[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 47 (Thursday, March 10, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13143-13152]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5545]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Grant Program; Office of 
Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview Information; Striving 
Readers Comprehensive Literacy Grant Program; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.371C.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: March 10, 2011.

[[Page 13144]]

    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 1, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 9, 2011.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 5, 2011.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Striving Readers 
Comprehensive Literacy grant program (SRCL) is to advance literacy 
skills--including pre-literacy skills, reading, and writing--for 
students from birth through grade 12, including limited-English-
proficient students and students with disabilities.
    Through this program, the Department will award competitive grants 
to State educational agencies (SEAs) to support competitive subgrants 
to local educational agencies (LEAs), including charter schools that 
are considered LEAs under State law, or other eligible entities for the 
purpose of advancing literacy skills.
    Priorities: This notice contains three priorities, two of which are 
absolute and one of which is competitive preference. We are 
establishing these priorities for the FY 2011 grant competition and any 
subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applicants from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) 
of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
    Absolute Priorities: The first two priorities, Improving Learning 
Outcomes and Enabling More Data-Based Decision-Making, are absolute 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications 
that meet these priorities.
    These priorities are:

Priority 1: Improving Learning Outcomes

    Background: Improving the language and literacy development of 
disadvantaged students is essential to improving academic achievement 
for these students in all content areas. The 2009 National Assessment 
of Educational Progress (NAEP) results show disproportionately large 
numbers of disadvantaged students struggle with developing the 
necessary pre-literacy and literacy skills needed to read, comprehend, 
and use language effectively. This results in persistent gaps in 
academic achievement through the elementary and secondary school years 
and in high school graduation rates, and presents civic and economic 
difficulties for these students later in life. Meeting the language and 
literacy needs of disadvantaged students, including limited-English-
proficient students and students with disabilities, is a particular 
focus of the SRCL program.
Priority
    To meet this priority, an applicant must propose a project that is 
designed to improve school readiness and success through grade 12 in 
the area of language and literacy development for disadvantaged 
students (as defined in this notice).

Priority 2: Enabling More Data-Based Decision-Making

    Background: Accurate, timely, relevant, and appropriate data, and 
the effective use of that data for informed decision-making, are 
essential to the continuous improvement of children's literacy and 
language development. In developing comprehensive literacy plans and 
programs, it is important for States to consider strategies that 
provide educators, as well as families and other key stakeholders, with 
the data they need and the capacity and training to use those data to 
improve school readiness, respond to the learning and academic needs of 
students, improve educator effectiveness, inform professional 
development practices and approaches, and make informed decisions that 
increase student pre-literacy, literacy, and language development.
Priority
    To meet this priority, an applicant must propose a project that is 
designed to collect, analyze, and use high-quality and timely data, 
especially on program participant outcomes, in accordance with privacy 
requirements (as defined in this notice), to improve instructional 
practices, policies, and student outcomes in early learning settings 
and in elementary and secondary schools.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: The following priority is a 
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii) we award 
up to an additional five points to an application that meets this 
priority.
    This priority is:

