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###### Department of Education

# AGENCY:

Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Department of Education.

# ACTION:

Notice.

# SUMMARY:

The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program (NHCTEP).

      ( print page 1463)    

# DATES:

*Applications Available:*                         January 8, 2025.                    

*Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply:*                         Applicants are strongly encouraged, but not required, to submit a notice of intent to apply by February 7, 2025.                    

*Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:*                         February 7, 2025.                    

*Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:*                         June 9, 2025.                    

*Pre-Application Webinar Information:*                         For information about a pre-application webinar or potential future webinars, visit the Perkins Collaborative Resource Network (PCRN) at                         *http://cte.ed.gov/​.*

# ADDRESSES:

                        For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the                         **Federal Register**                         on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at                         *www.federalregister.gov/​documents/​2022/​12/​07/​2022-26554/​common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs.*

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

                        Patti Beltram, Ed.D., U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4A115, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 987-1370. Email:                         *NHCTEP@ed.gov.*

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

# SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

## Full Text of Announcement

## I. Funding Opportunity Description

*Purpose of Program:*                     NHCTEP provides grants to improve career and technical education (CTE) programs that are consistent with the purposes of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (the Act or Perkins V), and that benefit Native Hawaiians.                

*Assistance Listing Number:*                     84.259A.                

*OMB Control Number:*                     1894-0006.                

*Background:*                     This notice invites applications for a NHCTEP competition that implements section 116 of the Act. Section 116(h) of the Act authorizes the Secretary of Education (Secretary) to award grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with, community-based organizations primarily serving and representing Native Hawaiians to plan, conduct, and administer programs, or portions of programs, that are for the benefit of Native Hawaiians and authorized by and consistent with Perkins V.                

*Priorities:*                     This competition has one absolute priority. The absolute priority is from section 116 of the Act.                

*Absolute Priority:*                     For FY 2025, and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority.                

The priority is:

*Authorized Program.*

To meet this priority, applicants must propose and carry out a CTE program consistent with Perkins V. (20 U.S.C. 2302(5))

*Note:*                     If an applicant with an open NHCTEP grant receives a grant under this competition, they must demonstrate that the activities and objectives of the grant will not duplicate or overlap with the expenses, activities, and objectives of other open grants with the same or similar activities and objectives. (2 CFR 200.403 and 200.404)                

*Requirements:*

                    This notice includes one application and two program requirements that are based on statutory requirements or the Notice of final requirements, definitions, and selection criteria (Notice of Final Requirements) published in the                     **Federal Register**                     on March 24, 2009 (74 FR 12341). The source is noted after each requirement.                

The application requirement is:

*Career and technical education agreement.*                     Any applicant that is not proposing to provide career and technical education directly to Native Hawaiian students and proposes instead to pay one or more qualified educational entities to provide such career and technical education to Native Hawaiian students must include with its application a written career and technical education agreement between the applicant and the educational entity. The written agreement must describe the commitment between the applicant and the educational entity and must include, at a minimum, a statement of the responsibilities of the applicant and the entity. The agreement must be signed by the appropriate individuals on behalf of each party, such as the authorizing official or administrative head of the applicant Native Hawaiian community-based organization. (Notice of Final Requirements).                

The program requirements are:

*Requirement 1—Authorized Use of NHCTEP Funds:*

Section 116(c) of the Act requires that funds awarded under NHCTEP be used to carry out “career and technical education programs” (20 U.S.C. 2326(c), as the term “career and technical education” is defined by the Act as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (20 U.S.C. 2302(5)). Grantees may use funds awarded under NHCTEP to—

(1) Provide preparatory, refresher, and remedial education services that are designed to enable students to achieve success in career and technical education programs or programs of study.

