FR Doc 03-13836
[Federal Register: June 3, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 106)]
[Notices]
[Page 33108-33111]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03jn03-58]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No. 84.255A]
Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools--Life Skills for State and
Local Prisoners Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards
Using Fiscal Year (FY) 2002 Funds
Purpose of Program: The Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners
Program provides financial assistance for establishing and operating
programs designed to reduce recidivism through the development and
improvement of life skills necessary for reintegration of adult
prisoners into society.
Eligible Applicants: State or local correctional agencies and State
or local correctional education agencies.
Applications Available: June 3, 2003.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 14, 2003.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 13, 2003.
Estimated Available Funds: $4,750,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $315,000-$475,000
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $395,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 12.
Note: Estimates are based on FY 2002 appropriated funds only,
for the first budget
[[Page 33109]]
period of each grant. The Department plans to use FY 2003 funds
appropriated for this program to make continuation awards for the
second budget period of these projects to grantees that demonstrate
they are making substantial progress toward achieving the goals and
objectives for their projects. The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81,
82, 85, 97, 98, and 99.
Definitions: For purposes of this competition, terms used in this
notice have the following meanings as found in 34 CFR 490.4:
Life skills includes self-development, communication skills, job
and financial skills development, education, interpersonal and family
relationship development, and stress and anger management.
Local correctional agency means any agency of local government that
provides corrections services to incarcerated adults.
Local correctional education agency means any agency of local
government, other than a local correctional agency, that provides
educational services to incarcerated adults.
State correctional agency means any agency of State government that
provides corrections services to incarcerated adults.
State correctional education agency means any agency of State
government, other than a State correctional agency, that provides
educational services to incarcerated adults.
Additional Awards: Contingent upon the availability of FY 2003 and
FY 2004 funds, we may make additional awards under these appropriations
from the rank-ordered list of unfunded applications from this
competition.
Absolute Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we will consider only
applications that meet the following absolute priority: Grants for
projects that assist State or local correctional agencies and State or
local correctional education agencies in establishing and operating
programs designed to reduce recidivism through the development and
improvement of life skills necessary for reintegration of adult
prisoners into society.
Invitational Priorities: Within the absolute priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that meet one or more of the
following invitational priorities.
Invitational Priority 1. Projects that integrate life skills
instruction and services under a comprehensive reentry plan with the
State Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative project funded by
the U.S. Department of Justice.
Invitational Priority 2. Projects that emphasize cognitive and
interpersonal skills such as goal setting, developing strong family
relationships, strengthening values, and enhancing social skills.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets
the invitational priorities a competitive or absolute preference over
other applications.
Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the following
key performance measure for assessing the effectiveness of the Life
Skills for State and Local Prisoners Program: the number of prisoners
who attain measurable gains in one or more of the life skill domains
(e.g., self-development, communication skills, job and financial skills
development, education, interpersonal and family relationship
development, stress and anger management or others) taught under these
Life Skills projects. The Secretary has set an overall performance
target that calls for the number of prisoners acquiring enhanced life
skills from the cohort of Life Skills grant program projects initiated
under this competition to increase by five percent annually.
In applying the selection criteria that follow for ``Quality of
project services'' and ``Quality of the project evaluation'', the
Secretary will take into consideration the extent to which the
applicant demonstrates a strong capacity (1) to help achieve this
target, and (2) to provide reliable data to the Department on the
project's impact as measured by number of prisoners participating in
Life Skills grants acquiring enhanced life skills.
Selection Criteria: We use the following selection criteria from 34
CFR 75.210 to evaluate applications for new grants under this
competition. The maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points.
The maximum score for each criterion or factor under that criterion is
indicated in parentheses.
(1) Significance. (20 points)--In determining the significance of
the proposed project, the following factors are considered:
(a) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system
change or improvement.
(b) The potential contribution of the proposed project to the
development and advancement of theory, knowledge, and practices in the
field of study.
(c) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build
local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the
needs of the target population.
(d) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to yield
findings that may be utilized by other appropriate agencies and
organizations.
(2) Quality of the project design. (25 points)--In determining the
quality of the design of the proposed project, the following factors
are considered:
(a) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(b) 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.
(c) The extent to which the proposed project represents an
exceptional approach for meeting statutory purposes and requirements.
