[Federal Register: April 14, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 71)]
[Notices]
[Page 18201-18231]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14ap97_dat-147]
[[Page 18201]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part III
Department of Labor
Employment and Training Administration
Department of Education
Office of Vocational and Adult Education
_______________________________________________________________________
School-to-Work Opportunities; Urban/Rural Opportunities Grants;
Application Procedures; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Vocational and Adult Education
School-to-Work Opportunities; Urban/Rural Opportunities Grants;
Application Procedures
AGENCIES: Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor.
Office of Vocational and Adult Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds, solicitation for grant
application (SGA) and an Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community EZ/EC
invitational priority for School-to-Work Urban/Rural Opportunities
Grants.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the 1997 competition for Urban/Rural
Opportunities Grants authorized under Title III of the School-to-Work
Opportunities Act of 1994 (the Act). This notice contains all of the
necessary information and forms to apply for funds appropriated in FY
1996. Urban/Rural Opportunities Grants enable local partnerships
serving youth who reside or attend school in high poverty areas to
develop and implement School-to-Work Opportunities initiatives in high
poverty areas of urban and rural communities. These initiatives offer
young Americans in these communities access to School-to-Work
Opportunities programs specifically designed to address barriers to
their successful participation in such programs and to prepare them for
further education and training and first jobs in high-skill, high-wage
careers.
DATES: Applications for grant awards will be accepted commencing April
14, 1997. The closing date for receipt of applications is June 30, 1997
at 2 p.m. (Eastern time) at the address below. Telefacsimile (FAX)
applications will not be accepted.
ADDRESSES: Applications must be mailed to: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: CFDA #278G,
Washington, DC 20202-4725.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Camillo, National School-to-
Work Office, Telephone: (202) 401-6222 (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:
Section A. Background
The Departments of Labor and Education are reserving funds
appropriated for FY 1996 for a competition for Urban/Rural
Opportunities Grants authorized under Title III of the Act. Grants
under this competition will be awarded to local partnerships that serve
high-poverty areas and that are also prepared to develop and implement
local School-to-Work Opportunities initiatives in these areas. The
Departments recognize that high-poverty areas face particular
challenges in implementing School-to-Work initiatives, including: Few
large private or public employers; dropout rates that, in many cases,
are over 50 percent; poor students who may be much less aware of post-
secondary opportunities than students in other areas; strong peer
pressure that does not [necessarily] promote achievement among youth;
pressure on youth from situations outside of school that may affect
their school performance; schools with students of more diverse ethnic
and racial backgrounds than schools in other areas; proportionately
more out-of-school youth than in other areas; and uneven quality in
educational and employment opportunities available to high-poverty area
youth.
Due to these particular challenges, a local partnership in a high-
poverty area must identify and address a great variety of needs of
youth residing, or attending school, in these areas. The Departments
encourage applications from only those local partnerships that propose
innovative and effective ways to deliver the common features and basic
program components as outlined in Title I of the Act and that have the
potential to serve large numbers of students who reside or attend
school in the targeted area. Further, the Departments wish to emphasize
the importance of a local partnership's ability to coordinate its
strategies for serving in-school and out-of-school youth; for achieving
its planned goals and outcomes; for assessing and addressing the
multiple needs of high-poverty area youth, particularly the human
service needs; and for linking effectively with both schoolwide reform
efforts and with State and community plans for a comprehensive School-
to-Work Opportunities system.
In accordance with the authority provided in Section 5 of the Act,
the Departments have determined that the administrative provisions
contained in the Education Department General Administrative
Regulations (EDGAR), at 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 82, 85 and 86,
will apply to grants awarded to local partnerships under this Urban/
Rural Opportunities Grant competition.
This notice contains the definition of the term ``administrative
costs,'' as established by the Departments in a final notice published
on November 14, 1995 (60 FR 57276), and a 10 percent cap on
administrative costs incurred by local partnerships receiving grants
under Title III. This notice also establishes an invitational priority
for funding EZ/EC applicants, and contains all of the other necessary
information and forms to apply for a grant.
