[Federal Register: January 9, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 6)]
[Notices]
[Page 1773-1794]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09ja01-116]
[[Page 1773]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Part IV
Department of Education
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bilingual Education: Field-Initiated Research Program; Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2001; Notice
[[Page 1774]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No.: 84.292B]
Bilingual Education: Field-Initiated Research Program; Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2001
Note to Applicants: This notice is a complete application
package. Together with the statute authorizing the program and
applicable regulations governing this program, including the
Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR),
this notice contains all of the information, application forms, and
instructions needed to apply for a grant under this program. The
statutory authorization for this program is contained in section
7132 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA),
20 U.S.C. 7452, as amended by the Improving America's Schools Act of
1994, Public Law 103-382 (October 20, 1994).
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to provide
grants for field-initiated research activities related to the
improvement of bilingual education and special alternative
instructional programs for limited English proficient (LEP) children
and youth.
Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education, nonprofit
organizations, State educational agencies, and local educational
agencies that have received grants under subparts 1 or 2 of Part A of
title VII of the ESEA within the previous five years.
Applications Available: January 9, 2001
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 8, 2001.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 12, 2001.
Available Funds: $1,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000-$150,000.
Estimated Average Per Year: $115,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 8.
Note: The Administration has requested $1,000,000 for new awards
under the Field-Initiated Research program in FY2001. The actual
level of funding, if any, depends upon final congressional action.
Project Period: 24 months.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and, (b) The regulations in 34 CFR part
299, General Provisions, ESEA.
Description of Program
Funds under this program are available to carry out field-initiated
research conducted by current or recent recipients of grants under
subparts 1 or 2 who have received those grants within the previous five
years. Research under this program may provide for longitudinal studies
of students or teachers in bilingual education, monitoring the
education of those students from entry in bilingual education through
secondary school completion.
Priorites
Invitational Priorities: The Secretary is particularly interested
in applications that meet the following invitational priorities.
However, an application that meets these invitational priorities does
not receive competitive or absolute preference over other applications
(34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)):
Applications that propose to focus on research that leads to
answering significant questions on the assessment of academic
achievement for LEP students.
Applications that propose to address the following question: At
what point along the language proficiency continuum does testing a
student in the second language in the content areas yield meaningful
and valid results?
Applications that propose to study the comprehensiveness,
alignment, and validity of state-wide testing and data analysis
systems. Information related to the substance of this invitational
priority can be found at the LEP Students and High-Stakes Assessment
published in April, 2000, available at the NCBE website:
www.ncbe.gwu.edu and also in the report: An Analysis of State Policies
for the Inclusion and Accommodation of English Language Learners in
State Assessment Programs. During 1998-1999, available at the website
of the Center for Equity and Excellence in Education of the George
Washington University: http://ceee.gwu.edu.
Note: The Secretary is particularly interested in applications
from SEAs that address these invitational priorities.
Note: For further information on assessment issues, see ``High
Stakes Assessment: A Research Agenda for English Language
Learners'', which is available from the National Clearinghouse for
Bilingual Education, telephone--1-800-321-6223 or website at: http:/
/www.ncbe.gwu.edu.
Selection Criteria
The Secretary uses the following selection criteria in 34 CFR
75.210 to evaluate applications for new grants under this competition.
The maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points.
The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses.
(a) Need for the project (5 points). (1) The Secretary considers
the need for the proposed project.
(2) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services,
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude
of those gaps or weaknesses.
(b) Significance (10 points). (1) The Secretary considers the
significance of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by the
proposed project.
(ii) The potential contribution of the proposed project to
increased knowledge or understanding of educational problems, issues,
or effective strategies.
(iii) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in
system change or improvement.
(iv) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in
teaching and student achievement.
(c) Quality of the project design (50 points). (1) The Secretary
considers the quality of the design of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(ii) The extent to which the proposed project is based upon a
specific research design, and the quality and appropriateness of that
design, including the scientific rigor of the studies involved.
(iii) The extent to which the design of the proposed project
includes a thorough, high-quality review of the relevant literature, a
high-quality plan for project implementation, and the use of
appropriate methodological tools to ensure successful achievement of
project objectives.
(iv) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a
comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support
rigorous academic standards for students.
(d) Quality of project personnel (20 points). (1) The Secretary
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed
project.
[[Page 1775]]
(2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director or principal investigator.
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of key project personnel.
(e) Adequacy of resources (5 points). (1) The Secretary considers
the adequacy of resources for the proposed project.
(2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the
proposed project.
(ii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to
the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed
project.
(f) Quality of the management plan (10 points). (1) The Secretary
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) 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.
(ii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed
project.
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 April 28, 1999 (64 FR 22963); or
you may view the latest SPOC list on the OMB Web site at the following
address: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants.
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# 84.292B, U.S.
Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-0124.
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. (EST) 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.
Grants involving research on human subjects will require compliance
with the Department's Protection of Human Subjects Regulations, 34 CFR
part 97. The regulations and information about the regulations can be
found at http://ocfo.ed/humansub.htm. For quick overview, see in
particular ``Information About the Requirements at the Application/
Proposal Stage and After Award.''
Instructions for Transmittal of Applications
(a) If an applicant wants to apply for a grant, the applicant
must--
(1) Mail the original and two copies of the application on or
before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application
Control Center, Attention (CFDA #84.292B), Washington, DC 20202-4725 or
(2) Hand-deliver the original and two copies of the application by
4:30 p.m. (EST) on or before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA #84.292B), Room
#3633, Regional Office Building #3, 7th and D Streets SW., Washington,
DC.
(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.
Note: (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 Acknowledgment 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)
708-9495.
