47484 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Notices 

Specified Phthalates—Notice of 

Proposed Rulemaking. 

A live webcast of the Meeting can be 

viewed at https://www.cpsc.gov/live. 

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Rockelle Hammond, Office of the 

Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product 

Safety Commission, 4330 East West 

Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 

504–7923. 

Dated: October 10, 2017. 

Alberta E. Mills, 

Acting Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2017–22181 Filed 10–10–17; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 6355–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

RIN 1894–AA09 

[Docket ID ED–2017–OS–0078] 

Secretary’s Proposed Supplemental 

Priorities and Definitions for 

Discretionary Grant Programs 

AGENCY: Department of Education. 

ACTION: Proposed priorities and 

definitions. 

SUMMARY: In order to support and 

strengthen the work that educators do 

every day in collaboration with parents, 

advocates, and community members, 

the Secretary proposes 11 priorities and 

related definitions for use in 

discretionary grant programs that are in 

place today or may exist in the future. 

The Secretary may choose to include an 

entire priority within a grant program or 

merely one or more of its component 

parts. These proposed priorities and 

definitions are intended to replace the 

current supplemental priorities 

published on December 10, 2014 (79 FR 

73425). 

DATES: We must receive your comments 

on or before November 13, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments 

through the Federal eRulemaking Portal 

or via postal mail, commercial delivery, 

or hand delivery. We will not accept 

comments by fax or by email, or those 

submitted after the comment period. To 

ensure that we do not receive duplicate 

copies, please submit your comments 

only once. In addition, please include 

the Docket ID at the top of your 

comments. 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

www.regulations.gov to submit your 

comments electronically. Information 

on using Regulations.gov, including 

instructions for accessing agency 

documents, submitting comments, and 

viewing the docket, is available on the 

site under ‘‘How to use 

regulations.gov.’’ 

• Postal Mail, Commercial Delivery, 

or Hand Delivery: If you mail or deliver 

your comments, address them to 

Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue SW., Room 6W231, 

Washington, DC 20202. 

Privacy Note: The Department’s 

policy is to make all comments received 

from members of the public available for 

public viewing in their entirety on the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal at 

www.regulations.gov. Therefore, 

commenters should be careful to 

include in their comments only 

information that they wish to make 

publicly available. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue SW., Room 6W231, 

Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: 

(202) 401–0831 or by email: 

jennifer.bell-ellwanger@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 

telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

Service, toll free, at 1–800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Invitation to Comment: We invite you 

to submit comments regarding this 

notice. To ensure that your comments 

have maximum effect in developing the 

notice of final priorities, we urge you to 

identify clearly the specific issues that 

each comment addresses. 

We invite you to assist us in 

complying with the specific 

requirements of Executive Orders 12866 

and 13563 and their overall requirement 

of reducing regulatory burden that 

might result from these proposed 

priorities and definitions. Please let us 

know of any further ways we could 

reduce potential costs or increase 

potential benefits while preserving the 

effective and efficient administration of 

our programs. 

During and after the comment period, 

you may inspect all public comments 

about this notice by accessing 

Regulations.gov. You may also inspect 

the comments in person in Room 

6W231, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC, between the hours of 

8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Washington, 

DC time, Monday through Friday of 

each week except Federal holidays. 

Assistance to Individuals with 

Disabilities in Reviewing the 

Rulemaking Record: On request we will 

provide an appropriate accommodation 

or auxiliary aid to an individual with a 

disability who needs assistance to 

review the comments or other 

documents in the public rulemaking 

record for this notice. If you want to 

schedule an appointment for this type of 

accommodation or auxiliary aid, please 

contact the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e– 

3. 

Proposed Priorities: 

This notice contains 11 proposed 

priorities. 

Background: 

The Secretary proposes 11 priorities 

and related definitions for use in 

discretionary grant programs to reflect 

the Secretary’s vision for American 

education. Specifically, the priorities 

are designed to encourage grantees to 

empower parents and educators; reduce 

red tape; utilize and build evidence of 

what works; and, most importantly, take 

strides toward ensuring equal access to 

the high-quality, affordable education 

every American student deserves in an 

educational environment that is safe 

and respectful of all viewpoints and 

backgrounds. 

Improving education starts with 

allowing greater decision-making 

authority at the State and local level 

while also recognizing that the ultimate 

form of local control occurs when 

parents and students are empowered to 

choose their own educational paths 

forward. This work also requires 

helping all students overcome 

challenges they may face outside of the 

classroom, learn to read so they can use 

reading to learn, and complete their 

formal education with a well-considered 

and attainable path to a sustainable 

career. These priorities will also support 

broad-based access to 21st-century 

technologies. 

The Department believes that more 

Federal programs are not a sufficient 

proxy for progress and that increased 

Federal funding cannot be a stand-in for 

increased learning. We will focus less 

on discrete funding streams and more 

on innovative problem solving. This can 

only happen when everyone gets a seat 

at the table and can focus on highpriority local projects that promote 

change from the ground up. We will 

place a renewed focus on our core 

mission: serving the most vulnerable 

students, ensuring equal access for all 

students, protecting their path to a 

world-class education, and empowering 

local educators to deliver for our 

students. 

Proposed Priority 1—Empowering 

Families to Choose a High-Quality 

Education that Meets Their Child’s 

Unique Needs. 

Background: 

In his first address to a joint session 

of Congress on February 28, 2017, the 

President underscored the importance 

of educational choice and providing 

families with access to quality 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Notices 47485 

1U.S. Department of Education, National Center 

for Education Statistics, Parent and Family 

Involvement in Education Survey of the 2012 

National Household Education Surveys Program 

(PFI–NEHS: 2012). (n.d.). ‘‘Percentages of children 

enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade by 

school type: 2012.’’ Available at: https://nces.ed.

gov/nhes/tables/enrollment_school_type.asp. 

2U.S. Department of Education, National Center 

for Education Statistics, Digest of Education 

Statistics. (2014). ‘‘Table 206.10. Number and 

percentage of homeschooled students ages 5 

through 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten 

through 12th grade, by selected child, parent, and 

household characteristics: 2003, 2007, and 2012.’’ 

Available at: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/ 

d15/tables/dt15_206.10.asp. 

3Cheng, A. & Peterson, P. (2017). How Satisfied 

are Parents with Their Children’s Schools? 

Education Next, 17(2). Available at: http://

educationnext.org/how-satisfied-are-parents-withchildrens-schools-us-dept-ed-survey. 

educational options, noting that families 

should be free to choose the school that 

is right for their children. Likewise, the 

Secretary believes that every child, 

regardless of his or her ZIP code or 

family income, should have access to a 

high-quality education. A family should 

have the chance to select the 

educational path that best meets a 

child’s needs, regardless of where or 

how instruction is delivered. The 

Department is committed to improving 

access to high-quality preschool through 

12th grade (P–12) and postsecondary 

educational options, offering 

meaningful choices for families, and 

providing families with the information 

and tools they need to make these 

important decisions. 

In 2012, approximately 78 percent of 

kindergarten through 12th grade 

students attended the public school to 

which they were geographically 

assigned, about 14 percent attended a 

public school of their choice, and 

almost nine percent attended a private 

school.1 In addition, among all children 

ages 5–17, approximately three percent 

were homeschooled in 2012.2

Satisfaction levels are the highest among 

private school parents, with more than 

80 percent of parents saying they were 

‘‘very satisfied’’ with their children’s 

school. Parents of children at public 

charter schools and public schools of 

choice also showed levels of satisfaction 

that were significantly higher than 

parents at geographically assigned 

district schools.3

A diverse array of postsecondary 

education choices are also available to 

high school students through dualenrollment and similar programs, which 

allow these students to take 

postsecondary coursework offered by a 

college or university, the secondary 

school in which they are enrolled, or 

another provider. 

The Administration’s goal is to 

maximize availability of high-quality 

learning opportunities. This proposed 

priority would support grantees in 

offering innovative and, where possible, 

evidence-based models of educational 

choice (as defined in this notice, and 

consistent with applicable Federal, 

State, and local law) to students in both 

P–12 and postsecondary settings. 