Competitive Preference Priority: Effective Use of Technology

    Background: The effective use of technology is a critical tool for 
improving learning outcomes and providing teachers with high-quality 
professional development. Use of concepts, ideas, programming 
techniques, and computer-assisted text displays that give access to the 
text for students who cannot access traditional print, including 
limited-English-proficient children and students with disabilities, is 
a basic tenet of universal design for learning and can help improve 
students' literacy and language development and identify and address 
student learning challenges.
Priority
    To meet this priority, an applicant must (1) propose to use 
technology--which may include technology to support principles of 
universal design for learning (as defined in this notice)--to address 
student learning challenges; and (2) provide, in its application, an 
evidence-based (as defined in this notice) rationale that its proposed 
technology program, practice, or strategy will increase student 
engagement and achievement or increase teacher effectiveness.
Program Requirements
    Statutory Requirements (see Department of Education Appropriations 
Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117)). An SEA awarded a grant under this 
program--
    (a) Must subgrant no less than 95 percent of funds received under 
this competition to LEAs or, in the case of early literacy, to LEAs or 
other nonprofit providers of early childhood education that partner 
with a public or private nonprofit organization or agency with a 
demonstrated record of effectiveness in improving the early literacy 
development of children from birth through kindergarten entry and in 
providing professional development (as defined in this notice) in early 
literacy, giving priority to such agencies or other entities serving 
greater numbers or percentages of disadvantaged students;
    (b) Must ensure that at least--
    (1) 15 percent of the funds it subgrants to LEAs or other nonprofit 
providers of early childhood education (SRCL subgranted funds) are used 
to serve children from birth through age 5;
    (2) 40 percent of its SRCL subgranted funds are used to serve 
students in kindergarten through grade 5; and
    (3) 40 percent of its SRCL subgranted funds are used to serve 
students in middle and high school, including an equitable distribution 
of funds between middle and high schools;
    (c) May reserve up to 5 percent of funds received under this 
competition for State leadership activities, including technical 
assistance and training, data collection, reporting, and 
administration.
Additional Requirements
    The Department establishes the following additional requirements 
for the FY 2011 competition and any

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subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded 
applications from this competition.
    An SEA awarded a grant under this program--
    (a) Must develop or update, implement, and continuously improve a 
comprehensive State literacy plan (as defined in this notice);
    (b) Must align the use of Federal and State funds and programs 
within the SEA and in LEAs in the State, including funds under Title I, 
Title II-A, and Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965, as amended (ESEA), and, as appropriate, under the Head Start 
Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Carl D. 
Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, to support a 
coherent approach to funding and implementing effective literacy 
instruction (as defined in this notice) for disadvantaged students;
    (c) Must make the process and the results of its review of subgrant 
applications publicly available, including the procedures the SEA used 
to review and judge the evidence base and the alignment with State 
standards for the curricula and materials LEAs propose to use; and
    (d) Must ensure that SRCL subgrant funds are used to implement a 
comprehensive and coherent literacy program that serves students from 
birth through grade 12, or at any period in the birth through grade 12 
continuum as determined by a needs assessment, and includes each of the 
components of effective literacy instruction and that--
    (1) Provides effective professional development in literacy, 
including in instructional strategies to meet the literacy needs of 
disadvantaged students such as limited-English-proficient students and 
students with disabilities, to teachers of reading, English, or 
language arts, which may also include professional development in 
literacy for teachers of other subjects and for teachers or 
instructional providers for children from birth through age five;
    (2) Uses curriculum and instructional materials that are aligned 
with State standards, incorporate the components of effective literacy 
instruction, and, as appropriate, incorporate technology and principles 
of universal design for learning to support children and youth with 
diverse learning needs, including disadvantaged students;
