School-to-Work Opportunities Act; Local Partnership Grants

SUMMARY: The Departments of Labor and Education jointly propose

selection criteria to be used in evaluating applications submitted

under the School-to-Work Opportunities Local Partnership (Local

Partnership Grants) competition in fiscal year (FY) 1995 and succeeding

years, authorized under Title III of the School-to-Work Opportunities

Act of 1994 (the Act). Local Partnership Grants will enable local

partnerships, that have built a sound planning and development base, to

begin implementation of School-to-Work Opportunities initiatives that

will become a part of a statewide School-to-Work Opportunities system.

These initiatives will offer young Americans access to programs

designed to prepare them for first jobs in high-skill, high-wage

careers, and to increase their opportunities for further education and

training. The Departments also propose a definition for the term

``administrative costs'' as well as a 10 percent cap on administrative

costs incurred by local partnerships receiving grants under Title III.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 26, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Maria Kniesler, National

School-to-Work Office, 400 Virginia Avenue, SW., Suite 210, Washington,

DC 20024. Comments may also be faxed to the National School-to-Work

Office, Attention: Maria Kniesler at (202) 401-6211.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Kniesler, National School-to-

Work Office (202) 401-6218 (this is not a toll-free number).

Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may

call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Departments of Labor and Education intend to reserve funds

appropriated for FY 1995 under the Act (P.L. 103-239) for a competition

for Local Partnership Grants authorized under Title III of the Act. The

Departments propose an administrative cost cap, a definition of the

term ``administrative costs,'' and selection criteria that would be

used in evaluating applications submitted in response to the FY 1995

Local Partnership Grant competition. Local partnerships are advised

that applications for Local Partnership Grants must meet all of the

requirements of the Act that apply to programs funded under Title III.

In accordance with section 5 of the Act, and as part of their

ongoing efforts to improve their joint administration of all School-to-

Work Opportunities programs authorized under the Act, including the

School-to-Work Opportunities Local Partnership program, the Departments

are currently in the process of considering appropriate administrative

procedures. It is the intent of the Departments that whatever

procedures are used will result in the most effective and efficient

joint administration of all School-to-Work Opportunities programs. In

response to this notice, commenters are encouraged to submit comments

and suggestions on how the Departments can best achieve the efficient

and effective joint administration of the School-to-Work Opportunities

Local Partnership program, including comments and suggestions relating

to the joint grants administration process and to the applicability of

administrative regulations.

Proposed Administrative Cost Cap, Definition, and Selection Criteria

The Departments propose to apply 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. The

Departments have concluded that applying the 10 percent cap to Title

III grants awarded to local partnerships by the Departments would be

consistent with the Act's broader limitations on administrative costs,

with the 10 percent cap imposed on partnerships receiving School-to-

Work Opportunities subgrants from States, and with section 305 of Title

III, which requires conformity between School-to-Work Opportunities

plans of local partnerships and State School-to-Work Opportunities

plans. The Departments also propose a definition of the term

``administrative costs,'' which is a term that appears in the Act but

which the Act does not define, and the Departments propose to apply the

selection criteria in this notice to the FY 1995 competition for Local

Partnership Grants. Unless modified in the final notice for this

competition, the 10 percent administrative cap, the definition of

administrative costs, and selection criteria proposed herein, will be

used for future Local Partnership Grants in the years succeeding FY

1995. The Departments solicit comments on the proposed 10 percent cap,

the proposed definition, and the proposed selection criteria. A final

notice of selection criteria will be published in the Federal Register

after the Departments have taken into account the responses to this

notice and have applied other relevant considerations.

Note: This notice of proposed selection criteria does not

solicit applications. A notice inviting applications for School-to-

Work Opportunities Local Partnership Grants will be published in the

Federal Register concurrent with or immediately following

publication of the notice of final selection criteria.

Definition

All definitions in the Act apply to School-to-Work Opportunities

systems funded under this and future Local Partnership Grant

competitions. However, the Act does not contain a definition of the

term ``administrative costs.'' The Departments, therefore, propose to

apply the following definition to the administration of grants under

this competition:

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 Local Partnership 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 under the grant listed in section

215(b)(4) and section 215(c) of the Act. Administrative costs may be

either personnel and non-personnel costs, and may be either direct and

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; [[Page 27813]]

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.

Selection Criteria

Selection Criterion 1: Comprehensive Local School-to-Work Opportunities

System (40 Points)

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 for integrating school-based

and work-based learning, integrating academic and vocational education,

and establishing linkages between secondary and postsecondary

education;

Is likely to produce systemic change that will have

substantial impact on the preparation of all students for a first job

in a high-skill, high-wage career and in increasing their opportunities

for further learning;

Ensures all students will have a 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, including 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 Enhanced

Enterprise Communities (EZ/EEC);

Serves a geographical area that reflects the needs of the

local labor market, and is able to adjust to regional structures that

the State School-to-Work Opportunities plan may identify; and

Targets occupational clusters that represent growing

industries in the partnership's geographic area; and, where applicable,

demonstrates that the clusters are included among the occupational

clusters being targeted by the State School-to-Work Opportunities

system.

