[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 130 (Thursday, July 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36927-36933]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17305]
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NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY
Application for Equipped for the Future (EFF) Center for
Training, Technical Assistance, and Materials Development
AGENCY: The National Institute for Literacy.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The National Institute for Literacy invites applications for a
cooperative agreement grant to support integration of EFF standards
into existing systems for the delivery of adult education and training.
These systems include: adult literacy and basic education programs;
Even Start, Head Start, and other family literacy programs; programs
offered through LEAs; community-based organizations; community
colleges; unions and employee associations; and public and private
employers and associations of employers that are helping adults qualify
for entry-level employment or meet skill standards developed through
voluntary partnerships under the aegis of the Skills Standards Board.
Eligible Applicants: Individual public and private nonprofit
organizations and agencies, or consortia of such organizations. While
such consortia may include local and for-profit organizations, no grant
will be made to either a local or for-profit organization.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: 4:30 PM, August 18, 1999.
Available Funds: This award is for a Center that will operate for
two to four years, given adequate appropriations and satisfactory
performance. Up to $500,000 is available for Year 1, with a comparable
amount anticipated for Year 2.
Estimated Number of Awards: One.
Estimated Amount of Award: $500,000 for Year 1. Two years, with an
option to renew for up to two additional project periods after
completion of first year. Funds are provided under this solicitation
for the first year only.
Note to Applicants: This notice is part of a complete
application package that also includes: the NIFL Equipped for the
Future Orientation Package, the statute authorizing the program, and
applicable regulations governing the program, including the
Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR).
Taken together, these materials contain all the information,
application forms, regulations, and instructions needed to apply for
a grant under this competition. The Application and EFF Orientation
Package are available on request from Sharyn Abbott, NIFL, EFF
information, this grant announcement, and required forms can also be
found on NIFL's web site (www.nifl.gov). Required forms are also
available on-line at http.//www.nifl.gov/activities/.
Grant Administration and Applicable Regulations: The administration
of the grant is governed by the conditions of the award letter. The
Education Department General Administrative Regulations, (EDGAR) 34 CFR
Parts 74; 75.100-102, 104, 112, 117-118, 127-129, 190-192, 201, 217,
231-36, 250-51, 253, 261, 525, 531, 562, 591, 620-21, 700-707; 77; 79;
80; 81; 82; 85; and 86 (36/6/1997 and EDGAR Expanded
[[Page 36928]]
Authorities, 1/27/98), set forth administrative and other requirements.
This document is available through your public library, the National
Institute for Literacy, and at the following web site (http://
www.ed.gov/). It is recommended that appropriate administrative
officials become familiar with the policies and procedures in the EDGAR
which are applicable to this award. If a proposal is recommended for an
award, the Grants Officer will request certain organizational,
management, and financial information. Grant administration questions
regarding General Requirements, Prior Approval Requirements, Transfer
of Project Director, and Suspension or Termination of Award, should be
referred to the Grants Officer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sondra Stein, National Institute for
Literacy, 1775 I Street, NW, Suite 730, Washington, DC 20006 TEL: 202-
233-2041; FAX 202-233-2050, EMAIL sstein@nifl.gov.
For Applications Only Contact: Sharyn Abbott, National Institute
for Literacy, 1775 I Street, NW, Suite 730, Washington, DC 20006 TEL:
202-233-2026; FAX 202-233-2050, EMAIL sabbott@nifl.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For purposes of this notice, the following
definitions apply:
``Literacy'' means an individual's ability to read, write, and
speak in English, and compute and solve problems at levels of
proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve
one's goals and develop one's knowledge and potential (as stated in the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998).
``Adult Literacy System'' means all individuals, programs, and
organizations that are involved, directly and indirectly, in the
delivery of literacy and basic skill services to adults. This includes,
but is not limited to, people and groups involved in literacy
policymaking, research and development, technical assistance, and
instructions service delivery.
``Adult Roles'' means the following three major arenas of adult
life, and the obligations that pertain to each:
Parent/family member
Citizen/community member
Worker
``Constituencies'' mean national, state, or local organizations in
the public, nonprofit, and private sectors that have a stake in
developing standards for particular adult roles because the quality of
role performance has an impact on their organization's achievement of
its mission and goals.
