[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 92 (Thursday, May 13, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26945-26947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-11402]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


International Education Programs Service--Fulbright-Hays Group 
Projects Abroad Program

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.021.

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education proposes 
two priorities for the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program 
administered by the International Education Programs Service. The 
Assistant Secretary may use these priorities for competitions in fiscal 
year (FY) 2011 and later years.
    We intend these two priorities to help increase the number of 
teachers at the Kindergarten-grade 12 (K-12) level with skills in a 
second language and knowledge of other cultures around the world by 
supporting: (1) short-term projects abroad that provide pre-service 
teachers with training or courses in foreign languages and 
international area studies as part of a teacher education curriculum 
developed through collaboration between colleges or departments of 
education and colleges or departments of arts and sciences within 
institutions of higher education, and (2) projects that propose 50 
percent or greater participation of K-12 teachers, K-12 administrators, 
or both in short-term projects abroad. The first priority helps give 
pre-service teachers a deeper knowledge of languages and cultures from 
around the world. The second priority helps increase the study abroad 
opportunities for in-service teachers, giving these individuals 
exposure to another country and its culture.

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before June 14, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this notice to Michelle Guilfoil, 
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6098, 
Washington, DC 20006-8544. If you prefer to send your comments by e-
mail, use the following address: [email protected].
    You must include the following information in the subject line of 
your electronic message: ``Priorities for Fulbright-Hays Group Projects 
Abroad Program, International Education Programs Service.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Guilfoil. Telephone: (202) 
502-7625 or by e-mail: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the

[[Page 26946]]

Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Invitation to Comment

    We invite you to submit comments regarding this notice. To ensure 
that your comments have maximum effect in developing the notice of 
final priorities, we urge you to identify clearly the specific proposed 
priority that each comment addresses.
    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 these proposed 
priorities. Please let us know of any further ways we could 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 notice in room 6154, 1990 K Street, NW., 
Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal 
holidays.
    Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the 
Rulemaking Record: On request we will provide an appropriate 
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability who 
needs assistance to review the comments or other documents in the 
public rulemaking record for this notice. If you want to schedule an 
appointment for this type of accommodation or auxiliary aid, please 
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Fulbright-Hays Group 
Projects Abroad Program is to contribute to the development and 
improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies 
in the United States by providing opportunities for teachers, students, 
and faculty to study in foreign countries. Projects may include short-
term seminars, curriculum development, or group research or study.
    Program Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2452(b)(6).
    Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 664.
    Proposed Priorities:
    This notice contains two proposed priorities.

