[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 16 (Friday, January 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3517-3520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-1791]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Tech-Prep Demonstration Program

AGENCY: Office of Vocational and Adult Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed requirements, proposed priorities and 
proposed selection criteria for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 and subsequent 
years.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult 
Education proposes requirements, priorities and selection criteria 
under the Tech-Prep Demonstration Program (TPDP). The Assistant 
Secretary will use these requirements, priorities and selection 
criteria for a competition in fiscal year (FY) 2003 and may use them in 
later years. We intend these requirements, priorities and selection 
criteria to support the four basic education reform principles 
underlying the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB): Stronger 
accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, 
expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that 
have been proven to work. We take this action to clarify the 
Department's expectations regarding this program, so that TPDP-funded 
projects will help students, schools and teachers in their efforts to 
improve student achievement, meet high standards for high school 
graduation, and increase transition and persistence rates in 
postsecondary education.

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before February 24, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about these proposed priorities to 
Karen Stratman Clark, U.S. Department of Education, OVAE, MES Room 
5223, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Washington DC 20202-7100. If you prefer 
to send your comments through the Internet, use the following address: 
[email protected]. You must include the term ``TPDP Proposed 
Requirements'' in the subject line of your electronic message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Clark. Telephone: (202) 205-
3779. or via Internet: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. 
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

Invitation to Comment

    We invite you to submit comments regarding these proposed 
requirements, priorities and selection criteria. To ensure that your 
comments have maximum effect in developing the notice of final 
priorities, we urge you to identify clearly the specific proposed 
requirement, priority or selection criterion that each comment 
addresses.
    We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific 
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of 
reducing regulatory burden that might result from these proposed 
priorities. Please let me know of any further opportunities we should 
take to reduce potential costs or increase potential benefits while 
preserving the effective and efficient administration of the program.
    During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public 
comments about these proposed priorities in Room 4328, 330 C Street, 
SW., Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern 
time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal holidays.

Assistance to Individuals 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 or other documents in the public 
rulemaking record for these proposed priorities. If you want to 
schedule an appointment for this type of aid, please contact the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We propose to establish program 
requirements, priorities, selection criteria and a project period for 
the TPDP, which is authorized by section 207 of the Carl D. Perkins 
Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 (Perkins III). TPDP 
provides grants to consortia to carry out tech-prep education projects 
that involve the location of a secondary school on the site of a 
community college, a business as a member of the consortium, and the 
voluntary participation of secondary school students. We proposed to 
fund projects that, following an initial recruitment period, would 
enroll a new student cohort in each year of the project, in addition to 
continuing support for each previous TPDP student cohort.

Eligibility

    To be eligible for funding under the TPDP, a consortium must 
include at least one member in each of the following three categories:
    (1) A local educational agency, an intermediate educational agency, 
an area vocational and technical education school serving secondary 
school students, or a secondary school funded by the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs;
    (2)(a) A nonprofit institution of higher education that offers a 2-
year associate degree, 2-year certificate, or 2-year postsecondary 
apprenticeship program, or (b) a proprietary institution of higher 
education that offers a 2-year associate degree program; and
    (3) A business.
    Under the provisions of section 204(a)(1) of Perkins III, to be 
eligible for consortium membership both nonprofit and proprietary 
institutions of higher education must be qualified as institutions of 
higher education pursuant to section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (HEA), including institutions receiving assistance under the 
Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978 (25 
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and tribally controlled postsecondary vocational 
and technical institutions.
    In addition, nonprofit institutions of higher education are 
eligible only if they are not prohibited from receiving assistance 
under HEA, title IV, part B (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.), pursuant to the 
provisions of HEA section 435(a)(3) (20 U.S.C. 1083(a)). Proprietary 
institutions of higher education are eligible only if they are not 
subject to a default management plan required by the Secretary.
    Under the provisions of section 204(a)(2), consortia also may 
include one or more: (1) Institutions of higher education that award 
baccalaureate degrees; (2) employer organizations; or (3) labor 
organizations.

Requirements

    To achieve the purposes of section 207 of Perkins III, we propose 
to establish the following requirements. These requirements would apply 
to all applicants seeking funding under this competition.
    (1) Each applicant must submit a signed Consortium Agreement 
(Agreement), providing evidence that each of the categories of 
membership required under Section 207 has been satisfied, and that each 
of the required members is eligible for membership

