[Federal Register: January 21, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 14)]
[Notices]
[Page 3547-3569]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21ja00-140]
[[Page 3547]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Part III
Department of Education
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Educational Research and Improvement; Telecommunications Demonstration
Project for Mathematics; Applications for New Awards (FY) 2000; Notice
[[Page 3548]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
(CFDA No. 84.286)
Office of Educational Research and Improvement;
Telecommunications Demonstration Project for Mathematics Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2000
Note To Applicants
This notice is a complete application package. Together with the
statute authorizing the program and applicable regulations governing
the program, including the Education Department General Administrative
Regulations (EDGAR), the notice contains all of the information,
application forms, and instructions you need to apply for a grant under
this competition.
Purpose of Program
The purpose of the Telecommunications Demonstration Project for
Mathematics is to support a grant to a nonprofit telecommunications
entity, or partnership of those entities, to carry out a national
telecommunications-based demonstration project to improve the teaching
of mathematics.
Eligible Applicants
Nonprofit telecommunications entity or partnership of those
entities.
Deadline For Receipt of Applications
March 10, 2000.
Note: We must receive all applications on or before this date.
This requirement takes exception to the Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), 34 CFR 75.102. Under the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department
generally offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on
proposed regulations. However, this exception to EDGAR makes
procedural changes only and does not establish new substantive
policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Assistant Secretary
for Educational Research and Improvement has determined that
proposed rulemaking is not required.
Deadline For Intergovernmental Review: May 10, 2000.
Estimated Available Funds: $8,500,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: Up to $8,500,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $8,500,000 per year. The Secretary may change the
maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1-3.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Please note that all applicants for multi-year awards are required
to provide detailed budget information for the total grant period
requested.
Budget Period: 12 months.
Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria reviewers use to evaluate your
application. Although a standard outline is not required, you should
address the application requirements and selection criteria discussed
in this application package. You must limit your narrative to the
equivalent of no more than 25 pages using the following standards:
* A ``page'' is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1"
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
* Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
* Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget
section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances
and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, the
bibliography, or the letters of support. However, you must address in
the application narrative all of the requirements stated in this
notice.
If, to meet the page limit, you use more than one side of the page,
you use a larger page, or you use a print size, spacing, or margins
smaller than the standards in this notice, your application will be
rejected.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 81,
82, 85, and 86.
Description of Program: The Telecommunications Demonstration
Project for Mathematics is authorized by Part D of Title III of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C.
6951-6952).
The Secretary is authorized to award grants to a nonprofit
telecommunications entity, or a partnership of those entities, to carry
out a national telecommunications-based demonstration project to
improve the teaching of mathematics. The project must be designed to
assist elementary and secondary school teachers in preparing all
students for achieving State content standards. The project must be
conducted at elementary and secondary school sites in at least 15
States.
Application Requirements: Each nonprofit telecommunications entity,
or partnership of those entities, that desires a grant must submit an
application that--
(1) Demonstrates that the applicant will use the existing publicly
funded telecommunications infrastructure to deliver video, voice, and
data in an integrated service to train teachers in the use of new
standards-based curricula materials and learning technologies;
(2) Assures that the project for which assistance is sought will be
conducted in cooperation with appropriate State educational agencies,
local educational agencies, State or local nonprofit public
telecommunications entities, and a national mathematics education
professional association that has developed content standards; and
(3) Assures that a significant portion of the benefits available
for elementary and secondary schools from the project for which
assistance is sought will be available to schools of local educational
agencies which have a high percentage of children counted for the
purpose of part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965, as amended.
Selection Criteria
(a)(1) The Secretary uses the following selection criteria in 34
CFR 75.210 to evaluate applications for a new grant under this
competition.
(2) The maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points.
(3) The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in
parentheses.
(b) The criteria. (1) Need for Project (20 points). (i) The
Secretary considers the need for the proposed project.
(ii) In determining the need for the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the
proposed project.
(B) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.
(2) Significance (35 points). (i) The Secretary considers the
significance of the proposed project.
(ii) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) The national significance of the proposed project.
(B) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system
change or improvement.
(C) The extent to which the proposed project involves the
development or demonstration of promising new
[[Page 3549]]
strategies that build on, or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
(D) The extent to which the results of the proposed project are to
be disseminated in ways that will enable others to use the information
or strategies.
(E) The potential replicability of the proposed project or
strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation
in a variety of settings.
(3) Quality of Project Services (20 points). (i) The Secretary
considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed
project.
(ii) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for
eligible project participants who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age or disability.
(iii) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(A) 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.
(B) 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 the Project Evaluation (25 points). (i) The
Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of
the proposed project.
(ii) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(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.
(C) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about
effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other
settings.
