5526 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 24 / Thursday, February 5, 2004 / Notices 

1. You are a registered user of eApplication, and you have initiated an 

e-Application for this competition; and 

2. (a) The e-Application system is 

unavailable for 60 minutes or more 

between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 

p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 

application deadline date; or 

(b) The e-Application system is 

unavailable for any period of time 

during the last hour of operation (that is, 

for any period of time between 3:30 p.m. 

and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on 

the application deadline date. 

We must acknowledge and confirm 

these periods of unavailability before 

granting you an extension. To request 

this extension or to confirm our 

acknowledgement of any system 

unavailability, you may contact either 

(1) the person listed elsewhere in this 

notice under For Further Information 

Contact (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) 

the e-GRANTS help desk at 1–888–336–

8930. 

You may access the electronic grant 

application for Early Childhood 

Educator Professional Development at: 

http://e-grants.ed.gov/.

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this program are from section 

75.210 of EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.210, and 

are identified in the application 

package. 

2. Review and Selection Process: An 

additional factor we consider in 

selecting an application for an award is 

geographical distribution (section 

2151(e)(4)(B) of the ESEA). 

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 Notice (GAN). 

We may also notify you informally. 

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: 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 specified by 

the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118. 

4. Performance Measures: For FY 

2004, grants under this program will be 

governed by the achievement indicators 

that the Secretary published in the 

Federal Register on March 31, 2003 (68 

FR 15646–15648). These achievement 

indicators are included in the 

application package. 

VII. Agency Contact 

For Further Information Contact:

Early Childhood Educator Professional 

Development (ECEPD) program, c/o 

Rosemary Fennell, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20202–6132. 

Telephone: (202) 260–0792, or via 

Internet: eceprofdev@ed.gov.

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD), you may call 

the Federal Information Relay Service 

(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339. 

Individuals with disabilities may 

obtain this document in an alternative 

format (e.g., Braille, large print, 

audiotape, or computer diskette) on 

request to the program contact person 

listed in this section. 

VIII. Other Information 

Electronic Access to This Document:

You may 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: www.ed.gov/news/

fedregister.

To use PDF you must have Adobe 

Acrobat Reader, which is available free 

at this site. If you have questions about 

using PDF, call the U.S. Government 

Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1–

888–293–6498; or in the Washington, 

DC, area at (202) 512–1530.

Note: 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: www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/

index.html.

Dated: February 2, 2004. 

Raymond Simon, 

Assistant Secretary for Elementary and 

Secondary Education.

[FR Doc. 04–2520 Filed 2–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, 

State Agencies for the Approval of 

Public Postsecondary Vocational 

Education, and State Agencies for the 

Approval of Nurse Education

AGENCY: National Advisory Committee 

on Institutional Quality and Integrity, 

Department of Education (The Advisory 

Committee). 

What Is the Purpose of This Notice? 

The purpose of this notice is to invite 

written comments on accrediting 

agencies and State approval agencies 

whose applications to the Secretary for 

initial or renewed recognition or whose 

interim reports will be reviewed at the 

Advisory Committee meeting to be held 

on June 10–11, 2004. 

Where Should I Submit My Comments? 

Please submit your written comments 

by March 22, 2004, to Ms. Carol 

Griffiths, Accreditation and State 

Liaison. You may contact her at the U.S. 

Department of Education, room 7105, 

MS 8509, 1990 K Street, NW., 

Washington, DC 20006, telephone: (202) 

219–7011. Individuals who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339. 

What Is the Authority for the Advisory 

Committee? 

The National Advisory Committee on 

Institutional Quality and Integrity is 

established under Section 114 of the 

Higher Education Act (HEA), as 

amended, 20 U.S.C. 1011c. One of the 

purposes of the Advisory Committee is 

to advise the Secretary of Education on 

the recognition of accrediting agencies 

and State approval agencies. 

Will This Be My Only Opportunity To 

Submit Written Comments? 

