[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 67 (Friday, April 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18232-18234]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8558]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.299B]


Indian Education Discretionary Grant Programs--Professional 
Development

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year 
(FY) 2001.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Purpose of Program: The purposes of this program are to (1) 
increase the number of qualified Indian individuals in professions that 
serve Indian people; (2) provide training to qualified Indian 
individuals to become teachers, administrators, teacher aides, social 
workers, and ancillary educational personnel; and (3) improve the 
skills of qualified Indian individuals who serve in the capacities 
described in (2). Activities may include, but are not limited to, 
continuing programs, symposia, workshops, conferences, and direct 
financial support.
    Grants for training educational personnel may be for preservice or 
inservice training. For individuals who are being trained to enter any 
field other than education, the training received must be in a program 
resulting in a graduate degree.
    For FY 2001, the competition for new awards is restricted to 
projects designed to meet the absolute priority described in the 
PRIORITY section of this application notice.
    Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants for this program are 
institutions of higher education, including Indian institutions of 
higher education; State or local educational agencies, in consortium 
with institutions of higher education; and Indian tribes or 
organizations, in consortium with institutions of higher education. An 
application from a consortium of eligible entities must meet the 
requirements of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129. The written consortium 
agreement must be submitted with the application. The agreement must be 
signed or the applicant must submit other evidence that all the members 
of the consortium agree to the contents of the agreement. Letters of 
support do not meet the consortium requirements. The

[[Page 18233]]

Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that does not 
meet these requirements.
    Institutions of higher education, including Indian institutions of 
higher education, that cannot directly offer the accredited master's 
level program required to meet the requirements for Absolute Priority 
#2 must submit a consortium application with an accredited institution 
of higher education that can offer a master's level degree and program 
coursework in order to be considered an eligible applicant. The written 
consortium agreement must be submitted with the application. The 
agreement must be signed or the applicant must submit other evidence 
that all the members of the consortium agree to the contents of the 
agreement. Letters of support do not meet the consortium requirements. 
The Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that does 
not meet these requirements.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 1, 2001.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 31, 2001.
    Applications Available: April 11, 2001.
    Absolute Priority: The Secretary reserves all or a portion of the 
funds available for new awards under the Professional Development 
program to fund only those applications that meet one of these absolute 
priorities:

(1) In-Service Administrator Training --

    Provide professional development activities to existing 
administrators that enhance their skills and knowledge in more than one 
of the following areas--

(a) Standards and assessments;
(b) Integrating reliable, research-based teaching methods and 
technology into the curriculum;
(c) Mentoring, coaching, and evaluating the performance of teachers;
(d) Site-based management; or
(e) Reform efforts to improve teacher quality.

(2) Pre-Service Administrator Training

    (a) Provide support and training to Indian individuals to complete 
a master degree, within a two-year period, in education administration 
that allows participants to meet the requirements for state 
certification or licensure as an education administrator, and
    (b) Provide graduates of the program with one year of induction 
services while they are working in schools with significant Indian 
student populations.


    Note: Funding of a particular project depends on the 
availability of funds, the requirements of the final priorities 
selected, and the quality of the applications received. The 
Secretary reserves up to $1,000,000 or approximately 20 percent of 
the funds available for new awards for projects that meet Priority 
1, and up to $4,000,000 or approximately 80 percent of the funds 
available for new awards for projects that meet Priority 2.

    Available Funds: $5,000,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $300,000 to $500,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $385,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 13.


