[Federal Register: May 6, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 87)]
[Notices]
[Page 24767-24770]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06my97-102]
[[Page 24767]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part IV
Department of Education
_______________________________________________________________________
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs--Grants to
Institutions of Higher Education (Validation Competition); Federal
Activities Grants Program; and Inviting Applications for New Awards for
Fiscal Year 1997; Notices
[[Page 24768]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs--
Grants to Institutions of Higher Education (Validation Competition)
AGENCY: Department of Education
ACTION: Notice of final priorities and selection criteria for fiscal
year 1997.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Secretary announces final priorities and selection
criteria for fiscal year (FY) 1997 under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools
and Communities (SDFSC) National Programs Grants to Institutions of
Higher Education (IHEs) Validation Competition. The Secretary takes
this action to focus Federal financial assistance on an identified
national need. The priorities are intended to increase knowledge about
effective programs by validating model strategies, policies, and
activities to prevent violent behavior and the illegal use of alcohol
and other drugs by college students. To achieve this goal, the
Department will fund projects designed to work in partnership with
neighborhood campus-communities to correct students' normative beliefs
about their peers' illegal use of alcohol and other drugs or limit
access and availability of illegal alcohol and other drugs in the
campus-community.
EFFECTIVE DATE: These priorities take effect June 5, 1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program,
U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Ave., SW, Room 604
Portals, Washington, DC. 20202-6123. Telephone: (202) 260-3954.
Individuals who use a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD) may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339
between 8 am and 8 pm, Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Despite progress, enabled in part by a
significant ongoing commitment of Federal financial resources to
support programs designed to prevent college students' illegal use of
alcohol and other drugs, recent national data reflect high rates of use
by college students, resulting in negative consequences, including
violence on campus. Little research has been conducted on prevention
programs in higher education, resulting in a lack of useful information
to guide prevention professionals in the design and implementation of
effective programs on college campuses. While information about
promising alcohol and other drug prevention programs and strategies is
gradually becoming more available, most programs still are neither
based on solid research nor evaluated rigorously. Only recently have
data been collected about the incidence of violence and crime on
college campuses. Little information is available about the
effectiveness of violence prevention programs on college campuses.
The results of these validated projects may be used by the
Secretary of Education to identify and disseminate to IHEs successful
programs that prevent violent behavior and illegal use of alcohol and
other drugs by college students. Applicants should be prepared to
provide statistics and information on crimes occurring on campus,
especially liquor law violations, drug abuse violations, and weapons
possession, as required under current law.
Under previously funded priorities under this program, Federal
funds have supported the development and implementation of a wide range
of prevention activities. The priorities supported in this year's
competition will focus on the validation of two promising, research-
based approaches that have yet to be tested rigorously in the campus-
community. Research shows that students who perceive a permissive
campus alcohol use environment tend to drink more heavily than they
would otherwise based on their personal attitudes (Perkins, Wechsler,
Journal of Drug Issues, Vol. 26 No.4, pp. 961-974, 1996). Also,
considerable research at the community level shows that access to and
availability of alcohol strongly influence the rate of alcohol problems
within a given population among both moderate and heavy drinkers
(Gruenewald, Millar, and Roeper, Alcohol Health and Research World,
Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 244-245, 1996). Research also shows that there is a
correlation between heavy alcohol consumption and violence. Binge
drinkers were more likely than their non-binging counterparts to
encounter actual physical violence, experience forced sexual touching,
and endure unwanted sexual intercourse. (Presley, Meilman, Cashin, and
Leichliter, in press)
IHEs need to reassess the alcohol, other drug, and violence
prevention programs they are currently conducting and modify or replace
programs that fail to show a measurable impact on reducing alcohol,
other drug use, and violence with programs that are effective or
promising. To promote effective prevention programming, the Department
of Education encourages IHEs to: design programs based on an assessment
of objective data (such as needs assessments, student-use surveys,
assessments of students' dispositions toward drug use); develop
measurable goals and objectives linked to the identified needs; use
prevention approaches that research or evaluation has shown to be
effective in preventing or reducing violent behavior or the illegal use
of alcohol and other drugs; and use evaluation results as part of a
continuous improvement process to correct approaches that are not
working and strengthen approaches that are working.
