[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 20, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33136-33154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-15557]



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Part II





Department of Education





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Office of Vocational and Adult Education; High School Reform State 
Grants; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 
(FY) 2001; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 119 / Wednesday, June 20, 2001 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No: 84.215G]


Office of Vocational and Adult Education; High School Reform 
State Grants; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2001

    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

    The purpose of the High School Reform State Grants program is to 
provide funds to State educational agencies (SEAs) to support efforts 
to improve academic performance and provide technical skills training. 
States will in turn make competitive awards to local educational 
agencies (LEAs) on behalf of secondary schools or consortia of 
secondary schools, to support programs, activities, classes, and other 
services designed to assist secondary school students in attaining 
challenging, State-established academic and technical skill 
proficiencies. The Department of Education (the Department) fully 
expects that these funds will be used by local high schools in one of 
two ways: (1) To expand and build upon their own existing high school 
improvement strategies; or (2) to replicate other high schools' 
successful reform models, including such strategies and models that 
focus on school restructuring, curriculum and instruction redesign, and 
improving school climate. Further, the Department expects that funded 
strategies and models will build upon research-based practices proven 
effective in improving secondary school students' academic performance 
and expanding their opportunities for technical skills training.

Application, Deadline and Award Information

    Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies who make sub-grants 
to local educational agencies on behalf of secondary schools or 
secondary school consortia. State educational agencies may also apply 
in consortia with one another.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 6, 2001.
    Application Page Limits: The Secretary strongly encourages that an 
application's program narrative be limited to no more than 25 pages.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 18, 2001.
    Available Funds: $5,000,000 for the 36-month project period.


    Note: The administration is not requesting funding for this 
program in 2002.


    Estimated Average Size of Awards: The estimated amount of each 
award made under this competition is $1,000,000 for each State project.
    Estimated Number of Awards: No more than five awards will be made 
under this grant program.


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


    Project Period: 36 months.

Applicable Statute and Regulations

    (a) The Department of Education's Appropriations Act, 2001, Title 
III of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and 
Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001, as enacted by 
section 1(1) of P.L. 106-[554], the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
2001.
    (b) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations 
(EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    No other American institution has a potentially greater impact on 
the quality of life for today's young people than that of the public 
high school. Youth entering the workforce without a high school diploma 
earn up to one-third less than their peers who complete high school. 
Among those who earn a diploma, only 50 percent go on to postsecondary 
education, and half of those students drop out by the end of the second 
year. The Department, as well as other public and private agencies, 
collects data annually documenting the reduced earning potential and 
increased incidence of poverty among young people who either lack a 
high school diploma, or who possess a diploma but have not acquired the 
necessary skills to move on to postsecondary education or the 
workplace.
    Recognizing the obvious impact the high school experience can have 
on a young person, efforts at the Federal, State, and local levels have 
resulted in the implementation of a number of high school improvement 
strategies. Federally, the Department's Comprehensive School Reform 
Demonstration (CSRD) program, as well as the Office of Educational 
Research and Improvement's Model Design and Evaluation Contracts 
program, have funded the development of comprehensive school reform 
models for high schools. At the local level, magnet and charter schools 
initiatives have broken new ground in their ability to drive high 
school improvement based upon a community's as well as individual 
students' needs. These programs, as well as others, seek to ensure that 
research-based practices and methodologies proven successful at the 
high school level are widely replicated. Further, these programs 
recognize that success in the 21st century workplace will require 
advanced career and technical skills, including computer literacy.
    Several States have targeted their school improvement initiatives 
specifically toward high schools by integrating Federal CSRD 
investments with their own high school reform investments. Others have 
enhanced their high school redesign efforts with improvement strategies 
promulgated by such models as High Schools That Work. For all States, 
the last five years have seen a dramatic increase in the attention 
toward high school academic assessments and exit examinations as means 
to measure the value of a student's high school experience.
    Recognizing the emphasis at both the State and local levels on 
improving high schools, the Congress is making available five million 
dollars to States able to demonstrate their commitment to high school 
improvement by articulating specific strategies and activities proven 
effective in helping students meet rigorous academic and technical 
State standards.

