[Federal Register: October 9, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 195)]
[Notices]
[Page 51408-51415]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09oc01-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Grant
Applications Under Part D, Subpart 2 of the Individuals With
Disabilities Education Act
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year
(FY) 2002.
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SUMMARY: This notice provides closing dates and other information
regarding the transmittal of applications for FY 2002 competitions
under one program authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), as amended: Special Education--Personnel
Preparation to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities (five priorities).
National Education Goals
The eight National Education Goals focus the Nation's education
reform efforts and provide a framework for improving teaching and
learning.
This priority addresses the National Education Goals by helping to
improve results for children with disabilities.
Waiver of Rulemaking
It is generally our practice 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.
General Requirements
(a) The 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) The projects funded under these priorities must budget for a
two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC during each year
of the project.
(d) In a single application, an applicant must address only one
absolute priority in this notice.
(e) Part III of each application submitted under a priority in this
notice, the application narrative, is where an applicant addresses the
selection criteria that are used by reviewers in evaluating the
application. You must limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than
the number of pages listed under each applicable priority and in the
table at the end of this notice, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5" x 11" (on one side only) with one-inch
margins (top, bottom, and 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.
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 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 or references, or the letters of support.
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
We will reject without consideration or evaluation any application
if--
You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
Special Education--Personnel Preparation to Improve Services and
Results For Children With Disabilities [CFDA 84.325]
Purpose of Program: The purposes of this program are to (a) help
address State-identified needs for qualified personnel in special
education, related services, early intervention, and regular education,
to work with children with disabilities; and (b) to ensure that those
personnel have the skills and knowledge, derived from practices that
have been determined through research and experience to be successful,
that are needed to serve those children.
Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education are eligible
applicants for Absolute Priorities 1-4 under this program. Eligible
applicants for Absolute Priority 5, Projects of National Significance,
are: 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) Program regulations in 34 CFR part 304;
(b) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR)
in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; (c)
The selection criteria for the priorities under this program that are
drawn from the EDGAR general selection menu. The specific selection
criteria for each priority are included in the funding application
packet for the applicable competition.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
Additional Requirement for All Personnel Preparation Program
Priorities
Student financial assistance is authorized only for the preservice
preparation of special education and related services personnel who
serve children ages 3 through 21, early intervention personnel who
serve infants and toddlers, and leadership personnel who work in these
areas.
Priority
Under section 673 of the Act and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider
only applications that meet one of the following priorities:
Absolute Priority 1--Preparation of Special Education, Related
Services, and Early Intervention Personnel to Serve Infants, Toddlers,
and Children with Low-Incidence Disabilities (84.325A)
Background
The national demand for educational, related services, and early
intervention personnel to serve infants, toddlers, and children with
low-incidence disabilities exceeds available supply. However, because
of the small number of these personnel needed in each State,
institutions of higher education and individual States have not given
priority to programs that train personnel to work with those with low-
incidence disabilities. Moreover, of the programs that do exist, many
are not producing graduates with the prerequisite skills
[[Page 51409]]
needed to meet the needs of the low-incidence disability population.
Thus, Federal support is required to ensure an adequate supply of
personnel to serve children with low-incidence disabilities and to
improve the quality of appropriate training programs so that graduates
possess necessary prerequisite skills.
Priority: This priority supports projects that increase the number
and quality of personnel to serve children with low-incidence
disabilities by providing preservice preparation of special educators,
early intervention personnel, and related services personnel at the
associate, baccalaureate, master's, or specialist level.
A preservice program is a program that leads toward a degree,
certification, professional license or endorsement (or its equivalent),
and may include the preparation of currently employed personnel who are
seeking additional degrees, certifications, endorsements, or licenses.
The term ``low-incidence disability'' means a visual or hearing
impairment, or simultaneous visual and hearing impairments, a
significant cognitive impairment, or any impairment for which a small
number of personnel with highly specialized skills and knowledge are
needed in order for children with that impairment to receive early
intervention services or a free appropriate public education (IDEA,
section 673(b)(3)). Training for personnel to serve children with mild-
moderate mental retardation, specific learning disabilities, speech or
language disorders, or emotional and behavioral disabilities is
addressed under the priority for the preparation of personnel to serve
children with high-incidence disabilities (84.325H), and, therefore, is
not supported under this priority.
