[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 50 (Monday, March 15, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12138-12140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-5820]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

RIN 1865-ZA00


Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools--Mentoring Programs

AGENCY: Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, Department of Education .

ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities, requirements, and selection 
criteria.

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SUMMARY: We propose priorities, requirements, and selection criteria 
under the Mentoring Programs discretionary grant competition. We may 
use these priorities, requirements, and selection criteria for 
competitions in FY 2004 and later years.

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before April 14, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about these proposed priorities, 
requirements and selection criteria to Bryan Williams, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E259, Washington, DC 
20202-6450. If you prefer to send your comments through the Internet, 
please use the following address: [email protected].
    You must include the phrase ``Mentoring Programs-Comments on FY 
2004 Proposed Priorities'' in the subject line of your electronic 
message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bryan Williams (202) 260-2391.
    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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Invitation To Comment

    We invite you to submit comments regarding these proposed 
priorities, requirements, and selection criteria. To ensure that your 
comments have maximum effect in developing the notice of final 
priorities, requirements, and selection criteria, we urge you to 
identify clearly the specific proposed priority, requirement, 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, requirements, and selection criteria. Please let us 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, requirements, and selection 
criteria in room 3E259, 400 Maryland Avenue, 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, requirements and 
selection criteria. If you want to schedule an appointment for this 
type of aid, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

Proposed Priorities, Requirements, and Selection Criteria

    We will announce the final priorities, requirements, and selection 
criteria in a notice in the Federal Register. We will determine the 
final priorities, requirements 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, requirements or selection criteria subject to 
meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.

Discussion of Proposed Priorities

    Building on the infrastructure and support available in school 
settings, including private schools, these proposed priorities focus on 
youth who are most at risk of educational failure, dropping out of 
school, or involvement in criminal or delinquent activities, or who 
lack strong positive role models. To the extent practicable, applicants 
must propose programs that follow the same students for all three years 
of the program. New participants may be selected to replace students 
who are not able to continue in the program, or for other reasons 
related to attrition.
    Proposed Priorities: We propose the following absolute and 
competitive preference priorities.
    Proposed Absolute Priority--This priority would support projects 
that address the academic and social needs of children with the 
greatest need through school-based mentoring programs and activities 
and provide these students with mentors. These programs and activities 
must serve children with the greatest need in one or more grades 4th 
through 8th living in rural areas, high-crime areas, or troubled home 
environments, or who attend schools with violence problems.
    Proposed Competitive Preference Priority--We propose a priority 
under which we will award five additional points to a consortium of 
eligible applicants that includes either: (a) At least one LEA and at 
least one CBO other than a school that provides services to youth and 
families in the community; or (b) at least one private school that 
qualifies as a nonprofit CBO and at least one other CBO other than a 
school, that provides services to youth and families in the community.
    The consortium must designate one member of the group to apply for 
the grant, unless the consortium is itself eligible as a partnership 
between a local educational agency and a nonprofit, community-based 
organization. To

[[Page 12139]]

receive this competitive preference, the applicant must clearly 
identify the agencies that comprise the consortium and must include a 
detailed plan of their working relationship and of the activities that 
each member will perform, including a project budget that reflects the 
contractual disbursements to the members of the consortium. For the 
purpose of this priority, a ``consortium'' means a group application in 
accordance with the provisions of 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129.

Proposed Eligibility Requirement for All Applicants

    The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) embodies the principles of the 
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) and its focus on 
performance and accountability. It demands achievement in return for 
investment, and requires a system of performance measures throughout 
the educational enterprise. The NCLB act and its principles of reform--
accountability, flexibility, expanded parental options and doing what 
works--are also the foundation of the Department's strategic plan. This 
plan states the measurable goals and objectives that the Department 
intends to achieve, and mandates a performance and accountability 
system for this agency as well as its grantees. Therefore, we propose 
that, to be eligible for funding, an applicant must include in its 
application an assurance that it will establish clear, measurable 
performance goals, and will collect and report to the Department data 
related to the established GPRA performance indicators for the 
Mentoring Programs grant competition. We will reject any application 
that does not contain this assurance.

Proposed Application Requirement for Community-Based Organizations

    Because the focus of this program is school-based mentoring, we 
propose that each community-based organization (CBO) that is eligible 
to apply for funding provide a letter of agreement to participate from 
an LEA or private school. The agreement (not a partnership as described 
in the competitive preference priority) must delineate the roles and 
responsibilities of each entity, and must contain the signatures of the 
authorized representative from the LEA or private school where program 
activities will primarily be located, and the authorized representative 
of the CBO that will provide program services.

Proposed Definitions

    The statute does not define the term ``school-based mentoring.'' We 
propose to define the term ``school-based mentoring'' to mean mentoring 
activities that occur primarily on school grounds, with teachers, 
counselors, or other school staff assisting in the identification and 
referral of participants.
    We propose to define the term ``core academic subjects'' to mean 
English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign 
languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and 
geography.

