[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 6 (Monday, January 10, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1405-1408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-236]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


DoDEA FY 2011 Grant Program

AGENCY: Department of Defense Education Activity, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) seeks 
requests for consideration (RFC) from eligible local educational 
agencies (LEA).

DATES: 
    1. Deadline for Transmittal of RFCs: 21 Feb 11.
    2. Full Applications Available (invitation only): On or about 18 
Mar 11.
    3. Deadline for Transmittal of Full Applications: 29 Apr 11.
    4. Grants Awarded: 01-30 Jun 11.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Brian Pritchard, Contracts and 
Grants Liaison, DoDEA, e-mail: [email protected], telephone: 
703-588-3345.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Funding Opportunity Description: DoDEA announces the FY 2011 grant 
program and seeks requests for consideration (RFC) from eligible local 
educational agencies (LEAs). Approximately $30 million is expected to 
be awarded, depending on the availability of funding. Projected period 
of performance is 01 Jun 11 to 31 Aug 14. Awards will be based on 
military dependent student enrollment and will range in size from 
$100,000 to $2,500,000. DoDEA estimates that 25-35 grants will be 
awarded.
    The Department's aim is to improve student achievement, increase 
educational opportunities, ensure student preparation for success in 
college and careers, and ease the challenges that transitions and 
deployments have on military dependent students.
    To be eligible to apply an LEA must have a military dependent 
student population of at least five percent AND have one or more 
schools that have a military dependent student population of at least 
15 percent. LEAs will certify the numbers and percentages of students, 
using their Federal Impact Aid data.
    The RFC may be found at http://www.militaryk12partners.dodea.edu. 
The RFC is due on February 21, 2011. After being reviewed, the highest 
scoring LEAs will be invited to submit full proposals. Awards are 
expected to be made June 1-30, 2011.
    Authorization: Section 574(d) of Public Law 109-364, as amended; 
Title 10 U.S.C. 2192(b) and Title 10 U.S.C. 2193a

CFDA Number

     CFDA 12.556: Competitive Grants: Promoting K-12 Student 
Achievement at Military-Connected Schools, or
     CFDA 12.557: Invitational Grants for Military-Connected 
Schools.
    PK-12 Education: The Department of Defense considers the education 
of the dependents of members of the Armed Forces to be a critical 
quality of life and readiness concern. The quality of K-12 education is 
an important criterion for military families as they make career 
decisions on assignments and is linked to retention in the Military 
Services. A significant element of family readiness is an educational 
system that recognizes and responds to the unique needs of the children 
of military families by not only providing a quality education but also 
easing the challenges military dependent students face due to 
transitions and deployments.
    Eligibility: Eligibility is determined through a two-step process. 
The first step is that the LEA must have a military dependent student 
population of at least five percent. The second step is based on the 
size and percentage of the military dependent student population 
measured at the school, not district level, and on whether or not the 
school has previously received DoDEA grant funds.
     School Level: LEAs may only apply to receive funds for 
school(s) with a military dependent student population of at least 15 
percent. Each LEA will certify the numbers and percentages it reports, 
using Federal Impact Aid data.
     Definition: The term, military dependent student, is 
defined as an elementary or secondary school student who is a dependent 
of a member of the

[[Page 1406]]

Armed Forces or a civilian employee of the Department of Defense who is 
employed on Federal property.
     Current Awardees: Current awardees of DoDEA grant funds 
are eligible to apply for FY11 funds if they meet the aforementioned 
criteria and are applying for schools that have not already been 
targeted/listed in their current grant awards.

Award Information

    Project Period: 01 Jun 11 to 31 Aug 14.
    Estimated Available Funds: $30,000,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000 to $2,500,000.
    Estimated Average Award Size: $1,000,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 25-35.
    Minimum Award: $100,000 (80 or fewer military dependent students).
    Maximum Award: $2,500,000 (2,000 or more military dependent 
students).

