[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 60 (Tuesday, March 31, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14533-14538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-7218]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Overview 
Information; Territories and Freely Associated States Education Grant 
(T&FASEG) Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2009

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.256A.
    Dates:
    Applications Available: April 23, 2009.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 10, 2009.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 8, 2009.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Territories and Freely Associated States 
Education Grant (T&FASEG) program supports projects to raise student 
achievement through direct educational services. Grants are awarded 
competitively to local educational agencies (LEAs) in the U.S. 
Territories (American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and the Republic of Palau. 
The LEA may use grant funds to carry out activities authorized by the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), 
including teacher training, curriculum development, the development or 
acquisition of instructional materials, and general school improvement 
and reform.
    Under the T&FASEG program, the Secretary awards grants for projects 
to--
    (a) Conduct activities consistent with the programs described in 
the ESEA, including the types of activities authorized under--
    (1) Title I of the ESEA--Improving the Academic Achievement of the 
Disadvantaged.
    (2) Title II of the ESEA--Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High-
Quality Teachers and Principals.
    (3) Title III of the ESEA--Language Instruction for Limited English 
Proficient and Immigrant Students.
    (4) Title IV of the ESEA--21st Century Schools.
    (5) Title V of the ESEA--Promoting Informed Parental Choice and 
Innovative Programs; and
    (b) Provide direct educational services that assist all students 
with meeting

[[Page 14534]]

challenging State academic achievement standards.

    Note: The Secretary interprets the term ``direct educational 
services'' to mean--
    (1) Activities that are designed to improve student achievement 
or the quality of education; and
    (2) Instructional services for students and teacher training.


    Note: The full text of the ESEA can be found on the Internet at: 
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/ESEA02/.

    Priorities: Under this competition we are particularly interested 
in applications that address the following priorities.
    Invitational Priorities: For FY 2009 these priorities are 
invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an 
application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or 
absolute preference over other applications.
    These priorities are:
    Invitational Priority 1--Reading Literacy: The Secretary is 
particularly interested in receiving applications that focus on 
building early reading literacy skills that will help to improve 
student achievement in reading and language arts as measured by State 
academic standards. Research shows that children who read well in the 
early grades are far more successful in later years, and those who fall 
behind often stay behind when powerful interventions are not provided 
for early struggling readers.\1\ Reading opens the door to learning 
about math, history, science, literature, geography, and much more. 
Thus, young, capable readers can succeed in these subjects, take 
advantage of other opportunities, and develop confidence in their own 
abilities. At the same time, those students who cannot read well are 
much more likely to drop out of school. As such, reading is undeniably 
critical to success in today's society. The Secretary encourages 
applicants to align their projects with the second performance measure 
described in section VI. 4. Performance Measures of this notice.
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    \1\ Phillips, L.M., Hayward, D.V., & Norris, S.P. (in press). 
Persistent reading disabilities: Challenging six erroneous beliefs. 
In A. McGill-Franzen & R.L. Allington (Eds.), Handbook of reading 
disability research. New York: Routledge.
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    Invitational Priority 2--Teacher Quality: The Secretary is 
particularly interested in LEA projects that focus on professional 
development and teacher training in order to improve teacher 
qualifications and the quality of teaching and instruction. A major 
objective of the ESEA is to ensure that all students, regardless of 
race, ethnicity, or income, have the best teachers possible. A well-
prepared teacher is vitally important to a child's education. In fact, 
research demonstrates the positive correlation between teacher quality 
and student academic achievement.\2\ The Secretary, thus, encourages 
applicants to align their projects with the first performance measure 
described in section VI. 4. of this notice.
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    \2\ Quint, J., Akey, T., Rappaport, S., & Willner, C. (2007). 
Instructional Leadership, Teaching Quality and Student Achievement 
Suggestive Evidence from Three Urban School Districts. New York, NY: 
MDRC.
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    Invitational Priority 3--Improve Student Achievement in 
Mathematics: The Secretary is particularly interested in receiving 
applications that focus on innovative projects that improve student 
achievement in mathematics as measured by State academic standards. 
Current research indicates that little is known about the factors that 
influence mathematics achievement in the Pacific Region.\3\ Therefore, 
the Secretary encourages grant recipients under this program to develop 
more consistent, comparable measures of mathematics achievement across 
the jurisdictions. The Secretary also encourages applicants to align 
their projects with the third performance measure described in section 
VI. 4. of this notice.
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    \3\ Chesswas, R., and Lee, L. (2008). A status report on middle 
school mathematics assessment and student achievement in the Pacific 
Region (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2008-No. 043). Washington, DC: 
U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, 
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, 
Regional Educational Laboratory Pacific. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs.
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    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6331.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 
82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $4,750,000 of FY 2008 funds are 
available for new awards in FY 2009.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $800,000-$1,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $900,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 4-6.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the 
Republic of Palau.
    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: You can obtain the 
application package electronically by downloading it from the 
Territories and Freely Associated States Education Grant Program Web 
site: http://ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html.
    To obtain a copy from the program office, contact: Valerie Rogers, 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W241, 
Washington, DC 20202-6400. Telephone (202) 260-2543 or by e-mail: 
[email protected] or Donna Sabis-Burns, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W219, Washington, DC 20202-
6400. Telephone (202) 260-1425 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 accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team listed under 
Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission:
    Requirements concerning the content of an application, together 
with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this 
program.
    Page Limit: The project narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria that reviewers will use to evaluate your 
application. Applicants are strongly encouraged to limit the project 
narrative to no more than 35 pages, using the following standards:
     A page is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' margins 
at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the project 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.

