[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 92 (Thursday, May 13, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26945-26947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-11402]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
International Education Programs Service--Fulbright-Hays Group
Projects Abroad Program
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.021.
AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education proposes
two priorities for the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program
administered by the International Education Programs Service. The
Assistant Secretary may use these priorities for competitions in fiscal
year (FY) 2011 and later years.
We intend these two priorities to help increase the number of
teachers at the Kindergarten-grade 12 (K-12) level with skills in a
second language and knowledge of other cultures around the world by
supporting: (1) short-term projects abroad that provide pre-service
teachers with training or courses in foreign languages and
international area studies as part of a teacher education curriculum
developed through collaboration between colleges or departments of
education and colleges or departments of arts and sciences within
institutions of higher education, and (2) projects that propose 50
percent or greater participation of K-12 teachers, K-12 administrators,
or both in short-term projects abroad. The first priority helps give
pre-service teachers a deeper knowledge of languages and cultures from
around the world. The second priority helps increase the study abroad
opportunities for in-service teachers, giving these individuals
exposure to another country and its culture.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before June 14, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this notice to Michelle Guilfoil,
U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6098,
Washington, DC 20006-8544. If you prefer to send your comments by e-
mail, use the following address: [email protected].
You must include the following information in the subject line of
your electronic message: ``Priorities for Fulbright-Hays Group Projects
Abroad Program, International Education Programs Service.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Guilfoil. Telephone: (202)
502-7625 or by e-mail: [email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
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Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Invitation to Comment
We invite you to submit comments regarding this notice. To ensure
that your comments have maximum effect in developing the notice of
final priorities, we urge you to identify clearly the specific proposed
priority that each comment addresses.
We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of
reducing regulatory burden that might result from these proposed
priorities. Please let us know of any further ways we could reduce
potential costs or increase potential benefits while preserving the
effective and efficient administration of the program.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments about this notice in room 6154, 1990 K Street, NW.,
Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal
holidays.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the
Rulemaking Record: On request we will provide an appropriate
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability who
needs assistance to review the comments or other documents in the
public rulemaking record for this notice. If you want to schedule an
appointment for this type of accommodation or auxiliary aid, please
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Fulbright-Hays Group
Projects Abroad Program is to contribute to the development and
improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies
in the United States by providing opportunities for teachers, students,
and faculty to study in foreign countries. Projects may include short-
term seminars, curriculum development, or group research or study.
Program Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2452(b)(6).
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 664.
Proposed Priorities:
This notice contains two proposed priorities.
Background
The GPA Program
The U.S. Department of Education administers the Fulbright-Hays
Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program under the authority of section
102(b)(6) of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961
(Fulbright-Hays Act), 22 U.S.C. 2452(b)(6). The Presidentially
appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board sets policies
and procedures for administering the program and exercises final
approval over the selection of grantees.
The objective of the GPA Program is the promotion, improvement, and
development of modern foreign languages and area studies at all levels
of education. To help accomplish this objective, the GPA Program
provides opportunities for faculty, teachers, and undergraduate and
graduate students to conduct group projects overseas to do research and
study in the fields of modern foreign languages and area studies.
There are three types of short-term projects abroad in the GPA
Program: (1) Short-term seminar projects of four to six weeks in length
designed to increase the linguistic or cultural competency of U.S.
students and educators by focusing on a particular aspect of area
study, such as the culture of an area or country of study (34 CFR
664.11); (2) curriculum development projects of four to eight weeks in
length that provide participants an opportunity to acquire resource
materials for curriculum development in modern foreign language and
area studies for use and dissemination in the United States (34 CFR
664.12); and (3) group research or study projects of three to twelve
months in duration designed to give participants the opportunity to
undertake research or study in a foreign country (34 CFR 664.13).\1\
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\1\ In addition to the short-term projects abroad, which are
addressed by these proposed priorities, the GPA Program also awards
grants for advanced overseas intensive language projects (34 CFR
664.14), which are not addressed by these proposed priorities.
