Migrant Education Even Start Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 73 (Thursday, April 16, 1998)]

[Notices]

[Pages 19086-19105]

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[FR Doc No: 98-10115]

[[Page 19085]]

_______________________________________________________________________

Part III

Department of Education

_______________________________________________________________________

Migrant Education Even Start Program; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 73 / Thursday, April 16, 1998 /

Notices

[[Page 19086]]

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.214A]

Migrant Education Even Start Program; Notice Inviting

Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998

AGENCY: Department of Education.

Note to Applicants

This notice is a complete application package. Together with the

statute authorizing the program and the Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), the notice contains all of the

information, application forms, and instructions needed to apply for a

grant under this competition.

Purpose of Program

The Migrant Education Even Start (MEES) Program is designed to help

break the cycle of poverty and improve the literacy of participating

migrant families by integrating early childhood education, adult

literacy or adult basic education, and parenting education into a

unified family literacy program.

Eligible Applicants

While any entity is eligible to apply for a grant under the MEES

program, the Secretary specifically invites applications from State

educational agencies (SEAs) that administer Migrant Education Programs;

local educational agencies (LEAs) that have a high percentage of

migrant students; and non-profit community-based organizations that

work with migrant families.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 1, 1998.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 31, 1998.

Available Funds: For FY 1998, $3,720,000 is available for this

program.

The amount of funding available to begin new projects is

approximately $1,200,000.

Estimated Range of Awards: $88,000-$270,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $200,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 5.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this

notice.

Project Period: Up to 48 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary will not consider an application that

proposes a budget exceeding $270,000 for each 12-month budget period.

Applicable Regulations

(a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations

(EDGAR) as follows:

(1) 34 CFR Part 74 (Administration of Grants and Agreements with

Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Nonprofit

Organizations).

(2) 34 CFR Part 75 (Direct Grant Programs).

(3) 34 CFR Part 77 (Definitions that Apply to Department

Regulations).

(4) 34 CFR Part 79 (Intergovernmental Review of Department of

Education Programs and Activities).

(5) 34 CFR Part 80 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants

and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments).

(6) 34 CFR Part 81 (General Education Provisions Act--Enforcement).

(7) 34 CFR Part 82 (New Restrictions on Lobbying).

(8) 34 CFR Part 85 (Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Non-

procurement) and Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace

(Grants)).

(b) The definitions of a migratory child, a migratory agricultural

worker, and a migratory fisher contained in 34 CFR 200.40.

Description of Program

Under the authority of section 1202(a)(1)(A) of the Elementary and

Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended, the Assistant Secretary of

Elementary and Secondary Education (Assistant Secretary) awards grants

to eligible applicants under the MEES Program for projects that--

(1) Improve the educational opportunities of migrant families by

integrating early childhood education, adult literacy or adult basic

education, and parenting education into a unified family literacy

program;

(2) Implement cooperative activities that build on existing

community resources to create a new range of services to migrant

families;

(3) Promote achievement of the National Education Goals (section

102 of the Goals 2000 Educate America Act) especially goals one (school

readiness), six (adult literacy), and eight (parent involvement and

participation); and

(4) Assist children and adults from migrant families to achieve

challenging State content standards and challenging State student

performance standards.

Required Program Elements

(a)(1) Eligible participants. Eligible MEES participants consist of

migratory children and their parents as defined in Secs. 200.30 and

200.40 who also meet the following conditions specified in section

1206(a) of the ESEA:

(2) The parent or parents--

(i) Are eligible for participation in an adult basic education

program under the Adult Education Act; or

(ii) Are within the State's compulsory school attendance age range,

so long as a local educational agency provides (or ensures the

availability of) the basic education component required under this

part; and

(3) The child or children must be younger than eight years of age.

Note: Family members of eligible participants described in

paragraphs one through three, above, also may participate in MEES

activities when appropriate to serve Even Start purposes. In

addition, section 1206(b) of the ESEA permits families to remain

eligible for MEES services until all family members become

ineligible to participate. For example, in the case of a family in

which the parent or parents lose eligibility because of their

educational advancement, the parent or parents can still participate

in MEES activities until all children in the family reach age eight.

