[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 31, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15608-15627]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-7785]



[[Page 15607]]

_______________________________________________________________________

Part V





Department of Education





_______________________________________________________________________



Parental Assistance Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1999

  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 61 / Wednesday, March 31, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 15608]]



DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.310A]


Parental Assistance Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1999

    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.
    Purpose of Program: To assist nonprofit organizations, and 
nonprofit organizations in consortia with local educational agencies 
(LEAs), in establishing parental information and resource centers that 
would (1) increase parents' knowledge of and confidence in child-
rearing activities, such as teaching and nurturing their young 
children; (2) strengthen partnerships between parents and professionals 
in meeting the educational needs of children aged birth through five 
years and the working relationship between home and school; and (3) 
enhance the developmental progress of the children assisted under the 
program.
    Eligible Applicants: Nonprofit organizations, and nonprofit 
organizations in consortia with LEAs, in the following jurisdictions 
are eligible to apply for funding: California, Colorado, the District 
of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, 
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, 
New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, 
South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
    The statute requires the Secretary to ensure that grants are 
distributed, to the greatest extent possible, to all geographic regions 
of the United States. Consistent with this statutory requirement, this 
competition is for eligible applicants in the District of Columbia and 
the States identified in the preceding paragraph. Grantees in the other 
States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the outlying areas are 
eligible for continuation awards.
    An LEA, by itself, is not eligible for an award. However, an LEA 
may be part of a consortium with a nonprofit organization that applies. 
In those instances, the award would be made to the nonprofit 
organization, which would serve as the fiscal agent.
    For purposes of this competition, nonprofit organizations do not 
include institutions of higher education, State educational agencies, 
LEAs, intermediate school districts, government entities, or hospitals.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 30, 1999.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 30, 1999.
    Available Funds: $18,000,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $200,000 to $750,000.

    (Note: Due to anticipated variances in the scope of proposed 
activities and the number of program beneficiaries, the estimated 
range is very broad.)

    Estimated Number of Awards: 28.

    Note: These estimates are projections for the guidance of 
potential applicants. The Department of Education is not bound by 
any estimates in this notice.

    Project Period: Up to 48 months.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 81, 
82, and 85.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR Part 80 (Uniform Administrative 
Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and 
Local Governments) apply to an LEA that is part of a consortium 
receiving assistance.

    Description of Program: Under the Parental Assistance Program, 
authorized by Title IV of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act (Pub. L. 
103-227) (20 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.) (the Act), grants are awarded to 
nonprofit organizations (and nonprofit organizations in consortia with 
LEAs) to establish and fund parent information and resource centers 
that provide training, information, and support to (a) parents of 
children aged birth through five years; (b) parents of children 
enrolled in elementary and secondary schools; and (c) individuals who 
work with these parents.
    Organizations seeking funding must have the capacity to deliver 
services of sufficient size, scope, and quality to reach substantial 
numbers of children and families from diverse populations throughout 
the State, with a particular focus on parents who are educationally and 
economically disadvantaged. In providing these services, the 
organizations must network with clearinghouses, parent centers served 
under the Individuals with Disabilities Act, parent groups, other 
organizations and agencies, and parents of elementary and secondary 
school children.
    Using research-based practices and technological advances, the 
organizations should provide a mix of direct training services and 
statewide information and support services to address the needs of the 
targeted populations. Entities with established statewide 
organizational structures and proven effectiveness may be more likely 
to successfully address these needs.
    Applicants should be aware that section 1118(g) of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Improving America's 
Schools Act of 1994, requires schools and districts receiving Title I 
funds to assist parents and parent organizations by informing them of 
the existence and purpose of the parent information and resource center 
in their State, providing them with a description of the services and 
programs provided by the center, advising parents on how to use the 
center, and helping them contact the center. Consequently, applicants 
should be prepared to address the demand for their services created by 
this requirement.
    Use of Funds: Grant funds received under this program may be used--
    (a) For parent training, information, and support programs that 
assist parents to--
    (1) Better understand their children's educational needs;
    (2) Provide follow-up support for their children's educational 
achievement;
    (3) Communicate more effectively with teachers, counselors, 
administrators, and other professional educators and support staff;
    (4) Participate in the design and provision of assistance to 
students who are not making adequate educational progress;
    (5) Obtain information about the range of options, programs, 
services, and resources available at the national, State, and local 
levels to assist parents of children aged birth through five years and 
parents of children in elementary and secondary schools;
    (6) Seek technical assistance regarding compliance with the 
requirements of title IV and of other Federal programs relevant to 
achieving the National Education Goals;
    (7) Participate in State and local decisionmaking;
    (8) Train other parents; and
    (9) Plan, implement, and fund activities that coordinate the 
education of their children with other Federal programs that serve 
their children or their families; and
    (b) To include State or local educational personnel where such 
participation will further the activities assisted under the grant.
    Program Requirements: Each grantee must--
    (a)(1) Be governed by a board of directors the membership of which 
includes parents; or
    (2) Be an organization that represents the interests of parents;
    (b) Establish a special advisory committee the membership of which 
includes--

