[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 51 (Thursday, March 15, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 15106]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-6501]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


National Educational Research Policy and Priorities Board; 
Nominations

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Acceptance of nominations for membership on the national 
educational research policy and priorities board (Board).

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1. Introduction

    The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research 
and Improvement (OERI) is authorized by Public Law 103-227 Title IX: 
the ``Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement 
Act of 1994'' (the Act). Part B of the Act directs the Secretary to 
establish, within OERI, a ``National Educational Research Policy and 
Priorities Board.'' The Secretary is now accepting nominations of 
individuals to fill several vacancies on the Board, described below, 
which are created by expirations of terms.

2. Description of the Board

    The Board consists of 15 members appointed by the Secretary. Five 
members are appointed from researchers in the field of education who 
have been nominated by the National Academy of Sciences; five are 
outstanding school-based professional educators; and five are 
individuals who are knowledgeable about the educational needs of the 
United States and may include: parents with experience in promoting 
parental involvement in education, Chief State School Officers, local 
agency superintendents, principals, members of state or local boards of 
education or Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded school boards, and 
individuals from business and industry with experience in promoting 
private sector involvement with education.
    Members of the Board may not serve on any other governing or 
advisory board within the Department of Education (Department) or as a 
paid consultant of the Department. The term of office is six years. The 
Board is required to meet quarterly, at a minimum.

3. Functions of the Board

    Section 921(b) of the Act provides that the Board has the 
responsibility to:
    (a) Work collaboratively with the Assistant Secretary to determine 
priorities that should guide the work of OERI and provide guidance to 
the Congress in its oversight of OERI;
    (b) Review and approve the Research Priorities Plan developed by 
the Assistant Secretary in collaboration with the Board;
    (c) Review and approve standards for the conduct and evaluation of 
all research, development, and dissemination carried out under the 
auspices of OERI; and
    (d) Review regularly, evaluate, and publicly comment upon the 
implementation of its recommended priorities and policies by the 
Department and the Congress.
    Additional responsibilities of the Board include:
    (1) Providing advice and assistance to the Assistant Secretary in 
administering the duties of OERI;
    (2) Making recommendations to the Assistant Secretary of persons 
qualified to fulfill the responsibilities of the director of each 
research institute established within OERI, making special efforts to 
identify qualified women and minorities and giving due considerations 
to recommendations from professional associations and interested 
members of the public;
    (3) Advising and making recommendations to the President with 
respect to individuals who are qualified to fulfill the 
responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary for OERI;
    (4) Reviewing and commenting upon proposed contract, grant, and 
cooperative agreement proposals;
    (5) Advising the United States on the Federal educational research 
and development effort;
    (6) Recommending ways for strengthening active partnerships among 
researchers, educational practitioners, librarians, and policymakers;
    (7) Recommending ways to strengthen interactions and collaboration 
between the various program offices and components;
    (8) Soliciting advice and information from the educational field, 
making sure to involve educational practitioners, particularly 
teachers, in the process, to define research needs and provide 
suggestions for research topics;
    (9) Soliciting advice from practitioners, policymakers, and 
researchers, and recommending missions for the national research 
centers which are funded by OERI by identifying topics which require 
long-term, sustained, systematic, programmatic, and integrated research 
and dissemination efforts;
    (10) Providing recommendations for creating incentives to draw 
talented young people into the field of educational research, including 
scholars from disadvantaged and minority groups (Section 921(c) of the 
Act)

4. Nomination Categories

    Nominations are being requested for one outstanding school-based 
professional educator and two individuals who are knowledgeable about 
the educational needs of the United States as described under the 
heading Description of the Board above. The Secretary must give due 
consideration to the gender, race, and ethnicity of appointees to 
assure that the Board is broadly representative of the diversity of the 
United States. (Section 921(f)(2) of the Act).

5. Applicability of Certain Federal Legal Requirements

    The Board is subject to Federal legislation (the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App.2; and the Government in the Sunshine Act, 
5 U.S.C. 552b), which is designed to ensure that public business is 
publicly conducted, and that government advisory and policymaking 
groups are not inappropriately used to advance the private interests of 
their members. Board members are considered special government 
employees who are subject to certain government-wide restrictions on 
conflicts of interest.

6. Nomination Procedures

    In order to be assured on consideration, nominations, which include 
the nominee's name, address, telephone number, and a brief biography, 
should be mailed or hand delivered no later than April 13, 2001, to 
Jamie Burke, Office of the Secretary of Education, U.S. Department of 
Education, Attention: National Educational Research Policy and 
Priorities Board, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-0106.

    Dated: March 9, 2001.
Roderick R. Paige,
Secretary, Department of Education.
[FR Doc. 01-6501 Filed 3-14-01; 8:45 am]
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