[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 151 (Friday, August 6, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47566-47573]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19485]



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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Vocational and Adult Education; Overview Information; 
Promoting Rigorous Career and Technical Education Programs of Study; 
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards Using Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 
Funds

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

    Dates:
    Applications Available: August 6, 2010.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: August 16, 2010.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 7, 2010.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Promoting Rigorous Career and Technical 
Education Programs of Study program is authorized under section 
114(c)(1) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 
2006 (Act), 20 U.S.C. 2324(c)(1). Under this section the Secretary is 
authorized to carry out research, development, dissemination, 
evaluation and assessment, capacity building, and technical assistance 
with regard to the career and technical education (CTE) programs under 
the Act. Through this program and using a ``Programs of Study Design 
Framework'' (Framework), we intend to promote and improve State and 
local development and implementation of, and to assess the impact of 
student participation in CTE programs of study (POSs) that link 
secondary and postsecondary education, combine academic and career and 
technical education in a structured sequence of courses that progress 
from broad foundation skills to more occupationally specific courses, 
offer students the opportunities to earn postsecondary credits for 
courses taken in high school, and lead to a postsecondary credential, 
certificate, or degree. The Framework is available on the Department's 
Perkins Collaborative Resource Network (PCRN) Web site at: http://cte.ed.gov/nationalinitiatives/rposdesignframework.cfm.
    Priority: This priority is from the notice of final priorities, 
requirements, and selection criteria published elsewhere in this issue 
of the Federal Register.
    Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2010, this priority is a 
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award 
an additional 10 points to an application, depending on how well the 
application meets this priority.
    This priority is:

Commitment to the Project

    The Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education 
establishes a priority for applications that propose to contribute 
funds from other sources of funds to the total cost of the project. To 
meet this priority, the applicant must propose a budget that describes 
how the State will contribute 30 percent of the total cost of the 
project from other sources. For these purposes, the applicant may use--
    (a) State leadership funds awarded under section 111 of the Act and 
as specified in section 112(a)(1) of the Act;
    (b) Non-Federal contributions including in-kind contributions, such 
as facilities, equipment, supplies, services, and other resources; or
    (c) A combination of State leadership funds and non-Federal 
contributions.

Final Requirements

    The Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education 
establishes the following requirements for this program. We may apply 
one or more of these requirements in any year in which this program is 
in effect.
    Selected Program of Study: To be eligible for funding an applicant 
is required to demonstrate that it has selected for implementation a 
State-developed or State-approved POS that is built and sustained with 
all of the following 10 Framework components:
    (a) Legislation and Policies: State and local legislation, rules 
and regulations, or administrative policies that promote POS 
development and implementation;
    (b) Partnerships: Ongoing relationships among education, business, 
and other community stakeholders that support POS design, 
implementation, and maintenance;
    (c) Professional Development: Sustained, intensive, and focused 
professional development opportunities for administrators, teachers, 
and faculty that foster POS design, implementation, and maintenance;
    (d) Accountability and Evaluation Systems: Accountability and 
evaluation systems and strategies that gather quantitative and 
qualitative data on both POS components and student outcomes in order 
to inform ongoing efforts to develop and implement POSs and to 
determine their effectiveness;
    (e) College- and Career-Readiness Standards: POS content standards 
that define what students are expected to know and be able to do to 
enter and advance in college, their careers, or both, and that include 
aligned academic and technical content;
    (f) Course Sequences: Course sequences within a POS that help 
students transition to postsecondary education without needing to 
duplicate classes or enroll in remedial courses.
    (g) Credit Transfer Agreements: Formal credit transfer agreements 
among secondary schools and postsecondary institutions;
    (h) Guidance Counseling and Career Advisement: Systems that provide 
career counseling and academic advisory services to help students make 
informed decisions about which POS to pursue;
    (i) Teaching and Learning Strategies: Innovative and creative 
instructional approaches that enable teachers to integrate academic and 
technical instruction and also enable students to apply academic and 
technical learning in their POS coursework; and
    (j) Technical Skills Assessments: Existing valid and reliable 
technical skills assessments that provide ongoing information on the 
extent to which students are attaining the necessary knowledge and 
skills for entry into and advancement in postsecondary education and 
careers in their chosen POS.
    Each of these 10 components of the Framework has unique sub-
components. The sub-components for each of the 10 Framework components 
are in paragraph (a)(3) of selection criterion (a), State capacity to 
implement a rigorous program of study. Each State and its participating 
local educational agencies (LEAs) must use all 10 Framework components, 
must use each of the sub-components of the 10 Framework components that 
the State deems relevant to the selected POS, and must explain how it 
plans to support the selected POS using the relevant sub-components.
    Existing Technical Skills Assessments: Applicants must propose a 
project to implement a State-developed or State-approved POS for which 
valid and reliable technical skills assessments (either third-party 
industry-recognized assessments, or State-developed or State-approved 
technical skills assessments based on industry standards that grant 
high school or postsecondary credit, or both) have been developed.
    Local Implementation: The applicant must propose a project to 
implement the selected POS in at least three LEAs that contain high 
schools, in concert with at least one of the LEA's postsecondary 
partners, i.e., at least one postsecondary institution (either two-year 
or four-year). If a participating LEA contains more than one high 
school, the LEA must implement the selected POS in at least