Section B. Purpose
Under this competition, the Departments will award grants to local
partnerships serving youth who reside or attend school in high-poverty
areas that have built a sound planning and development base for their
school-to-work programs, to begin implementation of School-to-Work
Opportunities initiatives that will become part of statewide School-to-
Work Opportunities systems. These local initiatives offer young
Americans access to programs designed to increase their opportunities
for further education and training, to prepare them for first jobs in
high-skill, high-wage careers, and to address the special needs of
youth residing or attending school in high poverty areas.
Section C. Application Process
1. Eligible Applicants
(A) Local Partnership Definition
A local entity that meets the definition of ``local partnership''
in section 4(11) of the Act is eligible to apply for an Urban/Rural
Opportunities Grant. As defined in the Act, an eligible partnership
must include employers, representatives of local educational agencies
and local postsecondary educational institutions (including
representatives of area vocational education schools, where
applicable), local educators, representatives of labor organizations or
nonmanagerial employee representatives, and students. Other entities
appropriate to effective implementation of a local School-to-Work
Opportunities initiative should also be included in the partnership.
Such partnerships must be in place prior to submitting an application
for funding.
Under section 302(b)(2) of the Act, a local partnership is eligible
to receive only one (1) Urban/Rural Opportunities Grant.
[[Page 18203]]
(B) High-Poverty Area Definition
In addition to meeting the definition of ``local partnership'' in
section 4(11) of the Act, under section 307 of the Act, applicants
seeking funding under this notice are required to meet the definition
of ``high-poverty area'' as stated in that section and to describe the
urban or rural high poverty area to be served. The description must
include:
* A map indicating the urban census tract, contiguous group
of urban census tracts, block number area, contiguous group of block
number areas, or Indian reservation to be served by the local
partnership. To be considered contiguous, the tracts, areas or
reservations to be served must be touching at any point.
* The population of each urban census tract, block number
area, or Indian reservation to be served, along with the total
population of the entire area to be served; and
* The poverty rate for each urban census tract, block number
area, or Indian reservation to be served, among individuals under the
age of 22, as determined by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, along with
an average poverty rate among this age group for the entire area to be
served. Only U.S. Bureau of Census statistics may be submitted for
review.
Only those applicants that both provide the required map and
population/poverty rate data in their applications in the format
outlined in this subsection of this notice and that meet the definition
of a high poverty area as described in this subsection will be
considered for funding. The Departments intend to pre-screen all
applications for high poverty area eligibility prior to the panelists'
review and will not consider any applications that do not contain the
required map and population/poverty rate data. Information in addition
to what is required in this notice with regard to population/poverty
rate data is not necessary and will have no influence upon meeting the
high poverty area definition. Applicants will not have the opportunity
to submit additional or revised information should a determination be
made that the identified area does not meet the high poverty
definition.
Note: U.S. Bureau of Census information may be obtained through
a local college or university, city planning department, State data
center, or through the Data User Service Division of the U.S. Bureau
of the Census. Applicants are encouraged to utilize local providers
of U.S. Bureau of Census data. For those applicants who are unable
to locate such data, please contact the Census Bureau State Data
Center for your local area. A list of State and Local Data Center
contacts is included in an appendix to this notice. Population/
poverty rate data published by the Bureau of the Census is provided
in age ranges: 0-5, 6-11, 12-17, 18-24, and 25 and up. The
Departments will accept poverty rate data for the age range up to 17
or up to 24, whichever is higher, for the purposes of eligibility.
In order to be considered for funding, all census tracts or blocks
within the area to be served must be characterized by a poverty rate
of 20.0 percent or greater among the age group.
2. State Comments
The local partnership must submit its application to the State for
review and comment before submitting the application to the
Departments, in accordance with section 303(a) of the Act. The
application should be submitted to the State's School-to-Work Contact.
A list of State School-to-Work Contacts is included in an appendix to
this notice. The Departments expect that the State School-to-Work
Contact will provide all members of the State School-to-Work
Partnership listed in section 213 (b)(4)(A)-(K) of the Act an
opportunity to review and comment on the local partnership's
application.
Of particular importance to the Departments are each State's
comments on the consistency of the local partnership's planned
activities with the State's plan for a comprehensive statewide School-
to-Work Opportunities system and the relationship of any proposed
activities with other local school-to-work partnerships or plans,
especially if the grant applicant is not specifically identified as a
local partnership within the State system.
