[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 146 (Monday, August 1, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-18618]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 1, 1994]


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Part VII





Department of Education





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Office of Education and Research and Improvement



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Notice of Public Meetings; Invitation To Comment
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Education Research and Improvement (OERI)

 
Notice of Public Meetings

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of Public Meetings--Invitation to Comment.

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SUMMARY: This notice provides the schedule for a series of three public 
meetings. The Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) is 
sponsoring these meetings in cooperation with the Secretary's Regional 
Representative for each of the designated sites to seek public comment 
on issues regarding the recompetition of the regional educational 
laboratories. Written comment may be submitted at the time of the 
public meetings or may be submitted by mail, FAX, or electronic mail to 
the number or addresses listed below in the ADDRESSES section.

DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION: Meetings will be held in three metropolitan 
areas, starting at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 4:00 p.m.
    The dates and locations of the meetings are as follows:

 August 22, 1994--Oakland, CA--Edward R. Roybal Auditorium, 
Third Floor, Oakland Federal Building, 1301 Clay Street, Contact: Loni 
Hancock, 415-556-4920
 August 23, 1994--Denver, CO--U.S. Forest Service Auditorium, 
740 Simms Street, Contact: Lynn Simons, 303-844-3544
 August 25, 1994--Boston, MA--The Walsh Theater of Suffolk 
University, Suffolk University, 55 Temple Street, Contact: Ed O'Connell 
617-223-9317.

DEADLINE FOR WRITTEN COMMENT: Written comments must be received on or 
before September 30, 1994.

ADDRESSES: All comments and questions concerning this notice, as well 
as requests for a supplementary reference package which includes the 
legislation [Part D, Section 941(h) of the Educational Research, 
Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994]; a list of 
names and addresses of the regional educational laboratories, and a 
Discussion Paper on regional educational laboratory issues should be 
forwarded by:
     Mail to Adria White, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New 
Jersey Avenue, NW, Room 500-m, Washington, DC 20208-5644.
     Fax to 202-219-2106.
     Internet electronic mail:
--send comments only to: Lab__C[email protected]
--send questions only to: Lab__Q[email protected]
--to request the supplementary reference package, and from the e-mail 
address where you wish to receive the material, send e-mail to 
[email protected] and in the body of the message type ``send 
LabPackage'' (without the quotes); leave the Subject line blank and 
avoid the use of any signature block.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Individual coordinators for meetings, 
whose telephone numbers are listed in the DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION 
section, or U.S. Department of Education staff at 
Lab__Q[email protected] via Internet electronic mail.
    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 Standard Time, Monday through 
Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 31, 1994, President Clinton signed 
Public Law 103-227. Title IX of that legislation, known as the 
Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act 
of 1994, includes new authorizing legislation for the Regional 
Educational Laboratory Program [Part D, Section 941(h)]. The U.S. 
Department of Education is seeking public comment on aspects of this 
recently enacted legislation for the Regional Educational Laboratory 
Program which will be implemented through the recompetition of the 
regional educational laboratories. The competitions will be announced 
in the fall of 1994 and carried out during the winter, spring and 
summer of 1995, with new five-year awards effective December 1, 1995. 
To help prepare for this competition, the U.S. Department of Education 
is holding a series of 3 public meetings from August 22 through August 
25, 1994.
    The agenda for each meeting will be as follows:

9:00-9:30--Registration
9:30-10:00--Briefing on Background of Meeting
10:00-12:00, 1:00-4:00--Presentations/Comments

