72 FR 35 pgs. 7960-7964 - Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information; Foundations for Learning; Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2007

Next Article Next

Type: NOTICEVolume: 72Number: 35Pages: 7960 - 7964

FR document: [FR Doc. E7-3036 Filed 2-21-07; 8:45 am]

Agency: Education Department

Official PDF Version: PDF Version

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information; Foundations for Learning; Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2007

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215H.

Dates:

Applications Available: February 22, 2007.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 13, 2007.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 12, 2007.

Eligible Applicants: (1) Local educational agencies (LEAs); (2) Local councils; (3) Community-based organizations (CBOs), including faith-based organizations; (4) Other public or nonprofit private entities; or (5) A combination of such entities.

Estimated Available Funds: The Administration's budget request for FY 2007 does not include funds for this program. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process before the end of the current fiscal year if Congress appropriates funds for this program. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2008 and subsequent years based on the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Estimated Range of Awards: $200,000-$300,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $245,500.

Estimated Number of Awards: 4.

Note:

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

Project Period: Up to 18 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: This program supports projects to help eligible children become ready for school.

Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from section 5542 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 20 U.S.C. 7269a (ESEA).

Absolute Priority: For FY 2007 and any subsequent year in which we make awards on the basis of the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.

This priority is: Grants to local educational agencies, local councils, community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations, and other public and nonprofit private entities, or a combination of such entities, to assist eligible children to become ready for school.

To be eligible for funding, a project must propose one or more of the following-

(1) To deliver services to eligible children and their families that foster eligible children's emotional, behavioral, and social development;

(2) To coordinate and facilitate access by eligible children and their families to the services available through community resources, including mental health, physical health, substance abuse, educational, domestic violence prevention, child welfare, and social services;

(3) To provide ancillary services such as transportation or child care in order to facilitate the delivery of any other authorized services or activities;

(4) To develop or enhance early childhood community partnerships and build toward a community system of care that brings together child-serving agencies or organizations to provide individualized supports for eligible children and their families;

(5) To evaluate the success of strategies and services provided pursuant to the grant in promoting young children's successful entry to school and to maintain data systems required for effective evaluations; and

(6) To pay for the expenses of administering the grant activities, including assessment of children's eligibility for services.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7269a.

Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Range of Awards: $200,000-$300,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $245,500.

Estimated Number of Awards: 4.

Note:

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

Project Period: Up to 18 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs; (2) Local councils; (3) Community-based organizations (CBOs), including faith-based organizations; (4) Other public or nonprofit private entities; or (5) A combination of such entities.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost sharing or matching but does involve supplement-not supplant funding provisions. See 20 U.S.C. 7269a(b)(3)(D).

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 84.215H.

Copies of the application package for this competition can also be found at: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/programs.html.

Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format ( e.g. , Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the contact person listed in Section VII of this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT .

2. Content and Form of Application Submission:

a. Statutory Application Requirements: Applications submitted under this program must include the following-

(1) A description of the population that the applicant intends to serve and the types of services to be provided under the grant;

(2) A description of the manner in which services under the grant will be coordinated with existing similar services provided by public and nonprofit private entities within the State; and

(3) An assurance that-

• Services under the grant will be provided by or under the supervision of qualified professionals with expertise in early childhood development;

• These services will be culturally competent;

• These services will be provided in accordance with the permissible uses of funds as described elsewhere in this notice;

• Funds will be used to supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds; and

• Parents of students participating in services will be involved in the design and implementation of the services.

b. Page Limit: The program narrative section should not exceed 25 double-spaced pages using a standard font no smaller than 12-point, with 1-inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right). The narrative should follow the format and sequence of the selection criteria.

c. Other: Other requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this program.

3. Submission Dates and Times:

Applications Available: February 22, 2007.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 13, 2007.

Applications for grants under the Foundations for Learning Grants Program may be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by mail or hand delivery, 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.

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 CONTACT in Section VII of this notice.

Deadline for Intergovernmental review: June 12, 2007.

4. Intergovernmental Review: This program 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 program.

5. Funding Restrictions:

Limitations on Use of Funds.

(1) Grant funds may be used only to pay for services that cannot be paid for using other Federal, State, or local public resources or through private insurance.

(2) A grantee may not use more than 3 percent of the amount of the grant to pay the expenses of administering the authorized activities, including assessment of children's eligibility for services.

We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under the Foundations for Learning Grants Program may be submitted electronically or in paper format by mail or hand delivery.

a. Electronic Submission of Applications.

To comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are participating as a partner in the Government-wide Grants.gov Apply site. The Foundations for Learning Grants Program, CFDA Number 84.215H, is included in this project. We request your participation in Grants.gov.

If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must use the Government-wide 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.

You may access the electronic grant application for the Foundations for learning Grants Program at http://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 84.215, not 84.215H). Please note the following:

• Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.

• 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 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 and 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 and 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 steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp ). These steps include (1) Registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (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/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.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 submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.

• You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you submit your application in paper format.

• If you submit your application electronically, you must submit all documents electronically, including all information you typically provide on the following forms: 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. Please note that two of these forms-the SF 424 and the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424-have replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance).

• If you submit your application electronically, 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 in this paragraph 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 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 e-mail. 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 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 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 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 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 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 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.

b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.

If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), 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: (CFDA Number 84.215H), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,Washington, DC 20202-4260.

By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center-Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.215H),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.

(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 submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, you (or a courier service) 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 84.215H), 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 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 receipt. 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

Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are in the application package for this competition.

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: If funded, you are expected to collect data on the key GPRA performance measures for this program and report those data to the Department in your final performance report at the end of your project period. Your final performance report must also include financial information, as directed by the Secretary. We may also require more frequent performance reports in accordance with 34 CFR 75.720(c).

4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of the Foundations for Learning grants program: (1) The percentage of eligible children served by the grant attaining measurable gains in emotional, behavioral, and social development will increase; and (2) The percentage of eligible children and their families served by the grant receiving individualized support from child-serving agencies or organizations will increase.

Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate a strong capacity to provide reliable data on these indicators in responding to the selection criteria, "Quality of project services" and "Quality of the project evaluation."

VII. Agency Contact

For Further Information Contact:

Earl Myers, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW., room 3E254, Washington, DC 20202-6450. Telephone: (202) 708-8846 or by e-mail: earl.myers@ed.gov.

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-888-877-8339.

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 person 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.

Dated: February 16, 2007.

Deborah A. Price,

Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.

[FR Doc. E7-3036 Filed 2-21-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000-01-P