Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Labor's Education and Training for Youthful Offenders Initiative

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 21, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19670-19672]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9885]



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Part IV





Department of Justice





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Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention



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Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Labor's Education and Training for 
Youthful Offenders Initiative; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 76 / Wednesday, April 21, 1999 / 
Notices

[[Page 19670]]



DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
[OJP (OJJDP)-1218]
RIN 1121-ZB52


Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Labor's Education and 
Training for Youthful Offenders Initiative

AGENCY: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office 
of Justice Programs, Justice.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), pursuant to Section 243(a)(1) of the 
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended 
(Public Law 93-415), is issuing a solicitation for applications for a 
cooperative agreement from public and private agencies, organizations, 
institutions, and individuals to conduct process evaluations and impact 
evaluation feasibility assessments of two programs administered by the 
Department of Labor (Category II grants under the Youth Offender 
Demonstration Projects notice issued on September 2, 1998), which are 
intended to enhance school-to-work education and training in juvenile 
correctional facilities and improve transition into the community.

DATES: Applications under this program must be received no later than 5 
p.m. EDT on June 21, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The Application Package is available through OJJDP's 
Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736 and can also be obtained 
online at the OJJDP Web site at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org.
    For further information regarding the Evaluation of the U.S. 
Department of Labor's Education and Training for Youthful Offenders 
Initiative, contact: Dean Hoffman, Program Manager, Office of Juvenile 
Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 800 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 
20531; phone: 202-353-9256; e-mail: hoffmand@ojp.usdoj.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose

    The evaluation will document the activities undertaken by two 
States selected to receive Department of Labor grants under its 
Education and Training for Youth Offenders Initiative, which is 
intended to enhance school-to-work education and training in juvenile 
correctional facilities and improve transition into the community. The 
evaluation also will assess the feasibility of conducting impact 
evaluations at both sites. The award will be made in the form of a 
cooperative agreement.

Background

    This Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) 
solicitation supports an evaluation of two Education and Training for 
Youth Offenders Initiative (Youth Offenders Initiative) grantees to be 
funded by the Department of Labor's Employment and Training 
Administration (ETA). The ETA's solicitation for these programs was 
published in the Federal Register on September 2, 1998 at 63 F.R. 
46805-809. The solicitation also can be found on ETA's Web site at 
www.doleta.gov. The ETA solicitation describes grants to be awarded in 
three categories: (I) Model Community Projects; (II) Education and 
Training for Youth Offenders Initiatives; and (III) Community-Wide 
Coordination Projects. This OJJDP solicitation supports the evaluation 
of the two grants to be awarded under category II.
    The two Youth Offenders Initiative grantees will provide 
comprehensive school-to-work education and training within juvenile 
correctional facilities and followup and job placement services as 
youth return to the community (i.e., case management and aftercare). It 
is intended that the comprehensive services developed under these 
grants will serve as models for other juvenile correctional facilities 
across the country. Applicants are encouraged to read the ETA 
solicitation for more detailed programmatic requirements.
    The ETA solicitation states that, as a condition for award, 
applicants must agree to participate in the evaluation sponsored by 
OJJDP and comply with certain data collection requirements.

Goals

    Phase I has three goals:
    •  Design and conduct a process evaluation of the two 
Education and Training for Youth Offenders Initiative programs to 
determine the extent to which educational, job training, and aftercare 
services were enhanced after the facility became an ETA program site.
    •  Assess the feasibility of an impact evaluation at both 
sites and design an impact evaluation where feasibility is established.
    Phase II has a single goal:
    •  Conduct an impact evaluation to measure the effects of the 
program on job-related skills, employment, earnings, academic 
performance, and recidivism.

