Department of Education April 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On March 27, 2012, the Office of Innovation and Improvement in the U.S. Department of Education published in the Federal Register (77 FR 18216) a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year 2012 for the Investing in Innovation (i3) Scale-up grant competition (March 27 i3 Scale-up NIA). This notice extends the deadline date and date for intergovernmental review announced in, and corrects an error in, the March 27 i3 Scale-up NIA.

The Department has developed a Race to the Top Annual Performance Report that is tied directly to the Race to the Top selection criteria and priorities previously established and published in the Federal Register. The report is grounded in the key performance targets included in grantees' approved Race to the Top plans. Grantees will be required to report on their progress in the four core education reform areas and in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This reporting includes narrative sections on progress and key performance indicators. As was the case in the completion of the Race to the Top applications, grantees will coordinate with LEAs to collect and report on school and district-level data elements.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda for the upcoming meeting of the National Assessment Governing Board (Board) and also describes the specific functions of the Board. Notice of this meeting is required under Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. This notice is issued to provide members of the general public with an opportunity to attend and/or provide comments. Individuals who will need special accommodations in order to attend the meeting (e.g. interpreting services, assistive listening devices, materials in alternative format) should notify Munira Mwalimu at 202- 357-6938 or at Munira.Mwalimu@ed.gov no later than April 27, 2012. We will attempt to meet requests after this date but cannot guarantee availability of the requested accommodation. The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) grantees must submit a performance report annually. The reports are used to evaluate grantee performance. Further, the data from the reports will be aggregated to evaluate the accomplishments and impact of the GAANN Program as a whole. Results will be reported to the Secretary in order to respond to Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) requirements.

On February 15, 2012, we published in the Federal Register (77 FR 8848) a notice inviting applications for the AP Test Fee fiscal year (FY) 2012 competition (February 15 notice). That notice established an April 6, 2012, deadline for eligible applicants to apply for funding under this program. We are reopening the competition to eligible applicants because additional funds have become available. The February 15 notice stated that for FY 2012, the Department expected to award $19,962,200 in new grants under this program. Based on the anticipated number of applicants and other information available to the Department, we expected this amount to be sufficient to pay up to $38 per advanced placement exam for up to three exams per low-income student. An additional $4,750,000 in FY 2012 funds have become available. Based on the anticipated number of applicants and other information available to the Department, we expect the new total amount of funds available for awards, $24,712,200, to be sufficient to pay the full cost of each advanced placement exam, with no limitation on the number of exams per low-income student. We are reopening the FY 2012 competition to give eligible applicants an opportunity to submit revised applications that reflect the new total amount of funds available for new awards. All information in the February 15, notice for this competition remains the same, except for the changes in funding described above and the following changes to DATES.

Under the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program, CFDA: Number: 84.358A, 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) 2012 SRSA grant applications. An eligible LEA that is required to submit an application must do so electronically by the deadline in this notice.

The Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR) is the required annual reporting tool for each State, Bureau of Indian Education, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico as authorized under Section 9303 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research's (NIDRR's) Long-Range Plan (Plan) for fiscal years (FYs) 2013 through 2017. Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, the Department is required to develop a plan for NIDRR that outlines NIDRR's priorities for rehabilitation research, demonstration projects, training, and related activities, and explains the basis for these priorities.

This application package invites small business concerns to submit a Phase II application for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 84.133). This is in response to Public Law 106-554, the ``Small Business Reauthorization Act of 2000, H.R. 5667'' enacted on December 21, 2000.

The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program provides a wide range of services to help individuals with disabilities to prepare for and engage in gainful employment. Eligible individuals are those who have a physical or mental impairment that results in a substantial impediment to employment, who can benefit from VR services for employment, and who require VR services.

This application package will be used by applicants to the Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program, which provides opportunities for U.S. educators to participate in short-term study seminars abroad in the social sciences, social studies and humanities.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes priorities and definitions under the State Personnel Development Grants (SPDG) program. The Assistant Secretary may use one or more of these priorities and definitions for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2012 and later years. We take this action to assist State educational agencies (SEAs) to make their systems of professional development more effective and efficient through the provision of evidence-based, ongoing professional development that uses technology to support the implementation of evidence-based practices.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes two priorities for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by NIDRR. Specifically, this notice proposes two priorities for RERCs: Recreational Technologies and Exercise Physiology Benefiting Individuals with Disabilities (Proposed Priority (1) and Rehabilitation Robotics (Proposed Priority (2)). The Assistant Secretary may use one or more of these priorities for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2012 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend to use these priorities to improve rehabilitation services and outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

The Teacher Cancellation Low Income (TCLI) Directory is the online data repository of elementary and secondary schools and educational service agencies that serve low-income families. State and Territory agencies report these schools to the TCLI Directory.

The Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS) program provides grants to institutions of higher education, public and private agencies and organizations, and community-based organizations with experience in serving disadvantaged youth, combinations of such institutions, agencies and organizations, and secondary schools and provides grants for projects designed to provide the skills and motivation necessary for success in a program of postsecondary education that lead to careers in math and science.

On March 6, 2012, the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education published in the Federal Register (77 FR 13297) a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year 2013 for the Education Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs. This notice makes several corrections to the March 6, 2012, notice inviting applications (March 6 NIA).

The Secretary announces the annual updates to the ICR plan formula for 2011. Under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program, borrowers may choose to repay their loans (Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Direct PLUS Loans made to graduate or professional students, and Direct Consolidation Loans) under the ICR plan, which bases the repayment amount on the borrower's income, family size, loan amount, and the interest rate applicable to each loan. Each year, we adjust the formula for calculating a borrower's ICR payment to reflect changes due to inflation. This notice contains the adjusted income percentage factors for 2011, examples of how the calculation of the monthly ICR amount is performed, a constant multiplier chart for use in performing the calculations, and charts showing sample repayment amounts based on the adjusted ICR plan formula. The adjustments for the ICR plan formula contained in this notice are effective for the period from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012.

The Department of Education (Department) gives notice that, on May 23, 2011, an arbitration panel rendered a decision in the matter of Carole Morris v. Kentucky Office for the Blind, Case No. R-S/09-5. This panel was convened by the Department under the Randolph-Sheppard Act (Act) after the Department received a complaint filed by Carole Morris (Complainant).