FR Doc 03-4549
[Federal Register: February 26, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 38)]
[Notices]
[Page 8969-8971]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26fe03-116]
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Part II
Department of Education
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Experimental and Innovative Training and Notice Inviting Applications
for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2003; Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Experimental and Innovative Training
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priority.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education
and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority under the Experimental
and Innovative Training program. The Assistant Secretary may use this
priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2003 and in later years.
We intend for the grantee to develop and disseminate rehabilitation
training curriculum modules that can be incorporated into
rehabilitation training programs. The purpose of the curriculum modules
is to increase student contact with individuals with disabilities and
to enhance student understanding of disability culture and counselor
skills that support the empowerment of vocational rehabilitation (VR)
customers with disabilities.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This priority is effective March 28, 2003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edward R. Smith, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3318, Switzer Building,
Washington, DC 20202-2649. Telephone: (202) 205-0136 or via Internet:
Edward.Smith@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the TDD number at (202) 205-8133.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Experimental and Innovative Training
program provides financial assistance--
(1) To develop new types of training programs for rehabilitation
personnel and to demonstrate the effectiveness of those new types of
training programs for rehabilitation personnel in providing
rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities; and
(2) To develop new and improved methods of training rehabilitation
personnel so that there may be a more effective delivery of
rehabilitation services by State and other rehabilitation agencies.
This priority will increase the knowledge and skills of
rehabilitation personnel in disability culture and customer
empowerment.
We published a notice of proposed priority for this program in the
Federal Register on October 4, 2002 (67 FR 62308). The notice of
proposed priority included a discussion of the significant issues and
analysis used in the determination of this priority.
There are no differences between the notice of proposed priority
and this notice of final priority.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to our invitation in the notice of proposed priority,
six parties submitted comments on the proposed priority. An analysis of
the comments and of any changes in the priority since publication of
the notice of proposed priority follows.
Generally, we do not address technical and other minor changes--and
suggested changes the law does not authorize us to make under the
applicable statutory authority.
Comment: One commenter recommended that applicants with experience
in regional cooperative relationships with other agencies be given a
preference when we award grants.
Discussion: We agree that experience in regional cooperation with
other agencies is important, but we do not believe it should be
required of all projects or be given greater emphasis than other
models. The peer review process will determine the merits of each
proposal.
Change: None.
Comment: One commenter recommended that the priority address people
with disabilities from minority communities.
Discussion: Section 21(c) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as
amended, requires all projects funded under this priority to address
the needs of ethnic and racial minorities with disabilities.
Change: None.
Comment: One commenter recommended that the priority allow for the
training of both students and VR counselors.
Discussion: VR counselors as well as other students may enroll in
rehabilitation training programs. This priority does not preclude the
commenter's recommendation.
Change: None.
Comments: Two commenters recommended that the priority be amended
to include the training of non-degree personnel and consumers with
disabilities.
Discussion: The training of consumers is inconsistent with the
statutory and regulatory authority of the Experimental and Innovative
Training program. While this suggestion has merit for non-degree
personnel, the focus of this priority is on the training of students
who will become qualified rehabilitation counselors in the vocational
rehabilitation system.
Change: None.
Comment: One commenter recommended that the curricula modules
include an introduction to advocacy skills.
Discussion: This priority does not preclude the commenter's
recommendation. The peer review process will determine the merits of
such a proposal.
Change: None.
Comment: One commenter recommended that the priority require
experiential activities that focus on the counseling needs of
particular disability groups and specific areas within rehabilitation
counseling, such as multicultural competency.
Discussion: While the comment has merit, we do not believe it
should be required for all applicants. The peer review process will
determine the merits of such a proposal.
Change: None.
Comment: One commenter recommended that applicants be restricted to
entities that have demonstrated long-term successful collaborations
with disability advocates and self-help groups.
Discussion: The program authority establishes eligible applicants
for this program. We have no authority to further restrict applicant
eligibility.
Change: None.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use this priority, we invite applications through
a notice in the Federal Register. When inviting applications we
designate the priority as absolute, competitive preference, or
invitational. The effect of each type of priority follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by either
(1) awarding additional points, depending on how well or the extent to
which the application meets the competitive priority (34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting an application that meets the
competitive priority over an application of comparable merit that does
not meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the invitational
priority. However, we do not give an application that meets the
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invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other
applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Priority
Curriculum Modules: Experiential Activities To Enhance Rehabilitation
Empowerment
For the purposes of this priority, empowerment is defined as
individuals having the information, education, training, confidence,
and high expectations needed to make effective employment and life-
related decisions.
This priority supports projects that provide experiential
activities that increase the amount of personal contact and experience
of VR students with individuals with disabilities in non-counseling
settings. This priority is intended to support the design, piloting,
evaluation, and dissemination of course modules to be incorporated into
rehabilitation training program curricula that enhance student
understanding of the culture of individuals with disabilities and of
the behaviors that enhance empowerment from the perspective of
individuals with disabilities.
Projects funded under this priority must incorporate experiential
activities in which students interact directly with persons with
disabilities in situations other than traditional and hierarchical
student counselor to consumer relationships.
Projects must include an evaluation of the impact of the course
module or modules and a dissemination plan to be carried out in the
last year of the project period.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive
order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened
federalism. The Executive order relies on processes developed by State
and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal
financial assistance.
This document provides early notification of our specific plans and
actions for this program.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR parts 385 and 387.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://
www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html
.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.263A Experimental
and Innovative Training)
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 772.
Dated: February 20, 2003.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 03-4549 Filed 2-25-03; 8:45 am]
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