Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices 24819

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Alternative Schools Random

Assignment Evaluation is an attempt on

the part of the Department of Labor to

find new ways of serving highly at-risk

youth. In this demonstration, funds

were provided to seven cities to

replicate High School Redirection—a

highly successful alternative school

operating in Brooklyn, New York.

Schools created under this

demonstration are operated and staffed

by local districts, but provide more

personal attention and more

remediation than typical public high

schools. Under this evaluation, students

applying to these schools were

randomly assigned to attend or not

attend the schools. The students are

then to be followed up to determine

whether the schools reduced dropout

rates, increased rates of college

enrollment, and decreased teen

parenthood rates.

II. Current Actions

The Department of Labor is requesting

a revision of the collection of

information under the alternative

schools demonstration. Five of the

initial seven schools continue to exist in

a form similar to High School

Redirection. Random assignment has

been completed in three of these

schools, and follow-up surveys have

been conducted in two of these three

schools under OMB approval of this

data collection. The Department is now

seeking approval to conduct follow-up

surveys in the third school in which

random assignment has taken place.

This is the Clark Academy in

Cincinnati, Ohio.

Type of Review: Revision.

Agency: Employment and Training

Administration.

Title: Alternative Schools Random

Assignment Evaluation.

OMB Number: 1205–0331.

Affected Public: Individuals and

households.

Total Respondents: 800.

Frequency: One follow-up survey and

collection of school records at the

Cincinnati school.

Total Responses: 1,600.

Average Time Per Response: One-half

hour for the follow-up survey, and onehalf hour in collecting school records.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 800.

Estimated Total Burden Cost:

$240,000.

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for Office of

Management and Budget approval of the

information collection request; they will

also become a matter of public record.

Dated: May 10, 1996.

Robert J. Litman,

Deputy Administrator, Office of Policy and

Research.

[FR Doc. 96–12284 Filed 5–15–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–30–M

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training

Administration

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Vocational and Adult

Education

School-to-Work Opportunities Act;

Indian Program Grants; Application

Procedures

AGENCIES: Employment and Training

Administration, Labor. Office of

Vocational and Adult Education,

Education.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds

and solicitation for Indian Program

Grant Applications (SGA).

SUMMARY: This Notice contains all of the

necessary information and forms needed

to apply for grant funding. This notice

announces a competition for Indian

Program Grants to enable local

partnerships to begin development or

implementation of School-to-Work

Opportunities initiatives that serve

Indian youth and involve schools

funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs

(BIA). The School-to-Work

Opportunities initiatives funded under

this competition will offer Indian youth

access to School-to-Work Opportunities

programs that will prepare them for first

jobs in high-skill, high-wage careers and

further postsecondary education and

training.

DATES: Applications for grant awards

will be accepted commencing May 16,

1996. The closing date for receipt of

applications is July 15, 1996, at 2 p.m.

(Eastern Time) at the address below.

Telefacsimile (FAX) applications Will

Not be Honored.

ADDRESSES: Applications shall be

mailed to: U.S. Department of Labor,

Employment and Training

Administration, Division of Acquisition

and Assistance, Attention: Ms. Laura

Cesario, Reference: SGA/DAA 96–007,

200 Constitution Avenue NW., Room S–

4203, Washington, D.C. 20210.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Laura Cesario, Division of Acquisition

and Assistance, telephone: (202) 219–

7300 (this is not a toll-free number).

Part I: Supplementary Information

Section A. Purpose

The Departments of Education and

Labor are reserving funds appropriated

for FY95 under the School-to-Work

Opportunities Act (the Act) (Public Law

103–239) for a competition for Indian

Program Grants authorized under Title

II, Subtitle C of the Act. Grants under

this competition will be awarded to

local partnerships that serve Indian

youth and involve Bureau of Indian

Affairs (BIA) funded schools. Successful

partnerships under this competition

must demonstrate the capacity to either

develop or implement local School-toWork Opportunities initiatives serving

Indian youth. Approximately $650,000

is available for awards under this notice.

The Departments expect to award

approximately 7 development grants of

about $30,000 each and up to 5

implementation grants ranging in

amounts between $75,000 and $100,000

each under this notice.

Local Partnerships may apply for

either a development grant, an

implementation grant, or both. The

competitions have been structured to

allow those partnerships that have been

engaged in planning and development

activities, including those funded under

last year’s solicitation, to apply for an

implementation grant without

jeopardizing their opportunities for

receiving a development grant.

However, local partnerships who intend

to be considered for either a

development or implementation grant

competition must submit separate

applications for each competition. The

amount of any award will be based on

a number of factors, including the

scope, quality, and comprehensiveness

of the proposed initiative and the size

of the population to be served.

The Departments intend to conduct

future competitions for Indian Program

Grants, on an annual basis, under the

School-to-Work Opportunities Act of

1994. A local partnership may receive

only one (1) development or

implementation grant under this notice,

with grant renewals for up to five years

(award plus four option years) to be

awarded based on availability of funds

and the demonstrated progress of the

grantee.

Section B. Application Process

1. Eligible Applicants

The definitions for ‘‘Local

Partnership’’ and ‘‘Bureau-funded

School’’ are included in this solicitation

due to their critical nature and their

overall application in the eligibility

determination. All other terms defined
24820 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices

in the Act are hereby incorporated and

applied to this solicitation.

(A) Local Partnership Definition

An entity that meets the definition of

‘‘local partnership,’’ as defined below,

proposes to serve Indian youth, and

involves Bureau-funded schools, is

eligible to apply for an Indian Program

Grant for either development or

implementation of School-to-Work

Opportunities initiatives.

Local Partnership is defined in the

Act to mean an entity responsible for

School-to-Work Opportunities programs

funded under this competition and

that—

(a) Consists of tribal organizations

responsible for economic development,

employment, job training, and

education (such as tribal business

councils, local chapters of tribal

business councils, tribal departments of

education), employers (including tribal

businesses or school-based enterprises

where applicable), representatives of

Bureau-funded schools and local

postsecondary educational institutions

(including representatives of area

vocational education schools and tribal

colleges where applicable), local

educators (such as teachers, counselors,

or administrators), representatives of

labor organizations or nonmanagerial

employee representatives, students and

parents; and

(b) May include other entities, such

as—

(1) Employer organizations;

(2) Community-based organizations;

(3) National trade associations

working at the local level;

(4) Industrial extension centers;

(5) Rehabilitation agencies and

organizations;

(6) Registered apprenticeship

agencies;

(7) Local vocational education

entities;

(8) Proprietary institutions of higher

education (as defined in section 481(b)

of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20

U.S.C. 1088(b)) that meet the eligibility

and certification requirements under

Title IV of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1070 et

seq.);

(9) Local government agencies;

(10) Parent organizations;

(11) Teacher organizations;

(12) Vocational student organizations;

(13) Private industry councils

established under sections 402 of the

Job Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C.

1512);

(B) Involvement of Bureau of Indian

Affairs’ (BIA) Funded Schools

In addition to meeting the definition

of a ‘‘local partnership’’, applicants

seeking funding under this notice must

demonstrate that any funds awarded

under this competition will be used to

develop and implement initiatives

serving Indian youth, and involving

schools funded by the Bureau of Indian

Affairs.

• Partnerships may demonstrate

service to Indian youth and involvement

by Bureau-funded schools by

demonstrating that their proposed

School-to-Work initiatives will provide

direct services to students enrolled in

Bureau-funded schools.

Bureau-funded school as defined in

Section 1139(3) of the ‘‘Education

Amendments of 1978’’ means:

(a) A Bureau school—a Bureau of

Indian Affairs-operated elementary or

secondary day or boarding school or a

BIA-operated dormitory for students

attending a school other than a Bureau

school.

(b) A contract school—an elementary

or secondary school or a dormitory that

receives financial assistance for its

operation under a contract or agreement

with the BIA under Section 102, 103(a),

or 208 of the Indian Self-Determination

and Education Assistance Act.

(c) A school for which assistance is

provided under the Tribally Controlled

Schools Act of 1988.

• However, the Departments

recognize that there are several

geographic areas throughout the country

which contain high concentrations of

Indian youth that are not served by the

school systems supported by the Bureau

of Indian Affairs. Partnerships that

include non-Bureau-funded schools

serving Indian youth may be eligible to

apply for funding under certain

circumstances. For example,

involvement by a Bureau-funded school

in a partnership may consist of a single

Bureau-funded school being included

within a partnership while other nonBureau-funded schools serving Indian

youth participate in those partnerships

as well. Therefore, a partnership may be

eligible to apply for funding even where

included in the partnership are one or

more non-Bureau-funded schools and

the involvement of Bureau-funded

schools consists of a collaborative,

consultative, or close advisory

relationship. In such a case, services are

not necessarily provided directly to the

Bureau-funded school’s students, but

there remains a measurable benefit to

both the partnership and the Bureaufunded school or schools. Thus, a

partnership meeting all other eligibility

requirements, including that of serving

Indian youth, but located in a

geographical area or State in which

there are few, if any, Bureau-funded

schools, may nonetheless be eligible for

funding under this solicitation.

