26394 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 91 /Tuesday, May 12, 1998 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.258]

Even Start Family Literacy Program for

Federally Recognized Indian Tribes

and Tribal Organizations; Notice

Inviting Applications for New Awards

Using Fiscal year (FY) 1998 Funds

AGENCY: Department of Education.

Note to Applicants: This notice is a

complete application package. Together with

the statute authorizing the program and 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 Even Start

Family Literacy Program for Indian

tribes and tribal organizations is

designed to help break the cycle of

poverty and illiteracy by improving the

educational opportunities of lowincome families by integrating early

childhood education, adult literacy or

adult basic education, and parenting

education into a unified family literacy

program for federally recognized Indian

tribes and tribal organizations.

Eligible Applicants: Federally

recognized Indian tribes and tribal

organizations.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: July 15, 1998.

Available Funds: The Department

estimates that there will be sufficient FY

1998 funds for one to two new projects

after funding continuation awards in FY

1998.

Estimated Range of Awards:

$100,000–$250,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards:

$175,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 1–2

Note: The Department is not bound by any

estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 48 months.

Applicable Regulations: The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) as

follows:

(1) 34 CFR Part 75 (Direct Grant

Programs).

(2) 34 CFR Part 77 (Definitions that

Apply to Department Regulations).

(3) 34 CFR Part 80 (Uniform

Administrative Requirements for Grants

and Cooperative Agreements to State

and Local Governments).

(4) 34 CFR Part 81 (General Education

Provisions Act— Enforcement).

(5) 34 CFR Part 82 (New Restrictions

on Lobbying).

(6) 34 CFR Part 85 (Governmentwide

Debarment and Suspension

(Nonprocurement) and

Governmentwide Requirements for

Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)).

Description of Program: Under the

authority of section 1202(a)(1)(C) of the

Elementary and Secondary Education

Act (ESEA), the Assistant Secretary of

Elementary and Secondary Education

(Assistant Secretary) awards grants to

eligible applicants for projects that—

(1) Improve the educational

opportunities of low-income families by

integrating early childhood education,

adult literacy or adult basic education,

and parenting education into a unified

family literacy program for federally

recognized Indian tribe and tribal

organization projects;

(2) Are implemented through

cooperative activities that build on

existing community resources to create

a new range of services for federally

recognized Indian tribe and tribal

organization projects;

(3) Promote achievement of the

National Education Goals one, three,

five, and eight that address school

readiness, student achievement, adult

literacy, and parent involvement in the

education of their children; and

(4) Assist children and adults to

achieve to challenging State content

standards and challenging State student

performance standards.

Eligible participants. Eligible

participants are children and their

parents who also meet the following

conditions specified in section 1206(a)

of the ESEA:

(1) The parent or parents must be

eligible for participation in an adult

education program under the Adult

Education Act; or

(2) For a parent or parents within the

State’s compulsory school attendance

age range, a local educational agency

must provide (or ensure the availability

of) the basic education component; and

(3) The child or children must be

younger than eight years of age.

Note: Family members of eligible

participants described in paragraphs one

through three, above, also may participate in

Even Start Family Literacy Program activities

when appropriate to serve Even Start

purposes. In addition, section 1206(b) of the

ESEA generally permits families to remain

eligible for Even Start Family Literacy

services until all family members become

ineligible for participation. For example, in

the case of a family in which the parent or

parents have become ineligible due to

educational advancement, eligibility would

continue until all children in the family

reach age eight. If all children in a family

have reached the age of eight, the family

continues to be eligible for two more years,

or until the parents no longer are eligible for

adult education under the Adult Education

Act, whichever occurs earlier.

Budget period. Under 34 CFR 75.112

and 75.117, an eligible applicant must

propose a project period (up to four

years) and provide budgetary

information for each year of that

proposed project period in its initial

application. The budgetary information

provided should include, for each year,

an amount for each key project

component with an accompanying

breakdown of any subcomponents. A

written justification for all requested

amounts should be provided.

An applicant is also required under

34 CFR 75.112(b) to describe how and

when, in each budget period of the

project, it plans to meet each objective

of the project.

Note: This information will be used by the

Assistant Secretary, in conjunction with the

grantee’s annual performance report required

under 34 CFR 75.118(a), to determine

whether to make a continuation award for the

subsequent budget year. Under 34 CFR

75.253 a grantee may receive a continuation

award only if it demonstrates that it either

has made substantial progress toward

meeting the objectives of the approved

project, or has received the Assistant

Secretary’s approval of changes in the project

to enable it to meet the objectives in the

succeeding budget periods.

