Federal Register, Volume 71 Issue 17 (Thursday, January 26, 2006)

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4442-4449]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-763]

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Part III

Department of Education

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Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Transition
to Teaching Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2006 /
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information;
Transition to Teaching Grant Program; Notice Inviting Applications for
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.350A,
84.350B, and 84.350C.

Dates: Applications Available: January 27, 2006. Deadline for
Notice of Intent to Apply: February 21, 2006. Deadline for Transmittal
of Applications: March 20, 2006. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:
May 19, 2006.
Eligible Applicants: A State educational agency (SEA); a high-need
local educational agency (LEA); a for-profit or nonprofit organization
that has a proven record of effectively recruiting and retaining highly
qualified teachers, in a partnership with a high-need LEA or an SEA; an
institution of higher education (IHE), in a partnership with a high-
need LEA or an SEA; a regional consortium of SEAs; or a consortium of
high-need LEAs. For further information on whether an LEA qualifies as
a ``high-need LEA,'' see section III. 1. Eligible Applicants in this
notice.
Estimated Available Funds: $5-6 million. The Department has
established separate funding categories for projects of different
scope. These categories are:
(1) National/regional projects (84.350C) that serve eligible high-
need LEAs in more than one State;
(2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that serve eligible high-need LEAs
statewide or eligible high-need LEAs in more than one area of a State;
and
(3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve one eligible high-need LEA
or two or more eligible high-need LEAs in a single area of a State.
Estimated Range of Awards: National/regional projects--$300,000-
$1,000,000 per year; Statewide projects--$150,000-$600,000 per year;
and Local projects--$100,000-$400,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: National/regional projects--
$750,000 per year; Statewide projects--$375,000 per year; and Local
projects--$225,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: National/regional projects--2;
Statewide projects--5; and Local projects--10.

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

Project Period: Up to 60 months. Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The Transition to Teaching program encourages
(1) the development and expansion of alternative routes to full State
teacher certification, as well as (2) the recruitment and retention of
highly qualified mid-career professionals, recent college graduates who
have not majored in education, and highly qualified paraprofessionals
as teachers in high-need schools operated by high-need LEAs, including
charter schools that operate as high-need LEAs.
Priorities: The Department has established three competitive
preference priorities and one invitational priority that are explained
in the following paragraphs. One competitive preference priority is
from the statute for this program and the other two competitive
preference priorities are from the notice of final priorities and
requirements for this program, published in the Federal Register on
April 30, 2004 (69 FR 24002, 24005)(NFP).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2006, these priorities
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we
award 5 additional points to an application that meets Competitive
Preference Priority 1, and up to an additional 20 points to an
application, depending on how well the application meets either
Competitive Preference Priority 2 or 3. These points are in addition to
any points the application earns under the program's selection
criteria.
These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Partnerships or Consortia That
Include a High-Need LEA or a High-Need SEA

In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from
section 2313(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 6683(c)). This priority supports projects
that are designed and implemented in active partnerships or consortia
that include at least one high-need LEA or high-need SEA.

Competitive Preference Priority 2--State Projects To Create or Expand,
and Then Implement, Alternative Pathways to Teacher Certification

This priority is from the NFP (69 FR 24002, 20005). This priority
supports projects designed and implemented by an SEA or a consortium of
SEAs and the respective teacher certification agency of each State (if
different from the SEA) to create or expand, and then implement,
alternative pathways to certification. The project period is up to five
years. Grantees will need to conduct both of the following activities:
(a) Create alternatives to the State's traditional certification
requirements. In conducting this activity, States are encouraged to
develop a variety of alternative pathways to certification as important
options in their menu of State-approved procedures for teacher
certification and licensure. For example, competency-based alternative
routes would permit talented individuals interested in teaching to
become fully certified through rigorous assessments of their content
and professional teaching competence, thereby enabling LEAs to recruit
from a larger and more talented pool of prospective teachers.
(b) Use the alternative routes to recruit individuals from groups
eligible to participate in the Transition to Teaching program. Funded
projects also would, among other things, need to work with
participating high-need LEAs to--
(1) Increase the number and quality of mid-career changers, recent
college graduates who have not majored in education, and qualified
paraprofessionals recruited to teach high-need subjects (such as
mathematics, science, and special education) in identified high-need
LEAs (which may include LEAs that are charter schools), particularly
those in urban and rural areas; and
(2) Provide these newly hired teachers with the support they need
to become certified and effective teachers who will choose to make
teaching their new long-term profession.
In particular, SEAs receiving project funds must--
(i) Target recruitment efforts on, and rigorously screen,
candidates in areas where participating high-need LEAs have documented
teacher shortages (e.g., mathematics, science, and special education);
(ii) Place prospective teachers only in high-need schools operated
by high-need LEAs;
(iii) Prepare individuals for specific positions in specific LEAs
and place them in these positions early in the training process;
(iv) Ensure that recruited teachers receive the specific training
they need to become fully certified or licensed teachers; and
(v) Have recruited teachers participate in a well-supervised
induction period that may include the support of experienced, trained
mentors.

