[Federal Register: July 9, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 131)]
[Notices]
[Page 40914-40918]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09jy03-70]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[CFDA No.: 84.328R]
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
Special Education--Training and Information for Parents of
Children With Disabilities Program--Technical Assistance for the Parent
Centers (84.328R)
ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year
(FY) 2003.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services invites applications for FY 2003 under the
Special Education--Training and Information for Parents of Children
with Disabilities Program. This program is authorized under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended. This
notice provides closing dates, priorities, and other information
regarding the transmittal of applications.
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.
Eligible Applicants: Nonprofit private organizations.
Applications Available: July 9, 2003.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 8, 2003.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 7, 2003.
Estimated Available Funds:
Focus Area 1: $900,000.
Focus Area 2: $1,500,000.
Estimated Average Size and Maximum Award Amount:
Focus Area 1: $900,000.
Focus Area 2: $250,000.
Estimated Number of Awards:
Focus Area 1: 1.
Focus Area 2: 6.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Page Limit: Part III of the application submitted under this
notice, the application narrative, is where you, the applicant, address
the selection criteria
[[Page 40915]]
that reviewers use in evaluating your application. You must limit Part
III to the equivalent of no more than 70 pages, using the following
standards:
[sbull] A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'' (on one side only) with one-inch
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
[sbull] Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, and captions, as well as all text in charts,
tables, figures, and graphs.
[sbull] Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the
resumes, the bibliography or references, or the letters of support.
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
We will reject your application if--
[sbull] You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
[sbull] You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
Selection Criteria: In evaluating an application for a new award
under this competition, we use selection criteria chosen from the
general selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. The specific
selection criteria to be used for this competition will be provided in
the application package for this competition.
General Requirements
(a) The projects funded under this competition must make positive
efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with
disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).
(b) Applicants and grant recipients under this competition must
involve qualified individuals with disabilities or parents of
individuals with disabilities in planning, implementing, and evaluating
the projects (see section 661(f)(1)(A) of IDEA).
(c) The projects funded under this competition must budget for a
two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC during each year
of the project.
(d) If a project maintains a Web site, it must include relevant
information and documents in an accessible form.
Priorities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet
the following absolute priority: Absolute Priority--Technical
Assistance for the Parent Centers (84.328R)
Background: This priority, authorized under section 684 of IDEA, is
for the purpose of developing, assisting, and coordinating parent
training and information programs carried out by Parent Training and
Information Centers (PTIs) under section 682 and the Community Parent
Resource Centers (CPRCs) under section 683.
A technical assistance component to support the funded centers has
been part of the law since the beginning of the program. This priority
will create a unified technical assistance system that will provide
support to the PTIs and CPRCs, as well as strengthen connections to the
larger technical assistance network that supports research-based
training, including educating parents about effective practices that
improve results for children with disabilities. The priority will also
strengthen partnerships among the PTIs, CPRCs, and State education
systems at the regional and national levels.
Priority: This priority will support cooperative agreements in two
focus areas: (1) A national technical assistance project, the National
Parent Technical Assistance Center (National Parent TAC); and (2) six
regional technical assistance centers, Regional Parent Technical
Assistance Centers (Regional Parent TACs), which will coordinate with
the National Parent TAC and provide direct support to the PTIs and
CPRCs in their identified States based on the best empirical evidence
of how to meet the informational and training needs of families who
have children with disabilities.
Prior to developing any new product, whether paper or electronic,
the projects funded under this priority must submit for approval a
proposal describing the content and purpose of any new product to the
document review board of the Office of Special Education Program's
(OSEP) new Dissemination Center.
Focus Area 1
The National Parent TAC funded under this priority will assist six
Regional Parent TACs in creating a unified technical assistance system
for the PTIs and CPRCs funded under the IDEA.