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one of its high schools. To the extent feasible, the State must 
implement the selected POS in at least one urban, one suburban, and one 
rural community within the State, and where circumstances preclude a 
State from serving at least one of each of these types of communities, 
provide an explanation in its application. To be eligible for funding 
an applicant is required to demonstrate that the LEAs chosen for 
participation in the POS project have the capacity to have all 10 
Framework components in place either at the start of the POS project or 
no later than the beginning of year 2 of the project. The applicant 
must include a letter of commitment from each LEA, expressing its 
interest in participating in the project and its commitment to 
implement the selected POS as prescribed by the State in years 2 
through 4 of the project and to maintain constancy in the 
implementation of the selected POS. During year 1 of the project, CTE 
staff from the funded States must provide technical assistance to their 
participating LEAs in order to strengthen weak Framework components or 
incorporate missing components, so that all 10 Framework components are 
in place to support the POS when it is implemented at the LEA level. 
The participating LEAs must implement the selected POS during years 2 
through 4 of the project, beginning at the start of the academic year 
corresponding to year 2 of the project. The applicant must include a 
plan that describes how CTE State staff will continue to work closely 
with the LEAs throughout the project period, and provide technical 
assistance and support to ensure constancy in the implementation of the 
selected POS in the participating LEAs.
    Applicants in States that have a single LEA must implement the 
selected POS in at least three high schools, in concert with at least 
one of the LEA's postsecondary partners, i.e., at least one 
postsecondary institution (either two-year or four-year). To the extent 
feasible, the participating three high schools must represent urban, 
suburban, and rural communities and, where circumstances preclude a 
State from serving at least one of each of these types of communities 
in its three participating high schools, the State must provide an 
explanation in its application. All requirements that apply to LEAs in 
this notice would apply to the participating high schools and their 
postsecondary partner(s).
    Evaluation: Applicants must propose to conduct an annual evaluation 
of the project to assess the constancy of the implementation of the 
selected POS in the participating LEAs and the effectiveness of each of 
the 10 Framework components. To ensure consistency of implementation 
across the selected LEAs, CTE staff from the funded States must use a 
self-assessment instrument based on the 10 Framework components as part 
of the grant's project evaluation.
    Applicants must also use student outcome data to assess the 
progress of students enrolled in each selected POS. To ensure 
consistency across the funded States, State staff must attend a POS 
Evaluation Design meeting in Washington, DC, following their receipt of 
the grant award, to discuss and possibly refine the grantee self-
assessment tools related to the 10 Framework components that are 
developed by the grantees, and to work with OVAE and with each other to 
develop a plan for the States' use of student outcome data to assess 
the progress of students enrolled in each selected POS. This meeting 
will address evaluation and data collection issues, such as, student 
definitions; the number of students to be selected and the method of 
student selection to be followed; strategies for comparing outcomes for 
students who participate in the POS to other students who do not; the 
identification of potential comparison groups through the States' 
longitudinal data systems, including any documented valid and reliable 
alternative method of collecting individual student employment outcome 
data; and the timing of reporting. After the meeting, we will include 
the agreed-upon plan for the State's use of the student outcome data as 
an addendum to each grantee's cooperative agreement.
    In addition to requiring applicants to use student outcome data to 
assess the progress of students enrolled in each selected POS, the 
State must collect baseline data on postsecondary students who have not 
had the benefit of participating in a POS aligned with the 10 Framework 
components in order to compare the outcomes for those students with the 
outcomes for students who participate in a POS aligned with the 10 
Framework components. The State must also collect and report data 
annually on the following seven performance measures, which are based 
on the indicators of performance required under section 113(b) (State 
Performance Measures) and section 203(e) (Tech Prep Indicators of 
Performance and Accountability) of the Act:
    (a) Secondary school completion. The percentage of secondary 
students participating in the POS supported by the grant award who earn 
a high school diploma.
    (b) Technical skills attainment. The percentage of secondary 
students participating in the POS supported by the grant award who 
attain technical skills.
    (c) Earned postsecondary credit during high school. The percentage 
of secondary students participating in the POS supported by the grant 
award who earn postsecondary credit.
    (d) Enrollment in postsecondary education. The percentage of 
secondary students participating in the POS supported by the grant 
award who enroll in postsecondary education by the fall following high 
school graduation.
    (e) Enrollment in postsecondary education in a field or major 
related to the secondary POS. The percentage of secondary students 
participating in the POS supported by the grant award who enroll in a 
postsecondary education program in a field or major related to the 
participant's secondary POS.
    (f) Need for developmental course work in postsecondary education. 
The percentage of secondary students participating in the POS supported 
by the grant award who enroll in one or more postsecondary education 
developmental courses.
    (g) Postsecondary credential, certificate, or diploma attainment. 
The percentage of secondary students participating in the POS supported 
by the grant award who attain an industry-recognized credential, 
certificate, or associate's degree, within two years following 
enrollment in postsecondary education.
    Capacity of Statewide Longitudinal Data System: Applicants must 
propose the use of a longitudinal data system that has the capacity to 
link and share data among systems housing different types of data, in 
order to collect valid and reliable data on the required performance 
measures identified in the Evaluation requirement. The longitudinal 
data system must contain, at a minimum, the elements listed below, 
which elements are consistent with section 6401(e)(2)(D) of the America 
COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69):
    (a) Statewide unique student identifiers;
    (b) Student-level enrollment data;
    (c) Student-level course completion (transcript) data;
    (d) The ability to match student-level secondary and postsecondary 
data;
    (e) The ability to match student-level data to employment outcome 
data, using--
    (1) Unemployment Insurance (UI) wage records, or