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The types of priorities used in the GPA Program are described in 34
CFR 664.32. We are proposing these priorities in addition to those
listed in that section.
Proposed Priority One. Many U.S. students, especially those in low-
income and minority communities, graduate from high school without a
knowledge of other countries and their cultures. There is evidence that
greater exposure of teachers to other cultures and foreign languages
can help eradicate this situation. Schools and/or departments of
education have a role to play in creating greater exposure since they
are central to the preparation of future teachers. Increased
collaboration with other departments and/or schools focused on foreign
language and/or area and international studies can improve the capacity
of these schools and/or departments of education to prepare future
teachers with the skills required to teach students to understand other
peoples and cultures around the world.
Proposed priority one therefore would promote the
internationalization of teacher education and would expand the
capabilities of participating teachers to educate students who will
work and live in a world with an increased exposure to diverse cultures
and languages.
Proposed Priority Two. Proposed priority two would promote the
internationalization of K-12 education and would encourage the
participation of K-12 teachers in group projects abroad that develop
and improve K-12 foreign language and area studies. Although past
projects funded under this program have included groups abroad that
include K-12 teachers, K-12 teachers have not always been represented
in those groups in substantial numbers. We believe that
internationalization of K-12 education can occur more readily when a
mixed group of educators is comprised of a greater number of K-12
teachers so that the study abroad activities of the group support the
development of curriculum at the elementary and secondary levels.
Accordingly, proposed priority two would support projects in which at
least 50 percent of the participants are K-12 teachers or
administrators.
Proposed Priority 1--Projects That Provide Pre-Service Teachers
With Training or Courses in Foreign Languages and International Area
Studies as Part of a Teacher Education Curriculum Developed Through
Collaboration Between Colleges or Departments of Education and Colleges
or Departments of Arts and Sciences Within Institutions of Higher
Education.
Applications that, through collaborative efforts between one or
more colleges or departments of education and one or more colleges or
departments of arts and sciences within a single institution of higher
education or within a consortium of higher education institutions,
propose short-term projects abroad that provide pre-service teachers
with training or courses in foreign languages and international area
studies as part of the teacher education curriculum.
Proposed Priority 2--Projects That Provide 50 Percent or Greater
Participation of K-12 Teachers, or K-12 Administrators, or Both in
Short-Term Projects Abroad.
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Applications that propose short-term projects abroad that develop
and improve foreign language studies, area studies, or both at
elementary and secondary schools by including K-12 teachers or K-12
administrators as at least 50 percent of the project participants.
Types of Priorities:
When inviting applications for a competition using one or more
priorities, we designate the type of each priority as absolute,
competitive preference, or invitational through a notice in the Federal
Register. The effect of each type of priority follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by (1)
awarding additional points, depending on the extent to which the
application meets the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2)
selecting an application that meets the priority over an application of
comparable merit that does not meet the priority (34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the priority.
However, we do not give an application that meets the priority a
preference over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Final Priorities:
We will announce the final priorities in a notice in the Federal
Register. We will determine the final priorities after considering
responses to this notice and other information available to the
Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing additional
priorities, requirements, definitions, or selection criteria, subject
to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use one or more of these priorities, we invite
applications through a notice in the Federal Register.
Executive Order 12866: This notice of proposed priorities 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
proposed regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with this proposed regulatory action
are those resulting from statutory requirements and those we have
determined as necessary for administering these programs effectively
and efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this proposed regulatory action, we have determined
that the benefits of the proposed priorities justify the costs.
We have also determined that this regulatory action does not unduly
interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the exercise of
their governmental functions.
Intergovernmental Review: These programs are 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 these programs.
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department 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. To
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at
this site.
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.
Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated
authority to Daniel T. Madzelan, Director, Forecasting and Policy
Analysis for the Office of Postsecondary Education, to perform the
functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary
Education.
Dated: May 7, 2010.
Daniel T. Madzelan,
Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2010-11402 Filed 5-12-10; 8:45 am]
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