Applicants may propose to prepare one or more of the following
types of personnel:
(a) Early intervention personnel who serve children birth through
age 2 (until the third birthday) with low-incidence disabilities and
their families. For the purpose of this priority, all children who
require early intervention services are considered to have a low-
incidence disability. Early intervention personnel include persons who
train, or serve as consultants to, service providers and service
coordinators;
(b) Special educators, including early childhood, speech and
language, adapted physical education, and assistive technology, and
paraprofessional personnel who work with children with low-incidence
disabilities; or
(c) Related services personnel who provide developmental,
corrective, and other support services (such as school psychologists,
occupational or physical therapists, and recreational therapists) that
assist children with low-incidence disabilities to benefit from special
education. Both comprehensive programs, and specialty components within
a broader discipline, that prepare personnel for work with the low-
incidence population may be supported. For the purpose of this
priority, eligible related service providers do not include physicians.
We particularly encourage projects that address the needs of more
than one State, provide multi-disciplinary training, and provide for
collaboration among several training institutions and between training
institutions and public schools. In addition, we encourage projects
that foster successful coordination between special education and
regular education professional development programs to meet the needs
of children with low-incidence disabilities in inclusive settings.
Each project funded under this absolute priority must--
(a) Use research-based curriculum and pedagogy to prepare personnel
who are able to improve outcomes for students with low-incidence
disabilities and to foster appropriate access to and achievement in the
general education curriculum whenever appropriate;
(b) Demonstrate how research-based curriculum and pedagogy are
incorporated into training requirements and reflected in all relevant
coursework for the proposed training program.
(c) Offer integrated training and practice opportunities that will
enhance the collaborative skills of appropriate personnel who share
responsibility for providing effective services for children with the
disabilities;
(d) Prepare personnel to address the specialized needs of children
with low-incidence disabilities from diverse cultural and language
backgrounds by--
(1) Determining the additional competencies needed for personnel to
understand and work with culturally and linguistically diverse
populations; and
(2) Infusing those competencies into early intervention, special
education, and related services training programs, as appropriate;
(e) Develop or improve and implement mutually beneficial
partnerships between training programs and schools where children are
served to promote continuous improvement in preparation programs and in
service delivery;
(f) If field-based training is provided, include field-based
training opportunities for students in schools and settings reflecting
wide contextual and student diversity, including schools and settings
in high poverty communities;
(g) If the project prepares personnel to provide services to
visually impaired or blind children that can be appropriately provided
in Braille, prepare those individuals to provide those services in
Braille.
(h) Provide clear, defensible data-based methods for evaluating the
extent to which graduates of the training program are prepared to
provide high quality services that result in improved outcomes for
children with disabilities; and, describe how the data-based results of
this evaluation process will be communicated to OSEP in required annual
continuation reports and final grant reports;
(i) Describe how the proposed training program is aligned with
State learning standards for children; and
(j) Include, in the application Appendix, all course syllabi that
are relevant to the training program proposed. Course syllabi must
clearly reflect the incorporation of research-based curriculum and
pedagogy as required under (b) above.
To be considered for an award, an applicant must satisfy the
following requirements contained in section 673(f)-(i) of the Act and
34 CFR part 304--
(a) Demonstrate, with letters from one or more States that the
project proposes to serve, that such State or States need personnel in
the area or areas in which the applicant proposes to provide
preparation, as identified in the States' comprehensive systems of
personnel development under Part B or C of the Act;
(b) Demonstrate that it has engaged in a cooperative effort with
one or more State educational agencies or, if appropriate, lead
agencies for providing early intervention services, to plan, carry out,
and monitor the project;
(c) Provide letters from one or more States stating that they
intend to accept successful completion of the proposed personnel
preparation program as meeting State personnel standards for serving
children with disabilities or serving infants and toddlers with
disabilities;
(d) Meet State and professionally-recognized standards for the
preparation of special education, related services, or early
intervention personnel;
(e) Ensure that individuals who receive financial assistance under
the proposed project will meet the service
[[Page 51410]]
obligation requirements, or repay all or part of the cost of that
assistance, in accordance with section 673(h)(1) of the Act and the
regulations in 34 CFR part 304. Applicants must describe how they will
inform scholarship recipients of this service obligation requirement;
and
(f) In accordance with section 673(i) of the Act and Sec. 304.20 of
the regulations, use at least 55 percent of the total requested budget
for student scholarships or provide sufficient justification for any
designation less than 55 percent of the total requested budget for
student scholarships.
