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Monday,

February 2, 2004

Part III

Department of
Education
Community Technology Centers Program;
Proposed Requirements, Priorities, and
Selection Criteria; Notice

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5000 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 21 / Monday, February 2, 2004 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION identify clearly the specific to improve the academic achievement of
requirement, priority, or selection low-achieving high school students
RIN 1830–ZA05
criterion that each comment addresses. while continuing to provide a
Community Technology Centers We invite you to assist us in community technology center for all
complying with the specific members of their community. Grant
Program; Proposed Requirements,
requirements of Executive Order 12866 recipients were required to meet this
Priorities, and Selection Criteria
and its overall requirement of reducing priority as they developed and
AGENCY: Office of Vocational and Adult regulatory burden that might result from implemented their plans to create or
Education, Department of Education. these proposed requirements, priorities, expand community technology centers
ACTION: Notice. and selection criteria. Please let us for increasing access to information
know of any further opportunities we technology and related training for
SUMMARY: The Acting Assistant should take to reduce potential costs or disadvantaged residents of distressed
Secretary for Vocational and Adult increase potential benefits while urban or rural communities, and to
Education proposes requirements, preserving the effective and efficient evaluate the effectiveness of their
priorities, and selection criteria under administration of the program. projects. Specifically, we permitted
the Community Technology Centers During and after the comment period, grantees to use funds to provide services
(CTC) Program. These proposed you may inspect all public comments
and activities that use technology to
requirements, priorities, and selection about these proposed requirements,
improve academic achievement, such as
criteria clarify the funding ranges and priorities, and selection criteria at 330 C
academic enrichment activities for
matching requirements for this program. Street, SW., room 5520, Washington,
children and youth, career
The proposed priorities and selection DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and
development, adult education, and
criteria are intended to strengthen the 4 p.m., eastern time, Monday through
English language instruction for
quality of applications and provide Friday of each week except Federal
individuals with limited English
greater understanding of the holidays.
proficiency. Other authorized activities
Department’s intent regarding the
Assistance to Individuals With included, among other things, support
direction of this program. The Assistant
Disabilities in Reviewing the for personnel, equipment, networking
Secretary may use these requirements,
Rulemaking Record capabilities, and other infrastructure
priorities, and selection criteria for
competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2004 On request, we will supply an costs. We did not permit grantees to use
and later years. appropriate aid, such as a reader or funds for construction, food, stipends,
print magnifier, to an individual with a childcare, or security personnel.
DATES: We must receive your comments
on or before March 3, 2004. disability who needs assistance to The Department held two
review the comments or other competitions with FY 2003 funds. The
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about
documents in the public rulemaking first competition used 75 percent of
these proposed requirements, priorities,
record for these proposed requirements, available funds and made grants to the
and selection criteria to Karen Holliday,
priorities, and selection criteria. If you highest-ranking applicants that met the
U.S. Department of Education, OVAE,
want to schedule an appointment for absolute priorities specified for the
MES room 5520, 400 Maryland Avenue,
this type of aid, please contact the competition. The second competition
SW., Washington, DC 20202–7100. If
person listed under FOR FURTHER used 25 percent of available funds for
you prefer to send your comments
INFORMATION CONTACT. the highest-ranking novice applicants
through the Internet, use the following
address: karen.holliday@ed.gov. You Background that met similar absolute priorities.
must include the phrase ‘‘CTC The purpose of the CTC Program is to For FY 2004, the Department
Comments’’ in the subject line of your assist eligible applicants to create or proposes requirements, priorities, and
electronic message. expand community technology centers selection criteria similar to those
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: that provide disadvantaged residents of established in FY 2003. Yet we are
Karen Holliday, Telephone (202) 358– economically distressed urban and rural clarifying some of the requirements,
3339. communities with access to information priorities, and selection criteria to refine
If you use a telecommunications technology and related training. Eligible the application process under the CTC
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call applicants are community-based program, while continuing to support
the Federal Information Relay Service organizations (including faith-based and create local technology programs
(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339. organizations), State and local that are among the strongest in the
Individuals with disabilities may educational agencies (LEAs) (including nation.
obtain this document in an alternative charter schools that are LEAs), Discussion of Proposed Requirements,
format (e.g., Braille, large print, institutions of higher education, and Priorities, and Selection Criteria
audiotape, or computer diskette) on other entities, such as foundations,
request to the contact person listed libraries, museums, public and private We will announce the final
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION nonprofit organizations, and for-profit requirements, priorities, and selection
CONTACT. businesses, or consortia thereof. To be criteria in a notice in the Federal
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: eligible, an applicant must also have the Register. We will determine the final
capacity to significantly expand access requirements, priorities, and selection
Invitation To Comment to computers and related services for criteria after considering responses to
We invite you to submit comments disadvantaged residents of economically this notice and other information
regarding these proposed requirements, distressed urban and rural communities available to the Department. This notice
priorities, and selection criteria. To who would otherwise be denied such does not preclude us from proposing or
ensure that your comments have access. funding additional requirements,
maximum effect in developing the The CTC program competitions the priorities, or selection criteria, subject to
notice of final requirements, priorities Department conducted in FY 2003 gave meeting applicable rulemaking
and selection criteria, we urge you to absolute priority to applicants seeking requirements.

