[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 25, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20322-20324]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-10102]



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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 final priority, selection criteria and post-award 
requirements for fiscal year 1995.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces a priority, selection criteria, and 
post-award requirements for fiscal year 1995. The Secretary takes this 
action 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 gifted and talented children 
and youth may better contribute to the national welfare. The priority 
is intended to increase knowledge related to improving educational 
practices for all students.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This notice of final priority, selection criteria and 
post-award requirements takes effect May 25, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly E. Coleman, U.S. Department of 
Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Room 610F, Washington, D.C. 
20208-5573. Telephone: (202) 219-2280; E-mail: [email protected]. 
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 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 (HBCUs), tribal 
colleges, 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 
[[Page 20323]] 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.
    In the course of developing this final priority, selection criteria 
and post-award requirements, the Secretary has followed legally 
mandated procedures for rulemaking. On January 12, 1995, the Secretary 
published a notice in the Federal Register (60 FR 2956) inviting 
written public comments to be submitted on or before February 27, 1995.

    Note: This notice of final priority, selection criteria and 
post-award requirements does not solicit applications. A notice 
inviting applications under this competition is published elsewhere 
in this issue of the Federal Register.

Analysis of Comments and Changes

    In response to the Secretary's invitation in the notice of proposed 
priority, selection criteria, and post-award requirements, two parties 
submitted comments. An analysis of the comments follows.
    Comments: One commenter wrote to endorse the current grantee. One 
commenter wrote to express concern that the proposed absolute priority 
requiring applicants to submit plans to establish a national research 
and development center that contributes to increasing the capacity of 
educational systems to provide all students with equal opportunities to 
learn to high standards and achieve educational success might shift the 
focus away from the needs of students with high abilities and unusual 
talents and undercut many reform efforts.
    Discussion: Under the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students 
Education Act of 1994, Congress found and declared that, ``(8) the 
experience and knowledge gained in developing and implementing programs 
for gifted and talented students can and should be used as a basis to--
``(A) develop a rich and challenging curriculum for all students; and 
``(B) provide all students with important and challenging subject 
matter to study and encourage the habits of hard work.''
    Changes: None.
    Comments: The Department's review revealed an inadvertent omission 
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION listing of partners that might 
strengthen the center's capacity to accomplish its mission. Tribal 
colleges should have been included in the list.
    Discussion: The Secretary believes that a partnership with tribal 
colleges could strengthen the center's capacity to accomplish its 
mission and to better serve a special population of gifted and talented 
students who may not be identified and served through traditional 
assessment methods.
    Changes: The list of partners has been revised to include tribal 
colleges.

Absolute Priority

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) 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:
    Each project must propose plans to establish a national research 
and development center that--
     Conducts research and development activities concerning 
the 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.

Selection Criteria

    The Secretary will not use the selection criteria established in 
the Javits Gifted and Talented Program regulations, 34 CFR 791.21. The 
Secretary will use selection criteria consistent with the provisions 
for the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination and 
Improvement Act of 1994. The Secretary will use the following selection 
criteria to evaluate applications for the center award. 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 [[Page 20324]] ways 
that will maximize the benefits of its work.

Post-Award Requirements

    The Secretary will use the following post-award requirements to 
evaluate applications for the center award. The post-award requirements 
are 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 selection criteria will 
improve the quality of applications, and that the post-award 
requirements will enhance the quality of the center's research, 
development, and dissemination activities.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 10204.

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

    Dated: April 19, 1995.
Sharon P. Robinson,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 95-10102 Filed 4-24-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P