[Federal Register: March 21, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 55)]
[Notices]
[Page 14079-14097]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21mr03-121]
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Part V
Department of Education
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Comprehensive School Reform Quality Initiatives; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No.: 84.332B]
Comprehensive School Reform Quality Initiatives
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year
(FY) 2002.
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Note to Applicants: This notice is a complete application package.
Together with the statute authorizing these grants and the Education
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), this notice
contains all of the information, application forms, and instructions
needed to apply for a grant under the competition. These grants are
authorized under section 1608 of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
(Pub. L. 107-110).
Purpose of the Program: The purpose of the Comprehensive School Reform
(CSR) Quality Initiatives program is to support activities in the
following categories:
(1) Technical assistance in making informed decisions. To support
public and private efforts in which funds are matched by private
organizations to assist States, local educational agencies (LEAs), and
schools in making informed decisions regarding approving or selecting
providers of comprehensive school reform, consistent with the
requirements in section 1606(a) of the ESEA, as amended; and
(2) Model development and capacity building. To foster the
development of comprehensive school reform models, and to provide
effective capacity building for comprehensive school reform providers
to expand their work in more schools, assure quality, and promote
financial stability.
Eligible Applicants: Public or private organizations that provide
educational or related services.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 5, 2003.
Notification of Intent to Apply for Funding: We will be able to
develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we
have a better understanding of the number of entities that intend to
apply for funding. Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential
applicant to send, by April 7, 2003, a notification of its intent to
apply for funding to the following address: irene.harwarth@ed.gov.
The notification of intent to apply for funding is optional and
should not include information regarding the proposed application.
Eligible applicants that fail to provide the notification may still
submit an application by the application deadline.
Estimated Available Funds: Approximately $7 million of fiscal year
(FY) 2002 funds. Of this amount, we will award approximately $2 million
to support activities under category 1 (i.e., technical assistance in
making informed decisions) and approximately $5 million to support
activities under category 2 (i.e., model development and capacity
building).
Estimated Number of Awards: We anticipate making 1 to 2 awards
under each category.
Estimated Range of Awards: $1 million--$2 million annually under
category 1 (i.e., technical assistance in making informed decisions);
$2.5 million--$5 million annually under category 2 (i.e., model
development and capacity building). Funding of continuation awards
after the initial year of funding is contingent upon future
Congressional appropriations for the program.
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 36 months.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 81, 82,
86, 97, 98, and 99.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The State-administered Comprehensive School
Reform (CSR) Program and the CSR Quality Initiatives are both
authorized under Part F of Title I of the ESEA, as amended. The State-
administered CSR program is designed to improve student achievement by
supporting the implementation of comprehensive school reforms based on
scientifically based research and effective practices so that all
children, especially those in low-performing, high-poverty schools, can
meet challenging State academic achievement standards. Comprehensive
school reform is a systemic approach to schoolwide improvement that
incorporates every aspect of a school, including curriculum,
instruction, school management, professional development, parental
involvement, and assessment plans. The program requires LEAs and
schools to draw together individual initiatives that focus on specific
areas and weave them into a unified, coherent comprehensive school
reform design that integrates the eleven statutory components
delineated in section 1606(a) of the ESEA, as amended.
The intent of the CSR Quality Initiatives program is to support
activities that will enhance the State-administered CSR program. Under
the Quality Initiatives competition, the Secretary will award funds to
support activities in two categories--(1) technical assistance in
making informed decisions, and (2) model development and capacity
building. Grantees under category 1 will assist States, LEAs, and
schools in making informed decisions regarding approving or selecting
providers of comprehensive school reform, in a manner that meets the
requirements of section 1606(a) of the ESEA, as amended. The category 2
awards will encourage, facilitate, and support the development of
comprehensive school reform models that schools may integrate into a
program that meets the eleven statutory CSR components. These grants
will also assist comprehensive school reform providers in building
their capacity to expand their work in more schools, assure quality,
and promote financial stability.
The category 1 and category 2 awards will be peer reviewed
separately on the basis of selection criteria specific to each of the
competitions. These selection criteria are included in this Notice. An
applicant seeking funding under both categories must submit separate
applications addressing the respective criteria for each category.