Required Activities

    (a) Under this competition, each State grantee will:
    (1) Competitively award at least 90 percent of its total grant 
funds to LEAs on behalf of individual high schools or consortia; and
    (2) Use the remaining grant funds for State-level activities aimed 
at replicating successful methodologies and practices and disseminating 
the lessons of the funded projects.
    (b) Under this competition, each local sub-grantee will support 
programs, activities, classes, and other services designed to assist 
secondary school students in attaining challenging, State-established 
academic and technical skill proficiencies.
    Grants awarded shall be used to carry out the following activities:
    (1) Integration of academics with technical skills courses;
    (2) Establishment of learning and technical skills centers within 
secondary schools; and

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    (3) Programs that support and implement innovative strategies such 
as independent study, school-based enterprises, and project-based 
learning.
    The Department further requires that the minimum local award to an 
individual high school under this competition will be no less than 
$200,000, and that awards to high school consortia will be no less than 
$400,000.

Priorities

Competitive Priorities

    The Secretary may award up to 10 additional points for applications 
that effectively address the following priorities.
Competitive Priority 1  (5 points)
    Applications that identify the State's low-performing high schools, 
as defined under Title I, Part A, section 1116(c) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act or State or local definitions, and include 
strategies for disseminating and replicating successful improvement 
methodologies and practices with those schools.
Competitive Priority 2  (5 points)
    Applications that demonstrate the existing and future commitment of 
Federal, State and local level resources to fund high school 
improvement efforts.

Selection Criteria

    The Secretary uses the following selection criteria to evaluate 
applications for new grants under this competition. The Secretary 
awards a total possible score of 100 points. The maximum score an 
applicant may receive is 110 points by effectively addressing the 
selection criteria and both competitive priorities. The maximum 
possible score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses following 
the criterion.

(1) Demonstration of Reform Readiness at the State's High Schools  (40 
Points)

    (a) The proposal provides detailed evidence of specific school 
improvement strategies and existing working models that have been 
implemented at the high school level. Examples provided fully delineate 
the methodologies used and the measurements applied to determine 
effectiveness. (15 points)
    (b) The proposal clearly articulates State- and locally-driven 
strategies that have proven effective in achieving such indicators of 
high school reform as:
    (1) All students are expected to meet challenging, State-
established academic standards that work toward the goal of preparing 
them for both college and careers;
    (2) Academic standards are rigorous and are specifically tied to 
student outcomes;
    (3) Learning occurs in safe, personalized environments;
    (4) Teachers are provided with a range of professional development 
opportunities, including work-based experiences and technology 
training;
    (5) Faculty ownership and effective principal leadership are key 
components in implementing specific school improvement strategies; and
    (6) Individual teaching strategies are linked to school-wide 
improvement goals. (15 points)
    (c) The proposal describes existing high school practices and 
models that have achieved success in integrating academics with 
technical skills courses; establishing learning and technical skill 
centers within their schools; and implementing such innovative 
strategies such as independent study via internships, school-based 
enterprises, and project-based learning. (10 points)

(2) State-level Activities  (25 points)

    The proposal provides a complete description of activities 
supported by the ten percent (maximum) of grant award expenditures to 
be made at the State level. This section includes how this project will 
be coordinated with ongoing high school improvement efforts already at 
work at the State level. It includes ways in which the State will use 
this project to improve the performance of low-performing high schools, 
such as partnering a high-performing school with a low-performing 
school, web-based dissemination strategies, and other innovative 
methods. The application delineates the State's plan to produce a final 
product documenting its successful high school improvement strategies. 
Further, it includes a commitment by the State to be involved in 
national activities aimed at widely disseminating the lessons of this 
grant initiative and working with other States or districts to assist 
them with their efforts at high school reform and improvement.

