2015-21533.pdf

52459 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 168 / Monday, August 31, 2015 / Notices

1 National Report Series Bulletin. Aug. 2014.

‘‘Juveniles in Residential Placement, 2011.’’ U.S.

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/246826.pdf.

2 Leone, Peter, and Lois Weinberg. 2012.

‘‘Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems.’’ Washington, DC: Center for Juvenile Justice Reform. pp. 10–11.

cjjr.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ EducationalNeedsofChildrenandYouth_ May2010.pdf.

3 Osgood, D. Wayne, E. Michael Foster, and Mark E. Courtney. 2010. ‘‘Vulnerable Populations and the Transition to Adulthood.’’ The Future of Children 20 (1): pp. 209–229.

4 Bonnie, Richard J., Robert L. Johnson, Betty M.

Chemers, and Julie Schuck. 2013. ‘‘Reforming Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Approach.’’ Washington, DC: National Research Council of the National Academies.

5 Leone, Peter, and Weinberg, Lois, Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems, Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, Georgetown University, 2012. pp. 2–4. http:// cjjr.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ EducationalNeedsofChildrenandYouth_ May2010.pdf.

6 Sickmund, Melissa T., T.J. Sladky, Wei Kang, and Charles Puzzanchera. 2013. Easy Access to the Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement.

www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezacjrp.

7 The Census of Juveniles in Residential Treatment survey documented that 49 percent of youths had been confined for 60 days or less; 29

Continued

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, 1401 S. Clark Street, Suite 715, Arlington, Virginia 22202–4149.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Barry S. Lineback, Telephone: (703) 603–7740, Fax: (703) 603–0655, or email CMTEFedReg@AbilityOne.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Addition

On 7/10/2015 (80 FR 39759–39760), the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled published notice of proposed addition to the Procurement List.

After consideration of the material presented to it concerning capability of qualified nonprofit agencies to provide the service and impact of the addition on the current or most recent contractors, the Committee has determined that the service listed below is suitable for procurement by the Federal Government under 41 U.S.C.

8501–8506 and 41 CFR 51–2.4.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

I certify that the following action will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.

The major factors considered for this certification were:

1. The action will not result in any additional reporting, recordkeeping or other compliance requirements for small entities other than the small organizations that will provide the service to the Government.

2. The action will result in authorizing small entities to provide the service to the Government.

3. There are no known regulatory alternatives which would accomplish the objectives of the Javits-Wagner- O’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 8501–8506) in connection with the service proposed for addition to the Procurement List.

End of Certification

Accordingly, the following service is added to the Procurement List:

Service

Service Type: Equipment and Facility Support Service

Service Is Mandatory for: U.S. Air Force, Ogden Air Logistics Complex; 6038 Aspen Avenue; Hill AFB, UT

Mandatory Source of Supply: Beacon Group SW, Inc., Tucson, AZ

Contracting Activity: Dept. of the Air Force, FA8224 OL HPZI PZIM; Hill AFB, UT

Barry S. Lineback, Director, Business Operations.

[FR Doc. 2015–21477 Filed 8–28–15; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6353–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Juvenile Justice Reentry Education Program:

Opening Doors to College and Careers Through Career and Technical Education

AGENCY: Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

Overview Information: Juvenile Justice Reentry Education Program:

Opening Doors to College and Careers through Career and Technical Education (JJ Reentry CTE Program) Notice inviting applications for new awards in fiscal year (FY) 2016.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.051A.

DATES: Applications Available: August 31, 2015.

Date of Pre-Application Meeting:

September 9, 2015.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: October 30, 2015.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: December 29, 2015.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to improve outcomes for justice-involved youth through the provision of career and technical education (CTE) programs, reentry services, and post-release CTE and employment training opportunities for juveniles in and exiting from juvenile justice confinement.

Background: On any given day, more than 60,000 young people under age 21 are confined in juvenile justice facilities throughout the United States.1 Youths involved in the juvenile justice system typically have a history of poor school attendance, grade retention, or disengagement from school due to academic failure and school disciplinary issues. These youths also have lower literacy and numeracy skills than their peers, and many are eligible for special education services.2 Less than 20 percent are estimated to have obtained their General Educational

Development (GED) or high school diploma.3

Many justice-involved youths come from families and neighborhoods considered high risk for involvement not only in the juvenile justice system, but also in the child welfare system.

