Foreign Language Assistance (84.293)

Program

84.293 Foreign Language Assistance

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Education
Office: Office Of Elementary And Secondary Education

Authorization

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, Executive Order Title V, Part D, Subpart 9.

Program Number

84.293

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To support innovative model programs of foreign language study in public elementary and secondary schools.

Types of Assistance

PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

Projects must be designed to support innovative model programs of foreign language study in elementary and secondary schools. Projects must show the promise of being continued beyond the grant period. Not less than three-fourths of the appropriation must be used for elementary-level projects. This program is subject to non-supplanting requirements and must use a restricted indirect cost rate which is referenced under 34 CFR 76.564- 76.569. For assistance call the Office of the Chief Financial Officer/ Indirect Cost Group on 202-708-7770. In FY08, the Department also made awards to partnerships of institutions of higher education (IHEs) along with local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish articulated programs of study in languages critical to the U.S. national security.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

State and local educational agencies may apply.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Elementary and secondary school children benefit.

Credentials/Documentation

No Credentials or documentation are required. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

An applicant should consult the office or the official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. To participate, an organization must have on file with the Secretary of Education, by the designated deadline, an application that complies with the statutory requirements. Contact the program office for specific application information.

Award Procedure

Applications are approved for awards by the Director, Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement For Limited English Proficient Students, based on evaluations and recommendations of outside experts and an administrative review of the applications.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

From 90 to 120 days.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Renewals are based on an annual review of the performance data and the availability of funds.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

Matching Requirements: Percent: 50.%. Subject to wavier.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Awards are made for 3 years. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Electronic transfer.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Financial status and performance reports, as required by EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.720. Specific reporting requirements are contained in the grant documents. Cash reports are not applicable. Progress reports are not applicable. Expenditure reports are not applicable. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records

Grantees are required to maintain appropriate records related to grant funds, as required by EDGAR.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: The program made 8 new awards to partnerships of IHEs and LEAs. Fiscal Year 2009: Estimated 73. Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

18-1000-0-1-501.

Obligations

(Project Grants) FY 08 $25,655,000; FY 09 est $26,328,000; FY 10 est $26,328,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

To be determined.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

No specific regulations have been developed. EDGAR, 34 CFR 75, 77, 80, 81, 85, 86, 97, 98, 99, and 299.

Related Programs

Not Applicable.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Rebecca Richey Department of Education, OELA 400 Maryland Ave., S.W., Washington, District of Columbia 20202 Email: Rebecca.richey@ed.gov Phone: (202) 245-7133

Web Site Address

http://www.ed.gov/programs/flap/index.html.

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: The program supports foreign language instruction in elementary schools, immersion programs, curriculum development, professional development, and distance learning. Awards made in FY 08 provided support to partnerships of IHEs and LEAs in order to create or expand articulated programs of study in the languages critical to the U.S. national security. Fiscal Year 2009: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Selection criteria include: need for the project, significance, and quality of project design. The FY 08 competition includes an absolute priority for projects to establish or expand articulated programs of study in foreign language learning that exclusively teach one or more critical lanaguages. Critical languages are defined as languages critical to United States national security and include Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, and languages in the Indic, Iranian, and Turkic language families.