[Federal Register: May 9, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 91)]
[Notices]
[Page 21231-21235]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priorities.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Secretary announces final priorities for two programs
administered by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services (OSERS) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
The Secretary may use these priorities in Fiscal Year 1996 and
subsequent years. The Secretary takes this action to focus Federal
assistance on identified needs to improve results for children with
disabilities. These final priorities are intended to ensure wide and
effective use of program funds.
EFFECTIVE DATE: These priorities take effect on June 10, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The name, address, and telephone
number of the person at the Department to contact for information on
each specific final priority is listed under that priority.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains three final priorities
under two programs authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, as follows: Training Personnel for the Education of
Individuals with Disabilities Program (two final priorities); and the
Program for Children and Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance (one
final priority). The purpose of each program is stated separately under
the title of that program.
On February 21, 1996, the Secretary published a notice of proposed
priorities for these programs in the Federal Register (61 FR 6754-
6758).
These final priorities support the National Education Goals by
improving understanding of how to enable children and youth with
disabilities to reach higher levels of academic achievement.
The publication of these priorities does not preclude the Secretary
from proposing additional priorities, nor does it limit the Secretary
to funding only these priorities, subject to meeting applicable
rulemaking requirements. Funding of particular projects depends on the
availability of funds, and the quality of the applications received.
Further, FY 1996 priorities could be affected by enactment of
legislation reauthorizing these programs.
Note: This notice of final priorities does not solicit
applications. A notice inviting applications under these
competitions is published in a separate notice in this issue of the
Federal Register.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to the Secretary's invitation in the notice of proposed
priority, fifty-six parties submitted comments. An analysis of the
comments and of the changes in the proposed priorities follows.
Technical and other minor changes--as well as suggested changes the
Secretary is not legally authorized to make under the applicable
statutory authority--are not addressed.
Priority--Preparation of Special Education, Related Services, and Early
Intervention Personnel To Serve Infants, Toddlers, Children, and Youth
With Low-Incidence Disabilities
Comment: Forty-two commenters expressed concern about the severe
shortage of personnel specifically prepared to work with children and
youth who are deaf-blind. The commenters felt that the priority should
place more emphasis on preparing personnel to work with children and
youth with deaf-blindness by specifically identifying deaf-blindness as
a low-incidence disability. Identification of deaf-blindness, the
commenters note, is necessary to preserve the uniqueness of this
disability and to address the lack of qualified personnel who have the
specialized skills to effectively work with deaf-blind children.
Discussion: The proposed priority defined the term ``low-incidence
disability'' to include a ``visual or hearing impairment, or
simultaneous visual and hearing impairments.'' The proposed definition
did not specifically identify deaf-blindness as a low incidence
disability, although deaf-blindness clearly satisfies the definition.
The Secretary agrees with the commenters that there is a need to train
additional personnel to work with the deaf-blind and notes that the
Office of Special Education Programs currently funds seven programs
that prepare personnel to work with this population. Projects proposing
to prepare special education, related service, and early intervention
personnel to work with children who are deaf-blind are eligible to
receive an award under the final priority and are encouraged to apply.
Changes: The proposed priority has been amended to clarify that
children with deaf-blindness would be considered individuals with
``low-incidence'' disabilities.
Comment: Four commenters expressed concern that there is a shortage
of teachers of blind and visually impaired children. The commenters
recommended that the Department establish a separate priority for the
training of personnel to work with blind and visually impaired children
since training programs for teachers of the visually impaired are
highly specialized and rigorous.
Discussion: The Secretary agrees that there is a shortage of
teachers of the visually impaired and blind. The Secretary emphasizes
that the final priority, like the proposed priority, authorizes funding
of projects designed to train teachers to work with the blind and
visually impaired.
Changes: None.
