2021-04491.pdf

12664 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 41 / Thursday, March 4, 2021 / Notices

States must report annually on criteria and assessments required for initial teacher credentials using a State Report Card (SRC), and institutions of higher education (IHEs) with teacher preparation programs (TPP), and TPPs outside of IHEs, must report on key program elements on an Institution and Program Report Card (IPRC). IHEs and TPPs outside of IHEs report annually to their states on program elements, including program numbers, type, enrollment figures, demographics, completion rates, goals and assurances to the state. States, in turn, must report on TPP elements to the Secretary of Education in addition to information on assessment pass rates, state standards, initial credential types and requirements, numbers of credentials issued, TPP classification as at-risk or low-performing. The information from states, institutions, and programs is published annually in The Secretary’s Report to Congress on Teacher Quality.

The Department plans to use the SRC and IPRC current instruments, unchanged, for the FY21 through FY23 data collections, in order to maintain continuity in the information available.

There is no change in burden due to the addition of Institutions with Teacher Preparation Programs. The Department has included additional instruction to aid institutions in reporting data that may differ from usual data due to COVID restrictions.

Dated: March 1, 2021.

Kate Mullan, PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.

[FR Doc. 2021–04489 Filed 3–3–21; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Withdrawal of Notice Inviting Applications and Cancellation of the Competition for the Equity Assistance Centers Program

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice; withdrawal.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Education (Department) withdraws the notice inviting applications (NIA) and cancels the competition for fiscal year (FY) 2021 for the Equity Assistance Centers (EAC) program under Assistance Listing number (ALN) 84.004D. The Department intends to announce a new competition in FY 2022.

DATES: The notice published at 86 FR 2653 on January 13, 2021, is withdrawn and the competition canceled as of March 4, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ed Vitelli, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 3E106, Washington, DC 20202.

Telephone: 202–453–6203. Email:

Edward.Vitelli@ed.gov.

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background The EAC program is authorized under

Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000c—2000c–2, 2000c–5, and the implementing regulations in 34 CFR part 270. This program awards grants through cooperative agreements to operate regional EACs that provide technical assistance (including training) at the request of school boards and other responsible governmental agencies in the preparation, adoption, and implementation of plans for the desegregation of public schools—which in this context means plans for equity (including desegregation based on race, national origin, sex, and religion)—and in the development of effective methods of coping with special educational problems occasioned by desegregation.

Desegregation assistance, per 34 CFR 270.4, may include, among other activities: (1) Dissemination of information regarding effective methods of coping with special educational problems occasioned by desegregation;

(2) assistance and advice in coping with these problems; and (3) training designed to improve the ability of teachers, supervisors, counselors, parents, community members, community organizations, and other elementary or secondary school personnel to deal effectively with special educational problems occasioned by desegregation. A project must provide technical assistance in all four of the desegregation assistance areas: Race, sex, national origin, and religion desegregation.

On January 13, 2021, the Department published in the Federal Register (86 FR 2653) an NIA for the FY 2021 EAC competition, ALN 84.004D.

On January 20, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden signed Executive Order 13985, titled ‘‘Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.’’ This

Executive order directed the Federal Government to pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality.

On January 20, 2021, President Biden also signed Executive Order 13988, titled ‘‘Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation.’’ This Executive order directed the Federal Government to prevent and combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation, and to fully enforce laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.

On February 2, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14012, titled ‘‘Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans.’’ This Executive order directed the Federal Government to ensure that laws and policies encourage full participation by immigrants, including refugees, in our civic life; that immigration processes and other benefits are delivered effectively and efficiently; and that the Federal Government eliminates sources of fear and other barriers that prevent immigrants from accessing government services available to them.

To allow the Department the opportunity to consider how best to align the EAC program with these Executive orders, to the extent statutorily permitted, the Department is withdrawing the NIA and cancelling this competition. The Department will propose to extend the project period for current grantees to ensure the continuity of the important services provided under the program. The Department intends to announce a new EAC competition for five-year grants in FY 2022.

Intergovernmental Review This program is subject to Executive

Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.

Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT,

individuals with disabilities can obtain this document in an accessible format.

The Department will provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible format.

Electronic Access to This Document:

The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal

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12665 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 41 / Thursday, March 4, 2021 / Notices

Register. You may access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site.

You may also access documents of the Department published in the Federal Register by using the article search feature at www.federalregister.gov.

Specifically, through the advanced search feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published by the Department.

