[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 105 (Monday, June 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31315-31317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12707]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Final Waiver and Extension of the Project Period for the Literacy 
Information and Communication System Regional Professional Development 
Centers

[Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.191B.]

AGENCY: Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Final Waiver and Extension.

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SUMMARY: For the 36-month grant projects funded in fiscal year (FY) 
2011, using FY 2010 funds, under the Literacy Information and 
Communication System (LINCS) Regional Professional Development Centers 
(RPDC) program, the Secretary hereby waives the restriction against 
project period extensions involving the obligation of additional 
Federal funds, and extends the project period of the four LINCS RPDC 
grants for an additional 12 months. This will enable the four current 
LINCS RPDC grantees that received awards under the FY 2011 competition 
to seek a continuation award for one additional year through FY 2015 
with FY 2014 funds; and we will not announce a new LINCS RPDC 
competition in FY 2014.

DATES: This final waiver and extension of the project period is 
effective June 2, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Bennett, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW., Room 11013, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7758 or by email at: 
[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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 12, 2014, we published in the 
Federal Register (79 FR 14017) (March 2014 proposed waiver) a proposed 
waiver of 34 CFR 75.261(a) and (c)(2), which restricts project period 
extensions involving the obligation of additional Federal funds, as it 
applies to the LINCS RPDC. The Secretary also proposed to

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extend the project period of LINCS RPDC grants for an additional 12 
months to enable the four current LINCS RPDC grantees that received 
awards under the FY 2011 competition to seek a continuation award for 
one additional year through FY 2015 with FY 2014 funds.
    Public Comment: In the March 2014 proposed waiver, the Secretary 
invited comments about the potential effect that this waiver and 
extension of the project period would have on LINCS RPDC and on 
applicants that may be eligible to apply for grant awards under any new 
LINCS RPDC notice inviting applications, should there be one. We 
received five comments in response, one of which did not address the 
proposed waiver and extension. Generally, we do not address comments 
that raise concerns not related to the proposed waiver and extension.

Analysis of Comments and Changes:

    Comment: The four commenters who addressed the proposed waiver and 
extension: supported it, discussed the benefits and accomplishments of 
current LINCS RPDC projects, and stated that an extension of the 
current project period would allow grantees to continue their work and 
expand on their accomplishments.
    Response: We agree with the four commenters that extending the 
current LINCS RPDC grant period will allow current LINCS RPDC grantees 
to request continuation awards with which they could continue to work 
toward accomplishing the goals and objectives stated in their 2011 
LINCS RPDC grant applications.
    Change: None.

