30450 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 116 / Friday, June 14, 1996 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

National Awards Program for Model

Professional Development; Notice

Inviting Applications for Awards

Purpose of Program: The National

Awards Program will recognize a variety

of schools and school districts with

model professional development

activities in the pre-K through twelfth

grade levels that have led to increased

student achievement.

Eligible Applicants: All local

educational agencies and public and

private schools are eligible to apply.

Supplementary Information: Schools

and school districts throughout the

Nation are undertaking efforts to raise

academic standards and to improve the

academic achievement of all students.

For these efforts to be successful, it has

become clear that they must include

strategies for permitting teachers (and

other school and local educational

agency (LEA) staff) to obtain the skills

and knowledge they need to enable all

students to achieve. Indeed, whatever

the school reform initiative, teachers are

the core. However, teachers need access

to new knowledge and skills to enable

them to continue to teach to higher

standards and to respond to the

challenges facing education today.

Realizing that high-quality

professional development must be at the

core of any effort to achieve educational

excellence, the Secretary in 1994

directed a broadly representative team

within the U.S. Department of

Education to examine the best available

research and exemplary practices

related to professional development,

and work with the field to develop a set

of basic principles of high-quality

professional development. Out of this

national effort came the Department’s

Statement of Mission and Principles of

Professional Development. This

statement reflected both extensive

collaboration with a wide range of

education constituents and review of

public comment received on a draft

Statement of Mission and Principles of

Professional Development published in

the Federal Register on December 9,

1994 (59 FR 63773). The Department

issued the final Statement of Mission

and Principles (Attachment A) in 1995

after review of public comment and

reexamination of the best available

research on exemplary practices. This

statement is grounded in the practical

wisdom of leading educators across the

country about the kind of professional

development that, if implemented,

maintained, and supported, will have a

positive and lasting effect on teaching

and learning in America.

The Statement of Mission and

Principles of Professional Development

represents a framework for guiding

school and school district staff as they

design and implement their professional

development activities. Many of the

same national education organizations

that worked with the Department to

develop the Mission and Principles of

Professional Development now have

sought the Department’s help this year

in identifying and recognizing those

professional development efforts across

the pre-kindergarten through twelfth

grade spectrum that reflect the Mission

and Principles. Given the efforts of

schools and school districts throughout

the Nation to pursue school reform

initiatives, the Secretary agrees with

these organizations that there is an

urgent need to identify sites whose

professional development activities can

be models for other schools and districts

that are working to enhance their own

professional development activities.

Therefore, the Secretary announces a

National Awards Program that, by

January 1, 1997, will recognize up to ten

schools and school districts throughout

the Nation whose professional

development activities are aligned with

the Statement of Mission and Principles

of Professional Development, and have

led to improved student learning. As

explained in the application material

contained in Appendix B, successful

applicants will be schools and school

districts that: (1) Demonstrate that their

professional development activities are

fully aligned with the Mission and

Principles of Professional Development

and (2) demonstrate how, consistent

with the Mission and Principles, their

professional development activities

benefit all affected students, and have

led to improved student learning and

improved teacher effectiveness. The

application itself is very simple.

After an initial screening, the

Department will use outside panels of

experts to evaluate the quality of the

application against the basic elements

noted above, and conduct site visits of

the highest-ranked applicants. The

Secretary intends to recognize those

schools and school districts with the

very best professional development

practices at a national ceremony in

Washington, DC. Successful applicants

also will receive other forms of

recognition including a privatelyfunded monetary award that the

Department anticipates will be no less

than $5,000 per recipient. Recipients

will be able to use these funds to

support their professional development

activities and make them known to

others.

In announcing this program, the

Department is helping to implement a

decision made by these national

organizations that a first national

awards program for professional

development extend only to schools and

LEAs throughout the Nation that offer

pre-K through twelfth grade education.

While the Department will help to

coordinate the program, nonDepartmental experts will select the

schools or districts to be recognized.

Moreover, the monetary recognition

awards that recipients will receive will

be provided from private funds

specifically made available for a

recognition program focusing on

professional development activities in

the pre-K through twelfth grade

spectrum. However, if the awards

program continues in future years, the

Secretary intends to work with the

national education organizations and

others in an attempt to include in the

awards program professional

development activities conducted in

other areas such as adult or

postsecondary education.

Finally, the National Awards Program

depends upon the availability of

sufficient funds to support a peer review

and site visit process. The Department

expects to have adequate funds to

support this process, as needed, for

applicants from schools and LEAs in

States (including schools located on

Indian reservations), the District of

Columbia, and Puerto Rico. However, in

the case of applicants from schools or

LEAs in the insular areas, it is not

known whether sufficient funds will be

available to pay the costs of the peer

review and on-site visits that are

preconditions to national recognition.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: July 15, 1996.