Yes, this notice announces the only 

opportunity you will have to submit 

written comments. However, a 

subsequent Federal Register notice will 

announce the meeting and invite 

individuals and/or groups to submit 

requests to make oral presentations 

before the Advisory Committee on the 

agencies that the Committee will 

review. That notice, however, does not 

offer a second opportunity to submit 

written comment. 

What Happens to the Comments That I 

Submit? 

We will review your comments, in 

response to this notice, as part of our 

evaluation of the agencies’ compliance 

with the Secretary’s Criteria for 

Recognition of Accrediting Agencies 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 24 / Thursday, February 5, 2004 / Notices 5527

and State Approval Agencies. The 

Criteria are regulations found in 34 CFR 

Part 602 (for accrediting agencies) and 

in 34 CFR Part 603 (for State approval 

agencies) and are found at the following 

site: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/

accred.

We will also include your comments 

with the staff analyses we present to the 

Advisory Committee at its June 2004 

meeting. Therefore, in order for us to 

give full consideration to your 

comments, it is important that we 

receive them by March 22, 2004. In all 

instances, your comments about 

agencies seeking initial or continued 

recognition must relate to the Criteria 

for Recognition. In addition, your 

comments for any agency whose interim 

report is scheduled for review must 

relate to the issues raised and the 

Criteria for Recognition cited in the 

Secretary’s letter that requested the 

interim report. 

What Happens to Comments Received 

After the Deadline? 

We will review any comments 

received after the deadline. If such 

comments, upon investigation, reveal 

that the accrediting agency is not acting 

in accordance with the Criteria for 

Recognition, we will take action either 

before or after the meeting, as 

appropriate. 

What Agencies Will the Advisory 

Committee Review at the Meeting? 

The Secretary of Education recognizes 

accrediting agencies and State approval 

agencies for public postsecondary 

vocational education and nurse 

education if the Secretary determines 

that they meet the Criteria for 

Recognition. Recognition means that the 

Secretary considers the agency to be a 

reliable authority as to the quality of 

education offered by institutions or 

programs it accredits that are 

encompassed within the scope of 

recognition he grants to the agency. The 

following agencies will be reviewed 

during the June 2004 meeting of the 

Advisory Committee:

Nationally Recognized Accrediting 

Agencies 

Petitions for Initial Recognition 

1. Middle States Commission on 

Secondary Schools (Requested scope of 

recognition: The accreditation of 

institutions with postsecondary, nondegree granting career and technology 

programs, in Delaware, Maryland, New 

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 

District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin 

Islands). 

Petitions for Renewal of Recognition 

1. Accrediting Bureau of Health 

Education Schools (Current scope of 

recognition: The accreditation of 

private, postsecondary allied health 

education institutions and institutions 

that offer predominantly allied health 

programs, private medical assistant 

programs, and public and private 

medical laboratory technician programs 

leading to the Associate of Applied 

Science and the Associate of 

Occupational Science degrees.) 

(Requested scope of recognition: The 

accreditation of private, postsecondary 

institutions in the United States offering 

predominantly allied health education, 

medical assistant programs, and medical 

laboratory technician programs leading 

to a certificate, diploma or the Associate 

of Applied Science and Associate of 

Occupational Science degrees, 

including those offered via distance 

education.) 

2. Association of Theological Schools 

in the United States and Canada, 

Commission on Accrediting (Current 

scope of recognition: The accreditation 

and preaccreditation (‘‘Candidate for 

Accredited Status’’) of freestanding 

institutions, as well as schools affiliated 

with larger institutions, that offer 

graduate professional education for 

ministry and graduate study of theology 

in the United States) (Requested scope 

of recognition: The accreditation and 

preaccreditation (‘‘Candidate for 

Accredited Membership’’) of 

freestanding theological schools and 

seminaries and schools or programs that 

are parts of colleges or universities 

offering graduate professional and 

graduate academic theological 

education, including delivery via 

distance education.) 

