[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 9 (Monday, January 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2228-2230]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-450]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed priority.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education 
proposes a priority under the Jacob K.

[[Page 2229]]

Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program. The Assistant 
Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 
2008 and later years. We take this action to support the implementation 
of models with demonstrated effectiveness in identifying and serving 
gifted and talented students who are economically disadvantaged or 
limited English proficient, or who have disabilities, and who may not 
be identified and served through typical strategies for identifying 
gifted children. We intend the priority to increase the availability of 
proven approaches for increasing the number of students from 
underrepresented groups performing at high levels of academic 
achievement.

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before February 13, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this proposed priority to Teresa 
Cahalan, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 
5W218, Washington, DC 20202-6200. If you prefer to send your comments 
through the Internet, use the following address: [email protected].
    You must include the term ``Comments on FY 2008 Javits Priority'' 
in the subject line of your electronic message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Teresa Cahalan. Telephone: (202) 401-
3947.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Invitation to Comment

    We invite you to submit comments regarding this proposed priority.
    We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific 
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of 
reducing regulatory burden that might result from this proposed 
priority. Please let us know of any further opportunities we should 
take to reduce potential costs or increase potential benefits while 
preserving the effective and efficient administration of the program.
    During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public 
comments about this proposed priority in Room 5W218, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., 
Eastern time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal 
holidays.

Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Rulemaking 
Record

    On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or 
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs 
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public 
rulemaking record for this proposed priority. If you want to schedule 
an appointment for this type of aid, please contact the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

General

    The purpose of the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students 
Education Program is to carry out a coordinated program of 
scientifically based research, demonstration projects, innovative 
strategies, and similar activities designed to build and enhance the 
ability of elementary schools and secondary schools nationwide to meet 
the special educational needs of gifted and talented students.

Background of the Priority

    Consistent with section 5465(a)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 7253), this proposed 
priority focuses on the implementation and evaluation of projects that 
expand interventions that identify and serve gifted and talented 
students who are economically disadvantaged or limited English 
proficient, or who have disabilities, and who may not be identified and 
served through typical strategies for identifying gifted children. 
Specifically, the priority focuses on the expansion of these projects 
to multiple settings and for different student populations.
    In 2007, 32 percent of all 4th grade public school students scored 
at or above the proficient level in reading on the National Assessment 
of Educational Progress, compared to only 17 percent of students who 
are eligible for free or reduced price lunch under the National School 
Lunch program (i.e., students who are economically disadvantaged), 13 
percent of students with disabilities, and 7 percent of students with 
limited English proficiency. Students from these three groups are 
significantly underrepresented at or above proficient levels on the 8th 
grade reading and 4th and 8th grade mathematics assessments.
    Since its creation in 1989, the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented 
Students Education Program has supported over 125 small-scale model 
projects and intervention strategies, some of which have produced 
statistically significant increases in student academic achievement on 
standardized tests. In order to have a national impact with the limited 
funds available for new awards under this program, the goal of this 
priority is to expand upon, field-test, and evaluate research-based 
interventions that have shown evidence of success in increasing the 
number of economically disadvantaged, limited English proficient, or 
disabled students performing at high levels of academic achievement.
    Based on our experience with previous grants, we have found that 
successful projects require demonstrated expertise in the following 
areas: Education research and program evaluation, one or more of the 
core academic subject areas (English, reading or language arts, 
mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, 
economics, arts, history, and geography), the needs of disadvantaged or 
other underrepresented students, and gifted and talented education.
    We will announce the final priority in a notice in the Federal 
Register. We will determine the final priority after considering 
responses to this notice and other information available to the 
Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing or funding 
additional priorities, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking 
requirements.

    Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in 
which we choose to use this proposed priority, we invite 
applications through a notice in the Federal Register. When inviting 
applications we designate the priority as absolute, competitive 
preference, or invitational. The effect of each type of priority 
follows:
    Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority we consider only 
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
    Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference 
priority we give competitive preference to an application by either 
(1) awarding additional points, depending on how well or the extent 
to which the application meets the competitive preference priority 
(34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting an application that meets 
the competitive preference priority over an application of 
comparable merit that does not meet the priority (34 CFR 
75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
    Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority we are 
particularly interested in applications that meet the invitational 
priority. However, we do not give an application that meets the 
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over 
other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).


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Priority

Proposed Priority

    Under this proposed priority, grantees must ``scale up'' and 
evaluate models designed to increase the number of students from 
underrepresented groups who, through gifted and talented education 
programs, perform at high levels of academic achievement.
    For this priority, ``scaling up'' means to expand a program with 
demonstrated effectiveness at one level (such as a school or other 
educational setting, student population, grade level, or academic 
subject area) for use in broader settings or with different 
populations. With regard to this priority, underrepresented groups 
refer to the following three groups of students: Economically 
disadvantaged individuals, individuals with limited English 
proficiency, and individuals with disabilities.
    To meet this priority, applicants must include all of the following 
in their applications:
    (1) Evidence from one or more scientifically based research and 
evaluation studies indicating that the proposed intervention has raised 
the achievement of students from one or more underrepresented groups in 
one or more core subject areas.
    (2) Evidence from one or more scientifically based research and 
evaluation studies that the proposed intervention has resulted in 
increased numbers of students from underrepresented groups who are 
prepared to participate in gifted and talented education programs.
    (3) Evidence that the applicant has significant expertise on its 
leadership team in each of the following areas: Research and program 
evaluation, content knowledge in one or more core academic subject 
areas, working with underrepresented groups, and gifted and talented 
education.
    (4) A sound plan for implementing the model in multiple settings or 
with multiple populations.
    (5) A research and evaluation plan that employs an experimental or 
quasi-experimental design to measure the impact of the intervention on 
the achievement of students who are economically disadvantaged or 
limited English proficient, or who have disabilities, and on the number 
of these students who are prepared to participate in gifted and 
talented education programs.

    Note: Evaluation methods using an experimental design are best 
for determining the effectiveness of interventions. Thus, when 
feasible, the project must use an experimental design under which 
participants (e.g., students, teachers, classrooms, or schools) are 
randomly assigned to participate in the project activities being 
evaluated or to a control group that does not participate in the 
project activities being evaluated.
    If random assignment is not feasible, the project may use a 
quasi-experimental design with carefully matched comparison 
conditions. This alternative design attempts to approximate a 
randomly assigned control group by matching participants with non-
participants having similar pre-intervention characteristics.

Executive Order 12866

    This notice of proposed priority has been reviewed in accordance 
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order, we have 
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
    The potential costs associated with the notice of proposed priority 
are those resulting from statutory requirements and those we have 
determined as necessary for administering this program effectively and 
efficiently.
    In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative 
and qualitative--of this notice of proposed priority, we have 
determined that the benefits of the proposed priority justify the 
costs.
    We have 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 Executive Order 12372 and the 
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive 
order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened 
federalism. The Executive order relies on processes developed by State 
and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal 
financial assistance.
    This document provides early notification of our specific plans and 
actions for this program.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 
http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.206A Jacob K. 
Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program)

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7253.

    Dated: January 9, 2008.
Kerri L. Briggs,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. E8-450 Filed 1-11-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P