[Federal Register: March 13, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 49)] [Notices] [Page 12585-12602] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr13mr98-159] [[Page 12585]] _______________________________________________________________________ Part III Department of Education _______________________________________________________________________ Bilingual Education: Field-Initiated Research Program; Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1998; Notice [[Page 12586]] DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [CFDA No.: 84.292B] Bilingual Education: Field-Initiated Research Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998 Note to Applicants: This notice is a complete application package. Together with the statute authorizing the program and applicable regulations governing this program, including the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), this notice contains all of the information, application forms, and instructions needed to apply for a grant under this program. The statutory authorization for this program is contained in section 7132 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103- 382, enacted October 20, 1994 (the Act) (20 U.S.C. 7452)). Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to provide grants for field-initiated research activities related to the improvement of bilingual education and special alternative instructional programs for limited English proficient children and youth. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, State educational agencies, and local educational agencies that are current or recent recipients of grants under subpart 1 or 2 of Part A of Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) or under Part A or B of Title VII of the ESEA, (P.L. 100- 297), as in effect prior to October 20, 1994. In order to be eligible for a grant under this program, an applicant must have received a grant under subpart 1 or 2 of Part A of Title VII or under Part A or B of Title VII of Pub. Law 100-297 in previous years. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 29, 1998. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 28, 1998. Available Funds: $400,000. Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000-$60,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $52,500. Estimated Number of Awards: 7-8. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: 12 months. 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, General Provisions, Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Description of Program: Funds under this program are available to carry out field-initiated research conducted by current or recent recipients of grants under subpart 1 or 2 who have received those grants within the previous five years. Research under this program may provide for longitudinal studies of students or teachers in bilingual education, monitoring the education of those students from entry in bilingual education through secondary school completion. Priority Invitational Priority The Secretary is particularly interested in applications that meet the following invitational priority. However, an application that meets this invitational priority does not receive competitive or absolute preference over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)). Applications that propose to focus on research that leads to answering significant questions on the assessment of language acquisition and academic achievement for limited English proficient (LEP) students. Note: For further information on assessment issues, see ``High Stakes Assessment: A Research Agenda for English Language Learners,'' which is available from the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, telephone--1-800-321-6223 or website--http:// www.ncbe.gwu.edu. Selection Criteria (a)(1) The Secretary uses the following selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.210 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 is indicated in parentheses. (b) The criteria--(1) Need for project. (15 points) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers 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. (20 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 potential contribution of the proposed project to increased knowledge or understanding of educational problems, issues, or effective strategies. (C) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system change or improvement. (D) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in teaching and student achievement. (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. (B) The extent to which the proposed activities constitute a coherent sustained program of research and development in the field, including, as appropriate, a substantial addition to an ongoing line of inquiry. (C) The extent to which the design of the proposed project includes a thorough, high-quality review of the relevant literature, a high- quality plan for project implementation, and the use of appropriate methodological tools to ensure successful achievement of project objectives. (D) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support rigorous academic standards for students. (4) Quality of the management plan. (25 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, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (B) The extent to which the time commitments of the project director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project. (5) Quality of project personnel. (15 points) (i) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project. (ii) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the [[Page 12587]] applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (iii) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors: (A) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal investigator. (B) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel. (6) Adequacy of resources. (5 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 budget is adequate to support the proposed project. (B) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. The objective of the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and to strengthen federalism by relying on State and local processes for State and local government coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance. Applicants must contact the appropriate State Single Point of Contact to find out about, and to comply with, the State's process under Executive Order 12372. Applicants proposing to perform activities in more than one State should immediately contact the Single Point of Contact for each of those States and follow the procedure established in each State under the Executive order. If you want to know the name and address of any State Single Point of Contact, see the list published in the Federal Register on October 7, 1997 (62 FR 52448 through 52450). In States that have not established a process or chosen a program for