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Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 21 / Monday, February 2, 2004 / Notices 5001

Targeted Applicants The statute requires that to receive a We propose to establish the following
We held two competitions with FY grant award under the CTC competition, priorities for the CTC general
2003 funds for the CTC program. The each applicant must furnish from non- competition:
first competition used 75 percent of Federal sources at least 50 percent of its
Proposed Priority 1
available funds and made grants to the total project costs. Applicants may
satisfy this requirement in cash or in We propose a priority for projects that
highest-ranking applicants that met the
kind, fairly evaluated, including include a partnership with a
absolute priorities, and the second
services. Accordingly, we are proposing community-based organization and a
competition used 25 percent of available
to clarify this requirement as follows: local educational agency (or school,
funds for the highest-ranking novice
applicants that met similar absolute each applicant must provide a dollar- which may be a charter school). To meet
priorities. for-dollar match of the amount the priority, an applicant must clearly
For FY 2004, we are proposing that requested from the Federal Government. identify the partnering agencies and
one combined competition be An example of an allowable match include a detailed plan of their working
conducted for both general and novice would be a situation in which an relationship, including a project budget
applicants, using the same priorities and applicant requested $250,000 in Federal that reflects fund disbursements to the
selection criteria. The Department will funds (the mandatory minimum various partnering agencies. Thus, the
rank and fund the two groups request). In that situation, the applicant Secretary would give priority to projects
separately. At least seventy-five percent would be requested to furnish at least in which the delivery of instructional
of the funds will be set aside for general $250,000 from non-Federal funds in services includes:
applicants and up to twenty-five percent cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, 1. A community-based organization
will be set aside for novice applicants. resulting in a total project cost of (CBO), which may include a faith-based
$500,000. organization, and
Rationale 2. A local educational agency (LEA)
The Department supports the idea Rationale (or school, including private, non-profit
that novice applicants be given special Clarification of the matching schools).
consideration when applying for requirement is necessary to eliminate A CBO is not required to submit a
discretionary grant funds. Last year, we the possibility of any confusion among joint application with an LEA or school
pursued that strategy by setting aside 25 applicants. when applying for funds; however, the
percent of program funds for novice proposed project must deliver the
Discussion of Proposed Priorities educational services in partnership with
applications. We hope that continuing
this practice will yield a similar result an LEA (or school).
Note: This notice does not solicit
this year. Likewise, an LEA (or school) is not
applications. In any year in which we choose
to use one or more of these proposed required to submit a joint application
Range of Awards priorities, we invite applications through a with a CBO when applying for funds;
The Department proposes to establish notice in the Federal Register. however, the proposed project must
$250,000 as the minimum award and deliver the educational services in
$500,000 as the maximum award for FY Priorities partnership with a CBO.
2004, and proposes that no grant When inviting applications we Applicants that are neither CBOs nor
application will be considered for designate each priority as absolute, LEAs must enter into a partnership that
funding if it requests an award amount competitive preference, or invitational. includes a CBO and an LEA (or school)
outside the funding range of $250,000 to The effect of each type of priority in the delivery of educational services.
$500,000. follows: Rationale
Rationale Absolute Priority The Secretary has determined that the
In our work with CTC program Under an absolute priority, we participation of both CBOs and LEAs (or
grantees since 1999, we have acquired consider only applications that meet the schools) is critical to the success of CTC
information to support the idea that priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)). projects. Many academic support
programs must be of at least a moderate programs for adolescents report that
funding amount in order to significantly Competitive Preference Priority securing and maintaining a high level of
impact increased access to technology at Under a competitive preference student participation can be
the local level. The Department believes priority, we give competitive preference challenging. Involving CBOs in service
that the minimum award threshold, to an application by either (1) awarding delivery will help projects better master
coupled with the applicant’s mandatory additional points, depending on how this challenge, such as by providing
match, ensures the applicant’s ability to well or the extent to which the expanded outreach and support to
be effective. The maximum threshold is application meets the competitive students, joint programming, or
necessary to ensure that the Department priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) alternative service sites that are in or
is able to fund a significant number of selecting an application that meets the near the neighborhoods where students
grantees, and to promote access to competitive priority over an application live. Community-based and faith-based
technology in a number of geographic of comparable merit that does not meet partners bring other important resources
areas. the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii)). to the table as well, such as assistance
in recruiting staff and volunteers. LEAs
Matching Funds Requirement Invitational Priority (or schools) also are essential partners.
Pursuant to Section 5512(c) of the Under an invitational priority, we are Their involvement is needed to identify
Elementary and Secondary Education particularly interested in applications the students who are most in need of
Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the that meet the invitational priority. academic support and to ensure that the
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 However, we do not give an application project’s curriculum, assessment, and
(NCLB), Federal funds may not be used that meets the priority a competitive or instructional practices are consistent
to pay for more than 50 percent of total absolute preference over other with those of the schools the students
CTC project costs. applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)). attend.

