e. Program development grants have a maximum of $20,000. Not more than two such grants may be made to a single institution for the improvement of any one specialty related to the education of handicapped children. 2. Grants to colleges and universities are awarded on the basis of proposals submitted to the Office of Education and formulas for specified types of programs. Proposals are reviewed by Office staff for completeness and, if necessary, additional information is requested. Then proposals are read, evaluated, and rated by a panel of consultants consisting of members from outside the Office who are specialists on the education of handicapped children. On the basis of their recommendations, a list of institutions recommended for awards is presented by Office staff to the U.S. Commissioner of Education. 3. Grants to State education agencies are made within the framework of allotments of funds for use by the States and on the basis of State plans submitted for use of the funds. The initial allotment of funds is made by formula based on the relative population of the State in terms of that of the Nation, except that no allotment for fiscal year 1966 was less than $50,000 nor more than $160,000 (compared with a minimum of $30,000 and a maximum of $110,000 in fiscal year 1965 and a minimum of $25,000 and a maximum of $100,000 in fiscal year 1964). Criteria for Decision: Outside consultants review for quality, taking into account such program factors as content and organization, staffing, practicum facilities, and institutional commitment. Geographic need then is another factor. Source of Data: Population figures used in determining allotments are those as of July 1 in "Population Estimates." Current Population Reports. Series F-25. Washington: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Program exclusive of grants for the provision of training of instructors of teachers of handicapped children and of research workers in the education of handicapped children: State education agencies. Application Procedure An institution of higher learning indicates to the Office of Education that it is interested in obtaining a grant. The Office replies with information on policy and with detailed and specific instructions on procedure which also identify the deadline date established for receipt of proposals to be considered in a particular fiscal year. The institution then prepares its proposal and submits it to the Office. State education agencies are notified by the U.S. Commissioner of Education of their respective allocations of funds and are requested to submit plans describing proposed use of such funds. Information on policy and specific instructions on procedure supplied by the Office serve as guides to State education agencies in preparing and submitting State plans. (Prospective recipients of fellowships or traineeships apply to the appropriate institution of higher learning or State education agency.) Developments During the Past Year Grants were made in fiscal year 1965 to 193 institutions of higher learning and to each of the 50 States. They covered awards to 5,015 teachers and students and included 59 grants for new programs related to the education of handicapped children. Percentage of Federal support by field relating to education of handicapped children was: mentally retarded 45, deaf 14, hard of hearing and speech impaired 12, seriously emotionally disturbed 10, crippled 8, visually handicapped 6, and other health impaired 2 percent. Of the remainder, 2 percent was for training of administrators and 1 percent for State education agency administrative costs. The cycle for awarding grants was changed so that the summer session is considered to precede the academic year rather than follow it. Thus, applications due in the Office by October 28, 1966 relate to the summer of 1967 and academic year 1967-68. Legal Basis Public Law 85-926, September 6, 1958 (72 Stat. 1777) as amended by Public Laws 86-158, August 14, 1959, title II, section 201 (73 Stat. 346); 88-164 (Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act of 1963), October 31, 1963, title III, section 301 (77 Stat. 294); and 89-105, August 4, 1965, sections 7 and 8 (79 Stat. 430)-20 U.S.C. 611. Additional information may be obtained from: Bureau of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Education, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Washington, D. C. 20202. EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Purpose To provide assistance to school personnel and school authorities to deal with problems resulting from desegregation; namely, to: Give technical assistance to school boards in the preparation, adoption, and implementation of plans for the desegregation of public schools (with technical assistance including, among other activities, furnishing information on how to cope with special educational problems occasioned by desegregation, and making available personnel specially equipped to advise and assist in coping with such problems). b. Arrange with institutions of higher education for the operation of institutes for special training designed to improve the ability of teachers, supervisors, counselors, and other elementary or secondary school personnel to deal effectively with special educational problems occasioned by desegregation. C. Make grants to school boards to pay, in whole or in part, the cost of (1) giving, to teachers and other school personnel, inservice training in dealing with problems incident to desegregation, and (2) employing specialists to advise in these problems. The program was authorized by title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Initial funding was for fiscal year 1965. 1/ Public Law 88-635, in appropriating this sum (78 Stat. 1032), specified That "not to exceed $2,000,000 shall be for salaries and expenses"--namely, for the survey required by section 402, technical assistance authorized by section 403, and administration under title IV of the enabling law. 2/ Estimates. Method of Distribution Available funds are allocated for the different parts of the program. When proposals for the conduct of training institutes are approved, contracts are negotiated with the institutions concerned and Federal payments are made on the basis of the contracts. Enabling legislation authorizes payment of stipends, including travel allowances, for individuals attending these institutes on a full-time basis. Grants are paid on the basis of approved applications. Criteria for Decision: Applications for assistance under any of the programs must pertain to problems occasioned by or incident to the assignment of students to or within public schools without regard to their race, color, religion, or national origin. (Applications for assistance to deal with problems uniquely related to assignment of students to public schools in order to overcome racial imbalance are not eligible for consideration.) Source of Data: Regulations on training institutes and grants to school boards: 30 F.R. 4359, April 3, 1965--45 C.F.R. 180. Regulations presenting a pertinent Statement of Policies for School Desegregation Plans Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: 31 F.R. 5623, April 9, 1966--45 C.F.R. 181. Matching Requirements None specified in the enabling legislation. It is expected in grant programs that school authorities, to the extent of their ability, will expend some funds other than those from Federal sources. Who May Receive Federal Aid Technical assistance, in-service training of school personnel, and employing of specialists: Any school board, State, municipality, or other governmental unit legally responsible for operating a public school or schools. Institutes: Institutions of higher education. Application Procedure Policies and procedures manuals relating to the programs are available from the Office of Education. Using the appropriate manual as a guide, the institution or other authority prepares its application for an institute or a grant and submits it to the Office. (Individuals wishing to attend an institute apply to the college or university conducting it.) Developments During the Past Year During fiscal year 1965, there were 103 proposals by colleges and universities to expend a total of $7,098,610 for institutes. Approximately 30 percent came from institutions in the North and West. This group also represented about 30 percent of the requested funds. The total amount available for the program from fiscal year 1965 funds was $3,000,000. Accordingly, contracts with institutions of higher learning could cover only 56 of the 103 proposals. The institute projects were for approximately 3,900 participants from 845 different school systems. Four were held in the spring of 1965 and the rest were scheduled for the summer of 1965 or the 1965-66 academic year. Seventeen States were represented. A total of $6,527,810 was requested in the six months from January through June 1965 for support of l-year projects to aid local school systems while only $3,000,000 was available in Federal funds. Of the 38 requests received, 28 were from school boards in the Southern and border States and 10 from boards in the North and West. Federal grants were made in support of 27 projects--21 in the southern and 6 in other parts of the country. Four of the grant-supported projects were in State departments of education to assist in solving problems of school desegregation on a statewide basis. The other 23 grants went to local school boards to support inservice training programs and use of specialists to advise the boards on matters incident to school desegregation. Legal Basis Public Law 88-352 (Civil Rights Act of 1964), July 2, 1964, title IV (78 Stat. 246)--42 U.S.C. 2000c. Additional information may be obtained from: Equal Educational Opportunities Program, Office of Education, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Washington, D. C. 20202. |