[Federal Register: April 28, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 81)]
[Notices]
[Page 22953-22979]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28ap99-94]
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_______________________________________________________________________
Part V
Department of Education
_______________________________________________________________________
Community Technology Centers Program; Notice Inviting Applications for
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1999; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No. 84.341]
Community Technology Centers Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal year (FY) 1999
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 this competition. These grants are
authorized by Title III, section 3122 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Improving America's
Schools Act of 1994 (20 U.S.C. 6832).
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Community Technology Centers
program is to increase access to technology and promote the use of
technology in education through the development of model programs that
demonstrate the educational effectiveness of technology in urban and
rural areas and economically distressed communities.
Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies, local educational
agencies, institutions of higher education, and other public and
private nonprofit or for-profit agencies and organizations are eligible
to receive grants under this program. A group of eligible entities is
also eligible to receive a grant if the group follows the procedures
for group applications in 34 CFR 75.127-129 of EDGAR.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 14, 1999.
Note: See information on Technical Assistance Workshops under
Supplementary Information.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 13, 1999.
Estimated Available Funds: $9,250,000.
Matching Requirement: Recipients of grants under this program must
share in the cost of the activities assisted under the grant. Grant
recipients must make available non-Federal contributions in cash or in
kind in the following percentages, as authorized under section 3122(d)
of ESEA:
First year: Non-federal contribution--30 percent of the cost of
activities assisted under the grant.
Second year: Non-federal contribution--40 percent of the cost of
activities assisted under the grant.
Third year: Non-federal contribution--50 percent of the cost of
activities assisted under the grant.
Estimated Range of Awards: $75,000-$300,000 each year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $180,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 40 to 60.
Project Period: 36 months.
Please note that all applicants for multi-year awards are required
to provide detailed budget information for the total grant period
requested. The Department will determine at the time of the initial
award the funding levels for each year of the grant award.
Note: The Department of Education is not bound by any estimates
in this notice.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81,
82, 85, and 86.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A 1998 Department of Commerce study, Falling
through the Net II: New Data on the Digital Divide, showed that
although more Americans now own computers, minority and low-income
households are still far less likely to have computers or online access
to the Internet than more affluent households. The report showed that
the ``digital divide'' between the technology ``have's'' and ``have
not's''--especially low-income individuals, minorities and the young in
rural areas and central cities--is significant. In view of the time
that it will take to connect these individuals to online access at
home, the report advocated that schools, libraries, postsecondary
institutions, and community organizations make computers and technology
accessible to them.
Description of Program
The Community Technology Centers program is established to provide
access to computers and technology, particularly educational
technology, to adults and children in low-income communities who
otherwise would lack that access. The program is authorized under
section 3122 of ESEA. Under section 3122, the Secretary may carry out a
variety of activities that promote the use of technology in education.
These activities include the development of model programs, such as
community technology centers, that demonstrate the educational
effectiveness of technology in urban and rural areas and economically
distressed communities. Under the Community Technology Centers program,
the Secretary will award grants to establish or expand community
technology centers that provide access to computers and technology for
individuals in economically distressed urban and rural communities.
Applicants under this program are encouraged to propose an array of
services and activities that provide access to computers and
information technology for local community residents, such as:
1. After-school Activities for children of all ages to use software
that provides homework help and academic enrichment, exploration of the
Internet, and multimedia activities, including web page design and
creation.
2. Adult Education and Family Literacy, including GED, English as a
second Language, and adult basic education classes or programs,
introduction to computers, intergenerational activities, and lifelong
learning opportunities through technology and the Internet.
3. Career Development and Job Preparation, such as computer skills
training (basic and advanced), resume writing workshops, and access to
databases of employment opportunities, career information, and other
online materials.
4. Small Business Activities, such as computer-based training for
basic entrepreneurial skills and electronic commerce, as well as access
to information on business start-up programs.
5. Home Access to computers and technology, such as assistance and
services to promote the acquisition, installation, and use of
information technology in the home through web-based television,
network PCs, or other computer technology.
Although a single eligible applicant may apply for a grant under
this program, the Secretary encourages applications from partnerships
that include local community organizations or agencies. The Secretary
will give a competitive preference to applications from eligible
applicants that demonstrate substantial community support and
commitment to the establishment or expansion of a community technology
center or centers.
As indicated in the discussion of matching above, recipients of
grants under this program must share in the cost of activities assisted
under the grants through non-Federal contributions. The non-Federal
share of activities may be in the form of cash or in-kind
contributions, fairly valued.