[[Page 15609]]

    (1) Parents of children aged birth through five years and parents 
of children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools; and
    (2) Representatives of educational professionals with expertise in 
improving services for disadvantaged children; and
    (3) A broad representation of minority, low-income, and other 
individuals and groups that have an interest in compensatory education 
and family literacy;
    (c) Use at least one-half the funds provided in the grant in each 
fiscal year to serve areas with high concentrations of low-income 
families in order to serve parents who are severely educationally or 
economically disadvantaged;
    (d) Operate a center of sufficient size, scope, and quality to 
ensure that the center is adequate to serve the parents in the area;
    (e) Serve both urban and rural areas;
    (f) Design a center that meets the unique training, information, 
and support needs of parents of children aged birth through five years 
and of parents of children enrolled in elementary and secondary 
schools, particularly parents who are economically or educationally 
disadvantaged;
    (g) Demonstrate the capacity and expertise to conduct the effective 
training information and support activities for which assistance is 
sought;
    (h) Network with--
    (1) Clearinghouses;
    (2) Parent centers for the parents of infants, toddlers, children, 
and youth with disabilities served under section 631(e) of the 
Individuals with Disabilities Act;
    (3) Other organizations and agencies;
    (4) Established national, State, and local parent groups 
representing the full range of parents of children aged birth through 
five years; and
    (5) Parents of children enrolled in elementary and secondary 
schools;
    (i) Focus on serving parents of children aged birth through five 
years and parents of children enrolled in elementary and secondary 
schools, who are parents of low-income, minority, and limited English 
proficient children; and
    (j) Use part of the funds received under this program to establish, 
expand, or operate Parents as Teachers (PAT) programs or Home 
Instruction Programs for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) programs, as 
defined in section 405 of the Act.
    The statute does not require a specific amount or percentage of 
funds to be spent on PAT or HIPPY programs. However, the PAT and HIPPY 
programs, like the other components of the center, should be integrated 
with the center's overall activities. On an average, grantees have used 
approximately one-third of their grant to support PAT and/or HIPPY 
programs. (A brief description of the PAT and HIPPY programs may be 
found in the appendix.)
    To be eligible for funding, an applicant must meet each of the 
statutory requirements referenced above. Each application for 
assistance must include assurances that the grantee will comply with 
these requirements.
    Non-Federal Contribution: To be eligible for a continuation award, 
in each fiscal year after the first fiscal year a grantee receives 
assistance under this program, the grantee must demonstrate that a 
portion of the services provided by the grantee will be supported 
through non-Federal contributions. Those contributions may be in cash 
or in kind.

Selection Criteria

    The Secretary will use the following selection criteria and factors 
from 34 CFR 75.210 to evaluate applications under this competition.
    The maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points. The 
maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parenthesis with the 
criterion. The criteria and factors are as follows:
    (a) Need for project. (20 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 extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving 
or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals.
    (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 magnitude 
of those gaps or weaknesses.
    (b) Quality of the project design. (22 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 represents an 
exceptional approach for meeting statutory purposes and requirements.
    (iv) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated 
with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community, 
state, and federal resources.
    (c) Quality of project services. (20 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 services to be provided by the proposed 
project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective 
practice.
    (ii) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the 
proposed project on the intended recipients of those services.
    (iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for 
maximizing the effectiveness of project services.
    (iv) The extent to which the technical assistance services to be 
provided by the proposed project involve the use of efficient 
strategies, including the use of technology, as appropriate, and the 
leveraging of non-project resources.
    (v) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project are focused on those with greatest needs.
    (d) Quality of project personnel. (9 points) (1) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed 
project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the 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 factors:
    (i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director.
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of key project personnel.

