Partnerships in Character Education Program

FY 2009 Information and Application Procedures

Application Deadline: February 24, 2009

CFDA #84.215S

![](media/image1.png)

**Frequently Asked Questions: Pages 27-34**

# Office of Safe 

and Drug-Free Schools

<http://www.ed.gov/osdfs>

OMB #1894-0006 Expiration Date: 9/30/2011

![](media/image2.png){width="0.875in" height="0.8645833333333334in"}
***UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION***

> Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools

Assistant Deputy Secretary

Dear Colleague:

Thank you for your interest in the Partnerships in Character Education
program (CFDA 84.215S) funded by the U.S. Department of Education's
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.

Character education is the shared responsibility of parents, teachers,
and members of the community, who come together to support positive
character development. In school, character education is a learning
process that enables students and adults to understand, care about, and
act on core ethical values such as respect, justice, civic virtue and
citizenship, and responsibility for self and others.

This application package contains the instructions and forms needed to
apply for the fiscal year 2009 Partnerships in Character Education
program. Funds may be used for the development, implementation, and
evaluation of character education programs developed by local and state
education agencies. Please be sure that your application complies with
all of the requirements for this competition.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely,

Deborah A. Price

####### 

####### 

####### 

####### Table of Contents

# I. Application Submission Procedures 3 

Application Transmittal Instructions

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

## II. Program Background Information 8  {#ii.-program-background-information-8 .unnumbered}

General Information

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

Tips for Preparing and Submitting an Application

Partnerships in Character Education Program

Absolute and Competitive Preference Priorities

> Selection Criteria
>
> Frequently Asked Questions

**III. Legal and Regulatory Documents 35**

Notice Inviting Applications

Authorizing Legislation

**IV. General Application Instructions 57**

Preparing the Application

> Organizing the Application
>
> Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Section 427

Paperwork Reduction Act

Instructions for Standard Forms

Checklist

**I. Application Submission Procedures**

###### Application Transmittal Instructions

##### Applications for grants under this grant competition may be submitted electronically or in 

##### paper format by mail or hand delivery. Electronic submission of applications is voluntary. However, if you choose to submit your application electronically you must use the site listed below. Note: You may not submit your application by e-mail or facsimile.

##### 

##### Attention Electronic Applicants: Please note that you must follow the application procedures as described in the Notice Inviting Applications for this grant competition, published in the [Federal Register]{.underline} on December 22, 2008. Some programs may require electronic submission of applications, and those programs will have specific requirements and waiver instructions in the [Federal Register]{.underline} notice.

If you want to apply for a grant and be considered for funding, you must
meet the following deadline requirements.

Please note, as specified in the competition notice for the Partnerships
in Character Education Program (PCEP), published in the Federal Register
on December 22, 2008, the deadline for this competition is: February 24,
2009.

###### Applications Submitted Electronically

You must submit your grant application through the Internet using the
software provided on the Grants.gov Web site
([http://www.grants.gov](http://www.grants.gov/)) by 4:30:00 p.m.
(Washington, DC time) on the application deadline date of February 24,
2009. If you submit your application through the Internet via the
Grants.gov Web site, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment when
we receive your application.

For more information on using Grants.gov, please refer to the Notice
Inviting Applications that was published in the *[Federal
Register]{.underline}* on December 22, 2008, "Grants.gov Submission
Procedures and Tips for Applicants" section in this application package,
and the Grants.gov Web site
([[http://www.grants.gov]{.underline}](http://www.grants.gov/)). You may
access the electronic application for the Partnerships in Character
Education Program at <http://www.ed.gov/osdfs> or
[http://www.grants.gov](http://www.grants.gov/).

### Applications Sent by Mail

You must mail the original and two copies of the application on or
before the deadline date. Please mail copies to:

U.S. Department of Education

Application Control Center

Attention: CFDA #84.215S

400 Maryland Avenue, SW.

LBJ Basement Level 1

Washington, DC 20202-4260

You must show one of the following as proof of mailing:

(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.

If you mail an 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.

**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.

Applications Delivered by Commercial Carrier

Special Note: Due to possible disruptions to normal mail delivery, the
Department encourages you to consider using an alternative delivery
method (for example, a commercial carrier, such as Federal Express or
United Parcel Service; or U.S. Postal Service Express Mail) to transmit
your application for this competition to the Department. If you use an
alternative delivery method, please obtain the appropriate proof of
mailing under "Applications Sent by Mail," then follow the mailing
instructions under the appropriate delivery method.

You must mail the original and two copies of the application on or
before the deadline date. To help expedite our review of your
application, we would appreciate your voluntarily including an
additional copy of your application. Applications that are delivered by
commercial carrier, e.g. Federal Express or United Parcel Service,
should be mailed to:

U.S. Department of Education

Application Control Center

Attention: CFDA #84.215S

400 Maryland Avenue, SW.

LBJ Basement Level 1

Washington, DC 20202-4260

### Applications Delivered by Hand

You or your courier must hand deliver the original and two copies of
your application by 4:30:00 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on or before the
deadline date. To help expedite our review of your application, we would
appreciate your voluntarily including an additional copy of your
application. Please hand-deliver copies to:

> U.S. Department of Education
>
> Application Control Center
>
> Attention: CFDA #84.215S
>
> 550 12^th^ Street, SW, PCP - Room 7041
>
> Washington, DC 20202-4260

The Application Control Center accepts application deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m. (Washington, DC time), except
Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays.

**IMPORTANT -- PLEASE READ FIRST**

**U.S. Department of Education**

***[Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for
Applicants]{.underline}***

To facilitate your use of Grants.gov, this document includes important
submission procedures you need to be aware of to ensure your application
is received in a timely manner and accepted by the Department of
Education.

# ATTENTION -- Microsoft Vista and Word 2007 Users

Please note that Grants.gov does [not]{.underline} currently support the
new Microsoft Vista Operating system. The PureEdge software used by
Grants.gov for forms is not compatible with Vista. Grants.gov will be
reviewing this new product to determine if it can be supported in the
future.

In addition, the new version of Microsoft Word saves documents with the
extension .DOCX. The Grants.gov system does not process Microsoft Word
documents with the extension.DOCX. When submitting Microsoft Word
attachments to Grants.gov, please use the version of Microsoft Word that
ends in .DOC. If you have any questions regarding this matter please
email the Grants.gov Contact Center at <support@grants.gov> or call
1-800-518-4726.

1)  **REGISTER EARLY** -- Grants.gov registration may take five or more
    business days to complete. You may begin working on your application
    while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an
    application until all of the Registration steps are complete. For
    detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to:
    [http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp](http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted).
    \[Note: Your organization will need to update its Central Contractor
    Registry (CCR) registration annually.\]

2)  **SUBMIT EARLY** -- **We strongly recommend that you do not wait
    until the last day to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a
    date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is
    fully uploaded.** The time it takes to upload an application will
    vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the
    application and the speed of your Internet connection, and the time
    it takes Grants.gov to process the application will vary as well. If
    Grants.gov rejects your application (see step three below), you will
    need to resubmit successfully before 4:30:00 pm on the deadline
    date.

> **Note: To submit successfully, you must provide the DUNS number on
> your application that was used when your organization registered with
> the CCR (Central Contractor Registry).**

3)  **VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK** -- You will want to verify that
    Grants.gov and the Department of Education receive your Grants.gov
    submission timely and that it was validated successfully. To see the
    date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and
    click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission,
    the date/time received should be earlier than 4:30:00 p.m. on the
    deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated,
    Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned.

> If the date/time received is later than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, D.C.
> time, on the closing date, your application is late. If your
> application has a status of "Received" it is still awaiting validation
> by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either
> change to "Validated" or "Rejected with Errors." If the status is
> "Rejected with Errors," your application has not been received
> successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application
> can be found on the Grants.gov site:
> <http://www.grants.gov/help/submit_application_faqs.jsp#10>. For more
> detailed information on why an application may be rejected, you can
> review Application Error Tips
> <http://www.grants.gov/section910/ApplicationErrorTips.pdf>. If you
> discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the
> instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations
> both online and via e-mail about the status of your application.
> Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your
> application has been received timely and validated successfully.

# Submission Problems -- What should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date,
please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or use the
customer support available on the Web site:
<http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant_help.jsp>.

If electronic submission is [optional]{.underline} and you have problems
that you are unable to resolve before the deadline date and time for
electronic applications, please follow the transmittal instructions for
hard copy applications in the Federal Register notice and get a hard
copy application postmarked by midnight on the deadline date.

If electronic submission is [required]{.underline}, you must submit an
electronic application before 4:30:00 p.m., unless you follow the
procedures in the Federal Register notice and qualify for one of the
exceptions to the electronic submission requirement [and]{.underline}
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. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

# 

# Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please note, once you download an application from Grants.gov, you will
be working offline and saving data on your computer. Please be sure to
note where you are saving the Grants.gov file on your computer. You will
need to logon to Grants.gov to upload and submit the application. **You
must provide on your application the DUNS number that was used when your
organization registered with the CCR.**

Please go to <http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant_help.jsp> for
help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant
applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Submit Application FAQs
found on the Grants.gov
<http://www.grants.gov/help/submit_application_faqs.jsp>.

# 

# Dial-Up Internet Connections

When using a dial up connection to upload and submit your application,
it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the
Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g. cable modem/DSL/T1. While
times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take
a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a
dial up connection. If you do not have access to a high-speed connection
and electronic submission is required, you may want to consider
following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an
exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than two
weeks before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register
notice for detailed instructions.)

# 

# MAC Users

If you do not have a Windows operating System, you will need to use the
Citrix solution discussed on Grants.gov or a Windows Emulation program
to submit an application using Grants.gov. For additional information,
review the FAQs for non-windows users
<http://www.grants.gov/resources/download_software.jsp#non_window>.
Also, to view white paper for Macintosh users published by Pure Edge go
to the following link:
<http://www.grants.gov/section678/PureEdgeSupportforMacintosh.pdf>,
and/or contact Grants.gov Customer Support
(<http://www.grants.gov/contactus/contactus.jsp>) for more information.
**If electronic submission is required and you are concerned about your
ability to submit electronically as a non-windows user, please follow
instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to
the electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date.** (See the Federal Register notice for
detailed instructions.)

# [Attaching Files -- Additional Tips]{.mark}

[]{.mark}

[As described above, applicants should not upload a Word 2007
(.doc**x)** file when attaching narrative files to their application. In
addition, please ensure that you only attach the Education approved file
types detailed in the Federal Register application notice (.doc, .pdf or
.rtf). Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or
more files that have the same name within a grant submission. Finally,
when attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file
names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and
processing your application. We recommend that you keep your file names
to less than 50 characters.]{.mark}

**II. Program Background Information**

**General Information**

**Overview**

We will award grants under the PCEP competition to design and implement
character education programs that are able to be: (1) integrated into
classroom instruction and are consistent with State academic content
standards; and (2) carried out in conjunction with other education
reform efforts, taking into consideration the view of parents, students,
students with disabilities (including those with mental or physical
disabilities) and other members of the community, including members of
private and nonprofit organizations.

###### Eligibility

[Eligible Applicants]{.underline}:

\(1\) A State educational agency (SEA) in partnership with ---

(a) One or more local educational agencies; or

(b) One or more local educational agencies; and/or nonprofit
    organizations or entities, including an institution of higher
    education (IHE); or

    2.  A local educational agency (LEA) or consortium of local
        educational agencies; or a local educational agency in
        partnership with one or more nonprofit organizations or
        entities, including an institution of higher education.

Charter schools that are considered local educational agencies under
State law are also eligible to apply.

PARTICIPATION BY PRIVATE SCHOOL CHILDREN AND TEACHERS.

Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall
provide, to the extent feasible and appropriate, for the participation
of programs and activities under this section of students and teachers
in private elementary and secondary schools.

###### 

###### Authority 

This application package is based on 34 CFR Parts *74*, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, 99 and 299 of the Education Department
General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR). This grant competition is
authorized under Title V, Part D, Subpart 3, Section 5431 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110).

**Note to Applicants**

This is a complete application package for the PCEP. Together with the
statute authorizing the program and the Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) governing the program, this package
contains all of the information, application forms, and instructions
needed to apply for this grant.

**Official Documents Notice**

The official document governing this grant competition is the Notice
Inviting Applications published in the *[Federal Register]{.underline}*
(See Legal and Regulatory Documents Section in this application
package). The notice is available on the Internet at the following
addresses: [http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/index.html
www.gpoaccess.gov/nara](http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/index.html  www.gpoaccess.gov/nara)
and [http://www.cetac.org](http://www.cetac.org/).

Applicants should clearly indicate in Block #11 of the Standard Form
424, the CFDA number and alpha suffix of this competition **84.215S**.

**Notice of Nondiscrimination**

All applicants under this grant competition should familiarize
themselves with all federal statutes related to nondiscrimination, as
outlined in Item 6 of Standard Form 424B, to ensure that their proposed
activities are compliant.

### Resources

Any questions related to this grant competition should be directed to
Sharon J. Burton of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) at
(202) 245-7867 or by email at <sharon.burton@ed.gov>. Additional
information about the Department of Education's PCEP grant competition
may be found at <http://www.ed.gov/programs/charactered/index.html>.

The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools will offer 1 ½ hour technical
assistance call during which staff will take questions from prospective
applicants on topics including eligibility requirements, application
requirements, and the peer review process. Specific information on when
this call will be held will be posted on our website at:
<http://www.ed.gov/programs/charactered/index.html>.

For more information and resources about the PCEP grant competition, you
may contact the Department's Character and Civic Education Technical
Assistance Resource Center at 866-40-CETAC (23822) or visit the Web site
at [http://www.cetac.org](http://www.cetac.org/).

###### 

###### Project Period

Projects will be funded for up to 48 months (4 budget periods of 12
months each), of which no more than 12 months may be used for planning
and program design. Grants awarded under this program will be funded for
one year at a time. Decisions regarding additional years of funding for
all grant awards will be made on the basis of such factors as: a)
whether or not grantees have made substantial progress towards achieving
the goals and objectives of their project; and b) availability of funds.
We suggest developing a timeline that starts on July 1, 2009 and runs
through June 30, 2013.

Note: Applicants requesting four-year projects must submit ED Form 524
and a detailed budget narrative for each of the four years. Failure to
submit ED Form 524 and a detailed budget narrative for each of the
proposed project years will result in no funds being awarded for those
years.

Please note that ED is not bound by any estimates contained in this
application package.

###### Estimated Range of Awards

###### 

It is estimated that a total of 2 new awards will be made under this
competition. The estimated range of awards to SEAs is \$500,000 to
\$750,000 for each 12-month budget period. For LEAs, the estimated range
of awards is \$250,000 to \$500, 000 for each 12 month budget period.
Pursuant to Section 5431(a)(4) of the ESEA, SEAs must propose a total
budget that is \$500,000 or more for a single budget period. This
restriction does not apply to applications from LEAs. These figures are
only estimates and do not bind the Department of Education to a specific
number of grants. We expect that applicants who request funding at the
higher end of these ranges will address the competitive preference
priority to implement experimental or quasi-experimental evaluation
designs.

In making awards under this program, the Secretary will consider the
rank order of applicants and, to the extent practicable, ensure that
awards under this program are equitably distributed among the geographic
regions of the United States and among urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Contingent upon the availability of funds, the Secretary may make
additional awards in fiscal year 2010 from the rank-ordered list of
nonfunded applications from this competition.

###### Priorities

The FY 2009 PCEP competition includes **one absolute priority, one
competitive preference priority and one invitational priority.** The
responses to each priority should be identified within the Abstract of
the Project Narrative. If you are using Grants.gov, responses to the
selection criteria are uploaded in the Project Narrative Attachment
Form. You may address the selection criteria in the abstract, but the
actual responses to selection criteria are in the Project Narrative
Attachment Form Section or, for hard copy applications, the Project
Narrative Section.

###### Limitation on Administrative Costs

An SEA may use not more than three percent (3%) of the total funds
received in any fiscal year for administrative purposes. This
requirement does not apply to LEAs.

###### Indirect Costs

An applicant funded under this competition that wishes to recover
indirect costs incurred for this project must use its negotiated
indirect cost rate.

###### 

###### Application Due Date

All applications **submitted electronically through theGrants.gov system
must be submitted by February 24, 2009** at 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC
time to be eligible for review. The U.S. Department of Education's
Application Control Center must receive applications delivered by hand
no later than 4:30 PM Washington, DC time on February 24, 2009.
Applications sent by U.S. Mail must be postmarked on or before February
24, 2009 to be eligible for review. Applications may not be emailed or
faxed.

Under very extraordinary circumstances, the Department may change the
closing date for a competition. When this occurs, we announce such a
change in a notice published in the *[Federal Register]{.underline}*.
Waivers for individual applications failing to meet the deadline will
not be granted, except in the circumstances described in the section
under electronic submission of applications.

**Required Meetings**

###### 

###### Meeting #1: Project Director Orientation Meeting

This one-day Project Director Orientation Meeting is intended to provide
the grant Project Director with key information needed to manage and
implement a discretionary grant awarded by the U. S. Department of
Education. This meeting will be held within the first six months of the
grant period.

*[Required Participant]{.underline}*: Grant Project Director

Expenses for this meeting include:

-   Round-trip airfare for one participant to Washington, D.C.;

-   Lodging expenses for one participant for two nights in Washington,
    D.C.;

-   Per diem expenses for one participant for three days in Washington,
    D.C.; and

-   Funds for local ground transportation.

###### 

###### Meeting #2: PCEP Annual Grantee Meeting

This two-day meting will provide participants with information related
to implementation and evaluation of character education programs at the
state and local levels.

*[Required Participants:]{.underline}* Project Director and Lead
Evaluator

Expenses for this meeting include:

-   Round-trip airfare for two participants to Washington, D.C.;

-   Lodging expenses for two participants for three nights in
    Washington, D.C.;

-   Per diem expenses for two participants for four days in Washington,
    D.C.; and

-   Funds for local ground transportation.

