25452 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 83 / Monday, April 30, 2012 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Territories and Freely Associated 

States Education Grant Program 

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and 

Secondary Education, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Overview Information: Territories and 

Freely Associated States Education 

Grant Program; Notice inviting 

applications for new awards for fiscal 

year (FY) 2012. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

(CFDA) Number: 84.256A. 

DATES:

Applications Available: April 30, 

2012. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: June 29, 2012. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: August 28, 2012. 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The Territories 

and Freely Associated States Education 

Grant (T&FASEG) program supports 

projects to raise student achievement 

through direct educational services. 

Grants are awarded competitively to 

local educational agencies (LEAs) in the 

U.S. Territories (American Samoa, the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 

Islands, Guam, and the Virgin Islands) 

and the Republic of Palau. The LEA may 

use grant funds to carry out activities 

authorized by the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 

amended (ESEA), including teacher 

training, curriculum development, the 

development or acquisition of 

instructional materials, and general 

school improvement and reform. 

Under the T&FASEG program the 

Secretary awards grants for projects to— 

(a) Conduct activities consistent with 

the programs described in the ESEA, 

including the types of activities 

authorized under— 

(1) Title I of the ESEA—Improving the 

Academic Achievement of the 

Disadvantaged. 

(2) Title II of the ESEA—Preparing, 

Training, and Recruiting High-Quality 

Teachers and Principals. 

(3) Title III of the ESEA—Language 

Instruction for Limited English 

Proficient and Immigrant Students. 

(4) Title IV of the ESEA—21st Century 

Schools. 

(5) Title V of the ESEA—Promoting 

Informed Parental Choice and 

Innovative Programs; and 

(b) Provide direct educational services 

that assist all students with meeting 

challenging State academic achievement 

standards. 

Note: The Secretary interprets the term 

‘‘direct educational services’’ to mean— 

(1) Activities that are designed to improve 

student achievement or the quality of 

education; and 

(2) Instructional services for students and 

teacher training. 

Priorities: Under this competition we 

are particularly interested in 

applications that address the following 

priorities. 

Invitational Priorities: For FY 2012, 

these 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: 

Priority 1—Standards and 

Assessments. 

The Secretary is particularly 

interested in receiving applications that 

focus on developing standards in 

reading and language arts and 

mathematics that build toward collegeand career-readiness by the time 

students graduate from high school. The 

Secretary encourages the development 

or use, or both, of a new generation of 

assessments that align with the collegeand career-ready standards and that will 

better determine whether students have 

acquired the skills needed for success. 

Priority 2—Effective Teachers and 

Leaders. 

The Secretary is particularly 

interested in receiving applications that 

focus on recruiting and improving the 

effectiveness of teachers, principals, and 

administrative leaders through 

professional development and training 

in order to better meet the needs of 

students, especially students in highneed schools. Further, the Secretary is 

interested in receiving applications that 

focus on developing pathways and 

practices for preparing, placing, and 

supporting beginning teachers and 

principals in high-need schools. 

Priority 3—Technology. 

The Secretary is particularly 

interested in LEA projects that are 

designed to improve student 

achievement or teacher effectiveness 

through the use of high-quality digital 

tools or materials, which may include 

preparing teachers to use the technology 

to improve instruction, as well as 

developing, implementing, or evaluating 

digital tools or materials. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6331. 

Applicable Regulations: The 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 

34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 

85, 97, 98, and 99. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Discretionary grants. 

Estimated Available Funds: 

$4,750,000 of FY 2011 funds are 

available for new awards in FY 2012. 

Estimated Range of Awards: $800,000 

to $1,000,000. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$900,000. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 4–6. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 36 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs in 

American Samoa, the Commonwealth of 

the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, 

the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the 

Republic of Palau. 

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 the application 

package electronically by downloading 

it from the Territories and Freely 

Associated States Education Grant 

program Web site: http://www2.ed.gov/ 

programs/tfasegp/applicant.html. 

