[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 39 (Monday, March 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10076-10078]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5011]



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Part III





Department of Education





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Office of Vocational And Adult Education; National Research Centers; 
Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 39 / Monday, March 1, 1999 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Vocational and Adult Education; National Research 
Centers

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Compete the National Research Centers 
(National Centers or Centers) and Request for Public Comment on the 
Configuration of the National Centers.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Education (Secretary) intends to establish 
one or more National Centers to carry out research, development, 
evaluation, demonstration, dissemination, and professional development 
activities designed to improve academic, vocational, and technical 
education in secondary and postsecondary institutions to prepare 
students for postsecondary education, careers, and lifelong learning.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before March 31, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to Dennis Berry, 
Director of the Division of National Programs, Office of Vocational and 
Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, 
SW., (Room 4512, Mary E. Switzer Building), Washington, DC 20202-7242. 
Internet address: D[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ricardo Hernandez, Office of 
Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW., (Room 4512, Mary E. Switzer Building), 
Washington, DC 20202-7242. Telephone: 202-205-5977. Internet address: 
R[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.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this notice in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

General

    The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 
(Public Law 105-332) (Act), which was enacted October 31, 1998, 
continues to authorize the Secretary to make one or more awards to 
establish one or more National Centers to carry out research and 
dissemination to assist State and local programs to improve the quality 
and effectiveness of their vocational and technical education services 
and activities. The Act lists the entities that are eligible to receive 
an award to operate a National Center. In addition to institutions of 
higher education, which were eligible under the previous legislation, 
public or private nonprofit organizations or agencies, or consortia of 
such institutions, organizations, or agencies, are now eligible to 
compete to receive awards.

Invitation to Comment

    Interested persons are invited to submit comments and 
recommendations regarding this notice.
    All comments submitted in response to this notice will be available 
for public inspection, during and after the comment period, in room 
4512, 330 C Street, SW, Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. 
and 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday of each week except 
Federal holidays.
    On request, the Department supplies an appropriate aid, such as a 
reader or print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs 
assistance to review the comments. An individual with a disability who 
wants to schedule an appointment for this type of aid may call (202) 
205-8113 or (202) 260-9895. An individual who uses a TDD may call the 
Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339, between 8 a.m. and 
8 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

Intent To Hold a Competition

    The grants awarded to the University of California at Berkeley to 
operate the current National Center for Research in Vocational 
Education will end in December 1999. Before that time, the Secretary 
will designate one or more new National Centers to carry out the 
activities described in section 114(c)(5) of the Act. The Secretary 
expects that the simultaneous operation of the old and new centers for 
a short period will facilitate as seamless a transition as possible 
with a minimum disruption of services. The Secretary intends to publish 
a closing date notice in late spring or early summer of 1999 to 
announce one or more competitions for funding the National Centers. 
Applicants will be given approximately 60 days, from the date the 
closing date notice is published in the Federal Register, to develop 
and submit applications. Through this notice of intent, the Secretary 
is providing early notification of the Department's plans to hold one 
or more competitions under the authority of section 114(c)(5) and (6) 
of the Act. The Secretary encourages interested institutions of higher 
education, public or private nonprofit organizations or agencies, or 
consortia of these institutions, organizations, or agencies, to begin 
planning for the upcoming grant competitions.

Issues for Public Comment

    The enactment of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical 
Education Act of 1998 marks the beginning of new opportunities in 
vocational and technical education. The Act recognizes that all 
students must meet challenging academic standards and be prepared for 
postsecondary education and lifelong learning and that all students 
must prepare for careers--not just entry-level jobs. The Act challenges 
the Department to provide leadership and be proactive in carrying out 
its vision of vocational and technical education, and thereby assist 
State and local programs to improve the quality and effectiveness of 
vocational and technical education.
    The Secretary believes National Centers have a unique role that 
enables them to serve as effective catalysts for program improvement. 
In this regard, the Secretary believes that in carrying out section 
114(c)(5) of the Act, National Centers should--
    (a) Build a knowledge base that is critical to increasing the 
quality and improving the effectiveness of vocational and technical 
education programs;
    (b) Help to redefine vocational education and spearhead 
conversations on reform;
    (c) Conduct research that contributes significantly to both theory 
and practice, especially in areas that are relevant to practitioners 
and in emerging areas of practice that are not well defined; and
    (d) Translate research into practice for teachers, counselors, 
administrators, and policy makers through dissemination, professional 
development, and technical assistance.
    The Act specifically charges the Secretary with establishing one or 
more National Centers to--
    (a) Carry out research for the purpose of developing, improving, 
and identifying the most successful methods for addressing the 
education, employment, and training needs of participants in vocational 
and technical education programs, including research and evaluation in 
such activities as--
    (1) The integration of vocational and technical instruction, and 
academic, secondary and postsecondary instruction;
    (2) Education technology and distance learning approaches and 
strategies that are effective with respect to vocational and technical 
education;
    (3) ``State-adjusted levels of performance'' and ``State levels of 
performance'' that serve to improve

