[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16715-16716]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8395]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Notice of Final 
Funding Priorities for Fiscal Year (FY) 1999 Under the Native Hawaiian 
Curriculum Development, Teacher Training, and Recruitment Program

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces final funding priorities for fiscal 
year (FY) 1999 under the Native Hawaiian Curriculum Development, 
Teacher Training, and Recruitment Program. Under the priorities, funds 
under the Native Hawaiian Curriculum Development, Teacher Training and 
Recruitment Program will be used to support activities in the areas of 
(1) computer literacy and technology education, (2) agriculture 
education partnerships, (3) astronomy, (4) indigenous health, (5) waste 
management, and (6) prisoner education.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 6, 1999.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 29, 1998, the Secretary 
published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed funding 
priorities announcing that the Secretary intended to use $1,500,000 of 
FY 1999 funds available under the Curriculum Development, Teacher 
Training and Recruitment Program to fund one or two projects in each of 
six identified priority categories: (1) computer literacy and 
technology education, (2) agriculture education partnerships, (3) 
astronomy, (4) indigenous health, (5) waste management, and (6) 
prisoner education. This notice announces the final funding priorities 
for the program.

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

Analysis of Comments and Changes

    Four parties submitted various comments in response to the 
Secretary's notice of proposed funding priorities for the program.
    Comment: One commenter recommended that the Department run a 
broader competition without any absolute priorities.
    Discussion: The Secretary believes that the absolute priorities are 
necessary to help focus limited resources on addressing some of the 
specific needs of the Native Hawaiian community.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: One commenter suggested that the Department support a new 
Native Hawaiian student-centered academy, governed by a local school 
board, and independent of the Hawaii Department of Education.
    Discussion: The Secretary believes that the priorities that have 
been adopted better further the statutory purposes of the program.
    Changes: None.
    Comments: The other two commenters were generally supportive of the 
priorities, and offered various suggestions for strengthening or 
clarifying some of the priorities. These commenters also recommended 
that the Department continue to support activities in the field of 
aquaculture. In addition, one of the two commenters recommended that 
the astronomy priority be expanded to include support of educational 
and training opportunities for all grade levels, including community 
college, baccalaureate, graduate, and postgraduate levels.
    Discussion: The Department has just completed the support of 
aquaculture projects under this program, and has determined that it 
would be more appropriate at this time to use the resources available 
to fund new projects in the identified priority categories. 
Furthermore, the Secretary believes that the astronomy priority as 
originally proposed better meets the statutory purposes of the program.
    The Secretary believes that many of the other suggestions from 
these commenters, which form the basis for the additional program 
design information provided in the notice inviting applications for new 
awards published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, can 
be incorporated into applications as part of the proposed projects.
    Changes: None.
    ABSOLUTE PRIORITIES: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary gives 
an absolute preference to applications that focus entirely on 
activities in one of the following six areas:
    (1) Computer literacy and technology education--to support 
curriculum development, teacher training and model programs designed to 
increase computer literacy and access for Native

[[Page 16716]]

Hawaiian elementary and secondary school students;
    (2) Agriculture education partnerships--to support the integration 
of agricultural and business practices into high school curriculum 
through the expansion of partnerships between community-based 
agricultural businesses and high schools with high concentrations of 
Native Hawaiian students;
    (3) Astronomy--to support the development of educational programs 
in astronomy for Native Hawaiian elementary and secondary school 
students to assist them in reaching challenging science and mathematics 
standards and to encourage them to enter the field of astronomy;
    (4) Indigenous health--to support curriculum development, teacher 
training, and instruction activities that will foster a better 
understanding and knowledge of Native Hawaiian traditional medicine, 
particularly among Native Hawaiian elementary and secondary students;
    (5) Waste management innovation--to study and document traditional 
Hawaiian practices of sustainable waste management and to prepare 
teaching materials for educational purposes and for demonstration of 
the use of native Hawaiian plants and animals for waste treatment and 
environmental remediation; and
    (6) Prisoner education--to support programs that target juvenile 
offenders and/or youth at risk of becoming juvenile offenders. 
Comprehensive and culturally sensitive strategies for reaching the 
target population will include family counseling, basic education/job 
skills training, and the involvement of community elders as mentors.
    The Secretary funds under the FY 1999 competition under this 
program only applicants that meet one of these absolute priorities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beth Baggett, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202-6140. 
Telephone (202) 260-2502. 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 document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternate format, also, by contacting that person. 
However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format 
the standard forms included in the application package.
    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 or 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 toll free at 1-888-293-6498.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7905.

    Dated: March 30, 1999.
Judith Johnson,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 99-8395 Filed 4-5-99; 8:45 am]
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