Note: Applicants that choose to respond to Competitive
Preference Priority 2 may do so however they choose. Those who
respond to this priority may want to consider addressing such key
factors as: (1) The data and other information the State has used to
assess how and the extent to which current State certification
requirements inhibit talented individuals from entering teaching;
(2) the

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level of commitment of State leaders and policymakers to developing
new or enhanced alternative certification requirements; (3) the
State's statutory and regulatory authority to implement alternative
pathways to certification; (4) how the SEA and other participating
State agencies will actively involve all stakeholders with
responsibility or authority for teacher preparation, hiring, and
retention; and (5) a timeline for major actions that the SEA and
other participating State agencies intend to implement to develop
new or improved alternative pathways to teacher certification.

Competitive Preference Priority 3--District Projects to Streamline
Teacher Hiring Systems, Timelines, and Processes

This priority is from the NFP (69 FR 24002, 20005). The priority
supports projects by one or more LEAs to streamline their hiring
systems, timelines, and processes. The project period is up to five
years. A participating high-need LEA will need to conduct both of the
following activities:
(a) Examine its current hiring system, processes, and policies to
identify the critical barriers to hiring highly qualified teachers. The
lack of highly qualified teachers in most urban and rural LEAs has
often been attributed to their difficulty in recruiting interested and
qualified individuals. However, recent research indicates that the
problem may not be one of recruitment but may stem from inefficient and
untimely LEA hiring systems and processes. This is especially true in
high-poverty LEAs and schools--the very LEAs and schools the Transition
to Teaching program is targeted to serve. Accordingly, each
participating LEA will need to examine its current hiring processes and
policies and, based upon that examination, identify the critical
barriers to hiring highly qualified teachers.
(b) Design and implement efforts to remove the identified barriers
and put in place systems that streamline and revamp the hiring process.
In conducting this activity, LEAs are encouraged to create an efficient
and timely applicant hiring process with a strong data tracking system
and clear hiring goals. These efforts also should involve negotiating
policy reforms that remove critical barriers, such as delayed
notification of vacancies and seniority and retirement rules.
Participating LEAs also will carry out the requirements of the
Transition to Teaching program by recruiting nontraditional candidates,
using the streamlined hiring system to hire these individuals for
teaching in high-need schools, working with them to achieve full State
certification, and retaining them for at least three years.

Note: Applicants that choose to respond to Competitive
Preference Priority 3 may do so however they choose. Those that
respond to this priority may want to consider addressing such key
factors as: (1) The existing barriers to early notification and
hiring of new teachers; (2) the active engagement of LEA officials,
teacher unions, and other stakeholders in developing a plan to
remove existing barriers and implementing changes; (3) the actions
each participating LEA intends to undertake to implement policies
and systems for early notification and hiring of new teachers; and
(4) a timeline for major action steps that each participating LEA
intends to implement to develop the new hiring policies and systems.

Under this competition, we are particularly interested in
applications that address the following priority. Invitational
Priority: For FY 2006 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:

Invitational Priority--Recruitment and Retention of Teachers of
Mathematics or Science at the High School Level

This priority supports projects that focus on the recruitment,
preparation, placement, support, and retention of mid-career
professionals, including highly qualified paraprofessionals, and recent
college graduates who did not major in education to serve as
mathematics or science teachers in high schools that are high-need
schools in high-need LEAs.