Expected Dates

     RFC Applications Available: on or about 07 Jan 11.
     RFC Information Posted: On or about 07 Jan 11.
     Live Technical Assistance #1: 14 Jan 11, 1 p.m. to 2:30 
p.m. EST.
     Deadline for Intent to Apply (optional): 24 Jan 11.
     Live Technical Assistance #2: 02 Feb 11, 1 p.m. to 2:30 
p.m. EST.
     Deadline for Transmittal of RFCs: 21 Feb 11, 5 p.m. EST.
     Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: 07 Mar 11.
     Full Applications Available (by invitation only): On or 
about 18 Mar 11.
     Deadline for Transmittal of Full Applications: 29 Apr 11, 
5 p.m. EST.
     Grants Awarded: 01-30 Jun 11.
    RFC Contents and Selection Criteria: The RFC consists of a cover 
page, introduction, needs assessment, project synopsis, and appendices 
(optional). The introduction, needs assessment, and project synopsis 
are limited to a maximum of three pages. The appendix is limited to a 
maximum of two pages of charts/graphs/tables that support the needs 
assessment. The selection criteria are shown below:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Maximum
                       RFC categories                          (points)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Needs Assessment/Analysis...................................          80
Project Synopsis............................................          20
Preference Priority.........................................        5\*\
                                                             -----------
    Total...................................................     100-105
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* See Preference Priority (below).

    RFC Introduction (0 points): The introduction should orient the 
reviewer who may not be familiar with your area/schools. It should 
provide an overview of your LEA, including the relationship with the 
military installation(s) being served by the target schools. Although 
ungraded, it is part of the 3-page application. It must include 
enrollment data from the targeted schools or school groups in chart 
form, using one of the examples below. Recommended length: 0.5 page.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Enrollment, SY10-11
         Target schools                Grades        Number of ---------------------------------  Percentage of
                                                      schools    Military    Other      Total        military
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABC elementary.................  K-5...............          1        500        100        600             83.3
DEF elementary.................  K-5...............          1        500        300        800             62.5
XYZ High School................  9-12..............          1        300      1,700      2,000             15.0
Target Total...................  K-5/9-12..........          3      1,300      2,100      3,400             38.2
LEA Totals.....................  K-12..............         40      1,800     20,200     22,000              8.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Enrollment, SY10-11
         Target schools                Grades        Number of ---------------------------------  Percentage of
                                                      schools    Military    Other      Total        military
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elementary.....................  K-5...............          6      1,000        200      1,200             83.3
Middle.........................  6-8...............          2      1,000        600      1,600             62.5
High...........................  9-12..............          2        600      3,400      4,000             15.0
Target Total...................  K-12..............         10      2,600      4,200      6,800             38.2
LEA Totals.....................  K-12..............         60      3,600     40,400     44,000              8.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    RFC Needs Assessment (up to 80 points): The needs assessment is the 
primary factor in determining which LEAs will be invited to submit a 
full application. Recommended length: 1.5-2.0 pages.
    An effective needs assessment clearly:
    1. States the problem, showing who is affected by the problem, when 
and where the problem exists, and what has caused it.
    2. Presents multiple sources of data to confirm the existence of 
the problem, Data may include:
     Quantitative (e.g., test scores, absentee rates).
     Qualitative in support of quantitative data (e.g., results 
from interviews, focus groups).
     Multiple methods (e.g., surveys, analysis of school 
records, previous studies, focus groups) and multiple sources (e.g., 
teachers, students, parents).
     Comparisons, if applicable, comparisons to neighboring 
LEAs' data, State data, and/or national data.
    3. Briefly discusses current or past efforts to address the problem 
and why those efforts failed or are inadequate to address the total 
need and the consequences of not dealing with the problem.
    4. Presents the need LEA staff have for professional development in 
the selected program area.
    5. Up to two pages of tables, charts, or graphs may be appended to 
the Request for Consideration.
    RFC Project Synopsis (up to 20 points): The LEA must state the 
program area(s) it will address. The synopsis should briefly describe 
what will be accomplished, who will implement it, and the key 
strategies that are expected to be used. The program area(s) selected 
must address the needs documented in the needs assessment. See the 
comments below regarding the full application to better understand the 
parameters that may be used in developing a project. Recommended 
length: 0.5-1.0 page.
    RFC Preference Priorities: An LEA will receive additional 
preference points if it meets one or both of the following priorities:
     Three points: The LEA experienced ten percent or more 
growth in the district's military dependent student population between 
the 2008-09 school years and 2009-10 school years.
     Two points: The LEA's target schools for this project have 
a military