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    (2) Documented valid and reliable alternative methods such as 
surveys that have, at a minimum, a 70 percent response rate;
    (f) A State data audit plan to verify that the education data are 
valid and reliable; and
    (g) An assurance that the use of data will be consistent with the 
requirements and protections contained in the Family Educational Rights 
and Privacy Act (FERPA).
    Dissemination: Applicants must propose to implement a dissemination 
plan for the project. The plan must include the development and 
maintenance of a project Web page for posting project materials, such 
as: Materials describing the State's process for approving POSs 
submitted by local recipients of funds; curricula developed for the 
selected POS; technical assistance materials provided to the 
participating LEAs and to other local recipients of funds, if 
applicable; professional development materials; materials describing 
evaluation results, including performance data on the required 
performance measures based on the indicators of performance; and other 
materials containing practical information that would be useful to 
other States in their efforts to implement and evaluate POSs. 
Applicants must also participate in POS activities sponsored by the 
Department, such as annual POS grantee meetings in which grantees 
describe the progress of their projects and discuss common issues, 
strategies, and models of best practices; OVAE/POS grantee 
presentations at the States' Annual National Career Clusters 
Institutes; OVAE/POS grantee presentations at annual NASDCTEc meetings; 
and presentations at OVAE-sponsored data quality meetings.
    Cooperative Agreement: We plan to make each award to grantees under 
this program under the terms of a cooperative agreement. We expect to 
work closely with the funded States to maintain substantial involvement 
in project implementation, and to provide oversight on project 
activities by working collaboratively to develop a plan for the use of 
student outcome data, reviewing and approving project activities, 
reviewing and approving one stage of work before the grantee can begin 
a subsequent stage during the project period, and halting an activity 
if it is not consistent with the program requirements.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 2324(c)(1).
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulation (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 80, 81, 82, 
84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final priorities, 
requirements, and selection criteria published elsewhere in this issue 
of the Federal Register.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreements.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,500,000 is available from the FY 2009 
appropriation for the first 12 months of this project period. Funding 
for years 2 through 4 is subject to the availability of funds and to a 
grantee meeting the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $240,000 to $260,000 for the first 12 
months.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,000 for a single budget 
period of 12 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 6.

