[Federal Register: March 20, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 54)]
[Notices]
[Page 13372-13373]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20mr97-60]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No.: 84.215P]
Fund for the Improvement of Education Program--Assessment
Development Grants; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for
Fiscal Year (FY) 1997
Purpose of Program: To fund projects that develop, evaluate and
field-test assessments aligned with challenging State content
standards. The Secretary intends to provide Federal financial
assistance to assist eligible applicants in the development or
modification of such assessments that can be used to improve classroom
instruction, motivate all students to improve educational performance,
and provide examples for students, teachers and parents of the learning
outcomes that can be expected for all students.
Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs), local
educational agencies (LEAs), institutions of higher education, and
other public and private agencies, organizations, and institutions,
including consortia of such organizations, are eligible to receive
funds under these priorities.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 30, 1997.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 29, 1997.
Applications Available: March 24, 1997.
Estimated Available Funds: Up to $4,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000 to $1,000,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $400,000 per year.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10 awards.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Maximum Award: The Secretary does not consider an application that
proposes a budget exceeding $1,000,000 for the first budget period of
12 months.
Project Period: Up to 48 months.
Budget Period: 12 months.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, and 86; and (b) The regulations in 34 CFR Parts 98, 99, and
700.
Priorities
The priorities in the notice of final priorities for this program,
published in the Federal Register on April 1, 1996 (61 FR 14392) and
repeated below apply to this competition.
Absolute Priority 1--Projects that develop, field-test, and
evaluate assessments that are aligned to State content standards.
[[Page 13373]]
Absolute Priority 2--Projects that modify, field-test, and evaluate
assessments to address the needs of children and youth with
disabilities or limited English proficiency.
Assessments to be modified must be those developed under priority
(1) or similar assessments developed for all students and aligned to
State content standards.
All projects must--
(a) Examine the validity and reliability of the assessment for the
particular purposes for which the assessment was developed;
(b) Ensure that the assessment is consistent with relevant,
nationally recognized professional and technical standards for
assessments;
(c) Devote special attention to how the assessment treats all
students, especially with regard to race, gender, ethnicity,
disability, and language proficiency of those students; and
(d) Be developed by, or under the direction of, an SEA, LEA, or
consortia of those agencies.
Invitational Priorities
Within the absolute priorities specified in this notice, the
Secretary is particularly interested in applications that meet the
invitational priorities in the next two paragraphs. However, an
application that meets one or more of these invitational priorities
does not receive competitive or absolute preference over other
applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Invitational Priority 1--Projects that focus on the assessment of
reading and mathematics and are used to meet the assessment
requirements of ESEA Title I.
Invitational Priority 2--Projects that involve consortia of states
working together to develop or modify assessment instruments aligned
with content standards.
For Applications or Information Contact: Applicants are encouraged
to request an application by facsimile machine: David Sweet, (202) 219-
2135, by electronic mail: Paige--Russ@ed.gov, or by mail: Assessment
Development Grant Application, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New
Jersey Avenue, N.W., Room 510, Washington, D.C. 20208-5573. However, if
that is not convenient, you may use voicemail: (202) 219-2079.
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Information about the Department's funding opportunities, including
copies of application notices for discretionary grant competitions, can
be viewed on the Department's electronic bulletin board (ED Board),
telephone (202) 260-9950; on the Internet Gopher Server at (gopher://
gcs.ed.gov); or on the World Wide Web at (http://gcs.ed.gov). However,
the official application notice for a discretionary grant competition
is the notice published in the Federal Register.
Program authority: 20 U.S.C. 8001.
Dated: March 14, 1997.
Marshall S. Smith,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 97-6950 Filed 3-19-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P