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 learning experiences such as

mentoring, job-shadowing, unpaid work experiences, school-sponsored

enterprises, 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 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

employers and educators;

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 in concert with the State.

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; expanding career

and academic counseling in elementary and secondary schools; and

utilizing innovative technology-based instructional techniques.

Selection Criterion 2: Quality and Effectiveness of the Local

Partnership (20 Points)

Considerations: In applying this criterion, reviewers will refer to

section 4(11) of the Act and consider--

Whether the partnership's plan demonstrates an effective

and convincing strategy for continuing the commitment of employers and

other interested parties in the local School-to-Work Opportunities

system;

The effectiveness of the partnership's plan to include

private sector representatives as joint partners with educators in both

the design and the implementation of the local School-to-Work

Opportunities system;

The extent to which the local partnership has developed

strategies to provide a range of opportunities for employers 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 partners, including employers, educators, representatives of labor

organizations or nonmanagerial employee representatives, community-

based organizations, and other key parties 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;

Whether the partnership has included methods for

sustaining and expanding the partnership, as the program expands in

scope and size.

Selection Criterion 3: Participation of All Students (15 Points)

Considerations: In applying this criterion, reviewers will

consider--

The extent to which the partnership has developed

realistic strategies for ensuring that all students have effective and

meaningful opportunities to participate in the local School-to-Work

Opportunities system;

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;

[[Page 27814]]

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, high-paying jobs, including non-traditional jobs;

The partnership's methods for ensuring safe and healthy

work environments for students; and

The extent to which the partnership's plan provides for

the participation of a significant number or percentage of students in

School-to-Work Opportunities activities listed under Title I of the

Act.

Selection Criterion 4: Collaboration With State (15 Points)

Considerations: In applying this criterion, reviewers will

consider--

The extent to which the local partnership has effectively

consulted with its State School-to-Work Opportunities partnership, and

has established realistic methods for ensuring consistency of its local

strategies with the statewide School-to-Work Opportunities system being

developed by that State partnership;

Whether the local partnership has developed a sound

strategy for integrating its plan, as necessary, with the State plan

for a statewide School-to-Work Opportunities system;

The extent to which the local partnership has developed

effective processes through which it is able to assist and collaborate

with the State in establishing the statewide School-to-Work system, and

is able to provide feedback to the state on their system-building

process.

Whether the plan includes a feasible workplan that

describes the steps that will be taken in order to make the local

system part of the State School-to-Work Opportunities system, including

a timeline that includes major planned objectives during the grant

period.

Selection Criterion 5: Management Plan (10 Points)

Considerations: In applying this criterion, reviewers will

consider--

The feasibility and effectiveness of the partnership's

strategy for using other resources, including private sector 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-to-Work 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

States and local partnerships as they design and implement local

systems.

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.

Intergovernmental Review

This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order

12372 and the regulations in 29 CFR Part 17. The objectives of the

Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a

strengthened federalism by relying on processes developed by State and

local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal

financial assistance.

In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide

early notification of the Departments' specific plans and actions for

this program.

Executive Order 12866

This notice of proposed priority has been reviewed in accordance

with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order the Secretary

has assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory

action.

The potential costs associated with the notice of proposed priority

are those resulting from statutory requirements and those determined by

the Secretary to be necessary for administering this program

effectively and efficiently.

In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative

and qualitative--of this notice of proposed priority, the Secretary has

determined that the benefits of the proposed priority justify the

costs.

The Secretary has also determined that this regulatory action does

not unduly interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the

exercise of their governmental functions.

To assist the Department in complying with the specific

requirements of Executive Order 12866, the Secretary invites comment on

whether there may be further opportunities to reduce any potential

costs or increase potential benefits resulting from this proposed

priority without impeding the effective and efficient administration of

the program.

Invitation to Comment

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on the proposed

application of the 10 percent cap on administrative costs, the proposed

selection criteria, and the proposed definition of the term

``administrative costs'' contained in this notice. All comments

submitted in response to this notice will be available for public

inspection, during and after the comment period, in the National

School-to-Work Office, 400 Virginia Avenue, S.W., Suite 210,

Washington, D.C., between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday

through Friday of each week, except Federal holidays.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number has not been

assigned.)

Dated: May 16, 1995.

Doug Ross,

Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Department of Labor.

Augusta Kappner,

Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, Department of

Education.

[FR Doc. 95-12786 Filed 5-24-95; 8:45 am]

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