Federal and local funding. An Even

Start Family Literacy project’s funding

is comprised of both a Federal portion

of funds (Federal share) and a portion

contributed by the eligible applicant

(local project share). The local share of

the project may be provided in cash or

in kind and may be obtained from any

source, including other Federal

programs funded by the ESEA. The

Federal share of the project may not

exceed—

• 90 percent of the total cost of the

project in the first year;

• 80 percent in the second year;

• 70 percent in the third year;

• 60 percent in the fourth year; and

• 50 percent in any subsequent year.

The Federal share for any grantee

receiving a grant for a second grant

cycle may not exceed 50 percent. Any

grantee that wishes to reapply for a

second grant cycle at the end of its first

project period (up to 4 years) must

recompete for funding with new

applicants.

Indirect costs. Even Start Family

Literacy Program funds generally may

not be used for the indirect costs of a

project. Recipients of an Even Start

Indian tribe and tribal organization

grant may request the Secretary to waive

this requirement. To obtain a waiver,

however, the recipient must

demonstrate to the Secretary’s

satisfaction that the recipient otherwise

would not be able to participate in the

Even Start Family Literacy Program.

National and Local Evaluations: The

Department is conducting a national
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 91 /Tuesday, May 12, 1998 / Notices 26395

evaluation of Even Start Family Literacy

projects. Grantees are required to

participate in the Department’s national

evaluation and to conduct a separate

independent local evaluation consistent

with the grantee’s responsibilities under

34 CFR 75.590.

The Even Start Family Literacy

Program has a set of performance

indicators developed for use in

managing and reporting purposes. These

indicators, which follow this

application notice, have been approved

by the Office of Management and

Budget and shared with the Congress.

Applicants are encouraged to use these

indicators as a framework when

developing their programs.

The Secretary suggests that each

applicant budget for evaluation

activities as follows: a project with an

estimated cost of up to $120,000 should

designate $5,000 for this purpose; a

project with an estimated cost of over

$120,000 should designate $10,000 for

these activities. These funds will be

used for expenditures related to the

collection and aggregation of data

required for the Department’s national

evaluation. The Secretary also

recommends that projects budget for the

cost of travel to Washington, DC, and

two nights’ lodging for the project

director and the project evaluator, for

their participation in annual evaluation

meetings.

Technical Assistance: The

Department holds annual technical

assistance conferences for professional

development. Grantees are strongly

encouraged to participate in these

conferences.

The Secretary suggests that each

applicant budget $2,000 each year for

these activities. These funds should

cover the cost of travel to the West

Coast, and two nights’ lodging for the

project director and one staff member,

for their participation in annual

technical assistance conferences.

Selection Criteria: The Secretary uses

the following selection criteria to

evaluate applications for grants under

this competition.

(1) The maximum composite score for

all of these criteria is 100 points.

(2) The maximum score for each

criterion is indicated in parentheses.

(a) Meeting the purposes of the

authorizing statute. (10 points). The

Secretary considers how well the project

will meet the purpose of the Even Start

Family Literacy Program for federally

recognized Indian tribes and tribal

organizations, which under sections

1201 and 1202(a)(1)(C) of the ESEA is to

help break the cycle of poverty and

illiteracy by awarding grants for projects

that—

• Improve the educational

opportunities of low-income families by

integrating early childhood education,

adult literacy or adult basic education,

and parenting education into a unified

family literacy program for federally

recognized Indian tribe and tribal

organization projects;

• Are implemented through

cooperative projects that build on

existing community resources to create

a new range of services for Indian tribe

and tribal organization projects;

• Promote achievement of the

National Education Goals; and

• Assist children and adults from

low-income families to achieve to

challenging State content standards and

challenging State student performance

standards.

(b) Need for project. (15 points). The

Secretary considers the need for the

proposed project. In determining the

need for the proposed project, the

Secretary considers the following

factors:

(i) The magnitude of the need for the

services to be provided or the activities

to be carried out by the proposed

project.

(ii) 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.

Note: The Secretary invites applicants to

address such factors as the following: the

number of families in the area who need

Even Start services, the lack of availability of

comprehensive family literacy services for

that population, other resources that will be

used to benefit project participants, and any

other factors that the applicant considers

relevant to the extent of need for the project.

