[Federal Register: April 15, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 72)]
[Notices]
[Page 19939-19942]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15ap05-36]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Teaching American History
AGENCY: Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final selection criteria and other application
requirements.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement
announces selection criteria and other application requirements for the
Teaching American History program. We may use these selection criteria
and other application requirements for competitions in fiscal
[[Page 19940]]
year (FY) 2005 and later years. We take this action to provide more
specificity with regard to the range of awards and the number of awards
a local educational agency (LEA) may receive in each competition. We
intend these selection criteria and other application requirements to
provide a description of the goals and objectives of the Teaching
American History program so that applicants will describe clear and
specific means by which they will achieve those goals and objectives.
DATES: Effective Date: These selection criteria and other application
requirements are effective May 16, 2005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alex Stein, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4W218, Washington, DC 20202-
5910. Telephone: (202) 205-9085 or via Internet: Alex.Stein@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Teaching American History (TAH) program
is authorized by Title II, Part C, Subpart 4 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as reauthorized by the No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001 (ESEA). TAH grants support projects to raise student
achievement by improving teachers' knowledge, understanding, and
appreciation of traditional American history. This notice is intended
to ensure that the TAH program is using the highest-quality selection
criteria, so that the program in turn receives the highest-quality
grant applications.
We published a notice of proposed selection criteria and other
application requirements for this program in the Federal Register on
January 14, 2005 (70 FR 2625). The notice of proposed selection
criteria and other application requirements included a discussion of
the significant issues and analysis used in the determination of the
selection criteria and other application requirements. (See pages 2625
through 2626 of that notice).
No significant changes were made to these final selection criteria
and other application requirements, but we have added language to
provide better clarity and facilitate better understanding of the
intent of the selection criteria.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to our invitation in the notice of proposed selection
criteria and other application requirements, 10 parties submitted
comments. An analysis of the comments we received and our responses
follows.
We discuss substantive issues under the title of the selection
criteria and other application requirements to which they pertain.
Generally, we do not address technical and other minor changes--and
suggested changes that we are not authorized to make under the
applicable statutory authority. Please note, however, that we did make
a minor change to the Funding section in which we eliminated minimum
funding levels for each LEA category and changed the name of that
section to Maximum Awards.
A. Proposed Selection Criteria
Comment: One commenter praised the Department, stating that the
proposed selection criteria made clearer what the Department considered
important in a grant proposal and that the criteria would be a good
improvement over the application notices issued in past years.
Discussion: We agree with this comment.
Change: None.
Comment: One commenter suggested that the Department delete the
language from criterion (1) Project Quality, paragraph (a), ``including
the implementation of activities,'' and paragraphs (i) and (ii),
stating that the addition of this language focuses reviewer attention
on instruction and away from carefully examining history content.
Discussion: We agree that an emphasis on history content is primary
to the TAH program and that the language cited by the commenter might
distract reviewers from carefully examining history content.
Change: We have deleted the language and paragraphs cited by the
commenter.
Comment: One commenter suggested that the Department move paragraph
1(c) under selection criterion, Project Quality, to the selection
criterion, Significance.
Discussion: We agree that this paragraph should be placed under the
Significance criterion because it emphasizes teaching strategies.
Change: We have moved this paragraph from the Project Quality
criterion to the Significance criterion.
Comment: Three commenters recommended that one sentence in
paragraph 1(b) under the Project Quality criterion, which relates to
the ways in which American history will be covered by the grant, be
changed to emphasize TAH's goal of implementing high-quality American
history scholarship. Specifically, the comments suggested that we
change the sentence to read as follows: ``How specific traditional
American history content will be covered by the grant (including the
significant issues, episodes, and turning points in the history of the
United States; how the words and deeds of individual Americans have
determined the course of our Nation; and how the principles of freedom
and democracy articulated in the founding documents of this Nation have
shaped America's struggles and achievements and its social, political,
and legal institutions and relations); the format in which the project
will deliver the history content; and the quality of the staff and
consultants responsible for delivering these content-based professional
development activities, emphasizing, where relevant, their
postsecondary teaching experience and scholarship in subject areas
relevant to the teaching of traditional American history.''
Discussion: We agree that the addition of a phrase about
emphasizing experience and scholarship in traditional American history
is important. We also believe that the sentence with the addition of
the suggested phrase expresses a realistic and powerful view of
traditional American history.
Change: We have added a phrase to paragraph 1(b) in the Project
Quality criterion that emphasizes that those who provide professional
development to participating teachers in the TAH program should possess
experience and scholarship relevant to American History.
Comment: One commenter suggested that the Department delete the
phrase ``and locally implement services'' from criterion (2),
Significance. This suggestion is based on the commenter's view that it
is not necessary that all services be delivered locally, given that
summer institutes and other professional development services may be
held some distance from the schools in which teachers work.
Discussion: We agree that all services need not be delivered
locally and that high-quality professional development can be delivered
at some distance from schools and school districts.
Change: We have deleted the phrase from the selection criterion.
B. Proposed Application Requirements
Comment: Three commenters suggested that the Department provide
information on whether school district
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consortia may be formed to apply for grant funds, so that an applicant
may be eligible for a larger award.
Discussion: We agree with the need to provide clarification of this
issue.
Change: We have revised the language on funding by adding a
sentence to the Maximum Awards section indicating that schools may form
consortia when applying.
Comment: Five commenters suggested that the Department delete the
funding provision that limits school districts with student enrollment
under 20,000 to a grant of $500,000.
Discussion: With the change to allow school districts to form
consortia and to pool their enrollments, there should be no obstacle to
small districts joining together to apply for this grant as consortium
members in order to receive a larger grant. For districts with a
student enrollment of less than 20,000 students that choose to apply
for the grant on their own, a three-year grant of $500,000 should be
adequate for addressing the professional development needs of their
U.S. history teachers, and would be proportionate to the number of
teachers likely to be served.
