[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 25, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20322-20324]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-10102]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Education Program--National
Research and Development Center
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priority, selection criteria and post-award
requirements for fiscal year 1995.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces a priority, selection criteria, and
post-award requirements for fiscal year 1995. The Secretary takes this
action to support a national research and development center to study
the education of gifted and talented children and youth. The work of
the center is intended to increase knowledge related to improving
educational practices so that the nation's gifted and talented children
and youth may better contribute to the national welfare. The priority
is intended to increase knowledge related to improving educational
practices for all students.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This notice of final priority, selection criteria and
post-award requirements takes effect May 25, 1995.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly E. Coleman, U.S. Department of
Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Room 610F, Washington, D.C.
20208-5573. Telephone: (202) 219-2280; E-mail: bcoleman@inet.ed.gov.
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 Secretary seeks to improve the education
of gifted and talented children and youth and to use the methods and
materials developed in gifted and talented education programs to
improve education for all children. This is an integral part of
advancing the National Education Goals and GOALS 2000, which require
that all students attain high standards of academic excellence. Gifted
and talented education programs and methods can contribute to systemic
reform, in which schoolwide efforts are used to coordinate high
standards, assessments, challenging curricula, and teacher preparation
to improve the education of all students. The Secretary also believes
that the educational needs of gifted and talented students from
populations historically underserved by gifted education programs
deserve particular attention.
Under the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education
Act of 1994 (Javits Act) as authorized by the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 as amended, the Secretary seeks to provide
support for a national research and development center designed to
conduct sound and coherent education research programs on methods and
techniques for gifted and talented education. A deliberate, sustained,
and coordinated initiative must be undertaken to carry out research and
development activities related to improving the education of gifted and
talented students.
The Secretary plans to make the award under this competition as a
cooperative agreement. Applicants for the award must be institutions of
higher education, State educational agencies, or a combination of these
entities. The Secretary believes that this center can strengthen its
capacity to accomplish the work of its mission by involving partners
such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), tribal
colleges, community colleges, or state and local education research
organizations. As described in the Javits Act, the purpose of the
center is to increase the understanding of how to improve the education
of gifted and talented students, including those who may not be
identified or served through traditional assessment methods and
programs, such as economically disadvantaged individuals, individuals
of limited-English proficiency, and individuals with disabilities.
Furthermore, the Secretary believes that the experience and knowledge
gained in developing and implementing programs for gifted and talented
students can and should be used as a basis to develop
[[Page 20323]] rich and challenging curricula for all students, and to
design instructional strategies and other means to improve all
students' education. Finally, the Secretary believes that educators
should consider the schoolwide impact of gifted and talented programs.
In the course of developing this final priority, selection criteria
and post-award requirements, the Secretary has followed legally
mandated procedures for rulemaking. On January 12, 1995, the Secretary
published a notice in the Federal Register (60 FR 2956) inviting
written public comments to be submitted on or before February 27, 1995.
Note: This notice of final priority, selection criteria and
post-award requirements does not solicit applications. A notice
inviting applications under this competition is published elsewhere
in this issue of the Federal Register.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to the Secretary's invitation in the notice of proposed
priority, selection criteria, and post-award requirements, two parties
submitted comments. An analysis of the comments follows.
Comments: One commenter wrote to endorse the current grantee. One
commenter wrote to express concern that the proposed absolute priority
requiring applicants to submit plans to establish a national research
and development center that contributes to increasing the capacity of
educational systems to provide all students with equal opportunities to
learn to high standards and achieve educational success might shift the
focus away from the needs of students with high abilities and unusual
talents and undercut many reform efforts.
Discussion: Under the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students
Education Act of 1994, Congress found and declared that, ``(8) the
experience and knowledge gained in developing and implementing programs
for gifted and talented students can and should be used as a basis to--
``(A) develop a rich and challenging curriculum for all students; and
``(B) provide all students with important and challenging subject
matter to study and encourage the habits of hard work.''
Changes: None.
Comments: The Department's review revealed an inadvertent omission
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION listing of partners that might
strengthen the center's capacity to accomplish its mission. Tribal
colleges should have been included in the list.
Discussion: The Secretary believes that a partnership with tribal
colleges could strengthen the center's capacity to accomplish its
mission and to better serve a special population of gifted and talented
students who may not be identified and served through traditional
assessment methods.