Proposed Priority: 

Projects that are designed to address 

one or more of the following priority 

areas: 

(a) Increasing the proportion of 

students with access to educational 

choice (as defined in this notice). 

(b) Increasing access to educational 

choice for one or more of the following 

groups of students: 

(i) Students in communities served by 

rural local educational agencies (as 

defined in this notice). 

(ii) Students who are children with 

disabilities as defined in the Individuals 

with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 

and/or individuals with disabilities 

under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation 

Act of 1973 (Section 504) or students 

with disabilities and children with 

disabilities who are eligible under both 

laws); 

(iii) English learners (as defined in 

section 8101(20) of the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act, as amended, 

or section 203(7) of the Workforce 

Innovation and Opportunity Act of 

2014). 

(iv) Students in schools identified for 

comprehensive or targeted support and 

improvement in accordance with 

section 1111(c)(4)(C)(iii), (c)(4)(D), or 

(d)(2)(C)–(D) of the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act, as amended. 

(v) Students who are living in poverty 

(as defined under section 1113(a)(5)(A) 

of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act, as amended) and are 

served by high-poverty schools (as 

defined in this notice), or are a lowincome individual (as defined under 

section 312(g) of the Higher Education 

Act of 1965, as amended). 

(vi) Disconnected youth. 

(vii) Migratory children. 

(viii) Low-skilled adults. 

(ix) Students who are Indians, as 

defined in section 6151 of the 

Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act, as amended. 

(x) Military- or veteran-connected 

students (as defined in this notice). 

(xi) Children or students who are 

academically far below grade level, who 

have left school before receiving a 

regular high school diploma, who are at 

risk of not graduating with a regular 

high school diploma on time. 

(xii) Children or students who are 

homeless. 

(xiii) Children or students who are or 

have been incarcerated. 

(xiv) Children or students who are or 

were previously in foster care. 

(c) Developing, increasing access to, 

and building evidence of effectiveness 

of innovative models of educational 

choice. 

Proposed Priority 2—Promoting 

Innovation and Efficiency, Streamlining 

Education with an Increased Focus on 

Improving Student Outcomes, and 

Providing Increased Value to Students 

and Taxpayers. 

Background: 

The Department is focused on 

fostering a more favorable environment 

for innovation by reducing red tape and 

streamlining regulations and other 

requirements in education while placing 

an increased focus on improving 

student outcomes. This increased focus 

on outcomes, and decreased emphasis 

on compliance first, will allow us to 

invest more in approaches supported by 

evidence of positive outcomes for 

students and avoid those that are 

inefficient, ineffective, or unproven. 

In order to accomplish this goal, the 

Department is rethinking the incentives 

we set for grantees and how those 

incentives, in turn, affect how grantees 

interact with subgrantees (such as 

schools within a district), nonprofits 

supporting implementation of a grant 

project, and other partners. In general, 

the Administration also welcomes and 

encourages entities pursuing innovative 

approaches to participate in the 

Department’s programs. 

Leaders in States, districts, schools, 

and institutions of higher education 

must also have the opportunity to do 

things differently to meet the needs of 

their students. At the Federal level, the 

Administration is interested in 

eliminating unnecessary burdens placed 

on grantees. Through this priority, we 

likewise encourage States, school 

districts, schools, and others receiving 

grants from the Department to weigh 

whether requirements they place on 

subgrantees and other partners working 

to achieve grant objectives or being 

served by the grant are necessary to 

drive improvements in student 

outcomes, or if they actually hinder 

efforts to best serve students. Doing so 

will allow States, districts, schools, 

teachers, and institutions of higher 

education to spend less time on 

paperwork and burdensome 

administration and more time on their 

core missions. 

Proposed Priority: 

Projects that are designed to address 

one or more of the following priority 

areas: 

(a) Implementing strategies that 

ensure education funds are spent in a 

way that increases their efficiency and 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
47486 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Notices 

4Schwab, K. (2016). The Global Competitiveness 

Report 2016–2017. Geneva, Switzerland: World 

Economic Forum. Available at: http://www3.

weforum.org/docs/GCR2016-2017/05FullReport/ 

TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2016-2017_

FINAL.pdf. 

5Rafa, A. and Rogowski, D. (2017). ‘‘Governors’ 

Top Education Priorities: 2017 State of the State 

addresses.’’ Denver, CO: Education Commission of 

the States. Available at: www.ecs.org/ec-content/ 

uploads/Governors%E2%80%99-Top-EducationPriorities-2017-State-of-the-State-addresses.pdf. 

6U.S. Department of Education, Office of 

Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, 

Policy and Program Studies Service. (2017). 

National Survey on High School Strategies 

Designed to Help At-Risk Students Graduate: 

Competency-Based Advancement. Available at: 

https://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/high-school/ 

competency-based-advancement.pdf. 

7See http://cte.ed.gov/employabilityskills for 

more information. 

8Farrington, C.A., Roderick, M., Allensworth, E., 

Nagaoka, J., Keyes, T.S., Johnson, D.W., & Beechum, 

N.O. (2012). Teaching adolescents to become 

learners. The role of noncognitive factors in shaping 

school performance: A critical literature review. 

Chicago: University of Chicago Consortium on 

Chicago School Research. Available at: https://

consortium.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/ 

publications/Noncognitive%20Report.pdf. 

effectiveness, including by reducing 

waste or achieving better outcomes. 

(b) Supporting innovative strategies 

with the potential to lead to significant 

and wide-reaching improvements in the 

delivery of educational services. 

(c) Reducing compliance burden 

within the grantee’s operations 

(including on subgrantees or other 

partners working to achieve grant 

objectives or being served by the grant) 

in a manner that decreases paperwork or 

staff time spent on administrative 

functions, or other measurable ways that 

help educational providers to save 

money, benefit more students, or 

improve results. 

(d) Demonstrating innovative paths to 

improved outcomes by applicants that 

meet the requirements in 34 CFR 75.225 

(a)(1)(i) and (ii). 

(e) Strengthening development 

capabilities to increase private support 

for institutions or demonstrating 

matching support for proposed projects. 

Proposed Priority 3—Fostering 

Flexible and Affordable Paths to 

Obtaining Knowledge and Skills. 

Background: 

An educated and well-prepared 

workforce is essential to maintaining an 

American advantage in a global 

economy where competition for jobs is 

increasing and technology is changing 

rapidly.4 In their 2017 State of the State 

addresses, at least 24 governors 

identified workforce development and 

career pathways as key education 

priorities.5 It is critical that we ensure 

our Nation’s workforce is prepared to 

meet the challenges of tomorrow with 

the skills and credentials that employers 

require. 

To meet these challenges, schools 

must better equip students with the 

skills or knowledge required by 

employers, particularly employment in 

in-demand industry sectors or 

occupations, and recognized 

postsecondary credentials need to be 

developed that focus on the career and 

technical skills needed for in-demand 

industry sectors or occupations (as 

defined in section 3(23)(A) of the 

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 

Act of 2014). Such credentials should 

serve to define, measure, and 

communicate the skills students will 

need to be successful in workplaces. 

Meeting this challenge requires 

starting early in a student’s education. 

Each American student is unique and 

enters school with a distinct set of 

strengths and challenges. Each student 

learns and grows at his or her own pace 

and in his or her own way; therefore, 

States, districts, schools, institutions of 

higher education, and other local 

providers must help every student build 

upon his or her unique strengths and 

address his or her unique challenges. 

Competency-based learning is one 

possible approach to improve student 

outcomes and prepare students for 

careers.6 Under this approach, instead 

of equating seat time with learning— 

assuming all students need the same 

amount of time to learn material— 

students can work at their own pace and 

progress as they demonstrate mastery of 

content. Other approaches to prepare 

students for work and life are also 

encouraged, including those that allow 

students to more easily demonstrate 

their knowledge and skills and 

employers to more easily communicate 

the knowledge and skills they require. 