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student population that equals or exceeds 40 percent.
    RFC Rubrics:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       RFC categories                           Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction................................................  ..........
Needs Assessment............................................          80
1. Clearly stated problem...................................        (20)
2. Multiple data sources....................................        (40)
3. Past efforts and consequences............................        (10)
4. Related training needs...................................        (10)
Project Synopsis............................................          20
1. Responds to documented needs.............................        (10)
2. Presents a reasonable plan...............................        (10)
Preference Priorities.......................................     Up to 5
                                                             -----------
    Total Points............................................     100-105
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    RFC Review: A team of peer reviewers will rate each RFC. The 
highest scoring RFCs will be invited to submit a full application.
    RFC Submission Requirements: Specific submission instructions are 
provided in the RFC application.

FY 2011 DoDEA Grant Program Parameters

    The following information on DoDEA's FY 2011 grant program is aimed 
at helping LEAs design an appropriate program synopsis.
Serving All Students
    Although grant funding is calculated on the basis of military 
student enrollment, it is expected that proposed programs will serve 
all students military and non-military at the target schools. The 
exception is the Support Program which must focus solely on military 
dependent students.
Application Focus
    DoDEA seeks proposals that use research-based practices to enhance 
student learning opportunities, student achievement, and/or educator 
professional development. The five program areas (in alphabetical 
order) are Early Learning, K-12 Academic, Online Education, Special 
Education, and Support Program.
Anticipated Awards
    The range of awards is based on the following numbers of military 
dependent students at the target school(s). It is anticipated that LEAs 
will receive official award documentation on or about June 1, 2010.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Total military dependent students at
            target school(s)               Minimum award   Maximum award
------------------------------------------------------------------------
100 or fewer............................        $100,000        $135,000
101-200.................................         135,000         270,000
201-300.................................         270,000         405,000
501-400.................................         405,000         540,000
401-500.................................         540,000         675,000
501-600.................................         675,000         810,000
601-700.................................         810,000         945,000
701-800.................................         945,000       1,080,000
801-900.................................       1,080,000       1,215,000
901-1,000...............................       1,215,000       1,350,000
1,001-1,100.............................       1,350,000       1,485,000
1,101-1,200.............................       1,485,000       1,620,000
1,201-1,300.............................       1,620,000       1,755,000
1,301-1,400.............................       1,755,000       1,890,000
1,401-1,500.............................       1,890,000       2,025,000
1,501-1,600.............................       2,025,000       2,160,000
1,601-1,700.............................       2,160,000       2,295,000
Above 1,700.............................       2,295,000       2,500,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Budget Definitions, Restrictions, and Requirements
     For budgeting purposes, the grant years will be as 
follows:
     Year 1: 01 Jun 11 to 31 Aug 12
     Year 2: 01 Sep 12 to 31 Aug 13
     Year 3: 01 Sep 13 to 31 Aug 14
     The term, full-time equivalent (FTE), usually refers to 
fully benefitted positions.
     For all program areas, except Support Program, up to 25 
percent of Federal funds may be allocated to fulltime equivalent (FTE) 
positions. For Support Programs, discussed below, LEAs may propose a 
higher percentage of Federal funds for FTE positions.
     Examples of non-FTE personnel costs include stipends for 
teachers, wages to afterschool tutors, and costs for substitute 
teachers.
     Although fringe benefits for grant-funded FTE positions 
are an allowable cost, no grants funds may be allocated for 
administrative or indirect costs.
     Fringe benefits are defined as costs in the form of 
employer contributions or expenses for employee benefits such as: 
social security; employee life, health, unemployment, and worker's 
compensation insurance (except as indicated in OMB Circular A-87, 
Attachment B, No. 22), and other similar benefits for employees 
expected to work solely on this grant.
Six Key Programmatic Considerations
    1. Absolute Priorities: The full application must comprehensively 
address one or two of the five program areas detailed below. It must 
provide evidence of sufficient commitment to successfully implement/
achieve the goals in its plans and to sustain the program after grant 
funding ends.
    2. Research-Based Strategies: DoDEA requires the use of strategies 
that have demonstrated effectiveness. Commercial and/or non-commercial 
research-based strategies may be proposed.
    3. Capacity Building: Projects should build capacity to sustain the 
program after grant funding ends.
    4. Serving Subsets of Students: LEAs may focus their projects on a 
subset of students at the target school(s). For example, an elementary 
program may focus on grades 3-5.
    5. Evaluation: During the grant period, student data must be 
disaggregated at the school level for the military dependent student 
population. DoDEA requires at least three percent of grant funds be 
spent on an external (third-party) evaluator.
    6. Program Areas: Based on the needs assessment, LEAs will select 
one or two of the following five program areas on which to focus their 
projects.
    [cir] Early Learning: To meet this priority, the application must 
address the need to offer a rigorous course of study aligned to the 
prekindergarten reading, writing, mathematics, science, and/or social 
studies curricula. Selected

