[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 6, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24768-24770]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-11769]



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Part IV





Department of Education





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Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs--Grants to 
Institutions of Higher Education (Validation Competition); Federal 
Activities Grants Program; and Inviting Applications for New Awards for 
Fiscal Year 1997; Notices

  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 87 / Tuesday, May 6, 1997 / Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs--
Grants to Institutions of Higher Education (Validation Competition)

AGENCY: Department of Education

ACTION: Notice of final priorities and selection criteria for fiscal 
year 1997.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces final priorities and selection 
criteria for fiscal year (FY) 1997 under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools 
and Communities (SDFSC) National Programs Grants to Institutions of 
Higher Education (IHEs) Validation Competition. The Secretary takes 
this action to focus Federal financial assistance on an identified 
national need. The priorities are intended to increase knowledge about 
effective programs by validating model strategies, policies, and 
activities to prevent violent behavior and the illegal use of alcohol 
and other drugs by college students. To achieve this goal, the 
Department will fund projects designed to work in partnership with 
neighborhood campus-communities to correct students' normative beliefs 
about their peers' illegal use of alcohol and other drugs or limit 
access and availability of illegal alcohol and other drugs in the 
campus-community.

EFFECTIVE DATE: These priorities take effect June 5, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program, 
U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Ave., SW, Room 604 
Portals, Washington, DC. 20202-6123. Telephone: (202) 260-3954. 
Individuals who use a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 am and 8 pm, Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Despite progress, enabled in part by a 
significant ongoing commitment of Federal financial resources to 
support programs designed to prevent college students' illegal use of 
alcohol and other drugs, recent national data reflect high rates of use 
by college students, resulting in negative consequences, including 
violence on campus. Little research has been conducted on prevention 
programs in higher education, resulting in a lack of useful information 
to guide prevention professionals in the design and implementation of 
effective programs on college campuses. While information about 
promising alcohol and other drug prevention programs and strategies is 
gradually becoming more available, most programs still are neither 
based on solid research nor evaluated rigorously. Only recently have 
data been collected about the incidence of violence and crime on 
college campuses. Little information is available about the 
effectiveness of violence prevention programs on college campuses.
    The results of these validated projects may be used by the 
Secretary of Education to identify and disseminate to IHEs successful 
programs that prevent violent behavior and illegal use of alcohol and 
other drugs by college students. Applicants should be prepared to 
provide statistics and information on crimes occurring on campus, 
especially liquor law violations, drug abuse violations, and weapons 
possession, as required under current law.
    Under previously funded priorities under this program, Federal 
funds have supported the development and implementation of a wide range 
of prevention activities. The priorities supported in this year's 
competition will focus on the validation of two promising, research-
based approaches that have yet to be tested rigorously in the campus-
community. Research shows that students who perceive a permissive 
campus alcohol use environment tend to drink more heavily than they 
would otherwise based on their personal attitudes (Perkins, Wechsler, 
Journal of Drug Issues, Vol. 26 No.4, pp. 961-974, 1996). Also, 
considerable research at the community level shows that access to and 
availability of alcohol strongly influence the rate of alcohol problems 
within a given population among both moderate and heavy drinkers 
(Gruenewald, Millar, and Roeper, Alcohol Health and Research World, 
Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 244-245, 1996). Research also shows that there is a 
correlation between heavy alcohol consumption and violence. Binge 
drinkers were more likely than their non-binging counterparts to 
encounter actual physical violence, experience forced sexual touching, 
and endure unwanted sexual intercourse. (Presley, Meilman, Cashin, and 
Leichliter, in press)
    IHEs need to reassess the alcohol, other drug, and violence 
prevention programs they are currently conducting and modify or replace 
programs that fail to show a measurable impact on reducing alcohol, 
other drug use, and violence with programs that are effective or 
promising. To promote effective prevention programming, the Department 
of Education encourages IHEs to: design programs based on an assessment 
of objective data (such as needs assessments, student-use surveys, 
assessments of students' dispositions toward drug use); develop 
measurable goals and objectives linked to the identified needs; use 
prevention approaches that research or evaluation has shown to be 
effective in preventing or reducing violent behavior or the illegal use 
of alcohol and other drugs; and use evaluation results as part of a 
continuous improvement process to correct approaches that are not 
working and strengthen approaches that are working.
    Applicants should show the ability to start their campus-community 
program soon after receiving federal funding in order to maximize the 
time available to show impact within the grant period of two years. 
Projects supported through this competition should be designed to 
demonstrate and document significant reductions in alcohol and other 
drug use and violence at colleges and universities over the grant 
period. Because of the need for a sound evaluation plan, applicants are 
advised to obtain outside expert consultation prior to submitting 
applications.
    For additional information or data about college drug prevention 
programs, policies, strategies, and activities, contact the Department 
of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug 
Prevention. The Center is a national resource for training and 
technical assistance to postsecondary institutions. The Center can be 
contacted at 1-800-676-1730 or through its web site at www.edc.org/hec/

