[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 65 (Thursday, April 4, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16096-16099]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8087]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.310A]


Parental Information and Resource Centers Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed priority, selection criteria, and 
eligibility requirements.

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SUMMARY: We propose a competitive preference priority, selection 
criteria, and eligibility requirements for grants for fiscal year (FY) 
2002 under the Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRC) 
Program. We are taking this action to implement a competition 
authorized under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. These grants 
would assist eligible parties in establishing school-based or school-
linked PIRCs.

DATES: We must receive your comments on the proposed priority, 
selection criteria, and eligibility requirements May 6, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this proposed priority to Daisy 
Greenfield, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 3E307, 
Washington, DC 20202-6410. Telephone: (202) 401-0039. FAX: (202) 205-
0303. If you prefer to send your comments through the Internet, use the 
following address: [email protected].
    If you want to comment on the information collection requirements, 
you must send your comments to the Department representative named in 
this section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daisy Greenfield, (202) 401-0039.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
    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 under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 16097]]

Invitation To Comment

    We invite you to submit comments regarding the proposed priority, 
selection criteria, and eligibility requirements. All comments 
submitted in response to this notice will be available for public 
inspection, during and after the comment period, in Room 3E307, 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 
4:00 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday of each week except 
Federal holidays.

Assistance to Individual With Disabilities in Reviewing the 
Rulemaking Record

    On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or 
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs 
assistance to review the comments. If you want to schedule an 
appointment for this type of aid, please contact the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

General

    Subpart 16 of title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (No 
Child Left Behind Act) (Pub. L. 107-110), authorizes the Secretary of 
Education (Secretary) to award grants to nonprofit organizations and to 
consortia of nonprofit organizations and local educational agencies 
(LEAs), to establish school-based and school-linked PIRCs.
    The purposes of the program are--
    (1) To assist grantees in implementing effective parental 
involvement policies, programs, and activities that will improve 
children's academic achievement;
    (2) To develop and strengthen partnerships among parents--including 
parents of children from birth through age five--teachers, principals, 
administrators, and other school personnel in meeting the educational 
needs of children;
    (3) To develop and strengthen the relationship between parents and 
their child's school;
    (4) To further the developmental progress of children assisted 
under the program;
    (5) To coordinate activities funded under this program with 
parental involvement initiatives funded under section 1118 and other 
provisions of the ESEA; and
    (6) To provide a comprehensive approach to improving student 
learning, through coordination and integration of Federal, State, and 
local services and programs.
    Services that we fund under the Parental Information and Resource 
Centers Program should use up-to-date knowledge from research and 
effective practices. The proposed project should integrate strategies, 
methods, and practices that, on the basis of strong evidence of 
effectiveness, will most likely enhance parental involvement in schools 
and improve student academic achievement.
    Centers funded under this program must be school-based or school-
linked and provide comprehensive training, information, and support to 
(1) parents of children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools; 
(2) individuals who work with the parents of children enrolled in 
elementary and secondary schools; (3) State educational agencies 
(SEAs), LEAs, schools, organizations that support family-school 
partnerships (such as parent-teacher associations and Parents as 
Teachers organizations), and other organizations that carry out parent 
education and family involvement programs; and (4) parents of children 
from birth through age five.
    Each PIRC must serve both urban and rural areas. To assist parents 
who are severely educationally or economically disadvantaged, a PIRC 
must use at least 50 percent of the each year's award to serve areas 
with high concentrations of low-income families.
    Compared to previous PIRC legislation in title IV of the Goals 
2000: Educate America Act, the No Child Left Behind Act emphasizes 
support for activities that assist parents in participating effectively 
in their children's education so that their children will meet State 
and local academic standards. For example, PIRCs must now assist 
parents in areas such as understanding State and local standards and 
measures of student and school academic achievement. They must work 
with SEAs and LEAs to determine parental needs and the best means for 
delivery of services. PIRCs may also assist parents in communicating 
better with teachers, principals, counselors, and other school 
personnel, and in becoming active participants in the development, 
implementation, and review of school-parent compacts, parental 
involvement policies, and school planning and improvement.
    PIRCs must now use at least 30 percent of their funds each year to 
establish, expand, or operate early childhood parent education 
programs, such as Parents as Teachers programs or Home Instruction for 
Preschool Youngsters programs. PIRCs must also support one or more of 
the specific activities listed in section 5564(a) of the ESEA and may 
also assist schools with activities listed in section 5564(b).
    The new PIRC provisions require the Secretary, to the extent 
practicable, to ensure that grants are distributed in all regions of 
the United States. Currently there is a parent center funded under 
title IV of Goals 2000 in each State, including the District of 
Columbia, Puerto Rico, and each of the outlying areas. The Secretary 
will continue to fund those centers for the remainder of their 
respective project periods. PIRCs in 28 States have one year left in 
their project periods and, thus, each of those will receive a 
continuation award from the FY 2002 PIRC funds under the reauthorized 
ESEA.
    PIRCs in the following States are in the last year of their project 
periods and, therefore, will not receive continuation funding: Alabama, 
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, Connecticut, Delaware, the Federated States of 
Micronesia, Guam, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, 
Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Puerto Rico, 
the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, Rhode 
Island, South Carolina, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Virginia, West 
Virginia, and Wyoming.
    To comply with Congress' intent that grants be distributed, to the 
extent practicable, to all regions of the United States, the Secretary 
proposes to give a competitive preference of 10 additional points to 
the highest-scoring applicant from each of the States in which the 
current PIRC projects are ending. This selection process would still 
permit the Department to fund applications of exceptional quality from 
any State--whether or not a PIRC in the State received a continuation 
award from FY 2002 funds--and to fund more than one PIRC in a State if 
this were warranted.
    The Secretary is also proposing specific selection criteria for the 
FY 2002 competition. The criteria are designed to help ensure that 
applicants selected for grants are those that (1) propose activities 
that best address the statutory purposes and requirements, (2) can 
effectively implement those activities, and (3) are likely to be 
successful in improving student and school academic achievement.
    Both the predecessor and current PIRC legislation require that 
grants be made to nonprofit organizations, or to consortia of nonprofit 
organizations and LEAs. The organization or consortium must be governed 
by a board of directors whose membership includes parents, or be an 
entity that represents the interests of parents. Under the Department's

