04/28/00: Grant Applications Under Part D, Subpart 2 of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act; Notice [OSERS]

[Federal Register: April 28, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 83)]
[Notices]
[Page 25155-25170]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28ap00-153]

[[Page 25155]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Part VI

Department of Education

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Grant
Applications Under Part D, Subpart 2 of the Individuals With
Disabilities Education Act; Notice

[[Page 25156]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Grant
Applications Under Part D, Subpart 2 of the Individuals With
Disabilities Education Act

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year
(FY) 2000.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice provides closing dates and other information
regarding the transmittal of applications for FY 2000 competitions
under five programs authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), as amended. The five programs are: (1) Special
Education--Research and Innovation to Improve Services and Results for
Children with Disabilities (one priority); (2) Special Education--
Personnel Preparation to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities (four priorities); (3) Special Education--Technology and
Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities (two priorities); (4)
Special Education--Training and Information for Parents of Children
with Disabilities (one priority); and (5) Special Education--Studies
and Evaluations Program (one priority).
This notice supports the National Education Goals by helping to
improve results for children with disabilities.

Waiver of Rulemaking

In most instances the Assistant Secretary is required to offer
interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities.
However, section 661(e)(2) of IDEA makes the Administrative Procedure
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) inapplicable to the priorities in this notice.

General Requirements

(a) Projects funded under this notice must make positive efforts to
employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with
disabilities in project activities (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) 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) Part III of each application submitted under a priority in this
notice, the application narrative, is where an applicant addresses 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 ``Page Limits'' section under the
applicable priority in this notice using the following standards:
* A ``page'' is 8.5" x 11" (on one side only) with one-
inch margins (top, bottom, and sides).
* 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.
* If using a proportional computer font, use no smaller than
a 12-point font, and an average character density no greater than 18
characters per inch. If using a nonproportional font or a typewriter,
do not use more than 12 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 your application if --
* You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page
limit.
Information collection resulting from this notice has been
submitted to OMB for review under the Paperwork Reduction Act and has
been approved under control number 1820-0028, expiration date July 31,
2000.

Research and Innovation To Improve Services and Results for
Children With Disabilities [CFDA 84.324]

Purpose of Program: To produce, and advance the use of, knowledge
to: (1) Improve services provided under IDEA, including the practices
of professionals and others involved in providing those services to
children with disabilities; and (2) Improve educational and early
intervention results for infants, toddlers, and children with
disabilities.
Eligible Applicants: For focus 2 eligible applicants are Local
educational agencies (LEAs), or consortia of local educational
agencies, and institutions of higher education (IHEs). For focus 2
eligible applicants are LEAs or IHEs or consortia of LEAs and IHEs.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81,
82, 85, 97, 98, and 99; (b) The selection criteria for the priorities
under this program are drawn from the EDGAR general selection criteria
menu. The specific selection criteria for this priority are included in
the funding application packet for this competition.

Priority

Under section 672 of the Act and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider
only applications that meet the following priority:

Absolute Priority--Model Demonstration Projects for Children With
Disabilities (84.324T)

This priority supports model demonstration projects that develop,
implement, evaluate, and disseminate new or improved approaches for
providing special education and related services to children with
disabilities. Projects supported under this priority are expected to be
major contributors of models or components of models for service
providers and for outreach projects funded under IDEA.
Under this absolute priority, the Assistant Secretary will fund
projects only in the focus areas listed below.

Requirements for All Demonstration Projects

A model demonstration project must--
(a) Use rigorous quantitative or qualitative research and
evaluation methods and data and research-based strategies and
practices;
(b) Evaluate the model by using multiple measures of results to
determine the effectiveness of the model and its components or
strategies;
(c) Produce detailed procedures and materials that would enable
others to replicate the model; and
(d) Communicate with appropriate audiences through means such as,
special education technical assistance providers and disseminators,
refereed journal publications and other publications, conference
presentations, and a web site.
If the project maintains a web site, it must include relevant
information and documents in an accessible form.
Federal financial participation for a project funded under this
priority will not exceed 90 percent of the total annual costs of the
project (see section 661(f)(2)(A) of IDEA).
In addition to the annual two-day Project Directors' meeting in
Washington, DC mentioned in the General Requirements section of this
notice, projects must budget for another

[[Page 25157]]

annual meeting in Washington, DC to collaborate with the Federal
project officer and the other projects funded under this priority, to
share information and discuss model development, evaluation, and
project implementation issues.

Focus 1--Model Demonstration Projects To Support Whole-School Reforms
of Services for Children With Disabilities

The reauthorization of IDEA in 1997 (Public Law 105-17) encouraged
``incentives for whole-school approaches and pre-referral intervention
to reduce the need to label children as disabled in order to address
their learning needs'' (section 601(5)(F)) and authorized: (1) IDEA
support for school-wide programs under Title I of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (section 613(a)(2)(D)); (2) Services
and aids that also benefit nondisabled children (section 613(a)(4)(A));
(3) Integrated and coordinated service systems (section 613(a)(4)(B)
and 613(f)); and (4) School-based improvement plans (section 613(g)).
This priority supports model projects that demonstrate how
promising and proven research based practices and strategies can be
used to develop whole-school approaches that benefit all students,
including students with disabilities, and fully implement all other
requirements of the law. For example, it is essential that students
with disabilities are provided with Individualized Education Plans
(IEPs) that address their unique needs and provide for the services and
supports, including intensive interventions when necessary, that will
optimize their achievement. Applicants must demonstrate how they will
improve results for students with disabilities.
Specifically, applicants must describe activities to ensure that
students with disabilities have access to and succeed in the regular
curriculum; receive positive behavioral interventions, supports, and
services when appropriate; and are included in State and local
assessments.
Flexibility and innovation are encouraged in the design of the
models, but every model must involve regular and special education
staff in early childhood and prevention services; provide for parent
participation; and make available a continuum of services, aids, and
supports to meet the needs of students with disabilities in the least
restrictive environment. It is expected that models funded under this
priority will build upon other models, strategies, and practices
including those supported under IDEA national activities.
Local educational agencies or consortia of LEAs or institutions of
higher education are invited to apply for these grants to foster whole-
school projects at (a) primary and elementary school, (b) middle and
junior high school, or (c) high school levels. Applicants are
encouraged to address at least two of these grade ranges, unless only
one grade range is served in the LEA. Regardless of who the project
applicant is, a partnership between an LEA and IHE must be demonstrated
and maintained throughout the duration of the project. Applicants are
required to collaborate with existing OSEP technical assistance centers
and evaluation efforts throughout the course of the project.

Project Periods and Associated Funding Levels

Projects will be funded for up to 48 months. During the first two
funding years, projects may request $150,000 per year. During the third
and fourth years of funding, the projects may request up to $75,000 per
year.
The Assistant Secretary intends to make approximately 15 awards
under this priority. Each of the three grade ranges will be represented
in the awards with at least three awards at each level.

Special Requirements Under This Focus Area

Applicants must specify at least one school building, at each grade
range addressed in the project, that will participate in the model
demonstration project throughout the duration of the grant. Further,
the LEA or consortia of LEAs or IHEs must agree to share evaluation
data (with protections for anonymity of subjects) on student
achievement and project effectiveness with OSEP-sponsored activities,
which will synthesize research and evaluation information across the
grantees. In addition projects must ensure and demonstrate how they
will monitor and document challenges and progress throughout the
project.
Maximum Award: We will reject and will not consider an application
that proposes a budget exceeding $150,000 (exclusive of any matching
funds) during the first two 12-month funding periods, or proposes a
budget exceeding $75,000 (exclusive of any matching funds) during the
final two 12-month funding periods. The Assistant Secretary for Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount
through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this focus area is 50
double-spaced pages.

Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.

