Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs Federal Activities Grants Program

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs--

Federal Activities Grants Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of final priorities and selection criteria for fiscal

year 1997.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces final priorities and selection

criteria for fiscal year 1997 under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and

Communities National Programs Federal Activities Grants Program. The

Secretary takes this action to focus Federal financial assistance on

identified needs to improve programs to prevent drug use and violence

among youth.

EFFECTIVE DATE: These priorities and selection criteria take effect

June 5, 1997.

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS: Applications for these

competitions must be received at the address specified in the

application package for these competitions no later than 4:30 p.m. on

the deadline date in the notice inviting applications. Applications

received after that time will not be eligible for funding. Postmarked

dates will not be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about the two

priorities under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities

National Programs Federal Activities Grants Program, contact the U.S.

Department of Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program, 600

Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20202-6123. Telephone: (202) 260-

3954. FAX (202) 260-7767. Internet: http//www.Bryan__W[email protected].

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

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

Washington, DC 202 area code, telephone 708-9300) between 8 am and 8

pm, Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains two final priorities

and related selection criteria under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and

Communities National Programs Federal

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Activities Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to prevent the

illegal use of drugs and violence among, and promote safety and

discipline for, students at all educational levels from preschool

through the postsecondary level.

Note: Contingent upon the availability of funds, the Secretary

may make additional awards in fiscal year 1998 from the rank-ordered

list of unfunded applicants from these competitions. In making

awards under these grant competitions, the Secretary may take into

consideration the geographic distribution and diversity of

activities addressed by the projects, in addition to the rank order

of applications.

Absolute Priorities

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and

Communities Act of 1994, the Secretary gives an absolute preference to

applications that meet one of the following priorities. The Secretary

will fund under these competitions only those applications that meet

one of these absolute priorities:

Absolute Priority 1 and Selection Criteria--Replication of Effective

Programs or Strategies to Prevent Youth Drug Use, Violent Behavior, or

Both (CFDA # 84.184F)

Absolute Priority 1

Under this priority, applicants must propose projects that--

(1) Will replicate, with fidelity, a program or strategy that has

demonstrated sustained reductions in youth drug use, violent behavior,

or both, over at least a two-year period;

(2) Are clearly responsive to identified needs of the student

population that will be served; and

(3) Will include a rigorous evaluation of the project that focuses

on measurement and analysis of behavior change among students as a

direct result of the program.

Programs or strategies eligible for replication under this

competition are those that (1) Have been evaluated and found effective

in research studies funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse or

another Federal agency, or (2) have findings demonstrating

effectiveness published in a peer-reviewed journal of national

distribution. Locally developed programs are also eligible for

replication if they have been tested within a single population

(cohort) of students over at least a two-year period and have

demonstrated measurable reductions in student drug use, violent

behavior, or both. Applicants proposing a locally developed project

must provide evaluation data that is well documented and clearly

demonstrates the program's effectiveness as of the date of this notice.

For purposes of this competition, fidelity of implementation means

implementing the program in the same manner as the program was

implemented when it was proven to be effective in preventing or

reducing drug use, or violent behavior, or both, inclusive of all

components of the program or strategy that the developer and evaluator

consider to be key, unique, and necessary features. These components

may include, but need not be limited to, the use of specified

materials, teaching techniques, and approaches; involvement of

specified persons or stakeholders with particular functions or roles;

and performing specified activities according to a specified sequence

or schedule.

Additional Information

This priority supports the implementation of drug and violence

prevention programs and strategies that are data-driven--that is, are

based on analysis of objective data about problems that need to be

addressed, have measurable goals and objectives, and use prevention

approaches that research has demonstrated to be effective in preventing

or reducing drug use, violent behavior, or both.

Examples of some drug prevention programs that have been proven

effective may be found in Preventing Drug Use Among Children and

Adolescents published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The

document is available from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and

Drug Information (NCADI), PO Box 2345, Rockville, MD 20874-2345; 1-800-

729-6686. Examples of some approaches to violence prevention are

contained in abstracts of programs evaluated by the Centers for Disease

Control. The abstracts are available from the National Clearinghouse

for Alcohol and Drug Information.