Under this absolute priority, we plan to award approximately:
60 percent of the available funds for projects that
support careers in special education, including early childhood
educators;
10 percent of the available funds for projects that
support careers in educational interpreter services for hearing
impaired individuals;
15 percent of the available funds for projects that
support careers in related services, other than educational interpreter
services; and
15 percent of the available funds for projects that
support careers in early intervention.
Competitive Preferences
Within this absolute priority, we will give the following
competitive preference points under section 673(g)(3)(B) of IDEA and 34
CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applications that are otherwise eligible for
funding under this priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the extent to which institutions of
higher education are successfully recruiting and preparing individuals
with disabilities and individuals from groups that are underrepresented
in the profession for which they are preparing individuals.
In addition, we will give the following competitive preference
under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applications
that are otherwise eligible for funding under this priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice.
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, we may consider
the applicant's past success in pursuit of this goal.
Therefore, for purposes of these competitive preferences,
applicants can be awarded up to a total of 20 points in addition to
those awarded under the published selection criteria for this priority.
That is, an applicant meeting these competitive preferences could earn
a maximum total of 120 points.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Maximum Award: The maximum award amount is $300,000. Consistent
with EDGAR (34 CFR 75.104(b)), we will reject any application that
proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated
maximum award amount for that year.
Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 50 double-
spaced pages.
Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.
Absolute Priority 2--Preparation of Leadership Personnel (84.325D)
This priority supports projects that conduct the following
preparation activities for leadership personnel:
(a) Preparing personnel at the doctoral, and postdoctoral levels of
training to administer, enhance, or to provide special education,
related services, or early intervention services for children with
disabilities; or
(b) Master's and specialist level programs in special education
administration.
Projects funded under this absolute priority must--
(a) Prepare personnel to work with culturally and linguistically
diverse populations by--
(1) Determining the additional competencies for personnel needed to
understand and work with culturally diverse populations; and
(2) Infusing those competencies into early intervention, special
education and related services training programs.
(b) Include coursework reflecting current research and pedagogy
on--
(1) Participation and achievement in the general education
curriculum and improved outcomes for children with disabilities; or
(2) The provision of coordinated services in natural environments
to improve outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities and
their families.
(c) Demonstrate how research-based curriculum and pedagogy are
incorporated into training requirements and reflected in all relevant
coursework for the proposed training program.
(d) Offer integrated training and practice opportunities that will
enhance the collaborative skills of appropriate personnel who share
responsibility for providing effective services for children with
disabilities.
(e) Provide clear, defensible data-based methods for evaluating the
extent to which graduates of the training program are prepared to
provide high quality services that result in improved outcomes for
children with disabilities; and communicate the results of this
evaluation process to OSEP in annual performance reports and the final
performance report;
(f) Describe how the proposed training program is aligned with
State learning standards for children; and
(g) Include, in the application Appendix, all course syllabi that
are relevant to the training program proposed. Course syllabi must
clearly reflect the incorporation of research based curriculum and
pedagogy as required under (c) above.
To be considered for an award, an applicant must satisfy the
following requirements contained in section 673(f)-(i) of the Act and
34 CFR part 304--
(a) Demonstrate, with letters from one or more States that the
project proposes to serve, that such State or States need personnel in
the area or areas in which the applicant proposes to provide
preparation, as identified in the States' comprehensive systems of
personnel development under Part B or C of the Act;
(b) Demonstrate that it has engaged in a cooperative effort with
one or more State educational agencies or, if appropriate, lead
agencies for providing early intervention services, to plan, carry out,
and monitor the project;
(c) Meet State and professionally-recognized standards for the
preparation of leadership personnel in special education, related
services, or early intervention fields;
(d) Ensure that individuals who receive financial assistance under
the proposed project will meet the service obligation requirements, or
repay all or part of the cost of that assistance, in accordance with
section 673(h)(2) of the Act and the regulations in 34 CFR part 304.