(3) Management Plan/Timeline  (20 points)

    (a) The proposal includes a description of how the project will be 
managed at the State level, including the distribution of sub-grants 
(not less than 90 percent of the total grant award) and the oversight 
of sub-grant activities. The proposal describes the process to be used 
to provide sub-grants, along with the criteria to be applied. (10 
points)
    (b) The proposal includes a timeline for the project, including 
dates and responsibilities for making awards to sub-grantees, along 
with a clear description of the overall project's progression and how 
grant activities will build upon one another in complexity and scope. 
(5 points)
    (c) The proposal indicates other funding resources, including 
private sector resources as well as other Federal, State, and local 
level funds, that currently contribute to the high school improvement 
strategies identified in the proposal and that will further support 
such future efforts. At a minimum, the proposal indicates how the 
State's Federal resources are being aligned to support high school 
improvement. (5 points)

(4) Evaluation Plan  (15 points)

    The proposal describes the State's overall strategy for evaluating 
high school improvement efforts, including improving the academic 
performance of students and increasing their opportunities to receive 
technical skill training. It explains how this project will be 
evaluated, and how the results of that evaluation will fit into the 
State's overall plan for evaluating high school improvement efforts. 
Applications adequately addressing this criterion will outline the 
performance measures the State intends to use to evaluate efforts that 
either bring certain improvement strategies to scale or that replicate 
a model that has proven successful at another high school. This section 
should also commit the State to participating in a Department-sponsored 
evaluation of this grant investment. (Applicants should note the 
Performance Measures section in Appendix B of this notice.)

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.
    One of the objectives 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. Applicants proposing to perform activities 
in more than one State should immediately contact the Single Point of 
Contact for

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each of those States and follow the procedures established in each 
State under the Executive order. If you want to know the name and 
address of any State Single Point of Contact (SPOC), or you may view 
the latest SPOC list on the OMB web site at the following address: 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants.
    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 #84.215G, U.S. Department of Education, Room 7E200, 
Washington, DC 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. (Eastern time) on the date indicated in 
this notice.


    Note: 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.

Waiver of Rulemaking

    It is the Secretary's practice, in accordance with the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. section 553), to offer 
interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed rules. 
Section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) 
exempts from formal rulemaking requirements rules governing the first 
grant competition under a new or substantially revised program 
authority (20 U.S.C. section 1232(d)(1)). Funding for this new 
initiative was provided in the Department's fiscal year 2001 
appropriations act. The Secretary, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) 
of GEPA, has decided to forego public comment in order to ensure timely 
grant awards.

Instructions for Transmittal of Applications

    Applicants are required to submit one original signed application 
and three copies of the grant application. All forms and assurances 
must have ink signatures. Please mark applications as ``original'' or 
``copy.'' To aid with the review of applications, the Department 
encourages applicants to submit three additional copies of the grant 
application. The Department will not penalize applicants who do not 
provide additional copies.
    (a) If an applicant wants to apply for a grant under this process, 
the applicant must either--
    (1) Mail the original and three copies of the application on or 
before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application 
Control Center, Attention: (CFDA # 84.215G), Washington, DC 20202-4725, 
or
    (2) Hand deliver the original and three copies of the application 
by 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time) on or before the deadline date to: U.S. 
Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA 
#84.215G), 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 10 of the Application for 
Federal Education Assistance (ED 424) the CFDA number--and suffix 
letter, if any--of the process under which the application is being 
submitted.

Application Instructions and Forms

    All forms and instructions are included as Appendix D of this 
notice. Questions and answers pertaining to this program are included, 
as Appendix C, to assist potential applicants.
    To apply for an award under this program, your application must be 
organized in the following order and include the following five parts. 
The parts and additional materials are as follows:
    Part I: Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424 (Rev. 
1/12/99)) and instructions.
    Part II: Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED Form No. 
524) and instructions.
    Part III: Budget Narrative.
    Part IV: Program Narrative (see Appendix B).
    Part V: Additional Assurances and Certifications:
    a. Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B).
    b. Certification regarding Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension, and 
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED 
Form 80-0013) and instructions.
    c. Certification regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and 
Voluntary Exclusion: Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED Form 80-0014, 
9/90) and instructions.