Proposed Priority: 

Projects that are designed to address 

one or more of the following priority 

areas: 

(a) Improving collaboration between 

education providers and employers to 

ensure student learning objectives are 

aligned with the skills or knowledge 

required for employment in an indemand industry sector or occupation 

(as defined in section 3(23)(A) of the 

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 

Act of 2014). 

(b) Developing or developing 

pathways to recognized postsecondary 

credentials (as defined in section 3(52) 

of the Workforce Innovation and 

Opportunity Act of 2014) focused on 

career and technical skills for indemand industry sectors or occupations 

and employment of credential holders. 

Students may obtain such credentials 

through a wide variety of education 

providers, such as: Institutions of higher 

education eligible for Federal student 

financial aid programs, non-traditional 

education providers (e.g., 

apprenticeship programs or computer 

coding boot camps), and other providers 

of self-guided learning. 

(c) Providing work-based learning 

experiences (such as internships, 

apprenticeships, and fellowships) 

leading to careers in in-demand 

industry sectors or occupations. 

(d) Creating or expanding innovative 

paths to a recognized postsecondary 

credential or obtainment of job-ready 

skills for careers in in-demand industry 

sectors or occupations, such as through 

career pathways (as defined in section 

3(7) of the Workforce Innovation and 

Opportunity Act of 2014). Such 

credentials may be offered to all 

students through a wide variety of 

education providers, such as traditional 

institutions of higher education, nontraditional education providers, and 

other providers of self-guided learning. 

(e) Creating or expanding 

opportunities for individuals to obtain 

recognized postsecondary credentials 

through the demonstration of prior 

knowledge and skills, such as 

competency-based learning. Such 

credentials may include an industryrecognized certificate or certification, a 

certificate of completion of an 

apprenticeship, a license recognized by 

the State involved or Federal 

Government, or an associate or 

baccalaureate degree. 

(f) Creating or expanding 

opportunities for individuals to obtain 

recognized postsecondary credentials in 

science, technology, engineering, or 

mathematics. 

Proposed Priority 4—Fostering 

Knowledge and Promoting the 

Development of Skills that Prepare 

Students to be Informed, Thoughtful, 

and Productive Individuals and 

Citizens. 

Background: 

Knowledge and skills that prepare 

students to be informed, thoughtful, and 

productive individuals and citizens 

include knowledge of civics, financial 

literacy, problem solving, and 

employability skills 7 (such as critical 

thinking, interpersonal skills, or 

organizational skills). Research suggests 

that self-regulation, perseverance, and 

social skills play an important role in 

students’ academic, career, and life 

outcomes.8 Unfortunately, national 

assessments suggest that our students 

often lack such skills. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Notices 47487 

9The Nation’s Report Card. (2015). 2014 Civics 

Assessment: Overall Civics Scores. Available at: 

www.nationsreportcard.gov/hgc_2014/#civics/ 

scores. 11U.S. Department of Education, National Center 

for Education Statistics. (2014). ‘‘Program for 

International Student Assessment (PISA): Financial 

Literacy: Proficiency Levels.’’ Available at: https:// 

nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa/pisa2012/pisa2012high

lights_12.asp. U.S. Department of Education, 

National Center for Education Statistics (2014). 

‘‘Program for International Student Assessment 

(PISA): Problem Solving: Proficiency Levels.’’ 

Available at: https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa/ 

pisa2012/pisa2012highlights_11.asp. 

12Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2016). 

Entrepreneurship and the U.S. Economy. Available 

at: www.bls.gov/bdm/entrepreneurship/ 

entrepreneurship.htm. 13Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (May 18, 

2017). Startup Activity Swings Upward for Third 

Consecutive Year, Annual Kauffman Index Reports. 

Available at: www.kauffman.org/newsroom/2017/ 

05/startup-activity-swings-upward-for-thirdconsecutive-year-annual-kauffman-index-reports. 

14National Academy of Sciences, National 

Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. 

2007. Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing 

and Employing America for a Brighter Economic 

Future. Washington, DC: The National Academies 

Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/11463. 

For example, between 1998 and 2014, 

the average scores of eighth grade 

students only increased from 150 to 154 

on the National Assessment of 

Educational Progress (NAEP) civics 

assessment, remaining well below the 

proficient score of 178.9 Additionally, 

numerous international studies indicate 

our Nation’s students are not performing 

as well as students in other countries. 

On the Program for International 

Student Assessment (PISA), 15-year-old 

students in the United States performed 

near the Organization for Economic 

Cooperation and Development (OECD) 

average on financial literacy and slightly 

better than the OECD average on 

problem solving.10 However, 18 percent 

of 15-year-old students in the United 

States were low-performers (scoring 

below level 2 out of 5 levels) on the 

financial literacy assessment and 18 

percent of students in the United States 

were low-performers on the problem 

solving assessment.11

For the United States to compete 

globally, schools must better prepare 

students to obtain each of these types of 

skills. It is especially critical for 

students to master these skills as the 

number of jobs created by new 

businesses has substantially declined 

since the 1990s.12 In addition, while the 

number of business startups has 

climbed back to pre-2007 to 2009 

recession levels, such activity has 

declined over the long term compared to 

peaks in the 1980s.13 Promoting the 

development of these skills can prepare 

students for later in life and prepare 

them for employment or 

entrepreneurship. This, in turn, will 

foster a learning society and ultimately 

boost Americans’ quality of life. 

Proposed Priority: 

Projects that are designed to address 

one or more of the following priority 

areas: 

(a) Fostering knowledge of the 

common rights and responsibilities of 

American citizenship and civic 

participation, such as through civics 

education consistent with section 

203(12) of the Workforce Innovation and 

Opportunity Act of 2014. 

(b) Supporting projects likely to 

improve student academic performance 

and better prepare students for 

employment, responsible citizenship, 

and fulfilling lives, including by 

preparing students to do one or more of 

the following: 

(i) Develop positive personal 

relationships with others. 

(ii) Develop determination, 

perseverance, and the ability to 

overcome obstacles. 

(iii) Develop self-esteem through 

perseverance and earned success. 

(iv) Develop problem-solving skills. 

(v) Control impulses and work toward 

long-term goals. 

(c) Supporting instruction in time 

management, job seeking, personal 

organization, public and interpersonal 

communication, or other practical skills 

needed for successful career outcomes. 

(d) Supporting instruction in personal 

financial literacy, knowledge of markets 

and economics, knowledge of higher 

education financing and repayment 

(e.g., college savings and student loans), 

or other skills aimed at building 

personal financial understanding and 

responsibility. 

Proposed Priority 5—Meeting the 

Unique Needs of Students and Children, 

including those with Disabilities and/or 

with Unique Gifts and Talents 

Background: 

Our Nation’s schools must assist all 

students in reaching their full potential. 

The Department seeks to improve 

students’ access to high-quality 

educational opportunities that lead to 

successful transitions to college and 

careers. In particular, the Department is 

committed to ensuring that students 

with disabilities have equal access to a 

high-quality education, consistent with 

applicable requirements in Federal and 

State law, are held to high standards, 

and are prepared to lead productive, 

independent lives. 

In addition, the Department believes 

that students possessing special innate 

skills, talents, and abilities—especially 

such students from disadvantaged 

backgrounds—should be given every 

opportunity to realize their full 

potential for the benefit of the Nation at 

large. Developing and empowering 

students to become the innovators of 

tomorrow is essential for our economic 

competitiveness. Therefore, this priority 

also seeks to promote high-quality 

educational opportunities that nurture 

students’ individual gifts and talents to 

prepare them for future success. 

Proposed Priority: 

Projects that are designed to address 

one or more of the following priority 

areas: 

(a) Ensuring students with disabilities 

are offered the opportunity to meet 

challenging objectives and receive an 

educational program that is both 

meaningful and appropriately ambitious 

in light of each student’s circumstances 

by improving one or more of the 

following: 

(i) Academic outcomes. 

(ii) Functional outcomes. 

(iii) Development of skills leading to 

competitive integrated employment or 

independent living. 

(iv) Social or emotional development. 

(b) Ensuring coursework, books, or 

other materials are accessible to 

students who are children with 

disabilities and/or individuals with 

disabilities under Section 504. 

