ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume 13, Number 23 April 5, 2004 In This Issue: Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program Invites Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004 [Reprinted from the Department of Education] DATES: Applications Available: April 5, 2004. Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 27, 2004. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 20, 2004. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 19, 2004. Eligible Applicants: Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in which at least 20 percent of the students served by the LEA are from families with incomes below the poverty line. A list of LEAs with their family poverty rates is posted on our Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/eligibility.html. Estimated Available Funds: $19.8 million. Estimated Range of Awards: $30,000 to $350,000. Note: Actual award amounts will be based on the number of schools and students served by the project. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $100,000. Estimated Number of Awards: 200. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: 12 months. I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to improve student reading skills and academic achievement by providing students with increased access to up-to-date school library materials; well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and well-trained, professionally certified school library media specialists. Clarification of Eligible Local Activities: Applicants may propose professional development activities for school library media specialists that further the purposes of the program not only as related to preschool education, but also as related to education benefiting children in grades K-3. (See the notice of final clarification of eligible local activities for this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.) Under this competition we are particularly interested in applications that address the following priority. Invitational Priority: For FY 2004 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. Under this priority the Secretary strongly encourages applicants to focus their efforts on elementary schools to maximize the impact of the project on improving reading achievement. II. Award Information Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Estimated Available Funds: $19.8 million. Estimated Range of Awards: $30,000 to $350,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $100,000. Note: Actual award amounts will be based on the number of schools and students served by the project. Estimated Number of Awards: 200. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: 12 months. III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs in which at least 20 percent of the students served by the LEA are from families with incomes below the poverty line. A list of LEAs with their family poverty rates is posted on our Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/eligibility.html. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost sharing or matching, but does involve supplement-not-supplant funding provisions. Funds made available under this program shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, and local funds expended to carry out activities relating to library, technology, or professional development activities (20 U.S.C. 6383(i)). IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD [[Page 17896]] 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470 1244. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734. You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov. If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.364A. Individuals with disabilities may 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 under section VII of this notice. You may obtain an application package for this program via the Internet at the following address: http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/applicant.html. ****** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. 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