[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 133 (Wednesday, July 13, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-16903]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: July 13, 1994]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
[CFDA No.: 84.199D]
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Cooperative Demonstration Program (Correctional Education);
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1995
Note to Applicants: This notice is a complete application package.
Together with the statute authorizing the program and applicable
regulations governing the program, including the Education Department
General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), the notice contains all of
the information, application forms, and instructions needed to apply
for a grant under this competition.
Purpose of Program: The Cooperative Demonstration Program
(Correctional Education) provides financial assistance for the
development of model projects that would demonstrate successful
cooperation between the private sector and public agencies in
vocational education programs that serve criminal offenders under the
supervision of the criminal justice system.
Eligible Applicants: (1) State educational agencies; (2) local
educational agencies; (3) postsecondary educational institutions; (4)
institutions of higher education; and (5) other public and private
agencies, organizations, and institutions.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 2, 1994.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: November 1, 1994.
Available Funds: $2,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $300,000- $600,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $500,000 for project period.
Estimated Number of Awards: 4.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 24 months.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) as follows:
(1) 34 CFR Part 74 (Administration of Grants to Institutions of
Higher Education, Hospitals and Nonprofit Organizations).
(2) 34 CFR Part 75 (Direct Grant Programs).
(3) 34 CFR Part 77 (Definitions that Apply to Department
Regulations).
(4) 34 CFR Part 79 (Intergovernmental Review of Department of
Education Programs and Activities).
(5) 34 CFR Part 80 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants
and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments).
(6) 34 CFR Part 81 (General Education Provisions Act--Enforcement).
(7) 34 CFR Part 82 (New Restrictions on Lobbying).
(8) 34 CFR Part 85 (Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension
(Nonprocurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free
Workplace (Grants)).
(9) 34 CFR Part 86 (Drug-Free Schools and Campuses).
(b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR Parts 400 and 426.
Priorities
The priorities in the notice of final priority, required
activities, and selection criteria for the Cooperative Demonstration
Program (Correctional Education), as published elsewhere in this issue
of the Federal Register, apply to this competition.
Selection Criteria
For the FY 1995 grant competition (for awards to be made in FY 1995
using FY 1994 funds) under the Cooperative Demonstration Program
(Correctional Education), the Secretary uses the following selection
criteria to evaluate applications for new grants for this competition.
The maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points. The maximum
score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses.
(a) Program factors. (25 points) The Secretary reviews the
application to assess the quality of the proposed project, including
the extent to which the proposed project will provide--
(1) Integrated academic and vocational activities that reflect
current and projected labor market trends and are based upon the
Secretary of Labor's Commission on Achievement of Necessary Skills
(SCANS) report recommendations;
(2) Transition from correctional education programs to productive
employment including one or more of the following:
(i) Work experience or apprenticeship projects.
(ii) Transitional worksite job training for vocational education
students that is related to their occupational goals and closely linked
to classroom and laboratory instruction provided by an eligible
recipient.
(iii) Placement services in occupations that the students are
preparing to enter.
(iv) If practical, projects that will benefit the public, such as
the rehabilitation of public schools or housing in inner cities or
economically depressed rural areas.
(v) Employment-based learning programs.
(3) Post-sentence transitional services and follow-up assistance;
(4) Interdisciplinary staff in-service education that includes
security personnel;
(5) Inmate assessment that addresses academic, vocational and
special learning needs;
(6) Ongoing occupational counseling to assist with the development
of an individual vocational plan;
(7) Coordination with community agencies that furnish transitional
supportive services to criminal offenders such as individual and family
counseling, housing assistance, transportation, and social and cultural
activities;
(8) Coordination with the State Occupational Information
Coordinating Committee or State Labor Market Information Unit in
determining State and local labor shortages; and
(9) Adequate and appropriate involvement and cooperation of the
public and private sectors in the projects, including--
(i) A clear identification of the public and private sector
involvement in the planning of the project;
(ii) A description of public and private sector involvement in the
planning of the project including letters of commitment; and
(iii) A description of public and private sector involvement in the
operation of the project.
