[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 2, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5789-5796]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2290]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Teaching American History Grant Program; Office of Innovation and 
Improvement; Overview Information; Teaching American History Grant 
Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 
(FY) 2011

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215X.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: February 2, 2011.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: March 4, 2011.
    Dates of Pre-Application Meetings: Pre-application meetings for 
prospective applicants will be held on March 11, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 4, 2011.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 2, 2011.

[[Page 5790]]

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Teaching American History (TAH) grant 
program supports projects that aim to raise student achievement by 
improving teachers' knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of 
traditional American history as a separate subject within the core 
elementary and secondary school curriculum. Grant awards assist local 
educational agencies (LEAs), in partnership with entities that have 
extensive content expertise, in developing, implementing, documenting, 
evaluating, and disseminating innovative, cohesive models of 
professional development.
    Priorities: This competition includes one absolute priority and 
four competitive preference priorities that are described in the 
following paragraphs.
    Absolute Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this 
priority is from section 2351 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 6721(b)). For FY 2011 and any 
subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applicants from this competition, this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:

Partnerships With Other Agencies or Institutions

    Each applicant LEA must propose to work in partnership with one or 
more of the following:
     An institution of higher education.
     A non-profit history or humanities organization.
     A library or museum.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: These priorities are from the 
notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for 
discretionary grant programs published in the Federal Register on 
December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486). For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in 
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. 
Applicants may choose to address one or more of these competitive 
preference priorities. Consistent with 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we may 
award up to an additional twelve points to an application, depending on 
how well the application meets these priorities. These points are in 
addition to any points the application earns under the selection 
criteria.
    These priorities are:
    Priority 1--Improving the Effectiveness and Distribution of 
Effective Teachers or Principals (up to three additional points).
    Projects that are designed to address the following priority area:
    Increasing the number or percentage of teachers or principals who 
are effective or reducing the number or percentage of teachers or 
principals who are ineffective, particularly in high-poverty schools 
(as defined in this notice) including through such activities as 
improving the preparation, recruitment, development, and evaluation of 
teachers and principals; implementing performance-based certification 
and retention systems; and reforming compensation and advancement 
systems.
    For the purposes of this priority, teacher and principal 
effectiveness should be measured using:
    (1) Teacher or principal evaluation data, in States or local 
educational agencies that have in place a high-quality teacher 
evaluation system that takes into account student growth (as defined in 
this notice) in significant part and uses multiple measures that, in 
the case of teachers, may include observations for determining teacher 
effectiveness (such as systems that meet the criteria for evaluation 
systems under the Race to the Top program as described in criterion 
(D)(2)(ii) of the Race to the Top notice inviting applications (74 FR 
59803)); or
    (2) Data that include, in significant part, student achievement (as 
defined in this notice) or student growth (as defined in this notice) 
data and may include multiple measures in States or local educational 
agencies that do not have the teacher or principal evaluation systems 
described in paragraph (1).

    Note:  The Teaching American History program is a professional 
development program for elementary and secondary school teachers. 
Consequently, in responding to this priority, applicants must focus 
their efforts on improving the effectiveness and distribution of 
effective elementary and secondary school teachers.

    Priority 2--Improving Achievement and High School Graduation Rates 
(up to three additional points)
    Projects that are designed to address one or both of the following 
priority areas:
    (a) Accelerating learning and helping to improve high school 
graduation rates (as defined in this notice) and college enrollment 
rates for high-need students (as defined in this notice).
    (b) Accelerating learning and helping to improve high school 
graduation rates (as defined in this notice) and college enrollment 
rates in high-poverty schools (as defined in this notice).

    Note:  For Priority 2, applicants may earn a maximum of up to 
three points by responding to priority areas (a) and (b). If the 
applicant chooses to respond to only priority area (a) or priority 
area (b), the maximum points earned will still be up to three 
points.

    Priority 3--Enabling More Data-Based Decision-Making (up to three 
additional points).
    Projects that are designed to collect (or obtain), analyze, and use 
high-quality and timely data, including data on program participant 
outcomes, in accordance with privacy requirements (as defined in this 
notice), in one or both of the following priority areas:
    (a) Improving instructional practices, policies, and student 
outcomes in elementary and secondary schools.
    (b) Providing reliable and comprehensive information on the 
implementation of Department of Education programs, and participant 
outcomes in these programs by using data from State longitudinal data 
systems or by obtaining data from reliable third-party sources.

