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###### Department of Education

# AGENCY:

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Education.

# ACTION:

Notice.

*Overview Information:*                     Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Programs Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2012.                

*Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:*                     84.215E.                

# DATES:

*Applications Available:*                         April 10, 2012.                    

*Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:*                         May 25, 2012.                    

*Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:*                         July 24, 2012.                    

## Full Text of Announcement

## I. Funding Opportunity Description

*Purpose of Program:*                     The purpose of the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Programs is to support efforts by local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish or expand elementary school and secondary school counseling programs.                

*Priorities:*                     This notice contains two absolute and three competitive preference priorities. The absolute priorities are from section 5421 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 7245) and from the notice of Supplemental Priorities for Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal                    **                     Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78485), and corrected on May 12, 2011 (76 FR 27637) (the “Supplemental Priorities”). The competitive preference priorities are from the Supplemental Priorities and the notice of final priority published in the                     **Federal Register**                     on December 16, 2011 (76 FR 78250).                

*Absolute Priorities:*                     For FY 2012 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 these priorities.                

These priorities are:

*Absolute Priority 1:*                     Establish or expand counseling programs in elementary schools, secondary schools, or both.                

*Absolute Priority 2:*                     Enabling More Data-Based Decision-Making.                

Projects that are designed to collect (or obtain), analyze, and use high-quality and timely data, including data on program participant outcomes, in accordance with privacy requirements (as defined in this notice), in the following priority area: improving instructional practices, policies, and student outcomes in elementary or secondary schools.

*Competitive Preference Priorities:*                     For FY 2012 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional 5 points to an application, depending on how well the application meets one of the following three 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 the competitive preference priority under which it is seeking points. An applicant must identify in the abstract section of its application the priority it wishes the Department to consider for purposes of earning competitive preference priority points.                

# Note: 

The Department will not review or award points under any competitive preference priority for an application that (1) fails to clearly identify in the abstract the competitive preference priority the applicant wishes the Department to consider for purposes of earning competitive preference priority points, or (2) identifies more than one competitive preference priority the applicant wishes the Department to consider for purposes of earning competitive preference priority points.

These priorities are:

*Competitive Preference Priority 1:*                     Projects Serving Students Residing on Indian Lands.                

                    Under this priority, we give priority to applications for projects that are                           ( print page 21543)                        proposed by any eligible entity serving students residing on “Indian lands” as that term is defined by section 8013 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7713(7)). The eligible entity must be the only applicant or the lead applicant in a consortium of eligible entities.                

*Competitive Preference Priority 2:*                     Turning Around Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools.                

Under this priority, we give priority to applications for projects providing services to students enrolled in persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in this notice).

# Note: 

                        For the purposes of this priority, the Department considers schools that are identified as Tier I or Tier II schools under the School Improvement Grants Program (see 75 FR 66363) as part of a State's approved FY 2009 or FY 2010 application to be persistently lowest-achieving schools. A list of these Tier I and Tier II schools can be found on the Department's Web site at                         *www2.ed.gov/​programs/​sif/​index.html.*

*Competitive Preference Priority 3:*                     Support for Military Families.                

Under this priority, we give priority to applications for projects that are designed to address the needs of military-connected students (as defined in this notice).

*Definitions:*                     The following definitions are from 34 CFR part 77 and the Supplemental Priorities and apply to this competition. Additional definitions applicable to this program are found in the authorizing statute for this program at 20 U.S.C. 7245 and in the program regulations in 34 CFR part 77, and they will be included in the application package.                

*Elementary school*                     means a day or residential school that provides elementary education, as determined under State law.                

*Secondary school*                     means a day or residential school that provides secondary education, as determined under State law. In the absence of State law, the Secretary may determine, with respect to that State, whether the term includes education beyond the twelfth grade.                

*Military-connected student*                     means (a) a child participating in an early learning program, a student in preschool through grade 12, or a student enrolled in postsecondary education or training who has a parent or guardian on active duty in the uniformed services (as defined by 37 U.S.C. 101, in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard, or the reserve component of any of the aforementioned services) or (b) a student who is a veteran of the uniformed services, who is on active duty, or who is the spouse of an active-duty service member.                

*Persistently lowest-achieving schools*                     means, as determined by the State: (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that (a) is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring or the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools is greater; or (b) is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years; and (ii) any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that: (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever number of schools is greater; or (b) is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of years.                

To identify the persistently lowest achieving schools, a State must take into account both: (i) The academic achievement of the “all students” group in a school in terms of proficiency on the State's assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language arts and mathematics combined; and (ii) the school's lack of progress on those assessments over a number of years in the “all students” group.

*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.                

*Program Authority:*20 U.S.C. 7245.

*Applicable Regulations:*                     (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR part 299. (c) The notice of final eligibility requirements for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools discretionary grant programs published in the                     **Federal Register**                     on December 4, 2006 (71 FR 70369). (d) The notice of final priority for the Office of Safe and Healthy Students discretionary grant programs published in the                     **Federal Register**                     on December 16, 2011 (76 FR 78250). (e) The Supplemental Priorities.                