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

    Project Period: Up to 48 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: State boards designated or created 
consistent with State law as the sole State agencies responsible for 
the administration of CTE in their States or for the supervision of the 
administration of CTE in their States, in accordance with the 
definition of the term ``eligible agency'' in section 3(12) of the Act.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Laura Messenger, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 11028, Potomac 
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-7241. Telephone: (202) 245-7840 or 
by e-mail: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact 
person listed in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to develop 
an efficient process for reviewing grant applications if it has 
information regarding the number of entities that intend to apply for 
funding under this competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly 
encourages each potential applicant to notify the Department by sending 
a short e-mail message indicating the applicant's intent to submit an 
application for funding. The e-mail should include only the applicant's 
intent to submit an application; it does not need to include 
information regarding the content of the proposed application. This e-
mail notification should be sent no later than August 16, 2010 to Laura 
Messenger at: [email protected]. You must include ``POS 
Application'' in the subject line of your electronic message. We will 
consider an application submitted by the deadline date for transmittal 
of applications even if the applicant did not provide notice of its 
intent to apply.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit 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 on the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is 12 point or larger or no smaller than 
10 pitch (charters 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, or the letters of support. However, the page 
limit does apply to all of the application narrative section [Part 
III].
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: August 6, 2010.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: August 16, 2010.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 7, 2010.

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    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants site. For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand 
delivery, please refer to section IV. 7. 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 subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the 
Department of Education, (1) you must have a Data Universal Numbering 
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); (2) 
you must register both of those numbers with the Central Contractor 
Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database; and (3) 
you must provide those same numbers on your application.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one business day.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to 
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not 
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN 
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will 
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take 
three or more business days to complete.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the 
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by 
mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications under the Promoting Rigorous Career and Technical 
Education Programs of Study program, CFDA Number 84.051C, 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 
program 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, 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, the Financial Education 
for College Access and Success Budget Spreadsheet(s), 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.
     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 form.
    (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

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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: Laura Messenger, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., PCP, Room 11028, 
Washington, DC 20006-8524. 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 submit your application in paper format by mail (through the 
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the 
original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.051C), 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 submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, 
you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of 
your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, 
to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.051C), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30:00 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

    The selection criteria for this competition are from the notice of 
final priority, definitions, and selection criteria published elsewhere 
in this issue of the Federal Register and are as follows. The maximum 
score for the selection criteria in this competition is 140 points. 
Applications that meet the competitive preference priority will receive 
an additional 10 points.
    (a) State capacity to implement a rigorous program of study (50 
points): In determining the applicant's capacity to implement a 
rigorous POS, we review each application to determine the extent to 
which:
    (1) The applicant proposes to build on existing State initiatives 
and partnerships in implementing the proposed project.
    (2) The applicant selects a POS that will provide training leading 
to high-growth, high-demand, or high-wage occupations as determined 
through analysis of the national, State, or local labor market.
    (3) The applicant provides evidence that it has selected a State-
developed or State-approved POS that is built and sustained with the 10 
Framework components identified in paragraphs (i) through (x); that it 
has identified which of the sub-components from among those listed 
under each Framework component are relevant to the selected POS; and 
that it plans to use those relevant sub-components in its POS and 
explains how it proposes to do so.
    (i) State and local legislation, rules and regulations, or 
administrative policies that promote POS development and 
implementation, such as--
    (A) The allocation of State or local funding (and other non-Federal 
resources) designed to promote POS development and long-term 
sustainability;
    (B) The use of established, formal procedures for the design, 
implementation, and continuous improvement of POSs;

[[Page 47571]]