In accordance with section 305 of the Act, if a State has an
approved State School-to-Work Opportunities plan, the State must
confirm that the plan submitted by the local partnership is in
accordance with the State plan. The application from the local
partnership must contain this confirmation.
Section 303(b)(1) of the Act requires that each State review and
comment on a local partnership's application within 30 days from the
date on which the State receives the application from the local
partnership. Therefore, even though an applicant has 75 days to apply
for a Urban/Rural Opportunties Grant under this notice, it must provide
its application to its State in time for the State to have at least 30
days before the due date to review and comment on the application.
Furthermore, under section 303(c)(2) of the Act, the State's
comments must be included in the local partnership's application.
However, if the State does not provide review and comment within the
30-day time period described above, the local partnership may submit
the application to the Departments without State comment. In such a
case, the local partnership should provide proof that the State
received a copy of the local partnership's application at least 30 days
prior to the application due date.
3. Period of Performance
The period of performance for Urban/Rural Opportunities Grants is
sixty (60) months from the beginning of the project period.
4. Option to Extend
Urban/Rural Opportunities Grants may be continued up to 4
additional years, regardless of the State Implementation Grant status
of the State in which the partnership is located. Additional funding
will be based upon availability of funds and the progress of the local
partnership towards its objectives as stated in its performance
agreement and will be subject to the annual approval of the Secretaries
of Labor and Education (the Secretaries). It is expected that the
amount of Federal funds, if any, that are awarded to local partnerships
under this notice in subsequent years, will decrease.
5. Available Funds
Approximately $14 million is available for this competition.
6. Estimated Range of Awards
The amount of an award under this competition will depend upon the
scope, quality, and comprehensiveness of the proposed initiative and
the relative size of the high poverty area to be served by the local
partnership. While there is no limitation on the size of a high poverty
area, the Departments expect that the resources available for
individual grants will effectively serve high poverty areas of no more
than a total of 50,000 in population. The Departments further expect
that first-year award amounts will range from a minimum award of
$200,000 to a maximum award of $500,000. These estimates, which are
provided to assist applicants in developing their plans, are not
binding.
7. Estimated Number of Awards
The Departments expect to award 30-40 grants under this
competition.
Note: The Departments are not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
8. Grantee Reporting Requirements/Deliverables
(a) Reporting requirements.
The local partnership grantee will be required, at a minimum, to
submit:
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--Quarterly Financial Reports (SF 269 A);
--Quarterly Narrative Progress Reports;
--Performance Agreement or Performance Standards;
--Annual Financial Reports (ED Form 524 B, and SF 269);
Budget Information for Upcoming Years, if necessary;
--An Annual Performance Report providing data on performance measures;
and
--A close-out report at the end of the grant.
(b) Deliverables.
The local partnership grantee will be required to:
* Provide information on best practices and innovative
school-and work-based curricula suitable for dissemination to States
and other stakeholders;
* Participate in two grantee meetings per year sponsored by
the National School-to-Work Office;
* Act as a host to outside visitors who are interested in
developing and implementing School-to-Work Opportunities initiatives in
urban or rural areas of high poverty and to other visitors interested
in the replication, adaptation and/or impact of successful program
elements; and
* Participate as needed in national evaluation and special
data collection activities.
9. Application Transmittal Instructions
An application for an award must be mailed or hand delivered by the
closing date.
(A) Applications Delivered by Mail
An application sent by mail must be addressed to the U.S.
Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention CFDA
# 278G, 600 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-4725.
An application must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the
following:
* A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service Postmark;
* A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by
the U.S. Postal Service;
* A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a
commercial carrier; or
* Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the U.S.
Secretary of Education.
If an application is sent through the U.S. Postal Service, the
Secretaries do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
* A private metered postmark; or
* A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal
Service.
An applicant should note that 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. An applicant is
encouraged to use registered or at least first class mail. Each late
applicant will be notified that its application will not be considered.
(B) Applications Delivered by Hand
An application that is hand delivered must be taken to the U.S.
Department of Education, Application Control Center, Room 3633,
Regional Office Building 3, 7th and D Streets, SW, Washington, DC.
The Application Control Center will accept hand delivered
applications between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time) daily,
except Saturdays, Sundays and Federal Holidays.
