FR Doc 04-5390
[Federal Register: March 10, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 47)]
[Notices]
[Page 11400-11403]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10mr04-56]
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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) 2004
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.328C.
DATES: Applications Available: March 11, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 16, 2004.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 15, 2004.
Eligible Applicants: Local parent organizations. The full
definitions of Local Parent Organization and Parent Organization are
provided in Section III, 1. Eligible Applicants.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,000,000.
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.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections
661(e)(2) and 683 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2004 this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
Background: The purpose of this priority is to support community
training and information centers in targeted communities that will help
ensure that underserved parents of children with disabilities,
including low-income parents, parents of children who are English
language learners, and parents with disabilities in a community, have
the training and information they need to enable them to participate
effectively in helping their children with disabilities to --
(a) Meet established developmental goals and challenging standards
that have been established for all children; and
(b) Prepare to lead productive adult lives, as independently as
possible.
Priority: Each community parent training and information center
supported under this priority must--
(a) Provide training and information that meets the training and
information needs of parents of children with disabilities within the
targeted community proposed to be served by the project, particularly
underserved parents and parents of children who may be inappropriately
identified;
(b) Assist parents to understand the availability of, and how to
effectively use, procedural safeguards under section 615 of IDEA,
including encouraging the use, and explaining the benefits, of
alternative methods of dispute resolution, such as the mediation
process described in IDEA;
(c) Serve the parents of infants, toddlers, and children with the
full range of disabilities by assisting parents to--
(1) Better understand the nature of their children's disabilities
and their educational and developmental needs;
(2) Communicate effectively with personnel responsible for
providing special education, early intervention, and related services;
(3) Participate in decisionmaking processes regarding participation
in State and local assessments and the development of individualized
education programs and individualized family service plans;
(4) Obtain appropriate information about the range of options,
programs, services, and resources available to assist children with
disabilities and their families;
(5) Familiarize themselves with the provision of special education
and related services in the areas they serve to help ensure that
children with disabilities are receiving appropriate services;
(6) Understand the provisions of IDEA and the No Child Left Behind
Act of 2001 (NCLB) for the education of, and the provision of early
intervention services designed to improve results to, children with
disabilities; and
(7) Participate in school reform activities;
(d) Contract with the State educational agencies (SEAs), if the
State elects to contract with the community parent resource centers,
for the purpose of meeting with parents who choose not to use the
mediation process to encourage the use, and explain the benefits, of
mediation, consistent with section 615(e)(2)(B) and (D) of IDEA;
(e) In order to serve parents and families of children with the
full range of disabilities, network with appropriate clearinghouses,
including organizations conducting national dissemination activities
under section 685(d) of IDEA, and with other national, State, and local
organizations and agencies, such as protection and advocacy agencies;
(f) Establish cooperative partnerships with the parent training and
information centers funded under section 682 of IDEA;
(g) Meet the unique needs of families who experience significant
isolation from available sources of information and support;
(h) Annually report to the Department on--
(1) The number of parents to whom it provided information and
training in the most recently concluded fiscal year, including
demographic information about those parents served, and additional
information regarding the unique needs and levels of service provided;
(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; and
(i) In collaboration with the Office of Special Education Programs
and the National Parent Technical Assistance Center, participate in the
annual program evaluation for the community parent resource centers,
which will include a review of the degree to which the center is
meeting the objectives of the program.
(j) Prior to developing any new product, whether paper or
electronic, submit for approval a proposal describing the content and
purpose of
[[Page 11401]]
the product to the document review board of the Office of Special
Education Programs' (OSEP) Dissemination Center.
Competitive Preference Priorities: Within this absolute priority,
we give competitive preference to applications that address the
following priorities.
These priorities are from the program statute (see section 683 of
IDEA).
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award additional points to an
application depending on whether the application meets one or more of
these priorities:
These priorities are:
(a) We will award 20 points to an application submitted by a local
parent organization that has a board of directors, the majority of whom
are parents of children with disabilities, from the community to be
served (section 683(c)(1) of IDEA).