 Note: This notice of final priorities does not solicit 
applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition 
is published in a separate notice in this issue of the Federal 
Register.

    Applications for this competition must be received at the address 
specified in the notice inviting applications for this competition no 
later than 4:30 p.m. on the deadline date in the notice inviting 
application. Applications received after that time will not be eligible 
for funding. Postmarked dates will not be accepted.
    In making awards under this program, the Secretary may take into 
consideration the geographic distribution and diversity of activities 
addressed by the projects, in addition to the rank order of 
applications.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds, the Secretary may make 
additional awards in fiscal year 1998 from the rank-ordered list of 
unfunded applicants from this competition.

Absolute Priorities

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and 
Communities Act of 1994, the Secretary

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gives an absolute preference to applications that meet one or both of 
the following priorities. The Secretary funds under this competition 
only applications that meet one or both of these absolute priorities: 
Absolute Priority #1--Correcting Misperceptions of Student Alcohol and 
Other Drug Use by Students Attending Institutions of Higher Education
    Under this priority, applicants must propose projects that develop, 
implement, and validate approaches to prevent violent behavior and the 
illegal use of alcohol and other drugs by students attending 
institutions of higher education by correcting misperceptions of 
student alcohol and drug use norms. Projects must:
    (a) Correct the misperceptions among the campus-community 
population (including college students, faculty, administrators, and 
parents) about levels of student campus alcohol and drug use, student 
alcohol and drug use norms, and the consequences of student alcohol and 
drug use;
    (b) implement a rigorous evaluation of the project, using outcome-
based performance indicators, that documents strategies used and 
measures the effectiveness of the program or strategy in reducing 
student drug use and violent behavior;
    (c) use a campus-community coalition to plan and implement the 
project; and
    (d) at the request of the Secretary, coordinate with any report 
being prepared under section 204(a)(4)(B) of the Student Right-to-Know 
and Campus Security Act on policies, procedures and practices which 
have proven effective in the reduction of campus crime.

Absolute Priority #2--Limiting Student Access to and Availability of 
Alcohol and Other Drugs at Institutions of Higher Education

    Under this priority, applicants must propose projects that develop, 
implement, and validate approaches to prevent violent behavior and the 
illegal use of alcohol and other drugs by students attending 
institutions of higher education by limiting student access to and 
availability of alcohol and other drugs. Projects must:
    (a) Establish or expand, and enforce policies that limit student 
access to, and availability of, alcohol and other drugs in the campus-
community for college students;
    (b) implement a rigorous evaluation of the project, using outcome-
based performance indicators, that documents strategies used and 
measures the effectiveness of the program or strategy in reducing 
student drug use and violent behavior;
    (c) use a campus-community coalition to plan and implement the 
project; and
    (d) at the request of the Secretary, coordinate with any report 
being prepared under section 204(a)(4)(B) of the Student Right-to-Know 
and Campus Security Act on policies, procedures and practices which 
have proven effective in the reduction of campus crime.