[[Page 1408]]

programs must be based on research-based practices and include a 
sustained professional development component.
    [cir] K-12 Academic Program: To meet this priority, the application 
must have a high quality plan to address one of the following three 
areas:
    [dec221] English/Reading: The application must address the need to 
offer a rigorous course of study in English language arts and/or 
reading. Selected programs must be based on research-based practices 
and include a sustained professional development component.
    [dec221] Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): 
The application must address the need to (1) offer a rigorous course of 
study in mathematics, the sciences, technology, and/or engineering; (2) 
cooperate with industry experts, museums, universities, research 
centers, or other STEM-capable community partners to prepare and assist 
teachers in integrating STEM content across grades and disciplines, in 
promoting effective and relevant instruction, and in offering applied 
learning opportunities for students; and (3) prepare more students for 
advanced study and STEM careers. Selected programs must be based on 
research-based practices and include a sustained professional 
development component.
    [dec221] Other Curricular Areas: The application must address the 
need to offer a rigorous course of study in one curricular area, such 
as social studies, foreign language, or the fine arts. Selected 
programs must be based on research-based practices and include a 
sustained professional development component.
    [dec221] Student achievement in the academic program area must 
include measurements of performance on State norm- and/or criterion-
referenced assessments.
    [cir] Online Education: To meet this priority, the application must 
have a high-quality plan to address the need to (1) offer a rigorous 
course of study at the secondary level; (2) enable transitioning high 
school students to continue their course of study; (3) provide credit 
recovery for students who failed a course, (4) provide students who 
received a low grade in a course to improve that grade by retaking the 
course; and (5) prepare students for postsecondary placements in a 
career or institute of higher education. Online education may occur 
throughout the year.
    [cir] Special Education: To meet this priority, the application 
must have a high-quality plan to address the needs of students with 
special needs. Selected programs must be based on best practices and 
include a sustained professional development component.
    [cir] Support Program: To meet this priority, the application must 
have a high-quality plan to address the needs of the military dependent 
students at the target school(s) and in the LEA. The emphasis of the 
program must be to ease the challenges that military dependent students 
face due to transitions/deployments. In recent years some Support 
Programs have focused primarily on socio-emotional issues, and others 
have focused primarily on academic issues. As with the other program 
areas, the project design must address identified needs.
Proposal Compliance
    Failure to adhere to deadlines to be specified in the forthcoming 
application may result in proposal rejection. Any proposal received 
after the exact time and date specified for receipt will not be 
considered. DoDEA, at its sole discretion, may accept a late proposal 
if it determines that no advantage has been conferred and that the 
integrity of the grants process will not be compromised.

    Dated: January 4, 2011.
Morgan F. Park,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2011-236 Filed 1-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P