Request for Information To Inform the Title III Technical Assistance Agenda and the Future Activities and Services of the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA), 54638-54640 [2013-21639]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 172 / Thursday, September 5, 2013 / Notices
providing narrative responses within its
currently approved ESEA flexibility
request and attaching any new
documentation or evidence where
appropriate, and submitting the
amended request to ED. In addition, an
SEA must submit a completed ESEA
flexibility renewal request form
indicating where changes have been
made in its ESEA flexibility request.
The SEA may also choose, but is not
required, to amend its request to make
changes necessary to improve
implementation going forward or to
reflect more accurately implementation
activities that have already occurred.
Dated: August 29, 2013.
Tomakie Washington,
Acting Director, Information Collection
Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and
Records Management Service, Office of
Management.
[FR Doc. 2013–21509 Filed 9–4–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket ID: ED–2013–OELA–0107]
Request for Information To Inform the
Title III Technical Assistance Agenda
and the Future Activities and Services
of the National Clearinghouse for
English Language Acquisition
(NCELA)
Office of English Language
Acquisition, Language Enhancement,
and Academic Achievement for Limited
English Proficient Students, Department
of Education.
ACTION: Request for information.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Department of
Education (the Department) requests
information in two intertwining areas in
support of the English learner
community. First, the Department seeks
information on the technical assistance
needs of State educational agencies
(SEAs), local educational agencies
(LEAs), administrators, and teachers
who provide services to English learners
(ELs). Second, the Department seeks
information on how we can best
disseminate technical assistance,
including materials through the
National Clearinghouse for English
Language Acquisition and Language
Instruction Educational programs
(NCELA) in support of the EL
community and those who provide
services to ELs.
DATES: Written submissions must be
received by the Department by
September 25, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal
ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
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14:10 Sep 04, 2013
Jkt 229001
or via postal mail, commercial delivery,
or hand delivery. We will not accept
comments by fax or by email. To ensure
that we do not receive duplicate copies,
please submit your comments only
once. In addition, please include the
Docket ID and the term ‘‘Technical
Assistance-NCELA’’ 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 ‘‘Are you new to this site?’’
• Postal Mail, Commercial Delivery,
or Hand Delivery: If you mail or deliver
your comments, address them to
Melissa Escalante, Office of English
Language Acquisition, Attention:
Technical Assistance-NCELA RFI, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue SW., Room 5C148, Washington,
DC 20202–6132.
• Privacy Note: The Department’s
policy for comments received from
members of the public (including
comments submitted by mail,
commercial delivery, or hand delivery)
is to make these submissions 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 on the Internet.
Submission of Proprietary
Information: Given the subject matter,
some comments may include
proprietary information as it relates to
confidential commercial information.
The Freedom of Information Act defines
‘‘confidential commercial information’’
as information the disclosure of which
could reasonably be expected to cause
substantial competitive harm. You may
wish to request that we not disclose
what you regard as confidential
commercial information.
To assist us in making a
determination on your request, we
encourage you to identify any specific
information in your comments that you
consider confidential commercial
information. Please list the information
by page and paragraph numbers.
This Request for Information (RFI) is
issued solely for information and
planning purposes and is not a request
for proposals (RFP), a promise to issue
an RFP, or a notice inviting applications
(NIA), nor does it serve as a
modification to the current NCELA
contract. This RFI does not commit the
Department to contract for any supply
or service whatsoever. Further, the
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Frm 00022
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Department is not now seeking
proposals and will not accept
unsolicited proposals. The Department
will not pay for any information or
administrative costs that you may incur
in responding to this RFI.
If you do not respond to this RFI, you
may still apply for future contracts and
grants. The Department posts RFPs on
the Federal Business Opportunities Web
site (www.fbo.gov). The Department
announces grant competitions in the
Federal Register (www.gpo.gov/fdsys). It
is your responsibility to monitor these
sites to determine whether the
Department issues an RFP or NIA after
considering the information received in
response to this RFI.
The documents and information
submitted in response to this RFI
become the property of the U.S.
