Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 88 / Monday, May 7, 2001 / Notices 23009

In instances in which more than one

parent center is funded in a jurisdiction,

the centers should collaborate with each

other as part of their networking

responsibilities. (A list of current

grantees is included in the application

package.)

Applicants should be aware that

section 1118(g) of the Elementary and

Secondary Education Act of 1965, as

amended by the Improving America’s

Schools Act of 1994, requires schools

and districts receiving Title I funds to

assist parents and parent organizations

by informing them of the existence and

purpose of the parent information and

resource center in their State, providing

them with a description of the services

and programs provided by the center,

advising parents on how to use the

center, and helping them contact the

center. Consequently, applicants should

be prepared to address the demand for

their services created by this

requirement.

Selection Criteria: The Secretary will

use selection criteria and factors from 34

CFR 75.210 to evaluate applications

under this competition. The specific

selection criteria and factors that will be

used in evaluating applications are

detailed in the application package.

The maximum score for all of the

selection criteria is 100 points. The total

maximum score of an application is 110

points (100 points under the selection

criteria and a maximum of 10 points

under the competitive preference

referenced elsewhere in this notice and

published separately in this issue of the

Federal Register.)

The maximum points for each

criterion are as follows:

(1) Need for project—20 points.

(2) Quality of the project design—22

points.

(3) Quality of project services—20

points.

(4) Quality of project personnel—9

points.

(5) Adequacy of resources—7 points.

(6) Quality of the project evaluation—

22 points.

Intergovernmental Review: This

program is subject to the requirements

of Executive Order 12372

(Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR

part 79. (Intergovernmental Review

instructions are contained in the

application package.)

For Applications and Information

Contact: Rachael Couch, (202) 401–

0039, U.S. Department of Education,

400 Maryland Avenue, SW, FOB 6,

Room 3E243, Mail Stop 6400,

Washington, DC 20202. The e-mail

address for Ms. Couch is: rachael

couch@ed.gov.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the Federal Information

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–888–877–

8339.

Individuals with disabilities may

obtain this document in an alterntive

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

audiotape, or computer diskette) on

request to the contact person listed

above.

Individuals with disabilities may also

obtain a copy of the application package

in an alternative format on request to

the contact person listed. However, the

Department is not able to reproduce in

an alternative format the standard forms

included in the application package.

Electronic Access To This Document:

You may view this document, as well as

other Department of Education

documents published in the Federal

Register, in text or Adobe Portable

Document Format (PDF) on the Internet

at the following site: www.ed.gov/

legislation/FedRegister

To use PDF you must have Adobe

Acrobat Reader, which is available free

at the preceding site. If you have

questions about using 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. 5911 et seq.

Dated: May 1, 2001.

Thomas M. Corwin,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for

Elementary and Secondary Education.

[FR Doc. 01–11438 Filed 5–4–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.310A]

Parental Assistance Program

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and

Secondary Education, Department of

Education.

ACTION: Notice of Final Priority for

Fiscal Year (FY) 2001.

SUMMARY: The Secretary announces a

final funding priority for the FY 2001

grant competition under Parental

Assistance Program (20 U.S.C. 5911 et

seq.). This program provides grants to

eligible non-profit organizations, and

eligible non-profit organizations in

consortium with local educational

agencies (LEAs), to establish parental

information and resource centers. Under

the funding priority, the Secretary gives

competitive preference to eligible nonprofit organizations that apply in

consortium with one or more LEAs with

low-performing schools and propose to

implement comprehensive strategies

designed to strengthen school-familycommunity partnerships in order to

help children in low-performing schools

reach challenging academic standards.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 6, 2001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

January 12, 2001, we published in the

Federal Register a notice of proposed

priority (NPP) for the FY 2001 grant

competition under the Parental

Assistance Program. In the NPP we

announced our intent to give applicants

that meet the preference up to 10

additional points in the competition

with the number of points awarded to

be determined on the basis of how well

the applicant addressed the competitive

preference. This notice of final funding

priority announces the final competitive

preference for the competition.

Note: This notice of final priority does not

solicit applications. A notice inviting

applications under this competition is

published elsewhere in this issue of the

Federal Register.

Analysis of Comments and Changes

Four parties submitted comments in

response to the proposed priority. Two

of the parties supported the priority, one

party requested that the Department

specify the percentage of grant funds

that should be focused on the priority,

and another party indicated that a

parent center-LEA consortium priority

would eliminate the autonomy and

effectiveness of the centers. The

comments of the latter two parties are

summarized below.

Comment: One commenter

recommended that the Department

indicate the amount of staff and funds

that should be focused on the priority.

Discussion: The Secretary believes

that applicants should be given as much

flexibility as possible in designing

proposals that best address the funding

priority. The number of points that an

applicant receives under the priority

should be based on how well the

applicant addresses the priority, and not

on the amount of resources that the

applicant proposes to spend on the

priority.

Changes: None.

Comment: One commenter indicated

that requiring parent centers to work

more formally with school districts in a

consortium would eliminate the

autonomy and effectiveness of the

23010 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 88 / Monday, May 7, 2001 / Notices

centers. The commenter believes that by

working independently of schools, the

centers can better assist families who do

not feel connected with the schools and

provide families with the tools needed

to create change in the schools.

