[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 24, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20640-20644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10049]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No: 84.349A]


Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Programs

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards and final 
procedures and requirements for a fiscal year (FY) 2001 competition for 
Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Program grants.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary invites applications for new grant awards for FY 
2001 for Early Childhood Educator Professional Development programs. 
These grants are authorized by the Department of Education 
Appropriations Act for 2001 under section 2102 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). The Secretary also announces 
final procedures and requirements to govern this competition and FY 
2001 awards of these grants.

Purpose of Program

    The purpose of Early Childhood Educator Professional Development 
Program grants is to provide replicable high-quality professional 
development programs to improve the knowledge and skills of early 
childhood educators who work in early childhood programs located in 
urban or rural high-poverty communities, and who serve primarily 
children from low-income families. These professional development 
programs must primarily provide research-based training that will 
improve early childhood pedagogy and will further children's language 
and literacy skills to prevent them from encountering reading 
difficulties when they enter school. These grants complement the 
President's early reading initiative, which will support local efforts 
to enhance the school readiness of young children, particularly those 
from low-income families, through scientifically based reading research 
that is designed to improve the verbal skills, phonological awareness, 
letter knowledge, pre-reading skills, and early language development of 
children ages three through five. The Department intends to disseminate 
information about these

[[Page 20641]]

professional development programs that prove to be effective models for 
practice to early childhood education programs.
    Applications Available: April 24, 2001.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Application: June 25, 2001.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 22, 2001.
    Estimated Available Funds: $10,000,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards (for entire project period): $600,000-
$1,400,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards (for entire project period): 
$1,000,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 10.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice. To provide applicants the capacity to effectively plan for 
and carry out the professional development and evaluation activities 
involved in these programs, the Secretary anticipates awarding the 
entire grant amount for the project at the time of the initial 
award.

    Project Period: Up to 24 months.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Research demonstrates the strong relationship between high-quality 
educational experiences for children before kindergarten and their 
later success in school. The National Research Council report, 
Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children (1998), concludes 
that the majority of reading problems faced by today's adolescents and 
adults could have been avoided or resolved in the early years of 
childhood. The Cost, Quality and Child Outcomes report (June 1999), 
partially funded by the Department, concludes that children's cognitive 
and social competence in the second grade can be predicted by the 
experiences that they had four years previously in child care, even 
after taking into account kindergarten and first grade classroom 
experiences. The report also found that children who have traditionally 
been at risk for not doing well in school are more affected by the 
quality of child care experiences than are other children.
    Research-based professional development is a critical element for 
implementing a high-quality early childhood program. The National 
Research Council (NRC) report Eager to Learn (2000) concluded that the 
professional development of teachers is related to the quality of early 
childhood education programs, and that program quality predicts 
positive learning outcomes for children. In fact, the report emphasizes 
that a responsive teacher is key to young children's success in school, 
and a substantial investment in the education and training of those who 
will work with young children is at the heart of any effort to promote 
high-quality early childhood education programs. Research shows that 
many early childhood providers have little formal education beyond high 
school and that preschool and other group care settings for young 
children (in particular, those available to families with limited 
economic resources) often provide relatively impoverished language and 
literacy environments. In addition, many early childhood educators do 
not have access to high-quality, research-based professional 
development. Accordingly, these grants will provide replicable high-
quality professional development programs for early childhood educators 
that are based upon scientifically based reading research and that the 
Department will be able to use in disseminating information to help 
fill this professional development gap.
    These Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Program 
grants will concentrate on funding projects that provide, and use 
rigorous methodologies to evaluate the effectiveness of, high-quality, 
research-based professional development opportunities. These grants 
will improve the knowledge and skills of early childhood educators who 
work in urban and rural communities with high concentrations of young 
children living in poverty, in programs such as Title I preschools and 
schoolwide programs, Head Start, Even Start Family Literacy programs, 
and publicly funded or subsidized child care.
    Eligible Applicants: One or more institutions of higher education, 
State agencies for higher education, local educational agencies, 
educational service agencies, State educational agencies, and other 
public and private agencies, organizations, and institutions such as 
child care consortiums, and Head Start programs.

