[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 36 (Tuesday, February 24, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8392-8395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-3989]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information; 
Partnerships in Character Education; Notice Inviting Applications for 
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215V--
State Educational Agencies; 84.215S--Local Educational Agencies


DATES: Applications Available: February 24, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 9, 2004.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 8, 2004.
    Eligible Applicants: An eligible applicant under the 84.215V 
competition is:
    (a) A State educational agency (SEA) in partnership with one or 
more local educational agencies (LEAs); or
    (b) An SEA in partnership with one or more LEAs and nonprofit 
organizations or entities, including an institution of higher education 
(IHE).
    An eligible applicant under the 84.215S competition is:
    (a) An LEA or consortium of LEAs; or
    (b) An LEA in partnership with one or more nonprofit organizations 
or entities, including an IHE.
    Estimated Available Funds: $2,496,331. Contingent upon the 
availability of funds, we may make additional awards in FY 2005 from 
the rank-ordered list of nonfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: For CFDA 84.215V--State educational 
agencies--$350,000 to $750,000 for each 12-month budget period. For 
CFDA 84.215S--Local educational agencies--$100,000 to $500,000 for each 
12-month budget period.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: For CFDA 84.215V--State 
educational agencies--$550,000 for each 12-month budget period. For 
CFDA 84.215S--Local educational agencies--$300,000 for each 12 month 
budget period.
    Minimum Award: Pursuant to Section 5431(a)(4) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 7247), we 
will reject any request from an SEA that proposes a total budget for 
the entire project period that is less than $500,000. This restriction 
does not apply to applications from LEAs.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 6-9.

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

    Project Period: Up to 48 months, of which no more than 12 months 
may be used for planning and program design.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: Under this program we provide Federal financial 
assistance to eligible entities to assist them in designing and 
implementing character education programs that take into consideration 
the view of parents, students, students with disabilities (including 
those with mental or physical disabilities) and other members of the 
community, including members of private and nonprofit organizations.
    Priorities: This competition includes one absolute priority and one 
invitational priority that are explained in the following paragraphs. 
To be considered for funding, each applicant must address the absolute 
priority. These priorities are as follows.
    In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from 
Title V, Part D, Subpart 3, Section 5431 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7247).
    Absolute Priority: For this competition, this priority is an 
absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only 
applications that meet this priority.
    This priority is: the design and implementation of character 
education programs that:
    (A) Are able to be integrated into classroom instruction and to be 
consistent with State academic content standards; and
    (B) Are able to be carried out in conjunction with other 
educational reform efforts.
    Within this absolute priority, we are particularly interested in 
applications that address the following invitational priority.
    Invitational Priority:
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) we do not give an application that meets 
this invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over 
other applications.
    This priority is:

Invitational Priority--Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Evaluation 
Designs

    The Secretary is particularly interested in receiving applications 
that propose evaluation plans that are based on rigorous scientifically 
based research methods to assess the effectiveness of a particular 
intervention. The Secretary intends that this priority will allow 
program participants and the Department to determine whether the 
project produces meaningful effects on student achievement or teacher 
performance.
    Evaluation methods using an experimental design are best for 
determining project effectiveness. Thus, we encourage projects to use 
an experimental design under which participants--e.g., students, 
teachers, classrooms, or schools--are randomly assigned to participate 
in the project activities being evaluated or to a control group that 
does not participate in the project activities being evaluated.
    If random assignment is not feasible, the project might use a 
quasi-experimental design with carefully matched comparison conditions. 
This alternative design attempts to approximate a randomly assigned 
control group by matching participants--e.g., students, teachers, 
classrooms, or schools--with non-participants having similar pre-
program characteristics.
    In cases where random assignment is not possible and an extended 
series of observations of the outcome of interest precedes and follows 
the introduction of a new program or practice, regression discontinuity 
designs might be employed.
    For projects that are focused on special populations in which 
sufficient numbers of participants are not available to support random 
assignment or matched comparison group designs, single-subject designs 
such as multiple baseline or treatment reversal or interrupted time 
series that are capable of demonstrating causal relationships could be 
employed.