To obtain a copy from the program 

office, contact: Collette Fisher, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue SW., Room 3W227, LBJ, 

Washington, DC 20202–6400. 

Telephone: (202) 260–2544 or by email: 

collette.fisher@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 

telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 

8339. 

Individuals with disabilities can 

obtain a copy of the application package 

in an accessible format (e.g., braille, 

large print, audiotape, or compact disc) 

by contacting the 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 

is where you, the applicant, address the 

selection criteria that reviewers use to 

evaluate your application. You must 

limit the application narrative to no 

more than 35 pages, using 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 

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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. An application submitted 

in any other font (including Times 

Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be 

accepted. 

The 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, or the 

letters of support. However, the page 

limit does apply to all of the application 

narrative section [Part III]. 

Our reviewers will not read any pages 

of your application that exceed the page 

limit. 

3. Submission Dates and Times: 

Applications Available: April 30, 

2012. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: June 29, 2012. 

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: August 28, 2012. 

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 at the 

following Grants.gov Web page: 

www.grants.gov/applicants/ 

get_registered.jsp. 

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 

Territories and Freely Associated States 

Education Grant Program competition, 

CFDA number 84.256A, 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 email 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 the Territories and 

Freely Associated States Education 

Grant competition 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 84.256, not 

84.256A). 

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 4:30:00 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. 

• 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. 

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Therefore, we strongly recommend that 

you do not wait until the application 

deadline date to begin the submission 

process through Grants.gov. 

• You should review and follow the 

Education Submission Procedures for 

submitting an application through 

Grants.gov that are included in the 

application package for this competition 

to ensure that you submit your 

application in a timely manner to the 

Grants.gov system. You can also find the 

Education Submission Procedures 

pertaining to Grants.gov 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 upload any narrative 

sections and all other attachments to 

your application as files in a PDF 

(Portable Document) read-only, nonmodifiable format. Do not upload an 

interactive or fillable PDF file. If you 

upload a file type other than a readonly, non-modifiable 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 email. 

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 4:30:00 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–– 

• 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: Collette Fisher, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue SW., Room 3W227, LBJ, 

Washington, DC 20202–6400. Fax: (202) 

205–5870. 

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 84.256A), LBJ Basement 

Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20202–4260. 

You must show proof of mailing 

consisting of one of the following: 

(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service 

postmark. 

(2) A legible mail receipt with the 

date of mailing stamped by the U.S. 

Postal Service. 

(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or 

receipt from a commercial carrier. 

(4) Any other proof of mailing 

acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. 

Department of Education. 

If you mail your application through 

the U.S. Postal Service, we do not 

accept either of the following as proof 

of mailing: 

(1) A private metered postmark. 

(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by 

the U.S. Postal Service. 

If your application is postmarked after 

the application deadline date, we will 

not consider your application. 

Note: 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 

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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 84.256A), 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 selection 

criteria for this competition are from 34 

CFR 75.210. The maximum score for 

each criterion is indicated after the title 

of the criterion. The maximum score for 

all selection criteria is 100 points. 

As provided for in section 

1121(b)(3)(B) of the ESEA, the Secretary, 

in making awards under this program, 

will take into consideration the 

recommendations of Pacific Region 

Educational Laboratory (PREL). PREL 

will use the following criteria in 

developing its recommendations, and 

the Secretary will use them in making 

final funding decisions. The notes 

following the selection criteria are 

meant to serve as guidance to assist the 

applicant in creating a stronger 

application and are not required by 

statute or regulation. 

(a) Need for project. (5 points) 

(1) The Secretary considers the need 

for the proposed project. (34 CFR 

75.210(a)(1)). 

(2) In determining the need for the 

proposed project, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The magnitude or severity of the 

problem to be addressed by the 

proposed project. (34 CFR 

75.210(a)(2)(i)). 

(ii) The magnitude of the need for the 

services to be provided or the activities 

to be carried out by the proposed 

project. (34 CFR 75.210(a)(2)(ii)). 

