[Federal Register: May 6, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 87)]
[Notices]
[Page 24770-24773]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06my97-103]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs--
Federal Activities Grants Program
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priorities and selection criteria for fiscal
year 1997.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces final priorities and selection
criteria for fiscal year 1997 under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities National Programs Federal Activities Grants Program. The
Secretary takes this action to focus Federal financial assistance on
identified needs to improve programs to prevent drug use and violence
among youth.
EFFECTIVE DATE: These priorities and selection criteria take effect
June 5, 1997.
DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: Applications for these
competitions must be received at the address specified in the
application package for these competitions no later than 4:30 p.m. on
the deadline date in the notice inviting applications. Applications
received after that time will not be eligible for funding. Postmarked
dates will not be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about the two
priorities under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities
National Programs Federal Activities Grants Program, contact the U.S.
Department of Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program, 600
Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20202-6123. Telephone: (202) 260-
3954. FAX (202) 260-7767. Internet: http//www.Bryan__Williams@ed.gov.
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may
call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 (in the
Washington, DC 202 area code, telephone 708-9300) between 8 am and 8
pm, Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains two final priorities
and related selection criteria under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities National Programs Federal
[[Page 24771]]
Activities Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to prevent the
illegal use of drugs and violence among, and promote safety and
discipline for, students at all educational levels from preschool
through the postsecondary level.
Note: 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 these competitions. In making
awards under these grant competitions, 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.
Absolute Priorities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities Act of 1994, the Secretary gives an absolute preference to
applications that meet one of the following priorities. The Secretary
will fund under these competitions only those applications that meet
one of these absolute priorities:
Absolute Priority 1 and Selection Criteria--Replication of Effective
Programs or Strategies to Prevent Youth Drug Use, Violent Behavior, or
Both (CFDA # 84.184F)
Absolute Priority 1
Under this priority, applicants must propose projects that--
(1) Will replicate, with fidelity, a program or strategy that has
demonstrated sustained reductions in youth drug use, violent behavior,
or both, over at least a two-year period;
(2) Are clearly responsive to identified needs of the student
population that will be served; and
(3) Will include a rigorous evaluation of the project that focuses
on measurement and analysis of behavior change among students as a
direct result of the program.
Programs or strategies eligible for replication under this
competition are those that (1) Have been evaluated and found effective
in research studies funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse or
another Federal agency, or (2) have findings demonstrating
effectiveness published in a peer-reviewed journal of national
distribution. Locally developed programs are also eligible for
replication if they have been tested within a single population
(cohort) of students over at least a two-year period and have
demonstrated measurable reductions in student drug use, violent
behavior, or both. Applicants proposing a locally developed project
must provide evaluation data that is well documented and clearly
demonstrates the program's effectiveness as of the date of this notice.
For purposes of this competition, fidelity of implementation means
implementing the program in the same manner as the program was
implemented when it was proven to be effective in preventing or
reducing drug use, or violent behavior, or both, inclusive of all
components of the program or strategy that the developer and evaluator
consider to be key, unique, and necessary features. These components
may include, but need not be limited to, the use of specified
materials, teaching techniques, and approaches; involvement of
specified persons or stakeholders with particular functions or roles;
and performing specified activities according to a specified sequence
or schedule.
Additional Information
This priority supports the implementation of drug and violence
prevention programs and strategies that are data-driven--that is, are
based on analysis of objective data about problems that need to be
addressed, have measurable goals and objectives, and use prevention
approaches that research has demonstrated to be effective in preventing
or reducing drug use, violent behavior, or both.
Examples of some drug prevention programs that have been proven
effective may be found in Preventing Drug Use Among Children and
Adolescents published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The
document is available from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and
Drug Information (NCADI), PO Box 2345, Rockville, MD 20874-2345; 1-800-
729-6686. Examples of some approaches to violence prevention are
contained in abstracts of programs evaluated by the Centers for Disease
Control. The abstracts are available from the National Clearinghouse
for Alcohol and Drug Information.
Selection Criteria
The Secretary uses the following selection criteria 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. (30 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 extent to which the proposed project involves the
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on,
or are alternatives to, existing strategies. (15 points)
(B) The potential replicability of the proposed project or
strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation
in a variety of settings. (10 points)
(C) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project. (5 points)
(2) 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.