``Consensus-building'' means the explicit, ongoing effort to
develop a convincing public argument for the use of ``Equipped for the
Future'' standards by key constituencies, to expand the number of
individuals from key constituencies involved in standards development
use, marketing, and dissemination, and to enlist key segments of the
workforce development system in using the standards at the national,
state, and local levels.
``Content Standards'' mean specific descriptions of what adults
need to know and be able to do to perform the key activities identified
in the EFF standards framework. EFF has identified 16 content standards
that are critical to adult success.
``Generative skills'' mean skills and knowledge that are core to
the performance of a wide range of tasks found in multiple roles and
that are durable over time in the face of changes in technology, work
processes, and occupational demand.
``National Policy Group'' means the body of nationally-recognized
leaders in literacy and workforce development that provides policy
guidance and consensus-building support to the EFF initiative.
``Performance Indicators'' mean descriptions of how achievement of
the content standards will be demonstrated, and reflect the consensus
of key stakeholders for the particular adult role being addressed.
``Purposes for Literacy'' mean the following four general purposes,
based on NIFL's survey of adult learners, that literacy serves in
helping adults fulfill their roles:
Providing access to information so adults can orient
themselves in the world.
Enabling adults to give voice to their ideas and have an
impact on the world around them.
Enabling adults to make decisions and act independently,
without needing to rely on others.
Building a bridge to the future by laying a foundation for
continued learning, so adults can keep up with the world as it changes.
``EFF Standards Framework'' means the conceptual system that
includes the following: ``role maps'' that identify the broad areas of
responsibility and key activities for each of the primary adult roles--
parent/family member, citizen/community member, and worker; ``common
activities'' that are derived from looking at what is common across all
three roles; and content standards that define what adults need to know
and be able to do to achieve the four purposes and carry out these
activities. The EFF standards framework: (1) Is based on a coherent
theory of adult learning; (2) communicates what customers, investors,
and partners can expect from the adult literacy system; and (3) is
explicitly linked to other standards development and implementation
efforts.
``Validation'' means the demonstration of the degree to which the
standards are representative of the important aspects of role
performance.
``Workforce Development System'' means the sum of public and
private programs that share a focus on building the skills and
knowledge of youth and adults. These programs include: adult and family
literacy programs, welfare-to-work programs, vocational education and
training programs, school-to-work programs, industry-based skill
standards programs, K-12 education programs, post secondary education
programs, Workforce Investment Act programs, community college/post
secondary education programs, union and employer-sponsored training
programs, apprenticeship programs, one-stop career centers, dislocated
worker programs, and related programs in the public, private, and
nonprofit sectors.
Background
The National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), was created by the
National Literacy Act of 1991 to provide a national focal point for
literacy activities and to facilitate the pooling of ideas and
expertise across a fragmented field. NIFL is authorized to carry out a
wide range of activities that will improve and expand the system for
delivery of adult literacy services nationwide.
Equipped for the Future (EFF) is the National Institute for
Literacy's long-term, standards-based, collaborative initiative to
reform the adult education system in the United States. EFF's goal is
to help adult learning programs achieve results that really matter--to
policymakers, educators, employers, and adult learners themselves.
EFF starts with a new definition of results that merges
policymakers' goals of a responsible citizenry and a productive
workforce with adult learner's vision of how education can help them
succeed in their daily lives as workers, parents, citizens, and
community members. To enable adults to get more of what they need to be
successful, the EFF framework for adult learning shifts the focus in
two ways. Instead of presenting education as remedial, making up for
something adults didn't get in the past, EFF focuses adult learning on
preparation for new, unanticipated responsibilities in the
[[Page 36929]]
present. Instead of building a curriculum around acquiring the same
body of knowledge and skills students are expected to learn in K-12
education, EFF focuses teaching and assessment on adults actually using
a new set of basics in carrying out important life tasks. EFF addresses
a major educational problem that has far-reaching implications for the
social and economic well-being of the nation. Up to 90 million adults
in the U.S.--nearly half the adult population--lack the skills
necessary to respond and adapt to the changing demands of their lives
at work, at home, and in their communities. Nearly 25 percent of adult
with an average of 10 years of formal schooling have no more than
fourth grade literacy skills. As a prominent literacy researcher put
it, ``* * * low-literate Americans may now be seen as a chronic feature
of the American educational landscape.'' Their lack of skills
contributes to every other serious social and economic problem the
nation faces--children's failure in school, lower worker productivity,
crime and welfare.
