FR Doc 03-13035
[Federal Register: May 23, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 100)]
[Notices]
[Page 28201-28203]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23my03-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No. 84.304A]
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools--Cooperative Civic Education
and Economic Education Exchange Program; Notice Inviting Applications
for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003
Purpose of Program: The Cooperative Civic Education and Economic
Education Exchange Program provides grants to improve the quality of
civic education through cooperative civic education exchange programs
with emerging democracies.
For FY 2003 the competition for new awards focuses on statutory
requirements we describe in the Statutory Requirements section of this
notice.
Eligible Applicants: Organizations in the United States experienced
in the development of curricula and programs in civics and government
education and economic education for students in elementary schools and
secondary schools in countries other than the United States, to carry
out civic education activities.
Applications Available: May 23, 2003.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 7, 2003.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: 60 days from transmittal
deadline.
Estimated Available Funds: $2,007,618.
Estimated Range of Awards: $2,007,618
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,007,618.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $2,007,618 for a single budget period of up to 24
months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 24 months.
Applicable Regulations and Statute: (a) The Education Department
General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77,
79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86 (only as it applies to institutions of higher
education), 97, 98, and 99. (b) Education for Democracy Act, sections
2341-2346 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended, 20
U.S.C. 6711-6716.
Statutory Requirements: We will award grants to eligible applicants
to--
(1) Provide to the participants from eligible countries--
(A) Seminars on the basic principles of United States
constitutional democracy, including seminars on the major governmental
institutions and systems in the United States, and visits to such
institutions;
(B) Visits to school systems, institutions of higher education, and
nonprofit organizations conducting exemplary programs in civics and
government education in the United States;
(C) Translations and adaptations with respect to United States
civics and government education curricular programs for students and
teachers, and in the case of training programs for teachers,
translations and adaptations into forms useful in school in eligible
countries, and joint research projects in such areas; and
(D) Independent research and evaluation assistance to determine the
effects of the cooperative education exchange programs on students'
development of the knowledge, skills, and traits of character essential
for the preservation and improvement of constitutional democracy.
(2) Provide to the participants from the United States--
(A) Seminars on the histories and systems of government of eligible
countries;
(B) Visits to school systems, institutions of higher education, and
organizations conducting exemplary programs in civics and government
education located in eligible countries;
(C) Assistance from educators and scholars in eligible countries in
the development of curricular materials on the histories and
governments of such countries that are useful in United States
classrooms;
(D) Opportunities to provide onsite demonstrations of United States
curricula and pedagogy for educational leaders in eligible countries;
and
(E) Independent research and evaluation assistance to determine the
effects of the Cooperative Education Exchange Program assisted under
this section on students' development of the knowledge, skills, and
traits of character essential for the preservation and improvement of
constitutional democracy.
(3) Assist participants from eligible countries and the United
States to participate in international conferences on civics and
government education for educational leaders, teacher trainers,
scholars in related disciplines, and educational policymakers.
Primary Participants
The primary participants in the Cooperative Education Exchange
Program assisted under this section shall be leaders in the areas of
civics and government education, including teachers, curriculum and
teacher training specialists, scholars in relevant disciplines,
educational policymakers, and government and private sector leaders
from the United States and eligible countries.
Definition: For the purpose of this competition, the term eligible
country means a Central European country, an Eastern European country,
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the independent states of the former Soviet
Union as defined in section 3 of the FREEDOM Support Act (22 U.S.C.
5801), the Republic of Ireland, the province of Northern Ireland in the
United Kingdom, and any developing country (as such term is defined in
section 209(d) of the Education for the Deaf Act) if the Secretary,
with concurrence of the Secretary of State, determines that such
developing country has a democratic form of government. A list of
countries is included in the application package.
Election Criteria
We use the following criteria to evaluate applications for new
grant
[[Page 28202]]
awards under this competition. The maximum score for all of these
criteria is 100 points. The maximum score of each criterion or factor
under the criterion is indicated in parentheses.
(1) Significance. (15 points)
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
following factors are considered:
(a) The national significance of the proposed project.