Applicants must provide convincing

evidence that strategies devised and

initiatives mounted will, in fact, meet

the intent of establishing the

collaborative, consultative or close

advisory relationship which results in

measurable benefits to the Bureaufunded school as stipulated by the

Departments. Applicants establishing

collaborative, consultative or advisory

relationships with Bureau-funded

school(s) within their partnerships are

advised to develop mutually beneficial

initiatives, activities and endeavors

which are consistent with the

parameters discussed in Title II of the

Act and further illustrated in Part II,

Section C of this solicitation.

In accordance with section 221 of the

Act, only those applicants that provide

sufficient information determining their

eligibility against the criteria as stated

above will be considered for funding

under this solicitation. The Departments

intend to pre-screen all applications

against the aforementioned eligibility

criteria prior to the panelists’ review

and will not consider any applications

that do not contain the required

assurances and determining

information. Applicants will not have

the opportunity to submit additional or

revised information should a

determination be made that the

partnership does not meet the eligibility

criteria.

2. Submission of Application

Applicants must submit an original

and three (3) copies of the application.

The application shall consist of five

distinct parts: detachable description

addressing the eligibility criteria,

budget, abstract, program narrative and

appendices. To ensure a comprehensive

and expedient review, applicants must

submit an application formatted as seen

below:

Table of Contents

I. Eligibility Requirements

Part I must contain detailed information as

described in Part I, Section B(1) of this notice

and, for prescreening purposes, should be

separate and easily detachable from the

remainder of the application.

II. Budget

Part II shall contain the Standard Form

(SF) 424, ‘‘Application for Federal

Assistance,’’ (Appendix A) and SF 424A,

‘‘Budget’’ (Appendix B). All copies of the 424

Form must have original signatures of the

designated fiscal agent and must indicate in

item 11 whether the application is to be

considered for development or

implementation funding. In addition, the

budget shall include—on a separate page(s)—
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices 24821

a detailed cost break-out of each line item on

Budget Form 424A. Further, the Departments

recommend that applicants break out line

item costs illustrating those items charged

under the administrative costs cap discussed

in Part III of this notice.

III. Abstract

Part III shall consist of a one page abstract

summarizing the essential components and

key features of the partnership’s plan.

IV. Program Narrative

Part IV shall contain the program narrative

that demonstrates the applicant’s plan and

capabilities in accordance with the

evaluation criteria contained in this notice.

Applicants must describe their plan in light

of each of the Evaluation Criteria in Part III,

Section B of this notice. No cost data or

reference to price shall be included in this

part of the application. Applicants must limit

the program narrative section to no more

than 40 double-spaced pages, on one side

only.

V. Appendices

All applicable appendices including letters

of support, resumes and organizational charts

should be included in this section. The

safeguard assurance, as required under Part

II, Section D, ‘‘Safeguards’’, of this notice,

should be included in all applications as

Appendix A. The Departments recommend

that all appendix entries be cross-referenced

back to applicable sections in the program

narrative.

3. Late Applications

Any application received after the

exact date and time specified for receipt

at the office designated in this notice

will not be considered, unless it is

received before awards are made and

it—

(a) Was sent by registered or certified

mail not later than the fifth calendar day

before the date specified for receipt of

applications (e.g., an application

submitted in response to a solicitation

requiring receipt of applications by the

20th of the month must have been

mailed/post marked by the 15th of that

month); or

(b) Was sent by the U.S. Postal Service

Express Mail Next Day Service to

addressee not later than 5:00 P.M. at the

place of mailing two working days prior

to the date specified for receipt of

applications. The term ‘‘working days’’

excludes weekends and Federal

holidays.

The term ‘‘post marked’’ means a

printed, stamped, or otherwise placed

impression (exclusive of a postage meter

machine impression) that is readily

identifiable, without further action, as

having been supplied or affixed on the

date of mailing by an employee of the

U.S. Postal Service.

4. Hand-Delivered Applications

It is preferred that applications be

mailed at least five days prior to the

closing date. To be considered for

funding, hand-delivered applications

must be received by 2:00 p.m., Eastern

Time, on the closing date. Telegraphed

and/or Faxed Applications Will Not be

Honored. Failure to adhere to the above

instructions will be a basis for a

determination of nonresponsiveness.

Overnight express mail from carriers

other than the U.S. Postal Service will

be considered hand-delivered

applications and must be received by

the above specified date and time.

5. Period of Performance

The period of performance will be

twelve (12) months from the date of

award by the Department of Labor.

Since all awards must be made by

September 30, 1996 under this

competition, the Departments

recommend that all applicants use

September 1, 1996—August 31, 1996 as

both budgetary and project award

periods.

6. Option To Extend

These Indian Program Grants may be

extended for up to four additional years

at the discretion of the Federal

Government, based upon the availability

of funds and the demonstrated progress

of the grantee under this School-toWork Opportunities initiative. While

the Departments encourage grantees

funded for developmental initiatives

during last year’s competition to apply

for Implementation funding, it remains

the Departments’ desire to continue the

developmental investment until a

partnership is ready to successfully

compete and receive Implementation

funding under this initiative.

Consistent with the School-to-Work

Opportunities Act, the Departments

expect that over time, Federal funds,

added to this grant, will decrease. Funds

awarded under this notice are

considered ‘‘venture capital’’ for the

establishment of School-to-Work

Opportunities systems serving Indian

youth. Likewise, local partnerships will

eventually assume responsibility for

maintaining School-to-Work

Opportunities systems with other

Federal, State and local resources.

7. Reporting Requirements/Deliverables

If awarded a grant, the local

partnership will be required to provide

the following:

1. Quarterly and Final Reports

• Quarterly financial reports as

required by the grant award documents;

• Quarterly narrative reports on

progress made and problems

encountered in implementing the

proposed plan and that indicate, where

relevant, the corrective action(s)

proposed to address developmental or

implementation problems; and

• Annual reports at year-end on the

activities and accomplishments of the

local partnership’s School-to-Work

Opportunities initiative.

2. Deliverables

• At a minimum, preparing an

assessment of accomplishments and

results at each program year-end

suitable for dissemination to other

Indian communities and partnerships.

• Acting as a host to outside visitors

from other Indian communities or local

partnerships interested in developing

and implementing School-to-Work

Opportunities initiatives in settings

with similar characteristics.

Part II. Program Description

Section A. Background

The United States is the only

industrialized nation that lacks a

comprehensive and coherent system to

help its youth acquire the knowledge,

skills, abilities, and information about

the labor market necessary to make an

effective transition from school to

career-oriented work. Three-fourths of

America’s high school students do not

attain four-year college degrees. Many of

them do not possess the basic academic

and occupational skills necessary for

entry into high-skill, high-wage careers

in the changing workplace or to pursue

further education. The School-to-Work

Opportunities Act of 1994 created a

national framework for high-quality,

statewide school-to-work transition

systems that enable young Americans to

identify and navigate paths to

productive and progressively more

rewarding roles in the workplace.

Partnerships serving Indian youth

face particular challenges in

implementing School-to-Work

Opportunities initiatives:

1. High unemployment and relatively

few high-skill, high-wage employment

opportunities often characterize the

areas to be served, making it more

difficult to secure employer

participation, work-based learning

opportunities, and career-track jobs for

Indian youth who complete a School-toWork Opportunities program. Therefore,

creative strategies must be developed to

make full use of the capacity of local

institutions to include a variety of

alternative work-based learning

environments (ie. tribal businesses,

school-based enterprises and
24822 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices

entrepreneurial training) and to support

intensive efforts to enhance diverse

employer involvement. Partnerships

should strive to engage employers by

offering them a range of opportunities

for participating in the design and

implementation of School-to-Work

Opportunities systems, including

membership on councils and

partnerships; assistance in setting

standards, designing curriculum and

determining outcomes; providing

worksite experience for teachers;

helping to recruit other employers; and

providing worksite experience for

students, such as mentoring, job

shadowing, unpaid work experiences,

supported work experiences, and paid

work experiences.

2. High dropout rates, unequal access

to quality educational experiences and

the lack of relevant information

regarding career options often plague

such high challenge, remote service

areas. School-to-Work Opportunities

initiatives can offer alternative learning

environments, creative approaches to

academic and technical subjects and

relevant and engaging school-based and

work-based activities that can encourage

Indian youth to remain in school until

completion. To achieve such objectives,

School-to-Work systems need to engage

youth as early as possible. Career

awareness and exploration activities

allow Indian youth exposure to a range

of high-skill, high-wage careers, the

level of skills and abilities necessary in

such occupations, and insight into the

relevance of classroom education and

the overall value of learning. Further,

professional development and

stakeholder education remains a critical

piece towards the building of School-toWork systems. In service training

programs and outreach initiatives are

essential towards developing relevant

and engaging curriculum, teaching

methodologies and assessments which

let students make the critical

connections between the classroom

environment and the world of work.

