[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 27, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82224-82226]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-33007]
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Part VIII
Department of Education
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Office of Elementary and Secondary Education: Safe and Drug-Free
Schools and Communities National Programs; Combined Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 2001; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 249 / Wednesday, December 27, 2000 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education--Safe and Drug-Free
Schools and Communities National Programs--Federal Activities--Grant
Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking and Violent Behavior Among
College Students
AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priorities and selection criteria for fiscal
year (FY) 2001 and subsequent years.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education announces final priorities and selection criteria
under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs-
Federal Activities-Grant Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking and
Violent Behavior Among College Students. The Assistant Secretary may
use these priorities and selection criteria for competitions in fiscal
year (FY) 2001 and later years.
EFFECTIVE DATE: These priorities and selection criteria are effective
January 26, 2001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Lucey, Jr., U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW--Room 3E252, Washington, DC 20202-
6123. Telephone: (202) 205-5471. If you use a telecommunications device
for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) at (800) 877-8339. Individuals with disabilities may obtain this
document in an alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape,
or computer diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the
preceding paragraph.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which the Assistant Secretary chooses to use these final priorities
and selection criteria, we invite applications through a notice in
the Federal Register. A notice inviting applications under this
competition is published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Assistant Secretary published a notice
of proposed priorities and selection criteria for this competition in
the Federal Register on October 16, 2000 (65 FR 61246-61247). Except
for minor editorial revisions, there are no differences between the
notice of proposed priorities and selection criteria and this notice of
final priorities and selection criteria.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to the Assistant Secretary's invitation in the notice
of proposed priorities and selection criteria, nine parties submitted
comments on the proposed priorities. An analysis of the comments
follows, grouped by major issues according to subject. No changes have
been made in response to the comments.
Generally, we do not address technical and other minor changes, and
suggested changes the law does not authorize the Assistant Secretary to
make under the applicable statutory authority.
Eligible Applicants
Comments: One party recommended that eligible applicants include
statewide higher education coalitions.
Discussion: Eligible applicants under this grant competition
include institutions of higher education, consortia thereof, other
public and private nonprofit organizations, or individuals. Insofar as
statewide higher education coalitions are nonprofit organizations, they
would be eligible to apply for funding under this grant competition.
Changes: None.
Absolute Priorities
Comments: Six parties recommended that the word ``or'' be removed
from the section within each of the two priorities that states
``campus- and/or community-based strategies.''
Discussion: The priority language is broad enough to include a wide
range of prevention strategies that can originate either on the campus
or within its surrounding community. The Assistant Secretary does not
intend to exclude community representatives from campus-based efforts,
nor exclude campus representatives from community-based efforts, to
prevent high-risk drinking and violent behavior among college students.
To the contrary, the selection criteria for this grant competition
award points for proposed projects that will establish linkages with
other appropriate agencies and organizations providing services to the
target population.
Changes: None.
Focus of Funding
Comments: Two parties recommended that the Department's
discretionary grant funding should focus on building regional or
statewide coalitions.
Discussion: In Fiscal Year 1999, the Department conducted a State
and Regional Coalition Grant Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking
Among College Students. Although the current Grant Competition to
Prevent High-Risk Drinking and Violent Behavior Among College Students
does not have the express purpose of creating or sustaining coalitions,
the Assistant Secretary does encourage collaboration among colleges and
State and regional stakeholders in order to mobilize them into action
and create systemic change. However, the Assistant Secretary has
determined that this year's grant competition will focus on campus-
and/or community-based efforts.
Changes: None.
General
In making awards under this grant program, the Assistant Secretary
may take into consideration the geographic distribution of the projects
in addition to the rank order of applicants.
Contingent upon the availability of funds, the Assistant Secretary
may make additional awards in FY 2002 from the rank-ordered list of
nonfunded applications from this competition.
Definitions
1. ``High-risk drinking'' is defined as those situations that may
involve but not be limited to: Binge drinking (commonly defined as five
or more drinks on any one occasion); underage drinking; drinking and
driving; drinking in conjunction with situations when one's condition
is already impaired by another cause, such as depression or emotional
stress; or combining alcohol and medications, such as tranquilizers,
sedatives, and antihistamines.