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vocational and technical education programs and student achievement; 
and
    (4) Academic knowledge and vocational and technical skills required 
for employment or participation in postsecondary education.
    (b) Carry out research to increase the effectiveness and improve 
the implementation of vocational and technical education programs, 
including conducting research and development, and carrying out studies 
that provide longitudinal information or formative evaluation with 
respect to vocational and technical education programs and student 
achievement.
    (c) Carry out research that can be used to improve professional 
development and learning in the vocational and technical education 
classroom, including--
    (1) Effective in-service and pre-service teacher education that 
assists vocational and technical education systems; and
    (2) Dissemination and training activities related to the applied 
research and demonstration activities described in section 114(c) of 
the Act, which may also include serving as a repository for information 
on vocational and technical skills, State academic standards, and 
related materials.
    (d) Carry out any other research the Secretary determines 
appropriate to assist State and local recipients of funds under the 
Act.
    (e) Carry out dissemination and training activities based upon the 
research previously described.
    The Secretary may also authorize Centers to--
    (a) Carry out demonstration vocational and technical education 
programs, to replicate model vocational and technical education 
programs, to disseminate best practices information, and to provide 
technical assistance upon request of a State, for the purposes of 
developing, improving, and identifying the most successful methods and 
techniques for providing vocational and technical education programs 
assisted under the Act.
    (b) Carry out a demonstration partnership project involving a 4-
year, accredited postsecondary institution, in cooperation with local 
public education organizations, volunteer groups, and private-sector 
business participants to provide program support, and facilities for 
education, training, tutoring, counseling, employment preparation, and 
specific skills training in emerging and established professions, and 
for retraining of military medical personnel, individuals displaced by 
corporate or military restructuring, and migrant workers, as well as 
other individuals who otherwise do not have access to these services, 
through multi-site, multi-State distance learning technologies.

1. Structuring the National Centers

    In this notice, the Secretary presents a few options for 
structuring these National Centers, to initiate discussion. However, 
comments should not be limited to or restricted by the options and 
questions presented.
Possible Structures
    Generally, section 114(c)(5) and (6) of the Act provides for 
research, development, evaluation, demonstration, dissemination, and 
professional development activities to be carried out at the National 
Centers. The Act requires each National Center to carry out 
dissemination and training activities based on the research performed 
by the Center. In addition, it authorizes the Secretary to support 
dissemination separately, either through a demonstration program or a 
Center. Should the Secretary decide to support a separate Center to 
carry out dissemination and training activities, that Center would 
provide a vehicle for a more comprehensive and extensive dissemination 
of the research produced by the National Centers and other research or 
information on successful practices.
    Option 1. One center would carry out all of the activities 
(research, development, demonstration, evaluation, comprehensive 
dissemination, and professional development) of the National Centers.
    Option 2. One center would carry out research, development, 
demonstration, evaluation, dissemination and professional development 
for secondary education issues.
    A second center would carry out research, development, 
demonstration, evaluation, dissemination and professional development 
for postsecondary education issues.
    A third center would carry out comprehensive dissemination 
activities for both secondary and postsecondary education.
    Option 3. One center would carry out research, development, and 
dissemination on all issues.
    A second center would carry out comprehensive dissemination and 
professional development.
    Option 4. One center would focus on long-range research allowing 
for longitudinal studies, evaluations, or data collections, which 
extend beyond a calendar year. Other long-range research might relate 
to comprehensive demonstrations and validating promising practices. The 
center would also carry out dissemination and professional development 
activities that relate to its research.
    A second center would focus on short-term research issues that 
could be completed in a year or less. The center would also carry out 
dissemination and professional development activities that relate to 
its research.
    A third center would carry out comprehensive dissemination and 
professional development activities.
    Option 5. One center would focus on academically oriented research 
such as testing the efficacy of various theoretical approaches, or 
measuring the effect of a specific educational initiative.
    A second center would focus on applied research, demonstrations, 
developing and improving successful methods, providing technical 
assistance to States in developing and implementing measures of 
performance, and evaluating program effectiveness.
    Each center would carry out dissemination and professional 
development activities that address its specific audiences.
    Option 6. One center would focus on research (e.g., long-term, 
short-term, applied, theoretical, evaluation, data analysis) and 
demonstration issues. The center would also carry out dissemination and 
professional development activities that relate to its research.
    A second center would focus on professional development and 
leadership issues, e.g., training education personnel to use the most 
successful methods for addressing the education, employment, and 
training needs of participants in vocational and technical education 
programs, and offering pre-service and in-service training, including 
internships and fellowships.
    A third center would focus on comprehensive dissemination 
activities.

2. Questions

    In addition to inviting comments on the structure of the proposed 
National Centers, the Secretary is also interested in receiving views 
in response to several questions that relate to the scope of the 
Centers:
    (a) Are there specific research activities the Centers should 
undertake in order to assist State and local vocational and technical 
education programs?
    (b) What theoretical and applied research should the Centers 
undertake?
    (c) What are effective ways to ensure maximum coordination and 
synergy among the Centers if there is more than one Center?
    (d) Should the National Centers provide technical assistance to 
State and

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local programs in adopting/adapting successful practices? What types of 
technical assistance are needed most?
    (e) To what extent should the work of the Centers inform and be 
informed by other similar international research institutes and 
Centers?
    (f) How should the relevance, quality, and timeliness of a Center's 
work be measured in order to inform decisions on whether to continue a 
National Center?

3. Naming the National Centers

    The Secretary is also interested in receiving views on possible 
names for the new National Centers. Changes in the legislation provide 
new opportunities. A new name for the Centers could help to emphasize 
the changes, opportunities and new thrusts of the Act. Previously, the 
National Centers were called the ``National Center for Research in 
Vocational Education''. A possible new name could be the ``National 
Centers for Research in Technical and Professional Education''.

Electronic Access to This Document

    Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the 
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

    To use the pdf, you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you 
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing 
Office at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free, at 1-888-293-6498.
    Anyone also may view these documents in text copy only on an 
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511 
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option 
G-Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.
    Additionally, this notice, as well as other documents concerning 
the implementation of the national centers, is available on the World 
Wide Web at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OVAE/
ncrperk111.html.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.

    Program Authority: Public Law 105-332.

    Dated: February 24, 1999.
Patricia W. McNeil,
Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 99-5011 Filed 2-26-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U