[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 230 (Wednesday, December 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69898-69900]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-3404]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Comprehensive School Reform Quality Initiatives Program

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education 
proposes priorities for the competitions under the Comprehensive School 
Reform (CSR) Quality Initiatives program to reflect the importance of 
all children meeting challenging State academic content and State 
academic achievement standards. The Assistant Secretary may use these 
proposed priorities for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2005 and in 
later years.

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before January 3, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about these proposed priorities to 
Margaret McNeely, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, 
SW., Room 3W103, Washington, DC 20202-6200, Fax (202) 260-8969. If you 
prefer to send your comments through the Internet, use the following 
address: [email protected].
    You must include the term COMMENTS in the subject line of your 
electronic message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margaret McNeely. Telephone: (202) 
260-1335 or via the Internet at [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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Invitation To Comment

    We invite you to submit written comments regarding these proposed 
priorities. To ensure that your comments have maximum effect in 
developing the notice of final priorities, we urge you to identify 
clearly the specific proposed priority 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 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 public comment period, you may inspect all 
public comments about these proposed priorities in Room 3W103, 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, 20202 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.

General

    The purpose of the CSR Quality Initiatives program, authorized 
under section 1608 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965, as amended (ESEA), is to provide discretionary grants to support 
activities that will enhance the State-administered CSR program and to 
enable schools that have been identified for improvement, corrective 
action, or restructuring under Title I of the ESEA to meet their 
State's definition of adequate yearly progress (AYP). Under this 
program, the Secretary awards funds to support two specific categories 
of activities: Category 1--technical assistance to States, school 
districts and schools in making informed decisions regarding approving 
or selecting providers of comprehensive school reform, and Category 2--
capacity building for comprehensive school reform providers to expand 
their work in more schools, assure quality and promote financial 
stability.

Background of Proposed Priorities

    Grantees under Category 1 assist States, local educational agencies 
(LEAs), and schools in making informed decisions regarding approving or 
selecting providers of comprehensive school reform, consistent with the 
requirements of section 1606(a) of the ESEA, as amended. Research and 
evaluation studies of comprehensive school reform implementation 
indicate that schools in need of improvement face a myriad of 
challenges in meeting AYP. One of these challenges is to expand the 
knowledge of district and school personnel regarding school reform 
strategies and methods so that they can effectively assist in 
identifying clearly the teaching and learning needs of the school and 
can identify the service provider that can best meet those needs. With 
more quality information about the problem areas and scientifically-
based solutions, schools will be in a stronger position to implement 
school reforms effectively. In addition to the need for schools and 
districts to become better consumers of school reform data and 
research, school- and district-based reformers need to have a better 
understanding of the timeline for implementing the necessary changes in 
teaching and learning and how to track student achievement gains 
throughout the process. Accordingly, we are proposing a priority for 
Category 1 projects that will provide States, districts and schools 
with high-quality information tools and other forms of technical 
assistance to identify the instructional needs of students and to 
select a reform approach and provider to meet those needs effectively 
so that all students are able to meet challenging State academic 
content and student achievement standards and so that schools are able 
to make AYP.
    To implement the matching requirements of the ESEA, we are also 
proposing a priority for Category 1 projects that propose to match 
Federal funds received under this competition with funds from one or 
more private organizations.

[[Page 69899]]

    Category 2 projects foster the development of comprehensive school 
reform models and provide effective capacity building for comprehensive 
school reform providers to expand their work in more schools and ensure 
quality. Meeting the needs of all students within CSR schools, 
including traditionally underserved students such as students with 
disabilities, limited English proficient students and students in rural 
areas, requires additional development efforts on the part of CSR 
service providers. Although some service providers recommend one or 
more strategies for including these underserved students, there is 
still a need to provide schools with better information, guidance and 
professional development on how to serve these students specifically. 
Thus, for Category 2 projects, we are proposing a priority for projects 
that will focus activities on developing and testing strategies to meet 
the needs of these groups of students.
    We are also proposing a priority that would apply to both Category 
1 and Category 2 projects. Both the technical assistance and capacity 
building projects are national in scope thus impacting more than one 
school, district or State. The strategies and approaches developed by 
the Category 1 projects will be used across the country and across 
site-specific conditions. Therefore, the most effective technical 
assistance effort will take place in varied sites. For the Category 2 
projects, the focus is on improving services to students and should be 
developed and tested across multiple locations and conditions. Thus, 
for both Category 1 and Category 2 projects, we are proposing a 
priority that would provide assistance to LEAs in more than one State.

