040199d:Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs; Federal Activities Grants Program--Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative; Final Priority and Selection Criteria; Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1999; Notices [OESE]

  

[Federal Register: April 1, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 62)]
[Notices]               
[Page 15905-15909]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01ap99-186]


[[Page 15905]]

_______________________________________________________________________

Part III

Department of Education
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
_______________________________________________________________________
Department of Justice
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
_______________________________________________________________________
Department of Health and Human Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs; Federal 
Activities Grants Program--Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative; 
Final Priority and Selection Criteria; Inviting Applications for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year 1999; Notices


[[Page 15906]]



DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

 
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; Center for 
Mental Health Services; Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities 
National Programs; Federal Activities Grants Program--Safe Schools/
Healthy Students Initiative; Notice of Final Priority and Selection 
Criteria

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of final priority and selection criteria for fiscal year 
1999.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Secretary of Education (the Secretary), with the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General, announces a 
final priority and selection criteria for fiscal year (FY) 1999. Under 
this priority, the Departments of Education (ED), Health and Human 
Services (HHS), and Justice (DOJ) will fund the implementation and 
enhancement of comprehensive community-wide strategies for creating 
safe and drug-free schools and promoting healthy childhood development.
    To be funded, local comprehensive plans must address the following 
six elements and may address other elements as determined by the needs 
of the community: (1) Safe school environment; (2) youth alcohol and 
drug prevention, violence prevention, and early intervention; (3) 
school and community mental health preventive and treatment 
intervention programs; (4) early childhood psychosocial and emotion 
development services; (5) educational reform; and (6) safe school 
policies.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This notice takes effect April 1, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Detailed information regarding the Safe Schools/Healthy Students 
Initiative is available at the following sites on the World Wide Web:

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org
http://www.usdoj.gov/cops
http://www.samhsa.gov
http://www.mentalhealth.org

    Individuals who use a telecommunications devices 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: More than a generation of research has 
provided a solid knowledge base of the complex risk processes that lead 
to violent outcomes for children, families, schools, and communities. 
Antisocial behaviors of children and adolescents at highest risk arise 
from the interaction of multiple environmental and individual 
antecedents that begin early in the child's life. They include (1) 
stressful family environments; (2) lack of parenting skills; (3) 
alienation between family and school (and other community 
institutions); and (4) individual characteristics of the child that may 
be biologically based (e.g., irritability, impulsivity), that interfere 
with critical early attachment and nurturing relationships and later 
make the child's behavior difficult to control. This results in the 
early onset of aggressive behaviors, an increase in behavior problems 
at home, and the continuation and escalation of problems with peers and 
teachers when the child reaches school age. Unless interrupted, 
antisocial behavior persists throughout the school career and on into 
adulthood. High risk converges in middle school and accelerates into 
adolescence. Risk is exacerbated by exposure to negative peer pressure 
and a noxious environment where few protective factors are available. 
This, in turn, increases the likelihood of interpersonal violence and 
other antisocial behavior, substance abuse and addiction, potential 
drug dealing, the emergence of disorders such as depression and 
anxiety, academic failure, risky sexual behaviors leading to increased 
risk for HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases, and teen 
pregnancy.
    The Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative draws on the best 
practices of the education, justice, social service, and mental health 
systems to promote a comprehensive, integrated framework for use by 
communities in planning, designing, and implementing programs to 
prevent school violence and youth alcohol and other drug use. This 
comprehensive framework includes: (1) Establishing school-community 
partnerships; (2) identifying and measuring the problem; (3) setting 
measurable goals and objectives; (4) identifying appropriate research-
based programs and strategies; (5) implementing the programs and 
strategies in an integrated fashion; (6) evaluating the outcomes of the 
programs and strategies; and (7) revising the comprehensive plan on the 
basis of evaluation information.
    The goal of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative is to help 
students develop the skills and emotional resilience necessary to 
promote positive mental health and engage in pro-social behavior, and, 
thereby prevent violent behavior and alcohol and other drug use to 
ensure that all students who attend the schools served by this 
initiative are able to learn in a safe, disciplined, and drug-free 
environment. Successful applicants will provide students, schools, and 
families within the targeted geographic area to be served a network of 
effective comprehensive services, supports, and activities that promote 
healthy development and safety.
    Eligible Applicants: Local educational agencies.
    The Secretary, with the Secretary of HHS and the Attorney General, 
will award approximately 50 grants in fiscal year 1999 to local 
educational agencies. To be eligible for funding applicants must:
    (a) Demonstrate that they have developed a comprehensive, 
integrated, community-wide Safe Schools/Healthy Students Plan in 
partnership with, at a minimum, their local public mental health 
authority and law enforcement agency, students and members of their 
families, teachers, and juvenile justice officials, and that the plan 
addresses at least the following six elements:
    (1) safe school environment;
    (2) youth alcohol and drug prevention, violence prevention, and 
early intervention;
    (3) school and community mental health preventive and treatment 
intervention services;
    (4) early childhood psychosocial and emotional development 
services;
    (5) educational reform; and
    (6) safe school policies;
    (b) Submit a written agreement signed by the school superintendent, 
the head of the local public mental health authority, and the chief law 
enforcement executive adopting the plan that describes (1) the goals 
and objectives of the partnership, and (2) a delineation of the roles 
and responsibilities of the partners;
    (c) Submit a written agreement signed by the school superintendent 
and head of the local public mental health organization that describes 
the procedures the signatories will use for referral, treatment, and 
follow-up by the appropriate mental health system for children and 
adolescents with serious mental health problems;