Applicants should show the ability to start their campus-community
program soon after receiving federal funding in order to maximize the
time available to show impact within the grant period of two years.
Projects supported through this competition should be designed to
demonstrate and document significant reductions in alcohol and other
drug use and violence at colleges and universities over the grant
period. Because of the need for a sound evaluation plan, applicants are
advised to obtain outside expert consultation prior to submitting
applications.
For additional information or data about college drug prevention
programs, policies, strategies, and activities, contact the Department
of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug
Prevention. The Center is a national resource for training and
technical assistance to postsecondary institutions. The Center can be
contacted at 1-800-676-1730 or through its web site at www.edc.org/hec/
Note: This notice of final priorities does not solicit
applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition
is published in a separate notice in this issue of the Federal
Register.
Applications for this competition must be received at the address
specified in the notice inviting applications for this competition no
later than 4:30 p.m. on the deadline date in the notice inviting
application. Applications received after that time will not be eligible
for funding. Postmarked dates will not be accepted.
In making awards under this program, the Secretary may take into
consideration the geographic distribution and diversity of activities
addressed by the projects, in addition to the rank order of
applications.
Contingent upon the availability of funds, the Secretary may make
additional awards in fiscal year 1998 from the rank-ordered list of
unfunded applicants from this competition.
Absolute Priorities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities Act of 1994, the Secretary
[[Page 24769]]
gives an absolute preference to applications that meet one or both of
the following priorities. The Secretary funds under this competition
only applications that meet one or both of these absolute priorities:
Absolute Priority #1--Correcting Misperceptions of Student Alcohol and
Other Drug Use by Students Attending Institutions of Higher Education
Under this priority, applicants must propose projects that develop,
implement, and validate approaches to prevent violent behavior and the
illegal use of alcohol and other drugs by students attending
institutions of higher education by correcting misperceptions of
student alcohol and drug use norms. Projects must:
(a) Correct the misperceptions among the campus-community
population (including college students, faculty, administrators, and
parents) about levels of student campus alcohol and drug use, student
alcohol and drug use norms, and the consequences of student alcohol and
drug use;
(b) implement a rigorous evaluation of the project, using outcome-
based performance indicators, that documents strategies used and
measures the effectiveness of the program or strategy in reducing
student drug use and violent behavior;
(c) use a campus-community coalition to plan and implement the
project; and
(d) at the request of the Secretary, coordinate with any report
being prepared under section 204(a)(4)(B) of the Student Right-to-Know
and Campus Security Act on policies, procedures and practices which
have proven effective in the reduction of campus crime.
Absolute Priority #2--Limiting Student Access to and Availability of
Alcohol and Other Drugs at Institutions of Higher Education
Under this priority, applicants must propose projects that develop,
implement, and validate approaches to prevent violent behavior and the
illegal use of alcohol and other drugs by students attending
institutions of higher education by limiting student access to and
availability of alcohol and other drugs. Projects must:
(a) Establish or expand, and enforce policies that limit student
access to, and availability of, alcohol and other drugs in the campus-
community for college students;
(b) implement a rigorous evaluation of the project, using outcome-
based performance indicators, that documents strategies used and
measures the effectiveness of the program or strategy in reducing
student drug use and violent behavior;
(c) use a campus-community coalition to plan and implement the
project; and
(d) at the request of the Secretary, coordinate with any report
being prepared under section 204(a)(4)(B) of the Student Right-to-Know
and Campus Security Act on policies, procedures and practices which
have proven effective in the reduction of campus crime.
Selection Criteria
(a) (1) The Secretary uses the following selection criteria to
evaluate applications for new grants under this competition.
(2) The maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points.
(3) The maximum score for each criterion or factor under that
criterion is indicated in parentheses.
(b) The criteria.--
(1) Need for project. (10 points)
(i) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project.
(ii) In determining the need for the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the magnitude or severity of the problem to be
addressed by the proposed project.