Comment: Five commenters questioned the collaborative, multi-
disciplinary aspects of the priority. Two commenters expressed concern
that the priority required projects to demonstrate collaboration
between their project and other departments and suggested that such
collaboration is beyond the capability of most programs. In particular,
one commenter stated that the complexity and intensity of training
programs that prepare individuals to work with the visually impaired
would make collaboration between these and other programs (e.g.,
nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and psychology)
impossible. Other commenters mentioned the difficulty of an over-
crowded curriculum and a lack of time and personnel as additional
reasons for opposing the development of collaboration among programs.
However, one commenter recommended that projects demonstrate
partnerships with rehabilitation programs, independent living centers,
employers, and other community resources that become critical as youth
with low-incidence disabilities transition to employment.
Discussion: The priority encourages, but does not require,
collaboration
[[Page 21232]]
among several institutions and between training institutions and public
schools. The priority also encourages, but does not require, projects
that foster successful coordination between special education and
regular education professional development programs in order to address
the needs of children with low-incidence disabilities in inclusive
settings. The Secretary is sympathetic to the level and diversity of
knowledge needed to work with many of the low-incidence populations.
However, students with low-incidence disabilities may experience
multiple problems that need to be addressed through services in several
disciplines (e.g., occupational, physical and speech therapy, social
work, psychology). Special education, related service, and early
intervention personnel that work with low-incidence populations,
therefore, must possess sufficient knowledge of other disciplines to
communicate with professionals in those areas, to function as a team
member when assessing the students, and to cooperate knowledgeably when
developing individualized education plans (IEPs). Multi-disciplinary
training projects are encouraged for purposes of assisting students
with low-incidence disabilities in reaching their maximum potential.
Personnel trained under the priority, however, are not expected to
become fully knowledgeable in other disciplines.
The Secretary realizes that the appropriateness of any
collaboration and coordination is dependent upon the objectives of a
particular project. Potential variation among projects is the reason
that the collaboration and coordination is encouraged, not required.
Changes: None.
Comment: Some commenters requested that certain occupations be
identified in the priority as types of careers to which training
projects could be directed. Commenters suggested that transition staff,
direct care professionals, case managers, orientation and mobility
instructors, interveners and paraprofessionals be specifically
mentioned in the priority.
Discussion: The priority provides support for related services
personnel who provide developmental, corrective, and other supportive
services that assist children with low-incidence disabilities to
benefit from special education. Transition staff, direct care
professionals, case managers, orientation and mobility instructors,
interveners and paraprofessionals are considered related service
personnel under the priority. Because the population of individuals
with low-incidence disabilities requires multiple services, it would be
difficult to provide an exhaustive list of all types of related service
personnel that can be trained under this priority. Also, any list of
related service personnel could be viewed as overly prescriptive. The
Secretary prefers to allow individual projects the latitude to propose
and justify their particular project concentration.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter requested clarification of the language in
the priority that authorizes training of related service personnel
through ``comprehensive programs'' or ``specialty components of
programs that emphasize children with low-incidence disabilities within
a broader discipline.''
Discussion: Comprehensive programs are those that are dedicated to
the total area of preparation. Examples include, but are not limited
to, programs that prepare psychologists to work with school-age
children with disabilities, or physical therapy programs that prepare
therapists to function within school settings. A specialty component of
a program is a segment of a broader program devoted to a low-incidence
disability. Examples include, but are not limited to, programs that
prepare school psychologists to work with children who have traumatic
brain injury or physical therapists to work with children birth to age
three. Both types of preparation programs may be supported under this
priority. The Secretary intends to include this clarifying information
in the application package for the competition.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter described the potential difficulty in using
the State Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) to
substantiate a State's need for trained personnel to serve children
with low-incidence disabilities and asked if other means might be used
to document State needs.
Discussion: The Secretary believes that the CSPD should be used to
support the need for qualified personnel. However, the Secretary also
recognizes that projects may have to supplement, where appropriate,
information provided in a particular State's CSPD. In the past, if a
State's CSPD did not support its need for qualified personnel, other
sources of data have been accepted for purposes of documenting need.
The Secretary agrees that applicants should continue to have the option
to use documentation in addition to the CSPD to demonstrate the lack of
qualified personnel in a particular State. Regardless of the
documentation used, it remains the responsibility of the applicant to
describe, support, and justify the personnel needs addressed by a
particular project.
