FR Doc 05-22258
[Federal Register: November 8, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 215)]
[Notices]
[Page 67680-67685]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08no05-29]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Training and Information for Parents of Children With
Disabilities--Community Parent Resource Centers; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.328C.
DATES: Applications Available: November 8, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 3, 2006.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 4, 2006.
Eligible Applicants: Local parent organizations, as defined in
section III. Eligibility Information in this notice.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$25,964,000 for the Training and Information for Parents of Children
with Disabilities program for FY 2006, of which we intend to use an
estimated $1,000,000 for the Community Parent Resource Centers
competition. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final
congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow
enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates
funds for this program.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $100,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $100,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The
Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
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.
Priorities: This competition contains an absolute priority and a
competitive preference priority. In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(iv) and (v), these priorities are from allowable
activities specified in the statute, or otherwise authorized in the
statute (see sections 672 and 681(d) of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)).
[[Page 67681]]
Absolute Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
Community Parent Resource Centers
Background: This priority supports community parent training and
information centers in targeted communities that will provide
underserved parents of children with disabilities, including low-income
parents, parents of limited English proficient children, and parents
with disabilities in that community, with the training and information
they need to enable them to participate effectively in helping their
children with disabilities to--
(a) Meet developmental and functional goals, and challenging
academic achievement goals that have been established for all children;
and
(b) Be prepared to lead productive, independent adult lives, to the
maximum extent possible.
In addition, a purpose of this priority is to ensure that children
with disabilities and their parents receive training and information on
their rights, responsibilities, and protections under IDEA in order to
develop the skills necessary to cooperatively and effectively
participate in planning and decision making relating to early
intervention, educational, and transitional services.
Text of Priority: Each community parent resource center assisted
under this priority shall--
(a) Provide training and information that meets the training and
information needs of parents of children with disabilities within the
proposed targeted community to be served by the center, particularly
underserved parents and parents of children who may be inappropriately
identified as having disabilities when they do not have them;
Note: For purposes of this priority, ``community to be served''
refers to a community whose members experience significant isolation
from available sources of information and support as a result of
cultural, economic, linguistic, or other circumstances deemed
appropriate by the Secretary.
(b) Carry out the activities required of parent training and
information centers under section 671(b) of IDEA, which are listed as
follows:
(1) Serve the parents of infants, toddlers, and children, from ages
birth through 26, with the full range of disabilities described in
section 602(3) of IDEA.
(2) Familiarize themselves with the provision of special education,
related services, and early intervention services in the areas they
serve to help ensure that children with disabilities are receiving
appropriate services.
(3) Ensure that the training and information provided meets the
needs of low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient
children.
(4) Assist parents to--
(A) Better understand the nature of their children's disabilities
and their educational, developmental, and transitional needs;
(B) Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with personnel
responsible for providing special education, early intervention
services, transition services, and related services;
(C) Participate in decision making processes, including those
regarding participation in State and local assessments, and the
development of individualized education programs under Part B of IDEA
and individualized family service plans under Part C of IDEA;
(D) Obtain appropriate information about the range, type, and
quality of--
(1) options, programs, services, technologies, practices and
interventions that are based on scientifically based research, to the
extent practicable; and
(2) resources available to assist children with disabilities and
their families in school and at home, including information available
through the Office of Special Education Programs' (OSEP) technical
assistance network and Communities of Practice;
(E) Understand the provisions of IDEA for the education of, and the
provision of early intervention services to, children with
disabilities;
(F) Participate in activities at the school level that benefit
their children; and
(G) Participate in school reform activities.
(5) In States where the State elects to contract with the parent
training and information center, contract with the State educational
agencies to provide, consistent with paragraphs (B) and (D) of section
615(e)(2) of IDEA, individuals to meet with parents in order to explain
the mediation process.
(6) Assist parents in resolving disputes in the most expeditious
and effective way possible, including encouraging the use, and
explaining the benefits, of alternative methods of dispute resolution,
such as the mediation process described in section 615(e) of IDEA.
(7) Assist parents and students with disabilities to understand
their rights and responsibilities under IDEA, including those under
section 615(m) of IDEA upon the student's reaching the age of majority
(as appropriate under State law).
(8) Assist parents to understand the availability of, and how to
effectively use, procedural safeguards under IDEA, including the
resolution session described in section 615(e) of IDEA.