NOTE: All meetings will be held in the same hotel where participants
will be staying, or within easy walking/shuttle distance. Therefore,
costs for rental cars are not necessary. This meeting is held on an
annual basis.

Attendance at both meetings by the required project staff is a PCEP
grant requirement. All PCEP grantees regardless of size or location are
required to meet this requirement. Grantees are also expected to attend
the meetings in their entirety. Grantee participants that arrive late at
the meeting, leave the meeting early, or fail to send the required
project participants, will not be in compliance with this requirement.
Cost for these meetings are to be included in the application budget on
an annual basis.

# Meeting #3: Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools National Conference

*[Required Participants:]{.underline}* Project Director

-   Round-trip airfare for one participant to Washington, D.C.;

-   Lodging expenses for one participant for two nights and three days
    in Washington, D.C.;

-   Per diem expenses for one participant for three days in Washington,
    D.C.; and

-   Funds for local ground transportation.

Project Director

Applicants must provide the name of the person who will serve as project
director, and indicate the percentage of the person's time that will be
devoted to the grant. For example, if the Project Director works 40
hours per week and spends 20 hours per week on the project for PCEP
grant activities, then the time commitment for the Project Director
would be 50 percent. We suggest that applicants include this information
in the budget narrative, or add the information to the Project Director
line on the Department of Education Supplement to the SF424.

**Applicant Contact Information**

###### 

###### As part of our review of your application, we may need to contact you with questions for clarification. Please be sure your application contains valid telephone numbers and e-mail addresses for the project director, authorized representative, and any other party designated to answer questions in the event the project director and authorized representative are unavailable.

###### Page Limit

Applicants are strongly encouraged to limit the application narrative to
the equivalent of no more than 25 pages. The 25-page limit only applies
to the response to the selection criteria.

###### Review of Applications and Notification of Awards

A panel of non-federal evaluators reviews each application. Each
reviewer will prepare a written evaluation of the application and assign
points for each selection criterion. The review of applications and
notifications of awards for this grant competition requires
approximately six to eight weeks. We expect to notify successful
applicants by late June 2009.

The Department's Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs will
inform the Congress regarding applicants selected to receive new PCEP
grants. Successful applicants will receive award notices by mail shortly
after the Congress is notified. No funding information will be released
before the Congress is notified.

###### 

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing within 60 days of
the award start date, following the notice to successful applicants. All
applicants (successful and unsuccessful) will receive copies of
reviewers' scores and comments.

###### Expectations of Grantees

By submitting an application for this grant competition, applicants
agree to fully cooperate with any evaluation efforts conducted by ED and
its contractors. At a minimum, grantees are expected to maintain records
on how their program is operating; maintain records on the extent to
which their program objectives are being met; include specific
performance measures in their evaluation plan; and make ongoing project
information, findings, and products available to ensure the
dissemination of knowledge gained from this effort during the grant
period.

###### Performance Reports

All PCEP grantees are encouraged to submit annual and final project
performance reports using the ED 524B form and the E-grants electronic
reporting system. The e-Grants reporting system may be accessed at
[http://e-grants.ed.gov](http://e-grants.ed.gov/). The ED 524B form may
be accessed at
<http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html>.

The ED 524B form contains four sections. The Executive Summary provides
an overview of your grant. Section A is for project objectives and
performance measures, Section B is for budget information, and Section C
is for additional information and/or changes to the grant.

If grantees elect not to submit their report electronically, they may
submit a hard copy of these reports to their assigned program officer by
the required date. These performance reports will assist PCEP staff in
determining whether or not the PCEP project is making substantial
progress toward meeting the approved project objectives. Project
directors will be responsible for submitting annual and final project
performance reports.

###### Evaluation Reports

In addition to the annual performance report, each eligible entity
receiving a grant under this program is required to submit a
comprehensive evaluation of the grant project, including its impact on
students, students with disabilities (including those with mental or
physical disabilities), teachers, administrators, parents and others to
the Department of Education:

-   By the end of **the second year** of the project; and

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-   **Not later than 1 year after the completion** of the grant period.

Factors that may be considered in evaluating the success of projects
funded under this program include the following:

A.  Discipline issues

B.  Student academic achievement

C.  Participation in extracurricular activities

D.  Parental and community involvement

E.  Faculty and administration involvement

F.  Student and staff morale; and

> Overall improvements in school climate for all students, including
> students with disabilities (including those with mental or physical
> disabilities).

###### Human Subjects Research Activities

Please see Item 3 of the Instructions for Supplemental Information for
Standard Form 424 in Section IV of this application package. Projects
funded under this grant competition may be subject to protection of
human subjects research requirements. If you have any questions about
your responsibilities under these requirements, please contact ED's
protection of human subjects coordinator at (202) 260-3353.

###### 

###### Contracting for Services

Generally, all procurement transactions by State or local educational
agencies made with Partnerships in Character Education (PCEP) grant
funds must be conducted in a manner providing full and open competition,
consistent with the standards in Section 80.36 of the Education
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR). This section
requires that grantees use their own procurement procedures (which
reflect State and local laws and regulations) to select contractors,
provided that those procedures meet certain standards described in
EDGAR.

Because grantees must use appropriate procurement procedures to select
contractors, applicants should not include information in their grant
applications about specific contractors that may be used to provide
services or goods for the proposed project if a grant is awarded.
However, with respect to the competitive priority for this grant
competition, please make special note of the following instructions that
are contained in the Federal Register Notice Requesting Applications.

Note: Due to the very short time frame that applicants have to select a
proposed evaluator for the required competitive priority, we remind
applicants that they can, under 34 CFR 80.36, use informal procedures to
select a proposed contractor for this purpose. For example, §80.36
authorizes simple informal procedures to select contractors for
contracts under the simplified acquisition threshold of \$100,000. 34
CFR 80.36(d)(1). The regulations only require that you request offers
from an adequate number of sources.

In addition, even if you expect that the evaluation of your project
would cost more than \$100,000, the regulations recognize special cases
where a contractor must be selected within a very limited time period.
Again, you need to request proposals from an adequate number of
qualified sources and select the contractor, whose proposal is most
advantageous to the program, considering price and other selection
factors. In these situations, if informal solicitation does not result
in an adequate number of proposals, you may select a single bidder so
long as you document the facts that formed the basis for your decision.
34 CFR 80.36(d)(1), (3) & (4).

###### Definitions

The following definitions apply to this competition:

Local Educational Agency (LEA) is defined under the No Child Left Behind
Act, Sec. 9101 as:

A.  [In General.]{.underline} A public board of education or other
    public authority legally constituted within a State for either
    administrative control of or direction of, or to perform service
    functions for public elementary schools or secondary schools in a
    city, county, township, school district, or other political
    subdivision of a State, or such combination of school districts or
    counties that is recognized in a State as an administrative agency
    for its public elementary schools or secondary schools; or

B.  [Administrative Control and Direction]{.underline}. The term
    includes any other public institution or agency having
    administrative control and direction of a public elementary school
    or secondary school; or

C.  [BIA Schools]{.underline}. The term includes an elementary school or
    secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs but only to
    the extent that including the school makes the school eligible for
    programs for which specific eligibility is not provided to the
    school in another provision of law and the school does not have a
    student population that is smaller than the student population of
    the local educational agency receiving assistance under this Act
    with the smallest student population, except that the school shall
    not be subject to the jurisdiction of any State educational agency
    other than the Bureau of Indian Affairs; or

D.  [Educational Service Agencies.]{.underline} The term includes
    educational service agencies and consortia of those agencies; or

E.  [State Educational Agency.]{.underline} The term includes the State
    educational agency in a State in which the State educational agency
    is the sole educational agency for all public schools.

State Educational Agency (SEA) is defined as:

The term "State education agency" means the agency primarily responsible
for the State supervision of public elementary schools and secondary
schools. In absence of this officer or agency, it is an officer or
agency designated by the Governor or State law.

######  

###### The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) is designed to
address problems identified by the Congress more than a decade ago,
including lack of performance data that can be used by federal program
managers to improve program efficiency and effectiveness, and by
Congress to ensure that spending decisions and oversight are informed by
information about program performance. GPRA seeks to: improve public
confidence in the capability of the federal government by systematically
holding federal agencies accountable for achieving results; promote an
increased focus on results and service quality; and, help federal
managers improve program quality.

As required by GPRA, the Department of Education (ED) has developed a
strategic plan that reflects organizational priorities and integrates
those with our mission and program authorities. We also have developed
GPRA measures for the individual programs we administer, including the
PCEP. The GPRA measures for this program are:

1.  The percentage of Character Education projects that use an
    experimental or quasi- experimental design for their evaluation.

2.  The percentage of Character Education projects that use an
    experimental or quasi-experimental design for their evaluation that
    are conducted successfully, and that yield scientifically valid
    results.

The GPRA measures identified for the PCEP grants constitute the way in
which we will measure the success of this initiative. Consequently,
applicants for a grant under this program should give careful
consideration to these measures in developing their projects, and
particularly to how they will collect and report data for these
measures.

Grantees will be expected to provide timely and accurate information,
including any data that are necessary to track progress against these
program performance measures. We may use these data in developing future
budget proposals. We will also share these performance data with
Congress. We may also publish results from individual grants to
illustrate how grant sites are obtaining and utilizing scientifically
valid evaluation results. However, please note that the Department is
primarily interested in demonstrating when and how projects successfully
conduct evaluations that yield valid results -- whether such results
show positive effects or not.

###### Tips for Preparing and Submitting an Application

###### A. Before You Begin

-   Read this application package carefully and make sure you follow all
    of the instructions.

-   Use the tools we have provided to help you including:

    -   Frequently Asked Questions section in this application package;

    -   Resources related to this grant competition on our Web site at
        <http://www.ed.gov/osdfs> or visit the Character Education and
        Civic Engagement Technical Assistance Center Web site at
        [http://www.cetac.org](http://www.cetac.org/);

    -   General grant application technical assistance resources on our
        Web site at
        <http://www.ed.gov/admins/grants/apply/techassist/index.html>.

-   If there is information that you do not understand, contact the
    competition manager for this grant competition.

###### B. Preparing Your Application

-   Make sure you are thorough in your project description design and
    evaluation. Write so that someone who knows nothing about your
    organization or your project plan can understand what you are
    proposing.

-   Organize your application according to the selection criteria for
    this grant competition and respond comprehensively.

-   Be sure your application includes a budget request (ED Form 524) for
    up to four 12-month periods, and that you have completed the budget
    narrative.

-   Make sure your budget narrative provides enough detail about planned
    expenditures so ED staff can easily determine how the funds will be
    spent.

-   Link your planned expenditures to the goals and objectives of your
    project. Do not request funds for miscellaneous purposes and make
    sure you demonstrate that your proposed expenditures are necessary
    to carry out your project.

###### C. Submitting Your Application

-   Use the checklist in this booklet to make sure your application is
    complete before it is submitted.

-   Make sure all required forms are signed by an authorized
    representative of your organization and included.

-   Transmit your application by the deadline date. If you submit your
    application electronically, you must use the Grants.gov Web site. If
    you use the U.S. Postal Service, make sure you have a legible
    postmark date. If you use an overnight carrier, make sure you obtain
    a receipt.

###### D. Next Steps

-   If you submit your application by mail, you should receive a
    postcard in approximately two weeks (depending on the volume of
    applications that we receive) from ED's Application Control Center
    acknowledging receipt of your application and giving you its
    assigned number. If you submit your application electronically, the
    PR/Award number will be generated automatically when you submit your
    application. Please refer to this PR/Award number if you need to
    contact us about your application.

    -   Your application will be screened by the Office of Safe and
        Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) staff to ensure that all program
        eligibility requirements are met, and all required forms are
        included and signed by the Authorized Representative.

-   Your application will be assigned to a three-person panel of
    independent reviewers who evaluate and score your proposal according
    to the selection criteria in this application package. Your proposal
    will receive a score from 0 to 100 depending upon how well you
    respond to the requirements of the selection criteria. If you apply
    for consideration for the competitive preference priority, your
    proposal can receive a score up to 20 additional points, depending
    on the evaluation design proposed for the project.

-   A grant award document will be sent to applicants whose proposals
    receive a score within the funding range. Unsuccessful applicants
    will receive a notification letter. Both successful and unsuccessful
    applicants will receive copies of the comments prepared by the peer
    reviewers. Please be sure your application contains valid e-mail and
    mailing address for both the Project Director and Authorized
    Representative.

###### 

###### 

###### 

###### 

###### 

###### 

###### 

###### 

###### 

###### 

###### Partnerships in Character Education Program 

Since 2002, through the PCEP, (under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB),
the Secretary has been authorized to award grants to eligible entities
to design and implement character education projects. The program
supports character education projects that are integrated into regular
classroom instruction, are consistent with State academic content
standards, and are consistent with other educational reform efforts.
Projects supported under this program should help students develop good
character by teaching character elements such as caring, civic virtue,
and citizenship, justice and fairness, respect, responsibility,
trustworthiness, giving, or other elements of character. Projects must
take into consideration the view of parents, students, students with
disabilities (including those with mental or physical disabilities), and
other members of the community, including members of private and
nonprofit organizations, in the design and implementation of the
character education project(s).

Absolute Priority

This competition includes one absolute priority, one competitive
preference priority, and one invitational priority that are explained in
the following paragraphs. To be considered for funding, each applicant
must address the absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105 (c) (3), Title
V-Part D, Subpart 3, Section 5431, the Secretary gives an absolute
preference to applications that meet the following priority:

Absolute Priority: Design and Implement Character Education Programs

Under this absolute priority, grant applicants must design and implement
character education programs that are able to be:

1.  Integrated into classroom instruction and consistent with State
    academic content standards; and

2\. Carried out in conjunction with other educational reform efforts.

Competitive Preference Priority

In the interest of promoting the use of rigorous scientifically based
research methods for evaluating the effectiveness of Partnerships in
Character Education projects, we will award up to an additional 20
points to applicants that meet the following competitive preference
priority (Note: Applicants proposing a quasi-experimental design may
receive up to 10 additional points to their final score. Applicants
proposing an experimental design may receive up to 20 additional points
to their final score):

**Competitive Preference Priority**: The evaluations for projects under
the competitive preference priority will utilize an experimental or
quasi-experimental design to evaluate program effectiveness.

When using the priority to give competitive preference to an
application, the Secretary will review applications using a two-stage
process. In the first stage, the application will be reviewed without
taking the priority into account. In the second stage of review, the
applications rated highest in stage one will be reviewed for competitive
preference. Under this priority, we give a total of up to 20 points to
an applicant if they are proposing to use an experimental or
quasi-experimental design.

[Note:]{.underline} In general, depending on the implemented program or
project, under a competitive preference priority, random assignment
evaluation methods will receive more points than matched comparison
evaluation methods.

Evaluation methods using an experimental design are best for determining
project effectiveness. Thus, when feasible, the project should use an
experimental design under which participants---e.g., students, teachers,
classrooms, or schools---are randomly assigned to participate in the
project activities being evaluated or to a control group that does not
participate in the project activities being evaluated. If random
assignment is not feasible, the project may use a quasi-experimental
design with carefully matched comparison conditions. This alternative
design attempts to approximate a randomly assigned control group by
matching participants---e.g., students, teachers, classrooms, or
schools---with non-participants having similar pre-program
characteristics.

In cases where random assignment is not possible and participation in
the intervention is determined by a specified cutting point on a
quantified continuum of scores, regression discontinuity designs may be
employed.

For projects that are focused on special populations in which sufficient
number of participants are not available to support random assignment or
matched comparisons group designs, single-subject designs such as
multiple baseline or treatment-reversal or interrupted time series that
are capable of demonstrating casual relationships can be employed.

Proposed evaluation strategies that use neither experimental designs
with random assignment nor quasi-experimental designs using a matched
comparison group nor regression discontinuity designs will not be
considered responsive to the priority when sufficient numbers of
participants are available to support these designs.

Evaluation strategies that involve too small a number of participants to
support group designs must be capable of demonstrating the casual
effects of an intervention or program on those participants.

The proposed evaluation plan should describe how the project evaluator
will collect---before the project intervention commences and after it
ends---valid and reliable data that measure the impact of participation
in the program or in the comparison group.

In determining the quality of the proposed evaluation method and
awarding points under the competitive preference priority, we will
consider the extent to which the applicant presents a feasible, credible
plan that includes details such as the following:

(1) The type of design to be used (that is, random assignment or matched
    comparison). If matched comparison, include in the plan a discussion
    of why random assignment is not feasible.

(2) Outcomes to be measured.

(3) A discussion of how the applicant plans to assign students,
    teachers, classrooms, or schools to the project and control group or
    match them for comparison with other students, teachers, classrooms,
    or schools.

(4) A proposed evaluator, preferably independent, with the necessary
    background and technical expertise to carry out the proposed
    evaluation. An independent evaluator does not have any authority
    over the project and is not involved in its implementation.

Definitions

For the purpose of this competition, the terms used in this competitive
preference priority have the following definitions

[Scientifically based research]{.underline} (section 9101(37) NCLB):

(A) Means research that involves the application of rigorous,
    systematic, and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid
    knowledge relevant to education activities and programs; and

\(B\) Includes research that\--

(i) Employs systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation or
    experiment;

(ii) Involves rigorous data analyses that are adequate to test the
     stated hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn;

(iii) Relies on measurements or observational methods that provide
      reliable and valid data across evaluators and observers, across
      multiple measurements and observations, and across studies by the
      same or different investigators;

(iv) Is evaluated using experimental or quasi-experimental designs in
     which individuals entities, programs, or activities are assigned to
     different conditions and with appropriate controls to evaluate the
     effects of the condition of interest, with a preference for
     random-assignment experiments, or other designs to the extent that
     those designs contain within-condition or across-condition
     controls;

(v) Ensures that experimental studies are presented in sufficient detail
    and clarity to allow for replication or, at a minimum, offer the
    opportunity to build systematically on their findings; and

(vi) Has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a panel
     of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective,
     and scientific review.

[Random assignment or experimental design]{.underline} means random
assignment of students, teachers, classrooms, or schools to participate
in a project being evaluated (treatment group) or not participate in the
project (control group). The effect of the project is the difference in
outcomes between the treatment and control groups.