review, State, areawide, regional, and local entities may submit comments directly to the Department. Any State Process Recommendation and other comments submitted by a State Single Point of Contact and any comments from State, areawide, regional, and local entities must be mailed or hand-delivered by the date indicated in this notice to the following address: The Secretary, E.O. 12372--CFDA# 84.292B, U.S. Department of Education, Room 6213, 600 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, D.C. 20202-0124. Proof of mailing will be determined on the same basis as applications (see 34 CFR 75.102). Recommendations or comments may be hand-delivered until 4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on the date indicated in this notice. Please note that the above address is not the same address as the one to which the applicant submits its completed application. Do not send applications to the above address. Instructions for Transmittal of Applications (a) If an applicant wants to apply for a grant, the applicant shall-- (1) Mail the original and two copies of the application on or before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention (CFDA# 84.292B), Washington, D.C. 20202-4725 or (2) Hand-deliver the original and two copies of the application by 4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on or before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA# 84.292B), Room #3633, Regional Office Building #3, 7th and D Streets, SW., Washington, D.C. (b) An applicant must show one of the following as proof of mailing: (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark. (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service. (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier. (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary. (c) If an application is mailed through the U.S. Postal Service, the Secretary does not accept either of the following as proof of mailing: (1) A private metered postmark. (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service. Notes: (1) The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, an applicant should check with its local post office. (2) The Application Control Center will mail a Grant Application Receipt Acknowledgment to each applicant. If an applicant fails to receive the notification of application receipt within 15 days from the date of mailing the application, the applicant should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202) 708-9495. (3) The applicant must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the Department--in Item 10 of the Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) the CFDA number--and suffix letter, if any--of the competition under which the application is being submitted. Application Instructions and Forms The appendix to this notice contains the following forms and instructions, plus a statement regarding estimated public reporting burden, a notice to applicants regarding compliance with section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act, a checklist for applicants, various assurances, certifications, and required documentation: a. Instructions for the Application Narrative. b. Additional Guidance. c. Estimated Public Reporting Burden Statement. d. Notice to All Applicants. e. Checklist for Applicants. f. Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424 (Rev. 4- 88)) and instructions. g. Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED Form No. 524) and instructions. h. Eligibility Certification i. Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B) and instructions. j. Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED 80-0013, 6/90) and instructions. k. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion: Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED 80-0014, 9/90) and instructions. (Note: ED 80-0014 is intended for the use of grantees and should not be transmitted to the Department.) l. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL) (if applicable) and instructions. This document has been marked to reflect statutory changes. See the notice published in the Federal Register (61 FR 1413) by the Office of Management and Budget on January 19, 1996. An applicant may submit information on a photostatic copy of the application and budget forms, the assurances, and the certifications. However, the application form, the assurances, and the certifications must each have an original signature. All applicants must submit ONE original signed application, including ink signatures on all forms and assurances, and TWO copies of the application. Please mark each [[Page 12588]] application as ``original'' or ``copy.'' No grant may be awarded unless a completed application has been received. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alex Stein, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 5090, Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-6510. Telephone: (202) 205-5713. 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 notice in an alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding paragraph. Please note, however, that the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format the standard forms included in the notice. 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) on the World Wide Web 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 preceding sites. If you have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing Office 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 this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7452. Dated: March 6, 1998. Delia Pompa, Director, Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs. Estimated Public Reporting Burden Statement According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is OMB No. 1885-0528 (Exp. 4/30/98). The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 5090, Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-6510. Instructions for the Application Narrative Mandatory Page Limit for the Application Narrative The narrative portion of the application must not exceed 45 pages. These pages must be double-spaced and printed on one side only. A legible font size and adequate margins should be used. The narrative section must be paginated and should include a one-page abstract. The 45-page limit applies to the abstract, proposal narrative, charts, graphs, tables, graphics, position descriptions (and resumes, if included), and any appendices. The page limit does not apply to application forms, attachments to those forms, assurances, certifications, and the table of contents. The page limit applies only to item 14 and not to the other items in the Checklist for Applicants. Applications with a narrative section that exceeds the page limit will not be considered for funding. The narrative section should begin with an abstract that includes a short description of the population to be served by the project, project objectives, and planned project