3. Economic and geographic factors

may create uneven educational and

employment opportunities among

Indian youth, thus requiring that careful

consideration be given to enhancing

both the access and availability of

opportunities. Therefore, partnerships

are encouraged to link School-to-Work

initiatives with existing educational

reform strategies, workforce

development initiatives and economic

development plans. By doing so,

partnerships will initiate School-toWork systems capable of equipping

tribal youth with the skills and abilities

to take high-skill, high-wage positions

within tribal government, targeted tribal

industries, or outside of the tribe in the

larger labor market. Further,

communities with highly skilled, highly

trained youth will aid the success of

tribal economic development initiatives

through the encouragement of

entrepreneurial ventures and the

recruitment of targeted industries and

employers interested in developmental

ventures on tribal lands.

Under this competition, federal funds

will be used as ‘‘venture capital’’ to

establish School-to-Work Opportunities

systems serving Indian youth. Local

partnerships applying for development

grants should be ready to use funds to

involve Bureau-funded schools in

establishing cooperative linkages and

planning innovative methods of

providing School-to-Work services for

Indian youth. Local partnerships

applying for implementation grants

should be ready to implement Schoolto-Work initiatives involving Bureaufunded schools by building on and

enriching existing promising programs

such as tech-prep education, career

academies, youth apprenticeship,

school-based enterprises, job training

and previous related efforts funded by

the BIA. However, the purpose of

funding under the School-to-Work

Opportunities initiative is not simply to

augment existing programs, but rather to

build systems that provide

opportunities for all students to achieve

the benefits and outcomes of the Schoolto-Work Opportunities initiative.

Building comprehensive systems will

likely involve a combination of

enhancing existing programs,

establishing linkages among them, and

developing an effective framework that

connects both existing and new

programs in a meaningful way. Through

involvement in the School-to-Work

Indian Program Grants, tribal

organizations are expected to build over

time the kind of School-to-Work

Opportunities Systems that best meet

their needs.

Section B. Objectives

The School-to-Work Opportunities

initiative provides for a substantial

degree of State and local flexibility and

experimentation, but all State systems,

individual local initiatives and Indian

Program initiatives will share several

common features and basic program

components as required by the Schoolto-Work Opportunities Act of 1994. A

School-to-Work Opportunities initiative

under this competition must include the

following common features and basic

program components:

1. The basis of the School-to-Work

Opportunities system is—

(a) The integration of school-based

learning and work-based learning;

(b) The integration of academic and

occupational learning; and

(c) The establishment of effective

linkages between secondary and

postsecondary education.

2. School-to-Work Opportunities

programs will—

(a) Provide participating students

with the opportunity to complete career

majors;

(b) Incorporate the program

components described below (schoolbased learning, work-based learning,

and connecting activities);

(c) Provide participating students, to

the extent practicable, with strong

experience in and understanding of all

aspects of the industry the students are

preparing to enter; and

(d) Provide all students with equal

access to the full range of such program

components (including both schoolbased and work-based learning

components) and related activities, such

as recruitment, enrollment, and

placement activities, except that nothing

in this notice shall be construed to

provide any individual with an

entitlement to services.

3. School-to-Work Opportunities

initiatives must incorporate three basic

program components:

(a) School-Based Learning, that

includes—

• Career awareness and career

exploration and counseling (beginning

at the earliest possible age, but not later

than the 7th grade) in order to help

students who may be interested to

identify, and select or reconsider, their

interests, goals, and career majors,

including those options that may not be

traditional for their gender, race, or

ethnicity;

• Initial selection by interested

students of a career major not later than

the beginning of the 11th grade;

• A program of study designed to

meet the same academic content

standards established for all students,

including, where applicable, standards

established under the Goals 2000:

Educate America Act, and to meet the

requirements necessary to prepare a

student for postsecondary education

and the requirements necessary to earn

a skill certificate;

• A program of instruction and

curriculum that integrates academic and

vocational learning (including applied

methodologies and team-teaching

strategies), and incorporates instruction,

to the extent practicable, in all aspects

of an industry, appropriately tied to the

career of a participant;

• Regularly scheduled evaluations

involving ongoing consultation and
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices 24823

problem solving with students and

school dropouts to identify their

academic strengths and weaknesses,

academic progress, workplace

knowledge, goals, and the need for

additional learning opportunities to

master core academic and vocational

skills; and

• Procedures to facilitate the entry of

students participating in a School-toWork Opportunities initiative into

additional training or postsecondary

education programs, as well as to

facilitate the transfer of the students

between education and training

programs.

(b) Work-based learning, that

includes—

(1) Mandatory activities—

• Work experience;

• A planned program of job training

and work experiences (including

training related to pre-employment and

employment skills to be mastered at

progressively higher levels) that are

coordinated with learning in the schoolbased learning component described

above and are relevant to the career

majors of students and lead to the award

of skill certificates;

• Workplace mentoring;

• Instruction in general workplace

competencies, including instruction and

activities related to developing positive

work attitudes, and employability and

participative skills; and

• Broad instruction, to the extent

practicable, in all aspects of the

industry.

(2) Permissible activities—Such

component may include such activities

as paid work experience, job shadowing,

school-sponsored enterprises, or on-thejob training.

(c) Connecting Activities, that

include—

• Matching students with the workbased learning opportunities of

employers;

• Providing, with respect to each

student, a school site mentor to act as

a liaison among the student and the

employer, school, teacher, school

administrator, and parent of the student,

and, if appropriate, other community

partners;

• Providing technical assistance and

services to employers, including smalland medium-sized businesses, and other

parties in—

(A) designing school-based learning

components as described above, workbased learning components as described

above, and counseling and case

management services; and

(B) training teachers, workplace

mentors, school site mentors, and

counselors;

• Providing assistance to schools and

employers to integrate school-based and

work-based learning and integrate

academic and occupational learning

into the program;

• Encouraging the active participation

of employers, in cooperation with local

education officials, in the

implementation of local activities

described in this Part as school-based

learning, work-based learning, or

connecting activities;

(A) Providing assistance to

participants who have completed the

program in finding an appropriate job,

continuing their education, or entering

into an additional training program; or

(B) Linking the participants with

other community services that may be

necessary to assure a successful

transition from school to work;

• Collecting and analyzing

information regarding post-program

outcomes of participants in the Schoolto-Work Opportunities initiative, to the

extent practicable and appropriate for

Indian programs, on the basis of

socioeconomic status, gender, and

disability, and on the basis of whether

the participants are students with

limited-English proficiency, school

dropouts, disadvantaged students, or

academically talented students; and

• Linking youth development

activities under the School-to-Work

Opportunities initiative with employer

and industry strategies for upgrading the

skills of their workers.

Section C. Examples of Allowable

Activities

Funds awarded under this

competition to a partnership serving

Indian youth and involving Bureaufunded schools may be used only for

activities undertaken to develop or

implement the local partnership’s plan

that will provide opportunities for

Indian youth to participate successfully

in a School-to-Work Opportunities

initiative.

1. Development Grants

Eligible partnerships that have not

fully developed a plan for the

implementation of a School-to-Work

Opportunities system may apply for

development grants. These funds may

support a wide range of planning and

development activities. These grants are

designed for situations in which an

eligible partnership may not be ready to

move forward with implementation of a

School-to-Work Opportunities initiative,

but intends to compete for

implementation grants in future rounds

of competition. Eligible partnerships

seeking development grants must

describe the planning and development

activities for the School-to-Work

Opportunities initiative that the

partnership proposes to undertake

during the 12-month grant period. The

plan should include activities funded

from this grant as well as from other

sources. Examples of development

activities that may be conducted with

funds awarded under an Indian Program

Grant are similar to those stipulated

under section 205 of the Act and as

illustrated below—

1. Initiating a planning process aimed

at building a School-to-Work

Opportunities initiative;

2. Identifying or establishing an

appropriate structure to administer a

School-to-Work Opportunities initiative;

3. Further expanding eligible

partnerships as defined in this notice to

participate in the design, development

and administration of the School-toWork Opportunities initiative;

4. Building consensus among local

stakeholders and supporting planning

and development activities to provide

guidance in creating the School-to-Work

Opportunities plan;

5. Initiating pilot projects to test key

components of program design such as

designing and testing common intake

systems for students participating in

School-to-Work Opportunities

initiatives, and determining methods to

integrate program data bases;

6. Analyzing current statutory,

regulatory and administrative

impediments to the creation of a Schoolto-Work Opportunities initiative;

7. Assessing staff training and

development needs for participation in

a School-to-Work Opportunities

initiative;

8. Preparing the strategic plan

required for submission of a proposal

for an implementation grant. The plan

should describe the progress expected to

be achieved in the planning and

development process by the end of the

12-month grant period. This should

include expected ‘‘next steps.’’

