[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 19 (Tuesday, January 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6083-6086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-01722]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Application for New Awards; Indian Education Formula Grants to
Local Educational Agencies
AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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Overview Information:
Indian Education Formula Grants to Local Educational Agencies.
Notice inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2013.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.060A.
DATES: Part I of the Formula Grant Electronic Application System for
Indian Education (EASIE) Applications Available: January 14, 2013.
Deadline for Transmittal of Part I Applications: March 8, 2013.
Part II of the Formula Grant EASIE Applications Available: March
29, 2013.
Deadline for Transmittal of Part II Applications: May 14, 2013.
Note: Applicants must meet the deadlines for both EASIE Part I
and Part II to receive a grant. Any application not meeting the Part
I and Part II deadlines will not be considered for funding. This
change is being initiated in order to be consistent with Department-
wide policy, and ensure that applicants who meet the deadlines
receive the maximum amount of available funding. Other changes to
application procedures are explained in section IV.2 Content and
Form of Application Submission, and IV.7 Other Submission
Requirements.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Indian Education Formula Grants to Local
Educational Agencies program provides grants to support local
educational agencies (LEAs) and other eligible entities described in
this notice in reforming and improving elementary and secondary school
programs that serve Indian students. The Department funds comprehensive
programs that are designed to help Indian students meet the same State
academic content and student academic achievement standards used for
all students while addressing the language and cultural needs of Indian
students. Such programs include supporting the professional development
of teachers of Indian students.
In addition, under section 7116 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), the Secretary will, upon
receipt of an acceptable plan for the integration of education and
related services, and in cooperation with other relevant Federal
agencies, authorize the entity receiving the funds under this program
to consolidate all Federal formula funds that are to be used
exclusively for Indian students. Instructions for submitting an
integration of education and related services plan are included in the
EASIE, which is described elsewhere in this notice under Application
Process and Submission Information.
Note: Under the Indian Education Formula Grants to Local
Educational Agencies program, applicants are required to develop the
project for which an application is made: (a) In open consultation
with parents and teachers of Indian students and, if appropriate,
Indian students from secondary schools, including through public
hearings held to provide a full opportunity to understand the
program and to offer recommendations regarding the program (section
7114(c)(3)(C) of the ESEA); (b) with the participation of a parent
committee selected in accordance with section 7114(c)(4) of the
ESEA; and, (c) with the written approval of that parent committee
(section 7114(c)(4) of the ESEA).
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7421 et seq.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81,
82, 84, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department suspension and
debarment regulations in 2 CFR part 3485.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Indian Education Formula Grants to Local Educational
Agencies.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$105,921,000 for this program for FY 2013. The actual level of funding,
if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Estimated Range of Awards: $4,000 to $2,880,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $82,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1,300.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: 12 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Certain LEAs, including charter schools
authorized as LEAs under State law, as prescribed by section 7112(b) of
the ESEA, certain schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Education of
the U.S. Department of the Interior, as prescribed by section 7113(d)
of the ESEA, and Indian tribes under certain conditions, as prescribed
by section 7112(c) of the ESEA.
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. Section 7114(c)(1) of ESEA states that
the LEA will use these grant funds only to supplement the funds that,
in the absence of these Federal funds, such agency would make available
for the education of Indian children, and not to supplant such funds.
IV. Application Process and Submission Information
1. How to Request an Application: Applications for grants under
this program must be submitted electronically using the Formula Grant
EASIE, at https//eden.ed.gov/Survey/. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception
to the electronic submission requirements, please refer to section
IV.7. Other Submission Requirements of this notice.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package
[[Page 6084]]
in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or
compact disc) by contacting the person or team listed under For Further
Information Contact in section VI 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 online application package for this program.
The online application requires the submission of data related to the
performance measures, which are listed in this notice in section V.
Grant Administration Information.
The application submission under EASIE Part I and Part II of this
program is entirely electronic and has been enhanced to include the
electronic submission of required supplementary documentation. All of
the changes to the submission process for FY 2013 are designed to
reduce burden for the applicant and to streamline the grant-making
process.
Under EASIE Part I, applicants for FY 2013 that are tribes will be
able to upload their verification of eligibility. The details of the
verification process, which is necessary to meet the statutory
eligibility requirements for tribes, are in the application package.