Applicants must describe how they will inform scholarship recipients of
this service obligation requirement; and
(e) In accordance with section 673(i) of the Act and Sec. 304.20 of
the regulations, use at least 65 percent of the total requested budget
for student scholarships or provide sufficient justification for any
designation less than 65 percent of the total requested budget for
student scholarships.
Competitive Preferences
Within this absolute priority, we will give the following
competitive preference points under section 673(g)(3)(B) of IDEA and 34
CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applications that are
[[Page 51411]]
otherwise eligible for funding under this priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the extent to which institutions of
higher education are successfully recruiting and preparing individuals
with disabilities and individuals from groups that are underrepresented
in the profession for which they are preparing individuals.
In addition, we will give the following competitive preference
points under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to
applications that are otherwise eligible for funding under this
priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice.
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, we may consider
the applicant's past success in pursuit of this goal.
Therefore, for purposes of these competitive preferences,
applicants can be awarded up to a total of 20 points in addition to
those awarded under the published selection criteria for this priority.
That is, an applicant meeting these competitive preferences could earn
a maximum total of 120 points.
Project Period: Up to 48 months.
Maximum Award: The maximum award amount is $200,000. Consistent
with EDGAR (34 CFR 75.104(b)), we will reject any application that
proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated
maximum award amount for that year.
Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 50 double-
spaced pages.
Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.
Absolute Priority 3--Preparation of Personnel in Minority
Institutions (84.325E)
This priority supports awards to institutions of higher education
with minority student enrollments of at least 25 percent, including
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, for the purpose of
preparing personnel to work with children with disabilities.
This priority supports projects that provide preservice preparation
of special educators, early intervention personnel, and related
services personnel at the associate, baccalaureate, master's,
specialist, doctoral, or post-doctoral level.
A preservice program is a program that leads toward a degree,
certification, professional license or endorsement (or its equivalent),
and may include the preparation of currently employed personnel who are
seeking additional degrees, certifications, endorsements, or licenses.
Applicants may propose to prepare one or more of the following
types of personnel:
(a) Special educators, including early childhood, speech and
language, adapted physical education, and assistive technology, and
paraprofessional personnel who work with children with disabilities;
(b) Related services personnel who provide developmental,
corrective, and other support services (such as school psychologists,
occupational or physical therapists, recreational therapists) that
assist children with disabilities to benefit from special education.
Both comprehensive programs, and specialty components within a broader
discipline, that prepare personnel for work with children with
disabilities may be supported. For the purpose of this priority,
eligible related services providers do not include physicians; or
(c) Early intervention personnel who serve children birth through
age 2 (until the third birthday) and their families. Early intervention
personnel include persons who train, or serve as consultants to service
providers and service coordinators.
Projects funded under this absolute priority must--
(a) Use research-based curriculum and pedagogy to prepare personnel
who are able to improve outcomes for students with disabilities and to
foster appropriate access to and achievement in the general education
curriculum where appropriate;
(b) Demonstrate how research-based curriculum and pedagogy are
incorporated into training requirements and reflected in all relevant
coursework for the proposed training program.
(c) Offer integrated training and practice opportunities that will
enhance the collaborative skills of appropriate personnel who share
responsibility for providing effective services for children with the
disabilities;
(d) Prepare personnel to address the specialized needs of children
with disabilities from diverse cultural and language backgrounds by--
(1) Determining the additional competencies needed for personnel to
understand and work with culturally and linguistically diverse
populations; and
(2) Infusing those competencies into early intervention, special
education, and related services training programs, as appropriate;
(e) Develop or improve and implement mutually beneficial
partnerships between training programs and schools where children are
served to promote continuous improvement in preparation programs and in
service delivery;
(f) If field-based training is provided, include field-based
training opportunities for students in schools and settings reflecting
wide contextual and student diversity, including schools and settings
in high poverty communities;
(g) Employ effective strategies for recruiting students from
culturally and linguistically diverse populations; and
(h) Provide student support systems (including tutors, mentors, and
other innovative practices) to enhance student retention and success in
the program.
