94-26759. Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program  

  • [Federal Register Volume 59, Number 208 (Friday, October 28, 1994)]
    [Unknown Section]
    [Page ]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 94-26759]
    
    
    [Federal Register: October 28, 1994]
    
    
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    Part V
    
    
    
    
    
    Department of Education
    
    
    
    
    
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    Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program; Notice
    DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
    
    
    Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program
    
    AGENCY: Department of Education.
    
    ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities.
    
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    SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes absolute priorities and a competitive 
    preference priority under the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented 
    Students Education Program. The Secretary takes this action to focus 
    Federal financial assistance on specific approaches to identifying and 
    serving gifted and talented students and to developing ways in which 
    the programs and services developed for gifted and talented students 
    can be used to benefit all children. The priorities bring special 
    attention to programs and services for students (including economically 
    disadvantaged individuals, individuals of limited-English proficiency, 
    and individuals with disabilities) who may not be identified and served 
    through traditional gifted and talented programs. The priorities also 
    encourage programs and projects to develop and improve the capability 
    of schools in an entire State or region of the Nation through 
    cooperative efforts and participation of State and local educational 
    agencies, institutions of higher education, and other public and 
    private agencies and organizations, such as business, industry, and 
    labor, to plan, conduct, and improve programs in schools using, where 
    appropriate, methods and materials developed in gifted and talented 
    programs to improve the educational opportunities for all children.
    
    DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 28, 1994.
    
    ADDRESSES: All comments concerning these proposed priorities should be 
    addressed to Pat O'Connell Ross, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New 
    Jersey Avenue NW., Room 504, Washington, D.C. 20208-5572. Comments may 
    also be sent through the internet to ``Javits__Grant@ed.gov.''
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat O'Connell Ross or Pat Knight. 
    Telephone: (202) 219-2187 or (202) 219-1768. 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 Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented 
    Students Education Program is designed to build nationwide capability 
    in gifted and talented education and encourage rich and challenging 
    curricula for all children.
        The Secretary seeks to improve the education of gifted and talented 
    children, and to use the strategies developed in gifted and talented 
    education programs to improve the education of all children in a 
    school. The Secretary believes that this is an integral part of the 
    National Education Goals, which require that every student attain 
    higher standards of academic excellence. Gifted and talented education 
    programs can contribute to systemic reform by modeling a coordinated 
    system of high standards, assessments, challenging curricula, and 
    teacher preparation to improve education. In addition, the Secretary 
    believes that the educational needs of gifted and talented students 
    from populations historically underserved by gifted and talented 
    education programs must be addressed.
        In order to carry out these improvements, the Secretary proposes a 
    priority that would support the development of model demonstration 
    programs that focus on economically disadvantaged children, children 
    with limited English proficiency or children with disabilities. The 
    projects will be required to involve a school or schools that serve at 
    least 50 percent low-income children and to incorporate professional 
    development of staff and training of parents into their programs.
        In addition, the Secretary proposes a second priority that 
    encourages cooperative efforts of technical assistance and information 
    dissemination throughout a State or region that focuses on how programs 
    and methods for teaching gifted and talented students, where 
    appropriate, could be adapted to improve instruction for all students 
    in schools.
        In both proposed priorities, the projects must be based on 
    challenging content and performance standards in one or more of the 
    core subject areas, and include comprehensive improvement plans for the 
    school or schools involved in the projects. These priorities focus on 
    projects that incorporate challenging content and performance standards 
    in the core subjects because the Secretary believes that this is the 
    most promising way to raise students' achievement.
        The Secretary estimates that at least 75 percent of available funds 
    will be used to support model projects in schools, and 25 percent of 
    available funds will support technical assistance and dissemination 
    projects.
        For the first priority involving model programs, the Secretary 
    proposes to direct financial assistance to projects that primarily 
    benefit urban or rural areas that have been designated as Empowerment 
    Zones or Enterprise Communities in accordance with Section 1391 of the 
    Internal Revenue Code (IRC), as amended by Title XIII of the Omnibus 
    Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1993.
    
    Background on Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community Program
    
