[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 30, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68112-68133]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33952]



[[Page 68111]]

_______________________________________________________________________

Part IX





Department of Education





_______________________________________________________________________



Bilingual Education: Teachers and Personnel Grants; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998

  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 249 / Tuesday, December 30, 1997 / 
Notices  

[[Page 68112]]



DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.195A]


Bilingual Education: Teachers and Personnel Grants; Notice 
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998

Note to Applicants

    This notice is a complete application package. Together with the 
statute authorizing the program and the applicable regulations 
governing this program, including the Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), this notice contains all of the 
information, application forms, and instructions needed to apply for an 
award under this program. The statutory authorization for this program, 
and the application requirements that apply to this competition, are 
set out in sections 7143 and 7146-7149 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Improving America's Schools 
Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-382, enacted October 20, 1994) (the Act) (20 
U.S.C. 7473 and 7476-7479).

Purpose of Program

    This program provides grants for preservice and inservice 
professional development for bilingual education teachers, 
administrators, pupil services personnel, and other educational 
personnel who are either involved in, or preparing to be involved in, 
the provision of educational services for children and youth of limited 
English proficiency.

Eligible Applicants

    (1) One or more institutions of higher education (IHEs) which have 
entered into consortia arrangements with local educational agencies 
(LEAs) or State educational agencies (SEAs), to achieve the purposes of 
those sections. (2) SEAs and LEAs for inservice professional 
development programs.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 23, 1998.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 23, 1998.
    Available Funds: $4.9 million.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$250,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $200,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 25.

    Note: The Department of Education is not bound by any estimates 
in this notice.

    Project Period: 60 months.

Applicable Regulations

    (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations 
(EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, and 86.
    (b) The regulations in 34 CFR part 299, General Provisions, 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act, published on May 22, 1997, in 
the Federal Register (62 FR 2827)

Description of Program

    Funds under this program are to provide for preservice and 
inservice professional development for bilingual education teachers and 
other educational personnel. Activities will assist educational 
personnel in meeting State and local certification requirements for 
bilingual education and, wherever possible, will lead to the awarding 
of college or university credit.

Priorities

Competitive Priority 1

    The Secretary, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) and 34 CFR 299.3(b), 
gives preference to applications that meet the following competitive 
priority. The Secretary awards up to 3 points for an application that 
meets this competitive priority. These points are in addition to any 
points the application earns under the selection criteria for the 
program:
    Projects that will contribute to a systemic educational reform in 
an Empowerment Zone, including a Supplemental Empowerment Zone, or an 
Enterprise Community designated by the United States Department of 
Housing and Urban Development or the United States Department of 
Agriculture, and are made an integral part of the Zone's or Community's 
comprehensive community revitalization strategies.

    Note: A list of areas that have been designated as Empowerment 
Zones and Enterprise Communities is provided at the end of this 
notice.

Competitive Priority 2

    Under 34 CFR 75.105 (c)(2)(ii) and section 7143(b) of the Act, the 
Secretary gives a competitive preference to applications that meet the 
following priority:
    Institutions of higher education, in consortia with local or State 
educational agencies, that offer degree programs that prepare new 
bilingual education teachers in order to increase the availability of 
educators to provide high-quality education to limited English 
proficient students.
    The Secretary selects applications that meet this priority over 
applications of comparable merit that do not meet the priority.

Invitational Priorities

    The Secretary is particularly interested in applications that meet 
one of the following invitational priorities in the next paragraphs. 
However, an application that meets these invitational priorities 
receives no competitive or absolute preference over other applications 
(34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
    Applicants that propose to provide special support for new 
bilingual teachers during their initial teaching years.
    Applicants that propose to improve teacher preparation programs in 
institutions of higher education to better prepare all teachers to meet 
the needs of LEP students.

Selection Criteria

    (a)(1) The Secretary uses the following selection criteria in 34 
CFR 75.210 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.
    (a) Need for project. (10 points) (1) The Secretary considers the 
need for the proposed project. (2) In determining the need for the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the 
proposed project.
    (ii) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, 
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be 
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and the 
magnitude of those gaps or weaknesses.

(Authority: 34 CFR 75.210 (a)(2)(i) and (v))

    (b) Quality of the project design. (50 points) (1) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the design of the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (ii) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs.
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build 
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of 
Federal financial assistance.
    (iv) The extent to which the proposed activities constitute a 
coherent,

[[Page 68113]]

sustained program of training in the field.
    (v) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects 
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
    (vi) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated 
with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community, 
State, and Federal resources.
    (vii) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a 
comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support 
rigorous academic standards for students.
    (viii) The extent to which fellowship recipients or other project 
participants are to be selected on the basis of academic excellence.

