Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 7, 1995 / Notices 12651

of clarification, and other concerns, if

any, pertaining to each application.

The Secretary assigns each

application to one of several groups

based on the application’s overall level

of quality. Starting with the highest

quality group and moving down in

unbroken order, the Secretary then

identifies the groups of applications of

sufficiently high quality to be

considered for funding. The Secretary

may request each applicant whose

application was identified as being in a

group of sufficiently high quality

applications to submit additional

information or materials to address the

concerns and questions, if any,

identified by the peer review panels.

Such requests are strictly limited to

clarifications of a conceptual or

technical nature, and are not meant to

fill major gaps in information that

reviewers identify in applications.

A second peer review panel then

reevaluates each application in a group

identified as being of sufficiently high

quality, taking into account any

additional information or materials, to

determine the extent to which each

application addresses the selection

criteria. The Secretary then reassigns

each reevaluated application to one of

several groups based on the

application’s overall level of quality.

In the final stage of the selection

process, the Secretary selects for

funding those applications of highest

quality based on the results of the

second review panel. The Secretary may

also consider the extent to which each

application demonstrates an effective

response to the learning technology

needs of areas with a high number or

percentage of disadvantaged students or

the greatest need for educational

technology.

Application Deadline

In order to ensure timely receipt and

processing of applications, the Secretary

takes exception to 34 CFR 75.102(b) by

requiring that for an application to be

considered for funding it must be

received on or before the deadline date

announced in the application notice

published in this issue of the Federal

Register. The Secretary will not

consider an application for funding if it

is not received by the deadline date

unless the applicant can show proof that

the application was (1) Sent by

registered or certified mail not later than

five days before the deadline date; or (2)

sent by commercial carrier not later than

two days before the deadline date. An

applicant must show proof of mailing in

accordance with 34 CFR 75.102 (d) and

(e). Applications delivered by hand

must be received by 2:00 p.m.

(Washington, D.C. time) on the deadline

date. For the purposes of this

competition, the Secretary does not

apply 34 CFR 102(b) which requires an

application to be mailed, rather than

received, by the deadline date.

Waiver of Notice 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 that are not taken directly

from statute. Ordinarily, this practice

would have applied to the selection

criteria, selection procedures, and

application procedures in this notice.

However, in order to make timely grant

awards in fiscal year (FY) 1995, the

Assistant Secretary, in accordance with

section 437(d)(1) of the General

Education Provisions Act, has decided

to issue this notice of selection criteria,

selection procedures, and application

procedures, which will apply only to

the FY 1995 grant competition.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980

These selection criteria contain

information collection requirements. As

required by the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1980, the Department will submit

a copy of these selection criteria to the

Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) for its review. (44 U.S.C. 3504(h))

The Department uses the information

to make informed evaluations of grant

applications. Annual public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to be as follows:

(1) Selection criteria—average 24

hours per response for 500 respondents.

These estimates include time for

reviewing instructions, searching

existing data sources, gathering and

maintaining the data needed, and

completing and reviewing the collection

of information.

Organizations and individuals

desiring to submit comments on the

information collection requirements

should direct them to the Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

OMB, Room 3002, New Executive Office

Building, Washington, D.C. 20503;

Attention: Daniel J. Chenok.

Intergovernmental Review

This program is subject to the

requirements of Executive Order 12373

and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79.

The objective of the executive order is

to foster an intergovernmental

partnership and a strengthened

federalism by relying on processes

developed by State and local

governments for coordination and

review of proposed Federal financial

assistance.

In accordance with the order, this

document is intended to provide early

notification of the Department’s specific

plans and actions for this program.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6846.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Number 84.303, Challenge Grants for

Technology in Education)

Dated: March 3, 1995.

Sharon P. Robinson,

Assistant Secretary for Educational Research

and Improvement.

[FR Doc. 95–5707 Filed 3–6–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

[CFDA No. 84.303]

Challenge Grants for Technology in

Education; Notice Inviting Applications

for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY)

1995

Purpose of Program: The Challenge

Grants for Technology in Education

Program provides grants to consortia

that are working to improve and expand

new applications of technology to

strengthen the school reform effort,

improve student achievement, and

provide sustained professional

development of teachers,

administrators, and school library media

personnel.

Eligible Applicants: Only consortia

may receive grants under this program.

Consortia shall include at least one local

educational agency (LEA) with a high

percentage or number of children living

below the poverty line. They may also

include other local educational

agencies, State educational agencies,

institutions of higher education,

businesses, academic content experts,

software designers, museums, libraries,

and other appropriate entities.