    Note:  ED Form 80-0014 is intended for the use of grantees and 
should not be transmitted to the Department.


    d. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL, if 
applicable) and instructions.
    No grant may be awarded unless a completed application form has 
been received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Karen Stratman Clark, Office of 
Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW. (Mary E. Switzer Building, Room 5523), Washington, 
DC 20202-7241. Telephone (202) 205-3779. 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 notice in an alternative format (e.g., 
Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to 
the contact persons listed at the beginning of this paragraph. Please 
note, however, that the Department is not able to reproduce in an 
alternative format the standard forms included in the notice.

Electronic Access to This Department

    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 (APDF) on the Internet at the following site: 
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
    To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using the 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.


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    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official version 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. section 2328.

    Dated: June 14, 2001.
Jon Weintraub,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Vocational and Adult 
Education.

Estimated Burden Statement

    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 
information collection is 1830-0551. (Expiration date: 6/30/2004.) The 
time required to complete this information collection is estimated to 
average 40 hours per response, including the time to review 
instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, 
and complete and review the information collection.
    If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time 
estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this grant application, please 
write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202-4651.
    If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your 
individual submission of this grant application, write directly to: Ms. 
Karen Stratman Clark, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW (Mary E. Switzer 
Building, Room 5523), Washington, DC 20202-7242.

Appendix A--Definitions

    Independent study is self-directed learning linked to a 
student's curriculum and, if applicable, his or her area of career 
interest. It may include such activities as internships and student-
directed projects.
    Integration occurs when academic and occupational or career 
subject matter--normally offered in separate courses--are taught in 
a manner that emphasizes relationships among the disciplines. It may 
take many forms, ranging from the introduction of academics into 
traditional occupational courses to comprehensive programs that 
organize all instruction around broad career themes.
    Learning and technical skills centers are, for the purpose of 
this program, any of a variety of high school improvement models 
that may include schools-within-schools, career academies, houses, 
or before- or after-school programs that emphasize technical or 
occupational skills training, including computer literacy.
    Low-performing schools are identified by local and State 
educational agencies using the criteria in Title I, Part A, section 
1116(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Any Title I 
school that has not made continuous and sustained academic progress 
over two years is identified for improvement. For the purpose of 
this program, States and local educational agencies that have 
established criteria for identifying such schools may use their 
criteria to meet the competitive priority.
    Project-based learning occurs when learning is tied to the 
development and completion of a project that is, much like 
independent study, linked to a student's curriculum and, if 
applicable, his or her area of career interest.
    School-based enterprises are enterprises in which goods or 
services are produced by students as part of their school program. 
School-based enterprises typically involve students in the 
management of a project that may involve the sale of goods for use 
by others, and may be undertaken on or off the school site.
    Secondary school consortia are two or more schools comprising 
any span of grades beginning with the next grade following middle 
school and ending with grade 12.
    State consortia are, for the purpose of this program, two or 
more State educational agencies jointly responsible for State-level 
coordination of projects implemented within their identified local 
high schools.
    State educational agency is the officer or agency primarily 
responsible for the State supervision of public elementary and 
secondary schools.