(Authority: 34 CFR 75.210(c)(2)(i), (ii), (v), (xii), (xiii), (xvi), 
(xviii), and (xxiii))

    (c) Quality of project services. (15 points) (1) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed 
project.
    (2) 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 under represented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability.
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) 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.
    (ii) The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are likely to alleviate 
the personnel shortages that have been identified or are the focus of 
the proposed project.
    (iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project are focused on those with greatest need.

(Authority: 34 CFR 75.210(d)(2) and (3)(v), (vi), and (xi))

    (d) Quality of project personnel. (5 points) (1) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed 
project.
    (2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability.
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factor: The 
qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key 
project personnel.

(Authority: 34 CFR 75.210(e)(2) and (3)(ii)

    (e) Quality of the management plan. (5 points) (1) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factor: The 
adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the 
proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined 
responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project 
tasks.

(Authority: 34 CFR 75.210(g)(2)(i))

    (f) Quality of the project evaluation. (15 points) (1) The 
Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of 
the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for 
examining the effectiveness of project implementation strategies.
    (ii) 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.
    (iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.

(Authority: 34 CFR 75.210(h)(2)(iii), (iv), and (vi)).

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 October 7, 1997 (62 FR 52448).
    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 #84.195A, U.S. Department of Education, Room 6213, 600 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, D.C. 20202-0124.
    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, D.C. time) on the date 
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 three copies of the application on or 
before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application 
Control Center, Attention: (CFDA# 84.195A), Washington, D.C. 20202-4725 
or
    (2) Hand-deliver the original and three copies of the application 
by 4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on or before the deadline date to: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA# 84.195A), Room #3633, Regional Office Building #3, Third and D 
Streets, SW., Washington, D.C.
    (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.

[[Page 68114]]

    (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:
    (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) 
708-9495.
    (3) The applicant must indicate on the envelope and--if not 
provided by the Department--in Item 10 of the Application for 
Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) the CFDA number and suffix 
letter, if any, of the competition under which the application is 
being submitted.

Application Instructions and Forms

    The appendix to this notice is divided into three parts containing 
the following forms and instructions, plus a statement regarding 
estimated public reporting burden, a notice to applicants regarding 
compliance with section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act, a 
checklist for applicants, various assurances, certifications, and 
required documentation. 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 No. 
524) and instructions.
    Part III: Application Narrative.
    Additional Materials:
    a. Estimated Public Reporting Burden.
    b. Group Application Certification.
    c. Participant Data.
    d. Project Documentation.
    e. Program Assurances.
    f. Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B) and 
instructions.
    g. Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and 
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED 
80-0013) and instructions.
    h. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and 
Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED 80-0014, 9/90) 
and instructions.

    Note: This form is intended for the use of grantees and should 
not be transmitted to the Department

    i. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL) (if 
applicable) and instructions. The document has been marked to reflect 
statutory changes. See the notice published by the Office of Management 
and Budget in the Federal Register (61 FR 1413) on (January 19, 1996).
    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. All applicants must submit one 
original signed application and three copies of the application. Please 
mark each application as ``original'' or ``copy''. No grant may be 
awarded unless a completed application has been received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Ryan (202) 205-8842 or 
Petraine Johnson (202) 205-8766 (for applicants located in Western 
States); Mahal May (202) 205-8727 or Steve Van Pelt (202) 205-8732 (for 
applicants located in Eastern States); and Carol Manitaras (202) 205-
9729 (for applicants located in Midwestern States), U.S. Department of 
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 5090, Switzer Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20202-6510. 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.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this notice in an 
alternate format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact persons listed in the preceding 
paragraph. Please note, however, that the Department is not able to 
reproduce in an alternate format the standard forms included in the 
notice.

Electronic Access to This Document

    Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web 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 preceding sites. If 
you have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government 
Printing Office toll free at 1-888-293-6498.
    Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an 
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511 
or, toll free 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option 
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7473.

    Dated: December 23, 1997.
Delia Pompa,
Director, Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs.

