FR Doc 04-5818
[Federal Register: March 15, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 50)]
[Notices]
[Page 12261-12264]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15mr04-139]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Vocational and Adult Education; Overview Information;
Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) Program; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215L.
Dates:
Applications Available: March 15, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 29, 2004.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 28, 2004.
Eligible Applicants: Local educational agencies (LEAs), including
schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA schools), applying
on behalf of large public high schools are eligible. For purposes of
this program, a large high school is defined as a school that includes
grades 11 and 12 and has an enrollment of 1,000 or more students in
grades 9 and above. Additional information regarding applicant
eligibility requirements is provided elsewhere in this notice in
Section III. Eligibility Information, 1. Eligible Applicants.
Estimated Available Funds: $160,947,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: See chart under Section II. Award
Information.
Estimated Number of Awards: 90 Planning Grants and 120
Implementation Grants.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 12 months for Planning Grants and up to 36
months for Implementation Grants.
Full Text of Announcement
Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Smaller Learning Communities
Program is to promote academic achievement through the planning,
implementation or expansion of small, safe, and successful learning
environments in large public high schools to help ensure that all
students graduate with the knowledge and skills necessary to make
successful transitions to college and careers.
Priorities: These priorities are from the notice of final
requirements, priorities and selection criteria for this program,
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2003 these priorities are absolute
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications
that meet these priorities.
These priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1: Helping All Students To Succeed in Rigorous
Academic Courses (Planning Grants)
This priority will support projects that will develop a plan to
create or expand a smaller learning community program that will
implement a coherent set of strategies and interventions that are
designed to ensure that all students who enter high school with
reading/language arts and mathematics skills that are significantly
below grade level "catch up" quickly so that, by no later than the
end of the 10th grade, they acquire the reading/language arts and
mathematics skills they need to participate successfully in rigorous
academic courses that will equip them with the knowledge and skills
necessary to transition successfully to postsecondary education, an
apprenticeship, or advanced training.
These accelerated learning strategies and interventions must:
(1) Be grounded in the findings of scientifically based and other
rigorous research;
(2) Include the use of age-appropriate instructional materials and
teaching and learning strategies;
(3) Provide additional instruction and academic support during the
regular school day, which may be supplemented by instruction that is
provided before or after school, on weekends, and at other times when
school is not in session; and
(4) Provide sustained professional development and ongoing support
for teachers and other personnel who are responsible for delivering
instruction.
Absolute Priority 2: Helping All Students to Succeed in Rigorous
Academic Courses (Implementation Grants)
This priority will support projects that will implement a coherent
set of strategies and interventions that are designed to ensure that
all students who enter high school with reading/language arts or
mathematics skills that are significantly below grade level ``catch
up'' quickly so that, by no later than the end of the 10th grade, they
acquire the reading/language arts and mathematics skills they need to
participate successfully in rigorous academic courses that will equip
them with the knowledge and skills necessary to transition successfully
to postsecondary education, an apprenticeship, or advanced training.
These accelerated learning strategies and interventions must:
(1) Be grounded in the findings of scientifically based and other
rigorous research;
(2) Include the use of age-appropriate instructional materials and
teaching and learning strategies;
(3) Provide additional instruction and academic support during the
regular school day, which may be supplemented by instruction that is
provided before or after school, on weekends, and at other times when
school is not in session; and
[[Page 12262]]
(4) Provide sustained professional development and ongoing support
for teachers and other personnel who are responsible for delivering
instruction.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7249.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81,
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) the requirements, priorities
and selection criteria contained in the notice of final requirements,
priorities, and selection criteria as published elsewhere in this issue
of the Federal Register.
Note: The regulations in part 79 apply to all applicants except
federally recognized Indian tribes.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary Planning Grants and Implementation
Grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $160,947,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: The Secretary will award both planning
and implementation grants under this competition.