[[Page 15907]]

    (d) Provide a baseline assessment of risk factors among students 
and within the community, and resources and services available to 
students and their families, including:
    (1) Risk factors among students such as the number of students 
engaged in alcohol and drug use and violent behavior; incidence and 
prevalence of alcohol and drug use by youth; weapon carrying or 
possessing in schools; incidents of serious and violent crime in 
schools; truancy and other unauthorized absences; suicidal behaviors; 
student suspensions and/or expulsions for drug use or violent behavior; 
students on probation; students in juvenile justice placements; 
students in foster care and child protective services; children abused 
and neglected; students with emotional and behavioral disorders; and 
data on school attendance and student academic performance.
    (2) Community risk factors such as socioeconomic conditions as 
measured by the percentage of families at or below the poverty level 
and the percentage of students receiving free and reduced cost meals at 
schools; population turnover; racial and ethnic heterogeneity; housing 
density; household composition; crime and delinquency rates, including 
domestic violence and rape; and suicide rates.
    (3) Resources and services available to students and their families 
such as number of after-school programs; number of youth served by 
programs to build social skills; number and quality of community mental 
health and social service organizations available to provide services 
to children, adolescents, and families; number of youth participating 
in academic readiness programs; number and types of early intervention 
services and programs; number and types of law enforcement prevention 
programs; number of substance abuse programs, and presence of a 
community anti-drug coalition.
    (e) Agree to participate in a national evaluation of the Initiative 
that will collect data on student risk indicators and outcomes of the 
program(s) implemented across sites on an annual basis.
    (f) Provide a local plan for evaluating the community-wide strategy 
and agree to set aside sufficient funds (not less than 5 percent of the 
project budget) to fund a local evaluator to assist with a range of 
evaluation activities.
    (g) In the comprehensive plan, provide for mental health services 
for all students.
    (h) Show that Federal regulations regarding possession of firearms 
and reporting of firearm offenses to appropriate law enforcement 
officials and regulations regarding tobacco use are being enforced.
    In making awards under this grant program, the Secretary, with the 
Secretary of HHS and the Attorney General, may (1) take into 
consideration the geographic distribution and diversity of activities 
addressed by the projects, in addition to the rank order of applicants, 
and (2) in accordance with Section 75.217(d) of the Education 
Department General Administrative Regulations, ensure equitable 
distribution of grants under this program among urban, suburban, and 
rural LEAs.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds, the Secretary, with the 
Secretary of HHS and the Attorney General, may make additional awards 
in fiscal year 2000 from the rank-ordered list of unfunded applicants 
from this competition.

    Note: This notice of final priority and selection criteria does 
not solicit applications. A notice inviting applications under this 
competition is published in a separate notice in this issue of the 
Federal Register.