Commonly referred to as cross-over youths (defined as youth who often alternate between the child welfare and juvenile justice systems), these youths often have suffered abuse and neglect.

Many also have the additional barriers of mental health and substance abuse problems. These issues not only put them at a greater risk for offending, but complicate service delivery once they enter the juvenile justice system.4

Youths involved in the juvenile justice system are often ‘‘hidden’’ from the public educational systems because they may not be enrolled in local district schools. As a result, the responsibility for these students’ education becomes diffused or ignored and the students’ academic outcomes are no longer a priority. Also, agencies sometimes duplicate or fragment services due to various inefficiencies, conflicting program implementation requirements, and other issues.5

The most recent Census of Juveniles in Residential Treatment found that approximately 1,470,000 youths were arrested and slightly more than 61,000 were confined in 2011. The majority of these youths were males between the ages of 15 and 17. Blacks comprised more than half of the confined population, followed in descending order by Whites, Hispanics, American Indians, Asians, and Pacific Islanders.6 Information on length of stay is not collected at the national level, but studies show that length of stay can vary from less than 60 days to well over a year.7

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52460 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 168 / Monday, August 31, 2015 / Notices percent had been confined for 61 to 180 days; and 7 percent had been confined for more than a year (Sickmund et al. 2013).

8 Juvenile Law Center. March 12, 2014. Lessons from ‘‘Kids for Cash,’’ Part 5: Disruptions in Education Disrupt Lives. www.jlc.org/blog/lessons-kids-cash-part-5-disruptions-education-disrupt-lives.

9 Wald, Michael, and Tia Martinez. 2003.

‘‘Connected by 25: Improving the Life Chances of the Country’s Most Vulnerable 14–24 Year Olds.’’ Stanford, CA: Hewlett Foundation.

10 Waintrup, Miriam G., and Deanne Unrah. 2008.

‘‘Career Development Programming Strategies for Transitioning Incarcerated Adolescents to the World of Work.’’ The Journal of Correctional Education 59 (2): pp 127–144.

11 See cte.ed.gov/employabilityskills/index.php/ framework/.

12 Leone, Peter, and Weinberg, Lois, Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems, Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, Georgetown University, 2012. pp. 19–22. http:// cjjr.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ EducationalNeedsofChildrenandYouth_ May2010.pdf.

13 Mendel, Richard A. 2011. ‘‘No Place for Kids:

The Case for Reducing Juvenile Incarceration.’’ Baltimore, MD: The Annie E. Casey Foundation.

www.aecf.org/resources/no-place-for-kids-full-report/.

14 Leone, Peter, and Weinberg, Lois, Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems, Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, Georgetown University, 2012. Pp. 18–20 and 47–51.

http://cjjr.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/ 2015/03/EducationalNeedsofChildrenandYouth_ May2010.pdf

15 ‘‘Career Pathways Toolkit: Six Key Elements for Success’’ (Toolkit), Social Policy Research Associates for the U.S. Department of Labor, September 2011, pp 8–9.

16 See www.careertech.org/sites/default/files/ Joint_Letter_Career_Pathways.pdf.

17 www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-113publ128/ pdf/PLAW-113publ128.pdf.

Once released, many justice-involved youths do not return to school. Their juvenile justice placements often create severe disruptions in their education, for the following reasons:

• Educational credits from juvenile justice facilities may not be accepted at the student’s public school when they return.

• Juvenile justice facility schools often do a poor job of administering education.

• Records may not transfer promptly from school to facility or between facilities.

• Students returning from the juvenile justice system are often rerouted into alternative-education programs or treated as ‘‘troublemakers.’’

