[Federal Register: December 30, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 249)] [Notices] [Page 68111-68133] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr30de97-188] [[Page 68111]] _______________________________________________________________________ Part IX Department of Education _______________________________________________________________________ Bilingual Education: Teachers and Personnel Grants; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998 [[Page 68112]] DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION [CFDA No.: 84.195A] Bilingual Education: Teachers and Personnel Grants; 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 the 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 an award under this program. The statutory authorization for this program, and the application requirements that apply to this competition, are set out in sections 7143 and 7146-7149 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. 7473 and 7476-7479). Purpose of Program This program provides grants for preservice and inservice professional development for bilingual education teachers, administrators, pupil services personnel, and other educational personnel who are either involved in, or preparing to be involved in, the provision of educational services for children and youth of limited English proficiency. Eligible Applicants (1) One or more institutions of higher education (IHEs) which have entered into consortia arrangements with local educational agencies (LEAs) or State educational agencies (SEAs), to achieve the purposes of those sections. (2) SEAs and LEAs for inservice professional development programs. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 23, 1998. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 23, 1998. Available Funds: $4.9 million. Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$250,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $200,000. Estimated Number of Awards: 25. Note: The Department of Education is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: 60 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. (b) The regulations in 34 CFR part 299, General Provisions, Elementary and Secondary Education Act, published on May 22, 1997, in the Federal Register (62 FR 2827) Description of Program Funds under this program are to provide for preservice and inservice professional development for bilingual education teachers and other educational personnel. Activities will assist educational personnel in meeting State and local certification requirements for bilingual education and, wherever possible, will lead to the awarding of college or university credit. Priorities Competitive Priority 1 The Secretary, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) and 34 CFR 299.3(b), gives preference to applications that meet the following competitive priority. The Secretary awards up to 3 points for an application that meets this competitive priority. These points are in addition to any points the application earns under the selection criteria for the program: Projects that will contribute to a systemic educational reform in an Empowerment Zone, including a Supplemental Empowerment Zone, or an Enterprise Community designated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development or the United States Department of Agriculture, and are made an integral part of the Zone's or Community's comprehensive community revitalization strategies. Note: A list of areas that have been designated as Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities is provided at the end of this notice. Competitive Priority 2 Under 34 CFR 75.105 (c)(2)(ii) and section 7143(b) of the Act, the Secretary gives a competitive preference to applications that meet the following priority: Institutions of higher education, in consortia with local or State educational agencies, that offer degree programs that prepare new bilingual education teachers in order to increase the availability of educators to provide high-quality education to limited English proficient students. The Secretary selects applications that meet this priority over applications of comparable merit that do not meet the priority. Invitational Priorities The Secretary is particularly interested in applications that meet one of the following invitational priorities in the next paragraphs. However, an application that meets these invitational priorities receives no competitive or absolute preference over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)). Applicants that propose to provide special support for new bilingual teachers during their initial teaching years. Applicants that propose to improve teacher preparation programs in institutions of higher education to better prepare all teachers to meet the needs of LEP students. 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. (a) Need for project. (10 points) (1) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. (2) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors: (i) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the proposed project. (ii) 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 the magnitude of those gaps or weaknesses. (Authority: 34 CFR 75.210 (a)(2)(i) and (v)) (b) Quality of the project design. (50 points) (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. (2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors: (i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. (ii) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population or other identified needs. (iii) 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. (iv) The extent to which the proposed activities constitute a coherent, [[Page 68113]] sustained program of training in the field. (v) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (vi) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community, State, and Federal resources. (vii) 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. (viii) The extent to which fellowship recipients or other project participants are to be selected on the basis of academic excellence. (Authority: 34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(i), (ii), (v), (xii), (xiii), (xvi), (xviii), and (xxiii)) (c) Quality