Objectives

    The objectives for Phase I of this evaluation are as follows:
    •  Document each facility's existing (i.e., pre-ETA 
involvement) educational, job training, and employment programs and 
transitional (e.g., aftercare) services.
    •  Document enhancements made to existing services after the 
facility became an ETA program site.
    •  Describe the number and characteristics of the youth 
served and the type and amount of services delivered.
    •  Document how the State agency and/or local government 
assisted in planning, implementing, and managing the program.
    •  Document the facility's coordination with Federal, State, 
and local programs operating in the broader community and juvenile 
justice system with a focus on youth employment. Explore how the nature 
of this coordination may have changed after the facility became an ETA 
program site.
    •  Document the leveraging of other sources of funding, such 
as Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDP) formula grant 
funds and Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants (JAIBG) funds, 
and steps taken to assure the activities are sustained as the program 
is developed and implemented.
    •  Assess the extent to which each program has been 
implemented in accordance with the requirements of the ETA program 
solicitation.
    •  Identify and evaluate available data sources.
    •  Determine whether an impact evaluation is feasible at each 
site. Factors to consider include the number of youth served and the 
correctional environment in which the program is implemented.
    •  Design a rigorous impact evaluation where the feasibility 
of such is established.
    The objectives for Phase II of this evaluation are as follows:
    •  Continue process evaluation activities.
    •  Conduct a rigorous impact evaluation to measure the 
effects of the program. As stated above, these programs should result 
in increased job-related skills, higher success in postrelease 
employment, increased postrelease earnings, improved academic 
performance, and reduced recidivism.

Evaluation Strategy

    This evaluation will be conducted in two phases over a period of 36 
months. Phase I (12 months), which will be funded under this 
solicitation, entails

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designing and conducting a process evaluation at each site and 
determining the feasibility of conducting an impact evaluation at each 
site. The results of the feasibility assessments will determine to what 
extent, if at all, the project continues into Phase II (24 months). If 
the project does continue, Phase II will entail conducting an impact 
evaluation at one or both sites. OJJDP will make the final 
determination on whether the project continues into Phase II.
    When addressing the issue of feasibility assessments, applicants 
must demonstrate an understanding of the potential difficulties 
involved in conducting an impact evaluation of an initiative such as 
this one (e.g., obtaining a sufficient sample size, isolating the 
effects of the program).

Products

    The products for Phase I of the evaluation are:
    1. A finalized process evaluation design and approach to conducting 
the feasibility assessments, to be submitted to OJJDP for approval 
within 2 months of the grant award. This will be a modified version of 
the detailed process evaluation design and approach to conducting the 
feasibility assessment that must be included in the application.
    2. An interim report detailing the status of the process evaluation 
and summarizing data collected to date on each site, to be submitted 7 
months after the project begins.
    3. A report discussing the results of the impact evaluation 
feasibility assessments, due 10 months after the project begins. This 
report should include proposed impact evaluation designs where 
feasibility is established.
    4. A Phase I final report at the end of the first phase. A summary 
version of this report suitable for publishing as an OJJDP Bulletin 
must be prepared.
    The products for Phase II of the evaluation are:
    1. An interim report summarizing the progress of the impact 
evaluation and additional findings of the process evaluation, to be 
submitted 6 months after Phase II begins.
    2. A final report summarizing the results of the process and impact 
evaluation(s), to be submitted at the end of Phase II. A summary 
version of this report suitable for publishing as an OJJDP Bulletin 
must be prepared.

Eligibility Requirements

    OJJDP invites applications from public and private agencies, 
organizations, institutions, and individuals. Private, for-profit 
organizations must agree to waive any profit or fee to be eligible. 
Joint applications from two or more eligible applicants are welcome; 
however, one applicant must be clearly indicated as the primary 
applicant (for correspondence, award, and management purposes) and the 
others indicated as coapplicants.

Selection Criteria

Problem(s) To Be Addressed (15 points)

    Applicants should demonstrate their knowledge of educational and 
vocational programming in juvenile correctional facilities, aftercare 
programs, and school-to-work efforts. Applicants should discuss their 
experience with evaluating similar programs. Applicants should 
demonstrate an understanding of and solutions to the challenges that 
will be encountered in conducting the process and impact evaluations.