    (C) Adherence to policies that ensure opportunities for any 
interested secondary student to participate in a POS; and
    (D) The use of individual graduation or career plans for 
participating students.
    (ii) Ongoing relationships among education, business, and other 
community stakeholders that support POS design, implementation, and 
maintenance, such as by--
    (A) Using written memoranda that specify the roles and 
responsibilities of partnership members;
    (B) Conducting ongoing analyses of economic and workforce trends to 
identify POSs that should be created, expanded, or, if appropriate, 
discontinued;
    (C) Linking POS development to existing initiatives that promote 
workforce and economic development; and
    (D) Identifying, validating, and updating technical and workforce 
readiness skills to be taught within POSs.
    (iii) Sustained, intensive, and focused professional development 
opportunities for administrators, teachers, and faculty that foster POS 
design, implementation, and maintenance, and that--
    (A) Support the alignment of academic and technical curriculum 
within the POS from grade to grade (within grades 9 through 12) and 
from secondary to postsecondary education;
    (B) Support the development of integrated academic and CTE 
curriculum and instruction within the POS;
    (C) Ensure that teachers and faculty have the necessary content 
knowledge to align and integrate curriculum and instruction within the 
POS;
    (D) Foster innovative teaching and learning strategies within the 
POS; and
    (E) Assist administrators, teachers, and faculty to use assessment 
data for POS program and instructional improvement.
    (iv) Accountability and evaluation systems and strategies that 
gather quantitative and qualitative data on all 10 Framework components 
as well as on student outcomes to inform ongoing efforts to develop and 
implement POSs and to determine their effectiveness, and that--
    (A) Yield valid and reliable data on key student outcomes 
(indicators of performance) referenced in the Act and other relevant 
Federal and State legislation; and
    (B) Provide timely data to inform ongoing efforts to develop, 
implement, evaluate, and improve the effectiveness of POSs.
    (v) POS content standards that define what students are expected to 
know and be able to do to enter and advance in college, their careers, 
or both, and that include aligned academic and technical content, and 
that--
    (A) Are developed and continually validated in collaboration with 
secondary, postsecondary, and industry partners;
    (B) Incorporate essential knowledge and skills that students must 
master regardless of their chosen career area or POS;
    (C) Provide the same rigorous knowledge and skills in reading or 
language arts and in mathematics that employers and colleges expect of 
high school graduates; and
    (D) To the extent practicable, are internationally benchmarked so 
that students are prepared to succeed in a global economy.
    (vi) Course sequences within a POS that help students transition to 
postsecondary education without the need to duplicate classes or enroll 
in remedial courses, as evidenced by--
    (A) Course sequence plans that map out recommended academic and 
career and technical courses for the POS;
    (B) Course sequence plans that begin with introductory courses that 
provide broad foundational knowledge and skills common across all POSs 
and then progress to more occupationally specific courses that provide 
the knowledge and skills required for entry into and advancement in the 
selected POS; and
    (C) Opportunities for students to earn postsecondary credit for 
coursework taken during high school.
    (vii) Formal credit transfer agreements among secondary schools and 
postsecondary institutions that--
    (A) Provide a systematic, seamless process for students to earn 
college credit for postsecondary courses taken in high school, transfer 
high school credit to any two- or four-year institution in the State 
that offers the POS, and transfer credit earned at a two-year college 
to any other two- or four-year institution in the State that offers the 
POS;
    (B) Record college credit earned by high school students on their 
high school transcripts at the time the credit is earned so that they 
can transfer seamlessly into the college portion of the POS without the 
need for additional paperwork or petitioning for credit; and
    (C) Describe the expectations and requirements for teacher and 
faculty qualifications, course prerequisites, postsecondary entry 
requirements, locations of courses, tuition reimbursement, and the 
credit transfer process.
    (viii) Systems that provide career counseling and academic advisory 
services to help students make informed decisions about which POS to 
pursue and that--
    (A) Are based on State or local guidance and counseling standards, 
such as the National Career Development Guidelines;
    (B) Ensure that guidance counselors and academic advisors have 
access to up-to-date information about POS offerings to aid students in 
their decision-making;
    (C) Offer information and tools to help students learn about 
postsecondary education and career options, including about the 
prerequisites for particular POSs;
    (D) Provide resources for students to identify career interests and 
aptitudes and to select an appropriate POS;
    (E) Provide information and resources for parents, including 
workshops on college and financial aid applications, on helping their 
children prepare for college and careers; and
    (F) Provide Web-based resources and tools for obtaining student 
financial assistance.
    (ix) Innovative and creative instructional approaches that enable 
teachers to integrate academic and technical instruction and also 
enable students to apply academic and technical learning in their POS 
coursework, as evidenced by--
    (A) Interdisciplinary teaching teams of academic and career and 
technical secondary teachers or postsecondary faculty;
    (B) The use of contextualized work-based, project-based, and 
problem-based learning approaches; and
    (C) The use of teaching strategies that foster team-building, 
critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.
    (x) Existing valid and reliable technical skills assessments that 
provide ongoing information on the extent to which students are 
attaining the necessary knowledge and skills for entry into and 
advancement in postsecondary education and careers in their chosen POS 
and that--
    (A) Are either third-party assessments recognized by industry or 
are technical skills assessments developed or approved by the State 
that are based on industry standards;
    (B) Measure student attainment of technical skill proficiencies at 
multiple points during a POS;
    (C) Incorporate, to the greatest extent possible, performance-based 
assessment items through which students must demonstrate the 
application of their knowledge and skills; and

