[Federal Register: June 3, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 106)]
[Notices]
[Page 30295-30299]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03jn98-166]
[[Page 30295]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part II
Department of Education
_______________________________________________________________________
Individual With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Special Education--
Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities; New
Awards Applications Invitation (FY 1998); Notice
[[Page 30296]]
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1998
AGENCY: Department of Education.
SUMMARY: On June 4, 1997, the President signed into law Public Law 105-
17, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997,
amending the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
This notice provides closing dates and other information regarding
the transmittal of applications for fiscal year 1998 competitions under
Special Education--Technology and Media Services for Individuals with
Disabilities program authorized by IDEA, as amended.
This notice supports the National Education Goals by helping to
improve results for children with disabilities.
Waiver of Rulemaking
It is generally the practice of the Secretary to offer interested
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However,
section 661(e)(2) of IDEA makes the Administrative Procedure Act (5
U.S.C. 553) inapplicable to the priorities in this notice. In order to
make awards on a timely basis, the Secretary has decided to publish
these priorities in final under the authority of section 661(e)(2).
General Requirements
(a) Projects funded under this notice must make positive efforts to
employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with
disabilities in project activities (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) Projects funded under these priorities must budget for a two-
day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, D.C. during each year of
the project; and
(d) In a single application, an applicant is required to address
only one absolute priority in this notice.
Note: The Department of Education is not bound by any estimates
in this notice.
Special Education--Technology and Media Services for Individuals With
Disabilities [CFDA No. 84.327]
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to promote the
development, demonstration, and utilization of technology and to
support educational media activities designed to be of educational
value to children with disabilities. This program also provides support
for some captioning, video description, and cultural activities.
Eligible Applicants: State and local educational agencies;
institutions of higher education; other public agencies; private
nonprofit organizations; outlying areas; freely associated States; and
Indian tribes or tribal organizations.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, and 86; and (b) The selection criteria included in
regulations for these programs in 34 CFR 332.32 for the Closed
Captioned Educational Programming priority; and in 34 CFR 333.21 for
the Using Research to Help Children Learn to Read, and the Accessible
Formats for Educational Materials priorities.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
Priority: Under section 687 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the
Secretary gives an absolute preference to applications that meet any
one of the following priorities. The Secretary funds under these
competitions only those applications that meet these absolute
priorities:
Absolute Priority 1--Using Research to Help Children Learn to Read
(CFDA 84.327B)
The purpose of this priority is to demonstrate the use of existing
publicly funded telecommunication systems to provide the public,
families, and teachers with research-based information and on early
diagnosis of, intervention for, and effective strategies for teaching
reading to young children with disabilities who demonstrate
difficulties learning to read. For the purposes of this priority, the
term ``young'' children refers to children through grade four.
Priority: The Secretary establishes an absolute priority to enhance
and expand the capabilities of an existing entity to disseminate
research findings on early diagnosis, intervention, and effective
strategies for teaching reading to young children with disabilities who
demonstrate difficulties learning to read. To receive a grant under
this priority applicants must demonstrate a proven track record for
dissemination of information on effective research to practice efforts
through electronic formats.
Activities conducted by this project should:
(1) Create awareness in parents and teachers about the teaching and
learning problems of young children that have been addressed through
research;
(2) Create awareness in parents and teachers about how to design an
effective teaching strategy to improve reading results of children with
disabilities such as developmental disabilities, learning disabilities,
and sensory disabilities;
(3) Create awareness in the general public about the
accomplishments and contributions made by persons who demonstrate
difficulties learning to read despite the significant challenges that
these individuals faced as young children in schools; and
(4) Include dissemination of research-based solutions that can be
used to address these challenges.
The project funded under this priority must--
(a) Establish a panel of expert research advisors: from the
Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP);
from other Federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human
Services' National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD) and National Institute on Mental Health; and from foundations
such as the National Academy of Science (NAS) and the National Science
Foundation (NSF). The panel also shall include practitioners, family
members of students who demonstrate difficulties learning to read, and
individuals who experience difficulties learning to read in their
youth. The panel will advise the work of the project and assist the
project in identifying effective, research-based practices to improve
reading results of young children with disabilities who demonstrate
difficulties learning to read. The final membership of the panel shall
be discussed with, and approved by, OSEP.
(b) Use innovative strategies to interest parents and practitioners
in the research-based findings in a way that promotes the use of this
information in their homes and classrooms. To accomplish this, the
program must--
(1) Develop strategies for information exchange and dissemination
to match identified parent and practitioner needs with existing
research-based solutions. The vehicles for this information exchange
could include, but are not limited to: web sites, chat rooms,
listservers, and bulletin boards.