activities. Selection Criteria The narrative should address fully all aspects of the selection criteria in the order listed and should give detailed information regarding each criterion. Do not simply paraphrase the criteria. Do not include resumes or curriculum vitae for project personnel; provide position descriptions instead. Additional Guidance Table of Contents The application should include a table of contents listing the sections in the order required. Budget Budget line items must support the goals and objectives of the proposed project and must be directly related to the instructional design and all other project components. Final Application Preparation Use the Checklist for Applicants to verify that your application is complete. Submit three copies of the application, including an original copy containing an original signature for each form requiring the signature of the authorized representative. Do not use elaborate bindings or covers. The application package must be mailed or hand- delivered to the Application Control Center (ACC) and postmarked by the deadline date. Submission of Application to State Educational Agency Section 7116(a)(2) of the authorizing statute (Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, Pub. L. 103-382) requires all applicants except schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to submit a copy of their application to their State educational agency (SEA) for review and comment (20 U.S.C. 7426(a)(2)). Section 75.156 of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) requires these applicants to submit their application to the SEA on or before the deadline date for submitting their application to the Department of Education. This section of EDGAR also requires applicants to attach to their application a copy of their letter that requests the SEA to comment on the application (34 CFR 75.156). A copy of this letter should be attached to the Project Documentation Form contained in this application package. Applicants that do not submit a copy of their application to their state educational agency in accordance with these statutory and regulatory requirements will not be considered for funding. Notice to All Applicants Thank you for your interest in this program. The purpose of this enclosure is to inform you about a new provision in the Department of Education's General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) that applies to applicants for new grant awards under Department [[Page 12589]] programs. This provision is section 427 of GEPA, enacted as part of the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-382). To Whom Does This Provision Apply? Section 427 of GEPA affects applicants for new discretionary grant awards under this program. All applicants for new awards must include information in their applications to address this new provision in order to receive funding under this Program. What Does This Provision Require? Section 427 requires each applicant for funds (other than an individual person) to include in its application a description of the steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its federally assisted program for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs. This section allows applicants discretion in developing the required description. The statute highlights six types of barriers that can impede equitable access or participation that you may address: gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. Based on local circumstances, you can determine whether these or other barriers may prevent your students, teachers, etc. from equitable access or participation. Your description need not be lengthy; you may provide a clear and succinct description of how you plan to address those barriers that are applicable to your circumstances. In addition, the information may be provided in a single narrative, or, if appropriate, may be discussed in connection with related topics in the application. Section 427 is not intended to duplicate the requirements of civil rights statutes, but rather to ensure that, in designing their projects, applicants for Federal funds address equity concerns that may affect the ability of certain potential beneficiaries to fully participate in the project and to achieve to high standards. Consistent with program requirements and its approved application, an applicant may use the Federal funds awarded to it to eliminate barriers it identifies. What are Examples of How an Applicant Might Satisfy the Requirement of This Provision? The following examples may help illustrate how an applicant may comply with section 427. (1) An applicant that proposes to carry out an adult literacy project serving, among others, adults with limited English proficiency, might describe in its application how it intends to distribute a brochure about the proposed project to such potential participants in their native language. (2) An applicant that proposes to develop instructional materials for classroom use might describe how it will make the materials available on audio tape or in braille for students who are blind. (3) An applicant that proposes to carry out a model science program for secondary students and is concerned that girls may be less likely than boys to enroll in the course, might indicate how it intends to conduct ``outreach'' efforts to girls, to encourage their enrollment. We recognize that many applicants may already be implementing effective steps to ensure equity of access and participation in their grant programs, and we appreciate your cooperation in responding to the requirements of this provision. Estimated Burden Statement According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1801-0004 (Exp. 8/31/98). The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to vary from 1 to 3 hours per response, with an average of 1.5 hours, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202-4651. Checklist for Applicants The following forms and other items must be included in the application in the order listed below: 1. Application for Federal Assistance Form (SF 424). 2. Budget Information Form (ED Form No. 524). 3. Itemized budget for each year. 4. Assurances--Non-Construction Programs Form (SF 424B). 5. Certifications Regarding Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements Form (ED 80-0013). 6. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions Form (ED 80-0014) (if applicable). 7. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Form (SF-LLL). 8. Information that addresses section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act. (See the above section entitled NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS (OMB No. 1801-0004)). 9. Table of Contents. 10. Application narrative, including abstract (not to exceed 45 pages). 11. One original and two copies of the application for transmittal to the Education Department's Application Control Center. 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