The current adult education system lacks the capacity to serve
these adults. Beyond problems of funding and staffing, programs have
trouble clarifying their goals for students, and assessing and
demonstrating results. These were the findings of a 1995 General
Accounting Office report, which linked these problems to the lack of a
consistent vision of what is important to teach. Over 50 percent of
students drop out before completing sufficient hours of instruction to
develop skills that enhance performance of real life tasks. Meanwhile,
welfare time limits, combined with a low unemployment rate, increase
national pressure for programs to produce better results faster.
Adult educators in America clearly need a new way of doing
business--a new sense of mission, a new approach to delivering
services, and a new way of assessing program effectiveness. As a
customer-driven, standards-based reform movement, EFF provides all
three. Based on a customer-defined vision of what adults need to be
effective, EFF enables teachers to link curriculum and instruction to
real-world outcomes. As a result, students see the connection between
their studies and their lives, and get immediate, practical results
from their learning. As more and more programs use the EFF Standards to
assess progress and report results, policymakers and funders will be
able to base their decisions about education on well-documented
resulted that matter. And taxpayers will have accountability for the
billions of federal dollars being spent on literacy and lifelong
learning programs.
History
In the first phase of this initiative, the NIFL developed a common
framework of four fundamental purposes for literacy that emerge from
the writings of 1,500 adults in literacy programs nationwide. As
detailed in the NIFL report, Equipped for the Future: A Customer Driven
Vision for Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning, these four purposes
are to--
Gain access to information so adults can orient themselves
in the world.
Give voice to ideas, so that they will be heard and can
have an impact on the world around them.
Make decision and act independently.
Build a bridge to the future, by learning how to learn in
order to keep up with the world as it changes.
In October 1995, the NIFL awarded eight one-year planning grants as
the second phase of this multiyear initiative to assure that adults are
``equipped for the future.'' These planning grants resulted in a draft
definition of a standards framework that identifies what adults need to
know and be able to do to be effective in their roles as parent/family
members, worker, and citizen. The grantees, working with NIFL and its
National Policy Group, also developed a common definition of the system
reform to be achieved the EFF initiative.
In October 1996, the NIFL awarded three-year grants to three
consortia, resulting in further development and refinement of the EFF
standards framework, including:
Development and validation of ``role maps'' that identify
the primary responsibilities and key activities all adults perform in
their roles as workers, parents and family members, and citizens and
community members, and performance indicators for each activity that
enabled us to identify the knowledge and skills required to carry out
those activities well.
Development and validation of content standards that
support effective performance across the Three primary adult roles.
Pilot implementation of the standards in adult education
delivery systems.
Development of a coherent, theory-based framework for
assessing competence and defining levels in using the skills defined by
the standards in carrying out key roles.
Building the support of key constituencies for the
standards and their use.
This solicitation of grant applications addresses the fourth and
final project phase: Implementation of EFF standards as a tool for
system reform.
Description of Program
For the past four years, NIFL has been working with a range of
partners in states across the country to develop a customer-driven,
standards-based, collaborative approach to adult literacy system
reform. The EFF content standards developed through this effort define
the critical skills and knowledge that enable adults to effectively
carry out their responsibilities as workers, parents and family
members, and citizens and community members. The standards have been
developed and refined with the assistance of a broad cross section of
literacy and basic skills programs as well as the advice and guidance
of key stakeholders in the nation's workforce development, family
literacy, and civic participation movements.