Focus 2--K-3 Behavior and Reading Intervention Models

Effective strategies that intervene early in a child's development
are well recognized in improving results for children with
disabilities. Unfortunately, approximately sixty percent of the
children currently being served under IDEA are typically identified too
late to receive full benefit from those interventions. This problem is
most prominent with two specific populations of children--those
identified for special education and related services under the
categories ``emotional disturbance'' (ED) and ``specific learning
disabilities'' (LD), particularly the 80 percent of LD children who
have their primary deficit in reading. These children are often not
identified as being eligible for special education and related services
until after their disabilities have reached severe proportions. These
are children who, very early in their education, experience marked
difficulties learning to read or exhibit behaviors that lead to
discipline problems as they get older.
There currently exists a substantial and compelling body of
research describing these children and telling us how to assess,
identify, and help them. For instance, research indicates that both
populations of children:
(1) Can be assessed and identified early and with relative ease and
accuracy; (2) based on the nature of their disabilities, are at high
risk for dropping out of school, becoming discipline problems, and
failing in school; (3) often fall behind because they do not receive
appropriate interventions earlier; (4) can make tremendous gains when
provided with effective services during early childhood; and (5) may
need individually tailored interventions because one approach may not
fit all children.
A key feature of promising school-wide programs is their emphasis
on the inclusion of all students in the school. Effective support for
reading and behavior begins by attending to all students. Providing
such support, in turn, requires understanding the range of reading
difficulties and behavioral challenges students present to schools and
a knowledge of the research-based strategies and practices for
addressing those difficulties and challenges. To meet these varied
needs, intervention systems are often organized into three groups,
representing three levels of

[[Page 25158]]

means to intervene with difficulties in reading and behavior problems:
(a) Primary prevention involves universal instruction and
intervention efforts to avert the onset of problem behaviors and
reading deficits such as research-based school-wide reading and
behavior programs.
(b) Secondary prevention refers to strategies and procedures that
address small groups of students who need additional support or
assistance to successfully acquire new skills in reading and behavior.
(c) Tertiary prevention involves more intense, specialized
interventions, such as one on one interventions, for individual
students who despite previous efforts experience chronic problem
behavior or marked difficulties in learning to read.
Although previous research and model demonstration projects have
evaluated many aspects of the reading process and approaches to
behavior management, model demonstration projects have not been
implemented and sustained extensively in LEAs to systematically
evaluate--
(a) Professional development for regular and special education
teachers related to intervening early with children with marked
difficulties in reading and behavior;
(b) A continuum of varied interventions for children with reading
and behavior difficulties;
(c) Scaffolding or support in all curriculum areas for children in
K-3 with reading and behavior difficulties while providing support for
specialized or intensive interventions in reading or behavior;
(d) Continuous assessment to determine and predict progress; and
(e) Simultaneous reading and behavior interventions to target the
interdependence of the two.
The purpose of this priority is to support demonstrations of
school-based models of effective programs and practices to serve
children grades K-3 who are identified as having a marked difficulty
learning to read or who exhibit serious behaviors that lead to
discipline problems as they get older.
Projects funded under this priority must:
(a) Identify students to participate who have a marked difficulty
learning to read or who exhibit serious behaviors that lead to
discipline problems later.
(b) Provide evidence of an existing school-wide focus that includes
setting and reaching high expectations in reading or behavior and that
reflects proven research-based model practices in reading or behavior
for all children--
(1) For a school-wide focus on reading, projects must address, if
applicable, support from Title I of the Improving America's Schools
Act, the Reading Excellence Act, or other Federal or State programs by
explicitly stating how those efforts will be coordinated with the
activities and budgets of these projects for students with disabilities
or developmental delays;
(2) For a school-wide focus on behavior, projects must include or
be working toward including the following components--
(i) A mission or purpose statement;
(ii) A list of positively stated behavioral expectations or rules;
(iii) Procedures for directly teaching these expectations to
students;
(iv) A continuum of strategies for encouraging these expectations;
(v) A continuum of strategies for discouraging rule violations; and
(vi) Procedures for record keeping and evaluation; and
(3) All projects must demonstrate a commitment of the faculty to
address behavior or reading as a school-wide priority.
(c) Demonstrate ongoing linkages, partnerships, and collaboration
between local educational agencies (LEAs) and research and training
programs at institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the design,
implementation and evaluation of the project.
(d) Designate an implementation coordinator and establish a
committee, including the principal in each school, to support the
project.
(e) Collaborate and link with OSEP supported researchers and
technical assistance providers.
(f) Describe how their evaluations will address the following--
(1) Provide information about how children at highest risk are
identified;
(2) Monitor each child's progress on a frequent basis, including
both formative and summative evaluations;
(3) Establish criteria for a successful program; and
(4) Cooperate with the other OSEP projects and OSEP evaluation
efforts throughout the project period to determine core measures and
instruments to use for assessment across projects, collect data on
project challenges and progress throughout the project, and comply with
established data collection procedures.
(g) For reading projects--
(1) Describe the social, environmental, and cultural
characteristics of each child; and
(2) Develop comprehensive case studies of each child to determine
what is impacting risk, how they perform in other areas, how they
performed in pre-school, characteristics related to reading (e.g., pre-
reading development; language, speech and articulation; primary and
secondary language).
(h) For behavior projects--
(1) Describe the social, environmental and cultural characteristics
of participating groups of children or individual children; and
(2) Develop comprehensive case studies of participating groups of
children or individual children to determine what is impacting risk,
how they perform in other areas, how they performed in pre-school, and
characteristics related to behavior.
(i) Establish a school and family link related to reading or
behavior.
(j) Describe how an effective model will be sustained when the
grant ends and describe how the LEA and IHEs will disseminate the model
to other schools and LEAs.
(k) Describe the relationship between the size of the schools where
the project will be implemented, number of target students, and amount
of money requested.
Projects funded under this priority must schedule one trip,
annually to Washington, DC (as specified in the ``General
Requirements'' section of this notice), one trip, annually to
Washington, DC (as specified in the ``Requirements for All
Demonstration Projects'' section of this notice), and an additional
meeting to take place by the end of the first month of the project.
The Assistant Secretary intends to make up to 5 awards under
reading, 5 awards under behavior, and 4 awards under reading and
behavior for this focus area. At least one award in each area will be
made in high poverty rural or inner city areas based on the submission
of credible information by the applicant.
Resource Packet: A resource packet providing information on
research-based practices and strategies in reading and behavior is
available to assist applicants in choosing research-based models and
strategies to implement as part of their model programs. Applicants are
encouraged to make use of this information. See the ERIC Clearinghouse
web site at http://ericec.org/osep-sp.htm or call 800-328-0272 (phone/
TTY).
Maximum Award: We will reject and will not consider an application
that proposes a budget exceeding $130,000 for one component or $180,000
for two components (exclusive of any matching funds) for any single
budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum

[[Page 25159]]

amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Project Period. Up to 48 months.
Page Limits: The maximum page limits for this focus are 50 double-
spaced pages for one component (reading or behavior) and 80 double-
spaced pages for two components (reading and behavior).

Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.

Competitive Preference

Special Education--Personnel Preparation to Improve Services and
Results for Children With Disabilities [CFDA 84.325]

Purpose of Program: The purposes of this program are to (1) help
address State-identified needs for qualified personnel in special
education, related services, early intervention, and regular education,
to work with children with disabilities; and (2) to ensure that those
personnel have the skills and knowledge, derived from practices that
have been determined through research and experience to be successful,
that are needed to serve those children.
Eligible Applicants: State and local educational agencies;
institutions of higher education; other public agencies; private
nonprofit 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; (b) The selection criteria for these
priorities are drawn from the EDGAR general selection criteria menu.
The specific selection criteria for these priorities are included in
the funding application packet for this competition.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.

Priority

Under section 673(d) of the Act and 34 CFR 75.105 (c)(3), we
consider only those applications that meet the following priority:

Absolute Priority 1--Training Center in Early Intervention for Infants
and Toddlers Who Have Visual Impairments, Including Blindness (84.325B)

Services for infants and toddlers with visual impairments,
including blindness, and their families are required under Part C of
IDEA. Vision specialists and orientation and mobility instructors are
key personnel in providing these services.
Most training programs for vision specialists and orientation and
mobility instructors focus on the development of professional skills
and competencies needed to work with preschool and school-aged
learners. A program of study specifically focused on the developmental,
conceptual, etiological, and technological needs of infants and
toddlers with visual impairments, including blindness, is needed to
ensure that professionals have the skills and competencies to meet
these unique needs and to assist and support families to enhance the
development of their young children.
The purpose of this priority is to support the development of a
Center designed to assist training institutions in building their
capacity to train early intervention professionals, particularly vision
specialists and orientation and mobility instructors, to provide
appropriate, effective services to infants and toddlers who have visual
impairments, including blindness, and to their families.

