[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 24, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9228-9229]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4553]



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Part III





Department of Education





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Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative Grants; Notices

  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 36 / Wednesday, February 24, 1999 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA NO.: 84.314B]


Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative Grants

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of Final Priority for Fiscal Year 1999.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces an absolute priority for competitive 
grants awarded under the Even Start Statewide Family Literacy 
Initiative grants for Fiscal Year (FY) 1999. Under this priority, the 
Department will support only Even Start Statewide Family Literacy 
Initiatives for any State applicant that includes in its application 
(1) indicators of program quality as described in Section 1210 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (as amended by the 
Reading Excellence Act) that the State has developed for Even Start 
Family Literacy projects; or (2) a plan and timeline for the 
development of those indicators within a reasonable time period, not to 
exceed one year from the date of the grant award. The law requires 
States to base these program quality indicators on the best available 
research and evaluation data. Upon development, the law requires States 
to use these quality indicators in evaluating Even Start projects' 
program performance and improvement for the purpose of continued 
funding.

    Note: This notice of final priority does not solicit 
applications. A notice inviting applications under the FY1999 
competition for Even Start Statewide Family Literacy Initiative 
Grants is published in a separate notice in this issue of the 
Federal Register.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 24, 1999.

WAIVER OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING: It is the Secretary's practice, in 
accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), to 
offer interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed 
priorities that are not taken directly from statute. Ordinarily, this 
practice would have applied to the absolute priority in this notice. 
Section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 
however, exempts from this requirement rules that apply to the first 
competition under a new or substantially revised program. The Reading 
Excellence Act, as enacted by Public Law 105-277, greatly expanded the 
funds available for these grants and added new substantive 
requirements, making this grant authority a ``substantially revised 
program.'' The Secretary, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 
has decided to forego public comment with respect to the absolute 
priority in order to ensure timely awards. The absolute priority will 
apply only to the FY 1999 grant competition, which is being conducted 
in two stages.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary LeGwin, U. S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202-6132. 
Telephone (202) 260-2499. 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 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.

Absolute Priority:

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary gives an absolute 
preference to any State applicant that includes in its application (1) 
indicators of program quality, as described in Section 1210 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (as amended by the 
Reading Excellence Act) that the State has developed for Even Start 
family literacy projects; or (2) a plan and timeline for the 
development of those indicators within a reasonable time period, not to 
exceed one year.
    States are required to develop these indicators by Section 1210 of 
the ESEA. The law requires these indicators to be based upon the best 
available research and evaluation data. Once developed, the law 
requires States to use the indicators in evaluating Even Start 
projects' program performance and improvement for the purpose of 
continued funding. To improve family literacy outcomes for adults and 
children, performance indicators must provide data to identify areas in 
which the programs are working well and areas in which improvement is 
needed. Even Start quality indicators will provide a measure of 
accountability to assess the extent to which overall program goals and 
objectives are being achieved and provide the basis for continuous 
improvement of local family literacy projects.
    The indicators of performance quality as described in Section 1210 
of the ESEA must include the following:
    (1) With respect to eligible participants in a program who are 
adults--
    (A) Achievement in the areas of reading, writing, English language 
acquisition, problem solving, and numeracy;
    (B) Receipt of a high school diploma or a general equivalency 
diploma;
    (C) Entry into a postsecondary school, job retraining program, or 
employment or career advancement, including the military; and
    (D) Such other indicators as the State may develop.
    (2) With respect to eligible participants in a program who are 
children--
    (A) Improvement in ability to read on grade level or reading 
readiness;
    (B) School attendance;
    (C) Grade retention and promotion; and
    (D) Such other indicators as the State may develop.
    The Secretary funds under the FY 1999 competition for these grants 
only applicants that meet this absolute priority.

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.

    You may view information about the Department's funding 
opportunities, including copies of application notices for 
discretionary grant competitions, 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

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application notice for a discretionary grant competition is the notice 
published in the Federal Register.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6362(c).

    Dated: February 19, 1999.
Judith Johnson,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 99-4553 Filed 2-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P