[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 100 (Thursday, May 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36162-36165]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13023]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.330C]


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education--Advanced Placement 
Incentive (API) Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards 
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2002 for the API Program

    Purpose of Program: The API program, funded under section 1705 of 
Title I, Part G of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (ESEA), awards 
competitive grants designed to increase the successful participation of 
low-income students in pre-advanced placement and advanced placement 
courses and tests. Through increased access to and participation in 
pre-advanced placement and advanced placement courses and tests, the 
program provides greater opportunities for low-income students to 
achieve to high standards in English, mathematics, science, and other 
core subjects. Additional long-term goals of the program are to 
demonstrate that larger and more diverse groups of students can 
participate and succeed in advanced placement programs and to increase 
the numbers of low-income and other disadvantaged students who receive 
baccalaureate and advanced degrees.
    Eligible Applicants: (a) State educational agencies (SEAs); (b) 
local educational agencies (LEAs); or (c) national nonprofit 
educational entities with expertise in advanced placement services. In 
the case of an eligible entity that is an SEA, the SEA may use API 
grant funds to award subgrants to LEAs to enable those LEAs to carry 
out activities authorized under this program.

    Note: The Bureau of Indian Affairs is considered an SEA for 
purposes of this program.

    Applications Available: May 23, 2002.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 8, 2002.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 5, 2002.
    Estimated Available Funds: Approximately $2,000,000.

    Note: In accordance with statutory requirements, this amount is 
based on the amount of funds the Secretary estimates will be 
available after the Department has awarded grants under the Advanced 
Placement Test Fee program competition, which is being announced 
separately under CFDA No. 84.330B.

    Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000 to $600,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $350,000 per year.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 5-15.

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

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.
    E-Mail Notification of Intent to Apply for Funding: The Department 
will be able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant 
applications if it has a better understanding of the number of entities 
that intend to apply for funding under this competition. Therefore, the 
Secretary strongly encourages each potential applicant for the API 
program to notify the Department by e-mail that it intends to submit an 
application for funding. The Secretary requests that this

[[Page 36163]]

e-mail notification be sent no later than June 24, 2002. The e-mail 
notification should be sent to Ms. Madeline Baggett at 
[email protected]. Applicants that do not provide this e-mail 
notification may still apply for funding.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The API program promotes greater access to, 
and participation in, advanced placement courses and tests for low-
income and other disadvantaged students. The API program is an 
important component of the Department's commitment to ensuring that 
``no child is left behind.'' In order to improve academic achievement 
for all students, the expectations for low-income children must be 
raised. Therefore, in addition to improving reading and mathematics 
achievement for all children in the early grades, the Secretary 
supports more rigorous middle and high school curricula in English, 
mathematics, science, and other core subjects. The development, 
enhancement, and expansion of advanced placement courses in all core 
subjects are key strategies for enabling low-income students to achieve 
to high academic standards.
    Since the original authorization of the Advanced Placement program 
in 1998, funding for the program has increased from $3 million to the 
current appropriation of $22 million. In May 2001, low-income students 
took 114,112 advanced placement tests administered by the College 
Board, an 11 percent increase compared to 2000. Nevertheless, there is 
still a significant gap between the level of participation of low-
income students in advanced placement courses and tests and the level 
of participation of students from more affluent backgrounds. Further, 
recent data released by the College Board indicate a continued under-
representation of minority students taking advanced placement exams 
generally, and of female students taking calculus and physics advanced 
placement exams.
    The API program supports activities that enable greater numbers of 
low-income and other disadvantaged students to benefit from advanced 
placement courses and exams (ultimately increasing the likelihood that 
these students will receive college degrees) through increased access 
to, and participation in, pre-advanced placement and advanced placement 
courses. These courses will be developed, enhanced, and expanded in 
high-poverty schools, which are least likely to offer advanced 
placement courses. In addition, pre-advanced placement and advanced 
placement teachers in the schools served will participate in sustained, 
high-quality professional development activities designed to: (1) 
Improve teacher content area knowledge; (2) increase utilization of 
research-based classroom practices that foster student achievement for 
low-income students; and (3) strengthen the alignment of pre-advanced 
placement and advanced placement curricula through vertical team 
training and other strategies. Applicants approved for funding under 
this program will be required to submit disaggregated data (by race, 
ethnicity, sex, English proficiency status, and socio-economic status) 
on individuals taking advanced placement courses and tests.
    Allowable Activities: Under the API program, eligible entities 
implement programs designed to expand access for low-income individuals 
to advanced placement incentive programs through:
    (1) Teacher training; (2) pre-advanced placement course 
development; (3) coordination and articulation between grade levels to 
prepare students for academic achievement in advanced placement 
courses; (4) providing books and supplies; (5) activities to increase 
the availability of, and participation in, on-line advanced placement 
courses; and (6) any other activity directly related to expanding 
access to and participation in advanced placement programs, 
particularly for low-income individuals.