Changes: The priority has been amended to allow projects to use
documentation in addition to the CSPD to show how their proposed
activities address the need for trained personnel in a particular
State.
Comment: One commenter asked that the priority emphasize the need
to train males for careers in special education in light of the
shortage of males who pursue such training.
Discussion: The Secretary recognizes that the majority of personnel
serving the needs of children and youth with low-incidence disabilities
are female. However, the general shortage of qualified personnel able
to serve the low-incidence population justifies the need for preparing
all potential candidates, both male and female.
Changes: None.
Comment: Two commenters questioned the approximate percentages of
available funds to be awarded to the three components in the priority--
55 percent for careers in special education, 30 percent for careers in
related services, and 15 percent for careers in early intervention. One
commenter sought a decrease in the percentage of funds allocated to the
preparation of special educators, while another commenter recommended
decreasing the percentage of funds reserved for special education and
related services training projects in order to support a separate
allocation for preparation of individuals who work with the visually
impaired.
Discussion: The priority combines elements of three previous
competitions that were funded separately and are now being combined to
target the needs of the low-incidence population. The percentages in
the priority are approximates and have been developed in consideration
of past levels of support for the different competitions. Funding of
particular projects depends on the availability of funds, the quality
of the applications received, and the results of the peer review
process. However, the Secretary notes that the amount of proposed
funding for this competition currently surpasses the total amount of
past awards for the three separate competitions.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter requested the priority be limited to special
education personnel and specifically questioned the appropriatness of
related service and early intervention specialists to work with the
low-incidence population. The commenter asserted that narrowly prepared
related
[[Page 21233]]
service personnel may not find employment because children with low-
incidence disabilities are often widely dispersed among geographical
locations. As a result, such programs may experience logistical
difficulties and may be uneconomical.
Discussion: The Secretary is aware of the logistical and economic
difficulties associated with serving infants, toddlers, children and
youth with low-incidence disabilities in rural and isolated areas, as
well as in public school settings. The Secretary is also aware of many
instances in which several children with low-incidence disabilities are
educated within a single location. Regardless of setting, however,
special educators, related service and early intervention personnel
must be prepared appropriately to meet the needs of children with low-
incidence disabilities. The Secretary encourages programs preparing
personnel to include information and experience with low-incidence
disabilities so that graduates of their programs are able to serve
their customers in their areas of expertise no matter where they are
found, as single students in an isolated setting or as one of a group
found in aggregate settings. Federal support of these programs is
intended to reduce the need for special educators, related service and
early intervention personnel to learn on the job, which could otherwise
be detrimental to students.
Change: None.
Priority--Center To Promote Collaboration and Communication of
Effective Practices for Children With, or At Risk of Developing,
Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED)
Comment: One commenter wrote that the allocation of funds under
this priority would be more effective if provided directly to States
with flexibility on how these funds are used. The commenter felt this
would allow each State to address issues relating to the education of
students with emotional disabilities specific to the needs of that
State as identified by school districts and other agencies.
Discussion: One of the purposes of the Program for Children and
Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance is, ``To provide information
and training for those involved with, or who could be involved with
children and youth with serious emotional disturbance'' (34 CFR
328.1(b)(2)). The proposed Center is targeted toward the information
aspect of this purpose as stated in the program regulations. There are
other purposes of the Program, and some of those are also targeted by
the priority, but to a lesser extent.
Given the limited resources, the Department believes that it would
be most efficient, and have the greatest impact, to concentrate the
funds rather than to distribute the resources in significantly smaller
portions to the States. Particularly, the Secretary feels that in the
area of information development and transfer, multiple smaller efforts
by the States would generate more duplication and redundancy, and would
have less overall impact and efficiency than one Center.
Changes: None.
Training Personnel for the Education of Individuals With
Disabilities Program
Purpose of Program: The purpose of Grants for Personnel Training is
to increase the quantity and improve the quality of personnel available
to serve infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.