The only change from past practice is that the documentation must be
uploaded into the EASIE system prior to certification during the EASIE
Part I open period. Failure to submit the required documentation by the
EASIE Part I deadline will result in an incomplete application that
will not be considered for funding. The Office of Indian Education
recommends submitting the documentation 20 days prior to the closing
date to ensure that any potential submission issues are resolved prior
to the deadline.
In EASIE Part II, an applicant that is the lead LEA for a
consortium of LEAs will be able to upload the consortium agreement,
which must meet the requirements of 34 CFR 75.128. This agreement must
be uploaded into the EASIE system prior to certifying the EASIE Part II
application. A consortium may use its existing consortium agreement
provided that it includes details of the activities that each LEA
member will perform and binds each member to every statement and
assurance made by the lead LEA in the application. The agreement must
include the signature of each participating LEA Superintendent or
authorized representative assuring that each LEA will comply with the
statutory requirements of the Indian Education Formula Grants,
including the requirements regarding the Indian parent committee in
section 7114(c) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7424(c)). The consortium may use
the sample agreement, available in the EASIE system as a downloadable
document, as a guide.
Also in EASIE Part II, the Indian Parent Committee Approval form,
which is required of all applicants that are LEAs or consortia of LEAs,
must be uploaded into the EASIE system prior to certification of Part
II. The form is available in the EASIE system. In the past, applicants
could submit the Indian Parent Committee Approval form up to three days
following certification, but for FY 2013 this form must be submitted by
the Part II deadline. For both the Indian Parent Committee Approval
form and the consortium agreement, an applicant's failure to submit the
required documentation by the Part II deadline will result in an
incomplete application that will not be considered for funding. The
Office of Indian Education recommends submitting these required forms
20 days prior to the EASIE Part II closing date to ensure that any
potential submission issues are resolved prior to the deadline.
3. Submission Dates and Times: Part I of the Formula Grant
Electronic Application System for Indian Education (EASIE) Applications
Available: January 14, 2013. Deadline for Transmittal of Part I
Applications: March 8, 2013.
Part II of the Formula Grant EASIE Applications Available: March
29, 2013.
Deadline for Transmittal of Part II Applications: May 14, 2013.
Applications for grants under this program must be submitted
electronically using the Formula Grant EASIE. For information
(including dates and times) about how to submit your application
electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery if you
qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirements,
please refer to section IV.7. Other Submission Requirements of this
notice. All applications must be submitted by the Part I and Part II
deadlines in order to receive funding; late applications will no longer
be considered.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation process
should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
in section VI 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.
Below is a table summarizing the FY 2013 EASIE deadlines.
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Requirement Open date Close/due date
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EASIE Part I...................... Open Period.......... Jan 14, 2013.............. Mar 8, 2013.
Tribe in Lieu of LEA(s)........... Evidence of .......................... Mar 8, 2013.
Eligibility.
EASIE Part II..................... Open Period.......... Mar 29, 2013.............. May 14, 2013.
LEA Consortium Applicants......... Consortium Agreement. .......................... May 14, 2013.
LEA and LEA Consortium Indian Indian Parent .......................... May 14, 2013.
Parent Committees. Committee Approval
Form.
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4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference additional regulations
outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of
this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, Central Contractor Registry, and System for Award Management:
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)--and, after July 24, 2012, with the System
for Award Management (SAM), the Government's primary registrant
database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR or SAM 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.
[[Page 6085]]
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 or SAM 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 registration annually. This may take three or more
business days to complete. Information about SAM is available at
www.SAM.gov.
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 Indian Education Formula Grants
to Local Educational Agencies program--84.060A must be submitted
electronically using the Formula Grant EASIE.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless you qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic
submission requirement described later in this section under Exception
to Electronic Submission Requirement, and follow the submission rules
outlined therein.
Formula Grant EASIE Electronic Application System: Formula Grant
EASIE is an easy-to-use, electronic application system. It imports data
from State submissions to EDFacts, the Department's data collection
system that contains performance information from State educational
agencies about schools and Federal education programs. To the extent
that your State has provided the necessary EDFacts data files, Formula
Grant EASIE will be able to interface with EDFacts and pull those LEA-
specific data into the application. Additionally, this system allows
the Department to review applications and interact online with
applicants during the application review and approval process.
The Formula Grant EASIE application is divided into two parts--Part
I and Part II.
Part I, Student Count, provides the appropriate data-entry screens
to submit your Indian student count totals.