Investment in EFF has been developed through strategic partnerships
with states and other systems. These partners now see EFF as providing
the framework and tools for system reform that will lead to
improvements in practice and produce results that matter. Recognizing
the promise of the EFF framework, many EFF partners have begun the
process of ``bringing EFF on line.'' They hope to integrate EFF into
program improvement strategies now so that, once the levels for
standards are defined, assessments are identified, and MIS systems put
in place, teachers and programs will be ready to use these tools to
measure progress and report results.
By Fall 1999, the NIFL will have completed the major development
work on the standards and will publish a Users' Guide, designed to
introduce key partners and stakeholders to the standards and how they
can be used for teaching and learning, program improvement,
accountability, and system reform.
The EFF Center for Training, Technical Assistance, and Materials
Development established under this grant program will have primary
responsibility for reaching out and establishing strong linkages with
these key partners, including adult education, family literacy,
welfare-to-work, skill standards voluntary partnerships, and other
workforce development systems, and assuring that these partners have
the support needed to integrate EFF as part of their effort to prepare
their systems to deliver the desired results. The work of this Center
will be
[[Page 36930]]
complemented by an EFF Center for Research and Evaluation, based at the
University of Tennessee's Center for Literacy Studies (CLS), and a
Center for Assessment, currently operated through a contract with the
Center for Workforce Development, Institute for Educational Leadership
(IEL).
A detailed elaboration of goals and activities to be initiated and/
or carried out by the grantee during the period October 1, 1999 to
September 30, 2001 follows.
Goals
The primary goal of the Center is to assist NIFL in the effective
integration of EFF into 4 key systems:
1. State adult basic education and literacy systems with
responsibility for administering state and federal programs for adult
education and family literacy and for preparing to meet new performance
indicators under TANF and the Workforce Investment Act;
2. State and national literacy volunteer programs that coordinate
the delivery of adult literacy and ESOL services through a network of
volunteer literacy programs in communities across the country;
3. Federal, regional and state Even Start, Family Literacy, and
Head Start programs that are putting in place new performance and
quality indicators in response to new state legislation and changing
federal legislation; and
4. National and state skill standards partnerships that are in the
process of defining the knowledge and skills needed to qualify for
entry-level positions in each of the 15 occupational/industrial sectors
defined by the NSSB.
NIFL assumes that effective integration into a system starts with
the needs of the customer as defined by the customer. It is based on
close, ongoing collaboration with the customer, and includes but is not
limited to the following:
1. Assistance to policymakers and administrators in developing a
plan for how to integrate EFF into their ongoing efforts.
2. Assistance in introducing EFF to a leadership group in the
system.
3. Assistance in developing and implementing a training and
technical assistance plan for integrating EFF into the system [includes
developing marketing materials, training a core of trainers, helping
trainers plan and conduct training institutes, providing upgrades as
new tools become available, and providing ongoing troubleshooting and
technical assistance].
4. Provision of materials and tools that can be used (customized)
to implement EFF.
5. Opportunities to share information and experiences with other
states and systems integrating EFF.
6. Opportunities for policymakers and practitioners to learn more
about EFF (on-line seminars, special institutes, conferences).
In order to achieve this goal, the Center will carry out the
following activities:
1. Establish and manage a geographically distributed network of
diverse, highly qualified trainers and practitioner-trainers who have
expertise to the full range of programs and populations in the adult
education system, and who can provide a range of training experiences
(one-time workshops, ongoing staff development, mentoring, coaching)
critical to integrating EFF into policy and into service delivery,
training, and accountability systems. Right now there are approximately
10 part-time trainers and more than 100 practitioners with varying
levels of experience in using EFF. The center should build on this base
in developing a distributed training network that has the capacity to
offer assistance to states nationwide.
2. Establish a system for building and maintaining such a network,
including provisions for (a) building the capacity of practitioners to
serve as trainers; (b) certifying trainers and training centers; and
(c) providing credit for training.
3. Drawing on the experience of programs and systems already using
EFF, develop a range of materials and resources that facilitate
adoption and use of EFF. Such materials should include: (a) Materials
that make explicit the links between EFF and approaches to instruction,
assessment, credentialing, and accountability currently in use by key
customers; (b) compilations of curriculum and assessment resources for
use with EFF; (c) training guides; and (d) templates and other
resources that enable programs to create useful, reliable tools for
assessing performance of EFF standards.
