FR Doc E6-20022
[Federal Register: November 27, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 227)]
[Notices]
[Page 68571-68577]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27no06-62]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information
State Personnel Development Grants Program
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2006
(to be awarded in FY 2007)
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.323A.
Dates: Applications Available: November 27, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 29, 2007.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 29, 2007.
Eligible Applicants: A State educational agency (SEA) of one of the
50 States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
or an outlying area (United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American
Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). Current
State Program Improvement Grant grantees with multi-year awards who
wish to apply for a grant under the State Personnel Development Grants
Program may do so, subject to section 651(e) of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which prohibits a State requesting a
continuation award under the State Improvement Grant Program, as in
effect prior to December 3, 2004, from receiving any other award under
this program authority for that fiscal year.
Estimated Available Funds: $28,600,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: In the case of the 50 States, the
District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, award
amounts will be not less than $500,000, nor more than $4,000,000. In
the case of an outlying area, awards will be not less than $80,000.
Note: Consistent with 34 CFR Sec. 75.104(b) of the Education
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), we will
reject, without consideration or evaluation, any application that
proposes a project funding level for any fiscal year that exceeds
the stated maximum award amount of $4,000,000 for that fiscal year.
We will set the amount of each grant after considering--
(1) The amount of funds available for making grants;
(2) The relative population of the State or outlying area;
(3) The types of activities proposed by the State or outlying area;
(4) The alignment of proposed activities with section 612(a)(14) of
IDEA;
(5) The alignment of proposed activities with State plans and
applications submitted under sections 1111 and 2112, respectively, of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA);
and
(6) The use, as appropriate, of scientifically-based research and
instruction.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,020,000, excluding outlying
areas.
Estimated Number of Awards: 28.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Not less than one year and not more than five
years.
[[Page 68572]]
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to assist SEAs
in reforming and improving their systems for personnel preparation and
professional development in early intervention, educational, and
transition services in order to improve results for children with
disabilities.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v) this priority
is from the notice of final priority for this program published in the
Federal Register on June 9, 2006 (71 FR 33578).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR Sec. 75.105(c)(3), we consider only
applications that meet this priority.
Priority: The Assistant Secretary establishes a priority to assist
SEAs in reforming and improving their personnel preparation and
professional development systems for teachers, principals,
administrators, related services personnel, paraprofessionals, and
early intervention personnel. The intent of this priority is to improve
educational results for children with disabilities through the delivery
of high quality instruction and the recruitment, hiring, and retention
of highly qualified special education teachers.
In order to meet this priority an applicant must demonstrate that
the project for which it seeks funding--
(1) Provides professional development activities that improve the
knowledge and skills of personnel as defined in section 651(b) of IDEA
in delivering scientifically-based instruction to meet the needs of,
and improve the performance and achievement of infants, toddlers,
preschoolers, and children with disabilities; (2) Implements practices
to sustain the knowledge and skills of personnel who have received
training in scientifically-based instruction; and (3) Implements
strategies that are effective in promoting the recruitment, hiring, and
retention of highly qualified special education teachers in accordance
with section 602(10) and section 612(a)(14) of IDEA.
Projects funded under this priority must also:
(a) Budget for a three-day Project Directors' meeting in
Washington, DC during each year of the project;
(b) Budget $4,000 annually for support of the State Personnel
Development Grants Program Web site currently administered by the
University of Oregon (http://www.signetwork.org); and
(c) If a project receiving assistance under this program authority
maintains a Web site, include relevant information and documents in a
form that meets a government or industry-recognized standard for
accessibility.
