07/14/00: Notice of Application Review Procedures for New Awards for Fiscal Year 2000; Office of Educational Research and Improvement Comprehensive School Reform Research Grant Program [OERI]

[Federal Register: July 14, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 136)]
[Notices]               
[Page 43959-43960]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14jy00-140]                         


[[Page 43959]]

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Part V





Department of Education





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Office of Educational Research and Improvement Comprehensive School 
Reform Research Grant Program: Application Review Procedures for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year 2000; Notice


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No: 84.306S]

 
Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) 
Comprehensive School Reform Research Grant Program: Notice of 
Application Review Procedures for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2000

SUMMARY: On April 20, 2000, we published in the Federal Register (65 FR 
21284) a notice inviting applications for new awards for FY 2000 for 
the Comprehensive School Reform Research Grant Program. This notice 
explains the procedures that we will use to review your application.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Application Review Procedure

    We will use a two-tier review process for the new Comprehensive 
School Reform Research Grant competition for FY 2000. All reviewers 
will meet the qualifications for reviewers established in the 
regulations at 34 CFR 700.11. This two-tier process and scoring system 
are authorized by and in accordance with OERI program regulations in 34 
CFR part 700, particularly Secs. 700.21 and 700.30.
    Tier I. At the Tier I level, your application will be assigned to 
at least three reviewers, or subpanel members, from the full panel of 
12-15 members. Reviewers from each subpanel will evaluate and score 
applications in accordance with the four selection criteria in the 
application package:
    (1) National Significance. (30 points)
    (2) Quality of the Project Design. (35 points)
    (3) Quality and Potential Contributions of Personnel. (20 points)
    (4) Quality of the Management Plan and Adequacy of Resources. (15 
points)
    For each application, reviewers will review 50-page narratives, 5-
page management plans, 3-page-per-individual biographical sketches, and 
budget information. In accordance with page limits as described in the 
closing date notice and application package, all pages in excess of the 
maximum will be removed unread.
    The Tier I reviewers will meet in the Washington, DC metropolitan 
area, and subpanel members will discuss their assigned applications and 
their numerical ratings. Following discussion and any re-evaluation and 
re-rating, reviewers in each subpanel will independently place each 
application in one of three categories, either ``highly recommended,'' 
``recommended'' or ``not recommended.''
    OERI will then calculate the Tier I score for each application by 
averaging the scores assigned by subpanel members. OERI numerically 
ranks all applications according to their average score and establishes 
a cut-off point to determine which applications advance to Tier II. 
Only those applications with a Tier I score higher than the established 
cut-off point will advance to Tier II review, with the following 
exception. All applications that receive a ``highly recommended'' 
rating from a majority of subpanel members will advance to Tier II 
regardless of their average score.
    In determining the cut-off point, OERI will consider the following 
two factors: clear distinctions between clusters of scores as evidenced 
by gaps in the ranking, and the number of proposals required to ensure 
a competitive Tier II evaluation.
    Tier II. If your application advances to the Tier II level, it will 
be read, rated, and commented on by all members of the full panel. Each 
reviewer will independently apply the same selection criteria and 
scoring system that were used in the Tier I review. After a common 
discussion of all applications, reviewers will give final numerical 
ratings and comments. OERI will rank the applications to form the 
recommended slate. Should there be a number of applications at the cut-
off point, then the competitive priority would be applied. In the event 
of a tie, the Assistant Secretary would determine which application or 
applications from that group fill the most critical gaps in 
comprehensive school reform research.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), 
it is the practice of the Department to offer interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on proposed regulations. Section 437(d)(1) of 
the General Education Provision Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232 (d)(1), 
however, exempts rules that apply to the first competition under a new 
or substantially revised program from the requirements. Therefore, the 
Assistant Secretary of OERI, in accordance with section 437 (d)(1) of 
GEPA, to ensure timely awards, has decided to forego public comment 
with respect to these procedures. These procedures will apply only to 
the FY 2000 grant competition.
    (The valid OMB control number for this collection of information is 
1850-0763.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debra Hollinger Martinez, Office of 
Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, 555 
New Jersey Avenue, NW, Room 615A, Washington, DC 20208-5521. Telephone: 
(202) 219-2239. (E-mail: Debra_Hollinger_Martinez@ed.gov). 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 in the preceding 
paragraph.

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 either of the 
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

    To use the PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, 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 (GPO) 
toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC area at (202) 
512-1530.

    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.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6031.

    Dated: July 11, 2000.
C. Kent McGuire,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 00-17926 Filed 7-13-00; 8:45 am]
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