[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]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P