Technical Assistance Workshops
We will hold four technical assistance workshops to assist
applicants in preparing grant applications for the Community Technology
Centers
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program. The dates, times, and locations of the workshops are as
follows:
1. May 7, 1999, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Dallas County Community
College District, Bill J. Priest Institute for Economic Development,
1402 Corinth Street, Rooms A and B (seating capacity 150), Dallas,
Texas.
2. May 10, 1999, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Olive Harvey College,
10001 South Woodlawn Avenue, Bruce Cherry Theater (seating capacity
250), Chicago, Illinois.
3. May 10, 1999, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Medgar Evers College,
1650 Bedford Avenue, Auditorium (seating capacity 400), Brooklyn, New
York.
4. May 12, 1999, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Los Angeles Community
College District, Southwest College, 1600 West Imperial Highway, Little
Theatre (seating capacity 350), Los Angeles, California.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities at the Technical
Assistance Workshops
The technical assistance workshop sites are accessible to
individuals with disabilities. If you will need an auxiliary aid or
service to participate in the workshop (e.g., interpreting service,
assistive listening device, or materials in an alternate format),
notify the contact person listed in this notice at least two weeks
before the scheduled workshop date. Although we will attempt to meet a
request we receive after that date, we may not be able to make
available the requested auxiliary aid or service because of
insufficient time to arrange it.
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. Ordinarily, this practice would have applied to the
priorities and selection criteria in this notice. Section 437(d)(1) of
the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), however, exempts rules
that apply to the first competition under a new or substantially
revised program from this requirement. Although statutory authorization
for this program has existed since 1994, the program was funded for the
first time under the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Act, 1999, enacted October 22, 1998. As this competition
is the first competition under the program, it therefore qualifies as a
new competitive grants program. The Secretary, in accordance with
section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, to ensure timely awards, has decided to
forego public comments with respect to the competitive priorities and
selection criteria. The competitive priorities and selection criteria
will apply only to the fiscal year 1999 grant competition.
Competitive Priorities:
The Secretary will give preference to applications that meet one or
both of the competitive priorities in the next two paragraphs. (34 CFR
75.105 (b)(2)(iii) and (c)(2)(i)).
Competitive Priority 1
Projects that demonstrate substantial community support of, and
commitment to, the establishment or expansion of a community technology
center or centers. The Secretary will award up to three additional
points depending on how well an application meets this priority. These
points would be in addition to any points the applicant earns under the
selection criteria.
Competitive Priority 2
Projects that use the program funds to establish or expand a
community technology center or centers in an Empowerment Zone,
including a Supplemental Empowerment Zone, or an Enterprise Community
designated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development or the United States Department of Agriculture. The
Secretary will award three additional points to an application that
meets this priority. These points would be in addition to any points
the applicant earns under the selection criteria.
Note: A list of areas that have been designated as Empowerment
Zones and Enterprise Communities is published in the Appendix to
this notice.
Definition: In addition to definitions in the statute and EDGAR,
the following definition applies:
Economically distressed means a county or equivalent division of
local government of a State in which, according to the most recent
available data from the United States Bureau of the Census, a
significant percentage of the residents have an annual income that is
at or below the poverty level.
Selection Criteria: (a)(1) The Secretary uses the following
selection criteria to evaluate applications for grants under this
competition. In all instances where the word ``project'' appears in the
selection criteria, the reference to a community technology center
should be made.
(2) The maximum composite score for all of these criteria is 100
points.
(3) The maximum score for each criterion and factor is indicated in
parentheses.
(b) Meeting the purposes of the authorizing statute. (10 points)
The Secretary considers how well the project meets the purposes of
section 3122(a) and (c)(10) of ESEA by developing a model project that
demonstrates the educational effectiveness of technology and expands
access to information technology and related services in an
economically distressed urban or rural community.
(c) Need for project. (30 points) (1) The Secretary considers the
need for the proposed project.
(2) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project. (15 points)
(ii) The extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving
or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals. (15
points)
(d) Quality of project design. (20 points) (1) The Secretary
considers the quality of the design of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(10 points)
(ii) The extent to which the proposed project will establish
linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing
services to the target population. (10 points)
(e) Quality of project personnel. (10 points) (1) The Secretary
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary
considers 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.
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the qualifications,
including relevant training and experience, of the project director or
principal investigator. (10 points)
(f) Quality of the management plan. (10 points) (1) The Secretary
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
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(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. (5 points)
(ii) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives
are brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project, including
those of parents, teachers, the business community, a variety of
disciplinary and professional fields, recipients or beneficiaries of
services, or others, as appropriate. (5 points)
(g) Adequacy of resources. (10 points) (1) The Secretary considers
the adequacy of resources for the proposed project.
