[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 8 (Thursday, January 12, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2956-2957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-714]



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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Education Program--National 
Research and Development Center

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed priority, selection criteria, and post-award 
requirements.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes a priority, selection criteria, and 
post-award requirements for an award to support a national research and 
development center to study the education of gifted and talented 
children and youth. The work of the center is intended to increase 
knowledge related to improving educational practices so that the 
nation's most gifted and talented children and youth may better 
contribute to the national welfare.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 27, 1995.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning this proposed priority should be 
addressed to Judith Anderson, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New 
Jersey Avenue NW., Room 611b, Washington, DC 20208-5573. Comments may 
also be sent through the internet to ``Javits-C[email protected].''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judith Anderson. Telephone: (202) 219-
2079. 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 Secretary seeks to improve the education 
of gifted and talented children and youth and to use the methods and 
materials developed in gifted and talented education programs to 
improve education for all children. This is an integral part of 
advancing the National Education Goals and GOALS 2000, which require 
that all students must attain high standards of academic excellence. 
Gifted and talented education programs and methods can contribute to 
systemic reform, in which schoolwide efforts are used to coordinate 
high standards, assessments, challenging curricula, and teacher 
preparation to improve the education of all students. The Secretary 
also believes that the educational needs of gifted and talented 
students from populations historically underserved by gifted education 
programs deserve particular attention.
    Under the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education 
Act of 1994 (Javits Act) as authorized by the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 as amended, the Secretary seeks to provide 
support for a national research and development center designed to 
conduct sound and coherent education research programs on methods and 
techniques for gifted and talented education. A deliberate, sustained, 
and coordinated initiative must be undertaken to carry out research and 
development activities related to improving the education of gifted and 
talented students.
    The Secretary plans to make the award under this competition as a 
cooperative agreement. Applicants for the award must be institutions of 
higher education, State educational agencies, or a combination of these 
entities. The Secretary believes that this center can strengthen its 
capacity to accomplish the work of its mission by involving partners 
such as historically black colleges and universities, community 
colleges, or state and local education research organizations. As 
described in the Javits Act, the purpose of the center is to increase 
the understanding of how to improve the education of gifted and 
talented students, including those who may not be identified or served 
through traditional assessment methods and programs, such as 
economically disadvantaged individuals, individuals of limited-English 
proficiency, and individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, the 
Secretary believes that the experience and knowledge gained in 
developing and implementing programs for gifted and talented students 
can and should be used as a basis to develop rich and challenging 
curricula for all students, and to design instructional strategies and 
other means to improve all students' education. Finally, the Secretary 
believes that educators should consider the schoolwide impact of gifted 
and talented programs.

Proposed Priority

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary proposes to give an 
absolute preference to applications that meet the following priority. 
The Secretary proposes to fund only applications that meet this 
absolute priority:
    Each project must propose plans to establish a national research 
and development center that--
     Conducts research and development activities concerning 
the [[Page 2957]] educational needs of children and youth who give 
evidence of high performance capability in areas such as intellectual, 
creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic 
fields, and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided 
by the school in order to fully develop such capabilities;
     Contributes to increasing the capacity of educational 
systems to provide all students with equal opportunities to learn to 
high standards and achieve educational success;
     Uses research methods in at least some of its studies that 
involve advanced or innovative quantitative or qualitative techniques 
of sampling, data gathering, conceptualization and measurement of 
variables, data analyses, and interdisciplinary perspectives;
     Conducts one or more definitive research studies that have 
national implications and that will inform policy or practice across 
the nation; i.e., use large representative samples and rigorous 
scientific techniques that preclude biased results and support 
generalizable, replicable findings concerning the education of sizable 
populations of children or youth;
     Includes research and development activities related to 
the following topics:
    (a) Identifying, teaching, and serving gifted and talented 
students;
    (b) Improving the education of gifted and talented students who may 
not be identified and served through traditional assessment methods and 
programs, (including economically disadvantaged individuals, 
individuals of limited-English proficiency, and individuals with 
disabilities);
    (c) Using knowledge and experience gained in developing and 
implementing gifted and talented programs and methods to serve all 
students; and
    (d) Understanding the effects of gifted education programs on the 
educational achievement of students schoolwide; and
     Documents, reports, and disseminates its research 
activities in ways that will allow others to use the research results.

