[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 199 (Thursday, October 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55492-55493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-27687]



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Part V





Department of Education





_______________________________________________________________________



Freely-Associated States Educational Grant Program; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 199 / Thursday, October 15, 1998 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA NO. 84.256]


Freely-Associated States Educational Grant Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year 
(FY) 1999.

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    Purpose of the Program: The program provides financial assistance 
for educational purposes to local educational agencies in the Federated 
States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the 
Republic of Palau.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: December 11, 1998.
    Applications Available: October 15, 1998.
    Available Funds: $4,750,000.00.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $700,000--$800,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $750,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: six (6).

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

    Project Period: 24 months.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 
82, 85 and 86.
    Selection Criteria: The Secretary will use the following selection 
criteria in accordance with 34 CFR 75.209 and 75.210 to evaluate 
applications under this competition. In accordance with 20 U.S.C. 
6331(b)(2), the Pacific Regional Educational Laboratory uses these 
criteria in making funding recommendations to the Secretary.
    (a) Need for project. (25 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 magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or 
the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project will provide 
services or otherwise address the needs of students at risk of 
educational failure.
    (iv) The extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving 
or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals.
    (b) Significance. (10 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed 
project.
    (2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The significance of the proposed project to education in the 
area to be served.
    (ii) The significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by 
the proposed project.
    (iii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in 
teaching and student achievement.
    (c) Quality of the project design. (25 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 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.
    (v) The extent to which the proposed project encourages parental 
involvement.
    (vi) The extent to which performance feedback and continuous 
improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project.
    (d) Adequacy of resources. (5 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project.
    (ii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to 
the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed 
project.
    (iii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to 
the number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and 
benefits.
    (e) Quality of project personnel. (10 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will 
carry out the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the 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 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, of project consultants or subcontractors.
    (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.
    (g) Quality of project services. (10 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 underrepresented 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 services to be provided by the proposed 
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or 
beneficiaries of those services.
    (ii) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the 
proposed project on the intended recipients of those services.

[[Page 55493]]

    (iii) 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.
    (iv) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project are focused on those with greatest needs.

FOR APPLICATIONS OR INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie Rogers, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue,SW, Room 3E245, 
Washington, D.C. 20202-6140. Telephone (202) 260-2543. 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 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 1-888-292-6498.
    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.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6331(b)(2).

    Dated: October 9, 1998.
Gerald N. Tirozzi,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 98-27687 Filed 10-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P