Discretionary Grant Programs, 50601-50603 [E8-19893]
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any and all substances from them as a
biocide in grouts, cements, parging
materials, stuccos, and mortars; and
wallboards, and cellulose-based
materials such as wallboard papers,
wallpapers, particleboard, paneling,
medium density fiberboard (MDF)
paneling, plywood, chipboard, and
ceiling tile; and caulks, sealants and
adhesives; and high pressure laminates,
including wall, counter top and floor
coverings or components thereof; and
ceramics, cultured marbles, and tiles;
and non-cellulose (i.e. polymer) based
wallpapers, paneling, and other wall,
counter top, and floor coverings or
components; and insulations.
It also includes the field of use of
Paint (as a coating for the elution of
biocides on lumber) which shall mean
the use of a licensed invention for the
elution of any and all substances as a
biocide in any and all coatings applied
in liquid form for the protection of
lumber in structures or components
thereof in the United States and certain
foreign countries, the Governmentowned inventions described in U.S.
Patent No. 5,492,696: Controlled Release
Microstructures, Navy Case No.
76,896.//U.S. Patent No. 5,651,976:
Controlled Release of Active Agents
Using Inorganic Tubules, Navy Case No.
76,652.//U.S. Patent No. 6,280,759:
Method of Controlled Release and
Controlled Release Microstructures,
Navy Case No. 78,215 and any
continuations, divisionals or re-issues
thereof.
Anyone wishing to object to the
grant of this license must file written
objections along with supporting
evidence, if any, not later than
September 11, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Written objections are to be
filed with the Naval Research
Laboratory, Code 1004, 4555 Overlook
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20375–
5320.
DATES:
Rita
Manak, Head, Technology Transfer
Office, NRL Code 1004, 4555 Overlook
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20375–
5320, telephone: 202–767–3083. Due to
U.S. Postal delays, please fax: 202–404–
7920, e-mail:
techtran@utopia.nrl.navy.mil or use
courier delivery to expedite response.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Authority: 35 U.S.C. 207, 37 CFR Part 404.
Dated: August 20, 2008.
M.C.L. Horrigan,
Commander, Office of the Judge Advocate
General, U.S. Navy, Alternate Federal Register
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8–19852 Filed 8–26–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P
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Jkt 214001
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
Department of Education.
SUMMARY: The IC Clearance Official,
Regulatory Information Management
Services, Office of Management invites
comments on the submission for OMB
review as required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995.
AGENCY:
Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before
September 26, 2008.
DATES:
Written comments should
be addressed to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Attention: Education Desk Officer,
Office of Management and Budget, 725
17th Street, NW., Room 10222,
Washington, DC 20503. Commenters are
encouraged to submit responses
electronically by e-mail to
oira_submission@omb.eop.gov or via fax
to (202) 395–6974. Commenters should
include the following subject line in
their response ‘‘Comment: [insert OMB
number], [insert abbreviated collection
name, e.g., ‘‘Upward Bound
Evaluation’’]. Persons submitting
comments electronically should not
submit paper copies.
ADDRESSES:
Section
3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires
that the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) provide interested
Federal agencies and the public an early
opportunity to comment on information
collection requests. OMB may amend or
waive the requirement for public
consultation to the extent that public
participation in the approval process
would defeat the purpose of the
information collection, violate State or
Federal law, or substantially interfere
with any agency’s ability to perform its
statutory obligations. The IC Clearance
Official, Regulatory Information
Management Services, Office of
Management, publishes that notice
containing proposed information
collection requests prior to submission
of these requests to OMB. Each
proposed information collection,
grouped by office, contains the
following: (1) Type of review requested,
e.g. new, revision, extension, existing or
reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of
the collection; (4) Description of the
need for, and proposed use of, the
information; (5) Respondents and
frequency of collection; and (6)
Reporting and/or Recordkeeping
burden. OMB invites public comment.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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50601
Dated: August 21, 2008.
Angela C. Arrington,
IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information
Management Services, Office of Management.
Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education
Type of Review: Revision.
Title: Binational Migrant Education
Program (BMEP) State MEP Director
Survey.
Frequency: Annually.
Affected Public: Federal Government;
State, Local, or Tribal Gov’t, SEAs or
LEAs.
Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour
Burden:
Responses: 50.
Burden Hours:≤ 50.