In addition, the Department interprets 34 CFR 200.30 together with

section 1206(b) of ESEA to mean that MEES services can continue to

be provided to a parent or child who is no longer migratory provided

that the family has at least one parent or child who is a migratory

worker or child as defined under 34 CFR 200.40.

(b) Required program elements. Any MEES project must, at a minimum,

incorporate the following program elements specified in section 1205 of

the ESEA:

Identification and recruitment of migrant families most in

need of MEES services, as indicated by a low level of income, a low

level of adult literacy or English language proficiency of the eligible

parent or parents, and other need-related indicators;

Screening and preparation of parents, including teenage

parents and children, to enable these parents to participate fully in

program activities and services, including testing, referral to

counseling, other developmental and support services and related

services;

The provision of MEES services to those migrant families

most in need of project services and activities;

High-quality instructional programs that promote adult

literacy and empower parents to support the educational growth of their

children, with developmentally appropriate early childhood educational

services, and the preparation of children for success in the regular

school programs;

A design for service delivery that accommodates the

participants' work schedule and other responsibilities, including the

provision of support services, when such services are unavailable from

other sources, necessary for participation in project activities, such

as--

--Scheduling and locating of services to allow joint participation

by parents and children;

[[Page 19087]]

--Child care for the period that parents are involved in the

project activities; and

--Transportation for the purpose of enabling parents and their

children to participate in project activities.

Special training of staff, including child care staff, to

develop the skills necessary to work with parents and young children in

the full range of instructional services offered by the project;

Provision of integrated instructional services, and

monitoring of these services, to participating parents and children

through home-based activities;

Operation on a year-round basis, including the provision

of some program services, instructional or enrichment, during the

summer months;

Note: Given the mobility of the migrant population to be served

by the MEES program, the Secretary interprets this requirement to

operate on a year-round basis to mean that activities must be

conducted throughout the period in which participating migrant

families reside in the project area. Applicants are free to

interpret the requirement in other ways that are consistent with

section 1205(7) of the ESEA.

Appropriate coordination with other programs funded under

the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), any relevant

programs under the Adult Education Act, the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act, the Job Training Partnership Act, the Head

Start program, volunteer literacy programs, and other relevant

programs; and

An independent evaluation.

In addition, to promote the kind of strong community collaboration

needed for effective Even Start Projects, sections 1202(e) and 1207(a)

of the ESEA require applicants for grants under the basic Even Start

program administered by SEAs to be ``eligible entities'', i.e.,

partnerships composed of (1) a local educational agency (LEA); and (2)

a non-profit community-based organization, a public agency other than

an LEA, an institution of higher education, or a public or private

nonprofit organization of demonstrated quality other than an LEA. While

those operating a MEES project do not need to be eligible entities, the

Secretary strongly encourages those who would operate MEES projects to

enhance the effectiveness of those projects through formation of

strong, on-going collaborative relationships among these kinds of local

entities.

(c) Federal and local funding. A MEES project's funding is

comprised of both a Federal portion of funds (Federal share) and a

portion contributed by the eligible applicant (local share). However,

the Federal share of the program may not exceed--

Ninety percent of the total cost of the program in the

first year;

Eighty percent in the second year;

Seventy percent in the third year;

Sixty percent in the fourth year; and

Fifty percent in any subsequent year.

The Federal share for any MEES grantee receiving a grant for a

second cycle shall not exceed 50 percent. A grantee may receive funds

under the MEES program for a period not to exceed eight years. The

local share of the MEES project may be provided in cash or in kind and

may be obtained from any source, including other Federal programs

funded under the ESEA. Federal funds may not be used for indirect costs

of a MEES project.

Invitational Priorities

The Secretary is especially interested in funding applications that

include a plan demonstrating that grant activities will focus on one or

more of the following priorities. An application that meets one of more

of these invitational priorities does not receive competitive or

absolute preference over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).

The invitation to coordinate services is meant to strengthen the

delivery of family literacy services to migrant agricultural families.