(c) Significance. (10 points). The

Secretary considers the significance of

the proposed project. In determining the

significance of the proposed project, the

Secretary considers the following

factors:

(i) The extent to which the proposed

project involves the development or

demonstration of promising new

strategies that build on, or are

alternatives to, existing strategies.

(ii) The potential replicability of the

proposed project or strategies,

including, as appropriate, the potential

for implementation in a variety of

settings.

(iii) The importance or magnitude of

the results or outcomes likely to be

attained by the proposed project.

(d) Quality of the project design. (15

points). The Secretary considers the

quality of the design of the proposed

project. In determining the quality of the

design of the proposed project, the

Secretary considers the following

factors:

(i) 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.

(ii) The extent to which the design of

the proposed project is appropriate to,

and will successfully address, the needs

of the target population or other

identified needs.

(iii) The extent to which the proposed

project will be coordinated with similar

or related efforts, and with other

appropriate community, State, and

Federal resources.

Note: In designing the project, an eligible

applicant must propose a project that

incorporates, at a minimum, the following

program elements required by section 1205 of

the ESEA:

(A) Identification and recruitment of

families most in need of services provided

under the Even Start Family Literacy

Program, as indicated by a low level of

income, a low level of adult literacy or

English language proficiency of the eligible

parent or parents, and other need-related

indicators.

(B) Screening and preparation of parents,

including teenage parents and children, to

enable those parents to participate fully in

the activities and services provided under the

Even Start Family Literacy Program,

including testing, referral to necessary

counseling, other developmental and support

services, and related services.

(C) Design that accommodates the

participants’ work schedule and other

responsibilities, including the provision of

support services, when those services are

unavailable from other sources, but are

necessary for participation in the activities

assisted under the Even Start Family Literacy

Program, such as—

• Scheduling and location of services to

allow joint participation by parents and

children;

• Child care for the period that parents are

involved in the project; and

• Transportation to enable parents and

their children to participate in the project.

(D) High-quality, intensive instructional

programs that promote adult literacy and

empower parents to support the educational

growth of their children, developmentally

appropriate early childhood educational

services, and preparation of children for

success in regular school programs.

(E) Special training of staff, including child

care staff, to develop the skills necessary to

work with parents and young children in the

full range of instructional services offered

through the Even Start Family Literacy

Program.

(F) Providing and monitoring of integrated

instructional services to participating parents

and children through home-based programs.
26396 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 91 /Tuesday, May 12, 1998 / Notices

(G) Operation on a year-round basis,

including the provision of some program

services, instructional or enrichment, during

the summer months.

(H) Coordination with—

• Programs assisted under other parts of

Title I and other programs under the ESEA;

• Any relevant programs under the Adult

Education Act, the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act, and the Job

Training Partnership Act; and

• The Head Start program, volunteer

literacy programs, and other relevant

programs.

(I) Ensuring that the proposed project will

serve those families most in need of the

activities and services provided by the Even

Start Family Literacy Program.

(J) An independent evaluation of the

project.)

(e) Quality of project services. (20

points). The Secretary considers the

quality of the services to be provided by

the proposed project. In determining the

quality of the services to be provided by

the proposed project, the Secretary

considers the quality and sufficiency of

strategies for ensuring equal access and

treatment for eligible project

participants who are members of groups

that have traditionally been

underrepresented based on race, color,

national origin, gender, age, or

disability. In addition, the Secretary

considers the following factors:

(i) The likelihood that the services to

be provided by the proposed project

will lead to improvements in the

achievement of students as measured

against rigorous academic standards.

(ii) The likely impact of the services

to be provided by the proposed project

on the intended recipients of those

services.

Note: An eligible applicant must propose a

project that has ‘‘high-quality, intensive

instructional programs’’ in the three core

instructional areas (early childhood

education, adult education, and parenting

education), as required by section 1205(d) of

the ESEA. Concerning the quality of project

services, the Secretary invites applicants to

describe the level of intensity in these three

core instructional services that the applicant

believes sufficient to produce positive and

sustainable outcomes for families, and how

the project will provide that level of intensity

of services.

(f) Quality of project personnel. (5

points). The Secretary considers the

quality of the personnel who will carry

out the proposed project. 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. In addition,

the Secretary considers the following

factors:

(i) The qualifications, including

relevant training and experience, of key

project personnel.