4. Working with the four key system customers enumerated above,
identify needs and develop, actively market, and deliver customized
training and technical assistance packages that meet identified needs.
5. Working with practitioners currently using EFF, develop and
deliver customized training and technical assistance packages that meet
the need for ongoing capacity-building among direct-service programs
and local initiatives that have been using EFF. Packages should be
designed to address the needs of program administrators as well as
teaching staff, and should include materials and training to assist
programs in using EFF to identify learner goals; design instruction and
assessment, and organize support services to facilitate achievement of
these goals; and report and evaluate results.
6. Identifying and supporting high-quality EFF programs that can
serve as demonstration sites.
7. Establishing and managing a system for collecting, reviewing,
and evaluating materials that have been developed for use in EFF
programs, and for packaging and broadly disseminating materials and
tools judged to be high-quality. Such a system should: (a) Involve
practitioners in design and decision-making; (b) have clear, user-
friendly quality guidelines to enable practitioners to judge the
quality of their own work; (c) be cost-effective; and (d) use multiple
dissemination vehicles (hard copy, video, CD-ROM, on-line) in order to
get materials out to as many people as possible, effectively and
quickly.
8. Developing and maintaining a system for ongoing evaluation of
the Center, including a database that tracks Center activities and
their impact on the quality and outcomes of teaching and learning.
9. Working with NIFL to assure that all templates, modules,
materials, and tools are designed to be delivered online through NIFL's
web-based Literacy Information and Communications System (LINCS), as
well as published in hard copy or CD-ROM formats.
10. Assuring that all training, technical assistance, and materials
development maximizes the use of individuals, programs, and systems
currently using EFF, in accordance with EFF's combined bottom-up/top-
down approach to consensus-building and system reform.
11. Working in close collaboration with NIFL and its partners in
EFF, the Center for Literacy Studies, the National Center for the Study
of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL), and the IEL, to integrate
findings from research and practice into Center materials and
dissemination work, and to assure a cohesive and integrated approach to
system reform.
12. In consultation with NIFL, establishing a national advisory
group that includes representatives of the key customers to be served
by the Center, key technical expert(s), and key EFF partners. The
Center advisory group should meet no less than two times per year and
be comprised of individuals
[[Page 36931]]
who legitimately represent key constituencies and customers whose buy-
in is critical to widespread use of Center products.
13. Developing and maintaining partnerships with other training
centers and institutions of higher education, publishers and test
makers, and developers of distance learning to help them integrate EFF
into their work.
14. Participating in quarterly EFF Management meetings in
Washington, DC in November 1999, January 2000, March 2000, and July
2000, and on dates to be arranged the following year.
15. Participating in monthly management conference calls of two
hours' duration.
16. Maintaining regular e-mail and other contact with other EFF
Partners throughout the grant period, in order to maximize sharing of
information and assure an integrated approach to system reform.
Project Narrative
The applicant's project narrative should address the above goals,
purposes and activities. The narrative should not exceed twenty (20)
single-spaced pages, or forty (40) double-spaced pages. It must be
organized and contain the information as described in the following
sections:
1. Approach
This section should describe the applicant's view of (a) what the
goals of EFF are; (b) how the EFF initiative can best achieve these
goals; (c) the various roles a center can play in achieving these
goals; and (d) the extent to which the applicant's plan includes sound
methods for achieving measurable goals.
2. Center Design
This section should describe the applicant's goals and objectives
for the Center as an integral part of the EFF system reform initiative,
and describe the applicant's vision of how the center can work most
effectively to carry out the 16 key activities identified above within
a two to three year time span.
This section should also demonstrate that the design is built on
technical expertise relevant to the key tasks, as well as knowledge and
experience in working with the four key customer systems. It should
include detailed descriptions of how the applicant intends to approach
key tasks, and what kinds of materials and other resources the
applicant would produce for key customers.
