[Federal Register: December 12, 1995 (Volume 60, Number 238)]
[Notices]
[Page 63691-63692]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Fund for the Improvement of Education Program
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes to establish absolute priorities to
fund projects that develop, evaluate and field-test State assessments
aligned with challenging State content standards. The Secretary may use
these priorities in FY 1996 and subsequent years. The Secretary
proposes to provide Federal financial assistance to assist States in
the development of assessments that can be used to improve classroom
instruction, motivate all students to improve educational performance,
and provide examples for students, teachers and parents of the learning
outcomes that can be expected for all students.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 11, 1996.
ADDRESSES: All comments concerning these proposed priorities should be
addressed to Dr. David Sweet, U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Room
508H, Washington, D.C. 20208-5573. Comments can be faxed to David Sweet
at (202) 219-2135. Comments may also be sent through the Internet to
David--Sweet@ed.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Sweet, telephone: (202) 219-
2079. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-
877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through
Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Fund for the Improvement of Education
(FIE) supports nationally significant projects to improve the quality
of education, assist all students to meet challenging State content and
student performance standards and contribute to the achievement of the
National Education Goals. The FIE program is authorized under Part A of
Title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended by the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (20 U.S.C.
8001).
The Secretary is expressly authorized to use FIE program funds to
support systemic education reform at the State and local levels through
activities such as the development and evaluation of model strategies
for assessment of student learning. The Secretary believes that the
alignment of State content standards and State assessments is an
important part of systemic educational reform. Exemplifying the forms
and levels of educational performance that students in a State should
be able to achieve is a critical step in the process of ensuring that
students are reaching the State's challenging content standards. While
many States are developing new content standards for the core academic
subjects, some States are using assessments that are not aligned to
their new content standards. The Secretary believes that helping to
defray the cost of developing assessments aligned with challenging
State content standards will advance State reform efforts.
State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies
(LEAs), institutions of higher education, and other public and private
agencies, organizations, and institutions are eligible to receive funds
under these priorities. However, the Secretary believes that SEAs and
LEAs have the resources, knowledge, and authority necessary to lead
systemic reform efforts. Therefore, SEAs and LEAs must participate as
lead agents in the development of State assessments to ensure that the
assessment systems are aligned with State content standards and the
content of the curriculum. If reform is to be systemic, State agencies
that are working on content and curriculum must either direct the
development of assessments themselves or provide direction to LEAs to
do so.
It is imperative that State assessments take into account the needs
of all students. Therefore, funds awarded under the proposed priority
may be used to develop, modify, field-test and evaluate assessments
that take into account the needs of students with disabilities or
students who have limited English proficiency.
Awards under these proposed priorities may be jointly funded under
three statutory authorities:
(1) The Fund for the Improvement of Education (20 U.S.C. 8001);
(2) Section 618(c) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) regarding Evaluation and Program Information (20 U.S.C.
1418(c));
(3) Bilingual Education Research, Evaluation, and Dissemination
Program, authorized by Title VII, Part A, Subpart 2 of the Improving
America's Schools Act of 1994 (20 U.S.C. 7451-7452).
The Secretary has determined that the availability of this joint
funding option would enhance the Department's ability to support
projects that integrate into a single effort the development of
assessments for all students and the modification of those assessments
to take into account the needs of disabled and limited English
proficient students.
Funds provided under Section 618 of IDEA can only be used for
projects that modify, field-test, and evaluate assessments that take
into account the needs of children and youth with disabilities. A
project funded under Section 618 of IDEA should address how the
assessments will improve the ability of SEAs and LEAs to provide full
educational opportunities to children and youth with disabilities and
to better assess the progress of children and youth with disabilities
while in special education. As part of the post-award requirements for
a project funded under Section 618 of IDEA, a grantee must prepare its
procedures, findings, and other relevant information in a form that
will maximize their dissemination and use, especially through
dissemination networks and mechanisms authorized by Section 618, and in
a form for inclusion in the annual report to
[[Page 63692]]
Congress submitted pursuant to Section 618(g). Funds provided under
Section 618 may be used to fund projects proposed by applicants that
are private for-profit agencies only when necessary because of the
unique nature of the study.