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 or factor under that 
criterion is indicated in parentheses.
    (b) The criteria.--
    (1) Need for project. (10 points)
    (i) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project.
    (ii) In determining the need for the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the magnitude or severity of the problem to be 
addressed by the proposed project.
    (2) Significance. (25 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 potential contribution of the proposed project to the 
development and advancement of theory, knowledge, and practices in the 
field of study. (5 points)
    (B) The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies. (10 points)
    (C) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system 
change or improvement. (5 points)
    (D) The potential replicability of the proposed project or 
strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation 
in a variety of settings. (5 points)
    (3) Quality of the project design. (20 points)
    (i) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the 
proposed project.
    (ii) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (A) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable. 
(5 points)
    (B) The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating 
the proposed project will result in information to guide possible 
replication of project activities or strategies, including information 
about the effectiveness of the approach or strategies employed by the 
project. (5 points)
    (C) The quality of the proposed demonstration design and procedures 
for documenting project activities and results. (5 points)
    (D) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects 
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (5 points)
    (4) Quality of the management plan. (20 points)
    (i) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project.
    (ii) In determining the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (A) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives 
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timeliness, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks. (4 points)
    (B) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous 
improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (8 points)
    (C) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives 
are brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project, including 
those of students, faculty, parents, the business community, a variety 
of disciplinary and professional fields, recipients or beneficiaries of 
services, or others, as appropriate. (8 points)
    (5) 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. (5 points)
    (B) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible. (10 points)
    (C) The extent to which the evaluation will provide guidance about 
effective

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strategies suitable for replication or testing in other settings. (10 
points)

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    The selection criteria for this program contain information 
collection requirements. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 USC 3504(h)), the Department of Education will submit a copy 
of this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its 
review.
    Collection of Information: Safe and Drug-Free Schools and 
Communities National Programs--Grants to Institutions of Higher 
Education Validation Competition.
    These selection criteria will affect the following types of 
entities eligible to apply for a grant under this program: institutions 
of higher education, and consortia thereof. The Department needs, and 
will use, the information related to the selection criteria for this 
program to enable the Secretary to determine which applicants would 
most likely develop, implement, and validate successful model projects 
for demonstration throughout the nation. Annual public reporting and 
record-keeping burden for this collection of information is estimated 
to average 32 hours per response for 100 respondents, including the 
time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, 
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing 
the collection of information.
    Organizations and individuals desiring to submit comments on the 
information collection requirements should direct them to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Room 10235, New Executive 
Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20503; Attention: Desk Officer for 
U.S. Department of Education.
    The Department considers comments by the public on this proposed 
collection of information in--
     Evaluating whether the proposed collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility;
     Evaluating the accuracy of the Department's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhancing the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimizing the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology; e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses.
    OMB is required to make a decision concerning the information 
collection requirements between 30 and 60 days after publication in the 
Federal Register. Therefore, a comment to OMB is best assured of having 
its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication of 
this notice.

Intergovernmental Review

    This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. The objective of the 
Executive Order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a 
strengthened federalism by relying on processes developed by State and 
local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal 
financial assistance.
    In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide 
early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for 
this program.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), 
it is the practice of the Department to offer interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on proposed rules. Ordinarily, this practice 
would have applied to the rules in this notice. However, the Secretary 
waives rulemaking under section 553(b)(B) of the Administrative 
Procedure Act. This section provides that rulemaking is not required 
when the agency for good cause finds that notice and public procedure 
are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. The 
Secretary believes that, in order to make timely grant awards using 
Fiscal Year (FY) 1997 funds, public comment on those rules is 
impracticable. Congress did not provide FY 1997 funds for SDFSC 
National Program until March 1997. The Secretary must make new awards 
no later than September 30, 1997, and recipients should be able to 
implement projects as early as possible in the 1997-98 school year.
    Therefore, in order to give applicants enough time to prepare their 
applications and the Department sufficient time to conduct the lengthy 
review process in this notice, it is now impracticable to receive 
public comments and still allow FY 1997 awards to be made by September 
30, 1997.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7132.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.184H Safe and 
Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act National Programs--Grants to 
Institutions of Higher Education)
Gerald N. Tirozzi,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 97-11769 Filed 5-5-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P