Coordination across State education agencies is at the heart of migrant

education's purpose: to mitigate disruptions in the education of

qualifying migrant students. Short-term Migrant Education Even Start

seasonal projects can provide intensity of services to migratory

families, but those projects may not provide sufficient duration to

demonstrate long-term gains for students and may be another disruption

in completing their educational goals. To promote opportunities for

continuous learning for migrant families, the Secretary is particularly

interested in funding applications that address the following

invitational priorities:

Coordinate continuing family literacy services across

State and local school district boundaries to meet the needs of highly

mobile migrant agricultural families; or

Coordinate their activities with State and local endeavors

under the America Reads Challenge initiative, including Federal Work-

Study tutoring programs and America Reads/Read*Write*Now pilot sites

(information about the America Reads Challenge is available by

telephone at 1-800-USA-LEARN, or TDD 1-800-437-0833; and through the

Department's Web site at www.ed.gov/inits/americareads); or

Build networks with agricultural employers and communities

to coordinate and integrate resources that support English literacy for

migrant agricultural families with limited English proficiency needs.

Selection Criteria

The Secretary uses the following selection criteria to evaluate

applications for grants under this competition.

(1) The maximum score for all of these criteria is 100 points.

(2) The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in

parentheses.

(a) Meeting the purposes of the authorizing statute (10 points) The

Secretary reviews each application to determine how well the project

will--

(i) Improve the educational opportunities of migrant families by

integrating early childhood education, adult literacy or adult basic

education, and parenting education into a unified family literacy

program;

(ii) Be implemented through cooperative projects that build on

existing community resources to create a new range of services to

migrant families;

(iii) Promote achievement of the National Education Goals,

especially the goals that address school readiness, student

achievement, and parent involvement and participation; and

(iv) Assist children and adults from migrant families to achieve

the challenging State content standards and challenging State student

performance standards.

(b) Need for project. (20 points) The Secretary considers the need

for the proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed

project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

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

the activities to be carried out by the proposed project.

(ii) The extent to which the proposed project will focus on serving

or otherwise addressing the needs of disadvantaged individuals (i.e.,

eligible migrant agricultural families).

(iii) 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.

Note: Applicants may address (b)(iii) in any way that is

reasonable. Given the purpose of the MEES program, the Secretary

believes that applicants would want

[[Page 19088]]

particularly to focus on the following key areas:

(A) The area or areas to be served have high percentages or large

numbers of migratory children and their parents, guardians, or primary

caretakers in need of Migrant Education Even Start (MEES).

(B) The lack of availability of comprehensive family literacy

services for the migrant population.

(C) How community resources will be used to benefit project

participants.

Note to (C): An applicant could address (C) in any way that is

reasonable. An applicant might, for example, provide a brief

description of each of the resources the project intends to include,

or a list of these resources.

(D) How the project will integrate child development, adult

literacy, and parenting activities.

(E) How the project will assist migrant children and adults to

achieve the State content standards and student performance standards.

(c) Quality of the project design. (20 points) The Secretary

considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In

determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the

Secretary considers the following factors:

(i) 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.

(ii) The extent to which the project is designed to build capacity

and yield results that will extend beyond the period of Federal

financial assistance.

(iii) The extent to which the proposed project will establish

linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing

services to the target population.

Note: An applicant may address criterion (c) in any way that is

reasonable. However, concerning design of the project, the Secretary

believes that an effective application would incorporate, at a

minimum, the various program elements required under section 1205 of

the ESEA and listed in the Required Program Elements section of this

notice.

(d) Quality of project services. (20 points) The Secretary

considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed

project.

(i) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by

the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and

sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for

eligible project participants who are members of groups that have

traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national

origin, gender, age, or disability.

(ii) In addition, the Secretary considers the extent to which the

training or professional development services to be provided by the

proposed project are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration to

lead to improvements in practice among the recipients of those

services.

(e) Adequacy of resources. (15 points) The Secretary considers the

adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the

adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers

the following factors:

(i) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in

the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.

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

the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed

project.

(iii) The potential for continued support of the project after

Federal funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated

commitment of appropriate entities to such support.

(f) Quality of the project evaluation. (15 points) The Secretary

considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed

project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary

considers of the following factors:

(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for

examining the effectiveness of project implementation strategies.

(ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide

performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward

achieving intended outcomes.

Note: This plan must permit the preparation of an evaluation

that meets the requirements of 34 CFR 75.590 as well as an annual

performance report that evaluates whether project objectives are

being met and, if not, includes the changes in program activities

that will be adopted (see 34 CFR 75.118 and 75.253). (Instructions

for the annual performance report are included in the APPENDIX to

this document.) See also the discussion under National Evaluation.

National Evaluation

The Department is conducting a national evaluation of Even Start

Family Literacy projects. Grantees must cooperate with the Department's

efforts by adopting an evaluation plan that is consistent with the

national evaluation (as well as with the grantee's responsibilities

under 34 CFR 75.118, 75.253, and 75.590). It is not expected that the

application will include a complete evaluation plan because grantees

will be asked to cooperate with the national evaluation of the Even

Start Family Literacy Program to be conducted by an independent

contractor. Grantees may be required to amend their plans, however, to

conform with the national evaluation.

The Secretary suggests that each applicant budget for evaluation

activities as follows: a project with an estimated cost of up to

$120,000 should designate $10,000 for this purpose. These funds will be

used for expenditures related to the collection and aggregation of data

required for the Department's national evaluation. The Secretary also

recommends that applicants budget for the cost of travel to Washington,

DC and two nights' lodging for the project director and project

evaluator, for their participation in annual evaluation meetings.

Information by project and budget periods. Under 34 CFR 75.112 and

75.117, an eligible applicant must propose a project period, and

provide budgetary information for each budget period of that proposed

project period. The Secretary requests that the budgetary information

include an amount for all key project components with an accompanying

breakdown of any subcomponents, along with a written justification for

all requested amounts. (A form for reporting this information is

contained in the appendix of this notice.)

34 CFR 75.112(b) also requires that an applicant describe how and

when, in each budget period of the project, it plans to meet each

objective of the project. (NOTE: The Department will use this

information, in conjunction with the grantee's annual performance

report required under 34 CFR 75.118(a), to determine whether a

continuation award for the subsequent budget year should be made. Under

34 CFR 75.253 a grantee can receive a continuation award only if it

demonstrates that it either has made substantial progress toward

meeting the objectives of the approved project, or has received the

Assistant Secretary's approval of changes in the project to enable it

to meet the objectives in the succeeding budget periods.)

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs

This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order

12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the

regulations in 34 CFR Part 79.

The objective of the Executive order is to foster an

intergovernmental partnership and to strengthen federalism by relying

on State and local

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processes for State and local government coordination and review of

proposed Federal financial assistance.

Applicants must contact the appropriate State Single Point of

Contact to find out about, and to comply with, the State's process

under Executive Order 12372. Applicants proposing to perform activities

in more than one State should immediately contact the Single Point of

Contact for each of those States and follow the procedure established

in each State under the Executive order. The addresses of individual

State Single Point of Contact are in the appendix to this notice.

In States that have not established a process or chosen a program

for review, State, areawide, regional, and local entities may submit

comments directly to the Department.

Any State Process Recommendation and other comments submitted by a

State Single Point of Contact and any comments from State, areawide,

regional, and local entities must be mailed or hand-delivered by the

date indicated in this notice to the following address: The Secretary,

E.O. 12372--CFDA# 84.214A, U.S. Department of Education, Room 6213, 600

Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202-0124.

Proof of mailing will be determined on the same basis as

applications (see 34 CFR 75.102). Recommendations or comments may be

hand-delivered until 4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on the date

indicated in this notice.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE ADDRESS IS NOT THE SAME ADDRESS AS THE

ONE TO WHICH THE APPLICANT SUBMITS ITS COMPLETED APPLICATION. DO NOT

SEND APPLICATIONS TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. INSTRUCTIONS FOR TRANSMITTAL OF

APPLICATIONS:

(a) If an applicant wants to apply for a grant, the applicant

shall--

(1) Mail the original and two copies of the application on or

before the deadline date to: U.S. Department of Education, Application

Control Center, Attention: (CFDA #84.214A), Washington, D.C. 20202-

4725; or

(2) Hand deliver the original and two copies of the application by

4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on or before the deadline date to:

U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:

(CFDA#84.214A), Room #3633, Regional Office Building #3, 7th and D

Streets, S.W., Washington, D.C.