[[Page 14535]]

    The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget 
section, including the budget narrative justification; the assurances 
and certifications; the one-page abstract; the resumes; the 
bibliography; or the letters of support. However, the page limit does 
apply to all of the project narrative section.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: April 23, 2009.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 10, 2009. 
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission 
Requirements 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.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 8, 2009.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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 of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Application for grants under this 
competition 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 Territories and Freely Associated 
States Education Grant Program competition, CFDA number 84.256A, must 
be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply 
site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to 
download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and 
then upload and submit your application. You may not e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Territories 
and Freely Associated States Education Grant Program at http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application 
package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the 
CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.256, not 
84.256A).
    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 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 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 typically provided on the following forms: Application 
for Federal Assistance (SF 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction 
Programs (ED 524), the Department of Education Supplemental Information 
for SF 424, 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

[[Page 14536]]

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 with 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 one of the 
persons 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: Valerie Rogers, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W241, 
Washington, DC 20202-6400. Telephone: (202) 260-2543 or by e-mail: 
[email protected], or Donna Sabis-Burns, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W219, Washington, DC 20202-
6140. Telephone: (202) 260-1425 or by e-mail: [email protected].
    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 84.256A), 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:
    (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 84.256A), 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 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 competition are 
from 34

[[Page 14537]]

CFR 75.210. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated after the 
title of the criterion. The maximum score for all selection criteria is 
100 points.
    As provided for in section 1121(b)(3)(B) of the ESEA, the 
Secretary, in making awards under this program, will take into 
consideration the recommendations of Pacific Resources for Education 
and Learning (PREL) (formerly Pacific Region Educational Laboratory). 
PREL will use the following criteria in developing its recommendations, 
and the Secretary will use them in making final funding decisions. The 
notes following the selection criteria are meant to serve as guidance 
to assist the applicant in creating a stronger application and are not 
required by statute or regulation.
    (a) Need for project. (5 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (i) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the 
proposed project. (34 CFR 75.210(a)(2)(i))
    (ii) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or 
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (34 CFR 
75.210(a)(2)(ii))
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project will provide 
services or otherwise address the needs of students at risk of 
educational failure. (34 CFR 75.210(a)(2)(iii))

    Note:  In addressing this criterion, applicants may want to 
consider including in the project narrative information that clearly 
demonstrates the unique needs and circumstances that justify funding 
support for their project. Applicants may also consider including 
information to demonstrate the extent to which local resources are 
used to meet the needs addressed by the project proposal.

