[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 185 (Friday, September 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59050-59051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24002]



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Part VII





Department of Education





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Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program; Notices

  Federal Register / Vol. 75 , No. 185 / Friday, September 24, 2010 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


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

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of final priorities.

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

SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education announces 
two priorities for the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) 
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 short-term projects abroad (1) 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) in which at least 50 percent 
of participants are K-12 teachers, K-12 administrators, or both. The 
first priority supports projects that will help give pre-service 
teachers a deeper knowledge of languages and cultures from around the 
world. The second priority supports projects that will help increase 
the study abroad opportunities for in-service teachers, giving these 
individuals exposure to another country and its culture.

DATES: These priorities are effective October 25, 2010.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Fulbright-Hays Group 
Projects Abroad Program is to provide grants for overseas projects in 
training, research, and curriculum development in modern foreign 
languages and area studies that will engage teachers, students, and 
faculty in a common endeavor. 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. We published a 
notice of proposed priorities for this program in the Federal Register 
on May 13, 2010, 75 FR 26945. That notice contained background 
information and our reasons for proposing the particular priorities. 
There are no differences between the proposed priorities and these 
final priorities.
    Public Comment: In response to our invitation in the notice of 
proposed priorities, one party submitted comments on the proposed 
priorities.
    Generally, we do not address technical and other minor changes, or 
suggested changes the law does not authorize us to make under the 
applicable statutory authority. In addition, we do not address general 
comments that raised concerns not directly related to the proposed 
priorities.
    Analysis of Comments: An analysis of the comment and any changes in 
the priorities since publication of the notice of proposed priorities 
follows.

Priority 2--Greater Participation of K-12 Educators

    Comment: The commenter suggested that rather than offering a 
priority to those applicants that provide for 50 percent or greater 
participation of K-12 educators in a short-term project, the program 
should provide a certain percentage of awards to those projects that 
focus exclusively on K-12 educators. The rationale provided was that 
the projects that are most effective are those that are offered 
exclusively to either K-12 or postsecondary educators as it is 
difficult to effectively design one project that fully addresses the 
needs of both of these groups.
    Discussion: While we agree with the commenter that addressing the 
needs of varying groups of educators within one project may present 
challenges, we do not believe that it is necessary to revise the 
priority to address this specific need. First, we note that nothing in 
the priority precludes applicants from proposing projects exclusively 
for either K-12 or postsecondary educators.
    Second, in our experience, the GPA program has supported numerous 
successful projects that have provided exceptional opportunities for 
varying groups of educators. These GPA program participants have 
experienced substantive learning, not only about host countries, 
cultures and languages, but from each other as well. This collaboration 
amongst educators at different levels of the education system often 
proves to be extremely productive and beneficial to GPA projects in 
providing for substantive follow-up opportunities, collaboration, and 
additional professional growth experiences. Accordingly, we believe it 
is important for applicants to have the option of structuring their 
projects to focus on varying groups of educators.
    Changes: None.

Final Priorities

Priority 1

    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.

Priority 2

    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 invitation. 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)).
    This notice does not preclude us from proposing additional 
priorities,

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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 final 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 
regulatory action.
    The potential costs associated with this 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 regulatory action, we have determined that the 
benefits of the final 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: 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.
    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:[sol][sol]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:[sol][sol]www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.

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

    Dated: September 21, 2010.
Daniel T. Madzelan,
Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2010-24002 Filed 9-23-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P