Abstract: The survey collects
information from State Migrant
Education Programs (MEPs) on their
participation in the Binational Migrant
Education Program (BMEP) to serve
children who migrate between Mexico
and the U.S.
Requests for copies of the information
collection submission for OMB review
may be accessed from https://
edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the
‘‘Browse Pending Collections’’ link and
by clicking on link number 3555. When
you access the information collection,
click on ‘‘Download Attachments’’ to
view. Written requests for information
should be addressed to U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue,
SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–4537.
Requests may also be electronically
mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed
to 202–401–0920. Please specify the
complete title of the information
collection when making your request.
Comments regarding burden and/or
the collection activity requirements
should be electronically mailed to
ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–
800–877–8339.
[FR Doc. E8–19824 Filed 8–26–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Discretionary Grant Programs
Department of Education.
Notice of intent to use certain
discretionary grant priorities in fiscal
year 2009.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes to
continue the use in fiscal year (FY) 2009
of priorities that the Department of
Education (Department) previously
established for use in any discretionary
E:\FR\FM\27AUN1.SGM
27AUN1
50602
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 167 / Wednesday, August 27, 2008 / Notices
grant program competition in FY 2007
and FY 2008. We take this action in
order to continue to focus Federal
financial assistance on expanding the
number of programs and projects
Department-wide that support activities
in areas of greatest educational need.
We are proposing to continue the use of
the priorities on a Department-wide
basis, so that Department offices can use
one or more of these priorities in any
discretionary grant competition, as
appropriate.
We must receive your comments
on or before September 26, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about
this proposed action to Margo K.
Anderson, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 4W311, Washington, DC 20202–
5910. If you prefer to send your
comments through the Internet, use the
following address: comments@ed.gov.
You must include the term ‘‘FY 2009
Use of Department-wide Priorities’’ in
the subject line of your electronic
message.
DATES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Margo Anderson. Telephone: (202) 205–
3010 or via Internet at
Margo.Anderson@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–
800–877–8339.
Individuals with disabilities may
obtain this document in an alternative
format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to the contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Invitation to Comment
We invite you to submit comments
regarding this proposed action.
We invite you to assist us in
complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Order 12866
and its overall requirement of reducing
regulatory burden that might result from
this proposed action. Please let us know
of any further opportunities we should
take to reduce potential costs or increase
potential benefits while preserving the
effective and efficient administration of
the Department’s programs.
During and after the comment period,
you may inspect all public comments
about this proposed action in room
4W333, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC, between the hours of
8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern time,
Monday through Friday of each week
except Federal holidays.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
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Jkt 214001
Assistance to Individuals With
Disabilities in Reviewing the
Rulemaking Record
On request, we will supply an
appropriate aid, such as a reader or
print magnifier, to an individual with a
disability who needs assistance to
review the comments or other
documents in the public rulemaking
record for this proposed action. If you
want to schedule an appointment for
this type of aid, please contact the
person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
General
On October 11, 2006 (71 FR 60046),
the Department established the
following menu of priorities for
discretionary grant programs to help
support rigorous instruction, high
standards, and accountability for
results:
1. Mathematics.
2. Science.
3. Critical-Need Languages.
4. Secondary Schools.
5. Professional Development for
Secondary School Teachers.
6. School Districts with Schools in
Need of Improvement, Corrective
Action, or Restructuring.
7. Student Achievement Data.
8. State Data Systems.
These priorities were available for use
in FY 2007 and FY 2008. The
Department believes that these priorities
are still relevant to the Nation’s
educational needs and is proposing to
continue their use in FY 2009.
These priorities were designed to
respond to the fact that America’s
rapidly changing economy requires an
educational system that produces high
school graduates with the skills needed
to be successful in postsecondary
education and the workforce. In
addition to improving the academic
achievement of students in mathematics
and science, the content-specific
priorities established for FY 2007 and
FY 2008 were designed to (a) expand
the number of Americans mastering
foreign languages critical to national
security and to our participation in the
global economy; (b) help high schools
develop a larger pool of technically
adept and numerically literate
Americans; a continual supply of highly
trained mathematicians, scientists, and
engineers; and more students with
higher levels of proficiency in criticalneed languages; and (c) enhance highquality professional development for
secondary school teachers to help
ensure that these teachers have the
content knowledge and expertise
required to improve student
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
achievement. Another priority was
designed to focus assistance on schools
in need of improvement, corrective
action, or restructuring. We believe that
extending the use of these priorities will
continue progress in these areas.