The National Parent TAC must--
(a) Collaborate with other technical assistance providers and
researchers in developing or adapting resource and training materials
that incorporate scientifically based research and best practices for
use by the PTIs and the CPRCs;
(b) Maintain and update a materials database that aligns with the
OSEP Product Database and the Dissemination Center, which includes
products developed under paragraph (a) and, to the extent possible,
materials in multiple languages and accessible formats;
(c) In collaboration with OSEP, develop an evaluation instrument,
which must be approved by OSEP, to be used by all the funded PTIs and
CPRCs, that measures program effectiveness and outcomes for children;
(d) Establish a mechanism for data collection and reporting that
corresponds to the outcomes established under paragraph (c) and
corresponds to other information needs as determined through
collaboration and coordination with the regional centers and OSEP;
(e) Maximize the computer and technological capacities of the PTIs
and CPRCs by building on the system and network currently in place;
(f) Plan and conduct an annual national conference, in conjunction
with the OSEP project officer and the six Regional Parent TACs, for all
the funded parent centers in this program;
(g) Plan and conduct a New Directors' Conference in November of
each year for all new directors of PTIs and CPRCs;
(h) Provide direct technical assistance to the Military and Native
American National Centers funded under this program;
(i) Collaborate with other technical assistance providers, such as
the Federal Resource Center (FRC), the Regional Resource Centers
(RRCs), and the Dissemination Center, to use available resources, to
access research-based practices and findings, and to participate in
educational and system reform activities to improve results for
children with disabilities;
(j) Coordinate and collaborate with the six Regional Parent TACs
and OSEP to--
(1) Support the development of a unified parent training and
information system that includes ways to improve results for children
with disabilities;
(2) Coordinate special education technical assistance efforts
across regions to benefit and enhance the PTIs and the CPRCs;
(3) Promote partnerships and collaborations with other entities
involved in creating positive outcomes for children with disabilities;
(4) Conduct an assessment of the training and information needs of
the PTIs and the CPRCs (including information on parent involvement and
support for improved outcomes for students), in conjunction with the
six Regional Parent TACs;
[[Page 40916]]
(5) Provide the six Regional Parent TACs with information on
effective models for collaborative training that involves both parents
and professionals who provide education and services to children with
disabilities; and
(6) Provide technical assistance to the PTIs and the CPRCs to
identify and implement effective strategies for working with families
from underserved and underrepresented populations; and
(k) Coordinate and collaborate with the Regional Parent TACs, OSEP,
the FRC, and RRCs to improve collaboration and coordination of effort
among RRCs, PTIs, and CPRCs on the preparation of training materials
that include scientifically based research and best practices and
information on the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).
Focus Area 2
The six Regional Parent TACs funded under this priority will
coordinate with the National Parent TAC in order to promote a unified
system for the provision of technical assistance to PTIs and CPRCs and
to strengthen and enhance OSEP's Technical Assistance and Dissemination
(TA&D) Network.
Each project must--
(a) Provide direct technical assistance to PTIs and CPRCs in its
region;
(b) Provide direct technical assistance and disseminate information
through a variety of mechanisms to individual parent centers on
management processes or content areas (e.g., NCLB, special education
and related services issues, system reform, laws and regulations,
alternative dispute resolution, and networking), as identified through
a needs assessment;
(c) Provide direct technical assistance to each PTI and CPRC in its
region on outreach efforts to underserved and underrepresented
populations;
(d) Collaborate with other technical assistance providers, such as
the FRC, RRCs, and the Dissemination Center, to use available
resources, to access research-based practices and findings, and to
participate in educational and system reform activities;
(e) Collaborate with the National Parent TAC, the FRC, and RRCs to
improve collaboration and coordination of efforts among RRCs, PTIs, and
CPRCs on the preparation of training materials that include
scientifically based research and best practices and information on the
NCLB; and
(f) Coordinate and collaborate with the National Parent TAC to--
(1) Conduct an assessment of the training and information needs of
the PTIs and CPRCs;
(2) Provide direct technical assistance to each parent center to
assist them in measuring program effectiveness and outcomes for
children and to make changes as needed;
(3) Maximize the computer and technological capabilities of the
PTIs and CPRCs by identifying training needs and providing access to
training, supporting a national database of training materials in
multiple languages and accessible formats, supporting an electronic
linkage across all the funded centers using a Web page and bulletin
boards that are user friendly, and implementing other appropriate
strategies; and
(4) Participate in planning the national conference each year and
conduct one regional conference each year.
Geographic Regions
There will be one award in each of the regions identified as
follows:
Region 1 Parent TAC: CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT.
Region 2 Parent TAC: DE, KY, MD, NC, SC, TN, VA, DC, WV.
Region 3 Parent TAC: AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, OK, Puerto Rico, TX, U.S.
Virgin Islands.
Region 4 Parent TAC: IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, OH, PA, WI.
Region 5 Parent TAC: AZ, CO, KS, MT, NE, ND, NM, SD, UT, WY.
Region 6 Parent TAC: AK, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA, the outlying areas of
the Pacific Basin, and the Freely Associated States.
