[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 15 (Friday, January 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3571-3575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-01202]


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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 new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2015.

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 26, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Part I Applications: February 27, 2015.
    Part II of the Formula Grant EASIE Applications Available: April 
10, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Part II Applications: May 15, 2015.

    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. Failure 
to submit the required supplemental documentation, described in 
section IV. 2 Content and Form of Application Submission, by the 
EASIE Parts I and II deadlines will result in an incomplete 
application that will not be considered for funding. The Office of 
Indian Education recommends uploading the documentation at least 
three days prior to each closing date to ensure that any potential 
submission issues are resolved prior to the deadlines.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Indian Education Formula Grants to Local 
Educational Agencies (Formula Grants) 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

[[Page 3572]]

submitting an integration of education and related services plan are 
included in the EASIE, which is described under Application Process and 
Submission Information in section IV of this notice.

    Note: Under the Formula Grants 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, 81, 82, 
84, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines 
to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) 
in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the 
Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative 
Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal 
Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR part 3474.

    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: $100,381,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $4,000 to $2,990,899.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $77,216.
    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 and Submission Information

    1. How to Request an Application Package: You can obtain an 
application for grants under this program by contacting EdFacts Partner 
Support Center listed under Agency Contacts in section VI of this 
notice.
    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 EDFacts Partner Support Center 
listed under Agency Contacts 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 EASIE.
    a. Supplementary Documentation: The EASIE application requires the 
electronic submission of the following supplementary documentation.
    (i) In EASIE Part I, applicants that are tribes must upload their 
verification of eligibility no later than the deadline for transmittal 
of EASIE Part I. The details of the verification process, which is 
necessary to meet the statutory eligibility requirements for tribes, 
are in the application package. Tribes may use the sample agreement for 
Tribes Applying in Lieu of LEAs, which is available in EASIE as a 
downloadable document, as a guide.
    (ii) In EASIE Part II, an applicant that is the lead LEA for a 
consortium of LEAs must upload a consortium agreement that meets the 
requirements of 34 CFR 75.128(b) no later than the deadline for 
transmittal of EASIE Part II. The consortium may use the sample 
agreement, which is available in EASIE as a downloadable document, as a 
guide.
    (iii) In EASIE Part II, an applicant that is an LEA or consortia of 
LEAs must upload the Indian Parent Committee Approval form no later 
than the deadline for transmittal of EASIE Part II. The required form 
is available in EASIE.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: Part I of the Formula Grant EASIE 
Applications Available: January 26, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Part I Applications: February 27, 2015, 
11:59:59 p.m., Washington DC time.
    Part II of the Formula Grant EASIE Applications Available: April 
10, 2015.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Part II Applications: May 15, 2015, 
11:59:59 p.m., Washington DC time.
    Applications for grants under this program must be submitted 
electronically using 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.
    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 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 are tables summarizing the FY 2015 EASIE deadlines for Part I 
and Part II.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Entity type                    Requirement                 Open date              Close/due date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All applicants...................  EASIE Part I.............  Jan 26, 2015............  Feb 27, 2015, 11:59:59
                                                                                         p.m, Washington DC
                                                                                         time.
Tribe in Lieu of LEA(s)..........  Upload Tribes Applying in  Jan 26, 2015............  Feb 27, 2015, 11:59:59
                                    Lieu of LEAs Agreement.                              p.m., Washington DC
                                                                                         time.
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[[Page 3573]]

    Applicants must meet the deadlines for Part I to be eligible to 
complete Part II of the application process.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Entity type                    Requirement                 Open date              Close/due date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All applicants...................  EASIE Part II............  Apr 10, 2015............  May 15, 2015, 11:59:59
                                                                                         p.m., Washington DC
                                                                                         time.
LEA Consortium...................  Upload Consortium          Apr 10, 2015............  May 15, 2015, 11:59:59
                                    Agreement.                                           p.m., Washington DC
                                                                                         time.
All LEA (and Consortia)            Upload Indian Parent       Apr 10, 2015............  May 15, 2015, 11:59:59
 applicants.                        Committee Approval Form.                             p.m., Washington DC
                                                                                         time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 under Applicable Regulations in section 
I of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, 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 System for Award 
Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry (CCR)), the 
Government's primary registrant database with information on 
registration provided below;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active 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 to two business days.
    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 SAM registration process can take approximately seven business 
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the 
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by 
an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal 
financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, 
please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number 
and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.

    Note:  Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to 
allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in 
Grants.gov. and before you can submit an application through 
Grants.gov.