(b) We will award 5 points to an application that proposes to
provide services to one or more Empowerment Zones or Enterprise
Communities that are designated within the areas served by projects. To
meet this priority an applicant must indicate that it will--
(1)(i) Design a program that includes special activities focused on
the unique needs of one or more Empowerment Zones or Enterprise
Communities; or
(ii) Devote a substantial portion of program resources to providing
services within, or meeting the needs of residents of these zones and
communities.
(2) As appropriate, contribute to the strategic plan of the
Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities and become an integral
component of the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community activities.
A list of areas that have been selected as Empowerment Zones or
Enterprise Communities can be found at http://hud.esri.com/egis/cpd/rcezec/ezec_open.htm.
Therefore, for purposes of these competitive preferences,
applicants can be awarded up to a total of 25 points in addition to
those awarded under the published selection criteria for this priority.
That is, an applicant meeting all of these competitive preferences
could earn a maximum total of 125 points.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, section
661(e)(2) of IDEA makes the public comment requirements inapplicable to
the priorities in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1483.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99.
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: $1,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $100,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject an 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.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Local parent organizations. Section 683(c)
defines a ``local parent organization'' as a parent organization that
must meet either one of the following criteria:
(a) Has a Board of Directors, the majority of whom are from the
community to be served; or
(b) Has--
(1) as part of its mission, serving the interests of individuals
with disabilities from that community; and
(2) a special governing committee to administer the project. A
majority of the governing committee members must be individuals from
the community to be served.
Section 682(g) 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 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.
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 notice must
involve 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 priority 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.
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 Contract
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
[[Page 11402]]
your application. You must limit Part III to the equivalent of no more
than 30 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, 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
r[eacute]sum[eacute]s, 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: March 11, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 16, 2004.
The dates and times for the transmittal of applications by mail or
by hand (including a courier service or commercial carrier) are in the
application package for this competition. The application package also
specifies the hours of operation of the e-Application Web site.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 15, 2004.
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: Instructions and requirements for
the transmittal of applications by mail or by hand (including a courier
service or commercial carrier) are in the application package for this
competition.
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 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: We are
continuing to expand our pilot project for electronic submission of
applications to include additional formula grant programs and
additional discretionary grant competitions. Special Education--
Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities
Program--Community Parent Resource Centers--CFDA Number 84.328C--is one
of the competitions included in the pilot project. If you are an
applicant under the Special Education--Training and Information for
Parents of Children with Disabilities Program--Community Parent
Resource Centers competition, 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). If you use e-Application you will
be entering data online while completing your application. You may not
e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. If you
participate in this voluntary pilot project by submitting an
application electronically, the data you enter online will be saved
into a database. We request your participation in e-Application. We
shall continue to evaluate its success and solicit suggestions for its
improvement.
If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
Your participation is voluntary.
When you enter the e-Application system, you
will find information about its hours of operation. We strongly
recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to
initiate an e-Application package.
You will not receive 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.
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.
Your e-Application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
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).
Within three working days of 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.
We may request that you give us original
signatures on other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline 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--Community Parent Resource Centers
competition and you are prevented from submitting your application on
the application deadline 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 hand
delivery. We will grant this extension if--
1. You are a registered user of e-Application, and have initiated
an e-Application for this competition; and
2. (a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time
during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the
application deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency 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--
[[Page 11403]]
Community Parent Resource Centers competition at: http://e-grants.ed.gov
.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
listed in 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. The specific selection criteria to be
used for this competition are 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 heading, in section I of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations heading, in section I 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), measures have been developed for evaluating the
overall effectiveness of this program. Requirements concerning the
performance measures are in the application package for this
competition.
VII. Agency Contact
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 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.
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: March 4, 2004.
Troy R. Justesen,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 04-5390 Filed 3-9-04; 8:45 am]
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