A. Planning Grants. The amount of an award for a planning grant is
based on the number of schools the applicant proposes to serve. For a
one-year planning grant, LEAs may receive, on behalf of a single
school, $25,000 to $50,000 per project. LEAs applying on behalf of a
group of eligible schools may receive up to $250,000 per planning grant
depending on the number of schools included in the application. LEAs
must stay within the maximum school allocations when determining their
group award request. Therefore, in order to ensure sufficient planning
funds at the local level, LEAs may not request funds for more than 10
schools under a single application.
The chart below provides the ranges of awards for planning grants:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of schools Award ranges
------------------------------------------------------------------------
One School........................................ $25,000-$50,000
Two Schools....................................... $50,000-$100,000
Three Schools..................................... $75,000-$150,000
Four Schools...................................... $100,000-$200,000
Five Schools...................................... $125,000-$250,000
Six Schools....................................... $150,000-$250,000
Seven Schools..................................... $175,000-$250,000
Eight Schools..................................... $200,000-$250,000
Nine Schools...................................... $225,000-$250,000
Ten Schools....................................... $250,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Implementation Grants. The amount of an award for an
implementation grant is based on the enrollment of the schools the
applicant is proposing to serve. For a three-year implementation grant,
LEAs may receive, on behalf of a single school, $250,000 to $550,000,
depending upon the size of the school. LEAs applying on behalf of a
group of eligible schools may request up to $5,500,000 per
implementation grant. As with planning grants, LEAs must stay within
the maximum school allocations when determining their group award
request, or they will be declared ineligible and their applications
will not be read. In order to ensure sufficient funds are available to
support implementation activities, LEAs may not request funds for more
than 10 schools under a single application for an implementation grant.
The chart below provides the ranges of awards for implementation
grants:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Award ranges per
Student enrollment school
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1,000-1,500 Students.............................. $250,000-$300,000
1,501-2,000 Students.............................. $250,000-$400,000
2,001-2,500 Students.............................. $250,000-$450,000
2,501-3,000 Students.............................. $250,000-$500,000
More than 3,000 Students.......................... $250,000-$550,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Understanding the unique complexities of implementing a program that
affects a school's organization, physical design, curriculum,
instruction, and preparation of teachers, the Secretary anticipates
awarding the entire amount for an implementation grant at the time of
the initial award.
Note: The Department will fund only those applications that
correctly request funds within the maximum award ranges specified in
this notice for both planning and implementation grants. Applicants
requesting funding in amounts higher than the award ranges dictated
by the number of schools or the enrollment of the schools to be
served will be declared ineligible and their applications will not
be read. However, an applicant may request an amount lower than the
suggested minimum for an individual school or for the overall grant
based on the pertinent number of schools.
Estimated Number of Awards: 90 Planning Grants and 120
Implementation Grants.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 12 months for Planning Grants and up to 36
months for Implementation Grants.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs, including BIA schools, applying on
behalf of large public high schools are eligible. For purposes of this
program, a large high school is defined as a school that includes
grades 11 and 12 and has an enrollment of 1,000 or more students in
grades 9 and above.
We do not permit an LEA to apply on behalf of a high school for
which it does not have governing authority, such as a high school in a
neighboring school district. An LEA, however, may form a consortium
with another LEA and submit a joint application for funds. They must
follow the procedures for group applications described in 34 CFR
75.127-75.129 in EDGAR.
An LEA may submit only one planning grant application and one
implementation grant application and must specify in each application
the high schools it intends to serve. An LEA may apply for only one
planning grant and one implementation grant whether the LEA applies
independently or as part of a consortium application. Additionally, an
LEA may not apply for both a planning and implementation grant on
behalf of the same high school. A single high school may only be
included in either the LEA's planning grant application or its
implementation grant application, but not both.
Applicants pursuing planning grant funds must not yet have
developed a viable plan for creating smaller learning communities in
the school(s) that will be served by the grant. To apply for
implementation grant funds, applicants must be prepared to implement a
new smaller learning communities program within each targeted high
school, or to expand an existing smaller learning communities program.
The first year of implementation grant funds is not to be used for
planning purposes.
Schools that received funding through planning grants in previous
competitions are not eligible to receive support through additional
planning grants under this competition or future competitions. Schools
that received funding through implementation awards in previous
competitions are not eligible to receive additional support under this
competition or future competitions.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Deborah Williams, U.S.