Note: In each consortium a participating

LEA shall submit the application on behalf

of the consortium and serve as the fiscal

agent for the grant.

Deadline for Receipt of Applications:

June 2, 1995

Requested Deadline for Receipt of

Letters of Intent to Apply: April 4,

1995

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:

August 1, 1995

Applications Available: March 13, 1995

Available Funds: $27,000,000

Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000 to

$3,000,000 per year

Estimated Average Size of Awards:

$1,000,000 per year

Estimated Number of Awards: 14–18

Project Period: 5 years

Note: The Department is not bound by any

estimates in this notice.
12652 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 7, 1995 / Notices

Applicable Regulations: The Education

Department General Administrative

Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts

74, 75 (except 34 CFR 75.102(b),

75.200(b)(3), 75.210, and 75.217), 77,

79, 80, 81, 82, and 85.

Other Requirements: The requirements

in the notice of selection criteria,

selection procedures, and application

procedures published in this issue of

the Federal Register.

Supplementary Information: The

Challenge Grants for Technology in

Education Program is authorized under

Title III, section 3136, of the Elementary

and Secondary Education Act of 1965,

as amended (20 U.S.C. 6846). This FY

1995 competition supports the first

grants under the new program.

As catalysts for change, grants under

this program will support communities

of educators, parents, industry partners,

and others who are working to

transform their schools into

information-age learning centers. These

challenge grants will support the

development and innovative use of

technology and new learning content in

specific communities. Each effort

should clearly focus on integrating

innovative learning technologies into

the curriculum to improve learning

productivity in the community.

The Secretary believes that the

information superhighway is creating

new possibilities for extending the time,

the place, and the resources for learning.

Challenge grant communities can use it

to develop first-class learning

environments that provide affordable

access to quality education and training.

Especially promising possibilities are

anticipated from a creative synthesis of

ideas generated by educators and

software developers,

telecommunications firms and hardware

manufacturers, entertainment

producers, and others who are

extending the possibilities for creating

new learning communities.

Challenge grant communities need

not be limited by geography. The

information superhighway can be used

to create virtual learning communities

linking schools, colleges, libraries,

museums, and businesses across the

country or around the world. Students

of all ages, no matter where they live,

could tap vast electronic libraries and

museums containing text and video

images, music, art, and language

instruction. They could work with

scientists and scholars around the globe

who can help them use mapping tools,

primary historical documents, or

laboratory experiments to develop

strong research and problem solving

skills.

The Secretary encourages each

community to view this competition as

an opportunity to act on its most

ambitious vision for education reform. It

is essential, however, to guard against a

future in which some communities have

access to vast technological resources,

while others do not. Low-income

neighborhoods and other areas with the

greatest need for technology should not

be left behind in the acquisition of

knowledge and skills needed for

productive citizenship in the 21st

century. A failure to include those

communities will put their future, and

the future of the country, at risk. For

this reason, the Secretary gives special

consideration to applications from

consortia which are developing effective

responses to the learning technology

needs of areas with a high number or

percentage of disadvantaged students or

the greatest need for educational

technology.

Note: The Secretary encourages, but does

not require, prospective applicants to submit

a letter of intent to apply, prior to submitting

an application. The Secretary requests the

information in this letter in order to help the

Secretary identify at the earliest possible

stage of the competition the project

characteristics for which peer reviewers with

appropriate qualifications will need to be

enlisted. The Secretary requests that

prospective applicants limit their letters to

three double-spaced pages. The letter should

outline key elements of the proposed effort,

including the educational needs and

opportunities to be addressed, the concept

for responding to those needs, the proposed

technologies and applications to be used, and

a general estimate of budget purposes. An

applicant that does not submit a letter of

intent to apply is in no way at a competitive

disadvantage with respect to applicants

submitting the requested letter. The Secretary

requests that letters of intent to apply be

submitted for receipt by April 4, 1995.

Project Activities

The statute authorizes the use of

funds for activities similar to the

following activities:

(a) Developing, adapting, or

expanding existing and new

applications of technology to support

the school reform effort.

(b) Funding projects of sufficient size

and scope to improve student learning

and, as appropriate, support

professional development, and provide

administrative support.

(c) Acquiring connectivity linkages,

resources, and services, including the

acquisition of hardware and software,

for use by teachers, students, and school

library media personnel in the

classroom or in school library media

centers, in order to improve student

learning by supporting the instructional

program offered by such agency to

ensure that students in schools will

have meaningful access on a regular

basis to such linkages, resources, and

services.