[Quasi-experimental designs include]{.underline} several designs that
attempt to approximate a random assignment design.

[Carefully matched comparison groups design]{.underline} means a
quasi-experimental design in which project participants are matched with
non-participants based on key characteristics that are thought to be
related to the outcome.

[Regression discontinuity design]{.underline} means a quasi-experimental
design that closely approximates an experimental design. In a regression
discontinuity design, participants are assigned to a treatment or
control group based on a numerical rating or score of a variable
unrelated to the treatment such as the rating of an application for
funding. Eligible students, teachers, classrooms, or schools above a
certain score (\`\`cut score\'\') are assigned to the treatment group
and those below the score are assigned to the control group. In the case
of the scores of applicants\' proposals for funding, the \`\`cut
score\'\' is established at the point where the program funds available
are exhausted.

[Single subject design]{.underline} means a design that relies on the
comparison of treatment effects on a single subject or group of single
subjects. There is little confidence that findings based on this design
would be the same for other members of the population.

[Treatment reversal design]{.underline} means a single subject design in
which a pre-treatment or baseline outcome measurement is compared with a
post-treatment measure. Treatment would then be stopped for a period of
time; a second baseline measure of the outcome would be taken, followed
by a second application of the treatment or a different treatment. For
example, this design might be used to evaluate a behavior modification
program for disabled students with behavior disorders.

[Multiple baseline design]{.underline} means a single subject design to
address concerns about the effects of normal development, timing of the
treatment, and amount of the treatment with treatment-reversal designs
by using a varying time schedule for introduction of the treatment
and/or treatments of different lengths or intensity.

[Interrupted time series design]{.underline} means a quasi-experimental
design in which the outcome of interest is measured multiple times
before and after the treatment for program participants only.

###### 

######  

###### Requesting Competitive Preference

**Applicants responding to the competitive preference priority should
indicate that in the project Abstract** (see Priorities, Page 10)

###### Invitational Priority

[Inclusion of Faith-based and Community Organizations]{.underline}

The Secretary is especially interested in applications that propose to
engage faith-based and community organizations in the planning and
development of character education programs and the delivery of services
under this program.

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets this
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other
applications.

###### Selection Criteria 

The following selection criteria will be used to evaluate applications
under this grant competition. The maximum number of possible points for
each criterion is indicated in parentheses. The maximum score for all of
these criteria is 100 points.

**1. Quality of the Project Design (30 points)**

In determining the quality of the project design, we will consider the
following sub criteria:

a.  The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
    achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and
    measurable. (10 points)

b.  The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating the
    proposed project will result in information to guide possible
    replication of project activities or strategies, including
    information about the effectiveness of the approach or strategies
    employed by the project. (10 points)

c.  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. (10 points)

Notes: Reviewers will look for a thorough description for the project
including how the applicant will meet **all** requirements of the
Absolute Priority (see page 20). The design should clearly describe
activities, services and training to be provided by the project and the
specific approaches to be used to meet the needs of the target
population, including those of diverse cultural populations, if
applicable. The sustainability plan for the program will be strongly
considered, in terms of the development of an infrastructure that
ensures that the program will be integrated within the existing district
or state school curriculum.

**2. Quality of the Management Plan (25 points)**

In determining the quality of the management plan to be implemented by
the proposed project, we will consider the following sub criteria:

(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. (15 points)

(b) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives are
    brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project, including
    those of parents, teachers, the business community, a variety of
    disciplinary and professional fields, students including students
    with disabilities (mental and physical) or others as appropriate.
    (10 points)

Notes: Applicants should describe partnerships or collaborative efforts
among the organizations and entities of the grantees and how parents,
students and members of the community are involved in the design and
implementation of the program. Applicants should also describe the
curriculum and instructional practice that will be used or developed;
methods of teacher training and parent education that will be used or
developed; and how the program for which the grant is sought will be
linked to other efforts to improve academic achievement, including
broader educational reforms being instituted by the applicant or its
partners, and State academic content standards. Applicants that are SEAs
should also describe how they will provide technical and professional
assistance to LEA partners in the development and implementation of
character education program; and will assist other local educational
agencies that are not members of the original partnership in designing
and establishing character education programs.

**3. Quality of Project Personnel (15 points)**

In determining the quality of project personnel to manage the proposed
project, we will consider the following sub criteria:

(a) The extent to which the applicant encourages applications for
    employment from persons who are members of groups that have
    traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
    origin, gender, age or disability. (10 points)

(b) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of
    key project personnel. (5 points)

Note: Reviewers will look for evidence that the applicant has the
personnel qualified to develop, implement, and administer the proposed
project, including the project evaluation. If personnel have not been
hired, the applicant should provide a job description regarding the
duties of the position(s) and qualifications.

######  

**4. Quality of Project Evaluation (30 points)**

In determining the quality of the project evaluation to be conducted by
the proposed project, we will consider the following sub criteria:

(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. (10 points)

(b) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
    performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress
    toward achieving intended outcomes. (10 points)

(c) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about
    effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other
    settings. (10 points)

Notes: Reviewers will look for a detailed description of the evaluation
plan that includes the methods to be used to evaluate the outcomes and
effectiveness of the project, including the applicant's plan to address
the Government Performance and Results (GPRA) measures established for
this program. Under this criterion applicants should demonstrate that
the proposed project has clear objectives that are based on
scientifically based research. Applicants may consider the following
factors in identifying their project goals and desired outcomes:
discipline issues; student academic achievement; participation in
extracurricular activities; parental and community involvement; faculty
and administration involvement; student and staff morale; and overall
improvements in school climates for all students, including students
with disabilities (including those with mental and physical
disabilities).

###### Frequently Asked Questions

***What is the purpose of this grant competition?***

The purpose of this program is to provide grants to eligible entities to
assist them in designing and implementing character education programs
that teach students elements of character such as caring, civic virtues
and citizenship, justice and fairness, respect, responsibility,
trustworthiness, giving or any other elements deemed appropriate by the
eligible entity. The character education programs supported must be
programs that can be integrated in classroom instruction; consistent
with state academic content standards; can be carried out in conjunction
with other educational reform efforts; and include the input of parents,
students, students with disabilities (including those with mental or
physical disabilities), and other members of the community in the design
and implementation.

***Who is eligible to apply?***

Eligible applicants under this grant competition include the following

A.  **An SEA in *[partnership]{.underline}*** with one or more LEAs;

B.  **An SEA in *[partnership]{.underline}*** with one or more LEAs and
    nonprofit organizations or entities, including an institution of
    higher education (IHE); an LEA or consortium of LEAs; or

C.  **An LEA** or **consortium of LEAs**.

D.  **An LEA in *[partnership]{.underline}*** with one or more nonprofit
    organizations or entities, including an IHE.

***Can I submit an application on behalf of my local school?***

The only eligible recipients are SEAs, LEAs, and Tribal Organizations.
One of these entities must be the applicant for funding. An application
submitted by an individual school will not be considered unless it meets
the definition of a local educational agency under State law.

***Are nonprofit organizations eligible to apply for this grant?***

Nonprofit or community-based organizations are generally not considered
SEAs or LEAs thus are not eligible for this grant. Only entities that
meet the definition of one of these entities may receive funding under
this program. An LEA or SEA in partnership with a nonprofit is eligible
to apply, however the LEA or SEA would serve as the fiscal agent for the
grant.

***Are colleges/universities eligible to apply for this grant?***

Colleges and universities are generally not considered SEAs or LEAs thus
are not eligible for this grant. An LEA or SEA in partnership with an
institution of higher education (IHE) is eligible to apply, however the
LEA or SEA must serve as the fiscal agent for the grant.

***Are charter schools eligible for this program?***

Charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law are eligible to
apply for funding under this program.

***What steps can I take to maximize my chances of receiving a grant?***

-   Before preparing your application, read the application package
    carefully and completely.

-   Follow all of the instructions exactly.

-   If you're uncertain about any aspects of this application package,
    please contact the competition manager for grant competition
    clarification.

-   Absolute priorities establish the parameters for applications under
    a grant competition. If your application does not meet the absolute
    priority or the additional requirements for this grant competition,
    it will not be considered for funding.

-   A panel of three persons from the character education and related
    fields as well as expertise in program evaluation will review your
    application. Be sure to organize your application clearly, provide
    requested information in a comprehensive manner, and respond to each
    selection criterion thoroughly. Reviewers are not permitted to give
    you "the benefit of the doubt"; therefore, if information is not in
    your application, reviewers cannot award points for it.

-   A second panel of three persons with expertise in program evaluation
    and research in character education and related fields will review
    your application if you request consideration under the competitive
    preference priority. Be sure to pay close attention to the
    Competitive Preference Priority (see Page 21) to provide a clear
    description of the evaluation plan proposed.

-   Be sure that your application includes a budget request (ED
    Form 524) and complete narrative justification for each of the
    proposed project years.

-   Transmit your application on or before the deadline of February 24,
    2009.

***In the Application Package Contracting for Services Section it states
"applicants should not include information in their grant applications
about specific contractors that may be used to provide services or goods
for the proposed project if a grant is awarded". Does this mean that we
cannot name the specific character education resource we have proposed
for the project?***

If the chosen character education resource is truly unique and genuinely
only available through one sole resource (i.e. there is no equal product
that can be obtained from another source) then the application can state
the specific name of the resource that will be used. If the resource is
available through a variety of vendors then the application needs to
state that full and open competition will be followed in the final
selection of vendor if a grant is received.

***Am I required to respond to the competitive preference priority?***

Your inclusion of information that responds to the competitive
preference priority is entirely optional; however, applicants who meet
the competitive preference priority could be awarded up to 20 extra
points.

***How much money is available under this grant competition?***

It is estimated that \$1,277,480 will be available in FY2009 for this
competition.

***How many new awards will be made?***

It is estimated that 2 new awards will be made.

***What is the average amount of each grant?***

SEA projects will be funded for approximately \$500,000-\$750,000 for
each 12-month budget period. LEA projects will be funded for
approximately \$250,000 to \$500,000 for each 12-month period. [***SEAs
must submit a proposed budget of not less than \$500,000 for each budget
period or will not be considered.***]{.underline} This not a requirement
for LEAs. These figures are only estimates and do not bind the U.S.
Department of Education to a specific number of grants or amount of any
award.

***Is there a matching requirement for this grant program?***

There is no requirement for matching funds for this program.

***What is an indirect cost rate?***

An indirect cost is an expense you incur that is necessary to implement
the grant, but may be difficult to identify directly with your grant.
For example, indirect costs may include money spent for heat, light,
rent, telephone, security, accounting, and Internet use.

If your organization prefers to use all of its grant funds for direct
project costs, you are not required to charge the grant for indirect
costs.

***May I charge indirect costs under this grant?***

Yes. In order to do so, you must have negotiated an indirect cost rate
with your cognizant Federal agency. For more information about indirect
cost rates, visit
[www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html](http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html)

Most LEAs have an indirect rate provided by their State Educational
Agency that may be used for this grant. Check with your finance office
to see if your district has a rate.

***What is the project and budget period for these grants?***

Up to 48 months, of which no more than 12 months may be used for
planning and program design.

***What should I use as the start date?***

Should you receive a grant, the start date for a project may have to be
flexible, depending on when funds can be awarded. See page 9 for the
suggested start date.

***How should we determine the elements of character to be taught in our
program?***

Each eligible entity awarded a grant under this competition may select
elements of character that will be taught under the program for which
the grant was awarded. In selecting elements of character, the grantee
should consider the views of the parents, students and the community.

Example elements of character that may be used include any of the
following:

-   Caring:

-   Civic virtue and citizenship;

-   Justice and fairness;

-   Respect;

-   Responsibility;

-   Trustworthiness;

-   Giving; and

-   Any other elements deemed appropriate by the grantee.

***Can grant funds be used to support professional development
activities?***

Yes, as long as the activities directly support the purposes of the
grant.

***What kinds of activities are likely to be "human subjects
research"?***

ED's regulations for the protection of human subjects, 34 CFR Part 97,
defines research as a systematic investigation (including program
evaluation) designed to develop or contribute to general knowledge. A
"systematic" investigation typically uses scientific methods (such as
adequate sample sizes, surveys, control groups, and/or randomization).
Research becomes "human subjects" research when the researcher obtains
data about an individual through a process. Applicants must also follow
the requirements for the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).

For further guidance and information about PPRA, please go to the
Department's Family Policy Compliance Office Web site at
<http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/index.html>. For additional
information on human subjects research, please go to the Department's
Human Subject's Office Web site at
<http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/humansub.html>

***If human subjects research activities are planned, what should the
applicant do?***

-   Grants under this program that involve nonexempt human subjects
    research will need to obtain a federal wide assurance to abide by
    the Department's regulations for protection of human subjects in
    research and be reviewed by an Institutional Review Board (IRB)
    before beginning non-exempt activities. An IRB is a special panel
    responsible for protecting the rights and welfare of human research
    subjects. While not every program will require IRB review,
    applicants should consult early on with someone knowledgeable in the
    field of human subjects research to determine whether or not the
    project requires IRB review.

-   A registry of Institutional Review Boards is available online at the
    Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Human Research
    Protection website,
    <http://ohrp.cit.nih.gov/search/asearch.asp#ASUR>. Applicants who
    programs require review by an IRB should budget appropriate costs
    into their application. If an applicant fails to budget ahead of
    time for IRB review and then discovers later that IRB approval is
    needed, no additional grant funds will be awarded for the review.
    For additional information about human research subjects and the
    need for IRB approval, please reference the Department of
    Education's website for Grants Policy and Oversight Staff:
    <http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/humansub/app-pro.html>

***Does the Department of Education require an independent third party
evaluation or principal investigator?***

No. Although a project evaluation is required, an independent third
party evaluation or principal investigator is not. As long as the
proposed evaluator has the necessary background and technical expertise
to carry out the required evaluation, an application is technically
eligible for funding. **However, please note that the quality of the
proposed project evaluation is a key part of the selection criteria used
to evaluate all applications submitted.** When possible, the Department
prefers independent third party evaluations and independent principal
investigators---meaning that the principal investigator has no authority
over the project and is not involved in its implementation---because
these design features help ensure that the evaluation will provide an
objective and reliable basis for examining overall project
effectiveness.

***Does the Department of Education require that research findings be
disseminated?***

No. Research findings do not have to be disseminated by grantees.
However, if funded, applicants are requested to collect and report data
to the Department on evaluation outcomes in required annual performance
reports, in the interim evaluation report (after two years of the
project) and at the completion of the grant.

***Are there specific grant activities for which outside sources, such
as IHEs and private and nonprofit organizations may contract?***

Examples of grant activities that can be conducted by outside sources
under contract include:

-   Evaluating the program, i.e. measuring the integration of the
    program into the curriculum and teaching methods of schools, and
    measure the success of the program in fostering the elements of
    character selected by the recipient.

-   Developing secular curricula, teacher training and other activities
    related to character education.

-   Integrating secular character education into the curricula and
    teaching methods of the schools.

***How does the Freedom of Information Act affect my application?***

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was enacted in 1966 and provides
that any person has the right to request access to Federal agency
records or information. All agencies of the U.S. Government are required
to disclose records upon receiving a written request for them, except
for those records that are protected from disclosure by the nine
exemptions listed in the FOIA. All applications submitted for funding
consideration under this grant competition are subject to FOIA. To read
the text of the Freedom of Information Act, visit
[www.usdoj.gov/04foia/foiastat.htm](http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/foiastat.htm).

***I plan to submit my application through Grants.gov. What will happen
if I am unable to do so by the deadline?***

-   If you experience problems submitting your application
    electronically through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
    Support Desk at 800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support
    Desk Case Number and 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 on pages 3-4 in this application package.

***Do I have to submit my application electronically?***

The electronic submission of applications is voluntary. Applications may
be submitted electronically or in paper format by mail or hand delivery.
However, if you choose to submit your application electronically you
must use the Grants.gov website and follow the electronic submission
procedures published in the [Federal Register]{.underline} notice.
**Note:** You may not submit your application by e-mail or facsimile.

***Does Grants.gov support Word 2007?***

The new version of Microsoft Word saves documents with the extension.
DOCX. The Grants.gov system does not process Microsoft Word documents
with the extension. DOCX. When submitting Microsoft Word attachments to
Grants.gov, please use the version of Microsoft Word that ends in .DOC.
If any of the documents included in the application are saved with the
.DOCX extension, the entire application will be rejected by Grants.gov.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please e-mail the
Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or call 1-800-518-4726.

***Does Grants.gov support the new Microsoft Vista Operating System?***

 

Grants.gov uses two viewer products -- Adobe Acrobat Reader and
PureEdge - that predate the release of Windows Vista. Adobe Reader 7.0.9
**may** work with Vista, but Adobe does not fully support this
configuration. PureEdge Viewer v.6.0.2 is only compatible with Vista
when using a Citrix server connection. Grants.gov is anticipating the
release of Adobe Reader 8.1.1 shortly, which will be compatible with
Microsoft Vista. Until Adobe Reader 8.1.1. Is released, you have two
choices: Use an operating system other than Vista or sue Citrix, which
has been identified as an option for any applicant that is using Vista.
The Grants.gov Web site
([www.grants.gov/help/general_faqs.jsp#18](http://www.grants.gov/help/general_faqs.jsp#18))
has been updated to provide applicants with instructions on how to
utilize the Citrix solution.

***Do I need to provide the funding Opportunity Number (Item#12) and the
Competition Identification Number (Item #13) on the SF-424?***

If you submit your application electronically via Grants.gov, then you
need to provide these numbers. They are located on the Grants.gov Web
site on the application download page and also on the application
package page once it is downloaded. If you submit your application in
paper format by mail or hand delivery, then you do not need to provide
these numbers as they are used strictly for the electronic package
submitted via Grants.gov

***I submitted my application by the deadline via Grants.gov. Am I
finished?***

No, do not assume that you are finished. If you submit your application
via Grants.gov, there is a two-step validation process. Within two days
of submitting your grant application, you will receive two e-mail
messages. The first e-mail will confirm receipt of your application by
the Grants.gov system. The second e-mail will indicate whether your
application was successfully validated by the system or if it was
rejected due to errors. You should track your application via the
Grants.gov system to determine the progress of your application until
the system shows a validated or rejected status or until you have
received the e-mail indicating that it has been successfully validated
or rejected.

