FR Doc E8-450
[Federal Register: January 14, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 9)]
[Notices]
[Page 2228-2230]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14ja08-44]
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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: jacobk.javits@ed.gov.
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)).
[[Page 2230]]
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]
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