• Youths returning to school after placement often face a host of social challenges and stigmas.8

Many youths in the juvenile justice population have had little employment experience before confinement. Their employment challenges often intensify postrelease, with many struggling to find and keep jobs.9 This is particularly true if youths’ records have not been expunged; if they have not been able to earn an educational credential; or if they have a disability.10 Having been out of the labor force for a period of time also puts justice-involved youths at a disadvantage. In addition to lacking technical skills and work experience, these youths lack critical employability skills, sometimes called ‘‘soft skills’’ or ‘‘workforce readiness skills,’’ which are the general skills necessary for success in the labor market, for all industries and at all career levels.11

The lack of transition planning for juveniles makes successful reentry and integration into the community extremely difficult. Service providers often receive inadequate professional development and specialized transition training. Due to a lack of interdisciplinary collaboration, service providers often are unprepared to provide appropriate transition services.12

Information on recidivism rates is not collected at the national level because States use different definitions of recidivism. However, we know that justice-involved youths are at high risk for recidivism. The Annie Casey Foundation found that studies of youths released from residential corrections programs indicate that 70 to 80 percent of those youths are rearrested within 3 years. Studies also find that 38 to 58 percent of youths released from juvenile corrections facilities are found guilty of new offenses (as a juvenile or an adult) within 2 years and 45 to 72 percent within 3 years.13

It has become clear that no single agency can address the myriad needs of justice-involved youth. Justice-involved youths often are involved with multiple systems of care and their needs transcend professional boundaries and agency mandates. Historically, the juvenile justice system has worked in isolation, with inadequate communication and collaboration among agencies serving youths both within facilities and between facilities and the community. The lack of coordination and collaboration among key stakeholders has been a major barrier to addressing the poor education, employment, and well-being outcomes for justice-involved youths.14

The past decade has seen increased funding to improve programs, services, and outcomes for justice-involved youths. Multiple Federal agencies, including the Departments of Justice (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention), Health and Human Services (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Institutes of Health), Labor (Employment and Training Administration), and Education (Office for Civil Rights, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education), have taken on the issue of juvenile justice reform.

Significant Federal funding has been dedicated to this issue, such as funding under the Second Chance Act and the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) (recently reauthorized as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), 29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.). Federal and State partnerships with the philanthropic community, such as the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s ‘‘Models for Change’’ initiative, have also spurred innovation and reform in the juvenile justice system.

Just as juvenile justice reform efforts have intensified in the past decade, so too have efforts to improve the effectiveness of workforce education and training programs. The career pathways approach to workforce development is the most recent expression of efforts to meet workforce and industry demands through focused education and training.15 Career pathways link education, training, and support services to enable individuals to secure industry-relevant certification, obtain employment within an industry or occupational sector, and advance to successively higher levels of education and employment in that sector.

Advanced education and training are now requirements for many jobs and professional careers. This has led to shifts in the ways in which public agencies design CTE and workforce programs and collaborate with partners across systems.

In this spirit of cross-system collaboration, in recent years, Federal agencies and a variety of national, State, and local stakeholders have worked together to encourage the development of career pathways. At the Federal level, three Federal agencies, the U.S.

Departments of Education (ED or the Department), Health and Human Services, and Labor, have led an interagency effort to advance career pathway systems,16 which has grown to include the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and Energy. WIOA also promotes a career pathways approach to workforce development, stressing cross-agency workforce, education, and human services systems-building, and coordinated service delivery to create career pathways.17 In addition, section 129 of WIOA, 29 U.S.C. 3164, authorizes

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18 Davis, Lois M., Steele, Jennifer L. et el., ‘‘Effective Is Correctional Education, and Where Do We Go from Here? The Results of a Comprehensive Evaluation.’’ Rand Corporation, 2014. pp 47–50.

www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_ reports/RR500/RR564/RAND_RR564.pdf.

19 See www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW- 109publ270/pdf/PLAW-109publ270.pdf.

20 This information was reported in the States’ 2013–2014 Perkins Consolidated Annual Reports.

21 www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/correctional-education/index.html.

22 For further guidance on developing and maintaining a strong program infrastructure, the following resources are particularly important:

‘‘Core Principles for Reducing Recidivism and Improving Other Outcomes for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System’’ from the National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center (NDTAC) for Education of Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, and At-Risk (csgjusticecenter.org/youth/publications/juvenile-justice-white-paper/); and ‘‘Transition Toolkit 2.0’’ from the NDTAC for Education of Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, and At-Risk (www.neglected-delinquent.org/resource/transition-toolkit-20-meeting-educational-needs-youth-exposed-juvenile-justice-system).

youth workforce investment activities that support further education and employment training for in-school and out-of-school youths, including justice-involved youths.