Note: Applicants are encouraged to identify high-need high
schools in high-need LEAs with a shortage of mathematics or science
teachers, and recruit qualified individuals as teachers for these
schools. In addition, applicants are encouraged to address how their
efforts to recruit and retain mathematics and science teachers
through the Transition to Teaching program can support other reform
efforts in the high-need schools and districts to improve the
quality of instruction in mathematics, science, and high schools in
general.

Note: The NFP includes definitions for terms used in these
priorities, including ``highly qualified paraprofessional,'' ``high-
need subject,'' and ``high-need SEA.''

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6681-6684.

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. (b) The notice of final priorities
and requirements for this program published in the Federal Register on
April 30, 2004 (69 FR 24002).

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $5-6 million. The Department has
established separate funding categories for projects of a different
scope. These categories are:
(1) National/regional projects (84.350C) that serve eligible high-
need LEAs in more than one State;
(2) Statewide projects (84.350B) that serve eligible high-need LEAs
statewide or eligible high-need LEAs in more than one area of a State;
and
(3) Local projects (84.350A) that serve one eligible high-need LEA
or two or more eligible high-need LEAs in a single area of a State.
Estimated Range of Awards: National/regional projects--$300,000-
$1,000,000 per year; Statewide projects--$150,000-$600,000 per year;
and Local projects--$100,000-$400,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: National/regional projects--
$750,000 per year; Statewide projects--$375,000 per year; and Local
projects--$225,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: National/regional projects--2;
Statewide projects--5; and Local projects--10.

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

Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: An SEA; a high-need LEA; a for-profit or
nonprofit organization that has a proven record of effectively
recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, in a partnership
with a high-need LEA or an SEA; an IHE, in a partnership with a high-
need LEA or an SEA; a regional consortium of SEAs; or a consortium of
high-need LEAs. Each application must identify participating LEAs that
meet the definition of ``high-need LEA'' in section 2102(3) of the
ESEA.

Note: Section 2102(3) of the ESEA defines a high-need LEA as an
LEA--
(a) That serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families
with incomes below the poverty line (as that term is defined in
section 9101(33) of the ESEA), or for which not less than 20 percent
of the children served by the LEA are from families with incomes
below the poverty line; and
(b) For which there is (1) a high percentage of teachers not
teaching in the academic subjects or grade levels that the teachers
were trained to teach, or (2) a high percentage of

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teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification or
licensing.

The NFP describes how applicants must demonstrate that a
participating LEA meets this statutory definition of ``high-need LEA.''
(See 69 FR 24002, 24006) Pursuant to the NFP, we provide the following
supplementary information regarding the data applicants use to
demonstrate eligibility as a ``high-need LEA'' under this competition:
As described in the NFP, absent a showing of alternative LEA data
that reliably show the number of children from families with incomes
below the poverty line that are served by the LEA, the eligibility of
an LEA as a ``high-need LEA'' under component (a) of the definition
must be determined on the basis of the most recent U.S. Census Bureau
data. The most recent U.S. Census Bureau data can be found in the
charts on the Internet at: http://www.census.gov/housing/saipe/sd03/ The Department examines the eligibility of any LEA not listed on these
charts on a case-by-case basis.
As discussed in the NFP, with respect to component (b)(1) of the
definition of ``high-need LEA,'' whether an LEA has a ``high percentage
of teachers not teaching in the academic subjects or grade levels that
the teachers were trained to teach'' is determined on a case-by-case
basis.
In addition, as noted in the NFP, with respect to component (b)(2)
of the definition of ``high-need LEA,'' an LEA has a ``high
percentage'' of teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary
certification or licensing if the percentage of teachers on waivers, as
the LEA reported to the State for purposes of the State's latest report
to the Secretary under section 207 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(HEA), was at least the national average percentage of teachers on
waivers of State certification for all LEAs. As outlined in the NFP,
the Secretary determines the national average percentage of teachers on
waivers based on data contained in the most currently available HEA
section 207 State reports. At the time of publication of this notice,
the Department has received all 2005 State HEA section 207 reports and
those reports reflect a national average percentage of teachers on
waivers of State certification in all LEAs of 2.5 percent.
Because the Department is in the process of certifying all data
received in the 2005 State HEA section 207 reports, the data in these
reports, including the national average of teachers on waivers of State
certification, are still provisional. However, to provide adequate time
for the preparation and review of project applications and award of new
grants before FY 2006 program funds lapse on September 30, 2006, the
Department will use the 2.5 percent national average for purposes of
this competition. Accordingly, an LEA will be considered to have met
component (b)(2) of the definition of ``high-need LEA'' if the data
that it provided to the State for purposes of the State's October 2005
HEA section 207 report demonstrate that at least 2.5 percent of its
teachers were on waivers of State certification requirements.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost
sharing or matching but does involve supplement-not-supplant funding
provisions. In accordance with section 2313(h)(2) of the ESEA, funds
made available under this section shall be used to supplement, and not
supplant, State and local public funds expended for teacher recruitment
and retention programs, including programs to recruit the teachers
through alternative routes to certification.
3. Other: The NFP describes eligibility restrictions for
individuals participating in this program.

