Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 47 / Thursday, March 10, 2011 / Notices 13137 

on student outcomes using a regression 

discontinuity design; (3) analyze the 

impact of receipt of RTT funds on 

student outcomes using an interrupted 

time series design; and (4) investigate 

the relationship between STM 

turnaround models (and strategies 

within those models) and student 

outcomes in low-performing schools. No 

data are being collected or analyzed as 

part of recruitment activities. A second 

OMB submission will request clearance 

for the evaluation’s data collection, 

analysis, and reporting activities. This 

future package will include data 

collection forms, and burden estimates 

of the number of respondents and hours 

of response time. 

Copies of the information collection 

submission for OMB review may be 

accessed from the RegInfo.gov Web site 

at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ 

PRAMain or from the Department’s Web 

site at http://edicsweb.ed.gov, by 

selecting the ‘‘Browse Pending 

Collections’’ link and by clicking on link 

number 4468. When you access the 

information collection, click on 

‘‘Download Attachments ’’ to view. 

Written requests for information should 

be addressed to U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 

LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–4537. 

Requests may also be electronically 

mailed to the Internet address 

ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed to 202– 

401–0920. Please specify the complete 

title of the information collection and 

OMB Control Number when making 

your request. 

Individuals who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877– 

8339. 

[FR Doc. 2011–5548 Filed 3–9–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Notice of Proposed Information 

Collection Requests 

AGENCY: Department of Education. 

ACTION: Comment request. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Education 

(the Department), in accordance with 

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), 

provides the general public and Federal 

agencies with an opportunity to 

comment on proposed and continuing 

collections of information. This helps 

the Department assess the impact of its 

information collection requirements and 

minimize the reporting burden on the 

public and helps the public understand 

the Department’s information collection 

requirements and provide the requested 

data in the desired format. The Director, 

Information Collection Clearance 

Division, Regulatory Information 

Management Services, Office of 

Management, invites comments on the 

proposed information collection 

requests as required by the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before May 9, 

2011. 

ADDRESSES: Comments regarding burden 

and/or the collection activity 

requirements should be electronically 

mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or 

mailed to U.S. Department of Education, 

400 Maryland Avenue, SW., LBJ, 

Washington, DC 20202–4537. Please 

note that written comments received in 

response to this notice will be 

considered public records. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires 

that Federal agencies provide interested 

parties an early opportunity to comment 

on information collection requests. The 

Director, Information Collection 

Clearance Division, Regulatory 

Information Management Services, 

Office of Management, publishes this 

notice containing proposed information 

collection requests at the beginning of 

the Departmental review of the 

information collection. The Department 

of Education is especially interested in 

public comment addressing the 

following issues: (1) Is this collection 

necessary to the proper functions of the 

Department; (2) will this information be 

processed and used in a timely manner; 

(3) is the estimate of burden accurate; 

(4) how might the Department enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (5) how 

might the Department minimize the 

burden of this collection on the 

respondents, including through the use 

of information technology. 

Dated: March 7, 2011. 

Darrin A. King, 

Director, Information Collection Clearance 

Division, Regulatory Information 

Management Services, Office of Management. 

Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services 

Type of Review: Extension. 

Title of Collection: Section 704 

Annual Performance Report (Parts I and 

II). 

OMB Control Number: 1820–0606. 

Agency Form Number(s): N/A. 

Frequency of Responses: Annually. 

Affected Public: Not-for-profit 

institutions; State, Local, or Tribal 

Government, State Educational 

Agencies or Local Educational Agencies. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 412. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 14,420. 

Abstract: The data collection 

instruments being submitted are the 

annual performance reports for State 

Independent Living Services (SILS) and 

Centers for Independent Living (CIL) 

programs. These are known as the 704 

Report Part I and the 704 Report Part II, 

respectively. These reports are required 

by sections 704(m)(4)(D), 706(d), 

721(b)(3) and 725(c) of the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended 

(the Act) and the corresponding 

regulations in 34 CFR parts 364, 365, 

and 366. Approval of grantees’ annual 

performance reports (704 Report) is a 

prerequisite for Rehabilitative Services 

Administration’s approval of the annual 

SILS grant awards (part B funds) and 

CILs continuation grant awards (part C 

funds). 