Priority

The Assistant Secretary establishes an absolute priority to support
a training center to carry out a coordinated, integrated, and advanced
project to develop, field-test, and disseminate empirically-based pre-
service training program modules for personnel in the area of early
intervention for infants and toddlers with visual impairment, including
blindness, and their families. The program modules must incorporate:
(a) Relevant, research-based curricular content and pedagogical
practices designed to meet the unique needs of infants and toddlers
with visual impairments, including blindness, and their families in the
following areas--
(1) Screening and early identification;
(2) Developmental assessment and evaluation;
(3) Development as it relates to etiological aspects of visual
impairments, including blindness;
(4) Intervention practices;
(5) Concept development; and
(6) Knowledge and application of current technologies for use in
enhancing growth and development.
(b) Effective practices for working with families of infants and
toddlers with visual impairments, including blindness, to enhance the
development of their children including--
(1) Partnering with families in Individualized Family Service Plan
(IFSP) development;
(2) Working and communicating with parents of children with visual
impairments, including blindness, using effective strategies for
teaching adults; and
(3) Assisting and supporting families to identify their strengths,
concerns, and priorities.
The Center must--
(a) Partner with Part C lead agencies; the medical community;
parent training and information centers and community parent resource
centers supported under Part D of IDEA; professional and advocacy
organizations; IHEs, including Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs); and other agencies and organizations involved in
providing services to infants and toddlers with visual impairments,
including blindness, and their families, in developing and field
testing its training program;
(b) Provide training and research opportunities for a limited
number of graduate students;
(c) Meet with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
project officer in the first three months of the project to review the
proposed project activities;
(d) Prepare and disseminate the products and training modules from
the Center in formats that are useful for appropriate audiences;
(e) Conduct research and development activities, using rigorous
research methodologies; and
(f) Provide information through a web site. Documents must be in an
accessible form.
Project Period: Under this priority, the Assistant Secretary will
make one award for a cooperative agreement with a project period of up
to 60 months

[[Page 25160]]

subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for continuation
awards. During the second year of the project, the Assistant Secretary
will determine whether to continue the Center for the fourth and fifth
years of the project period and will consider in addition to the
requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a):
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts
selected by the Assistant Secretary. The services of the review team,
including a two-day site visit to the project, are to be performed
during the last half of the project's second year and may be included
in that year's evaluation required under 34 CFR 75.590. Costs
associated with the services to be performed by the review team must
also be included in the project's budget for year two. These costs are
estimated to be approximately $6,000;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
project; and
(c) The degree to which the project's design and technical
strategies demonstrate the potential for disseminating significant new
knowledge.

Competitive Preferences

Within this absolute priority, we will give the following
competitive preference under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i), to applications that are otherwise eligible for
funding under this priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice.
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, the Assistant
Secretary can consider the applicant's past success in pursuit of this
goal.
For purposes of this competitive preference, applicants can be
awarded up to a total of 10 points in addition to those awarded under
the published selection criteria for this priority. That is, an
applicant meeting this competitive preference could earn a maximum
total of 110 points.
Maximum Award: We will reject and will not consider an application
that proposes a budget exceeding $500,000 for any single budget period
of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 70 double-
spaced pages.

Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.

Absolute Priority 2--Training Center in Early Intervention for Infants
and Toddlers Who Have Hearing Impairments, Including Deafness (84.325C)

Background

Traditionally, university programs preparing personnel to work with
hearing impaired children have trained professionals to work with the
pre-school through high school population. Despite well-trained
personnel in the classroom, academic achievement results for these
students have been disappointing. These poor results have been
attributed to the fact that, generally, the critical period for
language development is from birth to three years of age. Yet, with
hearing screening for newborns and infants becoming increasingly
routine, hearing impairments are now being diagnosed with greater
frequency during the first few months of life, rather than at age two
or three, as had been the case previously. Moreover, recent advances in
the technology of cochlear implants and digital hearing aids provide
the potential for enhanced language development at a much earlier age.
Thus, a program of study specifically focused on the developmental,
communication, conceptual, medical, and technological needs of infants
and toddlers with hearing impairments, including deafness, is essential
to ensure that professionals are equipped with the skills and
competencies to meet these unique needs and to assist and support
families to enhance the development of their child.

Priority

The Assistant Secretary establishes an absolute priority to support
a training center to carry out a coordinated and integrated project
that will develop, field-test, and disseminate empirically-based pre-
service training program modules for students in the area of early
intervention for infants and toddlers with hearing impairments,
including deafness, and their families.
The model training modules must include--
(a) Relevant, research-based curricular content and pedagogical
practices designed to meet the unique needs of infants and toddlers
with hearing impairments, including deafness, and their families in the
following areas--
(1) Developmental assessment and evaluation;
(2) Medical aspects of hearing impairments as they relate to the
developmental needs;
(3) General growth and development of infants and toddlers;
(4) Concept development;
(5) The full range of communication approaches from oral and aural
through American Sign Language (ASL); and
(6) Knowledge and application of current technologies for use in
enhancing the growth and development of the target population,
including cochlear implants and digital hearing aid technology.
(b) Effective practices for working with families of infants and
toddlers with hearing impairments, including deafness, to enhance the
development of their children including--
(1) Partnering with families in Individualized Family Service Plan
(IFSP) development;
(2) Working and communicating with parents of children with hearing
impairments including deafness using effective strategies for teaching
adults; and
(3) Assisting and supporting families to identify their strengths,
concerns, and priorities.
The Center must--
(a) Partner with Part C lead agencies; the medical community;
parent training and information centers and community parent resource
centers supported under Part D of IDEA; professional and advocacy
organizations; IHEs, including HBCUs; and other agencies and
organizations involved in providing services to infants and toddlers
with hearing impairments, including deafness, and their families, in
developing and field testing its training program;
(b) Provide training opportunities for a limited number of graduate
students;
(c) Meet with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
project officer in the first three months of the project to review the
proposed project activities;
(d) Prepare and disseminate the products and training modules from
the Center in formats that are useful for appropriate audiences;
(e) Conduct research and development activities, using rigorous
research methodologies; and
(f) Provide information through a web site. Documents must be in an
accessible form.
Project Period: Under this priority, the Assistant Secretary will
make one award for a cooperative agreement with a project period of up
to 60 months subject to the requirements of 34 CFR

[[Page 25161]]

75.253(a) for continuation awards. During the second year of the
project, the Assistant Secretary will determine whether to continue the
Center for the fourth and fifth years of the project period and will
consider in addition to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a):
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts
selected by the Assistant Secretary. The services of the review team,
including a two-day site visit to the project, are to be performed
during the last half of the project's second year and may be included
in that year's evaluation required under 34 CFR 75.590. Costs
associated with the services to be performed by the review team must
also be included in the project's budget for year two. These costs are
estimated to be approximately $6,000;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
project; and
(c) The degree to which the project's design and technical
strategies demonstrate the potential for disseminating significant new
knowledge.

Competitive Preferences

Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.