    (b) Significance. (10 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed 
project.
    (2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The national significance of the proposed project. (34 CFR 
75.210(b)(2)(i))
    (ii) The significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by 
the proposed project. (34 CFR 75.210(b)(2)(ii))
    (iii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in 
teaching and student achievement. (34 CFR 75.210(b)(2)(xiv))
    (c) Quality of the project design. (25 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. 
(34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(i))
    (ii) 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. (34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(ii))
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated 
with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community, 
State, and Federal resources. (34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(xvi))
    (iv) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a 
comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support 
rigorous academic standards for students. (34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(xviii))
    (v) The extent to which the proposed project encourages parental 
involvement. (34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(xix))
    (vi) The extent to which performance feedback and continuous 
improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project. (34 CFR 
75.210(c)(2)(xxi))
    (d) Adequacy of resources. (5 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project. (34 CFR 75.210(f)(2)(iii))
    (ii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to 
the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed 
project. (34 CFR 75.210(f)(2)(iv))
    (iii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to 
the number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and 
benefits. (34 CFR 75.210(f)(2)(v))
    (e) Quality of project personnel. (15 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will 
carry out the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability.
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator. (34 CFR 
75.210(e)(3)(i))
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of key project personnel. (34 CFR 75.210(e)(3)(ii))
    (iii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors. (34 CFR 
75.210(e)(3)(iii))

    Note:
     In addressing this criterion, applicants may want to consider 
including curriculum vitae, resumes, etc., of key project personnel.

    (f) Quality of the project evaluation. (25 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be 
conducted of the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for 
examining the effectiveness of project implementation strategies. (34 
CFR 75.210(h)(2)(iii))
    (ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible. (34 CFR 75.210(h)(2)(iv))

    Note:  In addressing this criterion, applicants may want to 
consider aligning their evaluations with the performance measures 
described in section VI. 4 of this notice.

    (g) Quality of project services. (15 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be 
provided by the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and 
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for 
eligible project participants who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability.
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or 
beneficiaries of those services. (34 CFR 75.210(d)(3)(i))

[[Page 14538]]

    (ii) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the 
proposed project on the intended recipients of those services. (34 CFR 
75.210(d)(3)(iv))
    (iii) The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient 
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice 
among the recipients of those services. (34 CFR 75.210(d)(3)(v))
    (iv) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project are focused on those with greatest needs. (34 CFR 
75.210(d)(3)(xi))

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 http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: The Department has developed the following 
three performance measures for evaluating the effectiveness of the 
T&FASEG program:
    (1) The percentage of teachers participating in professional 
development activities under the T&FASEG program who demonstrate 
progress toward State teacher certification;
    (2) The percentage of students participating in reading programs 
under the T&FASEG program who score proficient or above in reading on 
State assessments; and
    (3) The percentage of students participating in mathematics 
programs under the T&FASEG program who score proficient or above in 
mathematics on State assessments.
    These measures constitute the Department's indicators of success 
for this program. Consequently, we advise an applicant for a grant 
under this program to give careful consideration to these measures in 
conceptualizing the approach and evaluation for its proposed project. 
Each grantee will be required to provide, in its annual performance and 
final reports, data about its progress in meeting these measures.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For Further Information Contact: Valerie Rogers, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W241, Washington, DC 20202-
6140. Telephone: (202) 260-2543 or by e-mail: [email protected] or 
Donna Sabis-Burns, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, 
SW., room 3W219, Washington, DC 20202-6400. Telephone: (202) 260-1425 
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 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to one of the program contact persons listed under For Further 
Information 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: 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.
    You can also view this document in text or PDF at the following 
site: http://www.ed.gov/programs/tfasegp/applicant.html.

    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.

    Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated 
authority to Joseph C. Conaty, Director, Academic Improvement and 
Teacher Quality Programs for the Office of Elementary and Secondary 
Education to perform the functions of the Assistant Secretary for 
Elementary and Secondary Education.

    Dated: March 26, 2009.
Joseph C. Conaty,
Director, Academic Improvement and Teacher Quality Programs.
 [FR Doc. E9-7218 Filed 3-30-09; 8:45 am]
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