Priorities: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary gives an
absolute preference to applications that meet any one of the following
priorities. The Secretary will fund under these competitions only
applications that meet any one of these absolute priorities:
Absolute Priority 1--Preparation of Special Education, Related
Services, and Early Intervention Personnel To Serve Infants, Toddlers,
Children, and Youth with Low-Incidence Disabilities
Background
The national demand for educational, related services, and early
intervention personnel to serve infants, toddlers, children and youth
with low-incidence disabilities exceeds available supply. However,
because of the small number of these personnel needed in each State,
institutions of higher education and individual States are reluctant to
support the needed professional development programs. Of the programs
that are available, not all are producing graduates with the
prerequisite skills needed to meet the needs of the low-incidence
disability population. Federal support is required to ensure an
adequate supply of personnel to serve children with low-incidence
disabilities and to improve the quality of appropriate training
programs so that graduates possess necessary prerequisite skills.
Priority: The Secretary establishes an absolute priority to
support projects that increase the number and quality of personnel to
serve children with low-incidence disabilities. This priority supports
projects that provide preservice preparation of special educators,
early intervention personnel, and related services personnel at the
associate, baccalaureate, master's, or specialist level.
The term ``low-incidence disability'' means a visual or hearing
impairment, or simultaneous visual and hearing impairments (including
deaf-blindness), significant mental retardation, or an impairment such
as severe and multiple disabilities, severe orthopedic disabilities,
autism, and traumatic brain injury, for which a small number of highly
skilled and knowledgeable personnel are needed.
Applicants may propose to prepare one or more of the following
types of personnel:
(1) Special educators including early childhood, speech and
language, adapted physical education, and assistive technology
personnel;
(2) Related services personnel who provide developmental,
corrective, and other supportive services that assist children with
low-incidence disabilities to benefit from special education. Both
comprehensive programs and specialty components within a broader
discipline that prepares personnel for work with the low-incidence
population may be supported; or,
(3) Early intervention personnel who serve children birth through
age 2 with disabilities and their families. Early intervention
personnel include persons prepared to provide training for, or be
consultants to, service providers and case managers.
The Secretary particularly encourages projects that address the
needs of more than one State, provide multi-disciplinary training, and
include collaboration among several institutions and between training
institutions and public schools. In addition, projects that foster
successful coordination between special education and regular education
professional development programs to meet the needs of children with
low-incidence disabilities in inclusive settings are encouraged.
Projects must:
(a) Show how their proposed activities address the demands for
trained personnel to serve children with low-incidence disabilities in
the State or States whose needs the project is expected to meet. The
extent of the need for trained personnel in a particular State must be
supported by the State's Comprehensive System of Personnel Development
(CSPD), or the CSPD supplemented by other additional relevant sources
which the applicant demonstrates to be reliable and accurate.
(b) Prepare personnel to address the specialized needs of children
with low-
[[Page 21234]]
incidence disabilities from different cultural and language
backgrounds;
(c) Incorporate best practices in the design of the program and the
curricula;
(d) Incorporate curricula that focus on improving results for
children with low-incidence disabilities;
(e) Promote high expectations for students with low-incidence
disabilities and foster access to the general curriculum in the regular
classroom, wherever appropriate; and
(f) Develop linkages with Education Department technical assistance
providers to communicate information on program models used and program
effectiveness.
Under this absolute priority, the Secretary plans to award
approximately:
* 55 percent of the available funds for projects that
support careers in special education, including early childhood
educators;
* 30 percent of the available funds for projects that
support careers in related services; and
* 15 percent of the available funds for projects that
support careers in early intervention.
For Further Information Contact: Verna Hart, U.S. Department of
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3519, Switzer Building,
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-5392. FAX: (202) 205-
9070. Internet: Verna__Hart@ed.gov
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD)
may call the TDD number: (202) 205-7381.
Absolute Priority 2--Preparation of Personnel To Serve Children and
Youth with High-Incidence Disabilities
Background
In many States, there are insufficient numbers of personnel
available to meet the needs of children with high-incidence
disabilities. In addition, the quality of personnel preparation
programs needs to be improved so that professionals will be better
prepared to help children with high-incidence disabilities reach their
individual developmental goals and meet challenging standards.
