[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 102 (Tuesday, May 28, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36859-36862]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-13369]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Parental Information and Resource Centers Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

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

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SUMMARY: We announce a competitive preference, 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 will assist eligible parties in 
establishing school-based or school-linked PIRCs.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 27, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daisy Greenfield, Office of Elementary 
and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., Room 3E307, FOB-6, Washington, DC 20202-6400. Telephone: 
(202) 401-0039 or via Internet: [email protected].
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-888-877-
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 person listed above. Please note, 
however, that the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative 
format the standard forms included in the notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 4, 2002, we published in the 
Federal Register (67 FR 16096-16099) a notice of proposed priority, 
selection criteria, and eligibility requirements. In that notice, we 
announced our intent to give a competitive preference of 10 additional 
points to the highest-scoring

[[Page 36860]]

applicant from each of the States in which the current PIRC project is 
ending. We also proposed selection criteria for the FY 2002 PIRC 
competition and interpreted the term ``non-profit organization'' for 
purposes of eligibility under the competition. The present notice 
announces the final competitive preference, selection criteria, and 
eligibility requirements for the FY 2002 PIRC competition.

    Note: This notice does not solicit applications. A notice 
inviting applications for the FY 2002 PIRC competition is published 
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

Analysis of Comments and Changes

    Five parties submitted comments in response to the notice of 
proposed priority, selection criteria, and eligibility requirements. 
Most of these comments were unrelated to the issues on which we 
solicited comments in that notice. The following is a summary of the 
comments that were submitted and our responses to those comments. We 
did not make any changes to the competitive preference, selection 
criteria, or eligibility requirements as a result of the comments.
    Comment: One commenter requested that we eliminate the requirement 
that each PIRC must serve both urban and rural areas.
    Discussion: We had not requested comments on this particular 
requirement. However, the legislation expressly requires each PIRC to 
serve both urban and rural areas. The intent of this provision is to 
help ensure that centers serve a broad region of their respective 
States.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: One commenter sought clarification on whether a national 
nonprofit organization is eligible for funding.
    Response: The intent of the legislation is that each PIRC address 
the needs of parents in individual States. A national nonprofit 
organization may submit a State-specific application to provide 
services within a given State. The organization may not, however, 
submit a single application to address the needs of multiple States. 
This position is consistent with the legislation, and we do not believe 
that rulemaking on this issue is necessary.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: One commenter suggested that we (1) add language to other 
provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended, 
(ESEA) to ensure that those programs collaborate and coordinate with 
the PIRCs; (2) identify how an applicant may demonstrate that its 
programs would be school-based or school-linked; (3) require applicants 
to identify how they are working with local educational agencies (LEAs) 
and the State educational agency (SEA); (4) indicate which types of 
early childhood, parent education programs may be supported by the 
PIRCs; (5) indicate whether we will award the 10-point competitive 
preference in PIRC competitions in future years; and (6) specify more 
directly that the non-profit organizations and consortia must be 
parent-focused.
    Response: These comments do not address the particular matters on 
which comments were sought in the notice of proposed priority, 
selection criteria, and eligibility requirements, and we do not believe 
that rulemaking on these issues is necessary. However, we are 
responding as follows to the comments:
    First, in implementing Federal programs, we are already working to 
ensure that activities supported under different programs are 
coordinated as appropriate.
    The new PIRC legislation and application package for the FY 2002 
PIRCs competition emphasize that the centers must be school-based or 
school-linked. Each applicant must devise specific strategies to meet 
this requirement. In doing so, applicants should consider the specific 
types of services identified in section 5564 of the ESEA and examine 
carefully the selection criteria for the competition, particularly the 
criteria concerning the quality of the design of the proposed PIRC and 
the quality of the services. A high-quality application would describe, 
among other things, how the PIRC would specifically work with schools, 
LEAs, and the SEA.
    The PIRC program statute requires that at least 30 percent of a 
grantee's PIRC funds be used to establish, expand, or operate Parents 
as Teachers programs, Home Instruction for Preschool Youngsters 
programs, or other early childhood parent education programs. In 
deciding which early childhood parent education programs to support, 
PIRCs should consider factors such as whether a program (a) is 
research-based; (b) is comprehensive; (c) is of sufficient duration and 
intensity to ensure the likelihood of positive outcomes for parents and 
children; and (d) focuses on building the capacity of parents to 
support their children's learning and development over time.
    The Department has made no decisions regarding what priorities, if 
any, might apply to any future PIRC competitions.
    Finally, we believe that the materials in the application package, 
including the selection criteria for the program as published in this 
notice, will adequately ensure that all funded PIRCS will be parent-
focused, with the ultimate aim of improving student academic 
achievement.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: One commenter supported our interpretation of the term 
``non-profit organization,'' which excludes institutions of higher 
education, SEAs, LEAs, intermediate school districts, schools, 
government entities, or hospitals. This commenter, however, questioned 
the appropriateness of the competitive preference, particularly with 
respect to large States. The commenter indicated that the preference 
makes it very difficult for a second or third proposal from the same 
State to receive funding. This commenter also suggested that we award 
more points under the need criterion and that the need relate to a 
specific geographic area.
    Response: The competitive preference priority will permit us to 
comply with the Congressional mandate that grant funds be distributed, 
to the extent practicable, to all regions of the United States. The 
priority will increase the likelihood of establishing at least one PIRC 
in every State, while allowing nonprofit organizations from any State 
to compete for a PIRC grant. Regarding the suggestion concerning 
assigning the need criterion additional points, we note that the need 
criterion is currently worth one-fifth of the total points under the 
selection criterion. Furthermore, the factors that we will consider 
under this criterion are directly related to the authorizing 
legislation and will therefore help ensure that applicants have 
described needs that are consistent with the intended purpose of the 
legislation.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: One commenter suggested that we give a 10-point 
competitive preference to each currently funded one-year PIRC grantee.
    Response: We do not believe that giving a 10-point competitive 
preference to each currently funded one-year PIRC grantee is 
appropriate. Rather, we believe that the competitive preference that we 
proposed will help ensure that PIRC funds are distributed, to the 
extent practicable, to all regions of the country and that the highest 
quality applicants from each State will be funded.
    Changes: None.
    Competitive Preference: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2), we give a 
competitive preference in the FY 2002 PIRC competition. To receive this 
preference, an applicant must--