Statutory Requirements
State Personnel Development Plan
Applicants must submit a State Personnel Development Plan that
identifies and addresses the State and local needs for personnel
preparation and professional development of personnel, as well as
individuals who provide direct supplementary aids and services to
children with disabilities, and that--
(a) Is designed to enable the State to meet the requirements of
section 612(a)(14) and section 635(a) (8) and (9) of IDEA;
(b) Is based on an assessment of State and local needs that
identifies critical aspects and areas in need of improvement related to
the preparation, ongoing training, and professional development of
personnel who serve infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children with
disabilities within the State, including--
(i) Current and anticipated personnel vacancies and shortages; and
(ii) The number of preservice and inservice programs; and
(c) Is integrated and aligned, to the maximum extent possible, with
State plans and activities under the ESEA, the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, as amended, and the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended
(HEA);
(d) Describes a partnership agreement that is in effect for the
period of the grant, which agreement shall specify--
(i) The nature and extent of the partnership described in
accordance with section 652(b) of IDEA and the respective roles of each
member of the partnership, including, if applicable, an individual,
entity, or agency other than the SEA that has the responsibility under
State law for teacher preparation and certification; and
(ii) How the SEA will work with other persons and organizations
involved in, and concerned with, the education of children with
disabilities, including the respective roles of each of the persons and
organizations;
(e) Describes how the strategies and activities the SEA uses to
address identified professional development and personnel needs will be
coordinated with activities supported with other public resources
(including funds provided under Part B and Part C of IDEA and retained
for use at the State level for personnel and professional development
purposes) and private resources;
(f) Describes how the SEA will align its personnel development plan
with the plan and application submitted under sections 1111 and 2112,
respectively, of the ESEA;
(g) Describes those strategies the SEA will use to address the
identified professional development and personnel needs and how such
strategies will be implemented, including--
(i) A description of the programs and activities that will provide
personnel with the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of, and
improve the performance and achievement of, infants, toddlers,
preschoolers, and children with disabilities; and
(ii) How such strategies will be integrated, to the maximum extent
possible, with other activities supported by grants funded under
section 662 of IDEA;
(h) Provides an assurance that the SEA will provide technical
assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) to improve the quality
of professional development available to meet the needs of personnel
who serve children with disabilities;
(i) Provides an assurance that the SEA will provide technical
assistance to entities that provide services to infants and toddlers
with disabilities to improve the quality of professional development
available to meet the needs of personnel serving those children;
(j) Describes how the SEA will recruit and retain highly qualified
teachers and other qualified personnel in geographic areas of greatest
need;
(k) Describes the steps the SEA will take to ensure that
economically disadvantaged and minority children are not taught at
higher rates by teachers who are not highly qualified; and
(l) Describes how the SEA will assess, on a regular basis, the
extent to which the strategies implemented have been effective in
meeting the performance goals described in section 612(a)(15) of IDEA.
Partnerships
Required Partners
Applicants shall establish a partnership with LEAs and other State
agencies involved in, or concerned with, the education of children with
disabilities, including--
(a) Not less than one institution of higher education; and
(b) The State agencies responsible for administering Part C of
IDEA, early education, child care, and vocational rehabilitation
programs.
Other Partners
An SEA shall work in partnership with other persons and
organizations
[[Page 68573]]
involved in, and concerned with, the education of children with
disabilities, which may include--
(a) The Governor;
(b) Parents of children with disabilities ages birth through 26;
(c) Parents of nondisabled children ages birth through 26;
(d) Individuals with disabilities;
(e) Parent training and information centers or community parent
resource centers funded under sections 671 and 672 of IDEA,
respectively;
(f) Community-based and other nonprofit organizations involved in
the education and employment of individuals with disabilities;
(g) Personnel as defined in section 651(b) of IDEA;
(h) The State advisory panel established under Part B of IDEA;
(i) The State interagency coordinating council established under
Part C of IDEA;
(j) Individuals knowledgeable about vocational education;
(k) The State agency for higher education;
(l) Noneducational public agencies with jurisdiction in the areas
of health, mental health, social services, and juvenile justice;
(m) Other providers of professional development who work with
infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children with disabilities;
(n) Other individuals; and
(o) In cases where the SEA is not responsible for teacher
certification, an individual, entity, or agency responsible for teacher
certification as defined in section 652(b)(3) of IDEA.
Use of funds
(a) Professional Development Activities--Consistent with this
priority, each SEA that receives a State Personnel Development Grant
under this program shall use the grant funds to support activities in
accordance with the State's Personnel Development Plan, including one
or more of the following:
(1) Carrying out programs that provide support to both special
education and regular education teachers of children with disabilities
and principals, such as programs that--
(i) Provide teacher mentoring, team teaching, reduced class
schedules and case loads, and intensive professional development;
(ii) Use standards or assessments for guiding beginning teachers
that are consistent with challenging State student academic achievement
and functional standards and with the requirements for professional
development, as defined in section 9101 of the ESEA; and
(iii) Encourage collaborative and consultative models of providing
early intervention, special education, and related services.