(2) Provide information to families and practitioners that
describes effective strategies for diagnosing, teaching, and working
with young children with disabilities who demonstrate difficulties
learning to read. The topics of such products could include, but are
not limited to: early interventions; class-
[[Page 30297]]
wide peer tutoring; learning, study and organization strategies; using
technology to improve content learning; facilitating language
development in young children with disabilities; and vocabulary and
comprehension interventions for children with disabilities who
demonstrate difficulties learning to read.
(c) Develop a national public awareness campaign that--
(1) Disseminates its products through publicly funded
telecommunications systems;
(2) Highlights the accomplishments and contributions of persons who
demonstrate difficulties learning to read who have benefitted from
early diagnosis, interventions, and effective teaching strategies, and
move the general public from a basic understanding of disabilities
related to difficulties learning to read to an understanding of the
significant contributions that persons who demonstrate difficulties
learning to read make to our society;
(3) Features research-based solutions to the challenges that young
children with disabilities who demonstrate difficulties learning to
read encounter in schools and information on how these disabilities
affect other areas of learning, such as mathematics and language
acquisition.
(d) Provide an independent evaluation to determine if the project
is reaching its intended audiences.
(e) Create partnerships within the existing OSEP technical
assistance infrastructure, such as the National Information Center for
Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY) and the Technical
Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers (the Alliance), to avoid
duplication of efforts.
(f) Implement an external review process in which experts review
products for technical accuracy and clarity. The expert review process
shall be discussed with, and approved by, OSEP.
Project Period: 36 months.
Maximum Award: The Secretary rejects and does not consider an
application that proposes a budget exceeding $500,000 for any single
budget period of 12 months. The Secretary may change the maximum amount
through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Page Limits: Part III of the application, the application
narrative, is where an applicant addresses the selection criteria that
are used by reviewers in evaluating the application. An applicant must
limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than 60 double-spaced
pages, using the following standards: (1) A ``page'' is 8\1/2\'' x 11''
(on one side only) with one-inch margins (top, bottom, and sides). (2)
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, must be double-spaced (no more
than 3 lines per vertical inch). If using a proportional computer font,
use no smaller than a 12-point font, and an average character density
no greater than 18 characters per inch. If using a nonproportional font
or a typewriter, do not use more than 12 characters to the 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,
resumes, bibliography, and letters of support. However, all of the
application narrative must be included in Part III. If an application
narrative uses a smaller print size, spacing, or margin that would make
the narrative exceed the equivalent of the page limit, the application
will not be considered for funding.
Absolute Priority 2--Closed Captioned Educational Programming (CFDA
84.327E)
Background: The Congress has expressed concern that hundreds of
hours of non-commercial educational programming are being produced for
classroom use, but that the programming is not fully accessible through
closed captions. This priority supports cooperative agreements to
continue and expand the closed captioning of widely available
educational and instructional programming that is shown on national
broadcast, DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellite), or basic cable television
networks, and that is suitable for use in the classroom. Captioning
provides a visual representation of the audio portion of the
programming and enables students who are deaf or hard of hearing to
participate in this educational experience with their non-disabled
peers.
Priority: To be considered for funding under this competition, a
project must--
(1) Include criteria that takes into account the preference of
educators, students, and parents for particular educational programs,
the diversity of this type of programming available, and the
contribution of programs to the general educational experiences of
students who are deaf or hard of hearing;
(2) Identify the extent to which the commercial-free programming to
be captioned under this project may be taped for later classroom use;
(3) Identify the extent to which the programming is widely
available;
(4) Identify the total number of hours captioned and the cost per
hour for each of the programs captioned;
(5) Identify for each program to be captioned the source of private
or other public support and the projected dollar amount of that
support, if any;
(6) Identify the method of captioning to be used for each program
and identify the cost per hour for each method used;
(7) Demonstrate the willingness of program providers or owners of
programs to permit captioning of their programs;
(8) Provide assurances from program providers or owners of programs
stating the extent to which programs captioned under this project will
air, and will continue to air, without re-captioning;
(9) Implement procedures for monitoring the extent to which the
project provides full and accurate captioning and uses this information
to make refinements in captioning operations; and
(10) Make captions available at no cost to providers or owners of
programming, who may use, reformat, or otherwise adapt these captions
for future airings or other distributions.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Maximum Award: The Secretary rejects and does not consider an
application that proposes a budget exceeding $125,000 for any single
budget period of 12 months. The Secretary may change the maximum amount
through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Page Limits: Part III of the application, the application
narrative, is where an applicant addresses the selection criteria that
are used by reviewers in evaluating the application. An applicant must
limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than 40 double-spaced
pages, using the following standards: (1) A ``page'' is 8\1/2\'' x
11'' (on one side only) with one-inch margins (top, bottom, and sides).
(2) 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, must be double-spaced (no more
than 3 lines per vertical inch). If using a proportional computer font,
use no smaller than a 12-point font, and an average character density
no greater than 18 characters per inch. If using a nonproportional font
or a typewriter, do not use more than 12 characters to the inch.