Goals and Objectives (15 points)

    Applicants must establish clearly defined, measurable, and 
attainable goals and objectives for the proposed evaluation and 
feasibility assessment.

Project Design (40 points)

    Applicants must present a clear preliminary research design for 
conducting the process evaluation and assessing the feasibility of an 
impact evaluation at each site. The design may need to be revised once 
information is obtained about the specific approaches to be implemented 
by the selected State and juvenile correctional facilities. The 
research design should also include a workplan. All components of the 
research design should be sound, feasible, and capable of achieving the 
identified objectives. Issues to be addressed should be clearly 
defined.

Management and Organizational Capability (20 points)

    Applicants should discuss how they will coordinate and manage this 
evaluation to achieve the objectives. Applicants' management structure 
and staffing must be adequate and appropriate for the successful 
implementation of the project. Applicants must clearly identify 
responsible individuals, their time commitment, and major tasks. Staff 
resumes should be attached as part of the appendixes. Applicants must 
demonstrate the organization's ability to conduct the project 
successfully. Description of prior experience in evaluating State and 
local programs should be provided.

Budget (10 points)

    Applicants must provide a proposed budget that is complete, 
detailed, reasonable, allowable, and cost effective in relation to the 
activities to be undertaken.

Format

    Applicants are required to limit their proposals to a total of 25 
pages (excluding the budget narrative). The page limit does not include 
the application forms, assurances, or appendixes. The appendixes must 
include the following: resumes of the project manager and other key 
staff and consultants and the timeline for the project's major 
milestones with dates for submission included.

Award Period

    The project period will be 36 months, funded in one 12-month budget 
period (Phase I) and one 24-month budget period (Phase II). Funding for 
Phase II depends upon feasibility of conducting the impact 
evaluation(s), grantee performance, availability of funds, and other 
criteria established at the time of award.

Award Amount

    Up to $250,000 is available for the award of a cooperative 
agreement for the initial 12-month budget period (Phase I).

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number

    For this program, the CFDA number, which is required on Standard 
Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, is 16.542. This form is 
included in OJJDP's Application Kit, which can be obtained by calling 
the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736 or sending an e-mail 
request to puborder@ncjrs.org. The Application Kit is also available 
online at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org.

Coordination of Federal Efforts

    To encourage better coordination among Federal agencies in 
addressing State and local needs, the U.S. Department of Justice is 
requesting applicants to provide information on the following: (1) 
Active Federal grant award(s) supporting this or related efforts, 
including awards from the U.S. Department of Justice; (2) any pending 
application(s) for Federal funds for this or related efforts; and (3) 
plans for coordinating any funds described in items (1) or (2) with the 
funding sought by this application. For each Federal award, applicants 
must include the program or project title, the Federal grantor agency, 
the amount of the

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award, and a brief description of its purpose.
    ``Related efforts'' is defined for these purposes as one of the 
following:
    1. Efforts for the same purpose (i.e., the proposed award would 
supplement, expand, complement, or continue activities funded with 
other Federal grants).
    2. Another phase or component of the same program or project (e.g., 
to implement a planning effort funded by other Federal funds or to 
provide a substance abuse treatment or education component within a 
criminal justice project).
    3. Services of some kind (e.g., technical assistance, research, or 
evaluation) to the program or project described in the application.

Delivery Instructions

    All application packages should be mailed or delivered to the 
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, c/o Juvenile 
Justice Resource Center, 2277 Research Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, 
Rockville, MD 20850; 301-519-5535. Note: In the lower left-hand corner 
of the envelope, you must clearly write ``Evaluation of the Youth 
Offenders Initiative.''

Due Date

    Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the original and five 
copies of the application package are received by 5 p.m. EDT on June 
21, 1999.

Contact

    For further information, call Dean Hoffman, Program Manager, 
Research and Program Development Division, Office of Juvenile Justice 
and Delinquency Prevention, 202-353-9256, or send an e-mail inquiry to 
hoffmand@ojp.usdoj.gov.
Shay Bilchik,
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
[FR Doc. 99-9885 Filed 4-20-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P