[Federal Register: June 19, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 118)]
[Notices]
[Page 36875-36878]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19jn03-137]
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Part II
Department of Education
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Rehabilitation Continuing Education Programs; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
RIN 1820-ZA14
Rehabilitation Continuing Education Programs
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education
and Rehabilitative Services proposes priorities under the
Rehabilitation Continuing Education Programs. The Assistant Secretary
may use these priorities for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2003 and
in later years. We take this action to focus on training in an
identified area of national need. The purpose of these priorities is to
select entities to provide leadership for the Institute on
Rehabilitation Issues (IRI) topic study groups and to plan and conduct
the National IRI Forum. We intend these priorities to meet the needs of
our customers by improving the responsiveness of the IRI study process
to changes in the field of vocational rehabilitation (VR).
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before July 21, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about these proposed priorities to
Christine Marschall, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue,
SW., Switzer Building, room 3325, Washington, DC 20202-2649. If you
prefer to send your comments through the Internet, use the following
address: Christine.Marschall@ed.gov.
You must include the term ``Rehabilitation Continuing Education
Programs'' in the subject line of your electronic message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Marschall. Telephone: (202)
205-8926 or via Internet: Christine.Marschall@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the TDD number at (202) 205-8133.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Invitation To Comment
We invite you to submit comments regarding these proposed
priorities. To ensure that your comments have maximum effect in
developing the notice of final priorities, we urge you to identify
clearly the specific proposed priority that each comment addresses.
We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of
reducing regulatory burden that might result from these proposed
priorities. Please let us know of any further opportunities we should
take to reduce potential costs or increase potential benefits while
preserving the effective and efficient administration of the program.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments about these proposed priorities in room 3036, 330 C Street
SW., Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern
time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal holidays.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Rulemaking
Record
On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public
rulemaking record for these proposed priorities. If you want to
schedule an appointment for this type of aid, please contact the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
The Rehabilitation Continuing Education Programs--
(a) Train newly employed State agency staff at the administrative,
supervisory, professional, paraprofessional, or clerical levels in
order to develop needed skills for effective agency performance;
(b) Provide training opportunities for experienced State agency
personnel at all levels of State agency practice to upgrade their
skills and to develop mastery of new program developments dealing with
significant issues, priorities, and legislative thrusts of the State
and Federal vocational rehabilitation program; and
(c) Develop and conduct training programs for staff of--
(1) Private rehabilitation agencies and facilities that cooperate
with State vocational rehabilitation units in providing vocational
rehabilitation and other rehabilitation services;
(2) Centers for independent living; and
(3) Client assistance programs.
We will announce the final priorities in a notice in the Federal
Register. We will determine the final priorities after considering
responses to this notice and other information available to the
Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing or funding
additional priorities, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking
requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use these proposed priorities, we invite
applications through a notice in the Federal Register. When inviting
applications we designate each priority as absolute, competitive
preference, or invitational. The effect of each type of priority
follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by either:
(1) Awarding additional points, depending on how well or the extent to
which the application meets the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or
(2) selecting an application that meets the competitive priority over
an application of comparable merit that does not meet the priority (34
CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the invitational
priority. However, we do not give an application that meets the
priority a competitive or absolute preference over other applications
(34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Priorities
Proposed Priority 1--Leadership of IRI Primary Study Group Background
The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) has sponsored
national study groups currently known as the Institute on
Rehabilitation Issues (IRI) for 55 years. The IRI process consists of
groups of between 10 and 15 subject experts from the field of
rehabilitation, referred to as IRI scholars, known as Primary Study
Groups (PSG), which meet a minimum of three times over the course of
the project year to study a selected topic. Two topics are selected
annually by the RSA Commissioner, in consultation with the IRI planning
committee, which consists of members from RSA, State VR agencies,
persons served by State VR agencies, rehabilitation educational
institutions, and one additional member who is a family member of a
person with a disability or is a representative of a community-based
rehabilitation program or an organization of persons with disabilities.
PSG chairpersons and members are selected by the RSA Commissioner, with
input from the Council of State Administrators of Vocational
Rehabilitation, the National Organization of Rehabilitation Partners,
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State VR agencies, consumer organizations, and other stakeholders.
Through a minimum of two face-to-face meetings and other meetings, as
necessary, the PSG members collect research data on one of the two
selected topics, identify relevant professional practices, and develop,
design, and write a study document that provides in-depth analysis of
their designated topic as it relates to the practice of public
rehabilitation. Public rehabilitation is defined for the purpose of
this priority as the State VR agency and other agencies funded under
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Project staff ensures that
the PSG process includes the input of all PSG members, helps the PSG to
identify appropriate resources for the review process, and advises the
PSG in the product design, development, and production. A final
national meeting of the PSG members and constituents and stakeholders
of the public rehabilitation system (the National IRI Forum) is
conducted to review all IRI documents produced in the study year.
Participants provide input and feedback to the study group regarding
the documents prior to publication. Each project submits a final draft
of its IRI document to RSA for review and, upon RSA approval,
disseminates the document in electronic and hard copy formats to State
VR agencies, the National Clearinghouse on Rehabilitation Training
Materials, and other interested entities for use in personnel training
and service planning. The intent of this priority is to select the
entity or entities to lead two PSGs annually during the 5-year project
period.