(b) The potential contribution of the proposed project to increased
knowledge or understanding of educational problems, issues or effective
strategies.
(c) 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.
(d) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project especially improvements in
teaching and student achievement.
(2) Quality of the project design. (25 points)
In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project,
the following factors are considered:
(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 design of the proposed project includes
a thorough, high-quality review of the relevant literature, a high-
quality plan for project implementation, and the use of appropriate
methodological tools to ensure successful achievement of project
activities.
(c) The extent to which the proposed project represents an
exceptional approach for meeting statutory purposes and requirements.
(3) Quality of project services. (30 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 treated for eligible project participants who
are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented
based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability is
considered. In addition, the following factors are considered:
(a) 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.
(b) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed
project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective
practice.
(c) 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.
(d) 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. (15 points)
In determining the quality of project personnel, the following
factors are considered:
(a) 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.
(b) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director or principal investigator.
(c) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of key project personnel.
(d) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of project consultants or subcontractors.
(5) Adequacy of resources. (5 points)
In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project,
the following factors are considered:
(a) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization.
(b) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the
proposed project.
(6) Quality of the project evaluation. (10 points)
In determining the quality of the evaluation, the following factors
are considered:
(a) The extent to which the methods of evaluation, are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project.
(b) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes.
For Applications and Further Information Contact: Rita Foy Moss,
U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Room 513c,
Washington, DC 20208-5573. Telephone: (202) 219-2027 or via Inernet
rita.foy@ed.gov. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TTD), you may
call 1-877-576-7734.
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 to the program
contact person listed at the beginning of this section. However, the
Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative format the
standard forms included in the application package.
Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications
In FY 2003, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to
expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to
include additional formula grant programs, as well as discretionary
grant competitions. The Cooperative Civic Education and Economic
Education Exchange Program is one of the programs included in the pilot
project. If you are an applicant under this grant competition, 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, formerly e-GAPS) portion of the
Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS). We invite your
participation in this pilot project. We will continue to evaluate its
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
If you participate in this e-APPLICATION pilot, please note the
following:
[sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
[sbull] You will not receive any additional point value or penalty
because you submit a grant application in electronic or paper format.
[sbull] You can submit all documents electronically, including the
Application for Federal Assistance (ED Form 424), Budget Information--
Non-Construction Programs, (ED Form 524), and all necessary assurances
and certifications.
[sbull] Within three working days of submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal
Assistance (ED Form 424) to the Application Control Center following
these steps:
1. Printed ED Form 424 from the e-APPLICATION system.
2. Make sure that the applicant's Authorizing Representative signs
this form.
3. Before faxing this form, submit your electronic application via
the e-APPLICATION system. You will receive automatic acknowledgement,
which will include a PR/Award number an identifying number unique to
your application).
4. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right corner of ED Form
424.
[[Page 28203]]
5. Fax ED Form 424 to the Application Control Center within three
business days of submitting your electronic application at (202) 260-
1349.
6. We may request that you give us original signatures on all other
forms at a later date.
7. Closing Date Extension in the Case of System Unavailability: If
you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot for the Cooperative
Civic Education and Economic Education Exchange 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 via e-
Application, by mail, or by hand delivery. For use to grant this
extension:
(1) You must be a registered user of e-Applications, 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 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (ET), 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 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. (ET)) on the deadline date. The
Department must acknowledge and confirm the period of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension you must
contact Rita Foy Moss by e-mail at Rita.Foy@ed.gov or by telephone at
(202) 219-2077 or the e-Grants help desk at (888) 336-8930.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Cooperative
Civic Education and Economic Education Exchange Program at:
http://e-grants.ed.gov.
We have included additional information on the e-Application pilot
project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic
Applications) in the application package.
If you want to apply for a grant and be considered for funding, you
must meet the deadline requirements included in this notice.
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 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 Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6711-6716.
Dated: May 19, 2003.
Judge Eric Andell,
Deputy Under Secretary, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. 03-13035 Filed 5-22-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M