Government and will not be returned.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Melissa Escalante, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Room 5C148, Washington, DC 20202–
6132 by phone at 202–401–1407.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–(800) 877–
8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
The Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended
(ESEA) holds States accountable for
closing achievement gaps and ensuring
that all children, including children
with limited English proficiency, meet
the same challenging academic and
achievement standards all students are
expected to meet. To this end, Title III
of ESEA requires States to develop
English language proficiency (ELP)
standards that are aligned with
challenging State academic content and
student academic achievement
standards. States must also develop and
administer ELP assessments that are
aligned with those standards, and must
develop annual measurable
achievement objectives (AMAOs) for
English language proficiency. Under
Section 3303 of the ESEA, the Secretary
of Education is authorized to establish
and support the operation of a National
Clearinghouse for English Language
Acquisition and Language Instruction
Educational Programs (NCELA). NCELA
is administered by the Office of English
Language Acquisition, Language
Enhancement and Academic
Achievement for Limited English
Proficient Students (OELA).
Under Section 3303 of the ESEA,
NCELA’s basic function is to collect,
E:\FR\FM\05SEN1.SGM
05SEN1
ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 172 / Thursday, September 5, 2013 / Notices
analyze, synthesize, and disseminate
information concerning: (a) Language
instruction educational programs for
ELs, (b) educational research and
processes related to the education of
ELs, and (c) EL-related accountability
systems that include EL students’
academic content and English language
achievement. NCELA will continue to
offer EL stakeholders and the public
multiple products and services across
these areas. In order for NCELA’s
dissemination efforts to have the
greatest effect, they must be as useful
and as user-friendly as possible. This
work must be continuously examined,
improved, and coordinated with, and
guided by the priorities of the
Department and the needs of the field.
Currently, NCELA uses a variety of
methods to disseminate information,
chief of which is its dedicated Web site
(https://www.ncela.gwu.edu/). NCELA
also disseminates information in a
variety of other formats—written and
electronic reports, maps, and
monographs, and at various venues,
such as, conferences, and preconference sessions with national
organizations. NCELA’s operations are
managed by an external contractor
responsible for carrying out its
functions.
With this RFI the Department seeks to
gather information on (a) how we can
improve the content of the information
that we disseminate through NCELA
and (b) how NCELA can tailor its
existing services and resources to
deliver relevant and pertinent
information to the EL community at
large.
The Department anticipates making
use of this information to inform our
technical assistance agenda in the
second term of the administration and
to guide the future activities and
services of NCELA.
Once we receive responses to this RFI,
the Department will summarize the
recommendations made by the public
and post that summary on the NCELA
Web site for public viewing. The
Department will also use the
information received through this RFI to
inform our technical assistance agenda.
That technical assistance agenda will
also take into account the variety of
formats used to deliver information to
meet the needs of the EL community.
Finally, the Department will use the
feedback gathered from the RFI about
the services provided through the
NCELA Web site to consider any
updates or enhancements to the Web
site that are required by legislation or
needed by the EL community.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
14:10 Sep 04, 2013
Jkt 229001
Context for Responses
The primary goal of this RFI is to
gather information that will help guide
the Department’s technical assistance
agenda to assist SEAs and LEAs in
meeting the educational needs of ELs,
and then to use those responses to guide
the dissemination of information to the
public, SEAs, LEAs, and IHEs. We have
developed a set of questions about the
areas of technical assistance that would
be most helpful and the most effective
way for NCELA to deliver that technical
assistance to the field. You do not have
to respond to any specific question, nor
do you have to respond to each topic
area; however, it would be helpful if
you would elaborate on each topic or
question you choose to address. You
may provide comments in any
convenient format and may also provide
relevant information that is not
responsive to a particular question but
may, nevertheless, be helpful.
