[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 81 (Thursday, April 27, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 20878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-10321]



      

[[Page 20877]]

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Part V





Department of Education





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Foreign Language Assistance Grants; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 81 / Thursday, April 27, 1995 / 
Notices   
[[Page 20878]] 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Foreign Language Assistance 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 
Foreign Language Assistance Grants program authorized under part B of 
title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (the Act). The Secretary establishes a competitive priority to 
encourage programs that provide instruction in languages that are of 
major economic or political importance to the United States, but seldom 
taught in schools.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This priority takes effect on May 30, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ursula Lord, U.S. Department of 
Education, 600 Independence Ave., SW., Room 5090, Switzer Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20202-6510. Telephone: (202) 205-5709. 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: Under section 7203 of the Act, the Foreign 
Language Assistance Grants program provides grants to State educational 
agencies or local educational agencies to pay the Federal share of the 
cost of innovative model programs providing for the establishment, 
improvement, or expansion of foreign language study for elementary and 
secondary school students.
    The Senate Committee on Appropriations noted that three-fourth's of 
the world's population, including some major United States trading 
partners, speak Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, or Korean. S. REP. 
No. 318, 103d Cong. 2d. Sess. 187 (1994). In addition, the Committee 
pointed out that these languages are seldom offered in our schools and 
that truly effective language training must begin in the elementary 
grades. As a consequence, the Committee directed the Department of 
Education to give funding priority to projects that begin teaching 
foreign languages in the elementary grades, with the primary focus on 
the less commonly taught languages such as Japanese, Chinese, Russian, 
Arabic, or Korean.
    The Secretary is implementing the directive of the Committee by 
giving an application that meets the competitive priority an additional 
five points.

    Note: This notice of final priority does not solicit 
applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition 
for FY 1995 is published in a separate notice in this issue of the 
Federal Register.

Priority

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) the Secretary gives preference to 
applications that meet the following competitive priority. The 
Secretary awards 5 points to an application that meets this competitive 
priority in a particularly effective way. These points would be in 
addition to any points the application earns under the selection 
criteria for the program:
    Projects that propose to establish, improve, or expand foreign 
language learning in the elementary grades and that focus on Japanese, 
Chinese, Russian, Arabic, and Korean.

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 Secretary, 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.

Executive Order 12866

    This notice of final priority has been reviewed in accordance with 
Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order, the Secretary has 
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
    The potential costs associated with the notice of final priority 
are those resulting from statutory requirements and those determined by 
the Secretary as necessary for administering this program effectively 
and efficiently.
    In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative 
and qualitative--of this notice of final priority, the Secretary has 
determined that the benefits of the final priority justify the costs.
    The Secretary has also determined that this regulatory action does 
not unduly interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the 
exercise of their governmental functions.

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 84.293A Foreign 
Language Assistance Grants.)

    Dated: April 11, 1995.
Eugene E. Garcia,
Director, Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-10321 Filed 4-26-95; 8:45 am]
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