[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 62 (Thursday, April 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15906-15909]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-7943]
[[Page 15905]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part III
Department of Education
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
_______________________________________________________________________
Department of Justice
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
_______________________________________________________________________
Department of Health and Human Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs; Federal
Activities Grants Program--Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative;
Final Priority and Selection Criteria; Inviting Applications for New
Awards for Fiscal Year 1999; Notices
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 62 / Thursday, April 1, 1999 /
Notices
[[Page 15906]]
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; Center for
Mental Health Services; Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities
National Programs; Federal Activities Grants Program--Safe Schools/
Healthy Students Initiative; Notice of Final Priority and Selection
Criteria
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priority and selection criteria for fiscal year
1999.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Education (the Secretary), with the Secretary
of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General, announces a
final priority and selection criteria for fiscal year (FY) 1999. Under
this priority, the Departments of Education (ED), Health and Human
Services (HHS), and Justice (DOJ) will fund the implementation and
enhancement of comprehensive community-wide strategies for creating
safe and drug-free schools and promoting healthy childhood development.
To be funded, local comprehensive plans must address the following
six elements and may address other elements as determined by the needs
of the community: (1) Safe school environment; (2) youth alcohol and
drug prevention, violence prevention, and early intervention; (3)
school and community mental health preventive and treatment
intervention programs; (4) early childhood psychosocial and emotion
development services; (5) educational reform; and (6) safe school
policies.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This notice takes effect April 1, 1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Detailed information regarding the Safe Schools/Healthy Students
Initiative is available at the following sites on the World Wide Web:
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org
http://www.usdoj.gov/cops
http://www.samhsa.gov
http://www.mentalhealth.org
Individuals who use a telecommunications devices 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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: More than a generation of research has
provided a solid knowledge base of the complex risk processes that lead
to violent outcomes for children, families, schools, and communities.
Antisocial behaviors of children and adolescents at highest risk arise
from the interaction of multiple environmental and individual
antecedents that begin early in the child's life. They include (1)
stressful family environments; (2) lack of parenting skills; (3)
alienation between family and school (and other community
institutions); and (4) individual characteristics of the child that may
be biologically based (e.g., irritability, impulsivity), that interfere
with critical early attachment and nurturing relationships and later
make the child's behavior difficult to control. This results in the
early onset of aggressive behaviors, an increase in behavior problems
at home, and the continuation and escalation of problems with peers and
teachers when the child reaches school age. Unless interrupted,
antisocial behavior persists throughout the school career and on into
adulthood. High risk converges in middle school and accelerates into
adolescence. Risk is exacerbated by exposure to negative peer pressure
and a noxious environment where few protective factors are available.
This, in turn, increases the likelihood of interpersonal violence and
other antisocial behavior, substance abuse and addiction, potential
drug dealing, the emergence of disorders such as depression and
anxiety, academic failure, risky sexual behaviors leading to increased
risk for HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases, and teen
pregnancy.
The Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative draws on the best
practices of the education, justice, social service, and mental health
systems to promote a comprehensive, integrated framework for use by
communities in planning, designing, and implementing programs to
prevent school violence and youth alcohol and other drug use. This
comprehensive framework includes: (1) Establishing school-community
partnerships; (2) identifying and measuring the problem; (3) setting
measurable goals and objectives; (4) identifying appropriate research-
based programs and strategies; (5) implementing the programs and
strategies in an integrated fashion; (6) evaluating the outcomes of the
programs and strategies; and (7) revising the comprehensive plan on the
basis of evaluation information.
The goal of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative is to help
students develop the skills and emotional resilience necessary to
promote positive mental health and engage in pro-social behavior, and,
thereby prevent violent behavior and alcohol and other drug use to
ensure that all students who attend the schools served by this
initiative are able to learn in a safe, disciplined, and drug-free
environment. Successful applicants will provide students, schools, and
families within the targeted geographic area to be served a network of
effective comprehensive services, supports, and activities that promote
healthy development and safety.