[[Page 16098]]

interpretation of the predecessor legislation, the term ``nonprofit 
organization'' for purposes of the PIRC program did not include 
institutions of higher education, State educational agencies, local 
educational agencies, intermediate school districts, schools, 
government entities, or hospitals. Given the statutory language 
concerning the governance and purposes of the PIRCs, we believe that 
this is also the proper interpretation of the term ``nonprofit 
organization'' under the new PIRC legislation.
    After considering the responses to this notice and other 
information available to the Department, we will announce in a notice 
in the Federal Register the final priority, selection criteria, and 
eligibility requirements under this competition for FY 2002.

    Note: This notice does not solicit applications. A notice 
inviting applications under the competition will be published in the 
Federal Register concurrent with or following the notice of final 
priority, selection criteria, and eligibility requirements.

Priority

    We propose to give a competitive preference under the PIRC 
competition to any applicant that--
    (1) Is from one of the following States: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, 
Arkansas, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
Connecticut, Delaware, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Idaho, 
Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Mississippi, Nebraska, 
New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Puerto Rico, the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, Rhode Island, South Carolina, 
U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming; and
    (2) Is the highest-scoring applicant from its State on the basis of 
the selection criteria for the competition.
    We would award 10 points to any applicant that meets the priority. 
These points would be in addition to any points the applicant earns 
under the selection criteria.