(c) Developing opportunities for 

students who are gifted and talented (as 

defined in section 8101(27) of the 

Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act, as amended), particularly students 

with high needs (as defined in this 

notice) who may not be served by 

traditional gifted and talented programs, 

so that they can reach their full 

potential, such as providing a greater 

number of gifted and talented students 

with access to challenging coursework 

or other materials. 

Proposed Priority 6—Promoting 

Science, Technology, Engineering, and 

Math (STEM) Education, With a 

Particular Focus on Computer Science. 

Background: 

Our Nation’s economic 

competitiveness depends on our ability 

to improve and expand STEM learning 

and engagement. In a 2005 report, 

‘‘Rising Above the Gathering Storm,’’ 14

the National Academies concluded that 

a primary factor influencing the future 

health of the American economy and 

our ability to create jobs is innovation 

resulting from advances in science and 

engineering. Yet U.S. students finished 

behind those of 29 countries in 

mathematics and 22 countries in science 

on the 2012 Program for International 

Student Assessment, which measures 

the mathematics and science literacy of 

15-year-olds in the world’s most 

advanced countries. To ensure that our 

economic competitiveness is not at risk 

because of a shortage of STEM talent, 


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47488 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Notices 

15See https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/ 

uploads/2014/11/stem-complete.pdf. 

16See http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/12/ 

prweb10219767.htm. 

17See http://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/ 

images-of-computer-science-report.pdf. 

18See Warschauer, M., & Matuchniak, T. (2010). 

New technology and digital worlds: Analyzing 

evidence of equity in access, use, and outcomes. 

Review of Research in Education, 34(1), 179–225. 

19Purcell, K., Heaps, A., Buchanan, J., & 

Friedrich, L. (2013). How teachers are using 

technology at home and in their classrooms. 

Washington, DC: Pew Research Center’s Internet & 

American Life Project. Available at: 

www.pewinternet.org/2013/02/28/how-teachers-areusing-technology-at-home-and-in-their-classrooms/. 

20U.S. Department of Education, Office of 

Educational Technology (OET) (2017). Reimagining 

the Role of Technology in Education: 2017 National 

Education Technology Plan Update. Available at: 

https://tech.ed.gov/files/2017/01/NETP17.pdf. 

we must expand the capacity of our 

elementary and secondary schools to 

provide all students, including girls, 

students of color, and others historically 

underrepresented in STEM fields, with 

engaging and meaningful opportunities, 

both in and outside the classroom, to 

develop knowledge and competencies 

in these subjects. 

Computer science constitutes an 

important area within STEM. 

Georgetown University’s Center on 

Education and the Workforce projects 

that, by 2020, 51 percent of STEM jobs 

will be in computer science-related 

fields.15 If current trends continue, 1.4 

million computer science-related jobs 

will be available over the next ten years, 

but according to the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics, only 400,000 American 

computer science graduates will emerge 

with the skills needed to fill those jobs. 

This lack of skilled college graduates 

can be attributed, in part, to a dearth of 

opportunities to engage in computer 

science in elementary and secondary 

school. According to the National 

Center for Women and Information 

Technology, less than one-quarter of 

students nationwide have access to 

rigorous computer science courses.16 In 

light of findings such as these, it is clear 

we must redouble our efforts to prepare 

students and produce a workforce 

capable of sustaining and growing this 

critical sector of the economy. 

Computer science skills are important 

not only for the technology sector but 

also for a growing number of industries 

that rely on computer skills to improve 

their products and services, including 

transportation, healthcare, education, 

and financial services. Moreover, 

computer science instruction can help 

foster the problem-solving and 

analytical skills needed in many other 

disciplines and careers. Not 

surprisingly, parents increasingly 

recognize the importance of computer 

science: 9 out of 10 parents surveyed by 

Gallup say they want computer science 

taught at their child’s school.17

Effective use of technology in the 

classroom can help reduce inequities in 

learning and achievement and better 

prepare students for the careers of 

tomorrow.18 Educators can leverage new 

digital technologies to improve their 

teaching, but also need support to do 

so.19 As the Department’s 2017 National 

Education Technology Plan describes, 

technology can serve as a powerful tool 

to reimagine learning experiences by 

leveraging advances enabled by 

technology, including personalized 

learning, which adapts instruction to 

students’ individual needs.20

Technology used for educational 

purposes must be accessible to students 

who are children with disabilities and/ 

or individuals with disabilities, 

consistent with the requirements of the 

Americans with Disabilities Act, and 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 

1973. The provision of assistive 

technology devices and services is also 

integral to the education of children 

with disabilities under the IDEA. 

Technology can enable adult learners to 

fit courses into their work schedule or 

to learn and earn new credentials that 

prepare them to further their careers 

regardless of where they live. 

Proposed Priority: 

Projects designed to improve student 

achievement in science, technology, 

engineering, math and computer 

science, or other educational outcomes 

and are designed to address one or more 

of the following priority areas: 

(a) Increasing the number of educators 

adequately prepared to deliver rigorous 

instruction in STEM fields, including 

computer science (as defined in this 

notice), through recruitment, evidencebased (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) 

professional development for current 

STEM educators, or evidence-based 

retraining for current educators seeking 

to transition from other subjects to 

STEM fields. 

(b) Supporting student mastery of key 

prerequisites (e.g. Algebra I) to ensure 

success in all STEM fields, but 

particularly computer science 

coursework (notwithstanding the 

definition in this notice), and exposing 

students to building block skills (such 

as critical thinking and problem solving, 

gained through hands-on, inquiry-based 

learning), as well as the proficient use 

of computer applications necessary to 

transition from a user of technologies, 

particularly computer technologies, to a 

developer of them. 

(c) Identifying and implementing 

instructional strategies in STEM fields, 

including computer science (as defined 

in this notice), that are supported by 

strong or moderate evidence (as defined 

in 34 CFR 77.1). 

(d) Expanding access to and 

participation in rigorous computer 

science (as defined in this notice) 

coursework for traditionally 

underrepresented students such as 

racial or ethnic minorities, women, or 

students in communities served by rural 

local educational agencies (as defined in 

this notice). 

(e) Increasing access to STEM 

coursework, including computer science 

(as defined in this notice), and handson learning opportunities, such as 

through expanded course offerings, 

dual-enrollment, or other innovative 

delivery mechanisms including highquality online coursework. 

(f) Creating or expanding partnerships 

between schools, LEAs and/or SEAs, 

local businesses, not-for-profit 

organizations, or institutes of higher 

education to give students access to 

internships, apprenticeships, or other 

work-based learning experiences in 

STEM fields, including computer 

science (as defined in this notice). 

(g) Other evidence-based (as defined 

in 34 CFR 77.1) areas that encourage 

innovative new approaches to 

expanding access to high-quality STEM 

education, including computer science 

(as defined in this notice). 

(h) Utilizing technology for 

educational purposes in communities 

served by rural local educational 

agencies (as defined in this notice) or 

other areas identified as lacking 

sufficient access to such tools and 

resources. 

(i) Utilizing technology to provide 

access to educational choice (as defined 

in this notice). 

(j) Working with schools, municipal 

libraries, or other partners to provide 

new and accessible methods of 

accessing digital learning resources, 

such as by digitizing books or 

expanding access to such resources for 

a greater number of students. 

(k) Supporting programs that lead to 

recognized postsecondary credentials 

(as defined in section 3(52) of the 

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 

Act of 2014 (WIOA)) for careers in 

science, technology, engineering, and 

mathematics or in in-demand industry 

sectors or occupations (as defined in 

section 3(23)(A) of WIOA). 

(l) Making coursework, books, or 

other materials available as open 

educational resources or taking other 

steps so that such materials may be 

inexpensively and widely used. 

Proposed Priority 7—Promoting 

Literacy. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Notices 47489 

21See, e.g., Lesnick, J., Goerge, R. M., Smithgall, 

C. & Gwynne, J. (2010). Reading on Grade Level in 

Third Grade: How Is It Related to High School 

Performance and College Enrollment? Chapin Hall 

at the University of Chicago. Available at: 

www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/Reading_on_

Grade_Level_111710.pdf. 