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under the provisions of Perkins III. The Agreement must contain a 
signature of commitment from any participating secondary school, 
community college, and business member, affirming that those entities 
have formed a consortium to develop, implement and sustain a TPDP 
project as described under Section 207 of Perkins III. The Agreement 
Also must describe the roles and responsibilities of each consortium 
member within the proposed project. The format for the Agreement will 
be included in the Notice Inviting Applications.
    (2) Each applicant must submit enrollment goals for the number of 
students in each student cohort to be enrolled in each year of the TPDP 
project.
    (3) Each applicant must provide an assurance that it will enroll 
its first student cohort and begin classes no later than September of 
the calendar year after the year in which the grant award is made, and 
enroll its second, third, and fourth student cohorts by September of 
each subsequent year of the proposed project.
    (4) Each applicant must submit a complete Proposed Project Course 
Sequence Plan (``the Plan'') to demonstrate how the proposed 
instructional program represents a sequential, four-year program of 
study that meets the specific criteria set forth in sections 202(a)(3) 
and 204(c) of Perkins III. The Plan must list the course sequences for 
each program of study within the proposed TPDP project, describing the 
specific academic and technical coursework required for all four years 
of the program. The Plan also must summarize program entrance 
requirements and specify the associate degree or postsecondary 
certificate to be earned upon completion of the program. The format for 
the Plan will be included in the Notice Inviting Applications.
    (5) Each TPDP-funded project must involve a secondary school 
physically located on the site of a community college and provide a 
complete program of academic and technical coursework at the community 
college that, at a minimum, meets State requirements for high school 
graduation. Students must be enrolled full-time in the high school on 
the community college campus. However, enrolled students may 
participate in extra curricular activities at their original high 
school. Proposed projects that involve only the ``virtual'' location of 
a secondary school on the site of a community college, and projects 
that involve only satellite community college sites located on the 
premises of secondary schools, are not eligible for support under this 
competition.
    (6) Each TPDP-funded project must carry out an evaluation to 
determine the impact of the project on a comprehensive set of student 
outcomes, including: Academic and technical skills achievement; high 
school graduation; enrollment and completion of postsecondary 
education; postsecondary remedial coursework; and labor market entry. 
In conducting this evaluation, each TPDP project must use either an 
experimental design, in which students are randomly assigned to the 
demonstration program or another program, or a quasi-experimental 
design, in which each program participant is matched with a non-
participant possessing similar pre-program characteristics, such as 
test scores on State academic assessments, grade point average, class 
rank, technical coursework or course of study, and Socioeconomic 
status.
    (7) Each TPDP project must submit annual reports of anticipated 
enrollment. The reports of anticipated enrollment must include the 
number of students in each cohort enrolled for the coming year and, if 
that differs from the enrollment goals stated in the approved 
application, the reasons. The reports of anticipated enrollment will be 
due at the end of April of each project year.
    (8) Each TPDP project must submit annual project performance 
reports and a final project performance report.
    Both the annual and final performance reports must summarize the 
TPDP project's progress and significant accomplishments, both with 
respect to the process of implementation and the outcomes of student 
participation; provide data regarding enrollment, persistence, and 
program completion for each student cohort; identify barriers to 
continued progress and outline solutions; include a progress report on 
and an analysis of the findings of the project evaluation; and review 
prospects for sustained operations after the cessation of Federal 
support. The annual and final performance reports will be due within 90 
days of the end of each project year or of the end of the project.
    Funded projects would be required to comply with all requirements 
adopted in the Notice of final requirements, priorities, and selection 
criteria to be published in the Federal Register. Failure to comply 
with any applicable program requirement may subject a grantee to 
special conditions, withholding, or termination.

Selection Criteria

    We propose to use the following selection criteria to evaluate 
applications for new grants under this competition. The maximum score 
for all of the following criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for 
each criterion and sub-criterion is indicated in parentheses.
    (a) Quality of the project design. (40 points)
    In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, 
we consider the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates its readiness to 
implement a complete, career-oriented, 4-year program of study, as 
evidenced by a formal articulation agreement concerning the structure, 
content and sequence of all academic and technical courses to be 
offered in the proposed tech prep program and, if applicable, the 
conditions under which dual credit will be awarded. (8 points)
    (2) The extent to which the proposed instructional program will 
meet high academic standards that equal or exceed those established by 
the State. (4 points)
    (3) The extent to which the applicant has aligned its secondary 
academic and technical course offerings and requirements for program 
completion with the entrance requirements for the corresponding 
postsecondary degree or certificate program. (4 points)
    (4) The extent to which the applicant presents a detailed student 
recruitment plan that is likely to be effective in fulfilling the 
project's enrollment goals for each year of the project. (8 points)
    (5) The extent to which the proposed project will provide 
comprehensive academic and career counseling and other support services 
to participating students at both the secondary and postsecondary 
levels, to ensure their persistence in the program and attainment of a 
postsecondary degree or certificate. (8 points)
    (6) The extent to which the proposed project will provide high 
quality, sustained, and intensive professional development for 
instructors, counselors and administrators involved in the program. (8 
points)
    (b) Quality of the management plan. (15 points)
    In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed 
project, we consider the following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the management plan outlines specific, 
measurable goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the 
proposed project. (5 points)
    (2) The extent to which the management plan assigns responsibility