3. Plan of Operation
This section includes the project work plan and timeline and
project management plan. It describes clear, measurable goals and
objectives for the project, and details the project tasks, timeline,
staffing, and organization for their accomplishment.
The plan of operation should clearly describe the specific
activities the applicant will undertake to implement the design
described above, as well as proposed dates for their initiation and
completion. The plan also should describe how the applicant will work
with NIFL and the EFF Centers for Research and Evaluation and
Assessment to assure an integrated approach to system reform, how the
applicant will assure the investment of key constituencies in its work,
and how constituents will be involved in key project development,
implementation, marketing/dissemination, and validation tasks.
The plan of operation should detail the project's staffing and
organization, clearly identifying the performance objectives of key
staff, the scope and nature of their responsibilities, and the level of
effort each staff person will devote to this project.
4. Organizational Capability
This section should demonstrate the ability and experience of the
applicant to perform the tasks required in this project, including the
applicant's skills, technical expertise, and experience in providing
training and technical assistance and developing materials and
resources appropriate to the needs of diverse constituencies at the
national, state, and local levels. In the case of a consortium, this
section should also describe how the various organizations that
comprise the applicant's consortium will work together, their
respective roles and responsibilities, and the plan for effective
management across organizations.
5. Quality of Key Personnel
This section should include the qualifications of each staff person
for the project position to which s/he has been assigned, identifying
his/her employing organization, and providing an overview of his/her
experience, knowledge, and capability to perform the work described as
demonstrated by the conduct of similar work in related settings. A
project organization chart should be provided.
6. Evaluation Plan
The applicant should describe the process for documenting and
monitoring the project processes and results, including how the
applicant will create a database of project activities for internal
Center management purposes, for documenting and reporting to NIFL and
other EFF Centers on project activities and achievements, and for use
by the EFF Research and Evaluation Center for EFF research and
evaluation activities.
7. Budget and Cost Effectiveness
The application must contain a detailed budget for support
requested for years one and two of the project. The budget should
include all applicants' costs and should identify contributed costs and
support from other sources, if any. Sources of support should be
clearly identified in all instances. The financial aspects of any cost
sharing and joint or cooperative funding by members of a consortium
formed for purposes of the application should be shown in a detailed
budget for each party. These budgets should reflect the arrangements
among the parties, and should show exactly what cost sharing is
proposed for each budget item. Please note that overhead for this
project is restricted as per EDGAR CPR 75-562.
Selection Criteria
In evaluating applications for a grant under this competition, the
Director uses the following selection criteria (Total 105 points):
(1) Approach (15 points)
The Director reviews each application to determine the extent to
which the applicant's description of approach demonstrates: (a)
Understanding of the goals and purposes of EFF as a customer-driven,
standards-based, collaborative system reform initiative; (b) knowledge
of the work and products to date, including theoretical underpinnings
of the approach to standards development; (c) philosophical and
practical commitment to customer focus; (d) philosophical and practical
commitment to collaborative development; (e) understanding of how a
center can contribute to the system reform process; and (f) the
relative importance of aspects of system reform in the adult literacy
and lifelong learning system.
(2) Center Design (20 points)
The Director reviews each application to determine the extent to
which the applicant's design for the Center: (a) Demonstrates
commitment to building capacity of the system nationwide, rather than
the capacity of the Center; (b) demonstrates an appropriate balance of
services and products across constituencies; (c) demonstrates a
commitment to working in close collaboration and consultation with
[[Page 36932]]
appropriate partners; (d) demonstrates a commitment to draw on
resources of NIFL and its partners in EFF, including local field
development partners; and (e) demonstrates creativity and technical
competence in dealing with key tasks and addressing needs of key
customers.