What Data Collection and Reporting Are Required?
The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 places
new management expectations and requirements on Federal departments and
agencies by creating a framework for more effective planning,
budgeting, program evaluation, and fiscal accountability for Federal
programs. The purpose of the Act is to improve public confidence by
holding agencies accountable for achieving program results. Departments
and agencies must clearly describe the goals and objectives of their
programs, identify resources and actions needed to accomplish these
goals and objectives, develop a means of measuring progress made, and
regularly report on their achievement. The Telecommunications
Demonstration Project for Mathematics program established as its GPRA
objective that the program will ``promote excellent teaching in
mathematics through sustained professional development and teacher
networks.'' The indicator for meeting this objective is increasing
participation in sustained professional development: The number of
teachers sharing resources and engaged in other professional
development activities through on-line learning communities will
increase annually. (For a copy of the ED FY 2000 Annual Plan see http:/
/www.ed.gov/pubs/planrpts.html).
ED staff are developing plans to collect and report valid data to
measure progress towards meeting the GPRA objective, as well as to
collect other information needed for program monitoring and
improvement. Funded projects will be required to submit these data as
part of their annual and final performance reports to the U.S.
Department of Education.
One important source of information on successes and lessons
learned is the project evaluation conducted under individual grants. A
strong project evaluation plan should be included in the grant
application. The evaluation should shape the development of the project
from the beginning of the grant period. The evaluation plan should:
* Include clear benchmarks to monitor progress toward key
objectives;
* Include outcome measures to assess impact on the intended
recipients of services;
* Identify the project evaluator and describe his or her
qualifications;
* Describe the evaluation design including: (1) What types
of data will be collected; (2) when various types of data will be
collected; (3) what designs and methods will be used; (4) what
instruments will be developed and when; (5) how the data will be
analyzed; (6) when reports of results and outcomes will be available;
and (7) how information will be used by the project to monitor progress
and to provide accountability information to stakeholders both at the
initial site and effective strategies for replication elsewhere.
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.
One of the objectives of the Executive order is to foster an
intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened federalism. The
Executive order relies on processes developed by State and local
governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal financial
assistance.
If you are an applicant, you must contact the appropriate State
Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to find out about, and to comply with,
the State's process under Executive Order 12372. If you propose to
perform activities in more than one State, you should immediately
contact the SPOC for each of those States and follow the procedure
established in each State under the Executive order. If you want to
know the name and address of any SPOC, see the list in the Appendix to
this application notice; or you may view the latest official SPOC list
on the Web site of the Office of Management and Budget at the following
address:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants
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
SPOC and any comments from State, areawide, regional, and local
entities must be mailed or hand-delivered by the date indicated in this
application notice to the following address: The Secretary, E.O.
12372--CFDA# 84.286, U.S. Department of Education, Room 7E200, 400
Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-0125.
We will determine proof of mailing under 34 CFR 75.102 (Deadline
date for applications). Recommendations or comments may be hand-
delivered until 4:30 p.m. (Washington, DC time) on the date indicated
in this notice.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE ADDRESS IS NOT THE SAME ADDRESS AS THE
ONE TO WHICH AN APPLICANT SUBMITS ITS COMPLETED APPLICATION. DO NOT
SEND APPLICATIONS TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS.
Instructions For Transmitting Applications
(a) If you want to apply for a grant, you must--
[[Page 3550]]
(1) Mail the original and two (2) copies of the application to:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attn: CFDA
#84.286, Regional Office Building 3, Room 3633, 7th & D Streets, SW,
Washington, DC 20202-4725.
Each copy of the application should be covered with a title page
(form included in these guidelines) or a reasonable facsimile. All
applicants are encouraged to submit voluntarily an additional three (3)
copies of the application for a total of one original and five copies,
and an additional three (3) copies of the title page itself in order to
expedite the review process. However, the absence of these additional
copies will not influence the selection process. All sections of the
application and all sections of the appendix must be suitable for
photocopying to be included in the review (at least one copy of the
application should be unbound and suitable for photocopying), or
(2) Hand deliver the application between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
(Washington, DC time) on or before the deadline date--Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays--to: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center, Regional Office Building 3, Room 3633, 7th
and D Streets, SW (D Street, SW, entrance,) Washington, DC.
(b) We will not consider for funding an application that we do not
receive by the deadline date.
(c) The Application Control Center will mail a Grant Application
Receipt Acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the notification
of application receipt within 15 days from date of mailing the
application you should call the U.S. Department of Education
Application Control Center at (202) 708-9494.
(d) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the
Department--in Item 3 of the Application for Federal Assistance (ED
424; revised January 12, 1999)--the CFDA number for this competition:
CFDA #84.286.