(2) Provide stipends to students who are enrolled in career and technical education programs and who have acute economic needs which cannot be met through work-study programs. Stipends shall not exceed reasonable amounts as prescribed by the Secretary. (Section 116(c) of the Act)

*Requirement 2—Direct Assistance to Students:*

A grantee may provide direct assistance to students only if the following conditions are met:

(1) The recipient of the direct assistance is an individual who is a member of a special population (as defined in section 3(29) of the Act) and who is participating in the grantee's NHCTEP project.

*Note:*                     As a result of the reauthorization of Perkins V, the definition for “special population” referenced above is now found at section 3(48) of the Act, and is provided in the definitions section of this notice.                

(2) The direct assistance is needed to address barriers to the individual's successful participation in a NHCTEP project.

(3) The direct assistance is part of a broader, more generally focused program or activity for addressing the needs of an individual who is a member of a special population.

*Note:*                     Direct assistance to individuals who are members of special populations is not, by itself, a “program or activity for special populations.”                

(4) The grant funds used for direct assistance must be expended to supplement, and not supplant, assistance that is otherwise available from non-Federal sources. For example, generally, a community-based organization could not use NHCTEP funds to provide child care for single parents if non-Federal funds previously were made available for this purpose, or if non-Federal funds are used to provide child care services for single parents participating in non-CTE programs and these services otherwise (in the absence of NHCTEP funds) would have been available to CTE students.

                    (5) In determining how much of the NHCTEP grant funds it will use for direct assistance to an eligible student, a grantee—                          ( print page 1464)    

(i) May only provide assistance to the extent that it is needed to address barriers to the individual's successful participation in CTE; and

(ii) Considers whether the specific services to be provided are a reasonable and necessary cost of providing CTE programs for special populations. However, the Secretary does not envision a circumstance in which it would be a reasonable and necessary expenditure of NHCTEP project funds for a grantee to utilize a majority of a project's budget to pay direct assistance to students, in lieu of providing the students served by the project with CTE. (Notice of Final Requirements).

*Definitions:*                     These definitions are from the Act or the Notice of Final Requirements. The source of each definition is noted after the definition.                

*Acute economic need*                     means an income that is at or below the national poverty level according to the latest available data from the U.S. Department of Commerce or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines. (Notice of Final Requirements).                

*Career and technical education (CTE)*                     means organized educational activities that—                

(a) Offer a sequence of courses that—

(1) Provides individuals with rigorous academic content and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in current or emerging professions, which may include high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or occupations, which shall be, at the secondary level, aligned with the challenging State academic standards adopted by a State under section 1111(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1964, as amended (ESEA);

(2) Provides technical skill proficiency or a recognized postsecondary credential, which may include an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, or an associate degree; and

                    (3) May include prerequisite courses (other than a remedial course) [1]                                          that meet the requirements of this paragraph (a);                

(b) Include competency-based, work-based, or other applied learning that supports the development of academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of an industry, including entrepreneurship, of an individual;

(c) To the extent practicable, coordinate between secondary and postsecondary education programs through programs of study, which may include coordination through articulation agreements, early college high school programs, dual or concurrent enrollment program opportunities, or other credit transfer agreements that provide postsecondary credit or advanced standing; and

(d) May include career exploration at the high school level or as early as the middle grades (as such term is defined in section 8101 of the ESEA). (20 U.S.C. 2302(5)).

*CTE concentrator*                     means—                

(a) At the secondary school level, a student served by an eligible recipient who has completed at least 2 courses in a single career and technical education program or program of study; and

(b) At the postsecondary level, a student enrolled in an eligible recipient who has—

(1) Earned at least 12 credits within a career and technical education program or program of study; or

(2) Completed such a program if the program encompasses fewer than 12 credits or the equivalent in total. (20 U.S.C. 2302(12))

*Direct assistance to students*                     means tuition, dependent care, transportation, books, and supplies that are necessary for a student to participate in a project funded under this program. (Notice of Final Requirements).                

