[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 116 (Thursday, June 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37682-37684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15248]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.297A]


Office of Elementary and Secondary Education-School Improvement 
Programs; The Native Hawaiian Curriculum Development, Teacher Training 
and Recruitment Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year 
(FY) 2000.

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    Purposes of Program: The Native Hawaiian Curriculum Development, 
Teacher Training and Recruitment Program supports--
    (1) Curricula Development--the development of curricula to address 
the needs of Native Hawaiian students, particularly elementary and 
secondary students, which may include programs of instruction conducted 
in the Native Hawaiian language and mathematics and science curricula 
incorporating the relevant application of Native Hawaiian culture and 
traditions;
    (2) Preteacher Training--the development and implementation of 
preservice teacher training to ensure

[[Page 37683]]

that student teachers within the State, particularly those who are 
likely to be employed in schools with a high concentration of Native 
Hawaiian students, are prepared to better address the unique needs of 
Native Hawaiian students within the context of Native Hawaiian culture, 
language, and traditions;
    (3) Inservice Teacher Training--the development and implementation 
of inservice teacher training to ensure that teachers, particularly 
those employed in schools with a high concentration of Native Hawaiian 
students, are prepared to better address the unique needs of Native 
Hawaiian students within the context of Native Hawaiian culture, 
language, and traditions; and
    (4) Teacher Recruitment--the development and implementation of 
teacher recruitment programs to enhance teacher recruitment within 
communities with a high concentration of Native Hawaiian students and 
to increase the numbers of teachers who are of Native Hawaiian 
ancestry.
    Consistent with these statutory purposes, the Secretary has 
established absolute priorities (published elsewhere in this issue of 
the Federal Register) that will govern the distribution of funds under 
the program.
    Eligible Applicants: Native Hawaiian educational organizations or 
educational entities with experience in developing or operating Native 
Hawaiian programs or programs of instruction conducted in the Native 
Hawaiian language.
    Applications Available: June 14, 2000.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 14, 2000.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 14, 2000.
    Available Funds: $2,600,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 7.
    Estimated Size of Awards: $371,429.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000--$400,000.

    Note:
    These estimates are projections for the guidance of potential 
applicants. The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 36 months.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
    Absolute Priorities: The Secretary has published elsewhere in this 
issue of the Federal Register a notice of final priorities, which 
establishes absolute priorities in the following areas under the 
Curriculum Development, Teacher Training and Recruitment Program: (1) 
Computer literacy and technology education; (2) agriculture education 
partnerships; (3) astronomy; (4) indigenous health; (5) waste 
management; (6) prisoner education; and (7) marine resource management.
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary will fund under this 
competition only applications that focus entirely on activities in one 
of the seven absolute priorities.
    Statutory Priorities: In accordance with section 9209(b) of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Secretary gives priority to 
awarding grants for activities that--
    (1) Focus on the needs of at-risk youth; or
    (2) Employ a program of instruction conducted in the Native 
Hawaiian language.
    These statutory priorities are included in the selection criteria 
for this competition.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Applications will be reviewed on the basis 
of the selection criteria included in this notice. All funded projects 
must meet one of the absolute priorities. While applicants have 
discretion in determining how best to address the absolute priorities, 
the Secretary is particularly interested in receiving quality proposals 
that include the components described below. Funded proposals may lack 
some of these specific components, but must then address the absolute 
priorities in other effective ways.
    (1) Computer literacy and technology education. While computer 
skills have become increasingly necessary for both academic and 
employment success in today's society, many Native Hawaiian students 
lack meaningful access to computers and computer training. The 
Secretary believes that high-quality computer literacy and technology 
education programs should be conducted for Native Hawaiian elementary 
and secondary school students. These model programs should consist of 
curricula development, teacher training, and programs of instruction 
designed to increase both academic and career opportunities for 
elementary and secondary students. In providing these services, 
eligible entities are encouraged to partner with other organizations or 
institutions with expertise in utilizing state-of-the-art centralized 
computer systems and teleconferencing capabilities.
    (2) Agriculture education partnerships. In order to improve the 
economic and social conditions in many rural areas of Hawaii, the 
Secretary supports the expansion of partnerships between community-
based agricultural businesses and high schools with high concentrations 
of Native Hawaiian students. These agriculture education partnerships 
would integrate agricultural and business practices into high school 
curricula through model programs involving curricula development, 
teacher training, and instructional programs.
    (3) Astronomy. The Secretary believes that the development of 
instructional programs for elementary and secondary school students in 
astronomy would assist Native Hawaiians in reaching challenging science 
and mathematics standards. Model programs would include the development 
of culturally appropriate advanced mathematics and science curricula 
based upon recent scientific findings in the field of astronomy. 
Exposure to the use of observatory and other astronomical equipment as 
well as other experiential and hands-on activities would be fostered 
through such programs.
    (4) Indigenous health programs. Because of a lack of available 
instruction in Native Hawaiian traditional medicine, knowledge of 
traditional healing practices is being lost for younger generations of 
Native Hawaiians. Younger Native Hawaiians are not being trained 
adequately, for example, on where traditional medicines can be found, 
how they can be harvested in a manner that will conserve the resource, 
and how such medicines are to be applied. The Secretary believes that 
this problem can be addressed through the support of teacher training, 
curriculum development, and instructional activities in traditional 
medicine.
    (5) Prisoner education. In Hawaii, the number of incarcerated 
Native Hawaiians, including Native Hawaiian juveniles, far exceeds 
their relative percentage of the State's population. The Secretary 
believes that a successful prisoner education program would target 
convicted, at-risk Native Hawaiian youths as an alternative to 
incarceration. A comprehensive program should consist of prevention, 
intervention, and treatment services as well as education, job 
training, judicial, and case management services. A funded applicant 
should have experience in working with, and in encouraging the re-
integration of, youth offenders into schools or career paths or both 
within the community in a culturally sensitive manner. To help ensure 
success of the program, funded applicants should work in partnership 
with the Hawaii State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the 
Office of Youth Services, or other appropriate agencies.

