FR Doc E8-11271[Federal Register: May 20, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 98)]
[Notices]
[Page 29121-29128]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20my08-41]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Vocational and Adult Education; Overview Information;
Promoting Rigorous Career and Technical Education Programs of Study
Through Statewide or Multi-State Articulation Agreements
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards Using Fiscal Year (FY)
2007 Funds.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.051C.
DATES:
Applications Available: May 20, 2008.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: May 30, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 7, 2008.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 2, 2008.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of the Program: Section 114(c)(1) of the Carl D. Perkins
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Act), 20 U.S.C. 2324(c)(1),
authorizes the Secretary to carry out research, development,
dissemination, evaluation and assessment, capacity building, and
technical assistance with regard to the career and technical education
(CTE) programs under the Act. Under that authority, the Secretary plans
to support State efforts to offer rigorous CTE programs of study and to
institutionalize those rigorous CTE programs of study using
articulation agreements.
Background Information
The current Act continues the commitment to high-quality CTE
embodied in the previous Perkins Act. The Act also continues the
previous law's focus on developing challenging academic and technical
standards and assisting students in meeting such standards, including
through preparation for high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand
occupations in current or emerging professions and in nontraditional
fields.
Through this competition, the Department continues its efforts to
[[Page 29122]]
promote rigorous secondary and postsecondary CTE programs of study and
to implement the reauthorized statute. The competition is intended to
(1) build on the efforts of States and localities to develop
challenging academic and technical standards and to assist students in
meeting such standards, including through preparation for high-skill,
high-wage, or high-demand occupations in current or emerging
professions, and (2) promote the development of services and activities
that integrate rigorous and challenging academic and career and
technical instruction, and that link secondary education and
postsecondary education for participating CTE students. Through this
competition, we also intend to build States' capacities to offer
rigorous CTE programs of study that are implemented through statewide
or multi-State articulation agreements that will continue after Federal
funding under this competition ends.
Definitions
The definitions in section 3 of the Act apply to this competition.
(20 U.S.C. 2302)
Requirements and Priority
Required Cooperative Agreement: The Secretary will make awards to
each grantee under the terms of a cooperative agreement. The Secretary
expects to have substantial involvement with grantees during the
performance period of funded projects. Substantial involvement on the
part of the Department includes--
(a) Reviewing and approving project activities;
(b) Halting an activity immediately if detailed performance
specifications or requirements are not met;
(c) Reviewing and approving one stage of work before the grantee
can begin a subsequent stage during the project period;
(d) Collaborating or participating jointly in the assisted
activities; and
(e) Reviewing and approving plans for developing a CTE program of
study and statewide or multi-State articulation agreement.
Required Project Activities: Through this competition, the
Secretary will award cooperative agreements to applicants that propose
projects that will build a State's capacity, or the capacity of two or
more States in the case of consortia, to promote rigorous CTE programs
of study. A project must propose to incorporate all of the following
elements.
(a) Use of Partnership. (1) Use a partnership to develop a new
program of study, or adopt or adapt an existing program of study, that
aligns secondary and postsecondary education courses that are needed to
prepare students for further education and employment.
(2) Use a partnership to develop a statewide or multi-State
articulation agreement that the grantee will use to implement the
program of study. The statewide or multi-State articulation agreement
developed under this competition must be designed to continue after
Federal funding under this competition ends.
(b) CTE programs of study. (1) Develop a new CTE program of study,
or adopt or adapt an existing CTE program of study, that--
(i) Incorporates secondary and postsecondary education elements;
(ii) Includes coherent and rigorous content aligned with
challenging academic standards and relevant career and technical
content in a coordinated, non-duplicative progression of courses that
aligns secondary education with postsecondary education to adequately
prepare students to succeed in postsecondary education; and
(iii) Leads to an industry-recognized credential or certificate at
the postsecondary level or an associate or baccalaureate degree.