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5002 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 21 / Monday, February 2, 2004 / Notices

Note: Applicants should bear in mind that Rationale extent to which the proposed project
although LEAs are eligible under this will—
program, individual public schools are not Section 5513(b)(3)(B) of the ESEA
provides that funds under this program (1) Provide instructional services that
eligible applicants.
may be used for CTC activities focusing will be of sufficient size, scope, and
on adult education and family literacy intensity to improve the academic
Proposed Priority 2
services. We believe that projects using performance of participating students;
We propose a priority pursuant to technology and the Internet to provide (2) Incorporate strategies that have
which applicants would meet the adult education are critical to improving proven effective for improving the
following criteria: adult academic achievement. academic performance of low-achieving
Applicants must state whether they students;
are proposing a local or State project. A Proposed Priority 4 (3) Implement strategies in recruiting
local project must include one or more We propose a priority to focus CTC and retaining students that have proven
CTCs; a State project must include two activities on career development and job effective;
or more CTCs. In addition, the project preparation activities. (4) Provide instruction that is aligned
must be carried out by or in partnership Under this proposed priority we with the secondary school curricula of
with one or more LEAs or secondary would give priority to projects that the schools in which the students to be
schools that provide supplementary provide career development and job served by the grant are entering or
instruction in the core academic preparation activities in high-demand enrolled; and
subjects of reading or language arts, or occupational areas. (5) Provide high-quality, sustained,
mathematics, to low-achieving and intensive professional development
secondary school students. Projects Rationale for personnel who provide instruction
must serve students who are entering or Section 5513(b)(3)(C) of the ESEA to students.
enrolled in grades 9 through 12 and provides that program funds may be Quality of the Management Plan
who: (1) Have academic skills used to provide services relating to
significantly below grade level, or (2) career development and job preparation. In evaluating the quality of the
who have not attained proficiency on We believe that career development and management plan, we consider the
State academic assessments as job preparation activities in high- extent to which the proposed project—
established by NCLB. Supplementary demand occupational areas will benefit (1) Outlines specific, measurable
instruction may be delivered before or greatly the students residing in areas goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
after school or at other times when that CTC projects serve. achieved by the proposed project;
school is not in session. Instruction may (2) Assigns responsibility for the
also be provided while school is in Proposed Selection Criteria accomplishment of project tasks to
session, provided that it increases the We propose that the following specific project personnel, and provides
amount of time students receive selection criteria be used for this timelines for the accomplishment of
instruction in core academic subjects competition: project tasks;
and does not require their removal from (3) Requires appropriate and adequate
class. The instructional strategies used Need for the Project time commitments of the project
must be based on practices that have In evaluating the need for the director and other key personnel to
proven effective for improving the proposed project, we consider the extent achieve the objectives of the proposed
academic performance of low-achieving to which the proposed project will— project; and
students. If these services are not (1) Serve students from low-income (4) Includes key project personnel,
provided directly by an LEA or families; including the project director and other
secondary school, they must be (2) Serve students entering or enrolled staff, with appropriate qualifications
provided in partnership with an LEA or in secondary schools that are among the and relevant training and experience.
secondary school. secondary schools in the State that have
Adequacy of Resources
Rationale the highest numbers or percentages of
students who have not achieved In determining the adequacy of
We believe that such supplemental proficiency on the State academic resources for the proposed project, we
instruction is important for the students assessments required by Title I of ESEA, consider the following factors:
residing in the geographic areas the CTC or who have academic skills in reading (1) The adequacy of support,
program intends to serve. Further, the or language arts, or mathematics, that including facilities, equipment,
Department encourages local CBOs and are significantly below grade level; supplies, and other resources, from the
other entities to expand their capacity (3) Serve students who have the applicant;
for becoming supplemental service greatest need for supplementary (2) The extent to which a
providers through the effective use of instruction, as indicated by their scores preponderance of project resources will
the local CTC. on State or local standardized be used for activities designed to
Proposed Priority 3 assessments in reading or language arts, improve the academic performance of
or mathematics, or some other local low-achieving students in reading and/
We propose a priority to focus CTC measure of performance in reading or or mathematics;
activities on adult education and family language arts, or mathematics; and (3) The extent to which the budget is
literacy services. (4) Create or expand access to adequate and costs are reasonable in
Under this proposed priority, we information technology and related relation to the objectives and design of
would give priority to projects that training for disadvantaged residents of the proposed project; and
provide adult education and family distressed urban or rural communities. (4) The potential for continued
literacy activities through technology support of the project after Federal
and the Internet, including adult basic Quality of the Project Design funding ends, including, as appropriate,
education, adult secondary education, In evaluating the quality of the design the demonstrated commitment of
and English literacy instruction. of the proposed project, we consider the appropriate entities to such support.