    Note: NOTE: Under 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, eligible parties may 
apply as a group for a grant under this program.

    Definitions: For the purposes of this notice and grant competition, 
the Secretary considers the following terms to have the following 
meanings:
    (1) The term ``early childhood educator'' means any person who is 
involved in the education and care of children at any age from birth 
through pre-kindergarten, including volunteers as well as paid staff.
    (2) The term ``high-poverty community'' means an urban or rural 
community with a high concentration of young children living in 
poverty. The Secretary considers a community to have a high 
concentration of young children living in poverty if it is a 
municipality, or portion of a municipality, in which at least 50 
percent of children are from low-income families or a municipality that 
is one of the 10 percent of municipalities within its State having the 
greatest numbers of those children.
    (3) The term ``low-performing school'' means a school identified 
for improvement under section 1116(c) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965, as amended.
    (4) The term ``scientifically based reading research'' consistent 
with the meaning given that term in section 2252(5) of the Reading 
Excellence Act--
    (A) means the application of rigorous, systematic, and objective 
procedures to obtain valid knowledge relevant to reading development, 
reading instruction, and reading difficulties; and
    (B) shall include research that--
    (i) employs systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation 
or experiment;
    (ii) involves rigorous data analyses that are adequate to test the 
stated hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn;
    (iii) relies on measurements or observational methods that provide 
valid data across evaluators and observers and across multiple 
measurements and observations; and
    (iv) has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a 
panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective, 
and scientific review.
    Indirect Costs: For purposes of indirect costs that may be charged 
to the Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Program 
grants, the Secretary considers all funded projects to be educational 
training grants within the meaning of 34 CFR 75.562(a). Therefore, 
consistent with 34 CFR 75.562, except for costs that may be incurred by 
State agencies or agencies of local governments, such as local 
educational agencies, a recipient's indirect cost rate is limited to 
the maximum of eight percent or the amount permitted by its negotiated 
indirect cost rate agreement, whichever is less.
    Applicability of Regulations: The following provisions of the 
Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) 
contained in Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) apply to 
these Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Program grants: 
34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: It is the Secretary's practice, in 
accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act

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(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 
and competitive preference 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 Secretary, in accordance with 
section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, has decided to forego public comment with 
respect to the absolute priority and competitive preferences in this 
grant competition in order to ensure timely awards. The absolute 
priority and competitive preferences will apply only to the FY 2001 
grant competition.

Priorities

    Absolute Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary gives 
an absolute preference to any eligible applicant that meets all of the 
following criteria:
    (1) The applicant (or at least one party in a group application) 
currently is a professional development provider for early childhood 
educators;
    (2) The applicant proposes with these grant funds to provide high-
quality, research-based professional development that is for early 
childhood educators who work in early childhood programs in high-
poverty communities serving primarily children from low-income 
families, and that focuses on training to improve early childhood 
pedagogy and further children's language and literacy competencies to 
prevent them from encountering reading difficulties once they enter 
school; and
    (3) The applicant includes in its proposal specific goals, 
objectives, and indicators that measure the extent to which the program 
results in an increase in participants' knowledge and skills, the 
extent to which participants apply their increased knowledge and skills 
in early childhood learning and care environments, the extent to which 
the program results in developing children's readiness for school and 
language and literacy competencies, and the extent to which the program 
is replicable in multiple early childhood programs staffed by educators 
serving disadvantaged children.

    Note: NOTE: Following is an example of the type of performance 
goal, objective, and indicators for these grants that a high-quality 
application might include:

