[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 100 (Thursday, May 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31359-31365]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-12212]
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 100 / Thursday, May 23, 2013 /
Notices
[[Page 31359]]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Ehanced Assessment Instruments
Grants Program--Enhanced Assessment Instruments--Kindergarten Entry
Assissment Competition
AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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Overview Information
Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grants Program--Enhanced Assessment
Instruments--Kindergarten Entry Assessment Competition
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)
2012 funds.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.368A.
DATES: Applications Available: May 23, 2013.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 24, 2013.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 8, 2013.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 5, 2013.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Enhanced Assessment
Instruments Grant program, also called the Enhanced Assessment Grants
(EAG) program, is to enhance the quality of assessment instruments and
systems used by States for measuring the academic achievement of
elementary and secondary school students.
In 2013, the Department will hold a competition for fiscal year
(FY) 2012 EAG funds to support the development or enhancement of a
kindergarten entry assessment (KEA) that is aligned with the State's
early learning and development standards and that must cover all of the
essential domains of school readiness. We will give priority to early
learning collaborative efforts among States (collaborative efforts) in
developing this assessment.
Priorities: This competition includes five absolute priorities and
one competitive preference priority. In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(iv), absolute priorities 1 through 4 (Statutory
Priorities) are based on section 6112 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), 20 U.S.C. 7301a. Absolute
priority 5 (Regulatory Priority) and competitive preference priority 1
are from the notice of final priorities, requirement, definitions, and
selection criteria published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register.
Absolute Priorities: For awards made in 2013 with FY 2012 funds,
and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of
unfunded applicants from this competition, these priorities are
absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only
applications that meet: (a) one or more of the Statutory Priorities
(Absolute Priorities 1 through 4) and (b) the Regulatory Priority
(Absolute Priority 5).
These priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1--Collaboration
Collaborate with institutions of higher education, other research
institutions, or other organizations to improve the quality, validity,
and reliability of State academic assessments beyond the requirements
for these assessments described in section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA.
Absolute Priority 2--Use of Multiple Measures of Student Academic
Achievement
Measure student academic achievement using multiple measures of
student academic achievement from multiple sources.
Absolute Priority 3--Charting Student Progress Over Time
Chart student progress over time.
Absolute Priority 4--Comprehensive Academic Assessment Instruments
Evaluate student academic achievement through the development of
comprehensive academic assessment instruments, such as performance- and
technology-based academic assessments.
Absolute Priority 5--Kindergarten Entry Assessment
To meet this priority, an applicant must propose a project that
supports the development or enhancement of a KEA that meets the
following requirements:
(a) Purpose. The KEA must--
(1) Provide, at kindergarten entry, valid, reliable, and fair
information on each child's learning and development across the
essential domains of school readiness (as defined in this notice) with
each domain making a significant contribution to the overall
comprehensive score.
(2) Not be used--
(i) To prevent children's entry into kindergarten; or
(ii) For purposes for which it has not been validated or as a
single measure for high-stakes decisions.
(b) Design. The KEA must--
(1) Be a component of a State's student assessment system,
including, a State's comprehensive early learning assessment system (as
defined in this notice) for the applicant State and, if the State
applies as part of a consortium, each State in the consortium, in which
a comprehensive early learning assessment system exists;
(2) Be aligned with a set of early learning and development
standards (as defined in this notice);
(3) Measure the full range of learning and development across the
essential domains of school readiness (as defined in this notice);
(4) Measure children's learning and development against a set of
levels of performance where the levels of performance encompass
descriptors of what a child knows and is able to do for each level, are
common statewide, and, if the applicant State applies on behalf of a
consortium, are common across States in the consortium;
(5) Provide a summative assessment of each child's learning and
development at kindergarten entry across the essential domains of
school readiness (as defined in this notice);
(6) Be capable of assessing all children in the applicant State,
and if the State applies as part of a consortium, all children in the
consortium;
(7) Be developed consistent with universal design principles to be
accessible to all children, including children with disabilities or
developmental delays and English learners (as defined in this notice);
(8) As needed, provide appropriate accommodations and supports for
children with disabilities or developmental delays and English learners
(as defined in this notice) (e.g., augmentative communication devices
and assistive technologies);
(9) Be administered soon enough after a child's enrollment into
kindergarten to achieve the purposes for which the assessment was
developed, including the purpose specified in paragraph (a) of this
priority;
(10) Use multiple methods (e.g., performance tasks, selected
responses, observational ratings) to measure children's performance and
development;
(11) Be administered by a trained assessor or assessors;
(12) Be designed to incorporate technology in the collection of
student data and in the process of assessing children's performance on
learning and development tasks; and
(13) Be cost-effective to administer, maintain, and enhance during
and after the project period.