    If you are currently registered with SAM, 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.
    Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further 
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in 
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov 
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
    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 Formula Grants program, CFDA 
number 84.060A, must be submitted electronically using EASIE.
    Applications submitted in paper format will be rejected 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.
    EASIE Electronic Application System: EASIE is an easy-to-use, 
electronic application system. This system allows the Department to 
review applications and interact online with applicants during the 
application review and approval process.
    The 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 verified Indian student count totals. Applicants must 
use the Indian Student Eligibility Certification Form (ED 506 Form) to 
document eligible Indian students. An ED 506 form must be completed in 
full, signed, and dated by the child's parent to certify an Indian 
student's eligibility for the program. Bureau of Indian Education 
schools will be required to enter either their Indian School 
Equalization Program (ISEP) or ED 506 Form count as an Indian student 
count in Part I of the application.
    Also in Part I, new applicants will indicate the time span for the 
project objectives and corresponding activities and services for 
American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students. Applicants can choose 
to set objectives that remain the same for up to four years in order to 
facilitate data collection and enhance long-term planning. Grantees 
that established multi-year project objectives for current grants will 
not have to re-enter information in EASIE Part II for FY 2015 if they 
have no changes to their project objectives, activities, or 
coordination of services. Grantees that previously established multi-
year project objectives and would like to change the objectives, 
activities, or coordination of services for FY 2015 will need to 
indicate in Part I the duration of the new selections.
    In EASIE Part II, for new applicants or applicants making changes: 
First, you will identify, from a list of possible programs (e.g., ESEA 
title I), the programs in the school district that are currently 
coordinated with a title VII project, or with which the school district 
plans to coordinate during the project year, in accordance with the 
statutory requirement to provide a comprehensive program that includes 
other Federal, State, and local funds. Next you will describe the 
coordination of services for AI/AN students and identify specific 
project objectives towards the goal of providing culturally responsive 
education for AI/AN students to meet their academic needs and help them 
meet State achievement

[[Page 3574]]

standards. You will also choose the data sources that will be used to 
measure progress towards meeting project objectives, and on which you 
will report in the annual performance report (APR) after the grant year 
closes.
    Finally, in EASIE Part II, you will submit a realistic program 
budget based on the estimated grant amount that the EASIE system 
calculates from the Indian student count you submitted in EASIE Part I. 
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. 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 of 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.
    Registration for Formula Grant EASIE: Current, former, and new 
applicants interested in submitting an Indian Education Formula Grant 
EASIE application must register 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. For assistance registering, 
contact the EDFacts Partner Support Center listed under Agency Contacts 
in section VI of this notice.
    Certification for Formula Grant EASIE: The applicant's authorized 
representative, who must be an employee of the applicant, must certify 
both Part I and Part II of EASIE. Only users with the role type 
``managing user'' or ``certifying official user'' in the EASIE system 
can certify an application. The certification process ensures that the 
information in the application is true, reliable, and valid. An 
applicant that provides a false statement in the application is subject 
to penalties under the False Claims Act, 18 U.S.C. 1001.
    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 prevents 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 (14 calendar days) 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 3W115, 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 Department. 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 
Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, 
Office of Indian Education, Attention: CFDA Number 84.060A, 400 
Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3W115, 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.
    (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.
    We will not consider applications postmarked after the application 
deadline date for Part I or Part II.

    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 3W115, 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 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 may 
contact the program office at (202) 260-3774.

V. Grant Administration Information

    1. Special Conditions: Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary may 
impose special conditions and, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk 
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 2 CFR part 
200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or 
is otherwise not responsible.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify

[[Page 3575]]

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.
    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) You must submit a performance report, including financial 
information, as directed by the Secretary, within 90 days after the 
close of the grant year. For FY 2015, grantees will use a new online 
APR designed for these Indian Education formula grants. Information on 
the APR will be located at this link: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/indianformula/resources.html.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the 
following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness and 
efficiency of the Formula Grants program: (1) The percentage of AI/AN 
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 AI/AN students in grades four and eight who score 
at or above the basic level in mathematics on the NAEP; (3) the 
percentage of AI/AN 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 AI/AN 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 AI/AN 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 Grants 
program, contact Bernard Garcia, U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3W115, 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).

VII. 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 compact disc) by contacting 
the EDFacts Partner Support Center listed under Agency Contacts in 
section VI 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 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 20, 2015.
Deborah S. Delisle,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2015-01202 Filed 1-22-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P