(2) In addition, each grantee's program of study must--
(i) At the secondary education level, align coherent and rigorous
academic curriculum with challenging academic content standards and
student academic achievement standards in reading/language arts,
mathematics, and science that the State (or States) in a consortium in
which the program of study will be implemented has (or have)
established under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) (ESEA), as amended by the
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.);
(ii) Enable secondary education students to meet State high school
graduation requirements;
(iii) Offer the opportunity for CTE secondary education students to
participate in dual or concurrent enrollment programs with
postsecondary institutions or otherwise acquire postsecondary education
credits;
(iv) Include either--
(A) One of the 16 career clusters recognized by the Department (on
the Internet at: http://www.careerclusters.org/16clusters.cfm);
(B) A career cluster approach previously developed by one or more
States; or
(C) An approach that a State or a consortium of States wants to
develop with funds awarded under this competition;
(v) Incorporate CTE content standards that have been validated by a
State, regional, or national third-party entity that is qualified to
assess and confirm the rigor of the program of study (e.g., the
National Home Builders Association, Oklahoma General Contractor's
Association, or NASDCTEc National Advisory Committees) in conjunction
with employers and postsecondary institutions that are familiar with
the elements of the program of study (e.g., with the CTE courses,
industry-recognized standards, or technical skill proficiencies that
will be embedded in the program of study);
(vi) Ensure alignment between the State secondary CTE and
postsecondary CTE referred to in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section;
and
(vii) Offer academic and career counseling.
(c) Partnership Activities. (1) Establish a partnership that, at a
minimum, includes the State agencies responsible for the administration
of CTE, secondary education, and postsecondary education (both two- and
four-year institutions); at least one State workforce agency; and
representatives of employers and of faculty and administrators from the
State's or States' secondary and postsecondary education institutions
who are familiar with elements of the program of study (e.g., with the
CTE courses, industry-recognized standards, or technical skill
proficiencies that will be embedded in the program of study).
(i) The partnership must--
(A) Ensure the rigor and quality of the CTE program of study to be
developed under the cooperative agreement, as described in paragraph
(b) of this section; and
(B) Develop a statewide or multi-State articulation agreement that
will be used to implement the program of study within the State, or
within the States within a consortium.
(ii) Ensure that the projects proposing to develop multi-State
articulation agreements include each of the partners listed in
paragraph (c)(1) of this section for each State participating in the
project.
(2) Actively involve the partners in the project (i.e., each of the
partners must have a clearly defined leadership role in planning,
developing, and implementing the CTE program of study) as evidenced by
clearly delineated responsibilities that are described in the
application and by a letter from each State agency committing the
agency to carry out the agreed upon partnership responsibilities.
[[Page 29123]]
(3) Include in the project representatives of partners who are able
to answer questions and influence decisions, have excellent knowledge
of the program of study to be developed, adapted, or adopted, and have
the authority to communicate information to decision-makers.
(4) Develop a clear rationale for selecting the program of study
(e.g., a program of study will provide training in a high-growth, high-
demand, or high-wage occupation as reflected in the national, State, or
regional labor market), including information about the number of
students, schools, and institutions statewide (or within the
consortium) that would implement the program of study.
(5) Identify or develop the academic and career content standards,
validated by a qualified third-party as described in paragraph
(b)(2)(v) of this section, that students would strive to meet under the
program of study.
(6) For the program of study, identify the coherent and rigorous
sequence of courses the State will require students to take at the
secondary and postsecondary (at both two- and four-year institutions)
levels.
(7) Perform a course-by-course analysis of the State's secondary
and postsecondary CTE courses to identify courses that meet the
requirements of the program of study and, if there are missing courses,
design courses to complete the program of study.
(8) Identify or develop courses that provide opportunities for
secondary education students to participate in dual or concurrent
enrollment programs or otherwise acquire postsecondary education
credits.
(9) Identify or develop postsecondary courses that, when
successfully completed, allow students to transfer to another community
college or institution of higher education without losing credit for
courses already completed.
(10) Review State and local policies and issues in the following
areas and determine how they enhance or inhibit the establishment of a
statewide or multi-State articulation agreement for the program of
study:
(i) Funding.
(ii) Faculty certification.
(iii) Assessments documenting student attainment of technical
skills.
(iv) Credit transfer.
(v) Tracking student transitions.
(vi) Awarding of credit.
(vii) Statewide program of study availability.
(11) Develop and implement plans addressing issues that inhibit the
establishment of a program of study and a statewide or multi-State
articulation agreement.
(d) Statewide or multi-State articulation agreement.
(1) Prepare a written articulation agreement that is signed by the
chief executive of each of the State agencies responsible for the
administration of CTE, secondary, and postsecondary education (both
two- and four-year institutions) agreeing to implement the program of
study.