[[Page 15610]]

    (iii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors.
    (e) Adequacy of resources. (7 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 adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the 
lead applicant organization.
    (ii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to 
the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed 
project.
    (iii) The potential for the incorporation of project purposes, 
activities, or benefits into the ongoing program of the agency or 
organization at the end of federal funding.
    (f) Quality of the project evaluation. (22 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 are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project.
    (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.

    (Note: In designing their evaluation plans, applicants are 
encouraged to consider the sample performance measures included in 
the Appendix.)

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. 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 November 3, 1998 (63 FR 59452 through 54455).
    In States that have not established a process or chosen a program 
for review, State, area-wide, 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, area-wide, 
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# 84.310A, U.S. Department of Education, Room 7E200, 
400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-0125.
    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 two copies of the application on or 
before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application 
Control Center, Attention: (CFDA # 84.310A), Washington, D.C. 20202-
4725, or
    (2) Hand deliver the original and two copies of the application by 
4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on the deadline date to: U.S. 
Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA # 
84.310A), Room #3633, Regional Office Building #3, 7th and D Streets, 
SW, Washington, DC.
    (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.
    (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) 
708-9494.
    (3) The applicant must indicate on the envelope and--if not 
provided by the Department--in Item 3 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. The parts and additional materials are as follows:
    Part I: Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424 (Rev. 
12/98)) and instructions.
    Part II: Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 
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-
0013-6190).
    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.
    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

[[Page 15611]]

the certifications must each have an original signature. No grant may 
be awarded unless a completed application form has been received.

For Further Information Contact: Daisy Greenfield, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-6400. 
Telephone: (202) 401-0039.
    Individuals who use a telecommunication devise 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., Easter 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. 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
htt://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. 5911 et seq.

    Dated: March 25, 1999.
Judith A. Johnson,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Elementary and Secondary Education.

Instructions For Application Narrative

    Before preparing the Application Narrative an applicant should read 
carefully the authorizing statute and the information in this notice, 
including the selection criteria the Secretary uses to evaluate 
applications.
    The narrative should encompass each function or activity for which 
funds are being requested and should--
    1. Begin with an Abstract; that is, a summary of the proposed 
project;
    2. Describe the proposed project in light of each of the selection 
criteria in the order in which the criteria are listed in this 
application package; and
    3. Include any other pertinent information that might assist the 
Secretary in reviewing the application.
    The Secretary strongly requests the applicant to limit the 
Application Narrative to no more than 20 double-spaced, typed pages (on 
one side only), although the Secretary will consider applications of 
greater length. The Department has found that successful applications 
for similar programs generally meet this page limit.

Estimated Public Reporting Burden

    The time required to complete this collection of information is 
estimated to average 48 hours per response, including the time to 
review instructions, search existing data sources, gather the data 
needed, and complete and review the collection of information. 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.
    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 
collection of information is 1810-0578. Expiration date: March 31, 
2002.
    If you have any comments or concerns regarding the status of your 
individual submission of this form, write directly to: Daisy 
Greenfield, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20202.

Appendix

Descriptions of the Parents as Teachers (PAT) and the Home 
Instructional Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)

Parents as Teachers (PAT)

    Parents as Teachers (PAT) is an early childhood parent education 
and family support program designed to empower all parents to give 
their child the best possible start in life. The program provides 
parents with information on child development from birth to age 5 
and suggests learning opportunities that encourage the development 
of language, intellect, and physical and social skills. PAT National 
is located in Missouri and since 1985 has served more than a half 
million Missouri families. The program has also been replicated in 
43 other states, Washington, DC, Australia, England, New Zealand and 
the West Indies.
    Major components of the program include personalized home visits 
by certified parent educators, group meetings for parents to share 
information, developmental and health screenings, referrals to other 
community services not offered by PAT, and administrative and 
clerical support. Programs may be designed to provide weekly, 
biweekly or monthly home visits. The parent educator would invest 
approximately 1073 hours making home visits, planning and keeping 
records, traveling, conducting group meetings, etc. to provide a 
year-round (1 month start-up, 11 month service delivery) program for 
30 families (including additional visits for selected families).
    For additional information call (314) 432-4330, write to Parents 
as Teachers National Center, Inc., 10176 Corporate Square Drive, 
Suite 230, St. Louis, Missouri 63132, or visit the web site at 
www.patn.org.

Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters

    The Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is 
a home-based, early intervention program that provides parents with 
the training and materials to engage in daily learning experiences 
with their preschoolers, ages three, four and five. HIPPY, USA is 
located, in New York City and is the national network, technical 
assistance, and training program that supports the growth and 
development of new sites, as well as the current 121 local 
organizations serving over 15,000 families in 28 States, the 
District of Columbia and Guam.
    Major components of the program include paraprofessional home 
visits, group meetings for parents to share information, training, 
curriculum, research evaluation and technical assistance. 
Paraprofessional home visitors train parents to use developmentally 
appropriate and culturally sensitive HIPPY materials as the basis of 
these opportunities for learning and time together as a family. 
Programs may be designed to provide weekly or biweekly home visits, 
and biweekly or monthly group meetings. A paraprofessional working 
20 hours per week could serve 12-15 families, making home visits, 
conducting group meetings, traveling, completing weekly reports, 
etc. A program coordinator would be responsible for administering 
the HIPPY program, supervising and monitoring the paraprofessionals, 
and record keeping. For additional information, please call (212) 
532-7730, write to HIPPY USA, 220 East 23rd Street, Suite 300, New 
York, New York 10010, or visit the web site at www.c3pg.com.

Performance Measures

Parental Information and Resources Centers (PIRCs)

    The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 places 
new management expectations and requirements on Federal departments 
and agencies by creating a framework for more effective planning, 
budgeting, program evaluation, and fiscal accountability for Federal 
programs. The intent of the Act is to improve public

[[Page 15612]]

confidence by holding departments and agencies accountable for 
achieving program results. Departments must set program goals and 
objectives and measure and report on their achievements. One 
important source of program information on successes and lessons 
learned is the project evaluation and other information collected 
under individual grants.
    In addition, the U.S. Department of Education is committed to 
forging a new partnership with grantees that is focused on results. 
The Department is required to publish performance standards and 
measures as a part of the program announcement to enable applicants 
to develop applications that incorporate such standards. After the 
competition for awards is completed, the Department will work 
cooperatively with grantees to develop performance agreements that 
include the performance standards to measure progress toward meeting 
project objectives. These performance agreements will be developed 
within 60 days after grants are awarded.
    The Department has identified four performance objectives for 
the Parental Assistance Program: (1) to increase the number and 
types of partnerships between parents and schools, (2) to increase 
parents' awareness of education issues, (3) to establish, expand or 
operate Parents As Teachers (PAT) and/or Home Instruction Programs 
for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), and (4) to develop and sustain 
partnerships/networks with other organizations, agencies, and parent 
centers. These performance objectives and others that are directly 
related to the purposes of the authorizing legislation shall form 
the basis of the performance agreement that all discretionary 
grantees will develop in cooperation with the Department.
    To assist applicants in understanding how a performance 
agreement might be developed, we are providing a sample template 
(see Table 1). The sample identifies the key components of a 
performance plan (objectives, indicators, baseline data, desired 
outcomes, and source, periodicity, next update of data) and an 
example of each component. Applicants may incorporate all or parts 
of the examples on the sample template along with additional 
objectives in their application; applicants may also use another 
similar format. It is important, however, that all applications are 
not only developed to achieve successful project outcomes, but that 
they also include a process to measure progress towards attaining 
those outcomes.
    The performance agreements will be used during the life of the 
grant to ensure that project outcomes are achieved. Progress will be 
assessed via regularly scheduled communication, which may include 
telephone calls, letters, and site visits, between Department staff 
and the project director. Where sufficient progress is not being 
achieved, the Department and the grantee will work together to 
identify strategies and resources to overcome challenges and resolve 
problems. When necessary, the Department and the grantee may modify 
the performance agreements.