    (3) Uses coherent assessment systems that are aligned with State 
standards and assessments and that include--
    (i) Valid and reliable screening measures or strategies;
    (ii) Valid and reliable diagnostic and progress-monitoring 
measures;
    (iii) The systematic use of the assessment data to inform 
instruction, interventions, professional development, and continuous 
program improvement; and
    (iv) Appropriate accommodations necessary to ensure that all 
children and youth, including disadvantaged students, are reliably and 
accurately assessed;
    (4) Implements interventions to ensure that all children and youth, 
including both children and youth who have mastered the material ahead 
of their peers and children and youth struggling with the material, are 
served appropriately;
    (5) Provides language- and text-rich classroom, school, and early 
learning program environments that engage and motivate children and 
youth in speaking, listening, reading, and writing; and
    (6) Informs continuous improvement by monitoring program 
implementation and outcomes, including the effectiveness of 
professional development, and tracking implementation and outcomes at 
the LEA or early childhood education provider, school, classroom, and 
student levels.
    Program Definitions: In addition to the definitions in the 
authorizing statute and in 34 CFR 77.1, we establish the following 
definitions to apply to the FY 2011 competition and any subsequent year 
in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition:
    Comprehensive State literacy plan: The term ``comprehensive State 
literacy plan'' means a plan (which may be a component or modification 
of the plan submitted under the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy 
formula grant program, CFDA 84.371B) that addresses the pre-literacy 
and literacy needs of children from birth through grade 12, including 
limited-English-proficient students and students with disabilities; 
aligns policies, resources, and practices; contains clear instructional 
goals; and sets high expectations for all students and student 
subgroups.
    Disadvantaged students: The term ``disadvantaged students'' means 
children and students at risk of educational failure, such as children 
and students who are living in poverty, who are limited-English-
proficient, who are far below grade level or who are not on track to 
becoming college- or career-ready by graduation, who have left school 
before receiving a regular high school diploma, who are at risk of not 
graduating with a diploma on time, who are homeless, who are in foster 
care, who are pregnant or parenting teenagers, who have been 
incarcerated, who are new immigrants, who are migrant, or who have 
disabilities.
    Effective literacy instruction: The term ``effective literacy 
instruction'' means developmentally appropriate, explicit, evidence-
based, and systematic instruction that provides students with--
    (i) Early development and grade-level mastery of (A) oral language 
skills, both listening and speaking, (B) phonological awareness, using 
a wide vocabulary, (C) conventional forms of grammar, and (D) academic 
language;
    (ii) The ability to read regularly spelled words and high-frequency 
irregularly spelled words with automaticity and to decode regularly 
spelled unfamiliar words accurately, using phonemic awareness, print 
awareness, alphabet knowledge, and knowledge of English spelling 
patterns;
    (iii) The ability to read texts accurately, fluently, and with 
comprehension, relying on knowledge of the vocabulary in those texts 
and of the background information that the students possess;
    (iv) The ability to read with a purpose and the capacity to 
differentiate purposes and to select and apply comprehension strategies 
appropriate to achieving the purpose;
    (v) An understanding of, and ability to adapt to, the varying 
demands of different genres, formats, and types of texts across the 
core content areas in order to comprehend texts of appropriate levels 
of complexity and content, including texts necessary for mastery of 
grade-level standards;
    (vi) The ability to effectively access, critically evaluate, and 
appropriately synthesize information from a variety of sources and 
formats;
    (vii) The development and maintenance of a motivation to read and 
write, as reflected in habits of reading and writing regularly and of 
discussing one's reading and writing with others; and
    (viii) The ability to write clearly, accurately, and quickly so as 
to communicate ideas and deepen comprehension in ways that fit purpose, 
audience, occasion, discipline, and format; adhere to conventions of 
spelling and punctuation; and benefit from revision so as to improve 
clarity, coherence, logical development, and the precise use of 
language.
    With respect to programs serving children birth through age five, 
the term ``effective literacy instruction,'' means supporting young 
children's early language and literacy development through 
developmentally appropriate, explicit, intentional, and systematic

