[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 34, Volume 3]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 34CFR643.21]

[Page 299-300]
 
                           TITLE 34--EDUCATION
 
 CHAPTER VI--OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
 
PART 643_TALENT SEARCH--Table of Contents
 
             Subpart C_How Does the Secretary Make a Grant?
 
Sec. 643.21  What selection criteria does the Secretary use?

    The Secretary uses the following criteria to evaluate an application 
for a new grant:
    (a) Need for the project (24 points). The Secretary evaluates the 
need for a Talent Search project in the proposed target area on the 
basis of the extent to which the application contains clear evidence of 
the following:
    (1) A high number or percentage, or both, of low-income families 
residing in the target area;
    (2) A high number or percentage, or both, of individuals residing in 
the target area with education completion levels below the baccalaureate 
level;
    (3) A high student dropout rate in the proposed target schools in 
the preceding three years;
    (4) A low rate of enrollment in programs of postsecondary education 
by graduates of the target schools in the preceding three years;

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    (5) A high ratio of students to school counselors in the target 
schools; and
    (6) Other indicators of need for a Talent Search project, including 
the presence of unaddressed academic or socio-economic problems of 
students in the target schools or the target area.
    (b) Objectives (8 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality of 
the applicant's proposed project objectives on the basis of the extent 
to which they--
    (1) Include both process and outcome objectives relating to each of 
the purposes of the Talent Search program stated in Sec. 643.1;
    (2) Address the needs of the target area;
    (3) Are clearly described, specific, and measurable; and
    (4) Are ambitious but attainable within each budget period and the 
project period given the project budget and other resources.
    (c) Plan of operation (30 points). The Secretary evaluates the 
quality of the applicant's plan of operation on the basis of the 
following:
    (1) (4 points) The plan to inform the residents, schools, and 
community organizations in the target area of the goals, objectives, and 
services of the project and the eligibility requirements for 
participation in the project;
    (2) (4 points) The plan to identify and select eligible participants 
and ensure their participation without regard to race, color, national 
origin, gender, or disability;
    (3) (2 points) The plan to assess each participant's need for 
services provided by the project;
    (4) (12 points) The plan to provide services that meet participants' 
needs and achieve the objectives of the project; and
    (5) (8 points) The plan, including the project's organizational 
structure and the time committed to the project by the project director 
and other personnel, to ensure the proper and efficient administration 
of the project.
    (d) Applicant and community support (16 points). The Secretary 
evaluates the applicant and community support for the proposed project 
on the basis of the extent to which the applicant has made provision for 
resources to supplement the grant and enhance the project's services, 
including--
    (1) (8 points) Facilities, equipment, supplies, personnel, and other 
resources committed by the applicant; and
    (2) (8 points) Resources secured through written commitments from 
schools, community organizations, and others.
    (e) Quality of personnel (9 points). (1) The Secretary evaluates the 
quality of the personnel the applicant plans to use in the project on 
the basis of the following:
    (i) The qualifications required of the project director.
    (ii) The qualifications required of each of the other personnel to 
be used in the project.
    (iii) The plan to employ personnel who have succeeded in overcoming 
the disadvantages of circumstances like those of the population of the 
target area.
    (2) In evaluating the qualifications of a person, the Secretary 
considers his or her experience and training in fields related to the 
objectives of the project.
    (f) Budget (5 points). The Secretary evaluates the extent to which 
the project budget is reasonable, cost-effective, and adequate to 
support the project.
    (g) Evaluation plan (8 points). The Secretary evaluates the quality 
of the evaluation plan for the project on the basis of the extent to 
which the applicant's methods of evaluation--
    (1) Are appropriate to the project's objectives;
    (2) Provide for the applicant to determine, using specific and 
quantifiable measures, the success of the project in--
    (i) Making progress toward achieving its objectives (a formative 
evaluation); and
    (ii) Achieving its objectives at the end of the project period (a 
summative evaluation); and
    (3) Provide for the disclosure of unanticipated project outcomes, 
using quantifiable measures if appropriate.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 
1840-0549)

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1070a-12)

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