A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Reading Excellence Act State Competitive Grant Program: Non-Regulatory Guidance for State Applicants – March 9, 1999

Section C. Federal Awards to States

C1

Who is eligible to apply for a Reading and Literacy Grant under Section 2253 of the Reading Excellence Act?
 

Eligible applicants include state educational agencies in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau are not eligible to receive a grant.

C2

When should a state educational agency submit its application for Reading Excellence Act funds?
 

State educational agencies must submit their applications for FY 1999 Reading Excellence funds by May 3, 1999. All eligible applications received by that date will be reviewed by the expert peer review panel described in section 2253, (c) Approval of Applications. Late applications will be rejected.

C3

Will grant awards be competitive or will funds be awarded by formula?
 

The Secretary will make awards to state educational agencies on a competitive basis.

C4

What must SEAs do to apply for to apply for the funds?
 

SEAs must submit applications that contain specific information required by the statute. Section D contains information on the application requirements.

C5

If a state educational agency chooses not to apply to the U.S. Department of Education for a grant, may eligible local educational agencies in the state apply directly to the Department?
 

No. Only state educational agencies and the outlying areas noted above may apply for a grant.

C6

How many grants may a state educational agency receive?
 

Each state educational agency may only receive one award under the Reading Excellence Act program for the authorizing period of FY 1999 and 2000.

C7

What is the expected size of the awards to state educational agencies?
 

The minimum grant award for the 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico, if selected to receive a grant, is $500,000. The Department expects actual awards to be higher, ranging from $1 million to as high as $30 million. The Secretary anticipates that states with larger populations of children will apply for and, if selected, receive a larger grant than smaller states.

The minimum grant award for the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, if selected to receive an award, is $100,000. Actual awards are expected to be higher, with an average estimated award of about $250,000.

SEAs and outlying areas are eligible to apply for any size grant over the respective minimum amounts. Table D1 provides estimates of the possible grant amounts. The amounts listed are only estimated average awards. These figures were developed to aid Departmental and state planning, and are not binding on the Department or the states. States may apply for larger or smaller grant amounts if they believe other amounts are reasonable given state needs.

Table D1. Estimated Awards

Category

States

Estimated Range of Awards

1

California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas

$15,000,000 to $30,000,000

2

Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin

$7,500,000 to $15,000,000

3

Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah

$4,000,000 to $7,500,000

4

Alaska, Delaware, D.C., Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming

$1,000,000 to $4,000,000

5

American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands

$200,000 to $300,000

NOTE: Amounts are estimated average awards and are not binding on the Department. States may apply for any size grant depending on individual state needs and program plans.

C8

Who will review the state applications?

 

SEA applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a peer review panel. In accordance with the Reading Excellence Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the National Institute for Literacy, will convene the panel. As required by section 2253(c)(2)(A), the peer review panel will be composed of:

  • representatives from the National Institute for Literacy, the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development;

  • three individuals selected by the Secretary of Education;

  • three individuals selected by the National Institute for Literacy;

  • three individuals selected by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Science; and

  • three individuals selected by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

The peer review panel will include (section 2253(c)(2)(B)):

  • experts who are competent, by virtue of their training, expertise, or experience, to evaluate applications under this program,

  • experts who provide professional development to teachers of reading to children and adults, and

  • experts who provide professional development to other instructional staff, based on scientifically based reading research.

C9

What review criteria will be used to evaluate applications?
 

The Secretary has selected criteria from those available in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR). These criteria, which are listed in the application package and in the closing date notice, will be will be used to evaluate all applications. The criteria were selected to enable reviewers to judge the quality of proposals, particularly the extent to which they address the requirements of scientifically based reading research.

C10

Will any priorities be established for the evaluation of applications?
 

Yes. The Reading Excellence Act requires the panel to give priority to applications from SEAs whose states have modified, are modifying, or will within 18 months modify teacher certification requirements for elementary school teachers. The modification must increase the training and the methods of teaching reading to reflect scientifically based reading research. Priority will be given to states that already have made such modification, those who are in the process of doing so, and those who provide an assurance that they will make the modification within 18 months of receiving an REA grant. (Section 2253(c)(2)(C))

In addition, the Secretary has added an absolute priority to clarify the intent of the REA, which is to strengthen early reading instruction. The priority is:

"ABSOLUTE PRIORITY: Under 34 CFR 75.l05(c)(3) of the Department's General Administrative Regulations, the Secretary has the authority to establish an absolute priority for applications under programs administered by the Department. For all funds to be awarded under this competition, the Secretary establishes an absolute priority to States that propose projects that exclusively fund, at the subgrant level, activities to improve elementary school reading instruction and related early childhood, professional development, family literacy, and tutorial assistance activities. To qualify for this priority, States could not fund, at the subgrant level, any activities for middle schools or high schools. Under this competition, the Secretary will consider for funding only those applications that meet this absolute priority."

C11

Will all state educational agencies receive grants under the Reading Excellence Act?
 

The Secretary will award grants on a competitive basis. Funds are limited and the Department does not expect that every state will receive funding under the FY 1999 competition. The Department plans to make awards only to applicants who submit qualified proposals. If the Department does not award all FY 1999 funds in the first competition, it may hold a second competition during 1999.

If funds are appropriated in FY 2000, the Department will conduct another competition in that year. State educational agencies that do not receive grants from the FY 1999 competition(s) will be eligible to apply for an award in FY 2000. The submission date for the FY 2000 competition(s), if any, will be announced in the Federal Register.

C12

When will the announcements of grants be made?
 

The Secretary will announce the selection of grants to states on or about June 1, 1999.

C13

When will Reading Excellence Act funds become available to the states?
 

Fiscal year 1999 Reading Excellence Act funds are available for obligation by the Department to the state educational agencies on July 1, 1999. The Department anticipates obligating the funds on that date or shortly thereafter.

C14

How long are the grant funds available to states?
 

A state educational agency that receives a grant must expend the funds during the 3-year period beginning on the date on which the grant is made (Section 2253(a)(2)(B)).

The Secretary strongly encourages grant recipients to award subgrants to high-quality applications in the first year of the SEA?s award. By doing so, the local educational agencies will be able to address the urgent reading and literacy needs of children and families.

C15

What regulations apply to the Reading Excellence Act program?
 

The Education Department General Administrative Regulation (EDGAR) provisions applicable to the Reading Excellence Act program are:

  • Part 75 (Direct Grant Programs),

  • Part 77 (Definitions),

  • Part 79 (Intergovernmental Review of Department of Education Programs and Activities),

  • Part 80 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to state and Local Governments),

  • Part 81 (General Education Provisions Act-Enforcement),

  • Part 82 (New Restrictions on Lobbying),

  • Part 85 (Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants), and

  • Part 86 (Drug-Free Schools).

In addition, 34 CFR Part 299, which implements the general provisions in Title XIV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, applies to the Reading Excellence Act program.

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