        The Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program is a critical 
    element of the Administration's community revitalization strategy. The 
    program is the first step in rebuilding communities in America's 
    poverty-stricken inner cities and rural heartlands. It is designed to 
    empower people and communities by inspiring Americans to work together 
    to create jobs and opportunity.
        Under this program, the Federal government will designate up to 
    nine areas as Empowerment Zones and up to 95 areas as Enterprise 
    Communities in accordance with Internal Revenue Code section 1311, as 
    amended by Title XIII of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 
    (Pub. L. 103-66). To be eligible for designation, an area must be 
    nominated by one or more local governments and the State or States in 
    which it is located or by a State-Chartered Economic Development 
    Corporation. A nominated area must be one of pervasive poverty, 
    unemployment, and general distress, and must have a poverty rate of not 
    less than the level specified in section 1392 of the Internal Revenue 
    Code.
        In the Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program 
    communities are invited to submit strategic plans that comprehensively 
    address how the community would link economic development with 
    education and training as well as how community development, public 
    safety, human services, and environmental initiatives will together 
    support sustainable communities. Empowerment Zones and Enterprise 
    Communities will be designated by the Department of Agriculture and the 
    Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) based on the quality 
    of their strategic plans. Designated areas will receive Federal grant 
    funds and substantial tax benefits and will have access to other 
    Federal programs. (For additional information on the Empowerment Zones 
    and Enterprise Community program contact HUD at 1-800-998-9999.)
        The Department of Education is supporting the Empowerment Zone and 
    Enterprise Community initiative in a variety of ways. It is encouraging 
    Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities to use funds they already 
    receive from Department of Education programs (including Chapter 1 of 
    Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Drug-Free 
    Schools and Communities Act, the Adult Education Act, and the Carl D. 
    Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act) to support the 
    comprehensive vision of their strategic plans. In addition, the 
    Department of Education intends to give preferences to Empowerment 
    Zones and Enterprise Communities in a number of discretionary grant 
    programs that are well suited for inclusion in a comprehensive approach 
    to economic and community development. In addition to the Javits Gifted 
    and Talented Students Education program described in this notice, the 
    Department intends to give preferences to Empowerment Zones and 
    Enterprise Communities in the Urban Community Service program, National 
    Workplace Literacy program, the Rehabilitation Act Projects with 
    Industry program, the Rehabilitation Act Special Demonstration Projects 
    program, the Parent Training program, and the Early Childhood Education 
    program under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and a 
    variety of discretionary programs under the Elementary and Secondary 
    Education Act. Notices concerning those programs will be published at a 
    later date.
        The Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community initiative and the 
    Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program share some common 
    features. Both programs are concerned with the educational advancement 
    of students caught in high-poverty communities. Under the Javits Gifted 
    and Talented Students Education Program, at least one-half of the 
    grants in any given year must serve students who are economically 
    disadvantaged, limited English proficient or who have disabilities.
        Communities who are designated under the Empowerment Zone and 
    Enterprise Community program will already have demonstrated a capacity 
    for the type of cooperative planning that allows communities to use, 
    where appropriate, methods and materials developed in gifted and 
    talented programs to improve the educational opportunities for all 
    children.
    
        Note: This notice of proposed priorities does not solicit 
    applications. A notice inviting applications under these priorities 
    for fiscal year 1995 will be published in the Federal Register 
    concurrent with or following publication of the notice of final 
    priorities.
    
    Priorities
    
        The Secretary proposes that at least 75 percent of available funds 
    will support model projects in schools developed under absolute 
    priority number one, and 25 percent of available funds will support 
    technical assistance and dissemination projects developed under 
    absolute priority number 2.
        Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary proposes to give an 
    absolute preference to applications that meet one of the following two 
    priorities. The Secretary proposes to fund under this competition only 
    applications that meet one of these absolute priorities:
    
    Proposed Absolute Priority 1--Model Programs
    
        Projects that establish and operate model programs for serving 
    gifted and talented students in schools in which at least 50 percent of 
    the students enrolled are from low-income families.
        Projects must include students who may not be served by traditional 
    gifted and talented programs, including economically disadvantaged 
    students, individuals of limited English proficiency and individuals 
    with disabilities. The projects must incorporate high-level content and 
    performance standards in one or more of the core subject areas as well 
    as utilize innovative teaching strategies. The projects must provide 
    comprehensive ongoing professional development opportunities for staff. 
    The projects must incorporate training for parents in ways to support 
    their children's educational progress. There must also be a 
    comprehensive evaluation of the projects' activities.
    
    Proposed Competitive Preference Priority--Empowerment Zone or 
    Enterprise Community
    
        Within this proposed absolute priority concerning model projects, 
    the Secretary, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), proposes to give 
    preference to applications that meet the following competitive 
    priority. The Secretary proposes to award five (5) points to an 
    application that meets this competitive priority. These points would be 
    in addition to any points the application earns under the selection 
    criteria for the program.
        Projects that implement model programs in one or more schools in an 
    Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community. Applicants must ensure that 
    the proposed program relates to the strategic plan and will be an 
    integral part of the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community program.
    
    Proposed Absolute Priority 2--Technical Assistance and Information 
    Dissemination Throughout a State or Region
    
        Projects to provide technical assistance and disseminate 
    information throughout a State or region to improve the capability of 
    schools to plan, conduct and improve programs for serving gifted and 
    talented students. Projects must include assistance and information on 
    how programs and methods for teaching gifted and talented students can 
    be adapted, where appropriate, to improve instruction for all students 
    in schools. These projects must be based on challenging content and 
    performance standards in one or more of the core subject areas, and 
    incorporate innovative teaching strategies. The projects must involve 
    cooperative efforts among State and local education agencies, 
    institutions of higher education, and/or other public and private 
    agencies and organizations (including business, industry, and labor).
    
    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 Room 
    504, 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., between the hours 
    of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday of each week except 
    Federal holidays.
        Applicable Regulations: 34 CFR Part 791, Javits Gifted and Talented 
    Students Education Grant Program.
    
        Program Authority: Part B of Title III of the Elementary and 
    Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended.
    
    (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.073A, Jacob K. 
    Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program).
    
        Dated: October 21, 1994.
    Sharon P. Robinson,
    Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
    [FR Doc. 94-26759 Filed 10-27-94; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
10/28/1994
Department:
Education Department
Entry Type:
Uncategorized Document
Action:
Notice of proposed priorities.
Document Number:
94-26759
Dates:
Comments must be received on or before November 28, 1994.
Pages:
0-0 (None pages)
Docket Numbers:
Federal Register: October 28, 1994