Absolute Priority for Category 1 Applicants: For category 1 grants
(i.e., technical assistance in making informed decisions), the
legislation requires that the awards be matched by private
organizations. In response to this requirement, the Secretary
establishes the following absolute priority under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)
and will fund under the Category 1 competition only those applicants
that meet this priority:
The applicant demonstrates, in its grant application, that its
Quality Initiative award will be matched with funds from one or more
private organizations. During the first year of the project, the match,
excluding any in-kind contributions, must total at least 20 percent of
the grantee's initial CSR Quality Initiative award. During any
subsequent year of the project, the match, excluding any in-kind
contributions, must total at least 25 percent of the grantee's
continuation award for that year.
Competitive Preferences for Category 1 Applicants: To help ensure
that the activities supported under category 1 (i.e., technical
assistance in making informed decisions) of the CSR Quality Initiatives
program best address the needs of States, districts and schools,
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the Secretary establishes the following competitive preferences under
34 CFR 75.105(c)(2). We will award an applicant, in addition to any
points that it earns under the selection criteria for the category 1
awards, up to five additional points for addressing each preference
(for a total of up to 10 preference points):
Competitive preference (1)--The grantee will provide detailed,
high-quality information and technical assistance that will enable
States, districts, and schools to select among multiple CSR providers,
rather than provide such information or assistance concerning only one
provider.
Competitive preference (2)--The grantee will assist urban and rural
LEAs and schools in more than one State.
Invitational Priority for Category 1 Applicants: Under the Category
1 Competition, the Secretary is particularly interested in receiving
applications from applicants that meet the following invitational
priority:
The grantee will focus its efforts on providing States, LEAs, and
schools with practical and useful information regarding the evidence of
the success and effectiveness of widely-used comprehensive school
reform models. The grantee will disseminate the findings of the reviews
in a timely manner. Additionally, the grantee will provide direct
technical assistance to States, LEAs, and schools in order to
facilitate informed decision-making in the selection of models.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) the Secretary does not give an
application that meets the invitational priority a competitive or
absolute preference over other applications.
Invitational Priority for Category 2 Applicants: For the Category 2
Competition there is no absolute priority, or competitive preference.
However, the Secretary is particularly interested in applications from
applicants that meet the following invitational priority:
The applicant has a demonstrated record of success in fostering the
development and sustainability of multiple providers of comprehensive
school reform models and services.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) the Secretary does not give an
application that meets this invitational priority a competitive or
absolute preference over other applications.
Selection Criteria: We will use different selection criteria to
evaluate the category 1 and category 2 applications.
(I) Selection Criteria for Category 1 Applicants
We will use the following selection criteria and factors from the
regulations at 34 CFR 75.210 in evaluating applications for grants
under Category 1 `` Technical Assistance in Making Informed Decisions.
The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parenthesis.
Within each criterion, we will evaluate each factor equally.
The maximum score for all of the criteria is 100 points. Thus, the
maximum score for this competition is 110 points (100 points under the
selection criteria and 10 points under the competitive preferences).
(a) Need for Project. (15 points) In determining the need for the
proposed project, we consider--
(1) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.
(2) 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 and weaknesses.
(b) Significance. (5 points) In determining the significance of the
proposed project, we consider--
(1) The potential contribution of the proposed project to increased
knowledge or understanding of educational problems, issues, or
effective strategies.
(2) 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.
(c) Quality of the Project Design. (35 points) In determining the
quality of the design of the proposed project, we consider--
(1) 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.
(2) 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.
(3) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
(d) Quality of Project Personnel. (30 points) In determining the
quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project, we
consider 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.
In addition, we consider--
(1) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director; and
(2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of key project personnel.
(a) Quality of the Project Evaluation. (15 points) In determining
the quality of the evaluation of the proposed project, we consider--
(1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project.
(2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are appropriate
to the context within which the project operates.
