[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 105 (Monday, June 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31315-31317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12707]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Final Waiver and Extension of the Project Period for the Literacy
Information and Communication System Regional Professional Development
Centers
[Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.191B.]
AGENCY: Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Final Waiver and Extension.
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SUMMARY: For the 36-month grant projects funded in fiscal year (FY)
2011, using FY 2010 funds, under the Literacy Information and
Communication System (LINCS) Regional Professional Development Centers
(RPDC) program, the Secretary hereby waives the restriction against
project period extensions involving the obligation of additional
Federal funds, and extends the project period of the four LINCS RPDC
grants for an additional 12 months. This will enable the four current
LINCS RPDC grantees that received awards under the FY 2011 competition
to seek a continuation award for one additional year through FY 2015
with FY 2014 funds; and we will not announce a new LINCS RPDC
competition in FY 2014.
DATES: This final waiver and extension of the project period is
effective June 2, 2014.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Bennett, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW., Room 11013, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7758 or by email at:
[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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 12, 2014, we published in the
Federal Register (79 FR 14017) (March 2014 proposed waiver) a proposed
waiver of 34 CFR 75.261(a) and (c)(2), which restricts project period
extensions involving the obligation of additional Federal funds, as it
applies to the LINCS RPDC. The Secretary also proposed to
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extend the project period of LINCS RPDC grants for an additional 12
months to enable the four current LINCS RPDC grantees that received
awards under the FY 2011 competition to seek a continuation award for
one additional year through FY 2015 with FY 2014 funds.
Public Comment: In the March 2014 proposed waiver, the Secretary
invited comments about the potential effect that this waiver and
extension of the project period would have on LINCS RPDC and on
applicants that may be eligible to apply for grant awards under any new
LINCS RPDC notice inviting applications, should there be one. We
received five comments in response, one of which did not address the
proposed waiver and extension. Generally, we do not address comments
that raise concerns not related to the proposed waiver and extension.
Analysis of Comments and Changes:
Comment: The four commenters who addressed the proposed waiver and
extension: supported it, discussed the benefits and accomplishments of
current LINCS RPDC projects, and stated that an extension of the
current project period would allow grantees to continue their work and
expand on their accomplishments.
Response: We agree with the four commenters that extending the
current LINCS RPDC grant period will allow current LINCS RPDC grantees
to request continuation awards with which they could continue to work
toward accomplishing the goals and objectives stated in their 2011
LINCS RPDC grant applications.
Change: None.
Background
In FY 2011, using FY 2010 funds, we funded four LINCS RPDC grants,
based on the requirements established in the notice for applications
for new awards for LINCS RPDCs, published in the Federal Register on
June 30, 2011 (76 FR 38374) (June 2011 notice), as authorized under
title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), the Adult
Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) (20 U.S.C. 9253(2)(H)). Each
RPDC serves one of the following four regions:
(1) Region 1--Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the Virgin
Islands.
(2) Region 2--Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
(3) Region 3--Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
(4) Region 4--Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Guam,
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and
the Republic of Palau.
Through the LINCS RPDC grants, we support evidence-based virtual or
in-person adult education professional development (AEPD) activities to
assist educators who provide adult education services \1\ or adult
education instruction \2\ to adult learners (adult educators).
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\1\ Adult education services (e.g., career counseling,
transportation counseling, education counseling) are provided to
adult learners by educators who may include staff of eligible
providers identified in section 203(5) of the AEFLA, as well as
State staff responsible for the implementation of adult education
programs.
\2\ Adult education instruction (e.g., instruction in basic
literacy, mathematics, and English language skills) is provided to
adult learners by educators who may include adult education teachers
and other instructional personnel of eligible providers identified
in section 203(5) of the AEFLA.
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In addition, the LINCS RPDCs support each eligible agency
responsible for administering or supervising policy for adult education
and literacy programs under section 203(4) of the AEFLA \3\ (eligible
agency), and adult education and related organizations within each
State \4\ and outlying area \5\ by--
(1) Disseminating information on the materials and the AEPD in the
LINCS Resource Collection \6\ to each eligible agency in the region
that the grantee serves and to adult education and related
organizations within each State and outlying area in that region;
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\3\ Section 203(4) of the AEFLA defines the term ``eligible
agency'' as the sole entity or agency in a State or an outlying area
responsible for administering or supervising policy for adult
education and literacy in the State or outlying area, respectively,
consistent with the law of the State or outlying area, respectively.