# Note: 

The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes.

## II. Award Information

*Type of Award:*                     Discretionary grants.                

*Estimated Available Funds:*                     $21,305,000.                

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards later in FY 2012 and in subsequent years from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.

*Estimated Range of Awards:*                     $250,000-$400,000.                

*Estimated Average Size of Awards:*                     $350,000.                

*Maximum Award:*                     We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $400,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.                

# Note:

 Section 5421(a)(5) of the ESEA limits the amount of a grant under this program in any one year to a maximum of $400,000.

*Estimated Number of Awards:*                     61.                

# Note:

 Section 5421(g)(1) of the ESEA requires that for any fiscal year in which the amount of funds made available by the Secretary for this program equals or exceeds $40,000,000, the Secretary shall award not less than $40,000,000 to enable LEAs to establish or expand counseling programs in elementary schools. Under this notice, applicants may propose projects that establish or expand counseling programs in elementary schools, secondary schools, or both.

# Note:

We will use the highest grade level an applicant proposes to serve under its grant, along with the information obtained by examining the applicant State's law that defines what grade levels constitute an elementary school in the State, to determine if the application will be considered for funding from amounts available for elementary school counseling programs only, from amounts available for elementary or secondary school counseling programs, or both.

# Note:

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

*Project Period:*                     Up to 36 months. Budgets should be developed for each year of funding requested up to 36 months.                

## III. Eligibility Information

                    1.                     *Eligible Applicants:*                     (a) LEAs, including charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law.                

                    (b) LEAs that currently have an active grant under the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Programs are not eligible to apply for an award in this competition. For the purpose of this eligibility requirement, a grant is considered active until the end of the grant's project or funding period, including any extensions of those periods that extend the grantee's authority to obligate funds.                          ( print page 21544)    

                    2.                     *Cost Sharing or Matching:*                     This program does not require cost sharing or matching.                

                    3.                     *Supplement-Not-Supplant:*                     This program has supplement-not-supplant funding requirements. Section 5421(b)(2)(G) of the ESEA requires applicants under this program to assure that program funds will be used to supplement, and not supplant, any other Federal, State, or local funds used for providing school-based counseling and mental health services to students.                

## 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:                     *www.ed.gov/​programs/​elseccounseling/​applicant.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) or a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.                

                    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also:                     *www.EDPubs.gov*                     or at its email 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 84.215E.

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 under Accessible Format in section VII of this notice.

                    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 25 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 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 10, 2012.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 25, 2012.

                    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 in this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the application process, the individual's application remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 24, 2012.                

                    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:*                     Section 5421(d) of the ESEA requires that no more than four percent of a grant award may be used for administrative costs to carry out the project. We reference additional 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 two to five 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 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 Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program, CFDA number 84.215E, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site                           ( print page 21545)                        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 Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Programs 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 84.215, not 84.215E).                

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 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 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—Non-Construction 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, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only, 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 ED-specified identifying number unique to your application).
      - We may request that you provide us original signatures on forms at a later date.

*Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues with the Grants.gov System:*                     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                           ( print page 21546)                        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: Lisa Harrison, U.S. Department of Education, 550 12th Street SW., Room 10070, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-6450. Fax: (202) 245-7166 or Loretta McDaniel, U.S. Department of Education, 550 12th Street SW., Room 10080, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-6450. Fax: (202) 245-7166.

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 84.215E), 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 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 84.215E), 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 selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR and are listed in the application package.                

                    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).

Additional factors we consider in selecting an application for an award are from section 5421(a)(3) of the ESEA, which requires an equitable geographic distribution among the regions of the United States and among LEAs located in urban, rural, and suburban areas.

                    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 Notice (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.                

If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you.

                    2.                     *Administrative and National Policy Requirements:*                     We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the                     *Applicable Regulations*                     section in this notice.                

                    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the                     *Applicable Regulations*                     section in this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant.                

                    3.                     *Reporting:*                     (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 established the following Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) performance measures for the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Programs:                           ( print page 21547)                        (1) the percentage of grantees closing the gap between their student/mental health professional ratios and the student/mental health professional ratios recommended by the statute; and (2) the average number of referrals per grant site for disciplinary reasons in schools participating in the program.                

These measures 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 the applicant's proposed project. Each grantee will be required to provide, in its annual performance and final reports, data about the grantee's progress against 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 Contacts

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

                        Lisa Harrison, U.S. Department of Education, 550 12th Street SW., room 10070, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-6450. Telephone: 202-245-7873 or by email:                         *Lisa.Harrison@ed.gov*                         or Loretta McDaniel, U.S. Department of Education, 550 12th Street, SW., room 10080, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-6450. Telephone: 202-245-7870 or by email:                         *Loretta.McDaniel@ed.gov*.                    

If you use a TDD or TTY, 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 alternative 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 in 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 5, 2012.

Michael Yudin,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.

[FR Doc. 2012-8616 Filed 4-9-12; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000-01-P