[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 41 (Thursday, March 2, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11861-11862]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5036]



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Part VIII





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 proposed priority for fiscal year (FY) 1996 and 
following years.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes a priority for FY 1996 and following 
years 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.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 3, 1995.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning this proposed priority should be 
addressed to: Harry Logel, U.S. Department of Education, 600 
Independence Ave., 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harry Logel. Telephone: (202) 205-
5530.

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 proposes to require 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.
    The Secretary will announce the final priority for FY 1996 and 
following years in a notice in the Federal Register at a later date. 
The final priority for FY 1996 and following years will be determined 
by response to this notice, available funds, and other considerations 
of the Department. Funding of particular projects depends on the 
availability of funds, the nature of the final priority, and the 
quality of the applications received. The publication of this proposed 
priority does not preclude the Secretary from proposing additional 
priorities, nor does it limit the Secretary to funding only this 
priority, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.

    Note: This notice of proposed priority does not solicit 
applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition 
for FY 1996 will be published in the Federal Register following 
publication of the notice of final priority. A notice of final 
priority for FY 1995 for this program is published elsewhere in this 
issue of the Federal Register.
[[Page 11862]]
Priority

    Under section 7115(a) of the Act, the Secretary gives an absolute 
preference to applications that meet the following priority. The 
Secretary proposes to fund 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.

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 this proposed priority.
    All comments submitted in response to this notice will be available 
for public inspection, during and after the comment period, in Room 
5611, 330 C Street, SW., Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. 
and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday of each week except Federal 
holidays.

    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. 95-5036 Filed 3-1-95; 8:45 am]
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