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instruction, in language- and literacy-rich environments, that provides 
children with foundational skills and dispositions for literacy, such 
as--
    (i) Rich vocabulary development;
    (ii) Expressive language skills;
    (iii) Receptive language skills;
    (iv) Comprehension;
    (v) Phonological awareness;
    (vi) Print awareness;
    (vii) Alphabet knowledge;
    (viii) Book knowledge;
    (ix) Emergent writing skills;
    (x) Positive dispositions toward language and literacy-related 
activities; and
    (xi) Other skills that correlate with later literacy achievement.
    Evidence-based: The term ``evidence-based'' means--
    (i) Based on a comprehensive, unbiased review and weighing of one 
or more evaluation studies that--
    (A) Have been carried out consistent with the principles of 
scientific research \1\;
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    \1\ For purposes of this notice, the term ``principles of 
scientific research'' has the meaning provided in section 200(18) of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; that is, it means 
principles of research that--
    (A) Apply rigorous, systematic, and objective methodology to 
obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities 
and programs;
    (B) Present findings and make claims that are appropriate to, 
and supported by, the methods that have been employed; and
    (C) Include, appropriate to the research being conducted--
    (i) Use of systematic, empirical methods that draw on 
observation or experiment;
    (ii) Use of data analyses that are adequate to support the 
general findings;
    (iii) Reliance on measurements or observational methods that 
provide reliable and generalizable findings;
    (iv) Strong claims of causal relationships, only with research 
designs that eliminate plausible competing explanations for observed 
results, such as, but not limited to, random-assignment experiments;
    (v) Presentation of studies and methods in sufficient detail and 
clarity to allow for replication or, at a minimum, to offer the 
opportunity to build systematically on the findings of the research;
    (vi) Acceptance by a peer-reviewed journal or critique by a 
panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, 
objective, and scientific review; and
    (vii) Consistency of findings across multiple studies or sites 
to support the generality of results and conclusions.
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    (B) Have strong internal and external validity; and
    (C) Support the direct attribution of one or more outcomes to the 
program, practice, or policy; or
    (ii) In the absence of one or more studies described in paragraph 
(i) of this definition, based on a comprehensive, unbiased review and 
weighing of data analysis, research, or one or more evaluation studies 
of relevant programs, policies, or practices, that--
    (A) Were carried out consistent with the principles of scientific 
research; and
    (B) Are accompanied by strategies to generate more robust evidence 
over time through research, evaluation, and data analysis, including 
the measurement of performance with reliable process and outcome 
indicators and the implementation of evaluations with strong internal 
and external validity where feasible and appropriate.
    Privacy requirements: The term ``privacy requirements'' means the 
requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 
20 U.S.C. 1232g, and its implementing regulations in 34 CFR part 99, 
the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, as well as all applicable Federal, 
State, and local requirements regarding privacy.
    Professional development: The term ``professional development'' 
means coordinated and aligned activities that are designed to increase 
the effectiveness of educators, which may include teachers, principals, 
other school leaders, specialized instructional support personnel, 
paraprofessionals, early childhood educators, and other school staff, 
and that--
    (i) Are based, to the extent possible, on an analysis of data and 
evidence that indicates the needs of students and teachers;
    (ii) Are evidence-based and implemented with meaningful tracking of 
impact on educator practices and effectiveness;
    (iii) Foster individual and collective responsibility for improving 
student academic achievement;
    (iv) Align with State academic content standards or State early 
learning standards, as appropriate, with LEA and school or early 
learning program improvement goals, and with school or early learning 
program instructional materials;
    (v) Focus on understanding what and how students learn and on how 
to address students' learning needs, including by reviewing and 
analyzing student work and achievement data and adjusting instructional 
strategies, assessments, and materials based on that review and 
analysis;
    (vi) Where appropriate, focus on improving both content knowledge 
and pedagogical skill;
    (vii) Set clear educator learning goals based on student and 
teacher learning needs;
    (viii) Address educator needs identified through evaluation, 
including by providing support for teachers and principals who earn 
evaluation ratings indicating the need for opportunities to improve 
their knowledge and skills;
    (ix) Are designed to provide educators with the instructional 
strategies necessary to meet the needs of disadvantaged students, 
including limited-English-proficient students and students with 
disabilities;
    (x) Are active, sustained, intensive, and classroom-or early 
learning program-focused in order to have a positive and lasting impact 
on classroom or early learning program instruction and educator 
effectiveness;
    (xi) Are, in general, provided through school- or early learning 
program-based, job-embedded opportunities for educators to work 
collaboratively and transfer new knowledge into classroom or early 
learning program practice, such as through classroom coaching, data 
analysis teams, observations of classroom practice, and the provision 
of common planning time; and
    (xii) Are, as appropriate--
    (A) Designed to improve educators' ability to collect, manage, and 
analyze data to improve instruction, student support services, 
decision-making, school improvement efforts, early learning program 
quality improvement efforts, and accountability;
    (B) Designed to provide educators with the knowledge and skills to 
work more effectively with families;
    (C) Provided through workshops, courses, institutes, on-line 
learning, and other activities that advance and supplement school-based 
or early learning program-based professional development;
    (D) Implemented with the involvement of external experts with 
relevant expertise, including content expertise; and
    (E) Designed to provide joint professional development activities, 
for school staff and other early childhood educators in publicly funded 
center-based programs, that address the transition to elementary 
school, including issues related to school readiness across all major 
domains of early learning.
    Universal design for learning (UDL): The term ``universal design 
for learning'', as defined under section 103 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965, as amended, means a scientifically valid framework for 
guiding educational practice that--
    (i) Provides flexibility in the ways information is presented, in 
the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in 
the ways students are engaged; and
    (ii) Reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate 
accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high 
achievement expectations for all students, including students with