The page limit does not apply to Part I--the cover sheet; Part II--
the budget section (including the narrative budget
[[Page 30298]]
justification); Part IV--the assurances and certifications; or the one-
page abstract, resumes, bibliography, and letters of support. However,
all of the application narrative must be included in Part III. If an
application narrative uses a smaller print size, spacing, or margin
that would make the narrative exceed the equivalent of the page limit,
the application will not be considered for funding.
Absolute Priority 3--Accessible Formats for Educational Materials (CFDA
84.327R)
Background: The purpose of this priority is to provide textbooks
and other educational materials in accessible formats for students at
all educational levels who are visually or print disabled. These
materials will help provide equal educational opportunities to these
students and lessen some of the barriers they face in the classroom.
Priorty: To be considered for funding under this priority, the
projects must--
(1) Handle all requests for educational materials from students who
are visually or print disabled at all educational levels at no cost;
(2) Obtain statements of eligibility by disability for each
requestor;
(3) If access to materials is provided through section 121 of the
Copyright Act, as amended, provide publishers rights to copies of any
master tapes or disks and rights to market the cassettes or disks as
they see fit;
(4) Apply new technology for producing and distributing educational
materials in accessible formats for individuals who are blind or
otherwise print disabled, such as electronic text or digital audio
sychronization;
(5) Distribute the materials that are produced through means such
as audio tapes, diskettes, CD-ROMs, or the Internet;
(6) Handle associated administrative and circulation functions such
as any returned cassettes, disks, CD-ROMs, or preservative re-
recording;
(7) To the extent that funds are not sufficient to meet the demand
for free materials, place a priority on providing materials, such as
supplemental reading textbooks and workbooks, that are not otherwise
required to be provided by educational agencies or institutions; and
(8) Coordinate and collaborate with publishers, software
developers, other manufacturers of accessible materials for individuals
who are visually impaired or otherwise print disabled, disability and
educational organizations, and government agencies to ensure effective
coordination and nonduplication of effort.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Maximum Award: The Secretary rejects and does not consider an
application that proposes a budget exceeding $1,500,000 for any single
budget period of 12 months. The Secretary may change the maximum amount
through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Page Limits: Part III of the application, the application
narrative, is where an applicant addresses the selection criteria that
are used by reviewers in evaluating the application. An applicant must
limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than 40 double-spaced
pages, using the following standards: (1) A ``page'' is 8\1/2\'' x 11''
(on one side only) with one-inch margins (top, bottom, and sides). (2)
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, must be double-spaced (no more
than 3 lines per vertical inch). If using a proportional computer font,
use no smaller than a 12-point font, and an average character density
no greater than 18 characters per inch. If using a nonproportional font
or a typewriter, do not use more than 12 characters to the 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,
resumes, bibliography, and letters of support. However, all of the
application narrative must be included in Part III. If an application
narrative uses a smaller print size, spacing, or margin that would make
the narrative exceed the equivalent of the page limit, the application
will not be considered for funding.
For Applications and General Information Contact: Requests for
applications and general information should be addressed to the Grants
and Contracts Services Team, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., room 3317,
Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. The preferred method for
requesting information is to FAX your request to: (202) 205-8717.
Telephone: (202) 260-9182.
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD)
may call the TDD number: (202) 205-8953.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of this notice or
the application packages referred to in this notice in an alternate
format (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by
contacting the Department as listed above. However, the Department is
not able to reproduce in an alternate format the standard forms
included in the application package.
Intergovernmental Review
All programs in this notice (except for Research and Innovation
Projects) are subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372 and
the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. The objective of the Executive order
is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened
federalism by relying on processes developed by State and local
governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal financial
assistance.
In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide
early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for
those programs.
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act--Application Notice for Fiscal Year 1998
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Application Deadline for Maximum Estimated
CFDA No. and name Applications deadline intergovernmental award (per Page number of
available date review year)* limit** awards
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84.327B Using Research to Help Children Learn to Read.............. 6/12/98 7/24/98 9/22/98 $500,000 60 1
84.327E Closed Captioned Educational Programming................... 6/12/98 7/24/98 9/22/98 125,000 40 5
84.327R Accessible Formats for Educational Materials............... 6/12/98 7/24/98 9/22/98 1,500,000 40 1
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*The Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that proposes a budget exceeding the amount listed for each priority for any single budget
period of 12 months.
**Applicants must limit the Application Narrative, Part III of the Application, to the page limits noted above. Please refer to the ``Page Limit''
section of this notice for the specific requirements. The Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that does not adhere to this
requirement.
[[Page 30299]]
Electronic Access to This Document
Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the
following sites:
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html
To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing
Office at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free at 1-888-293-6498.
Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins, and Press Releases.
Note: The official version of a document is the document
published in the Federal Register.
Dated: May 28, 1998.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 98-14629 Filed 6-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P