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Section 3131 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), provides for a National Professional Development (NPD) program that will award grants on a competitive basis, for a period of not more than 5 years, to institutions of higher education (in consortia with State educational agencies or local educational agencies). Grants awarded under this program may be used-- (1) For pre-service professional development programs that will assist local schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs) to upgrade the qualifications and skills of educational personnel who are not certified or licensed, especially educational paraprofessionals; (2) For the development of program curricula appropriate to the needs of the consortia participants involved; and (3) In conjunction with other Federal need-based student financial assistance programs, for financial assistance, and costs related to tuition, fees, and books for enrolling in courses required to complete the degree involved, to meet certification or licensing requirements for teachers who work in language instruction educational programs or serve ELs. In such projects, IHEs would collaborate with local educational agencies on activities such as: (1) Professional development to improve the ability of teacher preparation faculty and content faculty at IHEs in preparing prospective teachers to teach ELs; and (2) The development of teacher education curricula that-- (a) Are aligned with State content standards in academic subjects and State English language proficiency standards; and (b) Prepare all teacher candidates in an IHE to provide instruction that accelerates ELs' acquisition of language, literacy, and content knowledge.
Regulatory Documents
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.195N.
Dates:
Applications Available: March 18, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 2, 2011.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 5, 2011.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: Section 3131 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), provides for a National Professional Development (NPD) program that will award grants on a competitive basis, for a period of not more than 5 years, to institutions of higher education (in consortia with State educational agencies or local educational agencies). These grants support professional development activities that are designed to improve classroom instruction for English Learners (ELs) and will assist educational personnel working with such children to meet high professional standards, including standards for certification and licensure as teachers who work in language instruction educational programs or serve ELs.
Grants awarded under this program may be used--
(1) For pre-service professional development programs that will assist local schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs) to upgrade the qualifications and skills of educational personnel who are not certified or licensed, especially educational paraprofessionals;
(2) For the development of program curricula appropriate to the needs of the consortia participants involved; and
(3) In conjunction with other Federal need-based student financial assistance programs, for financial assistance, and costs related to tuition, fees, and books for enrolling in courses required to complete the degree involved, to meet certification or licensing requirements for teachers who work in language instruction educational programs or serve ELs.
Priorities: This notice includes three competitive preference priorities and two invitational priorities. Competitive Preference Priority 1 is from section 75.225 of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.225). Competitive Preference Priorities 2 and 3 are from the notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2011, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. For Competitive Preference Priority 1, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional 5 points to an applicant that meets the priority. For Competitive Preference Priorities 2 and 3, we award up to an additional 5 points per priority to an application, depending on how well the application meets the priority.
Note: We will award competitive preference priority points for Competitive Preference Priorities 2 and 3 only to applications that score 80 or above on the selection criteria. We will award competitive preference priority points under Competitive Preference Priority 1 to any application that meets that priority.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Novice Applicants.
Under this priority, the Secretary gives special consideration to novice applicants. Under 34 CFR 75.225(a), a novice applicant means any applicant for a grant from the Department of Education that--
(1) Has never received a grant or subgrant under the program from which it seeks funding;
(2) Has never been a member of a group application, submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, that received a grant under the program from which it seeks funding; and
(3) Has not had an active discretionary grant from the Federal Government in the five years before the deadline date for applications under the program.
For the purposes of this requirement, a grant is active until the end of the grant's project or funding period, including any extensions of those periods that extend the grantee's authority to obligate funds. In the case of a group application submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, a group applicant is considered a novice applicant if the group includes only parties that meet the requirements listed above.
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Enabling More Data-Based Decision-Making.
Projects that are designed to collect (or obtain), analyze, and use high-quality and timely data, including data on program participant outcomes, in accordance with privacy requirements (as defined in this notice), in the following priority area:
Improving instructional practices, policies, and student outcomes in elementary or secondary schools.
Competitive Preference Priority 3--Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education.
Projects that are designed to address the following priority area:
Increasing the opportunities for high-quality preparation of, or professional development for, teachers or other educators of STEM subjects.
Invitational Priorities: For FY 2011, these priorities are invitational priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets these invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.
These priorities are:
Invitational Priority 1--Improving Achievement and High School Graduation Rates.
Projects that are designed to address the following priority area:
Accelerating learning and helping to improve high school graduation rates and college enrollment rates for students in rural local educational agencies.
Invitational Priority 2--Improving Preparation of All Teachers to Better Serve English Learners.
Projects designed to improve a teacher education program at an IHE in order to better prepare all participants in a teacher education program to provide effective instruction to ELs. In such projects, IHEs would collaborate with local educational agencies on activities such as:
(1) Professional development to improve the ability of teacher preparation faculty and content faculty at IHEs in preparing prospective teachers to teach ELs; and
(2) The development of teacher education curricula that--
(a) Are aligned with State content standards in academic subjects and State English language proficiency standards; and
(b) Prepare all teacher candidates in an IHE to provide instruction that accelerates ELs' acquisition of language, literacy, and content knowledge.
Definition: The following definition is from the notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486) and applies to Competitive Preference Priority 2.
Privacy requirements means the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232g, and its implementing regulations in 34 CFR part 99, the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, as well as all applicable Federal, State and local requirements regarding privacy.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6861.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, and 99. (b) The notice of final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486).
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested $17,846,355 for new awards for this program for FY 2011. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Estimated Range of Awards: $275,000-$400,000 per year, for each year of the grant.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $337,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 53.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs, in consortia with local educational agencies (LEAs) or State educational agencies (SEAs).
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package:
Yvonne Mathieu, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 5C138, Washington, DC 20202-6510. Telephone: (202) 401-1461 or by e-mail: [email protected] mailto:. If you request an application package by e-mail, please include "84.195N Application Request" in the subject heading of your e-mail.
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 accessible 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.
--This is a summary of a Federal Register article originally published on the page number listed below--
Citation: "76 FR 14954"
Federal Register Page Number: "14954"
"Notices"
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