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: (301) 470-1244.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call
(toll free): 1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/
pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address:
edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C.
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 under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 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
competition. Additional information concerning application content
requirements is in the NFP.
Notice of Intent to Apply: February 21, 2006.
The Department will be able to develop a more efficient process for
reviewing grant applications if it has a better understanding of the
number of entities that intend to apply for funding under this
competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly encourages each
potential applicant to notify the Department by sending a short e-mail
message indicating the applicant's intent to submit an application for
funding. The e-mail need not include information regarding the content
of the proposed application, only the applicant's intent to submit it.
The Secretary requests that this e-mail notification be sent to Thelma
Leenhouts at: transitiontoteaching@ed.gov. Applicants that fail to
provide this e-mail notification may still apply for funding.
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. Applicants must limit Part
III to the equivalent of no more than 50 pages, using the following
standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5[sec] x 11[sec], on one side only, with
1[sec] margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, except 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 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,
curriculum vitae, or the bibliography of literature cited. However, you
must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that--
Exceed the page limit if you apply these standards; or
Exceed the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other
standards.

2. Submission Dates and Times

Applications Available: January 27, 2006.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: February 21, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 20, 2006.

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Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (http://www.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.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 19, 2006.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
in the NFP.
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 Transition to Teaching
Competition-CFDA Number 84.350A, 84.350B, and 84.350C 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 Transition to
Teaching 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 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 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 successfully submit 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 the Grants.gov System: 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 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

[[Page 4446]]

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 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: Extensions 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: Thelma Leenhouts, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W302,
Washington, DC 20202-5960. FAX: (202) 401-8466.
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: 84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C,
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: 84.350A, 84.350B, or
84.350C, 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:
84.350A, 84.350B, or 84.350C, 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 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 (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from the statute for this program and Sec. 75.210 of EDGAR and are
listed in this section. The maximum score for all the selection
criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is
indicated in parentheses. Each criterion also includes the factors that
the reviewers will consider in determining how well an application
meets the criterion. In addressing each criterion, applicants are
encouraged to make explicit connections to relevant aspects of
responses to other selection criteria.
The Notes we have included after each criterion are guidance to
assist applicants in understanding the criterion as they prepare their
applications and are not required by statute or regulation.

A. Significance of the Project (20 Points)

The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project.
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(1) The significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by the
proposed project.
(2) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system
change or improvement.
(3) The extent to which the proposed project involves the
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on,
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.

Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this
criterion by identifying specific gaps and weaknesses in the
services and infrastructure currently in place for the recruitment,
preparation, placement, and retention of teachers and by stating how
the proposed project will address these gaps and weaknesses. The
Secretary encourages applicants to identify (1) current barriers
that the high-need LEAs to be served by the project face in meeting
their teacher

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recruitment needs, including, if relevant, barriers caused by
existing State certification or licensure requirements, (2) why
these barriers exist, and (3) how the project would significantly
help those LEAs overcome these barriers.
Applicants are also encouraged to address this criterion by
identifying the specific teacher-shortage areas faced by the
participating high-need LEAs on which their proposed projects would
focus. These may include such high-need subject areas as
mathematics, science, special education, and English as a second
language and particular grade levels, including middle and high
schools. Applicants should understand that a project's strategy for
helping participating high-need LEAs to identify and hire highly
qualified individuals to fill teaching positions in high-need
subjects may rely on existing alternative routes to certification,
expansions of them into new areas, or creation of wholly new
alternative routes.