*In-demand industry sector or occupation*                     means—                

(a) An industry sector that has a substantial current or potential impact (including through jobs that lead to economic self-sufficiency and opportunities for advancement) on the State, regional, or local economy, as appropriate, and that contributes to the growth or stability of other supporting businesses, or the growth of other industry sectors; or

(b) An occupation that currently has or is projected to have a number of positions (including positions that lead to economic self-sufficiency and opportunities for advancement) in an industry sector so as to have a significant impact on the State, regional, or local economy, as appropriate. (20 U.S.C. 2302(26); 29 U.S.C. 3102).

*Institution of higher education*                     means—                

(a) An educational institution in any State that—

(1) Admits as regular students only persons having a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate or persons who meet the requirements of section 1091(d) of this title;

(2) Is legally authorized within such State to provide a program of education beyond secondary education;

(3) Provides an educational program for which the institution awards a bachelor's degree or provides not less than a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree, or awards a degree that is acceptable for admission to a graduate or professional degree program, subject to review and approval by the Secretary;

(4) Is a public or other nonprofit institution; and

(5) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association or, if not so accredited, is an institution that has been granted pre-accreditation status by such an agency or association that has been recognized by the Secretary of Education for the granting of pre-accreditation status, and the Secretary has determined that there is satisfactory assurance that the institution will meet the accreditation standards of such an agency or association within a reasonable time.

(b) The term “institution of higher education” also includes—

(1) Any school that provides not less than a 1-year program of training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation and that meets the provisions of paragraphs (1), (2), (4), and (5) of paragraph (a); and

(2) A public or nonprofit private educational institution in any State that, in lieu of the requirement in paragraph (a)(1) of this definition, admits as regular students individuals—

(A) who are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the State in which the institution is located; or,

(B) who will be dually or concurrently enrolled in the institution and a secondary school. (20 U.S.C. 2302(30); 20 U.S.C. 1001(a) and (b)).

*Native Hawaiian*                     means any individual any of whose ancestors were natives, prior to 1778, of the area which now comprises the State of Hawaii. (20 U.S.C. 2326(a)(3)).                

*Professional development*                     means activities that—                

                    (a) are an integral part of eligible agency, eligible recipient, institution, or school strategies for providing educators (including teachers, principals, other school leaders, administrators, specialized instructional support                           ( print page 1465)                        personnel, career guidance and academic counselors, and paraprofessionals) with the knowledge and skills necessary to enable students to succeed in career and technical education, to meet challenging State academic standards under section 1111(b)(1) of ESEA, or to achieve academic skills at the postsecondary level; and                

(b) Are sustained (not stand-alone, 1-day, or short-term workshops), intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven, and classroom-focused, to the extent practicable evidence-based, and may include activities that—

(1) Improve and increase educators'—

(A) Knowledge of the academic and technical subjects;

(B) Understanding of how students learn; and

(C) Ability to analyze student work and achievement from multiple sources, including how to adjust instructional strategies, assessments, and materials based on such analysis;

(2) Are an integral part of eligible recipients' improvement plans;

(3) Allow personalized plans for each educator to address the educator's specific needs identified in observation or other feedback;

(4) Support the recruitment, hiring, and training of effective educators, including educators who became certified through State and local alternative routes to certification;

(5) Advance educator understanding of—

(A) Effective instructional strategies that are evidence-based; and

(B) Strategies for improving student academic and technical achievement or substantially increasing the knowledge and teaching skills of educators;

(6) Are developed with extensive participation of educators, parents, students, and representatives of Indian Tribes (as applicable), of schools and institutions served under the Act;

(7) Are designed to give educators of students who are English learners in career and technical education programs or programs of study the knowledge and skills to provide instruction and appropriate language and academic support services to those students, including the appropriate use of curricula and assessments;

(8) As a whole, are regularly evaluated for their impact on increased educator effectiveness and improved student academic and technical achievement, with the findings of the evaluations used to improve the quality of professional development;

