[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 117 (Monday, June 19, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32090-32091]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-14919]
[[Page 32089]]
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Part IV
Department of Education
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Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Notices
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 117 / Monday, June 19, 1995 /
Notices
[[Page 32090]]
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
RIN 1810-ZA02
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Programs
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priority and selection criteria for fiscal year
1995.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary establishes a final funding priority and
selection criteria under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities
Federal Activities Grants Program for fiscal year (FY) 1995. The
priority funds projects that establish, expand, or improve models for
alternative education for students expelled from their regular
education program.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This priority and selection criteria take effect on
July 19, 1995.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Albert Macias, U.S. Department of Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools
Programs, 600 Independence Avenue, SW, Portals Room 604, Washington, DC
20202-6123, telephone (202) 260-2823. Individuals who use a
telecommunication 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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Safe and Drug-Free
Schools and Communities Federal Activities Grants Program is to support
activities that promote achieving the seventh National Education Goal,
which states that, by the year 2000, all schools in America will be
free of drugs and violence and the unauthorized presence of firearms
and alcohol, and offer a disciplined environment conducive to learning.
The Secretary will award approximately 10 grants in FY 1995 for a
period not to exceed two years to public and private nonprofit
organizations, including local educational agencies (LEAs),
institutions of higher education (IHEs), and community-based
organizations (CBOs) to establish, expand, and improve model
alternatives to expulsion programs. These grants must be used to
provide educational services to expelled students consistent will all
applicable civil rights laws and policies. Contingent upon availability
of funds, the Secretary may make additional awards in FY 1996 from the
rank order of applicants established from this competition.
Background
Evidence indicates that a small but growing core of the student
population finds that bringing a weapon to school is acceptable. A
Centers for Disease Control study reports that, in 1990, 1 in 24
students carried a gun to school in the 30 days before the study, and
that by 1993 the incidence had risen to 1 in 12 students. Many of these
youths will be expelled from the classroom and will have no access to
continuing educational services. While expulsion addresses the school's
need to provide a safe, secure environment for all its students, it
does not address the educational needs of students who are expelled for
bringing a gun to school or engaging in other behavior that would lead
to expulsion, nor does it address the long-range costs to the community
of permitting expelled youths to be unsupervised for prolonged periods
of time during the day.
An expelled student tends to exhibit alienation and rebelliousness
toward society, a history of referrals for classroom disruption, and a
predisposition toward accepting violence as an appropriate response to
personal problems. These attitudes and behaviors can lead to more
serious involvement with law enforcement unless they are countered by
appropriate interventions.
In most circumstances, it is in the best interest of the school and
community to provide alternative services, promote high standards of
learning, and encourage the involvement of students, parents, and
community groups in helping to ensure that the student becomes a
responsible, contributing member of society.
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.
Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and 20 U.S.C. 7131, the
Secretary gives absolute preference to applications that meet the
following priority. The Secretary funds under this competition only
applications that address the absolute priority. Applications that fail
to address the priority will not be reviewed or funded:
Establish, expand, or improve model projects of alternative
education for youth who have been expelled from their regular school
program. An applicant must propose a project that addresses both the
academic needs of expelled youth and the behaviors that lead to
expulsion from the regular school program.
An applicant must provide financial or in-kind contributions
(including, where allowable, commitment or other Federal funds to the
project), or at least 10 percent of the total cost of the first year of
the project. An applicant's contribution to the project in year two
must be 15 percent of the total second year project cost. Applicants
other than LEAs must include proof of collaboration with an LEA as part
of their application for funding.
Applicants must offer proof that they have adopted, or, in the case
of a nonprofit agency applicant will adopt, a policy requiring referral
to the criminal justice or juvenile delinquency system of any student
who brings a firearm to an alternative education program funded by this
grant.
Selection Criteria: In evaluating applications for grants under
this competition, the Secretary uses the following criteria. Each
criterion is assigned a maximum possible score indicated in
parentheses. The Secretary awards up to 100 points for all of the
criteria.
(1) Need for the Project (15 points).
The Secretary determines the extent to which the proposed project
addresses a serious community problem illustrated by a large number or
percentage of students in the district that have been expelled from
their regular educational program. The Secretary considers the extent
to which the applicant--
(a) Identifies the specific educational, social, and behavioral
needs of expelled students;
(b) Involves students, teachers and counselors, parents, and
community leaders in the needs assessment; and
(c) Relates needs of expelled students, including academic,
behavioral, and social needs, to the proposed project objectives.