Individuals delivering applications must use the D Street Entrance.
Proper identification is necessary to enter the building.
In order for an application sent through a courier service to be
considered timely, the courier service must be in receipt of the
application on or before the closing date.
Section D. Organization and Content of Applications
Applicants are encouraged to submit an original and three (3)
copies of their application. The Departments suggest that the
application be divided into six distinct parts: detachable description
addressing the high poverty area definition, budget and certifications,
abstract, State comments, program narrative, and appendices. To ensure
a comprehensive and expeditious review, the Departments strongly
suggest that applicants submit an application formatted as follows:
Table of Contents
I. Eligibility Requirements
Part I must contain detailed information as described in the
Eligible Applicants, High Poverty Area Definition subsection of this
notice and, for pre-screening purposes, should be separate and easily
detachable from the remainder of the application.
II. Budget and Certifications
Part II should contain the Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application
for Federal Assistance,'' and SF 524, ``Budget.'' One copy of the SF
424 must have original signatures of the designated fiscal agent, who
will be the grantee. In addition, the budget should include--on a
separate page(s)-- a detailed cost break-out of each line item on SF
524. Applicants should list any non-Federal resources within their
narrative applications. Any non-Federal resources listed on the
applicant's SF 424 or ED Form 524, Section B, will be considered
binding. Assurances and Certifications found in an appendix to this
notice should also be included in Part II of the application and should
include the original signatures of the fiscal agent/grantee.
III. Abstract
Part III should consist of a one-page abstract summarizing the
essential components and key features of the local partnership's plan.
IV. State Comments
Part IV should contain the State's comments on the application.
Details on this section can be found under the State Comments heading
of this notice.
V. Program Narrative
Part V should contain the application narrative that demonstrates
the applicant's plan and capabilities in accordance with the selection
criteria contained in this notice. In order to facilitate expeditious
evaluation by the panels, applicants should describe their proposed
plan in light of each of the selection criteria. No cost data or
reference to price should be included in this part of the application.
The Departments strongly request that applicants limit the program
narrative section to no more than 40 one-sided, double-spaced pages.
VI. Appendices
All applicable appendices including letters of support, resumes,
and organization charts should be included in this section. The
Departments recommend that all appendix entries be cross-referenced
back to the applicable sections in the program narrative.
Note: Applicants are advised that the peer review panels
evaluate each application solely on the basis of the selection
criteria contained in this notice and the School-to-Work
Opportunities Act. Appendices may be used to provide supporting
information. However, in scoring applications, reviewers are
required to take into account only information that is presented in
the application narrative, which must address the selection criteria
and requirements of the Act. Letters of support are welcome, but
applicants should be aware that support letters contained in the
application will strengthen the application only if they contain
commitments that pertain to the selection criteria.
Based on their experience with past competitions, and in an effort
to ensure and confirm the commitment of key partners to their
partnership, the Assistant Secretaries may wish to contact the
applicants and their key
[[Page 18205]]
partners before making final funding decisions.
Section E. Safeguards
The Departments will apply certain safeguards, as required under
Section 601 of the Act, to School-to-Work Opportunities programs funded
under this notice. The application must include a brief assurance that
the following safeguards will be implemented and maintained throughout
all program activities:
(a) No student shall displace any currently employed worker
(including a partial displacement, such as a reduction in the hours of
non-overtime work, wages, or employment benefits).
(b) No School-to-Work Opportunities program shall impair existing
contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements, and no
program funded under this notice shall be undertaken without the
written concurrence of the labor organization and employer concerned.
(c) No student shall be employed or fill a job--
(1) When any other individual is on temporary layoff, with the
clear possibility of recall, from the same or any substantially
equivalent job with the participating employer; or
(2) When the employer has terminated the employment of any regular
employee or otherwise reduced its workforce with the intention of
filling the vacancy so created with the student.
(d) Students shall be provided with adequate and safe equipment and
safe and healthful workplaces in conformity with all health and safety
requirements of Federal, State, and local laws.
(e) Nothing in the Act shall be construed so as to modify or affect
any Federal or State law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of
race, religion, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, or
disability.
(f) Funds awarded under the Act shall not be expended for wages of
students or workplace mentors.
