The Secretary may use the following selection criteria in evaluating each application:

(a) Plan of operation. (1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality of the plan of operation for the project.

(2) The Secretary determines the extent to which the applicant demonstrates—

(i) The effectiveness of its management plan to ensure proper and efficient administration of the project;

(ii) The effectiveness of its plan to attain specific outcomes that—

(A) Will accomplish the purposes of the program;

(B) Are attainable within the project period;

(C) Are measurable and quantifiable; and

(D) For multi-year projects, can be used to determine the project's progress in meeting its intended outcomes;

(iii) The effectiveness of its plan for utilizing its resources and personnel to achieve the objectives of the project, including how well it utilizes key personnel to complete tasks and achieve the objectives of the project;

(iv) How it will ensure equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who have been traditionally underrepresented in courses or activities offered as part of the magnet school, e.g., women and girls in mathematics, science or technology courses, and disabled students; and

(v) The effectiveness of its plan to recruit students from different social, economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds into the magnet schools.

(b) Quality of personnel. (1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the qualifications of the personnel the applicant plans to use on the project.

(2) The Secretary determines the extent to which—

(i) The project director (if one is used) is qualified to manage the project;

(ii) Other key personnel are qualified to manage the project;

(iii) Teachers who will provide instruction in participating magnet schools are qualified to implement the special curriculum of the magnet schools; and

(iv) The applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices will ensure that its personnel are selected for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

(3) To determine personnel qualifications the Secretary considers experience and training in fields related to the objectives of the project, including the key personnel's knowledge of and experience in curriculum development and desegregation strategies.

(c) Quality of project design. (1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality of the project design.

(2) The Secretary determines the extent to which each magnet school for which funding is sought will—

(i) Foster interaction among students of different social, economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds in classroom activities, extracurricular activities, or other activities in the magnet schools (or, if appropriate, in the schools in which the magnet school programs operate);

(ii) Address the educational needs of the students who will be enrolled in the magnet schools;

(iii) Carry out a high quality educational program that will substantially strengthen students' reading skills or knowledge of mathematics, science, history, geography, English, foreign languages, art, music, or vocational, technological, and professional skills;

(iv) Encourage greater parental decisionmaking and involvement; and

(v) Improve the racial balance of students in the applicant's schools by reducing, eliminating, or preventing minority group isolation in its schools.

(d) Budget and resources. The Secretary reviews each application to determine the adequacy of the resources and the cost-effectiveness of the budget for the project, including—

(1) The adequacy of the facilities that the applicant plans to use;

(2) The adequacy of the equipment and supplies that the applicant plans to use; and

(3) The adequacy and reasonableness of the budget for the project in relation to the objectives of the project.

(e) Evaluation plan. The Secretary determines the extent to which the evaluation plan for the project—

(1) Includes methods that are appropriate for the project;

(2) Will determine how successful the project is in meeting its intended outcomes, including its goals for desegregating its students and increasing student achievement; and

(3) Includes methods that are objective and that will produce data that are quantifiable.

(f) Commitment and capacity. (1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine whether the applicant is likely to continue the magnet school activities after assistance under this part is no longer available.

(2) The Secretary determines the extent to which the applicant—

(i) Is committed to the magnet schools project; and

(ii) Has identified other resources to continue support for the magnet school activities when assistance under this program is no longer available.