Absolute Priority 3--National IHE Faculty Enhancement Center To Improve
Results for Children With Disabilities in Schools (84.325F)

Children with disabilities are, in growing numbers, joining their
nondisabled peers in schools and in classrooms to receive instruction
in the general education curriculum with appropriate supports and
services. The intent of the standards based reform movement is for all
students to have access to and to enjoy meaningful participation and
progress in curricular offerings that will enable them to achieve to
high standards. As schools seek to ensure appropriate access to and
participation of students with disabilities in the daily life of the
regular school and in the general education curriculum within the
standards based reform movement, many school administrative, general
instructional, and support personnel are finding themselves ill-
prepared to effectively carry out their new and emerging roles and
responsibilities. Unless a major initiative is mounted at the
preservice training level, incoming personnel will continue to face
these challenges ill-prepared.
The purpose of this priority is to support a National Center to
enhance the knowledge and skills of IHE faculty in school
administration, regular education teacher training (including bilingual
teacher training), school counseling, and school nursing, to improve
the preservice training of personnel who share responsibility with
special educators for providing effective services and ensuring
improved results for children with disabilities in our schools. The
Center must:
(a) Identify needs. Identify knowledge and skill enhancement needs
of IHE faculty in each of the targeted training programs (i.e., school
administration; regular education teacher training; school counseling;
and school nursing) that are most critical to ensuring that trainees in
these programs are well prepared to carry out their respective roles
and responsibilities in serving children with disabilities in school
settings. This need identification process must be guided by a
comprehensive review of the extant literature base and supplemented
with methodologically sound investigative activities to enhance the
current knowledge base where gaps are identified. Informants to this
process should include recent program graduates and parents of children
with disabilities.
(b) Identify appropriate existing resources. Identify existing
resources, including those that have been developed with IDEA
discretionary grant or contract support, that represent state of the
art, research-based knowledge and practice that address the critical
needs identified in paragraph (a) and that can be appropriately
integrated into training modules under paragraph (c). Products
developed by the IDEA Partnerships Technical Assistance projects
currently supported by OSEP must be reviewed and considered for
incorporation into proposed training modules.
(c) Develop training modules. Develop content-rich training modules
that address the critical knowledge and skill enhancement needs
identified in paragraph (a), that integrate existing resources
identified in paragraph (b), and that are designed for ease of
integration into existing curricular courses and experiential
opportunities in the targeted IHE training programs. Modules must be
structured to incorporate state of the art technology that will serve
to enhance dissemination and use.
(d) Disseminate training modules. Develop and implement mechanisms
that will result in broad, effective dissemination and use of training
modules developed in paragraph (c).
(e) Conduct comprehensive evaluation. Design and conduct a
comprehensive evaluation of the work, accomplishments, outcomes,
impact, and effectiveness of the Center. This evaluation must be
designed to provide information to guide necessary, ongoing,
refinements to the structure, activities, workflow, and products that
will improve the ultimate impact and effectiveness of the Center. This
comprehensive evaluation must also be designed to measure the impact of
this National Center on the primary goal of enhancing the knowledge and
skills of IHE faculty in school administration, regular education
teacher training, school counseling, and school nursing to improve the
preservice training of personnel who share responsibility for providing
effective services and ensuring improved results for children with
disabilities in our public schools.
In designing and carrying out the required activities of this
National Center, the project must collaborate with individuals and
groups of individuals such as deans, IHE faculty, practicing
professionals in the targeted training fields and in special education,
module design technology experts, dissemination and training entities,
and

[[Page 25162]]

evaluation experts. Collaborators must include appropriate professional
organizations and associations, federally supported technical
assistance providers, and federally supported higher education
projects, as appropriate.
In addition to the annual two-day Project Directors' meeting in
Washington, DC mentioned in the ``General Requirements'' section of
this notice, projects must budget for two additional meetings in
Washington, DC to collaborate with the Federal project officer and the
other projects funded under this priority, to share information and
discuss model development, evaluation, and project implementation
issues.
Project Period: Under this priority, the Assistant Secretary will
make one award for a cooperative agreement with a project period of up
to 60 months subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for
continuation awards. During the second year of the project, the
Assistant Secretary will determine whether to continue the Center for
the fourth and fifth years of the project period and will consider in
addition to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a):
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts
selected by the Assistant Secretary. The services of the review team,
including a two-day site visit to the project, are to be performed
during the last half of the project's second year and may be included
in that year's evaluation required under 34 CFR 75.590. Costs
associated with the services to be performed by the review team must
also be included in the project's budget for year two. These costs are
estimated to be approximately $6,000;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
project; and
(c) The degree to which the project's design and technical
strategies demonstrate the potential for disseminating significant new
knowledge.

Competitive Preferences

Within this absolute priority, we will give the following
competitive preference under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i), to applications that are otherwise eligible for
funding under this priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice.
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, the Assistant
Secretary can consider the applicant's past success in pursuit of this
goal.
For purposes of this competitive preference, applicants can be
awarded up to a total of 10 points in addition to those awarded under
the published selection criteria for this priority. That is, an
applicant meeting this competitive preference could earn a maximum
total of 110 points.
Maximum Award: We will reject and will not accept an application
that proposes a budget exceeding $850,000 for any single budget period
of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 70 double-
spaced pages.

Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.

Absolute Priority 4--Center To Inform Personnel Preparation Policy and
Practice in Special Education (84.325Q)

Ensuring that children with disabilities are served by an adequate
number of highly qualified personnel is the cornerstone of successful
implementation of the IDEA Amendments of 1997. Concerns regarding the
current and future supply of quality service providers are at the
forefront of the national dialogue. There is widespread agreement that
ensuring an adequate supply of well-trained, highly qualified service
providers into the next decade and beyond will demand informed,
targeted, proactive efforts by policy makers at the National, State,
and local levels. To be successful, these efforts must be guided by a
knowledge base that is comprehensive, meaningful, and accessible. There
is a critical need for a comprehensive, coordinated effort to
accumulate the extant knowledge base and to address identified gaps in
that knowledge base.
Under this priority, the Assistant Secretary will support a Center
to inform personnel preparation policy and practice in special
education by examining issues and recommending actions relevant to
ensuring an adequate supply of well qualified personnel to serve
children with disabilities. These personnel include, early
interventionists, early childhood service providers, special education
teachers, related service providers, regular education teachers, and
paraprofessionals, as appropriate to specific priority requirements.
The Center must:
(a) Conduct a comprehensive review of the extant literature base in
the following areas:
(1) Licensure and certification standards and requirements for
personnel serving children with disabilities. This review must include,
at a minimum, available information, across all States and for each
type of personnel, on:
(i) Current licensure and certification standards and requirements
including alternative certification options;
(ii) Motivations for changes in, and resulting modifications to
licensure standards and requirements; and
(iii) Intended vs. actual impacts of these changes on personnel
quantity and quality;
(2) Pre-service preparation for personnel to serve children with
disabilities. The purpose of this review is to develop a profile of the
current status of training programs for all types of personnel who
serve children with disabilities. This profile should be designed to
provide rich descriptions of training programs at the institutional,
State, and National levels. This review must include, at a minimum,
available information on:
(i) Program entry mechanisms such as admissions criteria and
recruitment strategies;
(ii) Program structural features such as program level (associate,
undergraduate, graduate), trainee and faculty ratios, tenure track and
adjunct faculty ratios, internal and external sources of support
(including State support and OSEP and other Federal support), training
emphasis (categorical, multi-categorical, noncategorical), and program
history;
(iii) Program content features such as alignment with the
principles and requirements of IDEA, alignment with current licensure
and certification standards, extent to which program content reflects
research-based knowledge and practice, depth and breadth of practicum
opportunities, cross-disciplinary arrangements with other relevant
programs (particularly regular education), and collaborative
relationships with LEAs to provide induction support;
(iv) Student demographic characteristics such as age, prior
training and experience, racial and cultural diversity, and disability;
(v) Program quality assurance features such as program quality
indicators and procedures for assessing program quality (including on-
the-job performance of program completers); and

[[Page 25163]]

