[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 29, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37872-37876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17908]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Institute of Education Sciences; Overview Information; Grant 
Program for Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards Under the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act of 2009.

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.384A.
    Dates:
    Applications Available: July 24, 2009 (Request for Applications 
[RFA]); August 10, 2009 (Application Package).

[[Page 37873]]

    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 19, 2009.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of assistance under this program is 
to enable State educational agencies to design, develop, and implement 
statewide, longitudinal data systems to efficiently and accurately 
manage, analyze, disaggregate and use individual student data. The goal 
of the program is to enable all States to create comprehensive systems 
that permit the generation and use of accurate and timely data, support 
informed decision-making at all levels of the education system, 
increase the efficiency with which data may be analyzed to support the 
continuous improvement of education services and outcomes, facilitate 
research to improve student achievement and close achievement gaps, and 
support education accountability systems and public reporting.
    This competition is being conducted with funds appropriated under 
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law No. 111-
5 (ARRA). The purposes of the ARRA include the following:
    (a) To preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery.
    (b) To assist those most impacted by the recession.
    (c) To provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency 
by spurring technological advances in science and health.
    (d) To invest in transportation, environmental protection, and 
other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefit.
    (e) To stabilize State and local government budgets in order to 
minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and 
counterproductive State and local tax increases.
    Funding provided under this competition is to be used for statewide 
data systems that, in addition to P-12 data, also include postsecondary 
and workforce information. Grants will support the development and 
implementation of P-20 systems that have the capacity to link 
individual student data across time and across databases, including 
matching teachers to students, promote interoperability for easy 
matching and linking of data across institutions and States, and 
protect student privacy consistent with applicable privacy protection 
laws. This additional one-time funding provided by the ARRA will permit 
grantee State educational agencies (SEAs) to accelerate the development 
of their data systems, to include not only data related to K-12 
education, but also data on preschool and postsecondary education and 
workforce information, and to promote linkages with other data systems 
where such linkages may inform education policy and practice.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9607; American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act of 2009, Division A, Title VIII, Public Law No. 111-5.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 77, 80, 81, 82, 84, 
85, 97, 98, and 99. In addition, the regulations in 34 CFR part 75 are 
applicable, except for the provisions in 34 CFR 75.100, 75.101(b), 
75.102, 75.103, 75.105, 75.109(a), 75.200, 75.201, 75.209, 75.210, 
75.211, 75.217, 75.219, 75.220, 75.221, 75.222, and 75.230.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreements.
    Available Funds: $245,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: Grants will range from $2,000,000 
to $20,000,000 for the entire project period.
    Estimated Number of Awards: The number of awards made under this 
competition will depend upon the nature and quality of the applications 
received.

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


    Project Period: Not to exceed 3 years.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants are limited to SEAs.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require 
cost sharing or matching.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This competition involves supplement-
not-supplant funding requirements. Funds made available under this 
grant program are to be used to supplement, and not supplant, other 
State or local funds used for developing State data systems.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. RFA and Other Information: Information regarding program and 
application requirements for this competition will be contained in the 
RFA package, which will be available on July 24, 2009, at the following 
Web site: http://ies.ed.gov/funding.
    2. Application Package: The application package with forms and 
instructions for applying to this competition will be available no 
later than August 10, 2009, at the Department's e-Grants Web site at: 
http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    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 listed under Accessible 
Format in section VIII of this notice.


    Note: Interested potential applicants should periodically check 
the Institute's Web site at http://ies.ed.gov/funding.

    3. 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 Statewide Longitudinal Data 
Systems competition, CFDA Number 84.384A, must be submitted 
electronically using e-Application, accessible through the Department's 
e-Grants Web site at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    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.
    While completing your electronic application, you will be entering 
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     You must complete the electronic submission of your grant 
application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. E-Application will not accept an application for this 
competition after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait 
until the application deadline date to begin the application process.
     The hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6:00 
a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until 
8:00 p.m. Sunday,

[[Page 37874]]

Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of maintenance, the 
system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and 6:00 a.m. on 
Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 a.m. on 
Thursdays, Washington, DC time. Any modifications to these hours are 
posted on the e-Grants Web site.
     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: the 
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 .PDF (Portable Document) format. If you 
upload a file type other than the file type 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.
     Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may 
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment that will include a PR/Award number 
(an identifying number unique to your application).
     Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the Application Control 
Center after following these steps:
    (1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
    (2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this.
    (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard-copy signature page of the SF 424.
    (4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at 
(202) 245-6272.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting 
your application on the application deadline date because e-Application 
is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by 
hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
    (1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have 
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
    (2) (a) E-Application is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between 
the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date; or
    (b) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between 
3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgment of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If e-Application is unavailable due 
to technical problems with the system and, therefore, the application 
deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users 
who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions referred to in this 
section apply only to the unavailability of e-Application.
    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 e-Application because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
e-Application; 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 
prevents 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: Elizabeth Payer, U.S. 
Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 602C Capital 
Place, Washington, DC 20208. FAX: (202) 219-1466.
    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 84.384A), 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 84.384A), 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,

[[Page 37875]]

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 for this 
competition, 84.384A; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this grant 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.

