[Federal Register: May 20, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 97)]
[Notices]
[Page 27546-27550]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No. 84.206A]
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Jacob K. Javits
Gifted and Talented Students Education Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 and Establishing
Two Absolute Priorities
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and
Talented Students Education Program (the Javits program) is to carry
out a coordinated program of scientifically based research,
demonstration projects, innovative strategies, and similar activities
designed to build and enhance the ability of elementary and secondary
schools nationwide to meet the special educational needs of gifted and
talented students.
Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs), local
educational agencies (LEAs), institutions of higher education, other
public agencies, and other private agencies and organizations
(including Indian tribes and Indian organizations and Native Hawaiian
organizations). Under the first priority in this competition, all of
these entities are eligible to apply. Under the second priority, an SEA
and one or more LEAs collaborate on the project and either the SEA or
an LEA is eligible to apply and to serve as the fiscal agent.
Notification of Intent to Apply for Funding: We strongly encourage
each potential applicant to notify us by June 6, 2003, of its intent to
submit an application for funding. We will be able to develop a more
efficient process of reviewing grant applications if we have an early
estimate of the number of entities that intend to apply for funding
under this competition. Notifications should be sent by e-mail to the
following Internet address: jacobk.javits@ed.gov.
Please put ``Notice of Intent, Priority 1'' or ``Notice of Intent,
Priority 2'' in the subject line. Applicants that choose not to provide
this e-mail notification may still apply for funding.
Applications Available: May 20, 2003.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 7, 2003.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: Septrember 2, 2003.
Available Funds: Priority 1--$5,100,000. Priority 2--$3,676,875.
Estimated Number of Awards: Priority 1--10. Priority 2--12.
Estimated Size of Awards: Priority 1--$400,000--$600,000. Priority
2--$200,000--$300,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: Priority 1--$500,000. Priority
2--$250,000.
Note: These estimates are projections for the guidance of potential
applicants. The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.)
Project Period: Up to 60 months for the first priority and up to 36
months for the second priority.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, 97, 98, and 99.
Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your
application. Applicants are strongly encouraged to limit the program
narrative (text plus all figures, charts, tables and diagrams) to the
equivalent of 25 pages, using the following standards:
[sbull] A page is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' margins
at the top, bottom and both sides.
[sbull] Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative.
[sbull] Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
[sbull] The page limit does not apply to Standard Form 424; the
project abstract; the budget section, including the narrative budget
justification; the assurances and certifications; or the resumes,
bibliography, or letters of support.
We have found that reviewers are able to conduct the highest-
quality review when applications are concise and easy to read, with
pages consecutively numbered.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and
Secondary Education invites applications for new grant awards for FY
2003 for the Javits program. In 2001, the Javits program was rewritten
in its entirety by Pub. L. 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
as the ``Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of
2001'' (The Act), and is now located in title V, part D, subpart 6 of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA),
under which these grants are authorized (20 U.S.C 7253 et seq.). The
Act supports a coordinated program of research, demonstration projects,
and other activities designed to build and enhance the ability of
schools nationwide to serve gifted and talented students.
The Assistant Secretary also announces two final absolute
priorities and final selection criteria to govern this competition and
the FY 2003 Javits program grant awards. In accordance with Sec.
5465(a) and (b) of the statute, the Assistant Secretary intends to give
priority to projects designed to: (1) develop new information that
improves the capability of schools to plan, conduct, and improve
programs to identify and serve gifted and talented students and, (2)
identify and serve students from underrepresented groups, including
economically disadvantaged, limited English proficient, and disabled
students. The Assistant Secretary also will implement Sec. 5464(c) of
the statute, requiring funding of certain projects when appropriation
levels for the Javits program in a given year exceed the FY 2001
appropriation.
Accordingly, the Assistant Secretary will make awards under the
following two absolute priorities to encourage activities that will
contribute to an understanding of the most effective ways to educate
gifted and talented students. These priorities will help to target
funds to high-needs populations within the general program purpose of
assisting States and local school districts to better serve gifted and
talented students.
The Assistant Secretary's first priority implements Sec. 5465(a)
of the statute and focuses on projects that propose to develop,
conduct, ``scale up'', and evaluate programs that identify and serve
gifted and talented students who are economically disadvantaged or
limited English proficient, or who have disabilities, and who may not
be identified and served through traditional assessment methods.