Eligible Applicants: Local educational agencies.
The Secretary, with the Secretary of HHS and the Attorney General,
will award approximately 50 grants in fiscal year 1999 to local
educational agencies. To be eligible for funding applicants must:
(a) Demonstrate that they have developed a comprehensive,
integrated, community-wide Safe Schools/Healthy Students Plan in
partnership with, at a minimum, their local public mental health
authority and law enforcement agency, students and members of their
families, teachers, and juvenile justice officials, and that the plan
addresses at least the following six elements:
(1) safe school environment;
(2) youth alcohol and drug prevention, violence prevention, and
early intervention;
(3) school and community mental health preventive and treatment
intervention services;
(4) early childhood psychosocial and emotional development
services;
(5) educational reform; and
(6) safe school policies;
(b) Submit a written agreement signed by the school superintendent,
the head of the local public mental health authority, and the chief law
enforcement executive adopting the plan that describes (1) the goals
and objectives of the partnership, and (2) a delineation of the roles
and responsibilities of the partners;
(c) Submit a written agreement signed by the school superintendent
and head of the local public mental health organization that describes
the procedures the signatories will use for referral, treatment, and
follow-up by the appropriate mental health system for children and
adolescents with serious mental health problems;
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(d) Provide a baseline assessment of risk factors among students
and within the community, and resources and services available to
students and their families, including:
(1) Risk factors among students such as the number of students
engaged in alcohol and drug use and violent behavior; incidence and
prevalence of alcohol and drug use by youth; weapon carrying or
possessing in schools; incidents of serious and violent crime in
schools; truancy and other unauthorized absences; suicidal behaviors;
student suspensions and/or expulsions for drug use or violent behavior;
students on probation; students in juvenile justice placements;
students in foster care and child protective services; children abused
and neglected; students with emotional and behavioral disorders; and
data on school attendance and student academic performance.
(2) Community risk factors such as socioeconomic conditions as
measured by the percentage of families at or below the poverty level
and the percentage of students receiving free and reduced cost meals at
schools; population turnover; racial and ethnic heterogeneity; housing
density; household composition; crime and delinquency rates, including
domestic violence and rape; and suicide rates.
(3) Resources and services available to students and their families
such as number of after-school programs; number of youth served by
programs to build social skills; number and quality of community mental
health and social service organizations available to provide services
to children, adolescents, and families; number of youth participating
in academic readiness programs; number and types of early intervention
services and programs; number and types of law enforcement prevention
programs; number of substance abuse programs, and presence of a
community anti-drug coalition.
(e) Agree to participate in a national evaluation of the Initiative
that will collect data on student risk indicators and outcomes of the
program(s) implemented across sites on an annual basis.
(f) Provide a local plan for evaluating the community-wide strategy
and agree to set aside sufficient funds (not less than 5 percent of the
project budget) to fund a local evaluator to assist with a range of
evaluation activities.
(g) In the comprehensive plan, provide for mental health services
for all students.
(h) Show that Federal regulations regarding possession of firearms
and reporting of firearm offenses to appropriate law enforcement
officials and regulations regarding tobacco use are being enforced.
In making awards under this grant program, the Secretary, with the
Secretary of HHS and the Attorney General, may (1) take into
consideration the geographic distribution and diversity of activities
addressed by the projects, in addition to the rank order of applicants,
and (2) in accordance with Section 75.217(d) of the Education
Department General Administrative Regulations, ensure equitable
distribution of grants under this program among urban, suburban, and
rural LEAs.
Contingent upon the availability of funds, the Secretary, with the
Secretary of HHS and the Attorney General, may make additional awards
in fiscal year 2000 from the rank-ordered list of unfunded applicants
from this competition.
Note: This notice of final priority and selection criteria does
not solicit applications. A notice inviting applications under this
competition is published in a separate notice in this issue of the
Federal Register.
Applications for this competition must be received at the address
specified in the notice inviting applications for this competition no
later than 5 p.m. on June 1, 1999. Applications received after that
time will not be eligible for funding. Postmarked dates will not be
accepted.
