E8-10777. Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Overview Information; Training and Advisory Services Program-Equity Assistance Centers (EACs) (Formerly Desegregation Assistance Centers (DACs))

Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2008.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.004D.

DATES: Applications Available: May 14, 2008.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 30, 2008.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 27, 2008.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The Training and Advisory Services Program is authorized under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000c-2000c-2, 2000c-5, and the implementing regulations at 34 CFR parts 270 and 272. This program awards grants through cooperative agreements to operate 10 regional EACs that provide technical assistance (including training) at the request of school boards and other responsible governmental agencies in the preparation, adoption, and implementation of plans for the desegregation of public schools—which in this context means plans for equity (including desegregation based on race, sex, and national origin)—and in the development of effective methods of coping with special educational problems occasioned by desegregation.

Priorities: Under this competition we are particularly interested in applications that address the following priorities.

Invitational Priorities: For FY 2008, these priorities are invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.

These priorities are:

Invitational Priority One

The Secretary is interested in projects that will assist school boards and other responsible governmental agencies in addressing the over-representation of minorities in special education, the under-representation of minorities in gifted and talented programs, or both, through technical assistance products, services, training, and other informational resources.

Invitational Priority Two

The Secretary is interested in projects that will provide, to school boards and other responsible governmental agencies, resource materials, services, and training on successful strategies for providing limited English proficient students with equitable access to a high-quality education.

Invitational Priority Three

The Secretary is interested in projects that will ensure equal access to highly qualified teachers for students, including students who are economically disadvantaged or are racial and ethnic minorities, by providing information on effective strategies, training, and other resources in that area to school boards and other responsible governmental agencies.

Invitational Priority Four

The Secretary is interested in projects that will provide (to school boards and other responsible governmental agencies) information, training, and other technical assistance on effective approaches to school dropout prevention and reentry, that promote equity by addressing the special needs of high-risk students, including students from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Program Authority: 42 U.S.C. 2000c-2000c-2, 2000c-5.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99, except that 34 CFR 75.232 does not apply to grants under 34 CFR part 272. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR parts 270 and 272.

Note:

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

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement.

Estimated Available Funds: $6,970,736.

Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$800,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $697,000.

Maximum Award: We will not fund any application that requests more than $800,000. The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

Estimated Number of Awards: 10.

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) A public agency (other than a State educational agency or a school board) or a private, non-profit organization.

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

3. Other: (Definitions): The definitions applicable to this program are found in the authorizing statute at 42 U.S.C. 2000c and in the regulations at 34 CFR parts 77, 270, and 272, and will be included in the application package.

4. Geographical Regions: Ten EACs will be funded under this grant program in ten different geographical regions in accordance with 34 CFR 272.12. Our reviewers will read the proposals according to the region from which the proposal originates. One award will be made in each region to the highest ranking proposal from that region.

The geographic regions served by the EACs are:

Region I: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont.

Region II: New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands.

Region III: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia.

Region IV: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee.

Region V: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin.

Region VI: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas.

Region VII: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska.

Region VIII: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming.

Region IX: Arizona, California, Nevada.

Region X: Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, The Federated States of Micronesia, The Republic of the Marshall Islands, and The Republic of Palau (the three proceeding entities were formerly known as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands), Washington.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package:

Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: [phone]. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.

You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: http://www.ed.gov/​pubs/​edpubs.html or at its e-mail address: [e-mail].

If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.004D.

Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team listed under Alternative Format in section VIII 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 (Part III of the application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit the application narrative [Part III] to the equivalent of no more than 50 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: May 14, 2008.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 30, 2008.

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. 6. Other Submission Requirements in 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: August 27, 2008.

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

6. 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 Training and Advisory Services Program, CFDA Number 84.004D, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide 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 Training and Advisory Services 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 (e.g., search for 84.004, not 84.004D).

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 at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/​help/​GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
• To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.grants.gov/​applicants/​get_​registered.jsp). These steps include (1) Registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (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/​section910/​Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.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. In addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
• 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: 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. Please note that two of these forms—the SF 424 and the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424—have replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance).
• 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 in this paragraph 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 e-mail. 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 in 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 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: Sandra H. Brown, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E116, Washington, DC 20202-6400. 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 84.004D), 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 84.004D), 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.

(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 84.004D), 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 [phone].

V. Application Review Information

Selection Criteria

The following selection criteria for this program are from the program regulations in 34 CFR 272.30. The maximum score for all of the selection criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parenthesis with the criterion. Non-Federal peer reviewers will review each application. They will be asked to evaluate and score each program narrative against the selection criteria. The Secretary uses the following criteria to evaluate applications for EAC grants:

(a) Mission and Strategy. (30 points) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent to which the applicant understands effective practices for addressing problems in each of the desegregation assistance areas, including the extent to which the applicant—

(1) Understands the mission of the proposed EAC;

(2) Is familiar with relevant research, theory, materials, and training models;

(3) Is familiar with the types of problems that arise in each of the desegregation assistance areas;

(4) Is familiar with relevant strategies for technical assistance and training; and

(5) Is familiar with the desegregation needs of responsible governmental agencies in its designated region.