(d) Providing ongoing professional

development in the integration of

quality educational technologies into

school curriculum and long-term

planning for implementing educational

technologies.

(e) Acquiring connectivity with wide

area networks for purposes of accessing

information and educational

programming sources, particularly with

institutions of higher education and

public libraries.

(f) Providing educational services for

adults and families.

Selection Criteria

In evaluating applications for grants

under this program competition, the

Secretary uses the following unweighted

selection criteria, as described in the

notice of selection criteria, selection

procedures, and application procedures

for this program published elsewhere in

this issue of the Federal Register and

repeated below:

(a) Significance. The Secretary

reviews each proposed project for its

significance by determining the extent

to which the project—

(1) Offers a creative, new vision for

using technology to help all students

learn to challenging standards or to

promote efficiency and effectiveness in

education; and contributes to the

advancement of State and local systemic

educational reform;

(2) Will achieve far-reaching impact

through results, products, or benefits

that are easily exportable to other

settings and communities;

(3) Will directly benefit students by

integrating acquired technologies into

the curriculum to enhance teaching,

training, and student achievement or by

other means;

(4) Will ensure ongoing, intensive

professional development for teachers

and other personnel to further the use

of technology in the classroom, library,

or other learning center;

(5) Is designed to serve areas with a

high number or percentage of

disadvantaged students or other areas

with the greatest need for educational

technology; and

(6) Is designed to create new learning

communities, and expanded markets for

high-quality educational technology

applications and services.

(b) Feasibility. The Secretary reviews

each proposed project for its feasibility

by determining the extent to which—

(1) The project will ensure successful,

effective, and efficient uses of

technologies for educational reform that
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 44 / Tuesday, March 7, 1995 / Notices 12653

will be sustainable beyond the period of

the grant;

(2) The members of the consortia or

other appropriate entities will

contribute substantial financial and

other resources to achieve the goals of

the project; and

(3) The applicant is capable of

carrying out the project, as evidenced by

the extent to which the project will meet

the problems identified; the quality of

the project design, including objectives,

approaches, evaluation plan, and

dissemination plan; the adequacy of

resources, including money, personnel,

facilities, equipment, and supplies; the

qualifications of key personnel who

would conduct the project; and the

applicant’s prior experience relevant to

the objectives of the project.

Application Deadline

In order to ensure timely receipt and

processing of applications, the Secretary

requires that an application must be

received on or before the deadline date

announced in this application notice.

The Secretary will not consider an

application for funding if it is not

received by the deadline date unless the

applicant can show proof that the

application was (1) Sent by registered or

certified mail not later than five days

before the deadline date; or (2) sent by

commercial carrier not later than two

days before the deadline date. An

applicant must show proof of mailing in

accordance with 34 CFR 75.102 (d) and

(e). Applications delivered by hand

must be received by 2:00 p.m.

(Washington, DC time) on the deadline

date. For the purposes of this program

competition, the Secretary does not

apply 34 CFR 75.102(b) which requires

an application to be mailed, rather than

received, by the deadline date.

Briefing for Prospective Applicants

A briefing for prospective applicants

is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30

p.m. on Friday, March 17, 1995, at the

Crystal City Marriott Hotel, 1999

Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA

22202–3564 (near National Airport in

metropolitan Washington, DC).

Telephone (703) 413–5500. No

preregistration is required. Prospective

applicants unable to attend this briefing

may access a summary of questions and

answers about the competition from the

Department of Education’s On-Line

Library by using the Department’s

WWW Server at URL http://

www.ed.gov/ or by using the Internet

Gopher Server at GOPHER.ED.GOV

(under Announcements, Bulletins, and

Press Releases). For additional help

accessing the On-Line Library, call 1–

800–USA–LEARN. To receive a hard

copy of the summary call (202) 708–

6001.

For Applications or Information

Contact: Telephone 1–800–USA–

LEARN (1–800–872–5327). Individuals

may also contact the Interagency

Technology Task Force, U.S.

Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20202–5544.

Telephone (202) 708–6001. Individuals

who use a telecommunications device

for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–

800–877–8339 between the hours of 8

a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday

through Friday of each week except

Federal holidays.

Information about the Department’s

funding opportunities, including copies

of the 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 Internet

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. 6846.

Dated: March 3, 1995.

Sharon P. Robinson,

Assistant Secretary for Educational Research

and Improvement.

[FR Doc. 95–5706 Filed 3–6–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P