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

    Project Period for Absolute Priority #1 Projects: Up to 24 months. 
It is the expectation of the Department that all project periods will 
begin August 1, 2001 with program services beginning with the Fall 2001 
academic term.
    Project Period for Absolute Priority #2 Projects: Up to 36 months. 
It is the expectation of the Department that all project periods will 
begin August 1, 2001 with program services beginning with the Fall 2001 
academic term.
    Budget Requirement: Projects funded under this competition must 
budget for a two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC 
during each year of the project.
    Maximum Annual Award Amount: In no case does the Secretary make an 
award greater than $500,000 for a single budget period of 12 months for 
the first 24 months of the award period. For projects addressing 
Absolute Priority #2, the last 12 months of a 36-month award will be 
limited to induction services only at a cost not to exceed $60,000 for 
the third 12-month budget period. The Secretary rejects and does not 
consider an application that proposes a budget exceeding these maximum 
amounts or does not budget or plan for induction services.
    Page Limit: The application narrative is where an applicant 
addresses the selection criteria that are used by reviewers in 
evaluating the application. An applicant must limit the narrative to 
the equivalent of no more than 75 double-spaced pages, using the 
following standards:
    (1) A ``page'' is 8 \1/2\" x 11" (one side only) with one-inch 
margins (top, bottom and sides).
    (2) All text in the application narrative, including titles, 
headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as 
all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs, must be double-spaced 
(no more than three lines per vertical inch).
    If using a proportional computer font, use no smaller than a 12-
point font, and an average character density no greater than 18 
characters per inch. If using a nonproportional font or a typewriter, 
do not use more than 12 characters to the inch.
    The page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget 
section (including the narrative budget justification); the assurances 
and certifications; or the one-page abstract, appendices, resumes, 
bibliography, and letters of support. However, all of the application 
narrative addressing the selection criteria must be included in the 
narrative section. If, in order to meet the page limit, you use print 
size, spacing, or margins smaller than the standards specified in this 
notice, your application will not be reviewed or considered for 
funding.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) for the Professional 
Development Program, the payback provisions of 34 CFR 263.1(b), 263.3, 
and 263.35 through 263.37. In addition, this program is governed by the 
notice of final priorities for fiscal year 2000 and subsequent fiscal 
years as published by the Department of Education in the Federal 
Register on April 28, 2000 (65 FR 25147-25152).
    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria are included in full in 
the application package for this competition. These selection criteria 
were established based on the regulations for evaluating discretionary 
grants found in 34 CFR 75.200 through 75.210.
    Fiscal Information: Stipends may be paid only to full-time 
students. For the payment of stipends to project participants being 
trained, the Secretary expects to set the stipend maximum at $1000 per 
month for full-time students and $125 allowance per month per dependent 
during the academic year. The terms ``stipend,'' ``full-time student,'' 
and ``dependent allowance'' are defined in 34 CFR 263.3.
    Competitive Preference: (1) The Secretary will award five (5) 
additional points to applications for programs that include only Indian 
individuals as training participants.

    Authority: Section 9122(e)(2); 20 U.S.C. 7832(e)(2).

    (2) The Secretary will award five (5) additional points to 
applications submitted by Indian tribes, organizations, and 
institutions of higher education. A consortium application of eligible 
entities that meets the requirements of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 
and includes an Indian tribe, organization or institution of higher 
education shall be considered eligible to

[[Page 18234]]

receive the five (5) additional priority points.

    Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7873.

    (3) The Secretary will award a total of five (5) additional points 
to applications submitted by a consortium of eligible applicants that 
include a tribal college or university and which designate that tribal 
college or university as the fiscal agent for the application. The 
consortium application of eligible entities must meet the requirements 
of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129 of EDGAR to be considered eligible to 
receive the five priority points. These competitive preference points 
are in addition to the five competitive preference points that may be 
given under the Competitive Priority 2--Preference for Indian 
Applicants.
    For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), 
P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-
7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734. You may also 
contact ED Pubs via its Web site (http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html) 
or its E-mail address ([email protected]). If you request an 
application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as 
follows: CFDA number 84.299B.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format by contacting the Grants and Contracts Services 
Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 3317, 
Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 205-8351. 
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-888-877-8339. 
However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format 
the standard forms included in the application package.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cathie Martin, Office of Indian 
Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 
3W115, Washington, DC 20202-6335. Telephone: (202) 260-3774. Internet 
address: [email protected].
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
    To use PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 
Search, which is available free at the previous site. If you have 
questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office 
toll free at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 
512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.htm.


    Program Authority:  20 U.S.C. 7832.

    Dated: April 3, 2001.
Thomas M. Corwin,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary 
Education.
[FR Doc. 01-8558 Filed 4-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U