(3) The applicant must indicate on the envelope and--if not
provided by the Department--in Item 3 of the Application for Federal
Education Assistance (ED 424) the CFDA number--and suffix letter, if
any--of the competition under which the application is being
submitted.
Application Instructions and Forms
The appendix to this notice contains the following forms and
instructions, plus a statement regarding estimated public reporting
burden, a notice to applicants regarding compliance with section 427 of
the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), a checklist for
applicants, various assurances, certifications, and required
documentation:
a. Instructions for the Application Narrative.
b. Additional Guidance.
c. Estimated Public Reporting Burden Statement.
d. Notice to All Applicants.
e. Checklist for Applicants.
f. Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424) and
instructions.
g. Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524) and
instructions.
h. Eligibility Certification.
i. Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B) and
instructions.
[[Page 1776]]
j. Certifications Regarding: Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED
80-0013) and instructions.
k. Certification Regarding Human Subject Regulations 34 CFR part
97. Grants involving research on human subjects will require compliance
with the Department's Protection of Human Subjects Regulations (ED
424).
l. 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.)
m. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL) (if
applicable) and instructions. This document has been marked to reflect
statutory changes. See the notice published in the Federal Register (61
FR 1413) by the Office of Management and Budget on January 19, 1996.
An applicant may submit information on a photostatic copy of the
application and budget forms, the assurances, and the certifications.
However, the application form, the assurances, and the certifications
must each have an original signature.
All applicants must submit ONE original signed application,
including ink signatures on all forms and assurances, and TWO copies of
the application. Please mark each application as original or copy. No
grant may be awarded unless a completed application has been received.
For Further Information Contact: Socorro Lara, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW., Room 5090, Switzer Building,
Washington, DC 20202-6510. Telephone: (202) 205-9730. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at
1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this notice in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding
paragraph. Please note, however, that the Department is not able to
reproduce in an alternative format the standard forms included in the
notice.
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 PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free
at either of the preceding sites. If you have questions about using
PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office 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. 7452.
Dated: January 3, 2001.
Art Love,
Acting Director, Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages
Affairs.
Estimated Public Reporting Burden Statement
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are
required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this
information collection is OMB No. 1885-0547 (Exp. 04/30/2002). The time
required to complete this information collection is estimated to
average 145 hours per response, including the time to review
instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed,
and complete and review the information collection. If you have any
comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate or suggestions
for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education,
Washington, DC 20202-4651.
If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your
individual submission of this form, write directly to: Office of
Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5086, Switzer Building,
Washington, DC 20202-6510.
Application Instructions
Mandatory Page Limit for the Application Narrative
The narrative is the section of the application where you address
the selection criteria used by reviewers in evaluating the application.
You must limit the narrative to the equivalent of no more than 50
pages, using the following standards: (1) A page is 8.5" x 11", on one
side only with 1" margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. (2) You
must double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text
in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes,
quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts,
tables, figures and graphs. If you use a proportional computer font,
you may not use a font smaller than a 12-point font. If you use a non-
proportional font or a typewriter, you may not use more than 12
characters per inch. The page limit does not apply to the Application
for Federal Education Assistance Form (ED 424); the Budget Information
Form (ED 524) and attached itemization of costs; the other application
forms and attachments to those forms; the assurances and
certifications; or the one-page abstract and table of contents
described below. If, in order to meet the page limit, you use print
size, spacing or margins smaller than the standards specified in this
notice, your application will not be considered for funding.
Selection Criteria
The narrative should address fully all aspects of the selection
criteria in the order listed and should give detailed information
regarding each criterion. Do not simply paraphrase the criteria. Do not
include resumes or curriculum vitae for project personnel; provide
position descriptions instead.
Additional Guidance
Table of Contents
The application should include a table of contents listing the
sections in the order required.
Budget
Budget line items must support the goals and objectives of the
proposed project and must be directly related to the instructional
design and all other project components.
Final Application Preparation
Use the Checklist for Applicants to verify that your application is
complete. Submit three copies of the application, including an original
copy containing an original signature for each form requiring the
signature of the authorized representative. Do not use elaborate
bindings or covers. The application package must be mailed or hand-
delivered to the Application Control Center (ACC) and postmarked by the
deadline date.
Checklist for Applicants
The following forms and other items must be included in the
application in the order listed below:
1. Application for Federal Education Assistance Form (ED 424).
2. Eligibility Certification.
3. Budget Information Form (ED Form 524).
[[Page 1777]]
4. Itemized budget for each year.
5. Certification Regarding Human Subject Regulations 34 CFR Part
97. Grants involving research on human subjects will require compliance
with the Department's Protection of Human Subjects Regulations (ED
424).
6. Assurances--Non-Construction Programs Form (SF 424B).
7. Certifications Regarding Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension and
Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements Form
(ED 80-0013).
8. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and
Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions Form (ED 80-0014)
(if applicable).
9. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Form (SF-LLL).
10. Form on General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirement.
11. Table of Contents.
12. Application narrative, including abstract (not to exceed 50
pages).
13. One original and two copies of the application for transmittal
to the Education Department's Application Control Center.
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U
[[Page 1778]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.002
[[Page 1779]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.003
[[Page 1780]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.004
[[Page 1781]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.005
[[Page 1782]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.006
[[Page 1783]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.007
[[Page 1784]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.008
[[Page 1785]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.009
[[Page 1786]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.010
[[Page 1787]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.011
[[Page 1788]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.012
[[Page 1789]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.013
[[Page 1790]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.014
[[Page 1791]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.015
[[Page 1792]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.016
[[Page 1793]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.017
[[Page 1794]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN09JA01.018
[FR Doc. 01-559 Filed 1-8-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-C