2. Implementation Grants

Eligible partnerships that have

developed and are ready to implement

a plan for a School-to-Work

Opportunities initiative may apply for

implementation grants. These funds

may be used to support a wide range of

activities providing School-to-Work

Opportunities for Indian youth.

Examples of implementation activities

that may be conducted with funds

awarded under an Indian Program Grant

are similar to those stipulated in section

215 of the Act and as illustrated below:

1. Recruiting and providing assistance

to employers, including small-and

medium-sized businesses, tribal

businesses and school-based

enterprises, to provide the work-based
24824 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices

learning components in the School-toWork Opportunities initiative;

2. Establishing consortia of

employers, including tribal businesses

and school-based enterprises, to support

the School-to-Work Opportunities

initiative and provide access to jobs

related to the career majors of students;

3. Supporting or establishing

intermediaries (selected from among the

members of the local partnership) to

perform the connecting activities

described above in Part II. B.,

‘‘Objectives,’’ and to provide assistance

to Indian youth in obtaining jobs and

further education and training;

4. Designing or adapting innovative

school curricula that can be used to

integrate academic, vocational, and

occupational learning, school-based and

work-based learning, and secondary and

postsecondary education for all students

in the area served;

5. Providing training to work-based

and school-based staff on new curricula,

student assessments, student guidance,

and feedback to the school regarding

student performance in connection with

the School-to-Work Opportunities

Initiative;

6. Establishing, in schools

participating in a School-to-Work

Opportunities initiative, a graduation

assistance program to assist at-risk

students, low-achieving students, and

students with disabilities, in graduating

from high school, enrolling in

postsecondary education or training,

and finding or advancing in jobs;

7. Providing career exploration and

awareness services, counseling and

mentoring services, college awareness

and preparation services, and other

services (beginning at the earliest

possible age, but not later than the 7th

grade) to prepare students for the

transition from school to work;

8. Providing supplementary and

support services, including child care

and transportation, when such services

are necessary for participation in a local

School-to-Work Opportunities initiative;

9. Conducting or obtaining an indepth analysis of the local labor market

and the generic and specific skill needs

of employers to identify high-demand,

high-wage careers to target;

10. Integrating school-based and

work-based learning into existing job

training programs for school dropouts;

11. Establishing or expanding schoolto-apprenticeship programs in

cooperation with registered

apprenticeship agencies and

apprenticeship sponsors;

12. Assisting participating employers,

including small- and medium-sized

businesses, tribal businesses and schoolbased enterprises, to identify and train

workplace mentors and to develop

work-based learning components;

13. Promoting the formation of

partnerships between Bureau-funded

schools and other elementary and

secondary schools (including middle

schools) and local businesses as an

investment in future workplace

productivity and competitiveness;

14. Designing local strategies to

provide adequate planning time and

staff development activities for teachers,

school counselors, related services

personnel, and school site mentors,

including opportunities outside the

classroom that are at the worksite;

15. Enhancing linkages between afterschool, weekend, and summer jobs,

career exploration, and school-based

learning;

16. Obtaining the assistance of

organizations and institutions that have

a history of success in working with

school dropouts and at-risk and

disadvantaged youths in recruiting such

Indian youth who are at-risk or school

dropouts to participate in a local

School-to-Work Opportunities initiative;

17. Conducting outreach to all

students in a language and manner that

most appropriately and effectively

meets their needs and responds to the

needs of their community;

18. Experimenting with providing

work-based learning opportunities both

inside and outside the Indian

community;

19. Developing, in conjunction with

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary

Schools Act or other funds,

improvements in the Bureau-funded

and other elementary and middle

schools that serve the Indian

community in order to reduce the longterm dropout rate of Indian youth;

20. Developing and implementing

techniques that will increase the college

enrollment of Indian youth in the

targeted area;

21. Utilizing complementary

initiatives within the targeted area such

as comprehensive sports and recreation

programs, after-school programs, and

community development activities;

22. Encouraging Indian youth to

design and initiate innovative workbased learning activities operated

within a school setting; and

23. Developing and implementing

school-based and work-based learning

and connecting activities that are related

to the tribal organization’s economic

development plan.

Section D. Safeguards

The Departments apply the following

safeguards to School-to-Work

Opportunities programs funded under

this competition:

1. No student in a School-to-Work

Opportunities program shall displace

any currently employed worker

(including a partial displacement, such

as a reduction in the hours of nonovertime work, wages, or employment

benefits).

2. No School-to-Work Opportunities

program shall impair existing contracts

for services or collective bargaining

agreements, and no program under this

competition that would be inconsistent

with the terms of a collective bargaining

agreement shall be undertaken without

the written concurrence of the labor

organization and employer concerned.

3. No student participating in a

School-to-Work Opportunities program

shall be employed or fill a job—

a. When any other individual is on

temporary layoff, with the clear

possibility of recall, from the same or

any substantially equivalent job with

the participating employer; or

b. When the employer has terminated

the employment of any regular

employee or otherwise reduced its

workforce with the intention of filling

the vacancy so created with a student.

4. Students shall be provided with

adequate and safe equipment and safe

and healthful workplaces in conformity

with all health and safety requirements

of Federal, State, and local law.

5. Nothing in this notice shall be

construed so as to modify or affect any

Federal or State law prohibiting

discrimination on the basis of religion,

gender, age, or disability.

6. Funds awarded under this

competition shall not be expended for

wages of students or workplace mentors

participating in School-to-Work

Opportunities programs.

7. The grantee shall implement and

maintain such other safeguards as the

Departments may deem appropriate in

order to ensure that School-to-Work

Opportunities participants are afforded

adequate supervision by skilled adult

workers, or to otherwise further the

purposes of this program.

An applicant must provide an

assurance, as appendix A, that the

foregoing safeguards will be

implemented and maintained

throughout all program activities.

Section E. Waivers

Under Title V of the Act, the

Secretaries may waive certain Federal

requirements that impede the ability of

a State or local partnership to carry out

the purposes of the Act. Only local

partnerships in States with approved

School-to-Work Opportunities plans

may apply for waivers. A local

partnership that seeks a waiver should

contact its State School-to-Work Contact
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices 24825

to determine what documentation is

required and to whom it should be sent.

In May, 1995, the National School-toWork Opportunities Office issued a

document entitled ‘‘School-to-Work

Opportunities Waiver and Plan

Approval Process Questions and

Answers.’’ This document contains

answers to many of the questions that

localities may have when preparing

their waiver requests. Local

Partnerships interested in applying for

waivers should contact the National

School-to-Work Opportunities Office or

their State School-to-Work Contact for a

copy of the waiver document.

Section F. Bidders’ Conference

A Bidders’ Conference for interested

School-to-Work Indian Program

applicants is scheduled from 12:30 p.m.

to 4:30 p.m. on the following date and

location:

• May 23, 1996, Mesa Community

College, Navajo Room, Kirk Student

Center, 1833 West Southern Avenue,

Mesa, Arizona 85202–4867.

Participants at the Conference will

receive a detailed description of the

School-to-Work Opportunities Act, the

evaluation and eligibility criteria, and

will have the opportunity to ask

questions of Federal School-to-Work

officials.

All partnerships should pre-register

by faxing the names and addresses of up

to three members of the local

partnership planning to attend, the

name of the local partnership, and a

phone number to: Kevin Shelton,

Training and Technical Assistance

Corporation, 2409 18th Street, NW,

Washington, DC; FAX#: (202) 408–8308.

Questions regarding the solicitation

may be submitted in advance. If you are

unable to attend the Bidders’

Conference but would like the

conference materials and a conference

transcript, submit your request via fax to

the fax number listed above. All

information must be submitted no later

than May 20, 1996. You will be sent a

confirmation along with hotel

accommodation information once your

registration has been received; walk-in

registration will also be permitted but is

not recommended.

Part III. Indian Program Grants

Competition Requirements

Section A. Administrative Cost Cap

The Departments are applying the 10

percent cap on administrative costs

contained in section 215(b)(6) of the Act

to local partnerships receiving grants

directly under this competition. Section

215(b)(6) of the Act applies the 10

percent administrative cap to subgrants

received by local partnerships from a

State. The Departments have concluded

that applying the 10 percent cap to local

partnerships under this competition is

consistent with the Act’s intent and its

broader limitations on administrative

costs.