(b) An applicant must show one of the following as proof of

mailing:

(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.

(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the

U.S. Postal Service.

(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial

carrier.

(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary.

(c) If an application is mailed through the U.S. Postal Service,

the Secretary does not accept either of the following as proof of

mailing:

(1) A private metered postmark.

(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

Notes: (1) The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a

dated postmark. Before relying on this method, an applicant should

check with its local post office.

(2) The Application Control Center will mail a Grant Application

Receipt Acknowledgment to each applicant. If an applicant fails to

receive the notification of application receipt within 15 days from

the date of mailing the application, the applicant should call the

U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202)

708-9494.

(3) The applicant must indicate on the envelope and--if not

provided by the Department--in Item 10 of the Application for

Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) the CFDA number--and suffix

letter, if any--of the competition under which the application is

being submitted.

Application Instructions and Forms

The appendix to this notice contains the following forms and

instructions, plus a statement regarding estimated public reporting

burden, a notice to applicants regarding compliance with section 427 of

the General Education Provisions Act, various assurances and

certifications, and required documentation.

Instructions for the Application Narrative.

Estimated Public Reporting Burden Statement.

Notice to All Applicants.

Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424 (Rev. 4-88))

and instructions.

Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED Form No. 524) and

instructions.

Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (Standard Form 424B) and

instructions.

Certifications regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and Other

Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (ED 80-

0013, 6/90).

Certification regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and

Voluntary Exclusion: Lower Tier Covered Transactions (ED 80-0014, 9/90)

and instructions. (Note: ED 80-0014 is intended for the use of grantees

and should not be transmitted to the Department.)

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL) (if

applicable) and instructions. This document has been marked to reflect

statutory changes. See the notice published in the Federal Register (61

FR 1413) by the Office of Management and Budget on January 19, 1996.

An applicant may submit information on a photostatic copy of the

application and budget forms, the assurances, and the certifications.

However, the application form, the assurances, and the certifications

must each have an original signature. No grant may be awarded unless a

completed application form has been received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DonnaMarie Marlow, U.S. Department of

Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of

Migrant Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 4100, Portals

Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-6135. Telephone Number: (202) 260-

1164. 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.

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. Please note, however, that the Department is not able to

reproduce in an alternate format the standard forms included in the

notice.

Electronic Access to This Document

Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of

Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or

portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the

following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm

http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with

Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you

have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing

Office toll free at 1-888-293-6498.

Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an

electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone (202) 219-1511

or toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option G-

Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.

[[Page 19090]]

Note: The official version of a document is the document

published in the Federal Register.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6362(a)(1)(A)

Dated: April 13, 1998.

Gerald N. Tirozzi,

Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.

Instructions for the Application Narrative

Before preparing the Application Narrative, an applicant should

read carefully the description of the program and the selection

criteria the Secretary uses to evaluate applications.

The narrative should encompass each function or activity for which

funds are being requested and should--

1. Begin with an Abstract; that is, a summary of the proposed

project.

2. Describe the proposed project in light of each of the selection

criteria in the order in which the criteria are listed in this

application package. (NOTE: While applicants can address the criteria

in any way that is reasonable, given the required emphasis of any MEES

project on early childhood education, adult literacy or adult basic

education, and parenting education, the Secretary believes that a

reasonable plan of operation would address these three objectives.

Moreover, consistent with 34 CFR 75.112(b), which requires that the

application describe how and when, in each budget period, the applicant

plans to meet each project objective, the Secretary believes that

applicants would want particularly to describe each goal in terms of

measurable objectives, specific activities that are proposed to meet

each objective, time lines associated with these activities, the

resources believed to be needed to achieve each objective, and how each

objective will be evaluated.)

3. Provide the following information in response to the attached

``NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS''; (1) a reference to the portion of the

application in which the applicant has described the steps that the

applicant proposes to take to remove barriers to equitable access to,

and equitable participation in, project activities; or (2) a separate

statement that includes this information.

