[Federal Register: May 6, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 87)] [Notices] [Page 24770-24773] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06my97-103] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs-- Federal Activities Grants Program AGENCY: Department of Education. ACTION: Notice of final priorities and selection criteria for fiscal year 1997. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Secretary announces final priorities and selection criteria for fiscal year 1997 under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs Federal Activities Grants Program. The Secretary takes this action to focus Federal financial assistance on identified needs to improve programs to prevent drug use and violence among youth. EFFECTIVE DATE: These priorities and selection criteria take effect June 5, 1997. DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: Applications for these competitions must be received at the address specified in the application package for these competitions no later than 4:30 p.m. on the deadline date in the notice inviting applications. Applications received after that time will not be eligible for funding. Postmarked dates will not be accepted. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about the two priorities under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs Federal Activities Grants Program, contact the U.S. Department of Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program, 600 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20202-6123. Telephone: (202) 260- 3954. FAX (202) 260-7767. Internet: http//www.Bryan__Williams@ed.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 (in the Washington, DC 202 area code, telephone 708-9300) between 8 am and 8 pm, Eastern time, Monday through Friday. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains two final priorities and related selection criteria under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs Federal [[Page 24771]] Activities Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to prevent the illegal use of drugs and violence among, and promote safety and discipline for, students at all educational levels from preschool through the postsecondary level. Note: Contingent upon the availability of funds, the Secretary may make additional awards in fiscal year 1998 from the rank-ordered list of unfunded applicants from these competitions. In making awards under these grant competitions, the Secretary may take into consideration the geographic distribution and diversity of activities addressed by the projects, in addition to the rank order of applications. Absolute Priorities Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1994, the Secretary gives an absolute preference to applications that meet one of the following priorities. The Secretary will fund under these competitions only those applications that meet one of these absolute priorities: Absolute Priority 1 and Selection Criteria--Replication of Effective Programs or Strategies to Prevent Youth Drug Use, Violent Behavior, or Both (CFDA # 84.184F) Absolute Priority 1 Under this priority, applicants must propose projects that-- (1) Will replicate, with fidelity, a program or strategy that has demonstrated sustained reductions in youth drug use, violent behavior, or both, over at least a two-year period; (2) Are clearly responsive to identified needs of the student population that will be served; and (3) Will include a rigorous evaluation of the project that focuses on measurement and analysis of behavior change among students as a direct result of the program. Programs or strategies eligible for replication under this competition are those that (1) Have been evaluated and found effective in research studies funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse or another Federal agency, or (2) have findings demonstrating effectiveness published in a peer-reviewed journal of national distribution. Locally developed programs are also eligible for replication if they have been tested within a single population (cohort) of students over at least a two-year period and have demonstrated measurable reductions in student drug use, violent behavior, or both. Applicants proposing a locally developed project must provide evaluation data that is well documented and clearly demonstrates the program's effectiveness as of the date of this notice. For purposes of this competition, fidelity of implementation means implementing the program in the same manner as the program was implemented when it was proven to be effective in preventing or reducing drug use, or violent behavior, or both, inclusive of all components of the program or strategy that the developer and evaluator consider to be key, unique, and necessary features. These components may include, but need not be limited to, the use of specified materials, teaching techniques, and approaches; involvement of specified persons or stakeholders with particular functions or roles; and performing specified activities according to a specified sequence or schedule. Additional Information This priority supports the implementation of drug and violence prevention programs and strategies that are data-driven--that is, are based on analysis of objective data about problems that need to be addressed, have measurable goals and objectives, and use prevention approaches that research has demonstrated to be effective in preventing or reducing drug use, violent behavior, or both. Examples of some drug prevention programs that have been proven effective may be found in Preventing Drug Use Among Children and Adolescents published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The document is available from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI), PO Box 2345, Rockville, MD 20874-2345; 1-800- 729-6686. Examples of some approaches to violence prevention are contained in abstracts of programs evaluated by the Centers for Disease Control. The abstracts are available from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. Selection Criteria The Secretary uses the following selection criteria to evaluate applications for new grants under this competition. The maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion or factor under that criterion is indicated in parentheses. (1) Significance. (30 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 extent to which the proposed project involves the development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, or are alternatives to, existing strategies. (15 points) (B) The potential replicability of the proposed project or strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation in a variety of settings. (10 points) (C) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely to be attained by the proposed project. (5 points) (2) 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. (3 points) (B) The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating the proposed project will result in information to guide possible replication of project activities or strategies, including information about the effectiveness of the approach or strategies employed by the project. (7 points) (C) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (10 points) (3) Adequacy of resources. (20 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 costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. (5 points) (B) 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. (5 points) (C) The potential for the incorporation of project purposes, activities, or benefits into the ongoing program of the agency or organization at the end of Federal funding. (10 points) (4) Quality of the management plan. (5 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 [[Page 24772]] project, the Secretary considers 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. (5 points) (5) Quality of the project evaluation. (25 points) (i) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. (ii) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors: (A) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives and outcomes of the proposed project. (5 points) (B) 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. (10 points) (C) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other settings. (10 points) Absolute Priority 2 and Selection Criteria--State and Local Educational Agency Drug and Violence Prevention