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;
18008 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 70 / Friday, April 11, 1997 / Notices

(2) Contribute to the development and

advancement of theory in the specific

priority area;

(3) Conduct scientifically rigorous

studies capable of generating findings

that contribute substantially to

understanding the field;

(4) Conduct work of sufficient size,

scope, and duration to produce

definitive guidance for improvement

efforts and future research;

(5) Address issues of both equity and

excellence in education for all students

in the specific priority area; and

(6) Document, report, and disseminate

information about its research findings

and other accomplishments in ways that

will facilitate effective use of that

information by decisionmakers and

others as appropriate.

(B) In carrying out its program of

work, the center must also:

(1) Conduct research and

development on the full range of policy

issues relevant to teaching excellence

and other associated policy issues;

(2) Conduct a program of research and

development that will aid policymakers

throughout the Nation at all levels of

government and at all levels of the

educational system to improve policies

and policy decisions, as well as policy

formulation, implementation, and

evaluation processes, in order to achieve

the goal of teaching excellence and

ensure continuous efforts related to that

goal;

(3) Examine the effects that different

policies for fostering or sustaining

teaching excellence, or both, have on

continuous school improvement,

teacher performance, and student

learning;

(4) Examine the interactions of

various policies affecting teacher

performance and teaching excellence

and the costs and benefits of different

policies;

(5) Examine the role of policy

coordination and alignment in the

creation of an overall policy structure

that supports excellence in teaching;

and

(6) If appropriate, investigate

education policies in other nations as

they relate to and can inform education

policies in the United States.

Post-Award Requirements

The Secretary establishes the

following post-award requirements

consistent with the Educational

Research, Development, Dissemination

and Improvement Act of 1994. A grantee

receiving a center award must:

(a) Collaborate with OERI and

appropriate clients in identifying

significant new issues and 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) Reserve five percent of each

budget period’s funds to support

activities that fall within the center’s

priority area, are designed and mutually

agreed to by the center and OERI, and

enhance OERI’s ability to carry out its

mission. These activities may include

developing research agendas,

conducting research projects

collaborating with other federallysupported entities, and engaging in

research agenda setting and

dissemination activities; and

(c) Provide yearly summaries of

findings usable by education

decisionmakers and practitioners and

others as appropriate and, at the end of

the award period, synthesize the

findings and advances in knowledge

that resulted from the center’s program

of work and describe the potential

impact on the improvement of

American education, including any

observable impact to date.

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.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Number 84.308B: Educational Research and

Development Centers Program)

Program Authority: P.L. 103–227, Title IX

(20 U.S.C. 6031)

Dated: April 7, 1997.

Ramon C. Cortines,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational

Research and Improvement.

Appendix—Analysis of Comments and

Changes

Summarized below are comments

which referred to the Absolute Priority.

Focusing Research on Specific Subject

Matter Areas

Comments: Two commenters

advocated that research on teaching

excellence be done in specific subject

matter areas. One commenter further

recommended making secondary

mathematics and science a priority for

a subject area to be researched.

Discussion: The Secretary believes

that grant applicants should be allowed

maximum flexibility to propose research

agendas within the absolute priority

area. Therefore, those applicants who

wish to make the case for a subjectspecific approach to this area are free to

do so.

Changes: None.

Range of Issues Related to Teacher

Development

Comments: Two commenters

indicated that the research should

address the sequence of teacher

professional development, i.e.,

recruitment, pre- and in-service

training, induction, allocation of

teachers across and within schools,

retention, and the provision of

appropriate organizational settings and

economic and psychological incentives

to enhance and maintain teaching

excellence.

Discussion: The Secretary agrees that

policies concerning the range of issues

related to teaching are important and

believes these are covered under (B)(1)

which asks for research on ‘‘the full

range of policy issues relevant to

teaching excellence and other associated

policy issues.’’

Changes: None.

Gender Equity

Comment: One commenter

recommended that the center include a

project for preparing and supporting

teachers to promote gender equity.

Discussion: The Secretary agrees that

promotion of gender equity is an

important topic and believes this topic

is covered under (A)(5) and may be

included as the applicant sees fit.

Changes: None.

Broader Context of Education Reform

and Its Effects on Teaching Excellence

Comments: Three commenters

addressed issues concerning the broader

context in which teaching excellence

takes place. Their comments stated that

too narrow a focus on teaching policy

will not include the many ways policy

affects teaching excellence. In particular

they mentioned the need to study the

interaction between subsystems such as

finance, governance, teaching

expectations, teacher testing, outside

school influences, public opinion, labor

relations, and economic, organizational

and psychological influences.

Discussion: The Secretary agrees that

the study of policy and teaching

excellence includes the study of the

context in which teaching excellence

occurs and believes such concerns are

covered in the multiple statements

under (B) (2) to (5) and may be included

as the applicant sees fit.

Changes: None.

Relationship Between Teaching and

Learning

Comment: Two commenters

recommended that the connection

between teaching and student learning

or educational productivity be made

more explicit.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 70 / Friday, April 11, 1997 / Notices 18009

Discussion: The Secretary agrees that

the relationship between teaching and

learning is important and believes it is

addressed in (B)(3), ‘‘* * * the effects

that different policies for fostering or

sustaining teaching excellence or both

have on continuous school

improvement, teacher performance, and

student learning.’’

Changes: None.

Variable Policy Effects Depending on

Geographic and Demographic Variation

Comment: One commenter noted that

policies may have different effects

depending upon the state or region in

which policies are carried out or the

demographics of those being affected,

e.g., the disproportionate relationship

between the number of male

administrators and of female teachers or

the racial imbalance in predominately

minority school districts.

Discussion: The Secretary agrees that

there may be variability in the effects of

policies and believes that (A) (3) and (4),

which require ‘‘scientifically rigorous

studies’’ that are of ‘‘sufficient size,

scope * * *’’ address this concern. In

addition, the priorities addressing

context, (B) (2) to (5), also address these

issues.

Changes: None.

Involvement of a Variety of Researchers

and Decisionmakers in Carrying Out the

Research

Comment: One commenter

recommended that experts outside the

traditional education system be part of

the research framework and stated that

substantive connections with the policy

community are essential.

Discussion: The Secretary agrees that

research on policy and teaching

excellence should take advantage of a

wide range of expertise and experience

and believes (A) (3) and (4), requiring

‘‘rigorous studies’’ of ‘‘sufficient * * *

scope’’ plus (B) (2) to (5) address this

concern.

Changes: None.

Unintended Consequences of Policies

Comment: One commenter stated that

we often learn most from looking at how

well-intended policies may inhibit the

education system by over prescription

and allowing micro-management.

Discussion: The Secretary agrees that

studying unintended consequences of

policies is often important and believes

this is addressed under (B) (3) and (4).

Changes: None.

Diversity and the Teacher Workforce

Comment: One commenter

encouraged a specific focus for the

research on the role of minorities in the

teaching workforce due to the diversity

of the student population.

Discussion: The Secretary agrees that

issues concerning minorities in the

teaching workforce are important and

believes that (A(1) ‘‘to address problems

and issues of national significance’’ and

(B)(1) to ‘‘conduct research and

development on the full range of policy

issues relevant to teaching excellence

and other associated policy issues’’

include the opportunity to address the

issues surrounding minorities in the

teaching workforce.

Changes: None.

[FR Doc. 97–9315 Filed 4–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P