[Federal Register: July 28, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 144)]
[Notices]
[Page 44313-44317]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28jy03-55]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year
(FY) 2003.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces closing dates, priorities, and other
information regarding the transmittal of grant applications for FY 2003
competitions under two programs authorized under part D, subpart 2 of
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as amended (IDEA). The
two programs are: (1) Special Education--Research and Innovation to
Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities (1
priority); and (2) Special Education--Technical Assistance and
Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities (1 priority).
Please note that significant dates for the availability and
submission of applications, as well as important fiscal information,
are listed in a table at the end of this notice.
Waiver of Rulemaking
It is generally our practice to offer interested parties the
opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, section
661(e)(2) of IDEA makes the public comment requirements in the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) inapplicable to the
priorities in this notice.
General Requirements
(a) The projects funded under this notice must make positive
efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with
disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).
(b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this notice must
involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals with
disabilities in planning, implementing, and evaluating the projects
(see section 661(f)(1)(A) of IDEA).
(c) The projects funded under these priorities must budget for a
two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC during each year
of the project.
(d) In a single application, an applicant must address only one
absolute priority in this notice.
(e) If a project maintains a Web site, it must include relevant
information and documents in an accessible form.
Page Limit: If you are an applicant, Part III of each application,
the application narrative, is where you address the selection criteria
that are used by reviewers in evaluating the application. You must
limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than the number of pages
listed in the table at the end of this notice, using the following
standards:
[sbull] A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'' (on one side only) with one-inch
margins (top, bottom, and sides).
[sbull] Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, and captions, as well as all text in charts,
tables, figures, and graphs.
[sbull] Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The page limit does not apply to Part I--the cover sheet; Part II--
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the
resumes, the bibliography or references, or the letters of support.
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
We will reject without consideration or evaluation any application
if--
[sbull] You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
[sbull] You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
Application Procedures
Note: Some of the procedures in these instructions for
transmitting applications differ from those in the Education
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR
75.102). Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the
Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to
comment on proposed regulations. However, these amendments make
procedural changes only and do not establish new substantive policy.
Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined
that proposed rulemaking is not required.
Project for Electronic Submission of Applications
In Fiscal Year 2003, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing
to expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary
grant competitions. The two programs in this announcement: Research and
Innovation to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities--CFDA 84.324, and Technical Assistance and Dissemination
to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities--CFDA
84.326, are included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant for
a grant under the two programs in this notice, you may submit your
application to us in either electronic or paper format.
The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-Application). Users of e-Application will be
entering data on-line while completing their applications. You may not
e-mail a soft copy of a grant application to us. If you participate in
this voluntary pilot project by submitting an application
electronically, the data you enter on-line will be saved into a
database. We request your participation in e-Application. We shall
continue to evaluate its success and solicit suggestions for
improvement.
If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
[sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
[sbull] You will not receive any additional point value because you
submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will we penalize
you if you submit an application in paper format. When you
[[Page 44314]]
enter the e-Application system, you will find information about its
hours of operation.
[sbull] You may submit all documents electronically, including the
Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
[sbull] After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
[sbull] Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following
these steps:
1. Print ED 424 from e-Application.
2. The institution's Authorizing Representative must sign this
form.
3. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard copy signature page of the ED 424.
4. Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202)
260-1349.
[sbull] We may request that you give us original signatures on all
other forms at a later date.
[sbull] Closing Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability: If
you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot for the Research
and Innovation to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities Program, or the Technical Assistance and Dissemination to
Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program and
you are prevented from submitting your application on the closing date
because the e-Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an
extension of one business day in order to transmit your application
electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. For us to grant this
extension--
1. You must be a registered user of e-Application, and have
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
2. (a) The e-Application system must be unavailable for 60 minutes
or more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC,
time, on the deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system must be unavailable for any period of
time during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time
between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC, time) on the deadline date.
The Department must acknowledge and confirm these periods of
unavailability before granting you an extension. To request this
extension you must contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in
this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or (2) the e-GRANTS
help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Research
and Innovation to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities Program, or the Technical Assistance and Dissemination to
Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program at:
http://e-grants.ed.gov.
We have included additional information about the e-Application
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic
Applications) in the application packages.
Research and Innovation To Improve Services and Results for Children
With Disabilities [CFDA Number 84.324]
Purpose of Program: To produce, and advance the use of, knowledge
to improve the results of education and early intervention for infants,
toddlers, and children with disabilities.
Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); local
educational agencies (LEAs); institutions of higher education (IHEs);
other public agencies; nonprofit private organizations; outlying areas;
freely associated States; and Indian tribes or tribal organizations.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81,
82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) The selection criteria, chosen from
the EDGAR general selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.210. The specific
selection criteria for these competitions will be provided in the
application package for these competitions.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.
Priorities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet
the following priority:
Absolute Priority--Research Institute on Progress Monitoring (84.324H)
Background
Progress monitoring research has focused mostly on developing basic
reading and math skills for elementary school students with high
incidence disabilities. The focus of this research must be expanded to
include students with significant cognitive and developmental
disabilities. The use of progress monitoring will determine the skills
that these students have learned and need to learn, their rates of
learning, and instructional modifications that are needed to improve
their access to and progress in the general education curriculum.
Priority
The purpose of this priority is to support a cooperative agreement
for an Institute that will conduct a program of research that addresses
issues associated with the use of progress monitoring for students with
significant cognitive and developmental disabilities in elementary
school, middle school, and high school. The Institute's activities must
include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) Developing and implementing plans of research to identify and
validate progress monitoring strategies for elementary school, middle
school, and high school that will maximize achievement of students who
have significant cognitive and developmental disabilities. These
strategies should focus on content domains and complex skills and align
with the existing curriculum.
(b) Developing a conceptual framework that builds upon current
progress monitoring research, provides a basis for the intervention
strategies to be studied, and includes a theoretical and empirical
rationale for the research design.
(c) Establishing and validating progress monitoring standards. This
activity must:
(1) Describe the process for assessing student progress given the
wide range of student performance and high expectations States have for
all students;
(2) Ensure that standards are relevant for students with
significant disabilities;
(3) Identify and describe what assessments will be used, how often
measures will be administered, how the measures will be scored, and to
what grade level the measures apply; and
(4) Identify methods for effectively reporting progress to teachers
and parents.
(e) Evaluating the interaction between instruction and progress
monitoring. This evaluation must:
(1) Examine and improve the process for making decisions about how
to target instruction that will be effective, given the identified
learning characteristics of each student;
(2) Measure the interaction between progress monitoring outcomes
and the modification of instruction in terms of the consistency,
explicitness, intensity, and duration of the instruction as well as the
fidelity to its design;
[[Page 44315]]
(3) Evaluate the effect that context of instruction has on student
growth and outcomes;
(4) Study content of instruction and the efficacy of progress
monitoring in this content;
(5) Document changes that could be made to strengthen the approach
to instruction modification based upon progress monitoring results;
(6) Identify effective strategies for including progress monitoring
in the Individualized Education Program development; and
(7) Examine the role of technology in progress monitoring.
The Institute must also:
(a) For projects that use group comparison research, or other
research covered by the Design and Implementation Assessment Device
(DIAD), utilize an overall methodology that meets the standards set out
in the DIAD protocol from the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC);
(b) Report the findings, as specified in the DIAD protocol from the
What Works Clearinghouse, for all publications based on group
comparison research, or other research covered by the DIAD. More
information about the WWC and the DIAD protocol can be found at http://www.w-w-c.org
;
(c) Prepare and disseminate reports and documents, including
publications in peer-refereed journals, on progress monitoring and
other related topics for specific audiences, as appropriate, such as
researchers and policymakers;
(d) Prepare and disseminate, through a Web site (in both English
and Spanish) and by other means, reports and documents on research
findings and related topics, including a comprehensive analysis of
progress monitoring literature;
(e) Share information with the Technical Assistance and
Dissemination Center on Progress Monitoring;
(f) Maintain communication with the Federal project officer through
e-mail communication, as needed, and monthly conference calls. The
Institute must submit annual performance reports and provide additional
written materials, as needed, for the Federal project officer to
monitor the Institute's work;
(g) Establish, maintain, and meet at least annually with an
advisory committee consisting of researchers, representatives of State
and local agencies, individuals with significant disabilities, parent
educators, TA providers, professional organizations and advocacy
groups, and representatives of other appropriate groups to review and
advise on the Institute's design, plans, products, and activities; and
(h) In addition to the three two-day meetings listed in the General
Requirements section of this notice, budget for, at least, two annual
planning meetings and, at least, eight two-day trips annually as
requested by OSEP to attend meetings such as Department briefings,
Department sponsored conferences, and other OSEP-requested activities.
