[Federal Register: May 26, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 100)]
[Notice]
[Page 28755-28757]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26my98-98]
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Part III
Department of Education
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Regional Resource and Federal Center Program; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Regional Resource and Federal Center Programs
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of waiver and additional activities.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary waives the requirements in EDGAR at 34 CFR
75.261 as applied to the currently-funded Regional Resource Centers to
require the Centers to carry out certain additional activities. Section
75.261 sets forth the conditions for extending a project period,
including the general prohibition against extending projects that
involve the obligation of additional Federal funds. The Secretary will
issue continuation awards to the Regional Resource Center Programs in
order to ensure the most efficient use of Federal funds.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This waiver takes effect on June 25, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debra Sturdivant, Telephone: (202)
205-8038, or Marie Roane, Telephone: (202) 205-8451. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the deaf may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8:00 A.M.
and 8:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday.
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 person listed in the preceding
paragraph.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 10, 1992 (57 FR 58474), the
Department issued a Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards under
the Regional Resource Center Program for Fiscal Year 1992. In this
notice the Department announced that it would make six awards of up to
60 months under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which directed the Secretary to
support the establishment of Regional Centers that provide
consultation, technical assistance and training to State educational
agencies and, through those State educational agencies, to local
educational agencies and to other appropriate public agencies providing
special education and related services and early intervention services.
The grant period for the six centers ends May 31, 1998. In order to
carry out activities relating to implementation of the IDEA Amendments
of 1997 as stated by the Senate Appropriations Committee in its report
accompanying the Department's fiscal year 1998 appropriations act, it
is necessary to issue continuation awards to the existing grantees.
Specifically, the Senate report states that the Secretary should
provide training and disseminate information to State and local
administrators, teachers, related services personnel, parents of
children with disabilities, and other appropriate parties on the
implementation of the 1997 amendments.
The Department is utilizing a number of strategies to carry out
this directive. Because the Regional Resource Centers (RRCs) have a
primary role in assisting States in implementing the IDEA Amendments of
1997, these organizations are well-positioned to play a key part in
this training and information effort. In particular, the Secretary
plans for the RRCs to conduct a series of regional institutes for
educational excellence. The purposes of the regional institutes are:
(1) To ensure that State education agency personnel, local school
personnel and parents receive high-quality, accurate training on the
IDEA Amendments of 1997 in order to improve results for students with
disabilities through improved teaching and learning;
(2) To build field support as part of the implementation of the
IDEA Amendments of 1997 that is community-based and grounded in the
context of improving schooling and results for children; and
(3) To ensure the involvement of State education agencies, local
school personnel, parents, Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)--supported technical assistance and
dissemination services, State technical assistance providers, and
topical research centers in the development of strategies and models to
implement the IDEA Amendments of 1997.
Because the regional institutes would be held during the summer of
1998, the project period for the current Regional Resource Centers must
be extended to enable the RRCs to both plan and conduct the institutes.
The Secretary believes that it is essential that the RRCs conduct the
institutes given the RRCs technical assistance expertise and experience
in carrying out similar activities.
Based on the foregoing, the Secretary believes that it makes the
most programmatic sense and is the most efficient use of Federal funds
to issue continuation awards. However, to do so, the Department must
waive the requirements in EDGAR at 34 CFR 75.261 as well as provide for
the new activities stated in this notice. That provision includes a
prohibition against project period extensions that involve the
obligation of additional Federal funds.
Reasons
There is an immediate need to provide training and information to
the populations that will be targeted by the regional institutes.
Waiting until after a new RRC competition to hold the institutes would
severely hinder the Department's efforts to address the critical needs
that are now present in the regions. The current RRCs have already
conducted extensive training and information activities related to
State implementation of the Amendments and are best suited to conduct
the regional institutes.
Therefore, the Department will issue continuation awards to the
current grantees for four (4) months.
Public Comment
On March 26, 1998, the Secretary published a notice of proposed
waiver for the current RRCs in the Federal Register (63 FR 14790). In
the notice of proposed waiver the Secretary invited public comments.
The Secretary did not receive any comments.
Waiver
The Secretary waives the application of 34 CFR 75.261 to the RRCs
authorized under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act. Thus, the Department will issue four (4) month continuation awards
to the current grantees consistent with the standards for continuation
in 34 CFR 75.253.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is 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, this document is intended to provide
early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for
this program.
Electronic Access to This Document
Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the
following sites:
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
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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 preceding sites. If
you have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government
Printing Office toll free at 1-888-293-6498.
Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register.
Dated: May 19, 1998.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.028, Technical
Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for
Children with Disabilities)
[FR Doc. 98-13808 Filed 5-22-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P