    Performance goal: To promote school readiness and better reading 
outcomes for young children, aged birth through pre-kindergarten, 
living in high-poverty areas through high-quality, research-based 
professional development.
    Performance Objective: To improve the knowledge and skills of early 
childhood educators working in high-poverty communities to enable them 
to further children's language and literacy competencies and readiness 
for school.
    Indicator #1: Increasing percentages of classrooms staffed by early 
childhood educators who participated in professional development made 
available through this grant will show an improvement in the literacy 
environment.
    Indicator #2: Increasing percentages of early childhood educators 
will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of effective, research-
based approaches to school readiness, language and literacy 
development, and early childhood pedagogy.
    Indicator #3: Increasing percentages of children participating in 
early childhood education programs staffed by educators who 
participated in professional development provided by this grant will 
demonstrate age-appropriate language and literacy competencies and 
readiness for school.)
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary will fund under this 
competition only applicants that meet this absolute priority.
    Competitive Preferences: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2), the Secretary 
gives three separate competitive preferences to applications as 
follows:

Competitive Preference 1--Group Applications

    Group applications that have, in addition to the professional 
development provider required in the absolute priority, one or more 
eligible applicants that operates or administers an early childhood 
program that is located in a high-poverty community and serves 
primarily children from low-income families, such as a local 
educational agency with a Title I pre-school or schoolwide program, a 
Head Start agency, a State or local agency administering programs 
funded under the Child Care and Development Fund, an entity operating 
an Even Start Family Literacy program, a State educational agency, or a 
State human services agency.
    An application that meets this first competitive preference would 
receive 10 points in the competition. These points are in addition to 
any points the applicant earns under the selection criteria and any 
other competitive preference.

Competitive Preference 2--Research-based Training in Specific Areas

    Applications that, in addition to meeting the absolute priority, 
provide comprehensive research-based training for each participating 
early childhood educator that incorporates all of the following areas:
    (a) Child, language, and literacy development and early childhood 
pedagogy;
    (b) Working with parents and families to prepare their young 
children to succeed in school;
    (c) Working with children who have limited English proficiency; and
    (d) Identifying and working with children with disabilities and 
other special needs.
    An application that meets this second competitive preference would 
receive 10 points in the competition. These points are in addition to 
any points the applicant earns under the selection criteria or any 
other competitive preference.

Competitive Preference 3--Communities with High Concentrations of 
Children with Limited English Proficiency

    Applicants that meet the absolute priority and target professional 
development services for early childhood educators who work in early 
childhood education programs that serve high-poverty communities with 
concentrations of children who have limited English proficiency.
    An application that meets this third competitive preference would 
receive 10 points in the competition. These points are in addition to 
any points the applicant earns under the selection criteria or any 
other competitive preference.
    Invitational Priorities: The Secretary is particularly interested 
in receiving applications that propose to do one or both of the 
following:

Invitational Priority 1--Strategy for Improving Low-Performing 
Schools

    Applications that target professional development services on early 
childhood educators who work in early childhood education programs with 
children who will enter low-performing schools and that describe and 
demonstrate that improved early childhood education is part of a more 
comprehensive strategy for improving those low-performing schools.

Invitational Priority 2--Training That Results in College Credit 
and/or Leads to Certification

    Applications that propose to provide early childhood professional

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development that results in college credit, or leads to a degree, 
credential, or certification in early childhood education, or both.
    An application that meets either of these invitational priorities 
receives no competitive or absolute preference over applications that 
do not meet the priority.
    Selection Criteria: The Secretary will use the following selection 
criteria in 34 CFR 75.210 to evaluate applications under this 
competition. The maximum score for all of these selection criteria is 
100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in 
parenthesis with the criterion. The criterion, and the factors within 
each criterion, are as follows:
    (a) Need for project (15 points). (1) The Secretary considers the 
need for the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers one or more of the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the proposed project will provide services 
or otherwise address the needs of students at risk of educational 
failure.
    (ii) The extent to which specific gaps or weakness 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.

    Note: Applicants may address this criterion and factor in any 
way that they choose. The Secretary believes, however, that high-
quality applications likely will include a description of the high-
poverty community to be served by the project, including relevant 
demographic and socioeconomic information.

    (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 one or more of the following factors:
    (i) The potential contribution of the proposed project to increased 
knowledge or understanding of educational problems, issues, or 
effective strategies.
    (ii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project.