(9) Are designed to give educators of individuals with disabilities in career and technical education programs or programs of study the knowledge and skills to provide instruction and academic support services to those individuals, including positive behavioral interventions and supports, multi-tier system of supports, and use of accommodations;

(10) Include instruction in the use of data and assessments to inform and instruct classroom practice;

(11) Include instruction in ways that educators may work more effectively with parents and families;

(12) Provide follow-up training to educators who have

participated in activities described in this definition that are designed to ensure that the knowledge and skills learned by the educators are implemented in the classroom;

(13) Promote the integration of academic knowledge and skills and relevant technical knowledge and skills, including programming jointly delivered to academic and career and technical education teachers; or

(14) Increase the ability of educators providing career and technical education instruction to stay current with industry standards. (20 U.S.C. 2302(40)).

*Program of study*                     means a coordinated, nonduplicative sequence of academic and technical content at the secondary and postsecondary level that—                

(A) Incorporates challenging State academic standards, including those adopted by a State under section 1111(b)(1) of ESEA;

(B) Addresses both academic and technical knowledge and skills, including employability skills;

(C) Is aligned with the needs of industries in the economy of the State, region, Tribal community, or local area;

(D) Progresses in specificity (beginning with all aspects of an industry or career cluster and leading to more occupation-specific instruction);

(E) Has multiple entry and exit points that incorporate credentialing; and

(F) Culminates in the attainment of a recognized postsecondary credential. (20 U.S.C. 2302(41)).

*Recognized postsecondary credential*                     means a credential consisting of an industry-recognized certificate or certification, a certificate of completion of an apprenticeship, a license recognized by the State involved or Federal Government, or an associate or baccalaureate degree. (20 U.S.C. 2302(43); 29 U.S.C. 3102(52)).                

*Secondary school*                     means a nonprofit institutional day or residential school, including a public secondary charter school, that provides secondary education, as determined under State law, except that the term does not include any education beyond grade 12. (20 U.S.C. 2302(44); 20 U.S.C. 7801(45)).                

*Special populations*                     means—                

(a) Individuals with disabilities;

(b) Individuals from economically disadvantaged families, including low-income youth and adults;

(c) Individuals preparing for non-traditional fields; (d) Single parents, including single pregnant women;

(e) Out-of-workforce individuals;

(f) English learners;

(g) Homeless individuals described in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a);

(h) Youth who are in, or have aged out of, the foster care system; and

(i) Youth with a parent who—

(i) Is a member of the armed forces (as such term is defined in section 101(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code); and

(ii) Is on active duty (as such term is defined in section 101(d)(1) of such title). (20 U.S.C. 2302(48)).

*Support services*                     means services related to curriculum modification, equipment modification, classroom modification, supportive personnel (including paraprofessionals and specialized instructional support personnel), and instructional aids and devices. (20 U.S.C. 2302(50)).                

*Work-based learning*                     means sustained interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated environments at an educational institution that foster in-depth, firsthand engagement with the tasks required of a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and instruction. (20 U.S.C. 2302(55)).                

*Program Authority:*20 U.S.C. 2326(h).                

*Note:*                     Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal civil rights laws.                

*Applicable Regulations:*                     (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Guidance in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) Notice of Final Requirements.                

*Note:*                     As of October 1, 2024, grant applicants must follow the provisions stated in the updated OMB Uniform                           ( print page 1466)                        Guidance (89 FR 30046, April 22, 2024) when preparing an application. For more information about these regulations please visit:                     *www.cfo.gov/​resources-coffa/​uniform-guidance/​.*

*Note:*                     The regulations in 34 CFR 86 apply to institutions of higher education only.                

## II. Award Information

*Type of Award:*                     Discretionary grants.                

*Estimated Available Funds:*                     The Department estimates $3,800,000 will be available for awards made in FY 2025.                

*Note:*                     Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, the Department anticipates making awards for the first 12-month budget period using FY 2024 appropriations available in FY 2025 and FY 2025 appropriations, if any, that become available in FY 2026. The Department may make partial awards using FY 2024 appropriations available in FY 2025 and award the remaining funds using FY 2025 appropriations available in FY 2026 when they become available.                