(2) Significance. (25 points)
(i) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed
project.
(ii) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) The potential contribution of the proposed project to the
development and advancement of theory, knowledge, and practices in the
field of study. (5 points)
(B) The extent to which the proposed project involves the
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on,
or are alternatives to, existing strategies. (10 points)
(C) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system
change or improvement. (5 points)
(D) The potential replicability of the proposed project or
strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation
in a variety of settings. (5 points)
(3) Quality of the project design. (20 points)
(i) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the
proposed project.
(ii) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(5 points)
(B) The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating
the proposed project will result in information to guide possible
replication of project activities or strategies, including information
about the effectiveness of the approach or strategies employed by the
project. (5 points)
(C) The quality of the proposed demonstration design and procedures
for documenting project activities and results. (5 points)
(D) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (5 points)
(4) Quality of the management plan. (20 points)
(i) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for
the proposed project.
(ii) In determining the quality of the management plan for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timeliness, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks. (4 points)
(B) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous
improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (8 points)
(C) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives
are brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project, including
those of students, faculty, parents, the business community, a variety
of disciplinary and professional fields, recipients or beneficiaries of
services, or others, as appropriate. (8 points)
(5) Quality of the project evaluation. (25 points)
(i) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project.
(ii) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(A) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives and outcomes of the
proposed project. (5 points)
(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. (10 points)
(C) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about
effective
[[Page 24770]]
strategies suitable for replication or testing in other settings. (10
points)
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
The selection criteria for this program contain information
collection requirements. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 USC 3504(h)), the Department of Education will submit a copy
of this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its
review.
Collection of Information: Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities National Programs--Grants to Institutions of Higher
Education Validation Competition.
These selection criteria will affect the following types of
entities eligible to apply for a grant under this program: institutions
of higher education, and consortia thereof. The Department needs, and
will use, the information related to the selection criteria for this
program to enable the Secretary to determine which applicants would
most likely develop, implement, and validate successful model projects
for demonstration throughout the nation. Annual public reporting and
record-keeping burden for this collection of information is estimated
to average 32 hours per response for 100 respondents, including the
time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing
the collection of information.
Organizations and individuals desiring to submit comments on the
information collection requirements should direct them to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Room 10235, New Executive
Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20503; Attention: Desk Officer for
U.S. Department of Education.
The Department considers comments by the public on this proposed
collection of information in--
* Evaluating whether the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the
Department, including whether the information will have practical
utility;
* Evaluating the accuracy of the Department's estimate of
the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
* Enhancing the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
* Minimizing the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology; e.g., permitting
electronic submission of responses.
OMB is required to make a decision concerning the information
collection requirements between 30 and 60 days after publication in the
Federal Register. Therefore, a comment to OMB is best assured of having
its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication of
this notice.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. The objective of the
Executive Order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a
strengthened federalism by relying on processes developed by State and
local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal
financial assistance.
In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide
early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for
this program.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking
In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553),
it is the practice of the Department to offer interested parties the
opportunity to comment on proposed rules. Ordinarily, this practice
would have applied to the rules in this notice. However, the Secretary
waives rulemaking under section 553(b)(B) of the Administrative
Procedure Act. This section provides that rulemaking is not required
when the agency for good cause finds that notice and public procedure
are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. The
Secretary believes that, in order to make timely grant awards using
Fiscal Year (FY) 1997 funds, public comment on those rules is
impracticable. Congress did not provide FY 1997 funds for SDFSC
National Program until March 1997. The Secretary must make new awards
no later than September 30, 1997, and recipients should be able to
implement projects as early as possible in the 1997-98 school year.
Therefore, in order to give applicants enough time to prepare their
applications and the Department sufficient time to conduct the lengthy
review process in this notice, it is now impracticable to receive
public comments and still allow FY 1997 awards to be made by September
30, 1997.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7132.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.184H Safe and
Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act National Programs--Grants to
Institutions of Higher Education)
Gerald N. Tirozzi,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 97-11769 Filed 5-5-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P