(2) Encouraging and supporting the training of special education
and regular education teachers and administrators to effectively use
and integrate technology--
(i) Into curricula and instruction, including training to improve
the ability to collect, manage, and analyze data to improve teaching,
decision-making, school improvement efforts, and accountability;
(ii) To enhance learning by children with disabilities; and
(iii) To effectively communicate with parents.
(3) Providing professional development activities that--
(i) Improve the knowledge of special education and regular
education teachers concerning--
(A) The academic and developmental or functional needs of students
with disabilities; or
(B) Effective instructional strategies, methods, and skills, and
the use of State academic content standards and student academic
achievement and functional standards, and State assessments, to improve
teaching practices and student academic achievement;
(ii) Improve the knowledge of special education and regular
education teachers and principals and, in appropriate cases,
paraprofessionals, concerning effective instructional practices, that--
(A) Provide training in how to teach and address the needs of
children with different learning styles and children who are limited
English proficient;
(B) Involve collaborative groups of teachers, administrators, and,
in appropriate cases, related services personnel;
(C) Provide training in methods of--
(I) Positive behavioral interventions and supports to improve
student behavior in the classroom;
(II) Scientifically-based reading instruction, including early
literacy instruction;
(III) Early and appropriate interventions to identify and help
children with disabilities;
(IV) Effective instruction for children with low incidence
disabilities;
(V) Successful transitioning to postsecondary opportunities; and
(VI) Classroom-based techniques to assist children prior to
referral for special education;
(D) Provide training to enable personnel to work with and involve
parents in their child's education, including parents of low income and
limited English proficient children with disabilities;
(E) Provide training for special education personnel and regular
education personnel in planning, developing, and implementing effective
and appropriate individualized education programs (IEPs); and
(F) Provide training to meet the needs of students with significant
health, mobility, or behavioral needs prior to serving those students;
(iii) Train administrators, principals, and other relevant school
personnel in conducting effective IEP meetings; and
(iv) Train early intervention, preschool, and related services
providers, and other relevant school personnel, in conducting effective
individualized family service plan (IFSP) meetings.
(4) Developing and implementing initiatives to promote the
recruitment and retention of highly qualified special education
teachers, particularly initiatives that have been proven effective in
recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, including programs
that provide--
(i) Teacher mentoring from exemplary special education teachers,
principals, or superintendents;
(ii) Induction and support for special education teachers during
their first three years of employment as teachers; or
(iii) Incentives, including financial incentives, to retain special
education teachers who have a record of success in helping students
with disabilities.
(5) Carrying out programs and activities that are designed to
improve the quality of personnel who serve children with disabilities,
such as--
(i) Innovative professional development programs (which may be
provided through partnerships that include institutions of higher
education), including programs that train teachers and principals to
integrate technology into curricula and instruction to improve
teaching, learning, and technology literacy, which professional
development shall be consistent with the definition of professional
development in section 9101 of the ESEA; and
(ii) The development and use of proven, cost effective strategies
for the implementation of professional development activities, such as
through the use of technology and distance learning.
(6) Carrying out programs and activities that are designed to
improve the quality of early intervention personnel, including
paraprofessionals and primary referral sources, such as--
[[Page 68574]]
(i) Professional development programs to improve the delivery of
early intervention services;
(ii) Initiatives to promote the recruitment and retention of early
intervention personnel; and
(iii) Interagency activities to ensure that early intervention
personnel are adequately prepared and trained.
(b) Other Activities--Consistent with this priority, each SEA that
receives a State Personnel Development Grant under this program shall
use the grant funds to support activities in accordance with the
State's Personnel Development Plan, including one or more of the
following:
(1) Reforming special education and regular education teacher
certification (including recertification) or licensing requirements to
ensure that--
(i) Special education and regular education teachers have--
(A) The training and information necessary to address the full
range of needs of children with disabilities across disability
categories; and
(B) The necessary subject matter knowledge and teaching skills in
the academic subjects that the teachers teach;
(ii) Special education and regular education teacher certification
(including recertification) or licensing requirements are aligned with
challenging State academic content standards; and
(iii) Special education and regular education teachers have the
subject matter knowledge and teaching skills, including technology
literacy, necessary to help students with disabilities meet challenging
State student academic achievement and functional standards.
