Department of Education April 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education announces a priority, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria under the Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program. The Assistant Secretary will use this priority, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for a competition using fiscal year (FY) 2004 funds and may use them in later years. We intend the priority, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria to further the purpose of the SLC program, which is to promote academic achievement through the creation or expansion of small, safe, and successful learning environments in large public high schools.

The Leader, Information Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Leader, Information Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Secretary proposes to waive the requirements in Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), in 34 CFR 75.250 and 75.261(c)(2), respectively, that generally prohibit project periods exceeding five years and project period extensions involving the obligation of additional Federal funds. This extension of project period and waiver would enable the current SCIMS (a total of 16), which provide assistance to establish innovative projects for the delivery, demonstration, and evaluation of comprehensive medical, vocational, and other rehabilitation services to meet the wide range of needs of individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), to receive additional Federal funding from September 1, 2005, until December 1, 2006, a period exceeding the original project period of five years.

The Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools proposes eligibility and application requirements, priorities, and selection criteria under Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities National Programs for the School-Based Student Drug-Testing Programs. The Assistant Deputy Secretary may use these requirements, priorities, and selection criteria for competitions in fiscal year 2005 and later years. We take this action to focus Federal financial assistance on an identified national need. We intend for these priorities to increase the use of drug testing as a means to deter student drug use.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes one funding priority for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research's (NIDRR) Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program, Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTC) program. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2005 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend this priority to improve rehabilitation services and outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

The Leader, Information Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

We propose a priority and other application requirements under the Emergency Response and Crisis Management Grant program. We may use this priority and the application requirements for competitions in Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 and in later years. We take this action to focus Federal financial assistance on supporting grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) in improving and strengthening emergency response and crisis management plans that address the four phases of crisis planning: Prevention/Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.

The Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education announces requirements and selection criteria under the Tech-Prep Demonstration Program (TPDP). The Assistant Secretary may use these requirements and selection criteria for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2005 and later years. We take this action to clarify the Department's expectations regarding this program, so that TPDP-funded projects will help students, schools, and teachers in their efforts to improve student achievement, meet high standards for high school graduation, and increase enrollment and persistence rates in postsecondary education.

The Leader, Information Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Leader, Information Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Leader, Information Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Leader, Information Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research's (NIDRR) Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program, Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP). This priority may be used for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2005 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend this priority to improve rehabilitation services and outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

The Secretary of Education invites institutions of higher education that may wish to participate in the Quality Assurance Program, under section 487A(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), to submit a letter of application to participate in the program.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of a forthcoming hearing of the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. Individuals who will need accommodations for a disability in orderto attend the hearing (i.e., interpreting services, assistive listening devices, and/or materials in alternative format) should notify the Advisory Committee no later than Wednesday, April 20, 2005 by contacting Ms. Hope Gray at (202) 219-2099 or via e-mail at Hope.Gray@ed.gov. We will attempt to meet requests after this date, but cannot guarantee availability of the requested accommodation. The hearing site is accessible to individuals with disabilities. This notice also describes the functions of the Advisory Committee. Notice of this hearing is required under Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. This document is intended to notify the general public.

On January 31, 2005 we published a notice in the Federal Register (70 FR 4826) that established a deadline of March 17, 2005 for mandatory electronic transmittal of applications for the fiscal year 2005 Indian Education Professional Development Grants competition through the Grants.gov system. The purpose of this notice is to reopen the notice inviting applications for this program, with a new deadline for transmittal of applications. The notice inviting applications is being reopened because some applicants may have experienced problems completing the multi-step Grants.gov registration process that prevented them from submitting timely applications or problems with server availability on the closing date.

The Secretary announces plans to hold a series of public meetings to seek comments and suggestions about proposed regulations, which the Secretary intends to publish in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in the Spring of 2005, to implement programs under the recently amended IDEA.