\4\ See section 203(17) of the AEFLA.
\5\ See section 203(14) of the AEFLA.
\6\ For more information on the LINCS Resource Collection, see
http://lincs.ed.gov/collections.
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(2) Collaborating closely with eligible agencies to organize and
deliver virtual or in-person AEPD; and
(3) Fostering the use of new technologies, including virtual
moderated communities of practice \7\ (CoP), for adult educators.
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\7\ Communities of practice are groups of people who share a
concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it
better as they interact regularly (see http://www.ewenger.com/theory/).
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The LINCS RPDCs provide substantial and direct operational
involvement in the management of project implementation and on plans
for AEPD and project activities, including by facilitating the
collaboration between grantees and the Department's LINCS Resource
Collection contractor and the LINCS technical services contractor.
For these four LINCS RPDC projects, the Secretary waives the
requirement of 34 CFR 75.261(a) and (c)(2), the regulation that
generally prohibits project period extensions involving the obligation
of additional Federal funds, in order to extend the current LINCS RPDC
project period for an additional 12 months.
The Secretary's waiver of 34 CFR 75.261(a) and (c)(2) and extension
of the current LINCS RPDC project period means that: (1) Current LINCS
RPDC grantees will be authorized to request in FY 2014 and receive
LINCS RPDC continuation awards for one additional year through FY 2015;
(2) we will not announce a new LINCS RPDC competition to make new
awards in FY 2014; (3) the June 2011 notice will continue to govern
current projects during the extension year; and (4) the four currently-
approved applications selected based on the June 2011 notice will
govern LINCS RPDC continuation activities.
The June 2011 notice: (1) Established a project period of up to 36
months and reiterated that funding for multi-year awards would be
dependent on a grantee meeting the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253
(continuation of a multi-year project after the first budget period);
(2) explained the requirements of the program; (3) described the
evaluation and reporting requirements; and (4) established the
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) performance indicators
for the LINCS RPDCs.
With this final waiver and extension of the project period, the
current four LINCS RPDC grantees may request continuation awards for
one additional project year, through FY 2015, with FY 2014 funds
Congress has appropriated under the current authority in section
243(2)(H) of the AEFLA. Any requests for continuation awards will be
considered under the current authority and subject to the requirements
of 34 CFR 75.253, including the requirement that each grantee
demonstrate that it is making substantial progress performing its LINCS
RPDC grant activities based on the requirements in the June 2011
notice.
We will make decisions regarding continuation awards based on
information provided in grantee
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requests for continuation awards, including information provided in
program narratives, budgets and budget narratives, and performance
reports. Any activities to be carried out during the continuation year
must be consistent with, or be a logical extension of, the scope,
goals, and objectives of, each grantee's application as approved in the
2011 LINCS RPDC competition.
Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification
The Secretary certifies that the waiver and extension and the
activities required to support an additional year of funding will not
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities.
The small entities that will be affected by this waiver and
extension are the four currently-funded LINCS RPDC grantees and any
potential applicants for LINCS RPDC grants in FY 2014.
The Secretary further certifies that the waiver and extension will
not have a significant economic impact on these LINCS RPDC entities
because the waiver and extension impose minimal compliance costs to
extend projects already in existence, and the activities required to
support the additional year of funding will not impose additional
regulatory burdens or require unnecessary Federal supervision.
Furthermore, the costs of carrying out these activities could be paid
for with program funds.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
This notice of waiver and extension does not contain any
information collection requirements.
Intergovernmental Review
The LINCS RPDC is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the
regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print,
audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free
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by the Department.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9253(2)(H).
Dated: May 28, 2014.
Johan Uvin,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Strategic Initiatives,
Delegated Authority To Perform the Functions and Duties of the
Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 2014-12707 Filed 5-30-14; 8:45 am]
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