(vi) Program outcome features such as the number of students
completing the program; entrance into, and retention in, relevant
positions for program completers; and the extent to which program
completers assume positions in proximity to, or distant from, the
training program location.
(3) Current and projected supply of, and demand for, personnel to
serve children with disabilities. This review must include, at a
minimum, available information, at the National, State and local level,
on:
(i) The extent to which there exists, or will exist, an imbalance
between available personnel and demand for personnel;
(ii) The extent to which identified supply and demand discrepancies
vary by personnel type and locality; and
(iii) Factors that influence supply and demand discrepancies such
as salary and wage structures, economic climate, population
demographics, licensure and certification standards and requirements,
and proximity to relevant training programs.
(b) Identify critical gaps in the current knowledge base and design
and conduct a program of study to address these gaps. The project must
identify the most critical gaps in the current knowledge base on the
basis of the comprehensive review conducted in paragraph (a) and design
and conduct a program of study to address the identified critical gaps.
The program of study must be guided by a conceptual framework that
integrates the most pressing needs for expanded knowledge and that will
directly inform needed changes in policies and practices at all levels
(Federal, State, and local and in institutions of higher education).
The program of study must employ a rigorous research and evaluation
methodology and must be reviewed and accepted by panels of content,
research, and evaluation experts. Panels of experts must be identified
in collaboration with OSEP staff and convened by the applicant. The
program of study must be designed to enhance, not duplicate, any
current research and evaluation efforts, including those supported by
OSEP and other Federal agencies.
(c) Identify and disseminate policy and practice recommendations.
On the basis of the comprehensive literature review conducted under
paragraph (a), and the results of the program of study designed and
conducted under paragraph (b), the project must identify emerging
policy and practice recommendations related to: meeting current and
projected demand; establishing meaningful licensure and certification
standards and requirements; and providing effective training programs
that produce highly qualified personnel to serve children with
disabilities. Policy and practice recommendations must be reviewed and
accepted by panels of experts in the identified topics. Panel members
must be identified in collaboration with OSEP staff and convened by the
project. Dissemination activities must be designed and carried out in
collaboration with special education technical assistance providers and
disseminators and with organizations and associations that represent
policy maker audiences at the Federal, State, and local levels.
Dissemination activities must also incorporate the use of state of the
art communications technology and include information that is available
and accessible through a web site. Documents must be in an accessible
form.
The project must collaborate with OSEP staff in strategic planning
throughout the term of the project. A face-to-face meeting must be
scheduled to occur within one month of the project award date to review
the proposed project activities.
In addition to the annual two-day Project Directors' meeting in
Washington, DC mentioned in the ``General Requirements'' section of
this notice, projects must budget for two additional meetings in
Washington, DC to collaborate with the Federal project officer and the
other projects funded under this priority, to share information and
discuss model development, evaluation, and project implementation
issues.
Costs associated with convening panels of experts as identified
under paragraphs (b) and (c) must also be included in the project
budget.
Maximum Award: We will reject and will not consider an application
that proposes a budget exceeding $850,000 for any single budget period
of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Project Period: Under this priority, the Assistant Secretary will
make one award for a cooperative agreement with a project period of up
to 60 months subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for
continuation awards. During the second year of the project, the
Assistant Secretary will determine whether to continue the Center for
the fourth and fifth years of the project period and will consider in
addition to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a):
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts
selected by the Assistant Secretary. The services of the review team,
including a two-day site visit to the project, are to be performed
during the last half of the project's second year and may be included
in that year's evaluation required under 34 CFR 75.590. Costs
associated with the services to be performed by the review team must
also be included in the project's budget for year two. These costs are
estimated to be approximately $6,000;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
project; and
(c) The degree to which the project's design and technical
strategies result in the dissemination of significant new knowledge.

Competitive Preference

Within this absolute priority, we will give the following
competitive preference under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i), to applications that are otherwise eligible for
funding under this priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice.
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, the Assistant
Secretary can consider the applicant's past success in pursuit of this
goal.
For purposes of this competitive preference, applicants can be
awarded up to a total of 10 points in addition to those awarded under
the published selection criteria for this priority. That is, an
applicant meeting this competitive preference could earn a maximum
total of 110 points.
Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 70 double-
spaced pages.

Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.

Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities
[CFDA 84.327]

Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to promote the
development, demonstration, utilization of technology and to support
educational media activities designed to be of educational value to
children with disabilities. This program also provides support for
eligible captioning, video description, and cultural activities.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General

[[Page 25164]]

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; (b) The selection criteria for the
priorities under this program are drawn from the EDGAR general
selection criteria menu. The specific selection criteria for each of
these priorities are included in the funding application packet for the
applicable competition.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.

Eligible Applicants: State and local educational agencies;
institutions of higher education; other public agencies; private
nonprofit organizations; outlying areas; freely associated States;
Indian tribes or tribal organizations; and for-profit organizations.
Eligible applicants for Absolute Priority 2 are limited to local
educational agencies as defined in IDEA (20 U.S.C. 1401).

Priority

Under section 687 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only
applications that meet the following priority:

Absolute Priority 1--Research Institute on the Use of Assistive
Technology In Education (CFDA 84.327G)

Background

Technology has enhanced the lives of children with disabilities by
providing them with access to the classroom and to learning. The
Congress recognized this in passing the IDEA Amendments of 1997, P.L.
105-17. These amendments introduced a provision requiring that teams
responsible for developing an individualized education program (IEP)
for a child with a disability ``consider whether the child requires
assistive technology devices and services.''
Section 602(1) of IDEA defines an assistive technology (AT) device
as ``any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired
commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to
increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with
a disability.'' According to Section 602(2), an AT service means, ``any
service that directly assists a child with a disability in the
selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device * *
*''. The definition further describes an AT service as including such
services as evaluation, purchasing, selection, coordination with other
interventions, and training for the child and family as well as
training or technical assistance for professionals.
Data on children's use of AT are sparse. The statistics that do
exist tend to focus on AT devices that provide physical or sensory
access such as hearing aids, Braille, or wheelchairs. Less is known
about the use of assistive technologies that can be used to support
learning needs such as word-processing software, spellcheckers, or
calculators.
There is little argument that low, medium, and high technology
devices can help individuals with disabilities perform functions that
foster independence. Low-technology devices are simple, nonelectrical
aids such as head pointers, adaptive eating utensils, or communication
boards. Medium technology devices are aids that might use electricity,
but are not computer driven, such as talking calculators or electronic
organizers. High technology devices are computer based, such as
multimedia databases or voice recognition systems.
While these devices foster access to the classroom and to learning,
there also are factors that may limit their widespread use. One factor
is awareness. School districts may not have access to the latest
information about technology or may not know where to go to get that
information. A second factor is financial. Purchasing materials
requires knowledge, trained personnel, time, money, and planning.
Without such elements in place students may not gain timely access to
AT devices. Training is another factor, not just for the child using
the technology, but for practitioners who need to understand how to use
a full continuum of technology in the classroom. School districts are
still learning how best to provide students with the technology they
need and are seeking alternative and cost-effective means to gain
access to key technologies.

Priority

The Assistant Secretary establishes an absolute priority for a
research institute to study the use of AT to improve the provision of a
free appropriate public education for children with disabilities.
The Institute must study a range of school districts, reflecting
diverse demographics in size, locale, and socio-economic conditions.
Methodologies employed by the Institute may include but need not be
limited to: interviews; case studies; focus groups; reviews of records;
observations; and policy analyses.
The Institute must consider what factors enhance or impede
decisionmaking, planning, acquisition, maintenance, training, and
instruction in the use of AT. At a minimum, the Institute must answer
the following research questions:
(a) Prevalence:
What percentage of children with disabilities require various type
of AT devices and services? What functions do these devices and
services need to perform for the individual child?
(b) School District Policy and Resources:
What policies or guidelines and processes are in place to help the
IEP team make decisions about AT devices and services? What resources
are in place to finance AT devices and services (e.g., medicaid)? How
do districts acquire AT? How is the technology managed and maintained?
(c) IEP Practices:
How are the individual's needs for the technology evaluated? How
does the IEP team, including the student and family, determine when an
AT device or service is appropriate? How is the appropriate technology
selected, designed, or adapted to the individual child?
(d) Training and Support:
What training and technical assistance is available for teachers,
other service providers, families, students, employers, and other
appropriate individuals regarding AT? Are structures in place to
promote collaboration between regular and special education teachers?
What coordination is there with other agencies or service providers?
(e) Instruction:
What policies and practices are in place to support the use of AT
in the learning environment? How is the technology integrated into
classroom curriculum and instruction? Are evaluation measures in place
to ensure that individual student's access and academic needs are being
appropriately met by the technology?
(f) Student Outcomes:
How do AT devices and services affect student academic, social, and
functional outcomes? How do AT devices and services affect school and
classroom environments?
The Institute must design and implement a dissemination approach
that promotes the use of current knowledge and ongoing research
findings. This approach must:
(a) Develop links with appropriate Education Department technical
assistance providers to communicate research findings and distribute
products;
(b) Collaborate as appropriate with other research institutes
supported under the IDEA, other experts and researchers in related
subject matter and methodological fields, and other related agencies
such as the National Institute

[[Page 25165]]

on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) and the
Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).
(c) Develop an accessible website to link participating school
districts and to provide up-to-date information on findings;
(d) Prepare the research findings in formats that are useful for
specific audiences, such as regular and special education
practitioners, administrators, and policy makers;
(e) Fund at least three graduate students per year as research
assistants who have concentrations in disability issues and technology;
(f) Meet with the OSEP project officer and appropriate OSEP staff
in the first three months of the project to review the strategic work
plan and the approach to dissemination; and
(g) Budget three trips annually to Washington, DC (two trips to
meet and collaborate with U.S. Department of Education officials and
one trip, as specified in the ``General Requirements'' for all projects
section of this notice, to attend the two-day Office of Special
Education Programs Project Directors' Conference).
Project Period: Under this priority, the Assistant Secretary will
make one award for a cooperative agreement with a project period of up
to 48 months with an option to extend the project for six months for
dissemination activities subject to the requirements of 34 CFR
75.253(a) for continuation awards.
In determining whether to award the third and fourth year of the
project, during the second year, the Assistant Secretary will consider
in addition to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a):
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts
selected by the Assistant Secretary. The services of the review team,
including a two-day site visit to the project, are to be performed in
the sixth month of the project's second year and may be included in
that year's evaluation required under 34 CFR 75.590. Costs associated
with the services to be performed by the review team must also be
included in the project's budget for year two. These costs are
estimated to be approximately $6,000;
(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 Institute's design and technical
strategies demonstrate the potential for disseminating significant new
knowledge.