(2) Programs that establish, expand, or improve alternative routes
for State certification of special education teachers for highly
qualified individuals with a baccalaureate or master's degree,
including mid-career professionals from other occupations,
paraprofessionals, and recent college or university graduates with
records of academic distinction who demonstrate the potential to become
highly effective special education teachers.
(3) Teacher advancement initiatives for special education teachers
that promote professional growth and emphasize multiple career paths
(such as paths to becoming a career teacher, mentor teacher, or
exemplary teacher) and pay differentiation.
(4) Developing and implementing mechanisms to assist LEAs and
schools in effectively recruiting and retaining highly qualified
special education teachers.
(5) Reforming tenure systems, implementing teacher testing for
subject matter knowledge, and implementing teacher testing for State
certification or licensing, consistent with Title II of the HEA.
(6) Funding projects to promote reciprocity of teacher
certification or licensing between or among States for special
education teachers, except that no reciprocity agreement developed
under this priority may lead to the weakening of any State teacher
certification or licensing requirement.
(7) Assisting LEAs to serve children with disabilities through the
development and use of proven, innovative strategies to deliver
intensive professional development programs that are both cost
effective and easily accessible, such as strategies that involve
delivery through the use of technology, peer networks, and distance
learning.
(8) Developing, or assisting LEAs in developing, merit based
performance systems, and strategies that provide differential and bonus
pay for special education teachers.
(9) Supporting activities that ensure that teachers are able to use
challenging State academic content standards and student academic
achievement and functional standards, and State assessments for all
children with disabilities, to improve instructional practices and
improve the academic achievement of children with disabilities.
(10) When applicable, coordinating with, and expanding centers
established under, section 2113(c)(18) of the ESEA to benefit special
education teachers.
(c) Contracts and Subgrants--An SEA that receives a grant under
this program--
(1) Shall award contracts or subgrants to LEAs, institutions of
higher education, parent training and information centers, or community
parent resource centers, as appropriate, to carry out the State plan;
and
(2) May award contracts and subgrants to other public and private
entities, including the lead agency under Part C of IDEA, to carry out
the State plan.
(d) Use of Funds for Professional Development--An SEA that receives
a grant under this program shall use--
(1) Not less than 90 percent of the funds the SEA receives under
the grant for any fiscal year for the Professional Development
Activities described in paragraph (a); and
(2) Not more than 10 percent of the funds the SEA receives under
the grant for any fiscal year for the Other Activities described in
paragraph (b).
(e) Grants to Outlying Areas--Public Law 95-134, permitting the
consolidation of grants to the outlying areas, shall not apply to funds
received under this program authority.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1451 through 1455.
Applicable Regulations: (a) EDGAR in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79,
80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final priority
for this program published in the Federal Register on June 9, 2006 (71
FR 33578).
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $28,600,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: In the case of the 50 States, the
District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, award
amounts will be not less than $500,000, nor more than $4,000,000. In
the case of an outlying area awards will be not less than $80,000.
Note: Consistent with 34 CFR Sec. 75.104(b) of EDGAR, we will
reject, without consideration or evaluation, any application that
proposes a project funding level for any fiscal year that exceeds
the stated maximum award amount of $4,000,000 for that fiscal year.
We will set the amount of each grant after considering--
(1) The amount of funds available for making the grants;
(2) The relative population of the State or outlying area;
(3) The types of activities proposed by the State or outlying area;
(4) The alignment of proposed activities with section 612(a)(14) of
IDEA;
(5) The alignment of proposed activities with State plans and
applications submitted under sections 1111 and 2112, respectively, of
the ESEA; and
(6) The use, as appropriate, of scientifically-based research and
instruction.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,020,000, excluding outlying
areas.
Estimated Number of Awards: 28.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Not less than one year and not more than five
years.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: An SEA of one of the 50 States, the
District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or an outlying
area (United
[[Page 68575]]
States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands). Current State Program Improvement Grant
grantees with multi-year awards who wish to apply for a grant under the
State Personnel Development Grants Program may do so, subject to
section 651(e) of IDEA, which prohibits a State requesting a
continuation award under the State Improvement Grant Program, as in
effect prior to December 3, 2004, from receiving any other award under
this program authority for that fiscal year.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: General Requirements--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).