(c) Technical Quality. The KEA must measure children's learning and
[[Page 31360]]
development at kindergarten entry in ways that--
(1) Are consistent with nationally recognized professional and
technical standards for assessment;
(2) Are consistent with current research and best practices in the
field, and the recommendations of the National Research Council report
on early childhood assessments; \1\
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\1\ National Research Council. (2008). Early Childhood
Assessment: Why, What, and How. Committee on Developmental Outcomes
and Assessments for Young Children, C.E. Snow and S.B. Van Hemel,
Editors. Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Board on Testing
and Assessment, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and
Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Available
at www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12446.
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(3) Are valid, reliable, fair, and appropriate for their intended
purposes;
(4) Provide a valid, reliable, and fair measure across the
performance spectrum of each child's learning and development at
kindergarten entry, including children with disabilities or
developmental delays and English learners.
(d) Data. The KEA must produce data and information that--
(1) Can guide individualized instruction for children enrolled in
kindergarten and throughout the school year;
(2) Can be reported to and easily understood and used by various
stakeholders, including families, teachers, administrators, early
learning providers, and policy-makers, consistent with requirements of
federal, State, and local privacy laws; and
(3) Can be incorporated into a State's longitudinal data system
(SLDS) and a State's early learning data system (if it is separate from
an SLDS), consistent with requirements of Federal, State, and local
privacy laws.
(e) Compatibility. The KEA must use approaches to assessment design
and implementation (e.g., use of technology, assessment administration,
scoring, and reporting) that facilitate the integration of the KEA with
a State's student assessment system, including a State's comprehensive
early learning assessment system (as defined in this notice) for each
State included in an application in which a comprehensive early
learning assessment system exists.
Competitive Preference Priority: For awards made in 2013 with FY
2012 funds, and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the
list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is a
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award
up to an additional 30 points to an application, depending on how well
the application meets this priority.
In awarding these points, an applicant will receive more points
based on the extent to which it includes a larger number of States in
the consortium, with three to four States representing a low number of
States, five to seven States representing an intermediate number of
States, and eight or more States representing a high number of States.
This priority is:
Competitive Preference Priority 1-- Early Learning Collaborative
Efforts Among States
To meet this priority, an applicant must--
(a) Include a minimum of three States in the consortium and propose
developing or enhancing a common KEA for those States. An applicant
will receive a greater number of points under this priority based on
the extent to which it includes a greater number of States in its
consortium;
(b) Adopt or propose a plan for all States in the consortium to
adopt a set of early learning and development standards (as defined in
this notice) that, for at least the year prior to kindergarten entry,
are substantially identical across all States in the consortium;
(c) Adopt or propose a plan for all States in the consortium to
adopt the common KEA; and
(d) Provide in the memorandum of understanding or other binding
agreement executed by each State in the consortium an assurance that,
as a condition of remaining in the consortium, the State will, no later
than the end of the project period, adopt the common KEA developed
under this priority and the set of early learning and development
standards (as defined in this notice) upon which the KEA is based.
Requirements: The following requirements for this competition are
from the final priorities, requirements, definitions and selection
criteria for this program published in the Federal Register on April
19, 2011 (76 FR 21986), and from the final priorities, requirement,
definitions and selection criteria published elsewhere in this issue of
the Federal Register. An eligible applicant awarded a grant under this
program must:
(a) Evaluate the validity, reliability, and fairness of any
assessments or other assessment-related instruments developed under a
grant from this competition, and make available documentation of
evaluations of technical quality through formal mechanisms (e.g., peer-
reviewed journals) and informal mechanisms (e.g., newsletters), both in
print and electronically;
(b) Actively participate in any applicable technical assistance
activities conducted or facilitated by the Department or its designees,
coordinate with Race To The Top Assessment program staff in the
development of assessments under this program, and participate in other
activities as determined by the Department;
(c) Develop a strategy to make student-level data that result from
any assessments or other assessment-related instruments developed under
a grant from this competition available on an ongoing basis for
research, including for prospective linking, validity, and program
improvement studies; \2\
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\2\ Eligible applicants awarded a grant under this program must
comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
and 34 CFR Part 99, as well as State and local requirements
regarding privacy.
