[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17406-17422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8357]




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Part IV





Department of Education





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Assessment Development and Evaluation Grants Program; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1995; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 65 / Wednesday, April 5, 1995 / 
Notices   
[[Page 17406]] 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

CFDA No: 84.279-A


Assessment Development and Evaluation Grants Program; Notice 
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1995

    Note to Applicants: This notice is a complete application package. 
Together with the statute authorizing the program and the Education 
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), the notice 
contains all of the information, application forms, and instructions 
needed to apply for a grant under this competition.
    Purpose of the Program: To provide grants to help defray the cost 
of developing, testing, and evaluating State assessments, including 
assessments in languages other than English, and assessments for 
students with disabilities.
    Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies, local educational 
agencies, and consortia of such agencies are eligible.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 5, 1995.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 5, 1995.
    Available Funds: $5,000,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000 to $500,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $300,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 16 awards.
    Project Period: Up to 48 months.
    Budget Period: 12 months.
    Applicable Regulations:
    (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations 
(EDGAR) as follows:
    (1) 34 CFR Part 75 (Direct Grant Programs).
    (2) 34 CFR Part 77 (Definitions that Apply to Department 
Regulations).
    (3) 34 CFR Part 79 (Intergovernmental Review of Department of 
Education Programs and Activities).
    (4) 34 CFR Part 80 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants 
and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments).
    (5) 34 CFR Part 81 (General Education Provisions Act--Enforcement).
    (6) 34 CFR Part 82 (New Restrictions on Lobbying).
    (7) 34 CFR Part 85 (Government-wide Debarment and Suspension 
(Nonprocurement) and Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free 
Workplace (Grants)).
    (8) 34 CFR Part 86 (Drug-Free Schools and Campuses).
    (b) The regulations in--
    (1) 34 CFR Part 98 (Student Rights in Research, Experimental 
Programs, and Testing); and
    (2) 34 CFR Part 99 (Family Educational Rights and Privacy).
    Description of the Program: The Assessment Development and 
Evaluation Grants Program is authorized by section 220 of the Goals 
2000: Educate America Act (Public Law 103-227). Under this program, the 
Secretary provides grants to help defray the cost of developing, field-
testing, and evaluating State assessments aligned to State content 
standards certified by the National Education Standards and Improvement 
Council. The Secretary is required to reserve a portion of the 
available funds for purposes of developing such assessments in 
languages other than English and developing such assessments for 
students with disabilities. Therefore, the Secretary has established 
three absolute priorities for this competition as outlined below. Under 
priority (a), the Secretary will support the development of State 
assessments for all students that are aligned with State content 
standards. Under priorities (b) and (c), the Secretary will support the 
modification of State assessments for all students necessary to 
facilitate their use with students of limited-English proficiency or 
students with disabilities. The Secretary anticipates that assessments 
developed under this program will serve as models for other States and, 
therefore, expects that grantees will carefully document their efforts 
to develop and evaluate assessments.
    Absolute Priorities: Under this competition, the Secretary will 
consider applications that address one or more of the following 
priorities:
    (a) Projects to develop, field-test, and evaluate State assessments 
for all students that are aligned to State content standards.
    (b) Projects to modify, field-test, and evaluate State assessments 
in languages other than English. The State assessments to be modified 
must be those developed under priority (a) or similar State assessments 
developed for all students and aligned to State content standards.
    (c) Projects to modify, field-test, and evaluate State assessments 
for students with disabilities. The State assessments to be modified 
must be those developed under priority (a) or similar State assessments 
developed for all students and aligned to State content standards.

Purposes of the Assessments

    Grants awarded under this competition may be used only for the 
development, field-testing, and evaluation of State assessments to be 
used for some or all of the following purposes:
    (a) Informing students, parents, teachers, and related services 
personnel about the progress of all students toward the State's content 
standards;
    (b) Improving classroom instruction and improving the learning 
outcomes for all students;
    (c) Exemplifying for students, parents, and teachers the kinds and 
levels of achievement that should be expected of all students, 
including the identification of State student performance standards;
    (d) Measuring and motivating individual students, schools, 
districts, States, and the Nation to improve educational performance; 
and
    (e) Assisting education policymakers in making decisions about 
education programs.

Council Certification of Content Standards

    This program supports the development and evaluation of State 
assessments that are aligned to State content standards certified by 
the National Education Standards and Improvement Council (NESIC). 
Because NESIC has not yet been established and States cannot yet seek 
certification of State content standards, an applicant for a grant 
under this competition must demonstrate in its application that the 
proposed project is designed to ensure the likelihood that the 
assessments to be developed and evaluated will be aligned to State 
content standards certified by NESIC. This demonstration must include 
an assurance by the State that it intends to seek NESIC certification 
of the State content standards to which the assessments will be 
aligned.

