[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 238 (Tuesday, December 12, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63691-63692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-30167]



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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Fund for the Improvement of Education Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes to establish absolute priorities to 
fund projects that develop, evaluate and field-test State assessments 
aligned with challenging State content standards. The Secretary may use 
these priorities in FY 1996 and subsequent years. The Secretary 
proposes to provide Federal financial assistance to assist States in 
the development of assessments that can be used to improve classroom 
instruction, motivate all students to improve educational performance, 
and provide examples for students, teachers and parents of the learning 
outcomes that can be expected for all students.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 11, 1996.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning these proposed priorities should be 
addressed to Dr. David Sweet, U.S. Department of Education, Office of 
Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Room 
508H, Washington, D.C. 20208-5573. Comments can be faxed to David Sweet 
at (202) 219-2135. Comments may also be sent through the Internet to 
David--S[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Sweet, 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 Fund for the Improvement of Education 
(FIE) supports nationally significant projects to improve the quality 
of education, assist all students to meet challenging State content and 
student performance standards and contribute to the achievement of the 
National Education Goals. The FIE program is authorized under Part A of 
Title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 
amended by the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (20 U.S.C. 
8001).
    The Secretary is expressly authorized to use FIE program funds to 
support systemic education reform at the State and local levels through 
activities such as the development and evaluation of model strategies 
for assessment of student learning. The Secretary believes that the 
alignment of State content standards and State assessments is an 
important part of systemic educational reform. Exemplifying the forms 
and levels of educational performance that students in a State should 
be able to achieve is a critical step in the process of ensuring that 
students are reaching the State's challenging content standards. While 
many States are developing new content standards for the core academic 
subjects, some States are using assessments that are not aligned to 
their new content standards. The Secretary believes that helping to 
defray the cost of developing assessments aligned with challenging 
State content standards will advance State reform efforts.
    State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies 
(LEAs), institutions of higher education, and other public and private 
agencies, organizations, and institutions are eligible to receive funds 
under these priorities. However, the Secretary believes that SEAs and 
LEAs have the resources, knowledge, and authority necessary to lead 
systemic reform efforts. Therefore, SEAs and LEAs must participate as 
lead agents in the development of State assessments to ensure that the 
assessment systems are aligned with State content standards and the 
content of the curriculum. If reform is to be systemic, State agencies 
that are working on content and curriculum must either direct the 
development of assessments themselves or provide direction to LEAs to 
do so.
    It is imperative that State assessments take into account the needs 
of all students. Therefore, funds awarded under the proposed priority 
may be used to develop, modify, field-test and evaluate assessments 
that take into account the needs of students with disabilities or 
students who have limited English proficiency.
    Awards under these proposed priorities may be jointly funded under 
three statutory authorities:
    (1) The Fund for the Improvement of Education (20 U.S.C. 8001);
    (2) Section 618(c) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education 
Act (IDEA) regarding Evaluation and Program Information (20 U.S.C. 
1418(c));
    (3) Bilingual Education Research, Evaluation, and Dissemination 
Program, authorized by Title VII, Part A, Subpart 2 of the Improving 
America's Schools Act of 1994 (20 U.S.C. 7451-7452).
    The Secretary has determined that the availability of this joint 
funding option would enhance the Department's ability to support 
projects that integrate into a single effort the development of 
assessments for all students and the modification of those assessments 
to take into account the needs of disabled and limited English 
proficient students.
    Funds provided under Section 618 of IDEA can only be used for 
projects that modify, field-test, and evaluate assessments that take 
into account the needs of children and youth with disabilities. A 
project funded under Section 618 of IDEA should address how the 
assessments will improve the ability of SEAs and LEAs to provide full 
educational opportunities to children and youth with disabilities and 
to better assess the progress of children and youth with disabilities 
while in special education. As part of the post-award requirements for 
a project funded under Section 618 of IDEA, a grantee must prepare its 
procedures, findings, and other relevant information in a form that 
will maximize their dissemination and use, especially through 
dissemination networks and mechanisms authorized by Section 618, and in 
a form for inclusion in the annual report to 

