[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 3, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-10555]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: May 3, 1994]
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Part VI
Department of Education
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Fund for Innovation in Education: Innovation in Education Program--
Partnerships for Standards-Based Professional Development of K-12
Educators; Notice of Final Priority for Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Fund for Innovation in Education: Innovation in Education
Program--Partnerships for Standards-Based Professional Development of
K-12 Educators
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priority for fiscal years 1994 and 1995.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces an absolute priority for fiscal years
1994 and 1995 under the Fund for Innovation in Education (FIE):
Innovation in Education Program to support innovative projects that
provide K-12 teachers and other educators with sustained, high quality
professional development opportunities that are aligned with
challenging content and professional standards developed at the
national, State or local levels. The intent of this priority is to
enable school educators, working with appropriate university,
community, and business partners, to create and maintain model learning
environments that will help all students in elementary and secondary
schools achieve challenging academic standards in subjects such as
English, mathematics, science, history, geography, civics, foreign
languages, economics, and the arts.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This priority takes effect either 45 days after
publication in the Federal Register or later if the Congress takes
certain adjournments. If you want to know the effective date of this
priority, call or write the Department of Education contact person.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Jaymie Lewis or Bryan Gray, U.S. Department of
Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 522, Washington, DC 20208-
5524. Telephone: (202) 219-1496. 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: An essential step in achieving our National
Education Goals is ensuring that we have high academic expectations for
all students and that each student has the opportunity to fulfill those
expectations. Current national, State, and local efforts to define high
standards for what students should know and be able to do in the
various subject areas provide a starting point for creating the type of
learning opportunities that an education system of excellence must
provide for all members of an increasingly diverse student population.
In order to provide learning opportunities where more rigorous and
complex learning is expected of all students, teachers will need high-
quality, career-long professional development programs. Other educators
who help to create teaching and learning environments that better serve
the academic and other needs of students will need similar high-quality
professional development opportunities. Such educators might include
school and district administrators, school and university-based teacher
educators, curriculum and supervisory personnel, paraprofessionals/
instructional aides, and members of school boards. To provide effective
professional development programs for teachers and other educators,
applicants must ensure that their proposed projects are aligned with
high standards for student learning. Applicants should also consider
related standards for teacher effectiveness and for the preparation,
credentialling and continuing development of educators. More
specifically, in designing policies and practices for professional
development, applicants are urged to draw on relevant work, as
appropriate, from groups such as the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards, the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support
Consortium, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher
Education, and the National Staff Development Council.
The Secretary recognizes that successful well-articulated programs
that provide for continuous improvement of professional educators from
recruitment to retirement will require educators to work together
across traditionally separated roles and organizations. Therefore,
projects must be carried out by partnerships. Finally, the design of
professional development efforts must incorporate what is known about
developing and managing high-performance school systems that support
educational excellence and equity.
The Secretary proposes to direct financial assistance to projects
that develop new or further develop existing innovative partnerships of
school, university, community, and other entities to establish and
maintain high-quality, standards-based professional development
programs for teachers and other educators. The purpose of these
partnerships may be to improve the entire continuum of professional
development or to focus on one or more points along that continuum
(e.g., preservice, induction, inservice).
In accordance with recommendations in the Senate Report that
accompanied the Fiscal Year 1994 Department of Education Appropriation
Act, the Secretary supports development of programs based on existing
strategies, such as creating model professional development schools, or
applicants' newly designed strategies. The Secretary also recognizes
the need for professional development efforts, as identified in the
Senate Report, that prepare educators for working with other human
service professionals to address non-academic student/family problems
(e.g., drugs, violence, nutrition, unemployment) as well as other
conditions that place students at-risk for failure in school. The
Secretary is particularly interested in projects that provide relevant
professional development opportunities for educators who work in urban
school communities.
The Secretary strongly encourages the development of challenging
and feasible school-based collaborations that are based upon
appropriate research results and exemplary teaching and professional
development practices, as well as the contributions of expert school,
higher education, and community practitioners. Emphases might include
collegial strategies such as in-school mentoring for teachers; school-
university teams integrating teacher preparation and school curriculum
to effectively educate at-risk students; teacher sabbaticals to work in
model schools; and practitioner-led inquiry and reform activities.
Note: This notice of final priority does not solicit
applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition
is published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Analysis of the Comments and Changes
In response to the Secretary's invitation in the notice of proposed
priorities, eight of the eleven parties submitting comments made
recommendations. Three commenters expressed support for the priority
without any recommendations for change. An analysis of the
recommendations submitted by eight commenters follows.
Comments: One commenter recommends that the priority require
projects to include representatives from State Boards of Education on
the advisory committee since States set the standards and policies that
serve as frameworks for professional development.
Discussion: The priority requires that the advisory committee
include State education officials. This requirement ensures
representation of the State and is broad enough to include State board
members.
Changes: None.
Comments: Three commenters recommend that the priority use more
explicit language to identify the ``other'' potential project partners.
One commenter believes the priority should explicitly identify national
organizations or associations as potential partners or applicants.
Another commenter requests the inclusion of non-profit organizations.
Discussion: The Secretary supports extensive collaboration. The
priority states that partnerships must be formed that involve LEAs,
IHEs, and others. The examples of other potential partners does not
preclude national organizations, associations, or non-profit entities.
Changes: None.
Comments: One commenter requests that the National Staff
Development Council (NSDC) be cited as a resource to applicants on
staff development standards in the Supplementary Information section of
the priority. This same commenter encouraged inclusion of the NSDC's
Standards for Staff Development under the Required Activities Section
of the priority.
