[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 50 (Monday, March 15, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12261-12264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-5818]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Vocational and Adult Education; Overview Information; 
Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) Program; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215L.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: March 15, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 29, 2004.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 28, 2004.
    Eligible Applicants: Local educational agencies (LEAs), including 
schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA schools), applying 
on behalf of large public high schools are eligible. For purposes of 
this program, a large high school is defined as a school that includes 
grades 11 and 12 and has an enrollment of 1,000 or more students in 
grades 9 and above. Additional information regarding applicant 
eligibility requirements is provided elsewhere in this notice in 
Section III. Eligibility Information, 1. Eligible Applicants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $160,947,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: See chart under Section II. Award 
Information.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 90 Planning Grants and 120 
Implementation Grants.

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

    Project Period: Up to 12 months for Planning Grants and up to 36 
months for Implementation Grants.

Full Text of Announcement

Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Smaller Learning Communities 
Program is to promote academic achievement through the planning, 
implementation or expansion of small, safe, and successful learning 
environments in large public high schools to help ensure that all 
students graduate with the knowledge and skills necessary to make 
successful transitions to college and careers.
    Priorities: These priorities are from the notice of final 
requirements, priorities and selection criteria for this program, 
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2003 these priorities are absolute 
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications 
that meet these priorities.
    These priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1: Helping All Students To Succeed in Rigorous 
Academic Courses (Planning Grants)

    This priority will support projects that will develop a plan to 
create or expand a smaller learning community program that will 
implement a coherent set of strategies and interventions that are 
designed to ensure that all students who enter high school with 
reading/language arts and mathematics skills that are significantly 
below grade level ``catch up'' quickly so that, by no later than the 
end of the 10th grade, they acquire the reading/language arts and 
mathematics skills they need to participate successfully in rigorous 
academic courses that will equip them with the knowledge and skills 
necessary to transition successfully to postsecondary education, an 
apprenticeship, or advanced training.
    These accelerated learning strategies and interventions must:
    (1) Be grounded in the findings of scientifically based and other 
rigorous research;
    (2) Include the use of age-appropriate instructional materials and 
teaching and learning strategies;
    (3) Provide additional instruction and academic support during the 
regular school day, which may be supplemented by instruction that is 
provided before or after school, on weekends, and at other times when 
school is not in session; and
    (4) Provide sustained professional development and ongoing support 
for teachers and other personnel who are responsible for delivering 
instruction.

Absolute Priority 2: Helping All Students to Succeed in Rigorous 
Academic Courses (Implementation Grants)

    This priority will support projects that will implement a coherent 
set of strategies and interventions that are designed to ensure that 
all students who enter high school with reading/language arts or 
mathematics skills that are significantly below grade level ``catch 
up'' quickly so that, by no later than the end of the 10th grade, they 
acquire the reading/language arts and mathematics skills they need to 
participate successfully in rigorous academic courses that will equip 
them with the knowledge and skills necessary to transition successfully 
to postsecondary education, an apprenticeship, or advanced training.
    These accelerated learning strategies and interventions must:
    (1) Be grounded in the findings of scientifically based and other 
rigorous research;
    (2) Include the use of age-appropriate instructional materials and 
teaching and learning strategies;
    (3) Provide additional instruction and academic support during the 
regular school day, which may be supplemented by instruction that is 
provided before or after school, on weekends, and at other times when 
school is not in session; and

[[Page 12262]]

    (4) Provide sustained professional development and ongoing support 
for teachers and other personnel who are responsible for delivering 
instruction.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7249.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) the requirements, priorities 
and selection criteria contained in the notice of final requirements, 
priorities, and selection criteria as published elsewhere in this issue 
of the Federal Register.