Questions
1. General Questions About Technical
Assistance
1.1 In which of the following areas
is more technical assistance needed and
at what level (e.g., SEA, LEA, school or
classroom)?
a. Common Core State Standards or
college- and career-ready standards and
ELs;
b. English Language Proficiency
Standards, which could include their
alignment to college- and career-ready
standards;
c. Language Instruction Educational
Programs (LIEPs) (See the 2008–10
Biennial Report to Congress, page 20,
Table 6 for examples of LIEPs https://
www.ncela.gwu.edu/files/uploads/3/
Biennial_Report_0810.pdf), which could
include their alignment to the Common
Core State Standards or to college- and
career-ready standards;
d. Accountability;
e. The collection or use of data;
f. Professional development and
education for teachers and leaders
working with ELs;
g. ELP assessments;
h. Interpretation of Title III statutory
requirements (e.g. supplanting
prohibition);
i. Teacher evaluation;
j. Program evaluation protocols, such
as protocols for teachers, programs, or
students;
k. ESEA flexibility and ELs;
l. Science, technology, engineering,
and math (STEM) instruction for ELs;
m. Students with interrupted formal
education (SIFE);
n. Early childhood programs and ELs;
o. ELs at the secondary school level;
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
54639
p. ELs served under IDEA;
q. Civil rights and ELs; or
r. Other areas.
1.2 What is your preferred method
of delivery for technical assistance (e.g.,
NCELA listserv blasts, Webinars,
written guides, conferences, meetings,
presentations at National events held by
mainstream organizations, or other
delivery methods)?
2. General Questions Regarding the
NCELA Web site and the Delivery of
Technical Assistance and EL Related
Information
2.1 How useful is the current
information displayed on the Web site?
Please indicate what is and what is not
useful.
2.2 Is there information missing
from the Web site that should be
disseminated?
2.3 How easy is the Web site to
navigate? Can you find the information
you are searching for?
2.4 Are there any features you
would recommend adding to the Web
site?
2.5 How would you describe the
organization of the resource library on
the Web site? Would you recommend
any improvements?
2.6 How do you find the content of
the resource library with regard to its
quality, relevance, and usefulness?
2.7 When you seek information or
technical assistance on a topic, do you
consult NCELA? Why or why not?
2.8 Are there other issues about the
Web site that you would like to make us
aware of that would be helpful to
improve its utility to the public?
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
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05SEN1
54640
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 172 / Thursday, September 5, 2013 / Notices
this site, you can limit your search to
documents published by the
Department.
The Department of Energy
(DOE) published in the Federal Register
on August 27, 2013, a notice of an open
meeting for the Secretary of Energy
Advisory Board (SEAB). The notice is
being corrected to change the time of the
meeting.
SUMMARY:
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6801–7014.
Dated: August 30, 2013.
Joseph C. Conaty,
Acting Director, Office of English Language
Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and
Academic Achievement for Limited English
Proficient Students.
[FR Doc. 2013–21639 Filed 9–4–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Extension of Public Comment Period
Hydrogen Energy California’s
Integrated Gasification Combined
Cycle Project Preliminary Staff
Assessment and Draft Environmental
Impact Statement; Correction
U.S. Department of Energy.
Extension of public comment
period; notice of public hearing;
correction.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
On Monday, August 26, 2013,
the Department of Energy (DOE)
published a Notice of Extension of
Public Comment Period and Public
Hearing for the Hydrogen Energy
California’s Integrated Gasification
Combined Cycle Project Preliminary
Staff Assessment and Draft
Environmental Impact Statement. This
document corrects several typographical
errors.
SUMMARY:
Correction
In the Federal Register of August 27,
2013, in FR DOC. 2013–20861, on pages
52911–52912, please make the following
corrections:
In the DATES heading, third column,
first paragraph, first line, please remove,
‘‘9:00 a.m.’’ and in its place add ‘‘8:00
a.m.’’.
In the Tentative Agenda heading,
third column, first paragraph, second
line, please remove, ‘‘9:00 a.m. on
September 16’’ and in its place add,
‘‘8:00 a.m. on September 13’’.
In the Public Participation heading,
page 52912, first column, first
paragraph, fourth line, please remove,
‘‘8:30 a.m.’’ and in its place add, ‘‘7:30
a.m.’’