(b) Educational significance. (10 points) The Secretary reviews
each application to determine the extent to which the applicant
proposes--
(1) Project objectives that contribute to the improvement of
education for criminal offenders;
(2) To use unique and innovative techniques to produce benefits
that address educational problems and needs that are of national
significance; and
(3) To base the proposed project on successfully designed,
established, and operated model vocational education programs that
include components similar to the components required by this program,
as evidenced by empirical data that demonstrate impact from those
programs in factors such as--
(i) Student performance and achievement;
(ii) GED completion; and
(iii) Post-sentence employment or enrollment in education or
training programs or both.
(c) Plan of operation. (15 points) The Secretary reviews each
application to determine the quality of the plan of operation for the
project, including--
(1) The quality of the project design, especially the establishment
of measurable objectives for the project that are based on the
project's overall goals;
(2) The extent to which the plan of management is effective and
ensures proper and efficient administration of the project over the
award period;
(3) How well the objectives of the project relate to the purpose of
the program;
(4) The quality of the applicant's plan to use its resources and
personnel to achieve each objective; and
(5) How the applicant will ensure that project participants who are
otherwise eligible to participate are selected without regard to race,
color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.
(d) Evaluation plan. (15 points) The Secretary reviews each
application to determine the quality of the project's evaluation plan,
including the extent to which the plan--
(1) Is clearly explained and is appropriate to the project;
(2) To the extent possible, is objective and will produce data that
are quantifiable;
(3) Identifies expected outcomes of the participants and how those
outcomes will be measured;
(4) Includes activities during the formative stages of the project
to help guide and improve the project, as well as a summative
evaluation that includes recommendations for replicating project
activities and results;
(5) Will provide a comparison between intended and observed
results, and lead to the demonstration of a clear link between the
observed results and the specific treatment of project participants;
and
(6) Will yield results that can be summarized and submitted to the
Secretary for review by the Department's Program Effectiveness Panel as
defined in 34 CFR 400.4(b).
(e) Demonstration and dissemination. (10 points) The Secretary
reviews each application for information to determine the effectiveness
and efficiency of the plan for demonstrating and disseminating
information about project activities and results throughout the project
period, including--
(1) High quality in the design of the demonstration and
dissemination plan and procedures for evaluating the effectiveness of
the dissemination plan;
(2) Disseminating the results of the project in a manner that would
meet the requirement in 34 CFR 426.31.
(3) Identification of target groups and provisions for publicizing
the project at the local, State, and national levels by conducting or
delivering presentations at conferences, workshops, and other
professional meetings and by preparing materials for journal articles,
newsletters, and brochures;
(4) Provisions for demonstrating the methods and techniques used by
the project to others interested in replicating these methods and
techniques, such as by inviting them to observe project activities;
(5) A description of the types of materials the applicant plans to
make available to help others replicate project activities and the
methods for making the materials available; and
(6) Provisions for assisting others to adopt and successfully
implement the project or methods and techniques used by the project.
(f) Key personnel. (10 points)
(1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality
of key personnel the applicant plans to use on the project, including--
(i) The qualifications, in relation to project requirements, of the
project director;
(ii) The qualifications, in relation to project requirements, of
each of the other key personnel to be used in the project;
(iii) The appropriateness of the time that each person referred to
in paragraphs (f)(1) (i) and (ii) of this section will commit to the
project; and
(iv) How the applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment
practices, will ensure that its personnel are selected for employment
without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or
disability.
(2) To determine personnel qualifications under paragraphs (f)(1)
(i) and (ii) of this section, the Secretary considers--
(i) The experience and training of key personnel in project
management and in fields related to the objectives of the project; and
(ii) Any other qualifications that pertain to the quality of the
project.
(g) Budget and cost effectiveness. (10 points) The Secretary
reviews each application to determine the extent to which the budget--
(1) Is cost effective and adequate to support the project
activities;
(2) Contains costs that are reasonable and necessary in relation to
the objectives of the project; and
(3) Proposes using non-Federal resources available from appropriate
employment, training, and education agencies in the State to provide
project services and activities and to acquire project equipment and
facilities.
(h) Adequacy of resources and commitment. (5 points)
(1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the extent
to which the applicant plans to devote adequate resources to the
project. The Secretary considers the extent to which the--
(i) Facilities that the applicant plans to use are adequate; and
(ii) Equipment and supplies that the applicant plans to use are
adequate.