Purposes of the Public Meetings and Opportunity for Written Comment

    The regional educational laboratories are intended to complement 
the work of other educational agencies (including State departments of 
education, school districts, colleges and universities, private firms, 
and other organizations) to improve the quality of educational policy 
and practice. Laboratories apply the best available knowledge from 
research, development and effective practice to identify and help meet 
educational needs in specified geographical areas of the country. Each 
laboratory operates under the guidance of a regionally representative 
governing board.
    The funding cycle for the ten regional educational laboratories is 
scheduled to end November 30, 1995, and the Congress has instructed 
OERI to conduct an open competition for future laboratory support. The 
Assistant Secretary wishes to hear from as many people as possible 
regarding OERI's efforts to improve education through the work of the 
regional educational laboratories. Following the meetings, OERI will 
review written comments, and this information will be taken into 
consideration as final guidelines for the competition are developed.
    The following are specific issues on which comment is sought:

Laboratory Regions

    There are now 10 regions served by regional educational 
laboratories. The laboratory regions and the States or insular areas 
assigned to each region are listed below.
     Appalachian Region (KY, TN, VA, WV)
     Central Region (CO, KS, MO, NE, ND, SD, WY)
     Mid-Atlantic Region (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA)
     Midwestern Region (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)
     Northeastern Region (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, PR, RI, VI, VT)
     Northwestern Region (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA)
     Pacific Region (American Samoa, Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, 
Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau)
     Southeastern Region (AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC)
     Southwestern Region (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
     Western Region (AZ, CA, NV, UT)
    Current laboratory regions vary in the number of assigned States, 
with regions having as few as four and up to as many as nine States or 
insular areas. Existing laboratory regions also vary in the number of 
elementary and secondary school-age students in the region.
    The new authorizing legislation permits the Secretary of Education 
to establish up to two additional laboratory regions with a minimum of 
four contiguous States if approved by key educators in the States that 
would be included in a new region.
    1. How adequate are the current laboratory regions?
    2. What is the advisability of creating one or two new laboratory 
regions?
    3. Based on the requirements of the new legislation, are there 
specific adjustments in regional boundaries that you would suggest?

Laboratory Mission and Functions

    The new legislation requires that each regional educational 
laboratory promote the implementation of broad-based systemic school 
improvement strategies. The legislation also specifies numerous 
functions such as needs assessment, applied research, development, 
dissemination, technical assistance services, and training. An 
extensive list of required laboratory duties is specified in OERI's 
reauthorization legislation, [Part D, Sec. 941(h)(3), (4) and (5)].
    4. What are the most important needs, issues, activities, and 
client groups on which the laboratory in your region should focus its 
resources over the next several years?
    5. What is an appropriate distribution of laboratory effort among 
these functions based on the needs in your region and what should be 
emphasized the most?

Regional Educational Laboratories as a National Resource

    The new legislation requires the governing boards of the regional 
educational laboratories to establish and maintain a network to work on 
joint activities to meet the needs of multiple regions and to serve 
national as well as regional needs.
    6. What crosscutting themes are most important for the laboratories 
to address as a network?
    7. What portion of the laboratory work should address national 
needs?

Additional Issues

    Comments also are invited on the following questions:
    8. In what specific ways should the laboratories and the Department 
work together to address national priorities such as systemic, 
standards-based reform?
    9. What should be the relationship between the laboratories and 
other agencies within the region that are involved in research, 
development, dissemination, or technical assistance?

Invitation to Comment

    OERI invites interested persons to make an oral presentation on the 
meeting dates scheduled. To make an oral presentation, contact, in 
advance, the coordinator for the meeting you wish to attend. Interested 
persons wishing to make an oral presentation who do not contact the 
appropriate coordinator in advance, may schedule an oral presentation 
in person on the day of the meeting, if slots are available--speakers 
will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Presentations 
may not exceed ten minutes. Oral testimony should be accompanied by a 
written statement to be included in the meeting record.
    The Assistant Secretary encourages persons unable to participate in 
a meeting to send their comments to the Office of Educational Research 
and Improvement at the addresses listed in the ADDRESSES section. 
Written comments will become part of the official record of these 
meetings if they are submitted no later than September 30, 1994.
    Dated: July 26, 1994.

Sharon P. Robinson,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 94-18618 Filed 7-27-94; 1:58 pm]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P