[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 41 (Thursday, March 2, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 11864]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5035]




[[Page 11863]]

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Part IX





Department of Education





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Bilingual Education: Systemwide Improvement Grants; Notice

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Notices  
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Bilingual Education: Systemwide Improvement Grants

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of final priority for fiscal year (FY) 1995.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces a priority for FY 1995 under the 
Bilingual Education: Systemwide Improvement Grants program authorized 
under title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
as amended (the Act). The Secretary takes this action to implement a 
provision of this Act by focusing Federal financial assistance on an 
identified national need. The priority is intended to provide financial 
assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) or LEAs in 
collaboration with institutions of higher education (IHEs), community-
based organizations (CBOs), other LEAs, or a State educational agency 
(SEA) to implement districtwide bilingual education programs or special 
alternative instructional programs that will serve a significant number 
of limited English proficient (LEP) children and youth in one or more 
LEAs with significant concentrations of these children and youth.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This priority takes effect April 3, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harry Logel, U.S. Department of 
Education, 600 Independence Avenue SW., Room 5090, Switzer Building, 
Washington, DC 20202-6510. Telephone: (202) 205-5530. 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 Systemwide Improvement Grants program is 
a new program. Under section 7115(a) of the Act, the purpose of the 
program is to assist LEAs or LEAs in collaboration with IHEs, CBOs, 
other LEAs, or an SEA to implement districtwide bilingual education 
programs or special alternative instructional programs to improve, 
reform, and upgrade relevant programs and operations, within an entire 
LEA, that serve a significant number of LEP children and youth in one 
or more LEAs with significant concentrations of these children and 
youth.
    To assist those LEAs that have a significant concentration of LEP 
children and youth, the Secretary requires that to be eligible for 
funding the project must serve only LEAs in which the number of LEP 
students, in each LEA served, is at least 1,000 or at least 25 percent 
of the total student enrollment. By using a 1,000 or 25 percent 
threshold, the Secretary is targeting those LEAs in which LEP students 
constitute a major portion of the LEAs' programs and operations. The 
Secretary chose to allow either a number or a percentage threshold to 
include small and large school districts with significant 
concentrations of LEP students. If the Secretary had used only a 
percentage threshold, some of the larger districts would have been 
excluded from participating in the program even though they had 
significant numbers of LEP students enrolled in their districts. Using 
the 1,000 or 25 percent threshold, approximately 450 LEAs would be 
eligible to participate under this program. The number of eligible LEAs 
is based on data from the Descriptive Study of Services to LEP Students 
conducted by Development Associates, Inc., in 1993.

    Note: This notice of final priority does not solicit 
applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition 
for FY 1995 will be published in the Federal Register at a later 
date.

Priority

    Under section 7115(a) of the Act, the Secretary gives an absolute 
preference to applications that meet the following priority. The 
Secretary funds under this competition only applications that meet this 
absolute priority:
    Projects that serve only LEAs in which the number of LEP students, 
in each LEA served, is at least 1,000 or at least 25 percent of the 
total student enrollment.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), 
it is the practice of the Department of Education to offer interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, in 
order to make timely grant awards in FY 1995, the Director, in 
accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions 
Act, has decided to issue this final priority, which will apply only to 
the FY 1995 grant competition.
    Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Director is 
publishing a notice of proposed priority for this program and offering 
interested parties the opportunity to comment. The proposed priority, 
which is identical to this final priority, would apply to grant 
competitions under the program beginning in FY 1996.

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.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7425.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.291 Bilingual 
Education: Systemwide Improvement Grants)

    Dated: February 6, 1995.
Eugene E. Garcia,
Director, Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-5035 Filed 3-1-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P