In addition, the Secretary established
two priorities for use in FY 2007 and FY
2008 to ensure that data are available to
inform decision-making. One of these
priorities focuses resources on
collecting data to assess the effects of
projects on the academic achievement of
student participants relative to
appropriate comparison or control
groups. Continued use of this priority
will enable the Department to fund
interventions that are designed to
collect the best available data to
determine the impact of the proposed
interventions on student achievement
and to inform future improvement
efforts. The second focuses resources on
projects to help educators use
information from State data systems to
improve student achievement or other
appropriate outcomes.
Discussion of Proposed Action
We will announce the final action in
a notice in the Federal Register. We will
determine the final action after
considering public comments on the
proposal in this notice and other
information available to the Department.
This notice does not preclude the
Secretary from proposing other actions,
including the use of additional
priorities, subject to meeting applicable
rulemaking requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit
applications. If we choose to use one or more
of the priorities referenced in this notice in
FY 2009, we will invite applications for new
awards under the applicable program
through a notice in the Federal Register.
When inviting applications we designate the
priorities as absolute, competitive preference,
or invitational. 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
either (1) awarding additional points,
depending on how well or the extent to
which the application meets the competitive
preference priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i));
or (2) selecting an application that meets the
competitive 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 invitational
priority. However, we do not give an
application that meets the invitational
priority a competitive or absolute preference
over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
E:\FR\FM\27AUN1.SGM
27AUN1
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 167 / Wednesday, August 27, 2008 / Notices
Proposed Action
The Secretary proposes to continue to
use certain priorities for discretionary
grant competitions in FY 2009, as
appropriate. The Secretary intends that
these priorities, which were originally
established for use in FY 2007 and FY
2008, will allow the Department to
continue to focus limited Federal
resources on areas of greatest
educational need in FY 2009. The
Secretary recognizes that some of the
priorities will not be appropriate for
particular programs.
The priorities the Secretary proposes
to make available for use by the
Department in discretionary grant
competitions in FY 2009 are as follows:
Priority 1—Mathematics. Projects that
support activities to enable students to
achieve proficiency or advanced
proficiency in mathematics.
Priority 2—Science. Projects that
support activities to enable students to
achieve proficiency or advanced
proficiency in science.
Priority 3—Critical-Need Languages.
Projects that support activities to enable
students to achieve proficiency or
advanced proficiency in one or more of
the following less commonly taught
languages: Arabic, Chinese, Korean,
Japanese, Russian, and languages in the
Indic, Iranian, and Turkic language
families.
Priority 4—Secondary Schools.
Projects that support activities and
interventions aimed at improving the
academic achievement of secondary
school students who are at greatest risk
of not meeting challenging State
academic standards and not completing
high school.
Priority 5—Professional Development
for Secondary School Teachers. Projects
that support high-quality professional
development for secondary school
teachers to help these teachers improve
student academic achievement.
Priority 6—School Districts with
Schools in Need of Improvement,
Corrective Action, or Restructuring.
Projects that help school districts
implement academic and structural
interventions in schools that have been
identified for improvement, corrective
action, or restructuring under the
Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965, as amended by the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Priority 7—Student Achievement
Data. Projects that collect pre- and postintervention test data to assess the effect
of the projects on the academic
achievement of student participants
relative to appropriate comparison or
control groups.
Priority 8—State Data Systems.
Projects that help educators use
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:52 Aug 26, 2008
Jkt 214001
information from State data systems to
improve student achievement or other
appropriate outcomes.
Executive Order 12866
This notice has been reviewed in
accordance with Executive Order 12866.
Under the terms of the order, we have
assessed the potential costs and benefits
of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with
this notice are those resulting from
statutory requirements and those we
have determined as necessary for
administering the Department’s
discretionary grant programs effectively
and efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and
benefits—both quantitative and
qualitative—of this notice we have
determined that the benefits of the
proposed action justify the costs.
We have also determined that this
regulatory action does not unduly
interfere with State, local, and tribal
governments in the exercise of their
governmental functions.
Executive Order 12372
Some of the programs affected by this
notice 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.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well
as all other Department of Education
documents published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable
Document Format (PDF) on the Internet
at the following site: https://www.ed.gov/
news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe
Acrobat Reader, which is available free
at this site. If you have questions about
using PDF, call the U.S. Government
Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1–
888–293–6498; or in the Washington,
DC, area at (202) 512–1530.
