E6-3508. Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview Information; Alaska Native Education Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)

Number: 84.356A

Dates: Applications Available: March 13, 2006.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 27, 2006.

Eligible Applicants: (a) Alaska Native organizations;

(b) Educational entities with experience in developing or operating Alaska Native programs or programs of instruction conducted in Alaska Native languages;

(c) Cultural and community-based organizations with experience in developing or operating programs to benefit Alaska Natives; and

(d) Consortia of organizations and entities described in this paragraph to carry out activities that meet the purposes of this program.

Note:

A State educational agency or local educational agency may apply for an award under this program only as part of a consortium involving an Alaska Native organization. The consortium may include other eligible applicants.

Estimated Available Funds: $16,300,000. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, the Secretary may make additional awards in FY 2007 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.

Estimated Range of Awards: $300,000-$700,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $500,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 20-40.

Note:

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

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to develop and support supplemental educational programs to benefit Alaska Natives. Permissible activities under this program include the following: (1) Development and implementation of plans, methods, and strategies to improve the education of Alaska Natives; (2) Development of curricula and educational programs that address the educational needs of Alaska Native students; (3) Professional development activities for educators; (4) Development and operation of home instruction programs for Alaska Native preschool children, to ensure the active involvement of parents in their children's education from the earliest ages; (5) Family literacy services; (6) Development and operation of student enrichment programs in science and mathematics; (7) Research and data collection activities to determine the educational status and needs of Alaska Native children and adults; (8) Other research and evaluation activities related to programs carried out under Alaska Native education programs; (9) Remedial and enrichment programs to assist Alaska Native students in performing at a high level on standardized tests; (10) Education and training of Alaska Native students enrolled in a degree program that will lead to certification or licensing as teachers; (11) Parenting education for parents and caregivers of Alaska Native children to improve parenting and caregiving skills (including skills relating to discipline and cognitive development and parenting education provided through in-home visitation of new mothers); (12) Activities carried out through Even Start programs under subpart 3 of part B of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), and Head Start programs under the Head Start Act, including the training of teachers for Even Start and Head Start programs; (13) Other early learning and preschool programs; (14) Dropout prevention programs; (15) Career preparation activities to enable Alaska Native children and adults to prepare for meaningful employment, including programs providing “tech-prep,” mentoring, training, and apprenticeship activities; (16) Provision of operational support and purchasing of equipment to develop regional vocational schools in rural areas of Alaska, including boarding schools, for Alaska Native students in grades 9 through 12, or at higher levels of education, to provide the students with necessary resources to prepare for skilled employment opportunities; (17) Construction of facilities that support the operation of Alaska Native education programs; and (18) Other activities, consistent with the purposes of this program, to meet the educational needs of Alaska Native children and adults.

Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), the following competitive preference priority is from section 7304(c) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7544(c)) and the invitational priority is from the Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2006 (Pub. L. 109-149).

Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2006 and any subsequent year in which we make awards based on the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional five points to an application that meets this priority.

This priority is:

The Secretary gives priority to applications from Alaska Native regional nonprofit organizations or consortia that include at least one Alaska Native regional nonprofit organization. In order to receive a competitive preference under this priority, an application must provide documentation supporting its claim that it meets this priority.

Invitational Priority: For FY 2006 and any subsequent year in which we make awards based on the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an invitational priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.

This priority is:

The use of funds to address the construction needs of rural schools serving Alaska Native students.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7541, et seq.; Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2006 (Pub. L. 109-149).

Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

Note:

The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education only.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $16,300,000. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, the Secretary may make additional awards in FY 2007 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.

Estimated Range of Awards: $300,000-$700,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $500,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 20-40.

Note:

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

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: (a) Alaska Native organizations;

(b) Educational entities with experience in developing or operating Alaska Native programs or programs of instruction conducted in Alaska Native languages;

(c) Cultural and community-based organizations with experience in developing or operating programs to benefit Alaska Natives; and

(d) Consortia of organizations and entities described in this paragraph to carry out activities that meet the purposes of this program.