Copies of the proposed information 

collection request may be accessed from 

http://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the 

‘‘Browse Pending Collections’’ link and 

by clicking on link number 4539. When 

you access the information collection, 

click on ‘‘Download Attachments’’ to 

view. Written requests for information 

should be addressed to U.S. Department 

of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, 

SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–4537. 

Requests may also be electronically 

mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed 

to 202–401–0920. Please specify the 

complete title of the information 

collection and OMB Control Number 

when making your request. 

Individuals who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877– 

8339. 

[FR Doc. 2011–5546 Filed 3–9–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Equity Assistance Centers Program; 

Office of Elementary and Secondary 

Education; Overview Information; 

Training and Advisory Services; Equity 

Assistance Centers (Formerly the 

Desegregation Assistance Centers 

(DAC)); Notice Inviting Applications for 

New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

(CFDA) Number: 84.004D. 

Dates: 

Applications Available: March 10, 

2011. 


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Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: April 25, 2011. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: June 20, 2011. 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The Training and 

Advisory Services—Equity Assistance 

Centers (EAC) program is authorized 

under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 

1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000c–2000c–2, 2000c– 

5, and the implementing regulations in 

34 CFR parts 270 and 272. This program 

awards grants through cooperative 

agreements to operate 10 regional EACs 

that provide technical assistance 

(including training) at the request of 

school boards and other responsible 

governmental agencies in the 

preparation, adoption, and 

implementation of plans for the 

desegregation of public schools—which 

in this context means plans for equity 

(including desegregation based on race, 

sex, and national origin)—and in the 

development of effective methods of 

coping with special educational 

problems occasioned by desegregation. 

Assistance may include, among other 

activities: (1) Dissemination of 

information regarding effective methods 

of coping with special educational 

problems occasioned by desegregation; 

(2) assistance and advice in coping with 

these problems; and (3) training 

designed to improve the ability of 

teachers, supervisors, counselors, 

parents, community members, and other 

elementary or secondary school 

personnel to deal effectively with 

special educational problems 

occasioned by desegregation. 

Note: The phrase ‘‘special educational 

problems occasioned by desegregation’’ 

means those problems that arise in 

classrooms, schools, and communities as a 

result of desegregation efforts. The phrase 

does not refer to issues or problems related 

to special education programs under the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 

(20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.). 

Priorities: These priorities are from 

the notice of supplemental priorities 

and definitions for discretionary grant 

programs, published in the Federal 

Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 

78486). 

Competitive Priorities: For FY 2011 

these priorities are competitive 

preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 

75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an 

additional five points to an application, 

depending on how well the application 

addresses one of the following two 

priorities. Applicants may address more 

than one of the competitive preference 

priorities; however, the Department will 

review and award points under only one 

of the priorities. Therefore, an applicant 

must identify in its application which 

priority it wishes the Department to 

consider for purposes of earning the 

competitive preference priority points. 

These priorities are: 

1. Improving the Effectiveness and 

Distribution of Effective Teachers or 

Principals. 

Projects that are designed to address 

the following priority area: 

Increasing the retention, particularly 

in high-poverty schools (as defined in 

this notice), and equitable distribution 

of teachers or principals who are 

effective. 

For the purposes of this priority, 

teacher and principal effectiveness 

should be measured using: 

(1) Teacher or principal evaluation 

data, in States or local educational 

agencies that have in place a highquality teacher or principal evaluation 

system that takes into account student 

growth (as defined in this notice) in 

significant part and uses multiple 

measures, that, in the case of teachers, 

may include observations for 

determining teacher effectiveness (such 

as systems that meet the criteria for 

evaluation systems under the Race to 

the Top program as described in 

criterion (D)(2)(ii) of the Race to the Top 

notice inviting applications (74 FR 

59803)); or 

(2) Data that include, in significant 

part, student achievement (as defined in 

this notice) or student growth data (as 

defined in this notice) and may include 

multiple measures in States or local 

educational agencies that do not have 

the teacher or principal evaluation 

systems described in paragraph (1). 

