Department of Education March 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (Privacy Act), the Department of Education (Department) publishes this notice of a new system of records entitled ``Impact Evaluation of Mandatory-Random Student Drug Testing'' (18-13-16). This evaluation was commissioned by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance at the Department's Institute of Education Sciences (IES). It will be conducted under a contract that was awarded by IES in July 2005. IES has been collaborating with the Department's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) to coordinate the study of mandatory-random drug testing interventions in schools. The study will address the following questions: (1) Do high school students who are subject to mandatory-random drug testing (e.g., athletes, participants in competitive extra- curricular activities, etc.) report less use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit substances compared to comparable students in high schools without mandatory-random drug testing policies? (2) Do students in high schools with mandatory-random drug testing policies, but who are not subject to such testing (e.g., non-athletes, students who do not participate in competitive extra-curricular activities, etc.), report less use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit substances compared to comparable students in high schools without mandatory-random drug testing policies? The system will contain information about two cohorts of approximately 200 high school students in each of (i) 26 high schools operating the mandatory-random drug testing program, and (ii) 26 high schools that will not operate the program but that will serve as control high schools for the purposes of this evaluation. The total number of high school students included in this system of records will be approximately 10,400 for each of school years 2006-07 and 2007-08. The 52 participating high schools will be from school districts that are recipients of the Mandatory-Random Drug Testing Program grants that were announced in September 2006 by OSDFS. The system of records will include information about the high school students participating in the evaluation, including the students' names; addresses; demographic information such as race/ethnicity, gender, age, educational background; and attitudes and beliefs concerning substance use, and substance use itself.

The Secretary announces the 2007-2008 award year deadline dates for the submission of requests and documents from postsecondary institutions for the campus-based programs.

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.

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.

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.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority on vocational rehabilitation under the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2007 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.

Under the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Program, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) awards grants on a formula basis to eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) to address the unique needs of rural school districts. In this notice, we establish the deadline for submission of fiscal year (FY) 2007 SRSA grant applications. If an eligible LEA submitted an application for SRSA grant funds in a prior year, it is considered to have met the application requirement based on its previously submitted application and does not have to submit a new application to the Department to receive its FY 2007 SRSA grant award. An eligible LEA that is required to submit an application (in other words, an LEA that did not submit an application in a prior year) must do so by the deadline in this notice in order to receive its grant award by September 30, 2007. An eligible LEA that is required to submit an application and does not do so by the deadline in this notice might not receive its grant award until after September 30, 2007. Application Deadline: June 1, 2007, 4:30 p.m. Eastern time.

The IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

In this notice, we announce the waivers that the U.S. Department of Education (Department) has granted, from the date of enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 through December 31, 2006, under the waiver authority in section 9401 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). The Department considered waiver requests in several different categories: (1) Waivers related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; (2) growth model pilots; (3) waivers allowing local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide supplemental educational services (SES) rather than public school choice to eligible students attending schools that receive funding under Part A of Title I of the ESEA (Title I schools) and are in the first year of school improvement; (4) waivers allowing LEAs in need of improvement to be eligible to apply to their State educational agency (SEA) to become SES providers; (5) general programmatic waivers; (6) extensions of the period in which funds are available for obligation; and (7) waivers allowing recipients of funds under the Indian Education program to charge additional administrative costs to the program.

The Deputy Secretary of Education proposes a priority, requirements, and selection criteria under the Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program. The Deputy Secretary will use the priority, requirements, and selection criteria, in addition to any other previously established priorities and requirements, for a competition using fiscal year (FY) 2006 funds and may use them in later years. We take this action to focus Federal financial assistance on an identified national need. We intend the priority, requirements, and selection criteria to enhance the effectiveness of SLC projects in improving academic achievement and the preparation of students for postsecondary education and careers.

On January 22, 2007, we published in the Federal Register (72 FR 2667) a notice inviting applications for the Early Reading First (ERF) FY 2007 competition. The deadline date for eligible applicants to transmit their pre-applications for funding under this competition was February 21, 2007. We are reopening the pre-application phase of the ERF FY 2007 competition for all eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) and for eligible entities located in communities served by those LEAs. Applicants must refer to the notice inviting applications that was published in the Federal Register (72 FR 2667) for all other requirements concerning this reopened competition. We are extending the pre-application phase of the ERF FY 2007 competition for all eligible applicants, including non-LEAs, because the originally posted State lists of eligible LEAs did not include all LEAs that were eligible as of January 22, 2007, and included some LEAs that were ineligible as of that date. The new deadline date for applicants to submit pre-applications is: Deadline for Transmittal of Pre-Applications: March 23, 2007. Pre-applications for grants under this competition must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For information about how to submit your pre-application electronically, or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer to the original application notice published in the Federal Register on January 22, 2007 (72 FR 2667). We do not consider a pre-application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services solicits comments and recommendations concerning the RSA Rehabilitation Training program.

This notice provides information about a technical assistance workshop the Department will be holding to assist eligible applicants interested in preparing grant applications for fiscal year (FY) 2007 new awards under the Voluntary Public School Choice (VPSC) program. Staff will present information about the purpose of the VPSC program, selection criteria, application content, submission procedures, and reporting requirements. The notice inviting applications for new awards for FY 2007 for the VPSC program was published in the Federal Register on February 1, 2007 (72 FR 4700).

The Secretary announces her intention to establish the Reading First Advisory Committee. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (Pub. L. 92-463 as amended; 5 U.S.C. Appendix 2) will govern the Committee. Purpose: Sections 1203(c)(2)(A) and 1202(e)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) authorize the Secretary of Education to establish a panel to evaluate State Reading First applications and to review third-year progress reports submitted by States under the Reading First program. The activities of the panel (hereinafter referred to as the ``Committee'') will be governed by FACA. States submitted their Reading First applications to the Department in 2002 and 2003. Currently, the Department has approved the Reading First applications of all applicants but one. The Committee will evaluate this remaining application and, at the request of the Department, may review issues identified in other State applications. States submitted their third-year progress reports to the Department on or before November 30, 2006. The reports include, among other things, information on the progress State educational agencies and local educational agencies are making in reducing the number of students served under the Reading First program in grades 1, 2, and 3 who are reading below grade level. By statute, the Committee will review these reports. In addition, the Committee may advise the Secretary on other issues that the Secretary deems appropriate. By statute, the Committee will consist, at a minimum, of three individuals selected by each of the following: the Secretary of Education, the National Institute for Literacy, the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Any non-Federal members of the Committee will serve as Special Government Employees (SGEs). Committee members will serve for a period of three years or until the date of reauthorization of the ESEA, whichever is earlier. The Committee will choose one of its members to serve as the chairperson. The Team Leader of the Reading First program will serve as the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) for the Committee. As appropriate, the Committee may form one or more subcommittees to assist it with its functions. For Additional Information: Contact Maria Worthen, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202, Telephone: (202) 205-5632.