22The Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2013). Early 

Warning Confirmed: A Research Update on ThirdGrade Reading. Available at: www.aecf.org/ 

resources/early-warning-confirmed/. 

23The Nation’s Report Card. (2015). National 

Achievement Level Results. Available at: 

www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_2015/ 

#reading/acl?grade=4. 

24 Ibid. 

25Baker, S., Lesaux, N., Jayanthi, M., Dimino, J., 

Proctor, C. P., Morris, J., Gersten, R., Haymond, K., 

Kieffer, M. J., Linan-Thompson, S., & NewmanGonchar, R. (2014). Teaching academic content and 

literacy to English learners in elementary and 

middle school. Washington, DC: National Center for 

Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, 

Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of 

Education. Available at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/ 

wwc/publications_reviews.aspx. Torgesen, J.K., 

Houston, D.D., Rissman, L.M., Decker, S.M., 

Roberts, G., Vaughn, S., Wexler, J., Francis, D.J., 

Rivera, M., & Lesaux, N. (2007). Academic Literacy 

Instruction For Adolescents. Portsmouth, NH: RMC 

Research Corporation, Center on Instruction. 

Available at: http://opi.mt.gov/pub/rti/Essential

Components/RBCurric/Reading/RTIResources/ 

Academic%20Literacy%20Instruction%20for%20

Adolescents.pdf. 

26See U.S. Department of Education, Office of 

Career, Technical and Adult Education. (2016). 

Adult Workers with Low Measured Skills: A 2016 

Update. Available at: https://www2.ed.gov/about/ 

offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/factsh/adultworkers

lowmeasuredskills.pdf. 

27See the What Works Clearinghouse’s literacy 

publications at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/ 

Publication#/ 

FWWFilterId:3,SortBy:RevisedDate,SetNumber:1. 

28Folsom, J. S., Smith, K. G., Burk, K., & Oakley, 

N. (2017). Educator outcomes associated with 

implementation of Mississippi’s K–3 early literacy 

professional development initiative (REL 2017– 

270). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National 

Center for Education Evaluation and Regional 

Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory 

Southeast. Available at: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/ 

edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=466. 

29U.S. Department of Education, Office of 

Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, 

Policy and Program Studies Service, Case Studies 

of Schools Implementing Early Elementary 

Strategies: Preschool Through Third Grade 

Alignment and Differentiated Instruction, 

Washington, DC, 2016. Available at https://

www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/implementing-earlystrategies/report.pdf. 

30Henderson, A.T. & Mapp, K.L. (2002). A new 

wave of evidence: The impact of school, family and 

community connections on student achievement. 

Austin: SEDL. 

31Senechal, M. (2006). The Effect of Family 

Literacy Interventions On Children’s Acquisition of 

Reading: from Kindergarten to Grade 3. National 

Institute for Literacy, Washington, DC. Available at 

http://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/lit_

interventions.pdf. 

32RAND Corporation. (2012). Teachers matter: 

Understanding teachers’ impact on student 

achievement. Santa Monica, CA: Author. Available 

at: www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/ 

corporate_pubs/2012/RAND_CP693z1-2012-09.pdf. 

33RAND Corporation. (2012). Teachers matter: 

Understanding teachers’ impact on student 

achievement. Santa Monica, CA: Author. Available 

at: www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/ 

corporate_pubs/2012/RAND_CP693z1-2012-09.pdf.; 

Rowan, B., Correnti, R. & Miller, R. J. (2002). What 

Large-Scale Survey Research Tells Us About 

Teacher Effects on Student Achievement: Insights 

from the Prospects Study of Elementary Schools. 

Teachers College Record, 104, 1525–1567; Rivkin, 

S.G., Hanushek, E. & Kain, J.F. (2000). Teachers, 

Schools, and Academic Achievement (Working 

Paper W6691). National Bureau of Economic 

Research. Available at: www.cgp.upenn.edu/pdf/ 

Hanushek_NBER.PDF. 

Background: 

Literacy is a foundation for learning 

and is essential to students’ ability to 

progress, pursue higher education, and 

succeed in the workplace. For example, 

the reading level of third grade students 

is highly predictive of their later success 

in school and enrollment in college.21

Third grade literacy rates can have 

tremendous social consequences, 

including on individuals’ earnings as 

adults.22 Students’ reading scores on the 

NAEP, unfortunately, are not increasing 

at a fast enough rate to ensure all 

students are ready for college and 

today’s careers. Between 1992 and 2015, 

the percentage of fourth grade students 

who scored at or above ‘‘proficient’’ 

increased by only seven percentage 

points, from 29 percent to 36 percent.23

Black and Hispanic students have 

experienced greater improvements than 

white students on fourth grade NAEP 

reading tests, but only 18 percent of 

black students and 21 percent of 

Hispanic students score at or above 

‘‘proficient’’ compared to 46 percent of 

their white counterparts.24

One strategy to improve literacy is to 

integrate literacy instruction into 

content-area teaching. This may be 

especially important for adolescents 

who need to learn to read a variety of 

texts in math, science, and social 

studies courses.25 A lack of literacy 

skills may hinder their pursuit of 

additional education, career 

opportunities, and participation in 

society.26

While there are numerous evidencebased literacy interventions and 

strategies,27 professional development 

and effective data use (e.g., formative 

assessments to inform reading groupings 

and instruction) are key to successful 

implementation. For example, after 

participating in a kindergarten–third 

grade early literacy professional 

development initiative, teachers in 

Mississippi improved the quality of 

their instruction and improved student 

engagement in their classrooms.28

Similarly, case studies of five programs 

that aligned preschool through third 

grade learning highlighted the 

importance of instructional coaches to 

train teachers in using data to inform 

instruction.29

Families play a critical role in 

supporting children’s literacy. When 

families and schools work together and 

support each other in their respective 

roles, children have a more positive 

attitude toward school and experience 

more school success.30 Specifically, 

research has found that having parents 

reinforce specific literacy skills is 

effective in improving children’s 

literacy.31

Proposed Priority: 

Projects that are designed to address 

one or more of the following priority 

areas: 

(a) Promoting literacy interventions 

supported by strong evidence (as 

defined in 34 CFR 77.1), including by 

supporting educators with the 

knowledge, skills, professional 

development (as defined in section 

8101(42) of the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act, as amended), 

or materials necessary to promote such 

literacy interventions. 

(b) Providing families with evidencebased (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) 

strategies for promoting literacy at 

home. This may include providing 

families with access to books or other 

physical or digital materials or content 

about how to support their child’s 

reading development, or providing 

family literacy activities (as defined in 

section 203(9) of the Workforce 

Innovation and Opportunity Act of 

2014). 

(c) Facilitating the accurate and 

timely use of data by educators to 

improve reading instruction and make 

informed decisions about how to help 

students build literacy skills while 

protecting student and family privacy. 

(d) Integrating literacy instruction into 

content-area teaching using practices 

supported by strong or moderate 

evidence (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1). 

(e) Supporting the development of 

literacy skills to meet the employment 

and independent living needs of adults 

using practices supported by strong 

evidence (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1). 

Proposed Priority 8—Promoting 

Effective Instruction in Classrooms and 

Schools. 

Background: 

Research indicates that of all the 

school-related factors that impact 

student academic performance, teacher 

quality matters most.32 Teaching is 

critically important, challenging, and 

complex work, and great teachers 

contribute enormously to the learning 

and the lives of children.33 At the same 

time, there is still much work to be done 

to ensure meaningful and ample support 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
47490 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Notices 

34Louis, K.S., Leithwood, K., Wahlstrom, K., & 

Anderson, S. (2010). Investigating the links to 

improved student learning: Final report of research 

findings. Available at: www.wallacefoundation.org/ 

knowledge-center/Documents/Investigating-theLinks-to-Improved-Student-Learning.pdf. 

35Loeb, S., et al. (2012). Effective Schools: 

Teacher Hiring, Assignment, Development, and 

Retention. Journal of Education Finance and Policy, 

7, 269–304. 

36Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2017). 

Unemployment rates and earnings by education 

attainment, 2016. Available at: www.bls.gov/emp/ 

ep_chart_001.htm/. 

37 Ibid. 

38 Ibid. 

39Egalite, A. (2016). How Family Background 

Influences Student Achievement. Education Next, 

16(2). Available at: http://educationnext.org/howfamily-background-influences-student-achievement. 

for educators so that they can help 

students reach their full potential. 

Similarly, effective principals and 

other school leaders are crucial to 

strengthening teaching and school 

communities and improving student 

achievement. School leadership is 

second only to classroom instruction in 

importance among school-based 

variables affecting student 

achievement.34 Research shows that 

effective leaders play a critical role in 

student academic success, especially in 

high-need schools, by creating cultures 

of high expectations and by recruiting 

and retaining highly effective 

teachers.35 Effective leaders also create 

a vision of academic success for all 

children, encourage other educators to 

take on leadership roles and 

responsibilities, and build a school that 

is part of, and responsive to, the 

community that it serves. 

In particular, this priority seeks to 

develop evidence on effective 

professional development and programs 

that support teachers and leaders as 

they enter the profession, different 

leadership pathways for educators in 

and out of the classroom, increased 

diversity through strategic recruitment, 

innovative staffing models, and 

retention of top talent. 

Proposed Priority: 

Projects that are designed to address 

one or more of the following priority 

areas: 

(a) Developing new career pathways 

for effective educators to assume 

leadership roles with the option to 

maintain instructional responsibilities 

and direct interaction with students. 

(b) Supporting the recruitment or 

retention of educators who are effective 

and increase diversity (including, but 

not limited to, racial and ethnic 

diversity). 

(c) Promoting innovative strategies to 

increase the number of students who 

have access to effective teachers or 

school leaders in one or more of the 

following: 

(i) Schools generally. 

(ii) Schools that are located in 

communities served by rural local 

educational agencies; or 

(iii) Schools with a large proportion of 

low-income students. 

(d) Developing or implementing 

innovative staffing or compensation 

models to attract effective educators. 

(e) Recruiting promising students and 

qualified individuals from other fields 

to become teachers, principals, or other 

school leaders, such as mid-career 

professionals from other occupations, 

former military personnel, or recent 

graduates of institutions of higher 

education with records of academic 

distinction who demonstrate potential 

to become effective teachers, principals, 

or other school leaders. 

(f) Increasing the opportunities for 

high-quality preparation of, or 

professional development for, teachers 

or other educators of science, 

technology, engineering, and math 

subjects. 

Proposed Priority 9—Promoting 

Economic Opportunity. 

Background: 

Data show that in 2016, a worker with 

a high school diploma earned almost 

$10,000 more per year than a worker 

with less than a high school diploma.36

Similarly, a worker with a bachelor’s 

degree earned about $24,000 more per 

year than a worker with only a high 

school diploma.37 In general, 

individuals with higher educational 

attainment have higher rates of 

employment and higher average 

earnings than those with lower levels of 

educational attainment.38

Research tells us that children who 

grow up in stable households, with 

parents reaching higher levels of 

education, who read to them, and who 

engage in their intellectual 

development, will have advantages over 

children growing up in households 

without these characteristics.39

By recognizing the non-academic 

factors that contribute to academic 

success, this priority would support 

pathways out of poverty. While the 

Department—and education leaders at 

the State and local levels—cannot solve 

all of these out-of-school challenges, the 

Department can more effectively use its 

resources to support students (and their 

families) so that they have all of the 

tools that they need to be successful in 

the classroom and beyond. The 

Department can also help to ensure that 

its efforts are working in conjunction 

with—and not against—other Federal, 

State, local, and—most of all—private 

efforts to solve the challenges of 

poverty. 

Proposed Priority: 

Projects that are designed to reduce 

academic or non-academic barriers to 

economic mobility and, therefore, 

increase educational opportunities for 

children, by addressing one or more of 

the following priority areas: 

(a) Aligning Federal, State, and/or 

local funding streams to promote 

economic mobility of low-income 

parents and children. 

(b) Building greater effective family 

engagement in their students’ education. 

(c) Creating or supporting alternative 

paths to a regular high school diploma 

(as defined in section 8101(43) of the 

Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act, as amended) and/or recognized 

postsecondary credentials (as defined in 

section 3(52) of the Workforce 

Innovation and Opportunity Act of 

2014) for students whose environments 

outside of school, disengagement with a 

traditional curriculum, homelessness, or 

other challenges make it more difficult 

for them to complete an educational 

program. 

(d) Increasing the number of children 

who enter kindergarten ready to succeed 

in school and in life by supporting 

families and communities to help more 

children obtain requisite knowledge and 

skills to be prepared developmentally. 

(e) Creating or expanding partnerships 

between schools, LEAs, and/or SEAs, 

and community-based organizations to 

provide supports and services to 

students and families. 

Proposed Priority 10—Encouraging 

Improved School Climate and Safer and 

More Respectful Interactions in a 

Positive and Safe Educational 

Environment. 

Background: 

In order for students to engage in 

thoughtful debate and meaningful 

discussion, a critical component of 

learning, they must feel safe to honestly 

and openly share their thoughts and 

opinions on a wide range of issues in 

school. School leaders, teachers, and 

professors must ensure that schools and 

institutions of higher education are 

physically and disciplinarily safe for 

students to learn. This environment can 

be developed through promoting a 

positive school setting that supports 

learning, minimizes disruptions, and 

increases respect for differing 

experiences and perspectives. 

Open and honest dialogue is 

especially important in postsecondary 

settings, where students grapple with 

particularly complex, difficult, and 

potentially polarizing issues. Ensuring 

that students and educators of all 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Notices 47491 

40Musu-Gillette, L., Zhang, A., Wang, K., Zhang, 

J., and Oudekerk, B.A. (2017). Indicators of School 

Crime and Safety: 2016 (NCES 2017–064/NCJ 

250650). U.S. Department of Education, National 

Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice 

Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. 

Department of Justice. Washington, DC. Available 

at: https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2017/2017064.pdf. 

41 Ibid. 

42 Ibid. 

43Radford, A.W., Bentz, A., Dekker, R., & Paslov, 

J. (2016). After the Post-9/11 GI Bill: A Profile of 

Military Service Members and Veterans Enrolled in 

Undergraduate and Graduate Education. Stats in 

Brief. (NCES 2016–435). U.S. Department of 

Education, National Center for Education Statistics. 

Washington, DC. Available at: nces.ed.gov/ 

pubs2016/2016435.pdf. 

44After the Wars—Washington Post-Kaiser 

Family Foundation (2013) survey of Afghanistan 

and Iraq war veterans. Available at: 

www.washingtonpost.com/page/2010-2019/ 

WashingtonPost/2015/10/20/National-Politics/ 

Polling/question_13812.xml. 

45Queen, B., Lewis, L. & Ralph, J. (2014). Services 

and Support Programs for Military Service Members 

and Veterans at Postsecondary Institutions, 2012– 

13. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of 

Education Sciences, National Center for Education 

Statistics. Available at: https://nces.ed.gov/ 

pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2014017. 

46Cate, C.A., Lyon, J., Schmelding, J., & Bogue, 

B.Y. (2017). National Veteran Education Success 

Tracker: A Report on the Academic Success of 

Student Veterans Using the Post-9/11 GI Bill. 

Student Veterans of America. Available at: http:// 

nvest.studentveterans.org/wp-content/uploads/ 

2017/03/NVEST-Report_FINAL.pdf. 

47U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the 

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military 

Community and Family Policy (2015). 2015 

Demographics: Profile of the Military Community. 

Available at: http://

download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/ 

Reports/2015-Demographics-Report.pdf. 

48Clever, Molly M., and Segal, D.R. (2013). The 

Demographics of Military Children and Families. 

The Future of Children 23(2), 13–39. 

backgrounds are able to engage in 

respectful dialogue—without fear of 

retribution—is likely to promote greater 

learning and understanding and a 

stronger Nation. 