    Note: Applicants approved for funding under this competition are 
required to attend a two-day Project Directors' meeting in 
Washington, D.C. during the first year of the grant. The cost of 
attending this meeting may be paid from API program grant funds or 
State or local resources.

    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: In accordance with the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), it is the practice of the 
Secretary to offer interested parties the opportunity to comment on 
proposed rules. Ordinarily, this practice might have applied to one or 
more of the priorities in this notice. Section 437(d)(1) of the General 
Education Administrative Provisions Act (GEPA), however, exempts rules 
that apply to the first competition under a new or substantially 
revised program from this requirement. As this competition is the first 
API program competition under the newly reauthorized ESEA, it qualifies 
as a new competitive grants program and is exempt from notice and 
comment rulemaking. The Secretary, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) 
of GEPA, to ensure timely awards, has decided to forgo public comment. 
These rules will apply to the FY 2002 competition only.
    Absolute Priorities: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary is 
establishing three separate absolute priorities as described below. We 
have chosen these priorities from the authorized activities and 
priorities specified in the authorizing statute for this program (see 
sections 1705(c) and (d) of Title 1, Part G of the ESEA). To implement 
the priorities, the Secretary will fund under this competition only 
applications that meet all three absolute priorities, except that 
priority (b) below applies only to eligible applicants that are LEAs.
    (a) The Secretary gives an absolute priority to applications that 
demonstrate an intent to carry out activities that target schools, or 
LEAs serving schools, with a high concentration of low-income students. 
For a definition of high concentration of low-income students, see the 
Definitions section of this notice.
    (b) For eligible applicants that are LEAs, the Secretary gives an 
absolute priority to applications that assure that the LEA serves 
schools with a high concentration of low-income students. For a 
definition of high concentration of low-income students, see the 
Definitions section of this notice.
    (c) The Secretary gives an absolute priority to applications that 
propose to develop, enhance, or expand pre-advanced placement courses 
in English, mathematics, science, and other core academic areas at the 
middle or high school level. Proposals may include activities designed 
to develop, enhance, or expand advanced placement courses in 
conjunction with pre-advanced placement courses. Effective projects 
must be designed to enable low-income students to enroll and succeed in 
advanced placement courses and taking tests in core academic areas, and 
must include activities for coordination of curriculum design and 
development between middle and high school teachers as well as teacher 
training activities necessary for effective implementation of such 
programs.
    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 the selection criteria is 100 
points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in 
parenthesis with the criterion. The criteria are as follows:
    (a) Significance (20 points). The Secretary considers the 
significance of the proposed project. In determining the significance 
of the proposed project, the Secretary considers one or more of the 
following factors:

[[Page 36164]]