Issued in Washington, DC on August 30,
2013.
LaTanya R. Butler,
Deputy Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013–21560 Filed 9–4–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Corrections
[Project No. 2203–015]
In the Federal Register on Monday,
August 26, 2013, in FR Doc. 2013–
20713, on page 52764, the following
corrections are made:
(1) In SUMMARY, sixth line, ‘‘extening’’
is corrected to read ‘‘extending.’’
(2) In DATES, third paragraph, first
line, ‘‘OE’’ is corrected to read ‘‘DOE.’’
(3) In FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT, twelfth line, ‘‘DOE’’ is
corrected to read ‘‘DOE’s.’’
Alabama Power Company; Notice of
Application Tendered for Filing With
the Commission, Soliciting Additional
Study Requests, and Establishing
Procedural Schedule for Relicensing
and a Deadline for Submission of Final
Amendments
Dated: August 29, 2013.
Mark J. Matarrese,
Director, Office of Environment, Security,
Safety & Health, Office of Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 2013–21588 Filed 9–4–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Secretary of Energy Advisory Board:
Correction
Department of Energy.
Notice of Open Meeting:
Correction.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
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Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: New Major
License.
b. Project No.: 2203–015.
c. Date Filed: August 16, 2013.
d. Applicant: Alabama Power
Company (Alabama Power).
e. Name of Project: Holt Hydroelectric
Project.
f. Location: The project is located at
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’
existing Holt Lock and Dam on the
Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa
County, Alabama and occupies 36.64
acres of Corps lands.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power
Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)–825(r).
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h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Jim
Heilbron, Senior Vice President and
Senior Production Officer, Alabama
Power Company, 600 North 18th Street,
P.O. Box 2641, Birmingham, AL 35203–
2206, (205) 257–1000.
i. FERC Contact: Jeanne Edwards,
(202) 502–6181 or jeanne.edwards@
ferc.gov.
j. Cooperating Agencies: Federal,
state, local, and tribal agencies with
jurisdiction and/or special expertise
with respect to environmental issues
that wish to cooperate in the
preparation of the environmental
document should follow the
instructions for filing such requests
described in item l below. Cooperating
agencies should note the Commission’s
policy that agencies that cooperate in
the preparation of the environmental
document cannot also intervene. See, 94
FERC ¶ 61,076 (2001).
k. Pursuant to section 4.32(b)(7) of 18
CFR of the Commission’s regulations, if
any resource agency, Indian Tribe, or
person believes that an additional
scientific study should be conducted in
order to form an adequate factual basis
for a complete analysis of the
application on its merit, the resource
agency, Indian Tribe, or person must file
a request for a study with the
Commission not later than 60 days from
the date of filing of the application, and
serve a copy of the request on the
applicant.
l. Deadline for filing additional study
requests and requests for cooperating
agency status: October 15, 2013.
The Commission strongly encourages
electronic filing. Please file additional
study requests and requests for
cooperating agency status using the
Commission’s eFiling system at https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
Commenters can submit brief comments
up to 6,000 characters, without prior
registration, using the eComment system
at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
ecomment.asp. You must include your
name and contact information at the end
of your comments. For assistance,
please contact FERC Online Support at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866)
208–3676 (toll free), or (202) 502–8659
(TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please
send a paper copy to: Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.
The first page of any filing should
include docket number P–2203–015.
m. This application is not ready for
environmental analysis at this time.
n. Portions of the existing Holt Project
structures that are owned and operated
by Alabama Power consist of: (1) An
existing 130-foot-long concrete nonoverflow dam; (2) an existing 110-foot
E:\FR\FM\05SEN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54638-54640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21639]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket ID: ED-2013-OELA-0107]
Request for Information To Inform the Title III Technical
Assistance Agenda and the Future Activities and Services of the
National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA)
AGENCY: Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement,
and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Request for information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) requests
information in two intertwining areas in support of the English learner
community. First, the Department seeks information on the technical
assistance needs of State educational agencies (SEAs), local
educational agencies (LEAs), administrators, and teachers who provide
services to English learners (ELs). Second, the Department seeks
information on how we can best disseminate technical assistance,
including materials through the National Clearinghouse for English
Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational programs
(NCELA) in support of the EL community and those who provide services
to ELs.