In accordance with 20 U.S.C. 7452(b)(4), funds provided under the
Bilingual Education Research, Evaluation, and Dissemination Program
must be administered by individuals with expertise in bilingual
education and the needs of limited English proficient students and
their families. Funds provided under this program must be used to
improve bilingual education and special alternative instruction
programs for children and youth of limited English proficiency.
As part of the efforts to improve student assessment, the
Department made awards in FY 1995 under the Assessment Development and
Evaluation Grants Program, authorized by section 220 of the Goals 2000:
Educate America Act. Under this program, the Secretary provides grants
to SEAs, LEAs or partnerships of such agencies to help defray the costs
of developing, field-testing and evaluating State assessments aligned
to State content standards. Applications involving 43 States were
received in 1995 and grants were made to support 9 projects. The
Secretary expects these projects to develop model strategies for the
assessment of student learning that will have a significant impact on
State and local level systemic reform efforts.
Depending on the availability of funds in FY 1996 and subsequent
years, the Secretary may decide to use funds under the proposed
priorities to continue projects initially funded under the Assessment
Development and Evaluation Grants program or to fund additional
applications considered in the 1995 competition. Alternatively, the
Secretary may decide to hold a competition for new awards under the
proposed priorities.
The Secretary will announce the final priorities in a notice in the
Federal Register. The final priorities will be determined by responses
to this notice, available funds, and other considerations of the
Department. Funding of particular projects depends on the availability
of funds, the nature of the final priorities, and the quality of the
applications received. The publication of these proposed priorities
does not preclude the Secretary from proposing additional priorities,
nor does it limit the Secretary to funding only these priorities,
subject to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.
Note: This notice of proposed priorities does not solicit
applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition
will be published in the Federal Register concurrent with or
following publication of the notice of final priorities.
Proposed Absolute Priorities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary proposes to give an
absolute preference to projects that meet one or more of the following
priorities. The Secretary proposes to fund only projects that meet one
or more of these absolute priorities:
Proposed Absolute Priority 1--Projects that develop, field-test,
and evaluate assessments that are aligned to State content standards.
Proposed Absolute Priority 2--Projects that modify, field-test, and
evaluate assessments to address the needs of children and youth with
disabilities or limited English proficiency. Assessments to be modified
must be those developed under priority (1) or similar assessments
developed for all students and aligned to State content standards.
All projects must--
(a) Examine the validity and reliability of the assessment for the
particular purposes for which the assessment was developed;
(b) Ensure that the assessment is consistent with relevant,
nationally recognized professional and technical standards for
assessments;
(c) Devote special attention to how the assessment treats all
students, especially with regard to race, gender, ethnicity,
disability, and language proficiency of those students; and
(d) Be developed by, or under the direction of, an SEA, LEA, or
consortia of those agencies.
Selection Criteria
With respect to new awards made with funds from Section 618 of
IDEA, the Secretary does not intend to use the selection criteria in 34
CFR 327.31. With respect to any new awards made with funds from the
Bilingual Education Research, Evaluation, and Dissemination Program,
the Secretary does not intend to use the selection criteria in 34 CFR
75.210. The Secretary intends to use the evaluation criteria in 34 CFR
Part 700 to select all new awards under these priorities.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. The objective of the
Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a
strengthened federalism by relying on processes developed by State and
local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal
financial assistance.
In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide
early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for
this program.
Invitation To Comment
Interested persons are invited to submit comments and
recommendations regarding these proposed priorities.
All comments submitted in response to this notice will be available
for public inspection, during and after the comment period in OERI,
Room 510, 555 New Jersey Avenue, Washington, D.C., between the hours of
8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday of each week except Federal
holidays.
Applicable Program Regulations
(a) 34 CFR part 327, with the exception of 34 CFR 327.31; and (b)
the final regulations for the Standards for the Conduct and Evaluation
of Activities Carried Out by the Office of Educational Research and
Improvement (OERI)--Evaluation of applications for Grants and
Cooperative Agreements and Proposals for Contracts, published on
September 14, 1995 in the Federal Register (60 FR 47808), to be
codified as 34 CFR Part 700.
Authority: 20 U.S.C. 8001.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.215L--Fund for the
Improvement of Education Program)
Dated: December 5, 1995.
Sharon P. Robinson,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 95-30167 Filed 12-11-95; 8:45 am]
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