[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 198 (Thursday, October 13, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63654-63656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-26448]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Request for Nominations of Members To Serve on the Bureau of 
Indian Education Advisory Board for Exceptional Children

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Education, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Request for Nominations.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C., 
Appendix 2, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement 
Act (IDEA) of 2004, (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) the Bureau of Indian 
Education requests nominations of individuals to serve on the Advisory 
Board for Exceptional Children (Advisory Board). There are seven 
positions available. The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) will consider 
nominations received in response to this Request for Nominations, as 
well as other sources. The SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for this 
notice provides Advisory Board and membership criteria.

DATES: Nominations must be received on or before November 14, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Please submit nominations to Sue Bement, Designated Federal 
Officer (DFO), Bureau of Indian Education, Albuquerque Service Center, 
Division of Performance and Accountability, P.O. Box 1088, Albuquerque, 
New Mexico 87103-1088.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sue Bement, Education Specialist, 
telephone (505) 563-5274.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Advisory Board was established in 
accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463. 
The following provides information about the Advisory Board, the 
membership and the nomination process.

Objective and Duties

    (a) Members of the Advisory Board will provide guidance, advice and 
recommendations with respect to special education and related services 
for children with disabilities in Bureau-funded schools in accordance 
with the requirements of IDEA of 2004.
    (b) The Advisory Board will:
    (1) Provide advice and recommendations for the coordination of 
services within the BIE and with other local, state and Federal 
agencies;
    (2) Provide advice and recommendations on a broad range of policy 
issues dealing with the provision of educational services to American 
Indian children with disabilities;
    (3) Serve as advocates for American Indian students with special 
education

[[Page 63655]]

needs by providing advice and recommendations regarding best practices, 
effective program coordination strategies, and recommendations for 
improved educational programming;
    (4) Provide advice and recommendations for the preparation of 
information required to be submitted to the Secretary of Education 
under 20 U.S.C. 1411(h)(2)(D);
    (5) Provide advice and recommend policies concerning effective 
inter/intra-agency collaboration, including modifications to 
regulations, and the elimination of barriers to inter/intra-agency 
programs and activities; and
    (6) Report and direct all correspondence to the Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs through the Director, BIE with a courtesy 
copy to the DFO.

Membership

    (a) As required by 20 U.S.C. 1411(h)(6), the Advisory Board shall 
be composed of 15 individuals involved in or concerned with the 
education and provision of services to Indian infants, toddlers, 
children, and youth with disabilities. The Advisory Board composition 
will reflect a broad range of viewpoints and will include at least one 
(1) member representing each of the following interests: Indians with 
disabilities; teachers of children with disabilities; Indian parents or 
guardians of children with disabilities; service providers; state 
education officials; local education officials; state interagency 
coordinating Councils (for states having Indian reservations); Tribal 
representatives or Tribal organization representatives; and other 
members representing the various divisions and entities of the BIE.
    (b) The Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs may provide the 
Secretary of the Interior recommendations for the chairperson; however, 
the chairperson and other board members will be appointed by the 
Secretary of the Interior. Advisory Board members shall serve staggered 
terms of 2 or 3 years from the date of their appointment.

Miscellaneous

    (a) Members of the Advisory Board will not receive compensation, 
but will be reimbursed for travel, including subsistence, and other 
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in the 
same manner as persons employed intermittently in Government Service 
under 5 U.S.C. 5703.
    (b) A member may not participate in matters that will directly 
affect, or appear to affect, the financial interests of the member or 
the member's spouse or minor children, unless authorized by the 
appropriate ethics official. Compensation from employment does not 
constitute a financial interest of the member so long as the matter 
before the committee will not have a special or distinct effect on the 
member or the member's employer, other than as part of a class. The 
provisions of this paragraph do not affect any other statutory or 
regulatory ethical obligations to which a member may be subject.
    (c) The Advisory Board meets at least twice a year, budget 
permitting, but additional meetings may be held as deemed necessary by 
the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs or DFO.
    (d) All Advisory Board meetings are open to the public in 
accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act regulations.