B. Quality of the Project Design (35 Points)

The Secretary considers the quality of the project design for the
proposed project by considering how well the applicant describes a
plan--
(1) To develop a program to recruit and retain highly qualified
mid-career professionals (including highly qualified paraprofessionals)
and recent graduates of an IHE as teachers in high-need schools
operated by high-need LEAs; and
(2) To enable individuals to become eligible for teacher
certification under State-approved alternative routes to certification
programs within a reduced period of time, relying on such factors as
experience, expertise, and academic qualifications in lieu of
traditional course work in education.
In considering the quality of the project design and the
applicant's plan, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(a) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(b) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
(c) 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.
(d) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of
Federal financial assistance.

Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this
criterion by discussing the overall project model and its key
components, and the degree to which the model's key components are
based on sound research and practice. Applicants may want to address
such key components of project design as:
(1) Recruitment and selection, including identifying the target
group(s) on which the program will focus and why and how the program
is designed to rigorously select participants with the requisite
content knowledge, skills, and commitment to teach in high-need LEAs
and schools.
(2) Training and preparation, including how the project provides
a route to certification that is accelerated, integrates coursework
and field experience, and is adapted to participants' learning
needs.
(3) Mentoring and support, including services that are designed
to meet the target participants' needs in terms of length, content,
and means of delivery in order to be successful in high-needs
schools and LEAs.
(4) Teacher placement, including evidence that the proposed
project will meet the needs of high-need LEAs and is developed in
coordination with appropriate partners, that the timing of
placements will be appropriate to the needs of program participants,
and that the project includes a system of tracking to meet statutory
requirements.
(5) Certification, including consideration of how the timeline
for achieving full certification will meet the needs of
participants, LEAs, and partners, as well as the ``Highly Qualified
Teacher'' requirements established in section 9101(23) of the ESEA.
In addition, applicants are encouraged to clarify the means by
which the project's specified outcomes and benefits may be sustained
once Federal funding has ended.

C. Quality of Project Services (20 Points)

In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(1) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or
beneficiaries of those services.
(2) The extent to which the training or professional development
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice
among the recipients of those services.
(3) The extent to which the training or professional development
services to be provided by the proposed project are likely to alleviate
the personnel shortages that have been identified or are the focus of
the proposed project.
(4) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for
maximizing the effectiveness of project services.

Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this
criterion by discussing how the proposed project services will meet
the needs both of the high-need LEAs identified in the application
and of the program participants they would recruit to become
teachers. Applicants are encouraged to consult the list of
authorized activities in section 2313(g) of the ESEA in describing
the specific services to be delivered to recruit, prepare, and
retain participants that will increase the number of highly
qualified teachers in high-need schools in high-need LEAs. In
addition, the Secretary encourages applicants to consider carefully
the breadth of activities that section 2313(g) of the ESEA
authorizes and then to address how the project will:
(1) Provide training that meets the learning needs of the
participants and makes use of appropriate media (such as face-to-
face and Web-based instruction, and distance learning) to provide
them with the skills needed to be highly qualified and effective
teachers in the identified high-need subject areas and high-needs
schools and LEAs.
(2) Support project participants' success in high-need schools
and LEAs during the period of their service obligation through
individual mentoring, support of participants as a group, use of
technology, or other appropriate means.
(3) Encourage the participation of all project partners,
including school leaders, in providing services related to the
recruitment, preparation, and retention of project participants and
ensuring lasting benefits or outcomes. Applicants are encouraged to
clarify the roles of partners in each phase of the project and the
extent of coordination that will occur with similar efforts at the
State and district levels. In addition, applicants are encouraged to
consider how they might demonstrate (e.g., through narrative
discussion, letters of support, or formal memoranda of
understanding) the commitment of partners to the project and the
partners' understanding of responsibilities they have agreed to
assume in service delivery.