***What if I have not received a validation by the closing date?***

If you submit your application within two days prior to the application
transmittal deadline, you may not receive your validation or rejection
notification until after the closing date. We recommend that if you have
not received the two e-mail notifications indicating receipt and
validation by 4:30:00 pm (Washington, DC time) on the application
deadline date, print your application and mail a hard copy of it,
adhering to the hard copy application submission procedures and
requirements written in this application. For example, cover pages with
signatures must be included in hard copy applications and cannot be
faxed later.

***What are some of the reasons I won\'t receive a validation from
Grants.gov?***

-   You submitted your application after the application deadline date
    and time.

-   The E-Business Point of Contact at your organization did not respond
    to the registration e-mail from Grants.gov and authorize you as an
    Authorized Organization Representative (AOR).

-   You did not provide the DUNS number on your application (SF-424
    form) that was used when you registered as an AOR.

-   You uploaded a file type that is not compatible with Grants.gov.

-   You did not fill out all the mandatory fields in the application
    package.

Additional reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on
the Grants.gov site:
[http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant_faqs.jsp#54]{.underline}. We
also suggest reading all the FAQs on Grants.gov
([http://www.grants.gov/help/submit_application_faqs.jsp#10]{.underline})
to provide you with additional information to assist with your
submission.

***What is the deadline date for applications under this grant
competition?***

February 24, 2009.

***May I get an extension of the deadline date?***

Waivers for individual applications failing to meet the deadline will
not be granted, regardless of circumstances. Under very extraordinary
circumstances the Department may change the closing date for a grant
competition. When this occurs, the Department announces such a change in
a notice published in the [Federal Register]{.underline}.

***Who do I contact for more information about this grant
competition?***

Any questions pertaining to this grant competition should be directed to
Sharon J. Burton, Education Program Specialist, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 10102, Potomac Center Plaza
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202-6450, Phone: 202-245-7867, Fax:
202-485-0041, Email: <sharon.burton@ed.gov>.

**III. Legal and Regulatory Documents**

# Notice Inviting Applications

**Federal Register Publish Date --\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, 2008**

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools

Partnerships in Character Education Program

Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2008.

*[Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number]{.underline}:*

*84.215S.*

[Dates]{.underline}:

Applications Available: December 22, 2008.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 24, 2009.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 27, 2009.

#### Full Text of Announcement

**I. Funding Opportunity Description**

[Purpose of Program]{.underline}: Under this program we support Federal
grants to design and implement character education programs that can be
integrated into classroom instruction, that are consistent with State
academic content standards. Such programs may be carried out in
conjunction with other educational reform efforts, and must take into
consideration the views of parents, students, students with disabilities
(including those with mental or physical disabilities), and other
members of the community, including members of private, nonprofit
organizations or entities, including faith-based organizations and
community organizations.

[Priorities]{.underline}: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv),
this priority is from title V, part D, subpart 3, section 5431 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 7247),
as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).

[Absolute Priority]{.underline}: For FY 2009 and any subsequent years 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:

The design and implementation of character education programs that are
able to be\--

\(A\) integrated into classroom instruction and consistent with State
academic content standards; and

\(B\) carried out in conjunction with other educational reform efforts.

[Competitive Preference Priority]{.underline}: Within this absolute
priority, we give competitive preference to applications that address
the following priority.

This priority is from the notice of final priorities for discretionary
grant programs, published in the [Federal Register]{.underline} on
January 25, 2005 (70 FR 3585).

Under 34 CFR 75.105 (c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional 20 points to
an application, depending on how well the application meets this
priority. Applicants proposing a quasi-experimental design may receive
up to 10 additional points to their final score. Applicants proposing an
experimental design may receive up to 20 additional points to their
final score. When using the priority to give competitive preference to
an application, the Secretary will review applications using a two-stage
process. In the first stage, the application will be reviewed without
taking the priority into account. In the second stage of review, the
applications rated highest in stage one will be reviewed for competitive
preference.

This priority is:

The Secretary establishes a priority for projects proposing an
evaluation plan that is based on rigorous scientifically based research
methods used to assess the effectiveness of a particular intervention.
The Secretary intends that this priority will allow program participants
and the Department to determine whether the project produces meaningful
effects on student achievement or teacher performance.

Evaluation methods using an experimental design are best for determining
project effectiveness. Thus, when feasible, the project must use an
experimental design under which participants\--e.g. students, teachers,
classrooms, or schools\--are randomly assigned to participate in the
project activities being evaluated or to a control group that does not
participate in the project activities being evaluated.

If random assignment is not feasible, the project may use a
quasi-experimental design with carefully matched comparison conditions.
This alternative design attempts to approximate a randomly assigned
control group by matching participants\--e.g. students, teachers,
classrooms, or schools\--with non-participants having similar
pre-program characteristics.

In cases where random assignment is not possible and participation in
the intervention is determined by a specified cutting point on a
quantified continuum of scores, regression discontinuity designs may be
employed.

For projects that are focused on special populations in which sufficient
numbers of participants are not available to support random assignment
or matched comparison group designs, single-subject designs such as
multiple baseline or treatment-reversal or interrupted time series that
are capable of demonstrating causal relationships can be employed.

Proposed evaluation strategies that use neither experimental designs
with random assignment nor quasi-experimental designs using a matched
comparison group nor regression discontinuity designs will not be
considered responsive to the priority when sufficient numbers of
participants are available to support these designs. Evaluation
strategies that involve too small a number of

participants to support group designs must be capable of demonstrating
the causal effects of an intervention or program on those participants.

The proposed evaluation plan must describe how the project evaluator
will collect\--before the project intervention commences and after it
ends\--valid and reliable data that measure the impact of participation
in the program or in the comparison group.

Points awarded under this priority will be determined by the quality of
the proposed evaluation method. In determining the quality of the
evaluation method, we will consider the extent to which the applicant
presents a feasible, credible plan that includes the following:

\(1\) The type of design to be used (that is, random assignment or
matched comparison). If matched comparison, include in the plan a
discussion of why random assignment is not feasible.

\(2\) Outcomes to be measured.

\(3\) A discussion of how the applicant plans to assign students,
teachers, classrooms, or schools to the project and control group or
match them for comparison with other students, teachers, classrooms, or
schools.

\(4\) A proposed evaluator, preferably independent, with the necessary
background and technical expertise to carry out the proposed evaluation.
An independent evaluator does not have any authority over the project
and is not involved in its implementation.

In general, depending on the implemented program or project, under a
competitive preference priority, random assignment evaluation methods
will receive more points than matched comparison evaluation methods.

[Definitions]{.underline}

As used in this notice\--

[Scientifically based research]{.underline} (section 9101(37) ESEA):

\(A\) Means research that involves the application of rigorous,
systematic, and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid
knowledge relevant to education activities and programs; and

\(B\) Includes research that\--

\(i\) Employs systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation or
experiment;

\(ii\) Involves rigorous data analyses that are adequate to test the
stated hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn;

\(iii\) Relies on measurements or observational methods that provide
reliable and valid data across evaluators and observers, across multiple
measurements and observations, and across studies by the same or
different investigators;

\(iv\) Is evaluated using experimental or quasi-experimental designs in
which individuals entities, programs, or activities are assigned to
different conditions and with appropriate controls to evaluate the
effects of the condition of interest, with a preference for
random-assignment experiments, or other designs to the extent that those
designs contain within-condition or across-condition controls;

\(v\) Ensures that experimental studies are presented in sufficient
detail and clarity to allow for replication or, at a minimum, offer the
opportunity to build systematically on their findings; and

\(vi\) Has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a
panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective,
and scientific review.

[Random assignment or experimental design]{.underline} means random
assignment of students, teachers, classrooms, or schools to participate
in a project being evaluated (treatment group) or not participate in the
project (control group). The effect of the project is the difference in
outcomes between the treatment and control groups.

[Quasi-experimental designs]{.underline} include several designs that
attempt to approximate a random assignment design.

[Carefully matched comparison groups design]{.underline} means a
quasi-experimental design in which project participants are matched with
non-participants based on key characteristics that are thought to be
related to the outcome.

[Regression discontinuity design]{.underline} means a quasi-experimental
design that closely approximates an experimental design. In a regression
discontinuity design, participants are assigned to a treatment or
control group based on a numerical rating or score of a variable
unrelated to the treatment such as the rating of an application for
funding. Eligible students, teachers, classrooms, or schools above a
certain score ("cut score") are assigned to the treatment group and
those below the score are assigned to the control group. In the case of
the scores of applicants\' proposals for funding, the "cut score" is
established at the point where the program funds available are
exhausted.

[Single subject design]{.underline} means a design that relies on the
comparison of treatment effects on a single subject or group of single
subjects. There is little confidence that findings based on this design
would be the same for other members of the population.

[Treatment reversal design]{.underline} means a single subject design in
which a pre-treatment or baseline outcome measurement is compared with a
post-treatment measure. Treatment would then be stopped for a period of
time; a second baseline measure of the outcome would be taken, followed
by a second application of the treatment or a different treatment. For
example, this design might be used to evaluate a behavior modification
program for disabled students with behavior disorders.

[Multiple baseline design]{.underline} means a single subject design to
address concerns about the effects of normal development, timing of the
treatment, and amount of the treatment with treatment-reversal designs
by using a varying time schedule for introduction of the treatment
and/or treatments of different lengths or intensity.

[Interrupted time series design]{.underline} means a quasi-experimental
design in which the outcome of interest is measured multiple times
before and after the treatment for program participants only.

[Note]{.underline}: Due to the very short time frame that applicants
have to select a proposed evaluator for the required competitive
priority, we remind applicants that they can, under 34 CFR 80.36, use
informal procedures to select a proposed contractor for this purpose.
For example, §80.36 authorizes simple informal procedures to select
contractors for contracts under the simplified acquisition threshold of
\$100,000. 34 CFR 80.36(d)(1). The regulations only require that you
request offers from an adequate number of sources.

In addition, even if you expect that the evaluation of your project
would cost more than \$100,000, the regulations recognize special cases
where a contractor must be selected within a very limited time period.
Again, you need to request proposals from an adequate number of
qualified sources and select the contractor, whose proposal is most
advantageous to the program, considering price and other selection
factors. In these situations, if informal solicitation does not result
in an adequate number of proposals, you may select a single bidder so
long as you document the facts that formed the basis for your decision.
34 CFR 80.36(d)(1), (3)&(4).

[Invitational Priority]{.underline}***:*** Within the absolute priority,
we are particularly interested in applications that address the
following invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not
give an application that meets this invitational priority a competitive
or absolute preference over other applications.

This priority is:

[Faith-based and Community Organizations]{.underline}.

The Secretary is especially interested in applications that propose to
engage faith-based and community organizations in the planning and
development of character education programs and the delivery of services
under this program.

[Program Authority]{.underline}: 20 U.S.C. 7247.

[Applicable Regulations]{.underline}: (a) The Education Department
General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts *74*, 75, 77,
79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, 99 and 299. (b) The notice of final
priority published in the [Federal Register]{.underline} on January 25,
2005 (70 FR 3585).

[Note]{.underline}: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all
applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes.

[Note]{.underline}: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to
institutions of higher education only.

**II. Award Information**

[Type of Award]{.underline}: Discretionary grant.

[Estimated Available Funds]{.underline}: \$1,277,480.

The Administration's budget request for FY 2009 does not include funds
for this program. However, the Administration requested \$23,824,000 for
character activities, of which an estimated \$1,277,480 would be
available for this competition. 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.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2009 and subsequent
fiscal years from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.

[Estimated Range of Awards]{.underline}: For State educational agencies
(SEAs), \$500,000-\$750,000. For local educational agencies (LEAs),
\$250,000-\$500,000. We anticipate that applicants who request funding
at the higher end of these ranges would respond to the competitive
preference priority to implement experimental or quasi-experimental
designs.

[Estimated Average Size of Awards]{.underline}: For SEAs, \$600,000 for
each 12-month budget period. For LEAs, \$350,000 for each 12-month
budget period.

[Minimum Award]{.underline}: Pursuant to Section 5431(a)(4) of the ESEA,
SEAs must propose a total budget that is \$500,000 or more for a single
budget period. This restriction does not apply to applications from
LEAs.

[Estimated Number of Awards]{.underline}: 2.

[Note]{.underline}: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.

[Project Period]{.underline}: Up to 48 months, of which no more than 12
months may be used for planning and program design.

## III. Eligibility Information {#iii.-eligibility-information .unnumbered}

1\. [Eligible Applicants]{.underline}:

(a)(1) An SEA in partnership with one or more LEAs; or

> \(2\) An SEA in partnership with one or more LEAs and nonprofit
> organizations or entities, including faith-based and community
> organizations, and an Institute of Higher Education (IHE); and

(b)(1) An LEA or consortium of LEAs; or

> \(2\) An LEA in partnership with one or more nonprofit organizations
> or entities, including faith-based and community organizations, and an
> IHE.

Charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law are also
eligible to apply.

The Secretary limits eligibility under this discretionary grant
competition to LEAs or SEAs applicants that do not currently have an
active grant under the Partnerships in Character Education Program. For
the purpose of this eligibility requirement, a grant is considered
active until the end of the grant's project or funding period, including
any extensions of those periods that extend the grantee's authority to
obligate funds.

[Participation by Private School Children and Teachers]{.underline}.

Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall
provide, to the extent feasible and appropriate, for the participation
of programs and activities under this section of students and teachers
in private elementary and secondary schools.

2.  [Cost Sharing or Matching]{.underline}: This competition does

not require cost sharing or matching***.***

**IV. Application and Submission Information**

1\. [Address to Request Application Package]{.underline}: Sharon J.
Burton, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue,

SW., room 10102, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP) Washington, DC 20202.
Telephone: (202) 245-7867 or by e-mail:
[sharon.burton@ed.gov](mailto:rita.foy.moss@ed.gov)

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (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 alternative format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed in
this section.

2\. [Content and Form of Application Submission]{.underline}:

Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the
forms you must submit, are in the application package for this
competition.

3\. [Submission Dates and Times]{.underline}:

Applications Available: December 22, 2008.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 24, 2009.

Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in paper
format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates and
times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper
format by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6.

4\. [Other Submission Requirements]{.underline} in 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]{.underline} in section VII in 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: April 17, 2009.

5\. [Intergovernmental Review]{.underline}: This competition 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
competition.

6\. [Funding Restrictions]{.underline}: Under section 5431 (d) (1) of
the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7247(d) (1)), an SEA may use not more than three
percent (3%)of the total funds received in any fiscal year for
administrative purposes. This does not apply to LEAs. We reference
regulations outlining funding restrictions in the [Applicable
Regulations]{.underline} section in this notice.

7\. [Other Submission Requirements]{.underline}: Applications for grants
under this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper
format by mail or hand delivery.

> a\. [Electronic Submission of Applications]{.underline}.

To comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are participating
as a partner in the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site. The
Partnerships in Character Education Program, CFDA Number 84.215S, is
included in this project. We request your participation in Grants.gov

If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must use
the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at
[http://www.Grants.gov](http://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.

You may access the electronic grant application for the Partnerships in
Character Education Program at http://www.Grants.gov you must search for
the downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA
number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search
(e.g., search for 84.215, not 84.215S).

Please note the following:

• Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.

• 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 consider your application
if it is date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
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 competition 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 at
<http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf>

• To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must complete all steps
in the Grants.gov registration process (see
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps
include (1) registering your organization, a multi-part process that
includes registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (2)
registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR);
and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on
these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide
(see

http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
You also must provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used
with this registration. Please note that the registration process may
take five or more business days to complete, and you must have completed
all registration steps to allow you to submit successfully an
application via Grants.gov In addition you will need to update your CCR
registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business
days to complete.

• You will not receive additional point value because you submit your
application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you submit
your application in paper format.

• If you submit your application electronically, you must submit all
documents electronically, including all information you typically
provide on the following forms: 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. Please note that two of these
forms\--the SF 424 and the Department of Education Supplemental
Information for SF 424\--have replaced the ED 424 (Application for
Federal Education Assistance).

• If you submit your application electronically, you must attach any
narrative sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document),
.RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a
file type other than the three file types specified in this paragraph 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]{.underline}: 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 the person listed under
[For Further Information Contact]{.underline} in section VII in 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 determination is made on whether
your application will be accepted.

[Note]{.underline}: 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.

b\. [Submission of Paper Applications by Mail]{.underline}.

If you submit your application in paper format 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 applicable following address:

U.S. Department of Education

Application Control Center

Attention: (CFDA Number 84.215S)

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]{.underline}: 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]{.underline}.

If you submit your application in paper format 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 84.215S)

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]{.underline}: 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]{.underline}: The selection criteria for

this competition is from 34 CFR part 75.210 in EDGAR and are listed in
the application package.

2.  [Review and Selection Process]{.underline}: Additional factors we
    consider in selecting an application for an award are included in 20
    U.S.C. 7247. We will ensure that, to the extent practicable, the
    projects for which we provide funding are equally distributed among
    the geographic regions of the United States, and among urban,
    suburban and rural areas.

VI\. Award Administration Information

1\. [Award Notices]{.underline}: If your application is successful, we
notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant
Award Notice (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]{.underline}: We
identify administrative and national policy requirements in the
application package and reference these and other requirements in the
[Applicable Regulations]{.underline} section in this notice.