[[Page 8393]]

    When sufficient numbers of participants are available to support 
evaluation strategies that use experimental designs with random 
assignment or quasi-experimental designs using a match comparison group 
or regression continuity designs, applicants are encouraged to use one 
of these designs. Evaluation strategies that involve sufficient numbers 
of participants to support group designs should be capable of 
demonstrating the causal effects of an intervention or program on those 
participants. The proposed evaluation plan should describe how the 
project evaluator will collect--before the project intervention 
commences and after it ends--valid and reliable data that measure the 
impact of participation in the program or in the comparison group.
    A quality evaluation method should consider the following:
    (1) The type of design to be used (that is, random assignment or 
matched comparison). If it will be matched comparison, the applicant 
should include in the plan a discussion of why random assignment is not 
feasible.
    (2) The outcomes to be measured.
    (3) A discussion of how the applicant plans to assign students, 
teachers, classrooms, or schools to the project and control group or 
match them for comparison with other students, teachers, classrooms, or 
schools.
    (4) A proposed evaluator, preferably independent, with the 
necessary background and technical expertise to carry out the proposed 
evaluation. (An independent evaluator does not have any authority over 
the project and is not involved in its implementation.)
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7247.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, 99, and 299.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $2,496,331. Contingent upon the 
availability of funds, we may make additional awards in FY 2005 from 
the rank-ordered list of nonfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: For CFDA 84.215V--State educational 
agencies--$350,000 to $750,000 for each 12-month budget period. For 
CFDA 84.215S--Local educational agencies--$100,000 to $500,000 for each 
12-month budget period.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: For CFDA 84.215V--State 
educational agencies--$550,000 for each 12-month budget period. For 
CFDA 84.215S--Local educational agencies--$300,000 for each 12-month 
budget period.
    Minimum Award: Pursuant to Section 5431(a)(4) of the ESEA, we will 
reject any application from an SEA that proposes a total budget for the 
entire project period that is less than $500,000. There is no such 
restriction on applications from LEAs.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 6-9.

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

    Project Period: Up to 48 months, of which no more than 12 months 
may be used for planning and program design.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: An eligible applicant under the 84.215V 
competition is:
    (a) An SEA in partnership with one or more LEAs; or
    (b) An SEA in partnership with one or more LEAs and nonprofit 
organizations or entities, including an IHE.
    An eligible applicant under the 84.215S competition is:
    (a) An LEA or consortium of LEAs; or
    (b) An LEA in partnership with one or more nonprofit organizations 
or entities, including an IHE.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: Each eligible entity receiving a grant must provide, to 
the extent feasible and appropriate, for the participation of students 
and teachers in private elementary and secondary schools in the funded 
programs and activities.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Sharon J. Burton, U.S. 
Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 203, 
Washington, DC 20208-5570. Telephone: (202) 219-2044, Fax: (202) 208-
1190 or by e-mail: [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 a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact 
person listed in this section.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition. Page 
Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where 
you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use 
to evaluate your application. It is strongly suggested that you limit 
Part III to the equivalent of no more than 25 pages, using the 
following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, 
with 1[sec] margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per 
vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, 
headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as 
all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or 
no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the 
resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, we 
request that you include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: February 24, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 9, 2004.

    Note: We are requiring that applications for grants under this 
program be submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant 
Application System (e-Application) available through the 
Department's e-GRANTS system. For information about how to access 
the e-GRANTS system or to request a waiver of the electronic 
submission requirement, please refer to Section IV, Other Submission 
Requirements, in this notice.

    The application package for this program specifies the hours of 
operation of the e-Application Web site. If you are requesting a waiver 
of the electronic submission requirement, the dates and times for the 
transmittal of applications by mail or by hand (including a courier 
service or commercial carrier) are also in the application package.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 8, 2004.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR 79. Information 
about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Competitions under Executive 
Order 12372 is in the application package for this competition.

[[Page 8394]]

