99-16196. Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative Grants  

  • [Federal Register Volume 64, Number 122 (Friday, June 25, 1999)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 34225-34226]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 99-16196]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
    
    [CFDA No. 84.314B]
    
    
    Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative Grants
    
    AGENCY: Department of Education
    
    ACTION: Notice to extend deadline for applications for assistance under 
    the Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative grant authority, 
    and information on cost issues involving those grants.
    
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    SUMMARY: The Secretary of Education announces an extension of the 
    deadline for States to apply for a fiscal year (FY) 1999 new award 
    under the Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative grant 
    authority. In addition, the Secretary will authorize certain pre-award 
    costs for grant recipients, and consider State requests for waivers of 
    the requirement that only non-Federal funds be used as matching 
    resources for the grant under the waiver authority in section 14401 of 
    the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
    
    DATES: The new deadline for State offices and agencies to submit their 
    Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative applications for the 
    second stage of this grant competition is October 15, 1999.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain further information, contact 
    Patricia McKee, Compensatory Education Programs, Office of Elementary 
    and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
    Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202-6132; telephone (202) 260-0826; or e-
    mail address patricia__mckee@ed.gov.
        Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
    may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-
    8339.
        Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
    alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
    diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
    paragraph.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department published the FY 1999 
    application for Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative 
    competitive grants in the Federal Register on February 24, 1999 (64 FR 
    9229). The Department also published a notice of final priority for 
    those grants on the same date (64 FR 9228). The application established 
    an original deadline for transmittal of applications for the second 
    stage of applications of August 20, 1999.
        First, because of the need to prepare competitive grant 
    applications for other Department programs, such as those under the 
    Reading Excellence Act, some States have not been able to convene the 
    consortium that is required to create the Statewide Initiative plan for 
    the Even Start competitive grant application. In recognition of the 
    competing demands on States, and in the interest of giving States 
    sufficient planning time to prepare high-quality applications and to 
    benefit from further technical assistance that the Department will 
    provide, the Secretary extends the deadline for the second stage of 
    applications for these grants to October 15, 1999.
        Second, the Department's regulations already authorize grant 
    recipients to incur allowable pre-award costs up to 90 calendar days 
    before the grant award (34 CFR 75.263 and 74.25(e)(1)). In addition, 
    for this competition, the Secretary will authorize grant recipients to 
    use grant funds to pay certain pre-award costs incurred more than 90 
    days before the date of the grant award but no earlier than the date of 
    the initial notice soliciting grant applications (February 24, 1999). 
    Those authorized pre-award costs are the necessary and reasonable costs 
    to establish, convene, and facilitate the required consortium's work in 
    creating the plan for the proposed Statewide family literacy 
    initiative. All pre-award costs are incurred at the recipient's risk. 
    That is, the Secretary is under no obligation to reimburse these costs 
    if for any reason the applicant does not receive an award or if the 
    award is less than anticipated and inadequate to cover these costs.
        Third, under this grant competition, a State that receives a grant 
    for an Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative must contribute 
    an amount from non-Federal sources, in cash or in kind, at least equal 
    to the Federal funds awarded under the grant. Drawing on
    
    [[Page 34226]]
    
    non-Federal contributions is important to building successful 
    collaborative Statewide efforts to strengthen and expand family 
    literacy services. However, identifying sufficient resources to meet 
    this requirement may be difficult in some instances. In those cases, if 
    the State educational agency (SEA) is the applicant State office or 
    agency, the SEA may request from the Secretary a waiver under section 
    14401 of the ESEA of the requirement that only non-Federal funds may be 
    used to match the Federal award. Such a waiver, if approved, would 
    allow that State to use Federal resources (such as Head Start, Title I, 
    Adult Education Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and 
    Reading Excellence Act resources), in addition to non-Federal 
    resources, to meet the matching requirement.
        Any waiver request must meet the required criteria in section 14401 
    by, among other things, identifying how the waiver would contribute to 
    improvements in teaching and learning. Applicants seeking a waiver of 
    the requirement for non-Federal matching resources should include their 
    waiver request with their application. To receive assistance concerning 
    a waiver request, potential waiver applicants may call the Department's 
    Waiver Assistance Line at (202) 401-7801 or 1-800-USA-LEARN, or the 
    program contact above. Waiver guidance, including information about 
    preparing a request, is also available in the Department's on-line 
    library at http://www.ed.gov/flexibility.
    
    Electronic Access to This Document
    
        Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
    Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 
    portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the 
    following sites:
    
    http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
    http://www.ed.gov/news.html
    
        To use the pdf, you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program, 
    which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you have 
    questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing Office 
    toll free at 1-888-293-6498.
    
        Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6362(c).
    
        Dated: June 22, 1999.
    Judith Johnson,
    Acting Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
    [FR Doc. 99-16196 Filed 6-24-99; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 4000-01-U
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
06/25/1999
Department:
Education Department
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice to extend deadline for applications for assistance under the Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative grant authority, and information on cost issues involving those grants.
Document Number:
99-16196
Dates:
The new deadline for State offices and agencies to submit their Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative applications for the second stage of this grant competition is October 15, 1999.
Pages:
34225-34226 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
CFDA No. 84.314B
PDF File:
99-16196.pdf