Competitive Preferences

Within this absolute priority, we will give the following
competitive preference under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i), to applications that are otherwise eligible for
funding under this priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice.
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, the Assistant
Secretary can consider the applicant's past success in pursuit of this
goal.
For purposes of this competitive preference, applicants can be
awarded up to a total of 10 points in addition to those awarded under
the published selection criteria for this priority. That is, an
applicant meeting this competitive preference could earn a maximum
total of 110 points.
Maximum Award: We will reject and will not consider an application
that proposes a budget exceeding $700,000 for any single budget period
of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 70 double-
spaced pages.

Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.

Note: For further information or clarification see the World
Wide Web at: http://www.air.org/TECHIDEAS

Absolute Priority 2--Technology Research-To-Practice (84.327M)

Background

A number of recent research and development efforts, many with
Federal support, have focused on using technology to improve
educational and early intervention results for infants, toddlers, and
children with disabilities. These efforts have spanned a range of
technologies, curriculum areas, student ages, and special needs. In
some cases, these efforts have developed and tested new technology
devices or products. Examples include devices that provide access to
educational and early intervention for children with sensory or
physical impairments, and instructional software for children with
special learning needs. Other efforts have focused on using already-
available products or technologies to meet special educational and
early intervention needs. Examples include new methods for using the
World Wide Web or commercially available software to address the needs
of children with disabilities.
The results of these research and development efforts are not
applied in practice as widely as they should be. In part, this is
because the adoption of new technology approaches in education or early
intervention can be a demanding process, requiring a sustained
commitment from the school and district, and often requiring guidance
and assistance from outside sources. The 1995 Office of Technology
document entitled Teachers and Technology: Making the Connection
(available on the World Wide Web at http://www.wws.princeton.edu/
ota/disk1/1995/9541.html), and Office of Special Education
(OSEP) documents (available on the World Wide Web at http://
www.air.org/TECHIDEAS) delineate a number of factors and approaches
related to the implementation of technology in education and early
intervention. Important factors include leadership and planning, access
to appropriate technology, training, ongoing technical support and
coaching, collaboration, and adequate teacher time. Careful
consideration of factors, such as these, is essential for the sustained
and effective implementation of new approaches to using technology to
improve educational and early intervention results for infants,
toddlers, and children with disabilities.

Priority

This priority supports local school systems or early intervention
providers in implementing research-based approaches for using
technology to improve educational or early intervention results for
infants, toddlers, or children with disabilities. Projects must:
(a) Describe and implement an approach for using technology to
improve results for one or more of the following levels: early
intervention, preschool, elementary, middle school, or high school.
Projects may use technology in a way that benefits children without
disabilities, as long as the benefits for children with disabilities
are clear and documented. The Assistant Secretary intends to fund at
least two projects at each of the following levels: early intervention,
preschool, elementary school, middle school, and high school;
(b) Provide credible prior research evidence of the effectiveness
of the approach for improving educational and

[[Page 25166]]

early intervention results. Some resources for identifying research-
based approaches are available on the World Wide Web at http://
www.air.org/TECHIDEAS. Approaches not referenced on this web site may
also be used if there is research evidence of their effectiveness with
infants, toddlers, or children with disabilities;
(c) Describe and carry out a process for implementing and
sustaining the approach in one or more schools, including a process for
continued implementation of the approach after the Federal funding
awarded under this priority ends;
(d) Describe and carry out a rigorous evaluation of the
effectiveness of the approach in improving educational or early
intervention results for infants, toddlers, or children with
disabilities;
(e) Post quarterly updates on project progress on a World Wide Web
site designated by OSEP, and participate in topical discussions on the
World Wide Web site; and
(f) Spend no more than 25 percent of the 36-month total of funds
awarded under this priority for technology equipment and software.

Competitive Preferences

Within this absolute priority, we will give the following
competitive preference under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), to applications
that are otherwise eligible for funding under this priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the extent to which an application
demonstrates that participating schools are in high poverty rural or
inner city areas.
We will also give the following competitive preference under
section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), to applications that
are otherwise eligible for funding under this priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice.
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, the Assistant
Secretary can consider the applicant's past success in pursuit of this
goal.
For purposes of these competitive preferences, applicants can be
awarded up to a total of 20 points in addition to those awarded under
the published selection criteria for this priority. That is, an
applicant meeting this competitive preference could earn a maximum
total of 120 points.
Project Period: 36 months.
Maximum Award: We will reject and will not consider an application
that proposes a budget exceeding $170,000 for any single budget period
of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 50 double-
spaced pages.

Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.

Special Education--Training and Information for Parents of Children
With Disabilities [CFDA 84.328]

Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to ensure that
parents of children with disabilities receive training and information
to help improve results for their children.
Under section 682(e) of IDEA, the Assistant Secretary is required
to: (a) Make at least one award to a parent organization in each State,
unless the Assistant Secretary does not receive an application from
such an organization in each State of sufficient quality to warrant
approval; and (b) select among applications submitted by parent
organizations in a State in a manner that ensures the most effective
assistance to parents, including parents in urban and rural areas, in
the State.
Eligible Applicants: Parent organizations, as defined in section
682(g) of IDEA. A parent organization is a private nonprofit
organization (other than an institution of higher education) that:
(a) Has a board of directors, the parent and professional members
of which are broadly representative of the population to be served and
the majority of whom are parents of children with disabilities, that
includes individuals with disabilities and individuals working in the
fields of special education, related services, and early intervention;
or
(b) Has a membership that represents the interest of individuals
with disabilities and must establish a special governing board meeting
the requirements for a board of directors in paragraph (a) and develops
a memorandum of understanding between this special governing board and
the board of directors of the organization that clearly outlines the
relationship between the board and the committee and the decisionmaking
responsibilities and authority of each.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, 97, 98, and 99; (b) The selection criteria for this
priority are drawn from the EDGAR general selection criteria menu. The
specific selection criteria for this priority are included in the
funding application packet for this competition.

Priority

Under section 682 of the Act and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Assistant
Secretary gives an absolute preference to applications that meet the
following priority. The Assistant Secretary funds under this
competition only those applications that meet this priority:

Absolute Priority--Parent Training and Information Centers (84.328M)

Background

The IDEA Amendments of 1997 strengthen the role of parents and
increase their involvement in decisions about their children's
education. In order to allocate resources more equitably, create a
unified system of service delivery, and provide the broadest coverage
for the parents and families in every State, the Department is making
awards in five (5)-year cycles for each State. In fiscal year 2000,
applications for 5-year awards will be accepted for the following
States: Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, New Hampshire, North Carolina,
Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
In addition to the above State awards, the Assistant Secretary
intends to fund one award in the Virgin Islands and one award in
American Samoa.
Until the first five (5)-year cycle is completed, there is a need
to have an interim schedule for awards in States where there is more
than one PTI and their current awards do not have the same end date. We
are holding competitions for one or more awards in these States for the
time periods needed to match the end date of the last Center funded.
Applications will be accepted for FY 2000 interim competitions in
the State of New York. The Assistant Secretary intends to fund two
awards for one year each for the following:
(a) One Center in the State of New York that will serve one or more
underserved populations in a metropolitan area. This award will be for
$185,000; and
(b) One Center in the State of New York that will serve a
metropolitan area with an emphasis on outreach to unserved or
underserved populations. This award will be for $154,800.