(2) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the
commitment to the project, including whether the--
(i) Uses of non-Federal resources are adequate to provide project
services and activities, especially resources of community
organizations and State and local educational agencies; and
(ii) Applicant has the capacity to continue, expand, and build upon
the project when Federal assistance under this part ends.
Cost Sharing
A recipient of an award under this competition must provide not
less than 25 percent of the total cost (the sum of the Federal and non-
Federal shares) of the project it conducts. The non-Federal share may
be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions, including the fair
market value of facilities, overhead, personnel, and equipment.
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs
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 State and local processes for State and local government
coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance.
Applicants must contact the appropriate State Single Point of
Contact to find out about, and to comply with, the State's process
under Executive Order 12372. Applicants proposing to perform activities
in more than one State should immediately contact the Single Point of
Contact for each of those States and follow the procedure established
in each State under the Executive Order. If you want to know the name
and address of any State Single Point of Contact, see the list
published in the Federal Register on May 3, 1994 (59 FR 22904-22905).
In States that have not established a process or chosen a program
for review, State, areawide, regional, and local entities may submit
comments directly to the Department.
Any State Process Recommendation and other comments submitted by a
State Single Point of Contact and any comments from State, areawide,
regional, and local entities must be mailed or hand-delivered by the
date indicated in this notice to the following address: The Secretary,
E.O. 12372--CFDA# 84.199D, U.S. Department of Education, Room 4161, 400
Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202-0125.
Proof of mailing will be determined on the same basis as
applications (see 34 CFR 75.102). Recommendations or comments may be
hand-delivered until 4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on the date
indicated in this notice.
Please note that the above address is not the same address as the
one to which the applicant submits its completed application. Do not
send applications to the above address.
Instructions for Transmittal of Applications
(a) If an applicant wants to apply for a grant, the applicant
shall--
(1) Mail the original and six copies of the application on or
before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application
Control Center, Attention: (CFDA# 84.199D), Washington, D.C. 20202-4725
or
(2) Hand deliver the original and six copies of the application by
4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on the deadline date to: U.S.
Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA#
84.199D), Room 3633, Regional Office Building #3, 7th and D Streets,
S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202-4725.
(b) An applicant must show one of the following 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.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary.
(c) If an application is mailed through the U.S. Postal Service,
the Secretary does not accept either of the following as proof of
mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
Notes: (1) The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a
dated postmark. Before relying on this method, an applicant should
check with its local post office.
(2) The Application Control Center will mail a Grant Application
Receipt Acknowledgement to each applicant. If an applicant fails to
receive the notification of application receipt within 15 days from
the date of mailing the application, the applicant should call the
U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202)
708-9494.
(3) The applicant must indicate on the envelope and--if not
provided by the Department--in Item 10 of the Application for
Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) the CFDA number--and suffix
letter, if any--of the competition under which the application is
being submitted.
Application Instructions and Forms
To apply for an award under this program competition, applications
must be organized in the following order and include the following five
parts:
Part I: Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424 (Rev.
4-88)).
Part II: Budget Information.
Part III: Budget Narrative.
Part IV: Program Narrative.
Part V: Additional Assurances and Certifications:
a. Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B).
b. Certification regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED
80-0013) and Instructions.
c. Certification regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and
Voluntary Exclusion: Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED 80-0014, 9/90)
and Instructions. (NOTE: ED 80-0014 is intended for the use of grantees
and should not be transmitted to the Department.)
d. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL-A) (if
applicable) and Instructions, and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
Continuation Sheet (Standard Form LLL-A).
All forms and instructions are included as Appendix A of this
notice.
To assist potential applicants, questions and answers pertaining to
this program are included as Appendix B.
All applicants must submit ONE original signed application,
including ink signatures on all forms and assurances and six copies of
the application. Please mark each application as original or copy.
Local or State agencies may choose to submit two copies with the
original.
No grant may be awarded unless a completed application form has
been received. (20 U.S.C. 1241-1391)
For Further Information Contact: Gail M. Schwartz, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW. (Room 4512--MES), Washington, DC
20202-7242. Telephone (202) 205-5621. 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.
Information about the Department's funding opportunities, including
copies of application notices for discretionary grant competitions, can
be viewed on the Department's electronic bulletin board (ED Board),
telephone (202) 260-9950; or on the Gopher Server at GOPHER.ED.GOV
(under announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases). However, the
official application notice for a discretionary grant competition is
the notice published in the Federal Register.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 2420(a).