4. Include any other pertinent information that might assist the

Secretary in reviewing the application.

The Application Narrative must be double-spaced, typed on one side

only, and must not exceed 50 numbered pages--appendices excepted.

Estimated Public Reporting Burden

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are

required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a

valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this

information collection is 1810-0541. (Expiration date: March 31, 1999).

The time required to complete this information collection is estimated

to average 60 hours per response including the time for reviewing

instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and

maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the

collection of information. If you have any comments concerning the

accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this

form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC

20202-4651.

If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your

individual submission of this form, write directly to: Office of

Migrant Education, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence

Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20202-6135.

Notice to All Applicants

Thank you for your interest in this program. The purpose of this

enclosure is to inform you about a new provision in the Department of

Education's General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) that applies to

applicants for new grant awards under Department programs. This

provision is section 427 of GEPA, enacted as part of the Improving

America's Schools Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-382).

To Whom Does This Provision Apply?

Section 427 of GEPA affects applicants for new discretionary grant

awards under this program. ALL APPLICANTS FOR NEW AWARDS MUST INCLUDE

INFORMATION IN THEIR APPLICATIONS TO ADDRESS THIS NEW PROVISION IN

ORDER TO RECEIVE FUNDING UNDER THIS PROGRAM.

What Does This Provision Require?

Section 427 requires each applicant for funds (other than an

individual person) to include in its application a description of the

steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and

participation in, its federally assisted program for students,

teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs.

This section allows applicants discretion in developing the

required description. The statute highlights six types of barriers that

can impede equitable access or participation that you may address:

gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. Based on

local circumstances, you can determine whether these or other barriers

may prevent your students, teachers, etc. from equitable access or

participation. Your description need not be lengthy; you may provide a

clear and succinct description of how you plan to address those

barriers that are applicable to your circumstances. In addition, the

information may be provided in a single narrative, or, if appropriate,

may be discussed in connection with related topics in the application.

Section 427 is not intended to duplicate the requirements of civil

rights statutes, but rather to ensure that, in designing their

projects, applicants for Federal funds address equity concerns that may

affect the ability of certain potential beneficiaries to fully

participate in the project and to achieve to high standards. Consistent

with program requirements and its approved application, an applicant

may use the Federal funds awarded to it to eliminate barriers it

identifies.

What Are Examples of How an Applicant Might Satisfy the Requirement of

This Provision?

The following examples may help illustrate how an applicant may

comply with section 427.

(1) An applicant that proposes to carry out an adult literacy

project serving, among others, adults with limited English proficiency,

might describe in its application how it intends to distribute a

brochure about the proposed project to such potential participants in

their native language.

(2) An applicant that proposes to develop instructional materials

for classroom use might describe how it will make the materials

available on audio tape or in braille for students who are blind.

(3) An applicant that proposes to carry out a model science program

for secondary students and is concerned that girls may be less likely

than boys to enroll in the course, might indicate how it intends to

conduct ``outreach'' efforts to girls, to encourage their enrollment.

We recognize that many applicants may already be implementing

effective steps to ensure equity of access and participation in their

grant programs, and we appreciate your cooperation in responding to the

requirements of this provision.

Estimated Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are

required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a

valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this

information collection is 1801-0004 (Exp. 8/31/98).

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The time required to complete this information collection is estimated

to vary from 1 to 3 hours per response, with an average of 1.5 hours,

including the time to review instructions, search existing data

resources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review

the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the

accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this

form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC

20202-4651.

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State Single Points of Contact (as of April 13, 1997)

Note: In accordance with Executive Order 12372,

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs, this listing

represents the designated State Single Points of Contact (SPOCs).

Because participation is voluntary, some States and territories no

longer participate in the process. These include: Alabama, Alaska,

American Samoa, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas,

Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey,

Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee,

Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

The jurisdictions not listed no longer participate in the

process. However, an applicant is still eligible to apply for a

grant or grants even if its respective State, Territory,

Commonwealth, etc. does not have a SPOC.