Competitive Preference Priorities: Within the absolute priority, we
will award additional points under the following competitive preference
priority under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applicant organizations that
are otherwise eligible for funding under the absolute priority:
We will award 10 points to applicants that are organizations that
meet the following definition:
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, (1) the parent and professional
members of which are broadly representative of the population to be
served, (2) the majority of whom are parents of children with
disabilities, and (3) 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 interests of individuals
with disabilities and has established a special governing committee
meeting the requirements for a board of directors in paragraph (a) and
has a memorandum of understanding between this special governing
committee 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.
Any parent organization that establishes a special governing
committee under section 682(g)(2) of IDEA must demonstrate that the
bylaws of its organization allow the governing committee to be
responsible for operating the project (consistent with existing fiscal
policies of its organization).
In addition, we will award additional points under the following
competitive preference priority under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to
applicant organizations that are otherwise eligible for funding under
the absolute priority:
We will award 10 points under Focus 2 of the absolute priority to
applicants who are located in the region they are proposing to serve.
Therefore, for the purposes of these competitive preference
priorities, applicants under Focus 1 can be awarded a total of 10
points in addition to those awarded under the published selection
criteria for this program. That is, an applicant meeting the first
competitive preference could earn a maximum total of 110 points.
Applicants under Focus 2 can be awarded a total of 10 points in
addition to those awarded under the published selection criteria for
this program. That is, an applicant meeting the second competitive
preference could earn a maximum total of 110 points. An applicant
meeting both competitive preferences could earn a maximum total of 120
points.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: It is generally our practice to
offer interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed
priorities. However, section 661(e)(2) of IDEA makes the public comment
requirements in the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553)
inapplicable to the priorities in this notice.
Application Procedures
Note:
Some of the procedures in these instructions for transmitting
applications differ from those in the Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.102). Under the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally
offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed
regulations. However, these amendments make procedural changes only
and do not establish new substantive
[[Page 40917]]
policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary has
determined that proposed rulemaking is not required.
Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications
In FY 2003, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to
expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary
grant competitions. The Special Education--Training and Information for
Parents of Children with Disabilities Program--CFDA 84.328R is
one of the programs included in the pilot project. If you are an
applicant under the Special Education--Training and Information for
Parents of Children with Disabilities Program, you may submit your
application to us in either electronic or paper format.
The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-Application). Users of e-Application will be
entering data on-line while completing their applications. You may not
e-mail a soft copy of a grant application to us. If you participate in
this voluntary pilot project by submitting an application
electronically, the data you enter on-line will be saved into a
database. We request your participation in e-Application. We shall
continue to evaluate its success and solicit suggestions for
improvement.
If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
[sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
[sbull] You will not receive any additional point value because you
submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will we penalize
you if you submit an application in paper format. When you enter the e-
Application system, you will find information about its hours of
operation.
[sbull] You may submit all documents electronically, including the
Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
[sbull] After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
[sbull] Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following
these steps:
1. Print ED 424 from e-Application.
2. The institution's Authorizing Representative must sign this
form.
3. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard copy signature page of the ED 424.
4. Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202)
260-1349.
[sbull] We may request that you give us original signatures on all
other forms at a later date.
[sbull] Closing Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability: If
you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot for the Special
Education--Training and Information for Parents of Children with
Disabilities Program and you are prevented from submitting your
application on the closing date because the e-Application system is
unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day in
order to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by hand
delivery. For us to grant this extension--
1. You must be a registered user of e-Application, and have
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
2. (a) The e-Application system must be unavailable for 60 minutes
or more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system must be unavailable for any period of
time during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time
between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the deadline date.
The Department must acknowledge and confirm these periods of
unavailability before granting you an extension. To request this
extension you must contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in
this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or (2) the e-GRANTS
help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Special
Education--Training and Information for Parents of Children with
Disabilities Program at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
We have included additional information about the e-Application
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic
Applications) in the application package.
For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs),
P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, Maryland 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-
877-433-7827. Fax: 1-301-470-1244. If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html.
Or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address:
edpubs@inet.ed.gov
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA 84.328R.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Grants and Contracts Services
Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room
3317, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: 1-202-
205-8207.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document or a copy of
the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large
print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the Grants and
Contracts Services Team listed in this section. However, the Department
is not able to reproduce in an alternative format the standard forms
included in the application package.
Intergovernmental Review
The program in this notice is subject to the requirements of
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the
objectives of the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental
partnership and a strengthened federalism. The Executive order relies
on processes developed by State and local governments for coordination
and review of proposed Federal financial assistance.
This document provides early notification of our specific plans and
actions for this program.
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/nara/index.html.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1484.
[[Page 40918]]
Dated: July 3, 2003.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 03-17360 Filed 7-8-03; 8:45 am]
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