[[Page 47572]]

    (D) Result in the awarding of secondary credit, postsecondary 
credit, or special designation on a student's high school diploma.
    (b) Capacity of statewide longitudinal data system (30 points): In 
determining the State's capacity to collect longitudinal data on a 
variety of secondary, postsecondary, and employment outcomes for 
individual students in order to assess the progress of students 
enrolled in the selected POS, we review each application to determine 
the extent to which:
    (1) The State's longitudinal data system contains, at a minimum, 
the following elements--
    (i) Statewide unique student identifiers;
    (ii) Student-level enrollment data;
    (iii) Student-level course completion (transcript) data;
    (iv) The ability to match student-level secondary and postsecondary 
data;
    (v) The ability to match student-level data with employment outcome 
data, using--
    (A) Unemployment Insurance (UI) wage records; or
    (B) Documented valid and reliable alternative methods such as 
surveys that have, at a minimum, a 70 percent response rate; and
    (vi) A State data audit plan to verify that the education data are 
valid and reliable.
    (2) The applicant provides evidence that project staff will be able 
to work cooperatively with State data specialists and to access the 
student outcome data needed to meet annual evaluation and reporting 
requirements for the POS project.
    (c) Local implementation plan (20 points): In determining the 
quality of the plan for local implementation of the selected POS, we 
review each application to determine the extent to which--
    (1) The applicant identifies each of the LEAs it has selected for 
local implementation of the POS and provides evidence of each LEA's 
capacity to implement the selected POS and the 10 Framework components, 
either at the start of the POS project or no later than the beginning 
of year 2 of the project, as well as the estimated number of students 
who would participate in the POS in years 2 through 4 of the project, 
by grade level;
    (2) To the extent feasible, the participating LEAs represent urban, 
suburban, and rural communities, and where circumstances preclude a 
State from serving at least one of each of these types of communities, 
the State has provided an explanation in its application;
    (3) For participating LEAs prepared to incorporate all 10 elements 
of the Framework in years 2 through 4 of the project, the applicant 
includes a letter of commitment from each LEA, expressing its interest 
in participating in the project and its commitment to implementing the 
selected POS as prescribed by the State in years 2 through 4 of the 
project and to maintain constancy in the implementation of the selected 
POS;
    (4) For participating LEAs that do not have all 10 Framework 
components in place at the start of the project, the applicant outlines 
the specific actions it will take to ensure that weak or missing 
Framework components are strengthened or created so that all 10 
Framework components are in place at those LEAs and the LEAs are ready 
to implement the POS by the beginning of the academic year 
corresponding to year 2 of the project;
    (5) The applicant outlines a plan to provide ongoing oversight and 
technical assistance to the participating LEAs throughout the project 
period, to ensure constancy in the implementation of the selected POS 
across the participating LEAs; and
    (6) An applicant in a State that has a single LEA outlines a plan--
    (i) To implement the selected POS in at least three high schools, 
in concert with at least one of the LEA's postsecondary partners, i.e., 
at least one postsecondary institution (either two-year or four-year); 
and
    (ii) To the extent feasible, the participating three high schools 
represent urban, suburban, and rural communities and, where 
circumstances preclude a State from serving at least one of each of 
these types of communities in its three participating high schools, the 
State has provided an explanation in its application.
    (d) Project management (16 points). In determining the quality of 
the management plan for the proposed project, we review each 
application to determine the extent to which--
    (1) The management plan incorporates, at a minimum, each of the 
requirements included in this notice and identifies specific and 
measurable objectives and tasks to be undertaken to accomplish each 
project activity;
    (2) The management plan assigns responsibility for the 
accomplishment of project tasks to specific partners or project 
personnel and provides timelines that will result in the timely 
completion of all required project activities within each phase of the 
project;
    (3) The Project Director and other key personnel clearly have the 
professional qualifications and experience necessary to implement their 
assigned project tasks; and
    (4) The time commitments of the Project Director, key personnel, 
and partners are appropriate to the tasks assigned.
    (e) Adequacy of resources (10 points). In determining the adequacy 
of resources for the proposed project, we consider the following 
factors:
    (1) The adequacy of support to be provided (i.e., facilities, 
equipment, supplies, or other resources) by participating agencies and 
institutions at the State and local levels.
    (2) Whether the budget is appropriate and the costs are reasonable 
in relation to the objectives and design of the proposed project.
    (f) Evaluation (14 points): In determining the quality of the 
proposed project evaluation, we review each application to determine 
the extent to which--
    (1) The proposed project evaluation is feasible and appropriate for 
evaluating the constancy of the implementation of the selected POS by 
the participating LEAs in years 2 through 4 of the project;
    (2) The proposed evaluation is feasible and appropriate for 
evaluating the effectiveness of each of the 10 Framework components in 
each LEA;
    (3) The proposed evaluation will be conducted by individuals or 
entities that possess the necessary background and expertise in project 
evaluation; and
    (4) The applicant expresses its commitment to participate in the 
Department's Evaluation Design Meeting and has included suggestions 
regarding the use of student outcome data that it would be able to 
access through the State's longitudinal data system, including any 
documented valid and reliable alternative methods for collecting 
individual student employment outcome data, to assess the progress of 
students enrolled in the POS.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notice 
(GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:
    We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the 
application package and reference these and other requirements in the 
Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in