(2) The articulation agreement must--
(i) Describe the program of study, including--
(A) The specific coursework requirements at the secondary, two-year
college, and four-year college levels, including pre-requisites;
(B) As appropriate, course grade requirements, end-of-course exams,
certifications, or minimum grade-point average for each secondary and
postsecondary level course;
(C) Options available for students to transfer credits to community
colleges or four-year institutions; and
(D) The minimum qualifications for faculty teaching courses in the
program of study;
(ii) Describe how the program of study meets the requirements in
paragraph (b) of this section of the notice;
(iii) Describe plans for implementing the statewide or multi-State
articulation agreement;
(iv) Describe plans for periodically reviewing and updating the
program of study and statewide or multi-State articulation agreement
and for maintaining the involvement of the partners;
(v) Identify the curriculum standards and admission requirements
for two- and four-year postsecondary institutions for the program of
study;
(vi) Describe the procedures and requirements for transferring
secondary and community college coursework for credit;
(vii) Describe the procedures for secondary education students to
participate in dual or concurrent enrollment programs or otherwise
acquire postsecondary education credits;
(viii) Explain how credit is awarded to students under the program
of study;
(ix) Describe the State's or States' plans for developing statewide
or multi-State articulation agreements for additional CTE programs of
study after the project ends; and
(x) Describe the State's or States' plans for providing, after
Federal funding ends, professional development opportunities, including
faculty certification training or in-service training designed to
prepare staff for implementation of the program of study developed
under the project.
(e) Documentation. (1) Document the process the grantee used to
design, adapt, or adopt and reach agreement on the program of study,
maintain the partnership, build collaborative relationships, develop
the statewide or multi-State articulation agreement, and enhance
students' ability to transition from secondary to postsecondary
education, including how the grantee analyzed courses and reviewed and
negotiated transfer and admissions requirements.
(2) Document the process the qualified third party used to assess
and confirm the rigor of the content standards of the program of study,
as described in paragraph (b)(2)(v) of this section.
(3) Document the State and local policies and issues that enhanced
or inhibited the development of the program of study and the statewide
or multi-State articulation agreement.
(4) Describe the methods the partnership used to incorporate into
the program of study and the articulation agreement State and local
policies that facilitated the development of a program of study and
facilitated the development of the articulation agreement.
(5) Describe the methods the partnership used to address the
obstacles in the following areas:
(i) Funding.
(ii) Faculty certification.
(iii) Assessments documenting student attainment of technical
skills.
(iv) Credit transfer.
(v) Tracking student transitions.
(vi) Awarding of credit.
(vii) Statewide program of study availability.
(6) Prepare materials for dissemination that describe the process
the grantee followed when designing, adapting, or adopting and reaching
agreement on the program of study and developing the statewide or
multi-State articulation agreement.
(f) Dissemination. Disseminate--
(1) Material on the process the grantee followed when designing,
adapting, or adopting and reaching agreement on the program of study;
and
(2) Program-specific material developed for the program of study.
(g) Technical assistance. Plan to participate in technical
assistance activities sponsored by the Department, including two
meetings in which grantees will describe their projects' progress, make
connections with other projects, and discuss common issues, strategies,
best practices, and actual or potential barriers to implementation.
Priority: We are establishing this priority for the FY 2007 funds
grant
[[Page 29124]]
competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the
list of unfunded applicants from this competition, in accordance with
section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20
U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
Competitive Preference Priority: This priority is a competitive
preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an
additional 10 points to an application that meets this priority.
The priority is:
Commitment to the project: In order to build States' capacities to
offer rigorous CTE programs of study through statewide or multi-State
articulation agreements that will continue after Federal funding ends
under this competition, we award 10 points to an application that
demonstrates commitment to the project funded under this competition
and to enhancing project activities by providing 30 percent of the
total cost of the proposed project using either State leadership funds
awarded under the Act; or non-Federal contributions, including use of
facilities, equipment, supplies, services, third-party in-kind
contributions, and other resources; or a combination of both State
leadership funds and non-Federal contributions.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties
the opportunity to comment on proposed non-statutory requirements,
priorities, and selection criteria. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however,
allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements non-
statutory requirements, priorities, and selection criteria governing
the first grant competition under a new or substantially revised
program authority. This is the first grant competition for this program
under section 114 of the Act and, therefore, qualifies for this
exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has
decided to forgo public comment on the non-statutory requirements,
priority, and selection criteria under the authority of section
437(d)(1) of GEPA. The non-statutory requirements, priority, and
selection criteria set forth in this notice will apply to the FY 2007
funds competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from
the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 2324(c)(1).