(iii) The extent to which the proposed 

project will provide services or 

otherwise address the needs of students 

at risk of educational failure. (34 CFR 

75.210(a)(2)(iii)). 

Note: In addressing this criterion, 

applicants may want to consider including in 

the project narrative information that clearly 

demonstrates the unique needs and 

circumstances that justify funding support 

for their project. Applicants may also 

consider including information to 

demonstrate the extent to which local 

resources are used to meet the needs 

addressed by the project proposal. 

(b) Significance. (10 points) 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

significance of the proposed project. (34 

CFR 75.210(b)(1)). 

(2) In determining the significance of 

the proposed project, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The national significance of the 

proposed project. (34 CFR 

75.210(b)(2)(i)). 

(ii) The significance of the problem or 

issue to be addressed by the proposed 

project. (34 CFR 75.210(b)(2)(ii)). 

(iii) The importance or magnitude of 

the results or outcomes likely to be 

attained by the proposed project, 

especially improvements in teaching 

and student achievement. (34 CFR 

75.210(b)(2)(xiv)). 

(c) Quality of the project design. (25 

points) 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the design of the proposed 

project. (34 CFR 75.210(c)(1)). 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

design of the proposed project, the 

Secretary considers the following 

factors: 

(i) The extent to which the goals, 

objectives, and outcomes to be achieved 

by the proposed project are clearly 

specified and measurable. (34 CFR 

75.210(c)(2)(i)). 

(ii) The extent to which the design of 

the proposed project is appropriate to, 

and will successfully address, the needs 

of the target population or other 

identified needs. (34 CFR 

75.210(c)(2)(ii)). 

(iii) The extent to which the proposed 

project will be coordinated with similar 

or related efforts, and with other 

appropriate community, State, and 

Federal resources. (34 CFR 

75.210(c)(2)(xvi)). 

(iv) The extent to which the proposed 

project is part of a comprehensive effort 

to improve teaching and learning and 

support rigorous academic standards for 

students. (34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(xviii)). 

(v) The extent to which the proposed 

project encourages parental 

involvement. (34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(xix)). 

(vi) The extent to which performance 

feedback and continuous improvement 

are integral to the design of the 

proposed project. (34 CFR 

75.210(c)(2)(xxi)). 

(d) Adequacy of resources. (5 points) 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

adequacy of resources for the proposed 

project. (34 CFR 75.210(f)(1)). 

(2) In determining the adequacy of 

resources for the proposed project, the 

Secretary considers the following 

factors: 

(i) The extent to which the budget is 

adequate to support the proposed 

project. (34 CFR 75.210(f)(2)(iii)). 

(ii) The extent to which the costs are 

reasonable in relation to the objectives, 

design, and potential significance of the 

proposed project. (34 CFR 

75.210(f)(2)(iv)). 

(iii) The extent to which the costs are 

reasonable in relation to the number of 

persons to be served and to the 

anticipated results and benefits. (34 CFR 

75.210(f)(2)(v)). 

(e) Quality of project personnel. (15 

points) 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the personnel who will carry 

out the proposed project. (34 CFR 

75.210(e)(1)). 

(2) In determining the quality of 

project personnel, the Secretary 

considers the extent to which the 

applicant encourages applications for 

employment from persons who are 

members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. (34 CFR 

75.210(e)(2)). 

(3) In addition, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of the 

project director or principal 

investigator. (34 CFR 75.210(e)(3)(i)). 

(ii) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of key 

project personnel. (34 CFR 

75.210(e)(3)(ii)). 

(iii) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of 

project consultants or subcontractors. 

(34 CFR 75.210(e)(3)(iii)). 

Note: In addressing this criterion, 

applicants may want to consider including 

curriculum vitae and resumes of key project 

personnel. 

(f) Quality of the project evaluation. 