DATES: Written submissions must be received by the Department by
September 25, 2013.
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. To ensure that we do not receive
duplicate copies, please submit your comments only once. In addition,
please include the Docket ID and the term ``Technical Assistance-
NCELA'' 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 ``Are you new to this site?''
Postal Mail, Commercial Delivery, or Hand Delivery: If you
mail or deliver your comments, address them to Melissa Escalante,
Office of English Language Acquisition, Attention: Technical
Assistance-NCELA RFI, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue
SW., Room 5C148, Washington, DC 20202-6132.
Privacy Note: The Department's policy for comments
received from members of the public (including comments submitted by
mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery) is to make these
submissions 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 on the Internet.
Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the subject matter,
some comments may include proprietary information as it relates to
confidential commercial information. The Freedom of Information Act
defines ``confidential commercial information'' as information the
disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to cause substantial
competitive harm. You may wish to request that we not disclose what you
regard as confidential commercial information.
To assist us in making a determination on your request, we
encourage you to identify any specific information in your comments
that you consider confidential commercial information. Please list the
information by page and paragraph numbers.
This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information
and planning purposes and is not a request for proposals (RFP), a
promise to issue an RFP, or a notice inviting applications (NIA), nor
does it serve as a modification to the current NCELA contract. This RFI
does not commit the Department to contract for any supply or service
whatsoever. Further, the Department is not now seeking proposals and
will not accept unsolicited proposals. The Department will not pay for
any information or administrative costs that you may incur in
responding to this RFI.
If you do not respond to this RFI, you may still apply for future
contracts and grants. The Department posts RFPs on the Federal Business
Opportunities Web site (www.fbo.gov). The Department announces grant
competitions in the Federal Register (www.gpo.gov/fdsys). It is your
responsibility to monitor these sites to determine whether the
Department issues an RFP or NIA after considering the information
received in response to this RFI.
The documents and information submitted in response to this RFI
become the property of the U.S. Government and will not be returned.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Escalante, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5C148, Washington, DC 20202-
6132 by phone at 202-401-1407.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
(800) 877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended
(ESEA) holds States accountable for closing achievement gaps and
ensuring that all children, including children with limited English
proficiency, meet the same challenging academic and achievement
standards all students are expected to meet. To this end, Title III of
ESEA requires States to develop English language proficiency (ELP)
standards that are aligned with challenging State academic content and
student academic achievement standards. States must also develop and
administer ELP assessments that are aligned with those standards, and
must develop annual measurable achievement objectives (AMAOs) for
English language proficiency. Under Section 3303 of the ESEA, the
Secretary of Education is authorized to establish and support the
operation of a National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition
and Language Instruction Educational Programs (NCELA). NCELA is
administered by the Office of English Language Acquisition, Language
Enhancement and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient
Students (OELA).
Under Section 3303 of the ESEA, NCELA's basic function is to
collect,
[[Page 54639]]
analyze, synthesize, and disseminate information concerning: (a)
Language instruction educational programs for ELs, (b) educational
research and processes related to the education of ELs, and (c) EL-
related accountability systems that include EL students' academic
content and English language achievement. NCELA will continue to offer
EL stakeholders and the public multiple products and services across
these areas. In order for NCELA's dissemination efforts to have the
greatest effect, they must be as useful and as user-friendly as
possible. This work must be continuously examined, improved, and
coordinated with, and guided by the priorities of the Department and
the needs of the field. Currently, NCELA uses a variety of methods to
disseminate information, chief of which is its dedicated Web site
(https://www.ncela.gwu.edu/). NCELA also disseminates information in a
variety of other formats--written and electronic reports, maps, and
monographs, and at various venues, such as, conferences, and pre-
conference sessions with national organizations. NCELA's operations are
managed by an external contractor responsible for carrying out its
functions.