(3) Plan of Operation (30 points)
The Director reviews each application to determine the quality of
the plan of operation, including the extent to which the applicant: (a)
States clear and measurable project goals and objectives that are
clearly related to the intended purposes of the EFF, as outlined in
this request for applications; (b) provides a fully detailed plan and
timeline for achieving those goals, and assures that the plan addresses
all the key project activities identified above, and is feasible,
technically sound, and responsive to issues of balance; (c) proposes a
plan for maintaining effective working relationships with NIFL and
other EFF Centers and Partners, as required for effective development
of the project; (d) proposes a management plan that is effective and
ensures proper and efficient administration of the project; (e)
demonstrates the quality of the applicant's plan to use its resources
and personnel to achieve each project objective; and (f) demonstrates
that staff assigned to key positions include appropriate
qualifications, in terms of knowledge, experience and proven capability
to perform the work described.
(4) Organizational Capability (15 points)
The Director reviews each application to determine the capability
of the applicant (together with members of its consortium) to achieve
the goals of the project, including the extent to which the applicant
provides a full description of each of the organizations that make up
the consortium, including how each organization contributes to the
applicant's experience and capability to: (a) Lead a broad-based,
collaborative process for adult learning systems reform and improvement
that is standards-driven; (b) manage a system for training, technical
assistance and materials development that builds and certifies
distributed capacity; (c) develop theoretically sound, practical, high
quality, customer-focused materials, training and resources; (d)
disseminate effectively and efficiently through a variety of vehicles;
and (e) leverage the commitment and involvement of key partners at the
national, state, and local levels.
(5) Quality of Key Personnel (10 points)
The Director reviews each application to determine the quality of
key personnel for all project activities, including: (a) The
qualifications of the project director and other key personnel; (b) the
experience and training of key personnel in working collaboratively
with key system customers in fields related to project objectives, and
(c) the applicant's policy, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment
practices, to ensure that its personnel are selected for employment
without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age,
or disability.
(6) Evaluation Plan (10 points)
The Director reviews each application to determine the quality of
the applicant's plan for documenting and monitoring the project
processes and results, including: (a) The quality of methods and
mechanisms to be used to document, evaluate, and report progress in
relation to the project's mission and goals, including the creation of
a database that can be used by NIFL and its EFF partners for EFF
research and evaluations activities; (b) the extent to which the
applicant's statement of measurable outcomes addresses all project
goals; and (c) the quality of methods that will be used to document and
evaluate the impact of the project on programs, practitioners, and
adult learners.
(7) Budget of Cost Effectiveness (5 points)
The Director reviews each application to determine the extent to
which: (a) The budget is adequate to support grant activities; (b) the
costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the project; (c)
the budgets for any subcontracts are detailed and appropriate; and (d)
the budget details an resources, cash, or in-kind, that the applicant
will provide or seek in order to supplement grant funds.
Other Application Requirements
The application shall include the following:
Project Summary
The proposal must contain a brief summary of the proposed project
suitable for publication. It should not be an abstract of the
application, but rather a self-contained description of the project's
goals, approach and the activities proposed. The summary must include
the following information: (a) Name of applicant organization; and (b)
description of the project.
Budget Proposal
ED Form 524, Sections A and C, must be completed and submitted with
each application. Section C should include a detailed explanation and
amplification of each budget category, and a complete justification of
costs in each category. If Section B is completed, include the nature
and source of non-Federal funds. Instructions for completion of the
budget is on the back side of Form 524.
Personnel items should include the names (or position titles) of
key staff, number of hours, and applicable hourly rates. Discussion of
equipment, supplies, and travel should include both the cost and the
purpose and justification. Budgets should include all applicant's costs
and should identify contributed costs and support from other sources,
if any. Sources of support should be clearly identified in all
instances. The financial aspects of any cost sharing and joint or
cooperative funding by members of a consortium formed for purposes of
the application should be shown in a detailed budget for each party.
These budgets should reflect the arrangements among the parties, and
should show exactly what cost sharing is proposed for each budget item.
Please note that overhead for this project is restricted as per EDGAR
CFR 75-562.
Disclosure of Prior Institute Support
If any subcontractor, partner, consortium member, or organization
has received NIFL funding in the past 2 years, the following
information on the prior awards is required: (1) NIFL award number,
amount and period of support; (2) a summary of the results of the
completed work; and (3) a brief description of available materials and
other related research products not described elsewhere. If the
applicant has received a prior award, the reviewers will be asked to
comment on the quality of the prior work described in this section of
the application.