    Applications for this competition must be received at the address 
specified in the notice inviting applications for this competition no 
later than 5 p.m. on June 1, 1999. Applications received after that 
time will not be eligible for funding. Postmarked dates will not be 
accepted.

Absolute Priority

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and 
Communities Act, and the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency 
Supplemental Appropriation Act of 1999, Public law 105-277, enacted 
October 21, 1998, the Secretary, with the Secretary of HHS and the 
Attorney General, gives an absolute preference to applications that 
meet the following priority.
    Absolute Priority--Enhancing and implementing comprehensive 
community-wide strategies for creating safe and drug-free schools and 
promoting healthy childhood development.
    Applicants proposing a project under this priority must demonstrate 
how the funds they are requesting support or enhance a comprehensive, 
integrated strategy for an entire school district. In circumstances 
where implementation of the strategy for an entire school district is 
not possible, applicants must provide a full explanation of how the 
chosen schools will receive all 6 elements of the plan, and why 
district-wide implementation is not feasible or appropriate.

Selection Criteria

    The Secretary, with the Secretary of HHS and the Attorney General, 
uses the following selection criteria to evaluate applications for new 
grants under this competition.
    The maximum total score for all of these criteria is 100 points.
    The maximum score for each criterion or factor under that criterion 
is indicated in parentheses.
    (a) Problem(s) to be addressed (20 points).
    In assessing the extent to which the application is based on a 
clear and accurate statement of a significant problem faced by the 
target community, the following factors are considered. (Note: 
Applicants from Federal Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities 
will have five points added to their score under this criterion, with 
the total number of points awarded not to exceed 20).
    (1) The magnitude or severity of the problem(s) to be addressed by 
the proposed strategy.
    (2) The extent to which existing gaps in services and resources 
exist, the magnitude of those gaps and weaknesses, and the extent to 
which the community is ready to improve current conditions.
    (3) The factual basis for the problem statement based on data 
including, at a minimum but not limited to, the rates of the following:

--students engaged in alcohol and drug use and violent behavior;
--incidence and prevalence of alcohol and drug use among youth;
--weapon carrying or possessing in schools;
--incidents of serious and violent crime in schools;
--truancy and other unauthorized absences;
--suicidal behaviors;
--student suspensions and expulsions;
--students on probation;
--students in juvenile justice placements;
--students in foster care and child protective services;
--children abused and neglected;
--students with emotional and behavioral disorders; and
--student attendance and academic performance data.

    (4) Evidence of community risk factors including:

--socioeconomic conditions as measured by the percentage of families at 
or below the poverty level and percentage of students receiving free 
and reduced cost meals at school;

[[Page 15908]]

--population turnover;
--racial and ethnic heterogeneity;
--housing density;
--household composition;
--crime and delinquency rates including domestic violence and rape; and
--suicide rates.

    (5) The extent to which the problem statement includes an 
assessment of the community resources available for children and 
adolescents, including:

--number of after-school programs;
--number of youth served by programs to build social skills;
--number and quality of community mental health and social service 
organizations available to provide services to children, adolescents, 
and families;
--number of youth participating in academic readiness programs;
--number and types of early intervention services and programs;
--number and types of law enforcement prevention programs;
--number and quality of substance abuse prevention programs; and
--presence of a community anti-drug coalition.