With this RFI the Department seeks to gather information on (a) how
we can improve the content of the information that we disseminate
through NCELA and (b) how NCELA can tailor its existing services and
resources to deliver relevant and pertinent information to the EL
community at large.
The Department anticipates making use of this information to inform
our technical assistance agenda in the second term of the
administration and to guide the future activities and services of
NCELA.
Once we receive responses to this RFI, the Department will
summarize the recommendations made by the public and post that summary
on the NCELA Web site for public viewing. The Department will also use
the information received through this RFI to inform our technical
assistance agenda. That technical assistance agenda will also take into
account the variety of formats used to deliver information to meet the
needs of the EL community. Finally, the Department will use the
feedback gathered from the RFI about the services provided through the
NCELA Web site to consider any updates or enhancements to the Web site
that are required by legislation or needed by the EL community.
Context for Responses
The primary goal of this RFI is to gather information that will
help guide the Department's technical assistance agenda to assist SEAs
and LEAs in meeting the educational needs of ELs, and then to use those
responses to guide the dissemination of information to the public,
SEAs, LEAs, and IHEs. We have developed a set of questions about the
areas of technical assistance that would be most helpful and the most
effective way for NCELA to deliver that technical assistance to the
field. You do not have to respond to any specific question, nor do you
have to respond to each topic area; however, it would be helpful if you
would elaborate on each topic or question you choose to address. You
may provide comments in any convenient format and may also provide
relevant information that is not responsive to a particular question
but may, nevertheless, be helpful.
Questions
1. General Questions About Technical Assistance
1.1 In which of the following areas is more technical assistance
needed and at what level (e.g., SEA, LEA, school or classroom)?
a. Common Core State Standards or college- and career-ready
standards and ELs;
b. English Language Proficiency Standards, which could include
their alignment to college- and career-ready standards;
c. Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEPs) (See the 2008-
10 Biennial Report to Congress, page 20, Table 6 for examples of LIEPs
https://www.ncela.gwu.edu/files/uploads/3/Biennial_Report_0810.pdf),
which could include their alignment to the Common Core State Standards
or to college- and career-ready standards;
d. Accountability;
e. The collection or use of data;
f. Professional development and education for teachers and leaders
working with ELs;
g. ELP assessments;
h. Interpretation of Title III statutory requirements (e.g.
supplanting prohibition);
i. Teacher evaluation;
j. Program evaluation protocols, such as protocols for teachers,
programs, or students;
k. ESEA flexibility and ELs;
l. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) instruction
for ELs;
m. Students with interrupted formal education (SIFE);
n. Early childhood programs and ELs;
o. ELs at the secondary school level;
p. ELs served under IDEA;
q. Civil rights and ELs; or
r. Other areas.
1.2 What is your preferred method of delivery for technical
assistance (e.g., NCELA listserv blasts, Webinars, written guides,
conferences, meetings, presentations at National events held by
mainstream organizations, or other delivery methods)?
2. General Questions Regarding the NCELA Web site and the Delivery of
Technical Assistance and EL Related Information
2.1 How useful is the current information displayed on the Web
site? Please indicate what is and what is not useful.
2.2 Is there information missing from the Web site that should be
disseminated?
2.3 How easy is the Web site to navigate? Can you find the
information you are searching for?
2.4 Are there any features you would recommend adding to the Web
site?
2.5 How would you describe the organization of the resource library
on the Web site? Would you recommend any improvements?
2.6 How do you find the content of the resource library with regard
to its quality, relevance, and usefulness?
2.7 When you seek information or technical assistance on a topic,
do you consult NCELA? Why or why not?
2.8 Are there other issues about the Web site that you would like
to make us aware of that would be helpful to improve its utility to the
public?
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
[[Page 54640]]
this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the
Department.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6801-7014.
Dated: August 30, 2013.
Joseph C. Conaty,
Acting Director, Office of English Language Acquisition, Language
Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient
Students.
[FR Doc. 2013-21639 Filed 9-4-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P