OCTAE has led the career pathways interagency effort for ED because CTE and career pathways are clearly interrelated. Both CTE and career pathways are informed by local labor market trends and designed to meet employer needs. For many, secondary CTE programs are the first point of entry into a career pathway.

CTE will be the primary education focus of projects funded under this grant competition. Studies of incarcerated adults have suggested that participating in CTE may reduce parole violations and recidivism rates and increase the likelihood of employment after release, in addition to promoting the acquisition of knowledge and skills. While similar research for justice-involved youths is limited, CTE potentially may offer these benefits to confined juveniles as well as adults.18

CTE programs, commonly referred to as ‘‘vocational education’’ in the juvenile justice setting, help students acquire the skills and knowledge they need for success in further education and careers. Generally, the Carl D.

Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109–270), 20 U.S.C.

2301 et seq. (Perkins IV or Act),19 defines CTE in section 3(5), 20 U.S.C.

2302(5), as organized educational activities that offer a sequence of courses that provides individuals with the academic and technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and for careers in current or emerging employment sectors. CTE contributes to students’ academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills.

Competency-based applied learning, work-based learning, and comprehensive career development are key components of CTE. Section 112(a)(2)(A) of the Act, 20 U.S.C.

2322(a)(2)(A), requires each State to make available up to one percent of the State’s allotment under section 111 to serve individuals in State institutions, such as State correctional institutions and institutions that serve individuals with disabilities. Recognizing the importance of offering effective CTE programs to justice-involved youths, during program year 2013–14, more than half of the States reported using Perkins IV funds to support CTE programming in juvenile justice facilities.20 We would expect projects funded under this grant competition to build on these ongoing efforts.

In 2014, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice identified evidence-based principles and promising practices to assist juvenile justice providers in addressing the systemic challenges described at the beginning of this Background section.

The recently released ‘‘Guiding Principles for Improving Education Programs in Juvenile Justice Secure Care Settings’’ (Guiding Principles) 21 have informed the development of this grant opportunity because they provide a framework for implementing a comprehensive system of support services and educational programming to improve education outcomes for justice-involved youths in and upon leaving confinement. They underscore the need for a strong program infrastructure,22 as well as the need for cross-agency coordination and collaboration to create systemic reforms that will address the myriad needs of justice-involved youths. The five Guiding Principles, each followed by specific practices of particular relevance to this grant opportunity, are:

Principle I. A safe, healthy facility-wide climate that prioritizes education, provides the conditions for learning, and encourages the necessary behavioral and social support services that address the individual needs of all youths, including those with disabilities and English learners.

Juvenile justice facilities should prioritize education, create the appropriate conditions for learning, and address individual needs through support services. Support services should be comprehensive and should align with the educational program.

Facilities should: Use evidence-based assessments to identify appropriate activities; promote active youth engagement; include well-monitored prerelease planning that addresses the youths’ diverse needs (e.g., mental health, substance abuse, family reengagement, and social, emotional, and behavioral skills deficits); provide care throughout all phases of reentry;

and include approaches such as case management and mentoring.

Principle II. Necessary funding to support educational opportunities for all youths within long-term secure care facilities, including those with disabilities and English learners, comparable to opportunities for peers who are not system-involved.

Juvenile justice facilities should receive sufficient funding to ensure all justice-involved youths receive a quality education compared to peers who are not system-involved. Sufficient resources are needed to ensure a strong sustainable program infrastructure that supports a process for collecting, analyzing, and using data to improve program quality.

Principle III. Recruitment, employment, and retention of qualified education staff with skills relevant in juvenile justice settings who can positively impact long-term student outcomes through demonstrated abilities to create and sustain effective teaching and learning environments.

Juvenile justice facilities should recruit, employ, and retain qualified education staff. Staff should be trained on cultural competency in working with individuals of different socioeconomic status, race, and age. Staff also should learn how to create cooperative, supportive learning environments in a juvenile justice setting; build positive relationships with students; and help students meet program requirements and transition to the larger community.

Principle IV. Rigorous and relevant curricula aligned with State academic and career and technical education standards that utilize instructional methods, tools, materials, and practices that promote college- and career-readiness.

