FR Doc 05-4442
[Federal Register: March 8, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 44)]
[Notices]
[Page 11214-11218]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08mr05-49]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services
and Results for Children With Disabilities--Secondary Transition
Technical Assistance Center; Notice Inviting Applications for New
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.326J.
Dates: Applications Available: March 9, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 22, 2005.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 21, 2005.
Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs), local
educational agencies (LEAs), public charter schools that are LEAs under
State law, institutions of higher education (IHEs), other public
agencies, private nonprofit organizations, outlying areas, freely
associated States, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and for-
profit organizations.
Estimated Available Funds: $5,200,000.
Maximum Award: The Secretary does not intend to fund an application
that proposes a budget exceeding $800,000 for a single budget period of
12 months for year one of the project period, and $1,100,000 for a
single budget period of 12 months for years two through five of the
project period.
Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: This program promotes academic achievement and
improves results for children with disabilities by supporting technical
assistance, model demonstration projects, dissemination of useful
information, and implementation activities that are supported by
scientifically based research.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 663
and 681(d) of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2005 this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results
for Children With Disabilities--Secondary Transition Technical
Assistance Center
Background
The secondary transition of students with disabilities is a complex
process for youth, their families, and school personnel. IDEA requires
transition planning for students at age 16, including a description of
their postsecondary goals and needed transition services in their
Individualized Education Programs. Adding to the complexity, transition
planning and services require a multi-agency approach to address the
multiple needs of youth with disabilities as they move from high school
to further education, employment, and where appropriate, independent
living and adult services.
Although recent findings of the National Longitudinal Transition
Study-2 (2004) and data from States' Annual Performance Reports
indicate that the experiences of students with disabilities have
significantly improved over the past decade, students in some
disability categories, such as emotional disturbance, continue to
experience poor academic and social outcomes. The U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics indicates that in 2002, only 31 percent of civilian non-
institutionalized youth with disabilities, ages 18-24, were employed,
compared to 85 percent of those without a disability. More extensive
efforts, therefore, are needed to improve transitions from high school
to postsecondary education, employment, independent living, and adult
services. Efforts must begin in the early years of schooling to help
students make a successful transition to meaningful employment and
financial independence (Center on Education Policy, 2002). To ensure
full
[[Page 11215]]
implementation of IDEA and to help youth with disabilities and their
families achieve desired postschool outcomes, the Secondary Transition
Technical Assistance Center (Center) will help States build capacity to
support and improve transition planning, services, and outcomes for
youth with disabilities.
This Center will disseminate information and provide technical
assistance on research-based practices as identified by sources such as
the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) (http://www.whatworks.ed.gov) with
an emphasis on building and sustaining State-level infrastructures of
support and building district-level demonstrations of effective
transition methods for youth with disabilities. The goal of this Center
is to promote efficient and effective large-scale implementation and
sustainability of research-based interventions and models.
Priority: This priority supports the improvement of transition
planning, services, and outcomes for youth with disabilities through a
center that will focus on disseminating information and providing
technical assistance. The Center's planning activities must include,
but are not limited to, the following:
(a) Develop a strategic plan for technical assistance and
dissemination in the first two months after award. This plan must be
submitted to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) for
approval and must be updated and approved annually. The plan must
identify each activity necessary to advance the implementation of
transition-related actions in the States and demonstrate the strategic
relationship of these actions to improved outcomes for youth with
disabilities.
(b) Meet with the OSEP project officer and other appropriate
Federal staff in Washington, DC within the first two months of the
project to clarify project activities and further develop the strategic
plan.
The Center's knowledge development activities must include, but are
not limited to, the following:
(a) Conduct an analysis of IDEA Part B State Annual Performance
Reports and other sources of information to determine the current
status of transition planning strategies and identify any practices and
strategies that support improved performance or create barriers.
(b) Identify effective and promising practices that improve
transition planning, services, and outcomes for youth with disabilities
by consulting sources such as the WWC, by commissioning the WWC to
conduct reviews of relevant research if such reviews have not already
been done, and, if necessary, by conducting its own reviews of research
studies using standards consistent with those of WWC. The Center must
consult with other appropriate technical assistance providers across
the Department of Education and other federal agencies to incorporate
effective strategies for improving the performance of students with
disabilities in broader improvement efforts. The Center must also work
to ensure that its efforts are coordinated with other reform/school
improvement initiatives at the district and local school level.
The Center's technical assistance and dissemination activities must
include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) Maintain, in collaboration with the proposed new Center on
Access to the General Education Curriculum for High School Students
with Disabilities, a user-friendly Web site with relevant information
and documents in a form that meets a government or industry-recognized
standard for accessibility.
(b) Work directly with States and a limited number of school
districts, selected in collaboration with the Center on Access to the
General Education Curriculum for High School Students with
Disabilities, to: (1) Improve integrated and systemic implementation of
interventions, such as self-determination curriculum and career
development activities, and strategies, such as concurrent enrollment,
mentorships, internships, culturally sensitive approaches, and combined
funding streams; (2) establish and maintain an evaluation system based
on a standard protocol to measure progress of implementation in States;
and (3) produce reports on trends and patterns and other pertinent
topics as requested by OSEP.
(c) Provide technical assistance on effective systems of support.
(d) Foster integrated approaches to transition planning and
services.
(e) Provide leadership and other technical assistance activities
regarding research-based transition strategies and supports.
(f) Develop and implement a plan for building a cadre of trainers
through regional capacity building institutes and other meetings as
requested by OSEP. At a minimum, the Center must hold trainer
institutes every year of the project.
(g) Prepare and disseminate reports and documents on secondary
transition interventions, strategies, and supports including
publications in peer-reviewed journals.