Fourth and Fifth Years of Project
In deciding whether to continue this project for the fourth and
fifth years, the Secretary will consider the requirements of 34 CFR
75.253(a), and in addition--
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of experts
selected by the Secretary which review will be conducted during the
last half of the project's second year in Washington, DC. Projects must
budget for the travel associated with this one-day intensive review;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
Institute; and
(c) The degree to which the project's design and methodology
demonstrate the potential for advancing significant new knowledge.
Special Education--Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve
Services and Results for Children With Disabilities [CFDA Number
84.326]
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to provide
technical assistance and information--through such mechanisms as
institutes, regional resource centers, clearinghouses, and programs
that support States and local entities in building capacity--to (1)
improve early intervention, educational, and transitional services and
results for children with disabilities and their families; and (2)
address systemic-change goals and priorities.
Eligible applicants: State educational agencies, local educational
agencies, institutions of higher education, other public agencies,
nonprofit private organizations, for-profit organizations, outlying
areas, freely associated States, and Indian tribes or tribal
organizations.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; and (b) The selection criteria, chosen
from the general selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.210. The specific
selection criteria for these competitions will be provided in the
application package for these competitions.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
Priorities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet
the following priority:
Absolute Priority--Technical Assistance and Dissemination Center on
Progress Monitoring (84.326W)
Background
The use of progress monitoring can lead to improved learning
outcomes for students with and without disabilities and higher
expectations for students through more frequent instructional
modifications. Although progress monitoring is proving to be a powerful
tool, it is not widely utilized. Widespread use of progress monitoring
will provide more timely information on the extent to which students
with disabilities are making progress and are prepared for statewide
assessments.
Priority
The purpose of this priority is to support a cooperative agreement
for a Center that will provide technical assistance for State
educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) and
disseminate information regarding progress monitoring, particularly for
use in content areas taught in grades kindergarten through five.
The Center's activities must include, but are not limited to, the
following:
(a) Working directly with the Office of Special Education (OSEP)
Technical Assistance Network, States, school districts, national
teacher organizations, and other relevant programs and organizations on
the scale up and sustainability of progress monitoring in schools,
particularly in grades kindergarten through five. This activity must
include:
(1) Setting student expectations, selecting measures of progress,
scoring and analyzing progress monitoring data, and using data to
institute changes in instruction, policy, and teacher accountability;
(2) Establishing a cadre of national trainers and a system for
communication and discussion among States implementing progress
monitoring;
(3) Conducting an annual survey of States to determine the current
status of
[[Page 44316]]
implementing progress monitoring, including how States use progress
monitoring and how States promote its use, and evaluating policies and
practices that sustain its use;
(4) Identifying States and LEAs that have successfully used
progress monitoring to improve outcomes for students with disabilities;
(5) Fostering partnerships between LEAs that have successfully used
progress monitoring and others that want to implement progress
monitoring, and observing and documenting the process of change for
those LEAs who have not previously implemented progress monitoring;
(6) Providing technical assistance to States based upon their needs
and commitment to implementation of progress monitoring. This must
include providing technical assistance to three OSEP-identified States
per year. This effort may include the following: (i) Collaborative Web-
based technical assistance activities, (ii) coordination of and
participation in State-to-State communities of practice, and (iii)
direct technical assistance to OSEP-specified States through
partnerships between OSEP and selected States.
Note: Staff time and project resources dedicated to provide
technical assistance to OSEP-specified States will be negotiated
with OSEP as part of the cooperative agreement within 30 days of the
project award (OSEP anticipates that technical assistance to OSEP-
specified States could average approximately $40,000 per year.
Budgets should be developed with this in mind);
(7) Developing and applying strategies for the dissemination of
information to specific audiences including teachers, families,
administrators, policymakers, and researchers. Such strategies must
involve collaboration with other technical assistance providers,
organizations, and researchers as described above; and
(8) Establishing an internal evaluation to:
(i) Document successful practices and analyze less successful
approaches to determine changes that could strengthen these less
successful approaches;
(ii) Examine patterns and strategies for implementing effective use
of progress monitoring across successful LEAs; and
(iii) Identify where additional areas of limited knowledge research
is needed.
(b) Conducting National and regional meetings including large-scale
dissemination conferences, focused trainer forums, topical symposium,
and other meetings on progress monitoring and related issues as
requested by OSEP. At a minimum, the Center must hold trainer forums
every other year, a symposium in the off years, and a national
conference in year 5.