    (1) The potential contribution of the proposed project to increased 
knowledge or understanding of educational problems, issues, or 
effective strategies.
    (2) The extent to which the proposed project involves the 
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, 
or are alternatives to, existing strategies.
    (3) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in 
teaching and student achievement.
    (b) Quality of the Project Design (20 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the project design of the proposed project. In 
determining the quality of the project design, the Secretary considers 
the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the proposed project represents an 
exceptional approach for meeting the priority or priorities established 
for the competition.
    (2) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (3) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs.
    (c) Quality of Project Services (20 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of project services to be provided by the 
proposed project. 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. In addition, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective 
practices.
    (2) 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.
    (d) Quality of Project Personnel (10 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been under represented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (1) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director;
    (2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel.
    (3) The qualification, including relevant training and experience, 
of project consultants or subcontractors.
    (e) Adequacy of Resources (10 points). The Secretary considers the 
adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the 
adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers 
the following factors:
    (1) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the 
lead applicant organization.
    (2) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and 
benefits.
    (3) The potential for incorporation of project purposes, activities 
or benefits into the ongoing program of the agency or organization at 
the end of Federal funding.
    (f) Quality of the Management Plan (10 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. 
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (1) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives 
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, time lines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks.
    (2) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project.
    (g) Quality of the Project Evaluation (10 points). The Secretary 
considers the quality of the project evaluation. In determining the 
quality of the project evaluation, the Secretary considers the 
following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include objective 
performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes 
of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data to 
the extent possible.
    (2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will performance 
feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving 
intended outcomes.
    Priority Points: In accordance with statutory and regulatory 
requirements, the Secretary will award a total of twenty (20) 
additional priority points for applications based on the following 
criteria: (a) Pervasive need for access to API programs, including a 
focus on serving or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged 
individuals--two (2) points;
    (b) involvement of business and community organizations in the 
activities assisted--two (2) points; (c) availability of matching funds 
from State, local, or other sources to pay for the cost of activities 
to be assisted--two (2) points; (d) focus on developing or expanding 
advanced placement programs in the core academic areas of English, 
mathematics, or science--two (2) points; (e) intent to carry out 
activities to increase the availability of, and participation in, on-
line advanced placement courses--two (2); and (f) serve schools where 
75 percent or more of the students enrolled are from low-income 
families--ten (10) points.
    These priorities are specified in the authorizing statute for the 
API Program. The priority points are in addition to any points the 
applicant earns under the selection criteria listed below. The 
Secretary may select an application that meets a priority over an 
application of comparable merit that does not meet the priority.
    Applicable Regulations and Statute: The Education Department 
General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 
79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, and 99. Title I, Part G of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind 
Act of 2001, Pub. L. 107-110.
    General Requirements: The following requirements must be met for 
any application submitted under this program: (a) The program narrative 
is limited to no more than 50 pages; (b) each ``page'' is 8.5# x 11# 
(on one side only) with one inch margins (top, bottom, and sides); and 
(c) all text in the application narrative is double-spaced (no more 
than three lines per vertical inch), including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, 
figures, and graphs. The page limit applies to the narrative section 
only. However, all of the application narrative must be included in the 
narrative section. If the narrative section of an application

[[Page 36165]]

exceeds the page limit, the application will not be reviewed.

Definitions

    The following definitions and other provisions are taken from the 
API program authorizing statute, in Title I, Part G of the ESEA. They 
are repeated in this application notice for the convenience of the 
applicant.
    As used in this section:
    (a) The term advanced placement test means an advanced placement 
test administered by the College Board or approved by the Secretary.

    Note:
    In addition to advanced placement tests administered by the 
College Board, the Department has approved advanced placement tests 
administered by the International Baccalaureate Organization. As 
part of the grant application process, applicants may request 
approval of tests from other educational entities that provide 
comparable programs of rigorous academic courses and testing through 
which students may earn college credit.

    (b) The term high concentration of low-income students, used with 
respect to a school, means a school that serves a student population at 
least 40 percent or more of whom are low-income individuals.
    (c) The term low-income individual means an individual who is 
determined by a State educational agency or local educational agency to 
be a child, ages 5 through 17, from a low-income family, on the basis 
of data used by the Secretary to determine allocations under section 
1124 of the ESEA, data on children eligible for free or reduced lunches 
under the National School Lunch Act, data on children in families 
receiving assistance under part A of title IV of the Social Security 
Act, or data on children eligible to receive medical assistance under 
the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act, or 
through an alternate method that combines or extrapolates from those 
data.

Supplement, Not Supplant Rule

    Funds provided under this program must be used to supplement and 
not supplant other non-Federal funds that are available to assist low-
income individuals in paying advanced placement test fees.
    For Applications or Information Contact: Madeline E. Baggett, U.S. 
Department of Education, School Improvement Programs, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., Room 3C153, Washington, DC 20202-6140. Telephone (202) 
260-2669. Internet address: [email protected].
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
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) upon 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, also, 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: 
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    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. 
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    Note:
    The official version of a document is the document published in 
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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: Pub. L. 107-110.

    Dated: May 20, 2002.
Susan B. Neuman,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 02-13023 Filed 5-22-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P