Background

The GPA Program

    The U.S. Department of Education administers the Fulbright-Hays 
Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program under the authority of section 
102(b)(6) of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 
(Fulbright-Hays Act), 22 U.S.C. 2452(b)(6). The Presidentially 
appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board sets policies 
and procedures for administering the program and exercises final 
approval over the selection of grantees.
    The objective of the GPA Program is the promotion, improvement, and 
development of modern foreign languages and area studies at all levels 
of education. To help accomplish this objective, the GPA Program 
provides opportunities for faculty, teachers, and undergraduate and 
graduate students to conduct group projects overseas to do research and 
study in the fields of modern foreign languages and area studies.
    There are three types of short-term projects abroad in the GPA 
Program: (1) Short-term seminar projects of four to six weeks in length 
designed to increase the linguistic or cultural competency of U.S. 
students and educators by focusing on a particular aspect of area 
study, such as the culture of an area or country of study (34 CFR 
664.11); (2) curriculum development projects of four to eight weeks in 
length that provide participants an opportunity to acquire resource 
materials for curriculum development in modern foreign language and 
area studies for use and dissemination in the United States (34 CFR 
664.12); and (3) group research or study projects of three to twelve 
months in duration designed to give participants the opportunity to 
undertake research or study in a foreign country (34 CFR 664.13).\1\
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    \1\ In addition to the short-term projects abroad, which are 
addressed by these proposed priorities, the GPA Program also awards 
grants for advanced overseas intensive language projects (34 CFR 
664.14), which are not addressed by these proposed priorities.
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    The types of priorities used in the GPA Program are described in 34 
CFR 664.32. We are proposing these priorities in addition to those 
listed in that section.
    Proposed Priority One. Many U.S. students, especially those in low-
income and minority communities, graduate from high school without a 
knowledge of other countries and their cultures. There is evidence that 
greater exposure of teachers to other cultures and foreign languages 
can help eradicate this situation. Schools and/or departments of 
education have a role to play in creating greater exposure since they 
are central to the preparation of future teachers. Increased 
collaboration with other departments and/or schools focused on foreign 
language and/or area and international studies can improve the capacity 
of these schools and/or departments of education to prepare future 
teachers with the skills required to teach students to understand other 
peoples and cultures around the world.
    Proposed priority one therefore would promote the 
internationalization of teacher education and would expand the 
capabilities of participating teachers to educate students who will 
work and live in a world with an increased exposure to diverse cultures 
and languages.
    Proposed Priority Two. Proposed priority two would promote the 
internationalization of K-12 education and would encourage the 
participation of K-12 teachers in group projects abroad that develop 
and improve K-12 foreign language and area studies. Although past 
projects funded under this program have included groups abroad that 
include K-12 teachers, K-12 teachers have not always been represented 
in those groups in substantial numbers. We believe that 
internationalization of K-12 education can occur more readily when a 
mixed group of educators is comprised of a greater number of K-12 
teachers so that the study abroad activities of the group support the 
development of curriculum at the elementary and secondary levels. 
Accordingly, proposed priority two would support projects in which at 
least 50 percent of the participants are K-12 teachers or 
administrators.
    Proposed Priority 1--Projects That Provide Pre-Service Teachers 
With Training or Courses in Foreign Languages and International Area 
Studies as Part of a Teacher Education Curriculum Developed Through 
Collaboration Between Colleges or Departments of Education and Colleges 
or Departments of Arts and Sciences Within Institutions of Higher 
Education.
    Applications that, through collaborative efforts between one or 
more colleges or departments of education and one or more colleges or 
departments of arts and sciences within a single institution of higher 
education or within a consortium of higher education institutions, 
propose short-term projects abroad that provide pre-service teachers 
with training or courses in foreign languages and international area 
studies as part of the teacher education curriculum.
    Proposed Priority 2--Projects That Provide 50 Percent or Greater 
Participation of K-12 Teachers, or K-12 Administrators, or Both in 
Short-Term Projects Abroad.

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    Applications that propose short-term projects abroad that develop 
and improve foreign language studies, area studies, or both at 
elementary and secondary schools by including K-12 teachers or K-12 
administrators as at least 50 percent of the project participants.
    Types of Priorities:
    When inviting applications for a competition using one or more 
priorities, we designate the type of each priority as absolute, 
competitive preference, or invitational through a notice in the Federal 
Register. 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 (1) 
awarding additional points, depending on the extent to which the 
application meets the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) 
selecting an application that meets the 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 priority. 
However, we do not give an application that meets the priority a 
preference over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
    Final Priorities:
    We will announce the final priorities in a notice in the Federal 
Register. We will determine the final priorities after considering 
responses to this notice and other information available to the 
Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing additional 
priorities, requirements, definitions, or selection criteria, subject 
to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.

    Note:  This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in 
which we choose to use one or more of these priorities, we invite 
applications through a notice in the Federal Register.

    Executive Order 12866: This notice of proposed priorities 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 
proposed regulatory action.
    The potential costs associated with this proposed regulatory action 
are those resulting from statutory requirements and those we have 
determined as necessary for administering these programs effectively 
and efficiently.
    In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative 
and qualitative--of this proposed regulatory action, we have determined 
that the benefits of the proposed priorities 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: These programs are 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 these programs.
    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact 
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department 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.

    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.

    Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated 
authority to Daniel T. Madzelan, Director, Forecasting and Policy 
Analysis for the Office of Postsecondary Education, to perform the 
functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 
Education.

    Dated: May 7, 2010.
Daniel T. Madzelan,
Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2010-11402 Filed 5-12-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P