[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 117 (Monday, June 19, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32086-32088]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-14918]




[[Page 32085]]

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Part III





Department of Education





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Comprehensive Regional Assistance Centers Program; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 117 / Monday, June 19, 1995 / Notices 
   
[[Page 32086]] 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.283A]


Comprehensive Regional Assistance Centers Program

    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
1995.
    Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to establish a 
networked system of 15 comprehensive regional assistance centers to 
provide comprehensive training and technical assistance related to the 
administration and implementation of programs under the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), to States, local educational 
agencies (LEAs), schools, tribes, community-based organizations, and 
other recipients of funds under the Act.
    This new approach will replace the Department's current method of 
developing technical assistance that involves more than 40 entities 
providing categorical and often fragmented technical assistance. A new 
national technical assistance system will aid in: implementing school 
reform programs in a manner that improves teaching and learning for all 
students; coordinating reform programs with other Federal, State, and 
local education plans and activities, so that all students, 
particularly students at risk of educational failure, are provided 
opportunities to meet challenging State content standards and 
challenging State student performance standards; and adopting, 
adapting, and implementing promising and proven practices for improving 
teaching and learning.
    Eligible Applicants: (1) For regions (I-V, VIII, XI, XII, XIV and 
XV), public or private nonprofit entities or consortia of these 
entities are eligible to apply. (2) For regions that serve a 
significant population of Indian or Alaska Native students (Regions VI, 
VII, IX, X, and XIII), eligible applicants are consortia of public or 
private entities that include a tribally controlled community college 
or other Indian organization.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 4, 1995.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 29, 1995.
    Applications Available: June 21, 1995.
    Available Funds: The amount available for the first year is $55 
million. Since amounts for succeeding years depend on appropriations by 
Congress, budget estimates should assume level funding for 5 years.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $2.5 million-$4.5 million per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $3.67 million.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 15 Cooperative Agreements (see 
Definitions section).

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimate in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85 and 86.

Definitions

    (a) ``Grant'' means an award of financial assistance in the form of 
money, or property in lieu of money, made by the Federal Government to 
an eligible recipient. The term includes a cooperative agreement except 
where otherwise provided by statute or regulation (see Sec. 74.3 or 
Sec. 80.3 of EDGAR).
    (b) ``Cooperative agreement'' means a type of grant awarded by the 
Department when it anticipates having substantial involvement with the 
recipient during the performance of a funded project.