Appendix B--Program Narrative Instructions

Instructions for Program Narrative

    The program narrative will comprise the largest portion of your 
application. This part is where you spell out the who, what, when, 
why, and how, of your proposed project.
    Although you will not have a form to fill out for your 
narrative, there is a format. This format is based on the selection 
criteria. Because your application will be reviewed and rated by a 
review panel on the basis of the selection criteria, your narrative 
should follow the order and format of the criteria.
    Before preparing your application, you should carefully read the 
legislation and EDGAR regulations governing this program, 
eligibility requirements, priorities, and the selection criteria for 
this process.
    Your program narrative should be clear, concise, and to the 
point. The program narrative should be organized in this way:
    (1) Begin the narrative with a one page abstract or summary of 
your project, including a short description of the project's 
objectives and activities. Provide a short description of the 
populations to be served in the high schools to whom you anticipate 
awarding funds.
    (2) Include a table of contents listing the parts of the 
narrative in the order of the selection criteria and the page 
numbers where the parts of the narrative are found. Be sure to 
number the pages.
    (3) Include the State educational agency's assurance to the 
Secretary (and requirement for the local educational agencies' 
assurances to the State) that the State will carry out those 
activities described in the Required Activities section of this 
notice.
    (4) Describe how the applicant meets the competitive priorities, 
if applicable.
    (5) Describe the project in detail, addressing each selection 
criterion in order. Do not simply paraphrase the criteria.
    (6) If the application is from a State consortium, attach the 
consortium's agreement delineating the activities each State intends 
to perform, signed by appropriate authorities for each State 
educational agency. The agreement must include the designation of 
one State as the lead applicant.
    (7) Applicants may include supporting documentation as 
appendices to the narrative. This material must be concise and 
pertinent to the application.
    The Secretary strongly suggests that you limit the program 
narrative to no more than 25 double-spaced, typed pages (on one side 
only). Be sure to number consecutively ALL pages in your 
application.
    You are advised that--
    (a) The Secretary considers only information contained in the 
application in ranking applications for funding consideration. 
Letters of support sent separately from the formal application 
package are not considered in the review by the technical review 
panels. (34 CFR 75.217)
    (b) The technical review panel evaluates each application solely 
on the basis of the selection criteria contained in this notice.
    (c) Letters of support included as appendices to an application, 
that are of direct relevance to or contain commitments that pertain 
to the established selection criteria, such as commitment of 
resources, will be reviewed by the panel. As noted above in 
paragraph (a), letters of support sent separately from the formal 
application package are not considered in the review by the 
technical review panel. (34 CFR 75.217)

Performance Measures

    The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) 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 GPRA is to improve public confidence by 
holding departments and agencies accountable for achieving program 
results. Under GPRA, Departments and agencies must clearly describe 
the goals and objectives of their programs, identify resources and 
actions needed to accomplish these goals and objectives, develop a 
means of measuring progress made, and regularly report on their 
achievement. One important source of program information on 
successes and lessons learned is the project evaluation conducted 
under individual grants.
    Factors that may be considered in evaluating the success of the 
program may include:
    (1) Percentage of students at participating schools who meet or 
exceed State-established academic and vocational and technical skill 
standards;

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    (2) Number of students receiving technical skills training with 
integrated academics;
    (3) Number of students participating in learning and technical 
skills centers; and
    (4) Number of students participating in independent study via 
internships, schools-based enterprises, and project-based learning.
    As specified in Selection Criterion 4, an evaluation plan must 
be included in each grant application. The application should 
describe the plan in detail, including such information as: (1) What 
types of data will be collected; (2) what instruments will be used; 
(3) when reports of results and outcomes will become available; and 
(4) how information will be used by the project to monitor progress 
and ensure accountability.