Definition

All definitions in the Act apply to

local School-to-Work Opportunities

systems funded under this and future

Indian Program Grant competitions.

Since the Act does not contain a

definition of the term ‘‘administrative

costs’’ as used in section 217 of the Act,

the Departments will apply the

following definition to this and future

competitions for Indian Program Grants.

The term ‘‘administrative costs’’

means the activities of a local

partnership that are necessary for the

proper and efficient performance of its

duties under the Indian Program Grant

pursuant to the School-to-Work

Opportunities Act and that are not

directly related to the provision of

services to participants or otherwise

allocable to the program’s allowable

activities listed in Title II of the Act.

Administrative costs may be either

personnel or non-personnel costs, and

may be either direct or indirect. Costs of

administration include those costs that

are related to this grant in such

categories as—

A. Costs of salaries, wages, and

related costs of the grantee’s staff

engaged in—

—Overall system management, system

coordination, and general

administrative functions;

—Preparing program plans, budgets,

and schedules, as well as applicable

amendments;

—Monitoring of local initiatives, pilot

projects, subrecipients, and related

systems and processes;

—Procurement activities, including the

award of specific subgrants, contracts,

and purchase orders;

—Developing systems and procedures,

including management information

systems, for ensuring compliance

with the requirements under the Act;

—Preparing reports and other

documents related to the Act;

—Coordinating the resolution of audit

findings;

B. Costs for goods and services

required for administration of the

School-to-Work Opportunities system;

C. Costs of system-wide management

functions; and

D. Travel costs incurred for official

business in carrying out grants

management or administrative

activities.

Section B. Evaluation Criteria

Under the School-to-Work

Opportunities Indian Program Grants

competition announced in this notice, a

careful evaluation of applications will

be made by a technical review panel.

Each panelist will evaluate the

applications against the criteria listed

below. The panel results are advisory in

nature and not binding on the Grants

Officer. Final funding decisions will

consider such factors as: geographic

balance, diversity of programmatic

approaches, replicability, sustainability,

and innovation.

Evaluation Criteria: Development Grants

The Government will use the

following evaluation criteria and

associated point values in evaluating

applications for development grants:

Evaluation Criterion 1: Vision of a

local School-to-Work Opportunities

initiative incorporating the elements

described in Part II of this notice.

Points: 30.

Considerations: In applying this

criterion, reviewers will consider:

• How well does the vision of an

integrated delivery system for School-toWork Opportunities incorporate the

common features and basic program

components described in Part II of this

notice?

• How clearly are the problems and/

or inefficiencies of current programs

and approaches understood and

articulated?

• How clearly does the partnership

articulate how it envisions integrating

promising existing programs into a

comprehensive School-to-Work

Opportunities system?

• How well does this vision

incorporate realistic strategies to ensure

that ‘‘all students’’ have opportunities to

participate in School-to-Work

initiatives?

• How well does the vision address

the needs of the tribal economic

development plan and the local labor

market within which the targeted area is

located,

• How well does the vision convey

the partnership’s connection between

the proposed School-to-Work

Opportunities system and overall

education reform?

Evaluation Criterion 2: Approach to

collaboration, planning and

development.

Points: 30.

Considerations: In applying this

criterion, reviewers will consider:

• Whether the eligible partnership

includes all of the required

representatives as defined in Part I,

section B.1 of this notice?
24826 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices

• Whether other appropriate officials

and organizations necessary to achieve

the objectives of the application are also

represented?

• To what extent will employers and

representatives of workers participate in

the development of the plan?

• Are the roles and responsibilities of

each partner well articulated and

substantive?

• Is the plan likely to lead to a broad

consensus about the design of the

School-to-Work Opportunities system?

• Is the proposal clear on who will

have the day to day responsibilities for

the grant and how major decisions will

be made?

Evaluation Criterion 3: Feasibility and

soundness of the development plan.

Points: 25.

Considerations: In applying this

criterion, reviewers will consider:

• Are the planned activities likely to

prepare the eligible partnership to

implement a School-to-Work

Opportunities initiative?

• To what extent has progress already

been made?

• Are staff development and training

needs fully considered?

• To what extent has the partnership

envisioned pilot testing of key

components toward the establishment of

a comprehensive framework for

implementation.

• Does the development process fully

take advantage of technology?

• Whether the approach to

identifying and overcoming anticipated

barriers to the development of the

partnership’s School-to-Work plan is

feasible?

• Whether the management plan and

related timeline of activities included in

the application are appropriate to the

goals and outcomes to be achieved?

• Are key personnel to be used on the

project qualified to undertake proposed

activities?

Evaluation Criterion 4: Commitment

to the planning and development effort.

Points: 15.

Considerations: In applying this

criterion, reviewers will consider:

• To what extent are Federal or other

local resources being utilized to finance

planning and development activities

towards the development of a

comprehensive School-to-Work system?

• To what extent will the partnership

provide in-kind support and resources

towards the development of the system?

• Whether resources available are

adequate to support the activities

proposed?

Evaluation Criteria: Implementation

Grants

The Government will use the

following evaluation criteria and

associated point values in evaluating

applications for implementation grants.

Evaluation Criterion 1:

Comprehensive Local School-to-Work

Opportunities System.

Points: 40.

Considerations: In applying this

criterion, reviewers will consider:

A. 20 points—The extent to which the

partnership has designed a

comprehensive local School-to-Work

Opportunities plan that—

Includes effective strategies serving

Indian youth and involving Bureaufunded schools that integrates schoolbased and work-based learning,

integrates academic and vocational

education, and establishes linkages

between secondary and postsecondary

education;

Is likely to produce systematic change

that will have substantial impact on the

preparation of all tribal area students for

a first job in a high-skill, high-wage

career and in increasing their

opportunities for further learning;

Ensures that all tribal youth will have

a full range of options, including

options for higher education, additional

training and employment in high-skill,

high-wage jobs;

Ensures coordination and integration

with existing school-to-work programs,

and with related programs financed

from State and private sources, with

funds available from Federal education

and training programs (such as the Job

Training Partnership Act and the Carl D.

Perkins Vocational and Applied

Technology Education Act); and where

applicable, communities designated as

Empowerment Zones or Enterprise

Communities (EZ/EC);

Serves a geographic area that reflects

the needs of the local labor market and

targets occupational clusters that

represent growing industries in the

partnership’s geographic area and

specified in the tribal economic

development plan.

Includes an effective strategy for

assessing and addressing the academic

and human service needs of students

and dropouts within the tribal

community, making improvements or

adjustments as necessary, with

particular emphasis on the coordination

of various human services provided

within the tribal community.

B. 20 Points—The extent to which the

partnership’s plan demonstrates its

capability to achieve the statutory

requirements and to effectively put in

place the system components in Title I

of the School-to-Work Opportunities

Act, including—

A work-based learning component

that includes the statutory ‘‘mandatory

activities’’ and that contributes to the

transformation of workplaces into active

learning components of the education

system through an array of sequentially

enriching permissible learning activities

such as job shadowing, schoolsponsored enterprises, entrepreneurial

initiatives, and paid work experiences.

A school-based learning component

that provides students with high-level

academic and technical skills consistent

with academic standards that the State

or Bureau establishes for all students,

including, where applicable, standards

established under the Goals 2000

Educate America Act;

A connecting activities component to

provide a functional link between

students’ school and work activities,

and between workplace partners,

educators, community organizations,

and other appropriate entities;

Effective processes for assessing skills

and knowledge required in career

majors, and issuing portable skill

certificates that are benchmarked to

high-quality standards such as those

States will establish under the Goals

2000: Educate America Act, and for

periodically assessing and collecting

information on student outcomes, as

well as a realistic strategy and timetable

for implementing the process;

• A flexible School-to-Work

Opportunities system that allows

students participating in the local

system to develop new career goals over

time, and to change career majors and;

• Effective strategies for: providing

staff development for teachers, worksite

mentors and other key personnel;

developing model curricula and

innovative instructional methodologies,

including processes for infusing

culturally sensitive issues, values and

beliefs, expanding career and academic

counseling in elementary and secondary

schools; and utilizing innovative

technology-based instructional

techniques.

Evaluation Criterion 2: Quality and

effectiveness of the local partnership.

Points: 25.

Considerations: In applying this

criterion, reviewers will consider—

• Whether the partnership’s plan

demonstrates an effective and

convincing strategy for continuing the

commitment of required partners and

other interested parties in the local

School-to-Work Opportunities system.