Proposed Performance Measures Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA)

    We propose the following key performance measures for assessing the 
effectiveness of this program: (1) The percentage of student/mentor 
matches that are sustained for a period of twelve months will increase; 
(2) The percentage of mentored students who demonstrate improvement in 
core academic subjects as measured by grade point average after 12 
months will increase; and (3) The percentage of mentored students whose 
number of unexcused absences will decrease.

Proposed Selection Criteria

    The Secretary proposes to use the following selection criteria to 
evaluate applications under this competition. The maximum score for all 
of these criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion 
is indicated in parentheses.
(1) Need for the Project. (10 points)
    In determining the need for the proposed project, the following 
factor is considered:
    (a) The magnitude and severity of problems that will be addressed 
by the project, including the number of youth to be served who: (i) are 
at risk of educational failure or dropping out of school, (ii) are 
involved in criminal, delinquent, or gang activities, or (iii) lack 
strong, positive role models. (10 points)
(2) Quality of the Project Design. (30 points)
    In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, 
the following factors are considered:
    (a) The degree to which the applicant proposes a high quality 
mentoring project that provides for, but is not limited to: (1) A low 
student-to-mentor ratio (one-to-one, where practicable), (2) frequent 
contacts between mentors and the children they mentor; and (3) 
mentoring relationships of 12 months or more duration. (10 points)
    (b) The quality of mentoring services that will be provided, 
including the quality of services designed to improve academic 
achievement in core academic subjects, strengthen school bonding 
(positive commitment and attachment to school), and promote pro-social 
norms and behaviors, and the resources, if any, the eligible entity 
will dedicate to providing children with opportunities for job training 
or postsecondary education. (10 points)
    (c) The capability of each eligible entity to effectively implement 
its mentoring program, and the degree to which parents, teachers, 
community-based organizations, and the local community have 
participated, or will participate, in the design and implementation of 
the proposed mentoring program. (10 points)
(3) Quality of the Management Plan. (35 points)
    In determining the quality of the management plan, the following 
factors are considered:
    (a) The quality of the system that will be used to manage and 
monitor mentor reference checks, including, at a minimum, child and 
domestic abuse record checks and criminal background checks. (10 
points)
    (b) The quality of the training that will be provided to mentors, 
including orientation, follow-up, and support of each match between 
mentor and child. (10 points)
    (c) The quality of the applicant's plan to recruit and retain 
mentors, including outreach, criteria for recruiting mentors, 
terminating unsuccessful matches, and replacing mentors, if necessary. 
(5 points)
    (d) The extent to which the applicant provides a comprehensive plan 
to match mentors with students, based on the needs of the children, 
including criteria for matches, and the extent to which teachers, 
counselors, and other school staff are involved. (5 points)
    (e) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates the ability to 
carefully monitor and support the mentoring matches, including 
terminating matches when necessary and reassigning students to new 
mentors, and the degree to which the mentoring program will continue to 
serve children from the 9th grade through graduation from secondary 
school, as needed. (5 points)
(4) Quality of Project Personnel. (10 points)
    In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers:

[[Page 12140]]

    (a) The qualifications and relevant training of key staff, 
including time commitments, and experience in mentoring services and 
case management. (10 points)
(5) Quality of the Project Evaluation. (15 points)
    In determining the quality of the evaluation, the following factors 
are considered:
    (a) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback to the Department, grantees, and mentors, and 
permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended 
outcomes, including the GPRA performance measures for the Mentoring 
Program grant competition. (5 points)
    (b) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data on the GPRA performance measures for the Mentoring 
Program grant competition. (10 points)

Executive Order 12866

    This notice of proposed priorities, requirements and selection 
criteria has been reviewed in accordance with Executive Order 12866. 
Under the terms of the order, we have assessed the potential costs and 
benefits of this regulatory action.
    The potential costs associated with the notice of proposed 
priorities, requirements and selection criteria are those resulting 
from statutory requirements and those we have determined as necessary 
for administering this program effectively and efficiently.
    In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative 
and qualitative--of this notice of proposed priorities, requirements 
and selection criteria, we have determined that the benefits of the 
proposed priorities, requirements and selection criteria justify the 
costs.
    Summary of potential costs and benefits: The potential cost 
associated with these proposed priorities, requirements and selection 
criteria is minimal while the benefits are significant. Grantees may 
anticipate costs related to completing the application process in terms 
of staff time, copying, and mailing or delivery. The use of E-
Application technology may significantly reduce mailing and copying 
costs.
    The primary benefit of these proposed priorities, requirements and 
selection criteria is that grantees can support school-based mentoring 
programs that address the academic and social needs of at-risk youth.

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 an 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.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7140.

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/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF, you must have the 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 (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/index.html.


(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.184B Office of 
Safe and Drug-Free Schools--Mentoring Programs)

    Dated: March 9, 2004.
Deborah A. Price,
Deputy Under Secretary for Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. 04-5820 Filed 3-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P