(b) Organizational Capability. (15 points) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the ability of the applicant to sustain a long-term, high-quality, and coherent program of technical assistance and training, including the extent to which the applicant—

(1) Demonstrates the commitment to provide the services of appropriate faculty or staff members from its organization;

(2) Selects project staff with an appropriate mixture of scholarly and practitioner backgrounds; and

(3) Has had past successes in rendering technical assistance and training in the desegregation assistance areas, including collaborating with other individuals and organizations.

(c) Plan of Operation. (25 points) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality of the plan of operation for the project, including the extent to which—

(1) The design of the project is of high quality;

(2) The plan of management ensures proper and efficient administration of the project;

(3) The applicant plans to use its resources and personnel effectively to achieve each objective; and

(4) The applicant will ensure that project participants who are otherwise eligible to participate are selected without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or handicapping condition.

(d) Quality of Key Personnel. (15 points)

(1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the qualifications of the key personnel that the applicant plans to use on the project, including—

(i) The qualifications of the project director;

(ii) The qualifications of the other key personnel to be used in the project;

(iii) The time that each person referred to in paragraphs (d)(1)(i) and (ii) of this section will commit to the project; and

(iv) How the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, will ensure that its personnel are selected for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or handicapping condition.

(2) To determine personnel qualifications, under paragraphs (d)(1)(i) and (ii) of this section, the Secretary considers—

(i) Experience and training in fields related to the objectives of the project; and

(ii) Any other qualifications that pertain to the quality of the project.

(e) Budget and Cost Effectiveness. (5 points) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent to which—

(1) The budget for the project is adequate to support the project activities; and

(2) Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the project.

(f) Evaluation Plan. (5 points) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality of the evaluation plan for the project, including the extent to which the methods of evaluation—

(1) Are appropriate for the project; and

(2) To the extent possible, are objective and produce data that are quantifiable.

(g) Adequacy of Resources. (5 points) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the adequacy of the resources that the applicant plans to devote to the project, including facilities, equipment, and supplies.

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: 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 http://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 Training and Advisory Services Program (Equity Assistance Centers), adapted from a set of common measures developed to help assess performance across the Department's technical assistance programs:

Program Goal: To support access and equity in public schools and help school districts solve equity problems in education related to race, gender, and national origin.

Objective 1 of 2: Provide high-quality technical assistance and training to public school districts in addressing equity in education.

Measure 1.1 of 4: The percentage of customers of EACs that develop, implement, or improve their policies or practices, or both, in eliminating, reducing, or preventing harassment, conflict, and school violence.

Measure 1.2 of 4: The percentage of customers of EACs that develop, implement, or improve their policies or practices, or both, ensuring that students of different race, sex, and national origin have equitable opportunity for high-quality instruction.

Measure 1.3 of 4: The percentage of customers of EACS that report the products and services they received from the EACs are of high quality.

Measure 1.4 of 4: The percentage of customers who report that the products and services they received from the EACs are of high usefulness to their policies and practices.

All grantees will be expected to submit, as part of their annual and final performance reports, quantitative data documenting their progress with regard to these performance measures.

Note:

A strong evaluation plan should be included in the application narrative and should be used, as appropriate, to shape the development of the project from the beginning of the grant period. The plan should include benchmarks to monitor progress toward specific project objectives and outcome measures to assess the impact on teaching, learning, or other important outcomes for project participants. More specifically, the plan should identify the individual, organization, or both that have agreed to serve as evaluator for the project and describe the qualifications of that evaluator. The plan should describe the evaluation design, indicating—(1) What types of data will be collected; (2) when various types of data will be collected; (3) what methods will be used; (4) what instruments will be developed and when; (5) how the data will be analyzed; (6) when reports of results and outcomes will be available; and (7) how the applicant will use the information collected through the evaluation to monitor progress of the funded project and to provide accountability information about both success at the initial site and effective strategies for replication in other settings. Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level of resources to project evaluation.

Furthermore, the Department will provide information to grantees about the client satisfaction survey, which will be used to evaluate progress on these performance measures. The grantees will be expected to cooperate with the administration of the survey.

VII. Agency Contact

For Further Information Contact:

Sandra H. Brown, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E116, Washington, DC 20202-6400. Telephone: [phone] or by e-mail: [e-mail].

If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

Alternative 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 computer diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice.

Electronic Access to This Document: 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) 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: May 9, 2008.

Kerri L. Briggs,

Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.