Selection Criteria

    We propose that we use the following selection criteria to evaluate 
applications under the PIRC competition. The maximum points for each 
criterion is indicated in parentheses after the heading for that 
criterion.
    (a) Need for the project (20)
    In evaluating the need for the proposed project, we consider the 
extent to which--
    (1) The proposed project will provide services to or otherwise 
address the needs of parents who are educationally or economically 
disadvantaged;
    (2) The training, information, and support services currently 
available inadequately address the needs of the parents the proposed 
project will serve; and
    (3) The children of the parents the proposed project will serve are 
not meeting State or local academic achievement standards.
    (b) Quality of the design of the proposed PIRC (25)
    In evaluating the quality of the design of the proposed PIRC, we 
consider the extent to which--
    (1) The proposed PIRC will be a school-based or school-linked 
center of adequate size, scope, and quality to serve effectively the 
parents in the area;
    (2) The proposed PIRC is designed to work in coordination with the 
SEA and affected LEAs (i) in determining the needs of the parents who 
will be targeted for assistance; and (ii) in developing an effective 
means for providing services to those parents;
    (3) The proposed PIRC is designed to coordinate and integrate 
activities funded under this grant with parental involvement activities 
funded from other sources, particularly title I of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act, as amended, and the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act;
    (4) The proposed PIRC will support effective early childhood parent 
education programs that will enhance school readiness;
    (5) The proposed project includes multiple strategies for providing 
direct and indirect services for parents targeted for assistance; and
    (6) The proposed PIRC will implement a management plan that 
includes clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones 
for meeting the purposes of the program as defined in section 5661 of 
the legislation.
    (c) Quality of the services (20)
    In evaluating the quality of the services to be provided by the 
proposed PIRC, we consider--
    (1) The quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal 
access by, and treatment of eligible project participants who are 
members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented based 
on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability; and
    (2) The extent to which the proposed PIRC will--
    (i) Provide comprehensive training, information, and support 
services to develop and strengthen the relationship between parents and 
their child's school;
    (ii) Assist parents in understanding the student academic 
achievement standards to which their child is being held and the 
measures of student and school academic achievement;
    (iii) Assist parents in becoming involved in their child's 
education in meaningful ways that are likely to improve the child's 
academic achievement;
    (iv) Provide services that reflect up-to-date knowledge from 
research and effective practices; and
    (v) Provide to parents services that will likely improve the 
developmental progress of children, including children from birth 
through age five.
    (d) Quality of the PIRC personnel (10)
    In evaluating the quality of the personnel who will carry out the 
PIRC activities, we consider--
    (1) 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;
    (2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the PIRC director;
    (3) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key PIRC personnel; and
    (4) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of PIRC consultants or subcontractors.
    (e) Evaluation (25)
    In evaluating the quality of the evaluation the applicant proposes 
to conduct of the proposed project, we consider the extent to which the 
methods of evaluation--
    (1) Are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, 
objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project;
    (2) Produce quantitative and qualitative data; and
    (3) Will result in data on whether the policies and practices of 
the PIRC are effective in improving home-school communication, student 
academic achievement, school academic achievement, and parental 
involvement in school planning, review, and improvement.

Eligibility Requirements

    We propose that organizations seeking funding under the PIRC 
Program, either individually or in consortia with one or more LEAs, be 
required to demonstrate that they are nonprofit organizations under 
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
    We also propose, for purposes of the PIRC Program, that the term 
``nonprofit

[[Page 16099]]

organization'' not include institutions of higher education, State 
educational agencies, local educational agencies, intermediate school 
districts, schools, government entities, or hospitals.

Executive Order 12866

    This notice has been reviewed in accordance with Executive Order 
12866. Under the terms of the order, we have assessed the potential 
costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
    The potential costs associated with the notice are those resulting 
from statutory requirements and those we have determined as necessary 
for administering this program effectively and efficiently.
    In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative 
and qualitative--of this notice, we have determined that the benefits 
justify the costs.
    We have also determined that this regulatory action does not unduly 
interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the exercise of 
their governmental functions.

Summary of Potential Costs and Benefits

    It is not anticipated that the requirements proposed in this notice 
will impose any significant costs on applicants. Since these 
regulations provide a basis for the Secretary to implement a 
competitive grant program that would assist grantees to establish 
school-based or school-linked PIRCs, the regulations would not impose 
any unfunded mandates on States or LEAs. The benefits of the program 
are described in the General section under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION in 
this notice.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Secretary certifies that the requirements in this notice will 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. The small entities affected would be small nonprofit 
organizations and small LEAs. The requirements proposed in this notice 
are minimal and are necessary to ensure effective program management. 
They will not have a significant economic impact on any program 
applicants.

Federalism

    Executive Order 13132 requires us to ensure meaningful and timely 
input by State and local elected officials in the development of 
regulatory policies that have federalism implications. ``Federalism 
implications'' means substantial direct effects on the States, on the 
relationship between the National Government and the States, or on the 
distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of 
government. Although we do not believe these proposed regulations would 
have federalism implications as defined in Executive Order 13132, we 
encourage State and local elected officials to review them and to 
provide comments.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    This document contains information collection requirements. Under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507(d)), we have 
submitted a copy of this document and the information collection to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its review.
    If you want to comment on the information collection requirements, 
please send your comments to the Department representative listed under 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection of 
information in this document between 30 and 60 days after publication 
in the Federal Register. Therefore, to ensure that OMB gives your 
comments full consideration, it is important that OMB receives the 
comments within 30 days of publication. This does not affect the 
deadline for your comments to us on the proposed priority, selection 
criteria, and eligibility requirements.

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 Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this 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: Subpart 16 of title V of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act 
of 2001 (Pub. L. 107-110).

    Dated: March 29, 2002.
Susan B. Neuman,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 02-8087 Filed 4-3-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P