[Federal Register: June 4, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 107)]
[Notices]
[Page 38489-38491]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04jn02-54]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No.: 84.351C]
Professional Development for Music Educators
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year
(FY) 2002.
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Purpose of Program: The Professional Development for Music
Educators program, authorized under Subpart 15 of Part D of Title V of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by Public
Law 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, makes grants
to eligible entities for the implementation of high-quality
professional development programs in elementary and secondary
education. This program will fund professional development model
programs based upon innovative instructional methods, especially those
linked to scientifically based research.
Eligible Applicants: A local educational agency (LEA), acting on
behalf of an individual school or schools where 75 percent or more of
the children are from low-income families, based on the poverty
criteria described in Title I, Section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA, in
collaboration with at least one of the following: (1) An institution of
higher education; (2) a State educational agency; or (3) a public or
private non-profit agency with a history of providing high-quality
professional development services to public schools. Only schools where
75 percent or more of the children served are from low-income families
may receive services under this program. Each school served through
this program must submit evidence that it meets the poverty criteria.
Applicants may submit records kept for the purpose of Title I of the
ESEA that demonstrate proof of eligibility for each school to be
served.
Note: The LEA must serve as the fiscal agent for the program.
Applications Available: June 4, 2002.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 19, 2002.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 17, 2002.
Available Funds: approximately $2,000,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 5-10.
Estimated Size of Awards: $200,000-$400,000.
Average size of Awards: $300,000.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice. Funding for the second and third years is subject to the
availability of funds and the approval of continuation awards (34
CFR 75.253).
Project Period: up to 36 months.
General Requirements:
Page Limit Requirement: The program narrative is limited to no more
than 40 pages. The page limit applies to the narrative section only,
however, all of the application narrative must be included in the
narrative section. If the narrative section of an application exceeds
the page limitation, the application will not be reviewed. In addition,
the following standards are required: (1) Each "page" is
8.5″ x 11″ (on one side only) with one inch margins (top,
bottom, and sides); (2) double space (no more than three lines per
vertical inch) all text in the application narrative including titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations, and captions as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs; and (3) use a font that is either
12-point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Project Directors Meeting: Applicants are encouraged to budget for
a two-day project directors meeting in Washington, DC.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, 97, 98, and 99.
E-Mail Notification of Intent To Apply for Funding: The Department
will be able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant
applications if it has a better understanding of the number of entities
that intend to apply for funding under this competition. Therefore, the
Secretary strongly encourages each potential applicant to notify the
Department by e-mail that it intends to submit an application for
funding. The Secretary requests that this e-mail
[[Page 38490]]
notification be sent no later than July 5, 2002. The e-mail
notification should be sent to Ms. Madeline Baggett at
madeline.baggett@ed.gov. Applicants that fail to provide this e-
mail notification may still apply for funding.
Program Purposes and Goals: This program supports the strengthening
of standards-based music education programs, which are an integral part
of elementary and secondary school curriculums. It also helps ensure
that all students meet challenging State academic content standards and
challenging State student academic achievement standards in the arts.
Professional development activities that are developed, enhanced, or
expanded through this program will assist music teachers in the
implementation of music education standards as well as the integration
of music instruction into other subject areas.
Music content and achievement standards have been voluntarily
adopted in many States throughout the country. Such standards help
school districts to establish student performance standards based upon
the unique needs of, and desired outcomes for, the students in their
communities. The development and implementation of standards-based
music programs enable music educators to assess and document the
effectiveness of teaching strategies and materials in addition to
student achievement. However, teachers often need professional
development on how to implement music education standards for both
music programs and programs designed to integrate music into other
subject areas.
High-quality professional development programs supported under this
program should be linked to the implementation of music standards and/
or the integration of music into other content areas and should
include: (1) Strategies for addressing student achievement; (2)
strategies for increasing the needs of students who come from diverse
cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds; (3) the
development of intellectual and leadership potential of teachers; (4)
rigorous and sustained activities that result in increased content area
knowledge and classroom effectiveness of music teachers; (5)
technological innovations relevant to music instruction; and (6)
increased opportunities for teachers to share and discuss new methods
or teaching strategies with their peers.
