18006 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 70 / Friday, April 11, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA Number: 84.308B]

Office of Educational Research and

Improvement (OERI)—Education

Research and Development Centers

Program (Center on Policy and

Teaching Excellence); Notice Inviting

Applications for a New Award for

Fiscal Year (FY) 1997

Purpose of Program: To support a

national research and development

center to carry out sustained research

that will lead to improvements in

policymaking and policies to support

excellence in teaching.

Eligible Applicants: Institutions of

higher education, institutions of higher

education in consort with public

agencies or private nonprofit

organizations, and interstate agencies

established by compact that operate

subsidiary bodies established to conduct

postsecondary educational research and

development.

Deadline for Receipt of Applications:

June 6, 1997.

Note: All applications must be received on

or before that date. This requirement takes

exception to EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.102. In

accordance with the Administrative

Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), it is the

practice of the Secretary to offer interested

parties the opportunity to comment on

proposed regulations. However, this

amendment makes procedural changes only

and does not establish new substantive

policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A),

proposed rulemaking is not required.

Applications Available: April 17,

1997

Estimated Available Funds: The

estimated funding level over the fiveyear project period for the national

research center on policy and teaching

excellence is $1,500,000 each year.

Actual funding will depend upon the

availability of funds and needs as

reflected in the approved application.

Estimated Number of Awards: 1.

Note: The Department is not bound by any

estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81, 82, 85,

and 86; and (b) the regulations in 34

CFR Part 700.

Priority: The absolute priority in the

notice of final priority and post-award

requirements for this program, as

published elsewhere in this issue of the

Federal Register apply to this

competition.

Selection Criteria

(a) The Secretary uses the selection

criteria in 20 U.S.C. 6031(c)(3)(E) (i)–(vi)

and 34 CFR 700.30(e) to evaluate

applications for new grants under this

program.

(b) (1) The Secretary has incorporated

the statutory selection criteria into the

criteria established under 34 CFR

700.30. The statutory criteria are:

(3)(ii)(C), (4)(ii)(D), (4)(ii)(E), (5)(ii)(D),

(5)(ii)(E), and (5)(ii)(F).

(2) The maximum score for each

criterion is indicated in parentheses (34

CFR 700.3(c)).

(3) The maximum score for all of

these criteria is 100 points.

(c) The criteria.

(1) National Significance. (30 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the

national significance of the proposed

project.

(ii) In determining the national

significance of the proposed project, the

Secretary considers the following

factors:

(A) The importance of the problem or

issue to be addressed.

(B) The potential contribution of the

project to increased knowledge or

understanding of educational problems,

issues, or effective strategies.

(C) The potential contribution of the

project to the development and

advancement of theory and knowledge

in the field of study.

(D) The nature of the products (such

as information, materials, processes, or

techniques) likely to result from the

project and the potential for their

effective use in a variety of other

settings.

(2) Quality of the Project Design. (30

points)

(i) The Secretary considers the quality

of the design of the proposed project.

(ii) In determining the quality of the

design of the proposed project, the

Secretary considers the following

factors:

(A) Whether there is a conceptual

framework underlying the proposed

activities and the quality of that

framework.

(B) Whether the proposed activities

constitute a coherent, sustained program

of research and development in the

field, including a substantial addition to

an ongoing line of inquiry.

(C) The extent to which the research

design includes a thorough, high-quality

review of the relevant literature, a highquality plan for research activities, and

use of appropriate theoretical and

methodological tools, including those of

a variety of disciplines, where

appropriate.

(D) The quality of the plan for

evaluating the functioning and impact

of the project, including the objectivity

of the evaluation and the extent to

which the methods of evaluation are

appropriate to the goals, objectives, and

outcomes of the project.

(3) Quality and Potential

Contributions of Personnel. (20 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the quality

and potential contributions of personnel

for the proposed project.

(ii) In determining the quality and

potential contributions of personnel for

the proposed project, the Secretary

considers the following factors:

(A) The qualifications, including

training and experience, of the project

director or principal investigator.

(B) The qualifications, including

training and experience, of key project

personnel.

(C) Whether the applicant has

assembled a group of high quality

researchers sufficient to achieve the

mission of the center.

(4) Adequacy of Resources. (10 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the

adequacy of resources for the proposed

project.

(ii) In determining the adequacy of

resources for the proposed project, the

Secretary considers the following

factors:

(A) The adequacy of support from the

lead applicant organization.

(B) The relevance and commitment of

each partner in the project to the

implementation and success of the

project.

(C) Whether the costs are reasonable

in relation to the objectives, design, and

potential significance of the project.

(D) Whether the proposed

organizational structure and

arrangements will facilitate achievement

of the mission of the center.

(E) Whether the directors and support

staff will devote a majority of their time

to the activities of the center.

(5) Quality of the Management Plan.

(10 points)

(i) The Secretary considers the quality

of the management plan of the proposed

project.

(ii) In determining the quality of the

management plan of a proposed project,

the Secretary considers the following

factors:

(A) The adequacy of the management

plan to achieve the objectives of the

project, including the specification of

staff responsibility, timelines, and

benchmarks for accomplishing project

tasks.