Juvenile justice facilities should provide rigorous, relevant curricula that is standards-driven and uses appropriate instructional practices that prepare students for college and the workforce. Education services should:

Be tailored to the youths’ age, prior experiences, and specific developmental needs (e.g., disabilities and English language skills); connect to career pathways that incorporate students’ needs and interests; involve students in

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52462 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 168 / Monday, August 31, 2015 / Notices planning; and include programs such as CTE, youth-centered career development services, and work-based learning.

Principle V. Formal processes and procedures—through statutes, memoranda of understanding, and practices—that ensure successful navigation across child-serving systems and smooth reentry into communities.

Juvenile justice facilities should implement processes and procedures to support the youths’ transition from confinement to the community. This requires collaborative, well-defined partnerships that bridge facility- and community-based providers and systems that serve justice-involved youths, as well as other youth-serving systems, such as education, child welfare, employment, housing, behavioral health, and physical health services. These partnerships should have policies and procedures that support communication, youth transitions, data sharing, and accountability.

Projects funded under this grant competition must be implemented in partnership with a variety of providers and systems, to garner the resources and expertise needed to implement specific practices from the Guiding Principles that will address the specific, identified needs of youths to be served under the proposed JJ Reentry CTE program, and to support their successful transition from confinement to the community.

We would expect funded projects to use partner resources to provide programming and wraparound services that address participating youths’ broader education and well-being needs and support successful reentry. We would expect funded projects to use JJ Reentry CTE Program funds for CTE-related programs and services, such as youth-centered career development services, effective CTE programs (including work-based learning where feasible), and career pathways, that support successful transitions from confinement to the community and to further education and employment.

Nearly all youths leave juvenile justice facilities and return to their communities. For successful reentry to their communities, youths must be prepared to return to school, to access postsecondary education or employment training, or to enter employment. Through this competition, the Secretary will support the establishment and operation of projects that build on existing efforts to improve reentry outcomes for justice-involved youths, make CTE the education focus of their efforts, and build strong partnerships to implement a comprehensive, collaborative approach to improving education, employment, and other positive, well-being outcomes for justice-involved youths.

Priorities: This notice includes three absolute priorities, one competitive preference priority, and one invitational priority.

We are establishing the absolute and competitive preference priorities in a FY 2016 grant 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). The invitational priority is from the Secretary’s final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs (Supplemental Priorities) published in the Federal Register on December 10, 2014 (79 FR 73425).

Absolute Priorities: The following priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet all three of these absolute priorities.

These priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1: Improving School

Climate, Behavioral Supports, and Correctional Education.

To meet this priority, an applicant must propose a project designed to improve the quality of CTE programs in juvenile justice facilities (such as detention facilities and secure and non-secure placements) and support reentry after release, by linking the youths to education, wraparound services and youth centered job training programs.

Absolute Priority 2: Enhancing State or Local Efforts to Improve Reentry Outcomes.

To meet this priority, an applicant must propose a project designed to build upon and enhance State or local efforts to improve reentry outcomes for justice-involved youth, such as those carried out under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act’s Title I, Part D, Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk, the Second Chance Act, Perkins IV, WIA/WIOA Youth Workforce Investment Activities, the Department of Labor Employment Training Administration Reentry Employment Opportunities programs, career pathways initiatives, or other Federal, State, local, or philanthropy-funded initiatives.

Absolute Priority 3: Partnerships.

To meet this priority, an applicant must propose to implement a project in partnership with a variety of providers and systems. An applicant must—

(a) Identify required partners which must include at least one of each of the following—

(1) Juvenile justice agency;

(2) Local educational agency

(including representatives specializing, for instance, in CTE, special education, and other fields);

(3) Postsecondary institution (including representatives specializing, for instance, in postsecondary CTE, workforce development, and other fields); and

(4) Workforce development agency.

(b) In addition, the applicant may identify other potential partners, including—

(1) Child welfare agencies;

(2) Workforce investment boards;

(3) Employers;

(4) Labor organizations;

(5) Other social service agencies;

(6) Community-based organizations;

and

(7) Other entities.

(c) Include a letter of commitment from each entity with which it will partner to implement the proposed project.