    (b) Goals and objectives (10 points).
    In assessing the goals and objectives of the proposed comprehensive 
plan, the following factors are considered.
    (1) The extent to which the goals and objectives for the proposed 
strategy are clearly defined, measurable, and attainable.
    (2) The extent to which the proposed strategy will meet the 
established goals and objectives and lead to healthy childhood 
development and positive mental health, and safe, disciplined, and 
alcohol and drug-free learning environments.
    (3) The extent to which the objectives identified are related to 
measurable action steps needed to achieve the goal(s).
    (c) Design of Proposed Strategy (30 points).
    In assessing the design of the proposed strategy, the following 
factors are considered. (Note: Ten of the 30 points available for this 
criterion will be awarded for item 9, extent to which activities/
interventions are evidence-based, for those strategies that propose 
activities under program elements 2,3, and/or 4 of the comprehensive 
plan.)
    (1) The extent to which the proposed strategy represents a 
comprehensive network in which each element of the Safe Schools/Healthy 
Students Initiative is addressed and incorporated in an integrated 
fashion;
    (2) The extent to which the intervention is appropriate for the age 
and developmental levels, gender, and ethnic and cultural diversity of 
the target population;
    (3) The extent to which the application clearly describes the 
programs, activities, and services that comprise the proposed strategy;
    (4) The extent to which the application demonstrates a linkage 
between program activities and objectives of the strategy;
    (5) The adequacy of the identified performance measures to 
demonstrate whether and to what extent the proposed strategy is meeting 
its short-term, intermediate, and long-term objectives;
    (6) The extent to which the proposed strategy will be coordinated 
with similar or related efforts and will establish linkages with other 
appropriate agencies and organizations providing services to the target 
population including community, State, and Federal resources.
    (7) Adequacy and appropriateness of the plan to collect data 
related to violence from a variety of sources such as mental health 
services, social services, schools, law enforcement agencies, and the 
juvenile justice system.
    (8) The potential for continued support of the strategy after 
Federal funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated 
commitment of appropriate entities to such support.
    (9) The extent to which the activities/interventions proposed under 
program elements 2, 3, and/or 4 of the comprehensive plan are evidence-
based; that is, they have a solid base of research evidence 
demonstrating effectiveness. (10 points)
    (10) The extent to which the program is adequately documented so 
that both the process and positive outcome can be easily replicated.
    (11) The extent to which the program selected is designed to help 
meet the goals and objectives of the community's comprehensive plan.
    (d) (Evaluation Plan (10 points)
    In determining the quality of the evaluation plan, the following 
factors will be considered:
    (1) The extent to which the plan provides information for 
increasing the effectiveness of management and administration of the 
comprehensive plan, documents that objectives have been met, and 
determines the overall effectiveness of the plan, its programs, and 
strategies.
    (2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed strategy.
    (3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
timely guidance for quality assurance.
    (e) Management and Organizational Capability (20 points).
    In determining the quality of management and organizational 
capability, the following factors are considered:
    (1) The level of commitment proposed by the written agreements 
signed by the school superintendent, the head of the local public 
mental health authority, and the chief law enforcement executive, as 
well as written agreements with other community partners.
    (2) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in 
the proposed strategy to the implementation and success of the 
strategy.
    (3) 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.
    (4) The adequacy of procedures for communicating and sharing 
information among all partners to ensure feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the strategy.
    (5) The skills, experience, time commitments, and educational 
requirements of key staff and relevance of the objectives of the 
proposed strategy.
    (6) The extent to which staff and the training of those staff 
reflect the needs of the population to be served.
    (f) Budget (10 points).
    In determining the quality of the budget, the following factors 
will be considered:
    (1) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
number of students to be served and to the anticipated benefits and 
results; and
    (2) The extent to which fiscal control and accounting procedures 
will ensure prudent use, proper and timely disbursement and accurate 
accounting of funds received under the grant.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    It is the Secretary's practice, in accordance with the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), to offer interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed rules. Section 437(d)(1) 
of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), however, exempts from 
this requirement rules that apply to the first competition under a new 
or substantially revised program. Funding was provided for this new 
initiative in the fiscal year 1999 appropriations act enacted October 
21, 1998. The Secretary, in accordance with

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section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, has decided to forego public comment in 
order to ensure timely grant awards.

Intergovernmental Review

    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 processes developed by State and local governments for 
coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance.
    In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide 
early notification of the Federal Departments' specific plans and 
actions for this program.

Electronic Access to This Document

    Anyone may view this document on the World Wide Web at the 
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed/gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/OESE/SDFS
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org
http://www.usdoj.gov/cops
http://www.samhsa.gov
http://www.mentalhealth.org

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.

    Dated: March 25, 1999.
Judith Johnson,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary 
Education.
Shay Bilchik,
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Joseph Brann,
Director, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
Nelba Chavez,
Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.184L, Safe and 
Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act National Programs--Federal 
Activities Grants Program.)

[FR Doc. 99-7943 Filed 3-31-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U