(3 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. (7 points)
(C) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (10 points)
(3) Adequacy of resources. (20 points)
(i) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the
proposed project.
(ii) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.
(5 points)
(B) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the
number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and
benefits. (5 points)
(C) The potential for the incorporation of project purposes,
activities, or benefits into the ongoing program of the agency or
organization at the end of Federal funding. (10 points)
(4) Quality of the management plan. (5 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
[[Page 24772]]
project, the Secretary considers 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 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 strategies suitable for replication or testing in other
settings. (10 points)
Absolute Priority 2 and Selection Criteria--State and Local Educational
Agency Drug and Violence Prevention Data Collection (CFDA
#84.184 G)
Absolute Priority 2
Under this priority, applicants must propose projects that--
(1) Develop, improve, expand, or enhance the collection of data
related to youth drug use and violence; and
(2) Develop and implement processes that ensure that high-quality
data is used to assess needs, select interventions, and assess success
of drug and violence prevention activities funded under the SDFSCA
State Grants Program. Projects may be state-wide in scope or limited to
an individual local educational agency with a student enrollment that
exceeds 30,000.
To be considered for funding under this competition, a project must
include--
(1) Concrete plans, with timelines, that detail how the results of
new or improved data collection efforts will be incorporated into State
and local educational agency efforts to inform policy, assess needs,
select interventions, and assess success of drug and violence
prevention efforts;
(2) Outcomes-based performance indicators that will be used to
judge the success of the project; and
(3) A description of how efforts proposed as part of the project
have been coordinated with and will not duplicate data collection
efforts being implemented by other State or local agencies.
Additional Information
This priority supports development and improvement of the capacity
of State and local educational agencies to collect and use objective
data to make informed decisions about drug and violence prevention
programming in schools. The Secretary expects that projects funded
under this priority will emphasize the collection and use of outcomes
measures, such as reduced rates of drug use and violence, rather than
relying solely on process measures that simply describe the
implementation of a program or participants' levels of satisfaction
with the activity. State and local educational agencies are expected to
use the data to develop baseline information about the nature and
extent of the drug and violence problems in their schools; to use
SDFSCA State Grant and other funds to design and implement appropriate
programs and activities to address those problems; and to assess the
success of those programs and activities following implementation.
Selection Criteria
The Secretary uses the following criteria to evaluate proposals
submitted under this priority.
The maximum score for all of the criteria in this section is 100
points.
The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses
with the criterion.
(1) Need for project. (15 points)
(i) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project.
(ii) In determining the need for the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.
(B) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services,
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude
of those gaps or weaknesses.
(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 significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by the
proposed project.
(B) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system
change or improvement.
(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.
(3) Quality of the project design. (25 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.
(B) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of
Federal financial assistance.
(C) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated
with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community,
State and Federal resources.
(4) Adequacy of resources. (15 points)
(i) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the
proposed project.
(ii) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.
(B) The potential for the incorporation of project purposes,
activities, or benefits into the ongoing program of the agency or
organization at the end of Federal funding.
(5) Quality of the management plan. (10 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 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.
(6) Quality of the project evaluation. (10 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 extent to which the methods of
[[Page 24773]]
evaluation will provide performance feedback and permit periodic
assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes.
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 U.S.C. 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--Federal Activities Grants Program
These selection criteria will affect the following types of
entities eligible to apply for a grant under this program: State and
local educational agencies, institutions or higher education, other
nonprofit agencies, organizations, and institutions; and any
combinations of these types of entities. 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 20 hours per response for 300 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 of
this document 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.
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 these rules is
impracticable. Congress did not provide authority to use FY 1997 funds
for Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs 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.
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.
Note: This notice of final priorities and selection criteria
does not solicit applications. A notice inviting applications under
these competitions is published elsewhere in this issue of the
Federal Register.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7131.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.184F and 84.184G
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act National Programs--
Federal Activities Grants Program)
Dated: May 1, 1997.
Gerald N. Tirozzi,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 97-11771 Filed 5-5-97; 8:45 am]
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