[[Page 13147]]

disabilities and students who are limited-English-proficient.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, requirements, 
definitions, and selection criteria. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 
however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements, 
regulations governing the first grant competition under a new or 
substantially revised program authority. This is the first grant 
competition for this program as provided under the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117) under the authority in 
section 1502 of the ESEA and therefore qualifies for this exemption. To 
receive public input on the structure of this competition, the 
Department held a public input meeting on November 19, 2010. This full-
day meeting featured two panels of experts and elicited over 50 
comments, both written and offered in person. In order to ensure timely 
grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public comment on the 
priorities, additional requirements, definitions, and selection 
criteria under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. These priorities, additional 
requirements, definitions, and selection criteria will apply to the FY 
2011 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards 
from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.

    Program Authority: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. 
L. 111-117) and 20 U.S.C. 6492.

    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $178,000,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2012 from the list of 
unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $3,000,000-$70,000,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $25,000,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 3-18.
    Maximum Award: In order to balance the goal of stimulating 
comprehensive literacy reform by funding high-quality plans with the 
goal of recognizing a number of States that can serve as models for 
other States, the Department has developed mandatory budget limits by 
category of SEA awarded a grant under this program. These limits were 
determined by ranking every State according to its share of the 
national population of children in poverty ages 5 through 17 based on 
data from ``Table 1: 2009 Poverty and Median Income Estimates--States'' 
released by the Small Area Estimates Branch of the U.S. Census Bureau 
in December 2010. The Department identified the natural breaks in the 
data and then developed budget ranges for each category taking into 
consideration the total amount of funds available for awards under this 
program. These budget limits are mandatory for the SRCL competition. 
SRCL grantees will serve as models of best practices in comprehensive 
literacy education across the States and the country; accordingly, we 
want to ensure that the Secretary can fund, at an adequate level, a 
sufficient number of high-quality applications with available funding.
    For the FY 2011 competition and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, 
the applicant's proposed budget must conform to the following budget 
limits:
    Category 1--up to $70 million: California, Texas.
    Category 2--up to $50 million: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, 
Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico.
    Category 3--up to $30 million: Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, 
Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, South Carolina, 
Tennessee, Virginia, Washington.
    Category 4--up to $15 million: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, 
Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, 
Oklahoma, Oregon, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Utah.
    Category 5--up to $8 million: Alaska, Delaware, District of 
Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North 
Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming.
    While each SEA applying for funds under this competition should 
develop a budget that is appropriate for the plan it outlines in its 
application, we will not consider an application if its budget request 
exceeds the budget limit provided in this notice for the applicant's 
category.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.
    Budget Periods and Continuation Grants: Grants awarded under this 
competition may be for a project period of up to five years. Depending 
on the availability of funds, the Department will make continuation 
awards for years two and three of the project period in accordance with 
section 75.253 of EDGAR (34 CFR 75.253). However, to ensure that 
continuation funds will be used only for high-quality and effective 
projects, in determining whether to award continuation grants for years 
four and five the Department will consider the following factors: (1) 
Whether funds are available; (2) whether the grantee meets the 
requirements in section 75.253 of EDGAR; and (3) whether the grantee is 
achieving the intended outcomes of the grant and shows improvement 
against baseline measures on the following indicators:
    (a) Demonstration of progress in the implementation of a 
comprehensive State literacy plan.
    (b) Demonstration of increased alignment of Federal and State funds 
and programs to support a coherent approach to effective literacy 
instruction.
    (c) Demonstration that it has provided high-quality technical 
assistance to subgrantees and implemented a rigorous monitoring process 
to ensure that SRCL subgrant funds are used to support effective 
literacy instruction.
    (d) Demonstration that it collects, analyzes, and uses high-quality 
and timely data, especially on program participant outcomes, to improve 
instructional practices, policies, and student outcomes in early 
learning programs and in schools.
    (e) Demonstration of improvement on the program performance 
measures as set out in Performance Measures, part 5 of section VI of 
this notice, to the extent such data is available.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/strivingreaders-literacy/applicant.html, or by contacting Miriam Lund, 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3E245, 
Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 401-2871 or by e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7f0c0b0d1609161118510d1a1e1b1a0d0c511c10120f0d1a171a110c16091a5113160b1a0d1e1c063f1a1b51181009"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cab9beb8a3bca3a4ade4b8afabaeafb8b9e4a9a5a7bab8afa2afa4b9a3bcafe4a6a3beafb8aba9b38aafaee4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a>.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the