(2) Approach (35 points).
The Secretary determines the overall quality and appropriateness of
the applicant's plan to provide alternative educational services for
youth expelled from school, including the extent to which the proposed
project--
(a) Is based on research, including the causes of disruptive and
antisocial behavior and educational strategies that take into account
of different styles of learning;
(b) Identifies measurable goals and objectives for the project,
such as the number of students to be served and the percentage of
students who will successfully complete the program either by re-
integration or through graduation; [[Page 32091]]
(c) Includes an academic component that emphasizes high educational
standards for the expelled students;
(d) Includes educational practices and strategies appropriate for
the expelled students and, where appropriate, includes job training and
work force readiness;
(e) Describes the educational services and activities to be
provided, including the length of time services will be provided for
each student and the number of hours per day for which the program will
operate, and indicates how these services will meet the educational,
behavioral, and social needs of expelled students;
(f) Details a plan for strong collaboration among schools, law
enforcement agencies, CBOs, businesses, local service organizations,
parent groups, and other agencies, including a description of how they
will participate in the program at every stage; and
(g) Proposes a plan for the active recruitment of all expelled
students within the project area and describes how the selection of
students to be served would be made.
(3) Staff Background (20 Points).
The Secretary reviews each application to determine the skills,
abilities and educational background of key personnel the applicant
plans to use on the project. The Secretary considers--
(a) The extent to which skills, experience and educational
background of key staff are relevant to the objectives of the project;
(b) The staff's ability to manage the project effectively,
including the ability to provide educational services and coordinate
with relevant community agencies;
(c) The appropriateness of the ratio of staff to students proposed
for the project; and
(d) The extent to which time commitments are appropriate for the
responsibilities each staff member will have.
(4) Budget (10 points).
The Secretary reviews each application to determine that the
project's costs are reasonable in view of the anticipated results and
benefits. The Secretary considers--
(a) The cost of the proposed project in terms of the number of
youth to be served by the project, the student-to-staff ratio proposed,
and the facilities in which the program will be offered; and
(b) Evidence that the applicant can and intends to generate the
local financial and in-kind support, service, and commitments required
for this project.
(5) Evaluation of Project (20 Points).
The Secretary determines the quality and thoroughness of the
applicant's plant to evaluate the project. The Secretary considers--
(a) The extent to which the applicant describes a plan to evaluate
the long-and short-term outcomes of the program (such as the percentage
of students who are able to re-integrate into the regular school
program and remain free of referrals for classroom disruption) and
indicates in measurable terms appropriate indicators for assessment of
program implementation and impact;
(b) The extent to which the applicant provides an evaluation plan
for the project that includes collection of baseline data and
identifies and tracks indicators that will show progress in program
implementation and attainment of outcomes;
(c) Provides for implementation of the evaluation plan by an
independent evaluator; and
(d) The extent to which the applicant develops a plan for long-term
tracking of participants.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking
In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 533),
it is the practice of the Department of Education to offer interested
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, in
order to make timely grant awards in FY 1995, the Assistant Secretary,
in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education
Provisions Act, has decided to issue this final priority and selection
criteria, which will apply only to the FY 1995 grant competition.
Executive Order 12866
This notice of final priority has been reviewed in accordance with
Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order the Secretary has
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with the notice of final priority
are those resulting from statutory requirements and those determined by
the Secretary as necessary for administering this program effectively
and efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this notice of final priority, the Secretary has
determined that the benefits of the proposed final priority justify the
costs.
The Secretary has also determined that this regulatory action does
not unduly interfere with State, local and tribal governments in the
exercise of their governmental functions.
Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to the
requirements of Executive Order 12372 and the regulation in 34 CFR Part
79. The objective of the Executive order is to foster an
intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened federalism by relying
on the processes developed by State and local government for
coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance.
In accordance with this order, this document is intended to provide
early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for
this program.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7131.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 84.184b Safe
and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Federal Activities Grant
Program)
Dated: May 26, 1995.
Thomas W. Payzant,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 95-14919 Filed 6-16-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M