Discussion of Priorities

    We will announce the final priorities in a notice in the Federal 
Register. We will determine the final priorities after considering 
written 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 these proposed priorities, we invite 
applications through a notice in the Federal Register. When inviting 
applications we designate the 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 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 a competitive or absolute preference 
over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).

Priorities

Proposed Priority for Category 1 Applicants

    To help ensure that the activities supported under Category 1 
(technical assistance in making informed decisions) of the CSR Quality 
Initiatives program best address the needs of States, districts and 
schools, the Assistant Secretary proposes the following priority:
    The grantee will provide assistance to States, LEAs and schools in 
selecting a comprehensive school reform provider or developing 
comprehensive school reforms for schools that are identified as being 
in need of improvement, corrective action, or restructuring under 
section 1116 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 
amended. The applicant will provide a plan for providing States, LEAs 
and schools with information tools and technical assistance in such 
areas as using data to identify the instructional needs of students and 
to clarify the technical assistance and professional development needs 
of teachers and administrators.

Proposed Priority for Category 1 Applicants

    For Category 1 grants, the statute requires that the awards be 
matched with funds from private organizations. In response to this 
requirement, the Assistant Secretary proposes the following priority:
    The applicant must demonstrate, in its grant application, that its 
CSR Quality Initiative award will be matched with funds from one or 
more private organizations. For each year that a grantee receives a CSR 
Quality Initiative award, the match, including any in-kind 
contributions, must total at least 10 percent of the award.

Proposed Priority for Category 2 Applicants

    To help ensure that all children meet challenging State academic 
content and academic achievement standards, the Assistant Secretary 
proposes the following priority for Category 2 applicants:
    The applicant will implement activities to: (1) Develop and field-
test specific instructional strategies to meet the needs of students 
who have been traditionally underserved by comprehensive reform 
providers, such as students with disabilities and students with limited 
English proficiency and to integrate those strategies into 
scientifically research-based comprehensive school reforms, or (2) 
increase the capacity of comprehensive reform providers to serve 
students in rural areas. These strategies or capacities could be 
additions or enhancements to existing CSR models or services already 
being provided.

Proposed Priority for Category 1 and 2 Applicants

    The Assistant Secretary proposes the following priority for 
Category 1 and Category 2 grants:
    The grantee will assist LEAs in more than one State.

Executive Order 12866

    This notice of proposed priorities 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 are those resulting from statutory requirements and those we 
have determined as necessary for administering this program effectively 
and efficiently to provide the most benefits for the greatest number of 
students.
    In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative 
and qualitative--of this notice of proposed priorities, we have 
determined that the benefits of the proposed priorities justify the 
costs.
    We have also determined that this regulatory action does not unduly 
interfere with State, local and tribal governments in the exercise of 
their governmental functions.
    Summary of potential costs and benefits: The potential costs 
associated with these proposed priorities are minimal, while the 
benefits are significant. Grantees may anticipate costs associated with 
completing the

[[Page 69900]]

application process in terms of staff time, copying, and mailing or 
delivery. The use of e-Application technology reduces mailing and 
copying costs significantly.
    The benefits of the CSR Quality Initiatives projects are in helping 
low-performing schools make AYP. These proposed priorities will 
generate new strategies for schools, districts, and States so that all 
students are able to meet challenging State academic content and 
student achievement standards.

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.

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 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.
    You may also view this document in text at the Applicant 
Information link of the following site: http://www.ed.gov/programs/compreform.

    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

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.322B Comprehensive 
School Reform--Quality Initiatives)

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6518.

    Dated: November 26, 2004.
Raymond Simon,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. E4-3404 Filed 11-30-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P