D. Quality of the Management Plan (10 Points)

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.

Note: Section 75.112 of EDGAR requires an applicant for a
multiyear grant to include a narrative that describes how and when,
in each budget period of the project, the applicant plans to meet
each project objective. The Secretary encourages applicants to
address this criterion by including in this narrative a schedule of
activities with sufficient time for developing an adequate
implementation plan, as well as timelines for providing program
participants the support they need in their initial years as
teachers.

[[Page 4448]]

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 to be conducted, the Secretary considers the following
factors:
(1) 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.
(2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes.

Note: The Secretary encourages applicants to address this
criterion by including benchmarks to monitor progress toward
specific project objectives and also outcome measures to assess the
impact on teaching and learning or other important outcomes for
project participants. (The specific performance measures established
for the overall Transition to Teaching program are discussed under
Performance Measures in section VI of this notice. Section 2314 of
the ESEA also requires grantees to submit both an interim evaluation
of the first three years of the grant and a final evaluation at the
end of the grant.)
The Secretary also encourages applicants to identify the
individual or organization that has agreed to serve as evaluator for
the project and describe the qualifications of that evaluator.
Finally, applicants are encouraged to indicate: (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 the success at the initial
site or sites and effective strategies for replication in other
settings. Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level
of resources to project evaluation.

2. Review and Selection Process: Additional information concerning
our review and selection of grant applications in this competition are
contained in the NFP.

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: The Secretary requires successful applicants to
submit annual performance reports and, after the last year of the
project, a final report. The annual performance report documents the
grantee's yearly progress toward meeting expected programmatic
outcomes. These outcomes must be based on measurable performance
objectives including, but not limited to, the performance measures
described in paragraph 4 of this section. These reports must evaluate--
(1) The grantee's progress in meeting the application's objectives;
(2) The project's effectiveness in meeting the purposes of the
Transition to Teaching program; and
(3) The project's effect on the specific LEAs the project serves.
Among other things, the Department uses the annual performance
reports to determine whether a grantee has demonstrated substantial
progress in meeting the goals and objectives (as described in its
approved application), and thereby merits a continuation award (for
years 2-5). See Sec. 75.118 of EDGAR.
Grantees also will be required to submit a final performance
report, due no later than 90 days after the end of the project period.
In addition, section 2314 of the ESEA requires grantees to submit
to the Department and to the Congress interim and final evaluations at
the end of the third and fifth years of the grant period, respectively.
These evaluations must describe the extent to which high-need LEAs that
received funds through the grant have met their goals relating to
teacher recruitment and retention as described in the project
application. Additional requirements pertaining to these reports are in
the NFP.
For specific requirements on grantee reporting, please go to http:/
/www/ed/gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established one
performance indicator for assessing the effectiveness of the Transition
to Teaching program: the percentage of new, highly qualified Transition
to Teaching teachers who teach in high-need schools in high-need LEAs
for at least three years. We will track this indicator through the use
of the following three performance measures. We will gather the data
for these measures from the grantees.
Measure One: The percentage of all Transition to Teaching
participants who become teachers of record in high-need schools in
high-need LEAs.
Measure Two: The percentage of Transition to Teaching participants
receiving certification/licensure within three years.
Measure Three: The percentage of Transition to Teaching teachers of
record who teach in high-need schools in high-need LEAs for at least
three years.

VII. Agency Contacts

For Further Information Contact: Thelma Leenhouts, Gillian Cohen-
Boyer, Beatriz Ceja, or Anthony Sepulveda, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W318, Washington, DC 20202.
Telephone: (202) 260-0223 (Thelma Leenhouts); (202) 401-2159 (Gillian
Cohen-Boyer); (202) 260-3548 (202) 205-5009 (Beatriz Ceja); or (202)
260-0464 (Anthony Sepulveda). By e-mail: transitiontoteaching@ed.gov.
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 persons 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 (202) 512-1530.

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.

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Dated: January 20, 2006.
Christopher J. Doherty,
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 06-763 Filed 1-25-06; 8:45 am]
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