Discussion: The Secretary recognizes that many organizations have
already developed and recommended, or are in the process of developing
and recommending guidelines and standards for professional development.
The NSDC is a national organization representing a key professional
development audience and can appropriately be included as an example in
the Supplementary Information section of the priority. The priority
requires that projects consider the applicability of several types of
standards, including those for teacher preparation and continuing
development. The Secretary does not wish to specify particular
documents or sources in the text of the priority.
Changes: The National Staff Development Council has been added
under the Supplementary Information section of the priority.
Comments: Two commenters find the examples of possible ways to
build upon existing strategies listed in the Supplementary Information
section of the priority either too limiting or not specific enough,
e.g., model professional development school, model school, and teacher
sabbaticals.
Discussion: The Secretary used these terms in the Supplementary
Information section to give examples of possible strategies for an
applicant. The examples are illustrative only.
Changes: None.
Comments: One commenter recommends that districts and States be
allowed to align professional development with performance outcomes in
order to allow districts to continue to upgrade teacher skills to
improve student performance in locally developed performance outcomes.
Discussion: As stated, the priority allows a project to propose
this type of activity.
Changes: None.
Comments: One commenter recommends that grants up to $1 million be
awarded for up to three years.
Discussion: The Secretary expects that a project could receive up
to $1 million over a three-year period.
Changes: None.
Comments: One commenter recommends that methodology for teaching
and understanding the dynamics of at-risk youth be emphasized more.
Discussion: The priority permits projects to address the needs of
at-risk youth through this sort of focus.
Changes: None.
Comments: One commenter recommends that the Secretary support model
schools located in the inner city to demonstrate existing or newly
designed strategies.
Discussion: The priority does not preclude such projects provided
they have a professional development focus and other requirements of
the priority are met.
Changes: None.
Comments: One commenter recommends changing the language of the
required activity to allow an LEA to form a partnership with either one
or more institutions of higher education or with other qualified
educational institutions.
Discussion: The Secretary intends that projects funded under this
program form cross-institutional partnerships that will enable sites to
address the career-long development of teachers and other educators in
an integrated fashion. Therefore, collaboration among those entities
which influence educator development from recruitment through
retirement is essential.
Changes: None.
Comments: One commenter recommends that training objectives
highlight the need for teachers to become more effective in motivating
students to set and achieve their goals, and to help students
understand the direct relationship of their success in school (i.e.,
traditional academic subjects) and future success in the world of work.
Discussion: The priority does not preclude projects that help
teachers motivate students and help students understand the
relationship between their success in school and future success in the
world of work.
Changes: None.
Comments: Two commenters recommend networking and collaboration to
promote the interchange of ideas among teachers, community members,
parents and others involved in education.
Discussion: The priority as written requires partnerships that
encourage collaboration and networking.
Changes: None.
Comments: One commenter recommends adding language under Required
Activities that would provide for those with disabilities.
Discussion: The Secretary intended to emphasize the provision of
professional development opportunities that are aligned with
challenging academic content standards for all students.
Changes: ``All'' has been added to part ``a'' of Required
Activities.
Comments: One commenter recommends adding language to part ``c'' of
Required Activities to include those with expertise in the education of
children with disabilities.
Discussion: The Secretary intended that projects funded under this
program help all students achieve challenging academic standards. The
Secretary intended that groups such as experts in the field of
educating children with disabilities be involved.
Changes: The phrase ``experts in the education of children with
disabilities'' has been added to part ``c'' of Required Activities.
Comments: One commenter recommends adding arts and cultural
organizations as potential partners in these projects.
Discussion: The priority permits arts and cultural organizations to
participate as partners in these projects. However, the Secretary
intended to encourage broad participation.
Changes: The Absolute Priority section of the notice has been
revised by adding arts and cultural organizations as potential partners
in the professional development of teachers.
Priorities:
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:
Projects that design and implement innovative, high quality,
standards-based preservice, induction and/or inservice professional
development programs for K-12 teachers and other educators. Each
project must involve one or more local education agencies (LEAs)
working in partnership with one or more institutions of higher
education (IHEs) and others such as State education officials and
representatives from professional organizations, private schools, arts
and cultural organizations, business, and the community, as
appropriate. Programs and activities must be built upon relevant and
current research including a demonstrated relationship between the
professional development approach and lessons learned from relevant
research and exemplary practice. A grounding in research findings must
also be evident in the content of the professional development
activities.
Required Activities
Each project must: a. Provide professional development
opportunities that are aligned with challenging academic content
standards for all students as developed through voluntary national,
State, and/or local efforts in one or more subjects such as English,
mathematics, science, history, geography, civics, foreign languages,
economics, and the arts.
b. Consider the implications of available professional standards
such as those for beginning and expert teachers and other educators, as
well as for teacher preparation, credentialling, and ongoing staff
development as appropriate to the particular focus of the project.
c. Establish an advisory committee composed of school and
university practitioners; state education officials; experts in the
education of children with disabilities; parents; professional
organization, community and business representatives; and others as
appropriate. The advisory committee must guide the project activities
to ensure a systemic approach including cross-institutional planning,
coordination, and resource allocation.
d. Evaluate the following aspects of the project:
1. The degree to which the professional development content and
strategies reflect relevant research and exemplary practice;
2. The degree to which the project activities were actually
implemented as compared to the original design; and
3. The nature and impact of project outcomes related to improved
teaching and increased student learning and development.
The evaluation must use state-of-the-art documentation and
assessment approaches.
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.
Applicable Program Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, and 86.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 3151.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 84.215J Secretary's
Fund for Innovation in Education: Innovation in Education Program)
Dated: April 28, 1994.
Sharon P. Robinson,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 94-10555 Filed 5-2-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