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
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: Cooperative agreements.
Estimated Available Funds: $750,000 is available from the FY 2007
appropriation for the first 12 months of the project period. $500,000
is available from the FY 2008 appropriation for the second 12 months
and is subject to a grantee meeting the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2009 from the list of
unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $120,000 to $130,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $125,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 6.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 24 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: The following entities are eligible to
apply under this competition:
(a) A State board designated or created consistent with State law
as the sole State agency responsible for the administration of CTE in
the State or for the supervision of the administration of CTE in the
State.
(b) A consortium of State boards identified in paragraph (a) of
this section. Eligible applicants proposing to develop a multi-State
articulation agreement must apply for funds as a consortium and must
comply with the regulations in 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129, which
address group applications.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Scott Hess, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 11073, Potomac
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-7241. Telephone: (202) 245-7772 or
by e-mail: scott.hess@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), 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 alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact
person listed in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to develop a
more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if it has a
better understanding of the number of entities that intend to apply for
funding under this competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly
encourages each potential applicant to notify the Department by sending
a short e-mail message indicating the applicant's intent to submit an
application for funding. The e-mail should include only the applicant's
intent to submit an application; it does not need to include
information regarding the content of the proposed application. This e-
mail notification should be sent no later than May 30, 2008 to Scott
Hess at: scott.hess@ed.gov.
We will consider an application submitted by the deadline date for
transmittal of applications even if the applicant did not provide
notice of its intent to apply.
Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application)
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to
the equivalent of no more than 25 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 application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is 12 point.
The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the
resumes, or the letters of support. However, the page limit does apply
to all of the application narrative section (Part III).
We will reject your application if you apply these standards and
exceed the page limit; or if you apply other standards and exceed the
equivalent of the page limit.
[[Page 29125]]
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: May 20, 2008.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: May 30, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 7, 2008.
Applications for grants under this competition 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 in
paper format 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
in 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 2, 2008.
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 competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition 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
Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site. Promoting Rigorous Career and
Technical Education Programs of Study Through Statewide or Multi-State
Articulation Agreements, CFDA Number 84.051C, is included in this
project. We request your participation in Grants.gov.
If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must
use the Governmentwide 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 Promoting
Rigorous Career and Technical Programs of Study Through Statewide
Articulation Agreements competition at http://www.Grants.gov. You must
search for the downloadable application package for this program by the
CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your
search (e.g., search for 84.051, not 84.051C).
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.
[[Page 29126]]
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 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
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in 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 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 84.051C), 400
Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260 or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center, Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.051C), 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 84.051C), 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. 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 Secretary uses the following selection
criteria to evaluate an application for this competition. The maximum
score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses. The maximum score
for all of these selection criteria is 150 points.
(a) Project design (50 points). In determining the quality of the
design of the proposed project, the Assistant Secretary considers the
extent to which the project design is an effective strategy for
building a State's capacity, or the capacity of the States in the case
of consortia, to promote a rigorous CTE program of study and developing
a statewide or multi-State articulation agreement that will extend
beyond the period of Federal financial assistance under this
competition, including by--
(1) Carrying out the project using a partnership among State
agencies responsible for the administration of CTE, secondary
education, and postsecondary education (both two- and four-year
institutions); at least one State workforce agency; representatives of
employers and of faculty and administrators from the State's or States'
secondary and postsecondary education institutions who are familiar
with elements of the program of study (e.g., with CTE courses,
industry-recognized standards, or technical skill proficiencies that
will be embedded in the program of study);
(2) Making effective use of the partnership described in paragraph
(a)(1) of this section and its individual members to reach agreement on
the content standards for a State program of study that will improve
the rigor and quality of CTE programs within the State or States within
a consortium and to develop an articulation agreement for implementing
the CTE program of study;
(3) For projects proposing to develop a multi-State articulation
agreement, including the partners listed in paragraph (a)(1) of this
section of the notice for each State participating in the project;
(4) Actively involving partners in the project (i.e., each partner
will have a clearly defined leadership role in planning, developing,
and implementing the program of study) as evidenced by clearly
delineated responsibilities that are described in the application and
by a letter from the State agency committing the agency to
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carry out the agreed upon responsibilities; and
(5) Involving partners whose representatives are able to answer
questions and influence decisions, have excellent knowledge of the
program of study to be developed, and have the authority to communicate
information to decision-makers.