As defined in this solicitation, partners

must include tribal organizations (such

as tribal business councils or local

chapters of tribal business councils,

tribal departments of educations),

employers (both within and

surrounding the targeted area where

applicable and including tribal

businesses and school-based
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices 24827

enterprises), representatives of Bureau

of Indian Affairs’ funded schools, local

educational agencies and local

postsecondary educational institutions

(including representatives of area

vocational education schools and tribal

colleges, where applicable), local

educators (such as teachers, counselors,

or administrators), representatives of

labor organizations or nonmanagerial

employee representatives, parents, and

students;

• Whether the partnership’s plan

demonstrates an effective and

convincing strategy for continuing the

commitment of workplace partners and

other interested parties such as

community based organizations and

others experienced and focused on

dealing with the distinctive needs of

Indian youth in the local School-toWork Opportunities system;

• The effectiveness of the

partnership’s plan to include private

sector representatives and tribal

business leaders as joint partners with

tribal educators in both the design and

implementation of the local School-toWork Opportunities system;

• The extent to which the local

partnership has developed strategies to

provide a range of opportunities for

workplace partners to participate in the

design and implementation of the local

School-to-Work Opportunities system,

including membership on councils and

partnerships; assistance in setting

standards, designing curricula, and

determining outcomes; providing

worksite experiences for teachers;

helping to recruit other employers; and

providing worksite learning activities

for students such as mentoring, job

shadowing, unpaid work experiences,

and paid work experiences;

• The extent to which the roles and

responsibilities of the key parties and

any other relevant stakeholders are

clearly defined and are likely to produce

the desired changes in the way students

are prepared for the future;

• The extent to which the partnership

demonstrates the capacity to build a

quality local School-to-Work

Opportunities system; and

• Whether the partnership has

included methods for sustaining and

expanding the partnership, as the

program expands in scope and size.

Evaluation Criterion 3: Participation

of all students.

Points: 20.

Considerations: In applying this

criterion, reviewers will refer to the

definition of the term ‘‘all students’’ as

applicable in Title I, section 4(2) of the

Act, and consider—

• The extent to which the partnership

will implement effective strategies and

systems to provide all students with

equal access to the full range of program

components specified in sections 102

through 104 of the Act and related

activities such as recruitment,

enrollment, and placement activities,

and to ensure that all tribal youth have

opportunities to participate in Schoolto-Work Opportunities programs;

∆ Whether the partnership has

identified potential barriers to the

participation of any students, and the

degree to which it proposes effective

ways of overcoming these barriers;

• The degree to which the

partnership has developed realistic

goals and methods for assisting young

women to participate in School-to-Work

Opportunities programs leading to

employment in high-performance, highpaying jobs, including non-traditional

jobs;

• The partnership’s methods for

ensuring safe and healthy work

environments for students, including

strategies for encouraging tribal schools

to provide students with general

awareness training in occupational

safety and health as part of the schoolbased learning component, and for

encouraging workplace partners to

provide risk-specific training as part of

the work-based learning component, as

well as the extent to which the

partnership has developed realistic

goals to ensure environments free from

racial and sexual harassment; and

• The extent to which the

partnership’s plan provides for the

participation of a significant number or

percentage of Indian youth within the

system, including Indian youth located

in particularly remote areas in Schoolto-Work Opportunities activities listed

under Title I of the Act.

Evaluation Criterion 4: Management

plan.

Points: 15.

Considerations: In applying this

criterion, reviewers will consider—

• The feasibility and effectiveness of

the partnership’s strategy for using other

resources, including private sector or

Tribal resources, to maintain the system

when Federal resources under the

School-to-Work Opportunities Act are

no longer available;

• The extent to which the

partnership’s management plan

anticipates barriers to implementation

and proposes effective methods for

addressing barriers as they arise;

• Whether the plan includes feasible,

measurable goals for the School-to-Work

Opportunities system, based on

performance outcomes established

under section 402 of the Act, and an

effective method for collecting

information relevant to the local

partnership’s progress in meeting its

goals;

• Whether the plan includes a

regularly scheduled process for

improving or redesigning the School-toWork Opportunities system based on

performance outcomes established

under section 402 of the Act;

• The extent to which the resources

requested will be used to develop

information, products, and ideas that

will assist other local partnerships as

they design and implement local

systems; and

• The extent to which the partnership

will limit equipment and other

purchases in order to maximize the

amounts spent on delivery of services to

students.

• Are key personnel under the plan

qualified to perform the required

activities, including maintaining the

essential partnership.

Signed at Washington, D.C., this 10th day

of May 1996.

Timothy Barnicle,

Assistant Secretary for Employment and

Training, Department of Labor.

Patricia McNeil,

Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult

Education, Department of Education.

BILLING CODE 4510–30–P
24828 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices

Appendix A

BILLING CODE 4510–30–C
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices 24829

Instructions for the SF 424

This is a standard form used by applicants

as a required facesheet for preapplications

and applications submitted for Federal

assistance. It will be used by Federal agencies

to obtain applicant certification that States

which have established a review and

comment procedure in response to Executive

Order 12372 and have selected the program

to be included in their process, have been

given an opportunity to review the

applicant’s submission.

Item and Entry

1. Self-explanatory.

2. Date application submitted to Federal

agency (or State if applicable) & applicant’s

control number (if applicable).

3. State use only (if applicable).

4. If this application is to continue or

revise an existing award, enter present

Federal identifier number. If for a new

project, leave blank.

5. Legal name of applicant, name of

primary organizational unit which will

undertake the assistance activity, complete

address of the applicant, and name and

telephone number of the person to contact on

matters related to this application.

6. Enter Employer Identification Number

(EIN) as assigned by the Internal Revenue

Service.

7. Enter the appropriate letter in the space

provided.

8. Check appropriate box and enter

appropriate letter(s) in the space(s) provided:

—‘‘New’’ means a new assistance award.

—‘‘Continuation’’ means an extension for an

additional funding/budget period for a

project with a projected completion date.

—‘‘Revision’’ means any change in the

Federal Government’s financial obligation

or contingent liability for an existing

obligation.

9. Name of Federal agency from which

assistance is being requested with this

application.

10. Use the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance number and title of the program

under which assistance is requested.

11. Enter a brief descriptive title of the

project. If more than one program is

involved, you should append an explanation

on a separate sheet. If appropriate (e.g.,

construction or real property projects), attach

a map showing project location. For

preapplications, use a separate sheet to

provide a summary description of this

project.

12. List only the largest political entities

affected (e.g., State, counties, cities).

13. Self-explanatory.

14. List the applicant’s Congressional

District and any District(s) affected by the

program or project.

15. Amount requested or to be contributed

during the first funding/budget period by

each contributor. Value of in-kind

contributions should be included on

appropriate lines as applicable. If the action

will result in a dollar change to an existing

award, indicate only the amount of the

change. For decreases, enclose the amounts

in parentheses. If both basic and

supplemental amounts are included, show

breakdown on an attached sheet. For

multiple program funding, use totals and

show breakdown using same categories as

item 15.

16. Applicants should contact the State

Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for Federal

Executive Order 12372 to determine whether

the application is subject to the State

integovernmental review process.

17. This question to the applicant

organization, not the person who signs as the

authorized representative. Categories of debt

include delinquent audit disallowances,

loans and taxes.

18. To be signed by the authorized

representative of the applicant. A copy of the

governing body’s authorization for you to

sign this application as official representative

must be on file in the applicant’s office.

(Certain Federal agencies may require that

this authorization be submitted as part of the

application.)

BILLING CODE 4510–30–P
24830 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices

Appendix B

BILLING CODE 4510–30–C
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices 24831

Instructions for Part II—Budget Information

Section A—Budget Summary by Categories

1. Personnel: Show salaries to be paid for

project personnel.

2. Fringe Benefits: Indicate the rate and

amount of fringe benefits.

3. Travel: Indicate the amount requested

for staff travel. Include funds to cover at least

one trip to Washington, DC for project

director or designee.

4. Equipment: Indicate the cost of nonexpendable personal property that has a

useful life of more than one year with a per

unit cost of $5,000 or more.

5. Supplies: Include the cost of consumable

supplies and materials to be used during the

project period.

6. Contractual: Show the amount to be

used for (1) procurement contracts (except

those which belong on other lines such as

supplies and equipment); and (2) subcontracts/grants.

7. Other: Indicate all direct costs not

clearly covered by lines 1 through 6 above,

including consultants.

8. Total, Direct Costs: Add lines 1 through

7.

9. Indirect Costs: Indicate the rate and

amount of indirect costs. Please include a

copy of your negotiated Indirect Cost

Agreement.

10. Training/Stipend Cost: (If allowable).

11. Total Federal funds Requested: Show

total of lines 8 through 10.

Section B—Cost Sharing/Matching Summary

Indicate the actual rate and amount of cost

sharing/matching when there is a cost

sharing/matching requirement. Also include

percentage of total project cost and indicate

source of cost sharing/matching funds, i.e.

other Federal source or other Non-Federal

source.

Note: Please include a detailed cost

analysis of each line item.

