FR Doc E5-438
[Federal Register: February 4, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 23)]
[Notices]
[Page 5977-5978]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04fe05-47]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Comprehensive School Reform Quality Initiatives
AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priorities.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary announces priorities under the
Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) Quality Initiatives program. The
Assistant Secretary may use one or more of these priorities for
competitions for fiscal year (FY) 2004 and subsequent years' funds.
These priorities focus on schools that are in need of improvement,
corrective action, or restructuring and on student groups that have
been traditionally underserved, such as students with disabilities,
limited English proficient students, and students in rural areas.
EFFECTIVE DATE: These priorities are effective March 7, 2005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheila Sjolseth, U.S. Department of
Education, OESE/AITQ, 400 Maryland Ave, SW., FB-6, room 3W237,
http://www.ed.gov/programs/qualinits/index.html.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you 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 under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the CSR Quality Initiatives
program, authorized under section 1608 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), is to provide discretionary
grants to support activities that will enhance the State-administered
CSR program and to enable schools that have been identified as in need
of improvement, corrective action, or restructuring under Part A of
Title I of the ESEA to meet their State's definition of adequate yearly
progress (AYP). Under this program, the Assistant Secretary awards
funds to support two specific categories of activities. Grantees under
Category 1 will assist States, local educational agencies (LEAs), and
schools in making informed decisions regarding approving or selecting
providers of comprehensive school reform or in developing comprehensive
school reforms. Category 2 projects will foster the development of
comprehensive school reform models and support development of capacity
for comprehensive school reform providers to expand their work in more
schools and ensure quality.
We published a notice of proposed priorities for this program in
the Federal Register on December 1, 2004. (69 FR 69898). In the notice
we proposed four priorities--two priorities specific to Category 1
applications, one priority specific to Category 2 applications, and one
priority for both Category 1 and Category 2 applications. Except for a
change in the priority for Category 2 applications to clarify the
intent of the priority, and other technical changes, there are no
differences between the notice of proposed priorities and this notice
of final priorities.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to our invitation in the notice of proposed priorities,
one party submitted comments on the proposed priorities. This commenter
suggested that there be no matching requirement for Category 1
applicants. However, section 1608(1) of the ESEA requires a match for
Category 1 applications, and we believe that a 10 percent match, which
may include in-kind contributions, is reasonable. Accordingly, we have
not made a change to this matching requirement.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use one or more of these priorities, we invite
applications through a notice in the Federal Register. When inviting
applications we designate each priority as absolute, competitive
preference, or invitational. The effect of each type of priority
follows.
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority we consider only
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority we give competitive preference to an application by either (1)
awarding additional points, depending on how well or the extent to
which the application meets the competitive priority (34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting an application that meets the
competitive priority over an application of comparable merit that does
not meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the invitational
priority. However, we do not give an application that meets the
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invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other
applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Priorities
Priority for Category 1 Applicants
The grantee will provide assistance to States, LEAs, and schools in
approving or selecting a comprehensive school reform provider or in
developing comprehensive school reforms, for schools that are
identified as being in need of improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring under section 1116 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended. The applicant will provide a plan
for providing States, LEAs and schools with information tools and
technical assistance in such areas as using data to identify the
instructional needs of students and to clarify the technical assistance
and professional development needs of teachers and administrators.
Priority for Category 1 Applicants
The applicant must demonstrate, in its grant application, that its
CSR Quality Initiatives award will be matched with funds from one or
more private organizations. For each year that a grantee receives a CSR
Quality Initiatives award, the match, including any in-kind
contributions, must total at least 10 percent of the award.
Priority for Category 2 Applicants
The applicant will implement activities to develop and field-test
specific strategies to: (1) Meet the needs of students who have been
traditionally underserved by comprehensive reform providers, such as
students with disabilities and students with limited English
proficiency and to integrate those strategies into scientifically
research-based comprehensive school reforms, or (2) increase the
capacity of comprehensive reform providers to serve students in rural
areas. These strategies could be additions or enhancements to existing
CSR models or services already being provided.
Priority for Category 1 and 2 Applicants
The grantee will assist LEAs in more than one State.
Executive Order 12866
This notice of final priorities has been reviewed in accordance
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order, we have
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with the notice of final priorities
are those resulting from statutory requirements and those we have
determined as necessary for administering this program effectively and
efficiently to provide the most benefits for the greatest number of
students.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this notice of final priorities, we have determined
that the benefits of the proposed priorities justify the costs.
We have also determined that this regulatory action does not unduly
interfere with State, local and tribal governments in the exercise of
their governmental functions.
We summarized the costs and benefits in the notice of proposed
priorities.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive
Order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened
federalism. The Executive Order relies on processes developed by State
and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal
financial assistance.
This document provides early notification of our specific plans and
actions for this program.
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:
http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using 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.
You may also view this document in text at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/qualinits/index.html.
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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6518.
Dated: February 1, 2005.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.322B Comprehensive
School Reform--Quality Initiatives)
Raymond Simon,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. E5-438 Filed 2-3-05; 8:45 am]
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