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(d) Ensure that any assessments or other assessment-related
instruments developed under a grant from this competition will be
operational (ready for large-scale administration) at the end of the
project period;
(e) Ensure that funds awarded under the EAG program are not used to
support the development of standards, such as under the English
language proficiency assessment system priority or any other priority.
(f) Maximize the interoperability of any assessments and other
assessment-related instruments developed with funds from this
competition across technology platforms and the ability for States to
move their assessments from one technology platform to another by doing
the following, as applicable, for any assessments developed with funds
from this competition by--
(1) Developing all assessment items in accordance with an industry-
recognized open-licensed interoperability standard that is approved by
the Department during the grant period, without non-standard extensions
or additions; and
(2) Producing all student-level data in a manner consistent with an
industry-recognized open-licensed interoperability standard that is
approved by the Department during the grant period;
(g) Unless otherwise protected by law or agreement as proprietary
information, make any assessment content (i.e., assessments and
assessment items) and other assessment-related instruments developed
with funds from this competition freely available to States, technology
platform providers, and others that request it for purposes of
[[Page 31361]]
administering assessments, provided that those parties receiving
assessment content comply with consortium or State requirements for
test or item security; and
(h) For any assessments and other assessment-related instruments
developed with funds from this competition, use technology to the
maximum extent appropriate to develop, administer, and score the
assessments and report results.
(i) Adopt and implement any assessments, other assessment-related
instruments developed or enhanced under the proposed project, and any
standards upon which they are based. In addition, if the applicant
State applies as, or on behalf of a consortium of States, it must
provide in any memorandum of understanding or other binding agreement
executed by each State in the consortium an assurance that, to remain
in the consortium, the State will adopt and implement any assessments
or other assessment-related instruments developed or enhanced under the
proposed project and any standards upon which they are based by the end
of the project period.
Definitions: The following definitions are from the final
priorities, requirements, definitions and selection criteria for this
program published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2011 (76 FR
21986), and the final priorities, requirement, definitions and
selection criteria for this program published elsewhere in this issue
of the Federal Register.
Comprehensive early learning assessment system means a coordinated
and comprehensive system of multiple assessments, each of which is
valid and reliable for its specified purpose and for the population
with which it will be used, that organizes information about the
process and context of young children's learning and development in
order to help teachers make informed instructional and programmatic
decisions and that conforms with the recommendations of the National
Research Council report on early childhood assessments \3\ by
including, at a minimum: (a) screening measures (as defined in this
notice); (b) formative assessments; (c) measures of environmental
quality (as defined in this notice); (d) measures of the quality of
adult-child interactions (as defined in this notice); and (e) a
kindergarten entry assessment (KEA).
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\3\ National Research Council (2008). Early Childhood
Assessment: Why, What, and How. Committee on Developmental Outcomes
and Assessments for Young Children, C.E. Snow and S.B. Van Hemel,
Editors. Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Board on Testing
and Assessment, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and
Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Available
at www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12446.
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Early learning and development standards means a set of
expectations, guidelines, or developmental milestones that--
(a) Describe what all children from birth to kindergarten entry
should know and be able to do and their dispositions toward learning;
(b) Are appropriate for each age group (e.g., infants, toddlers,
and preschoolers); for English learners; and for children with
disabilities or developmental delays;
(c) Cover all essential domains of school readiness (as defined in
this notice);
(d) Are universally designed and developmentally, culturally, and
linguistically appropriate; and
(e) Are aligned with the State's K-3 academic standards in, at a
minimum, early literacy and mathematics.
English learner means a child, including a child aged three and
younger, who is an English learner consistent with the definition of a
child who is ``limited English proficient,'' as applicable, in section
9101(25) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended.