At the end of the project period, EDGAR (34 CFR 75.590) requires
each grantee to submit a final program report. The Department intends
to use information from the final report to determine which
professional development programs have the greatest potential for
improving teacher expertise in music education, and ultimately student
performance in, music education. The Department plans to disseminate
information regarding successful teaching methods or best practices
that are developed or enhanced through this program to the music
education community and to the public in general.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: 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 rules. Section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions
Act (GEPA), however, allows the Secretary to exempt rules governing the
first competition under a new or substantially revised program
authority (20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1)). This competition is the first Music
Educators program competition under the reauthorized Arts in Education
program as amended by Public Law 107-110, the No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001, and therefore qualifies for this exemption. The
Secretary, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, has decided to
forego public comment in order to ensure timely grant awards. These
rules will apply to the FY 2002 grant competition only.
Coordination Requirement: Under section 5551(f)(1) of the ESEA, the
Secretary requires that each entity funded under this competition
coordinate, to the extent practicable, each project or program carried
out with such assistance with appropriate activities of public or
private cultural agencies, institutions, and organizations, including
museums, arts education associations, libraries, and theaters.
Supplement, Not Supplant, Requirement: Under section 5551(f)(2) of
the authoring statute, the Secretary requires that assistance provided
under this program be used only to supplement, and not to supplant,
other assistance or funds made available from non-Federal sources for
the activities assisted under this subpart.
Absolute Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary gives
an absolute priority to professional development programs designed for
K-12 music teachers that focus on: (1) The development,
enhancement, or expansion of standards-based music education programs;
or (2) the integration of music instruction into other subject area
content. Funded projects will address and strive to achieve all aspects
of high-quality professional development programs as described under
the Program Purposes and Goals section.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary will fund under this
competition only applicants that meet the absolute priority.
Selection Criteria: The Secretary will use the following selection
criteria in 34 CFR 75.210 to evaluate applications under this
competition. The maximum score for each criterion is 100 points. The
maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parenthesis with the
criterion. The criteria are as follows:
(a) Significance. (15 points) The Secretary considers the
significance of the proposed project. In determining the significance
of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the proposed project involves the
development of promising new strategies that build on, or are
alternatives to, existing strategies.
(ii) The potential replicability of the proposed project or
strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation
in a variety of settings.
(iii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in
teaching and student achievement.
(b) Quality of the Project Design. (20 points) The Secretary
considers the quality of the project design of the proposed project. In
determining the quality of the project design, the Secretary considers
the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the proposed project represents an
exceptional approach for meeting the priority established for the
competition.
(ii) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(iii) The quality of the methodology to be employed in the proposed
project.
(c) Quality of Project Services. (20 points) The Secretary
considers the quality of project services to be provided by the
proposed project. In determining the quality of the services to be
provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers 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. In addition, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project
[[Page 38491]]
reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practices.
(ii) The extent to which the 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) Quality of Project Personnel. (10 points) The Secretary
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed
project. In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are members of groups that have
traditionally been under-represented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director;
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of key project personnel.
(iii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors.
(e) Adequacy of Resources. (10 points) The Secretary considers the
adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the
adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers
the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources, from the lead applicant organization.
(ii) 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.
(iii) The potential for incorporation of project purposes,
activities or benefits into the ongoing program of the agencies or
organizations involved in the project at the end of Federal funding.
(f) Quality of the Management Plan. (10 points) The Secretary
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project.
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, time lines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks.
(ii) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring continuous feedback
and continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project.
(iii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project
director and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate
to meet the objectives of the proposed project.
(g) Quality of the Project Evaluation. (15 points) The Secretary
considers the quality of the project evaluation. In determining the
quality of the project evaluation, the Secretary considers the
following factors:
(i) 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.
(ii) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other
settings.
For Applications or Information Contact: Madeline E. Baggett, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, FB-6, Room
3E228, Washington, DC 20202-6140. Telephone (202) 260-2502.
Internet address: Madeline.Baggett@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.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding
paragraph.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format also by contacting that person.
However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative
format the standards 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: www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free
at this site. If you have questions about using the PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO) toll free at
1-888-293-6498, or in the Washington, DC area at
202-512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: Http://
www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7271.
Dated: May 30, 2002.
Susan B. Neuman,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 02-13984 Filed 6-3-02; 8:45 am]
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