Department of Education May 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of an upcoming teleconference meeting of the National Advisory Council on Indian Education (the Council) and is intended to notify the general public of the meeting. This notice also describes the functions of the Council. Notice of the Council's meetings is required under Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Date And Time: June 17, 201312:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Location: The meeting will be conducted via conference call with NACIE members. Up to 30 dial-in, listen-only phone lines will be made available to the public on a first come, first served basis. The conference call number is 1-800-871-9060 and the participant code is 929296858. The public is also invited to attend the conference call meeting at the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Street SW., Rooms 2C100/ 2C101, Washington, DC 20202-6400. Members of the public should report to the security desk and a form of federal I.D. will be required for security clearance and escorted access to the meeting room.

On May 3, 2013, we published notices in the Federal Register inviting applications (NIAs) for the i3 Scale-up and Validation grants (78 FR 25977) and (78 FR 25990). The NIAs inadvertently omitted part of an evaluation requirement. This notice corrects the NIAs to include the omitted language, namely that the grantee must also ensure that the data from its evaluation are made available to third-party researchers consistent with applicable privacy requirements.

On 4/16/2013, a 60-day notice was published in the Federal Register (volume 78 FR, page 22530) for the Program for International Student Assessments (PISA 2015) Recruitment and Field Test, 1850-0755. Since that time, the PISA has been amended. It reflects a change in the field test design and burden. In addition to science, reading, mathematics, and collaborative problem solving, the field test will include an assessment of students' financial literacy. From the sample of students that take the science, mathematics, reading, and collaborative problem solving assessments, 585 students (15 per school) will be subsampled to return for a second assessment session to take financial literacy. Students taking financial literacy will take an additional 5 minutes of background questions. This change in the design increases the total field test student burden estimate by 42 hours. Consistent with the science, reading, and mathematics domains, the field test includes a mode effect study to examine the impact of transitioning from a paper-based to a computer-based financial literacy assessment. Schools and student response rates and other information from the field test will be evaluated to determine whether the financial literacy assessment should be administered in the main study. The revised documents have been posted to regulations.gov under Docket Number ED-2013-ICCD-0053. The 60-day period ends June 17, 2013. The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management, hereby issues a correction notice as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This notice sets forth the schedule and agenda of the meeting of the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The notice also describes the functions of the Board. Notice of the meeting is required by section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and intended to notify the public of its opportunity to attend.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing; an extension of an existing information collection.

The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education announces priorities, a requirement, definitions, and selection criteria under the Enhanced Assessment Instruments Grant program, also called the Enhanced Assessment Grants (EAG) program. The Assistant Secretary may use one or more of these priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus Federal financial assistance on the pressing need to improve the assessment instruments and systems used by States to accurately measure student academic achievement and growth under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA).

This document provides for a further delay until July 1, 2014, of the implementation date for certain State authorization regulations when an institution's State authorization does not meet the requirements of these regulations by the earlier delayed implementation date of July 1, 2013.

This document provides notice of the continuation of a computer matching program between the Department of Education and the Department of Justice. The continuation is effective on the date in paragraph 5.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, we announce a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Community Living and Participation for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend this priority to improve outcomes among individuals with disabilities.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority under the Technical Assistance to Improve State Data Capacity program. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus attention on an identified national need to provide technical assistance (TA) to States to improve their capacity to meet the data collection and reporting requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). We intend this priority to establish a TA center to improve State capacity to accurately collect and report IDEA data (Data Center).

The Secretary of Education and Secretary of Health and Human Services (``the Secretaries'') propose priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria under the Race to the TopEarly Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) Grant program. The Secretaries may use one or more of these priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (collectively, ``the Departments'') conducted the first competition under the RTT-ELC program in FY 2011 and awarded grants to nine States. In FY 2012, the five next highest- rated applicants on the slate of high-scoring applications from the FY 2011 competition were funded at up to 50 percent of the funds each requested in their FY 2011 applications. We propose to maintain the overall purpose and structure of the FY 2011 RTT-ELC competition in future competitions. These proposed priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria are almost identical to the ones used in the FY 2011 competition. We describe the changes at the beginning of each section of this document.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of an upcoming meeting of the National Board for Education Sciences (NBES). The notice also describes the functions of the Committee. Notice of this meeting is required by Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and is intended to notify the public of their opportunity to attend the meeting.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority under the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, this notice proposes a priority for an RRTC on Community Living Policy. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend the priority to contribute to improved outcomes in this area for individuals with disabilities.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces priorities for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, we announce priorities for Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs) on Community Living and Participation for Individuals with Physical Disabilities (Priority 1), Employment of Individuals with Physical Disabilities (Priority 2), Health and Function of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Priority 3), and Community Living and Participation for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Priority 4). If an applicant proposes to conduct research under these priorities, the research must be focused on one of the four stages of research defined in this notice. The Assistant Secretary may use these priorities for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend these priorities to improve outcomes among individuals with disabilities.

The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education proposes a priority and requirements under the Education Facilities Clearinghouse program and may use one or more of the priority and requirements for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We intend to award funds under a cooperative agreement to support the collection and dissemination of best practices for the planning, design, financing, procurement, construction, improvement, operation, and maintenance of safe, healthy, and high-performing elementary and secondary education facilities. We intend to establish a Clearinghouse to help stakeholders recognize the linkages between the school facility and three areas: Academic instruction, student and community well- being, and school fiscal health.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority for the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, this notice proposes a priority for an RRTC on Disability in Rural Areas. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend the priority to contribute to improved outcomes for individuals with disabilities who live in rural areas.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces priorities and definitions for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, we announce priorities and definitions for Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) on Community Living and Participation of Individuals with Disabilities (Priority 1), Health and Function of Individuals with Disabilities (Priority 2), and Employment of Individuals with Disabilities (Priority 3). If an applicant proposes to conduct research under these priorities, the research must be focused on one of the four stages of research defined in this notice of final priorities and definitions. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may use these priorities and definitions for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend these priorities to improve community living and participation, health and function, and employment outcomes of individuals with disabilities.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority under the Disability Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, this document announces a priority for a Disability Rehabilitation Research Project (DRRP) on inclusive cloud and Web computing. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for a competition in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend this priority to improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a revision of an existing information collection.