    Note: The regulations in part 79 apply to all applicants except 
federally recognized Indian tribes.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary Planning Grants and Implementation 
Grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $160,947,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: The Secretary will award both planning 
and implementation grants under this competition.
    A. Planning Grants. The amount of an award for a planning grant is 
based on the number of schools the applicant proposes to serve. For a 
one-year planning grant, LEAs may receive, on behalf of a single 
school, $25,000 to $50,000 per project. LEAs applying on behalf of a 
group of eligible schools may receive up to $250,000 per planning grant 
depending on the number of schools included in the application. LEAs 
must stay within the maximum school allocations when determining their 
group award request. Therefore, in order to ensure sufficient planning 
funds at the local level, LEAs may not request funds for more than 10 
schools under a single application.
    The chart below provides the ranges of awards for planning grants:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Number of schools                      Award ranges
------------------------------------------------------------------------
One School........................................       $25,000-$50,000
Two Schools.......................................      $50,000-$100,000
Three Schools.....................................      $75,000-$150,000
Four Schools......................................     $100,000-$200,000
Five Schools......................................     $125,000-$250,000
Six Schools.......................................     $150,000-$250,000
Seven Schools.....................................     $175,000-$250,000
Eight Schools.....................................     $200,000-$250,000
Nine Schools......................................     $225,000-$250,000
Ten Schools.......................................              $250,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    B. Implementation Grants. The amount of an award for an 
implementation grant is based on the enrollment of the schools the 
applicant is proposing to serve. For a three-year implementation grant, 
LEAs may receive, on behalf of a single school, $250,000 to $550,000, 
depending upon the size of the school. LEAs applying on behalf of a 
group of eligible schools may request up to $5,500,000 per 
implementation grant. As with planning grants, LEAs must stay within 
the maximum school allocations when determining their group award 
request, or they will be declared ineligible and their applications 
will not be read. In order to ensure sufficient funds are available to 
support implementation activities, LEAs may not request funds for more 
than 10 schools under a single application for an implementation grant.
    The chart below provides the ranges of awards for implementation 
grants:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Award ranges per
                Student enrollment                         school
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1,000-1,500 Students..............................     $250,000-$300,000
1,501-2,000 Students..............................     $250,000-$400,000
2,001-2,500 Students..............................     $250,000-$450,000
2,501-3,000 Students..............................     $250,000-$500,000
More than 3,000 Students..........................     $250,000-$550,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Understanding the unique complexities of implementing a program that 
affects a school's organization, physical design, curriculum, 
instruction, and preparation of teachers, the Secretary anticipates 
awarding the entire amount for an implementation grant at the time of 
the initial award.

    Note: The Department will fund only those applications that 
correctly request funds within the maximum award ranges specified in 
this notice for both planning and implementation grants. Applicants 
requesting funding in amounts higher than the award ranges dictated 
by the number of schools or the enrollment of the schools to be 
served will be declared ineligible and their applications will not 
be read. However, an applicant may request an amount lower than the 
suggested minimum for an individual school or for the overall grant 
based on the pertinent number of schools.

    Estimated Number of Awards: 90 Planning Grants and 120 
Implementation Grants.

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

    Project Period: Up to 12 months for Planning Grants and up to 36 
months for Implementation Grants.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: LEAs, including BIA schools, applying on 
behalf of large public high schools are eligible. For purposes of this 
program, a large high school is defined as a school that includes 
grades 11 and 12 and has an enrollment of 1,000 or more students in 
grades 9 and above.
    We do not permit an LEA to apply on behalf of a high school for 
which it does not have governing authority, such as a high school in a 
neighboring school district. An LEA, however, may form a consortium 
with another LEA and submit a joint application for funds. They must 
follow the procedures for group applications described in 34 CFR 
75.127-75.129 in EDGAR.
    An LEA may submit only one planning grant application and one 
implementation grant application and must specify in each application 
the high schools it intends to serve. An LEA may apply for only one 
planning grant and one implementation grant whether the LEA applies 
independently or as part of a consortium application. Additionally, an 
LEA may not apply for both a planning and implementation grant on 
behalf of the same high school. A single high school may only be 
included in either the LEA's planning grant application or its 
implementation grant application, but not both.
    Applicants pursuing planning grant funds must not yet have 
developed a viable plan for creating smaller learning communities in 
the school(s) that will be served by the grant. To apply for 
implementation grant funds, applicants must be prepared to implement a 
new smaller learning communities program within each targeted high 
school, or to expand an existing smaller learning communities program. 
The first year of implementation grant funds is not to be used for 
planning purposes.
    Schools that received funding through planning grants in previous 
competitions are not eligible to receive support through additional 
planning grants under this competition or future competitions. Schools 
that received funding through implementation awards in previous 
competitions are not eligible to receive additional support under this 
competition or future competitions.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Deborah Williams, U.S. 
Department of Education, OVAE, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., MES room 5518, 
Washington, DC 20202-7120. Telephone: (202) 205-0242. FAX: (202) 401-
4079.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    You may also obtain an application package via Internet from the 
following