of project services. (15 points) (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project. (2) 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 under represented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors: (i) The extent to which the training or 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. (ii) The extent to which the training or professional development services to be provided by the proposed project are likely to alleviate the personnel shortages that have been identified or are the focus of the proposed project. (iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project are focused on those with greatest need. (Authority: 34 CFR 75.210(d)(2) and (3)(v), (vi), and (xi)) (d) Quality of project personnel. (5 points) (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project. (2) 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 underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factor: The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel. (Authority: 34 CFR 75.210(e)(2) and (3)(ii) (e) Quality of the management plan. (5 points) (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. (2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factor: 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. (Authority: 34 CFR 75.210(g)(2)(i)) (f) Quality of the project evaluation. (15 points) (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. (2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors: (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for examining the effectiveness of project implementation strategies. (ii) 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. (iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes. (Authority: 34 CFR 75.210(h)(2)(iii), (iv), and (vi)). 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). 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 #84.195A, 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 three copies of the application on or before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA# 84.195A), Washington, D.C. 20202-4725 or (2) Hand-deliver the original and three 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# 84.195A), Room #3633, Regional Office Building #3, Third 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. [[Page 68114]] (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 is divided into three parts containing 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. These parts and additional materials are organized in the same manner that the submitted application should be organized. The parts and additional materials are as follows: Part I: Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424 (Rev. 4-88)) and instructions. Part II: Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED Form No. 524) and instructions. Part III: Application Narrative. Additional Materials: a. Estimated Public Reporting Burden. b. Group Application Certification. c. Participant Data. d. Project Documentation. e. Program Assurances. f. Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B) and instructions. g. Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED 80-0013) and instructions. h. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED 80-0014, 9/90) and instructions. Note: This form is intended for the use of grantees and should not be transmitted to the Department i. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL) (if applicable) and instructions. The document has been marked to reflect statutory changes. See the notice published by the Office of Management and Budget in the Federal Register (61 FR 1413) 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 and three copies of the application. Please mark each application as ``original'' or ``copy''. No grant may be awarded unless a completed application has been received. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Ryan (202) 205-8842 or Petraine Johnson (202) 205-8766 (for applicants located in Western States); Mahal May (202) 205-8727 or Steve Van Pelt (202) 205-8732 (for applicants located in Eastern States); and Carol Manitaras (202) 205- 9729 (for applicants located in Midwestern States), U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 5090, Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-6510. 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 persons 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. 7473. Dated: December 23, 1997. Delia Pompa, Director, Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs. Instructions For Estimated Public Reporting Burden 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. Date: 4/30/98. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 80 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 any 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., Washington, D.C. 20202-6510. The following forms and other items must be included in the application: 1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424) 2. Group Application Certification (if applicable) 3. Budget Information (ED Form No. 524) 4. Itemized Budget for each year 5. Participant Data 6. Project Documentation Section A--Copy of Transmittal Letter to SEA requesting SEA to comment on application Section B--Documentation of Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community--if applicable 7. Program Assurances 8. Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B) [[Page 68115]] 9. Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED 80-0013) 10. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED 80-0014) 11. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) 12. Table of Contents 13. Application Narrative (not to exceed 30 pages including abstract, see instructions below) 14. One original and three copies of the application for transmittal to the Department's Application Control Center. Mandatory Page Limits for the Application Narrative The application narrative must not exceed the equivalent of 30 pages, using the following standards: (1) These pages must be double- spaced and printed on one side only. (2) A legible font size and adequate margins should be used. (3) The narrative must be paginated. (4) The narrative portion of the application package, including abstract, charts, graphs, tables, position descriptions, illustrations, and appendices, must not exceed the 30-page limit. The narrative section should begin with an abstract that includes a short description of the population to be served by the project, project objectives, planned project activities, and priorities addressed. The page limit applies only to item 13 (not including the abstract) and not to the other items in the checklist. Applications with a narrative section that exceeds the page limit will not be considered for funding. Application Narrative 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. Provide position descriptions, not resumes. Budget Budget line items must support the goals and objectives of the proposed project and be directly applicable to the program design and all other project components. Final Application Preparation Use the above checklist to verify that all items are addressed. Prepare one original with an original signature, and include three additional copies. Do not use elaborate bindings or covers. The application package must be mailed to the Application Control Center (ACC) and postmarked by the deadline date of February 23, l998. Submission of Application to State Educational Agency Section 7146(a)(4) of the Act (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. 7476(a)(4)). 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). 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 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 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 Requirements 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). [[Page 68116]] 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. Empowerment Zones And Enterprise Communities Empowerment Zones (Listed Alphabetically by State) * --------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Denotes rural designee. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- California: Los Angeles California: Oakland Georgia: Atlanta Illinois: Chicago Kentucky: Kentucky Highlands* Maryland: Baltimore Massachusetts: Boston Michigan: Detroit Mississippi: Mid Delta* Missouri/Kansas: Kansas City, Kansas City New York: Harlem, Bronx Ohio: Cleveland Pennsylvania/New Jersey: Philadelphia, Camden Texas: Houston Texas: Rio Grande Valley Enterprise Community (EC) Alabama: Birmingham Alabama: Chambers County* Alabama: Greene, Sumter Counties* Arizona: Phoenix Arizona: Arizona Border* Arkansas: East Central* Arkansas: Mississippi County* California: L.A., Huntington Park California: San Diego California: San Francisco, Bayview, Hunter's Point California: Watsonville* Colorado: Denver Connecticut: Bridgeport Connecticut: New Haven Delaware: Wilmington District of Columbia: Washington Florida: Jackson County* Florida: Tampa Florida: Miami, Dade County Georgia: Albany Georgia: Central Savannah* Georgia: Crisp, Dooley Counties* Illinois: East St. Louis Illinois: Springfield Indiana: Indianapolis Iowa: Des Moines Kentucky: Louisville Louisiana: Northeast Delta* Louisiana: Macon Ridge* Louisiana: New Orleans Louisiana: Ouachita Parish Massachusetts: Lowell Massachusetts: Springfield Michigan: Five Cap* Michigan: Flint Michigan: Muskegon Minnesota: Minneapolis Minnesota: St. Paul Mississippi: Jackson Mississippi: North Delta* Missouri: East Prairie* Missouri: St. Louis Nebraska: Omaha Nevada: Clarke County, Las Vegas New Hampshire: Manchester New Jersey: Newark New Mexico: Albuquerque New Mexico: Moro, Rio Arriba, Taos Counties* New York: Albany, Schenectady, Troy New York: Buffalo New York: Newburgh, Kingston New York: Rochester North Carolina: Charlotte North Carolina: Halifax, Edgecombe, Wilson Counties* North Carolina: Robeson County* Ohio: Akron Ohio: Columbus Ohio: Grater Portsmouth * Oklahoma: Choctaw, McCurtain Counties* Oklahoma: Oklahoma City Oregon: Josephine* Oregon: Portland Pennsylvania: Harrisburg Pennsylvania: Lock Haven* Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Rhode Island: Providence South Dakota: Deadle, Spink Counties* South Carolina: Charleston South Carolina: Williamsburg County* Tennessee: Fayette, Haywood Counties* Tennessee: Memphis Tennessee: Nashville Tennessee/Kentucky: Scott, McCreary Counties* Texas: Dallas Texas: El Paso Texas: San Antonio Texas: Waco Utah: Ogden Vermont: Burlington Virginia: Accomack* Virginia: Norfolk Virginia: Lower Yakima* Washington: Seattle Washington: Tacoma West Virginia: West Central* West Virginia: Huntington West Virginia: McDowell* Wisconsin: Milwaukee Questions and Answers Does the Teachers and Personnel Grants Program have specific evaluation requirements? Yes, the evaluation requirements are described in Section 7149 of Title VII of ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 7479. What priorities exist for the Teachers and Personnel Grants? Fiscal Year 1998, the Department has announced an invitational priority for applicants proposing to improve teacher preparation programs in institutions of higher education to better prepare all teachers to meet the needs of LEP students. In addition, the department has announced an invitational priority for applicants which propose to provide special support for new bilingual teachers during their initial teaching years. The competitive priorities for this program are (1) for institutions of higher education, in consortia with local or State educational agencies, that offer degree programs that prepare new bilingual education teachers in order to increase the availability of educators to provide high-quality education to limited English proficient students, and, (2) for programs that will contribute to systemic educational reform in an Empowerment Zone, including a Supplemental Empowerment Zone, or an Enterprise Community, and are made an integral part of the Zone's or Community's comprehensive revitalization strategies. Applicants proposing to address invitational or competitive priorities may include in their abstracts a brief description of their plans to address the priorities. What requirements must grantees meet related to teacher certification? The Title VII statute requires grantees to assist educational personnel in meeting State and local certification requirements. 