    5. Funding Restrictions: The regulations on determining allowable 
costs are in 34 CFR 80. We reference regulations outlining additional 
funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this 
notice.
    An SEA receiving a grant may use no more than 3 percent of the 
grant funds, each year, for administrative purposes. The remainder of 
these funds may be used for (1) collaborative initiatives with and 
between LEAs and schools; (2) the preparation or purchase of materials, 
and teacher training; (3) providing assistance to LEAs, schools, or 
IHEs; and (4) technical assistance and evaluation.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Instructions and requirements for 
the transmittal of applications by mail or by hand (including a courier 
service or commercial carrier) are in the application package for this 
competition.
    Application Procedures: The Government Paperwork Elimination Act 
(GPEA) of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-277) and the Federal Financial Assistance 
Management Improvement Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-107) encourage us to 
undertake initiatives to improve our grant processes. Enhancing the 
ability of individuals and entities to conduct business with us 
electronically is a major part of our response to these Acts. 
Therefore, we are taking steps to adopt the Internet as our chief means 
of conducting transactions in order to improve services to our 
customers and to simplify and expedite our business processes.
    Some of the procedures in these instructions for transmitting 
applications differ from those in the Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.102). Under the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally 
offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed 
regulations. However, these amendments make procedural changes only and 
do not establish new substantive policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 
553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined that proposed rulemaking is not 
required.
    We are requiring that applications for grants under Partnerships in 
Character Education--CFDA Number 84.215V--State educational agencies 
and CFDA Number 84.215S--Local education agencies be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) available through the Department's e-GRANTS system. The e-
GRANTS system is accessible through its portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    If you are unable to submit an application through the e-GRANTS 
system, you may submit a written request for a waiver of the electronic 
submission requirement. In your request, you should explain the reason 
or reasons that prevent you from using the Internet to submit your 
application. Address your request to: Sharon J. Burton, U.S. Department 
of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 203, Washington, DC 
20208-5570. Please submit your request no later than two weeks before 
the application deadline date.
    If, within two weeks of the application deadline date, you are 
unable to submit an application electronically, you must submit a paper 
application by the application deadline date in accordance with the 
transmittal instructions in the application package. The paper 
application must include a written request for a waiver documenting the 
reasons that prevented you from using the Internet to submit your 
application.
    Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications: We are 
continuing to expand our pilot project for electronic submission of 
applications to include additional formula grant programs and 
additional discretionary grant competitions. Partnerships in Character 
Education--CFDA Number 84.215V--State educational agencies and CFDA 
Number 84.215S--Local educational agencies are two of the competitions 
included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under 
Partnerships in Character Education you must submit your application to 
us in electronic format or receive a waiver.
    The pilot project involves the use of e-Application. If you use e-
Application, you will be entering data online while completing your 
application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant 
application to us. The data you enter online will be saved into a 
database. We shall continue to evaluate the success of e-Application 
and solicit suggestions for its improvement.
    If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
     When you enter the e-Application system, you 
will find information about its hours of operation. We strongly 
recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to 
initiate an e-Application package.
     You will not receive additional point value 
because you submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will 
we penalize you if you submit an application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, 
including the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), 
Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all 
necessary assurances and certifications.
     Your e-Application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your 
application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will 
include a PR/Award number (an identifying number unique to your 
application).
     Within three working days after submitting your 
electronic application, fax a signed copy of the Application for 
Federal Education Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center 
after following these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 from e-Application.
    2. The institution's Authorizing Representative must sign this 
form.
    3. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard copy signature page of the ED 424.
    4. Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 
260-1349.
     We may request that you give us original 
signatures on other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from submitting your application 
on the application deadline date because the e-Application system is 
unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day in 
order to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by hand 
delivery. We will grant this extension if--
    1. You are a registered user of e-Application, and you have 
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
    2. (a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or 
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date; or
    (b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time 
during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time 
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the 
application deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
GRANTS help desk at 1-888-336-8930.

[[Page 8395]]

    You may access the electronic grant application for Partnerships in 
Character Education at: http://e-grants.ed.gov

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are in the application package.
    2. Review and Selection Process: Additional factors we consider in 
selecting an application for an award are in 20 U.S.C. 7247. In making 
selections for funding, we will ensure, to the extent practicable, that 
the projects are equitably distributed among the geographic regions of 
the United States, and among urban, suburban, and rural areas.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118. Additional reporting requirements are set out in Section 
5431(h) of the ESEA.
    4. Performance Measure: We have established one performance 
indicator for the Partnerships in Character Education Program. The 
indicator is: Partnerships in Character Education Program grantees will 
demonstrate predicted student effects through valid, rigorous 
evaluations. Consequently, applicants for a grant under this program 
are advised to give careful consideration to this measure in 
conceptualizing the design, implementation, and evaluation of their 
proposed project. If funded, applicants will be asked to collect and 
report data in their annual performance reports on evaluation outcomes. 
We will track this indicator through the use of one measure.
    Measure: The proportion of projects funded under this competition 
demonstrating predicted student effects through valid, rigorous 
evaluations will increase.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharon J. Burton, U.S. Department of 
Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 203, Washington, DC 20208-
5570. Telephone: (202) 219-2044, FAX: (202) 208-1190 or by e-mail: 
[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 program contact person listed in this 
section.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: February 19, 2004.
Deborah A. Price,
Deputy Under Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. 04-3989 Filed 2-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P