Note: 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 on GPO
Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/
index.html.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Number does not apply.)
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50603
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e–3; 20
U.S.C. 6301 et seq.
Dated: August 22, 2008.
Margaret Spellings,
Secretary of Education.
[FR Doc. E8–19893 Filed 8–26–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional
Natural Gas and Other Petroleum
Resources Research and Development
Program 2008 Annual Plan
Office of Fossil Energy,
Department of Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice of Report Availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Office of Fossil Energy
announces the availability of the 2008
Annual Plan for the Ultra-Deepwater
and Unconventional Natural Gas and
Other Petroleum Resources Research
and Development Program on the DOE
Web site at https://
management.energy.gov/FOIA/1480.htm
or in print form (see ‘‘CONTACT’’
below). The 2008 Annual Plan is in
compliance with the Energy Policy Act
of 2005, Subtitle J, Section 999B(e)(3)
which requires the publication of this
plan and all written comments in the
Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Elena Melchert, U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of Oil and Natural Gas,
Mail Stop FE–30, 1000 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585 or
phone: 202–586–5600 or e-mail to
UltraDeepwater@hq.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Executive Summary [excerpted from
the 2008 Annual Plan p.3 ]
This document is the 2008 Annual
Plan for the Ultra-Deepwater and
Unconventional Natural Gas and Other
Petroleum Resources Research and
Development Program (Program),
established pursuant to Subtitle J,
Sections 999A through 999H, of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct).
The Department of Energy (DOE)
contracted with a consortium
(Consortium) to administer three
program elements, as identified in
EPAct, pursuant to an annual plan. The
three program elements administered by
the Consortium include: ultradeepwater architecture and technology,
unconventional natural gas and other
petroleum resources exploration and
production technology, and technology
challenges of small producers.
A fourth program element identified
in EPAct for complementary research is
E:\FR\FM\27AUN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 27, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50601-50603]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-19893]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Discretionary Grant Programs
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of intent to use certain discretionary grant priorities
in fiscal year 2009.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes to continue the use in fiscal year (FY)
2009 of priorities that the Department of Education (Department)
previously established for use in any discretionary
[[Page 50602]]
grant program competition in FY 2007 and FY 2008. We take this action
in order to continue to focus Federal financial assistance on expanding
the number of programs and projects Department-wide that support
activities in areas of greatest educational need. We are proposing to
continue the use of the priorities on a Department-wide basis, so that
Department offices can use one or more of these priorities in any
discretionary grant competition, as appropriate.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before September 26, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this proposed action to Margo K.
Anderson, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room
4W311, Washington, DC 20202-5910. If you prefer to send your comments
through the Internet, use the following address: comments@ed.gov.
You must include the term ``FY 2009 Use of Department-wide
Priorities'' in the subject line of your electronic message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margo Anderson. Telephone: (202) 205-
3010 or via Internet at Margo.Anderson@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Invitation to Comment
We invite you to submit comments regarding this proposed action.
We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of
reducing regulatory burden that might result from this proposed action.
Please let us know of any further opportunities we should take to
reduce potential costs or increase potential benefits while preserving
the effective and efficient administration of the Department's
programs.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments about this proposed action in room 4W333, 400 Maryland Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern
time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal holidays.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Rulemaking
Record
On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public
rulemaking record for this proposed action. If you want to schedule an
appointment for this type of aid, please contact the person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
General
On October 11, 2006 (71 FR 60046), the Department established the
following menu of priorities for discretionary grant programs to help
support rigorous instruction, high standards, and accountability for
results:
1. Mathematics.
2. Science.
3. Critical-Need Languages.
4. Secondary Schools.
5. Professional Development for Secondary School Teachers.
6. School Districts with Schools in Need of Improvement, Corrective
Action, or Restructuring.
7. Student Achievement Data.
8. State Data Systems.
These priorities were available for use in FY 2007 and FY 2008. The
Department believes that these priorities are still relevant to the
Nation's educational needs and is proposing to continue their use in FY
2009.