Appendix C—Goals 2000: Educate

America Act, Legislative Summary

Overview

• The Goals 2000 Act provides resources

to states and communities to develop and

implement comprehensive education reforms

aimed at helping students reach challenging

academic and occupational skill standards.

Legislative Review

• On March 23, the House of

Representatives approved the final Goals

2000 bill by a bipartisan vote of 306–121. On

March 26, the Senate approved Goals 2000 by

a bipartisan vote of 63–22.

• The President signed the bill into law

March 31, 1994. (Public Law 103–227)

Timetable and Funding

• In 1994, $105 million was appropriated

for Goals 2000. First-year funds became

available to the states on July 1, 1994.

Congress has appropriated $403 million in

1995.

• Funding will be formula-based. For firstyear funding, states have been asked to

submit an application that will describe how

a broad-based citizen panel will develop an

action plan to improve their schools. The

application will also describe how subgrants

will be made for local education

improvement and better teacher preservice

professional development programs.

• During the first year, states will use at

least 60 percent of their allotted funds to

award subgrants to local school districts for

the development or implementation of local

and individual school improvement efforts,

and for better teacher education programs

and professional development activities.

• In succeeding years, at least 90 percent

of each state’s funds will be used to make

subgrants for the implementation of the state,

local and individual school improvement

plans and to support teacher education and

professional development.

• During the first year, local districts will

use at least 75 percent of the funds they

receive to support individual school

improvement initiatives. After the first year,

districts will pass through at least 85 percent

of the funds to schools.

Components of the Goals 2000: Educate

America Act

Title I: Setting High Expectations for Our

Nation: the National Education Goals

• Formalizes in law the original six

National Education Goals. These goals

concern: readiness for school; increased

school graduation rates; student academic

achievement and citizenship; mathematics

and science performance; adult literacy; and

safe, disciplined, and drug-free schools. The

Act adds two new goals that encourage

parental participation and better professional

development for teachers and principals.

Title II: Public Accountability for Progress

Toward the Goals and Development of

Challenging Voluntary, Academic Standards

• Establishes in law the bipartisan

National Education Goals Panel, which will;

report on the nation’s progress toward

meeting the goals; build public support for

taking actions to meet the goals; and review

the voluntarily-submitted national standards

and the criteria for certification of these

standards developed by the National

Education Standards and Improvement

Council.

• Creates the National Education

Standards and Improvement Council, made

up of a bipartisan, broad base of citizens and

educators, to examine and certify voluntary

national and state standards submitted on a

voluntary basis by states and by

organizations working on particular

academic subjects.

• Authorizes grants to support the

development of voluntary assessment

systems aligned to state standards, and for

the development of model opportunity-tolearn standards.

Title III: Supporting Community and State

Efforts to Improve Education

• The central purpose of the Goals 2000

Act is to support, accelerate, and sustain state

and local improvement efforts aimed at

helping students reach challenging academic

and occupational standards.

• Section 318 of the Act specifically

prohibits federal mandates, direction and

control of education.

Broad-Based Citizen Involvement in State

Improvement Efforts

• The Governor and the Chief State School

Officer will each appoint half the members

of a broad-based panel. This panel will be

comprised of teachers, principals,

administrators, parents, representatives of

business, labor, and higher education, and

members of the public, as well as the chair

of the state board of education and the chairs

of the appropriate authorizing committees of

the state legislature.

• States that already have a broad-based

panel in place that has made substantial

progress in developing a reform plan may

request that the Secretary of Education

recognize the existing panel.

Comprehensive Improvement Plan Geared to

High Standards of Achievement

• The State Planning Panel is responsible

for developing a comprehensive reform plan.

• States with reform plan already in place

that meet the Act’s requirements will not

have to develop new plans for Goals 2000.

The U.S. Secretary of Education may approve

plans, or portions of plans, already adopted

by the state.

• In order the receive Goals 2000 funds

after the first year, a state has to have an

approved plan or have made substantial

progress in developing it.

• A peer review process will be used to

review the state plans and offer guidance to

the State Planning Panel. The U.S.

Department of Education also will offer other

technical assistance and support by drawing

on the expertise of successful educators and

leaders from around the nation.

In general, the plans are to address:

• Strategies for the development or

adoption of content standards, student

performance standards, student assessments,

and plans for improving teacher training.

• Strategies to involve parents and the

community in helping all students meet

challenging state standards and to promote

grass-roots, bottom-up involvement in

reform.

• Strategies for ensuring that all local

educational agencies and schools in the state

are involved in developing and

implementing needed improvements.

• Strategies for improved management and

governance, and for promoting accountability

for results, flexibility, site-based

management, and other principles of highperformance management.

• Strategies for providing all students an

opportunity to learn at higher academic

levels.

• Strategies for assisting local education

agencies and schools to meet the needs of

school-age students who have dropped out of

school.

• Strategies for bringing technology into

the classroom to increase learning.

Funds are also available to states to

support the development of a state

technology plan, to be integrated with the

overall reform plan.

Broad-Based Involvement in Local Education

Improvement Efforts

• Each local school districts that applies

for Goals 2000 funds will be asked to develop
24832 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices

a broad consensus regarding a local

improvement plan.

• Local districts will encourage and assist

school in developing and implementing

reforms that best meet the particular needs of

the schools. The local plan would include

strategies for ensuring that students meet

higher academic standards.

Waivers and Flexibility

• State educational agencies may apply to

the U.S. Secretary of Education for waivers

of certain requirements of Department of

Education programs that impede the

implementation of the state or local plans.

States may also submit waiver requests on

behalf of local school districts and schools.

• The Secretary may select up to six states

for participation in an education flexibility

demonstration program, which allows the

Secretary to delegate his waiver authority to

State education agencies.

• The Act specifies certain statutory and

regulatory programmatic requirements that

may not be waived, including parental

involvement and civil rights laws.

Title IV. Support for Increased Parental

Involvement

• This title creates parental information

and resource centers to increase parents

knowledge and confidence in child-rearing

activities and to strengthen partnerships

between parents and professionals in meeting

the educational needs of children. Parent

resource centers will be funded by the U.S.

Department of Education beginning in fiscal

year 1995.

Title V. National Skill Standards Board

• This title creates a National Skill

Standards Board to stimulate the

development and adoption of a voluntary

national system of occupational skill

standards and certification. This Board will

serve as a cornerstone of the national strategy

to enhance workforce skills. The Board will

be responsible for identifying broad clusters

of major occupations in the U.S. and

facilitating the establishment of voluntary

partnership to develop skill standards for

each cluster. The Board will endorse those

skill standards submitted by the partnerships

that meet certain statutorily prescribed

criteria.

Relationship of Goals 2000 to Other Federal

Education Programs

• State participation in all aspects of the

Goals 2000 Act is voluntary, and is not a

precondition for participation in other

Federal programs.

• The Goals 2000 Act is a step toward

making the Federal government a better

partner a supportive partner in local and

state comprehensive improvement efforts

aimed at helping all children reach higher

standards. The proliferation of many sets of

rules and regulations for different federal

education programs has often interfered with

local school, community or state efforts to

improve schools. The Goals 2000 Act is

designed to be flexible and supportive of

community-based improvements in

education.

• Other new and existing education and

training programs will fit within the Goals

2000 framework of challenging academic and

occupations standards, comprehensive

reform, and flexibility at the state and local

levels. The aim is to give schools;

communities and states the option of

coordinating, promoting, and building greater

coherence among Federal programs and

between Federal programs and state and local

education reforms.

• For example, the School-to-Work

Opportunities Act will support state and

local efforts to build a school-to-work

transition system that will help youth acquire

the knowledge, skills, abilities, and labormarket information they need to make a

smooth transition from school to careeroriented work and to further education and

training. Students in these programs could be

expected to meet the same academic

standards established in states under Goals

2000 and will earn portable, industryrecognized skill certificates that are

benchmarked to high-quality standards.

• Similarly, the reauthorization of the

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

(ESEA) allows states that have developed

their own standards and assessments under

Goals 2000 to use them for students

participating in ESEA programs, thereby

providing one set of standards and

assessments for states and schools to use for

their own reform needs and, at the same

time, to meet Federal requirements.

For more information, contact 1–800–

USA–Learn.

Appendix D—Questions and Answers

About School-to-Work Indian Program

Grants

What is the purpose of the SGA?

The Solicitation for Grant Award (SGA)

announces a competition for Indian Program

Grants to enable eligible partnerships to

begin development or implementation of

School-to-Work Opportunities initiatives

serving Indian youth and involving schools

funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Are public comments being sought?

No. The SGA was developed in concert

with key organizations including the Bureau

of Indian Affairs, the National Advisory

Council on Indian Education, and Indian

programs within the Departments of

Education and Labor. This work group

provided input into the development of the

SGA. In accordance with DOL procurement

policy and the desire to get funds to the field

as soon as possible, the SGA was published

in the final format.