(i) Provide clear, defensible data-based methods for evaluating the
extent to which graduates of the training program are prepared to
provide high quality services that result in improved outcomes for
children with disabilities; and describe how the data-based results of
this evaluation process will be communicated to OSEP in required annual
continuation reports and final grant reports;
(j) Describe how the proposed training program is aligned with
State learning standards for children; and
(k) Include, in the application Appendix, all course syllabi that
are relevant to the training program proposed. Course syllabi must
clearly reflect the incorporation of research based curriculum and
pedagogy as required under (b) above.
To be considered for an award, an applicant must satisfy the
following requirements contained in section 673(f)-(i) of the Act and
34 CFR part 304--
(a) Demonstrate, with letters from one or more States that the
project proposes to serve, that States need personnel in the area or
areas in which the applicant proposes to provide preparation, as
identified in the States' comprehensive systems of personnel
development under Part B or C of the Act;
(b) Demonstrate that it has engaged in a cooperative effort with
one or more State educational agencies or, if appropriate, lead
agencies for providing early intervention services, to plan, carry out,
and monitor the project;
(c) Provide letters from one or more States stating that they
intend to accept successful completion of the proposed personnel
preparation program as meeting State personnel standards for serving
children with disabilities or
[[Page 51412]]
serving infants and toddlers with disabilities;
(d) Meet State and professionally-recognized standards for the
preparation of special education, related services, or early
intervention personnel, if the purpose of the project is to assist
personnel in obtaining degrees;
(e) Ensure that individuals who receive financial assistance under
the proposed project will meet the service obligation requirements, or
repay all or part of the cost of that assistance, in accordance with
section 673(h)(1) of the Act and the regulations in 34 CFR part 304.
Applicants must describe how they will inform scholarship recipients of
this service obligation requirement; and
(f) In accordance with section 673(i) of the Act and Sec. 304.20 of
the regulations, use at least 55 percent of the total requested budget
for student scholarships or provide sufficient justification for any
designation less than 55 percent of the total requested budget for
student scholarships.
Sufficient justification for proposing less than 55 percent of the
budget for student support would include activities such as program
development, expansion of a program, or the addition of a new emphasis
area. Examples include:
A project that is starting a new program may request up to
a year for program development and capacity building. In the initial
project year, no student support would be required. Instead, a project
could hire a new faculty member, or a consultant to assist in program
development;
A project that is proposing to build capacity may hire a
field supervisor so that additional students can be trained; and
A project that is expanding or adding a new emphasis area
to the program may initially need additional faculty or other resources
such as expert consultants, additional training supplies or equipment
that would enhance the program.
Projects that are funded to develop, expand, or to add a new
emphasis area to special education or related services programs must
provide information on how these new areas will be institutionalized
once Federal funding ends.
Competitive Preferences
Within this absolute priority, we will give the following
competitive preference points under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applicant
institutions that are otherwise eligible for funding under this
priority:
Up to ten (10) points to applicant institutions that have not
received a FY 2001 or FY 2002 award under the IDEA personnel
preparation program.
In addition, we will give the following competitive preference
points under section 673(g)(3)(B) of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to
applicant institutions that are otherwise eligible for funding under
this priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the extent to which institutions of
higher education are successfully recruiting and preparing individuals
with disabilities and individuals from groups that are underrepresented
in the profession for which they are preparing individuals.
In addition, we will also give the following competitive preference
points under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), to
applications that are otherwise eligible for funding under this
priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice.
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, we may consider
the applicant's past success in pursuit of this goal.
Therefore, for purposes of these competitive preferences applicants
can be awarded up to a total of 30 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 130 points.
Project Period: Up to 48 months.
