[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 68 (Monday, April 10, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18298-18299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8744]
[[Page 18297]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part V
Department of Education
_______________________________________________________________________
Eisenhower Regional Mathematics and Science Education Consortium;
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1995;
Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 68 / Monday, April 10, 1995 /
Notices
[[Page 18298]]
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No. 84.168R]
Eisenhower Regional Mathematics and Science Education Consortium;
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1995
Purpose of Program: To award grants to support the establishment
and operation of regional mathematics and science consortia.
Eligible Applicants: Private nonprofit organizations, institutions
of higher education, elementary or secondary schools, State or local
education agencies, regional educational laboratories in consortium
with federally-supported research and development centers established
under section 931(c)(1)(B)(i) of the Educational Research, Development,
Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994 (``Act''), (20 U.S.C.
6031)(c)(1)(B)(i), or any combination of these entities.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 16, 1995.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 15, 1995.
Applications Available: April 17, 1995.
Available Funds: $15,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000-$1,500,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,500,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10-12.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Budget Period: 12 months.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, and 86.
Supplementary Information: Congress first authorized the
establishment of ten regional consortia in 1988 in order to support
improvement of mathematics and science education throughout the nation.
The purposes of these regional consortia are to coordinate mathematics
and science resources within the region, disseminate exemplary
mathematics and science educational instructional materials, and
provide technical assistance for the implementation of teaching methods
and assessment tools for use by elementary and secondary school
students, teachers, and administrators. The regional consortia have
been reauthorized under the Improving America' Schools Act of 1994 (20
U.S.C. 8671-8677) to continue this work.
The new legislation stipulates that the regions are the same as
those for the currently-funded regional educational laboratories
supported by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. The
statutory list of eligible entities includes: (a) A private nonprofit
organization of demonstrated effectiveness; (b) an institution of
higher education; (c) an elementary or secondary school; (d) a state or
local education agency; (e) a Regional Educational Laboratory in
consortium with the Research and Development Center established under
Section 931(c)(1)(B)(i) of the Educational Research, Development,
Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994, or (f) any combination of
these entities. All eligible entities shall have demonstrated expertise
in mathematics and science education. The project periods for the
current research and development centers will expire in early December,
1995. Awards for new research and development centers under Section
931(c)(1)(B)(i) of the Act will not be made when the applicants for the
regional consortia submit their proposals for review. Therefore, each
Regional Education Laboratory applicant must provide an assurance that
it will form a consortium with a research and development center with
demonstrated expertise in mathematics or science education if such
centers are reestablished under section 931(c)(1)(B)(i).
The Secretary believes that the regional consortia supported
through this grant competition should play an important role in
coordinating mathematics and science education resources for the States
and local education agencies in their regions. In particular, he
believes the regional consortia should work cooperatively with other
organizations committed to improving mathematics and science education
in schools, including those funded by the Department of Education (ED)
and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Secretary believes that
cooperative efforts with the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for
Science and Mathematics should be continued and enhanced.
Invitational Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1), the Secretary is
interested in applications that meet the following invitational
priority. However, an application that meets this invitational priority
does not receive competitive or absolute preference over other
applications.
Development and Operation of Regional Consortia to Support Systemic
Reform in Mathematics and Science at the Elementary and Secondary
Grades
The authorizing statute establishes many activities that the
Regional Consortia may undertake. However, the Secretary believes that
the consortia should focus their activities to achieve maximum impact.
The Secretary therefore urges the applicants to focus on the following
activities:
(A) Collaborate with others within the region involved in systemic
reform of mathematics and science education.
(B) Develop a plan that establishes priorities for what services
will be provided by the consortium to schools and teachers in each
state in the region, including criteria the consortium will use to
determine who receives direct services from the regional consortium.
(C) Provide training and assistance to classroom teachers,
administrators, and other educators to enable them to instruct other
teachers, administrators, and educators, particularly those working
with at-risk students, in the use of instructional materials, teaching
methods and assessment tools for mathematics and science education that
will help students achieve challenging State content and student
performance standards. This should include assistance in using new
forms of technology, including on-line electronic systems, in schools
and classrooms.
(D) Promote the increased use of informal education entities (such
as science technology centers, museums, libraries, Saturday academies,
and 4H programs) to expand student knowledge and understanding of
mathematics and science.
(E) Collaborate with the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for
Mathematics and Science Education in identifying instructional
resources for inclusion in the Clearinghouse data base and
disseminating information about that data base, and by providing
feedback to the Clearinghouse on the quality and effectiveness of its
products and operations.
(F) Collect data on consortium activities, especially data on
outcomes and impact, that will be useful in evaluating the
effectiveness of these activities.
Selection Criteria: The Secretary evaluates an application on the
basis of selection criteria under 34 CFR 75.210. Under 34 CFR
75.210(c), the Secretary is authorized to distribute an additional 15
points among the criteria to bring the total to a maximum of 100
points. For the purpose of this competition, the Secretary will
distribute the additional points as follows: [[Page 18299]]
Plan of Operation. (34 CFR 75.210(b)(3)). Ten (10) additional
points will be added for a possible total of 25 points for this
criterion.
Evaluation Plan. (34 CFR 75.210(b)(6)). Five (5) additional points
will be added for a possible total of 10 points for this criterion.
For Applications or Information Contact: Liz Barnes at (202) 219-
2210 or Jim Clemmens at (202) 219-2068, or fax (202) 219-2106, U.S.
Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., Room 500,
Washington, DC 20208-5572. 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.
Information about the Department's funding opportunities, including
copies of application notices for discretionary grant competitions, can
be viewed on the Department's electronic bulletin board (ED Board),
telephone (202) 260-9950; or on the Internet Gopher Server at
GOPHER.ED.GOV (under Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases).
However, the official application notice for a discretionary grant
competition is the notice published in the Federal Register.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 8671-8677.
Dated: April 5, 1995.
Sharon P. Robinson,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 95-8744 Filed 4-7-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