    Note:  For Priority 3, applicants may earn a maximum of up to 
three points by responding to priority areas (a) and (b). If the 
applicant chooses to respond to only priority area (a) or priority 
area (b), the maximum points earned will still be up to three 
points.

    Priority 4--Technology (up to three additional points).
    Projects that are designed to improve student achievement or 
teacher effectiveness through the use of high-quality digital tools or 
materials, which may include preparing teachers to use the technology 
to improve instruction, as well as developing, implementing, or 
evaluating digital tools or materials.
    DEFINITIONS: For the purposes of Competitive Preference Priorities 
1 through 4, the following definitions apply. These definitions are 
from the notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for 
discretionary grant programs published in the Federal Register on 
December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486).
    Graduation rate means a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate 
consistent with 34 CFR 200.19(b)(1) and may also include an extended-
year adjusted cohort graduation rate consistent with 34 CFR 
200.19(b)(1)(v) if the State in which the proposed project is 
implemented has been approved by the Secretary to use such a rate under 
Title I of the ESEA.
    High-need children and high-need students means children and 
students at risk of educational failure, such as children and students 
who are living in

[[Page 5791]]

poverty, who are English learners, who are far below grade level or who 
are not on track to becoming college- or career-ready by graduation, 
who have left school or college before receiving, respectively, a 
regular high school diploma or a college degree or certificate, who are 
at risk of not graduating with a diploma on time, who are homeless, who 
are in foster care, who are pregnant or parenting teenagers, who have 
been incarcerated, who are new immigrants, who are migrant, or who have 
disabilities.
    High-poverty school means a school in which at least 50 percent of 
students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches under the 
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act or in which at least 50 
percent of students are from low-income families as determined using 
one of the criteria specified under section 1113(a)(5) of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended. For middle 
and high schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of 
comparable data from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty 
school under this definition is determined on the basis of the most 
currently available data.
    Privacy requirements means the requirements of the Family 
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232g, and its 
implementing regulations in 34 CFR part 99, the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 
552a, as well as all applicable Federal, State and local requirements 
regarding privacy.
    Student achievement means (a) For tested grades and subjects: (1) A 
student's score on the State's assessments under the ESEA; and, as 
appropriate, (2) other measures of student learning, such as those 
described in paragraph (b) of this definition, provided they are 
rigorous and comparable across schools. (b) For non-tested grades and 
subjects: Alternative measures of student learning and performance, 
such as student scores on pre-tests and end-of-course tests; student 
performance on English language proficiency assessments; and other 
measures of student achievement that are rigorous and comparable across 
schools.
    Student growth means the change in student achievement (as defined 
in this notice) for an individual student between two or more points in 
time. A State may also include other measures that are rigorous and 
comparable across classrooms.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6721.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final selection 
criteria and other application requirements published in the Federal 
Register on April 15, 2005 (70 FR 19939). (c) The notice of final 
revisions to selection criteria, published in the Federal Register on 
December 23, 2008 (73 FR 78761). (d) The notice of final supplemental 
priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs published 
in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486).