[[Page 3519]]

for the accomplishment of project tasks to specific project personnel, 
and provides timelines for the accomplishment of project tasks. (5 
points)
    (3) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and other key personnel are appropriate and adequate to 
achieve the objectives of the proposed project. (5 points)
    (c) Quality of project personnel. (15 points)
    In determining the quality of project personnel, we consider the 
following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from members of groups that have traditionally been 
underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or 
disability. (5 points)
    (2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director. (5 points)
    (3) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of key project personnel, including teachers, counselors, 
administrators, and project consultants. (5 points)
    (d) Adequacy of resources. (10 points)
    In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, 
we consider the following factors:
    (1) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources, from the participating institutions. (5 
points)
    (2) The extent to which the budget is adequate and costs are 
reasonable in relation to the objectives and design of the proposed 
project. (5 points)
    (e) Quality of the project evaluation. (20 points)
    In determining the quality of the evaluation, we consider the 
following factors:
    (1) The extent to which the application presents a feasible, 
credible plan for project evaluation and includes: the type of design 
to be used; outcomes to be examined; and how participants will be 
assigned to the program or matched for comparison to non-program 
participants (10 points)
    (2) The extent to which the evaluation will provide reports or 
other documents at appropriate intervals to be used for continuous 
program improvement. (4 points)
    (3) The extent to which the proposed evaluation will be conducted 
by an independent evaluator with the necessary background and technical 
expertise to carry out the evaluation. (6 points)

Discussion of Priorities

    Following the comment period, we will announce the final 
requirements, priorities, and selection criteria in a notice in the 
Federal Register. We will determine the final requirements, priorities 
and selection criteria after considering responses to this notice and 
other information available to the Department. This notice does not 
preclude us from proposing or funding additional priorities, subject to 
meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.

    Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in 
which we choose to use one or more of these proposed priorities, we 
invite applications through a notice in the Federal Register. When 
inviting applications we designate each priority as absolute, 
competitive preference, or invitational. The effect of each type of 
priority follows:

    Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority we consider only 
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
    Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference 
priority we give competitive preference to an application by either (1) 
awarding additional points, depending on how well or the extent to 
which the application meets the competitive preference priority (34 CFR 
75.105(c)(2)(i); or (2) selecting an application that meets the 
competitive priority over an application of comparable merit that does 
not meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
    Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority we are 
particularly interested in applications that meet the invitational 
priority. However, we do not give an application that meets the 
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other 
applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).

Priorities

Proposed Priority 1

    Under this proposed priority, we would give competitive preference 
by awarding up to 5 additional points to applications that require all 
teachers teaching core academic subjects to be highly qualified, as 
such term is defined by section 9101 (23) of the ESEA, as amended by 
NCLB. NOTE: ESEA defines core academic subjects as English, reading or 
language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and 
government, economics, arts, history and geography.

Proposed Priority 2

    Under this proposed priority, we would give competitive preference 
by awarding up to 5 additional points to applications that require each 
participating student, as a condition of high school graduation, to 
pass at least one high school level test (either a comprehensive test 
covering a variety of courses in a subject area or a high school end-
of-course test) in English language arts, mathematics, and science. To 
receive any points under this priority, applicants must describe their 
specific high school graduation requirements.

Proposed Priority 3

    Under this proposed priority, we would give competitive preference 
by awarding up to 5 additional points to applications that offer the 
proposed TPDP project as an alternative for students attending 
secondary schools that have been identified for school improvement 
under section 1116(b)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; or 
include the proposed TPDP project in a corrective action or 
restructuring plan to improve student academic achievement at secondary 
schools identified for school improvement under section 116 of the 
ESEA. To receive any points under this priority, applicants must 
provide evidence of a school's designation under section 1116 of the 
ESEA.

Project Period

    We have concluded that funding multi-year projects for a project 
period of five years entirely from the Fiscal Year 2002 appropriation 
will be necessary for TPDP grantees to fully meet the statutory 
purposes of Section 207 and the requirements of this notice. Such a 
funding arrangement will enable projects to engage in an adequate 
recruitment effort to meet their enrollment goals, and implement both 
the full, two-year secondary component and the full, two-year 
postsecondary component of the TPDP project for the first student 
cohort during the grant award period.

Intergovernmental Review

    This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the 
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive 
order is to foster intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened 
federalism. The Executive order relies on processes developed by State 
and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal 
financial assistance.
    This document provides early notification of our specific plans and 
actions for this program.
    Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR parts 74-79.

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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: 
http://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. Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance Number: 84.353.


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 2328.


    Dated: January 22, 2003.
Carol D'Amico,
Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 03-1791 Filed 1-23-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M