Current and Pending Support
All current project support from whatever source (such as federal,
state, or local government agencies, private foundations, commercial
organizations) must be listed. The list must include the proposed
project and all other projects requiring a portion of time of the
Project Director and other project personnel, even if they receive no
salary support from the project(s). The number of person-months or
percentage of effort to be devoted to the projects must be stated,
regardless of source of support. Similar information must be provided
for all proposals that are being
[[Page 36933]]
considered by or will be submitted soon to other sponsors.
Any fee proposed to be paid to a collaborating or ``partner'' for-
profit entity should be indicated. The Grants Officer will negotiate
fees. Any copyright, patent, or royalty agreements (proposed or in
effect) must be described in detail, so that the rights and
responsibilities of each party are made clear. If any part of the
project is to be subcontracted, a budget and work plan prepared and
duly signed by the subcontractor must be submitted as part of the
overall application and addressed in the narrative.
Acknowledgment of Support and Disclaimer
An acknowledgment of NIFL support and a disclaimer must appear in
publications of any material, whether copyrighted or not, based on or
developed under NIFL-supported projects:
This material is based upon work supported by the National
Institute for Literacy under Grant No. (Grantee should enter NIFL
grant number).
Except for articles of papers published in professional journals,
the following disclaimer should be included:
Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations
expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the National Institute for
Literacy.
Reporting
In addition to working closely with the Institute, the applicant
will be required to submit: (1) Quarterly reports from the database of
Center activities; (2) an annual report; and (3) a continuation
application for project years 2 and 3.
Instructions for Transmittal of Applications
To apply for a grant, deliver the original and five (5) copies of
the application on or before deadline date of August 18, 1999, to:
National Institute for Literacy, 1775 I Street, NW, Suite 730,
Washington, DC 20006, Attention: CFDA#84-257M. An application will not
be considered for funding unless the applicant can show proof that the
application was: (1) Sent by registered or certified mail not later
than five days before the deadline date; or (2) sent by commercial
carrier not later than two days before the deadline date. An applicant
must show proof of mailing in accordance with 34 CFR 75.102(d) and (e).
Applications delivered by hand must be received by 4:30 PM (Eastern
Standard Time) on the deadline date. The applicant must indicate on the
envelop and in Item 10 of the Application for Federal Assistance
(Standard Form 424) the CFDA number of the competition under which the
application is being submitted.
Note: NIFL will mail a Grant Applicant Receipt Acknowledgement
to each applicant. If an applicant fails to receive the notification
of application receipt within 15 days from the date of mailing the
application, the applicant should call NIFL at (202) 632-1500.
Application Forms
Applicants are required to submit the following forms, assurances
and certifications:
(a) Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424[Rev. 1-12-
99])
(b) Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (ED 524)
(c) Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B)
(d) Certification Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug Free-Workplace Requirements (ED
80-0013)
(e) Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility
and Volunteer Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED 80-0014)
(f) Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL [Rev. 7-
97])
(g) Certification of Eligibility for Federal Assistance in Certain
Programs (ED 80-0016)
An applicant may submit information on a photostat copy of the
application and budget forms, assurances, and certifications. However,
the application form, assurances, and certifications must each have an
original signature. No award can be made unless a completed application
has been received. Required forms are available from NIFL and on-line
at http.//www.nifl.gov/activities/.
Information about NIFL's funding opportunities, including copies of
application notices for discretionary grant competitions, can be viewed
on the NIFL homepage--LINCS--on the World Wide Web (at http://
novel.nifl.gov/Grants.html). However, the official application notice
for a discretionary grant competition is the notice published in the
Federal Register.
Instructions for Estimated Public Reporting Burden
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
valid OMB control number. The valid control number for this information
collection is 3430-0005, Expiration date June 30, 2002. The time
required to complete this information is estimated to average 80 hours
per response, including the time to review instructions, search
existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and
review the information collection.
Andrew J. Hartman,
Director, National Institute for Literacy.
[FR Doc. 99-17305 Filed 7-7-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6055-01-M