    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 listed under Accessible 
Format in section IX of this notice.


    Note: Interested potential applicants should periodically check 
the Institute's Web site at http://ies.ed.gov/funding.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: Information regarding selection criteria and 
review procedures for this competition will be provided in the RFA 
package.

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.
    In addition, the GAN includes terms and conditions necessary for 
effective implementation of data collection and accountability 
requirements under the ARRA.
    3. Reporting: The ARRA requires accountability and transparency in 
the use of funds provided under the law. To meet the reporting 
requirements under the ARRA, you must (a) ensure that funds provided by 
the ARRA are clearly distinguishable from other funds and (b) no later 
than ten days after the end of each calendar quarter, starting on July 
10, 2009, submit a report to the Department that contains--
    (1) The total amount of recovery funds received from the 
Department;
    (2) The amount of recovery funds that were expended or obligated to 
projects or activities;
    (3) A detailed list of all projects or activities for which 
recovery funds were expended or obligated, including--
    (i) The name of the project or activity;
    (ii) A description of the project or activity;
    (iii) An evaluation of the completion status of the project or 
activity;
    (iv) An estimate of the number of jobs created and the number of 
jobs retained by the project or activity; and
    (v) For infrastructure investments made by State and local 
governments, the purpose, total cost, and rationale of the agency for 
funding the infrastructure investment with funds made available under 
the ARRA, and the name of the person to contact at the agency if there 
are concerns with respect to the infrastructure investment; and
    (4) Detailed information on any subcontracts or subgrants that you 
awarded to include the data elements required to comply with the 
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, allowing 
aggregate reporting on awards below $25,000 or to individuals, as 
prescribed by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
    More specific and detailed reporting requirements will be included 
in the terms and conditions of the grant contained in the GAN. At the 
end of your project period, you also must submit a final performance 
report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. 
For specific requirements on reporting, please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: The Request for Applications for this 
competition outlines seven data system capabilities and 12 data system 
elements that are required of all statewide, longitudinal data systems 
developed with funds under this program. To evaluate the overall 
success of the program, the Institute will consider two performance 
measures. For the first measure, the Institute will determine annually 
and at the end of your grant whether you have in operation a statewide, 
longitudinal (P-20) data system that has achieved each of the seven 
required system capabilities set out in the RFA, and based on this 
information, we will determine how many States have achieved each 
capability. For the second measure, the Institute will determine 
annually and at the end of your grant whether your system includes each 
of the 12 elements required by the RFA, and based on this information, 
how many States have included each element in its system. The 12 
required data system elements are those prescribed by the America 
COMPETES Act.
    States will be reporting on the implementation of these elements in 
the context of reporting for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, and 
these State reports will be one source of data for the second measure. 
In your annual performance reports for a grant under this program, you 
will be expected to report on the status of your achievement of each of 
the required data system capabilities and on the inclusion of each of 
the required data system elements. In your final performance report, 
you will be expected to report on whether you have achieved each of the 
capabilities and whether you have included each of the elements in your 
operational data system. The Institute will also collect information on 
your progress with these requirements via its monitoring over the 
course of your grant.
    The Department recognizes that requests for data and information 
should reflect an integrated and coordinated approach among the various 
Recovery Act programs, particularly the Stabilization, Race to the Top, 
School Improvement Grants, and Statewide, Longitudinal Data Systems 
grant programs. Accordingly, the Department will continue to evaluate 
our requests for data and information under this program in context 
with other Recovery Act programs.
    5. Grant Administration: Applicants should budget for a two-day 
meeting for project directors to be held in Washington, DC.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Tate Gould, U.S. Department of 
Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1990 K Street, 
NW., room 9023, Washington, DC 20006-5651. Telephone: (202) 219-7080 or 
via Internet: [email protected].
    If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service, 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)

[[Page 37876]]

on request to the program contact person listed here under For Further 
Information Contact.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.


    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: July 22, 2009.
John Q. Easton,
Director, Institute of Education Sciences.
[FR Doc. E9-17908 Filed 7-24-09; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P