Essential domains of school readiness means the domains of language
and literacy development, cognition and general knowledge (including
early mathematics and early scientific development), approaches toward
learning, physical well-being and motor development (including adaptive
skills), and social and emotional development.
Formative assessment (also known as a classroom-based or ongoing
assessment) means assessment questions, tools, and processes--
(a) That are--
(1) Specifically designed to monitor children's progress;
(2) Valid and reliable for their intended purposes and their target
populations; and
(3) Linked directly to the curriculum; and
(b) The results of which are used to guide and improve
instructional practices.
Measures of environmental quality means valid and reliable
indicators of the overall quality of the early learning environment.
Measures of the quality of adult-child interactions means the
measures obtained through valid and reliable processes for observing
how teachers and caregivers interact with children, where such
processes are designed to promote child learning and to identify
strengths and areas for improvement for early learning professionals.
Screening measures means age and developmentally appropriate,
valid, and reliable instruments that are used to identify children who
may need follow-up services to address developmental, learning, or
health needs in, at a minimum, the areas of physical health, behavioral
health, oral health, child development, vision, and hearing.
Student with a disability means a student who has been identified
as a child with a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, as amended.
Universal design means a concept or philosophy for designing and
delivering products and services that are usable by people with the
widest possible range of functional capabilities, which include
products and services that are directly usable (without requiring
assistive technologies) and products and services that are made usable
with assistive technologies. This meaning is given to the term in
section 3 of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 3002).
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7301a and 7842.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department suspension
and debarment regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The final priorities,
requirements, definitions, and selection criteria published in the
Federal Register on April 19, 2011 (76 FR 21986). (d) The final
priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria published
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $9,200,000 in FY 2012 funds to be
awarded in a competition in 2013.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards with FY 2013 funds from the
list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $4,200,000 to $5,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $4,600,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 2.
[[Page 31362]]
Note: Applicants should submit a single budget request for a
single budget and project period of up to 48 months. Subject to the
availability of future years' funds, the Department may make
supplemental grant awards to the grants awarded with FY 2012 funds.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 48 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs) as
defined in section 9101(41) of the ESEA and consortia of such SEAs.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: An application from a consortium of SEAs must designate
one SEA as the fiscal agent.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: You can access the
electronic grant application for the Enhanced Assessment Instruments
Grants Program at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable
application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not
include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for
84.368, not 84.368A). You can also obtain a copy of the application
package by contacting the program contact, Erin Shackel, Enhanced
Assessment Grants Program, Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room
3W110, Washington, DC 20202-6132. Telephone: (202) 453-6423 or by
email: [email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or compact disc) by contacting the person listed under Accessible
Format in section VIII of this notice.
2. a. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition. Page
Limit: The project narrative (Part 3 of the application) is where you,
the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to
evaluate your application. You must limit the project narrative (Part
3) to the equivalent of no more than 65 pages, using the following
standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the project narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use Times New Roman font no smaller than 11.0 point for
all text in the project narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables figures, and graphs. (Font sizes that are smaller than
11 but round up to 11, such as 10.7 point, will be considered smaller
than 11.0.)
Any screen shots included as part of the narrative should
follow these standards or, if other standards are applied, be sized to
equal the equivalent amount of space if these standards were applied.
The page limit applies to the project narrative (Part 3), including
the table of contents, which must include a discussion of how the
application meets one or more of the statutory absolute priorities and
how well the applicant meets the regulatory absolute priority; if
applicable, how the application meets the competitive preference
priority; and how well the application addresses each of the selection
criteria. The page limit also applies to any attachments to the project
narrative other than the references/bibliography. In other words, the
entirety of Part 3 of the application, including the aforementioned
discussion and any attachments to the project narrative, must be
limited to the equivalent of no more than 65 pages. The only allowable
attachments other than those included in the project narrative are
outlined in Part 6, ``Other Attachments Forms'' in the application
package. Any attachments other than those included within the page
limit of the project narrative and those outlined in Part 6 will not be
reviewed.