(g) The grantee shall implement and maintain such other safeguards
as the Secretaries may deem appropriate in order to ensure that School-
to-Work Opportunities participants are afforded adequate supervision by
skilled adult workers, or to otherwise further the purposes of the Act.
Section F. Waivers
Under Title V of the Act, the Secretaries may waive certain Federal
requirements that impede the ability of a State or local partnership to
carry out the purposes of the Act. Only local partnerships in States
with approved School-to-Work Opportunities plans may apply for waivers.
A local partnership that seeks a waiver should contact its State
School-to-Work Contact to determine what documentation is required and
to whom it should be sent.
In May, 1995, the National School-to-Work Opportunities Office
issued a document entitled ``School-to-Work Opportunities Waiver and
Plan Approval Process Questions and Answers.'' This document was sent
to every Governor and State School-to-Work Contact. The document
contains answers to many of the questions that localities may have when
preparing their waiver requests. Local Partnerships interested in
applying for waivers should contact the National School-to-Work
Opportunities Office or their State School-to-Work Contact for a copy
of the waivers document.
Section G. Bidders' Conferences
Bidders' Conferences for interested School-to-Work Urban/Rural
Opportunities representatives are scheduled from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00
p.m., on the dates and locations listed below:
* May 9, 1997, Dallas, Texas.
* May 12, 1997, Chicago, Illinois.
Registration for both conferences will be held from 12-1 p.m.
(Central Time). More information on the location of each conference
will be provided to applicants at the time of registration.
Participants at each of the Conferences will receive a detailed
description of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, the selection
criteria and high poverty area definition and how they will be applied,
and will have the opportunity to ask questions of Federal School-to-
Work officials.
All partnerships must pre-register by faxing the names and
addresses of up to three members of the local partnership planning to
attend, the name of the local partnership, and a phone number to:
Jeffrey Way, Way and Associates, 7338 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 107,
College Park, MD 20740, (301) 277-2050; FAX: (301) 277-2051.
Questions regarding the solicitation may be submitted in advance.
If you are unable to attend one of the Bidders' Conferences but would
like the conference materials and a conference transcript, submit your
request via fax to the fax number listed above. All reservations must
be submitted no later than April 25, 1997. You will be sent a
confirmation along with hotel accommodation information once your
registration has been received.
School-to-Work Local Partnership Grants
Administrative Cost Cap
The Departments are applying 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. As was explained in
the notice announcing the FY 1995 competition, section 215(b)(6) of the
Act applies the 10 percent administrative cap to subgrants received by
local partnerships from a State. Applying the 10 percent cap to Urban/
Rural local partnership grants under this competition is consistent
with the Act's intent and its broader limitations on administrative
costs, as well as 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.
Definition of Administrative Costs
All definitions in the Act apply to local School-to-Work
Opportunities systems funded under this and future Urban/Rural
Opportunities Grant competitions. Since the Act does not contain a
definition of the term ``administrative costs'' as used in section 217
of the Act, as was explained in the notice announcing the FY 1995
competition, the Departments will apply the following definition to
competitions for Urban/Rural Opportunities Grants.
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 Urban/Rural Opportunities 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 listed in section 215(b)(4) and section
215(c) of the Act. Administrative costs may be either personnel or non-
personnel costs, and may be either direct or 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, except evaluation activities;
* Preparing program plans, budgets, and schedules, as well
as applicable amendments;
* Monitoring of local initiatives, pilot projects,
subrecipients, and related systems and processes;
[[Page 18206]]
* 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.
EZ/EC Priority
The Departments invite applications from local partnerships
proposing to implement a School-to-Work Opportunities initiative for
youth residing or attending school in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise
Community (EZ/EC), designated under section 1391 of the Internal
Revenue Code (IRC), as amended by Title XIII of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1993. This is an invitational priority, under
authority of 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), whereby the Departments seek to
encourage EZ/EC communities to apply for grants in this competition.
Selection Criteria
Under the School-to-Work Urban/Rural Opportunities Grant
competition, the Departments will use the following selection criteria
in evaluating applications and will utilize a peer review process in
which review teams, including peers, will evaluate applications using
the selection criteria and the associated point values. The Departments
will base final funding decisions on the ranking of applications as a
result of the peer review, and such other factors as replicability,
sustainability, innovation, geographic balance, and diversity of system
approaches.