[[Page 13148]]

Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, 
or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed 
in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 1, 2011.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, 
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your 
application. You must limit the application narrative to 50 pages, 
using the following standards:
    <bullet> A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
    <bullet> Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative.
    <bullet> Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that 
exceed the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: March 10, 2011.
    Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 1, 2011. We will be 
able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant 
applications if we are aware of the number of applicants that intend to 
apply for funding under this competition. Therefore, the Secretary 
strongly encourages each potential applicant to notify us of the 
applicant's intent to submit an application for funding by sending a 
short e-mail message providing the applicant organization's name and 
address. The Secretary requests that this e-mail be sent to 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#691a1d1b001f00070e471b0c080d0c1b1a470a0604191b0c010c071a001f0c4705001d0c1b080a10290c0d470e061f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d7a4a3a5bea1beb9b0f9a5b2b6b3b2a5a4f9b4b8baa7a5b2bfb2b9a4bea1b2f9bbbea3b2a5b6b4ae97b2b3f9b0b8a1">[email protected]</span></a> with ``Intent to Apply'' 
in the e-mail subject line. Applicants that do not provide this e-mail 
notification may still apply for funding.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 9, 2011.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission 
Requirements of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 5, 2011.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: 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.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant 
database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one business day.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to 
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not 
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN 
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will 
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take 
three or more business days to complete.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the 
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
    7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    Applications for grants under the Striving Readers Comprehensive 
Literacy Grant program, CFDA number 84.371C, must be submitted 
electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at 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.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and 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. Further information regarding calculation of the date that 
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in 
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
    You may access the electronic grant application for Striving 
Readers Comprehensive Literacy Grant program at 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 84.371, not 84.371C).
    Please note the following:
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time 
stamped. Your

[[Page 13149]]

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 accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. 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.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> 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 under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at http://www.G5.gov.
    <bullet> You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
    <bullet> You must submit all documents electronically, including 
all information you typically provide on the following forms: the 
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.
    <bullet> You must attach any narrative sections of your application 
as files in a .PDF (Portable Document) format only. If you upload a 
file type other than a .PDF or submit a password-protected file, we 
will not review that material.
    <bullet> Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
    <bullet> 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).
    <bullet> 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: 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 in section VII of 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: 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.

    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the Grants.gov system because--
    <bullet> You do not have access to the Internet; or
    <bullet> You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Grants.gov system; and
    <bullet> No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
    If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be 
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must 
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the 
application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Miriam Lund, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3E245, 
Washington, DC 20202. FAX: (202) 260-8969.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.371C), 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.

[[Page 13150]]

    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

    Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your 
local post office.