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Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 21 / Monday, February 2, 2004 / Notices 5003

Quality of the Evaluation determined as necessary for Electronic Access to This Document
In determining the quality of the administering this program effectively
and efficiently. You may view this document, as well
evaluation, we consider the extent to as all other Department of Education
which the proposed project— In assessing the potential costs and
(1) Includes a plan that utilizes benefits—both quantitative and documents published in the Federal
evaluation methods that are feasible and qualitative—of this notice of proposed Register, in text or Adobe Portable
appropriate to the goals and outcomes of requirements, priorities, and selection Document Format (PDF) on the Internet
the project; criteria, we have determined that the at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/
(2) Will regularly examine the benefits of the proposed requirements, news/fedregister.
progress and outcomes of participating priorities, and selection criteria justify To use PDF you must have Adobe
students on a range of appropriate the costs. Acrobat Reader, which is available free
performance measures and has a plan We have also determined that this
at this site. If you have questions about
for utilizing such information to regulatory action does not unduly
using PDF, call the U.S. Government
improve project activities and interfere with State, local, and tribal
governments in the exercise of their Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1–
instruction; 888–293–6498; or in the Washington,
(3) Will use an independent, external governmental functions.
evaluator with the necessary DC, area at (202) 512–1530.
Summary of Potential Benefits
background and technical expertise to Note: The official version of this document
assess the performance of the project; Elsewhere in this notice we discuss is the document published in the Federal
and the potential benefits of these proposed Register. Free Internet access to the official
(4) Effectively demonstrates that the requirements, priorities, and selection edition of the Federal Register and the Code
applicant has adopted a rigorous criteria. of Federal Regulations is available on GPO
evaluation design. Intergovernmental Review Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/
index.html.
Executive Order 12866 This program is subject to Executive
This notice of proposed requirements, Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
priorities, and selection criteria has CFR Part 79. One of the objectives of the Number 84.341—Community Technology
been reviewed in accordance with Executive order is to foster an Centers Program)
Executive Order 12866. Under the terms intergovernmental partnership and a Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7263.
of the order, we have assessed the strengthened federalism. The Executive Dated: January 29, 2004.
potential costs and benefits of this order relies on processes developed by
Susan Sclafani,
regulatory action. State and local governments for
The potential costs associated with coordination and review of proposed Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult
the notice of proposed requirements, Federal financial assistance. Education.
priorities, and selection criteria are This document provides early [FR Doc. 04–2126 Filed 1–29–04; 1:41 pm]
those resulting from statutory notification of our specific plans and BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
requirements and those we have actions for this program.

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