(ii) The qualifications, including

relevant training and experience, of

project consultants or subcontractors.

(g) Adequacy of resources. (5 points.)

The Secretary considers the adequacy of

resources for the proposed project. In

determining the adequacy of resources

for the proposed project, the Secretary

considers the following factors:

(i) The adequacy of support, including

facilities, equipment, supplies, and

other resources, from the applicant

organization or the lead applicant

organization.

Note: Applicants may address this criteria

in any way that is reasonable. An eligible

applicant must provide an increasing local

project share over the grant period (at least

the following amounts: 10% in the first year,

20% in the second year, 30% in the third

year, and 40% in the fourth year), as required

by section 1204(b) of the ESEA. In addressing

adequacy of resources, the Secretary invites

applicants to describe the resources that they

will use to increase the amount of the local

project’s share over the four years of the

grant, which will contribute to the

applicant’s ability to sustain the project at the

end of the Federal funding.

(ii) The extent to which the costs are

reasonable in relation to the objectives,

design, and potential significance of the

proposed project.

(iii) The potential for the

incorporation of project purposes,

activities, or benefits into the ongoing

program of the agency or organization at

the end of Federal funding.

(h) Quality of the management plan.

(10 points). The Secretary considers the

quality of the management plan for the

proposed project. 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 adequacy of procedures for

ensuring feedback and continuous

improvement in the operation of the

proposed project.

(iii) 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.

(iv) How the applicant will ensure

that a diversity of perspectives are

brought to bear in the operation of the

proposed project, including those of

parents, teachers, the business

community, a variety of disciplinary

and professional fields, recipients or

beneficiaries of services, or others, as

appropriate.

(i) Quality of project evaluation. (10

points). The Secretary considers the

quality of the evaluation to be

conducted of the proposed project. In

determining the quality of the

evaluation, the Secretary considers the

following factors:

(i) The extent to which the methods

of evaluation include the use of

objective performance measures that are

clearly related to the intended outcomes

of the project and will produce

quantitative and qualitative data to the

extent possible.

(ii) The extent to which the methods

of evaluation will provide performance

feedback and permit periodic

assessment of progress toward achieving

intended outcomes.

Instructions for Transmittal of

Applications: (a) If an applicant wants

to apply for a grant, the applicant

shall—

(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: Patricia McKee (CFDA

#84.258), Compensatory Education

Programs, Room 3633, Regional Office

Building #3, 7th and D Streets, SW,

Washington, DC 20202–4725

or,

(2) Hand deliver the original and two

copies of the application by 4:30 p.m.

(Washington, DC time) on or before the

deadline date to: U.S. Department of

Education, Application Control Center,

Attention: Patricia McKee (CFDA

#84.258), Compensatory Education

Programs, Room 3633, Regional Office

Building #3, 7th and D Streets, SW,

Washington, DC 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.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 91 /Tuesday, May 12, 1998 / Notices 26397

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

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–

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:

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,

and various assurances and

certifications.

a. Instructions for the Application

Narrative.

b. Estimated Public Reporting Burden

Statement.

c. Notice to All Applicants.

d. Objectives and Performance

Indicators for the Even Start Family

Literacy Program.

e. Application for Federal Assistance

(Standard Form 424 (Rev. 4–88)) and

instructions.

f. Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs (ED Form No.

524) and instruction.

g. Assurances—Non-Construction

Programs (Standard Form 424B).

h. Certifications regarding Lobbying;

Debarment, Suspension, and Other

Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free

Workplace Requirements (ED 80–0013,

6/90).

i. 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.)

j. 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 photostatic copies of the application,

budget forms, assurances, and

certifications. However, the application

form, assurances, and certifications

must each have an original signature.

No grant may be awarded unless a

completed application form, including

the signed assurances and certifications,

have been received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Laura Chow, Compensatory Education

Programs, Office of Elementary and

Secondary Education, U.S. Department

of Education, 600 Independence

Avenue, SW (4400, Portals),

Washington, DC 20202–6132.

Telephone (202) 260–2683. 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.

Individuals with disabilities may

obtain this document in an alternate

format (e.g., Braille, large print,

audiotape, or computer diskette) on

request to the contact person listed in

the preceding paragraph.

Individuals with disabilities may

obtain a copy of the application package

in an alternate format, also, by

contacting that person. However, the

Department is not able to reproduce in

an alternate format the standard forms

included in the application package.