Changes: The list of partners has been revised to include tribal
colleges.
Absolute Priority
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary gives an absolute
preference to applications that meet the following priority. The
Secretary funds under this competition only applications that meet this
absolute priority:
Each project must propose plans to establish a national research
and development center that--
Conducts research and development activities concerning
the educational needs of children and youth who give evidence of high
performance capability in areas such as intellectual, creative,
artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and
who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the
school in order to fully develop such capabilities;
Contributes to increasing the capacity of educational
systems to provide all students with equal opportunities to learn to
high standards and achieve educational success;
Uses research methods in at least some of its studies that
involve advanced or innovative quantitative or qualitative techniques
of sampling, data gathering, conceptualization and measurement of
variables, data analyses, and interdisciplinary perspectives;
Conducts one or more definitive research studies that have
national implications and that will inform policy or practice across
the nation; i.e., use large representative samples and rigorous
scientific techniques that preclude biased results and support
generalizable, replicable findings concerning the education of sizable
populations of children or youth;
Includes research and development activities related to
the following topics:
(a) Identifying, teaching, and serving gifted and talented
students;
(b) Improving the education of gifted and talented students who may
not be identified and served through traditional assessment methods and
programs, (including economically disadvantaged individuals,
individuals of limited-English proficiency, and individuals with
disabilities);
(c) Using knowledge and experience gained in developing and
implementing gifted and talented programs and methods to serve all
students; and
(d) Understanding the effects of gifted education programs on the
educational achievement of students schoolwide; and
Documents, reports, and disseminates its research
activities in ways that will allow others to use the research results.
Selection Criteria
The Secretary will not use the selection criteria established in
the Javits Gifted and Talented Program regulations, 34 CFR 791.21. The
Secretary will use selection criteria consistent with the provisions
for the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination and
Improvement Act of 1994. The Secretary will use the following selection
criteria to evaluate applications for the center award. The maximum
score for all these criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each
criterion is indicated in parentheses:
(a) Research Mission and Technical Soundness. (40 points) The
Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality and
significance of the center's overall research agenda, definitive study
or studies, and other individual research projects, including--
(1) The coherence, significance, and technical merits of the
center's research projects and agenda, in the context of the current
state of the field; and
(2) The importance, quality of design and methodological rigor of
the center's definitive study or studies.
(b) Personnel. (30 points) The Secretary reviews each application
to determine the qualifications and time commitments of the center's
personnel, including--
(1) The time commitment, experiences, and expertise of the primary
researchers enabling them to achieve the center's mission; and
(2) The qualifications of the Director and support staff, and
whether they will commit at least a majority of their time to center
activities.
(c) Institutional Arrangements. (30 points) The Secretary reviews
each application to evaluate the capacity of the center's institutional
structure and arrangements to support the center's projects and
objectives, including--
(1) The center's ability to respond to and provide leadership for
those who can use or benefit from the center's research;
(2) The center's plans to support, monitor, and complete research
projects that meet the highest standards of professional excellence;
and
(3) The center's ability to disseminate useful research findings
and other information to appropriate audiences in [[Page 20324]] ways
that will maximize the benefits of its work.
Post-Award Requirements
The Secretary will use the following post-award requirements to
evaluate applications for the center award. The post-award requirements
are consistent with the Educational Research, Development,
Dissemination and Improvement Act of 1994. A grantee receiving a center
award shall--
(a) Provide OERI with information about center projects and
products and other appropriate research information so that OERI can
monitor center progress and maintain its inventory of funded research
projects. This information must be provided through media that include
an electronic network;
(b) Conduct and evaluate research projects in conformity to the
highest professional standards of research practice; and
(c) Reserve five percent of each budget period's funds to support
activities that fall within the center's mission, are designed and
mutually agreed to by both the center and OERI, and enhance OERI's
ability to carry out its mission. Such activities may include
developing research agendas, conducting research projects,
collaborating with other federally-supported entities, and engaging in
leadership and dissemination activities.
The Secretary believes that use of the selection criteria will
improve the quality of applications, and that the post-award
requirements will enhance the quality of the center's research,
development, and dissemination activities.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 10204.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.206, Jacob K.
Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program)
Dated: April 19, 1995.
Sharon P. Robinson,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 95-10102 Filed 4-24-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