Selection Criteria

    The Secretary will use the following criteria to evaluate 
applications for this competition. The maximum total score is 100. The 
maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses with the 
criterion.
    1. Meeting the purposes of the authorizing statute (30 Points). The 
Secretary reviews each application to determine how well the project 
will meet the purposes of Title XIII of the ESEA, including 
consideration of--
    (a) The objectives of the proposed Center;
    (b) How the objectives of the proposed Center further the purposes 
of Title XIII of the ESEA.
    Under section 13002 of ESEA, the purpose of Title XIII is to create 
a national technical assistance and dissemination system to make 
available to States, local educational agencies, tribes, schools, and 
other recipients of funds under ESEA technical assistance in--
    (1) Administering and implementing programs under the ESEA;
    (2) Implementing school reform programs in a manner that improves 
teaching and learning for all students;
    (3) Coordinating reform programs with other Federal, State, and 
local education plans and activities, so that all students, 
particularly students at risk of educational failure, are provided 
opportunities to meet challenging State content standards and 
challenging State student performance standards; and
    (4) Adopting, adapting, and implementing promising and proven 
practices for improving teaching and learning.
    Under section 13101, the specific purpose of Part A--Comprehensive 
Regional Assistance Centers is to establish a networked system of 15 
comprehensive regional assistance centers to provide comprehensive 
training and technical assistance, related to administration and 
implementation of programs under ESEA, to States, local educational 
agencies, schools, tribes, community-based organizations, and other 
recipients of ESEA funds.
    Section 13001 of ESEA further specifies that technical assistance 
efforts under Title XIII are intended to--
    (1) Help schools and school systems focus on improving 
opportunities for all children to meet challenging State content 
standards and challenging State student performance standards, as those 
schools and systems implement programs under ESEA;
    (2) Help States, LEAs, tribes, participating colleges and 
universities, and schools integrate Federal, State, and local education 
programs in ways that contribute to improving schools and entire school 
systems; and
    (3) Coordinate technical assistance in support of ESEA programs 
with the Department's regional offices, the regional educational 
laboratories, the State Literacy Resource Centers, vocational resource 
centers, and other technical assistance efforts supported by the 
Department.
    2. Extent of Need for the Center (20 Points). The Secretary reviews 
each application to determine the extent to which the project meets 
specific needs recognized in Title XIII of ESEA, including 
consideration of--
    (a) The needs addressed by the proposed Center;
    (b) How the applicant identified those needs;
    (c) How those needs will be met by the proposed Center;
    (d) The benefits to be gained by meeting those needs.
    Section 13001 of ESEA enumerates several needs for technical 
assistance, including--
    (1) The need of States, LEAs, tribes, and schools serving students 
with special needs, such as students with limited-English proficiency 
and students with disabilities, for comprehensive technical assistance 
in order to use funds under ESEA to provide those students with 
opportunities to learn to challenging State content standards and 
challenging [[Page 32087]] State student performance standards; and
    (2) The need of States, LEAs, schools, and tribes for help in 
integrating into a coherent strategy for improving teaching and 
learning the various programs under ESEA with State and local programs 
and other education reform efforts;
    Section 13101 further refers to--
    (1) The special needs of students living in urban and rural areas;
    (2) The special needs of States and Outlying Areas in geographic 
isolation; and
    (3) The need in regions serving significant populations of Indians 
or Alaska Natives for assistance in the development and implementation 
of instructional strategies, methods, and materials that address the 
specific cultural and other needs of Indian or Alaska Native students.
    3. Plan of Operation (30 Points). The Secretary reviews each 
application to determine the quality of the plan of operation for the 
Center, including--
    (a) The quality of the design of the Center;
    (b) The extent to which the plan of management is effective and 
ensures proper and efficient administration of the Center;
    (c) How well the objectives of the Center relate to the purposes of 
Title XIII of ESEA and to the identified needs of the region;
    (d) The quality of the applicant plan to use its resources and 
personnel to achieve each objective; and
    (e) How the applicant will ensure that Center participants who are 
otherwise eligible to participate are selected without regard to race, 
color, national origin, gender, age, or handicapping condition.
    Section 13102 specifies that each Center will be required to--
    (1) Coordinate services, work cooperatively, and regularly share 
information with the Regional Educational Laboratories, the Eisenhower 
Regional Consortia, research and development centers, State literacy 
centers authorized under the National Literacy Act of 1991, and other 
entities engaged in research, development, dissemination, and technical 
assistance activities that are supported by the Department as part of a 
Federal technical assistance system, to provide a broad range of 
support services to schools in the region while minimizing the 
duplication of those services;
    (2) Consult with representatives of SEAs, LEAs, and populations 
served through the ESEA;
    (3) Provide services to States, LEAs, tribes, and schools, in 
coordination with the National Diffusion Network State Facilitators 
activities under section 13201, in order to provide the support and 
assistance diffusion agents need to carry out their mission 
effectively; and
    (4) Provide professional development services to SEAs, LEAs, and 
the National Diffusion Network State Facilitators to increase the 
capacity of those entities to provide high-quality technical assistance 
in support of ESEA programs.
    Section 13102 of ESEA specifies that each Center must provide 
support, training, and assistance to SEAs, tribal divisions of 
education, LEAs, schools, and other ESEA grant recipients, in--
    (1) Improving the quality of instruction, curricula, assessments, 
and other aspects of school reform, supported with funds under Title I 
of ESEA;
    (2) Implementing effective schoolwide programs under Section 1114 
of ESEA;
    (3) Meeting the needs of children served under ESEA, including 
children in high-poverty areas, migratory children, immigrant children, 
children with limited-English proficiency, neglected or delinquent 
children, homeless children and youth, Indian children, children with 
disabilities, and, where applicable, Alaska Native children and Native 
Hawaiian children;
    (4) Implementing high-quality professional development activities 
for teachers, and where appropriate, administrators, pupil services 
personnel, and other staff;
    (5) Improving the quality of bilingual education, including 