2. ``Specific student populations'' can include but not be limited
to student athletes, members of fraternities and sororities, students
attending two-year institutions of higher education, and first-year
students.
Priorities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities Act of 1994, the Assistant Secretary gives an absolute
preference to applications that meet either of the following
priorities, and funds under this competition only those applications
that meet either of the following absolute priorities:
Absolute Priority #1--Develop or Enhance, Implement, and Evaluate
Campus- and/or Community-Based Strategies to Prevent High-Risk Drinking
Among College Students
Under this priority, applicants are required to:
(1) Identify a specific student population to be served by the
grant and provide a justification for its selection;
(2) Provide evidence that a needs assessment has been conducted on
campus to document prevalence rates
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related to high-risk drinking by the population selected;
(3) Set measurable goals and objectives for the proposed project
and provide a description of how progress toward achieving goals will
be measured annually;
(4) Design and implement prevention strategies, using student input
and participation, that research has shown to be effective in
preventing high-risk drinking by the target population;
(5) Use a qualified evaluator to design and implement an evaluation
of the project using outcomes-based (summative) performance indicators
related to behavioral change and process (formative) measures that
assess and document the strategies used; and
(6) Demonstrate the ability to start the project within 60 days
after receiving Federal funding in order to maximize the time available
to show impact within the grant period.
Absolute Priority #2--Develop or Enhance, Implement, and Evaluate
Campus- and/or Community-Based Strategies to Prevent High-Risk Drinking
Among College Students
Under this priority, applicants are required to:
(1) Identify a specific student population to be served by the
grant and provide a justification for its selection;
(2) Provide evidence that a needs assessment has been conducted on
campus to document prevalence rates related to violent behavior;
(3) Set measurable goals and objectives for the proposed project
and provide a description of how progress toward achieving goals will
be measured annually;
(4) Design and implement prevention strategies, using student input
and participation, that research has shown to be effective in
preventing violent behavior among college students;
(5) Use a qualified evaluator to design and implement an evaluation
of the project using outcomes-based (summative) performance indicators
related to behavioral change and process (formative) measures that
assess and document the strategies used; and
(6) Demonstrate the ability to start the project within 60 days
after receiving Federal funding in order to maximize the time available
to show impact within the grant period.
Selection Criteria
The Assistant Secretary uses the following selection criteria to
evaluate applications for new grants under this competition. The
maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points. The maximum
score for each criterion or factor under that criterion is indicated in
parentheses.
(1) Need for project. (15 points)
In determining the need for the proposed project, the following
factors are considered:
(a) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the
proposed project. (10 points)
(b) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services,
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude
of those gaps or weaknesses. (5 points)
(2) Significance. (20 points)
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
following factors are considered:
(a) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system
change or improvement. (5 points)
(b) The potential contribution of the proposed project to the
development and advancement of theory, knowledge, and practices in the
field of study. (10 points)
(c) The extent to which the proposed project involves the
development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on,
or are alternatives to, existing strategies. (5 points)
(3) Quality of the project design. (30 Points)
In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project,
the following factors are considered:
(a) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(10 points)
(b) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target
population or other identified needs. (5 points)
(c) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects
up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (10 points)
(d) The extent to which the proposed project will establish
linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing
services to the target population. (5 points)
(4) Quality of project personnel. (10 points)
In determining the quality of project personnel, the following
factors are considered:
(a) The extent to which the applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability. (3 points)
(b) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of key project personnel. (7 points)
(5) Quality of the project evaluation. (25 points)
In determining the quality of the evaluation, the following factors
are considered:
(a) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project. (10 points)
(b) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and
qualitative data to the extent possible. (10 points)
(c) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes. (5 points)
Intergovernmental Review
This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive
Order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened
federalism. The Executive Order relies on processes developed by State
and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal
financial assistance.
This document provides early notification of our specific plans and
actions for this program.
Applicable Program Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Guidelines in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82,
85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7131.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at either of the
following sites:
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
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Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO
[[Page 82226]]
Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.184H Office of
Elementary and Secondary Education--Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities National Programs--Federal Activities--Grant Competition
to Prevent High-Risk Drinking and Violent Behavior Among College
Students)
Dated: December 21, 2000.
Michael Cohen,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 00-33007 Filed 12-26-00; 8:45 am]
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