Further, as established in section 302(b)(3) of the Act, the
Secretaries, in awarding grants under this notice, shall give priority
to local partnerships that have demonstrated effectiveness in the
delivery of comprehensive vocational preparation programs with
successful rates in job placement through cooperative activities among
local educational agencies, local businesses, labor organizations, and
other organizations.
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 that all students will have a full 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, and with related 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
Enterprise Communities (EZ/EC);
* Serves a geographical area that reflects the needs of the
local labor market (i.e., considers the needs of the local labor market
that encompasses the high poverty area), and is able to adjust to
regional structures that the State School-to-Work Opportunities plan
may identify;
* 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; and
* Consistent with section 301(2) of the Act, includes an
effective strategy for assessing and addressing the academic and human
service needs of students and dropouts within the high poverty area,
making improvements or adjustments as necessary, with particular
emphasis on the coordination of various human services provided within
the community.
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
workplace partners, educators, community organizations, and other
appropriate entities;
* 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 required
partners and other interested parties in the local School-to-Work
Opportunities system. As defined by the Act, partners must include
employers, representatives of
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local educational agencies and local postsecondary educational
institutions (including representatives of area vocational education
schools, where applicable), local educators (such as teachers,
counselors, or administrators), representatives of labor organizations
or nonmanagerial employee representatives, and students, and may
include other relevant stakeholders such as those listed in section
4(11)(B) of the Act, including employer organizations; community-based
organizations; national trade associations working at the local levels;
industrial extension centers; rehabilitation agencies and
organizations; registered apprenticeship agencies; local vocational
education entities; proprietary institutions of higher education; local
government agencies; parent organizations; teacher organizations;
vocational student organizations; private industry councils under JTPA;
Federally recognized Indian tribes, Indian organizations, and Alaska
Native villages; and Native Hawaiian entities;
* Whether the partnership's plan demonstrates an effective
and convincing strategy for continuing the commitment of workplace
partners 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 workplace partners
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 parties and any other relevant stakeholders 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;
and
* Whether the partnership has included methods for
sustaining and expanding the partnership as the program expands in
scope and size.
Note: As indicated in the Background section of this notice, in
accordance with section 301(2) of the Act, the Departments recognize
the significance of a local partnership's capability to provide for
a broad range of services that sufficiently address the various
needs of high poverty area youth. Applicants are, therefore,
reminded that local partnerships should include members that are
appropriate to the effective implementation of the local initiative,
particularly community-based organizations and others experienced in
dealing with the distinctive needs of youth residing or attending
schools in high poverty areas.
Selection Criterion 3: Participation of All Students (15 Points)
Considerations: In applying this criterion, reviewers will refer to
the definition of the term ``all students'' in section 4(2) of the Act,
and consider--
* The extent to which the partnership will implement
effective strategies and systems to provide all students with equal
access to the full range of program components specified in sections
102 through 104 of the Act and related activities such as recruitment,
enrollment, and placement activities, and to ensure that all students
have meaningful opportunities to participate in School-to-Work
Opportunities programs;
* 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;
* 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, including strategies for encouraging
schools to provide students with general awareness training in
occupational safety and health as part of the school-based learning
component, and for encouraging workplace partners to provide risk-
specific training as part of the work-based learning component, as well
the extent to which the partnership has developed realistic goals to
ensure environments free from racial and sexual harassment; 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
Opportunities system, and is able to provide feedback to the state on
their system-building process; and
* Whether the plan includes a feasible workplan which
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
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information, products, and ideas that will assist other States and
local partnerships as they design and implement local systems; and
* 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.
Note: Experience with the 1994 and 1995 Urban/Rural
Opportunities Grant competitions provided the Departments with a
greater awareness with regard to a local partnership's responsibilty
for understanding and coordinating an array of programs and services
available to high poverty area youth. In considering this criterion,
applicants should address the partnership's capacity to manage the
implementation of the local School-to-Work Opportunities initiative.
Dated: April 7, 1997.
Raymond Uhalde,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Department of
Labor.
Patricia McNeil,
Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education Department of
Education.
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[FR Doc. 97-9403 Filed 4-11-97; 8:45 am]
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