Priority: The Secretary establishes an absolute priority to support
projects that increase the number and quality of personnel to serve
children ages 3 through 21 with high-incidence disabilities such as
mild or moderate mental retardation, speech or language impairments,
emotional disturbance, or specific learning disabilities. This priority
supports projects that provide preservice preparation of special
educators, including early childhood educators and related services
personnel.
A preservice program is defined as one that leads toward a degree,
certification, or professional standard, and may be supported at the
associate, baccalaureate, master's or specialist level. A preservice
program may include the preparation of currently employed personnel who
are seeking additional degrees, certifications, or endorsements.
Applicants may propose to prepare one or more of the following
types of personnel:
(1) Special educators including speech and language, adapted
physical education, and adaptive technology personnel;
(2) Related services personnel who provide developmental,
corrective, and other supportive services that assist children with
high-incidence disabilities to benefit from special education; and
(3) Early childhood special education or related services personnel
who address the needs of children age three through five with high-
incidence disabilities and their families.
The Secretary particularly encourages projects that foster
successful coordination between special education and regular education
professional development programs to meet the needs of children with
high-incidence disabilities in inclusive settings.
Projects must:
(a) Show through letters of acknowledgement from States or other
documentation that the proposed professional development activities
support the Comprehensive Systems of Personnel Development of the State
or States where personnel prepared by the project are expected to be
employed;
(b) Show through letters of acknowledgement from States or other
documentation that the proposed personnel preparation meets the
standards for employment in the State or States where personnel
prepared by the project are expected to be employed;
(c) Prepare personnel to address the needs of children with high-
incidence disabilities from different cultural and language
backgrounds;
(d) Incorporate best practices in the design of the program and
curricula;
(e) Incorporate curricula that focus on improving results for
children with high-incidence disabilities;
(f) Promote high expectations for children with high-incidence
disabilities and foster access to the general curriculum in the regular
classroom, wherever appropriate; and,
(g) Develop linkages with Education Department technical assistance
providers to communicate information on program models used and program
effectiveness.
Under this absolute priority, the Secretary plans to award
approximately:
* 55 percent of the available funds for projects that
support careers in special education;
* 30 percent of the available funds for projects that
support careers in related services; and,
* 15 percent of the available funds for projects that
support careers in early childhood education.
For Further Information Contact: Martha Bokee, U.S. Department of
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3078, Switzer Building,
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-5509. FAX: (202) 205-
9070. Internet: Marth__a Bokee@ed.gov
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD)
may call the TDD number: (202) 205-7381.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431.
Program for Children and Youth With Serious Emotional Disturbance
Purpose of Program: To support projects designed to improve special
education and related services to children and youth with serious
emotional disturbance. Types of projects that may be supported under
the program include, but are not limited to, research, development, and
demonstration projects. Funds may also be used to develop and
demonstrate approaches to assist and prevent children with emotional
and behavioral problems from developing serious emotional disturbance.
Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary gives an absolute
preference to applications that meet the following priority. The
Secretary will fund under this competition only an application that
meets this absolute priority:
Absolute Priority--Center To Promote Collaboration and Communication of
Effective Practices for Children With, or At Risk of Developing,
Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED)
Background
``Collaboration'' is one of the seven strategic targets identified
in the National Agenda for Achieving Better Results for Children and
Youth with SED, developed by the Office of Special Education Programs
(OSEP) with extensive participation by a variety of individuals and
organizations. Collaboration is critically important, at Federal,
State, and local levels: ``To promote systems change resulting in the
[[Page 21235]]
development of coherent services built around the individual needs of
children and youth with and at risk of developing SED.'' In the past,
there has been too little interaction between agencies and service
providers, e.g., education, mental health, child welfare, and juvenile
justice. Lack of coordination between and across agencies has had a
negative impact on children and families. The new direction,
demonstrated in many of the projects currently funded by OSEP and other
agencies, is toward more ``seamless'' and ``wrap-around'' service
delivery models built around the needs of students, families, and
communities--systems that coordinate services, articulate
responsibilities, and provide system-wide and agency-level
accountability.