Why School-to-Work Opportunities?

The United States is the only

industrialized nation that lacks a

comprehensive and coherent system to help

its youth acquire the knowledge, skills,

abilities, and information about the labor

market necessary to make an effective

transition from school to career-oriented

work. The School-to-Work Opportunities Act

of 1994 created a national framework for

high-quality, school-to-work transition

systems that enable young Americans to

identify and navigate paths to productive and

progressively more rewarding roles in the

workplace. School-to-Work Opportunities

initiatives funded under this competition

will offer Indian youth access to School-toWork Opportunity programs that will prepare

them for first jobs in high-skill, high-wage

careers and further post-secondary education

and training.

When are applications due?

Applications are due 60 days after the

publication of the SGA.

When will awards be made?

All awards must be made by September 30,

1996.

How should I format my application?

The Departments recommend that

applications be formatted as suggested in

Section I, Part B(2) of the SGA. Applications

should include: an abstract, budget, program

narrative and appendices. Applicants are

strongly urged to submit applications that

comprehensively address the evaluation

criteria as described in Section III Part B. of

the SGA.

Who will review my application?

Under this competition, a technical review

panels consisting of peer reviewers and

specialists within the Departments of Labor,

Education and Interior will review

applications for both development and

implementation grants.

What will the review of my application be

based on?

a. Inclusion of required elements.

All applications must include:

1. Evidence that the applicant meets the

definition of an eligible applicant.

2. An assurance that the grantee will abide

by the safeguards as stated in the legislation.

b. Quality and comprehensiveness of the

program narrative.

Panelists will evaluate all applications

against the criteria listed in Part III, Section

B of the SGA for the development and

implementation grant competitions.

Emphasis will be placed on the scope and

quality of the proposed plan and with careful

consideration of the effectiveness, rather than

the presence, of each program component.

Final funding decisions will be made based

on the results of both the panel review

process and other factors as: geographic

balance, diversity of programmatic

approaches, replicability, sustainability, and

innovation.

Who is eligible to apply for these grants?

A. A partnership which proposes to serve

Indian youth and involves Bureau of Indian

Affairs funded schools is qualified under this

competition to apply for either a

development or implementation grant. To be

eligible to apply, a partnership must include:

1. tribal organizations responsible for

economic development, employment and job

training, and education (such as tribal

business councils, local chapters of tribal

business councils, tribal departments of

education and tribal school boards).

2. employers (including tribal businesses

or school-based enterprises where

applicable).

3. representatives of Bureau-funded

schools and local postsecondary educational

institutions (including representatives of area

vocational education schools and tribal

colleges where applicable).

4. local educators (such as teachers,

counselors or administrators).

5. representatives of labor organizations or

nonmanagerial employee representatives.
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 96 / Thursday, May 16, 1996 / Notices 24833

6. students and parents.

and may include other appropriate entities.

Examples of these entities are contained in

Part I, Section B(1)(A) of the SGA.

B. The Department recognize that there are

several geographic areas within the country

which contain high concentrations of Indian

youth that are not served by school systems

supported by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

partnerships may be eligible to apply for

funding even where included in the

partnership are one or more non-Bureaufunded schools that serve Indian youth and

the involvement of Bureau-funded schools

consists of a collaborative, consultative, or

close advisory relationship within the

partnership in which services are not

necessarily provided directly to the Bureaufunded school’s students, but which results

in measurable benefit to both the partnership

and the Bureau-funded school or schools. For

more information on eligibility see Part I,

Section B(1)(B) of this solicitation.

The Department intend to prescreen all

applications against the aforementioned

eligibility criteria prior to the panelists’

review and will not consider any

applications that do not contain the required

assurances and determining information.

What funding is available?

This SGA offers approximately $625,000 in

FY 95 funds authorized under the School-toWork Opportunities Act. The statute states

that 1⁄2 of 1% of all future appropriations

shall be set aside for STWO Indian Program

Grants.

How many grants are anticipated?

The Departments anticipate awarding:

• Approximately 7 development grants of

$30,000 each; and

• Up to 5 implementation grants ranging in

amount between $75,000 and $100,000.

The final amount of each award will be

based on a number of factors, including the

scope, quality, and comprehensiveness of the

proposed initiative and the size of the

population to be served.

How long is the project period?

The award period for this competition will

be 12 months. However, grants may be

continued for up to five years based on

satisfactory progress and the availability of

federal funds.

Can I apply for both a development and

implementation grant?

Eligible partnerships may apply for either

a development grant, an implementation

grant or both. The rationale is to allow those

partnerships which have been engaged in

planning and development activities to apply

for an implementation grant without

jeopardizing their opportunities for receiving

a development grant. However, partnerships

that intend to apply for consideration under

both the development and implementation

grant competitions must submit separate

applications for each competition. A local

partnership may receive only one (1) grant

under this competition, either a development

grant or an implementation grant.

What are the reporting requirements?

Reporting requirements include quarterly

financial and narrative reports and an annual

report on project accomplishments.

How can I find out more information about

the solicitation?

The National School-to-Work Office in

cooperation with Region IX School-to-Work

staff will be sponsoring a Bidder’s

Conference for parties interested in applying

for School-to-Work Indian Program Grants.

The Bidders Conference will be held on May

23, 1996 at Mesa Community College in

Mesa, Arizona. Partnerships that are

interested in attending need to pre-register

participants with Technical Assistance and

Training Corporation. Information pertaining

to this activity can be found in Part II,

Section F of this solicitation.

What other grant programs have been

implemented under the STWO Act?

The U.S. Department of Labor and

Education are jointly conducting separate

competitions for grants to States that are

prepared to implement statewide School-toWork Opportunities systems, to local

partnerships that are prepared to implement

local School-to-Work Opportunities

initiatives, and to local partnerships that

serve high poverty areas of Urban and Rural

constituencies and that are also prepared to

develop and implement local School-to-Work

Opportunities initiatives. Planning and

development grants have been awarded to all

States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Territories.

[FR Doc. 96–12199 Filed 5–15–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–30–M

Investigations Regarding Certifications

of Eligibility To Apply for NAFTA

Transitional Adjustment Assistance

Petitions for transitional adjustment

assistance under the North American

Free Trade Agreement-Transitional

Adjustment Assistance Implementation

Act (P.L. 103–182), hereinafter called

(NAFTA–TAA), have been filed with

State Governors under Section 250(a) of

Subchapter D, Chapter 2, Title II, of the

Trade Act of 1974, as amended, are

identified in the Appendix to this

Notice. Upon notice from a Governor

that a NAFTA–TAA petition has been

received, the Program Manager of the

Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance

(OTAA), Employment and Training

Administration (ETA), Department of

Labor (DOL), announces the filing of the

petition and takes actions pursuant to

paragraphs (c) and (e) of Section 250 of

the Trade Act.

The purpose of the Governor’s actions

and the Labor Department’s

investigations are to determine whether

the workers separated from employment

of after December 8, 1993 (date of

enactment of P.L. 103–182 are eligible

to apply for NAFTA–TAA under

Subchapter D of the Trade Act because

of increased imports from or the shift in

production to Mexico or Canada.

The petitioners or any other persons

showing a substantial interest in the

subject matter of the investigations may

request a public hearing with the

Program Manager of OTAA at the U.S.

Department of Labor (DOL) in

Washington, D.C. provided such request

is filed in writing with the Program

Manager of OTAA not later than May

28, 1996.

Also, interested persons are invited to

submit written comments regarding the

subject matter of the petitions to the

Program Manager of OTAA at the

address shown below not later than May

28, 1996.

Petitions filed with the Governors are

available for inspection at the Office of

the Program Manager, OTAA, ETA,

DOL, Room C–4318, 200 Constitution

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210.

Signed at Washington, DC this 30th day of

April 1996.

Russell T. Kile,

Acting Program Manager, Policy and

Reemployment Services, Office of Trade

Adjustment Assistance.

APPENDIX

Petitioner (union/workers/firm) Location

Date received at

Governor’s

office

Petition No. Articles produced

Fashion Development Center, Inc. (Co.) ...... El Paso, TX ........... 04/5/96 NAFTA–00961 Technical Assistance to Garment Industry.

Airguide Instruments Company; Johnson

Worldwide Associates.

Sturtevant, WI ........ 04/5/96 NAFTA–00962 Compasses.

Dolphin International, Ltd. (Co.) .................... The Dallas, OR ...... 04/8/96 NAFTA–00963 Window/Door Components and Furniture

Panels/Components.

Blue Mountain Forest Products, Inc.; Rieth

Oregon Sawmill (Wkrs).

Pendleton, OR ....... 04/9/96 NAFTA–00964 Finished Lumber.