Note: EACs provide technical assistance at 

the request of school boards and other 

responsible governmental agencies in the 

preparation, adoption, and implementation 

of plans for equity. Under this priority we 

may award additional points to eligible 

projects that demonstrate expertise in 

addressing equity issues related to the 

attainment and maintenance of the equitable 

distribution of effective teachers or principals 

in high-poverty schools. 

2. Improving School Engagement, 

School Environment, and School Safety 

and Improving Family and Community 

Engagement. 

Projects that are designed to address 

the following priority area: 

Improving school safety, which may 

include decreasing the incidence of 

harassment, bullying, violence, and 

substance use. 

Note: EACs provide technical assistance at 

the request of school boards and other 

responsible governmental agencies in the 

preparation, adoption, and implementation 

of plans for equity. Under this priority we 

may award additional points to eligible 

projects that demonstrate expertise in 

addressing equity issues related to school 

safety, including decreasing the incidence of 

harassment, bullying, violence, and 

substance use. 

In this competition, we are 

particularly interested in applications 

that address the following invitational 

priorities. 

Invitational Priorities: For FY 2011 

these two priorities are invitational 

priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we 

do not give an application that meets 

these invitational priorities a 

competitive or absolute preference over 

other applications. 

These priorities are: 

1. Enabling More Data-Based 

Decision-Making. 

Projects that are designed to collect 

(or obtain), analyze, and use highquality and timely data, including data 

on program participant outcomes, in 

accordance with privacy requirements 

(as defined in this notice) in the 

following priority area: 

Providing reliable and comprehensive 

information on the implementation of 

Department of Education programs, and 

participant outcomes in these programs, 

by using data from State longitudinal 

data systems or by obtaining data from 

reliable third-party sources. 

Note: Applicants are encouraged to 

propose EAC programs that collect, analyze, 

and use reliable data to improve EAC 

implementation and improve participant 

outcomes. 

2. Promoting Science, Technology, 

Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) 

Education. 

Projects that are designed to address 

the following priority area: 

Increasing the number of individuals 

from groups traditionally 

underrepresented in STEM, including 

minorities, individuals with disabilities, 

and women, who are provided with 

access to rigorous and engaging 

coursework in STEM or who are 

prepared for postsecondary or graduate 

study and careers in STEM. 

Note: EACs provide technical assistance at 

the request of school boards and other 

responsible governmental agencies in the 

preparation, adoption, and implementation 

of plans for equity. This priority encourages 

projects related to increasing the number of 

individuals from groups traditionally 

underrepresented in STEM, including 

minorities, individuals with disabilities, and 

women, and designed in a manner that is 

permitted under current law. 

Definitions: The following definitions 

are from the notice of supplemental 

priorities and definitions for 


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discretionary grant programs, published 

in the Federal Register on December 15, 

2010 and apply to this competition. 

Additional definitions applicable to this 

program are found in the authorizing 

statute for this program at 42 U.S.C. 

2000c and in the program regulations in 

34 CFR parts 77, 270, and 272, and will 

be included in the application package. 

For purposes of this competition, the 

following definitions apply: 

High-poverty school means a school 

in which at least 50 percent of students 

are eligible for free or reduced-price 

lunches under the Richard B. Russell 

National School Lunch Act or in which 

at least 50 percent of students are from 

low-income families as determined 

using one of the criteria specified under 

section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 

amended. For middle and high schools, 

eligibility may be calculated on the 

basis of comparable data from feeder 

schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty 

school under this definition is 

determined on the basis of the most 

currently available data. 

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. 

Student achievement means— 

(a) For tested grades and subjects: (1) 

A student’s score on the State’s 

assessments under the ESEA; and, as 

appropriate, (2) other measures of 

student learning, such as those 

described in paragraph (b) of this 

definition, provided they are rigorous 

and comparable across schools. 

(b) For non-tested grades and subjects: 

Alternative measures of student learning 

and performance, such as student scores 

on pre-tests and end-of-course tests; 

student performance on English 

language proficiency assessments; and 

other measures of student achievement 

that are rigorous and comparable across 

schools. 

Student growth means the change in 

student achievement (as defined in this 

notice) for an individual student 

between two or more points in time. A 

State may also include other measures 

that are rigorous and comparable across 

classrooms. 

Program Authority: 42 U.S.C. 2000c– 

2000c–2, 2000c–5. 