3. Commission on Massage Therapy 

Accreditation (Current scope of 

recognition: The accreditation of 

institutions in the United States, that 

award postsecondary certificates or 

diplomas in the practice of massage 

therapy and bodywork.) (Requested 

scope of recognition: The accreditation 

of institutions in the United States, that 

award postsecondary certificates or 

diplomas, including Associates degrees, 

in the practice of massage therapy and 

bodywork.) 

4. North Central Association 

Commission on Accreditation and 

School Improvement, Board of Trustees 

(Requested scope of recognition: The 

accreditation and preaccreditation 

[‘‘Candidacy status’’] of schools offering 

non-degree, postsecondary education in 

Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, 

Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, 

Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New 

Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, 

South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, 

Wyoming, and in the Navajo Nation.) 

Interim Reports (An interim report is 

a follow-up report on an accrediting 

agency’s compliance with specific 

criteria for recognition that was 

requested by the Secretary when the 

Secretary granted renewed recognition 

to the agency.) 

1. American Academy for Liberal 

Education. 

2. American Optometric Association, 

Accreditation Council on Optometric 

Education. 

3. American Speech-LanguageHearing Association, Council on 

Academic Accreditation in Audiology 

and Speech-Language Pathology. 

4. National Accrediting Commission 

of Costmetology Arts and Sciences. 

5. National Association of Schools of 

Art and Design, Commission on 

Accreditation. 

6. National Association of Schools of 

Dance, Commission on Accreditation.

7. National Association of Schools of 

Music, Commission on Accreditation, 

Commission on Non-Degree-Granting 

Accreditation, Commission on 

Community/Junior College 

Accreditation. 

8. National Association of Schools of 

Theatre, Commission on Accreditation. 

9. New England Association of 

Schools and Colleges, Commission on 

Institutions of Higher Education. 

10. New England Association of 

Schools and Colleges, Commission on 

Technical and Career Institutions. 

11. New York State Board of Regents, 

the Commissioner of Education. 

12. North Central Association of 

Colleges and Schools, The Higher 

Learning Commission. 

13. Northwest Commission on 

Colleges and Universities. 

State Agencies Recognized for the 

Approval of Public Postsecondary 

Vocational Education 

Petition for Initial Recognition 

1. Pennsylvania State Board for 

Vocational Education. 

Petition for Renewal of Recognition 

1. Puerto Rico State Agency for the 

Approval of Public Postsecondary 

Vocational, Technical Institutions and 

Programs. 

Interim Reports 

1. Oklahoma Board of Career and 

Technology Education. 

State Agencies Recognized for the 

Approval of Nurse Education 

Petitions for Renewal of Recognition 

1. Montana State Board of Nursing. 

5528 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 24 / Thursday, February 5, 2004 / Notices 

2. North Dakota Board of Nursing. 

Where Can I Inspect Petitions and 

Third-Party Comments Before and After 

the Meeting? 

All petitions and those third-party 

comments received in advance of the 

meeting, will be available for public 

inspection and copying at the U.S. 

Department of Education, room 7105, 

MS 8509, 1990 K Street, NW., 

Washington, DC 20006, telephone (202) 

219–7011 between the hours of 8 a.m. 

and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

until May 17, 2004. They will be 

available again after the June 10–11 

Advisory Committee meeting. An 

appointment must be made in advance 

of such inspection or copying. 

How May I Obtain Electronic Access to 

This Document? 

You may view this document, as well 

as all other Department of Education 

documents published in the Federal 

Register, in text or Adobe Portable 

Document Format (PDF) on the Internet 

at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/

legislation/FedRegister.

To use PDF you must have Adobe 

Acrobat Reader, which is available free 

at this site. If you have questions about 

using PDF, call the U.S. Government 

Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1–

888–293–6498; or in the Washington, 

DC, area at (202) 512–1530.

Note: 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.gpo/nara/

index.html.

Authority: 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2.

Dated: January 30, 2004. 

Sally L. Stroup, 

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 

Education.