Dated: July 6, 1994.
Augusta Souza Kappner,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Vocational and Adult Education.
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M
Appendix A
TN13JY94.014
TN13JY94.015
TN13JY94.016
TN13JY94.017
BILLING CODE 4000-01-C
Instructions for Part III--Budget Narrative
Prepare a detailed Budget Narrative for the first year of the
project that justifies, and/or clarifies the budget figures shown in
Section A. Explain:
1. How personnel costs are calculated--provide yearly and/or hourly
rates; for other than full-time staff, provide hours per day, week,
month, and year.
2. The basis used to estimate certain costs (professional
personnel, consultants, travel, indirect costs) and any other cost that
may appear unusual;
3. How the major cost items relate to the proposed project
activities (refer to application page);
4. The costs of the project's evaluation component;
5. What matching occurs in each budget category; and provide
estimated budget totals for the second, third, fourth, and fifth years
of the project.
Instructions for Part IV--Program Narrative
The program narrative will comprise the largest portion of your
application. This part is where you spell out the who, what, when,
where, why, and how of your proposed project.
Although you will not have a form to fill out for your narrative,
there is a format. This format is the selection criteria. Because your
application will be reviewed and rated by a review panel on the basis
of the selection criteria, your narrative should follow the order and
format of the criteria.
Before preparing your application, you should carefully read the
legislation and regulations of the program, eligibility requirements,
information on any priority set by the Secretary, and the selection
criteria for this competition.
Your program narrative should be clear, concise, and to the point.
Begin the narrative with a one page abstract or summary of your
proposed project. Then describe the project in detail, addressing each
selection criterion in order.
The Secretary strongly requests you limit the program narrative to
no more than 30 double-spaced, typed pages (on one side only), although
the Secretary will consider your application if it is longer. Be sure
to number consecutively ALL pages in your application.
You may include supporting documentation as appendices. Be sure
that this material is concise and pertinent to this program
competition.
You are advised that:
(a) The Department considers only information contained in the
application in ranking applications for funding consideration. Letters
of support sent separately from the formal application package are not
considered in the review by the technical review panels. (EDGAR Sec.
75.217)
(b) The technical review panel evaluates each application solely on
the basis of the established technical review criteria. Letters of
support contained in the application will strengthen the application
only insofar as they contain commitments which pertain to the
established technical review criteria, such as commitment and
resources.
Estimated Public Reporting Burden
Under terms of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, as amended, and
the regulations implementing that Act, the Department of Education
invites comment on the public reporting burden in this collection of
information. Public reporting burden for this collection of information
is estimated to average 90 hours per response, including the time for
reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the
collection of information. You may send comments regarding this burden
to the U.S. Department of Education, Information Management and
Compliance Division, Washington, D.C. 20202-4651; and to the Office of
Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, OMB 1830-0013,
Washington, D.C. 20503.
(Information collection approved under OMB control number 1830-0013.
Expiration date: 2/28/95.)
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M
TN13JY94.018
TN13JY94.019
TN13JY94.020
TN13JY94.021
TN13JY94.022
TN13JY94.023
TN13JY94.024
TN13JY94.025
BILLING CODE 4000-01-C
Appendix B
Potential applicants frequently direct questions to officials of
the Department regarding application notices and programmatic and
administrative regulations governing various direct grant programs. To
assist potential applicants the Department has assembled the following
most commonly asked questions.
Q. Can we get an extension of the deadline?
A. No. A closing date may be changed only under extraordinary
circumstances. Any change must be announced in the Federal Register and
apply to all applications. Waivers for individual applications cannot
be granted regardless of the circumstances.
Q. How many copies of the application should I submit and must they
be bound?
A. Our new policy calls for an original and six copies to be
submitted. The binding of applications is optional.
Q. We just missed the deadline for the XXX competition. May we
submit under another competition?
A. Yes, however, the likelihood of success is not good. A properly
prepared application must meet the requirements of the competition to
which it is submitted.
Q. I'm not sure which competition is most appropriate for my
project. What should I do?
A. We are happy to discuss any questions with you and provide
clarification on the unique elements of the various competitions.
Q. Will you help us prepare our application?
A. We are happy to provide general program information. Clearly, it
would not be appropriate for staff to participate in the actual writing
of an application, but we can respond to specific questions about
application requirements, evaluation criteria, and the priorities.