We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an
award in the [Applicable Regulations]{.underline} section in 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]{.underline}: 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 Measure]{.underline}: Under the Government Performance
and Results Act (GPRA), two performance indicators have been established
for the Partnerships in Character Education Program. The indicators are:
the percentage of Partnerships in Character Education Program grantees
that use an experimental or quasi-experimental design for their
evaluation; and the percentage of Partnerships in Character Education
Program grantees that use an experimental or quasi-experimental design
for their evaluation that are conducted successfully, and that yield
scientifically valid results. Consequently, applicants for a grant under
this program are advised to give careful consideration to these two
measures in conceptualizing the design, implementation, and evaluation
of their proposed project. If funded, applicants will be asked to report
data in their annual performance reports on evaluation outcomes. The
Secretary will use this information to assess the overall quality of
performance data obtained through rigorous evaluations conducted by
grantees, and to respond to reporting requirements concerning this
program established in Section 5431(h) of the ESEA.

VII\. Agency Contact

[For Further Information Contact]{.underline}: Sharon J. Burton, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E322,
Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7867 or by e-mail:
<sharon.burton@ed.gov>

If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

# 

# VIII. Other Information

[Accessible Format]{.underline}: Individuals with disabilities can
obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under [For
Further Information Contact]{.underline} in section VII in this notice.

[Electronic Access to This Document]{.underline}: You can view this
document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in
the [Federal Register]{.underline}, in text or Adobe Portable Document
Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
[www.ed.gov/news/fedregister](http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister)

To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free
at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

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

***Dated:***

> **\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**
>
> ***Deborah A. Price,***
>
> ***Assistant Deputy Secretary for***
>
> ***Safe and Drug-Free Schools***

**AUTHORIZING LEGISLATION**

**The Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965**

**As amended by the**

**No Child Left Behind Act of 2001**

**(P.L. 107-110)**

[Title V, Part D, Subpart 3, Sec. 5431-Partnerships in Character
Education Program]{.underline}

> \(a\) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED-
>
> \(1\) IN GENERAL- The Secretary is authorized to award grants to
> eligible entities for the design and implementation of character
> education programs that ---
>
> \(A\) Are able to be integrated into classroom instruction and to be
> consistent with State academic content standards; and
>
> \(B\) Are able to be carried out in conjunction with other educational
> reform efforts.
>
> \(2\) ELIGIBLE ENTITY- In this section, the term eligible entity\'
> means ---
>
> \(A\) A State educational agency in partnership with ---
>
> \(i\) One or more local educational agencies; or
>
> \(ii\) One or more ---
>
> \(I\) Local educational agencies; and
>
> \(II\) Nonprofit organizations or entities, including an institution
> of higher education;
>
> \(B\) A local educational agency or consortium of local educational
> agencies; or
>
> \(C\) A local educational agency in partnership with one or more
> nonprofit organizations or entities, including an institution of
> higher education.
>
> \(3\) DURATION- Each grant under this section shall be awarded for a
> period not to exceed 5 years, of which the eligible entity may not use
> more than 1 year for planning and program design.
>
> \(4\) AMOUNT OF GRANTS FOR STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES- Subject to the
> availability of appropriations, the amount of a grant made by the
> Secretary to a State educational agency under this section shall not
> be less than \$500,000 if the State educational agency ---
>
> \(A\) Is in a partnership described in paragraph (2)(A); and
>
> \(B\) Meets such requirements as the Secretary may establish under
> this section.
>
> \(b\) CONTRACTS UNDER PROGRAM-
>
> \(1\) EVALUATION- Each eligible entity awarded a grant under this
> section may contract with outside sources, including institutions of
> higher education and private and nonprofit organizations, for the
> purposes of ---
>
> \(A\) Evaluating the program for which the assistance is made
> available;
>
> \(B\) Measuring the integration of such program into the curriculum
> and teaching methods of schools where the program is carried out; and
>
> \(C\) Measuring the success of such program in fostering the elements
> of character selected by the recipient under subsection (c).
>
> \(2\) MATERIALS AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT- Each eligible entity awarded
> a grant under this section may contract with outside sources,
> including institutions of higher education and private and nonprofit
> organizations, for assistance in ---
>
> \(A\) Developing secular curricula, materials, teacher training, and
> other activities related to character education; and
>
> \(B\) Integrating secular character education into the curricula and
> teaching methods of schools where the program is carried out.
>
> \(c\) ELEMENTS OF CHARACTER-
>
> \(1\) SELECTION-
>
> \(A\) IN GENERAL- each eligible entity awarded a grant under this
> section may select the elements of character that will be taught under
> the program for which the grant was awarded.
>
> \(B\) CONSIDERATION OF VIEWS- In selecting elements of character under
> subparagraph (A), the eligible entity shall consider the views of the
> parents of the students to be taught under the program and the views
> of the students.
>
> \(2\) EXAMPLE ELEMENTS- Elements of character selected under this
> subsection may include any of the following:
>
> \(A\) Caring.
>
> \(B\) Civic virtue and citizenship.
>
> \(C\) Justice and fairness.
>
> \(D\) Respect.
>
> \(E\) Responsibility.
>
> \(F\) Trustworthiness.
>
> \(G\) Giving.
>
> \(H\) Any other elements deemed appropriate by the eligible entity.
>
> \(d\) USE OF FUNDS BY STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY RECIPIENTS- Of the
> total funds received in any fiscal year under this section by an
> eligible entity that is a State educational agency ---
>
> \(1\) Not more than 3 percent of such funds may be used for
> administrative purposes; and
>
> \(2\) The remainder of such funds may be used for ---
>
> \(A\) Collaborative initiatives with and between local educational
> agencies and schools;
>
> \(B\) The preparation or purchase of materials, and teacher training;
>
> \(C\) Providing assistance to local educational agencies, schools, or
> institutions of higher education; and
>
> \(D\) Technical assistance and evaluation.
>
> \(e\) APPLICATION-
>
> \(1\) IN GENERAL- Each eligible entity desiring a grant under this
> section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and
> in such manner as the Secretary may require.
>
> \(2\) REQUIRED INFORMATION- Each application for a grant under this
> section shall include (together with any other information that the
> Secretary may require) information that ---
>
> \(A\) Demonstrates that the program for which the grant is sought has
> clear objectives that are based on scientifically based research;
>
> \(B\) Describes any partnerships or collaborative efforts among the
> organizations and entities of the eligible entity;
>
> \(C\) Describes the activities that will be carried out with the grant
> funds and how such activities will meet the objectives described in
> subparagraph (A), including ---
>
> \(i\) How parents, students, students with disabilities (including
> those with mental or physical disabilities), and other members of the
> community, including members of private and nonprofit organizations,
> will be involved in the design and implementation of the program and
> how the eligible entity will work with the larger community to
> increase the reach and promise of the program;
>
> \(ii\) Curriculum and instructional practices that will be used or
> developed; and
>
> \(iii\) Methods of teacher training and parent education that will be
> used or developed;
>
> \(D\) Describes how the program for which the grant is sought will be
> linked to other efforts to improve academic achievement, including ---
>
> \(i\) Broader educational reforms that are being instituted by the
> eligible entity or its partners; and
>
> \(ii\) State academic content standards;
>
> \(E\) In the case of an eligible entity that is a State educational
> agency, describes how the State educational agency ---
>
> \(i\) Will provide technical and professional assistance to its local
> educational agency partners in the development and implementation of
> character education programs; and
>
> \(ii\) Will assist other interested local educational agencies that
> are not members of the original partnership in designing and
> establishing character education programs;
>
> \(F\) Describes how the eligible entity will evaluate the success of
> its program ---
>
> \(i\) Based on the objectives described in subparagraph (A); and
>
> \(ii\) In cooperation with any national evaluation conducted pursuant
> to subsection (h)(2)(B)(iii); and
>
> \(G\) Assures that the eligible entity annually will provide to the
> Secretary such information as may be required to determine the
> effectiveness of the program.
>
> \(f\) SELECTION OF RECIPIENTS-
>
> \(1\) PEER REVIEW-
>
> \(A\) IN GENERAL- in selecting eligible entities to receive grants
> under this section from among the applicants for such grants, the
> Secretary shall use a peer review process that includes the
> participation of experts in the field of character education and
> development.
>
> \(B\) USE OF FUNDS- The Secretary may use funds appropriated under
> this section for the cost of carrying out peer reviews under this
> paragraph.
>
> \(2\) SELECTION CRITERIA- each selection under paragraph (1) shall be
> made on the basis of the quality of the application submitted, taking
> into consideration such factors as ---
>
> \(A\) The extent to which the program fosters character in students
> and the potential for improved student academic achievement;
>
> \(B\) The extent and ongoing nature of parental, student, and
> community involvement;
>
> \(C\) The quality of the plan for measuring and assessing success; and
>
> \(D\) The likelihood that the objectives of the program will be
> achieved.
>
> \(3\) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION- In making selections under this
> subsection, the Secretary shall ensure, to the extent practicable
> under paragraph (2), that the programs assisted under this section are
> equitably distributed among the geographic regions of the United
> States, and among urban, suburban, and rural areas.
>
> \(g\) PARTICIPATION BY PRIVATE SCHOOL CHILDREN AND TEACHERS- Each
> eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall
> provide, to the extent feasible and appropriate, for the participation
> in programs and activities under this section of students and teachers
> in private elementary schools and secondary schools.
>
> \(h\) EVALUATION AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT-
>
> \(1\) STATE AND LOCAL REPORTING AND EVALUATION- Each eligible entity
> receiving a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary a
> comprehensive evaluation of the program assisted under this section,
> including its impact on students, students with disabilities
> (including those with mental or physical disabilities), teachers,
> administrators, parents, and others ---
>
> \(A\) By the end of the second year of the program; and
>
> \(B\) Not later than 1 year after completion of the grant period.
>
> \(2\) NATIONAL RESEARCH, DISSEMINATION, AND EVALUATION-
>
> \(A\) IN GENERAL-
>
> \(i\) AUTHORIZATION- The Secretary is authorized to award grants to,
> or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, State
> educational agencies or local educational agencies, institutions of
> higher education, tribal organizations, or other public or private
> agencies or organizations to carry out research, development,
> dissemination, technical assistance, and evaluation activities that
> support or inform State and local character education programs.
>
> \(ii\) RESERVATION OF FUNDS- The Secretary shall reserve not more than
> 5 percent of the funds made available under this section to carry out
> this paragraph.
>
> \(B\) USES- Funds made available under subparagraph (A) may be used
> for the following:
>
> \(i\) Conducting research and development activities that focus on
> matters such as ---
>
> \(I\) The extent to which schools are undertaking character education
> initiatives;
>
> \(II\) The effectiveness of instructional models for all students,
> including students with disabilities (including those with mental or
> physical disabilities);
>
> \(III\) Materials and curricula for use by programs in character
> education;
>
> \(IV\) Models of professional development in character education;
>
> \(V\) The development of measures of effectiveness for character
> education programs (which may include the factors described in
> paragraph (3)); and
>
> \(VI\) The effectiveness of State and local programs receiving funds
> under this section.
>
> \(ii\) Providing technical assistance to State and local programs,
> particularly on matters of program evaluation.
>
> \(iii\) Conducting evaluations of State and local programs receiving
> funding under this section, that may be conducted through a national
> clearinghouse under clause (iv).
>
> \(iv\) Compiling and disseminating, through a national clearinghouse
> or other means ---
>
> \(I\) information on model character education programs;
>
> \(II\) information about high quality character education materials
> and curricula;
>
> \(III\) research findings in the area of character education and
> character development; and
>
> \(IV\) Any other information that will be useful to character
> education program participants nationwide, including educators,
> parents, and administrators.
>
> \(C\) PARTNERSHIPS- In carrying out national activities under this
> paragraph, the Secretary may enter into partnerships with national
> nonprofit character education organizations and institutions of higher
> education with expertise and successful experience in implementing ---
>
> \(i\) Character education programs that had an effective impact on
> schools, students, students with disabilities (including those with
> mental or physical disabilities), and teachers; or
>
> \(ii\) Character education program evaluation and research.
>
> \(D\) PARTNERSHIP FOR ACTIVITIES UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (B)(iv)- In
> carrying out national activities under subparagraph (B)(iv), the
> Secretary may enter into a partnership with a national nonprofit
> character education organization that will disseminate information to
> educators, parents, administrators, and others nationwide, including
> information about the range of model character education programs,
> materials, and curricula.
>
> \(E\) REPORT- Each entity awarded a grant or entering into a contract
> or cooperative agreement under this paragraph shall submit an annual
> report to the Secretary that ---
>
> \(i\) Describes the entity\'s progress in carrying out research,
> development, dissemination, evaluation, and technical assistance under
> this paragraph;
>
> \(ii\) Identifies unmet and future information needs in the field of
> character education; and
>
> \(iii\) If applicable, describes the progress of the entity in
> carrying out the requirements of subparagraph (B)(iv), including a
> listing of ---
>
> \(I\) The number of requests for information received by the entity in
> the course of carrying out such requirements;
>
> \(II\) The types of organizations making such requests; and
>
> \(III\) The types of information requested.
>
> \(3\) FACTORS- Factors that may be considered in evaluating the
> success of programs funded under this section include the following:
>
> \(A\) Discipline issues. (B) Student academic achievement. (C)
> Participation in extracurricular activities. (D) Parental and
> community involvement. (E) Faculty and administration involvement. (F)
> Student and staff morale. (G) Overall improvements in school climate
> for all students, including students with disabilities (including
> those with mental or physical disabilities).
>
> \(i\) PERMISSIVE MATCH-
>
> \(1\) IN GENERAL- The Secretary may require eligible entities to match
> funds awarded under this section with non-Federal funds, except that
> the amount of the match may not exceed the amount of the grant award.
>
> \(2\) SLIDING SCALE- The amount of a match under paragraph (1) shall
> be established based on a sliding scale that takes into account ---
>
> \(A\) The poverty of the population to be targeted by the eligible
> entity; and
>
> \(B\) The ability of the eligible entity to obtain funding for the
> match.
>
> \(3\) IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS- The Secretary shall permit eligible
> entities to match funds in whole or in part with in-kind
> contributions.
>
> \(4\) CONSIDERATION- notwithstanding this subsection, the Secretary in
> making awards under this section shall not consider the ability of an
> eligible entity to match funds.

**IV. General Application Instructions**

Preparing the Application

A completed application for assistance under this grant competition
consists of two parts: a detailed narrative description of the proposed
project and budget, and all forms and assurances that must be submitted
in order to receive a grant. An application under this competition
should address the specific needs of the applicant and propose
activities specifically designed to meet those needs. We strongly
discourage applicants from using "form" applications or proposals that
address general rather than specific local needs. Identical or
substantially similar applications are not responsive to the scoring
criteria.

A panel of non-federal readers with experience character education will
review each eligible application submitted by the deadline. The panel
will award points ranging from 0 to 100 to each application depending on
how well the selection criteria are addressed. Be sure you provide a
comprehensive response to each factor under each selection criterion.
Applications that fail to do so will be read, but our experience
suggests they may not score well enough to be funded.

If you apply via Grants.gov, you will use the following Grants.gov
narrative forms:

-   ED Abstract Form

-   Project Narrative Attachment Form

-   Other Attachments Form

-   Budget Narrative Attachment Form

The ED Abstract Form is where you will attach your program abstract.

The Project Narrative Attachment Form is where you will attach the
narrative sections addressing the selection criteria that will be used
to evaluate applications submitted for this grant competition.

The Other Attachments Form is where you will attach proposal appendices,
such as curriculum vitae of key personnel, letters of commitment, and
samples of evaluation instruments. The Grants.gov system will allow
applicants to attach as many as 10 separate appendices in this section.
If there are more than 10 appendices in your application, we strongly
suggest combining several of them as one appendix and uploading them to
the Other Attachments Form.

The Budget Narrative Attachment Form is where you will attach a detailed
line item budget and any supplemental budget information.

All applicants should adhere to the following formatting guidelines:

-   Use 1-inch margins. If you submit your application in paper format
    by mail or hand delivery, your application must be printed on 8 1/2"
    by 11" paper.

-   Use a consistent font not smaller than 12-point type throughout your
    document. You may use boldface type, underlining, and italics;
    however, do not use colored text.

-   For the project narrative, your application should consist of the
    number and text of each selection criterion followed by the
    narrative. The text of the selection criterion, if included, does
    not count against any page limitation.

-   Place a page number at the bottom right of each page beginning with
    1, and number your pages consecutively throughout your document,
    beginning with the Abstract and ending with the Appendices. Note: Do
    not paginate any of the forms.

If you submit your proposal via Grants.gov, you will use your own
word-processing software to complete the application for this grant
competition.

If you submit your application in hard copy, you will follow the same
general instructions but you will not attach your abstract, project
narrative, or other narratives to the Grants.gov forms.

D-U-N-S Number Instructions

All applicants must obtain and use a D-U-N-S Number, and all applicants
applying through Grants.gov must register with Grants.gov. The D-U-N-S
Number used on the application must be the same number that the
applicant's organization used to register with Grants.gov. If the
numbers are not the same, Grants.gov will reject the application.

The D-U-N-S Number is a unique nine-digit number that does not convey
any information about the recipient. A built-in check digit helps to
ensure the accuracy of the D-U-N-S Number. The ninth digit of each
number is the check digit, which is mathematically related to the other
digits. It lets computer systems determine if a D-U-N-S Number has been
entered correctly.

You can obtain a D-U-N-S Number at no charge by calling (800) 333-0505
or by completing the D-U-N-S Number Request Form, available online at
[**http://www.dnb.com/US/duns_update/index.html**](http://www.dnb.com/US/duns_update/index.html).
Dun & Bradstreet, a global information provider, has assigned D-U-N-S
Numbers to more than 43 million companies worldwide. Customer service is
available on Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Washington, DC
time) at (888) 814-1435.

Organizing the Application

[Supplemental Instructions for Standard Form 424]{.underline}

**1.** **Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424**): Use the
Application for Federal Assistance and the Department of Education
Supplemental Information for SF 424. This is the title page of your
application. Be sure that Item 11 identifies the CFDA Number for this
grant competition as 84.215S and the title as Partnerships in Character
Education Program.

If you submit your proposal for this grant competition via Grants.gov,
please complete the SF 424 (Application for Federal Assistance) first.
Grants.gov will insert the correct CFDA number and grant competition
title automatically where needed.

If you submit your proposal in paper format by mail or hand delivery,
you will need to insert the correct CFDA number and grant competition
title where requested.

