[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 208 (Friday, October 28, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page ]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-26759]
[Federal Register: October 28, 1994]
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Part V
Department of Education
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Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program; Notice
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes absolute priorities and a competitive
preference priority under the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented
Students Education Program. The Secretary takes this action to focus
Federal financial assistance on specific approaches to identifying and
serving gifted and talented students and to developing ways in which
the programs and services developed for gifted and talented students
can be used to benefit all children. The priorities bring special
attention to programs and services for students (including economically
disadvantaged individuals, individuals of limited-English proficiency,
and individuals with disabilities) who may not be identified and served
through traditional gifted and talented programs. The priorities also
encourage programs and projects to develop and improve the capability
of schools in an entire State or region of the Nation through
cooperative efforts and participation of State and local educational
agencies, institutions of higher education, and other public and
private agencies and organizations, such as business, industry, and
labor, to plan, conduct, and improve programs in schools using, where
appropriate, methods and materials developed in gifted and talented
programs to improve the educational opportunities for all children.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 28, 1994.
ADDRESSES: All comments concerning these proposed priorities should be
addressed to Pat O'Connell Ross, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New
Jersey Avenue NW., Room 504, Washington, D.C. 20208-5572. Comments may
also be sent through the internet to ``Javits__G[email protected].''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat O'Connell Ross or Pat Knight.
Telephone: (202) 219-2187 or (202) 219-1768. 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 time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented
Students Education Program is designed to build nationwide capability
in gifted and talented education and encourage rich and challenging
curricula for all children.
The Secretary seeks to improve the education of gifted and talented
children, and to use the strategies developed in gifted and talented
education programs to improve the education of all children in a
school. The Secretary believes that this is an integral part of the
National Education Goals, which require that every student attain
higher standards of academic excellence. Gifted and talented education
programs can contribute to systemic reform by modeling a coordinated
system of high standards, assessments, challenging curricula, and
teacher preparation to improve education. In addition, the Secretary
believes that the educational needs of gifted and talented students
from populations historically underserved by gifted and talented
education programs must be addressed.
In order to carry out these improvements, the Secretary proposes a
priority that would support the development of model demonstration
programs that focus on economically disadvantaged children, children
with limited English proficiency or children with disabilities. The
projects will be required to involve a school or schools that serve at
least 50 percent low-income children and to incorporate professional
development of staff and training of parents into their programs.
In addition, the Secretary proposes a second priority that
encourages cooperative efforts of technical assistance and information
dissemination throughout a State or region that focuses on how programs
and methods for teaching gifted and talented students, where
appropriate, could be adapted to improve instruction for all students
in schools.
In both proposed priorities, the projects must be based on
challenging content and performance standards in one or more of the
core subject areas, and include comprehensive improvement plans for the
school or schools involved in the projects. These priorities focus on
projects that incorporate challenging content and performance standards
in the core subjects because the Secretary believes that this is the
most promising way to raise students' achievement.
The Secretary estimates that at least 75 percent of available funds
will be used to support model projects in schools, and 25 percent of
available funds will support technical assistance and dissemination
projects.
For the first priority involving model programs, the Secretary
proposes to direct financial assistance to projects that primarily
benefit urban or rural areas that have been designated as Empowerment
Zones or Enterprise Communities in accordance with Section 1391 of the
Internal Revenue Code (IRC), as amended by Title XIII of the Omnibus
Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1993.
Background on Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community Program
The Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program is a critical
element of the Administration's community revitalization strategy. The
program is the first step in rebuilding communities in America's
poverty-stricken inner cities and rural heartlands. It is designed to
empower people and communities by inspiring Americans to work together
to create jobs and opportunity.
Under this program, the Federal government will designate up to
nine areas as Empowerment Zones and up to 95 areas as Enterprise
Communities in accordance with Internal Revenue Code section 1311, as
amended by Title XIII of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
(Pub. L. 103-66). To be eligible for designation, an area must be
nominated by one or more local governments and the State or States in
which it is located or by a State-Chartered Economic Development
Corporation. A nominated area must be one of pervasive poverty,
unemployment, and general distress, and must have a poverty rate of not
less than the level specified in section 1392 of the Internal Revenue
Code.
In the Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program
communities are invited to submit strategic plans that comprehensively
address how the community would link economic development with
education and training as well as how community development, public
safety, human services, and environmental initiatives will together
support sustainable communities. Empowerment Zones and Enterprise
Communities will be designated by the Department of Agriculture and the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) based on the quality
of their strategic plans. Designated areas will receive Federal grant
funds and substantial tax benefits and will have access to other
Federal programs. (For additional information on the Empowerment Zones
and Enterprise Community program contact HUD at 1-800-998-9999.)