Applicable Regulations: (a) 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, except that 

34 CFR 75.232 does not apply to grants 

under 34 CFR part 272. (b) The 

regulations for this program in 34 CFR 

parts 270 and 272. (c) The notice of final 

supplemental priorities and definitions 

for discretionary grant programs, 

published in the Federal Register on 

December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486). 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 

apply to institutions of higher education 

only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

agreement. 

Estimated Available Funds: The 

Administration has requested 

$6,989,000 for the Training and 

Advisory Services—Equity Assistance 

Centers program for FY 2011. Of this 

amount, we intend to use $6,896,000 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. 

Estimated Range of Awards: 

$500,000—$800,000. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$689,600. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 10. 

Maximum Award: We will reject and 

not review any application that 

proposes a budget exceeding $800,000 

for a single budget period of 12 months. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 36 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: A public 

agency (other than a State educational 

agency or a school board) or a private, 

non-profit organization. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This 

program does not require cost sharing or 

matching. 

3. Geographical Regions: Ten EACs 

will be funded under this grant program 

in ten different geographical regions in 

accordance with 34 CFR 272.12. Our 

reviewers will read all proposals by 

region. One award will be made in each 

region to the highest ranking proposal 

from that region. 

The geographic regions served by the 

EACs are: 

Region I: Connecticut, Maine, 

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode 

Island, Vermont. 

Region II: New York, New Jersey, 

Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands. 

Region III: Delaware, District of 

Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, 

Virginia, West Virginia. 

Region IV: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, 

Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, 

South Carolina, Tennessee. 

Region V: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, 

Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin. 

Region VI: Arkansas, Louisiana, New 

Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas. 

Region VII: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, 

Nebraska. 

Region VIII: Colorado, Montana, 

North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, 

Wyoming. 

Region IX: Arizona, California, 

Nevada. 

Region X: Alaska, American Samoa, 

Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Northern Mariana 

Islands, Oregon, The Federated States of 

Micronesia, The Republic of the 

Marshall Islands, The Republic of Palau, 

Washington. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package: You can obtain an application 

package via the Internet or from the 

Education Publications Center (ED 

Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, 

use the following address: http:// 

www2.ed.gov/programs/equitycenters/ 

index.html. To obtain a copy from ED 

Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: 

ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, 

P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. 

Telephone, toll free: 1–877–433–7827. 

FAX: (703) 605–6794. If you use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD), call, toll free: 1–877–576–7734. 

You can contact ED Pubs at its Web 

site, also: http://www.EDPubs.gov or at 

its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov. 

If you request an application from ED 

Pubs, be sure to identify this program or 

competition as follows: CFDA number 

84.004D. 

To obtain a copy from the program 

office, contact: Fran Walter, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue, SW., room 3W115, 

Washington, DC 20202–6450. 

Telephone: (202) 205–9198 or by e-mail: 

Fran.Walter@ed.gov. If you use a 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 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 

program. 

Page Limit: The application narrative 

(Part III of the application) is where you, 

the applicant, address the selection 


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criteria that reviewers use to evaluate 

your application. We encourage you to 

limit the narrative to no more than 50 

pages and suggest that you use the 

following standards: 

• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5′′ x 11′′, on one side 

only, with 1′′ margins at the top, bottom, 

and both sides. 

• Double space (no more than three 

lines per vertical inch) all text in the 

application narrative, including titles, 

headings, footnotes, quotations, 

references, and captions, as well as all 

text in charts, tables, figures, and 

graphs. 

• Use a font that is either 12 point or 

larger or no smaller than 10 pitch 

(characters per inch). 

• Use one of the following fonts: 

Times New Roman, Courier, Courier 

New, or Arial. 

The optional supplemental narrative 

is where you, the applicant, may 

address one of the competitive 

preference priorities. You must identify 

the competitive preference priority that 

you are addressing in this narrative. Our 

reviewers will only score the 

competitive preference priority that you 

identify. We suggest that you limit the 

optional supplemental narrative to no 

more than three pages using the 

formatting standards previously 

identified. 

The suggested page limit does not 

apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 

the budget section, including the 

narrative budget justification; Part IV, 

the assurances and certifications; or the 

one-page abstract, the resumes, the 

bibliography, the optional supplemental 

narrative to address the competitive 

preference priority, or the letters of 

support. However, the suggested page 

limit does apply to all of the application 

narrative section [Part III]. 