Under Item 3 in the ED Supplemental Information, indicate whether the
proposed project includes human subjects research activities, and if so,
whether any or all of the proposed activities are exempt. For additional
guidance, see instructions for ED Supplemental Information in the
required forms section of this application package or call ED's
protection of human subjects coordinator at (202) 260-3353.

2\. Abstract: Include a concise, one-page, double-spaced abstract
following the Table of Contents. This is a key element and should
include a brief narrative describing a brief summary of the project
goals and objectives and the intended outcomes of the project. Clearly
mark this page with the applicant's name as shown in Item 1 of SF Form
424. If you submit your application via Grants.gov, attach this document
to the ED Abstract Form.

**3.** **Project Narrative**: This section should be no more than 25
double-spaced typewritten pages. The narrative must contain evidence
that the applicant meets the mandates of this grant competition, and
should contain and follow in sequence the information requested for each
selection criterion. Applicants should review Section II for a
discussion of the selection criteria and the key considerations for this
specific grant competition. The narrative should be easy to read and
logically developed in accordance with the selection criteria. A
timeline or schedule of tasks and events, responsible person(s), project
milestone(s), and/or completion dates should be included in the
narrative. Include a Table of Contents with page references. The Table
of Contents does not count against any page limitations. If you submit
your application via Grants.gov, attach this document to the **Project
Narrative Attachment Form**.

**4. Budget Narrative**: Use the Budget Information Form (ED Form 524)
provided in the required forms section of this application package to
prepare a budget for the project. The budget should be shown in one
column as the grant covers a single 18-month budget period.

You must include a detailed budget narrative that supports and explains
the information provided in ED Form 524. Use the same budget categories
as those on ED Form 524 and explain the basis used to estimate costs for
all budget categories, and how the cost items relate to the proposed
project's goals, objectives, and activities. All expenditures must be
necessary to carry out the goals and objectives of the project,
reasonable for the scope and complexity of the project, allowable under
the terms and conditions of the grant, and in accordance with government
cost principles.

The Budget Information Form and accompanying narrative should provide
enough detail for ED staff to easily understand how costs were
determined and if the budget is commensurate with the scope of the
project. A sample budget narrative is available at
<http://www.ed.gov/admins/grants/apply/techassist/resource_pg8.html>. If
you submit your application via Grants.gov, attach this document to the
**Budget**

**Narrative Attachment Form**.

For this grant competition, you may charge indirect costs using the rate
negotiated with your cognizant federal agency (e.g., ED, Department of
Health and Human Services, Department of Interior). Be sure to include
evidence of a federally negotiated indirect cost rate (e.g., copy of an
indirect cost rate agreement with your State or by your State
Educational Agency). Applicants should use the appropriate program or
operations rate specified in their institutions federally approved
indirect cost rate agreement in their proposed project budgets.
Individuals who apply for any grant competition through ED are not
allowed to budget for an indirect cost rate.

If you budget for contractual services, please note that indirect costs
may be applied only to the first \$25,000 of each contract, regardless
of the period covered by the contract.

If you claim indirect costs in the budget for your proposed project and
do not have a negotiated rate with the federal government, you must
submit the necessary paperwork to ED to receive a negotiated indirect
cost rate. For more information about indirect cost rates, please visit
<http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html>.

**5. Appendices**: If you submit your application via Grants.gov, the
**Other Attachments Form** is where you will attach proposal appendices
that you may choose to submit in support of your capacity and
preparation to undertake the project, such as curriculum vitae of key
personnel, letters of commitment, and samples of evaluation instruments.
In addition, please attach your signed program-specific assurance form
to this section. The Grants.gov system will allow applicants to attach
as many as 10 separate appendices in this section. If there are more
than 10 appendices in your application, we strongly suggest combining
several of them as one appendix and then upload them to the **Other
Attachments Form**.

If you submit your application in paper format via mail or hand
delivery, information provided in this section includes forms and other
material required by ED in order for an application to be eligible for
funding, as well as any other information that applicants may choose to
submit in support of their capacity and preparation to undertake the
proposed project.

The following items are **not** part of the appendices and may not be
included:

-   Budget or program narrative information that the applicant wishes to
    have reviewed as part of its response to one or more scoring
    criteria---all such information must be included in the narrative
    portion of the application.

-   Videotapes, CD-ROMs, photographs, or floppy disks---will not be
    reviewed and will not be returned.

This section **must** include the following:

-   GEPA 427, Equitable Access to and Participation in Federally
    Assisted Programs.

-   Letter of Transmittal to State Single Point of Contact (if your
    state participates).

-   Proof of federally negotiated indirect cost rate (if you are
    claiming indirect costs).

This section **may** include the following:

-   Other information the applicant wishes to include in support of
    their capacity, experience, and readiness to undertake the proposed
    project.

-   Resumes of key personnel. If personnel have yet to be hired for this
    project, include a narrative description of expected staff
    qualifications.

-   Letters of commitment that reflect each person's awareness of their
    role in the proposed project. Each letter should indicate a
    willingness to put forth the necessary time and effort to make the
    project work efficiently and effectively.

-   Relevant prior grant experience.

**6. Assurances and Certifications**: If you submit your application
electronically, you **must** complete all forms posted on Grants.gov.

If you submit your application in paper format via mail or hand
delivery, you **must** fill out, have signed by the person authorized to
sign for the institution, and submit the following forms:

-   Assurances, Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form, 424B)

-   Grants.gov Lobbying Form (formerly ED Form 80-0013)

-   Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form-LLL)

An electronic version of the Standard Form 424B and the Disclosure of
Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL) can be downloaded at
<http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html>

An electronic version of the Grants.gov Lobbying Form can be downloaded
at

<http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/sflllfill.pdf>

**Note**: If Item 2 of the Grants.gov Lobbying Form applies because of
lobbying activities related to a previous grant, or are anticipated to
occur with this project if it is funded, you must submit Standard Form
LLL. If your organization does not engage in lobbying, please submit
Standard Form LLL and indicate as "Not Applicable."

####### Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs

This grant competition is subject to the requirements of Executive Order
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. One of the objectives of
the Executive Order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a
strengthened federalism. The Executive Order relies on processes
developed by state and local governments for coordination and review of
proposed federal financial assistance.

Applicants must contact the appropriate State Single Point of Contact to
find out about, and to comply with, the State's process under Executive
Order 12372. Applicants proposing to perform activities in more than one
State should immediately contact the Single Point of Contact for each of
those States and follow the procedures established in each State under
the Executive Order. ***Note*:** **A copy of the applicant's letter to
the State Single Point of Contact must be included with the
application**.

To view a list of States that participate in the intergovernmental
review process, visit <http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html>.
States that are not listed have chosen not to participate in the
intergovernmental review process, and therefore do not have a State
Single Point of Contact. If you are located within one of these States,
you are exempt from this requirement.

In States that have not established a process or chosen a program for
review, State, area-wide, regional, and local entities may submit
comments directly to the Department.

Any State process recommendation and other comments submitted by a State
Single Point of Contact and any comments from State, area-wide,
regional, and local entities must be received by April 27, 2009 at the
following address:

The Secretary

EO 12372-CFDA #84.215S

U.S. Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Room 7W300

Washington, DC 20202-0124

Recommendations or comments may be hand-delivered until 4:30 p.m.
(Washington, DC Time) on April 27, 2009. Please do not send applications
to this address.

###### General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Section 427

Section 427 of GEPA affects applicants for new discretionary grant
awards under this program. All applicants for new awards must include
information in their applications to address this provision, summarized
below, in order to receive funding under this program.

Section 427 requires each applicant for funds (other than an individual
person) to include in its application a description of the steps the
applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and
participation in, its federally-assisted program for students, teachers,
and other program beneficiaries with special needs.

This section allows applicants discretion in developing the required
description. The statute highlights six types of barriers that can
impede equitable access or participation that you may address: *gender*,
*race*, *national origin*, *color*, *disability*, or *age*. Based on
local circumstances, you can determine whether these or other barriers
may prevent your students, teachers, or others from equitable access or
participation. Your description need not be lengthy; you may provide a
clear and succinct description of how you plan to address those barriers
that are applicable to your circumstances. In addition, the information
may be provided in a single narrative, or, if appropriate, may be
discussed in connection with related topics in the application.

**NOTE**: **A general statement of an applicant's nondiscriminatory
hiring policy is not sufficient to meet this requirement. Applicants
must identify potential barriers and explain steps they will take to
overcome these barriers**.

Section 427 is not intended to duplicate the requirements of civil
rights statutes, but rather to ensure that, in designing their projects,
applicants for federal funds address equity concerns that may affect the
ability of certain potential beneficiaries to fully participate in the
project and to achieve to high standards. Consistent with program
requirements and its approved application, an applicant may use the
federal funds awarded to eliminate barriers it identifies.

**Examples**

The following examples help illustrate how an applicant may comply with
section 427.

1.  An applicant that proposes to carry out an adult literacy project
    serving, among others, adults with limited English proficiency,
    might describe in its application how it intends to distribute a
    brochure about the proposed project to such potential participants
    in their native language.

2.  An applicant that proposes to develop instructional materials for
    classroom use might describe how it will make the materials
    available on audiotape or in Braille for students who are blind.

3.  An applicant that proposes to carry out a model science program for
    secondary students and is concerned that girls may be less likely
    than boys to enroll in the course might indicate how it tends to
    conduct "outreach" efforts to girls to encourage their enrollment.

We recognize that many applicants may already be implementing effective
steps to ensure equity of access and participation in their projects,
and we appreciate your cooperation in responding to the requirements of
this provision.

###### Paperwork Reduction Act 

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for the
information collection is OMB #1890-0009. The time required to complete
the information collection is estimated to average 20 hours per
response, including the time to review instructions, search existing
data resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and
review the information collection.

If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s)
or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department
of Education, Washington, DC 20202-4651.

**If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your
individual submission of this form, write directly to**:

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Room 10102, Potomac Center Plaza

Washington, Dc 20202

**Instructions for Standard Forms**

-   Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424)

-   Department of Education Supplemental Form for the Standard Form 424

-   Department of Education Budget Information -- Non-Construction
    Programs (ED Form 524)

-   Assurances - Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B)

-   Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL)

-   Grants.gov Lobbying Form

##  Instructions for Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) {#instructions-for-application-for-federal-assistance-standard-form-424 .unnumbered}

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated
to average 60 minutes per response, including time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining
the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for
reducing this burden, to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork
Reduction Project (0348-0043), Washington, DC 20503.

**PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR COMPLETED FORM TO THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT
AND BUDGET. SEND IT TO THE ADDRESS PROVIDED BY THE SPONSORING AGENCY.**

> This is a standard form (including the continuation sheet) required
> for use as a cover sheet for submission of preapplications and
> applications and related information under discretionary programs.
> Some of the items are required and some are optional at the discretion
> of the applicant or the Federal agency (agency). Required items are
> identified with an asterisk on the form and are specified in the
> instructions below. In addition to the instructions provided below,
> applicants must consult agency instructions to determine specific
> requirements.