    Note:  The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


    Note:  The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions 
of higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds:
    The Administration's budget request for FY 2011 does not include 
funds for this program. In place of this and several other, sometimes 
narrowly targeted, programs focused on student achievement in specific 
subject areas, the Administration has proposed to create, through the 
reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
a broader program, Effective Teaching and Learning for a Well-Rounded 
Education, that would support activities to improve student achievement 
and teacher effectiveness in American history among other subject 
areas. However, we are inviting applications for the TAH program to 
allow enough time to complete the grant process before the end of the 
current fiscal year, if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2012 from the list of 
unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $250,000-$2,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $910,000.
    Maximum Award: The following maximum award amounts are from the 
notice of final selection criteria and other application requirements 
for this program, published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2005 
(70 FR 19939).
    (1) Total funding for a three-year project period is a maximum of 
$500,000 for LEAs with enrollments of less than 20,000 students; 
$1,000,000 for LEAs with enrollments of 20,000-300,000 students; and 
$2,000,000 for LEAs with enrollments above 300,000 students. LEAs may 
form consortia and combine their enrollments in order to receive a 
grant reflective of their combined enrollment. For districts applying 
jointly as a consortium, the maximum award is based on the combined 
enrollment of the individual districts in the consortium. If more than 
one LEA wishes to form a consortium, they must follow the procedures 
for group applications described in 34 CFR 75.127 through 34 CFR 75.129 
of the Education Department Administrative Regulations.
    (2) A maximum of one grant will be awarded per applicant per 
competition.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 75-80.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months. The Department anticipates funding 
the entire project period of each grant with fiscal year 2011 funds. 
There will be no continuation grant awards for projects funded under 
this competition.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs, including charter schools that are 
considered LEAs under State law and regulations, which must work in 
partnership with one or more of the following entities:
     An institution of higher education.
     A non-profit history or humanities organization.
     A library or museum.

An LEA may form a consortium with one or more other LEAs and submit a 
joint application for funds. The consortium must follow the procedures 
for joint applications described in 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129.

    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet, from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), or from the program office.
    To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: 
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html.
    To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: 
ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 
22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If 
you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll 
free: 1-877-576-7734.
    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: http://www.EDPubs.gov or at its e-mail address: [email protected].

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    If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to 
identify this program as follows: CFDA number 84.215X.
    To obtain a copy from the program office, contact: Mia Howerton, 
Margarita Melendez, or Adam Bookman, U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4C123, Washington, DC 20202-5960. Telephone: 
(202) 205-0147 or by e-mail: [email protected]. If you use 
a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or computer diskette) by contacting one of the three individuals listed 
under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this program. 
Additional information about this competition and the application 
requirements also can be found at http://www.ed.gov/programs/teachinghistory/index.html.
    Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to develop a 
more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if it has a 
better understanding of 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 need not include information 
regarding the content of the proposed application, only the applicant's 
intent to submit it. The Secretary requests that this e-mail 
notification be sent to Mia Howerton at: 
[email protected].
    Applicants that do not provide this e-mail notification may still 
apply for funding.
    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. Applicants are strongly 
encouraged to limit the application narrative and the appendix to a 
total of no more than 50 pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions. However, you may 
single space all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    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. 
However, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative 
section (Part III). It also applies to the resumes, the bibliography, 
and letters of support which should be included in the appendix.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: February 2, 2011.
    Deadline for Intent to Apply: March 4, 2011.
    Dates of Pre-Application Meetings: There will be two pre-
application meetings for prospective applicants: (1) March 11, 2011 
from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the LBJ Auditorium at the U.S. Department of 
Education Headquarters, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202; 
(2) March 11, 2011 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the LBJ Auditorium at the 
U.S. Department of Education Headquarters, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20202. The Department is accessible by Metro on the 
Blue, Orange, Green, and Yellow lines at the 7th Street and Maryland 
Avenue Exit of the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station. Please continue to 
check the Teaching American History Web site at http://www.ed.gov/programs/teachinghistory/ for further details on how to register for 
these pre-application meetings. Please contact the U.S. Department of 
Education contact persons listed under For Further Information Contact 
if you have any questions about the details of the pre-application 
meetings.
    Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities at the Pre-Application 
Meetings.
    The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If 
you will need an auxiliary aid or service to participate in the meeting 
(e.g., interpreting service, assistive listening device, or materials 
in an alternate format), notify the contact person listed in this 
notice at least two weeks before the scheduled meeting date. Although 
we will attempt to meet a request we receive after that date, we may 
not be able to make available the requested auxiliary aid or service 
because of insufficient time to arrange it.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 4, 2011.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, please refer to section IV. 6. Other 
Submission Requirements of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
one of the three individuals listed under For Further Information 
Contact in section VII of this notice. If the Department provides an 
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in 
connection with the application process, the individual's application 
remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this 
notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 2, 2011.
    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 program.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant 
database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    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