Absolute Priority
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities Act, and the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency
Supplemental Appropriation Act of 1999, Public law 105-277, enacted
October 21, 1998, the Secretary, with the Secretary of HHS and the
Attorney General, gives an absolute preference to applications that
meet the following priority.
Absolute Priority--Enhancing and implementing comprehensive
community-wide strategies for creating safe and drug-free schools and
promoting healthy childhood development.
Applicants proposing a project under this priority must demonstrate
how the funds they are requesting support or enhance a comprehensive,
integrated strategy for an entire school district. In circumstances
where implementation of the strategy for an entire school district is
not possible, applicants must provide a full explanation of how the
chosen schools will receive all 6 elements of the plan, and why
district-wide implementation is not feasible or appropriate.
Selection Criteria
The Secretary, with the Secretary of HHS and the Attorney General,
uses the following selection criteria to evaluate applications for new
grants under this competition.
The maximum total score for all of these criteria is 100 points.
The maximum score for each criterion or factor under that criterion
is indicated in parentheses.
(a) Problem(s) to be addressed (20 points).
In assessing the extent to which the application is based on a
clear and accurate statement of a significant problem faced by the
target community, the following factors are considered. (Note:
Applicants from Federal Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities
will have five points added to their score under this criterion, with
the total number of points awarded not to exceed 20).
(1) The magnitude or severity of the problem(s) to be addressed by
the proposed strategy.
(2) The extent to which existing gaps in services and resources
exist, the magnitude of those gaps and weaknesses, and the extent to
which the community is ready to improve current conditions.
(3) The factual basis for the problem statement based on data
including, at a minimum but not limited to, the rates of the following:
--students engaged in alcohol and drug use and violent behavior;
--incidence and prevalence of alcohol and drug use among youth;
--weapon carrying or possessing in schools;
--incidents of serious and violent crime in schools;
--truancy and other unauthorized absences;
--suicidal behaviors;
--student suspensions and expulsions;
--students on probation;
--students in juvenile justice placements;
--students in foster care and child protective services;
--children abused and neglected;
--students with emotional and behavioral disorders; and
--student attendance and academic performance data.
(4) Evidence of community risk factors including:
--socioeconomic conditions as measured by the percentage of families at
or below the poverty level and percentage of students receiving free
and reduced cost meals at school;
[[Page 15908]]
--population turnover;
--racial and ethnic heterogeneity;
--housing density;
--household composition;
--crime and delinquency rates including domestic violence and rape; and
--suicide rates.
(5) The extent to which the problem statement includes an
assessment of the community resources available for children and
adolescents, including:
--number of after-school programs;
--number of youth served by programs to build social skills;
--number and quality of community mental health and social service
organizations available to provide services to children, adolescents,
and families;
--number of youth participating in academic readiness programs;
--number and types of early intervention services and programs;
--number and types of law enforcement prevention programs;
--number and quality of substance abuse prevention programs; and
--presence of a community anti-drug coalition.
(b) Goals and objectives (10 points).
In assessing the goals and objectives of the proposed comprehensive
plan, the following factors are considered.
(1) The extent to which the goals and objectives for the proposed
strategy are clearly defined, measurable, and attainable.
(2) The extent to which the proposed strategy will meet the
established goals and objectives and lead to healthy childhood
development and positive mental health, and safe, disciplined, and
alcohol and drug-free learning environments.
(3) The extent to which the objectives identified are related to
measurable action steps needed to achieve the goal(s).
(c) Design of Proposed Strategy (30 points).
In assessing the design of the proposed strategy, the following
factors are considered. (Note: Ten of the 30 points available for this
criterion will be awarded for item 9, extent to which activities/
interventions are evidence-based, for those strategies that propose
activities under program elements 2,3, and/or 4 of the comprehensive
plan.)