Nomination Information

    (a) Nominations are requested from individuals, organizations, and 
Federally recognized Tribes, as well as from state directors of special 
education (within the 23 states in which Bureau-funded schools are 
located) concerned with the education of Indian children with 
disabilities as described above.
    (b) Nominees should have expertise and knowledge of the issues and/
or needs of American Indian children with disabilities. Such knowledge 
and expertise are needed to provide advice and recommendations to the 
BIE regarding the needs of American Indian children with disabilities.
    (c) A summary of the candidate's qualifications 
(r[eacute]sum[eacute] or curriculum vitae) must be submitted with the 
nomination application below. Nominees must have the ability to attend 
Advisory Board meetings, carry out Advisory Board assignments, 
participate in teleconferences, and work in groups.
    (d) The Department of the Interior is committed to equal 
opportunity in the workplace and seeks diverse Advisory Board 
membership, which is bound by the Indian Preference Act of 1990 (25 
U.S.C. 472).

Basis for Nominations

    If you wish to nominate someone for appointment to the Advisory 
Board, please do not make the nomination until the person has been 
contacted and has agreed to have his/her name submitted to BIE for this 
purpose.
NOMINATION APPLICATION
    (Please fill out this form completely and include a copy of your 
r[eacute]sum[eacute] or curriculum vitae.)

    Note: Additional pages may be added for further explanation of 
any item. Reference the corresponding item number for which the 
additional explanation is made.


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1. Full Name:
 
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2. Mailing Address:                 3. City:     4. State:    5. Zip
                                                               Code:
                                    ...........  ...........  ..........
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6. Primary Contact Phone Number:    7. Secondary Contact Phone Number:
    ( )                                              ( )
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8. Place of Employment:
 
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9. Work Address:                    10. City:    11. State:   12. Zip
                                                               Code:
                                    ...........  ...........  ..........
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13. Employment Title:
 
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14. Work Telefax Number:            15. E-mail address:

[[Page 63656]]

 
    ( )
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 Note to Review Committee: Prior to submitting this nomination
  application, the above named individual must be contacted regarding
  appointment to the Advisory Board. Do not make a nomination until this
  person has been contacted and has agreed to have his/her name
  submitted to the Bureau of Indian Education.

    16. If appointed, this person will represent one of the following 
categories (check all applicable):
---- Indian persons with disabilities
---- Teachers of children with disabilities
---- Indian parents or guardians of children with disabilities
---- Service providers
---- State Education Officials
---- Local Education Officials
---- State Interagency Coordinating Councils (for states having Indian 
reservations)
---- Tribal representatives or tribal organization representatives
---- Bureau employees concerned with the education of children with 
disabilities
    17. What role would you recommend this nominee serve?
---- Advisory Board Chairperson
---- Advisory Board Member
    18. Nominee's experience with BIE funded schools: (check all 
applicable)
---- BIE Day School
---- BIE Boarding School
    ---- Off-Reservation Boarding School
---- Tribal Contract School
---- Tribal Grant School
---- Cooperative School
    19. List nominee's experiences related to the education of Indian 
infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities, in the past 10 
years. Include time frames of experience or employment, position 
titles, location of employment or organization involvement and a brief 
description of duties. (Attach additional pages if necessary.)
    20. Provide a list of current memberships or current affiliations 
with professional education organizations, particularly special 
education organizations. Identify organization offices held if 
applicable. (Attach additional pages if necessary.)
    21. Identify special interests, activities, awards (professional, 
educational and community) related to the education of disabled Indian 
children (infants, toddlers, children and/or youth). (Attach additional 
pages if necessary.)
    22. Nominee recommended by:

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Name of Indian tribe, organization, individual (include position title)
 making nomination:
 
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Address of Indian tribe, organization, individual making nomination:
 
 City:                              State:             Zip Code:
                                    .................  .................
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Signature of Authorizing Official:
 
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Date of Signature:                  Phone (Area code   Telefax (Area
                                     + Number):         code + Number):
 
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Paperwork Reduction Act

    This information collection has been assigned OMB Control No. 1076-
0179, with an expiration of September 30, 2014. This information is 
being collected to select individuals to serve on a Federal advisory 
committee, the Advisory Board for Exceptional Children. Response to 
this request is required to obtain a benefit. You are not required to 
respond to this collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number. This information will be used to 
determine the eligibility and the ranking of the nominee. Public 
reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 1 hour per 
response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and 
maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct 
comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this form 
to Information Collection Clearance Officer--Indian Affairs, U.S. 
Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW., MS-4141, Washington, DC 
20240.

    Dated: October 6, 2011.
Paul Tsosie,
Chief of Staff, Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2011-26448 Filed 10-12-11; 8:45 am]
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