(II) Selection Criteria for Category 2 Applicants
We will use the following selection criteria and factors from the
regulations at 34 CFR 75.210 in evaluating applications for grants
under Category 2--Model Development and Capacity Building. The maximum
score for each criterion is indicated in parenthesis. Within each
criterion, we will evaluate each factor equally. The maximum score for
all of the criteria is 100 points.
(a) Need for the Project. (15 points) In determining the need for
the proposed project, we consider 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 and weaknesses.
(b) Significance. (5 points) In determining the significance of the
proposed project, we consider--
(1) 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.
(2) The likely utility of the products (such as information,
materials, processes, or techniques) that will result from the proposed
project, including the potential for their being used effectively in a
variety of other settings.
(3) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in
teaching and student achievement.
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(c) Quality of the Project Design. (35 points) In determining the
quality of the design of the proposed project, we consider--
(1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(2) The extent to which the proposed project is based upon a
scientific research design, and the quality and appropriateness of that
design, including the scientific rigor of the studies involved.
(3) 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
objectives.
(d) Quality of Project Personnel. (30 points) In determining the
quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project, we
consider 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.
In addition, we consider--
(1) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director; and
(2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of key project personnel.
(e) Quality of the Project Evaluation. (15 points) In determining
the quality of the evaluation of the proposed project, we consider--
(1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project.
(2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are appropriate
to the context within which the project operates.
(3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for
examining the effectiveness of project implementation strategies.
(4) 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.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: In accordance with the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) , it is the practice of the
Secretary to offer interested parties the opportunity to comment on
proposed rules. Section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions
Act (GEPA), however, allows the Secretary to exempt rules governing the
first competition under a new or substantially revised program
authority (20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1)). This competition is the first CSR
Quality Initiatives competition under section 1608 of the ESEA, as
amended by Public Law 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001,
and therefore qualifies for this exemption. The Secretary, in
accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, has decided to forego public
comment in order to ensure timely grant awards. These rules will apply
to the FY 2002 grant competition only.
Instructions for Transmittal of Applications
(a) If an applicant wants to apply for a grant, the applicant
must--
(1) Mail the original and two copies of the application on or
before the deadline date to:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center,
Attention: (CFDA No. 84.332B), 7th & D Streets, SW., Room 3633,
Regional Office Building 3, Washington, DC 20202-4725, or
(2) Hand deliver the original and two copies of the application by
4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on or before the deadline date to:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center,
Attention: (CFDA No. 84.332B), 7th and D Streets, SW., Room 3633,
Regional Office Building 3, Washington, DC 20202.
(b) An applicant must show one of the following as proof of
mailing:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary.
(c) If an application is mailed through the U.S. Postal Service,
the Secretary does not accept either of the following as proof of
mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
Notes: (1) The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a
dated postmark. Before relying on this method, an applicant should
check with its local post office.
(2) The Application Control Center will mail a Grant Application
Receipt Acknowledgment to each applicant. If an applicant fails to
receive the notification of application receipt within 15 days from
the date of mailing the application, the applicant should call the
U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202)
708-9494. (3) The applicant must indicate on the envelope and--if
not provided by the Department--in Item 3 of the Application for
Federal Assistance (ED 424) the CFDA number--and suffix letter, if
any--of the competition under which the application is being
submitted.
Application Instructions and Forms
The appendix to this notice contains all required forms and
instructions, including instructions for preparing the application
narrative, a statement regarding estimated public reporting burden, a
notice to applicants regarding compliance with section 427 of the
General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), various assurances and
certifications, a list of relevant definitions from the authorizing
statute and EDGAR, and a checklist for applicants.
To apply for an award under this competition, your application must
be organized in the following order and include the following four
parts. The parts and additional materials are as follows:
Part I: Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424, Exp. 11/30/
2004) and instructions.
Part II: Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs (ED Form No.
524) and instructions. An applicant for a multi-year project must
provide a budget narrative that provides budget information for each
budget period of the proposed project period.
Part III: Application Narrative.
Part IV: Assurances and Certifications: Assurances--Non--
Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B).
b. Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED
80-0013) and instructions.
c. Certifications regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility
and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED 80-0014,
9/90) and instructions.
Note: ED Form 80-0014 is intended for the use of grantees and
should not be transmitted to the Department.
d. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL)(if
applicable) and instructions.