Electronic Access to This Document

Anyone may view this document, as

well as all other Department of

Education documents published in the

Federal Register, in text or portable

document format (pdf) on the World

Wide Web 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 the Adobe

Acrobat Reader Program with Search,

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 toll free at

1–888–293–6498.

Anyone may also view these

documents in text copy only on an

electronic bulletin board of the

Department. Telephone (202) 219–1511

or, toll free, 1–800–222–4922. The

documents are located under Option GFiles/Announcements, Bulletins and

Press Releases.

Note: The official version of a document is

the document published in the Federal

Register.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. section

6362(a)(1)(C).

Dated: May 7, 1998.

Gerald N. Tirozzi,

Assistant Secretary, Elementary and

Secondary Education.

Instructions for the Application

Narrative

Before preparing the Application

Narrative an applicant should read

carefully the description of the program

and the selection criteria the Secretary

uses to evaluate applications.

The narrative should encompass each

function or activity for which funds are

being requested and should—

1. Begin with an Abstract; that is, a

summary of the proposed project;

2. Describe the proposed project in

light of the selection criteria in the order

in which the criteria are listed in this

application package; and

3. Provide the following in response

to the attached ‘‘Notice to all

Applicants’’: (1) a reference to the

portion of the application in which

information appears as to how the

applicant is addressing steps to promote

equitable access and participation, or (2)

a separate statement that contains that

information.

4. Provide a copy of the signed set of

assurances specified in section 14306(a)

of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 8856(a)) that the

applicant has filed with its SEA and that

is applicable to this grant application.

5. Include any other pertinent

information that might assist the

Secretary in reviewing the application.

The Secretary strongly requests the

applicant to limit the Application

Narrative to no more than 20 doublespaced, typed pages (on one side only),

although the Secretary will consider

applications of greater length. The

Department has found that successful

applications for similar programs

generally meet this page limit.

Instructions for Estimated Public

Reporting Burden

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 1810–0540. The time

required to complete this information

collection is estimated to average 15

hours per response, including the time

to review instructions, search existing

data resources, gather and maintain 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, D.C. 20202–4651. If you
26398 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 91 /Tuesday, May 12, 1998 / Notices

have comments or concerns regarding

the status of your individual submission

of this form, write directly to: Patricia

McKee, Compensatory Education

Programs, Office of Elementary and

Secondary Education, U.S. Department

of Education, 600 Independence

Avenue, SW, Room 4400, Portals

Building, Washington D.C. 20202–6132.

Notice to All Applicants

Thank you for your interest in this

program. The purpose of this enclosure

is to inform you about a new provision

in the Department of Education’s

General Education Provisions Act

(GEPA) that applies to applicants for

new grant awards under Department

programs. This provision is section 427

of GEPA, enacted as part of the

Improving America’s Schools Act of

1994 (Pub. L. 103–382).

To Whom Does This Provision Apply?

Section 427 of GEPA affects

applicants for new discretionary grant

awards under this program. All

Applicants for New Awards Must

Include Information in Their

Applications To Address This New

Provision in Order To Receive Funding

Under This Program.

What Does This Provision Require?

Section 427 requires each applicant

for funds (other than an individual

person) to include in its application a

description of the steps the applicant

proposes to take to ensure equitable

access to, and participation in, its

federally assisted program for students,

teachers, and other program

beneficiaries with special needs.

This section allows applicants

discretion in developing the required

description. The statute highlights six

types of barriers that can impede

equitable access or participation that

you may address: gender, race, national

origin, color, disability, or age. Based on

local circumstances, you can determine

whether these or other barriers may

prevent your students, teachers, etc.

from equitable access or participation.

Your description need not be lengthy;

you may provide a clear and succinct

description of how you plan to address

those barriers that are applicable to your

circumstances. In addition, the

information may be provided in a single

narrative, or, if appropriate, may be

discussed in connection with related

topics in the application.

Section 427 is not intended to

duplicate the requirements of civil

rights statutes, but rather to ensure that,

in designing their projects, applicants

for Federal funds address equity

concerns that may affect the ability of

certain potential beneficiaries to fully

participate in the project and to achieve

to high standards. Consistent with

program requirements and its approved

application, an applicant may use the

Federal funds awarded to it to eliminate

barriers it identifies.