Application Instructions and Forms
The Appendix to this notice contains 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, and various assurances and certifications.
Please organize the parts and additional materials in the following
order:
Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED Form 424 (Rev. 1/
12/99)) and instructions.
Protection of Human Subjects in Research (Attachment to ED 424).
Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED Form No. 524) and
instructions.
Application Narrative.
Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B) (Rev.
7/97).
Certifications regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and Other
Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED Form
80-0013, 12/98) and instructions.
Certification regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and
Voluntary Exclusion: Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED Form 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.)
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL (Rev. 7/97))
(if applicable) and instructions.
You may submit information on a photostatic copy of the application
and budget forms, the assurances, and the certifications. However, the
application form, the assurances, and the certifications must each have
an original signature. We will not award a grant unless we have
received a completed application form.
For Further Information Contact: Jean Tolliver, U.S. Department of
Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 520, Washington, DC 20208-
5544. Telephone: (202) 219-2097. 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) or by request to the program contact person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. However, the Department is not able to
reproduce in an alternative format the standard forms included in this
application 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 (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, D.C.
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. 6951-6952.
Dated: January 18, 2000.
C. Kent McGuire,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
Appendix--Estimated Public Reporting Burden
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, you are not
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this
collection of information is 1850-0760 (Expiration Date: 1/31/2003). We
estimate the time required to complete this collection of information
to average 40 hours per response, including the time to review
instructions, search existing data sources, gather the data needed, and
complete and review the collection of information. 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 any comments or concerns regarding the status of your
submission of this form, write directly to: Telecommunications
Demonstration Project for Mathematics, Attn: 84.286, U.S. Department of
Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20208-5544.
Instructions for Preparing Your Application Narrative
Before preparing your application narrative, you should read
carefully the entire application package before beginning to prepare
your application. The Selection Criteria state what you must propose to
do, and what criteria will be used to evaluate your application.
The Application: Your application should include:
1. Title Page. Use the Title Page form (Standard Form 424) included
in these guidelines.
2. Table of Contents. Include a one-page table of contents.
3. Abstract. Provide a one-page, double-spaced abstract that
describes the need to be addressed by the project,
[[Page 3551]]
summarizes the proposed activities, and identifies the intended
outcomes. It is helpful to include on this page your name, address, and
phone numbers.
4. Narrative. (Note: The section on PAGE LIMIT elsewhere in this
application notice applies to your application).
5. Budget. Use the attached Budget Summary form (ED Form 524), or a
suitable facsimile, to present a complete budget summary for each year
of the project.
Please provide a justification for this budget by including, for
each year, a narrative for each budget line item which explains: (1)
The basis for estimating the costs of professional personnel salaries,
benefits, project staff travel, materials and supplies, consultants and
subcontracts, indirect costs, and any projected expenditures; (2) how
the major cost items relate to the proposed activities; (3) the costs
of evaluation; and (4) a detailed description explaining in-kind
support or funding provided by partners in the project, if any.
The Appendix: Your application should be accompanied by an appendix
which includes:
1. Project Personnel. Please provide a brief summary of the
background and experience of key project staff as they relate to the
specific project activities you are proposing.
2. List of Partners. List all project partners and other sources of
support, their contact persons, addresses, telephone numbers, fax
numbers, and E-mail addresses. The roles and contributions of all
partners and other sources of support should be described within the
25-page narrative, but letters of commitment should be included in this
section of the appendix to clearly document the role and contribution
of each member.
3. Evidence of Previous Success. Include a brief summary of any
evaluation studies, reports, or research that may document the
effectiveness or success of the applicant or of the activities proposed
in the narrative section of the application.
4. Evaluation Plan. A brief plan should identify what types of data
will be collected, when data will be collected, the design and methods
to be used, what instruments will be developed, how data will be
analyzed, and when reports of results and outcomes will be available.
Other Attachments: Other attachments are not encouraged. Reviewers
will have a limited time to read each application. Supplementary
materials such as videotapes, CD-ROMs, files on disks, commercial
publications, press clippings, testimonial letters, etc. will not be
reviewed and will be returned to you.
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U
[[Page 3552]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.000
[[Page 3553]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.001
[[Page 3554]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.002
[[Page 3555]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.003
[[Page 3556]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.004
[[Page 3557]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.005
[[Page 3558]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.006
[[Page 3559]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.007
[[Page 3560]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.008
[[Page 3561]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.009
[[Page 3562]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.010
[[Page 3563]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.011
[[Page 3564]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.012
[[Page 3565]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.013
[[Page 3566]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.014
[[Page 3567]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.015
[[Page 3568]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.016
[[Page 3569]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21JA00.017
[FR Doc. 00-1516 Filed 1-20-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-C