Part II, Program and Budget Information, provides your estimated
award amount based on the Indian student count total submitted under
Part I. Part II also enables you to enter student performance data,
identify your project's services and activities, and build a realistic
program budget based on an estimated grant amount. Based on student
assessment data, you will select your program objectives and services
from a variety of menu options that were designed with grantee input.
For FY 2013, the EASIE Part II certification process has been
changed to accommodate the reallocation of funds prior to awarding
grants. After the initial grant amounts are determined, additional
funds may become available due to such circumstances as withdrawn
applications or reduction in an applicant's student count. For the FY
2013 grants, the Department will reallocate any additional funds to all
on-time applicants rather than funding late applicants. To accommodate
this change, in the certification process, your certifying official
must first agree to the assurances made in the application. The
certifying official will then approve not only the budget submitted
with the application, but also any budget revision submitted in the
future by his or her authorized representative. An applicant whose
award amount increases or decreases more than $1,000 must submit a
revised budget prior to receiving its grant award but will not need to
re-certify its application. For an applicant that receives an increase
or decrease in its award less than $1,000, there will be no need for
further action. For any applicant that receives notification of an
increased award amount following submission of its original budget, the
applicant must allocate the increased amount only to previously
approved budget categories, whether or not the amount exceeds $1,000.
Registration for Formula Grant EASIE: Entities are encouraged to
register as soon as possible at the registration Web site
www.easie.org, to ensure that any potential registration issues are
resolved prior to the deadline for the submission of an application.
The purpose of the initial registration is to activate or re-activate
entities' access to EASIE and to ensure that the correct entity
information (e.g., NCES or DUNS numbers) is pre-populated into the
first part of Formula Grant EASIE. The registration Web site does not
serve as the entity's grant application. The registration must be
completed by current, former, and new applicants interested in
submitting an Indian Formula Grant EASIE application. For information
on how to register, contact the EDFacts Partner Support Center listed
elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
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 EASIE system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload documents to the
EASIE system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date for Part I (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: Bernard Garcia, U.S.
Department of Education, Office of Indian Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue SW., Room 3E307, Washington, DC 20202-6335. FAX: (202) 205-0606.
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 U.S Department of
Education, Office of Indian Education. You must mail the original and
two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline
dates for both Part I and Part II, to the Office of Indian Education at
the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Indian
Education, Attention: CFDA Number 84.060A, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Room 3E307, Washington, DC 20202-6335.
You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
[[Page 6086]]
(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.
For all grant awards, if your application is postmarked after the
application deadline date for Part I or Part II, 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 dates for both Part I and Part II, to the
Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education,
Office of Indian Education, Attention: CFDA Number 84.060A, 400
Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E307, Washington, DC 20202-6335.
The Program Office 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--on your application, the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Program Office 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 Office of
Indian Education at (202) 260-3774.
V. Grant Administration Information
1. 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 a grant in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
2. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness and
efficiency of the Indian Education Formula Grants to Local Educational
Agencies program: (1) The percentage of American Indian and Alaska
Native students in grades four and eight who score at or above the
basic level in reading on the National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP); (2) the percentage of American Indian and Alaska
Native students in grades four and eight who score at or above the
basic level in mathematics on the NAEP; (3) the percentage of American
Indian and Alaska Native students in grades three through eight meeting
State performance standards by scoring at the proficient or the
advanced levels in reading and mathematics on State assessments; (4)
the difference between the percentage of American Indian and Alaska
Native students in grades three through eight at the proficient or
advanced levels in reading and mathematics on State assessments and the
percentage of all students scoring at those levels; (5) the percentage
of American Indian and Alaska Native students who graduate from high
school; and (6) the percentage of funds used by grantees prior to award
close-out.
VI. Agency Contacts
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about the Formula Grant
Program to Local Educational Agencies, contact Bernard Garcia, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3E307,
Washington, DC 20202-6335. Telephone: (202) 260-1454 or by email:
[email protected]. For questions about the EASIE application and
uploading documentation, contact the EDFacts Partner Support Center,
telephone: 877-457-3336 (877-HLP-EDEN) or by email at: [email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the EDFacts Partner Support Center, toll free, at
1-888-403-3336 (888-403-EDEN).
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 compact disc) by contacting the EDFacts
Partner Support Center.
Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well
as 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: January 23, 2013.
Deborah Delisle,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2013-01722 Filed 1-28-13; 8:45 am]
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