Discussion: The Secretary is not

requiring non-profit organizations to

apply in consortium with one or more

LEAs. However, the Secretary believes

that strengthening school-communityfamily partnerships will help children

in low-performing schools succeed in

school. Under the priority, the parent

centers still will have considerable

autonomy in designing proposals that

best meet local needs and in

coordinating with low-performing

schools in implementing comprehensive

strategies to assist children in these

schools. The Secretary notes that the

legislation explicitly supports consortia

of non-profit organizations and school

districts. The priority is designed to

encourage such consortia.

Changes: None.

Competitive Preference: Under 34

CFR 75.105(c)(2), the Secretary gives a

competitive preference in the FY 2001

competition under the Parental

Assistance Program. To receive this

preference, an applicant must—

(1) Consist of a consortium that

includes a non-profit organization and

one or more LEAs with low-performing

schools. The low-performing schools

must be schools identified as in need of

improvement under section 1116(c) of

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act of 1965, as amended.

(2) Propose to implement

comprehensive strategies designed to

strengthen school-family-community

partnerships in order to help children in

the low-performing schools reach

challenging academic standards. The

applicant must clearly describe the role

of the non-profit organization and the

LEA(s) in conducting these activities

with the low-performing schools.

(3) Provide documentation from the

identified low-performing schools

demonstrating that the schools will

cooperate and coordinate with the

applicant in implementing the proposed

activities.

An applicant that meets the

competitive preference will receive up

to 10 points in the competition. These

points are in addition to any points the

applicant earns under the selection

criteria. The number of points that will

be awarded will be determined on the

basis of how well the applicant

addresses the competitive preference.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Rachael Couch, (202) 401–0039, U.S.

Department of Education, 400 Maryland

Avenue, SW., FOB 6, Room 3E243, Mail

Stop 6400, Washington, DC 20202. The

e-mail address for Ms. Couch is:

Rachael.couch@ed.gov.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the Federal Information

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–888–877–

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

above.

Individuals with disabilities may also

obtain a copy of the application package

in an alternative format on request to

the contact person listed. However, the

Department is not able to reproduce in

an alternative format the standard forms

included in the application package.

Electronic Access to This Document

You may view this document, as well

as other Department of Education

documents published in the Federal

Register, in text or Portable Document

Format (PDF) on the Internet at the

following site: www.ed.gov/legislation/

FedRegister

To use PDF you must have Adobe

Acrobat Reader, which is available free

at the preceding site. If you have

questions about using 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. 5911 et seq.

Dated: May 1, 2001.

Thomas M. Corwin,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for

Elementary and Secondary Education.

[FR Doc. 01–11439 Filed 5–4–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–U

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Advance Notice of Intent To Prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for

Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride

Conversion Facilities

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Advance notice of intent.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of

Energy (DOE) is providing advance

notice of its intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

under the National Environmental

Policy Act (NEPA) on the proposed

construction, operation, and

decontamination/decommissioning of

two depleted uranium hexafluoride

(DUF6) conversion facilities, at

Portsmouth, Ohio and Paducah,

Kentucky. DOE intends to use the

proposed facilities to convert its

inventory of DUF6 to a more stable

chemical form suitable for storage,

beneficial use or disposal.

Approximately 700,000 metric tons of

DUF6 in about 57,700 cylinders are

stored at DOE’s Paducah, Portsmouth,

and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, sites.

DOE is issuing this Advance Notice

pursuant to 10 CFR 1021.31(b) to inform

the public and interested parties early

about the proposed action, the range of

alternatives, and the nature of impact

analysis to be considered in the EIS.

DOE intends later to issue a formal

Notice of Intent (NOI) and conduct a

public scoping process during which

DOE will invite the public to comment

on the scope, proposed action, and

possible alternatives considered in the

EIS. DOE seeks comments on this

Advance Notice, and they can be

submitted as explained below.

DATES: DOE plans to issue the NOI later

this year. After the NOI is issued, DOE

will conduct public scoping meetings to

assist in defining the scope of the EIS

and to identify significant issues to be

addressed. The dates and locations of all

scoping meetings will be announced in

the NOI or subsequent Federal Register

notices and in local media before the

meetings.

ADDRESSES: Please direct comments or

suggestions on the scope of the EIS and

questions concerning the proposed

project to: Kevin Shaw, U.S. Department

of Energy, Office of Environmental

Management, Office of Site Closure—

Oak Ridge Office (EM–32), 19901

Germantown Road, Germantown,

Maryland 20874, fax (301) 903–2978, email DUF6.Comments@em.doe.gov

(please use ‘A–NOI Comments’ for the

subject).

For general information on the DOE

NEPA process, please contact Carol M.

Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA

Policy and Compliance, EH–42, U.S.

Department of Energy, 1000

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20585–0119, telephone

(202) 586–4600 or leave a message at

(800) 472–2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Depleted UF6 results from the process

of making uranium suitable for use as

fuel in nuclear reactors or for military