Appendix C--Questions and Answers

    Potential applicants frequently direct questions to officials of 
the Department regarding application notices and programmatic and 
administrative regulations governing various direct grant programs. 
To assist potential applicants, the Department has assembled the 
following most commonly asked questions followed by the Department's 
answers.
    Q: Can we get an extension of the deadline?
    A: No. A closing date may be changed only under extraordinary 
circumstances. Any change must be announced in the Federal Register 
and must apply to all applications. Waivers for individual 
applications cannot be granted regardless of the circumstances.
    Q: How many copies of the application should I submit and must 
they be bound?
    A: Applicants are required to submit one original and three 
copies of the grant application. To aid with the review of 
applications, the Department encourages applicants to submit three 
additional copies of the grant application. The Department will not 
penalize applicants who do not provide additional copies. Sending 
applications in notebooks, binders, folders, or other coverings is 
strongly discouraged.
    Q: We just missed the deadline for the High School Reform State 
Grants competition. May we submit under another competition?
    A: Yes, however, the likelihood of success is not good. A 
properly prepared application must meet the specifications of the 
competition to which it is submitted.
    Q: I'm not sure which competition is most appropriate for my 
project. What should I do?
    A: We are happy to discuss any such questions with you and 
provide clarification on the unique elements of the various 
competitions.
    Q: Will you help us prepare our application?
    A: We are happy to provide general program information. Clearly, 
it would not be appropriate for staff to participate in the actual 
writing of an application, but we can respond to specific questions 
about application requirements, evaluation criteria, and the 
priorities. Applicants should understand, however, that prior 
contact with the Department is not required, nor will it in any way 
influence the success of an application.
    Q: When will I find out if I'm going to be funded?
    A: You can expect to receive notification as soon as possible 
after the application closing date, depending on the number of 
applications received and the number of Department competitions with 
similar closing dates.
    Q: Once my application has been reviewed by the review panel, 
can you tell me the outcome?
    A: No. Every year we are called by a number of applicants who 
have a legitimate reason for needing to know the outcome of the 
panel review prior to official notification. Some applicants need to 
make job decisions, some need to notify a local school district, 
etc. Regardless of the reason, because final funding decisions have 
not been made at that point, we cannot share information about the 
results of panel review with anyone.
    Q: Will my application be returned if I am not funded?
    A: No. We no longer return unsuccessful applications. Thus, 
applicants should retain at least one copy of the application.
    Q: Can I obtain copies of reviewers' comments?
    A: Upon written request, reviewers' comments will be mailed to 
unsuccessful applicants.
    Q: Is travel allowed under these projects?
    A: Travel associated with carrying out the project is allowed. 
Because we may request the project director of funded projects to 
attend an annual project directors' meeting, you may also wish to 
include a trip or two to Washington, DC, in the travel budget. 
Travel to conferences is sometimes allowed when the purpose of the 
conference will be of benefit and relates to the project.
    Q: If my application receives high scores from the reviewers, 
does that mean that I will receive funding?
    A: Not necessarily. It is often the case that the number of 
applications scored highly by the reviewers exceeds the dollars 
available for funding projects under a particular competition. The 
order of selection, which is based on the scores of all the 
applications reviewed and other relevant factors, determines the 
applications that can be funded.
    Q: What happens during pre-award clarification discussions?
    A: During pre-award clarification discussions, technical and 
budget issues may be raised. These are issues that have been 
identified during the panel and staff reviews that require 
clarification. Sometimes issues are stated as ``conditions.'' These 
are issues that have been identified as so critical that the award 
cannot be made unless those conditions are met. Questions may also 
be raised about the proposed budget. Generally, these issues are 
raised because an application contains inadequate justification or 
explanation of a particular budget item, or because the budget item 
seems unimportant to the successful completion of the project. If 
you are asked to make changes that you feel could seriously affect 
the project's success, you may provide reasons for not making the 
changes or provide alternative suggestions. Similarly, if proposed 
budget reductions will, in your opinion, seriously affect the 
project activities, you may explain why and provide additional 
justification for the proposed expenses. An award cannot be made 
until all issues under discussion have been resolved.
    Q: How do I provide an assurance?
    A: Except for SF-424B, ``Assurances--Non-Construction 
Programs,'' you may provide an assurance simply by stating in 
writing that you are meeting a prescribed requirement.
    Q: Where can copies of the Federal Register, program 
regulations, and Federal statutes be obtained?
    A: Copies of these materials can usually be found at your local 
library. If not, they can be obtained from the Government Printing 
Office by writing to Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government 
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Telephone: (202) 708-8228. 
When requesting copies of regulations or statutes, it is helpful to 
use the specific name or public law, number of a statute, or part 
number of a regulation. A copy of the Code of Federal Regulations 
that contains the Education Department General Administrative 
Regulations, 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 
98, and 99, may be obtained from the Government Printing Office by 
writing to Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, 
PA 15250-7954, or by telephoning (202) 512-1800. It may also be 
obtained on the internet at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs, or 
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr.
    Federal Register notices can also be accessed on the internet 
at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.
    Q: Where in the notice does it explain how the required parts of 
the application should be ordered?
    A: The ordering for the required parts of the application is 
specified in the section of the notice entitled ``Application 
Instructions and Forms.''

Appendix D--Budget Narrative, Forms, and Instructions

Instructions for Budget Narrative

    The budget narrative should explain, justify, and, if needed, 
clarify your budget summary. For each line item (personnel, fringe 
benefits, travel, etc.) in your budget, explain why it is there and 
how you computed the costs.
    Please limit this section to no more than five pages. Be sure 
that each page of your application is numbered consecutively.

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[FR Doc. 01-15557 Filed 6-19-01; 8:45 am]
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