Thoughtful debate is unlikely to take 

root in an environment that tolerates 

bullying and other major disruptions. 

Elementary and secondary schools have 

made strides in fostering safer 

environments. Between 2005 and 2015, 

the percentage of students ages 12–18 

who reported being bullied decreased 

from 28 to 21 percent.40 Additionally, 

victimization rates have greatly declined 

between 1992 and 2015, falling from 

181 per 1,000 students to 33 per 1,000 

students.41 Thus, schools are becoming 

physically and emotionally safer for 

students; however, more needs to be 

done to stop bullying and ensure that 

every child can learn in a safe 

environment. 

A significant number of teachers 

report that the behavior of a few 

students is disrupting the education of 

many: Between 1994 and 2012, the 

percentage of teachers who reported that 

student misbehavior interfered with 

their teaching fluctuated over the years, 

ranging from 34 to 41 percent.42 In 

classrooms that experience severe 

disruptions, it is difficult for teachers to 

provide instruction and students may 

not feel secure and comfortable enough 

to learn and grow. 

Proposed Priority: 

Projects that are designed to address 

one or more of the following priority 

areas: 

(a) Creating positive and safe learning 

environments, including by providing 

school personnel with effective 

strategies. 

(b) Developing positive learning 

environments that promote strong 

relationships among students, faculty, 

and staff to help enhance the learning 

environment and prevent bullying, 

violence, and disruptive actions that can 

diminish the opportunity to receive a 

high-quality education. 

(c) Protecting free speech in order to 

allow for the discussion of diverse ideas 

or viewpoints. 

Proposed Priority 11—Ensuring that 

Service Members, Veterans, and Their 

Families Have Access to High-Quality 

Educational Choices. 

Background: 

It is essential to provide our Nation’s 

veterans and service members with the 

resources necessary to continue their 

education and seek a path to a career 

outside of the military. In the 2011–12 

school year, 1.3 million military 

students were enrolled as undergraduate 

or graduate students, a significant 22 

percent increase from the 2008–09 

school year.43 However, despite the 

many education and training 

opportunities provided in the Post-9/11 

GI Bill and through other programs, a 

2013 survey found that fewer than half 

of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans had 

taken advantage of the financial aid 

benefits available to them.44 These 

opportunities must be made easier to 

use and their benefits more clearly 

communicated. 

When they enroll in higher education, 

military- and veteran-connected 

postsecondary students frequently have 

different needs from other students. 

Unfortunately, the quality of services 

provided to these students can vary 

substantially.45 Such students are also 

more likely to experience obstacles to 

the successful completion of their 

programs, such as disruptions due to 

transfers, unit activities, or 

deployments. Despite these barriers, 

many military- and veteran-connected 

students have succeeded in higher 

education. A recent study of veterans 

who used the Post-9/11 GI Bill to pursue 

higher education found that 

approximately 72 percent have either 

earned a postsecondary degree or are 

continuing to work toward a certificate 

or degree.46

In addition, it is critical to support the 

educational opportunities and 

achievement of military- or veteranconnected students in elementary and 

secondary education. In 2015, the 

Department of Defense reported there 

were almost 1.8 million militaryconnected children and slightly more 

than 1 million military spouses.47 Many 

military families experience frequent 

moves that require their children to 

change schools, leading to additional 

challenges and stresses.48

Proposed Priority: 

Projects that are designed to address 

the academic needs of military- or 

veteran-connected students (as defined 

in this notice). 

Types of Priorities: 

When inviting applications for a 

competition using one or more 

priorities, we designate the type of each 

priority as absolute, competitive 

preference, or invitational through a 

notice in the Federal Register. The 

effect of each type of priority follows: 

Absolute priority: Under an absolute 

priority, we consider only applications 

that meet the priority (34 CFR 

75.105(c)(3)). 

Competitive preference priority: 

Under a competitive preference priority, 

we give competitive preference to an 

application by (1) awarding additional 

points, depending on the extent to 

which the application meets the priority 

(34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting 

an application that meets the priority 

over an application of comparable merit 

that does not meet the priority (34 CFR 

75.105(c)(2)(ii)). 

Invitational priority: Under an 

invitational priority, we are particularly 

interested in applications that meet the 

priority. However, we do not give an 

application that meets the priority a 

preference over other applications (34 

CFR 75.105(c)(1)). 

Proposed Definitions: 

The Secretary proposes the following 

definitions for use in any Department 

discretionary grant program. 

Children or students with high needs 

means children or students at risk of 

educational failure or otherwise in need 

of special assistance or support, such as 

children and students who are living in 

poverty, who are English learners, who 

are academically far below grade level, 

who have left school before receiving a 

regular high school diploma, who are at 

risk of not graduating with a regular 


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47492 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Notices 

49U.S. Department of Education, Office of 

Elementary and Secondary Education (2016). NonRegulatory Guidance: Using Evidence to Strengthen 

Education Investments. Available at: https://

www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/ 

guidanceuseseinvestment.pdf. 

high school diploma on time, who are 

homeless, who are in foster care, who 

have been incarcerated, or are children 

or students with disabilities. 

Computer science means the study of 

computers and algorithmic processes 

and includes the study of computing 

principles and theories, computational 

thinking, computer hardware, software 

design, coding, analytics, and computer 

applications. 

Computer science often includes 

computer programming or coding as a 

tool to create software including 

applications, games, Web sites, and 

tools to manage or manipulate data; 

development and management of 

computer hardware and the other 

electronics related to sharing, securing, 

and using digital information. 

In addition to coding, the expanding 

field of computer science emphasizes 

computational thinking and 

interdisciplinary problem-solving to 

equip students with the skills and 

abilities necessary to apply computation 

in our digital world. 

Computer science does not include 

using a computer for everyday activities, 

such as browsing the internet; use of 

tools like word processing, spreadsheets 

or presentation software; or using 

computers in the study and exploration 

of unrelated subjects. 

Educational choice means the 

opportunity for a student (or a family 

member on their behalf) to create a 

personalized path for learning that is 

consistent with applicable Federal, 

State, and local laws, is in an 

educational setting that best meets the 

student’s needs, and, where possible, 

incorporates evidence-based activities, 

strategies, and interventions.49

Opportunities made available to a 

student through a grant program are 

those that supplement what is provided 

by a student’s geographically assigned 

school or the institution in which he or 

she is currently enrolled and may 

include one or more of the options 

listed below: 

(1) Public educational programs or 

courses including those offered by 

traditional public schools, public 

charter schools, public magnet schools, 

public online education providers, or 

other public education providers. 

(2) Private or home-based educational 

programs or courses including those 

offered by private schools, private 

online providers, private tutoring 

providers, community or faith-based 

organizations, or other private education 

providers. 

(3) Internships, apprenticeships, or 

other programs offering access to 

learning in the workplace. 

(4) Part-time coursework or career 

preparation offered by a public or 

private provider in person or through 

the internet or another form of distance 

learning, that serves as a supplement to 

full-time enrollment at an educational 

institution, as a stand-alone program 

leading to a credential, or as a 

supplement to education received in a 

homeschool setting. 

(5) Dual or concurrent enrollment 

programs or early college high schools 

(as defined in section 8101(15) and (17) 

of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act, as amended), or other 

programs that enable secondary school 

students to begin earning credit toward 

a postsecondary degree or credential 

prior to high school graduation. 

(6) Access to services or programs for 

aspiring or current postsecondary 

students not offered by the institution in 

which they are currently enrolled to 

support retention and graduation. 

(7) Other educational services 

including credit-recovery, accelerated 

learning, and tutoring. High-poverty 

school means a school in which at least 

50 percent of students are from lowincome families as determined using 

one of the measures of poverty specified 

under section 1113(a)(5) of the 

Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act, as amended. For middle and high 

schools, eligibility may be calculated on 

the basis of comparable data from feeder 

schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty 

school under this definition is 

determined on the basis of the most 

currently available data. 