*Estimated Range of Awards:*                     $150,000 to $650,000 for each 12-month budget period (                    *i.e.,*                     a total of approximately $750,000 to $3,250,000 for a full 60-month project period).                

*Estimated Average Size of Awards:*                     $500,000 for each 12-month budget period.                

*Estimated Number of Awards:*                     6-8.                

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

*Project Period:*                     Up to 60 months.                

## III. Eligibility Information

                    1.                     *Eligible Applicants:*                     The following entities are eligible to apply under this competition:                

(a) Community-based organizations primarily serving and representing Native Hawaiians.

(b) Any community-based organization may apply individually or as part of a consortium with one or more one or more eligible community-based organizations. (Eligible applicants seeking to apply for funds as a consortium must meet the requirements in 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, which apply to group applications.)

*Note:*                     If you are a nonprofit organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you may demonstrate your nonprofit status by providing: (1) proof that the Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as an organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a State taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that the organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the State and that no part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private shareholder or individual; (3) a certified copy of the applicant's certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) any item described above if that item applies to a State or national parent organization, together with a statement by the State or parent organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.                

*Note:*                     A faith-based organization is eligible to apply for and receive a grant under this program on the same basis as any other private organization, consistent with Appendix A to 34 CFR part 75.                

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

                    b.                     *Supplement-Not-Supplant:*                     This competition involves supplement-not-supplant funding requirements. In accordance with section 211(a) of the Act (20 U.S.C. 2391(a)), funds under this program may not be used to supplant non-Federal funds used to carry out CTE activities. Further, the prohibition against supplanting also means that grantees will be required to use their negotiated restricted indirect cost rates under this program. (34 CFR 75.563)                

We caution applicants not to plan to use funds under NHCTEP to replace otherwise available non-Federal funding for direct assistance to students and family assistance programs. For example, NHCTEP funds must not be used to supplant non-Federal funds with Federal funds in order to pay the costs of students' tuition, dependent care, transportation, books, supplies, and other costs associated with participation in a CTE program.

Funds under NHCTEP should not be used to replace Federal student financial aid. The Act does not authorize the Secretary to fund projects that serve primarily as entities through which students may apply for and receive tuition and other financial assistance.

                    c.                     *Indirect Cost Rate Information:*                     This program uses a restricted indirect cost rate. For more information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please see                     *www.ed.gov/​about/​ed-offices/​ofo#Indirect-Cost-Division.*

                    d.                     *Administrative Cost Limitation:*                     This program does not include any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform Guidance.                

                    e.                     *Limitation on Services:*                     Section 215 of the Act (20 U.S.C. 2395) forbids the use of Perkins funds for the education of students prior to the middle grades. The term middle grades refers to grades 5 through 8, as defined in section 8101 of ESEA.                

                    3.                     *Subgrantees:*                     Under 34 CFR 75.708 (b) and (c), a grantee under this competition may award subgrants—to directly carry out project activities described in its application—to the following types of entities: institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, local educational agencies. The grantee may only award subgrants to entities it has identified in an approved application, including any amendments to an approved application.                

## IV. Application and Submission Information

                    1.                     *Application Submission Instructions:*                     Applicants are required to follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the                     **Federal Register**                     on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at                     *www.federalregister.gov/​documents/​2022/​12/​07/​2022-26554/​common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs,*                     which contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.                

                    2.                     *Submission of Proprietary Information:*                     Given the types of projects that may be proposed in applications for NHCTEP, your application may include business information that you consider proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11 we define “business information” and describe the process we use in determining whether any of that information is proprietary and, thus, protected from disclosure under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended).                

Because we plan to make successful applications available to the public on the Department's website, you may wish to request confidentiality of business information.