Mark Washington, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.

[FR Doc. 2021–04491 Filed 3–3–21; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Eligibility Designations and Applications for Waiving Eligibility Requirements; Programs Under Parts A and F of Title III and Programs Under Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as Amended (HEA)

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education (Department).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department announces the process for designation of eligible institutions and invites applications for waivers of eligibility requirements for fiscal year (FY) 2021, for the following programs: 1. Programs authorized under title III, part A of the HEA:

Strengthening Institutions Program (Part A SIP), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (Part A ANNH), Predominantly Black Institutions (Part A PBI), Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (Part A NASNTI), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander- Serving Institutions (Part A AANAPISI).

2. Programs authorized under title III, part F of the HEA: Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation (Part F HSI STEM and Articulation), Predominantly Black Institutions (Part F PBI), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (Part F ANNH), Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (Part F NASNTI), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (Part F AANAPISI). 3.

Programs authorized under title V of the

HEA: Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) and Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA).

DATES:

Applications Available: March 4, 2021.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 5, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Christopher Smith, Institutional Service, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 2B108, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone:

(202) 453–7946 or (202) 262–7141.

Email: Christopher.Smith@ed.gov; or Jason Cottrell, Institutional Service, U.S.

Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 2B127, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 453–7530 or (202) 262–1833. Email:

Jason.Cottrell@ed.gov.

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Programs: The Part A SIP, Part A ANNH, Part A PBI, Part A NASNTI, and Part A AANAPISI programs are authorized under title III, part A of the HEA. The Part F HSI STEM and Articulation, Part F PBI, Part F ANNH, Part F NASNTI, and Part F AANAPISI programs are authorized under title III, part F of the HEA. The HSI and PPOHA programs are authorized under title V of the HEA.

Please note that certain programs addressed in this notice have the same or similar names as other programs that are authorized under a different statutory authority. For this reason, we specify the statutory authority as part of the acronym for certain programs.

Under the programs discussed above, institutions are eligible to apply for grants if they meet specific statutory and regulatory eligibility requirements. An institution of higher education that is designated as an eligible institution may also receive a waiver of certain non- Federal cost-sharing requirements for one year under the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program authorized by title IV, part A of the HEA and the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program authorized by section 443 of the HEA.

Qualified (eligible) institutions may receive the FSEOG and FWS waivers for one year even if they do not receive a grant under a title III or V grant program. An applicant that receives a grant from the Student Support Services (SSS) program that is authorized under section 402D of the HEA, 20 U.S.C.

1070a–14, may receive a waiver of the required non-Federal cost share for institutions for the duration of the grant.

An applicant that receives a grant from the Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) program that is authorized under section 604 of the HEA, 20 U.S.C. 1124, may receive a waiver or reduction of the required non- Federal cost share for institutions for the duration of the grant.

Sections 312 and 502 of the HEA, 34 CFR 607.2–607.5, and 34 CFR 606.2–

606.5 include most of the basic eligibility requirements for grant programs authorized under titles III and V of the HEA. Sections 312(b)(1)(B) and 502(a)(2)(A) of the HEA provide that, to be eligible for these programs, an institution of higher education’s average ‘‘educational and general expenditures’’ (E&G) per full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student must be less than the average E&G expenditures per FTE undergraduate student of institutions that offer similar instruction in that year.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) calculates Core Expenses per FTE of institutions, a statistic like E&G per FTE. Both E&G per FTE and Core Expenses per FTE are based on regular operational expenditures of institutions (excluding auxiliary enterprises, independent operations, and hospital expenses).

They differ only in that E&G per FTE is based on fall undergraduate enrollment, while Core Expenses per FTE is based on 12-month undergraduate enrollment for the academic year.

To avoid inconsistency in the data submitted to, and produced by, the Department, for the purpose of sections 312(b)(1)(B) and 502(a)(2)(A) of the HEA, E&G per FTE is calculated using the same methodology as Core Expenses per FTE. Accordingly, the Department will apply the NCES methodology for calculating Core Expenses per FTE.

Institutions requesting an eligibility exemption determination must use the Core Expenses per FTE data reported to NCES’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) for the most currently available academic year, in this case academic year 2018–2019.

Special Note: To qualify as an eligible institution under the grant programs listed in this notice, your institution must satisfy several criteria. For most of these programs, these criteria include those that relate to the enrollment of needy students and to the Core Expenses per FTE student count for a specified base year. The most recent

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