(B) The adequacy of plans for

ensuring high-quality products and

services.

(C) How the applicant will ensure that

a diversity of perspectives are brought to

bear in the operation of the project,
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 70 / Friday, April 11, 1997 / Notices 18007

including those of parents and teachers,

where appropriate.

(D) Whether there is substantial staff

commitment to the work of the center.

(E) The contributions of primary

researchers (other than researchers at

the proposed center) and the

appropriateness of such researchers’

experiences and expertise in the context

of the proposed center activities, and

the adequacy of such primary

researchers’ time and commitment to

achievement of the mission of the

center.

(F) The manner in which the results

of the education research will be

disseminated for further use, including

how the center will work with the

Office of Reform Assistance and

Dissemination.

For Applications or Information

Contact: Ron Anson, U.S. Department of

Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue,

N.W., Washington, D.C. 20208–5510.

Telephone: (202) 219–2214. Internet

address: (ronlanson@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.

Information about the Department’s

funding opportunities, including copies

of application notices or discretionary

grant competitions, can be viewed on

the Department’s electronic bulletin

board (ED Board), telephone (202) 260–

9950; on the Internet Gopher Server (at

gopher://gcs.ed.gov); or on the World

Wide Web (at http://gcs.ed.gov).

However, the official application notice

for a discretionary grant competition is

the notice published in the Federal

Register.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C.

6031(c)(1)(B)(i).

Dated: April 7, 1997.

Ramon C. Cortines,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational

Research and Improvement.

[FR Doc. 97–9314 Filed 4–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Educational Research and

Development Centers Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of final priority for fiscal

year (FY) 1997.

SUMMARY: The Secretary announces a

final priority under the Educational

Research and Development Centers

Program. The Secretary takes this action

to support research on policymaking

and policy structures to achieve

excellence in teaching.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This priority takes effect

on May 12, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron

Anson, U.S. Department of Education,

555 New Jersey Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20208–5510.

Telephone: (202) 219–2214. Internet:

(ronlanson@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 Office

of Educational Research and

Improvement, authorized under Title IX

of Public Law 103–227, (20 U.S.C. 6001

et seq.) supports educational research

and development activities. The

National Institute on Educational

Governance, Finance, Policy-Making,

and Management is one of five research

institutes that carry out coordinated and

comprehensive programs of research,

development, evaluation, and

dissemination activities designed to

provide research-based leadership for

the improvement of education.

The National Institute on Educational

Governance, Finance, Policy-Making,

and Management supports a range of

research, development, and

dissemination activities focused on core

issues in education. Activities are

carried out by national research and

development centers, field-initiated

studies, and a variety of directed

research, development, and

dissemination activities.

The Secretary believes that increasing

the capacity of the nation’s education

system to improve the quality of

education depends on knowledge

generated by an enduring program of

education research and development.

Knowledge gained from education

research and development can help

guide the national investment in

education and support local and State

improvement efforts. The final priority

for research on policy and teaching

excellence is for a research and

development center to be supported by

the National Institute on Educational

Governance, Finance, Policy-Making,

and Management.

Because they carry out sustained, long

term research and development, centers

are a primary mechanism for pursuing

new knowledge about education. Center

awards are made to institutions of

higher education, institutions of higher

education in consort with public

agencies or non-profit organizations,

and interstate agencies established by

compact that operate subsidiary bodies

to conduct postsecondary education

research and development.

Prior to this announcement and in

conjunction with planning for

Educational Research and Development

Center competitions in fiscal year 1996,

OERI engaged in a series of meetings,

regional hearings, and Federal Register

notices that solicited advice from

parents, teachers, administrators,

policy-makers, business people,

researchers, and others to identify the

most needed research and development

activities. Following these activities and

subsequent research priorities planning

meetings in which OERI engaged, the

Secretary published a notice of

proposed priority in the Federal

Register on February 18, 1997 (62 FR

7218) for a national educational

research and development center that

would carry out sustained research and

development to address problems and

issues related to policy and teaching

excellence. Written public comments

were to be submitted to the Secretary by

March 20, 1997.

The Secretary reviewed the written

public comments and made no changes

to the proposed priority. The reasoning

for this decision is explained in the

Appendix to this notice.

Analysis of Comments and Changes

In response to the Secretary’s

invitation in the notice of proposed

priorities, eight parties submitted

written comments. An analysis of the

comments is published as an appendix

to this notice of final priority. Major

issues are grouped according to subject.

Technical and other minor changes and

suggested changes the Secretary is not

legally authorized to make under the

applicable statutory authority are not

addressed.

Absolute Priority: Policy and Teaching

Excellence

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the

Secretary gives an absolute preference to

applications that meet the following

priority. The Secretary funds only one

application that meets the priority listed

below. Funding this priority will

depend on the availability of funds and

the quality of applications received. The

Secretary supports a national research

and development center on research on

policy and teaching excellence.

(A) This center must—

(1) Conduct a coherent, sustained

program of research and development to

address problems and issues of national

significance in the specific priority area,

using a well-conceptualized and

theoretically sound framework;