Many of these new model programs are only in their infancy, but are
already documenting their effectiveness. It is essential that
mechanisms be put in place to foster the identification, development,
and exchange of information about these innovative projects--to
communicate their findings and approaches nationally to other
communities and agencies that are seeking solutions to the needs of
children with mental health problems and their families.
Priority: The Secretary establishes an absolute priority to support
one cooperative agreement for a center to promote Federal, State, and
local interagency collaboration and facilitate the identification,
development, and exchange of information on effective practices to
improve services for children with SED and for children with emotional
and behavioral problems who are at risk of developing SED. The center
must coordinate and collaborate with related centers and activities
across agencies, including but not limited to: OSEP's ongoing
activities to validate and communicate the SED National Agenda; other
OSEP and Department-supported technical assistance and information
exchange activities; and the two rehabilitation research and training
centers (RRTCs) on children's mental health jointly funded by the
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)
and the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). The center must
provide and support information identification, development, and
exchange for Federal, State, and community-based projects and programs
providing services for children with or at risk of SED in accordance
with a plan that describes the centers schedule.
The center must:
(1) Establish working relationships with Federal, State, and local
programs and projects to identify and develop useful and usable
information for, and to foster the exchange of usable and useful
information with--
(a) Federal, State, and community-based programs and projects to
assist them in their efforts; and
(b) Broader audiences of individuals and organizations including
parents and family members of children with or at risk of serious
emotional disturbance.
(2) Ensure and facilitate access, including electronic and
telecommunication access, to information on SED, including information
on projects funded by the Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitation Services; other offices in the Department of Education;
the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Justice; and
other sources such as foundations and associations, as appropriate.
(3) Evaluate the impact of information identification, development,
and exchange activities.
It is anticipated that initial information exchanges will rely
heavily upon information already produced by programs and projects, but
that additional information will be synthesized and developed by the
center based on findings from the available research and information/
findings provided to the center by programs and projects.
The center must also ensure that the targets and cross-cutting
themes of OSEP's National Agenda for Achieving Better Results for
Children and Youth with SED are addressed in the center's information
activities. Four areas of particular interest that must be addressed in
information activities are: (1) Early identification, intervention, and
prevention; (2) behavior management, conflict resolution, and other
approaches to creating more productive and safe educational
environments for all students; (3) personnel preparation; and (4)
evaluation of community-based (local) program and service
effectiveness.
Under this priority, the Secretary intends to award one cooperative
agreement with a project period of up to 60 months subject to the
requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for continuation awards. In
determining whether to continue the center for the fourth and fifth
years of the project period, the Secretary will consider, in addition
to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), the factors noted below, and
the recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts
selected by the Secretary. The services of the review team, including a
two-day visit to the center, are to be performed during the last half
of the center's second year and must be included in that year's
evaluation required under 34 CFR 75.590. In its budget for the second
year, the center must set aside funds to cover the costs of the review
team. These funds are estimated to be approximately $4,000.
The Secretary will also consider the following:
(a) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
center; and
(b) The degree to which the center's evaluation methods and
information activities demonstrate the potential for advancing
significant new knowledge.
The Secretary particularly encourages applicants for this
cooperative agreement to incorporate technologically innovative
approaches in all aspects of center activities, to improve their
efficiency and impact.
The project must budget for two trips annually to Washington, D.C.,
for: (1) A two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) another
meeting, in the first quarter of each project year, to meet and review
project plans and accomplishments with the OSEP project officer and
other OSEP and other agency staff to share information on the project.
For Further Information Contact: Tom V. Hanley, U.S. Department of
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3526, Switzer Building,
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8110. FAX: (202) 205-
8105. Internet: Tom__Hanley@ed.gov
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD)
may call the TDD number: (202) 205-8953.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1426.
Dated: May 3, 1996.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 96-11473 Filed 5-8-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P