Other Requirements

    The recipient of a grant awarded under this competition must:
    (a) Examine the validity and reliability of the State assessment 
for the particular purposes for which such assessment was developed;
    (b) Ensure that the State assessment is consistent with relevant, 
nationally recognized professional and technical standards for 
assessments; and
    (c) Devote special attention to how a State assessment treats all 
students, especially with regard to the race, gender, ethnicity, 
disability, and language proficiency of such students.

Use of Assessments

    A State assessment developed and evaluated with a grant awarded 
under this competition may not be used for decisions about individual 
students [[Page 17407]] relating to program placement, promotion or 
retention, graduation, or employment for a period of 5 years from the 
enactment of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act on March 31, 1994.
    Selection Criteria: (a) (1) The Secretary uses the following 
selection criteria to evaluate applications for new grants 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) Meeting the purposes of the authorizing 
statute. (30 points) The Secretary reviews each application to 
determine how well the project will meet the purpose of the Assessment 
Development and Evaluation Grants Program, including consideration of--
    (i) The objectives of the project; and
    (ii) How the objectives of the project further the purposes of the 
authorizing statute.
    (2) Extent of need for the project. (20 points) The Secretary 
reviews each application to determine the extent to which the project 
meets specific needs recognized in the authorizing statute, including 
consideration of--
    (i) The needs addressed by the project;
    (ii) How the applicant identified those needs;
    (iii) How those needs will be met by the project; and
    (iv) The benefits to be gained by meeting those needs.
    (3) Plan of operation. (15 points) The Secretary reviews each 
application to determine the quality of the plan of operation for the 
project, including--
    (i) The quality of the design of the project;
    (ii) The extent to which the plan of management is effective and 
ensures proper and efficient administration of the project;
    (iii) How well the objectives of the project relate to the purpose 
of the program;
    (iv) The quality of the applicant's plan to use its resources and 
personnel to achieve each objective; and
    (v) How the applicant will ensure that project participants who are 
otherwise eligible to participate are selected without regard to race, 
color, national origin, gender, age, or handicapping condition.
    (4) Quality of key personnel. (15 points)
    (i) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality 
of key personnel the applicant plans to use on the project, including--
    (A) The qualifications of the project director (if one is to be 
used);
    (B) The qualifications of each of the other key personnel to be 
used in the project;
    (C) The time that each person referred to in paragraphs 
(b)(4)(i)(A) and (B) will commit to the project; and
    (D) How the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment 
practices, will ensure that its personnel are selected for employment 
without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or 
handicapping condition.
    (ii) To determine personnel qualifications under paragraphs 
(b)(4)(i)(A) and (B), the Secretary considers--
    (A) Experience and training in fields related to the objectives of 
the project; and
    (B) Any other qualifications that pertain to the quality of the 
project.
    (5) Budget and cost effectiveness. (5 points) The Secretary reviews 
each application to determine the extent to which--
    (i) The budget is adequate to support the project; and
    (ii) Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the 
project.
    (6) Evaluation plan. (10 points) The Secretary reviews each 
application to determine the quality of the evaluation plan for the 
project, including the extent to which the applicant's methods of 
evaluation--
    (i) Are appropriate to the project; and
    (ii) To the extent possible, are objective and produce data that 
are quantifiable.
    (Cross-reference: See 34 CFR 75.590 Evaluation by the grantee.)
    (7) Adequacy of resources. (5 points) The Secretary reviews each 
application to determine the adequacy of the resources that the 
applicant plans to devote to the project, including facilities, 
equipment, and supplies.
    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 procedure established 
in each State under the Executive Order. If you want to know the name 
and address of any State Single Point of Contact, see the list 
published in the Federal Register on June 10, 1994 (59 FR 30214).
    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 #84.279-A, U.S. Department of Education, Room 6213, 
600 Independence 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, DC time) on the dated 
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 
shall--
    (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 #84.279-A, 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 the deadline date to: U.S. 
Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA 
#84.279-A, Room 3633, Regional Office Building 3, 7th and D Streets 
SW., Washington, DC.
    (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: [[Page 17408]] 
    (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 30 of the Application for 
Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) the CFDA number--and letter, 
if any--of the competition under which the application is being 
submitted.