(2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the
lead applicant organization. (5 points)
(ii) 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)
(h) Quality of project evaluation. (10 points) (1) The Secretary
considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) 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. (5 points)
(ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes. (5 points)
Note: In accordance with EDGAR 34 CFR 75.118, 75.590, 75.720,
and 80.40, grant recipients must submit an annual performance report
that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure
information on project activities, including the recipient's
progress in achieving the objectives in its approved application. If
a recipient fails to submit a performance report that meets these
requirements, the Secretary denies continued funding for the grant.
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs
This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order
12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the
regulations in 34 CFR Part 79.
The objective of the Executive order is to foster an
intergovernmental partnership and to strengthen federalism by relying
on State and local processes for State and local government
coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance.
Applicants must contact the appropriate State Single Point of
Contact to find out about, and to comply with, the State's process
under Executive Order 12372. Applicants proposing to perform activities
in more than one State should immediately contact the Single Point of
Contact for each of those States and follow the procedures established
in each State under the Executive order. The address of each State
Single Point of Contact is in the Appendix to this notice.
In States that have not established a process or chosen a program
for review, State, areawide, regional, and local entities may submit
comments directly to the Department.
Any State Process Recommendation and other comments submitted by a
State Single Point of Contact and any comments from State, areawide,
regional, and local entities must be mailed or hand-delivered by the
date indicated in this notice to the following address: The Secretary,
E.O. 12372-CFDA #84.341, U.S. Department of Education, Room 7E200, 400
Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-0125.
Proof of mailing will be determined on the same basis as
applications (see 34 CFR 75.102). Recommendations or comments may be
hand-delivered until 4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on the date
indicated in this notice. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE ADDRESS IS NOT THE
SAME ADDRESS AS THE ONE TO WHICH THE APPLICANT SUBMITS ITS COMPLETED
APPLICATION. DO NOT SEND APPLICATIONS TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS.
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 #84.341) Washington, DC 20202-4725 or
(2) Hand deliver the original and two copies of the application by
4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on or before the deadline date to:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA #84.341), Room 3633, Regional Office Building #3, 7th and D
Streets, SW., Washington, D.C.
(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 the following forms and
instructions, 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, and a checklist for applicants.
a. Instructions for the Application Narrative.
b. Estimated Public Reporting Burden Statement.
c. Notice to All Applicants (compliance with section 427 of GEPA).
d. Checklist for Applicants.
e. An excerpt of Public Law 103-382.
f. Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424, Exp. 06/30/2001) and
instructions.
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g. Budget Information-Non-construction Programs (ED Form No. 524)
and instructions.
h. Assurances-Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B) and
instructions.
i. Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED
80-0013) and instructions.
j. Certifications regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility
and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED 80-0014, 9/
90) and instructions.
Note: ED 80-0014 is intended for the use of grantees and should
not be transmitted to the Department.
k. 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 must submit ONE original signed application, 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''. No grant may
be awarded unless a completed application form, including the signed
assurances and certifications, has been received.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Norris Dickard, Community Technology
Centers Program, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4076, Switzer
Building, Washington, DC 20202-7240. Telephone: (202) 205-9873. E-mail:
norris__dickard@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 notice in an
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding
paragraph. Please note, however, that the Department is not able to
reproduce in an alternate format the standard forms included in the
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 either of the
following sites: http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm http://www.ed.gov/
news.html
To use the PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you
have questions about using the PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing
Office 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. 6832.
Dated: April 22, 1999.
Robert Muller,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult 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.
The Secretary strongly requests the applicant to limit the
Application Narrative (not including the Abstract) to no more than
20 double-spaced, typed pages (on one side only). The Department has
found that successful applications for similar programs generally
meet this page limit.
1. Begin with a one-page Abstract summarizing the proposed
community technology center project, including a short description
of the population to be served by the project, project objectives,
and planned project activities;
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 competitive
priority(ies), if applicable.
4. 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.
5. In the application budget, include a description of the non-
federal contributions that the applicant will make for each year of
the project in amounts not less than the non-federal contributions
as required in this notice. Budget line items must support the goals
and objectives of the proposed project.
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 that information.
7. 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 1830-0539 (Expiration Date: 04/
30/2002). The time required to complete this information collection
is estimated to average 40 hours per response, including the time to
review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data
needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you
have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate or
suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S.
Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202-4651.
If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your
individual submission of this form, write directly to: Community
Technology Centers Program, Division of Adult Education and
Literacy, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-7240.
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).
3. Application Narrative, including information that addresses
section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act. (See the
section entitled ``NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS'').
4. Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (SF 242B).
5. Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements
(ED 80-0013).
6. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL).
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[FR Doc. 99-10622 Filed 4-23-99; 12:24 pm]
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