[Federal Register: December 22, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 245)]
[Notices]
[Page 70977-70979]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22de98-125]
[[Page 70977]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part IV
Department of Education
_______________________________________________________________________
Technology Innovation Challenge Grants; Inviting Applications for New
Awards for Fiscal Year 1999; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No. 84.303A]
Technology Innovation Challenge Grants; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1999
Purpose of Program: The Technology Innovation Challenge Grant
Program provides grants to consortia that are working to improve and
expand new applications of technology to strengthen school reform
efforts, improve student achievement, and provide for sustained
professional development of teachers, administrators, and school
library media personnel.
Eligible Applicants: Only consortia may receive grants under this
program. A consortium must include at least one local educational
agency (LEA) with a high percentage or number of children living below
the poverty line. A consortium may also include other LEAs, private
schools, State educational agencies, institutions of higher education,
businesses, academic content experts, software designers, museums,
libraries, and other appropriate entities.
Note: In each consortium a participating LEA shall submit the
application on behalf of the consortium and serve as a fiscal agent
for the grant.
Applications Available: January 12, 1999.
Deadline for Receipt of Applications: March 12, 1999.
Note: All applications must be received on or before the
deadline date unless one of the mailing conditions noted in the
notice of final selection criteria, selection procedures, and
application procedures for Technology Innovation Challenge Grants
published in the Federal Register on May 12, 1997 (62 FR 26175)
applies. This requirement takes exception to the Education
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), 34 CFR
75.102. In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5
U.S.C. 553), it is the practice of the Secretary to offer interested
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed regulations. However,
this amendment to EDGAR makes procedural changes only and does not
establish new substantive policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(A), proposed rulemaking is not required.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 12, 1999.
Estimated Available Funds: $22,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000-$2,000,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,000,000 per year.
Maximum Award: The Secretary will not consider an application that
proposes a budget exceeding $2,000,000 for any one of the 12-month
budget periods.
Estimated Number of Awards: 22.
Project Period: 5 years. Please note that all applicants for multi-
year awards are required to provide detailed budget information for the
total grant period requested. The Department will negotiate at the time
of the initial award the funding levels for each year of the grant
award.
Note: The Department of Education is not bound by any estimates
in this notice.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, and 86, and (b) the regulations in 34 CFR part 299.
Other Requirements
In prior fiscal years, applications for awards under this program
were evaluated and selected in accordance with procedures established
in the notice of final selection criteria, selection procedures, and
application procedures for Technology Innovation Challenge Grants
published in the Federal Register on May 12, 1997 (62 FR 26175). This
year, however, these procedures for ``evaluation and selection of
applications'' will not apply to this program. Instead, the Department
will, except as indicated above, follow the procedures in 34 CFR part
75.
Selection Criteria
The Secretary uses two of the selection criteria in the notice of
final selection criteria, selection procedures, and applications
procedures published in the Federal Register on May 12, 1997 (62 FR
26176) and other selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.210 to evaluate
applications for new grants under this program. Under 75.201 (a) and
(b), the Secretary announces in the application package the selection
criteria selected for this competition and the maximum weight assigned
to each criterion.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Technology Innovation Challenge Grant
Program is authorized under Title III, section 3136, of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 6846). The
statute authorizes the use of funds for activities similar to the
following activities:
(a) Developing, adapting, or expanding existing and new
applications of technology to support the schools reform effort.
(b) Providing ongoing professional development in the integration
of quality educational technologies into school curriculum and long-
term planning for implementing educational technologies.
(c) Funding projects of sufficient size and scope to improve
student learning and, as appropriate, support professional development,
and provide administrative support.
(d) Acquiring connectivity linkages, resources, and services,
including the acquisition of hardware and software, for use by
teachers, students, and school library media personnel in the classroom
or in school library media centers, in order to improve student
learning by supporting the instructional program offered and to ensure
that students in schools will have meaningful access on a regular basis
to such linkages, resources, and services.
(e) Acquiring connectivity with wide area networks for purposes of
accessing information and educational programming sources, particularly
with institutions of higher education and public libraries.
(f) Providing educational services for adults and families.
Note: Section 14503 of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 8893), is applicable to the
Technology Innovation Challenge Grant Program. Section 14503
requires that an LEA, SEA, or educational service agency receiving
financial assistance under this program must provide private school
children and teachers, on an equitable basis, special educational
services or other program benefits under this program. The section
further requires SEAs, LEAs, and educational service agencies to
consult with private school officials during the design and
development of the Technology Innovation Challenge Grant projects.
Each application must describe the ways in which the proposed
project will address the needs of private school children and
teachers.
For Applications or Information Contact: For applications,
telephone 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327) or fax requests to (202)
208-4042. The application package is also available from the Technology
Innovation Challenge Grant web site at: http://www.ed.gov/Technology/
chalgrnt.html. For information contact Elizabeth Payer, Technology
Innovation Challenge Grants, U.S. Department of Education, Washington,
DC 20208-5544. Telephone: (202) 208-3882. E-mail__address is:
elizabeth--payer@ed.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern
time, Monday through Friday.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person identified in this notice.
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Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternate format, also, by contacting that person.
However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format
the standard forms included in the application package.
Electronic Access to This Document
Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or
portable document format (pdf) via the Internet at either of the
following sites:
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html
To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing
Office at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free, at 1-888-293-6498.
Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an
electronic bulletin board of the Department.
Telephone: (202) 219-1511 or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The
documents are located under Option G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins
and Press Releases.
Note: The official version of a document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C.
6846.
Dated: December 17, 1998.
C. Kent McGuire,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 98-33828 Filed 12-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U