According to a 2002 report by the National Research Council titled
``Minority Students in Special and Gifted Education,'' these groups of
students remain significantly underrepresented at the highest levels of
performance. Over the past decade, small-scale model projects and
intervention strategies have produced some evidence of effectiveness in
raising student achievement to high levels. The goal of this first
priority is to expand upon, field-test, and evaluate research-based
interventions that have existing evidence of success in increasing the
proportion of economically disadvantaged, limited English proficient,
or disabled students performing at high levels of achievement. Based on
the experience of previous grant recipients, the Assistant Secretary
believes that these projects will be most successful if they are
carried out by applicants that can demonstrate an expertise in:
education research and program evaluation, one or more of the core
academic subject areas (English, reading or language arts, mathematics,
science, foreign languages,
[[Page 27547]]
civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography), the
needs of disadvantaged or other underrepresented students, and gifted
and talented education. In order to meet the absolute priority,
projects must: (1) build on successful interventions and strategies
that show evidence that they have increased student achievement, (2)
draw on expertise in research and program evaluation, disciplinary
knowledge in the core subject areas, the needs of underrepresented
groups, and gifted and talented education, (3) expand upon the
intervention by carrying it out in multiple sites, and (4) propose a
careful research and evaluation plan.
The Assistant Secretary establishes this first priority after
having reviewed the relevant research base and the evaluations of
previously funded projects, holding discussions with project directors,
and consulting with experts in the field.
The Assistant Secretary's second absolute priority implements the
``Special Rule'' in Sec. 5464(c) of the authorizing legislation that
requires any funds available in a fiscal year that exceed the amount
that was available in FY 2001 to be awarded to SEAs or LEAs, or both,
to carry out such activities as: research and development on gifted and
talented education and how it may be used to improve the education of
all students, program evaluations and information collection
activities, model projects and innovative strategies, technical
assistance and information dissemination, distance learning
opportunities, and professional development. Because the FY 2001
appropriation was $7.5 million and the FY 2003 appropriation is
$11,176,875, $3,676,875 will support Priority 2 activities. To ensure
the most effective use of funds for the above-stated purposes, under
this second priority the Assistant Secretary will fund collaborative
projects submitted by SEAs and one or more LEAs to carry out a
coordinated set of activities to build capacity to serve gifted and
talented students. Under this priority, either the SEA or an LEA may
submit the application on behalf of the other participants in the
collaborative project and either may be the fiscal agent for the
collaborative project.
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
that are not taken directly from statute. Ordinarily, this practice
would have applied to the priorities in this notice. However, section
437(d)(2) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), exempts the
Secretary from this rulemaking requirement where the Secretary has
determined that going through rulemaking would cause extreme hardship
to the intended beneficiaries of the program that would be affected by
those rules or regulations. In accordance with section 437(d)(2) of
GEPA, the Secretary has decided to forgo public comment with respect to
the priorities in this notice in order to be able to make timely and
high-quality awards. These priorities will apply only to the FY 2003
grant competition.
Absolute Priorities: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and the Jacob K.
Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 2001, the
Assistant Secretary gives absolute priority to applications that meet
one of the following priorities, meaning that only applications that
meet one of these absolute priorities will be funded. Each application
must address one of these two priorities. However, applicants cannot
address both priorities in the same application. Applicants eligible to
apply under both priorities must submit separate applications to
address each of the priorities, and the applications will be reviewed
separately.
Absolute Priority 1--Javits Demonstration Programs
Under this priority, applicants must propose to support projects to
plan, implement, ``scale up'', and evaluate models designed to close
the achievement gap and increase the number of students from
underrepresented groups who are performing at high levels.
Underrepresented groups include students who are economically
disadvantaged, limited English proficient, or disabled.
To meet this priority each project must include all of the
following:
(1) Evidence from one or more scientifically based research and
evaluation studies indicating that the proposed intervention has raised
the achievement of underrepresented groups to high levels of
achievement in one or more core subject areas.
(2) Evidence that the applicant has significant expertise on its
leadership team in research and program evaluation, knowledge in one or
more core academic subject areas, experience working with
underrepresented groups, and knowledge about gifted and talented
education.
(3) A sound plan for implementing the model in multiple settings.
(4) A research and evaluation plan that will yield both formative
and summative information on the effectiveness of the model, including
student achievement data.
