FR Doc E5-122
[Federal Register: January 13, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 9)]
[Notices]
[Page 2397-2399]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13ja05-60]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination Program
AGENCY: Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priority, requirements, and definitions.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement
proposes a priority, requirements, and definitions under the Arts in
Education Model Development and Dissemination program. We may use this
priority and these requirements and definitions for competitions in
fiscal year (FY) 2005 and later years. We take this action to focus
Federal financial assistance on an identified national need for the
enhancement, expansion, documentation, evaluation, and dissemination of
innovative, cohesive models that have demonstrated that they
effectively: (1) Integrate standards-based arts education into the core
elementary and middle school curricula; (2) strengthen standards-based
arts instruction in these grades; and (3) improve elementary and middle
schools students' academic performance, including their skills in
creating, performing, and responding to the arts. We intend the
priority, requirements, and definitions to increase the amount of
information on effective models for arts education that is available
nationally and to integrate the arts with standards-based education
programs.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before February 14, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about the proposed priority,
requirements, and definitions to Diane Austin, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W214, Washington, DC 20202-
5943. If you prefer to send your comments through the Internet, use the
following address: comments@ed.gov.
You must include the term ``artsdemo'' in the subject line of your
electronic message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Austin. Telephone: (202) 260-
1280 or via Internet: Diane.Austin@ed.gov.
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 may 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 the proposed priority,
requirements, and definitions in this notice. To ensure that your
comments have maximum effect in developing the notice of final
priority, requirements, and definitions, we urge you to identify
clearly the specific proposed priority, requirement or definition 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 the proposed
priority, requirements, and definitions. 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 the proposed priority,
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requirements, and definitions in room 4W214, 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 the proposed priority, requirements, and
definitions. If you want to schedule an appointment for this type of
aid, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
We will announce the final priority, requirements, and definitions
in a notice in the Federal Register. We will determine the final
priority, requirements, and definitions after considering responses to
this notice and other information available to the Department. This
notice does not preclude us from proposing additional priorities,
requirements, and definitions, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking
requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use the priority, requirements, and definitions,
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 priority (34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting an application that meets the
competitive 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)).
Discussion of Proposed Priority, Requirements, and Definitions
This program supports the development of, and dissemination of
information about, model school-based arts education programs.
Priority
Proposed Priority
We propose the following priority for this program:
This priority supports projects that enhance, expand, document,
evaluate, and disseminate innovative cohesive models that are based on
research and have demonstrated their effectiveness in (1) integrating
standards-based arts education into the core elementary or middle
school curriculum, (2) strengthening standards-based arts instruction
in the elementary or middle school grades, and (3) improving the
academic performance, including their skills in creating, performing,
and responding to the arts, of students in elementary or middle school.
In order to meet this priority an applicant must demonstrate that
the model project for which it seeks funding (1) serves only elementary
schools or middle schools, or both and (2) is linked to State and
national standards intended to enable all students to meet challenging
expectations, and to improving student and school performance.
Rationale: The Arts in Education Model Development and
Dissemination program seeks to address the lack of high-quality,
research-based arts education programs by encouraging partnerships of
arts and education specialists to enhance, expand, and document
effective models for improving arts education and student achievement,
including performance on State or local standardized tests. The program
seeks to provide more communities with solid information regarding
innovative models for effectively strengthening arts instruction,
improving students' skills in creating, performing, and responding to
works of art, and increasing student achievement in other academic
subjects. By proposing that projects serve students in elementary or
middle schools only, we intend for this program to provide a vehicle
for including arts instruction in the core curriculum of elementary and
middle schools in a seamless manner. Unlike high schools, elementary
and most middle schools do not have separate art classes in their
curriculum.
Requirements
Proposed Application Requirement
We propose the following application requirement for this program:
To be eligible for Arts in Education Model Development and
Dissemination funds, applicants must propose to address the needs of
low-income children by carrying out projects that serve at least one
elementary or middle school in which 35 percent or more of the children
enrolled are from low-income families (based on data used in meeting
the poverty criteria set out in Title I, Section 1113(a)(5) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (ESEA)).
Rationale: Studies have found that improving the quality of arts
education has a particularly positive impact on students from low-
income backgrounds. Unfortunately, students from low socioeconomic
backgrounds are almost twice as likely to attend arts-poor schools. We
propose this application requirement in an attempt to address the needs
of low-income children.
Proposed Eligibility Requirement
We propose the following eligibility requirement for this program:
To be eligible to receive funding under the Arts in Education Model
Development and Dissemination program, an applicant must be:
(1) One or more LEAs, including charter schools that are considered
LEAs under State law and regulations, that may work in partnership with
one or more of the following:
A State or local non-profit or governmental arts
organization,
A State educational agency (SEA) or regional educational
service agency,
An institution of higher education, or
A public or private agency, institution, or organization,
such as a community- or faith-based organization; or
(2) One or more State or local non-profit or governmental arts
organizations that must work in partnership with one or more LEAs and
may partner with one or more of the following:
An SEA or regional educational service agency,
An institution of higher education, or
A public or private agency, institution, or organization,
such as a community- or faith-based organization.
Note: If more than one LEA or arts organization wishes to form a
consortium and jointly submit a single application, they must follow
the procedures for group applications described in 34 CFR 75.127
through 34 CFR 75.129 of the Education Department General
Administrative Regulations.
Rationale: The statute encourages collaborative activities with
Federal agencies or institutions involved in arts education, arts
educators, and organizations representing the arts,
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including State and local arts agencies involved in arts education.
Prior competitions under this program have been open to applications
from a variety of public and private education and arts organizations.
We have received feedback from stakeholders that collaborative programs
are being effectively managed by such entities. In addition, various
types of organizations are in positions to effectively manage and
evaluate model arts integration programs that serve needy school
children.
Definitions
Proposed Definitions
Several important terms associated with this program are not
defined in the authorizing statute. We, therefore, propose, for the
purpose of this program, to define the following terms:
Arts includes music, dance, theater, media, and visual arts,
including folk arts.
Integrating means (i) encouraging the use of high-quality arts
instruction in other academic/content areas and (ii) strengthening the
place of the arts as a core academic subject in the school curriculum.
Based on research, when used with respect to an activity or a
program, means that, to the extent possible, the activity or program is
based on the most rigorous theory, research, and evaluation available
and is effective in improving student achievement and performance and
other program objectives.
Executive Order 12866
This notice of proposed priority, requirements, and definitions 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, requirements, and definitions 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, requirements, and
definitions, we have determined that the benefits of the proposed
priority, requirements, and definitions justify the costs.
We also have determined that this regulatory action does not unduly
interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the exercise of
their governmental functions.
Summary of Potential Costs and Benefits
The potential costs associated with the proposed priority,
requirements, and definitions in this notice are minimal while the
benefits are significant. Grantees may incur some costs associated with
completing the application process in terms of staff and partner time,
copying, and mailing or delivery.
The benefit of the proposed priority, requirements, and definitions
in this notice is that grants supported under this program will be able
to provide information on effective models. This information will be
helpful to schools and communities looking for guidance on how to
improve the educational performance of at-risk children and youth by
providing arts education services and programs--especially programs
incorporating arts education standards.
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
action 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:
www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.351D Arts in
Education Model Development and Dissemination)
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7271.
Dated: January 7, 2005.
Nina Shokraii Rees,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. E5-122 Filed 1-12-05; 8:45 am]
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