(b) Technical approach (45 points). In determining the quality of
the technical approach of the proposed project, the Assistant Secretary
considers the following factors:
(1) The extent to which the application comprehensively addresses
each required project activity, clearly defining the actions to be
undertaken to accomplish each activity.
(2) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a thorough
understanding of effective practices in the development of articulation
agreements and of CTE programs of study.
(3) The extent to which the applicant describes in a clear and
sequential manner effective strategies for accomplishing the required
project activities.
(c) Project management (30 points). In determining the quality of
the management plan for the proposed project, the Assistant Secretary
considers the following factors:
(1) The extent to which the Project Director has clearly identified
and documented professional qualifications, competencies, and
experience necessary to carry out project tasks. (10 points)
(2) The extent to which--
(i) The applicant includes a description, in a clear and sequential
manner, of the plan for managing the project; and
(ii) The plan provides credible evidence that the management of
personnel, physical resources, and activities will result in orderly
and timely completion of work within the project performance period.
(15 points)
(3) The extent to which the time commitments of the Project
Director, key personnel, and partners are appropriate to the tasks
assigned. (5 points)
(d) Dissemination (15 points). In determining the quality of the
dissemination activities of the proposed project, the Assistant
Secretary considers the following factors:
(1) The extent to which the proposed project will result in
replicable strategies that are practical and can be packaged for
dissemination nationally.
(2) The extent to which the proposed project will develop material
that can be packaged for dissemination, particularly the extent to
which such material will include a description of the procedure the
grantee used to develop the statewide or multi-State articulation
agreement and to develop, adapt, or adopt a program of study, including
any specific material or curriculum developed for the program of study.
(e) Adequacy of resources (10 points). In determining the adequacy
of resources for the proposed project, the Assistant Secretary
considers the following factors:
(1) The adequacy of resources for the proposed project, including
facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources needed to carry
out successfully the purpose and activities of the proposed project.
(2) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the
proposed project.
(3) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the
technical approach and significance of the proposed project.
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 Notice
(GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
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 in this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section in this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates the approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting. (a) 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
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
(b) In addition, grantees under this competition must submit--
(1) An interim report six months after the grant is awarded; and
(2) An annual report on the GPRA measures identified in the
Performance Measures section of this notice.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993, Federal departments and agencies must clearly
describe the goals and objectives of programs, identify resources and
actions needed to accomplish goals and objectives, develop a means of
measuring progress made, and regularly report on achievement. In
determining the overall effectiveness of projects funded under this
competition, grantees must be prepared to measure and report on the
following measures of effectiveness:
a. The percentage of the State's CTE secondary students in the
career cluster for the program of study developed by the grantee who
can participate in dual or concurrent enrollment programs with
postsecondary institutions, or otherwise acquire postsecondary
education credits, as determined by the number of CTE concentrators in
the career cluster in those secondary schools that commit to
implementing the articulation agreement developed by the grantee
divided by the total number of CTE concentrators in the State in the
career cluster for the program of study.
b. The percentage of the State's CTE postsecondary students in the
career cluster for the program of study developed by the grantee who
can transfer to another community college or four-year college without
losing credit for courses already completed, as determined by the
number of CTE concentrators in the career cluster in those
postsecondary institutions that commit to implementing the articulation
agreement developed by the grantee divided by the total number of CTE
concentrators in the State's postsecondary institutions in the career
cluster for the program of study.
c. The percentage of the State's secondary schools offering the
career cluster for the grantee's program of study that commit to
implementing the articulation agreement developed by the grantee.
d. The percentage of the State's postsecondary institutions
offering the career cluster for the grantee's program of study that
commit to implementing the articulation agreement developed by the
grantee.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Hess, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 11073, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-7241. Telephone: (202) 245-7772, or by e-mail:
scott.hess@ed.gov.
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If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
VIII. Other Information
Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an alternative format
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII in this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: 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) 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: May 15, 2008
Troy R. Justesen,
Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. E8-11271 Filed 5-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P