    Note: Applicants may address this criterion and factor in any 
way that they choose. The Secretary believes, however, that high-
quality applications likely will propose a professional development 
program that will be large enough in scope to serve a significant 
number of early childhood educators, while being balanced with 
professional development that is of sufficient quality, intensity, 
and duration to ensure improvements in practice among educators 
receiving those services. The Secretary anticipates that high-
quality applications also likely will include specific information 
on how many early childhood educators the application proposes to 
serve, and how many early childhood programs the applicant 
anticipates will be directly enhanced by improvements in practice 
among educators receiving the professional development services.

    (c) Quality of the project design (15 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 one or more of the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the proposed activities constitute a 
coherent, sustained program of training in the field.
    (ii) The extent to which the design of the proposed project 
includes a thorough, high-quality review of the relevant literature, a 
high-quality plan for project implementation, and the use of 
appropriate methodological tools to ensure successful achievements of 
project objectives.

    Note: Applicants may address this criterion and factor in any 
way that they choose. The Secretary believes, however, that high-
quality applications likely will include information on the quality 
of the early childhood educator professional development program 
currently conducted by the institution of higher education or other 
professional development provider that is the applicant or party in 
a group application for the grant.

    (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.

    Note: Applicants may address this criterion and factor in any 
way that they choose. The Secretary believes, however, that high-
quality applications likely will include information on how the 
project will coordinate with and build on, and will not supplant or 
duplicate, other high-quality early childhood educator professional 
development activities that exist in the community.

    (d) 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 one or more of the 
following factors:
    (i) 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.
    (ii) 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.

    Note: Applicants may address this criterion and factor in any 
way that they choose. The Secretary believes, however, that high-
quality applications likely will include the results of the 
assessment that the applicant has undertaken to determine the most 
critical professional development needs of the early childhood 
educators to be served by the project and in the broader community, 
and a description of how the proposed project will address those 
needs.

    (e) Quality of project personnel (5 points). (1) The Secretary 
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed 
project.
    (2) In determining the quality of project, the Secretary considers 
the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have been 
traditionally underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, 
gender, age, or disability.
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factor:
    (i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel.
    (f) Adequacy of resources (10 points). (1) The Secretary considers 
the adequacy of resources for the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the adequacy for the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers one or more of 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 relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in 
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.

    Note: The Secretary generally considers ``partner'' in this 
context to mean parties in a group application that are not the lead 
applicant organization, and other relevant agencies, organizations, 
and institutions.

    (iii) The potential for continued support of the project after 
Federal funding ends, including, as appropriate,

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the demonstrated commitment of appropriate entities to such support.
    (g) Quality of the management plan (15 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project.
    (2) 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) The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and 
continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project.
    (iii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and principal investigator and key project personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project.
    (h) Quality of proposed evaluation (10 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 factor:
    (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project.

    Note: Applicants may address this criterion and factor in any 
way that they choose. The Secretary believes, however, that high-
quality applications likely will describe how the proposed methods 
of evaluation specifically are linked to each of the project's 
performance goals, objectives, and indicators, and will include the 
use of rigorous methodologies with assessments that are reliable and 
valid for the purposes intended.

    Paperwork Reduction Act Considerations: The procedures and 
requirements contained in this notice relate to an application package 
that the Department has developed for the Early Childhood Educator 
Professional Development Program grants. The public may obtain copies 
of this application package by calling or writing the individual 
identified below as the Department's contact, or through the 
Department's Web site at: www.ed.gov/GrantApps/#84.349A.
    As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Office of 
Management and Budget has approved the use of this application package 
under OMB control number 1810-0633, which expires July 31, 2001.
    For Applications and Further Information Contact: Doris F. Sligh, 
Compensatory Education Programs, Office of Elementary and Secondary 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202-6132. 
Telephone: (202) 260-0999, or via Internet: [email protected].
    The application package also is available on the Department's Web 
site at the address indicated above.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. 
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.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format by contacting that person. However, 
the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative format the 
standard forms included in the application package.

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 the PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 
available free at that site. If you have questions about using PDF, 
call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), 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.html

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6622 and Public Law No. 106-554.

    Dated: April 18, 2001.
Thomas M. Corwin,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary 
Education.
[FR Doc. 01-10049 Filed 4-23-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P