Competitive Preference Priorities:

These priorities are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional 10 points for each competitive preference priority, depending on how well the application meets the priority.

These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1:

Coordinating Juvenile Justice Reentry Education Programs and Services.

Projects that are designed to coordinate juvenile justice reentry education programs and services to be provided with programs and services being provided through subgrants received under Title I, Part D, Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Competitive Preference Priority 2:

Improving Job-Driven Training and Employment Outcomes.

Projects that are designed to improve job-driven training and employment outcomes for participating justice-involved youths by integrating the education and training to be provided into a career pathways program or system that: (1) Aligns education and training programs offered by community colleges, other institutions of higher education, and other workforce training providers; (2) offers related stackable credentials (as defined in this notice);

and (3) provides support services that enable high-need students (as defined in

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52463 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 168 / Monday, August 31, 2015 / Notices this notice) to obtain industry-recognized credentials and obtain employment within an occupational area with the potential to advance to higher levels of education and employment in that area.

Under this competition we are particularly interested in applications that address the following priority.

Invitational Priority: For FY 2015 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is an invitational priority.

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications.

This priority is:

Invitational Priority: Leveraging

Technology To Support Instructional Practice and Professional Development.

Projects that are designed to leverage technology through implementing high-quality accessible digital tools, assessments, and materials that are aligned with rigorous college- and career-ready standards.

Application Requirements The application requirements are:

(a) Applicants must propose to serve the residents of at least one residential juvenile justice facility.

(b) Applicants must—

(1) Identify specific practices from the

‘‘Guiding Principles for Improving Education Programs in Juvenile Justice Secure Care Settings’’ that are based on strong theory (as defined in this notice) and that they will implement and describe how those practices will address the specific, identified needs of youths to be served.

(2) Describe each partner’s role in implementing the specific practices identified under Application Requirement (b)(1); and

(3) Describe each partner’s relevant experience, including experience working with justice-involved youths.

(c) Applicants must describe how the CTE programs to be offered under the JJ Reentry CTE Program will—

(1) Be supported by current labor market information;

(2) Respond to employer needs;

(3) Integrate general employability skills with career and technical instruction;

(4) Provide career exploration, guidance, and planning; and

(5) Lead to industry-recognized credentials that align with secondary and postsecondary CTE programs and/ or other workforce training and employment opportunities post-release.

(d) Applicants must describe how professional development needs will be identified and addressed in the project in order to address the needs of participating justice-involved youths and to deliver high-quality CTE services.

(e) Applicants must submit a detailed project plan, for the entire project period. The plan must include a timeline of specific activities to be carried out in each year of the project.

(f) Applicants must—

(1) Include a plan for annual project evaluations that will assess the project’s progress in meeting its goals and objectives, provide feedback for the project partners on the effectiveness of key project components, and identify areas needing improvement; and

(2) Describe current capacity to share participant data collected by the different project partners and a plan to improve that capacity if necessary, for the purpose of meeting participant needs and reporting valid and reliable data on the required performance measures.

Definitions The definitions of ‘‘regular high school diploma’’ and ‘‘stackable credentials’’ are from the Supplemental Priorities. The definition of ‘‘high-need students’’ is based on the Supplemental Priorities. The definitions of ‘‘logic model’’ and ‘‘strong theory’’ are from the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) at 34 CFR 77.1(c).

High-need students means students who are at risk of educational failure or otherwise in need of special assistance and support, such as students who are living in poverty, who attend high-minority schools, who are far below grade level, who have left school before receiving a regular high school diploma, who are at risk of not graduating with a diploma on time, who are homeless, who are in foster care, who have been incarcerated, who have disabilities, or who are English learners.

Logic model (also referred to as theory of action) means a well-specified conceptual framework that identifies key components of the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (i.e., the active ‘‘ingredients’’ that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the relationships among the key components and outcomes, theoretically and operationally.

Regular high school diploma means the standard high school diploma that is awarded to students in the State and that is fully aligned with the State’s academic content standards or a higher diploma and does not include a General Education Development (GED) credential, certificate of attendance, or any alternative award.

Stackable credentials means credentials that are part of a sequence of credentials that can be accumulated over time to increase an individual’s qualifications and help him or her to advance along a career pathway to different and potentially higher-paying jobs.

Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice that includes a logic model.

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 priorities, definitions and other requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements regulations 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(c)(1) of the Perkins IV (20 U.S.C. 2324(c)(1)) and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public comment on the priorities, definitions, and other requirements under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA. These priorities, definitions, and other requirements will apply to the FY 2016 grant 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; 42 U.S.C. 3797.

Applicable Regulations: (a) EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 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 in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The Supplemental Priorities.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education only.

II. Award Information Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds:

$1,900,000 for the first 12 months of the project period. Funding for years two and three is subject to the availability of funds and to a grantee meeting the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253.

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Estimated Range of Awards:

$200,000–$400,000.

Estimated Average Size of Award:

$315,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 6.

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

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Applicants under this competition are required to provide detailed budget information for each of the 3 years of this project and for the total grant.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: Perkins IV eligible recipients, which are—

(a) Eligible agencies defined in section

3(12) of the Act, 20 U.S.C. 2302(12), as 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; and

(b) Eligible recipients defined in section 3(14) of the Act, 20 U.S.C.

2302(14), as—

(1) A local educational agency (including a public charter school that operates as a local educational agency), an area CTE school, an educational service agency, or a consortium, eligible to receive assistance under section 131 of the Act; or

(2) An eligible institution or consortium of eligible institutions eligible to receive assistance under section 132 of the Act.

Note: Section 3(13) of the Act, 20 U.S.C.

2302(13), defines ‘‘eligible institution’’ as (a) a public or nonprofit private institution of higher education that offers CTE courses that lead to technical skill proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, or a degree; (b) a local educational agency providing education at the postsecondary level; (c) an area CTE school providing education at the postsecondary level; (d) a postsecondary educational institution controlled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs or operated by or on behalf of any Indian tribe that is eligible to contract with the Secretary of the Interior for the administration of programs under the Indian Self- Determination and Education Assistance Act (925 U.S.C. 450 et seq.) or the Act of April 16, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 452 et seq.); (e) an educational service agency; or (f) a consortium of two or more of the entities described in (a) through (e).

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost sharing or matching.

3. Supplement-not-Supplant: This program is subject to supplement-not-supplant funding requirements. In accordance with section 311(a) of the Act, 20 U.S.C. 2391(a), funds under this program may not be used to supplant non-Federal funds used to carry out CTE activities. Further, the prohibition against supplanting also means that grantees will be required to use their negotiated restricted indirect cost rates under this program. (34 CFR 75.563)

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), or from the program office. To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: www.ed.gov/fund/ grant/apply/grantapps/index.html. To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S.

Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304.

Telephone, toll free: 1–877–433–7827.

FAX: (703) 605–6794. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1–877–576–7734.

You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at its email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.

If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this program or competition as follows:

CFDA number 84.051A.

To obtain a copy from the program office, contact the persons listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.

Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) by contacting the person or team listed under Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.

2. a. 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.

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 the application narrative to no more than 35 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 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. An application submitted in any other font (including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.

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; the one-page abstract, or the resumes, bibliography, letters of support, or other appendices.

Our reviewers will not read any pages of your application that exceed the page limit.

b. Submission of Proprietary Information:

Given the types of projects that may be proposed in applications for the JJ Reentry CTE Program, your application may include business information that the applicant considers proprietary. The Department’s regulations define ‘‘business information’’ in 34 CFR 5.11.

Because we plan to make successful applications available to the public upon request, you may wish to request confidentiality of business information.

Consistent with Executive Order 12600, please designate in your application any information that you feel is exempt from disclosure under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act. 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. For additional information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).

3. Submission Dates and Times:

Applications Available: August 31, 2015.

Date of Pre-Application Meeting:

September 9, 2015.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: October 30, 2015.

Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission Requirements of this notice.

We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements.

Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice. If the Department provides an

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52465 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 168 / Monday, August 31, 2015 / Notices 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: December 29, 2015.

4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this program.

5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification Number, and System for Award Management: To do business with the Department of Education, you must—

a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);

b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for Award Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry (CCR)),the Government’s primary registrant database;

c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and

d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information while your application is under review by the Department and, if you are awarded a grant, during the project period.

You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number can be created within one to two business days.

If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.

The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through…