Priority

The Assistant Secretary proposes to establish an absolute priority
to support

[[Page 25167]]

Parent Training and Information Centers that--
(a) Provide training and information that meets the training and
information needs of parents of children with disabilities in the area
served by the Center, particularly underserved parents and parents of
children who may be inappropriately identified, including those who are
not identified at all;
(b) Assist parents to understand the availability of, and how to
effectively use, procedural safeguards under IDEA, including
encouraging the use, and explaining the benefits, of alternative
methods of dispute resolution, such as the mediation process described
in IDEA;
(c) Serve the parents of infants, toddlers, and children with the
full range of disabilities;
(d) Assist parents to--
(1) Better understand the nature of their children's disabilities
and their educational and developmental needs;
(2) Communicate effectively with personnel responsible for
providing special education, early intervention, and related services;
(3) Participate in decisionmaking processes and the development of
individualized education programs and individualized family service
plans;
(4) Obtain appropriate information about the range of options,
programs, services, and resources available to assist children with
disabilities and their families;
(5) Understand the provisions of the Act for the education of, and
the provision of early intervention services to, children with
disabilities; and
(6) Participate in school reform activities;
(e) Contract with the State education agency, if the State elects
to contract with the Parent Training and Information Center, for the
purpose of meeting with parents who choose not to use the mediation
process to encourage the use, and explain the benefits, of mediation
consistent with section 615(e)(2)(B) and (D) of IDEA;
(f) Establish cooperative relations with the Community Parent
Resource Center or Centers in their State in accordance with section
683(b)(3) of IDEA;
(g) Network with appropriate clearinghouses, including
organizations conducting national dissemination activities under
section 685(d) of IDEA, and with other national, State, and local
organizations and agencies, such as protection and advocacy agencies,
that serve parents and families of children with the full range of
disabilities;
(h) Annually report to the Assistant Secretary on--
(1) The number of parents to whom Parent Training and Information
Centers provided information and training in the most recently
concluded fiscal year, and
(2) The effectiveness of strategies used to reach and serve
parents, including underserved parents of children with disabilities;
and
(i) If there is more than one parent center in a particular State,
coordinate their activities to ensure the most effective assistance to
parents in that State.
An applicant must identify the strategies it will undertake--
(a) To ensure that the needs for training and information of
underserved parents of children with disabilities in the areas to be
served are effectively met, particularly in underserved areas of the
State; and
(b) To work with the community-based organizations, particularly in
the underserved areas of the State.
A Parent Training and Information Center that receives assistance
under this absolute priority may also conduct the following
activities--
(a) Provide information to teachers and other professionals who
provide special education and related services to children with
disabilities;
(b) Assist students with disabilities to understand their rights
and responsibilities on reaching the age of majority, as stated in
section 615(m) of IDEA; and
(c) Assist parents of children with disabilities to be informed
participants in the development and implementation of the State
improvement plan under IDEA.
In addition to the annual Project Directors' meeting included in
the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice, a project's budget
must include funds to attend a regional Project Directors' meeting to
be held each year of the project.
In order to demonstrate eligibility to receive a grant, an
applicant must describe how its board or special governing committee
meets the criteria for a parent organization in section 682(g) of IDEA.
In addition, any parent organization that establishes a special
governing committee under section 682(g)(2) of IDEA must demonstrate
that the by-laws of its organization allows the governing committee to
be responsible for operating the project (consistent with existing
fiscal policies of its organization).
Current funding levels, population of school age children, and the
relative proportion of children living in poverty will be considered in
determining funding levels for grants.

Competitive Preferences

Within this absolute priority, we will give the following
competitive preference under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i), to applications that are otherwise eligible for
funding under this priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice.
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, the Assistant
Secretary can consider the applicant's past success in pursuit of this
goal.
For purposes of this competitive preference, applicants can be
awarded up to a total of 10 points in addition to those awarded under
the published selection criteria for this priority. That is, an
applicant meeting this competitive preference could earn a maximum
total of 110 points.
Project Period: With the exception of the following, projects will
be funded for a period up to 60 months. Interim projects will be funded
for a period up to 12 months.
Estimated Project Awards: Project award amounts are for a single
budget period of 12 months. The FY 2000 State awards, including Virgin
Islands and American Samoa, and interim State awards, are listed below:

Hawaii--$160,680
Idaho--$158,780
Louisiana--$257,100
New Hampshire--$158,600
North Carolina--$311,700
Oklahoma--$198,180
Pennsylvania--$469,750
Rhode Island--$159,400
Tennessee--$279,800
West Virginia--$160,680
Virgin Islands--$107,820
American Samoa--$107,120
New York (Interim Awards)--$339,800

Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 50 double-
spaced pages.

Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.

Special Education Studies and Evaluations [CFDA 84.329]

Purpose of Program: To assess progress in implementing IDEA,
including State and local efforts to provide free appropriate public
education to children with disabilities, and early intervention
services to infants and toddlers with disabilities.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General

[[Page 25168]]

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99;
(b) The selection criteria for the priority under this program are
drawn from the EDGAR general selection menu. The specific selection
criteria for this priority are included in the funding application
packet for the applicable competition.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.

Eligible Applicants: State and local educational agencies;
institutions of higher education; other public agencies; for-profit
organizations; private nonprofit organizations; outlying areas; freely
associated States; and Indian tribes or tribal organizations.

Priority

Under section 674 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only
applications that meet the following priority:

Absolute Priority--An Evaluation of the State Program Improvement Grant
(SIG) Program (CFDA 84.329A)

Background

A new discretionary program became part of IDEA during the 1997
reauthorization. Part D, Subpart 1--State Program Improvement Grants
for Children with Disabilities--was added for the purpose of assisting
State educational agencies and their partners in reforming and
improving their educational, early intervention, and transitional
service systems, including their systems for professional development,
technical assistance, and dissemination of knowledge about best
practices to improve results for children with disabilities.
Beginning in FY 1999, SIGs were awarded to State educational
agencies on a competitive basis for five years at amounts of $500,000
to $1,800,000 per year depending on the relative population of the
States, amount of funds available, and the types of activities
proposed. Specific grant activities were based on State improvement
plans that were developed based on assessments of State and local needs
and by authorizing legislation. Eighteen States received grant awards
in FY 1999 \1\ and approximately seven additional awards will be made
in FY 2000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\ Detailed information on the FY 1999 SIG projects is
available from the Federal Resource Center web site (http:/
www.dssc.org/frc/sigres.htm).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The evaluation study to be awarded under this priority will be
largely formative in nature; that is, the U.S. Department of Education,
Office of Special Education Programs will use the data collected in
this evaluation to:
(a) Inform the reauthorization of this program in 2002;
(b) Suggest related or supportive priorities for discretionary
funding;
(c) Improve future SIG competitions; and
(d) Improve SIG project management at the Federal level.