The 65-page limit, or its equivalent, does not apply to the
following sections of an application: Part 1 (including the response
regarding research activities involving human subjects); Part 2 (two-
page project abstract); Part 4 (the budget sections, including the
chart and narrative budget justification); Part 5 (standard assurances
and certifications); and Part 6 (memoranda of understanding or other
binding agreement, copy of applicant's indirect cost rate agreement,
letters of commitment and support from collaborating SEAs and
organizations, and other attachments forms, including, if applicable,
references/bibliography for the project narrative, individual
r[eacute]sum[eacute]s for project director(s) and key personnel.
Applicants are encouraged to limit each r[eacute]sum[eacute] to no more
than five pages).
In addition, do not use hyperlinks in an application. Reviewers
will be instructed not to follow hyperlinks if included. Our reviewers
will not read any pages of your project narrative that exceed the page
limit, or the equivalent of the page limit if you apply other
standards. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications that meet
the page limit following the standards outlined in this section rather
than submitting applications that are the equivalent of the page limit
applying other standards.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: May 23, 2013.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 24, 2013.
We will be able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing
grant applications if we have a better understanding of the number of
applicants that intend to apply for funding under this competition.
Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to notify us
of the applicant's intent to submit an application for funding. This
notification should be brief, and provide the applicant organization's
name and the SEA the applicant will designate as the fiscal agent for
an award. Submit this notification to by email to [email protected]
with ``Intent to Apply'' in the email subject line or mail to Erin
Shackel, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room
3W110, Washington, DC 20202-6132. Applicants that do not provide this
email notification may still apply for funding.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 8, 2013.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission
Requirements of this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
[[Page 31363]]
CONTACT in section VII of this notice. If the Department provides an
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in
connection with the application process, the individual's application
remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this
notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 5, 2013.
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 in this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, Central Contractor Registry, and System for Award Management:
To do business with the Department of Education, you must--
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central
Contractor Registry (CCR)--and, after July 24, 2012, with the System
for Award Management (SAM), the Government's primary registrant
database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR or SAM registration with current
information while your application is under review by the Department
and, if you are awarded a grant, during the project period.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
The CCR or SAM registration process may take five or more business
days to complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may
not need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take
three or more business days to complete. Information about SAM is
available at SAM.gov.
In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov,
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the
Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
7. 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 Enhanced Assessment Instruments
Grants KEA competition, CFDA number 84.368A, must be submitted
electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at
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 email an electronic copy of a
grant application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Enhanced
Assessment Instruments Grants KEA competition at www.Grants.gov. You
must search for the downloadable application package for this
competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha
suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.368, not 84.368A).
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 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 under News and Events on the Department's G5
system home page at www.G5.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 you typically provide on the following forms: the
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications.
You must upload any narrative sections and all other
attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable Document)
read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only,
non-modifiable PDF 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.
[[Page 31364]]
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by email. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified
identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether
your application will be accepted.
Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system;
and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Erin Shackel, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, room 3W110,
Washington, DC 20202-6132. FAX: (202) 205-0310.
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 following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.368A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.368A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications:
If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from the final priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection
criteria published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2011 (76 FR
21986), and the final priorities, requirement, definitions, and
selection criteria published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register, and are listed in the application package.
[[Page 31365]]
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance;
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
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); or we may send you an email containing a link to
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally,
also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we will also 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: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting,
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has developed four measures
to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the Enhanced Assessment
Instruments Grants program: (1) The number of States that participate
in Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grants projects funded by this
competition; (2) the percentage of grantees that, at least twice during
the period of their grants, make available to SEA staff in non-
participating States and to assessment researchers information on
findings resulting from the Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grants
through presentations at national conferences, publications in refereed
journals, or other products disseminated to the assessment community;
and (3) for each grant cycle and as determined by an expert panel, the
percentage of Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grants that yield
significant research, methodologies, products, or tools regarding
assessment systems or assessments. Grantees will be expected to include
in their interim and final performance reports information about the
accomplishments of their projects because the Department will need data
on these measures.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Shackel, Enhanced Assessment
Grants Program, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3W110,
Washington, DC 20202-6132. Telephone: (202) 453-6423 or by email:
[email protected].
If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll-free, at 1-800-877-
8339.
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
in section VII in this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the
site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dated: May 17, 2013.
Deborah S. Delisle,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2013-12212 Filed 5-22-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P