Instructions For Estimated Public Reporting Burden

    According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are 
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this 
information collection is OMB No. 1885-0528, Exp. Date: 4/30/98. The 
time required to complete this information collection is estimated to 
average 80 hours per response, including the time to review 
instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, 
and complete and review the information collection. 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, D.C. 20202-4651. If you have any comments or concerns 
regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write 
directly to: Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages 
Affairs, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, D.C. 20202-6510.
    The following forms and other items must be included in the 
application:
    1. Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)
    2. Group Application Certification (if applicable)
    3. Budget Information (ED Form No. 524)
    4. Itemized Budget for each year
    5. Participant Data
    6. Project Documentation
    Section A--Copy of Transmittal Letter to SEA requesting SEA to 
comment on application
    Section B--Documentation of Empowerment Zone or Enterprise 
Community--if applicable
    7. Program Assurances
    8. Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B)

[[Page 68115]]

    9. Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and 
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED 
80-0013)
    10. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility 
and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED 80-0014)
    11. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)
    12. Table of Contents
    13. Application Narrative (not to exceed 30 pages including 
abstract, see instructions below)
    14. One original and three copies of the application for 
transmittal to the Department's Application Control Center.

Mandatory Page Limits for the Application Narrative

    The application narrative must not exceed the equivalent of 30 
pages, using the following standards: (1) These pages must be double-
spaced and printed on one side only. (2) A legible font size and 
adequate margins should be used. (3) The narrative must be paginated. 
(4) The narrative portion of the application package, including 
abstract, charts, graphs, tables, position descriptions, illustrations, 
and appendices, must not exceed the 30-page limit. The narrative 
section should begin with an abstract that includes a short description 
of the population to be served by the project, project objectives, 
planned project activities, and priorities addressed. The page limit 
applies only to item 13 (not including the abstract) and not to the 
other items in the checklist. Applications with a narrative section 
that exceeds the page limit will not be considered for funding.

Application Narrative

    The narrative should address fully all aspects of the selection 
criteria in the order listed and should give detailed information 
regarding each criterion. Do not simply paraphrase the criteria. 
Provide position descriptions, not resumes.

Budget

    Budget line items must support the goals and objectives of the 
proposed project and be directly applicable to the program design and 
all other project components.

Final Application Preparation

    Use the above checklist to verify that all items are addressed. 
Prepare one original with an original signature, and include three 
additional copies. Do not use elaborate bindings or covers. The 
application package must be mailed to the Application Control Center 
(ACC) and postmarked by the deadline date of February 23, l998.

Submission of Application to State Educational Agency

    Section 7146(a)(4) of the Act (Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965, as amended by the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, 
Pub. L. 103-382) requires all applicants except schools funded by the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs to submit a copy of their application to their 
State educational agency (SEA) for review and comment (20 U.S.C. 
7476(a)(4)). Section 75.156 of the Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) requires these applicants to submit 
their application to the SEA on or before the deadline date for 
submitting their application to the Department of Education. This 
section of EDGAR also requires applicants to attach to their 
application a copy of their letter that requests the SEA to comment on 
the application (34 CFR 75.156).

Notice To All Applicants

    Thank you for your interest in this program. The purpose of this 
enclosure is to inform you about a new provision in the Department of 
Education's General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) that applies to 
applicants for new grant awards under Department programs. This 
provision is Section 427 of GEPA, enacted as part of the Improving 
America's Schools Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-382).
To Whom Does This Provision Apply?
    Section 427 of GEPA affects applicants for new discretionary grant 
awards under this program. All applicants for new awards must include 
information in their applications to address this new provision in 
order to receive funding under this program.
What Does This Provision Require?
    Section 427 requires each applicant for funds (other than an 
individual person) to include in its application a description of the 
steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and 
participation in, its Federally-assisted program for students, 
teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs.
    This section allows applicants discretion in developing the 
required description. The statute highlights six types of barriers that 
can impede equitable access or participation that you may address: 
gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. Based on 
local circumstances, you can determine whether these or other barriers 
may prevent your students, teachers, etc. from equitable access or 
participation. Your description need not be lengthy; you may provide a 
clear and succinct description of how you plan to address those 
barriers that are applicable to your circumstances. In addition, the 
information may be provided in a single narrative, or, if appropriate, 
may be discussed in connection with related topics in the application.
    Section 427 is not intended to duplicate the requirements of civil 
rights statutes, but rather to ensure that, in designing their 
projects, applicants for Federal funds address equity concerns that may 
affect the ability of certain potential beneficiaries to fully 
participate in the project and to achieve high standards. Consistent 
with program requirements and its approved application, an applicant 
may use the Federal funds awarded to it to eliminate barriers it 
identifies.
What Are Examples of How an Applicant Might Satisfy the Requirements of 
This Provision?
    The following examples may help illustrate how an applicant may 
comply with Section 427.
    (1) An applicant that proposes to carry out an adult literacy 
project serving, among others, adults with limited English proficiency, 
might describe in its application how it intends to distribute a 
brochure about the proposed project to such potential participants in 
their native language.
    (2) An applicant that proposes to develop instructional materials 
for classroom use might describe how it will make the materials 
available on audio tape or in braille for students who are blind.
    (3) An applicant that proposes to carry out a model science program 
for secondary students and is concerned that girls may be less likely 
than boys to enroll in the course, might indicate how it intends to 
conduct ``outreach'' efforts to girls, to encourage their enrollment.
    We recognize that many applicants may already be implementing 
effective steps to ensure equity of access and participation in their 
grant programs, and we appreciate your cooperation in responding to the 
requirements of this provision.