Data Collection (CFDA #84.184 G) Absolute Priority 2 Under this priority, applicants must propose projects that-- (1) Develop, improve, expand, or enhance the collection of data related to youth drug use and violence; and (2) Develop and implement processes that ensure that high-quality data is used to assess needs, select interventions, and assess success of drug and violence prevention activities funded under the SDFSCA State Grants Program. Projects may be state-wide in scope or limited to an individual local educational agency with a student enrollment that exceeds 30,000. To be considered for funding under this competition, a project must include-- (1) Concrete plans, with timelines, that detail how the results of new or improved data collection efforts will be incorporated into State and local educational agency efforts to inform policy, assess needs, select interventions, and assess success of drug and violence prevention efforts; (2) Outcomes-based performance indicators that will be used to judge the success of the project; and (3) A description of how efforts proposed as part of the project have been coordinated with and will not duplicate data collection efforts being implemented by other State or local agencies. Additional Information This priority supports development and improvement of the capacity of State and local educational agencies to collect and use objective data to make informed decisions about drug and violence prevention programming in schools. The Secretary expects that projects funded under this priority will emphasize the collection and use of outcomes measures, such as reduced rates of drug use and violence, rather than relying solely on process measures that simply describe the implementation of a program or participants' levels of satisfaction with the activity. State and local educational agencies are expected to use the data to develop baseline information about the nature and extent of the drug and violence problems in their schools; to use SDFSCA State Grant and other funds to design and implement appropriate programs and activities to address those problems; and to assess the success of those programs and activities following implementation. Selection Criteria The Secretary uses the following criteria to evaluate proposals submitted under this priority. The maximum score for all of the criteria in this section is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses with the criterion. (1) Need for project. (15 points) (i) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. (ii) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors: (A) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or the activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (B) 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. (25 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 likelihood that the proposed project will result in system change or improvement. (C) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the needs of the target population. (3) Quality of the project design. (25 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 project is designed to build capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of Federal financial assistance. (C) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community, State and Federal resources. (4) Adequacy of resources. (15 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 costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project. (B) The potential for the incorporation of project purposes, activities, or benefits into the ongoing program of the agency or organization at the end of Federal funding. (5) Quality of the management plan. (10 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 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. (6) Quality of the project evaluation. (10 points) (i) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. (ii) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers the extent to which the methods of [[Page 24773]] evaluation will provide performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 The selection criteria for this program contain information collection requirements. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3504(h)), the Department of Education will submit a copy of this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its review. Collection of Information: Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs--Federal Activities Grants Program These selection criteria will affect the following types of entities eligible to apply for a grant under this program: State and local educational agencies, institutions or higher education, other nonprofit agencies, organizations, and institutions; and any combinations of these types of entities. The Department needs, and will use, the information related to the selection criteria for this program to enable the Secretary to determine which applicants would most likely develop, implement, and validate successful model projects for demonstration throughout the Nation. Annual public reporting and record-keeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 hours per response for 300 respondents, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Organizations and individuals desiring to submit comments on the information collection requirements should direct them to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Room 10235, New Executive Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20503; Attention: Desk Officer for U.S. Department of Education. The Department considers comments by the public on this proposed collection of information in-- * Evaluating whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; * Evaluating the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; * Enhancing the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected; and * Minimizing the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology; e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. OMB is required to make a decision concerning the information collection requirements between 30 and 60 days after publication of this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment to OMB is best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication of this notice. Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), it is the practice of the Department to offer interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed rules. Ordinarily, this practice would have applied to the rules in this notice. However, the Secretary waives rulemaking under section 553(b)(B) of the Administrative Procedure Act. This section provides that rulemaking is not required when the agency for good cause finds that notice and public procedure are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. The Secretary believes that, in order to make timely grant awards using Fiscal Year (FY) 1997 funds, public comment on these rules is impracticable. Congress did not provide authority to use FY 1997 funds for Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs until March 1997. The Secretary must make new awards no later than September 30, 1997, and recipients should be able to implement projects as early as possible in the 1997-98 school year. Therefore, in order to give applicants enough time to prepare their applications and the Department sufficient time to conduct the lengthy review process in this notice, it is now impracticable to receive public comments and still allow FY 1997 awards to be made by September 30, 1997. Intergovernmental Review This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. The objective of the Executive Order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened 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 Department's specific plans and actions for this program. Note: This notice of final priorities and selection criteria does not solicit applications. A notice inviting applications under these competitions is published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7131. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.184F and 84.184G Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act National Programs-- Federal Activities Grants Program) Dated: May 1, 1997. Gerald N. Tirozzi, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education. [FR Doc. 97-11771 Filed 5-5-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P