                    Consistent with Executive Order 12600 (Predisclosure Notification Procedures for Confidential Commercial Information), please designate in your application any information that you believe is exempt from disclosure under Exemption 4. In the appropriate Appendix section of your application, under “Other Attachments Form,” please list the page number or numbers on which we can find this information. For additional information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).                          ( print page 1467)    

                    3.                     *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.                

                    4.                     *Funding Restrictions:*                     We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the                     *Applicable Regulations*                     section of this notice.                

                    5.                     *Recommended Page Limit:*                     The application narrative is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the application narrative to 35 pages and (2) use the following standards:                
    - A “page” is 8.5′′ x 11′′, on one side only, with 1′′ margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
    - Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
    - Use a font that is either 12 point or larger, and no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    - Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial.

The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the recommended page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.

                    6.                     *Notice of Intent to Apply:*                     The Department will be able to review grant applications more efficiently if we know the approximate number of applicants that intend to apply. Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to notify us of their intent to submit an application. To do so, please email the program contact person listed under                     **FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT**                     with the subject line “Intent to Apply,” and include the applicant's name and a contact person's name and email address. Applicants that do not submit a notice of intent to apply may still apply for funding; applicants that do submit a notice of intent to apply are not bound to apply or bound by the information provided.                

## V. Application Review Information

                    1.                     *Selection Criteria:*                     The selection criteria for this program are from the Notice of Final Requirements or 34 CFR 75.210. The source is noted after each criterion.                

The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses.

                    (a)                     *Quality of the project design*                     (Up to 26 points). In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, we consider the following factors:                

(1) The extent to which the proposed project proposes specific, measurable targets, connected to strategies, activities, resources, outputs, and outcomes, and uses reliable administrative data to measure progress and inform continuous improvement. (34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(v)). (Up to 16 points).

(2) 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 (as evidenced by such data as local labor market demand, occupational trends, and surveys). (Notice of Final Requirements). (Up to 10 points).

                    (b)                     *Quality of the project services*                     (Up to 30 points). In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, we consider the following factors:                

(1) The quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equitable and adequate access and participation for project participants who experience barriers based on one or more of the following: economic disadvantage; gender; race; ethnicity; color; disability; age; language; living in a rural location; experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity; involvement with the justice system; pregnancy, parenting, or caregiver status. This determination includes the steps developed and described in the form Equity For Students, Teachers, And Other Program Beneficiaries (OMB Control No. 1894-0005) (section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1228a)). (34 CFR 75.210(d)(2)). (Up to 12 points).

(2) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project will create and offer activities that focus on enabling participants to obtain the skills necessary to gain employment in high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand occupations in emerging fields or in a specific career field (Notice of Final Requirements). (Up to 10 points).

(3) 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 build recipient and project capacity in ways that lead to improvements in practice among the recipients of those services. (34 CFR 75.210(d)(3)(v)). (Up to 8 points).

                    (c)                     *Adequacy of resources*                     (Up to 22 points). In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, we consider the following factors:                

(1) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the proposed project and the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. (34 CFR 75.210(f)(2)(iii)). (Up to 8 points).

                    (2) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization(s) and the entities to be served, including the evidence and relevance of commitments (                    *e.g.,*                     articulation agreements, memoranda of understanding, letters of support, or commitments to employ project participants) of the applicant, local employers, or entities to be served by the project. (Notice of Final Requirements). (Up to 7 points).                

(3) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the number of persons to be served, the depth and intensity of services, and the anticipated results and benefits. (34 CFR 75.210(f)(2)(iv)). (Up to 7 points).

                    (d)                     *Quality of the management plan*                     (Up to 22 points). In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, we consider the following factors:                

(1) The feasibility of the management plan to achieve project objectives and goals on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (34 CFR 75.210(g)(2)(i)). (Up to 10 points).

(2) The extent to which the time commitments of the project director and other key project personnel, including instructors, are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project. (Notice of Final Requirements). (Up to 5 points).