20 U.S.C. 7477. However, because certification requirements vary among States, applicants are given flexibility in designing activities that lead to meeting State and local certification requirements. What activities are authorized under Teachers and Personnel Grants? Authorized activities are those which support the purpose of the program: providing preservice and inservice professional development for teachers and other educational personnel. Such activities may include, but are not limited to, the development of program curricula; collaboration with local school districts in designing new teacher training activities; reforming [[Page 68117]] and improving teacher training programs to reflect high standards of professionalism. Institutions of higher education, applying in consortia arrangements with one or more local educational agencies or State educational agencies are eligible to submit applications proposing preservice and inservice programs. This means the institution of higher education would be the lead agency and the fiscal agent for the grant. State and local educational agencies may submit applications and act as fiscal agents and lead agencies for projects that propose to carry out inservice--but not preservice--professional development. May program budgets include costs for items other than student tuition and fees? Project budgets should reflect the proposed program activities. In addition to student support costs, budget items may include costs for personnel, supplies or equipment, and other reasonable and necessary costs to support developmental activities. What information may be helpful in preparing the application narrative for a Teachers and Personnel Grant? In responding to the selection criteria applicants may wish to consider the following questions as a guide for preparing application narrative. * What are the specific responsibilities of districts, schools, institutions of higher education and other partnership organizations in planning, implementing and evaluating the proposed program? How is the program linked to the school district's or school's overall professional development plan? What resources and support will each of the consortia members provide? How will resources be integrated to ensure maximum effectiveness of the program and to promote capacity building and long-range collaboration? * How does the training curricula reflect high standards for pedagogy, content, and proficiency in English and a second language to ensure that participants are effectively prepared to provide instruction and support to LEP students? * How will the program assist in systemically reforming policies and practices in the target schools and in the IHE related to the preparation of new teachers, the induction of new bilingual teachers, clinical experiences for new bilingual teachers and other educational personnel, and professional development opportunities for all teachers? * What special selection criteria will the applicant adopt to ensure that individuals selected to participate in the program hold promise for successfully completing program requirements? What special support will be provided to new bilingual teachers by experienced bilingual teachers, higher education faculty, and school administrators to guide them during their period of induction or their period of training? * How will the instructional responsibilities of new teachers be balanced with appropriate professional development, support and planning time? * How will clinical experiences for preservice participants be structured to ensure that they are well-supervised, of sufficient duration and in a setting which provides opportunities for participants to experience a variety of effective bilingual education instructional methods and approaches? * How is the training curriculum based on current research related to effective teaching and learning? What evidence of effectiveness supports the training model? * What performance indicators will the proposed program use to support the effectiveness of the program related to, for example: Improved teaching practices; participants' effectiveness in the instructional setting; improved performance on National or State benchmark tests; reduction in the number of new bilingual teachers leaving the profession; improvement of graduation rates? * How will the program evaluation incorporate strategies for assessing the progress and performance of participants; communicating meaningful, regular and timely feedback to participants; improving the quality of the training program; documenting and identifying exemplary program features and successful strategies; and reporting on specific data related to the number of participants completing the program and the number of graduates placed in the instructional setting? * How will the proposed program improve course curricula and the skills and knowledge of higher education faculty to better prepare ALL teachers in content and pedagogy related to the needs of LEP students? BILLING CODE 4000-01-P [[Page 68118]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.097 [[Page 68119]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.098 [[Page 68120]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.099 [[Page 68121]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.100 [[Page 68122]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.101 [[Page 68123]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.102 [[Page 68124]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.103 [[Page 68125]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.104 [[Page 68126]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.105 [[Page 68127]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.106 [[Page 68128]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.107 [[Page 68129]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.108 [[Page 68130]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.109 [[Page 68131]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.110 [[Page 68132]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.111 [[Page 68133]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30DE97.112 [FR Doc. 97-33952 Filed 12-24-97; 8:58 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-C