[[Page 37684]]

    (6) Waste management treatment programs. Funds under this priority 
support curriculum development, teaching training, and instructional 
programs related to the study and documentation of traditional Hawaiian 
practices of sustainable waste management, including activities to 
prepare Native Hawaiians to participate actively in the risk assessment 
and remediation of environmental health hazards that affect Native 
Hawaiians. A successful applicant should have specific knowledge of the 
capacities of Native Hawaiian plants and animals to contribute to the 
management of modern waste materials. The applicant should have 
experience in educational programming, especially for elementary and 
secondary school grades, so that knowledge about traditional Hawaiian 
methods of sustainable waste management can be developed and used. The 
project may include an emphasis on environmental technologies 
applicable to the remediation of environmental health risks in Hawaiian 
homelands and in surplus Federal lands subject to reuse.
    (7) Marine resource management. To support programs designed to 
teach Native Hawaiian elementary and secondary students about 
traditional fishery management techniques used in the Native Hawaiian 
culture.
    Selection Criteria: The Secretary will use the following selection 
criteria in 34 CFR 75.210 to evaluate applications under each of the 
competitions in the notice. (The specific selection criteria and 
factors that will be used in evaluating applications are detailed in 
the application package). The maximum score for all of the selection 
criteria is 100 points. The maximum points for each criterion is as 
follows:
    (a) Significance--15 points.
    (a) Quality of Project Design--35 points.
    (b) Quality of Project Personnel--10 points.
    (c) Adequacy of Resources--5 points.
    (d) Quality of Management Plan--15 points.
    (e) Quality of the Project Evaluation--20 points.
    For Applications and Information Contact: Mrs. Lynn Thomas, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., FOB6, Room 3C124, 
Mail Stop 6140, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone 202-260-1541. The e-
mail address for Mrs. Thomas is: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#325e4b5c5c6d465a5d5f53417257561c555d44"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="127e6b7c7c4d667a7d7f73615277763c757d64">[email protected]</span></a>.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format, also, by contacting that person. 
However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative 
format the standard forms included in the application package.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may review this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at either of the 
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html 

    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at either of the previous sites. If you have any questions about 
using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office, toll free at 1-
888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Domestic Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html


    Dated: June 12, 2000.
Michael Cohen,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 00-15248 Filed 6-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U


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