(3) The extent to which the proposed project team maximizes diverse perspectives, for example by reflecting the lived experiences of project participants, or relevant experience working with the target population. (34 CFR 75.210(e)(3)(iv)). (Up to 7 points).

                    3.                     *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                           ( print page 1468)                        submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality.                

In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 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 (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

                    4.                     *Risk Assessment and Special Conditions:*                     Consistent with 2 CFR 200.206, before awarding grants under this competition, the Department conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 200.208, the Secretary may impose special conditions and, under 2 CFR 3474.10, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk 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 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.                

                    5.                     *Integrity and Performance System:*                     If you are selected under this competition to receive an award that over the course of the project period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards—that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant—before we make an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management (SAM). You may review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.                

Please note that, if the total value of your currently active grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.

## 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); or we may send you an email containing a link to access an electronic version of your GAN. We may also notify you informally.                

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

                    4.                     *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.                

                    5.                     *Open Licensing Requirement:*                     Unless an exception applies, if you are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. The dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 3474.20.                

                    6.                     *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. See the standards in 2 CFR 170.105 to determine whether you are covered by 2 CFR part 170.                

                    (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 multiyear 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.*

(c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.

                    7.                     *Performance Measures:*                     The Department has established the following performance measures for purposes of Department reporting under 34 CFR 75.110, which it will use to evaluate the overall performance of the grantee's project, as well as NHCTEP as a whole:                

(a) At the secondary level: An increase in—

(1) The percentage of CTE concentrators who graduate high school, as measured by—

(A) The four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (defined in section 8101 of ESEA); and

(B) At the grantee's discretion, the extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (defined in section 8101 of ESEA);

(2) The percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school having attained postsecondary credits in the relevant CTE program earned through a dual or concurrent enrollment program or another credit transfer agreement;

(3) The percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school having participated in work-based learning;

(4) The percentage of CTE concentrators graduating from high school having attained a recognized postsecondary credential; and

(5) The percentage of CTE concentrators who, after exiting from secondary education, are in postsecondary education or advanced training, military service, or a service program, or are employed.

(b) At the postsecondary level: An increase in—

(1) The percentage of CTE concentrators who remain enrolled in postsecondary education, are in advanced training, military service, or a service program, or are employed; and

(2) The percentage of CTE concentrators who receive a recognized postsecondary credential.

*Project-Specific Performance Measures:*

                    In addition to the performance measures noted above, applicants may propose project-specific performance measures and performance targets consistent with the objectives of the proposed project. Examples of such project-specific performance measures                           ( print page 1469)                        could include student recruitment, student participation in work-based learning at the postsecondary level, and teacher and faculty participation in professional development.                

*Note:*                     All grantees will be expected to submit a semi-annual and an annual performance report addressing these performance measures, to the extent that these performance measures apply to each grantee's NHCTEP project.                

                    6.                     *Continuation Awards:*                     In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the performance targets in the grantee's approved application.                

In making a continuation award, 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. Other Information

*Accessible Format:*                     On request to the program contact person listed under                     **FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT**                    , individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3, braille, large print, audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible format.                

*Electronic Access to This Document:*                     The official version of this document is the document published in the                     **Federal Register**                    . You may access the official edition of the                     **Federal Register**                     and the Code of Federal Regulations at                     *www.govinfo.gov.*                     At this site you can view this document, as well as all other Department documents published in the                     **Federal Register**                    , in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site.                

                    You may also access Department documents 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.                

Luke Rhine,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education.

# Footnotes

1.                             Section 116(c)(2) of the Act provides that, notwithstanding the exclusion of remedial courses from the Act's definition of CTE, funds made available under NHCTEP “may be used to provide preparatory, refresher, and remedial education services that are designed to enable students to achieve success in career and technical education programs or programs of study.”                    
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[FR Doc. 2025-00209 Filed 1-7-25; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000-01-P