Estimated Burden Statement

    According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are 
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this 
information collection is 1801-0004 (Exp. 8/31/98).

[[Page 68116]]

The time required to complete this information collection is estimated 
to vary from 1 to 3 hours per response, with an average of 1.5 hours, 
including the time to review instructions, search existing data 
resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review 
the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the 
accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this 
form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 
20202-4651.

Empowerment Zones And Enterprise Communities

Empowerment Zones (Listed Alphabetically by State) *
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    * Denotes rural designee.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

California: Los Angeles
California: Oakland
Georgia: Atlanta
Illinois: Chicago
Kentucky: Kentucky Highlands*
Maryland: Baltimore
Massachusetts: Boston
Michigan: Detroit
Mississippi: Mid Delta*
Missouri/Kansas: Kansas City, Kansas City
New York: Harlem, Bronx
Ohio: Cleveland
Pennsylvania/New Jersey: Philadelphia, Camden
Texas: Houston
Texas: Rio Grande Valley

Enterprise Community (EC)

Alabama: Birmingham
Alabama: Chambers County*
Alabama: Greene, Sumter Counties*
Arizona: Phoenix
Arizona: Arizona Border*
Arkansas: East Central*
Arkansas: Mississippi County*
California: L.A., Huntington Park
California: San Diego
California: San Francisco, Bayview, Hunter's Point
California: Watsonville*
Colorado: Denver
Connecticut: Bridgeport
Connecticut: New Haven
Delaware: Wilmington
District of Columbia: Washington
Florida: Jackson County*
Florida: Tampa
Florida: Miami, Dade County
Georgia: Albany
Georgia: Central Savannah*
Georgia: Crisp, Dooley Counties*
Illinois: East St. Louis
Illinois: Springfield
Indiana: Indianapolis
Iowa: Des Moines
Kentucky: Louisville
Louisiana: Northeast Delta*
Louisiana: Macon Ridge*
Louisiana: New Orleans
Louisiana: Ouachita Parish
Massachusetts: Lowell
Massachusetts: Springfield
Michigan: Five Cap*
Michigan: Flint
Michigan: Muskegon
Minnesota: Minneapolis
Minnesota: St. Paul
Mississippi: Jackson
Mississippi: North Delta*
Missouri: East Prairie*
Missouri: St. Louis
Nebraska: Omaha
Nevada: Clarke County, Las Vegas
New Hampshire: Manchester
New Jersey: Newark
New Mexico: Albuquerque
New Mexico: Moro, Rio Arriba, Taos Counties*
New York: Albany, Schenectady, Troy
New York: Buffalo
New York: Newburgh, Kingston
New York: Rochester
North Carolina: Charlotte
North Carolina: Halifax, Edgecombe, Wilson Counties*
North Carolina: Robeson County*
Ohio: Akron
Ohio: Columbus
Ohio: Grater Portsmouth *
Oklahoma: Choctaw, McCurtain Counties*
Oklahoma: Oklahoma City
Oregon: Josephine*
Oregon: Portland
Pennsylvania: Harrisburg
Pennsylvania: Lock Haven*
Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh
Rhode Island: Providence
South Dakota: Deadle, Spink Counties*
South Carolina: Charleston
South Carolina: Williamsburg County*
Tennessee: Fayette, Haywood Counties*
Tennessee: Memphis
Tennessee: Nashville
Tennessee/Kentucky: Scott, McCreary Counties*
Texas: Dallas
Texas: El Paso
Texas: San Antonio
Texas: Waco
Utah: Ogden
Vermont: Burlington
Virginia: Accomack*
Virginia: Norfolk
Virginia: Lower Yakima*
Washington: Seattle
Washington: Tacoma
West Virginia: West Central*
West Virginia: Huntington
West Virginia: McDowell*
Wisconsin: Milwaukee