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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 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 Teaching American History 
program, CFDA number 84.215X, must be submitted electronically using 
the Government-wide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through 
this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application 
package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your 
application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant 
application to us.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Teaching 
American History program at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the 
downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. 
Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., 
search for 84.215, not 84.215X).
    Please note the following:
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you 
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. 
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to 
Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home 
page at http://www.G5.gov.
     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 only. If you upload a 
file type other than a .PDF or submit a password-protected file, we 
will not review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified 
identifying number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues 
With the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact one of the 
individuals listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII 
of this notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you 
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk 
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a 
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that 
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The 
Department will contact you after a

[[Page 5794]]

determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

    Note:  The extensions to which we refer in this section apply 
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the 
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed 
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before 
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem 
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Mia Howerton, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4C123, 
Washington, DC, 20202-5960. FAX: (202)401-8466.
    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 84.215X), 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 84.215X), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260. The Application Control Center 
accepts hand deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications:  If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by 
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this notification within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from the notice of final selection criteria and other application 
requirements published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2005 (70 FR 
19939) and from 34 CFR 75.210, as permitted under the notice of final 
revisions to selection criteria, published in the Federal Register on 
December 23, 2008 (73 FR 78761). The Notes following the selection 
criteria are guidance to help applicants in preparing their 
applications and are not required by statute or regulations. We 
encourage applicants to consider those Notes.
    The selection criteria are as follows:
    (1) Project quality (35 points). The Secretary considers the 
quality of the proposed project by considering:
    (a) The likelihood that the proposed project will develop, 
implement, and strengthen programs to teach traditional American 
history as a separate academic subject (not as a component of social 
studies) within elementary school and secondary school curricula.
    (b) How specific traditional American history content (including 
the significant issues, episodes, and turning points in the history of 
the United States; how the words and deeds of individual Americans have 
determined the course of our Nation; and how the principles of freedom 
and democracy articulated in the founding documents of this Nation have 
shaped America's struggles and achievements and its social, political, 
and legal institutions and relations) will be covered by the grant; the 
format in which the project will deliver the history content; and the 
quality of the staff and consultants responsible for delivering these 
content-based professional development activities, emphasizing, where 
relevant, their postsecondary teaching experience and scholarship in 
subject areas relevant to the teaching of traditional American history. 
The applicant may also attach curriculum vitae for individuals who will 
provide the content training to the teachers.
    (c) How well the applicant describes a plan that meets the 
statutory requirement to carry out activities under the grant in 
partnership with one or more of the following:
    (i) An institution of higher education.
    (ii) A non-profit history or humanities organization.
    (iii) A library or museum.
    (d) The applicant's rationale for selecting the partner(s) and its 
description of specific activities that the partner(s) will contribute 
to the grant during each year of the project. The applicant should 
include a memorandum of understanding or detailed letters of commitment 
from the partner(s) in an appendix to the application narrative.

    Note:  The Secretary encourages applicants to describe, in 
particular, how the proposed

[[Page 5795]]

history content addresses traditional American history as discussed 
in paragraph (b) of the Project quality criterion. Applicants are 
also encouraged to submit a detailed course of study for project 
participants, including a rationale for selecting the course of 
study, and a schedule of activities to be carried out. Finally, 
applicants are encouraged to discuss the role and commitment of each 
partner and document that each partner has been apprised of the 
partner's responsibilities for the project.

    (2) Quality of the project design (35 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In 
determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers:
    (a) The extent to which there is a conceptual framework underlying 
the proposed research or demonstration activities and the quality of 
that framework.
    (b) The extent to which the proposed activities constitute a 
coherent, sustained program of training in the field.
    (c) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a 
comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support 
rigorous academic standards for students.
    (d) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build 
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of 
Federal financial assistance.
    (3) Need for project (20 points). The Secretary considers the need 
for the proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers:
    (a) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the 
proposed project.
    (b) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or 
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.
    (c) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, 
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be 
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude 
of those gaps or weaknesses.

    Note:  The Secretary encourages applicants to provide 
information on the district's American history program, including on 
the number of teachers, the teachers' qualifications and 
certifications, the American history professional development 
currently being offered in the district, and student performance in 
American history class. The applicant is also encouraged to address 
how its proposed professional development strategy will 
significantly improve both teachers' ability to teach traditional 
American history content and student performance with regard to 
traditional American history. Applicants' responses to the Need for 
project criterion should address the American history content needs 
of the teachers, not the socioeconomic needs of the teachers or the 
students they serve.