3. Submission Dates and Times: 

Applications Available: March 10, 

2011. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: April 25, 2011. 

Applications for grants under this 

program 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: June 20, 2011. 

4. Intergovernmental Review: This 

program 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 

program. 

5. Funding Restrictions: We reference 

regulations outlining funding 

restrictions in the Applicable 

Regulations section in 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 

program must be submitted 

electronically unless you qualify for an 

exception to this requirement in 

accordance with the instructions in this 

section. 

a. Electronic Submission of 

Applications. 

Applications for grants under the 

Training and Services—Equity 

Assistance Centers (EACs) CFDA 

number 84.004D, must be submitted 

electronically using the 

Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site 

at 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 Training 

and Advisory Services—Equity 

Assistance Centers at www.Grants.gov. 

You must search for the downloadable 

application package for this program by 

the CFDA number. Do not include the 

CFDA number’s alpha suffix in your 

search (e.g., search for 84.004, not 

84.004D). 

Please note the following: 

• 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 p.m., Washington, DC 

time, on the application deadline date. 

Except as otherwise noted in this 

section, we will not accept your 


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application if it is received—that is, date 

and time stamped by the Grants.gov 

system—after 4:30 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 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 program 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. 

• 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. 

• 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—NonConstruction Programs (ED 524), and all 

necessary assurances and certifications. 

• 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. 

• 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 EDspecified 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: 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 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 

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 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— 

• You do not have access to the 

Internet; or 

• You do not have the capacity to 

upload large documents to the 

Grants.gov system; and 

• 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: Fran Walter, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue, SW., Room 3W115, 

Washington, DC 20202. FAX: (202) 202– 

5870. 

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 84.004D) 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. 


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13142 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 47 / Thursday, March 10, 2011 / Notices 

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 84.004D, 550 12th Street, 

SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, 

Washington, DC 20202–4260. 

The Application Control Center accepts 

hand deliveries daily between 8 a.m. 

and 4:30 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 following 

selection criteria for this program are 

from the regulations for this program in 

34 CFR 272.30. The maximum score for 

all of the selection criteria is 100 points. 

The maximum score for each criterion is 

indicated in parenthesis with the 

criterion. The Secretary uses the 

following criteria to evaluate 

applications for EAC grants: 

(a) Mission and Strategy. (30 points) 

The Secretary reviews each application 

to determine the extent to which the 

applicant understands effective 

practices for addressing problems in 

each of the desegregation assistance 

areas, including the extent to which the 

applicant: 

(1) Understands the mission of the 

proposed DAC; 

(2) Is familiar with relevant research, 

theory, materials, and training models; 

(3) Is familiar with the types of 

problems that arise in each of the 

desegregation assistance areas; 

(4) Is familiar with relevant strategies 

for technical assistance and training; 

and 

(5) Is familiar with the desegregation 

needs of responsible governmental 

agencies in its designated region. 

Note: The phrase ‘‘desegregation assistance 

areas’’ is defined in 34 CFR 270.3. 

Note: EACs were originally identified as 

DACs and are still referred to by that name 

in the regulations for this program. 

(b) Organizational Capability. (15 

points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine the ability of 

the applicant to sustain a long-term, 

high-quality, and coherent program of 

technical assistance and training, 

including the extent to which the 

applicant: 

(1) Demonstrates the commitment to 

provide the services of appropriate 

faculty or staff members from its 

organization; 

(2) Selects project staff with an 

appropriate mixture of scholarly and 

practitioner backgrounds; and 

(3) Has had past successes in 

rendering technical assistance and 

training in the desegregation assistance 

areas, including collaborating with other 

individuals and organizations. 

(c) Plan of Operation. (25 points) The 

Secretary reviews each application to 

determine the quality of the plan of 

operation for the project, including the 

extent to which: 

(1) The design of the project is of high 

quality; 

(2) The plan of management ensures 

proper and efficient administration of 

the project; 

(3) The applicant plans to use its 

resources and personnel effectively to 

achieve each objective; and 

(4) The applicant will ensure that 

project participants who are otherwise 

eligible to participate are selected 

without regard to race, color, national 

origin, sex, age, or handicapping 

condition. 

