[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12041-12044]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-4707]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Migrant Education Program (MEP) 
Consortium Incentive Grants Program

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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    Overview Information:
    Migrant Education Program (MEP) Consortium Incentive Grants 
Program;
    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2012.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.144F.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: February 28, 2012.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 4, 2012.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 6, 2012.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the MEP Consortium Incentive 
Grants program is to provide incentive grants to State educational 
agencies (SEAs) that participate in consortia with one or more other 
SEAs or other appropriate entities to improve the delivery of services 
to migrant children whose education is interrupted. Through this 
program, the Department provides financial incentives to SEAs to 
participate in consortia to improve the intrastate and interstate 
coordination of migrant education programs by addressing key needs of 
migratory children who have their education interrupted.
    Priorities: These priorities are from the notice of final 
requirements for this program, published in the Federal Register on 
March 3, 2004 (69 FR 10110), and from the notice of final priority, 
published in the Federal Register on March 12, 2008 (73 FR 13217).
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2012, these priorities are absolute 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications 
that meet one or more of these absolute priorities. In order for an SEA 
to be considered for an incentive grant, an application from a proposed 
consortium in which the SEA would participate must address one or more 
of the following absolute priorities:
    Priority 1: Services designed to improve the proper and timely 
identification and recruitment of eligible migratory children whose 
education is interrupted.
    Priority 2: Services designed (based on a review of scientifically 
based research) to improve the school readiness of preschool-aged 
migratory children whose education is interrupted.
    Priority 3: Services designed (based on a review of scientifically 
based research) to improve the reading proficiency of migratory 
children whose education is interrupted.
    Priority 4: Services designed (based on a review of scientifically 
based research) to improve the mathematics proficiency of migratory 
children whose education is interrupted.
    Priority 5: Services designed (based on a review of scientifically 
based research) to decrease the dropout rate of migratory students 
whose education is interrupted and improve their high school completion 
rate.
    Priority 6: Services designed (based on a review of scientifically 
based research) to strengthen the involvement of migratory parents in 
the education of migratory students whose education is interrupted.
    Priority 7: Services designed (based on a review of scientifically 
based research) to expand access to innovative educational technologies 
intended to increase the academic achievement of migratory students 
whose education is interrupted.
    Priority 8: Services designed (based on review of scientifically 
based research) to improve the educational attainment of out-of-school 
migratory youth whose education is interrupted.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6398(d).
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75 (except 75.232), 
76, 77, 79, 80 (except 80.40(b)), 82, 84, 85, and 99; (b) the notice of 
final requirements published in the Federal Register on March 3, 2004 
(69 FR 10110); and (c) the notice of final priority published in the 
Federal Register on March 12, 2008 (73 FR 13217).

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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Formula grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $3,000,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000-$150,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $64,000.
    Maximum Award: By statute, the maximum amount that we may award 
under this program is $250,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 47.


[[Page 12042]]


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

    Project Period: Up to 24 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs) receiving 
MEP Basic State Formula grants, in consortium with one or more other 
SEAs or appropriate entities.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. Pursuant to the notice of final 
requirements published in the Federal Register on March 3, 2004 (69 FR 
10110), the supplement-not-supplant provisions in sections 1120A(b) and 
1304(c)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 
amended, are applicable to this program.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Michelle Moreno, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E325, LBJ, 
Washington, DC 20202-6135. Telephone: (202) 401-2928, or by email: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), 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 compact disc) 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 an 
applicant must submit, are in the application package for this program.
    Page Limit: Part IV of the application is where you, the applicant, 
describe the proposed consortium and include the Part IV Summary Chart 
(this chart is explained in the application package). Your description 
of the proposed consortium must include how the consortium's proposed 
project meets (1) the Application Requirements listed in the notice of 
final requirements published in the Federal Register on March 3, 2004 
(69 FR 10110) and in the notice of final priority published in the 
Federal Register on March 12, 2008 (73 FR 13217), (2) one or more of 
the absolute priorities, and (3) the selection criteria that reviewers 
use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part IV to no more 
than 30 double-spaced pages, using the standards in the following 
paragraphs. Please note that the Summary Chart does not count as part 
of Part IV for purposes of the page limit.
     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, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
     For charts, tables, and graphs, use a font that is either 
12-point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch.
    The page limit does not apply to the Part IV Summary Chart, Parts I 
through III, or Parts V through VII, or to any appendices, resumes, 
bibliography, or letters of support. However, the page limit does apply 
to the description of the proposed consortium in Part IV of the 
application.
    Department reviewers will not read any pages of the Part IV 
narrative that exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Date and Times:
    Applications Available: February 28, 2012.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 4, 2012.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted in 
paper format by mail or by hand delivery. For information (including 
dates and times) about how to submit your application by mail or by 
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.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 6, 2012.
    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 in 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 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.
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted in paper format by mail or hand 
delivery.
    a. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you submit your application 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

[[Page 12043]]

Education, Application Control Center, Attention (CFDA Number 84.144F) 
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.

    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you submit your application 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 84.144F) 550 12st Street SW., 
Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

    Note:  A person delivering an application must show 
identification to enter the U.S. Department of Education building.

    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays, and Federal holidays.

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

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
    2. Review and Selection Process: 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 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 consortium application is successful, the 
Department will notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and 
send you a Grant Award Notice (GAN). The Department will also notify 
Congress regarding grant awards. We may notify you informally, also.
    If an application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, the 
Department will 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: Grant recipients under this program must submit the 
annual and final performance and financial reports specified in the 
notice of final requirements for this grant program published in the 
Federal Register on March 3, 2004 (69 FR 10110).
    4. Performance Measures: Consortium grantees are required to report 
on their project's effectiveness based on the project objectives, 
performance measures and scheduled activities outlined in the 
consortium's application.
    In addition, all grantees are required, under 34 CFR 80.40(b), to 
report on the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) indicators 
as part of their Consolidated State Performance Report. The GPRA 
indicators established by the Department for the Migrant Education 
Program, of which the Consortium Incentive Grants are a component, are:
    a. The percentage of migrant students at the elementary school 
level who meet or exceed the proficient level on State assessments in 
reading.
    b. The percentage of migrant students at the middle school level 
who meet or exceed the proficient level on State assessments in 
reading.
    c. The percentage of migrant students at the elementary school 
level who meet or exceed the proficient level on State assessments in 
mathematics.
    d. The percentage of migrant students at the middle school level 
who meet or exceed the proficient level on State assessments in 
mathematics.
    e. The percentage of migrant students who drop out from secondary 
school (grades 7-12).
    f. The percentage of migrant students who graduate from high 
school.

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Michelle Moreno, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E325, LBJ, Washington, DC 
20202-6135. Telephone: (202) 401-2928, or by email: 
[email protected].
    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-
8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities may obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to 
the program contact person listed under For Further Information Contact 
in section VII of this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free 
Internet access to the

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official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System at: 
www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site 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). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: February 23, 2012.
Michael Yudin,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2012-4707 Filed 2-27-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P