These priorities were designed to respond to the fact that
America's rapidly changing economy requires an educational system that
produces high school graduates with the skills needed to be successful
in postsecondary education and the workforce. In addition to improving
the academic achievement of students in mathematics and science, the
content-specific priorities established for FY 2007 and FY 2008 were
designed to (a) expand the number of Americans mastering foreign
languages critical to national security and to our participation in the
global economy; (b) help high schools develop a larger pool of
technically adept and numerically literate Americans; a continual
supply of highly trained mathematicians, scientists, and engineers; and
more students with higher levels of proficiency in critical-need
languages; and (c) enhance high-quality professional development for
secondary school teachers to help ensure that these teachers have the
content knowledge and expertise required to improve student
achievement. Another priority was designed to focus assistance on
schools in need of improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. We
believe that extending the use of these priorities will continue
progress in these areas.
In addition, the Secretary established two priorities for use in FY
2007 and FY 2008 to ensure that data are available to inform decision-
making. One of these priorities focuses resources on collecting data to
assess the effects of projects on the academic achievement of student
participants relative to appropriate comparison or control groups.
Continued use of this priority will enable the Department to fund
interventions that are designed to collect the best available data to
determine the impact of the proposed interventions on student
achievement and to inform future improvement efforts. The second
focuses resources on projects to help educators use information from
State data systems to improve student achievement or other appropriate
outcomes.
Discussion of Proposed Action
We will announce the final action in a notice in the Federal
Register. We will determine the final action after considering public
comments on the proposal in this notice and other information available
to the Department. This notice does not preclude the Secretary from
proposing other actions, including the use of additional priorities,
subject to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. If we choose to
use one or more of the priorities referenced in this notice in FY
2009, we will invite applications for new awards under the
applicable program through a notice in the Federal Register. When
inviting applications we designate the priorities as absolute,
competitive preference, or invitational. 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 either
(1) awarding additional points, depending on how well or the extent
to which the application meets the competitive preference priority
(34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting an application that meets
the competitive 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 invitational
priority. However, we do not give an application that meets the
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over
other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
[[Page 50603]]
Proposed Action
The Secretary proposes to continue to use certain priorities for
discretionary grant competitions in FY 2009, as appropriate. The
Secretary intends that these priorities, which were originally
established for use in FY 2007 and FY 2008, will allow the Department
to continue to focus limited Federal resources on areas of greatest
educational need in FY 2009. The Secretary recognizes that some of the
priorities will not be appropriate for particular programs.
The priorities the Secretary proposes to make available for use by
the Department in discretionary grant competitions in FY 2009 are as
follows:
Priority 1--Mathematics. Projects that support activities to enable
students to achieve proficiency or advanced proficiency in mathematics.
Priority 2--Science. Projects that support activities to enable
students to achieve proficiency or advanced proficiency in science.
Priority 3--Critical-Need Languages. Projects that support
activities to enable students to achieve proficiency or advanced
proficiency in one or more of the following less commonly taught
languages: Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, and languages in
the Indic, Iranian, and Turkic language families.
Priority 4--Secondary Schools. Projects that support activities and
interventions aimed at improving the academic achievement of secondary
school students who are at greatest risk of not meeting challenging
State academic standards and not completing high school.
Priority 5--Professional Development for Secondary School Teachers.
Projects that support high-quality professional development for
secondary school teachers to help these teachers improve student
academic achievement.
Priority 6--School Districts with Schools in Need of Improvement,
Corrective Action, or Restructuring. Projects that help school
districts implement academic and structural interventions in schools
that have been identified for improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
Priority 7--Student Achievement Data. Projects that collect pre-
and post-intervention test data to assess the effect of the projects on
the academic achievement of student participants relative to
appropriate comparison or control groups.
Priority 8--State Data Systems. Projects that help educators use
information from State data systems to improve student achievement or
other appropriate outcomes.
Executive Order 12866
This notice has been reviewed in accordance with Executive Order
12866. Under the terms of the order, we have assessed the potential
costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with this notice are those resulting
from statutory requirements and those we have determined as necessary
for administering the Department's discretionary grant programs
effectively and efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this notice we have determined that the benefits of
the proposed action justify the costs.
We have also determined that this regulatory action does not unduly
interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the exercise of
their governmental functions.
Executive Order 12372
Some of the programs affected by this notice 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.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
https://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: 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 on GPO Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/
nara/.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number does not apply.)
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3; 20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.
Dated: August 22, 2008.
Margaret Spellings,
Secretary of Education.
[FR Doc. E8-19893 Filed 8-26-08; 8:45 am]
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