Department of Education, OVAE, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., MES room 5518,
Washington, DC 20202-7120. Telephone: (202) 205-0242. FAX: (202) 401-
4079.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
You may also obtain an application package via Internet from the
following
[[Page 12263]]
address: http://www.ed.gov/programs/slcp/applicant.html.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact
person listed in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: To be considered for
funding, LEAs must identify in their applications the name(s) of the
eligible school(s) and the number of students enrolled in each school.
Enrollment figures must be based upon data from the current school year
or data from the most recently completed school year. We will not
accept applications from LEAs applying on behalf of schools that are
being constructed and do not have an active student enrollment at the
time of application. Applicants must clearly identify the proposed
grant-funded smaller learning communities in their application.
Additional requirements concerning the content of an application are in
the notice of final requirements, priorities and selection criteria for
this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register. These requirements, together with the forms you must submit,
also are in the application package for this competition.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: March 15, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 29, 2004.
The dates and times for the transmittal of applications by mail or
by hand (including a courier service or commercial carrier) are in the
application package for this competition.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 28, 2004.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Instructions and requirements for
the transmittal of applications by mail or by hand (including a courier
service or commercial carrier) are in the application package for this
competition.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
in the notice of final requirements, priorities, and selection criteria
for Fiscal Year 2003 and subsequent years' funds and in the application
package.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
Note: The requirements listed in this notice are material
requirements. A failure to comply with any applicable program
requirement (for example, failure to show improvement on the
required performance indicators by the end of the first year of
implementation) may subject a grantee to administrative action,
including but not limited to designation as a "high-risk" grantee,
the imposition of special conditions or termination of the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: The Secretary requires applicants for
implementation grants to identify in their application specific
performance indicators and annual performance objectives for each of
these indicators. Specifically, applicants are required to use the
following performance indicators to measure the progress of each
school:
1. The percentage of students who scored at the proficient and
advanced levels on the reading/language arts and mathematics
assessments used by the State to measure adequate yearly progress under
Part A of Title I of ESEA, disaggregated by subject matter and the
following subgroups:
a. All students;
b. Major racial and ethnic groups;
c. Students with disabilities;
d. Students with limited English proficiency; and
e. Economically disadvantaged students.
2. The school's graduation rate, as defined in the State's approved
accountability plan for Part A of Title I of ESEA;
3. The percentage of graduates who enroll in postsecondary
education, apprenticeships, or advanced training for the semester
following graduation; and
4. The percentage of graduates who are employed by the end of the
first quarter after they graduate (e.g., for students who graduate in
May or June, this would be September 30).
In addition to the four required indicators listed above,
applicants may choose to set performance levels for other appropriate
indicators; such as:
1. Rates of average daily attendance and year-to-year retention;
2. Achievement and gains in English proficiency of limited English
proficient students;
3. The incidence of school violence, drug and alcohol use, and
disciplinary actions;
4. The percentage of students completing advanced placement
courses, and the rate of passing advanced placement tests (such as
Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and courses for
college credit); and
5. The level of teacher, student, and parent satisfaction with the
Smaller Learning Communities structures and strategies being
implemented.
Applicants for implementation grants are required to include in
their applications their most recent School Report Card. Upon being
awarded, recipients of implementation grants will be required to
provide baseline data responding to each of these indicators for the
three years preceding the baseline year. Specific instructions will be
sent from us to grant recipients. Recipients of implementation grants
will be required to report annually on the extent to which each school
achieved its performance objectives for each indicator during the
preceding school year. Additionally, implementation grantees will have
to submit a final Annual Performance Report at the end of the fourth
year of implementation. We require grantees to include in these reports
comparable data, if available, for the preceding three
[[Page 12264]]
school years so that trends in performance will be more apparent.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deborah Williams, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room MES5518, Washington, DC
20202-7120. Telephone: (202) 205-0242 or by e-mail:
deborah.williams@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device 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 in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this
section.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.
Dated: March 9, 2004.
Susan Sclafani,
Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 04-5818 Filed 3-12-04; 8:45 am]
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