[FR Doc. 04–2533 Filed 2–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Golden Field Office; Development and 

Maintenance of Testing Standards for 

Solar Energy Systems

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Issuance of Funding 

Opportunity Announcement DE–PS36–

04GO94005. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) is announcing its 

intention to seek applications for 

financial assistance for development 

and maintenance of standards for testing 

solar thermal energy systems. Through a 

single financial assistance award 

(Cooperative Agreement), DOE intends 

to provide financial support to advance 

the widespread application of solar 

energy technologies. Applications are 

sought from organizations, or teams of 

organizations, that are experienced in 

the development and maintenance of 

testing regimes, certification of results 

and performance, and the establishment 

of relevant performance standards, 

particularly concerned with thermal 

efficiency.

DATES: The Funding Opportunity 

Announcement will be issued January 

26, 2004.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the 

announcement, interested parties 

should access the DOE Golden Field 

Office Home Page at http://

www.go.doe.gov/funding.html, click on 

the word ‘‘access.’’ The link will open 

the Industry Interactive Procurement 

System (IIPS) Web site and provide 

instructions on using IIPS. The 

announcement can also be obtained 

directly through IIPS at http://ecenter.doe.gov by browsing 

opportunities by Contract Activity, for 

those announcements issued by the 

Golden Field Office. DOE will not issue 

paper copies of the announcement. 

IIPS provides the medium for 

disseminating announcements, 

receiving financial assistance 

applications, and evaluating the 

applications in a paperless 

environment. The application may be 

submitted in the Industry Interactive 

Procurement System (IIPS) by the 

applicant or a designated representative 

that receives authorization from the 

applicant; however, the application 

documentation must reflect the name 

and title of the representative 

authorized to enter the applicant into a 

legally binding contract or agreement. 

The applicant or the designated 

representative must first register in IIPS, 

entering their first name and last name, 

then entering the company name/

address of the applicant. 

For questions regarding the operation 

of IIPS, contact the IIPS Help Desk at 

IIPS_HelpDesk@e-center.doe.gov or at 

(800) 683–0751.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beth 

H. Dwyer, DOE Golden Field Office, 

1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 

80401–3393 or via facsimile to (303) 

275–4788, or electronically to 

beth.dwyer@go.doe.gov.

Issued in Golden, Colorado, on January 26, 

2004. 

Jerry L. Zimmer, 

Director, Office of Acquisition and Financial 

Assistance.

[FR Doc. 04–2399 Filed 2–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. CP04–52–000] 

CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission 

Company; Notice of Request Under 

Blanket Authorization 

January 29, 2004. 

Take notice that on January 14, 2004, 

CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission 

Company (CEGT), 1111 Louisiana 

Street, Houston, Texas 77002–5231, 

filed in Docket No. CP04–52–000, a 

request pursuant to sections 157.205 

and 157.216 of the Commission’s 

regulations under the Natural Gas Act 

(18 CFR 157.205 and 157.216) for 

authorization to abandon certain 

facilities in the State of Texas, under 

CEGT’s blanket certificate issued in 

Docket Nos. CP82–384–000 and 001 

pursuant to section 7(C) of the Natural 

Gas Act, all as more fully described in 

the request. 

Copies of this request are on file with 

the Commission and are available for 

public inspection. This filing may also 

be viewed on the Web at http://

www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. 

Enter the docket number excluding the 

last three digits in the docket number 

field to access the document. For 

assistance, please contact FERC Online 

Support at 

FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or tollfree at (866) 208–3676, or for TTY, 

contact (202) 502–8659. 

CEGT proposes to abandon, by sale 

and transfer, certain above-ground 

facilities that are currently a part of 

various CEGT delivery point facilities in 

the State of Texas as described more 

fully in the request. CEGT further 

proposes to sell and transfer these 

facilities to CenterPoint Energy Entex 

(Entex), a distribution division of 

CenterPoint Energy, Incorporated, at the 

estimated net book value, of $23,025.96. 

CEGT states that no services would be 

abandoned as a result of the proposed 

sale and transfer. Entex, it is said, would 

own and operate these facilities as part 

of its distribution system. 

Any person or the Commission’s Staff 

may, within 45 days after the issuance 

of the instant notice by the Commission, 

file pursuant to rule 214 of the