(1) The extent to which the proposed strategy represents a
comprehensive network in which each element of the Safe Schools/Healthy
Students Initiative is addressed and incorporated in an integrated
fashion;
(2) The extent to which the intervention is appropriate for the age
and developmental levels, gender, and ethnic and cultural diversity of
the target population;
(3) The extent to which the application clearly describes the
programs, activities, and services that comprise the proposed strategy;
(4) The extent to which the application demonstrates a linkage
between program activities and objectives of the strategy;
(5) The adequacy of the identified performance measures to
demonstrate whether and to what extent the proposed strategy is meeting
its short-term, intermediate, and long-term objectives;
(6) The extent to which the proposed strategy will be coordinated
with similar or related efforts and will establish linkages with other
appropriate agencies and organizations providing services to the target
population including community, State, and Federal resources.
(7) Adequacy and appropriateness of the plan to collect data
related to violence from a variety of sources such as mental health
services, social services, schools, law enforcement agencies, and the
juvenile justice system.
(8) The potential for continued support of the strategy after
Federal funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated
commitment of appropriate entities to such support.
(9) The extent to which the activities/interventions proposed under
program elements 2, 3, and/or 4 of the comprehensive plan are evidence-
based; that is, they have a solid base of research evidence
demonstrating effectiveness. (10 points)
(10) The extent to which the program is adequately documented so
that both the process and positive outcome can be easily replicated.
(11) The extent to which the program selected is designed to help
meet the goals and objectives of the community's comprehensive plan.
(d) (Evaluation Plan (10 points)
In determining the quality of the evaluation plan, the following
factors will be considered:
(1) The extent to which the plan provides information for
increasing the effectiveness of management and administration of the
comprehensive plan, documents that objectives have been met, and
determines the overall effectiveness of the plan, its programs, and
strategies.
(2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed strategy.
(3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
timely guidance for quality assurance.
(e) Management and Organizational Capability (20 points).
In determining the quality of management and organizational
capability, the following factors are considered:
(1) The level of commitment proposed by the written agreements
signed by the school superintendent, the head of the local public
mental health authority, and the chief law enforcement executive, as
well as written agreements with other community partners.
(2) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in
the proposed strategy to the implementation and success of the
strategy.
(3) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks.
(4) The adequacy of procedures for communicating and sharing
information among all partners to ensure feedback and continuous
improvement in the operation of the strategy.
(5) The skills, experience, time commitments, and educational
requirements of key staff and relevance of the objectives of the
proposed strategy.
(6) The extent to which staff and the training of those staff
reflect the needs of the population to be served.
(f) Budget (10 points).
In determining the quality of the budget, the following factors
will be considered:
(1) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the
number of students to be served and to the anticipated benefits and
results; and
(2) The extent to which fiscal control and accounting procedures
will ensure prudent use, proper and timely disbursement and accurate
accounting of funds received under the grant.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking
It is the Secretary's practice, in accordance with the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), to offer interested
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed rules. Section 437(d)(1)
of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), however, exempts from
this requirement rules that apply to the first competition under a new
or substantially revised program. Funding was provided for this new
initiative in the fiscal year 1999 appropriations act enacted October
21, 1998. The Secretary, in accordance with
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section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, has decided to forego public comment in
order to ensure timely grant awards.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order
12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the
regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. The objective of the Executive order is
to foster an intergovernmental partnership and to strengthen federalism
by relying on processes developed by State and local governments for
coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance.
In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide
early notification of the Federal Departments' specific plans and
actions for this program.
Electronic Access to This Document
Anyone may view this document on the World Wide Web at the
following sites:
http://ocfo.ed/gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/OESE/SDFS
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org
http://www.usdoj.gov/cops
http://www.samhsa.gov
http://www.mentalhealth.org
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register.
Dated: March 25, 1999.
Judith Johnson,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education.
Shay Bilchik,
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Joseph Brann,
Director, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
Nelba Chavez,
Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.184L, Safe and
Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act National Programs--Federal
Activities Grants Program.)
[FR Doc. 99-7943 Filed 3-31-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U