Change: None.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use these selection criteria and other
application requirements, we invite applications through a notice in
the Federal Register.
Selection Criteria
The Secretary uses the following selection criteria to evaluate
applications under this program. The maximum score for all of these
criteria is 100 points. In any given year, we will announce the maximum
possible score for each criterion, either in the application notice
published in the Federal Register or in the application package.
(1) Project quality. The Secretary considers the quality of the
proposed project by considering--
(a) The likelihood that the proposed project will develop,
implement, and strengthen programs to teach traditional American
history as a separate academic subject (not as a component of social
studies) within elementary school and secondary school curricula.
(b) How specific traditional American history content will be
covered by the grant (including the significant issues, episodes, and
turning points in the history of the United States; how the words and
deeds of individual Americans have determined the course of our Nation;
and how the principles of freedom and democracy articulated in the
founding documents of this Nation have shaped America's struggles and
achievements and its social, political, and legal institutions and
relations); the format in which the project will deliver the history
content; and the quality of the staff and consultants responsible for
delivering these content-based professional development activities,
emphasizing, where relevant, their postsecondary teaching experience
and scholarship in subject areas relevant to the teaching of
traditional American history. The applicant may also attach curriculum
vitae for individuals who will provide the content training to the
teachers.
(c) How well the applicant describes a plan that meets the
statutory requirement to carry out activities under the grant in
partnership with one or more of the following:
(i) An institution of higher education.
(ii) A nonprofit history or humanities organization.
(iii) A library or museum.
(d) The applicant's rationale for selecting the partner(s) and its
description of specific activities that the partner(s) will contribute
to the grant during each year of the project. The applicant should
include a memorandum of understanding or detailed letters of commitment
from the partner(s) in an appendix to the application narrative.
(2) Significance. The Secretary considers the significance of the
proposed project. In determining the significance of the project, the
Secretary considers--
(a) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build
local capacity to improve or expand the LEA's ability to provide
American history teachers professional development in traditional
American history subject content and content-related teaching
strategies.
(b) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in
teaching and student achievement.
(c) How teachers will use the knowledge acquired from project
activities to improve the quality of instruction. This description may
include plans for reviewing how teachers' lesson planning and classroom
teaching are affected by their participation in project activities.
Note: In meeting this criterion, the Secretary encourages the
applicant to include a description of its commitment to build local
capacity by primarily serving teachers in its LEA or consortium of
LEAs. The Secretary also encourages the applicant to include
background and statistical information to explain the project's
significance. For example, the applicant could include information
on: the extent to which teachers in the LEA are not certified in
history or social studies; student achievement data in American
history; and rates of student participation in courses such as
Advanced Placement U.S. History.
(3) Quality of the management plan. The Secretary considers the
quality of the management plan for the proposed project. In determining
the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors:
(a) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks.
(b) The extent to which the time commitments of the project
director and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate
to meet the objectives of the proposed project.
(4) Quality of the project evaluation. The Secretary considers the
quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. In
determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers:
(a) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and
qualitative data to the extent possible.
(b) How well the evaluation plans are aligned with the project
design explained under the Project Quality criterion.
(c) Whether the evaluation includes benchmarks to monitor progress
toward specific project objectives, and outcome measures to assess the
impact on teaching and learning or other important outcomes for project
participants.
(d) Whether the applicant identifies the individual and/or
organization that has agreed to serve as evaluator for the project and
includes a description of the qualifications of that evaluator.
(e) The extent to which the applicant indicates the following:
(i) What types of data will be collected;
(ii) When various types of data will be collected;
(iii) What methods will be used to collect data;
(iv) What data collection instruments will be developed;
(v) How the data will be analyzed;
(vi) When reports of results and outcomes will be available;
(vii) How the applicant will use the information collected through
the
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evaluation to monitor the progress of the funded project and to provide
accountability information about both success at the initial site and
effective strategies for replication in other settings; and
(viii) How the applicant will devote an appropriate level of
resources to project evaluation.
Maximum Awards
(1) Total funding for a three-year project period is a maximum of:
$500,000 for LEAs with enrollments of less than 20,000 students;
$1,000,000 for LEAs with enrollments of 20,000-300,000 students; and
$2,000,000 for LEAs with enrollments above 300,000 students. LEAs may
form consortia and combine their enrollments in order to receive a
grant reflective of their combined enrollment. For districts applying
jointly as a consortium, the maximum award is based on the combined
enrollment of the individual districts in the consortium. If more than
one LEA wishes to form a consortium, they must follow the procedures
for group applications described in 34 CFR 75.127 through 34 CFR 75.129
of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations.
(2) A maximum of one grant will be awarded per applicant per
competition.
Executive Order 12866
This notice of final selection criteria and other application
requirements has been reviewed in accordance with Executive Order
12866. Under the terms of the order, we have assessed the potential
costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with the notice of final selection
criteria and other application requirements are those resulting from
statutory requirements and those we have determined as necessary for
administering this program effectively and efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this notice of final selection criteria and other
application requirements, we have determined that the benefits of the
final selection criteria and other application requirements justify the
costs.
We also have determined that this regulatory action does not unduly
interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the exercise of
their governmental functions.
We fully discussed the costs and benefits in the notice of proposed
selection criteria and other application requirements.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive
order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened
federalism. The Executive order relies on processes developed by State
and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal
financial assistance.
This document provides early notification of our specific plans and
actions for this program.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
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Note: 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 on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.215X Teaching
American History Program)
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6721-6722.
Dated: April 12, 2005.
Michael J. Petrilli,
Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 05-7598 Filed 4-14-05; 8:45 am]
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