Estimated Range of Awards: No less

than $5,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 10.

For Applications or Information

Contact: To obtain a copy of the

application, call or write Margaret

O’Keefe, Office of the Secretary, U.S.

Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20202–0100.

(Telephone: (202) 401 1078; For

information on the program, contact

Terry Dozier, Special Advisor on

Teaching, Office of the Secretary, U.S.

Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20202–0100. The FAX

number for obtaining further

information or requesting the

application packages is (202) 401–0596.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 116 / Friday, June 14, 1996 / Notices 30451

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 for discretionary

grant competitions, can be viewed on

the Department’s electronic bulletin

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

9950; on the Internet Gopher Service at

GOPHER.ED.GOV (under

Announcements, Bulletins,, and Press

Releases) or on the World Wide Web (at

http://www.ed.gov/money.html).

However, the official application notice

for a discretionary grant competition is

the notice published in the Federal

Register.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e–3.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Number: Not applicable)

Dated: June 10, 1996.

Richard W. Riley,

Secretary of Education.

Appendix A—Mission and Principles of

Professional Development; U.S. Department

of Education—Professional Development

Team

July 5, 1995.

Professional development plays an

essential role in successful education reform.

Professional development serves as the

bridge between where prospective and

experienced educators are now and where

they will need to be to meet the new

challenges of guiding all students in

achieving to higher standards of learning and

development.

High-quality professional development as

envisioned here refers to rigorous and

relevant content, strategies, and

organizational supports that ensure the

preparation and career-long development of

teachers and others whose competence,

expectations and actions influence the

teaching and learning environment. Both preand in-service professional development

require partnerships among schools, higher

education institutions and other appropriate

entities to promote inclusive learning

communities of everyone who impacts

students and their learning. Those within

and outside schools need to work together to

bring to bear the ideas, commitment and

other resources that will be necessary to

address important and complex educational

issues in a variety of settings and for a

diverse student body.

Equitable access for all educators to such

professional development opportunities is

imperative. Moreover, professional

development works best when it is part of a

systemwide effort to improve and integrate

the recruitment, selection, preparation, initial

licensing, induction, ongoing development

and support, and advanced certification of

educators.

High-quality professional development

should incorporate all of the principles stated

below. Adequately addressing each of these

principles is necessary for a full realization

of the potential of individuals, school

communities and institutions to improve and

excel.

The mission of professional development is

to prepare and support educators to help all

students achieve to high standards of

learning and development.

Professional Development—

• Focuses on teachers as central to student

learning, yet includes all other members of

the school community;

• Focuses on individual, collegial, and

organizational improvement;

• Respects and nurtures the intellectual

and leadership capacity of teachers,

principals, and others in the school

community;

• Reflects best available research and

practice in teaching, learning, and

leadership;

• Enables teachers to develop further

expertise in subject content, teaching

strategies, uses of technologies, and other

essential elements in teaching to high

standards;

• Promotes continuous inquiry and

improvement embedded in the daily life of

schools;

• Is planned collaboratively by those who

will participate in and facilitate that

development;

• Requires substantial time and other

resources;

• Is driven by a coherent long-term plan;

• Is evaluated ultimately on the basis of its

impact on teacher effectiveness and student

learning; and this assessment guides

subsequent professional development efforts.

Appendix B—Application Instructions

Overview

As part of the continuing effort to honor

excellence in education, the National Awards

Program for Model Professional Development

will identify and disseminate information

about high-quality professional development

efforts which provide evidence of improved

student learning and increased teacher

effectiveness. Since the focus of this

competition is on development programs for

teachers and other educators in pre-K–12

settings, only individual schools (public or

private) or school districts may apply.

However, partnerships with other entities,

especially higher education institutions, are

encouraged. Recognition in this awards

program is based on how well applicants

address criteria in three areas: (1) Evidence

of success; (2) program quality; and (3)

usefulness to others. Subsequent recognition

may focus on higher education and other

education personnel.

Questions

Our goal is to identify a wide variety of

pre-K–12 professional development efforts

that are aligned with the attached U.S.

Department of Education Mission and

Principles of Professional Development.

Because the purpose of the Mission and

Principles is to promote excellence in

teaching and learning, the most important

criterion for eligibility is evidence of

improved student learning and increased

teacher effectiveness. Consistent with the

Mission and Principles, those schools and

districts have professional growth as an

integral part of school culture, address the

needs of ALL students, and have professional

development practices that ensure equity by

being accessible to all educators and free of

bias.