Selection Criteria

The 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) Significance. (30 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed

project.

(ii) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the

Secretary considers the following factors:

(A) 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. (15 points)

(B) The potential replicability of the proposed project or

strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation

in a variety of settings. (10 points)

(C) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely

to be attained by the proposed project. (5 points)

(2) Quality of the project design. (20 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the

proposed project.

(ii) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed

project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(A) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be

achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.

(3 points)

(B) The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating

the proposed project will result in information to guide possible

replication of project activities or strategies, including information

about the effectiveness of the approach or strategies employed by the

project. (7 points)

(C) The extent to which the design of the proposed project reflects

up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice. (10 points)

(3) Adequacy of resources. (20 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the

proposed project.

(ii) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed

project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(A) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the

objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.

(5 points)

(B) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the

number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and

benefits. (5 points)

(C) The potential for the incorporation of project purposes,

activities, or benefits into the ongoing program of the agency or

organization at the end of Federal funding. (10 points)

(4) Quality of the management plan. (5 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for

the proposed project.

(ii) In determining the quality of the management plan for the

proposed

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project, the Secretary considers the adequacy of the management plan to

achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within

budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and

milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (5 points)

(5) Quality of the project evaluation. (25 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be

conducted of the proposed project.

(ii) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary

considers the following factors:

(A) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,

feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives and outcomes of the

proposed project. (5 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 evaluation will provide guidance about

effective strategies suitable for replication or testing in other

settings. (10 points)

Absolute Priority 2 and Selection Criteria--State and Local Educational

Agency Drug and Violence Prevention Data Collection (CFDA

#84.184)

Absolute Priority 2

Under this priority, applicants must propose projects that--

(1) Develop, improve, expand, or enhance the collection of data

related to youth drug use and violence; and

(2) Develop and implement processes that ensure that high-quality

data is used to assess needs, select interventions, and assess success

of drug and violence prevention activities funded under the SDFSCA

State Grants Program. Projects may be state-wide in scope or limited to

an individual local educational agency with a student enrollment that

exceeds 30,000.

To be considered for funding under this competition, a project must

include--

(1) Concrete plans, with timelines, that detail how the results of

new or improved data collection efforts will be incorporated into State

and local educational agency efforts to inform policy, assess needs,

select interventions, and assess success of drug and violence

prevention efforts;

(2) Outcomes-based performance indicators that will be used to

judge the success of the project; and

(3) A description of how efforts proposed as part of the project

have been coordinated with and will not duplicate data collection

efforts being implemented by other State or local agencies.

Additional Information

This priority supports development and improvement of the capacity

of State and local educational agencies to collect and use objective

data to make informed decisions about drug and violence prevention

programming in schools. The Secretary expects that projects funded

under this priority will emphasize the collection and use of outcomes

measures, such as reduced rates of drug use and violence, rather than

relying solely on process measures that simply describe the

implementation of a program or participants' levels of satisfaction

with the activity. State and local educational agencies are expected to

use the data to develop baseline information about the nature and

extent of the drug and violence problems in their schools; to use

SDFSCA State Grant and other funds to design and implement appropriate

programs and activities to address those problems; and to assess the

success of those programs and activities following implementation.

Selection Criteria

The Secretary uses the following criteria to evaluate proposals

submitted under this priority.

The maximum score for all of the criteria in this section is 100

points.

The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses

with the criterion.

(1) Need for project. (15 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project.

(ii) In determining the need for the proposed project, the

Secretary considers the following factors:

(A) The magnitude of the need for the services to be provided or

the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.

(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.

(2) Significance. (25 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed

project.

(ii) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the

Secretary considers the following factors:

(A) The significance of the problem or issue to be addressed by the

proposed project.