Questions and Answers

Does the Teachers and Personnel Grants Program have specific evaluation 
requirements?
    Yes, the evaluation requirements are described in Section 7149 of 
Title VII of ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 7479.
What priorities exist for the Teachers and Personnel Grants?
    Fiscal Year 1998, the Department has announced an invitational 
priority for applicants proposing to improve teacher preparation 
programs in institutions of higher education to better prepare all 
teachers to meet the needs of LEP students. In addition, the department 
has announced an invitational priority for applicants which propose to 
provide special support for new bilingual teachers during their initial 
teaching years. The competitive priorities for this program are (1) for 
institutions of higher education, in consortia with local or State 
educational agencies, that offer degree programs that prepare new 
bilingual education teachers in order to increase the availability of 
educators to provide high-quality education to limited English 
proficient students, and, (2) for programs that will contribute to 
systemic educational reform in an Empowerment Zone, including a 
Supplemental Empowerment Zone, or an Enterprise Community, and are made 
an integral part of the Zone's or Community's comprehensive 
revitalization strategies.
    Applicants proposing to address invitational or competitive 
priorities may include in their abstracts a brief description of their 
plans to address the priorities.
What requirements must grantees meet related to teacher certification?
    The Title VII statute requires grantees to assist educational 
personnel in meeting State and local certification requirements. 20 
U.S.C. 7477. However, because certification requirements vary among 
States, applicants are given flexibility in designing activities that 
lead to meeting State and local certification requirements.
What activities are authorized under Teachers and Personnel Grants?
    Authorized activities are those which support the purpose of the 
program: providing preservice and inservice professional development 
for teachers and other educational personnel. Such activities may 
include, but are not limited to, the development of program curricula; 
collaboration with local school districts in designing new teacher 
training activities; reforming

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and improving teacher training programs to reflect high standards of 
professionalism. Institutions of higher education, applying in 
consortia arrangements with one or more local educational agencies or 
State educational agencies are eligible to submit applications 
proposing preservice and inservice programs. This means the institution 
of higher education would be the lead agency and the fiscal agent for 
the grant. State and local educational agencies may submit applications 
and act as fiscal agents and lead agencies for projects that propose to 
carry out inservice--but not preservice--professional development.
May program budgets include costs for items other than student tuition 
and fees?
    Project budgets should reflect the proposed program activities. In 
addition to student support costs, budget items may include costs for 
personnel, supplies or equipment, and other reasonable and necessary 
costs to support developmental activities.
What information may be helpful in preparing the application narrative 
for a Teachers and Personnel Grant?
    In responding to the selection criteria applicants may wish to 
consider the following questions as a guide for preparing application 
narrative.
     What are the specific responsibilities of districts, 
schools, institutions of higher education and other partnership 
organizations in planning, implementing and evaluating the proposed 
program? How is the program linked to the school district's or school's 
overall professional development plan? What resources and support will 
each of the consortia members provide? How will resources be integrated 
to ensure maximum effectiveness of the program and to promote capacity 
building and long-range collaboration?
     How does the training curricula reflect high standards for 
pedagogy, content, and proficiency in English and a second language to 
ensure that participants are effectively prepared to provide 
instruction and support to LEP students?
     How will the program assist in systemically reforming 
policies and practices in the target schools and in the IHE related to 
the preparation of new teachers, the induction of new bilingual 
teachers, clinical experiences for new bilingual teachers and other 
educational personnel, and professional development opportunities for 
all teachers?
     What special selection criteria will the applicant adopt 
to ensure that individuals selected to participate in the program hold 
promise for successfully completing program requirements? What special 
support will be provided to new bilingual teachers by experienced 
bilingual teachers, higher education faculty, and school administrators 
to guide them during their period of induction or their period of 
training?
     How will the instructional responsibilities of new 
teachers be balanced with appropriate professional development, support 
and planning time?
     How will clinical experiences for preservice participants 
be structured to ensure that they are well-supervised, of sufficient 
duration and in a setting which provides opportunities for participants 
to experience a variety of effective bilingual education instructional 
methods and approaches?
     How is the training curriculum based on current research 
related to effective teaching and learning? What evidence of 
effectiveness supports the training model?
     What performance indicators will the proposed program use 
to support the effectiveness of the program related to, for example: 
Improved teaching practices; participants' effectiveness in the 
instructional setting; improved performance on National or State 
benchmark tests; reduction in the number of new bilingual teachers 
leaving the profession; improvement of graduation rates?
     How will the program evaluation incorporate strategies for 
assessing the progress and performance of participants; communicating 
meaningful, regular and timely feedback to participants; improving the 
quality of the training program; documenting and identifying exemplary 
program features and successful strategies; and reporting on specific 
data related to the number of participants completing the program and 
the number of graduates placed in the instructional setting?
     How will the proposed program improve course curricula and 
the skills and knowledge of higher education faculty to better prepare 
ALL teachers in content and pedagogy related to the needs of LEP 
students?

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[FR Doc. 97-33952 Filed 12-24-97; 8:58 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-C