[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 27 (Friday, February 8, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2839-2843]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-01700]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; High School Equivalency Program
AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Education is issuing a notice inviting
applications for fiscal year (FY) 2019 for the High School Equivalency
Program (HEP), Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number
84.141A.
DATES:
Applications Available: February 8, 2019.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 9, 2019.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 10, 2019.
Pre-Application Webinar Information: The Department will hold a
pre-application workshop via webinar for prospective applicants on
February 20, 2019, 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003) and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02558.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Carr, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 3E321, Washington, DC 20202.
Telephone: (202) 260-2067. Email: [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:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The HEP is designed to assist eligible persons
to obtain the equivalent of a secondary school diploma and subsequently
to gain improved employment, enter into military service, or be placed
in an institution of higher education (IHE) or other postsecondary
education or training.
Priorities: This competition includes two competitive preference
priorities. Competitive Preference Priority 1 is from the Secretary's
Final Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grant
Programs (Supplemental Priorities) published in the Federal Register on
March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096). In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv),
Competitive Preference Priority 2 is from section 418A of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1070d-2(e)).
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2019 and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications
from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional 3
points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1,
and we award up to an additional 15 points to an application, depending
on how well the application meets Competitive Preference Priority 2.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Fostering Flexible and
Affordable Paths to Obtaining Knowledge and Skills. (0 or 3 points)
[[Page 2840]]
Projects that are designed to address the following priority area
will be considered for additional points under Competitive Preference
Priority 1:
Improving collaboration between education providers and employers
to ensure student learning objectives are aligned with the skills or
knowledge required for employment in in-demand industry sectors or
occupations (as defined in section 3(23) of the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act of 2014).
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Consideration of Prior
Experience. (0 to 15 points)
Projects that are expiring (current HEP grantees in their fifth
year) will be considered for additional points under Competitive
Preference Priority 2. In accordance with section 418A(e) of the HEA,
the Department will award up to 15 points for this priority. The
Secretary will consider the applicant's prior experience in
implementing its expiring HEP project, based on performance report
information to include, but not limited to, the percentage of HEP
participants exiting the program having received a High School
Equivalency (HSE) diploma and the percentage of HSE diploma recipients
who enter postsecondary education or training programs, upgraded
employment, or the military.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070d-2.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86,
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
part 3474. (d) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 206. (e)
The definitions in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended (ESEA), of ``migratory agricultural worker'' (section
1309(2)), ``migratory child'' (section 1309(3)), and ``migratory
fisher'' (section 1309(4)). (f) The National Farmworker Jobs Program
(NFJP) definitions in 20 CFR 685.110 and eligibility regulations in 20
CFR 685.320. (g) The Supplemental Priorities.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.
Note: The ESEA definitions and NFJP definitions and eligibility
regulations apply to individuals seeking to qualify for HEP based on
past participation in the Migrant Education Program or NFJP.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $6,431,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from
the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $180,000-$475,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $459,000.
Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $475,000 for a
single budget period of 12 months. Under 34 CFR 75.104(b) the Secretary
may reject without consideration or evaluation any application that
proposes a project funding level that exceeds the stated maximum award
amount.
Minimum Award: The Department will not make an award for less than
the amount of $180,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. Under
section 418A of the HEA, the Secretary is prohibited from making an
award for less than the stated award amount. Therefore, we will reject
any application that proposes a HEP award that is less than the stated
minimum award amount.
Estimated Number of Awards: 14.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months (five 12-month budget periods).
Except under extraordinary circumstances, the Secretary shall award
grants for a five-year period. Applicants under this competition are
required to provide detailed budget information for each year of the
proposed project and for the total grant, and we may reject any
application that does not do so as reflected on the applicant's ED 524
form, Table A, submitted as a part of the application.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: An IHE or a private nonprofit organization
may apply for a grant to operate a HEP project. If a private nonprofit
organization other than an IHE applies for a HEP grant, that agency
must plan the project in cooperation with an IHE and must propose to
operate some aspects of the project with the facilities of that IHE.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost
sharing or matching. However, consistent with 34 CFR 75.700, which
requires an applicant to comply with its approved application, an
applicant that proposes non-Federal matching funds and is awarded a
grant must provide those funds for each year that the funds are
proposed.
3. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) a grantee under this
competition may award subgrants--to directly carry out project
activities described in its application--to the following types of
entities: IHEs and nonprofit organizations. The grantee may award
subgrants to entities it has identified in an approved application or
that it selects through a competition under procedures established by
the grantee.
4. Other: Projects funded under this competition must budget for a
three-day Office of Migrant Education annual meeting for HEP Directors
in the Washington, DC area during each year of the project period.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal
Register on February 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003) and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02558.pdf, which
contain information on how to submit an application.
2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of
projects that may be proposed in applications for HEP, your application
may include business information that you consider proprietary. In 34
CFR 5.11 we define ``business information'' and describe the process we
use in determining whether any of that information is proprietary and,
thus, protected from disclosure under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of
Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended).
Because we plan to make successful applications available to the
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business
information.
Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your
application any information that you believe is exempt from disclosure
under Exemption 4. In the appropriate Appendix section of your
application, under ``Other Attachments Form,'' please list the page
number or numbers on which we can find this information.
[[Page 2841]]
For additional information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
3. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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.
4. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
5. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you,
the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to
evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the
application narrative to no more than 25 pages and (2) use 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 either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial.
The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the
assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes,
the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the recommended
page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are as follows:
(a) Need for project (up to 20 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project.
(2) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (up to 10
points)
(ii) The extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving
or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals. (up to
10 points)
(b) Quality of the project design (up to 28 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers one or more of the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(up to 7 points)
(ii) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target
population or other identified needs. (up to 7 points)
(iii) The extent to which the proposed project will establish
linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing
services to the target population. (up to 7 points)
(iv) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a
rationale (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)). (up to 7 points)
(c) Quality of project services (up to 12 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be
provided by the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for
eligible project participants who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factor:
(i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or
beneficiaries of those services. (up to 12 points)
(d) Quality of project personnel (Up to 10 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will
carry out the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director or principal investigator. (up to 7 points)
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of key project personnel. (up to 3 points)
(e) Adequacy of resources (up to 10 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the
lead applicant organization. (up to 3 points)
(ii) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
(up to 3 points)
(iii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to
the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed
project. (up to 4 points)
(f) Quality of the project evaluation (up to 20 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project. (up to 10 points)
(ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes. (up to 5 points)
(iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well
implemented, produce promising evidence (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c))
about the project's effectiveness. (up to 5 points)
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs
[[Page 2842]]
or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the
Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
Additional factors we consider in selecting an application for an
award are in section 418A of the HEA. In accordance with section 418A,
the Secretary makes HEP awards based on the number, quality, and
promise of the applications. Additionally, the Secretary will consider
the need to provide an equitable geographic distribution of HEP awards.
3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR
3474.10, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, in
appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the
applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not
responsible.
4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
Please note that, if the total value of your currently active
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
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); or we may send you an email containing a link to
access an electronic version of your 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 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. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works.
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables.
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) 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 multiyear 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 www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
5. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department developed the following
performance measures to evaluate the overall effectiveness of HEP: (1)
The percentage of HEP participants exiting the program having received
a HSE diploma (GPRA 1), and (2) the percentage of HSE diploma
recipients who enter postsecondary education or training programs,
upgraded employment, or the military (GPRA 2).
Applicants must propose annual targets for these measures in their
applications. The national target for GPRA 1 for FY 2019 is that 69
percent of HEP participants exit the program having received an HSE
credential. The national target for GPRA 2 for FY 2019 is that 80
percent of HEP HSE diploma recipients will enter postsecondary
education or training programs, upgraded employment, or the military.
The national targets for subsequent years may be adjusted based on
additional baseline data. The panel readers will score related
selection criteria on the basis of how well an applicant addresses
these GPRA measures. Therefore, applicants will want to consider how to
demonstrate a sound capacity to provide reliable data on the GPRA
measures, including the project's annual performance targets for
addressing the GPRA performance measures, as is required by the Office
of Management and Budget approved annual performance report that is
included in the application package. All grantees will be required to
submit, as part of their annual performance report, information with
respect to these GPRA performance measures.
6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: Whether a grantee
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the
performance targets in the grantee's approved application.
In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance
[[Page 2843]]
from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
VII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to
the program 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. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this
document, as well as all other documents of this Department published
in the Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at
the site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dated: February 5, 2019.
Frank Brogan,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2019-01700 Filed 2-7-19; 8:45 am]
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