       Sample Template Performance Agreement Parental Information and Resource Assistance Centers (PIRCS)
Program Purpose: To assist nonprofit organizations and nonprofit organizations in consortia with local education
   agencies in establishing parental information and resource assistance centers to increase knowledge of and
confidence in child-rearing activities, and strengthen partnerships between parents and professionals in meeting
     the educational needs of children, the working relationship between home and school; and enhancing the
                       developmental progress of the children assisted under the program.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                   Data source,
                                    Performance          Baseline data        Desired outcome      periodicity,
    Objective (examples:)           indicators            (examples:)           (examples:)        next update
                                    (examples:)                                                    (examples:)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. To increase the number and  1.1  Parents and      1.1  In year 1999,    1.1  In year 2000,    1.1  Survey of
 types of partnerships          school personnel,     50% of parents and    80% of parents and    Parents and
 between parents and schools.   particularly those    school personnel,     school personnel,     School
                                in Title I schools,   particularly those    particularly those    Personnel,
                                will report greater   in Title I schools    in Title I schools,   1999, 2000.
                                levels of parent      reported greater      reported greater
                                involvement in        levels of parental    levels of parental
                                their child's         involvement in        involvement in
                                school and learning   their child's         their child's
                                after receiving       school and learning   school and learning
                                services through      after receiving       after receiving
                                the PIRC.             services through      services through
                                                      the PIRC.             the PIRC.
                               1.2  PIRCs will       1.2  Descriptive      1.2  Descriptive      1.2  Anecdotal
                                provide information   information of        information of        information,
                                and support to        parental              changes in parental   informal case
                                schools to develop    involvement           involvement in a      studies of a
                                strategies to         strategies used in    sampling of schools.  sampling of
                                encourage ongoing     a sampling of                               schools.
                                parental              schools.
                                involvement in
                                school activities
                                (e.g. working with
                                children at home on
                                homework and
                                reading, making
                                parent aware of
                                chances to
                                volunteer at
                                school).
                               1.3  Other..........
2. To increase parents'        2.1  Parents that     2.1  In 1999, 50% of  2.1  In 2000, 85% of  2.1  Customer
 awareness of education         the PIRC serve will   parents served        parents served will   survey, 1999,
 issues.                        report that they      reported that they    report that they      Workshop pre
                                are more              are knowledgeable     are knowledgeable     and post test
                                knowledgeable about   about education       about education       measures of
                                education issues      issues.               issues after          parents'
                                after receiving                             receiving             knowledge.
                                information and                             information and
                                services through                            services through
                                the PIRC.                                   the PIRC.
                               2.2  There will be    2.2  In 1998, 50,000  2.2  In 1999, 75,000  2.2  Web site
                                an increase in the    parents received      parents will          hits, toll
                                number of parents     materials and         receive materials     free number,
                                receiving             information that      and information       mailing lists.
                                information about     informed them of      regarding education
                                how to help their     education issues      via the PIRC.
                                child succeed in      via the PIRC.
                                school.
                               2.3  Other..........

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3. To establish, expand or     3.1  The number of    3.1  In 1998, 150     3.1  In 2000, 200     3.1  Parent
 operate Parents As Teachers    families              families in the       families in the       educator logs
 (PAT) and Home Instructional   participating in      states participated   state participated    PAT/HIPPY.
 Programs for Preschool         PAT/HIPPY will        in PAT/ HIPPY         in PAT/ HIPPY
 Youngsters (HIPPY) services.   increase.             programs.             programs.
                               3.2  The number of    3.2  In 1999, PAT/    3.2  In 2000, PAT/    3.2  Observatio
                                parents that can      HIPPY parent          HIPPY parent          n records of
                                demonstrate           educators will        educators will        PAT/ HIPPY
                                developmentally       observe and           observe and           parent
                                appropriate           document 150          document 200          educators.
                                parenting behavior    parents               parents
                                as defined by PAT/    demonstrating         demonstrating
                                HIPPY will increase.  developmentally       developmentally
                                                      appropriate           appropriate
                                                      parenting behavior.   parenting behavior.
                               3.3 Other...........
4. To develop and sustain      4.1  There will be    4.1  In 1999, the     4.1  In 2000, the     4.1  List of
 partnerships/networks with     an increase in the    PIRC will identify    PIRC will identify,   organizations
 other organizations,           number and types of   the number and        develop and sustain   participating
 agencies, and parent centers   partnerships/         types of              an increased number   in
 (e.g. schools, school          networks that the     partnerships/         and various types     partnerships
 districts, PTAs national       PIRC identifies,      networks with other   of partnerships/      and networks.
 coalition of Title I schools   develops and          organizations,        networks with other
 etc.).                         sustains with other   agencies and parent   organizations,
                                organizations,        centers.              agencies and parent
                                agencies and parent                         centers.
                                centers.
                               4.2  The number of    4.2  In 1999, 50      4.2  In 2000, 60      4.2  List of
                                collaborative         collaborative         collaborative         partners and
                                efforts jointly       efforts will be       efforts will be       the type of
                                undertaken by the     undertaken by the     jointly undertaken    parenting
                                PIRC and partners     PIRC and partners.    by the PIRC and       activities
                                will increase.                              partners.             jointly
                                                                                                  developed and
                                                                                                  implemented.
                               4.3  ther...........
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[FR Doc. 99-7785 Filed 3-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-C