programs that emphasize English and native language proficiency and 
promote multicultural understanding;
    (6) Creating safe and drug-free environments, especially in areas 
experiencing high levels of drug use and violence in the community and 
school;
    (7) Implementing educational applications of technology;
    (8) Coordinating services and programs to meet the needs of 
students so that students can fully participate in the educational 
program of the school;
    (9) Expanding the involvement and participation of parents in the 
education of their children;
    (10) Reforming schools, school systems, and the governance and 
management of schools;
    (11) Evaluating programs;
    (12) Meeting the special needs of students living in urban and 
rural areas and the special needs of LEAs serving urban and rural 
areas;
    (13) Integrating and coordinating programs under ESEA with each 
other, as well as with other Federal, State, and local programs and 
reforms; and
    (14) Giving priority to servicing schoolwide programs under section 
1114 of IASA and LEAs and Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded schools with 
the highest percentages or numbers of children in poverty.
    4. Quality of Key Personnel (7 Points). The Secretary reviews each 
application to determine the quality of key personnel the applicant 
plans to use for the proposed Center, 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 for the Center;
    (c) The time that each person referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) 
will commit to the Center; 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.
    To determine personnel qualifications under paragraphs (a) and (b) 
the Secretary considers--
    (1) Experience and training in fields related to the objectives of 
the Center; and
    (2) Any other qualifications that pertain to the quality of the 
Center.
    5. Budget and Cost Effectiveness (5 Points). The Secretary reviews 
each applicant to determine the extent to which--
    (a) The budget is adequate to support the proposed Center;
    (b) Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the 
proposed Center.
    Section 13102 of ESEA specifies that each Center must provide 
technical assistance using the highest quality and most cost-effective 
strategies possible.
    6. Evaluation Plan (5 Points). The Secretary reviews each 
application to determine the quality of the evaluation plan for the 
Center, including the extent to which the applicant's methods of 
evaluation--
    (a) Are appropriate to the project; and
    (b) 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 (3 Points). The Secretary reviews each 
application to determine the adequacy of the resources that the 
applicant plans to devote to the Center, including facilities, 
equipment, and supplies.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Centers will assist client organizations 
in furthering their systemic reform and [[Page 32088]] school 
restructuring efforts to improve educational services to students under 
the ESEA. The client organizations for these centers are: States, local 
educational agencies, schools, tribes, community-based organizations, 
and other recipients of funds under the ESEA.
    The Department will enter into agreements with the centers for 
services that provide for cooperative working relationships with each 
other, with client organizations and with the Department. There will be 
a transition period of approximately six months in which existing 
technical assistance centers funded under previous authorities in ESEA 
will continue to offer services. It is expected that the new centers 
will be fully operational within six months of the funding date. During 
this six-month period, existing centers will be available to help the 
new centers identify needs, incorporate operational plans, and provide 
other services that will aid the transition for the new centers to 
offer a full complement of services by March 31, 1996. Activities to 
foster a smooth transition may include joint meetings, briefings, 
information sharing, and any other activities that will improve the 
ability of the newly funded centers to serve the recipients of funds 
under ESEA.
    In accordance with section 13101(a)(2) of the ESEA, the Secretary 
has established the following regions for the comprehensive centers:
     Region I--Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New 
Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
     Region II--New York.
     Region III--Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New 
Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
     Region IV--Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, 
Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
     Region V--Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, and 
Mississippi.
     Region VI--Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South 
Dakota and Wisconsin.
     Region VII--Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska 
and Oklahoma.
     Region VIII--Texas.
     Region IX--Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.
     Region X--Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.
     Region XI--Northern California (all counties not included 
in Region XII).
     Region XII--Southern California (counties: Los Angeles, 
San Bernadino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial, Mono, and Inyo).
     Region XIII--Alaska.
     Region XIV--Florida, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands.
     Region XV--Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, 
the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
    In accordance with section 13101(b)(1), the Secretary ensures that 
each comprehensive regional assistance center that serves a region with 
a significant population of Indian or Alaska Native students will be 
awarded to a consortium that includes a tribally controlled community 
college or other Indian organization. Regions VI, VII, IX, X and XIII 
have a significant population of Indian or Alaska Natives.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Each application must demonstrate the 
following:
    (a) How the proposed Center will provide expertise and services in 
the areas described in section 13102 of the ESEA.
    (b) How the proposed Center will work with the National Diffusion 
Network to conduct outreach to schoolwide programs under Title I, 
section 1114 of the ESEA, and LEAs and BIA-funded schools with highest 
percentages or numbers of children in poverty.
    (c) Support from States, LEAs, and tribes in the area to be served.
    (d) How the proposed Center will ensure a fair distribution of 
services to urban and rural areas.

FOR APPLICATIONS PACKAGES OR INFORMATION CONTACT: Arthur Cole, U.S. 
Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue SW., Portals Room 
4500, Washington, D.C., 20202-6140. Telephone (202) 358-0324. Internet 
[email protected]. Individuals who use a telecommunications device 
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service 
(FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 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. 8621-8625.

    Dated: May 9, 1995.
Thomas W. Payzant,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
Eugene E. Garcia,
Director, Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-14918 Filed 6-16-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P