Background

    In FY 2011, using FY 2010 funds, we funded four LINCS RPDC grants, 
based on the requirements established in the notice for applications 
for new awards for LINCS RPDCs, published in the Federal Register on 
June 30, 2011 (76 FR 38374) (June 2011 notice), as authorized under 
title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), the Adult 
Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) (20 U.S.C. 9253(2)(H)). Each 
RPDC serves one of the following four regions:
    (1) Region 1--Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, 
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 
Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the Virgin 
Islands.
    (2) Region 2--Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, 
Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, 
Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
    (3) Region 3--Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, 
Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
    (4) Region 4--Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, 
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Guam, 
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and 
the Republic of Palau.
    Through the LINCS RPDC grants, we support evidence-based virtual or 
in-person adult education professional development (AEPD) activities to 
assist educators who provide adult education services \1\ or adult 
education instruction \2\ to adult learners (adult educators).
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    \1\ Adult education services (e.g., career counseling, 
transportation counseling, education counseling) are provided to 
adult learners by educators who may include staff of eligible 
providers identified in section 203(5) of the AEFLA, as well as 
State staff responsible for the implementation of adult education 
programs.
    \2\ Adult education instruction (e.g., instruction in basic 
literacy, mathematics, and English language skills) is provided to 
adult learners by educators who may include adult education teachers 
and other instructional personnel of eligible providers identified 
in section 203(5) of the AEFLA.
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    In addition, the LINCS RPDCs support each eligible agency 
responsible for administering or supervising policy for adult education 
and literacy programs under section 203(4) of the AEFLA \3\ (eligible 
agency), and adult education and related organizations within each 
State \4\ and outlying area \5\ by--
    (1) Disseminating information on the materials and the AEPD in the 
LINCS Resource Collection \6\ to each eligible agency in the region 
that the grantee serves and to adult education and related 
organizations within each State and outlying area in that region;
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    \3\ Section 203(4) of the AEFLA defines the term ``eligible 
agency'' as the sole entity or agency in a State or an outlying area 
responsible for administering or supervising policy for adult 
education and literacy in the State or outlying area, respectively, 
consistent with the law of the State or outlying area, respectively.
    \4\ See section 203(17) of the AEFLA.
    \5\ See section 203(14) of the AEFLA.
    \6\ For more information on the LINCS Resource Collection, see 
http://lincs.ed.gov/collections.
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    (2) Collaborating closely with eligible agencies to organize and 
deliver virtual or in-person AEPD; and
    (3) Fostering the use of new technologies, including virtual 
moderated communities of practice \7\ (CoP), for adult educators.
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    \7\ Communities of practice are groups of people who share a 
concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it 
better as they interact regularly (see http://www.ewenger.com/theory/).
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    The LINCS RPDCs provide substantial and direct operational 
involvement in the management of project implementation and on plans 
for AEPD and project activities, including by facilitating the 
collaboration between grantees and the Department's LINCS Resource 
Collection contractor and the LINCS technical services contractor.
    For these four LINCS RPDC projects, the Secretary waives the 
requirement of 34 CFR 75.261(a) and (c)(2), the regulation that 
generally prohibits project period extensions involving the obligation 
of additional Federal funds, in order to extend the current LINCS RPDC 
project period for an additional 12 months.
    The Secretary's waiver of 34 CFR 75.261(a) and (c)(2) and extension 
of the current LINCS RPDC project period means that: (1) Current LINCS 
RPDC grantees will be authorized to request in FY 2014 and receive 
LINCS RPDC continuation awards for one additional year through FY 2015; 
(2) we will not announce a new LINCS RPDC competition to make new 
awards in FY 2014; (3) the June 2011 notice will continue to govern 
current projects during the extension year; and (4) the four currently-
approved applications selected based on the June 2011 notice will 
govern LINCS RPDC continuation activities.
    The June 2011 notice: (1) Established a project period of up to 36 
months and reiterated that funding for multi-year awards would be 
dependent on a grantee meeting the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253 
(continuation of a multi-year project after the first budget period); 
(2) explained the requirements of the program; (3) described the 
evaluation and reporting requirements; and (4) established the 
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) performance indicators 
for the LINCS RPDCs.
    With this final waiver and extension of the project period, the 
current four LINCS RPDC grantees may request continuation awards for 
one additional project year, through FY 2015, with FY 2014 funds 
Congress has appropriated under the current authority in section 
243(2)(H) of the AEFLA. Any requests for continuation awards will be 
considered under the current authority and subject to the requirements 
of 34 CFR 75.253, including the requirement that each grantee 
demonstrate that it is making substantial progress performing its LINCS 
RPDC grant activities based on the requirements in the June 2011 
notice.
    We will make decisions regarding continuation awards based on 
information provided in grantee

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requests for continuation awards, including information provided in 
program narratives, budgets and budget narratives, and performance 
reports. Any activities to be carried out during the continuation year 
must be consistent with, or be a logical extension of, the scope, 
goals, and objectives of, each grantee's application as approved in the 
2011 LINCS RPDC competition.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

    The Secretary certifies that the waiver and extension and the 
activities required to support an additional year of funding will not 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities.
    The small entities that will be affected by this waiver and 
extension are the four currently-funded LINCS RPDC grantees and any 
potential applicants for LINCS RPDC grants in FY 2014.
    The Secretary further certifies that the waiver and extension will 
not have a significant economic impact on these LINCS RPDC entities 
because the waiver and extension impose minimal compliance costs to 
extend projects already in existence, and the activities required to 
support the additional year of funding will not impose additional 
regulatory burdens or require unnecessary Federal supervision. 
Furthermore, the costs of carrying out these activities could be paid 
for with program funds.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    This notice of waiver and extension does not contain any 
information collection requirements.

Intergovernmental Review

    The LINCS RPDC is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the 
regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    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 all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
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    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
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www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Program Authority:  20 U.S.C. 9253(2)(H).

    Dated: May 28, 2014.
Johan Uvin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Strategic Initiatives, 
Delegated Authority To Perform the Functions and Duties of the 
Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 2014-12707 Filed 5-30-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P