Applicants should understand that this previous preapplication
consultation is not required, nor will it in any way influence the
success of an application.
Q. When will I find out if I'm going to be funded?
A. You can expect to receive notification within 3 to 4 months of
the application closing date, depending on the number of applications
received and the number of competitions with closing dates at about the
same time.
Q. Once my application has been reviewed by the review panel, can
you tell me the outcome?
A. No. Every year we are called by a number of applicants who have
legitimate reasons for needing to know the outcome of the review prior
to official notification. Some applicants need to make job decisions,
some need to notify a local school district, etc. Regardless of the
reason, because final funding decisions have not been made at that
point, we cannot share information about the review with anyone.
Q. Will my application be returned if I am not funded?
A. We no longer return unsuccessful applications. Thus, applicants
should retain at least one copy of the application.
Q. Can I obtain copies of reviewers' comments?
A. Upon written request, reviewers' comments will be mailed to
unsuccessful applicants.
Q. Is travel allowed under these projects?
A. Travel associated with carrying out the project is allowed.
Because we will request the project directors and evaluators of funded
projects to attend an annual project directors meeting, you should
include annual trips for each to Washington, DC., in the travel budget.
Travel to conferences is sometimes allowed when it is for purposes of
dissemination.
Q. If my application receives high scores from the reviewers, does
that mean that I will receive funding?
A. Not necessarily. It is often the case that the number of
applications scored highly by the reviewers exceeds the dollars
available for funding projects under a particular competition. The
order of selection, which is based on the scores of all the
applications and other relevant factors, determines the applications
that can be funded.
Q. What happens during negotiations?
A. During negotiations technical and budget issues may be raised.
These are issues that have been identified during the panel and staff
reviews that require clarification. Sometimes issues are stated as
``conditions.'' These are issues that have been identified as so
critical that the award cannot be made unless those conditions are met.
Questions may also be raised about the proposed budget. Generally,
these issues are raised because there is inadequate justification or
explanation of a particular budget item, or because the budget item
seems unimportant to the successful completion of the project. If you
are asked to make changes that you feel could seriously affect the
project's success, you may provide reasons for not making the changes
or provide alternative suggestions. Similarly, if proposed budget
reductions will, in your opinion, seriously affect the project
activities, you may explain why and provide additional justification
for the proposed expenses. An award cannot be made until all
negotiation issues have been resolved.
Q. How do I provide an assurance?
A. Except for SF-424B, ``Assurances--Non-Construction Programs,''
simply state in writing that you are meeting a proscribed requirement.
Q. Where can copies of the Federal Register, program regulations,
and Federal statutes be obtained?
A. Copies of these materials can usually be found at your local
library. If not, they can be obtained from the Government Printing
Office by writing to: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC. 20402. Telephone: (202) 783-3238. When
requesting copies of regulations or statutes, it is helpful to use the
specific name, public law number, or part number. The material
referenced in this notice should be referred to as follows:
(1) Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act
(Perkins Act) (Public Law 101-392, 104 Stat. 753 (1990)).
(2) State Vocational and Applied Technology Education Programs and
National Discretionary Programs of Vocational Education Final
Regulations, 34 CFR Parts 400 and 426.
(3) Education Department General Administrative Regulations, 34 CFR
Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, and 86.
Q. What are the Department of Education's Program Effectiveness
Panel and National Diffusion Network?
A. The Program Effectiveness Panel (PEP) is the Department of
Education's primary mechanism for validating the effectiveness of
educational programs developed by schools, universities, and other
agencies. The National Diffusion Network (NDN) is a Federally funded
dissemination system that helps public and private schools, colleges,
and other educational institutions improve by sharing successful
education programs, products, and processes.
Regulations governing PEP and NDN are codified at 34 CFR Parts 785-
789. For information about PEP, prospective applicants may wish to read
Making the Case: Evidence of Effectiveness in Schools and Classrooms,
which contains criteria and guidelines for submitting project results
to PEP. This publication, as well as information about NDN, is
available from RMC Research Corporation, 1000 Market Street,
Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801. Telephone 1-800-258-0802. RMC Research
Corporation can also provide information about consultants who have
conducted evaluations that have been approved by PEP.
[FR Doc. 94-16903 Filed 7-12-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