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (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 Number 84.323A.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact
person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of
this notice.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition. Page
Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where
you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use
to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to the equivalent
of no more than 100 pages, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
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, the 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.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: November 27, 2006. Deadline for Transmittal
of Applications: March 27, 2007.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by
mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission
Requirements in this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 29, 2007.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
We have been accepting applications electronically through the
Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on
those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are
continuing to participate as a partner in the new governmentwide
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2007. The State Personnel Development
Grants Program--CFDA Number 84.323A is one of the competitions included
in this project. We request your participation in Grants.gov.
If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must
use the Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through this
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package,
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You
may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
You may access the electronic grant application for the State
Personnel Development Grants Program--CFDA Number 84.323A at: http://www.grants.gov.
You must search for the downloadable application
package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA
number's alpha suffix in your search.
Please note the following:
Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we
retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are
rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this competition
[[Page 68576]]
to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the
Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission
Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf
.
To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must
complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps
include (1) registering your organization, (2) registering yourself as
an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting
authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on these steps are
outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf
). You also
must provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this
registration. Please note that the registration process may take five
or more business days to complete, and you must have completed all
registration steps to allow you to successfully submit an application
via Grants.gov.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you submit your application in paper format.
You may submit all documents electronically, including all
information typically included on the following forms: Application for
Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental
Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs
(ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Please note
that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the Department of Education
Supplemental Information for SF 424--have replaced the ED 424
(Application for Federal Education Assistance). If you choose to submit
your application electronically, you must attach any narrative sections
of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or
.PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type other than
the three file types specified above or submit a password protected
file, we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying
number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date. Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of
System Unavailability
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an
application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date,
please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For
Further Information Contact, and provide an explanation of the
technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your
application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with
the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to
submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a
determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.
Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system.
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to
the Grants.gov system.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the
original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable
following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.323A), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260. or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.323A), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service,
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier, or
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark, or
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery,
you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of
your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date,
to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.323A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department:
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 11 of SF 424 the CFDA number--and suffix
letter, if any--of the competition under which you are submitting
your application.
(2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
[[Page 68577]]
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
2. Treating A Priority As Two Separate Competitions: In the past,
there have been problems in finding peer reviewers without conflicts of
interest for competitions in which many entities throughout the country
submit applications. The Standing Panel requirements under IDEA also
have placed additional constraints on the availability of reviewers.
Therefore, the Department has determined that, for some discretionary
competitions, applications may be separated into two or more groups and
ranked and selected for funding within the specific group. This
procedure will ensure the availability of a much larger group of
reviewers without conflicts of interest. It also will increase the
quality, independence and fairness of the review process and permit
panel members to review applications under discretionary competitions
for which they have also submitted applications. However, if the
Department decides to select for funding an equal number of
applications in each group, this may result in different cut-off points
for fundable applications in each group.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: The goal of the State Personnel
Development Grants (SPDG) Program is to reform and improve State
systems for personnel preparation and professional development in early
intervention, educational, and transition services in order to improve
results for children with disabilities. Under the Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the Department has developed
performance measures to assess the success of the program in meeting
these goals. These measures are: (1) The percent of personnel receiving
professional development through the SPDG program based on scientific-
or evidence-based instructional practices; (2) the percentage of SPDG
projects that have implemented personnel development/training
activities that are aligned with improvement strategies identified in
their State Performance Plan (SPP); (3) the percentage of professional
development/training activities provided through the SPDG program based
on scientific- or evidence-based instructional/behavioral practices;
(4) the percentage of professional development/training activities
based on scientific- or evidence-based instructional/behavioral
practices, provided through the SPDG program, that are sustained
through ongoing and comprehensive practices (e.g., mentoring, coaching,
structured guidance, modeling, continuous inquiry, etc.); and (5) in
States with SPDG projects that have special education teacher retention
as a goal, the Statewide percentage of highly qualified special
education teachers in State-identified professional disciplines (e.g.,
teachers of children with emotional disturbance, deafness, etc.)
consistent with sections 602(a)(10) and 612(a)(14) of IDEA, who remain
teaching after the first three years of employment.
Each grantee must annually report its performance on these measures
in the project's annual performance report to the Department in
accordance with section 653(d) of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.590.
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Larry Wexler, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4019, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7571.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request by contacting the following office: The Grants and
Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550.
Telephone: (202) 245-7363.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
.
Dated: November 20, 2006.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. E6-20022 Filed 11-24-06; 8:45 am]
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