The Department of Education is supporting the Empowerment Zone and
Enterprise Community initiative in a variety of ways. It is encouraging
Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities to use funds they already
receive from Department of Education programs (including Chapter 1 of
Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Drug-Free
Schools and Communities Act, the Adult Education Act, and the Carl D.
Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act) to support the
comprehensive vision of their strategic plans. In addition, the
Department of Education intends to give preferences to Empowerment
Zones and Enterprise Communities in a number of discretionary grant
programs that are well suited for inclusion in a comprehensive approach
to economic and community development. In addition to the Javits Gifted
and Talented Students Education program described in this notice, the
Department intends to give preferences to Empowerment Zones and
Enterprise Communities in the Urban Community Service program, National
Workplace Literacy program, the Rehabilitation Act Projects with
Industry program, the Rehabilitation Act Special Demonstration Projects
program, the Parent Training program, and the Early Childhood Education
program under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and a
variety of discretionary programs under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act. Notices concerning those programs will be published at a
later date.
The Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community initiative and the
Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program share some common
features. Both programs are concerned with the educational advancement
of students caught in high-poverty communities. Under the Javits Gifted
and Talented Students Education Program, at least one-half of the
grants in any given year must serve students who are economically
disadvantaged, limited English proficient or who have disabilities.
Communities who are designated under the Empowerment Zone and
Enterprise Community program will already have demonstrated a capacity
for the type of cooperative planning that allows communities to use,
where appropriate, methods and materials developed in gifted and
talented programs to improve the educational opportunities for all
children.
Note: This notice of proposed priorities does not solicit
applications. A notice inviting applications under these priorities
for fiscal year 1995 will be published in the Federal Register
concurrent with or following publication of the notice of final
priorities.
Priorities
The Secretary proposes that at least 75 percent of available funds
will support model projects in schools developed under absolute
priority number one, and 25 percent of available funds will support
technical assistance and dissemination projects developed under
absolute priority number 2.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary proposes to give an
absolute preference to applications that meet one of the following two
priorities. The Secretary proposes to fund under this competition only
applications that meet one of these absolute priorities:
Proposed Absolute Priority 1--Model Programs
Projects that establish and operate model programs for serving
gifted and talented students in schools in which at least 50 percent of
the students enrolled are from low-income families.
Projects must include students who may not be served by traditional
gifted and talented programs, including economically disadvantaged
students, individuals of limited English proficiency and individuals
with disabilities. The projects must incorporate high-level content and
performance standards in one or more of the core subject areas as well
as utilize innovative teaching strategies. The projects must provide
comprehensive ongoing professional development opportunities for staff.
The projects must incorporate training for parents in ways to support
their children's educational progress. There must also be a
comprehensive evaluation of the projects' activities.
Proposed Competitive Preference Priority--Empowerment Zone or
Enterprise Community
Within this proposed absolute priority concerning model projects,
the Secretary, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), proposes to give
preference to applications that meet the following competitive
priority. The Secretary proposes to award five (5) points to an
application that meets this competitive priority. These points would be
in addition to any points the application earns under the selection
criteria for the program.
Projects that implement model programs in one or more schools in an
Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community. Applicants must ensure that
the proposed program relates to the strategic plan and will be an
integral part of the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community program.
Proposed Absolute Priority 2--Technical Assistance and Information
Dissemination Throughout a State or Region
Projects to provide technical assistance and disseminate
information throughout a State or region to improve the capability of
schools to plan, conduct and improve programs for serving gifted and
talented students. Projects must include assistance and information on
how programs and methods for teaching gifted and talented students can
be adapted, where appropriate, to improve instruction for all students
in schools. These projects must be based on challenging content and
performance standards in one or more of the core subject areas, and
incorporate innovative teaching strategies. The projects must involve
cooperative efforts among State and local education agencies,
institutions of higher education, and/or other public and private
agencies and organizations (including business, industry, and labor).
Intergovernmental Review
This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. The objective of the
Executive Order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a
strengthened federalism by relying on processes developed by State and
local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal
financial assistance.
In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide
early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for
this program.
Invitation to Comment
Interested persons are invited to submit comments and
recommendations regarding these proposed priorities.
All comments submitted in response to this notice will be available
for public inspection, during and after the comment period, in Room
504, 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., between the hours
of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday of each week except
Federal holidays.
Applicable Regulations: 34 CFR Part 791, Javits Gifted and Talented
Students Education Grant Program.
Program Authority: Part B of Title III of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.073A, Jacob K.
Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program).
Dated: October 21, 1994.
Sharon P. Robinson,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 94-26759 Filed 10-27-94; 8:45 am]
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