[[Page 36861]]

    (1) Be located and operate a PIRC in 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) Be the highest-scoring applicant from its State on the basis of 
the selection criteria for the competition.
    We will award 10 points to any applicant that meets the priority. 
These points will be in addition to any points the applicant earns 
under the selection criteria.
    Selection Criteria: We will 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 points)
    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 project. (25 points)
    In evaluating the quality of the design of the proposed project, we 
consider the extent to which--
    (1) The proposed project 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 project 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 project is designed to coordinate and integrate 
activities funded under this grant with parental involvement activities 
funded from other sources, particularly Title I of the ESEA and the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;
    (4) The proposed project 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 project will implement a management plan that 
includes clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones 
for achieving the objectives of the project.
    (c) Quality of the services. (20 points)
    In evaluating the quality of the services to be provided by the 
proposed project, 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 project 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 points)
    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 points)
    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: Organizations seeking funding under the 
PIRC Program, either individually or in consortia with one or more 
LEAs, must demonstrate that they are nonprofit organizations under 
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. For purposes of the 
PIRC Program, the term ``nonprofit organization'' does not include 
institutions of higher education, SEAs, LEAs, intermediate school 
districts, schools, government entities, or hospitals.
    Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to the 
requirements of Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of 
Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Intergovernmental review instructions are contained in the application 
package.

Electronic Access to This Document

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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 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.

    CFDA No.: 84.310A.

    Program Authority: Subpart 16 of title V of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education

[[Page 36862]]

Act, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Pub. L. 
107-110), 20 U.S.C. 7273 et seq.

    Dated: May 23, 2002.
Susan B. Neuman,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 02-13369 Filed 5-24-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P