Proposed Selection Criteria

    The Secretary proposes not to use the selection criteria set forth 
in the Javits Gifted and Talented Program regulations, 34 CFR 791.21. 
The Secretary proposes to use selection criteria set forth in this 
notice to evaluate an application for the center award. The proposed 
criteria are consistent with the provisions of the Educational 
Research, Development, Dissemination and Improvement Act of 1994.
    Selection Criteria: The Secretary plans to use the following 
selection criteria to evaluate applications when a competition is 
announced. The maximum score for all these criteria is 100 points. The 
maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses.
    (a) Research Mission and Technical Soundness. (40 points)
    The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality and 
significance of the center's overall research agenda, definitive study 
or studies, and other individual research projects, including--
    (1) The coherence, significance, and technical merits of the 
center's research projects and agenda, in the context of the current 
state of the field; and
    (2) The importance, quality of design and methodological rigor of 
the center's definitive study or studies.
    (b) Personnel. (30 points)
    The Secretary reviews each application to determine the 
qualifications and time commitments of the center's personnel, 
including--
    (1) The time commitment, experiences, and expertise of the primary 
researchers enabling them to achieve the center's mission; and
    (2) The qualifications of the Director and support staff, and 
whether they will commit at least a majority of their time to center 
activities.
    (c) Institutional Arrangements. (30 points)
    The Secretary reviews each application to evaluate the capacity of 
the center's institutional structure and arrangements to support the 
center's projects and objectives, including--
    (1) The center's ability to respond to and provide leadership for 
those who can use or benefit from the center's research;
    (2) The center's plans to support, monitor, and complete research 
projects that meet the highest standards of professional excellence; 
and
    (3) The center's ability to disseminate useful research findings 
and other information to appropriate audiences in ways that will 
maximize the benefits of its work.
    PROPOSED POST-AWARD REQUIREMENTS: The Secretary proposes the 
following post-award requirements consistent with the Educational 
Research, Development, Dissemination and Improvement Act of 1994. A 
grantee receiving a center award shall--
    (a) Provide OERI with information about center projects and 
products and other appropriate research information so that OERI can 
monitor center progress and maintain its inventory of funded research 
projects. This information must be provided through media that include 
an electronic network;
    (b) Conduct and evaluate research projects in conformity to the 
highest professional standards of research practice; and
    (c) Reserve five percent of each budget period's funds to support 
activities that fall within the center's mission, are designed and 
mutually agreed to by both the center and OERI, and enhance OERI's 
ability to carry out its mission. Such activities may include 
developing research agendas, conducting research projects, 
collaborating with other federally-supported entities, and engaging in 
leadership and dissemination activities.
    The Secretary believes that use of the proposed selection criteria 
will improve the quality of applications, and that the proposed post-
award requirements will enhance the quality of the center's research, 
development, and dissemination activities.
    The Secretary will announce the final priority, selection criteria, 
and post-award requirements in a notice in the Federal Register. The 
final priority, selection criteria and post-award requirements will be 
determined by responses to this notice, available funds, and other 
considerations of the Department. Funding of a particular project will 
depend on the availability of funds, the nature of the final priority, 
and the quality of the applications received.

    Note: This notice does not solicit applications. A notice 
inviting applications under this competition will be published in 
the Federal Register concurrent with or following publication of the 
notice of final priority, selection criteria, and post-award 
requirements.

    Program Authority: P.L. 103-382, Title X, Part B

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.206, Jacob K. 
Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 1994)

    Dated: January 5, 1995.
Sharon P. Robinson,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 95-714 Filed 1-11-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P