Maximum Award: The maximum award amount is $200,000. Consistent
with EDGAR (34 CFR 75.104(b)), we will reject any application that
proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated
maximum award amount for that year.
Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 50 double-
spaced pages.
Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.
Absolute Priority 4--Improving the Preparation of Personnel To
Serve Children With High-Incidence Disabilities (84.325H)
Background
State agencies, university training programs, local schools, and
other community-based agencies and organizations confirm both the
importance and the challenge of improving training programs for
personnel to serve children with high-incidence disabilities and of
meeting the staffing needs of localities experiencing chronic shortages
of these personnel.
This priority is intended to improve personnel preparation programs
throughout the nation and help meet shortages in particular areas. A
number of important factors that are common to effective personnel
preparation programs are:
(a) Collaboration among governmental, educational and community-
based organizations on the Federal, State, and local levels in meeting
personnel needs;
(b) Field-based training opportunities for students to use acquired
knowledge and skills in demographically diverse schools;
(c) Multi-disciplinary training of teachers, including regular and
special education teachers, and related services personnel;
(d) Coordinating personnel preparation programs aimed at addressing
chronic personnel shortages with State practices for addressing those
needs;
(e) Addressing shortages of teacher's in particular geographic and
content areas;
(f) Integration of research-based curriculum and pedagogical
knowledge and practices; and
(g) Meeting the needs of trainees, and of children with
disabilities, from diverse backgrounds.
Priority
Consistent with section 673(e) of the Act, the purpose of this
priority is to develop or improve, and implement, programs that provide
preservice preparation for special and regular education teachers and
related services personnel in order to meet the diverse needs of
children with high incidence disabilities and to enhance the supply of
well-trained personnel to serve these children in areas of chronic
shortage. For the purpose of this priority, high-incidence disabilities
include mild or moderate mental retardation, speech or language
impairments, emotional disturbance, or specific learning disability.
Training of early intervention personnel is addressed under the
priority for the preparation of personnel to serve children with low-
incidence disabilities (84.325A), and, therefore, is not included as
part of this priority).
A preservice program is a program that leads toward a degree,
certification, professional license or endorsement (or its equivalent),
and may include the preparation of currently employed personnel who are
seeking additional
[[Page 51413]]
degrees, certifications, endorsements, or licenses.
Applicants may propose to prepare one or more of the following
types of personnel:
(a) Special educators, including early childhood, speech and
language, adapted physical education, assistive technology, and
paraprofessional personnel who work with children with high-incidence
disabilities.
(b) Related services personnel, who provide developmental,
corrective, and other support services (such as school psychologists,
occupational or physical therapists, recreational therapists) that
assist children with high-incidence disabilities to benefit from
special education. For the purpose of this priority, eligible related
service providers do not include physicians. Both comprehensive
programs, and specialty components within a broader discipline that
prepare personnel for work with the high incidence population, may be
supported.
Projects funded under this priority must--
(a) Use research-based curriculum and pedagogy to prepare personnel
who are able to assist students with disabilities in achieving in the
general education curricula and to improve student outcomes;
(b) Demonstrate how research-based curriculum and pedagogy are
incorporated into training requirements and reflected in all relevant
coursework for the proposed training program.
(c) Offer integrated training and practice opportunities that will
enhance the collaborative skills of appropriate personnel who share
responsibility for providing effective services for children with high-
incidence disabilities;
(d) Prepare personnel to work with culturally and linguistically
diverse populations by--
(1) Determining the additional competencies needed for personnel to
understand and work with culturally and linguistically diverse students
with high-incidence disabilities; and
(2) Infusing those competencies into special education or related
services training;
(e) Develop or improve and implement partnerships that are mutually
beneficial to grantees and LEAs in order to promote continuous
improvement of preparation programs; and
(f) Include field-based training opportunities for students in
schools reflecting wide contextual and student diversity, including
high poverty schools;
(g) Provide clear, defensible data-based methods for evaluating the
extent to which graduates of their training program are prepared to
provide high quality services that result in improved outcomes for
children with disabilities; and, describe how the data-based the
results of this evaluation process will be communicated to OSEP in
required annual continuation reports and final grant reports;
(h) Describe how the proposed training program is aligned with
State learning standards for children; and
(i) Include, in the application Appendix, all course syllabi that
are relevant to the training program proposed. Course syllabi must
clearly reflect the incorporation of research based curriculum and
pedagogy as required under (b) above.