(c) Preparing and disseminating reports and documents, on progress
monitoring and other related topics for specific audiences, as
appropriate, such as parents, administrators, teachers, related-
services personnel, researchers, and individuals with disabilities.
This effort must also include compiling documentation to assist LEAs in
implementing progress monitoring and other technical assistance
providers in developing training materials.
(d) Preparing and disseminating, through a Web site (in both
English and Spanish) and by other means, reports and documents on
research findings and related topics, including a comprehensive
analysis of progress monitoring literature.
(e) Sharing information with the Research Institute on Progress
Monitoring.
(f) Maintaining communication and collaboration with other Office
of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)--funded
projects such as the Office of Special Education Regional Resource
Centers; the IDEA Partnership Project; parent projects; other OSEP
progress monitoring, dissemination, and synthesis projects; and other
projects, as appropriate.
(g) Maintaining communication with the Federal project officer
through e-mail communication, as needed, and monthly conference calls.
The Center must submit annual performance reports and provide
additional written materials, as needed, for the Federal project
officer to monitor the Center's work.
(h) Establishing, maintaining, and meeting at least annually with
an advisory committee consisting of technical assistance providers,
researchers, representatives of State and local agencies, individuals
with disabilities, parents, professional organizations and advocacy
groups, and representatives of other appropriate groups to review and
advise on the Center's design, plans, products, and activities.
(i) Establishing an external evaluation mechanism to analyze the
implementation of progress monitoring and the overall impact of the
Center's work, particularly its effect on student outcomes. The Center
must report its evaluation findings annually to the Federal project
officer.
(j) Coordinating with the National Dissemination Center for
Children with Disabilities, which OSEP expects to fund this year, to
ensure timely and accurate dissemination of progress monitoring
information. Evidence of coordination and proposed outcomes of the
coordination must be reported to the Federal project officer.
(k) Prior to developing any new product, whether paper or
electronic, submit for approval a proposal describing the content and
purpose of the product to the document review board of the National
Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities.
(l) In addition to the three two-day meetings listed in the General
Requirements section of this notice, budget for, at least, two 2-day
annual planning meetings and at least eight two-day trips annually as
requested by OSEP to attend meetings such as Department briefings,
Department sponsored conferences, and other OSEP-requested activities.
Fourth and Fifth Years of Project
In deciding whether to continue this project for the fourth and
fifth years, the Secretary will consider the requirements of 34 CFR
75.253(a), and in addition--
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of experts
selected by the Secretary which review will be conducted during the
last half of the project's second year in Washington, DC. Projects must
budget for the travel associated with this one-day intensive review;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
Center; and
(c) Evidence of the degree to which the Center's activities have
contributed to a changed practice and improved student outcomes.
[[Page 44317]]
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2003
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Application Deadline for Estimated Maximum award Estimated
CFDA No. and name Applications deadline intergovernmental available (per Project period Page limit number of
available date review funds year)[hairsp]* awards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.324H Research Institute on 07/28/03 08/27/03 09/29/03 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 Up to 60 mos...... 70 1
Progress Monitoring.
84.326W Technical Assistance 07/28/03 08/27/03 09/29/03 800,000 800,000 Up to 60 mos...... 70 1
and Dissemination Center on
Progress Monitoring.
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* We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum award for a single budget period of 12 months.
Note: The Department of Education is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
For Applications Contact: If you want an application for any
competition in this notice, contact Education Publications Center (ED
Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, Maryland 20794-1398. Telephone (toll
free): 1-877-4ED-Pubs (1-877-433-7827). FAX: 301-470-1244. Individuals
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call (toll
free) 1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact Ed Pubs via its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html
or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address:
edpubs@inet.ed.gov. If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify the
competition by the appropriate CFDA number.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you want additional information
about any competition in this notice, contact the Grants and Contracts
Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone:
(202) 205-8207.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) 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 Grants and Contracts Services Team under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. However, the Department is not able to
reproduce in an alternative format the standard forms included in the
application package.
Intergovernmental Review
All programs in this notice (except for the Research and Innovation
to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program)
are subject to the requirements of 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.
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:
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister. To use PDF you must have Adobe
Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have
questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office
(GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at
(202) 512-1530.
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.access.gpo/nara/index.html
.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1405, 1461, 1471, 1472, and 1485.
Dated: July 22, 2003.
Loretta Petty Chittum,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 03-19081 Filed 7-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U