    (4) Quality of the management plan (10 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. 
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers:
    (a) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives 
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks.
    (b) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate 
to meet the objectives of the proposed project.
    (c) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project.

    Note:  Section 75.112 of EDGAR requires that an applicant (a) 
propose a project period for the project and (b) include a narrative 
that describes how and when, in each budget period of the project, 
the applicant plans to meet each project objective. The Secretary 
encourages each applicant to address this criterion by including in 
this narrative a clear implementation plan that includes annual 
timelines, key project milestones, and a schedule of activities, as 
well as a description of the personnel who would be responsible for 
each activity and the level of effort each activity entails.

    (5) Quality of the project evaluation (25 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers:
    (a) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible.
    (b) How well the evaluation plans are aligned with the project 
design explained under the Project quality criterion.
    (c) Whether the evaluation includes benchmarks to monitor progress 
toward specific project objectives, and outcome measures to assess the 
impact on teaching and learning or other important outcomes for project 
participants.
    (d) Whether the applicant identifies the individual and/or 
organization that has agreed to serve as evaluator for the project and 
includes a description of the qualifications of that evaluator.
    (e) The extent to which the applicant indicates the following:
    (i) What types of data will be collected.
    (ii) When various types of data will be collected.
    (iii) What methods will be used to collect data.
    (iv) What data collection instruments will be developed.
    (v) How the data will be analyzed.
    (vi) When reports of results and outcomes will be available.
    (vii) How the applicant will use the information collected through 
the evaluation to monitor the progress of the funded project and to 
provide accountability information about both success at the initial 
site and effective strategies for replication in other settings.
    (viii) How the applicant will devote an appropriate level of 
resources to project evaluation.

    Note:  The Secretary encourages each applicant to specify how 
the project's evaluation plan will address the TAH performance 
measures established by the Department under the Government 
Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA). (The specific 
performance measures established for the TAH Program are discussed 
under Performance Measures in section VI of this notice.) Further, 
each applicant is encouraged to describe how the applicant's 
evaluation plan will be designed to collect both output data (e.g., 
number of teachers participating in a project, number of workshops 
held) and outcome data (e.g., improvements in teacher classroom 
practice, increases in student history achievement). Finally, each 
applicant is encouraged to select an independent, objective 
evaluator who has experience in evaluating educational programs and 
who will play an active role in the design and development of the 
project. For resources on what to consider in designing and 
conducting project evaluations, go to http://www.whatworkshelpdesk.ed.gov/.

    2. Review and Selection Process: The Department intends to conduct 
a two-tier review process for this competition. All eligible 
applications will be reviewed and scored on the first four criteria. 
Only applications that score highly on the first four criteria will 
then be reviewed and scored on the fifth criterion, Quality of the 
Project Evaluation.
    We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in 
any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 
34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying 
out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, achievement 
of project objectives, and compliance with grant conditions. The 
Secretary may also

[[Page 5796]]

consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance 
report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary 
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is 
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; 
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the 
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled 
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: We have established two performance 
measures for the TAH Program. The measures are: (1) The average 
percentage change in the scores (on a pre-post assessment of American 
history) of participants who complete at least 75 percent of the 
professional development hours offered by the project. The assessment 
must be aligned with the content provided by the TAH project, and at 
least 50 percent of its questions must come from a validated test of 
American history, and (2) the percentage of TAH participants who 
complete 75 percent or more of the total hours of professional 
development offered. Grantees will be expected to provide data on the 
two measures.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For Further Information Contact: Mia Howerton, Margarita Melendez, 
or Adam Bookman, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, 
SW., room 4C123, Washington, DC 20202-5960. Telephone: (202) 205-0147 
or by e-mail: [email protected]. If you use a TDD, call 
the FRS, toll-free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to one of the program contact persons listed under For Further 
Information Contact in section VII of this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister. To 
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at 
this site. You can view this document in text or PDF at the following 
site, also: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/teachinghistory/applicant.html.

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


    Dated: January 26, 2011.
James H. Shelton III,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 2011-2290 Filed 2-1-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P