[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 83 (Monday, May 1, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21396-21397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-10637]



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Eisenhower Professional Development Federal Activities Program--
Initial Teacher Professional Development Projects

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of final priority for (FY) Fiscal Year 1995.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces an absolute priority for a FY 1995 
competition under the Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development 
Federal Activities Program to support innovative Statewide policies and 
practices in the broad area of initial professional development for K-
12 teachers of core academic subjects.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This absolute priority takes effect May 31, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Trudy Turner or Annora Dorsey, U.S. 
Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Room 500, 
Washington, D.C. 20208-5572. Fax: (202) 219-2106; Telephone: (202) 219-
2206. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-
877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday 
except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The goal of the Dwight D. Eisenhower 
Professional Development Program is to provide K-12 teachers with 
sustained and intensive high-quality professional development that will 
improve teaching in the core academic subjects, and that is consistent 
with challenging State content standards, in order to enable all 
children to meet challenging State student performance standards. The 
Secretary has supported, and will continue to support, in-service 
professional development of K-12 teachers. However, the Secretary 
believes these efforts must be integrated with additional attention to 
initial teacher professional development and alignment of State 
requirements for licensure and induction with challenging State content 
and student performance standards if sustained change is to occur in 
American education.
    Funded projects should address reform of all aspects of teacher 
preparation, including recruitment and selection of teacher candidates, 
collaboration of colleges of education with colleges of arts and 
sciences, curriculum and instruction offered in teacher preparation 
programs, faculty incentives and development strategies, clinical 
experiences of teacher candidates, State-level licensing policies and 
procedures, and support for teachers in the initial years of teaching 
in schools.

Absolute Priority

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary gives an absolute 
preference to applications that meet the following priority. The 
Secretary will fund under this competition only applications that meet 
this priority.

Initial Teacher Professional Development Projects

    The Secretary will support projects to promote Statewide reform in 
the area of K-12 preservice teacher professional development, including 
preparation, licensing, and induction (first 1-3 years of teaching). 
Each project must form a consortium of the State education agency, 
State agency of higher education, one or more institutions of higher 
education, and one or more local education agencies to develop and 
implement a plan for aligning State policies regarding teacher 
licensing and induction at the State and local levels with challenging 
State content and student performance standards in the core academic 
subjects.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), 
it is the practice of the Department of Education to offer interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed regulations that are not 
taken directly from statute. Ordinarily, this practice would have 
applied to the absolute priority in this notice. 
[[Page 21397]] However, in order to make timely grant awards in FY 
1995, the Assistant Secretary, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of 
the General Education Provisions Act, has decided to issue the absolute 
priority as final requirements that will apply only to the FY 1995 
grant competition.

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.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6621-6622.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.168, Dwight D. 
Eisenhower Professional Development Federal Activities Program)

    Dated: April 26, 1995.
Sharon P. Robinson,
Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 95-10637 Filed 4-28-95; 8:45 am]
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