    Application Instructions and Forms: The appendix to this 
application is divided into three parts plus a statement regarding 
estimated public reporting burden and various assurances and 
certifications. These parts and additional materials are organized in 
the same manner that the submitted application should be organized. The 
parts and additional materials are as follows:
    Part I: Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424 (Rev. 
4-88)) and instructions.
    Part II: Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 
524) and instructions.
    Special Budget Instructions:  The Department is participating in 
the Administration's Reinventing Government Initiative. As part of that 
initiative, the National Performance Review urged the Department to 
``eliminate the continuation application process for budget years 
within the project period'' and replace it with ``yearly program 
progress reports focusing on program outcomes and problems related to 
program implementation and service delivery.'' The Department is 
implementing this recommendation for as many programs as possible 
beginning in fiscal year 1995. This will require all applicants for 
multi-year awards to provide detailed budget information for the total 
cooperative agreement period. The Department will negotiate at the time 
of the initial award the funding levels for each year of the 
cooperative agreement award. A new generic budget form, included in 
this package, requests the information needed to implement this 
initiative.
    By requesting detailed budget information in the initial 
application for the total project period, the need for formal 
noncompeting continuation applications in the remaining years will be 
eliminated. An annual report will be used in place of the continuation 
application to determine progress, thereby relieving grantees of the 
burden to resubmit assurances, certifications, etc.
    Part III: Application Narrative.
    Additional Materials:
    Estimated Public Reporting Burden.
    Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B).
    Certifications regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and Other 
Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED 80-
0013).
    Certification 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.)
    Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL) (if 
applicable) and instructions; and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 
Continuation Sheet (Standard Form LLL-A).
    An applicant 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. No grant may be awarded unless a 
completed application form has been received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. David Sweet, U.S. Department of 
Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New 
Jersey Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20208-5573. Telephone 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; or on the Internet Gopher Server at 
GOPHER.ED.GOV (under Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases). 
However, the official application notice for a discretionary grant 
competition is the notice published in the Federal Register.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 5850.

    Dated: March 31, 1995.
Sharon P. Robinson,
Assistant Secretary, Educational Research and Improvement.
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Instructions for Part III--Application Narrative
    In order to be considered for funding you must submit an original 
and two copies (and in order to expedite the review and award process, 
it is strongly suggested that you voluntarily submit one additional 
copy) of the following:
    1. Federal Assistance Form (Standard Form 424)
    2. Priority Identification Sheet
    3. Project Summary (abstract)
    4. Proposal Narrative
    5. Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524)
    6. Resume(s) for the key personnel
    7. Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and 
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; and 
Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and 
Voluntary Exclusion Lower Tier Covered Transactions
    8. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Specific Instructions for Application Items

    Item 3. Project Summary (abstract). Applicants are required to 
provide a 250 word abstract. This summary serves an important function 
in the proposal review process, and so applicants are encouraged to be 
sure that the summary provides an accurate, intelligible and succinct 
description of the project.
    Item 4. Proposal Narrative. Applicants must provide a proposal 
narrative addressing each of the selection criteria which serve as the 
sole basis for reviewers to evaluate the applications. For the Budget 
and cost effectiveness criterion applicants must include a budget 
narrative that explains the line item figures included in Section B of 
Form 424A. Applicants responding to more than one of the three absolute 
priorities must disaggregate costs associated with each priority area 
(to meet the congressional reporting requirements of the Department).
    The applicant must limit the Proposal Narrative (including all 
attachments and appendices, but excluding a table of contents) to no 
more than 25 double spaced pages, typed on 8\1/2\'' x 11'' pages (on 
one side only) with at least one inch margins on all sides (including 
top and bottom of pages). Single spacing is only permitted for those 
attachments or appendices where single-spacing is the standard 
convention, e.g. letters of support and commitment, and the 
bibliographic reference section. The applicant must use no smaller than 
12 point type. The instructions printed on this page are printed in the 
appropriate type size. Note: proposal narratives that exceed this page 
limit, or narratives using a smaller print size or spacing that makes 
the narrative exceed this limit, will not be considered for funding.
    Item 6. Resume(s) for the key personnel. Each resume must be five 
pages or less in length.
    Item 7. Certifications. An original signature is required on one 
copy of the application.
    Item 8. Disclosure of Lobbying. An original signature is required 
on one copy of the application.
ASSESSMENT DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION GRANTS PROGRAM ABSOLUTE PRIORITY 
IDENTIFICATION SHEET
    The Secretary has identified three absolute priorities for this 
competition. Please identify the priority(ies) to be addressed by 
marking the appropriate box(es).
    Note that addressing at least one of the absolute priorities is a 
requirement for receiving a grant under this competition.
    [    ] Absolute Priority #1
    Projects to develop, field-test, and evaluate State assessments 
aligned to State content standards.
    [    ] Absolute Priority #2
    Projects to develop, field-test, and evaluate such State 
assessments in languages other than English.
    [    ] Absolute Priority #3
    Projects to develop, field-test, and evaluate such State 
assessments for students with disabilities.
Instructions for Estimated Public Reporting Burden
    Under terms of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, as amended, and 
the regulations implementing that Act, the Department of Education 
invites comment on the public reporting burden in this collection of 
information. Public reporting burden for this collection of information 
is estimated to average 30 hours per response, including the time for 
reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and 
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the 
collection of information. You may send comments regarding this burden 
estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, 
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department 
of Education, Information Management and Compliance Division, 
Washington, D.C. 20202-4651; and to the Office of Management and 
Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project 1850-0710, Washington, D.C. 20503.
    (Information collection approved under OMB control number 1850-
0710. Expiration date: September 31, 1998.)


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[FR Doc. 95-8357 Filed 4-4-95; 8:45 am]
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