[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15994-16022]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8356]



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Part V





Department of Education





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Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative Grants; Notice

  Federal Register/Vol. 63, No. 62/Wednesday, April 1, 1998/Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA NO.: 84.314A]


Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative Grants

AGENCY: Department of Education.

    Notice inviting State applications for new awards with fiscal year 
(FY) 1998 funds, and waiver of reporting requirements for Even Start 
Statewide Family Literacy Initiative grants
    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. Only a State office 
or agency may apply.
    Purpose of Program: To enable States to plan and implement 
statewide family literacy initiatives under the Even Start Family 
Literacy Program. Initiative activities must be conducted through a 
consortium of State, local, and other institutions, organizations, or 
agencies.
    Eligible Applicants: State office or agency.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 29, 1998.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 28, 1998.
    Available funds: $1,000,000.

    Note: Under this program, States receiving grants must make 
available non-Federal contributions in an amount equal to not less 
than the Federal funds provided under the grant, as required by 
section 1202(c)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
(ESEA). Grantees may not use funds awarded under these grants for 
indirect costs either as a direct charge or as part of the matching 
requirement.

    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$250,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $200,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 5.

    Note: This Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 24 months.
    Applicable Regulations: 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 (Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension 
(Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free 
Workplace (Grants)).
    Description of Program: States receiving funds under this grant 
authority will use these funds to plan and implement statewide family 
literacy initiatives under the Even Start Family Literacy Program to 
coordinate and integrate existing Federal, State, and local literacy 
resources. These resources must include, but are not limited to, 
resources available under Even Start, the Adult Education Act, Head 
Start, and the Family Support Act of 1988 (or successor statutes). 
Initiative activities must be conducted through a consortium of State, 
local, and other institutions, organizations, or agencies. The State 
must make available non-Federal contributions in an amount not less 
than the Federal funds provided under the grant for the costs to be 
incurred by the consortium in carrying out the activities for which the 
grant is awarded.
    Invitational Priority: The Secretary is particularly interested in 
applications that meet the following invitational priority. However, an 
application that meets this invitational priority does not receive 
competitive or absolute preference over other applications (34 CFR 
75.105(c)(1)).
    Invitational Priority--Statewide family literacy initiatives that:
     Coordinate their activities with State and local endeavors 
under the America Reads Challenge initiative, including Federal Work-
Study tutoring programs and America Reads/Read*Write*Now pilot sites 
(information about the America Reads Challenge is available by 
telephone at 1-800-USA-LEARN, or TDD 1-800-437-0833; and through the 
Department's Web site at www.ed.gov/inits/americareads); and
     Develop State capacity to coordinate and integrate 
existing resources that support family literacy and core family 
literacy components (early childhood education, adult basic and 
secondary education, and parenting education), and, especially 
resources focusing on--
    (1) Young children's cognitive and language development, and 
parents' involvement in that early development; and
    (2) English literacy for families with limited English proficiency.

Waiver of Reporting Requirement

    Under the EDGAR, an applicant generally must submit annual 
performance and financial reports to the Department. (See 34 CFR 
75.720, 80.40, and 80.41). However, in the interest of reducing burden 
at the State level, the Secretary has determined that performance and 
financial reports are unnecessary until the end of the project period 
(up to 24 months), and therefore waives the requirements for 
performance and financial reports at the end of the first year (unless 
the end of the first year coincides with the end of the project 
period). This waiver is in accordance with the Secretary's authority 
under these regulations.

Selection Criteria

    The Secretary uses the following selection criteria to evaluate 
applications for grants under this competition.
    (1) The maximum composite score for all of these criteria is 100 
points.
    (2) The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in 
parentheses.
    (a) Meeting the purposes of the authorizing statute. (10 points). 
The Secretary considers how well the project will meet the purpose of 
section 1202(c) of the ESEA (Even Start Statewide Family Literacy 
Initiatives grants). In determining how well the project will meet the 
purpose of section 1202(c), the Secretary considers how well the 
project will enable the State to plan and implement a statewide family 
literacy initiative, through a consortium of entities, to coordinate 
and integrate existing Federal, State, and local literacy resources 
consistent with the purpose of the Even Start Family Literacy Program 
(Part B of Title I of the ESEA).
    (b) Need for project. (10 points). The Secretary considers the need 
for the proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or 
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.

    Note: The Secretary invites applicants to describe any existing 
State initiatives to promote family literacy.

    (ii) The extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving 
or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals.
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project will prepare 
personnel for fields in which shortages have been demonstrated.
    (c) Significance. (20 points). The Secretary considers the 
significance of

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the proposed project. In determining the significance of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The national significance of the proposed project.
    (ii) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system 
change or improvement.
    (iii) The potential contribution of the proposed project to the 
development and advancement of theory, knowledge, and practices in the 
field of study.
     (iv) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to yield 
findings that may be utilized by other appropriate agencies and 
organizations.
    (d) Quality of the project design. (20 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In 
determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) 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.
    (ii) The extent to which the design of the proposed project 
reflects up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated 
with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community, 
State, and Federal resources.
    (iv) 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.
    (e) Quality of project personnel. (10 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed 
project. (1) 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. (2) In addition, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator.
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of key project personnel.
    (iii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, or project consultants or subcontractors.
    (f) Adequacy of resources. (10 points.) The Secretary considers the 
adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the 
adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers 
the following factors:
    (i) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in 
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
    (ii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to 
the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed 
project.
    (g) Quality of the management plan. (10 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. 
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) 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.
    (ii) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives 
are brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project, including 
those of parents, teachers, the business community, a variety of 
disciplinary and professional fields, recipients or beneficiaries of 
services, or others, as appropriate.
    (h) Quality of project evaluation. (10 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project.
    (ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.

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. The addresses of individual 
State Single Point of Contact are in the appendix to this notice.
    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 #84.314A, U.S. Department of Education, Room 6300, 600 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202.
    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 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 two copies of the application on or 
before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application 
Control Center, Attention: Patricia McKee (CFDA #84.314A), Compensatory 
Education Programs, Room 3633, Regional Office Building #3, 7th and D 
Streets, SW, 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 or before the deadline date to: U.S. 
Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
Patricia McKee (CFDA #84.314A), Compensatory Education Programs, Room 
3633, Regional Office Building #3, 7th and D Streets, SW, Washington, 
DC 20202-4725.
    (b) An applicant must show one of the following as proof of 
mailing:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.

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    (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 any 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) 708-9494.
    (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 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 and submitted. 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

    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). (See amendments by 61 FR 1412 
(1/19/96).
    Notice to all Applicants (Section 427 of the General Education 
Provisions Act).
    An applicant may submit information on photostatic copies of the 
application, budget forms, assurances, and certifications. However, the 
application form, assurances, and certifications must each have an 
original signature. No grant may be awarded unless a completed 
application form, including the signed assurances and certifications, 
have been received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia McKee, Compensatory Education 
Programs, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department 
of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW (4400, Portals), Washington, 
DC 20202-6132. Telephone (202) 260-0991. 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 document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternate format, also, by contacting that person. 
However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format 
the standard forms included in the application package.

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 previous 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 a document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.

    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. section 6362(c).

    Dated: March 26, 1998.
Gerald N. Tirozzi,
Assistant Secretary, Elementary and Secondary Education.

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[FR Doc. 98-8356 Filed 3-31-98; 8:45 am]
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