Military- or veteran-connected student 

means one or more of the following: 

(a) A child participating in an early 

learning and development program, a 

student enrolled in preschool through 

grade 12, or a student enrolled in 

postsecondary education or career and 

technical education, who has a parent or 

guardian who is a member of the 

uniformed services (as defined by 37 

U.S.C. 101, in the Army, Navy, Air 

Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, 

National Guard, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, or Public 

Health Service) or is a veteran of the 

uniformed services with an honorable 

discharge (as defined by 38 U.S.C. 

3311). 

(b) A student who is a member of the 

uniformed services, a veteran of the 

uniformed services, or the spouse of a 

service member or veteran. 

(c) A child participating in an early 

learning and development program or a 

student enrolled in preschool through 

grade 12 or in a postsecondary 

education program who has a parent or 

guardian who is a veteran of the 

uniformed services (as defined by 37 

U.S.C. 101). 

Rural local educational agency means 

a local educational agency that is 

eligible under the Small Rural School 

Achievement (SRSA) program or the 

Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) 

program authorized under Title V, Part 

B of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act, as amended. Eligible 

applicants may determine whether a 

particular district is eligible for these 

programs by referring to information on 

the Department’s Web site at 

www2.ed.gov/nclb/freedom/local/ 

reap.html. 

Final Priorities and Definitions: 

We will announce the final priorities 

and definitions in a notice in the 

Federal Register. We will determine the 

final priorities and definitions after 

considering responses to this notice and 

other information available to the 

Department. This notice does not 

preclude us from proposing additional 

priorities, requirements, definitions, or 

selection criteria, subject to meeting 

applicable rulemaking requirements. 

Note: This notice does not solicit 

applications. In any year in which we choose 

to use one or more of these priorities or 

definitions, we invite applications through a 

notice in the Federal Register. 

Executive Orders 12866, 13563, and 

13771 

Regulatory Impact Analysis 

Under Executive Order 12866, the 

Secretary must determine whether this 

regulatory action is ‘‘significant’’ and, 

therefore, subject to the requirements of 

the Executive order and subject to 

review by the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB). Section 3(f) of Executive 

Order 12866 defines a ‘‘significant 

regulatory action’’ as an action likely to 

result in a rule that may— 

(1) Have an annual effect on the 

economy of $100 million or more, or 

adversely affect a sector of the economy, 

productivity, competition, jobs, the 

environment, public health or safety, or 

State, local, or tribal governments or 

communities in a material way (also 

referred to as an ‘‘economically 

significant’’ rule); 

(2) Create serious inconsistency or 

otherwise interfere with an action taken 

or planned by another agency; 

(3) Materially alter the budgetary 

impacts of entitlement grants, user fees, 

or loan programs or the rights and 

obligations of recipients thereof; or 


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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Notices 47493 

(4) Raise novel legal or policy issues 

arising out of legal mandates, the 

President’s priorities, or the principles 

stated in the Executive order. 

This proposed regulatory action is a 

significant regulatory action subject to 

review by OMB under section 3(f) of 

Executive Order 12866. 

Under Executive Order 13771, for 

each new regulation that the 

Department proposes for notice and 

comment or otherwise promulgates that 

is a significant regulatory action under 

Executive Order 12866, it must identify 

two deregulatory actions. Beginning 

with Fiscal Year 2017, any new 

incremental costs associated with a new 

regulation must be fully offset by the 

elimination of existing costs through 

deregulatory actions. Although this 

regulatory action is a significant 

regulatory action, the requirements of 

Executive Order 13771 do not apply 

because this regulatory action is a 

‘‘transfer rule’’ not covered by the 

Executive order. 

We have also reviewed this proposed 

regulatory action under Executive Order 

13563, which supplements and 

explicitly reaffirms the principles, 

structures, and definitions governing 

regulatory review established in 

Executive Order 12866. To the extent 

permitted by law, Executive Order 

13563 requires that an agency— 

(1) Propose or adopt regulations only 

upon a reasoned determination that 

their benefits justify their costs 

(recognizing that some benefits and 

costs are difficult to quantify); 

(2) Tailor its regulations to impose the 

least burden on society, consistent with 

obtaining regulatory objectives and 

taking into account—among other things 

and to the extent practicable—the costs 

of cumulative regulations; 

(3) In choosing among alternative 

regulatory approaches, select those 

approaches that maximize net benefits 

(including potential economic, 

environmental, public health and safety, 

and other advantages; distributive 

impacts; and equity); 

(4) To the extent feasible, specify 

performance objectives, rather than the 

behavior or manner of compliance a 

regulated entity must adopt; and 

(5) Identify and assess available 

alternatives to direct regulation, 

including economic incentives—such as 

user fees or marketable permits—to 

encourage the desired behavior, or 

provide information that enables the 

public to make choices. 

Executive Order 13563 also requires 

an agency ‘‘to use the best available 

techniques to quantify anticipated 

present and future benefits and costs as 

accurately as possible.’’ The Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs of 

OMB has emphasized that these 

techniques may include ‘‘identifying 

changing future compliance costs that 

might result from technological 

innovation or anticipated behavioral 

changes.’’ 

We are issuing these proposed 

priorities and definitions only on a 

reasoned determination that their 

benefits will justify their costs. In 

choosing among alternative regulatory 

approaches, we selected the approach 

that will maximize net benefits. Based 

on the analysis that follows, the 

Department believes that this regulatory 

action is consistent with the principles 

in Executive Order 13563. 

We also have determined that this 

regulatory action will not unduly 

interfere with State, local, and tribal 

governments in the exercise of their 

governmental functions. 

In accordance with these Executive 

orders, the Department has assessed the 

potential costs and benefits, both 

quantitative and qualitative, of this 

regulatory action. The potential costs 

associated with this regulatory action 

are those resulting from regulatory 

requirements and those we have 

determined are necessary for 

administering the Department’s 

programs and activities. 

Discussion of Costs and Benefits: 

The proposed priorities and 

definitions would impose minimal costs 

on entities that would receive assistance 

through the Department’s discretionary 

grant programs. Additionally, the 

benefits of implementing the proposal 

contained in this notice outweigh any 

associated costs because it would result 

in the Department’s discretionary grant 

programs encouraging the submission of 

a greater number of high-quality 

applications and supporting activities 

that reflect the Administration’s 

educational priorities. 

Application submission and 

participation in a discretionary grant 

program are voluntary. The Secretary 

believes that the costs imposed on 

applicants by the proposed priorities 

would be limited to paperwork burden 

related to preparing an application for a 

discretionary grant program that is using 

a priority in its competition. Because 

the costs of carrying out activities would 

be paid for with program funds, the 

costs of implementation would not be a 

burden for any eligible applicants, 

including small entities. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act 

Certification: For these reasons as well, 

the Secretary certifies that these 

proposed priorities and definitions 

would not have a significant economic 

impact on a substantial number of small 

entities. 

Intergovernmental Review: Some of 

the programs affected by these proposed 

priorities and definitions are subject to 

Executive Order 12372 and the 

regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of 

the objectives of the Executive order is 

to foster an intergovernmental 

partnership and a strengthened 

federalism. The Executive order relies 

on processes developed by State and 

local governments for coordination and 

review of proposed Federal financial 

assistance. 

This document provides early 

notification of our specific plans and 

actions for these programs. 

Accessible Format: Individuals with 

disabilities can obtain this document in 

an accessible format (e.g., braille, large 

print, audiotape, or compact disc) on 

request to the program contact person 

listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

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 Regulations is 

available via the Federal Digital System 

at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you 

can view this document, as well as all 

other documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Adobe Portable Document 

Format (PDF). To use PDF you must 

have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at the site. 

You may also access documents of the 

Department published in the Federal 

Register by using the article search 

feature at: www.federalregister.gov. 

Specifically, through the advanced 

search feature at this site, you can limit 

your search to documents published by 

the Department. 

Betsy DeVos, 

Secretary of Education. 

[FR Doc. 2017–22127 Filed 10–11–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Biological and Environmental 

Research Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: Office of Science, Department 

of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of open meeting. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces a 

meeting of the Biological and 

Environmental Research Advisory 

Committee (BERAC). The Federal 

Advisory Committee Act requires that 


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