Priority: This priority funds projects to lead a PSG on a topic
selected by the IRI Planning Committee. Projects must demonstrate the
ability to provide leadership to members of the PSG that results in the
production of a high quality document in the assigned topic area.
Projects must ensure that documents are relevant to the public
rehabilitation system and to the work of VR counselors and accurately
interpret and integrate the current body of knowledge of the selected
topic contained in published professional research and demonstrations.
Specifically, projects must demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of
and understanding of relevant current and emerging issues in the public
rehabilitation system, the public VR program, and the continuing
education needs of VR personnel and related professionals. Projects
must have the demonstrated ability to direct a rehabilitation research
investigation in cooperation with a variety of experienced
participants.
Projects must provide leadership to all phases of the IRI process,
including assisting PSG members to define the areas of focus for the
designated topic, to identify and address the continuing education
needs of personnel of the public rehabilitation system, and to plan and
write the project document. Projects must ensure that the group product
meets the expectation of the IRI Planning Committee in terms of content
areas and depth of review. At the conclusion of the National IRI Forum,
projects must submit the final version of the IRI document to RSA for
approval. Projects must distribute the approved document to State VR
agencies and to others in an accessible format on request for use in
staff development, training, and service planning.
Projects must include a plan to meet the communication,
coordination, logistical, and budgetary requirements necessary to
conduct at least three in-person meetings of the PSG, one of which must
take place at the National IRI Forum in Washington, DC, at the end of
the project year.
Proposed Priority 2--Leadership of the National IRI Forum Background
The National IRI Forum is held annually in Washington, DC, in May
of each project year to enable various constituents and stakeholders of
the public rehabilitation system to provide additional input on the
draft documents prepared by the IRI study groups. The intent of this
priority is to select the entity that will plan and lead the National
IRI Forum to ensure that products of the two IRI PSGs receive a
thorough review from interested stakeholders prior to publication.
Priority: This priority funds projects to plan and to lead the
annual National IRI Forum of PSG members and other stakeholders in each
year of the project period. Projects must demonstrate in-depth
knowledge of current, relevant issues in the public rehabilitation
system and of methods to facilitate professional development and
continuing education activities. Project staff, in cooperation with the
IRI Planning Committee, must identify and solicit key stakeholders to
provide input and feedback on selected IRI topics, and facilitate
discussion and input sessions of diverse individuals with a wide
variety of backgrounds so that each of the two IRI PSGs receives
feedback on its draft document in a collaborative and positive manner.
Projects must provide a detailed plan for all aspects of the
planning and coordination of the meeting, including, but not limited
to, facilitation of document feedback sessions, site planning,
coordination of accommodations and travel for PSG members funded by the
project, coordination of accommodations requested by other
participants, and the provision of on-site support services, including
the provision of reasonable accommodations upon request. Projects must
include a description of a process and methods that will result in high
quality input on the IRI documents presented for review.
Executive Order 12866
This notice of proposed priorities has been reviewed in accordance
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order, we have
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with the notice of proposed
priorities are those resulting from statutory requirements and those we
have determined as necessary for administering these programs
effectively and efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this notice of proposed priorities, we have
determined that the benefits of the proposed priorities justify the
costs.
We have also determined that this regulatory action does not unduly
interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the exercise of
their governmental functions.
Summary of potential costs and benefits: The potential costs
associated with these proposed priorities are minimal, while the
benefits are significant. Grantees may anticipate costs associated with
completing the application process in terms of staff time, copying, and
mailing or delivery. The use of e-Grants and e-Application technology
reduces mailing and copying costs significantly. In starting and
administrating this program, because of the eligibility requirements of
the Rehabilitation Continuing Education Programs, the successful
grantee would require no significant costs other than those provided
for by the grant award funds, with the exception of those accounted for
by the grantee's required share of the project budget. The grantee's
cost share obligation is 10 percent.
The benefits of the IRI process have been well established over the
years that similar projects have been completed. These proposed
priorities serve to solicit projects from the full eligibility base
allowed by program regulations in order to identify the best resources
for
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the IRI process. The IRI process brings together diverse professionals
from rehabilitation to publish and distribute best practices related to
topics selected based on their immediate relevance to the field. IRIs
contribute significantly to enhanced staff knowledge and skill and to
improved service to persons with disabilities throughout the
rehabilitation field. In addition, because of the nature of the IRI PSG
process, PSG members establish professional relationships with others
on a national basis and enhance their own understanding of the topic,
professional writing, and trends of national importance in the
rehabilitation field. One anecdotal benefit of IRI participation has
been that PSG members often return to their employment with an
increased commitment to rehabilitation. Benefits to the Federal
Government include the production of a low-cost, high quality tool for
the training and development of rehabilitation staff, positive regard
from our professional partners, and improved services to individuals
with disabilities.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive
order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened
federalism. The Executive order relies on processes developed by State
and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal
financial assistance. This document provides early notification of our
specific plans and actions for this program.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR parts 385 and 389.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.264A
Rehabilitation Training--Rehabilitation Continuing Education
Programs)
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 772.
Dated: January 16, 2003.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 03-15416 Filed 6-18-03; 8:45 am]
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