Arizona

Joni Saad, Arizona State Clearinghouse, 3800 N. Central Avenue,

Fourteenth Floor, Phoenix, Arizona 85012, Telephone: (602) 280-1315,

FAX: (602) 280-8144

Arkansas

Mr. Tracy L. Copeland, Manager, State Clearinghouse, Office of

Intergovernmental Services, Department of Finance and

Administration, 1515 W. 7th Street, room 412, Little Rock, Arkansas

72203, Telephone: (501) 682-1074, FAX: (501) 682-5206

California

Grants Coordinator, Office of Planning & Research, 1600 Ninth

Street, room 250, Sacramento, California 95814, Telephone: (916)

323-7480, FAX: (916) 323-3018; Block Grants only that pertain to

Mental Health Substance Abuse; PATH

Delaware

Francine Booth, State Single Point of Contact, Executive Department,

Office of the Budget, Thomas Collins Building, P.O. Box 1401, Dover,

Delaware 19903, Telephone: (302) 739-3326, FAX: (302) 739-5661

District of Columbia

Charles Nichols, State Single Point of Contact, Office of Grants

Management & Development, 717 14th Street, NW., suite 400,

Washington, D.C. 20005, Telephone: (202) 727-6554, FAX: (202) 727-

1617

Florida

Florida State Clearinghouse, Department of Community Affairs, 2740

Centerview Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2100, Telephone: (904)

922-5438, FAX: (904) 487-2899

Georgia

Tom L. Reid, III, Coordinator, Georgia State Clearinghouse, 270

Washington Street, S.W.--8th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30334, Telephone:

(404) 656-3855, FAX: (404) 656-3828

Illinois

Ms. Virginia Bova, Single Point of Contact, Illinois Department of

Commerce and Community Affairs, James R. Thompson Center, 100 West

Randolph, Suite 3-400, Chicago, IL 60601, Telephone: (312) 814-6028,

FAX: (312) 814-1800

Indiana

Frances Williams, State Budget Agency, 212 State House,

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2796, Telephone: (317) 232-5619, FAX:

(317) 233-3323

Iowa

Steven R. McCann, Division for Community Assistance, Iowa Department

of Economic Development, 200 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa

50309, Telephone: (515) 242-4719, FAX: (515) 242-4809

Kentucky

Kevin J. Goldsmith, Director, John-Mark Hack, Deputy Director,

Sandra Brewer, Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Affairs,

Office of the Governor, 700 Capitol Avenue, Frankfort, Kentucky

40601, Telephone: (502) 564-2611, FAX: (502) 564-2849

Maine

Joyce Benson, State Planning Office, 184 State Street, 38 State

House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333, Telephone: (207) 287-3261, FAX:

(207) 287-6489

Maryland

William G. Carroll, Manager, Plan & Project Review, Maryland Office

of Planning, 301 W. Preston Street, room 1104, Baltimore, Maryland

21201-2365, Staff Contact: Linda Janey, Telephone: (410) 767-4490,

FAX: (410) 767-4480

Michigan

Richard Pfaff, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, 660 Plaza

Drive, suite 1900, Detroit, Michigan 48226, Telephone: (313) 961-

4266, FAX: (313) 961-4869

Mississippi

Cathy Mallette, Clearinghouse Officer, Department of Finance and

Administration, 455 North Lamar Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39302-

3087, Telephone: (601) 359-6762, FAX: (601) 359-6764

Missouri

Lois Pohl, Federal Assistance Clearinghouse, Office of

Administration, P.O. Box 809, Room 760, Truman Building, Jefferson

City, Missouri 65102, Telephone: (314) 751-4834, FAX: (314) 751-7819

Nevada

Department of Administration, State Clearinghouse, Capitol Complex,

Carson City, Nevada 89710, Telephone: (702) 687-4065, FAX: (702)

687-3983

New Hampshire

Jeffrey H. Taylor, Director, New Hampshire Office of State Planning,

Attn: Mike Blake, Intergovernmental Review Process, 2\1/2\ Beacon

Street, Concord, New Hampshire 03301, Telephone: (603) 271-2155,

FAX: (603) 271-1728

New Mexico

Robert Peters, State Budget Division, Room 190, Bataan Memorial

Building, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87503, Telephone: (505) 827-3640