(9) Assist parents in understanding, preparing for, and
participating in, the resolution session as described in section
615(f)(1)(B) of IDEA;
(c) Establish cooperative partnerships with the parent training and
information centers and other community parent resource centers funded
in the State under sections 671 and 672 of IDEA;
(d) Be designed to meet the specific needs of families who
experience significant isolation from available sources of information
and support;
(e) Annually report to the Department on--
(1) The number and demographics of parents to whom it provided
information and training in the most recently concluded fiscal year,
including additional information regarding their unique needs and
levels of service provided to them; and
(2) The effectiveness of strategies used to reach and serve
parents, including underserved parents of children with disabilities,
by providing evidence of how those parents were served effectively;
(f) Respond to requests from the National Technical Assistance
Center (NTAC) and Regional Parent Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs)
and use the technical assistance services of the NTAC and PTACs in
order to serve the families of infants, toddlers, and children with
disabilities as efficiently as possible. PTACs are charged with
assisting parent centers with administrative and programmatic issues;
(g) Budget for a two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington,
DC during each year of the project. In addition, a project's budget
must include funds for the center's project director to attend a
Regional Project Directors meeting to be held each year of the project;
and
(h) If the community parent resource center maintains a Web site,
include relevant information and documents in a format that meets a
government or industry-recognized standard for accessibility;
(i) Prior to developing any new product, whether paper or
electronic, submit for approval a proposal describing the content and
purpose of the product to the document review board of OSEP's
Dissemination Center;
[[Page 67682]]
(j) In collaboration with OSEP and the NTAC, participate in an
annual collection of program data for the community parent resource
centers and the parent training and information centers.
Competitive Preference Priority: Within this absolute priority, we
give competitive preference to applications that address the following
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award additional points to
an application that meets this priority.
This priority is:
We will award five points to an application that proposes to
provide services to one or more Empowerment Zones, Enterprise
Communities, or Renewal Communities that are designated within the
areas served by the center. (A list of areas that have been selected as
Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, or Renewal Communities can
be found at http://hud.esri.com/egis/cpd/rcezec/ezec_open.htm) To meet
this priority, an applicant must indicate that it will--
(a)(1) Design a program that includes special activities focused on
the unique needs of one or more Empowerment Zones, Enterprise
Communities, or Renewal Communities; or
(2) Devote a substantial portion of program resources to providing
services within, or meeting the needs of residents of these zones and
communities;
(b) As appropriate, contribute to the strategic plan of the
Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, or Renewal Communities and
become an integral component of the Empowerment Zone, Enterprise
Community, or Renewal Community activities.
Therefore, for purposes of this competitive preference priority,
applicants can be awarded up to a total of five points in addition to
those awarded under the selection criteria for this competition (see
Selection Criteria in section V of this notice). That is, an applicant
meeting the competitive preference priority could earn a maximum total
of 105 points.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However,
section 681(d) of IDEA makes the public comment requirements under the
APA inapplicable to the priorities in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1472.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 81,
82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$25,964,000 for the Training and Information for Parents of Children
with Disabilities program for FY 2006, of which we intend to use an
estimated $1,000,000 for the Community Parent Resource Centers
competition. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final
congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow
enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates
funds for this program.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $100,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $100,000 award for a single budget period of 12
months. The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Local parent organizations. Under section
672(a)(2) of IDEA, a ``local parent organization'' is a parent
organization (as that term is defined in section 671(a)(2) of IDEA)
that must meet the following criteria:
(a) Has a board of directors, the majority of whom are parents of
children with disabilities ages birth through 26 from the community to
be served.
(b) Has as its mission serving parents of children with
disabilities from that community who (1) are ages birth through 26, and
(2) have the full ranges of disabilities as defined in section 602(3)
of IDEA.
Section 671(a)(2) of IDEA defines a ``parent organization'' as a
private nonprofit organization (other than an institution of higher
education) that--
(a) Has a board of directors--
(1) The majority of whom are parents of children with disabilities
ages birth through 26;
(2) That includes--
(i) Individuals working in the fields of special education, related
services, and early intervention; and
(ii) Individuals with disabilities; and
(iii) The parent and professional members of which are broadly
representative of the population to be served including low-income
parents and parents of limited English proficient children; and
(b) Has as its mission serving families of children with
disabilities who are ages birth through 26, and have the full range of
disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: 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 funded under this competition
must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals
with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and
evaluating the projects (see section 682(a)(1)(A) 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 84.328C.
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 Grants and Contracts
Services Team 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 50 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.
[[Page 67683]]
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; 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 8,
2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 3, 2006.
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: March 4, 2006.
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 government wide Grants.gov Apply
site in FY 2006. The Community Parent Resource Centers--CFDA Number
84.328C 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 Community
Parent Resource Centers-CFDA Number 84.328C competition 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 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 the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see
"http://www.Grants.gov/GetStarted
) and 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.
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 Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED
524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. 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
[[Page 67684]]
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
84.328C), 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
84.328C), 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
84.328C), 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 4 of the ED 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.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
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: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA), the Department is currently developing measures
that will yield information on various aspects of the quality of the
Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities
program. The measures will focus on: The extent to which projects
provide high quality products and services, the relevance of project
products and services to educational and early intervention policy and
practice, and the use of products and services to improve educational
and early intervention policy and practice.
Once the measures are developed, we will notify grantees if they
will be required to provide any information related to these measures.
Grantees will also be required to report information on their
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR
75.590).
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Gorove, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4056, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7357.
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.
[[Page 67685]]
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 3, 2005.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 05-22258 Filed 11-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P