[[Page 63692]]
Congress submitted pursuant to Section 618(g). Funds provided under 
Section 618 may be used to fund projects proposed by applicants that 
are private for-profit agencies only when necessary because of the 
unique nature of the study.
    In accordance with 20 U.S.C. 7452(b)(4), funds provided under the 
Bilingual Education Research, Evaluation, and Dissemination Program 
must be administered by individuals with expertise in bilingual 
education and the needs of limited English proficient students and 
their families. Funds provided under this program must be used to 
improve bilingual education and special alternative instruction 
programs for children and youth of limited English proficiency.
    As part of the efforts to improve student assessment, the 
Department made awards in FY 1995 under the Assessment Development and 
Evaluation Grants Program, authorized by section 220 of the Goals 2000: 
Educate America Act. Under this program, the Secretary provides grants 
to SEAs, LEAs or partnerships of such agencies to help defray the costs 
of developing, field-testing and evaluating State assessments aligned 
to State content standards. Applications involving 43 States were 
received in 1995 and grants were made to support 9 projects. The 
Secretary expects these projects to develop model strategies for the 
assessment of student learning that will have a significant impact on 
State and local level systemic reform efforts.
    Depending on the availability of funds in FY 1996 and subsequent 
years, the Secretary may decide to use funds under the proposed 
priorities to continue projects initially funded under the Assessment 
Development and Evaluation Grants program or to fund additional 
applications considered in the 1995 competition. Alternatively, the 
Secretary may decide to hold a competition for new awards under the 
proposed priorities.
    The Secretary will announce the final priorities in a notice in the 
Federal Register. The final priorities will be determined by responses 
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 priorities, and the quality of the 
applications received. The publication of these proposed priorities 
does not preclude the Secretary from proposing additional priorities, 
nor does it limit the Secretary to funding only these priorities, 
subject to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.

    Note: This notice of proposed priorities 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 priorities.

Proposed Absolute Priorities

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary proposes to give an 
absolute preference to projects that meet one or more of the following 
priorities. The Secretary proposes to fund only projects that meet one 
or more of these absolute priorities:
    Proposed Absolute Priority 1--Projects that develop, field-test, 
and evaluate assessments that are aligned to State content standards.
    Proposed Absolute Priority 2--Projects that modify, field-test, and 
evaluate assessments to address the needs of children and youth with 
disabilities or limited English proficiency. Assessments to be modified 
must be those developed under priority (1) or similar assessments 
developed for all students and aligned to State content standards.
    All projects must--
    (a) Examine the validity and reliability of the assessment for the 
particular purposes for which the assessment was developed;
    (b) Ensure that the assessment is consistent with relevant, 
nationally recognized professional and technical standards for 
assessments;
    (c) Devote special attention to how the assessment treats all 
students, especially with regard to race, gender, ethnicity, 
disability, and language proficiency of those students; and
    (d) Be developed by, or under the direction of, an SEA, LEA, or 
consortia of those agencies.

Selection Criteria

    With respect to new awards made with funds from Section 618 of 
IDEA, the Secretary does not intend to use the selection criteria in 34 
CFR 327.31. With respect to any new awards made with funds from the 
Bilingual Education Research, Evaluation, and Dissemination Program, 
the Secretary does not intend to use the selection criteria in 34 CFR 
75.210. The Secretary intends to use the evaluation criteria in 34 CFR 
Part 700 to select all new awards under these priorities.

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 these proposed priorities.
    All comments submitted in response to this notice will be available 
for public inspection, during and after the comment period in OERI, 
Room 510, 555 New Jersey Avenue, Washington, D.C., between the hours of 
8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday of each week except Federal 
holidays.

Applicable Program Regulations

    (a) 34 CFR part 327, with the exception of 34 CFR 327.31; and (b) 
the final regulations for the Standards for the Conduct and Evaluation 
of Activities Carried Out by the Office of Educational Research and 
Improvement (OERI)--Evaluation of applications for Grants and 
Cooperative Agreements and Proposals for Contracts, published on 
September 14, 1995 in the Federal Register (60 FR 47808), to be 
codified as 34 CFR Part 700.
    Authority: 20 U.S.C. 8001.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.215L--Fund for the 
Improvement of Education Program)

    Dated: December 5, 1995.
Sharon P. Robinson,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 95-30167 Filed 12-11-95; 8:45 am]
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