Responses to all of the following four

questions should be limited to a total of 2500

words, as opposed to 2500 words per

question.

While we are not accepting attachments to

this first round of the evaluation process, we

do ask that, where appropriate, you describe

the type of evidence you have on your

program’s effectiveness. If your school or

district makes the semifinals you will be

asked to provide documentation of this

evidence. This may include such things as

schedules, student and teacher portfolios,

assessment data, videos, and audio tapes,

internal and external communications, and

other documents. This evidence will be

necessary information to help evaluators

understand the depth and scope of your

program.

Completed applications must be received

no later than July 15, 1996.

Note: The criteria section that follows these

questions may help you structure and focus

your responses.

(1) Describe the extent to which the

Mission and Principles are reflected in your

approach to professional development.

Although it is not necessary to address each

Principle separately, you must explain how

you are working to fulfill all of the

Principles.

(2) Portray the direct and ongoing

connection between your professional

development practice and improved student

learning.

(3) Discuss evidence of how professional

development efforts have improved teaching

effectiveness and student learning.

(4) Describe any plans to strengthen and/

or expand your professional development

efforts and why you believe others might

want to consider adopting/adapting them.

Criteria

Your response will be reviewed for how

well your professional development activities

are aligned with the Mission and Principles

of Professional Development. While

reviewers will use their best professional

judgment, we anticipate that they also will

use the following kinds of criteria and

emphases as a guide to help them assess the

quality of responses. You do not have to

address each criterion separately, but you

should be sure to include sufficient

information throughout your responses for

reviewers to make judgments about such

basic factors as evidence of success, quality

of the professional development activities,

and usefulness to others.

Evidence of Success—50 Points

—Indicators are provided that the school or

district’s students are progressing toward

or achieving at high standards of learning.

—Based on a range of assessments, the

professional development program is

shown to be connected directly to

enhanced teaching effectiveness and

student learning.
30452 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 116 / Friday, June 14, 1996 / Notices

Related Questions

Portray the direct and ongoing connection

between your professional development

practice and improved student learning.

Submit evidence of how teaching practice

has become more effective and student

learning has improved.

Quality of the Program—30 Points

—The extent to which the school or district’s

professional development is aligned with

the Mission and Principles of Professional

Development.

Related Question

Describe the extent to which the Mission

and Principles are reflected in your approach

to professional development. Although it is

not necessary to address each Principle

separately, you must explain how you are

working to fulfill all of the Principles.

Usefulness to Others—20 Points

—The program’s content, strategies and

supports can be adopted or adapted by

other schools and districts working to

improve their professional development

practices.

—Resources are reasonable in light of

expected benefits and in comparison with

other professional development

alternatives.

Related Question*

Describe any plans to strengthen and/or

expand your professional development

efforts and why you believe others might

want to consider adopting/adapting them.

* Please note that your overall application

and program description also will be used for

evaluating this criterion.

Review Process

An initial reading of applications will be

done by the Professional Development Team

and other knowledgeable staff of the U.S.

Department of Education representing

diverse expertise and perspectives related to

professional development and education

reform. This first reading will eliminate

applications which do not respond to or

minimally meet the criteria. The next stage

of review will include broad outside

representation of expert practitioners and

policymakers. Each application will have

multiple readers and will be ranked

according to how well it does when judged

against an evaluation framework based on the

criteria and Principles. Up to twenty

semifinalists will be chosen through this

process, which may include telephone

interviews with project contacts to discuss

and clarify information. Site visits will be

conducted to collect additional data on the

semifinalist. This data will be used in

selecting up to ten schools or districts for

recognition.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act

of 1995, no persons are required to respond

to a collection of information unless it

displays a valid OMB control number. The

valid OMB control number for this

information collection is 1880–0534. It

expires in June of 1999. The time required to

complete this information collection is

estimated to average 20 hours per response,

including the time to review instructions,

search existing data resources, gather the data

needed, and complete and review the

information collection. If you have comments

concerning the accuracy of the time estimates

or suggestions for improving the form, please

write to: U.S. Department of Education,

Washington, DC 20202–4651. If you have any

comments or concerns regarding the status of

your individual submission of this form,

write directly to: Terry Dozier, Special

Advisor on Teaching, Office of the Secretary,

U.S. Department, 600 Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, DC 20202–0100.

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 116 / Friday, June 14, 1996 / Notices 30453
30454 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 116 / Friday, June 14, 1996 / Notices

Submit your application to Terry Dozier, Special Advisor on Teaching, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department

of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202. The completed application must be received

no later than July 15, 1996.

[FR Doc. 96–15129 Filed 6–13–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–C