An applicant may submit information on photostatic copies of the
application, budget forms, assurances, and certifications as printed in
this notice in the Federal Register. However, the application form,
assurances, and certifications must each have an original signature.
All applicants are required to submit ONE original signed application,
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including ink signatures on all forms and assurances, and TWO copies of
the application, one bound and one unbound copy suitable for
photocopying. Please mark each application as ``original'' or ``copy''.
To aid with the review of applications, the Department encourages
applicants to submit two additional paper copies of the application.
The Department will not penalize applicants who do not provide
additional copies. No grant may be awarded unless a completed
application form, including the signed assurances and certifications,
has been received.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Irene Harwarth, (202) 401-3751,
U.S. Department of Education, OESE/AITQ, FB-6, Room 2W104, 400 Maryland
Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20202-6200. The e-mail address for Dr.
Harwarth is: irene.harwarth@ed.gov.
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD)
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.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format, also, by contacting that person.
However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative
format the standard forms included in the application package.
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 any questions about using PDF, call the
U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free,
at 1-888-293-6498.
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. 6518.
Dated: March 18, 2003.
Eugene W. Hickok,
Under Secretary of Education.
Appendix
Instructions for the Application Narrative
The narrative is the section of the application where the
selection criteria used by reviewers in evaluating the application
are addressed. The narrative must encompass each function or
activity for which funds are being requested. Before preparing the
application narrative, an applicant should read carefully the
description of the program and the selection criteria the Secretary
uses to evaluate applications.
Applicants should note there is a suggested 30-page limit for
the application narrative with the following standards applying: (1)
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'' (one side only) with one-inch margins
(top, bottom, and sides). (2) All text in the application narrative
must be double-spaced. The suggested page limit does not apply to
the cover sheet, the one-page abstract, budget section, appendices,
and forms and assurances. However, all of the application narrative
must be included in the narrative section.
1. Begin with a one-page Abstract summarizing the project,
including a description of project objectives and activities and any
partners in the application.
2. Include a table of contents listing the parts of the
narrative in the order of the selection criteria and the page
numbers where the parts of the narrative are found. Be sure to
number the pages.
3. Describe how the applicant meets the absolute priority (if
applicable).
4. Describe how the applicant meets the competitive priority (if
applicable).
5. Describe fully the proposed project in light of the selection
criteria in the order in which the criteria are listed in the
application package. Do not simply paraphrase the criteria.
6. Provide the following in response to the attached ``Notice to
all Applicants'': (1) A reference to the portion of the application
in which information appears as to how the applicant is addressing
steps to promote equitable access and participation, or (2) a
separate statement that contains this information.
7. When applying for funds as a consortium, individual eligible
applicants must enter into an agreement signed by all members. The
consortium's agreement must detail the activities each member of the
consortium plans to perform, and must bind each member to every
statement and assurance made in the consortium's application. The
designated applicant must submit the consortium's agreement with its
application.
8. Applicants may include supporting documentation as appendices
to the narrative. This material should be concise and pertinent to
the competition. Note that the Secretary considers only information
contained in the application in ranking applications for funding
consideration. Letters of support sent separately from the formal
application package are not considered in the review by the
technical review panels. (34 CFR 75.217)
9. Attach copies of all required assurances and forms.
Estimated Public Reporting Burden
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are
required to respond to a collection of information unless it
displays a valid OMB Control Number. The valid OMB control number
for this information collection is 1890-0009 (Expiration Date: 06/
30/2005.) The time required to complete this information collection
is estimated to average 80 hours per response, including the time to
review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data
needed, and complete and review the information collection.
Checklist for Applicants
The following forms and other items must be included in the
application in the order listed below:
1. Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424).
2. Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs ED Form No.
524) and budget narrative.
3. Application Narrative, including information that addresses
section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (see the section
entitled ``Notice to all Applicants''), and relevant appendices.
4. Consortia agreement, if applicable.
5. Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B).
6. Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements
(ED 80-0013).
7. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL) (if
applicable).
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[FR Doc. 03-6859 Filed 3-20-03; 8:45 am]
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