[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 43 (Monday, March 6, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12356-12357]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5332]




[[Page 12355]]

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Part VII





Department of Education





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Family and Community Endeavor Schools Grant Program; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 43 / Monday, March 6, 1995 / Notices 
 
[[Page 12356]] 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

RIN 1810-ZA01


Family and Community Endeavor Schools Grant Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of final definition, maximum award amount, and 
application evaluation criteria for fiscal year 1995.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces the final definition, maximum award 
amount, and application evaluation criteria for the Family and 
Community Endeavor Schools Grant Program for fiscal year 1995. The 
Secretary takes this action to comply with the statute, the Violent 
Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and to ensure 
appropriate criteria by which to evaluate applications under this Act.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The definition, maximum grant award, and application 
evaluation criteria take effect on April 5, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charlotte Dalton Gillespie, U.S. 
Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue SW., Portals Building, 
Room 603, Washington, DC 20202-6123. Telephone (202) 260-3954. 
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the TDD number at (202) 205-5516.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Family and Community 
Endeavor Schools Grant Program is to prevent crime and violent behavior 
by providing programs designed to improve the academic and social 
development of at-risk children and youth in eligible communities 
during and after school hours, evenings, on weekends, and during 
holidays and the summer months. This notice contains the definition of 
an eligible community, the maximum grant award, and final evaluation 
criteria by which applications for funds will be evaluated in fiscal 
year 1995.
    Congress authorized the Family and Community Endeavor Schools Grant 
Program under Title III, Subtitle D of Public Law 103-322, the Violent 
Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. This legislation 
mandates the implementation of two similar programs under Subtitle D: 
The Community Schools Youth Services and Supervision Grant Program 
(Community Schools) through the Department of Health and Human Services 
and the Family and Community Endeavor Schools Grant Program (FACES) 
through the Department of Education. As the needs of children, youth, 
and communities can best be served by integrating the two programs, the 
Departments of Health and Human Services and Education have jointly 
developed an announcement of the availability of funds under these two 
programs.

    Note: The definition, maximum grant award, and evaluation 
criteria outlined in this notice apply only to the FACES program 
operated through the Department of Education. A notice inviting 
applications for Community Schools, FACES, or a joint Community 
Schools/FACES program--all three programs--is published in the 
Department of Health and Human Services section of this issue of the 
Federal Register.

    Authority for the FACES program is contained in 42 U.S.C. 13792 and 
13793.

Definition

    Eligible Community means--
    (1) An identifiable community or neighborhood with boundaries 
generally recognized by the residents in the community;
    (2) A community that is small enough to allow a concentration of 
resources and the potential for a measurable impact; and
    (3) A community that can demonstrate that it has a significant 
level of poverty, violent crime, and juvenile delinquency.

(Authority: 42 U.S.C. 13792, 13793)

Maximum Grant Award

    The maximum award for a FACES grant is $500,000. (The Violent Crime 
Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 sets a minimum FACES grant 
award of $250,000.)

