[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 15 (Monday, January 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3804-3805]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-1618]
[[Page 3803]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part VI
Department of Education
_______________________________________________________________________
Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), Star School
Program; Notice Inviting Applications and Application Review Procedures
for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1999; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No.15 / Monday, January 25, 1999 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No.: 84.203F]
Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), Star
Schools Program; Notice Inviting Applications and Application Review
Procedures for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1999
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Star Schools program is to
encourage improved instruction in mathematics, science, foreign
languages, and other subjects, such as literacy skills and vocational
education, and to serve underserved populations, including the
disadvantaged, illiterate, limited-English proficient persons, and
individuals with disabilities through the use of distance learning
technologies.
Eligible Applicants: Only eligible applicants that include at least
one local educational agency in the proposed project may apply under
this competition. Eligible telecommunications partnerships must be
organized on a statewide or multistate basis. Eligible entities
include:
(1) A public agency or corporation established for the purpose of
developing and operating telecommunications networks to enhance
educational opportunities provided by educational institutions, teacher
training centers, and other entities, except that any such agency or
corporation shall represent the interests of elementary and secondary
schools that are eligible to participate in the program under part A of
title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended by Pub. L. 103-352 (ESEA); or
(2) A partnership that will provide telecommunications services and
includes three or more of the following entities. At least one of the
agencies must be a local educational agency, as described in paragraph
(A) below, or a State educational agency:
(A) A local educational agency that serves a significant number of
elementary and secondary schools that are eligible for assistance under
part A of title I of the ESEA or elementary and secondary schools
operated or funded for Indian children by the Department of the
Interior eligible under section 1121(c) of the ESEA;
(B) A State educational agency;
(C) Adult and family education programs;
(D) An institution of higher education or a State higher education
agency;
(E) A teacher training center or academy which provides teacher
preservice and inservice training, and receives Federal financial
assistance or has been approved by a State agency;
(F) A public or private entity with experience and expertise in the
planning and operation of a telecommunications network, including
entities involved in telecommunications through satellite, cable,
telephone, or computer; or a public broadcasting entity with experience
of this type; or
(G) A public or private elementary or secondary school.
Application Available: January 26, 1999.
Deadline for Receipt of Applications: March 26, 1999.
Note: All applications must be received on or before this date.
Applications not received by the deadline date will not be
considered for funding unless the applicant can show proof that the
application was (1) sent by registered or certified mail no later
than five days before the deadline date; or (2) sent by commercial
carrier not later than two days before the deadline date. The
following are acceptable as proof of mailing: (1) a legibly dated
U.S. Postal Service postmark, (2) a legible mail receipt with the
date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service, (3) a dated
shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier, or
(4) any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary. This
requirement takes exception to the Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), 34 CFR 75.102.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 25, 1999.
Available Funds: $9,850,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000-$2,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,000,000.
Maximum Award: The Secretary will not consider an application that
proposes a budget exceeding $2 million per year or amounts exceeding
$10 million for five years.
Estimated Number of Awards: 4-5.
Project Period: Up to 60 months. Please note that all applicants
for multi-year awards are required to provide detailed budget
information for the total grant period requested. The Department will
negotiate at the time of the initial award the funding levels for each
year of the grant award.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75 (except 34
CFR 75.102(a) and (b)(1)), 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, and (b) 34 CFR
299.
Supplementary Information: The Star Schools program is authorized
by the ESEA, Title III, Part B (20 U.S.C. 6891-6900). The Star Schools
program provides quality, cost-effective instruction through distance
education technologies to more than 2,000,000 learners annually in 50
states and U.S. territories. Although the program began with small
rural schools, it is now equally valuable to schools in large urban
areas. To ensure that learners are prepared for the 21st century, it is
imperative that the traditional instructional model is transformed to
an active-learner, more collaborative-based model. Star Schools
projects have harnessed the power of emerging technologies such as the
Internet, CD-ROM, videoconferencing, virtual environments and
interactive software to achieve this transformation. Consequently, the
Star Schools program reaches a diverse group of students to create an
inclusive, effective learning experience for the 21st century learner.
Application Review Procedures
The Secretary will use a two-tier process for reviewing
applications in this competition. In the first tier, all applications
submitted will be reviewed. The ten applications with the highest
scores in the first tier will be reviewed in the second tier. In the
event of a tie for tenth in the rank order in the first tier, the top
nine applications plus all those applications tied for tenth will be
considered in the second tier. The same evaluation criteria will be
used in each tier. The Secretary will select applications for funding
on the basis of the rank ordering of applications in the second tier.
In all other respects, the Secretary will follow the procedures set out
in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR),
34 CFR Part 75, in reviewing applications. This process takes
exception, in part, to EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.217.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking
In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553),
it is the practice of the Secretary to offer interested parties the
opportunity to comment on proposed regulations. However, these
modifications to EDGAR, concerning the deadline for receipt of
applications and the application review process, make procedural
changes only and do not establish new substantive policy. Therefore,
under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), proposed rulemaking is not required.
(The valid OMB control number for this collection of information is
1850-0623.)
For Further Information Contact: Joseph Wilkes or Tawanna Coles,
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and
Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue NW.,
[[Page 3805]]
Washington, DC 20208-5544. Telephone 202-208-3882. Individuals who use
a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request by contacting either contact person listed in the
preceding paragraph.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternate format, also, by contacting either contact
person identified in this notice. However, the Department is not able
to reproduce in an alternate format the standard forms included in the
application package.
Electronic Access to This Document
Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or
portable document format (pdf) via the Internet at either of the
following sites:
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html
To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing
Office at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free, at 1-888-293-6498.
Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option
G-Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.
Note: The official version of a document is the document
published in the Federal Register.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6891-6900.
Dated: January 19, 1999.
C. Kent McGuire,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 99-1618 Filed 1-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
