[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16715-16716]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8395]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; Notice of Final
Funding Priorities for Fiscal Year (FY) 1999 Under the Native Hawaiian
Curriculum Development, Teacher Training, and Recruitment Program
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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces final funding priorities for fiscal
year (FY) 1999 under the Native Hawaiian Curriculum Development,
Teacher Training, and Recruitment Program. Under the priorities, funds
under the Native Hawaiian Curriculum Development, Teacher Training and
Recruitment Program will be used to support activities in the areas of
(1) computer literacy and technology education, (2) agriculture
education partnerships, (3) astronomy, (4) indigenous health, (5) waste
management, and (6) prisoner education.
EFFECTIVE DATE: May 6, 1999.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 29, 1998, the Secretary
published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed funding
priorities announcing that the Secretary intended to use $1,500,000 of
FY 1999 funds available under the Curriculum Development, Teacher
Training and Recruitment Program to fund one or two projects in each of
six identified priority categories: (1) computer literacy and
technology education, (2) agriculture education partnerships, (3)
astronomy, (4) indigenous health, (5) waste management, and (6)
prisoner education. This notice announces the final funding priorities
for the program.
Note: This notice of final funding priorities does not solicit
applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition
is published in a separate notice in this issue of the Federal
Register.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
Four parties submitted various comments in response to the
Secretary's notice of proposed funding priorities for the program.
Comment: One commenter recommended that the Department run a
broader competition without any absolute priorities.
Discussion: The Secretary believes that the absolute priorities are
necessary to help focus limited resources on addressing some of the
specific needs of the Native Hawaiian community.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter suggested that the Department support a new
Native Hawaiian student-centered academy, governed by a local school
board, and independent of the Hawaii Department of Education.
Discussion: The Secretary believes that the priorities that have
been adopted better further the statutory purposes of the program.
Changes: None.
Comments: The other two commenters were generally supportive of the
priorities, and offered various suggestions for strengthening or
clarifying some of the priorities. These commenters also recommended
that the Department continue to support activities in the field of
aquaculture. In addition, one of the two commenters recommended that
the astronomy priority be expanded to include support of educational
and training opportunities for all grade levels, including community
college, baccalaureate, graduate, and postgraduate levels.
Discussion: The Department has just completed the support of
aquaculture projects under this program, and has determined that it
would be more appropriate at this time to use the resources available
to fund new projects in the identified priority categories.
Furthermore, the Secretary believes that the astronomy priority as
originally proposed better meets the statutory purposes of the program.
The Secretary believes that many of the other suggestions from
these commenters, which form the basis for the additional program
design information provided in the notice inviting applications for new
awards published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, can
be incorporated into applications as part of the proposed projects.
Changes: None.
ABSOLUTE PRIORITIES: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary gives
an absolute preference to applications that focus entirely on
activities in one of the following six areas:
(1) Computer literacy and technology education--to support
curriculum development, teacher training and model programs designed to
increase computer literacy and access for Native
[[Page 16716]]
Hawaiian elementary and secondary school students;
(2) Agriculture education partnerships--to support the integration
of agricultural and business practices into high school curriculum
through the expansion of partnerships between community-based
agricultural businesses and high schools with high concentrations of
Native Hawaiian students;
(3) Astronomy--to support the development of educational programs
in astronomy for Native Hawaiian elementary and secondary school
students to assist them in reaching challenging science and mathematics
standards and to encourage them to enter the field of astronomy;
(4) Indigenous health--to support curriculum development, teacher
training, and instruction activities that will foster a better
understanding and knowledge of Native Hawaiian traditional medicine,
particularly among Native Hawaiian elementary and secondary students;
(5) Waste management innovation--to study and document traditional
Hawaiian practices of sustainable waste management and to prepare
teaching materials for educational purposes and for demonstration of
the use of native Hawaiian plants and animals for waste treatment and
environmental remediation; and
(6) Prisoner education--to support programs that target juvenile
offenders and/or youth at risk of becoming juvenile offenders.
Comprehensive and culturally sensitive strategies for reaching the
target population will include family counseling, basic education/job
skills training, and the involvement of community elders as mentors.
The Secretary funds under the FY 1999 competition under this
program only applicants that meet one of these absolute priorities.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beth Baggett, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202-6140.
Telephone (202) 260-2502. 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.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding
paragraph.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternate format, also, by contacting that person.
However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format
the standard forms included in the application package.
Electronic Access to This Document:
Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education Documents published in the Federal Register, in text or
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the
following sites: http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm or http://www.ed.gov/
news.html.
To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing
Office toll free at 1-888-293-6498.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7905.
Dated: March 30, 1999.
Judith Johnson,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 99-8395 Filed 4-5-99; 8:45 am]
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