(d) The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating
the proposed project will result in information to guide possible
replication activities or strategies, including information about the
effectiveness of the approach or strategies employed by the project.
(e) The extent to which the proposed project will establish
linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing
services to the target population.
(3) Quality of project services. (25 points)--In determining the
quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the
following factors are considered:
(a) 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.
(b) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective
practice.
(c) The extent to which the training or professional development
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice
among the recipients of those services.
(d) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for
maximizing the effectiveness of project services.
(4) Quality of the management plan. (10 points)--In determining the
quality of the management plan for the
[[Page 33110]]
proposed project, the following factor is considered:
(a) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks.
(5) Quality of the project evaluation. (20 points)--In determining
the quality of the evaluation, the following factors are considered:
(a) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project.
(b) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and
qualitative data to the extent possible.
(c) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes.
(d) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other
settings.
For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs),
P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-
7827. Fax: (301) 470-1244. If you use a telecommunications device for
the deaf, you may call 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 84.255A.
Note: Some of the procedures in these instructions for
transmitting applications differ from those in EDGAR (34 CFR
75.102). Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the
Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to
comment on proposed regulations. However, these amendments make
procedural changes only and do not establish new substantive policy.
Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined
that proposed rulemaking is not required.
Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications
In FY 2003, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to
expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to
include additional formula grant programs, as well as discretionary
grant competitions. The Life Skills for State and Local Prisoners
Program is one of the programs included in the pilot project. If you
are an applicant under this grant competition, you may submit your
application to us in either electronic or paper format.
The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-Application, formerly e-GAPS) portion of the
Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS). We invite your
participation in this pilot project. We will continue to evaluate its
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
If you participate in this e-APPLICATION pilot, please note the
following:
[sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
[sbull] You will not receive any additional point value or penalty
because you submit a grant application in electronic or paper format.
[sbull] You can submit all documents electronically, including the
Application for Federal Assistance (ED Form 424), Budget Information--
Non-Construction Programs, (ED Form 524), and all necessary assurances
and certifications.
[sbull] Within three working days of submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal
Assistance (ED Form 424) to the Application Control Center following
these steps:
1. Print ED Form 424 from the e-Application system.
2. Make sure that the applicant's Authorizing Representative signs
this form.
3. Before faxing this form, submit your electronic application via
the e-Application system. You will receive an automatic
acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award number an identifying
number unique to your application).
4. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right corner of ED Form
424.
5. Fax ED Form 424 to the Application Control Center within three
business days of submitting your electronic application at (202) 260-
1349.
6. We may request that you give us original signatures on all other
forms at a later date.
7. Closing Date Extension in the Case of System Unavailability: If
you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot for the Life Skills
for State and Local Prisoners Program and you are prevented from
submitting your application on the closing date because the e-
Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of
one business day in order to transmit your application via e-
Application, by mail, or by hand delivery. For us to grant this
extension:
(1) You must be a registered user of e-Applications, and have
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
(2) (a) The e-Application system must be unavailable for 60 minutes
or more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (ET), on the
deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system must be unavailable for any period of
time during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern time on the deadline date.
The Department must acknowledge and confirm the period of
unavailability before you will be granted an extension. To request this
extension you must contact Carlette Huntley by e-mail at
Carlette.Huntley@ed.gov or by telephone at (202) 260-7274 or the e-
Grants help desk at (888) 336-8930.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Life Skills
for State and Local Prisoners Program at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
We have included additional information on the e-Application pilot
project (see Parity Guidelines between paper and Electronic
Applications) in the application package.
If you want to apply for a grant and be considered for funding, you
must meet the deadline requirements included in this notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carlette Huntley, U. S. Department of
Education, 330 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20202-7274. Telephone:
(202) 260-7272 or via Internet: Carlette.Huntley@ed.gov. Individuals with
disabilities may obtain this document, or an
application package, in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large
print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the contact
person listed at the beginning of this section. However, the Department
is not able to reproduce in an alternative format the standard forms
included in the application package.
Electronic Access To This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1211-2 (1991).
[[Page 33111]]
Dated: May 27, 2003.
Judge Eric Andell,
Deputy Under Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. 03-13836 Filed 6-2-03; 8:45 am]
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