An applicant must satisfy the following requirements contained in
section 673(f)-(i) of the Act and 34 CFR part 304:
(a) Demonstrate, with letters from one or more States that the
project proposes to serve, that such State or States need personnel in
the area or areas in which the applicant proposes to provide
preparation, as identified in the States' comprehensive systems of
personnel development under Part B of the Act;
(b) Demonstrate that it has engaged in a cooperative effort with
one or more State educational agencies to plan, carry out, and monitor
the project;
(c) Provide letters from one or more States stating that they
intend to accept successful completion of the proposed personnel
preparation program as meeting State personnel standards for serving
children with disabilities;
(d) Meet State and professionally-recognized standards for the
preparation of special education and related services personnel;
(e) Ensure that individuals who receive financial assistance under
the proposed project will meet the service obligation requirements, or
repay all or part of the cost of that assistance, in accordance with
section 673(h)(1) of the Act and the regulations in 34 CFR part 304.
Applicants must describe how they will inform scholarship recipients of
this service obligation requirement; and
(f) In accordance with section 673(i) of the Act and Sec. 304.20 of
the regulations, use at least 65 percent of the total requested budget
for student scholarships or provide sufficient justification for any
designation less than 65 percent of the total requested budget for
student scholarships.
Competitive Preferences
Within this absolute priority we will give the following
competitive preference points under section 673(g)(3)(B) of IDEA and 34
CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applications that are otherwise eligible for
funding under this priority.
Up to ten (10) points based on the extent to which institutions of
higher education are successfully recruiting and preparing individuals
with disabilities and individuals from groups that are underrepresented
in the profession for which they are preparing individuals.
In addition, we will give the following competitive preference
points under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to
applications that are otherwise eligible for funding under this
priority.
Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice.
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, we may consider
the applicant's past success in pursuit of this goal.
Therefore, for purposes of these competitive preferences applicants
can be awarded up to a total of 20 points in addition to those awarded
under the published selection criteria for this priority. That is, an
applicant meeting each of these competitive preferences could earn a
maximum total of 120 points.
Project Period: Up to 48 months.
Maximum Award: The maximum award amount is $200,000. Consistent
with EDGAR (34 CFR 75.104(b)), we will reject any application that
proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated
maximum award amount for that year.
Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 50 double-
spaced pages.
Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.
Absolute Priority 5--Projects of National Significance (84.325N)
We establish an absolute priority to support projects that address
issues of national significance and have broad applicability. Projects
supported under this priority must develop, evaluate, and disseminate
innovative models. These models must be designed to serve as blueprints
for systemic improvement in the recruitment, preparation, induction,
retention, or ongoing professional development of personnel who have
responsibility for ensuring that children with disabilities achieve to
high standards and become independent,
[[Page 51414]]
productive citizens. These personnel include early intervention
personnel, regular and special education teachers, administrators,
related service personnel, and paraprofessionals. If the project
maintains a web site, it must include relevant information and
documents in an accessible form.
Projects must (1) use current research-validated practices and
materials and (2) communicate appropriately with target audiences.
Applicants must note that:
(a) The purpose of this priority is model development. Thus, we do
not expect that student scholarships will be supported. However,
release time for staff for development activities is appropriate; and
(b) We expect that projects funded under this priority will
incorporate a systemic approach to dissemination to relevant training
and technical assistance entities.
Invitational Priorities
Within this absolute priority, we are particularly interested in
applications that meet one or more of the following priorities.
However, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) an application that meets one or
more of these invitational priorities does not receive competitive or
absolute preference over other applications:
(a) Projects that are designed to reduce personnel shortages by
developing innovative models for promoting the transferability, across
State and local jurisdictions, of licensure and certification of
personnel serving infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities;
(b) Projects that are designed to increase the quantity, quality,
and diversity of personnel who serve infants, toddlers, or children
with disabilities by developing innovative, proactive models for
recruiting personnel into training programs or professional positions;
(c) Projects that are designed to increase the retention of new
personnel by developing innovative, multi-year, developmental induction
models;
(d) Projects that are designed to improve the learning of children
with disabilities in the general education curricula by developing
innovative models for collaborative training of regular and special
education personnel, including paraprofessionals;
(e) Projects that are designed to enhance professional development
curricula for personnel serving infants, toddlers, or children with
disabilities by developing case or problem-based training modules that
can be integrated into training curricula. We expect that these
projects would incorporate state-of-the-art technology in the design
and dissemination of the modules;
(f) Projects that are designed to enhance teaching and learning
through the development of innovative training models that incorporate
state-of-the-art assistive, instructional and communicative technology
knowledge and use; and
(g) Projects that are designed to enhance professional development
curricula for teachers and administrators serving infants, toddlers, or
children with disabilities by developing modules for individualized
education program (IEP) decisionmaking, particularly with regard to a
child's participation in assessments.
Competitive Preference
Within this absolute priority, we will give the following
competitive preference points under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i) to applications that are otherwise eligible for funding
under this priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice.
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, we may consider
the applicant's past success in pursuit of this goal.
Therefore, for purposes of this competitive preference, applicants
can be awarded up to a total of 10 points in addition to those awarded
under the published selection criteria for this priority. That is, an
applicant meeting this competitive preference could earn a maximum
total of 110 points.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
Maximum Award: The maximum award amount is $200,000. Consistent
with EDGAR (34 CFR 75.104(b)), we will reject any application that
proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated
maximum award amount for that year.
Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 50 double-
spaced pages.
Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.
For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs),
P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, Maryland 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-
877-4ED-Pubs (1-877-433-7827). FAX: 301-470-1244. Individuals who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call (toll free) 1-
877-576-7734.
You may also contact Ed Pubs via its Web site (http://www.ed.gov/
pubs/edpubs.html) or its E-mail address (edpubs@inet.ed.gov).
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify the
competition by the appropriate CFDA number.
For Further Information Contact: Grants and Contracts Services
Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room
3317, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202)
260-9182.
If you use a 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 contact persons listed in the preceding
paragraph.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format by contacting the Department as listed
above. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an
alternative format the standard forms included in the application
package.
Intergovernmental Review
All programs in this notice (except for the Research and Innovation
to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program)
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, we intend this document to provide
early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for
those programs.
[[Page 51415]]
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Application Deadline for Estimated
CFDA No. and name Applications deadline intergovernmental Maximum award Project period Page number of
available date review (per year) 1 limit 2 awards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.325A Preparation of Special 10/09/01 01/11/02 03/12/02 $300,000 Up to 60 mos................. 50 30
Education, Related Services, and
Early Intervention Personnel to
Serve Infants, Toddlers, and
Children with Low-Incidence
Disabilities.
84.325D Preparation of Leadership 10/09/01 01/04/02 03/05/02 200,000 Up to 48 mos................. 50 13
Personnel.
84.325D Preparation of Personnel in 10/09/01 02/01/02 04/02/02 200,000 Up to 48 mos................. 50 16
Minority Institutions.
84.325H Improving the Preparation of 10/09/01 01/18/02 03/19/02 200,000 Up to 48 mos................. 50 26
Personnel to Serve Children with
High-Incidence Disabilities.
84.325N Projects of National 10/09/01 01/25/02 03/26/02 200,000 Up to 36 mos................. 50 10
Significance.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Consistent with EDGAR (34 CFR 75.104(b)), we will reject any application that proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated
maximum award amount for that year.
\2\ Applicants must limit the Application Narrative, Part III of the Application, to the page limits noted above. Please refer to the ``Page Limit''
requirements and the page limit standards described in the ``General Requirements'' section included under each priority description. We will reject
and will not consider an application that does not adhere to this requirement.
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:
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister
To use the PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at this site. If you have questions about using the 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/
nara/index.html
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1405, 1461, and 1473.
Dated: September 28, 2001.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 01-25130 Filed 10-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U