Priority

The purpose of this priority is to fund one five-year cooperative
agreement that will evaluate the SIG program, as implemented by States
receiving grants under this competition (CFDA 84.323A).
(a) The evaluation must provide--
(1) Information and recommendations regarding the extent to which
this program is meeting, and is likely to meet in the future, three
fundamental goals of the program:
(i) To implement systemic improvements in the provision of
educational, early intervention, and transitional services to infants,
toddlers, and children with disabilities, including systems for
professional development, technical assistance, and dissemination of
best practice;
(ii) To use professional development and technical assistance
activities as a means to achieving systemic improvements; and
(iii) To improve results for infants, toddlers, children and youth
with disabilities as an outcome of systemic change.
(2) Information on the extent to which the requirements in the Act
applicable to SIGs contribute to the achievement of program goals in
paragraph (1).
(b) At a minimum, this project must--
(1) Propose a design for the evaluation that includes:
(i) A description of the overall approach or type of evaluation to
be conducted;
(ii) An initial set of evaluation questions based on the purposes
of the evaluation as stated previously.
(iii) A matrix of potential sources of evaluation data for SIG
projects receiving funds during the five-year term of this cooperative
agreement, the methods of data collection, the instruments to be used,
and other measurement issues related to each of the evaluation
questions. Qualitative or quantitative data collection methods may be
proposed; however, the methods chosen must:
(A) Allow data to be collected with precision; and
(B) Maximize validity and reliability; and
(iv) An analysis plan that outlines the type of data to be gathered
and the specific analyses to be conducted, including appropriate
statistical or valuational criteria to be applied to these data. The
plan should also indicate how best to communicate the results of the
analyses to Congress, OSEP, and other interested parties.
(2) Propose a timeline for implementing the design over the five-
year project period that allows for refining the evaluation design in
the first year, establishing contacts with the SIG grantees, developing
and pilot testing instruments and executing the OMB forms clearance
process;
(3) Propose a communication plan with OSEP that describes:
(i) Methods for providing consistent and timely updates regarding
the progress of this project and for identifying any constraints or
barriers that arise in implementing the final evaluation design, budget
changes, preliminary findings, and reports. The communication plan
should include the annual Grant Performance Report for Continuation
Funding and, at minimum, one meeting annually with OSEP staff in
Washington, DC (in conjunction with the meeting described in the
``General Requirements'' section of this notice) to discuss project
implementation issues and preliminary findings. This annual meeting is
in addition to the meeting described in paragraph (4);
(ii) A series of interim reports containing study findings relative
to the research questions and consistent with the timeline for
implementing the design. At least one of these interim reports must be
developed prior to the expiration of the authorization for the SIG
program in September 2002; and
(iii) A final technical report of the evaluation (due 60 months
following the start date of the project) that contains, at minimum, the
following sections:
(A) Executive Summary;
(B) Background information on the SIG program;
(C) Description of the evaluation study;
(D) Results;
(E) Discussion of results; and
(F) Conclusions, Recommendations, and Options.
A detailed outline of the final report shall be submitted for
review by the project officer 56 months after the start date of the
project. In addition, the project officer shall have an opportunity to
provide input on a draft version of the final report due 57 months
after the start date of the project;
(4) Meet with the OSEP project officer and other OSEP staff within
three weeks

[[Page 25169]]

of the start date for the project to review and revise, if necessary,
the proposed evaluation design (including the evaluation questions and
analysis plan), the timeline and communication plan. The final versions
of these documents, including any changes resulting from this meeting,
will be incorporated into the requirements of the cooperative
agreement; and
(5) Implement the evaluation consistent with the design, timeline,
and communication plan.
Project Period: Under this priority, the Assistant Secretary will
make one award for a cooperative agreement with a project period of 60
months subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for continuation
awards.
In deciding whether to continue this project for the fourth and
fifth years, the Assistant Secretary, will consider the requirements of
34 CFR 75.253(a), and in addition--
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts
selected by the Assistant Secretary. The services of the review team,
including a two-day site visit to the grantee, are to be performed
during the last half of the project's second year and may be included
in that year's evaluation required under 34 CFR 75.590. Costs
associated with the services to be performed by the review team must
also be included in the project's budget for year two. These costs are
estimated to be approximately $6,000;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
project; and
(c) The extent to which the project's design and methodology is
likely to yield findings that may be utilized by other appropriate
agencies and organizations.

Competitive Preferences

Within this absolute priority, we will give the following
competitive preferences under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i), to applications that are otherwise eligible for
funding under this priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice.
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, the Assistant
Secretary can consider the applicant's success in pursuit of this goal.
Up to ten (10) points based on the extent to which the applicant
can demonstrate previous success in preparing and submitting a forms
clearance package for OMB approval and participating in the forms
clearance process as part of a previous project funded by the
Department of Education.
Within these competitive preferences, applicants can be awarded up
to a total of 20 points in addition to those awarded under the
published selection criteria for this priority. That is, an applicant
meeting both these competitive preferences could earn a maximum total
of 120 points.
Maximum Award: We will reject and will not consider an application
that proposes a budget exceeding $500,000 for any single budget period
of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 70 double-
spaced pages.

Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.

For Applications 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 its E-mail address (edpubs@inet.ed.gov).
For Further Information Contact: Grants and Contracts Services
Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 3317,
Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 260-9182.
If you use a TDD you may call the Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact persons listed in the preceding
paragraph.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternate format by contacting the Department at the
address listed. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an
alternate format the standard forms included in the application
package.

Intergovernmental Review

All programs in this notice (except for Research and Innovation
84.324T) are subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372 and
the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. The objective of the Executive order
is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened
federalism by relying on processes developed by State and local
governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal financial
assistance.
In accordance with the order, we intend this document to provide
early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for
those programs.

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Application Deadline for Maximum Estimated
CFDA No. and name Applications deadline intergovernmental award (per Project period Page limit number of
available date review year) \1\ \2\ awards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.324T Model Demonstration Projects 05/05/00 06/16/00 N/A ........... Up to 48 mos................. 50 15
Focus Area 1: First two 12-month ............ ........... ................. $150,000 ............................. ........... ...........
funding periods.
Focus Area 1: Final two 12-month ............ ........... ................. 75,000 ............................. ........... ...........
funding periods.
Focus Area 2.................... ............ ........... ................. 180,000 ............................. 50/80 14
84.325B Training Center In Early 05/05/00 06/16/00 08/15/00 500,000 Up to 60 mos................. 70 1
Intervention for Infants and
Toddlers Who Have Visual
Impairments Including Blindness.

[[Page 25170]]

84.325C Training Center In Early 05/05/00 06/16/00 08/15/00 500,000 Up to 60 mos................. 70 1
Intervention for Infants and
Toddlers Who Have Hearing
Impairments Including Deafness.
84.325F National IHE Faculty 05/05/00 06/16/00 08/15/00 850,000 Up to 60 mos................. 70 1
Enhancement Center to Improve
Results for Children with
Disabilities in School.
84.325Q Center to Inform Personnel 05/05/00 06/16/00 08/15/00 850,000 Up to 60 mos................. 70 1
Preparation Policy and Practice in
Special Education.
84.327G Research Institute on the 05/05/00 06/23/00 08/22/00 700,000 Up to 48 mos................. 70 1
Use of Assistive Technology in
Education.
84.327M Technology Research to 05/05/00 06/30/00 08/29/00 170,000 36 months.................... 50 1
Practice.
84.328M Parent Training and 05/05/00 06/23/00 08/22/00 ........... Up to 60 mos................. 50 10
Information Centers.
Hawaii.......................... ............ ........... ................. 160,680 ............................. ........... ...........
Idaho........................... ............ ........... ................. 158,780 ............................. ........... ...........
Louisiana....................... ............ ........... ................. 257,100 ............................. ........... ...........
New Hampshire................... ............ ........... ................. 158,600 ............................. ........... ...........
North Carolina.................. ............ ........... ................. 311,700 ............................. ........... ...........
Oklahoma........................ ............ ........... ................. 198,180 ............................. ........... ...........
Pennsylvania.................... ............ ........... ................. 469,750 ............................. ........... ...........
Rhode Island.................... ............ ........... ................. 159,400 ............................. ........... ...........
Tennessee....................... ............ ........... ................. 279,800 ............................. ........... ...........
West Virginia................... ............ ........... ................. 160,680 ............................. ........... ...........
Virgin Islands.................. ............ ........... ................. 107,820 ............................. ........... ...........
American Samoa.................. ............ ........... ................. 107,120 ............................. ........... ...........
New York (Interim).............. ............ ........... ................. 339,800 Up to 12 mos................. 50 2
84.329A An Evaluation of the State 05/05/00 06/30/00 08/29/00 500,000 60 months.................... 70 1
Improvement Grant Program.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Assistant Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that proposes a budget exceeding the amount listed for each priority for any
single budget period of 12 months.
\2\ Applicants must limit the Application Narrative, Part III of the Application, to the page limits noted above. Please refer to the ``Page Limit''
requirements included under each priority description and in the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice. The Assistant Secretary rejects and
does not consider an application that does not adhere to this requirement.
Note:The Department of Education is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

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 either of the
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you
have questions about using the 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.gov/nara/index.html

Dated: April 25, 2000.
Curtis L. Richards,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 00-10610 Filed 4-27-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P