[[Page 47573]]

the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and include these and 
other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates the 
approved application as part of your binding commitments under the 
grant.
    3. Reporting. (a) At the end of your project period, you must 
submit a final performance report, including financial information, as 
directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must 
submit an annual performance report that provides the most current 
performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the 
Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more 
frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific 
requirements on reporting, please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    (b) In addition, grantees under this competition must submit an 
interim report six months after the grant is awarded.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993, Federal departments and agencies must clearly 
describe the goals and objectives of programs, identify resources and 
actions needed to accomplish goals and objectives, develop a means of 
measuring progress made, and regularly report on achievement. In 
determining the overall effectiveness of projects funded under this 
competition, grantees must be prepared to measure and report on the 
following measures of effectiveness, which are based on the indicators 
of performance required under section 113(b) (State Performance 
Measures) and section 203(e) (Tech Prep Indicators of performance and 
Accountability) of the Act:
    (a) Secondary school completion. The percentage of secondary 
students participating in the POS supported by the grant award who earn 
a high school diploma.
    (b) Technical skills attainment. The percentage of secondary 
students participating in the POS supported by the grant award who 
attain technical skills.
    (c) Earned postsecondary credit during high school. The percentage 
of secondary students participating in the POS supported by the grant 
award who earn postsecondary credit.
    (d) Enrollment in postsecondary education. The percentage of 
secondary students participating in the POS supported by the grant 
award who enroll in postsecondary education by the fall following high 
school graduation.
    (e) Enrollment in postsecondary education in a field or major 
related to the secondary POS. The percentage of secondary students 
participating in the POS supported by the grant award who enroll in a 
postsecondary education program in a field or major related to the 
participant's secondary POS.
    (f) Need for developmental course work in postsecondary education. 
The percentage of secondary students participating in the POS supported 
by the grant award who enroll in one or more postsecondary education 
developmental courses.
    (g) Postsecondary credential, certificate, or diploma attainment. 
The percentage of secondary students participating in the POS supported 
by the grant award who attain an industry-recognized credential, 
certificate, or associate's degree, within two years following 
enrollment in postsecondary education.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Laura Messenger, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 11028, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-7241. Telephone: (202) 245-7772, 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 alternative format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the program contact person listed under For Further 
Information Contact in section VII 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.

    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: August 3, 2010.
Brenda Dann-Messier,
Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 2010-19485 Filed 8-5-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P