Application Evaluation Criteria

    The Secretary uses the following criteria to evaluate applications 
under this program:
    (a) Objectives and need for assistance (15 points). The Secretary 
reviews each application to determine the extent to which the project 
clearly specifies goals and service objectives; identifies a geographic 
area to be served; and demonstrates that the area has a significant 
level of poverty, violent crime, and juvenile delinquency. Applicants 
must--
    (1) Demonstrate a need for assistance and identify existing gaps in 
services, infrastructure, and opportunities that, if filled, will 
support the academic and social development of children and youth in 
the community and reduce crime and violence;
    (2) Identify measurable goals and objectives of the proposed 
project; and
    (3) Identify the geographic area to be served, describe the factors 
that make the area an identifiable community or neighborhood, and 
demonstrate that the community is small enough to allow a concentration 
of resources that will result in an appreciable difference for 
children, youth, and the community.
    (b)Approach (30 points). The Secretary reviews each application to 
determine the overall quality and appropriateness of its comprehensive 
plan to improve the academic and social development of at-risk 
children. The applicant must--
    (1) Describe the underlying child and youth development principles 
that will be employed as a framework for the program and discuss why 
this framework was chosen and how it will lead to the reduction of 
crime and violence;
    (2) Identify the age groups to be served, explain the reasons for 
that choice, and indicate the period of time over which children and 
youth will receive services;
    (3) Describe in detail how the applicant will achieve each of the 
goals and objectives identified in the application and identify any 
unusual features of the program;
    (4) Describe the continuum of services and activities that will be 
provided and indicate how these services will meet the academic, 
social, and developmental needs of the participants and reduce crime 
and violence;
    (5) Identify the physical location of the program and demonstrate 
that the location and services are safe, secure, and accessible to 
children, youth, and families in terms of days and hours of operation 
and sensitivity to the population served;
    (6) Provide information that demonstrates the extent to which the 
applicant has attempted to generate local support for the program from 
community leaders, a school district, local officials, and other 
organizations that the applicant determines to be appropriate;
    (7) Indicate the extent to which a community planning process has 
occurred and the extent of the planning effort that remains to be 
accomplished; include information on the process and timing for the 
phase-in of services and other program components; and information on 
how the following groups have been or will be included in the planning 
and implementation of the program--
    (i) Children, youth, and family members;
    (ii) Local school officials and teachers;
    (iii) Business and civic leaders;
    (iv) Religious organizations;
    (v) Museums, cultural and arts organizations; [[Page 12357]] 
    (vi) Juvenile justice, law enforcement and community policing 
representatives;
    (vii) Community residents, neighborhood associations and public 
housing groups;
    (viii) Public and private non-profit organizations that provide 
education, child protective services, or other human services;
    (ix) Other appropriate entities such as social service, health and 
mental health agencies; and a description of barriers to participation 
and how these barriers will be overcome; and
    (8) Identify the applicant's plan for a collaborative structure 
that trains and coordinates the efforts of administrators, social 
workers, guidance counselors, parents, teachers, and school volunteers.
    (c) Results or benefits expected (15 points). The Secretary reviews 
each application to determine the results and benefits to be derived 
from the project. The applicant must--
    (1) Describe the long- and short-term outcomes of the program and 
indicate, in measurable terms, appropriate indicators for assessment of 
program implementation and impact; and
    (2) Estimate the number of children and youth that will be served.
    (d) Program evaluation (15 points). The Secretary considers the 
quality and thoroughness of the applicant's plan to evaluate the 
program, including an assessment of the academic and social achievement 
of children assisted by the program. The applicant must--
    (1) Provide assurances that it will cooperate with any data 
collection, research or evaluation efforts independently funded or 
sponsored by HHS and/or ED;
    (2) Provide an evaluation plan for the project that is thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate; that includes collection of baseline data 
and identifies and tracks indicators that will show progress in program 
implementation and attainment of outcomes, including program planning, 
collaboration and coordination, and intensity, duration and location of 
services provided; and that assesses the social and academic 
achievement of children and youth served; and
    (3) Provide information on how the program plans to periodically 
collect and maintain data that can be used to report annually to 
Congress on the number of children participating in the program; the 
academic and social achievement of such children; the school attendance 
and graduation rates of such children; and the number of such children 
being processed by the juvenile justice system.
    (e) Staff background and organizational experience (20 points). The 
Secretary reviews each application to determine the skills, experience, 
and educational background of key personnel the applicant plans to use 
on the project. The applicant must--
    (1) Identify the skills, experience, and educational requirements 
of key staff and indicate how they are relevant to the objectives of 
the project; provide resumes of individuals already chosen for 
positions and identify recruitment strategies that will be used to 
identify potential staff and volunteers, especially those that will be 
used to hire staff that reflect or come from the community; and
    (2) Demonstrate the staff's ability to effectively manage the 
project, including the ability to lead community prevention efforts, 
coordinate activities with schools and other agencies and participate 
in or develop evaluation activities.
    (f) Budget appropriateness (10 points). The Secretary reviews each 
application to determine that the project's costs are reasonable in 
view of the anticipated results and benefits. The applicant must--
    (1) Identify the costs of the proposed project in terms of 
children, youth, and neighborhoods to be served; include funds in the 
budget, as appropriate, for training and technical assistance, 
evaluation, and the cost of up to 3 annual trips to Washington, DC for 
two people to participate in meetings and conferences;
    (2) Describe the fiscal controls and accounting procedures that 
will ensure prudent use, proper and timely disbursement, and accurate 
accounting of funds received under this program, including assurance 
that competitive procedures will be used when purchasing contracting or 
otherwise providing goods, activities, and services; and
    (3) Provide evidence that the applicant can and intends to generate 
the local financial and in-kind support, service, and commitments 
required for non-Federal match over the life of the project, including 
a description of charitable, private and non-profit resources that will 
be obtained to support the program. (Approved under Office of 
Management and Budget control number 1810-A158.)

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), 
it is the practice of the Department of Education to offer interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed regulations. 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 final 
notice of eligible community definition, maximum grant award, and 
selection criteria, which will apply only to the FY 1995 grant 
competition.

Intergovernmental Review

    This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 
12372 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.

(Authority: 42 U.S.C. 13792, 13793)

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 84.285, 
Family and Community Endeavor Schools Grant Program)

    Dated: February 27, 1995.
Thomas W. Payzant,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 95-5332 Filed 3-3-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P