project evaluation. (20 points) In determining 
the quality of the evaluation, we consider the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation proposed by the 
grantee are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, 
objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project. (5 points)
    (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 the performance measures discussed 
elsewhere in this notice and will produce quantitative and qualitative 
data, to the extent possible. (5 points)
    (3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and continuous improvement toward achieving 
intended outcomes. (5 points)
    (4) The quality of the proposed evaluation to be conducted by an 
external evaluator with the necessary background and technical 
expertise to carry out the evaluation. (5 points)

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may 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 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. 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 www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), Federal departments and agencies must 
clearly describe the goals and objectives of their programs, identify 
resources and actions needed to accomplish these goals and objectives, 
develop a means of measuring progress made, and regularly report on 
their achievement. One important source of program information on 
successes and lessons learned is the project evaluation conducted under 
individual grants.
    The Department has established the following core factors and 
measures for evaluating the overall effectiveness of the NHCTEP and 
projects supported under this program. Consequently, we advise an 
applicant for a grant under this program to give careful consideration 
to these core factors and measures.
    (a) Number of Secondary, Postsecondary, and Adult Projects. The 
number of secondary, postsecondary, and adult programs that--
    (1) Apply industry-recognized skill standards so that students can 
earn skill certificates in those projects; and
    (2) Offer skill competencies, related assessments, and industry-
recognized skill certificates in an area of study offered by secondary 
and postsecondary institutions.
    (b) Secondary Projects. The percentage of participating secondary 
career and technical education students who--
    (1) Meet or exceed State proficiency standards in reading/language 
arts and mathematics;
    (2) Attain a secondary school diploma or its State-recognized 
equivalent, or a proficiency credential in conjunction with a secondary 
school diploma;
    (3) Attain career and technical education skill proficiencies 
aligned with industry-recognized standards; and
    (4) Are placed in postsecondary education, advanced training, 
military service, or employment in high-skill, high-wage, and high-
demand occupations or in current or emerging occupations.
    (c) Postsecondary Projects.
    The percentage of participating postsecondary students in career 
and technical education programs who--
    (1) Receive postsecondary degrees, certificates, or credentials;
    (2) Attain career and technical education skill proficiencies 
aligned with industry-recognized standards;
    (3) Receive industry-recognized credentials, certificates, or 
degrees;
    (4) Are retained in postsecondary education or transfer to a 
baccalaureate degree program; and
    (5) Are placed in military service or apprenticeship programs, or 
are placed in employment, receive an employment promotion, or retain 
employment.
    (d) Adult Projects. The percentage of participating adult career 
and technical education students who--
    (1) Enroll in a postsecondary education or training program;
    (2) Attain career and technical education skill proficiencies 
aligned with industry-recognized standards;
    (3) Receive industry-recognized credentials, certificates, or 
degrees; and
    (4) Are placed in employment, receive an employment promotion, or 
retain employment.

    Note: All grantees must submit an annual performance report 
addressing these performance measures, to the extent feasible and to 
the extent that they apply to each grantee's NHCTEP project.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Nancy Essey, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 11070, PCP, Washington, DC 
20202-7241. Telephone: (202) 245-7789, or by e-mail: 
[email protected].
    If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
notice and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the program contact person listed under For Further 
Informaiton Contact in section VII of 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: 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

[[Page 12341]]

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: www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: March 19, 2009.
Dennis L. Berry,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. E9-6444 Filed 3-23-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P