+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
| I | Entry:          |               | I | Entry:                    |
| t |                 |               | t |                           |
| e |                 |               | e |                           |
| m |                 |               | m |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
| 1 | **Type of       |               | 1 | **Name Of Federal         |
| \ | Submission:**   |               | 0 | Agency**: (Required)      |
| . | (Required):     |               | \ | Enter the name of the     |
|   | Select one type |               | . | Federal agency from which |
|   | of submission   |               |   | assistance is being       |
|   | in accordance   |               |   | requested with this       |
|   | with agency     |               |   | application.              |
|   | instructions.   |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   | -               |               |   |                           |
|   |  Preapplication |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   | -   Application |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   | -   Ch          |               |   |                           |
|   | anged/Corrected |               |   |                           |
|   |     Application |               |   |                           |
|   |     -- If       |               |   |                           |
|   |     requested   |               |   |                           |
|   |     by the      |               |   |                           |
|   |     agency,     |               |   |                           |
|   |     check if    |               |   |                           |
|   |     this        |               |   |                           |
|   |     submission  |               |   |                           |
|   |     is to       |               |   |                           |
|   |     change or   |               |   |                           |
|   |     correct a   |               |   |                           |
|   |     previously  |               |   |                           |
|   |     submitted   |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   |    application. |               |   |                           |
|   |     Unless      |               |   |                           |
|   |     requested   |               |   |                           |
|   |     by the      |               |   |                           |
|   |     agency,     |               |   |                           |
|   |     applicants  |               |   |                           |
|   |     may not use |               |   |                           |
|   |     this to     |               |   |                           |
|   |     submit      |               |   |                           |
|   |     changes     |               |   |                           |
|   |     after the   |               |   |                           |
|   |     closing     |               |   |                           |
|   |     date.       |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               | 1 | **Catalog Of Federal      |
|   |                 |               | 1 | Domestic Assistance       |
|   |                 |               | \ | Number/Title:** Enter the |
|   |                 |               | . | Catalog of Federal        |
|   |                 |               |   | Domestic Assistance       |
|   |                 |               |   | number and title of the   |
|   |                 |               |   | program under which       |
|   |                 |               |   | assistance is requested,  |
|   |                 |               |   | as found in the program   |
|   |                 |               |   | announcement, if          |
|   |                 |               |   | applicable.               |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
| 2 | Type of         |               | 1 | **Funding Opportunity     |
| \ | Application:    |               | 2 | Number/Title:**           |
| . | (Required)      |               | \ | (Required) Enter the      |
|   | Select one type |               | . | Funding Opportunity       |
|   | of application  |               |   | Number and title of the   |
|   | in accordance   |               |   | opportunity under which   |
|   | with agency     |               |   | assistance is requested,  |
|   | instructions.   |               |   | as found in the program   |
|   |                 |               |   | announcement.             |
|   | -   New -- An   |               |   |                           |
|   |     application |               |   |                           |
|   |     that is     |               |   |                           |
|   |     being       |               |   |                           |
|   |     submitted   |               |   |                           |
|   |     to an       |               |   |                           |
|   |     agency for  |               |   |                           |
|   |     the first   |               |   |                           |
|   |     time.       |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   | -               |               |   |                           |
|   |  Continuation - |               |   |                           |
|   |     An          |               |   |                           |
|   |     extension   |               |   |                           |
|   |     for an      |               |   |                           |
|   |     additional  |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   |  funding/budget |               |   |                           |
|   |     period for  |               |   |                           |
|   |     a project   |               |   |                           |
|   |     with a      |               |   |                           |
|   |     projected   |               |   |                           |
|   |     completion  |               |   |                           |
|   |     date. This  |               |   |                           |
|   |     can include |               |   |                           |
|   |     renewals.   |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   | ```{=html}      |               |   |                           |
|   | <!-- -->        |               |   |                           |
|   | ```             |               |   |                           |
|   | -   Revision -  |               |   |                           |
|   |     Any change  |               |   |                           |
|   |     in the      |               |   |                           |
|   |     Federal     |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   |    Government's |               |   |                           |
|   |     financial   |               |   |                           |
|   |     obligation  |               |   |                           |
|   |     or          |               |   |                           |
|   |     contingent  |               |   |                           |
|   |     liability   |               |   |                           |
|   |     from an     |               |   |                           |
|   |     existing    |               |   |                           |
|   |     obligation. |               |   |                           |
|   |     If a        |               |   |                           |
|   |     revision,   |               |   |                           |
|   |     enter the   |               |   |                           |
|   |     appropriate |               |   |                           |
|   |     letter(s).  |               |   |                           |
|   |     More than   |               |   |                           |
|   |     one may be  |               |   |                           |
|   |     selected.   |               |   |                           |
|   |     If          |               |   |                           |
|   |     \"Other\"   |               |   |                           |
|   |     is          |               |   |                           |
|   |     selected,   |               |   |                           |
|   |     please      |               |   |                           |
|   |     specify in  |               |   |                           |
|   |     text box    |               |   |                           |
|   |     provided.   |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   | > A. Increase   |               |   |                           |
|   | > Award B.      |               |   |                           |
|   | > Decrease      |               |   |                           |
|   | > Award         |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   | C. Increase     |               |   |                           |
|   | Duration D.     |               |   |                           |
|   | Decrease        |               |   |                           |
|   | Duration        |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   | E. Other        |               |   |                           |
|   | (specify)       |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               | 1 | **Competition             |
|   |                 |               | 3 | Identification            |
|   |                 |               | \ | Number/Title:** Enter the |
|   |                 |               | . | Competition               |
|   |                 |               |   | Identification Number and |
|   |                 |               |   | title of the competition  |
|   |                 |               |   | under which assistance is |
|   |                 |               |   | requested, if applicable. |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               | 1 | **Areas Affected By       |
|   |                 |               | 4 | Project:** List the areas |
|   |                 |               | \ | or entities using the     |
|   |                 |               | . | categories (e.g., cities, |
|   |                 |               |   | counties, States, etc.)   |
|   |                 |               |   | specified in agency       |
|   |                 |               |   | instructions. Use the     |
|   |                 |               |   | continuation sheet to     |
|   |                 |               |   | enter additional areas,   |
|   |                 |               |   | if needed.                |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
| 3 | **Date          |               | 1 | **Descriptive Title of    |
| \ | Received:**     |               | 5 | Applicant's Project:**    |
| . | Leave this      |               | \ | (Required) Enter a brief  |
|   | field blank.    |               | . | descriptive title of the  |
|   | This date will  |               |   | project. If appropriate,  |
|   | be assigned by  |               |   | attach a map showing      |
|   | the Federal     |               |   | project location (e.g.,   |
|   | agency.         |               |   | construction or real      |
|   |                 |               |   | property projects). For   |
|   |                 |               |   | preapplications, attach a |
|   |                 |               |   | summary description of    |
|   |                 |               |   | the project.              |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
| 4 | **Applicant     |               |   |                           |
| \ | Identifier**:   |               |   |                           |
| . | Enter the       |               |   |                           |
|   | entity          |               |   |                           |
|   | identifier      |               |   |                           |
|   | assigned by the |               |   |                           |
|   | Federal agency, |               |   |                           |
|   | if any, or      |               |   |                           |
|   | applicant's     |               |   |                           |
|   | control number, |               |   |                           |
|   | if applicable.  |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
| 5 | **Federal       |               | 1 | **Congressional Districts |
| a | Entity          |               | 6 | Of**: (Required) 16a.     |
|   | Identifier**:   |               | \ | Enter the applicant's     |
|   | Enter the       |               | . | Congressional District,   |
|   | number assigned |               |   | and 16b. Enter all        |
|   | to your         |               |   | District(s) affected by   |
|   | organization by |               |   | the program or project.   |
|   | the Federal     |               |   | Enter in the format: 2    |
|   | Agency, if any. |               |   | characters State          |
|   |                 |               |   | Abbreviation -- 2-3       |
|   |                 |               |   | characters District       |
|   |                 |               |   | Number, e.g., CA-12 for   |
|   |                 |               |   | California 12^th^         |
|   |                 |               |   | district, NC-103 for      |
|   |                 |               |   | North Carolina's 103^rd^  |
|   |                 |               |   | district.                 |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   | -   If all congressional  |
|   |                 |               |   |     districts in a State  |
|   |                 |               |   |     are affected, enter   |
|   |                 |               |   |     "all" for the         |
|   |                 |               |   |     district number,      |
|   |                 |               |   |     e.g., MD-all for all  |
|   |                 |               |   |     congressional         |
|   |                 |               |   |     districts in          |
|   |                 |               |   |     Maryland.             |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   | -   If nationwide, i.e.   |
|   |                 |               |   |     all districts within  |
|   |                 |               |   |     all States are        |
|   |                 |               |   |     affected, enter       |
|   |                 |               |   |     US-all.               |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   | -   If the                |
|   |                 |               |   |     program/project is    |
|   |                 |               |   |     outside the US, enter |
|   |                 |               |   |     00-000.               |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
| 5 | **Federal Award |               |   |                           |
| b | Identifier**:   |               |   |                           |
| . | For new         |               |   |                           |
|   | applications    |               |   |                           |
|   | leave blank.    |               |   |                           |
|   | For a           |               |   |                           |
|   | continuation or |               |   |                           |
|   | revision to an  |               |   |                           |
|   | existing award, |               |   |                           |
|   | enter the       |               |   |                           |
|   | previously      |               |   |                           |
|   | assigned        |               |   |                           |
|   | Federal award   |               |   |                           |
|   | identifier      |               |   |                           |
|   | number. If a    |               |   |                           |
|   | ch              |               |   |                           |
|   | anged/corrected |               |   |                           |
|   | application,    |               |   |                           |
|   | enter the       |               |   |                           |
|   | Federal         |               |   |                           |
|   | Identifier in   |               |   |                           |
|   | accordance with |               |   |                           |
|   | agency          |               |   |                           |
|   | instructions.   |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
| 6 | **Date Received |               |   |                           |
| \ | by State:**     |               |   |                           |
| . | Leave this      |               |   |                           |
|   | field blank.    |               |   |                           |
|   | This date will  |               |   |                           |
|   | be assigned by  |               |   |                           |
|   | the State, if   |               |   |                           |
|   | applicable.     |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
| 7 | **State         |               |   |                           |
| \ | Application     |               |   |                           |
| . | Identifier:**   |               |   |                           |
|   | Leave this      |               |   |                           |
|   | field blank.    |               |   |                           |
|   | This identifier |               |   |                           |
|   | will be         |               |   |                           |
|   | assigned by the |               |   |                           |
|   | State, if       |               |   |                           |
|   | applicable.     |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
| 8 | **Applicant     |               |   |                           |
| \ | Information**:  |               |   |                           |
| . | Enter the       |               |   |                           |
|   | following in    |               |   |                           |
|   | accordance with |               |   |                           |
|   | agency          |               |   |                           |
|   | instructions:   |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   | **a. Legal      |               |   |                           |
|   | Name**:         |               |   |                           |
|   | (Required):     |               |   |                           |
|   | Enter the legal |               |   |                           |
|   | name of         |               |   |                           |
|   | applicant that  |               |   |                           |
|   | will undertake  |               |   |                           |
|   | the assistance  |               |   |                           |
|   | activity. This  |               |   |                           |
|   | is the name     |               |   |                           |
|   | that the        |               |   |                           |
|   | organization    |               |   |                           |
|   | has registered  |               |   |                           |
|   | with the        |               |   |                           |
|   | Central         |               |   |                           |
|   | Contractor      |               |   |                           |
|   | Registry.       |               |   |                           |
|   | Information on  |               |   |                           |
|   | registering     |               |   |                           |
|   | with CCR may be |               |   |                           |
|   | obtained by     |               |   |                           |
|   | visiting the    |               |   |                           |
|   | Grants.gov      |               |   |                           |
|   | website.        |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               | 1 | **Proposed Project Start  |
|   |                 |               | 7 | and End Dates**:          |
|   |                 |               | \ | (Required) Enter the      |
|   |                 |               | . | proposed start date and   |
|   |                 |               |   | end date of the project.  |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   | **b.            |               |   |                           |
|   | Em              |               |   |                           |
|   | ployer/Taxpayer |               |   |                           |
|   | Number          |               |   |                           |
|   | (EIN/TIN):**    |               |   |                           |
|   | (Required):     |               |   |                           |
|   | Enter the       |               |   |                           |
|   | Employer or     |               |   |                           |
|   | Taxpayer        |               |   |                           |
|   | Identification  |               |   |                           |
|   | Number (EIN or  |               |   |                           |
|   | TIN) as         |               |   |                           |
|   | assigned by the |               |   |                           |
|   | Internal        |               |   |                           |
|   | Revenue         |               |   |                           |
|   | Service. If     |               |   |                           |
|   | your            |               |   |                           |
|   | organization is |               |   |                           |
|   | not in the US,  |               |   |                           |
|   | enter           |               |   |                           |
|   | 44-4444444.     |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               | 1 | **Estimated Funding:**    |
|   |                 |               | 8 | (Required) Enter the      |
|   |                 |               | \ | amount requested or to be |
|   |                 |               | . | contributed during the    |
|   |                 |               |   | first funding/budget      |
|   |                 |               |   | period by each            |
|   |                 |               |   | contributor. Value of     |
|   |                 |               |   | in-kind contributions     |
|   |                 |               |   | should be included on     |
|   |                 |               |   | appropriate lines, as     |
|   |                 |               |   | applicable. If the action |
|   |                 |               |   | will result in a dollar   |
|   |                 |               |   | change to an existing     |
|   |                 |               |   | award, indicate only the  |
|   |                 |               |   | amount of the change. For |
|   |                 |               |   | decreases, enclose the    |
|   |                 |               |   | amounts in parentheses.   |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   | **c.            |               |   |                           |
|   | Organizational  |               |   |                           |
|   | DUNS**:         |               |   |                           |
|   | (Required)      |               |   |                           |
|   | Enter the       |               |   |                           |
|   | organization's  |               |   |                           |
|   | DUNS or DUNS+4  |               |   |                           |
|   | number received |               |   |                           |
|   | from Dun and    |               |   |                           |
|   | Bradstreet.     |               |   |                           |
|   | Information on  |               |   |                           |
|   | obtaining a     |               |   |                           |
|   | DUNS number may |               |   |                           |
|   | be obtained by  |               |   |                           |
|   | visiting the    |               |   |                           |
|   | Grants.gov      |               |   |                           |
|   | website.        |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   | **d. Address**: |               |   |                           |
|   | Enter the       |               |   |                           |
|   | complete        |               |   |                           |
|   | address as      |               |   |                           |
|   | follows: Street |               |   |                           |
|   | address (Line 1 |               |   |                           |
|   | required), City |               |   |                           |
|   | (Required),     |               |   |                           |
|   | County, State   |               |   |                           |
|   | (Required, if   |               |   |                           |
|   | country is US), |               |   |                           |
|   | Province,       |               |   |                           |
|   | Country         |               |   |                           |
|   | (Required),     |               |   |                           |
|   | Zip/Postal Code |               |   |                           |
|   | (Required, if   |               |   |                           |
|   | country is US). |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               | 1 | **Is Application Subject  |
|   |                 |               | 9 | to Review by State Under  |
|   |                 |               | \ | Executive Order 12372     |
|   |                 |               | . | Process?** Applicants     |
|   |                 |               |   | should contact the State  |
|   |                 |               |   | Single Point of Contact   |
|   |                 |               |   | (SPOC) for Federal        |
|   |                 |               |   | Executive Order 12372 to  |
|   |                 |               |   | determine whether the     |
|   |                 |               |   | application is subject to |
|   |                 |               |   | the State                 |
|   |                 |               |   | intergovernmental review  |
|   |                 |               |   | process. Select the       |
|   |                 |               |   | appropriate box. If "a."  |
|   |                 |               |   | is selected, enter the    |
|   |                 |               |   | date the application was  |
|   |                 |               |   | submitted to the State    |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   | **e.            |               |   |                           |
|   | Organizational  |               |   |                           |
|   | Unit:** Enter   |               |   |                           |
|   | the name of the |               |   |                           |
|   | primary         |               |   |                           |
|   | organizational  |               |   |                           |
|   | unit (and       |               |   |                           |
|   | department or   |               |   |                           |
|   | division, if    |               |   |                           |
|   | applicable**)** |               |   |                           |
|   | that will       |               |   |                           |
|   | undertake the   |               |   |                           |
|   | assistance      |               |   |                           |
|   | activity, if    |               |   |                           |
|   | applicable.     |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   | **f. Name and   |               |   |                           |
|   | contact         |               |   |                           |
|   | information of  |               |   |                           |
|   | person to be    |               |   |                           |
|   | contacted on    |               |   |                           |
|   | matters         |               |   |                           |
|   | involving this  |               |   |                           |
|   | application**:  |               |   |                           |
|   | Enter the name  |               |   |                           |
|   | (First and last |               |   |                           |
|   | name required), |               |   |                           |
|   | organizational  |               |   |                           |
|   | affiliation (if |               |   |                           |
|   | affiliated with |               |   |                           |
|   | an organization |               |   |                           |
|   | other than the  |               |   |                           |
|   | applicant       |               |   |                           |
|   | organization),  |               |   |                           |
|   | telephone       |               |   |                           |
|   | number          |               |   |                           |
|   | (Required), fax |               |   |                           |
|   | number, and     |               |   |                           |
|   | email address   |               |   |                           |
|   | (Required) of   |               |   |                           |
|   | the person to   |               |   |                           |
|   | contact on      |               |   |                           |
|   | matters related |               |   |                           |
|   | to this         |               |   |                           |
|   | application.    |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               | 2 | **Is the Applicant        |
|   |                 |               | 0 | Delinquent on any Federal |
|   |                 |               | \ | Debt?** (Required) Select |
|   |                 |               | . | the appropriate box. This |
|   |                 |               |   | question applies to the   |
|   |                 |               |   | applicant organization,   |
|   |                 |               |   | not the person who signs  |
|   |                 |               |   | as the authorized         |
|   |                 |               |   | representative.           |
|   |                 |               |   | Categories of debt        |
|   |                 |               |   | include delinquent audit  |
|   |                 |               |   | disallowances, loans and  |
|   |                 |               |   | taxes.                    |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   | If yes, include an        |
|   |                 |               |   | explanation on the        |
|   |                 |               |   | continuation sheet.       |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
| 9 | Type of         |               | 2 | **Authorized              |
| \ | Applicant:      |               | 1 | Representative**:         |
| . | (Required)      |               | \ | (Required) To be signed   |
|   |                 |               | . | and dated by the          |
|   | Select up to    |               |   | authorized representative |
|   | three applicant |               |   | of the applicant          |
|   | type(s) in      |               |   | organization. Enter the   |
|   | accordance with |               |   | name (First and last name |
|   | agency          |               |   | required) title           |
|   | instructions.   |               |   | (Required), telephone     |
|   |                 |               |   | number (Required), fax    |
|   |                 |               |   | number, and email address |
|   |                 |               |   | (Required) of the person  |
|   |                 |               |   | authorized to sign for    |
|   |                 |               |   | the applicant.            |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   | A copy of the governing   |
|   |                 |               |   | body's authorization for  |
|   |                 |               |   | you to sign this          |
|   |                 |               |   | application as the        |
|   |                 |               |   | official representative   |
|   |                 |               |   | must be on file in the    |
|   |                 |               |   | applicant's office.       |
|   |                 |               |   | (Certain Federal agencies |
|   |                 |               |   | may require that this     |
|   |                 |               |   | authorization be          |
|   |                 |               |   | submitted as part of the  |
|   |                 |               |   | application.)             |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   | A.  State       | L.  Nonprofit |   |                           |
|   |     Government  |     with      |   |                           |
|   |                 |     501C3 IRS |   |                           |
|   | ```{=html}      |     Status    |   |                           |
|   | <!-- -->        |     (Other    |   |                           |
|   | ```             |     than      |   |                           |
|   | A.  County      |               |   |                           |
|   |     Government  |   Institution |   |                           |
|   |                 |     of Higher |   |                           |
|   | B.  City or     |               |   |                           |
|   |     Township    |    Education) |   |                           |
|   |     Government  |               |   |                           |
|   |                 | M.  Nonprofit |   |                           |
|   | C.  Special     |     without   |   |                           |
|   |     District    |     501C3 IRS |   |                           |
|   |     Government  |     Status    |   |                           |
|   |                 |     (Other    |   |                           |
|   | D.  Regional    |     than      |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   |    Organization |   Institution |   |                           |
|   |                 |     of Higher |   |                           |
|   | E.  U.S.        |               |   |                           |
|   |     Territory   |    Education) |   |                           |
|   |     or          |               |   |                           |
|   |     Possession  | N.  Private   |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   | F.  Independent |   Institution |   |                           |
|   |     School      |     of Higher |   |                           |
|   |     District    |     Education |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   | G               | O             |   |                           |
|   | .  Public/State | .  Individual |   |                           |
|   |     Controlled  |               |   |                           |
|   |     Institution | P             |   |                           |
|   |     of Higher   | .  For-Profit |   |                           |
|   |     Education   |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |  Organization |   |                           |
|   | H.              |     (Other    |   |                           |
|   |   Indian/Native |     than      |   |                           |
|   |     American    |     Small     |   |                           |
|   |     Tribal      |     Business) |   |                           |
|   |     Government  |               |   |                           |
|   |     (Federally  | Q.  Small     |   |                           |
|   |     Recognized) |     Business  |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   | I.              | R.  His       |   |                           |
|   |   Indian/Native | panic-serving |   |                           |
|   |     American    |               |   |                           |
|   |     Tribal      |   Institution |   |                           |
|   |     Government  |               |   |                           |
|   |     (Other than | S.            |   |                           |
|   |     Federally   |  Historically |   |                           |
|   |     Recognized) |     Black     |   |                           |
|   |                 |     Colleges  |   |                           |
|   | J.              |     and       |   |                           |
|   |   Indian/Native |               |   |                           |
|   |     American    |  Universities |   |                           |
|   |     Tribally    |     (HBCUs)   |   |                           |
|   |     Designated  |               |   |                           |
|   |                 | T.  Tribally  |   |                           |
|   |    Organization |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |    Controlled |   |                           |
|   | K.              |     Colleges  |   |                           |
|   |   Public/Indian |     and       |   |                           |
|   |     Housing     |               |   |                           |
|   |     Authority   |  Universities |   |                           |
|   |                 |     (TCCUs)   |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   |                 | U.  Alaska    |   |                           |
|   |                 |     Native    |   |                           |
|   |                 |     and       |   |                           |
|   |                 |     Native    |   |                           |
|   |                 |     Hawaiian  |   |                           |
|   |                 |     Serving   |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   |                 |  Institutions |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   |                 | V.            |   |                           |
|   |                 |  Non-domestic |   |                           |
|   |                 |     (non-US)  |   |                           |
|   |                 |     Entity    |   |                           |
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
|   |                 | W.  Other     |   |                           |
|   |                 |     (specify) |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+
|   |                 |               |   |                           |
+---+-----------------+---------------+---+---------------------------+

**Instructions for Department of Education**

**Supplemental Information for Standard Form 424**

**1. Project Director.** Name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and
e-mail address of the person to be contacted on matters involving this
application.

**2. Novice Applicant.** Check **"Yes"** or "**No**" only if assistance
is being requested under a program that gives special consideration to
novice applicants. Otherwise, **leave blank.**

Check "**Yes"** if you meet the requirements for novice applicants
specified in the regulations in 34 CFR 75.225 and included on the
attached page entitled "Definitions for Department of Education
Supplemental Information for SF 424." By checking "Yes" the applicant
certifies that it meets these novice applicant requirements. Check
"**No**" if you do not meet the requirements for novice applicants**.**

**3. Human Subjects Research.** (See I. A. "Definitions" in attached
page entitled "Definitions for Department of Education Supplemental
Information for SF 424.")

**If Not Human Subjects Research.** Check "**No**" if research
activities involving human subjects are not planned at any time during
the proposed project period. The remaining parts of Item 3 are then not
applicable.

**If Human Subjects Research.** Check "**Yes**" if research activities
involving human subjects are planned at any time during the proposed
project period, either at the applicant organization or at any other
performance site or collaborating institution. Check "**Yes**" even if
the research is exempt from the regulations for the protection of human
subjects. (See I. B. "Exemptions" in attached page entitled "Definitions
for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424.")

**3a. If Human Subjects Research is Exempt from the Human Subjects
Regulations.** Check "**Yes**" if all the research activities proposed
are designated to be exempt from the regulations. Insert the exemption
number(s) corresponding to one or more of the six exemption categories
listed in I. B. "Exemptions." In addition, follow the instructions in
II. A. "Exempt Research Narrative" in the attached page entitled
"Definitions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF
424."

**3a. If Human Subjects Research is Not Exempt from Human Subjects
Regulations.** Check "**No**" if some or all of the planned research
activities are covered (not exempt). In addition, follow the
instructions in II. B. "Nonexempt Research Narrative" in the page
entitled "Definitions for Department of Education Supplemental
Information for SF 424.