(25 points) 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the evaluation to be 

conducted of the proposed project. (34 

CFR 75.210(h)(1)). 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

evaluation, the Secretary considers the 

following factors: 

(i) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation provide for examining the 

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effectiveness of project implementation 

strategies. (34 CFR 75.210(h)(2)(iii)). 

(ii) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation include the use of 

objective performance measures that are 

clearly related to the intended outcomes 

of the project and will produce 

quantitative and qualitative data to the 

extent possible. (34 CFR 

75.210(h)(2)(iv)). 

Note: In addressing this criterion, 

applicants may want to consider aligning 

their evaluations with the performance 

measures described in section VI. 4 of this 

notice. 

(g) Quality of project services. (15 

points) 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the services to be provided by 

the proposed project. (34 CFR 

75.210(d)(1)). 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

services to be provided by the proposed 

project, the Secretary considers the 

quality and sufficiency of strategies for 

ensuring equal access and treatment for 

eligible project participants who are 

members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. (34 CFR 

75.210(d)(2)). 

(3) In addition, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The extent to which the services to 

be provided by the proposed project are 

appropriate to the needs of the intended 

recipients or beneficiaries of those 

services. (34 CFR 75.210(d)(3)(i)). 

(ii) The likely impact of the services 

to be provided by the proposed project 

on the intended recipients of those 

services. (34 CFR 75.210(d)(3)(iv)). 

(iii) The extent to which the training 

or professional development services to 

be provided by the proposed project are 

of sufficient quality, intensity, and 

duration to lead to improvements in 

practice among the recipients of those 

services. (34 CFR 75.210(d)(3)(v)). 

(iv) The extent to which the services 

to be provided by the proposed project 

are focused on those with greatest 

needs. (34 CFR 75.210(d)(3)(xi)). 

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. 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 www.ed.gov/ 

fund/grant/apply/appforms/ 

appforms.html. 

4. Performance Measures: The 

Department has developed the following 

three performance measures for 

evaluating the effectiveness of the 

T&FASEG program: 

(1) The percentage of teachers 

participating in professional 

development activities under the 

T&FASEG program who demonstrate 

progress toward State teacher 

certification; 

(2) The percentage of students 

participating in reading programs under 

the T&FASEG program who score 

proficient or above in reading on State 

assessments; and 

(3) The percentage of students 

participating in mathematics programs 

under the T&FASEG program who score 

proficient or above in mathematics on 

State assessments. 

These measurements 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. 

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: 

Collette Fisher, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 

Room 3W227, LBJ, Washington, DC 

20202–6400. Telephone: (202) 260–2544 

or by email: collette.fisher@ed.gov. 

If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the 

FRS, toll free, at 1–800–877–8339. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 83 / Monday, April 30, 2012 / Notices 25457 

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 compact disc) on 

request to the program contact person 

listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT in section VII of this notice. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. Free Internet access to the 

official edition of the Federal Register 

and the Code of Federal Regulations is 

available via the Federal Digital System 

at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you 

can view this document, as well as all 

other documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Adobe Portable Document 

Format (PDF). To use PDF you must 

have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at the site. 

You may also access documents of the 

Department published in the Federal 

Register by using the article search 

feature at: www.federalregister.gov. 

Specifically, through the advanced 

search feature at this site, you can limit 

your search to documents published by 

the Department. 

Dated: April 25, 2012. 

Michael Yudin, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Elementary and 

Secondary Education. 

[FR Doc. 2012–10377 Filed 4–27–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Enhanced Assessment Instruments 

Grants Program—Enhanced 

Assessment Instruments (English 

Language Proficiency (ELP) 

Competition) 

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and 

Secondary Education, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Overview Information: 

Enhanced Assessment Instruments 

Grants Program—Enhanced Assessment 

Instruments (English Language 

Proficiency Competition); 

Notice inviting applications for new 

awards for fiscal year (FY) 2011 funds. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.368A–1. 

DATES:

Applications Available: April 30, 

2012. 

Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: 

May 30, 2012. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: June 14, 2012. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: August 13, 2012. 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The purpose of 

the Enhanced Assessment Instruments 

Grant program, also called the Enhanced 

Assessment Grants (EAG) program, is to 

enhance the quality of assessment 

instruments and systems used by States 

for measuring the academic 

achievement of elementary and 

secondary school students. 

In 2012, the Department is holding 

two separate competitions for FY 2011 

EAG funds. The competition announced 

in this notice (EAG ELP Competition) 

(CFDA No. 84.368A–1) will support the 

development of a system of English 

language proficiency assessments 

aligned with a common set of English 

language proficiency standards that 

correspond to a common set of collegeand career-ready standards in English 

language arts and mathematics, and, in 

so doing, will give priority to 

collaborative efforts among States in 

developing these assessments. 

Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 

Register, we are publishing a notice 

inviting applications for a separate 

competition for FY 2011 EAG funds to 

be awarded in 2012 (EAG Accessibility 

Competition) (CFDA No. 84.368A–2). 

The Department may use any unused 

funds from the competition announced 

in this notice to make awards in the 

EAG Accessibility Competition. 

Conversely, the Department may use 

any unused funds from the EAG 

Accessibility Competition to make 

awards in the competition announced in 

this notice. 

Priorities: This competition includes 

five absolute priorities and one 

competitive preference priority. In 

accordance with 34 CFR 

75.105(b)(2)(iv), absolute priorities 1 

through 4 (Statutory Priorities) are based 

on section 6112 of the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 

amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 7301a). 

Absolute priority 5 (Regulatory Priority) 

and competitive preference priority 1 

are from the notice of final priorities, 

requirements, definitions, and selection 

criteria published in the Federal 

Register on April 19, 2011 (76 FR 

21986). 

Absolute Priorities: For awards made 

from this competition in 2012 with FY 

2011 funds, and any subsequent year in 

which we make awards from the list of 

unfunded applicants from this 

competition, these priorities are 

absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 

75.105(c)(3) we consider only 

applications that meet: (a) one or more 

of the Statutory Priorities (Absolute 

Priorities 1 through 4) and (b) the 

Regulatory Priority (Absolute Priority 5). 

These priorities are: 

Absolute Priority 1—Collaboration. 

Collaborate with institutions of higher 

education, other research institutions, or 

other organizations to improve the 

quality, validity, and reliability of State 

academic assessments beyond the 

requirements for these assessments 

described in section 1111(b)(3) of the 

ESEA. 

Absolute Priority 2—Use of Multiple 

Measures of Student Academic 

Achievement. Measure student 

academic achievement using multiple 

measures of student academic 

achievement from multiple sources. 

Absolute Priority 3—Charting Student 

Progress Over Time. Chart student 

progress over time. 

Absolute Priority 4—Comprehensive 

Academic Assessment Instruments. 

Evaluate student academic achievement 

through the development of 

comprehensive academic assessment 

instruments, such as performance- and 

technology-based academic 

assessments. 

Absolute Priority 5—English 

Language Proficiency Assessment 

System. 

To meet this priority, an applicant 

must propose a comprehensive plan to 

develop an English language proficiency 

assessment system that is valid, reliable, 

and fair for its intended purpose. Such 

a plan must include the following 

features: 

(a) Design. The assessment system 

must— 

(1) Be designed for implementation in 

multiple States; 

(2) Be based on a common definition 

of English learner adopted by the 

applicant State and, if the applicant 

applies as part of a consortium, adopted 

and held in common by all States in the 

consortium, where common with 

respect to the definition of ‘‘English 

learner’’ means identical for purposes of 

the diagnostic (e.g., screener or 

placement) assessments and associated 

achievement standards used to classify 

students as English learners as well as 

the summative assessments and 

associated achievement standards used 

to exit students from English learner 

status; 

(3) At a minimum, include diagnostic 

(e.g., screener or placement) and 

summative assessments; 

(4) Measure students’ English 

proficiency against a set of English 

language proficiency standards held by 

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