(d) Quality of Key Personnel. (15 

points) 

(1) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine the 

qualifications of the key personnel that 

the applicant plans to use on the 

project, including: 

(i) The qualifications of the project 

director; 

(ii) The qualifications of the other key 

personnel to be used in the project; 

(iii) The time that each person 

referred to in paragraphs (d)(1)(i) and 

(ii) of this section will commit to the 

project; and 

(iv) How the applicant, as part of its 

nondiscriminatory employment 

practices, will ensure that its personnel 

are selected for employment without 

regard to race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or handicapping condition. 

(2) To determine personnel 

qualifications, under paragraphs (d)(1)(i) 

and (ii) of this section, the Secretary 

considers: 

(i) Experience and training in fields 

related to the objectives of the project; 

and 

(ii) Any other qualifications that 

pertain to the quality of the project. 

(e) Budget and Cost Effectiveness. (5 

points) The Secretary reviews each 

application to determine the extent to 

which: 

(1) The budget for the project is 

adequate to support the project 

activities; and 

(2) Costs are reasonable in relation to 

the objectives of the project. 

(f) Evaluation Plan. (5 points) The 

Secretary reviews each application to 

determine the quality of the evaluation 

plan for the project, including the extent 

to which the methods of evaluation— 

(1) Are appropriate for the project; 

and 

(2) To the extent possible, are 

objective and produce data that are 

quantifiable. 

Note: A strong evaluation plan should be 

included in the application narrative and 

should be used, as appropriate, to shape the 

development of the project from the 

beginning of the grant period. The plan 

should describe what methods will be used 

to collect data, what data will be collected, 

and when. It should identify benchmarks that 

will be used to monitor progress toward 

achieving project objectives and outcome 

measures. Applicants are encouraged to 

devote an appropriate level of resources to 

project evaluation. 

(g) Adequacy of Resources. (5 points) 

The Secretary reviews each application 

to determine the adequacy of the 

resources that the applicant plans to 

devote to the project, including 

facilities, equipment, and supplies. 

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. 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 47 / Thursday, March 10, 2011 / Notices 13143 

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). 

Additional factors we consider in 

selecting an application for an award are 

as follows: The Training and Advisory 

Services Program will award one EAC 

grant per geographical region. See 34 

CFR 272.31(b). 

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. 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. 

4. Performance Measures: The 

Department has established the 

following Government Performance and 

Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) performance 

measures for the Training and Advisory 

Services—Equity Assistance Centers 

program, adapted from a set of common 

measures developed to help assess 

performance across the Department’s 

technical assistance programs: 

Program Goal: To support access and 

equity in public schools and help school 

districts solve equity problems in 

education related to race, gender, and 

national origin. 

Objective 1: Provide high-quality 

technical assistance and training to 

public school districts in addressing 

equity in education. 

Measure 1: The percentage of 

customers of EACs that develop, 

implement, or improve their policies or 

practices, or both, in eliminating, 

reducing, or preventing harassment, 

conflict, and school violence. 

Measure 2: The percentage of 

customers of EACs that develop, 

implement, or improve their policies or 

practices, or both, ensuring that 

students of different race, sex, and 

national origin have equitable 

opportunity for high-quality instruction. 

Measure 3: The percentage of 

customers of EACs that report the 

products and services they received 

from the EACs are of high quality. 

Measure 4: The percentage of 

customers who report that the products 

and services they received from the 

EACs are of high usefulness to their 

policies and practices. 

All grantees will be expected to 

submit, as part of their annual and final 

performance reports, quantitative data 

documenting their progress with regard 

to these performance measures. 

5. 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). 

VII. Agency Contact 

For Further Information Contact: Fran 

Walter, U.S. Department of Education, 

400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 

3W115, Washington, DC 20202–6400. 

Telephone: (202) 205–9198 or by e-mail: 

fran.walter@ed.gov. 

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 Mele ́ndez de Santa Ana, 

Assistant Secretary for Elementary and 

Secondary Education. 

[FR Doc. 2011–5544 Filed 3–9–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

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. 


jdjones on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with NOTICES