[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 134 (Thursday, July 14, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-17019] [[Page Unknown]] [Federal Register: July 14, 1994] _______________________________________________________________________ Part III Department of Education _______________________________________________________________________ Fund for Innovation in Education: Innovation in Education Program-- Model Content Standards for English and Economics; proposed priorities for Fiscal Year 1995; Notice DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Fund for Innovation in Education: Innovation in Education Program--Model Content Standards for English and Economics AGENCY: Department of Education. ACTION: Notice of Proposed Priorities for Fiscal Year 1995. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes absolute priorities under the Fund for Innovation in Education Program as currently authorized or the successor program as it will be established with the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The Secretary takes this action to focus Federal financial assistance on the development of content standards--broad descriptions of the knowledge and skills students should acquire in particular subject areas--as the starting point for nationwide systemic education reform. The priorities will guide projects in developing model content standards in English and in Economics for grades K-12. DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 15, 1994. ADDRESSES: All comments concerning these proposed priorities should be addressed to Joseph Conaty, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., room 610d, Washington, DC 20208-5648. Comments on this notice may also be sent to the Department of Education at the appropriate Internet electronic mail address: E[email protected] or E[email protected]. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Conaty, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW., room 610d, Washington, DC 20208-5648. Telephone: (202) 219-2079. Internet electronic mail address: Priorities__Q[email protected]. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Dual Information Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Goals 2000: Educate America Act will improve performance for all students. The Secretary believes that the development of model content standards in critical subject areas is a useful first step in nationwide systemic education reform. The priorities in this notice support the development of model content standards in English and in Economics and will assist the States in the development of their State content standards as the basis for State systemic reform. National organizations have developed content standards in mathematics and the arts. The Department of Education is supporting other projects to develop model content standards for science, foreign language, civics, history, and geography. Certain States have already developed related materials in one or more of these subjects that provide guidelines to local schools and districts for the content of what should be taught. The Secretary believes that a broad, collaborative process is necessary to achieve consensus on what children should know in the content area. Entities or consortia of entities, such as State education agencies (SEA's), local education agencies (LEA's), institutions of higher education, professional associations, private schools, and other public and private agencies, organizations and institutions may apply for funding to support a project in one or both, separately, of the disciplines cited in the proposed priorities. In developing model content standards, projects must draw on relevant work of national and international efforts, educational associations and organizations, and State and local educational agencies. Projects must be designed to reflect the best available knowledge about how students learn and how content can best be taught. Projects also must be designed to reach broad consensus through the participation of all interested parties: Classroom teachers, university and school-based content specialists; State and local school administrators; representatives of private schools; specialists in teacher education; representatives of State legislators, Governor's offices, State and local boards of education; representatives of business, labor, industry, the community at large; parents, and others, such as experts in the field of educating children with special needs. The Secretary proposes these priorities under the Fund for Innovation in Education (FIE) program. FIE is currently authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. It is anticipated that Congress will reauthorize the ESEA in the near future. The Secretary does not expect the FIE program as reauthorized to differ in any substantive way that would preclude the Secretary from establishing these proposed priorities under the newly authorized program. The Secretary will announce final priorities in a notice in the Federal Register. Final priorities will be determined after public comments on this notice are reviewed. Funding of particular projects depends on the availability of funds, the nature of the final priorities, and the quality of the applications received. The publication of these proposed priorities does not preclude the Secretary from proposing additional priorities or funding projects to support these priorities, subject to meeting applicable rule-making requirements. Note: This notice of proposed priorities does not solicit applications. A notice inviting applications under these priorities will be published concurrent with or following publication of the notice of final priority. Priorities Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary proposes to give an absolute preference to applications that meet one of the following priorities. The Secretary proposes to fund under this competition only applications that meet one of these absolute priorities: Absolute Priority 1--Model Content Standards for English Absolute Priority 2--Model Content Standards for Economics To meet either one of these two priorities, an application must be for a project in which the applicant, working alone or in collaboration with other entities of its own choice, develops challenging model content standards, kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12), to facilitate State and local construction of content standards and related programs for teacher education, certification, professional development and assessment of student achievement. Each project must carry out all of the following activities: (a) Design model content standards to serve as the foundation for coherent curricula carefully designed to ensure that all children study challenging subject material in every grade, K-12. The standards must be set forth in a written document that indicates what children should know at certain benchmarks, such as at grades 4, 8, and 12. (b) Develop and implement a strategy for building a broad consensus by involving classroom teachers, university and school-based content specialists in English or Economics, experts in the education of children with disabilities and other special needs; State and local school administrators, representatives of private schools, specialists in teacher education, representatives of the State legislature, the Governor's office, State and local boards of education; representatives of business, labor, industry, the community at large, parents, and others, as appropriate. (c) Demonstrate that the standards will be grounded in current research and relevant prior work including efforts of educational associations and organizations, extant State and local content standards, and others. (d) Establish an advisory council composed of members that represent the broad constituencies associated with the given subject matter competence. (e) Produce a series of draft documents for review and approval by the advisory council. (f) Conduct public hearings to critique draft documents. (g) Provide the Secretary with a copy of the project performance report conducted under 34 CFR 75.590. Intergovernmental Review This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. The objective of the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened federalism by relying on processes developed by State and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance. In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for this program. Invitation To Comment Interested persons are invited to submit comments and recommendations regarding these proposed priorities. All comments submitted in response to this notice will be available for public inspection, during and after the comment period, in Room 610d, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday of each week except Federal holidays. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 3151. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.215K, Fund for Innovation in Education) Dated: July 8, 1994. Sharon P. Robinson, Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement. [FR Doc. 94-17019 Filed 7-13-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P