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.371C), 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: If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by 
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this notification within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The maximum score for all of the selection 
criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion and 
subcriterion is indicated in parentheses. The selection criteria for 
this competition are as follows:
    (A) Quality of State-level activities. (37 points) In determining 
the quality of State-level activities, the Secretary considers:
    (i) How the SEA will carry out the required State-level activities 
(described in the Additional Requirements section of this notice) and 
how it will align those activities with its comprehensive State 
literacy plan (10 points).
    (ii) The SEA's goals for improving student literacy outcomes 
throughout the State for all students (e.g., limited-English-proficient 
students and students with disabilities), including a description of 
the data (which may include data gathered through a needs assessment) 
that the SEA has considered or will consider and a clear and credible 
path that the SEA will take to achieve these goals with the support of 
its LEAs (8 points).
    (iii) How the SEA will provide technical assistance and support to 
its SRCL subgrantees (and, at its discretion, to other LEAs or early 
childhood education providers) to enable them to implement a high-
quality comprehensive literacy program and to improve student 
achievement in core academic subjects (5 points).
    (iv) How the SEA will evaluate the State's progress in improving 
achievement in literacy for children and youth from birth through grade 
12, including disadvantaged students, including: (1) Whether the 
evaluation will be conducted by an independent evaluator (whose role in 
the project is limited solely to conducting the evaluation); (2) 
whether the evaluation will use methods that are thorough, feasible, 
and appropriate to the objectives of the proposed project; and (3) how 
the SEA will use evidence to inform and continuously improve the design 
and implementation of its activities (10 points).
    (v) How the SEA will disseminate information on project outcomes, 
disaggregated by student subgroup, and in formats that are easily 
understood by, and accessible to, the public, and how the SEA will make 
that information useful to varied groups (such as families, educators, 
researchers, other experts, early childhood education providers, and 
State leaders) (4 points).
    (B) Quality of the State subgrant competition. (28 points) In 
determining the quality of the applicant's proposed SRCL subgrant 
competition, the Secretary considers:
    (i) The extent to which the SEA will run a rigorous, high-quality 
competition for subgrants, including how it will review and judge:
    (a) The LEA's or early childhood education provider's capacity to 
successfully implement its proposal (3 points).
    (b) The extent to which each SRCL subgrant applicant has proposed a 
comprehensive high-quality literacy program that meets all of the 
requirements set out in paragraph (d) of the Additional Requirements 
section in this notice and that (8 points):
    (1) Addresses the needs of disadvantaged students and proposes to 
implement activities in schools and early learning programs with the 
highest levels of need and capacity for improvement.
    (2) Is informed by a needs assessment described in the application 
and is designed to support effective teaching and to improve student 
achievement of struggling readers.
    (3) Involves other agencies, nonprofit organizations, community-
based organizations, and families in activities that promote the 
implementation of effective literacy instruction for disadvantaged 
students.
    (c) The extent to which each SRCL subgrant applicant demonstrates 
that it will implement a coherent strategy to improve literacy 
instruction that aligns activities under the SRCL subgrant with 
literacy instruction supported with other Federal funds, including with 
funds the entity receives under Title I, Title II-A, and Title III of 
the ESEA and, as appropriate, the Head Start Act, the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act, and the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
Technical Education Act of 2006, and State and local funds (2 points).
    (ii) The extent to which the SEA will give priority to LEAs or 
providers of early childhood education that propose to serve high-
poverty schools or a high-poverty population, based on a definition of 
poverty and process for applying the priority provided by the State (6 
points).
    (iii) The extent to which the SEA will give priority to LEAs or 
providers of early childhood education whose applications are supported 
by the strongest available evidence (4 points).
    (iv) The extent to which the SEA will develop or update a process, 
or use an existing process, to review and judge the evidence base and 
alignment with State standards for the curricula and materials that 
LEAs propose to use in implementing their subgrants, and how the SEA 
will make the process and results of any such review publicly available 
(5 points).
    (C) Project management. (15 points) The Secretary considers the 
following factors in determining the quality of the project management 
plan:
    (i) 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 (6 points).
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of key personnel (5 points).

[[Page 13151]]