Absolute Priority 2--Javits State Capacity-Building Grants
Under this priority, SEAs, in collaboration with one or more LEAs,
must propose projects to improve services to gifted and talented
students and develop the capacity of the State and the LEAs to serve
these students more effectively. Either the SEA, or one of the
participating LEAs, may submit the application on behalf of the other
participants and serve as the fiscal agent for the collaborative
project. Under this priority, applicants must propose to carry out one
or more of the following activities:
(1) Conducting scientifically based research on methods and
techniques for identifying and teaching gifted and talented students
and for using gifted and talented programs and methods to serve all
students; and conducting program evaluations, surveys, and the
collection, analysis, and development of information needed to
accomplish the proposed project.
(2) Conducting professional development (including fellowships) for
personnel (including leadership personnel) involved in the education of
gifted and talented students.
(3) Establishing and operating model projects and exemplary
programs for serving gifted and talented students, including innovative
methods for identifying and educating students who might not be served
by traditional gifted and talented programs. (These model projects
might include summer programs, mentoring programs, service-learning
programs, and cooperative programs involving business, industry, and
education.)
(4) Implementing innovative strategies, such as cooperative
learning, peer tutoring, and service learning.
(5) Providing programs of technical assistance and information
dissemination, including assistance and information with respect to how
gifted and talented programs and methods, where appropriate, may be
adapted for use by all students.
(6) Making materials and services available through State regional
educational service centers, institutions of higher education, or other
entities.
(7) Providing challenging, high-level course work, disseminated
through technologies (including distance learning), for individual
students or groups of students in schools and LEAs that would not
otherwise have the resources to provide such course work.
[[Page 27548]]
Other Requirements
The Assistant Secretary directs the applicants' attention to the
requirements in Sec. 5464(a)(2) of the statute, stating that each
applicant requesting support under the Javits program must describe
how:
(1) The proposed gifted and talented services, materials, and
methods can be adapted, if appropriate, for use by all students, and
(2) The proposed programs can be evaluated.
Definitions: The definitions contained in the Jacob K. Javits
Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 2001, at title IX, part A
of the ESEA, apply to the Javits program and this competition. In
particular, the Assistant Secretary directs applicants' attention to
the following definition:
Core Academic Subjects. The term ``core academic subjects'' means
English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign
languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and
geography. (20 U.S.C. 7801(11)).
Selection Criteria: The Assistant Secretary uses the following
selection criteria to evaluate applications for new grants under this
competition. Each of the two absolute priorities in this competition
has separate selection criteria tailored to the specific requirements
of the priority. These selection criteria are drawn from EDGAR Sec.
75.210. In both sets of selection criteria, the maximum score for all
of these criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion
is indicated in parentheses.
Selection Criteria for Priority 1 (Javits Demonstration Programs)
(1) Significance. (15 points.)
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
following factors are considered:
(i) The potential contribution of the proposed project to the
development and advancement of theory, knowledge, and practices in the
field of study.
(ii) The potential for generalizing from the findings or results of
the proposed project.
(2) Quality of the project design. (20 points.) In determining the
quality of the project design of the proposed project, the following
factors are considered:
(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 proposed activities constitute a
coherent, sustained program of research and development in the field,
including, as appropriate, a substantial addition to an ongoing line of
inquiry.
(iii) The extent to which the proposed project represents an
exceptional approach to the priority established for the competition.
(iv) The quality of the methodology to be employed in the proposed
project.
(3) Quality of project services. (20 points.) In determining the
quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the
quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and
treatment for eligible project participants without regard to race,
color, national origin, gender, age, or disability is considered. In
addition, the following factors are considered:
(i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or
beneficiaries of those services.
(ii) The likelihood that the services to be provided will lead to
improvements in the achievement of students as measured against
rigorous academic standards.
(iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the
proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for
maximizing the effectiveness of project services.
(4) Quality of project personnel. (10 points.) In determining the
quality of project personnel, the extent to which the applicant
encourages applications for employment without regard to race, color,
national origin, gender, age, or disability is considered. In addition,
the following factors are considered:
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director or principal investigator.
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of key project personnel.
(5) Adequacy of resources. (10 points.) In determining the adequacy
of resources for the proposed project, the following factors are
considered:
(i) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,
supplies and other resources, from the applicant organization or the
lead applicant organization.