What are Examples of How an

Applicant Might Satisfy the

Requirement of This Provision?

The following examples may help

illustrate how an applicant may comply

with section 427.

(1) An applicant that proposes to

carry out an adult literacy project

serving, among others, adults with

limited English proficiency, might

describe in its application how it

intends to distribute a brochure about

the proposed project to such potential

participants in their native language.

(2) An applicant that proposes to

develop instructional materials for

classroom use might describe how it

will make the materials available on

audio tape or in braille for students who

are blind.

(3) An applicant that proposes to

carry out a model science program for

secondary students and is concerned

that girls may be less likely than boys

to enroll in the course, might indicate

how it tends to conduct ‘‘outreach’’

efforts to girls, to encourage their

enrollment.

We recognize that many applicants

may already be implementing effective

steps to ensure equity of access and

participation in their grant programs,

and we appreciate your cooperation in

responding to the requirements of this

provision.

Estimated 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 1801–0004 (Exp. 8/31/98).

The time required to complete this

information collection is estimated to

vary from 1 to 3 hours per response,

with an average of 1.5 hours, including

the time to review instructions, search

existing data resources, gather and

maintain the data needed, and complete

and review the information collection. If

you have any comments concerning the

accuracy of the time estimate(s) or

suggestions for improving this form,

please write to: U.S. Department of

Education, Washington, DC 20202–

4651.

Objectives and Performance Indicators

for the Even Start Family Literacy

Program

For your information, following are

objectives and performance indicators

for the Even Start Family Literacy

Program (Part B of Title I of the ESEA)

that the Department has developed in

accordance with the Government

Performance and Results Act.

Objective 1. The literacy of

participating families will improve.

1.1 Adult literacy achievement.

Increasing percentages of adults will

achieve significant learning gains on

literacy measures. In 1996, 53% of

adults achieved and posttest a

moderate-to large-sized gain between

pretest on a test of functional math

skills, 19% on a test of functional

reading skills, 17% on a test of math

achievement, and 14% on a test of

reading achievement.

1.2 Adult educational attainment.

Increasing percentages of adults will

obtain their high school diploma or

equivalent. In 1996, 10% of adults

earned a GED since participating in

Even Start.

1.3 Children’s school readiness and

success. Increasing percentages of

children participating in Even Start will

attain significant gains on measures of

school readiness and achievement. In

1996, 80% of children made better than

expected gains on a test of school

readiness, and 63% achieved moderate

to large gains on a test of language

development.

1.4 Parenting skills. Increasing

percentages of parents will show

significant gains on measures of

parenting skills, knowledge, and

expectations for their children. In 1996,

41% of parents scored 75% or higher

correct on the posttest measuring the

quality of cognitive stimulation and

emotional support provided to children

in the home.

Objective 2. Self-sufficiency outcomes

of participating families will improve.

2.1 Adult employment. Increasing

percentages of adults will attain

employment during or after

participating in Even Start. In 1996,

13% of parents unemployed at intake

found employment by the end of the

year.

2.2 Continuing adult education.

Increasing percentages of adults will

continue in their education.

Objective 3. Even Start projects will

reach their target population of families

that are most in need of services.

3.1 Recruitment of most in need. The

projects will recruit low-income,

disadvantaged families with low literacy

levels. In 1996, 71% of families had less
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than $12,000 in annual income and

47% of parents had less than a ninth

grade education at intake.

Objective 4. Local Even Start projects

will provide comprehensive

instructional and support services of

high quality to all families in a costeffective manner.

4.1 Service hours. Projects will offer

increasingly higher levels of service

hours annually. In 1996, projects

averaged 371 hours of adult education,

201 hours of parenting education, and

530 hours of early childhood education.

4.2 Participation, retention and

continuity. Projects will increasingly

improve retention and continuity of

services. In 1996, 60% of families were

expected to continue. The adult

education participation national

average in 1996 was 114 hours,

parenting education, 27 hours.

4.3 Local collaborations. Projects will

increasingly promote high-quality, costeffective collaborations. In 1996, on

average, projects had 11 collaborators.

Objective 5. The Department of

Education will provide effective

guidance and technical assistance and

will identify and disseminate reliable

information on effective approaches.

5.1 Federal technical assistance. An

increasing percentage of local project

directors will be satisfied with technical

assistance and guidance.

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[FR Doc. 98–12653 Filed 5–11–98; 8:45 am]

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