New York

New York State Clearinghouse, Division of the Budget, State Capitol,

Albany, New York 12224, Telephone: (518) 474-1605, FAX: (518) 486-

5617

North Carolina

Chrys Baggett, Director, N.C. State Clearinghouse, Office of the

Secretary of Admin., 116 West Jones Street, suite 5106, Raleigh,

North Carolina 27603-8003, Telephone: (919) 733-7232, FAX: (919)

733-9571

North Dakota

North Dakota Single Point of Contact, Office of Intergovernmental

Assistance, 600 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, North Dakota 58505-

0170, Telephone: (701) 224-2094, FAX: (701) 224-2308

Rhode Island

Kevin Nelson, Review Coordinator, Department of Administration,

Division of Planning, One Capitol Hill, 4th floor, Providence, Rhode

Island 02908-5870, Telephone: (401) 277-2656, FAX: (401) 277-2083

South Carolina

Rodney Grizzle, State Single Point of Contact, Grant Services,

Office of the Governor, 1205 Pendleton Street, room 331, Columbia,

South Carolina 29201, Telephone: (803) 734-0494, FAX: (803) 734-0356

Texas

Tom Adams, Governor's Office, Director, Intergovernmental

Coordination, P.O. Box 12428, Austin, Texas 78711, Telephone: (512)

463-1771, FAX: (512) 463-1880

Utah

Carolyn Wright, Utah State Clearinghouse, Office of Planning and

Budget, Room 116, State Capitol, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114,

Telephone: (801) 538-1535, FAX: (801) 538-1547

West Virginia

Fred Cutlip, Director, Community Development Division, W. Virginia

Development Office, Building #6, room 553, Charleston, West Virginia

25305, Telephone: (304) 558-4010, FAX: (304) 558-3248

Wisconsin

Jeff Smith, Section Chief, State/Federal Relations, Wisconsin

Department of Administration, 101 East Wilson Street, 6th floor,

P.O. Box 7868, Madison, Wisconsin 53707, Telephone: (608) 266-0267,

FAX: (608) 267-6931

Wyoming

Matthew Jones, State Single Point of Contact, Office of the

Governor, 200 West 24th Street, State Capitol, room 124, Cheyenne,

Wyoming 82002, Telephone: (307) 777-7446, FAX: (307) 632-3909,

Territories

Guam

Mr. Giovanni T. Sgambelluri, Director, Bureau of Budget and

Management Research, Office of the Governor, P.O. Box 2950, Agana,

Guam 96910, Telephone:

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011-671-472-2285, FAX: 011-671-472-2825

Puerto Rico

Norma Burgos/Jose E. Caro, Chairwoman/Director, Puerto Rico Planning

Board, Federal Proposals Review Office, Minillas Government Center,

P.O. Box 41119, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00940-1119, Telephone: (809)

727-4444; (809) 723-6190, FAX: (809) 724-3270; (809) 724-3103

Northern Mariana Islands

Mr. Alvaro A. Santos, Executive Officer, Office of Management and

Budget, Office of the Governor, Saipan, MP 96950, Telephone: (670)

664-2256, FAX: (670) 664-2272, Contact person: Ms. Jacoba T. Seman,

Federal Programs Coordinator, Telephone: (670) 664-2289, FAX: (670)

664-2272

Virgin Islands

Nellon Bowry, Director, Office of Management and Budget, #41

Norregade Emancipation Garden Station, Second Floor, Saint Thomas,

Virgin Islands 00802; Please direct all questions and correspondence

about intergovernmental review to: Linda Clarke, Telephone: (809)

774-0750, FAX: (809) 776-0069

Note: This list is based on the most current information

provided by the States. Information on any changes or apparent

errors should be provided to Donna Rivelli (Telephone: (202) 395-

5858) at the Office of Management and Budget and to the State in

question. Changes to the list will only be made upon formal

notification by the State. The list is updated every six months and

is also published biannually in the Catalogue of Federal Domestic

Assistance. The last changes made were Kentucky (12-2-97) and

California telephone and FAX numbers (1-29-98).

[FR Doc. 98-10115 Filed 4-15-98; 8:45 am]

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