Note:

A State educational agency or local educational agency may apply for an award under this program only as part of a consortium involving an Alaska Native organization. The consortium may include other eligible applicants.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package: To obtain a copy of the application package via the Internet use the following addresses: http://www.grants.gov or http://www.ed.gov/​programs/​alaskanative/​applicant.html. Individuals may also obtain a copy of the application package by contacting the program contact person listed in this section.

Address and mail your request for information to Alexis Fisher, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W217, Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: [phone] or by e-mail: [e-mail].

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed in this section.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this competition.

Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We strongly encourage you to limit the application narrative (text plus all figures, charts, tables, and diagrams) to the equivalent of 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).

The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances and certifications; the abstract; the resumes; or the appendices.

3. Submission Dates and Times:

Applications Available: March 13, 2006.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 27, 2006.

Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice.

We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements.

4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is not subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.

5. Funding Restrictions: Under section 7304(b) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7544(b)), not more than five percent of funds provided to a grantee under this competition for any fiscal year may be used for administrative purposes.

We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted electronically, unless you qualify for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in this section.

a. Electronic Submission of Applications.

Applications for grants under the Alaska Native Education Program—CFDA Number 84.356A must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site at: http://www.grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.

We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.

You may access the electronic grant application for the Alaska Native Education Program at: http://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.

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 time and date stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and must be date/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 consider your application if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was date/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 application process through Grants.gov.
• You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for this competition to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e- Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
• To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.Grants.gov/​GetStarted). These steps include (1) Registering your organization, (2) registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/​assets/​GrantsgovCoBrandBrochure8X11.pdf). You also must provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please note that the registration process may take five or more business days to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.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 typically included on the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. You must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than the three file types specified above 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 an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-mail that will include 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 Grants.gov System: If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because of technical problems with the Grans.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 instruction as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington DC time, on the deadline date, please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that the 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:

Extension referred to 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 deadline date and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application through the Grants.gov system because—

• You do not have access to the Internet; or
• You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to the Grants.gov system; and
• No later than two weeks before the application deadline date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.

Address and mail or fax your statement to: Alexis Fisher, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W217, Washington, DC 20202-6200. FAX: [phone].

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 applicable following address:

By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.356A), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or

By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center—Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.356A), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.

Regardless of which address you use, 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, or

(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, or

(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 84.356A), 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 4 of the ED 424 form the CFDA number—and suffix letter, if any—of the competition under which you are submitting your application.

(2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at [phone].

V. Application Review Information

Selection Criteria: We will use the following selection criteria from 34 CFR 75.210 to evaluate applications for new grants under this competition. The maximum score for all criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses.

The selection criteria for this competition are as follows:

(a) Need for project (20 points). The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.

(b) Quality of the project design (30 points). The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers 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.

(c) Quality of the management plan (20 points). The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks.

(d) Adequacy of resources (15 points) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the extent to which the budget is adequate to support the proposed project.

(e) Quality of the project evaluation (15 points). The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project.

(ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data to the extent possible.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.

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

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

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

3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118.

4. Performance Measures: The Alaska Native Education Program seeks to support supplemental education programs to benefit Alaska Native populations. The Department uses the following performance targets to measure the program's success: (1) The percentage of Alaska Native students who meet or exceed proficiency standards in mathematics, science, or reading; (2) The percentage of Alaska Native children who improve on measures of school readiness; and (3) The dropout rate of Alaska Native middle and high school students.

Each grantee is expected to submit an annual performance report documenting its contributions in assisting the Department in meeting these performance measures.

VII. Agency Contact

For Further Information Contact: Alexis Fisher, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3W217, Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: [phone] or by e-mail: [e-mail].

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this section.

VIII. Other Information

Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/​news/​fedregister.

To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at [phone].

Note:

The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/​nara/​index.html.

Dated: March 8, 2006.

Henry L. Johnson,

Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.