(ii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to
the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed
project.
(6) Quality of project evaluation (25 points.) In determining the
quality of the project evaluation, the following factors are
considered:
(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project.
(ii) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other
settings.
Section Criteria for Priority 2 (Javits State Capacity-Building Grants)
(1) Need for the project. (15 points.) In determining the need for
the project, 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, is considered.
(2) Quality of the project design. (20 points.) In determining the
quality of the design of the proposed project, the following factors
are considered:
(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 represents an
exceptional approach to the priority established for the competition.
(3) Quality of project services. (15 points.) In determining the
quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the
quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and
treatment for eligible project participants without regard to race,
color, national origin, gender, age, or disability is considered. In
addition, the following factors are considered:
(i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective
practice.
(ii) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the
proposed project on the intended recipients of those services.
(4) Quality of project personnel. (10 points.)
In determining the quality of the project personnel, the extent to
which the applicant encourages applications for employment without
regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability, is
considered. In addition, the following factors are considered:
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director or principal investigator.
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of the key project personnel.
(5) Adequacy of resources. (10 points.)
[[Page 27549]]
The adequacy of resources for the proposed project is considered.
(6) Quality of the management plan. (10 points.)
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed
project, the following factors are considered:
(i) 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.
(ii) The adequacy of the procedures for ensuring feedback and
continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project.
(7) Quality of the project evaluation. (20 points.)
In determining the quality of the evaluation, the following factors
are considered:
(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project.
(ii) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other
settings.
Application Procedures
Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications
In FY 2003, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to
expand its pilot project for electronic submission of applications to
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary
grant competitions. The Javits program--CFDA 84.206A is one
of the programs included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant
under the Javits program, you may submit your application to us in
either electronic or paper format.
The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-Application) portion of the Grant Administration
and Payment System (GAPS). Users of e-Application will be entering data
on-line while completing their applications. You may not e-mail a soft
copy of a grant application to us. If you participate in this voluntary
pilot project by submitting an application electronically, the data you
enter on-line will be saved into a database. We request your
participation in e-Application. We shall continue to evaluate its
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
[sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
[sbull] You will not receive any additional point value because you
submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will we penalize
you if you submit an application in paper format. When you enter the e-
Application system, you will find information about its hours of
operation.
[sbull] You may submit all documents electronically, including the
Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications.
[sbull] After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
[sbull] Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following
these steps:
(1) Print ED 424 from the e-Application system.
(2) The institution's Authorizing Representative must sign this
form.
(3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard copy signature page of the ED 424.
(4) Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at
(202) 260-1349.
[sbull] We may request that you give us original signatures on all
other forms at a later date.
[sbull] Closing Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability: If
you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot for the Javits
program and you are prevented from submitting your application on the
closing date because the e-Application system is unavailable, we will
grant you an extension of one business day in order to transmit your
application electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. For us to
grant this extension--
(1) You must be a registered user of e-Application, and have
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
(2)(a) The e-Application system must be unavailable for 60 minutes
or more between the hours of 8:30 and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system must be unavailable for any period of
time during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time
between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the deadline date.
The Department must acknowledge and confirm these periods of
unavailability before granting you an extension. To request this
extension you must contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in
this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or (2) the e-GRANTS
help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Javits
program at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
We have included additional information about the e-Application
pilot project in the application package.
For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (EDPubs),
P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-
7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a telecommunications device for
the deaf (TDD) you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/about/ordering.jsp.
Or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address:
edpubs@inet.ed.gov. If you request an application from ED Pubs, identify this
competition as: CFDA number 84.206A.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For Information on Priority 1: Lar'Mara O'Neal, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-6200.
Telephone: (202) 205-1860 or via Internet: jacobk.javits@ed.gov. For Information on Priority 2: Susan Toy, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-6200.
Telephone: (202) 260-0995 or via Internet: jacobk.javits@ed.gov. If you use a telecommunications devise 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, or an
application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large
print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request using the contact
information provided under For Applications Contact.
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/legislation/FedRegister/.
To use PDF you must have the 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.
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
[[Page 27550]]
Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7253 et seq.
Dated: May 14, 2003.
Eugene W. Hickok,
Under Secretary of Education.
[FR Doc. 03-12602 Filed 5-19-03; 8:45 am]
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