[[Page 12263]]

address: http://www.ed.gov/programs/slcp/applicant.html.
    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: To be considered for 
funding, LEAs must identify in their applications the name(s) of the 
eligible school(s) and the number of students enrolled in each school. 
Enrollment figures must be based upon data from the current school year 
or data from the most recently completed school year. We will not 
accept applications from LEAs applying on behalf of schools that are 
being constructed and do not have an active student enrollment at the 
time of application. Applicants must clearly identify the proposed 
grant-funded smaller learning communities in their application. 
Additional requirements concerning the content of an application are in 
the notice of final requirements, priorities and selection criteria for 
this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register. These requirements, together with the forms you must submit, 
also are in the application package for this competition.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: March 15, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 29, 2004.
    The dates and times 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.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 28, 2004.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this 
competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    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.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
in the notice of final requirements, priorities, and selection criteria 
for Fiscal Year 2003 and subsequent years' funds and in the application 
package.

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.

    Note: The requirements listed in this notice are material 
requirements. A failure to comply with any applicable program 
requirement (for example, failure to show improvement on the 
required performance indicators by the end of the first year of 
implementation) may subject a grantee to administrative action, 
including but not limited to designation as a ``high-risk'' grantee, 
the imposition of special conditions or termination of 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.
    4. Performance Measures: The Secretary requires applicants for 
implementation grants to identify in their application specific 
performance indicators and annual performance objectives for each of 
these indicators. Specifically, applicants are required to use the 
following performance indicators to measure the progress of each 
school:
    1. The percentage of students who scored at the proficient and 
advanced levels on the reading/language arts and mathematics 
assessments used by the State to measure adequate yearly progress under 
Part A of Title I of ESEA, disaggregated by subject matter and the 
following subgroups:
    a. All students;
    b. Major racial and ethnic groups;
    c. Students with disabilities;
    d. Students with limited English proficiency; and
    e. Economically disadvantaged students.
    2. The school's graduation rate, as defined in the State's approved 
accountability plan for Part A of Title I of ESEA;
    3. The percentage of graduates who enroll in postsecondary 
education, apprenticeships, or advanced training for the semester 
following graduation; and
    4. The percentage of graduates who are employed by the end of the 
first quarter after they graduate (e.g., for students who graduate in 
May or June, this would be September 30).
    In addition to the four required indicators listed above, 
applicants may choose to set performance levels for other appropriate 
indicators; such as:
    1. Rates of average daily attendance and year-to-year retention;
    2. Achievement and gains in English proficiency of limited English 
proficient students;
    3. The incidence of school violence, drug and alcohol use, and 
disciplinary actions;
    4. The percentage of students completing advanced placement 
courses, and the rate of passing advanced placement tests (such as 
Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and courses for 
college credit); and
    5. The level of teacher, student, and parent satisfaction with the 
Smaller Learning Communities structures and strategies being 
implemented.
    Applicants for implementation grants are required to include in 
their applications their most recent School Report Card. Upon being 
awarded, recipients of implementation grants will be required to 
provide baseline data responding to each of these indicators for the 
three years preceding the baseline year. Specific instructions will be 
sent from us to grant recipients. Recipients of implementation grants 
will be required to report annually on the extent to which each school 
achieved its performance objectives for each indicator during the 
preceding school year. Additionally, implementation grantees will have 
to submit a final Annual Performance Report at the end of the fourth 
year of implementation. We require grantees to include in these reports 
comparable data, if available, for the preceding three

[[Page 12264]]

school years so that trends in performance will be more apparent.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Deborah Williams, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room MES5518, Washington, DC 
20202-7120. Telephone: (202) 205-0242 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: March 9, 2004.
Susan Sclafani,
Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 04-5818 Filed 3-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P