    (iii) The extent to which the State will ensure a diversity of 
perspectives in the design and implementation of the proposed project, 
including those of: Families, teachers, early childhood education 
professionals, officials from other State and local agencies, Head 
Start Advisory Councils, professional organizations, institutions of 
higher education, community-based organizations, and libraries (4 
points).
    (D) Adequacy of resources. (20 points) The Secretary considers the 
following factors in determining the adequacy of resources for the 
proposed project:
    (i) The extent to which the costs described in the SEA's budget are 
reasonable in relation to the number of objectives, design, and 
potential significance of the proposed project (10 points).
    (ii) The quality of the SEA's plan to ensure that SRCL subgrant 
funds are allocated as follows:
    <bullet> At least 15 percent to serve children from birth through 
age five.
    <bullet> At least 40 percent to serve students in kindergarten 
through grade five.
    <bullet> At least 40 percent to serve students in middle and high 
school, through grade 12, including an equitable distribution of funds 
between middle and high schools (4 points).
    (iii) The extent to which the SEA will use the grant to leverage 
other State and Federal funds in order to maximize the impact of the 
grant and how it will support LEAs and early childhood education 
providers in integrating funds with other local, State, and Federal 
funds and in developing a plan for sustaining funding after the end of 
the subgrant (3 points).
    (iv) The extent to which the SEA will award SRCL subgrants of 
sufficient size to support projects that improve instruction for a 
significant number of students in the high-need schools or early 
learning programs serving children birth through five that the SRCL 
subgrantee would serve (3 points).
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary 
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is 
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; 
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the 
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled 
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (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: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Transparency: After awards are made under this competition, all 
of the submitted applications (both successful and unsuccessful), 
together with reviewer scores and comments for those applications, will 
be posted on the Department's Web site.
    4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) 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.
    5. Performance Measures: The Department has established the 
following Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) 
performance measures for the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy 
grant program:
    (1) The percentage of participating 4-year-old children who achieve 
significant gains in oral language skills.
    (2) The percentage of participating 5th-grade students who meet or 
exceed proficiency on State English language arts assessments under 
section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA.
    (3) The percentage of participating 8th-grade students who meet or 
exceed proficiency on State English language arts assessments under 
section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA.
    (4) The percentage of participating high school students who meet 
or exceed proficiency on State English language arts assessments under 
section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA.

Alternative Measures

    All States are required to report on Performance Measure 1 above. 
States have the option of either reporting on Performance Measures 2, 
3, and 4 above, or reporting on the following growth measures:
    (2) The percentage of participating 5th-grade students who meet or 
exceed proficiency on State English language arts assessments under 
section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA, including those students who 
demonstrate adequate growth under the State's Department-approved 
growth model and are counted as meeting or exceeding proficiency for 
purposes of accountability determinations.
    (3) The percentage of participating 8th-grade students who meet or 
exceed proficiency on State English/language arts assessments under 
section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA, including those students who 
demonstrate adequate growth under the State's Department-approved 
growth model and are counted as meeting or exceeding proficiency for 
purposes of accountability determinations.
    (4) The percentage of participating high school students who meet 
or exceed proficiency on the State English language arts assessments 
under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA, including those students who 
demonstrate adequate growth under the State's Department-approved 
growth model and are counted as meeting or exceeding proficiency for

[[Page 13152]]

purposes of accountability determinations.
    All of the performance measures described in this section will 
include data disaggregated for disadvantaged students, including 
limited-English-proficient students and students with disabilities.
    The measures described in this section constitute the Department's 
indicators of success for this program. Consequently, we advise an 
applicant for a grant under this program to give careful consideration 
to these measures in conceptualizing the approach and evaluation for 
its proposed project. Each grantee will be required to provide, in its 
annual performance and final reports, data about its progress in 
meeting these measures.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the 
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a 
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives 
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review 
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes 
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds 
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and 
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). In addition, in making 
continuation awards for years four and five, the Department will 
consider whether the grantee is achieving the intended outcomes of the 
grant and shows improvement against baseline data on specific 
indicators (listed in this notice under Budget Periods and Continuation 
Grants).

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Miriam Lund, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 3E245, Washington, DC 20202-
6200. Telephone: (202) 401-2871 or by e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#acdfd8dec5dac5c2cb82dec9cdc8c9dedf82cfc3c1dcdec9c4c9c2dfc5dac982c0c5d8c9decdcfd5ecc9c882cbc3da"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f18285839887989f96df83949095948382df929e9c81839499949f82988794df9d98859483909288b19495df969e87">[email protected]</span></a>.
    If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on 
request to the program contact person listed under For Further 
Information Contact in section VII of this notice.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister. To 
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at 
this site.

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


    Dated: March 7, 2011.
Thelma Mel[eacute]ndez de Santa Ana,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-5545 Filed 3-9-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P


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