**3a. Human Subjects Assurance Number.** If the applicant has an
approved Federal Wide (FWA) on file with the Office for Human Research
Protections (OHRP), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that
covers the specific activity, insert the number in the space provided.
If the applicant does not have an approved assurance on file with OHRP,
enter "None." In this case, the applicant, by signature on the SF-424,
is declaring that it will comply with 34 CFR 97 and proceed to obtain
the human subjects assurance upon request by the designated ED official.
If the application is recommended/selected for funding, the designated
ED official will request that the applicant obtain the assurance within
30 days after the specific formal request.

**Note about Institutional Review Board Approval.** ED does not require
certification of Institutional Review Board approval with the
application. However, if an application that involves non-exempt human
subjects research is recommended/selected for funding, the designated ED
official will request that the applicant obtain and send the
certification to ED within 30 days after the formal request.

##  *Paperwork Burden Statement*. *According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1890-0017. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average between 15 and 45 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4700. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form write directly to: Joyce I. Mays, Application Control Center, U.S. Department of Education, Potomac Center Plaza, 550 12^th^ Street, S.W. Room 7076, Washington, D.C. 20202-4260*. 

**Definitions for Department of Education**

**Supplemental Information for Standard Form 424**

**Definitions:**

**Novice Applicant (See 34 CFR 75.225**). For discretionary grant
programs under which the Secretary gives special consideration to novice
applications, a novice applicant means any applicant for a grant from ED
that---

-   Has never received a grant or subgrant under the program from which
    it seeks funding;

-   Has never been a member of a group application, submitted in
    accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, that received a grant under
    the program from which it seeks funding; and

-   Has not had an active discretionary grant from the Federal
    government in the five years before the deadline date for
    applications under the program. For the purposes of this
    requirement, a grant is active until the end of the grant's project
    or funding period, including any extensions of those periods that
    extend the grantee's authority to obligate funds.

In the case of a group application submitted in accordance with 34 CFR
75.127-75.129, a group includes only parties that meet the requirements
listed above.

#### PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS IN RESEARCH

**I. Definitions and Exemptions**

**A. Definitions.**

A research activity involves human subjects if the activity is research,
as defined in the Department's regulations, and the research activity
will involve use of human subjects, as defined in the regulations.

---**Research**

The ED Regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects, Title 34, Code
of Federal Regulations, Part 97, define research as "a systematic
investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation,
designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge." *If an
activity follows a deliberate plan whose purpose is to develop or
contribute to generalizable knowledge it is research.* Activities which
meet this definition constitute research whether or not they are
conducted or supported under a program that is considered research for
other purposes. For example, some demonstration and service programs may
include research activities.

**---Human Subject**

The regulations define human subject as "a living individual about whom
an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research
obtains (1) data through intervention or interaction with the
individual, or (2) identifiable private information." *(1) If an
activity involves obtaining information about a living person by
manipulating that person or that person's environment, as might occur
when a new instructional technique is tested, or by communicating or
interacting with the individual, as occurs with surveys and interviews,
the definition of human subject is met. (2) If an activity involves
obtaining private information about a living person in such a way that
the information can be linked to that individual (the identity of the
subject is or may be readily determined by the investigator or
associated with the information), the definition of human subject is
met.* \[Private information includes information about behavior that
occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect that no
observation or recording is taking place, and information which has been
provided for specific purposes by an individual and which the individual
can reasonably expect will not be made public (for example, a school
health record).\]

**B. Exemptions.**

Research activities in which the **[only]{.underline}** involvement of
human subjects will be in one or more of the following six categories of
***exemptions*** are not covered by the regulations:

\(1\) Research conducted in established or commonly accepted educational
settings, involving normal educational practices, such as (a) research
on regular and special education instructional strategies, or (b)
research on the effectiveness of or the comparison among instructional
techniques, curricula, or classroom management methods.

\(2\) Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive,
diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview
procedures or observation of public behavior, unless: (a) information
obtained is recorded in such a manner that human subjects can be
identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects; and
(b) any disclosure of the human subjects' responses outside the research
could reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil
liability or be damaging to the subjects' financial standing,
employability, or reputation. ***If the subjects are children, exemption
2 applies only to research involving educational tests and observations
of public behavior when the investigator(s) do not participate in the
activities being observed. Exemption 2 does not apply if children are
surveyed or interviewed or if the research involves observation of
public behavior and the investigator(s) participate in the activities
being observed.*** \[Children are defined as persons who have not
attained the legal age for consent to treatments or procedures involved
in the research, under the applicable law or jurisdiction in which the
research will be conducted.\]

\(3\) Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive,
diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview
procedures or observation of public behavior that is not exempt under
section (2) above, if the human subjects are elected or appointed public
officials or candidates for public office; or federal statute(s)
require(s) without exception that the confidentiality of the personally
identifiable information will be maintained throughout the research and
thereafter.

\(4\) Research involving the collection or study of existing data,
documents, records, pathological specimens, or diagnostic specimens, if
these sources are publicly available or if the information is recorded
by the investigator in a manner that subjects cannot be identified,
directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects.

\(5\) Research and demonstration projects which are conducted by or
subject to the approval of department or agency heads, and which are
designed to study, evaluate, or otherwise examine: (a) public benefit or
service programs; (b) procedures for obtaining benefits or services
under those programs; (c) possible changes in or alternatives to those
programs or procedures; or (d) possible changes in methods or levels of
payment for benefits or services under those programs.

\(6\) Taste and food quality evaluation and consumer acceptance studies,
(a) if wholesome foods without additives are consumed or (b) if a food
is consumed that contains a food ingredient at or below the level and
for a use found to be safe, or agricultural chemical or environmental
contaminant at or below the level found to be safe, by the Food and Drug
Administration or approved by the Environmental Protection Agency or the
Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.

**II. Instructions for Exempt and Nonexempt Human Subjects Research
Narratives**

If the applicant marked "Yes" for Item 3 of Department of Education
Supplemental Information for SF 424, the applicant must provide a human
subjects "exempt research" or "nonexempt research" narrative. Insert the
narrative(s) in the space provided. If you have multiple projects and
need to provide more than one narrative, be sure to label each set of
responses as to the project they address.

**A. Exempt Research Narrative.**

If you marked "Yes" for item 3 a. and designated exemption numbers(s),
provide the "exempt research" narrative. The narrative must contain
sufficient information about the involvement of human subjects in the
proposed research to allow a determination by ED that the designated
exemption(s) are appropriate. The narrative must be succinct.

**B. Nonexempt Research Narrative.**

If you marked "No" for item 3 a. you must provide the "nonexempt
research" narrative. The narrative must address the following seven
points. Although no specific page limitation applies to this section of
the application, be succinct.

\(1\) **Human Subjects Involvement and Characteristics**: Provide a
detailed description of the proposed involvement of human subjects.
Describe the characteristics of the subject population, including their
anticipated number, age range, and health status. Identify the criteria
for inclusion or exclusion of any subpopulation. Explain the rationale
for the involvement of special classes of subjects, such as children,
children with disabilities, adults with disabilities, persons with
mental disabilities, pregnant women, prisoners, institutionalized
individuals, or others who are likely to be vulnerable.

\(2\) **Sources of Materials**: Identify the sources of research
material obtained from individually identifiable living human subjects
in the form of specimens, records, or data. Indicate whether the
material or data will be obtained specifically for research purposes or
whether use will be made of existing specimens, records, or data.

\(3\) **Recruitment and Informed Consent**: Describe plans for the
recruitment of subjects and the consent procedures to be followed.
Include the circumstances under which consent will be sought and
obtained, who will seek it, the nature of the information to be provided
to prospective subjects, and the method of documenting consent. State if
the Institutional Review Board (IRB) has authorized a modification or
waiver of the elements of consent or the requirement for documentation
of consent.

\(4\) **Potential Risks**: Describe potential risks (physical,
psychological, social, legal, or other) and assess their likelihood and
seriousness. Where appropriate, describe alternative treatments and
procedures that might be advantageous to the subjects.

\(5\) **Protection Against Risk**: Describe the procedures for
protecting against or minimizing potential risks, including risks to
confidentiality, and assess their likely effectiveness. Where
appropriate, discuss provisions for ensuring necessary medical or
professional intervention in the event of adverse effects to the
subjects. Also, where appropriate, describe the provisions for
monitoring the data collected to ensure the safety of the subjects.

\(6\) **Importance of the Knowledge to be Gained**: Discuss the
importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained as a result of the
proposed research. Discuss why the risks to subjects are reasonable in
relation to the anticipated benefits to subjects and in relation to the
importance of the knowledge that may reasonably be expected to result.

\(7\) **Collaborating Site(s)**: If research involving human subjects
will take place at collaborating site(s) or other performance site(s),
name the sites and briefly describe their involvement or role in the
research.

***Copies of the Department of Education's Regulations for the
Protection of Human Subjects, 34 CFR Part 97 and other pertinent
materials on the protection of human subjects in research are available
from the Grants Policy and Oversight Staff, Office of the Chief
Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.
20202-4250, telephone: (202) 245-6120, and on the U.S. Department of
Education's Protection of Human Subjects in Research Web Site:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/OCFO/humansub.html***

NOTE: The **State Applicant Identifier** on the SF 424 is for State Use
only. Please complete it on the OMB Standard 424 in the upper right
corner of the form (if applicable).

Instructions for Department of Education Budget Information --

Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524)

General Instructions

This form is used to apply to individual U.S. Department of Education
(ED) discretionary grant programs. Unless directed otherwise, provide
the same budget information for each year of the multi-year funding
request. Pay attention to applicable program specific instructions, if
attached. Please consult with your Business Office prior to submitting
this form.

[Section A - Budget Summary]{.underline}

[U.S. Department of Education Funds]{.underline}

All applicants must complete Section A and provide a breakdown by the
applicable budget categories shown in lines 1-11.

Lines 1-11, columns (a)-(e): For each project year for which funding is
requested, show the total amount requested for each applicable budget
category.

Lines 1-11, column (f): Show the multi-year total for each budget
category. If funding is requested for only one project year, leave this
column blank.

Line 12, columns (a)-(e): Show the total budget request for each project
year for which funding is requested.

Line 12, column (f): Show the total amount requested for all project
years. If funding is requested for only one year, leave this space
blank.

Indirect Cost Information:\
If you are requesting reimbursement for indirect costs on line 10, this
information is to be completed by your Business Office. (1): Indicate
whether or not your organization has an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement
that was approved by the Federal government. (2): If you checked "yes"
in (1), indicate in (2) the beginning and ending dates covered by the
Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. In addition, indicate whether ED or
another Federal agency (Other) issued the approved agreement. If you
check "Other," specify the name of the Federal agency that issued the
approved agreement. (3): If you are applying for a grant under a
Restricted Rate Program (34 CFR 75.563 or 76.563), indicate whether you
are using a restricted indirect cost rate that is included on your
approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement or whether you are using a
restricted indirect cost rate that complies with 34 CFR 76.564(c)(2).
Note: State or Local government agencies may not use the provision for a
restricted indirect cost rate specified in 34 CFR 76.564(c)(2). Check
only one response. Leave blank, if this item is not applicable.

[Section B - Budget Summary]{.underline}

[Non-Federal Funds]{.underline}

If you are required to provide or volunteer to provide matching funds or
other non-Federal resources to the project, these should be shown for
each applicable budget category on lines 1‑11 of Section B.

Lines 1-11, columns (a)-(e): For each project year, for which matching
funds or other contributions are provided, show the total contribution
for each applicable budget category.

Lines 1-11, column (f): Show the multi-year total for each budget
category. If non-Federal contributions are provided for only one year,
leave this column blank.

Line 12, columns (a)-(e): Show the total matching or other contribution
for each project year.

Line 12, column (f): Show the total amount to be contributed for all
years of the multi-year project. If non-Federal contributions are
provided for only one year, leave this space blank.

[Section C - Budget Narrative \[Attach separate sheet(s)\]]{.underline}

[Pay attention to applicable program specific instructions, if
attached.]{.underline}

1.  Provide an itemized budget breakdown, and justification by project
    year, for each budget category listed in Sections A and B. For grant
    projects that will be divided into two or more separately budgeted
    major activities or sub-projects, show for each budget category of a
    project year the breakdown of the specific expenses attributable to
    each sub-project or activity.

2.  If applicable to this program, provide the rate and base on which
    fringe benefits are calculated.

3.  If you are requesting reimbursement for indirect costs on line 10,
    this information is to be completed by your Business Office. Specify
    the estimated amount of the base to which the indirect cost rate is
    applied and the total indirect expense. Depending on the grant
    program to which you are applying and/or your approved Indirect Cost
    Rate Agreement, some direct cost budget categories in your grant
    application budget may not be included in the base and multiplied by
    your indirect cost rate. For example, you must multiply the indirect
    cost rates of "Training grants\" (34 CFR 75.562) and grants under
    programs with "Supplement not Supplant" requirements (\"Restricted
    Rate\" programs) by a "modified total direct cost" (MTDC) base (34
    CFR 75.563 or 76.563). Please indicate which costs are included and
    which costs are excluded from the base to which the indirect cost
    rate is applied.

> When calculating indirect costs (line 10) for \"Training grants\" or
> grants under \"Restricted Rate\" programs, you must refer to the
> information and examples on ED's website at:
> <http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html>.
>
> You may also contact (202) 377-3838 for additional information
> regarding calculating indirect cost rates or general indirect cost
> rate information.

4.  Provide other explanations or comments you deem necessary.

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are
required to respond to a collection of information unless such
collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control
number for this information collection is 1890-0004. The time required
to complete this information collection is estimated to vary from 13 to
22 hours per response, with an average of 17.5 hours per response,
including the time to review instructions, search existing data sources,
gather the data needed, and complete and review the information
collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time
estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to:
U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651. If you have
comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission
of this form, write directly to (insert program office), U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202.

**Instructions for Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form
LLL)**

This disclosure form shall be completed by the reporting entity, whether
subawardee or prime Federal recipient, at the initiation or receipt of a
covered Federal action, or a material change to a previous filing,
pursuant to title 31 U.S.C. section 1352. The filing of a form is
required for each payment or agreement to make payment to any lobbying
entity for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee
of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress,
or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with a covered
Federal action. Complete all items that apply for both the initial
filing and material change report. Refer to the implementing guidance
published by the Office of Management and Budget for additional
information.

1)  Identify the type of covered Federal action for which lobbying
    activity is and/or has been secured to influence the outcome of a
    covered Federal action.

2)  Identify the status of the covered Federal action.

3)  Identify the appropriate classification of this report. If this is a
    follow-up report caused by a material change to the information
    previously reported, enter the year and quarter in which the change
    occurred. Enter the date of the last previously submitted report by
    this reporting entity for this covered Federal action.

4)  Enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the
    reporting entity. Include Congressional District, if known. Check
    the appropriate classification of the reporting entity that
    designates if it is, or expects to be, a prime or subaward
    recipient. Identify the tier of the subawardee, e.g., the first
    subawardee of the prime is the 1st tier. Subawards include but are
    not limited to subcontracts, subgrants and contract awards under
    grants.

5)  If the organization filing the report in item 4 checks "Subawardee,"
    then enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the
    prime Federal recipient. Include Congressional District, if known.

6)  Enter the name of the federal agency making the award or loan
    commitment. Include at least one organizational level below agency
    name, if known. For example, Department of Transportation, United
    States Coast Guard.

7)  Enter the Federal program name or description for the covered
    Federal action (item 1). If known, enter the full Catalog of Federal
    Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for grants, cooperative
    agreements, loans, and loan commitments.

8)  Enter the most appropriate Federal identifying number available for
    the Federal action identified in item 1 (e.g., Request for Proposal
    (RFP) number; Invitations for Bid (IFB) number; grant announcement
    number; the contract, grant, or loan award number; the
    application/proposal control number assigned by the Federal agency).
    Included prefixes, e.g., "RFP-DE-90-001."

9)  For a covered Federal action where there has been an award or loan
    commitment by the Federal agency, enter the Federal amount of the
    award/loan commitment for the prime entity identified in item 4 or
    5.

10) Enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the
    lobbying registrant under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995
    engaged by the reporting entity identified in item 4 to influence
    the covered Federal action.

\(b\) Enter the full names of the individual(s) performing services, and
include full address if different from 10(a). Enter Last Name, First
Name, and Middle Initial (MI).

11) The certifying official shall sign and date the form, print his/her
    name, title, and telephone number.

**\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act, as amended, no persons are
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
valid OMB control Number. The valid OMB control number for this
information collection is OMB No. 0348-0046. Public reporting burden for
this collection of information is estimated to average 10 minutes per
response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing
data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing
and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding the
burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Office of
Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0348-0046),
Washington, DC 20503.

Application Preparation Checklist

> Application for Federal Assistance (SF Form 424) is completed
> according to the instructions and includes the nine-digit D-U-N-S
> Number and Tax Identification Number.
>
> All required forms are signed in black or blue ink and dated by an
> authorized official and the signed original is included with your
> submission.
>
> One signed original and two copies of the application, including all
> required forms and appendices plus one voluntarily submitted
> additional copy, are included. All copies are unbound and each page is
> consecutively numbered.
>
> Deadline Date: **February 24, 2009**. See Sections I and IV of this
> application package for complete application submission procedures and
> general application instructions and information.

**EACH COPY OF THE APPLICATION MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:**

-   Application for Federal Assistance (SF Form 424) - Page 1

-   Department of Education Supplemental Information Form for the SF 424

-   Project Abstract - Page 2 (one page maximum)

-   Project Narrative (up to 25 pages double-spaced)

-   All applications must include the required forms, assurances, and
    certifications, including:

-   Budget Information Form (ED Form 524) and detailed budget narrative

-   Assurances, Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B)

-   Grants.gov Lobbying Form (ED Form 80-0013)

-   Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form--LLL)

-   Narrative response to GEPA 427

-   Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants (private,
    nonprofit organizations only)

-   Copy of letter to State Single Point of Contact

-   Proof of federally negotiated indirect cost rate (if you are
    claiming indirect costs)

-   Resumes of key personnel