(B) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in system

change or improvement.

(C) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build

local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the

needs of the target population.

(3) Quality of the project design. (25 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the

proposed project.

(ii) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed

project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(A) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be

achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.

(B) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build

capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of

Federal financial assistance.

(C) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated

with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community,

State and Federal resources.

(4) Adequacy of resources. (15 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the

proposed project.

(ii) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed

project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(A) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the

objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.

(B) The potential for the incorporation of project purposes,

activities, or benefits into the ongoing program of the agency or

organization at the end of Federal funding.

(5) Quality of the management plan. (10 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for

the proposed project.

(ii) In determining the quality of the management plan for the

proposed project, the Secretary considers the adequacy of the

management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on

time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities,

timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks.

(6) Quality of the project evaluation. (10 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be

conducted of the proposed project.

(ii) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary

considers the extent to which the methods of

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evaluation will provide performance feedback and permit periodic

assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

The selection criteria for this program contain information

collection requirements. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995 (44 U.S.C. 3504(h)), the Department of Education will submit a

copy of this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for

its review.

Collection of Information: Safe and Drug-Free Schools and

Communities National Programs--Federal Activities Grants Program

These selection criteria will affect the following types of

entities eligible to apply for a grant under this program: State and

local educational agencies, institutions or higher education, other

nonprofit agencies, organizations, and institutions; and any

combinations of these types of entities. The Department needs, and will

use, the information related to the selection criteria for this program

to enable the Secretary to determine which applicants would most likely

develop, implement, and validate successful model projects for

demonstration throughout the Nation. Annual public reporting and

record-keeping burden for this collection of information is estimated

to average 20 hours per response for 300 respondents, including the

time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,

gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing

the collection of information.

Organizations and individuals desiring to submit comments on the

information collection requirements should direct them to the Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Room 10235, New Executive

Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20503; Attention: Desk Officer for

U.S. Department of Education.

The Department considers comments by the public on this proposed

collection of information in--

Evaluating whether the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the

Department, including whether the information will have practical

utility;

Evaluating the accuracy of the Department's estimate of

the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the

validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

Enhancing the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the

information to be collected; and

Minimizing the burden of the collection of information on

those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate

automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection

techniques or other forms of information technology; e.g., permitting

electronic submission of responses.

OMB is required to make a decision concerning the information

collection requirements between 30 and 60 days after publication of

this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a comment to OMB is

best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30

days of publication of this notice.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553),

it is the practice of the Department to offer interested parties the

opportunity to comment on proposed rules. Ordinarily, this practice

would have applied to the rules in this notice. However, the Secretary

waives rulemaking under section 553(b)(B) of the Administrative

Procedure Act. This section provides that rulemaking is not required

when the agency for good cause finds that notice and public procedure

are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. The

Secretary believes that, in order to make timely grant awards using

Fiscal Year (FY) 1997 funds, public comment on these rules is

impracticable. Congress did not provide authority to use FY 1997 funds

for Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs until

March 1997. The Secretary must make new awards no later than September

30, 1997, and recipients should be able to implement projects as early

as possible in the 1997-98 school year. Therefore, in order to give

applicants enough time to prepare their applications and the Department

sufficient time to conduct the lengthy review process in this notice,

it is now impracticable to receive public comments and still allow FY

1997 awards to be made by September 30, 1997.

Intergovernmental Review

This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order

12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. The objective of the

Executive Order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a

strengthened federalism by relying on processes developed by State and

local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal

financial assistance.

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

early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for

this program.

Note: This notice of final priorities and selection criteria

does not solicit applications. A notice inviting applications under

these competitions is published elsewhere in this issue of the

Federal Register.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7131.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.184F and 84.184G

Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act National Programs--

Federal Activities Grants Program)

Dated: May 1, 1997.

Gerald N. Tirozzi,

Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.

[FR Doc. 97-11771 Filed 5-5-97; 8:45 am]

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