(h) Develop and apply strategies for the dissemination of
information to State-specific audiences including students, teachers,
rehabilitation counselors, families, administrators, policymakers, and
researchers. Such strategies must involve collaboration with other
technical assistance providers, organizations, and agencies.
(i) Develop partnerships with relevant programs, agencies, and
organizations to assist with implementing the goals of the New Freedom
Initiative (NFI) and promoting equal access to full participation in
American society. (See the NFI at the following Web site: http://www.hhs.gov/newfreedom/eo13217.html
) Partners are not limited to but
must include a minimum of the following entities, national teacher
organizations, school administrators, teacher trainers, guidance
counselors, parent and disability organizations, national postsecondary
support organizations, business coalitions, and key Federal agencies,
including the Rehabilitation Services Administration, the National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the Department of
Labor, and other agencies that work to improve access to public
accommodations, commercial facilities, information technology,
telecommunications services, and housing.
(j) Submit for approval a proposal describing the content and
purpose of any new paper or electronic product, prior to its
development, to the document review board of OSEP's Dissemination
Center.
(k) Provide OSEP-specified technical assistance to States. This
effort must include participation in: (1) Collaborative Web-based
technical assistance activities; (2) OSEP-sponsored Communities of
Practice; and (3) direct technical assistance to OSEP-specified States
through partnerships among OSEP, other centers, and selected States.
Staff time and project resources dedicated to provide technical
assistance to OSEP-specified States will be negotiated with OSEP as
part of the cooperative agreement within 30 days of the annual project
continuation award (Technical assistance to OSEP-specified States
averages approximately $40,000 per year.)
The Center must also--
(a) Maintain communication with the OSEP project officer through
monthly phone conversations and e-mail communication as needed. The
Center must submit annual performance reports and provide additional
written
[[Page 11216]]
materials as needed for the OSEP project officer to monitor the
Center's work.
(b) Establish, maintain, and meet at least annually with an
advisory committee consisting of individuals with disabilities,
parents, educators, researchers, and other appropriate individuals to
review and advise on the Center's activities and plans.
(c) Maintain communication and collaboration with other relevant
OSERS-funded projects.
(g) Fund, as project assistants, two doctoral students per year who
have concentrations in special education, educational leadership,
rehabilitation, or other relevant, transition-related areas.
(h) Conduct evaluations of its specific activities and of the
overall impact of its work. The Center must report its evaluation
findings annually to the OSEP project officer.
(i) Budget for annual attendance at two-day Technical Assistance
Project Director's meeting and at least two one-day planning meetings
in Washington, DC. The Center must also budget to attend three one-day
meetings such as Department briefings, Department-sponsored
conferences, and other OSEP-requested activities.
Fourth and Fifth Years of Project
In deciding whether to continue this project for the fourth and
fifth years, the Secretary will consider the requirements of 34 CFR
75.253(a), and in addition--
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of experts
selected by the Secretary which will conduct its review in Washington,
DC during the last half of the project's second year. Projects must
budget for travel expenses associated with this one-day intensive
review;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
Center; and
(c) Evidence of the degree to which the Center's activities have
contributed to a changed practice and improved transition outcomes for
youth with disabilities.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking
Under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the
Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to
comment on a proposed priority. However, section 681(d) of IDEA makes
the public comment requirements of the APA inapplicable to the priority
in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1463 and 1481(d).
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: $5,200,000.
Maximum Award: The Secretary does not intend to fund an application
that proposes a budget exceeding $800,000 for a single budget period of
12 months for year one of the project period, and $1,100,000 for a
single budget period of 12 months for years two through five of the
project period.
Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs, LEAs, public charter schools that are
LEAs under State law, IHEs, other public agencies, private nonprofit
organizations, outlying areas, freely associated States, Indian tribes
or tribal organizations, and for-profit organizations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: General Requirements--(a) The projects funded under this
competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in
employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of
IDEA).
(b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this competition
must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals
with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and
evaluating the projects (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA).
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package: Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free):
1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html
or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA Number 84.326J.
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 program contact
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of
this notice.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition. Page
Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where
you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use
to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to the equivalent
of no more than 70 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, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the
resumes, the bibliography, the references, or the letters of support.
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
We will reject your application if--
You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: March 9,
2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 22, 2005.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by
mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6.
[[Page 11217]]
Other Submission Requirements in this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 21, 2005.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
We have been accepting applications electronically through the
Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on
those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are
continuing to participate as a partner in the new governmentwide
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2005. Secondary Transition Technical
Assistance Center--CFDA Number 84.326J is one of the competitions
included in this project.
If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must
use the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). Through this site, you will
be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it
offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-
mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. We request your
participation in Grants.gov.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Secondary
Transition Technical Assistance Center--CFDA Number 84.326J competition
at: http://www.grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include
the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search.
Please note the following:
Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted with a
date/time received by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We will not
consider your application if it was received by the Grants.gov system
later than 4:30 p.m. on the application deadline date. When we retrieve
your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are
rejecting your application because it was submitted after 4:30 p.m. on
the application deadline date.
If you experience technical difficulties on the
application deadline date and are unable to meet the 4:30 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, deadline, print out your application and follow
the instructions in this notice for the submission of paper
applications by mail or hand delivery.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that
your application is submitted timely to the Grants.gov system.
To use Grants.gov, you, as the applicant, must have a D-U-
N-S Number and register in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). You
should allow a minimum of five business days to complete the CCR
registration.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you submit your application in paper format.
You may submit all documents electronically, including all
information typically included on the Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED
524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Any narrative
sections of your application should be attached as files in a .DOC
(document), .RTF (rich text) or .PDF (Portable Document) format.
Your electronic application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying
number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the
original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable
following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.326J), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260. or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center `` Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.326J), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service,
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier, or
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark, or
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery,
you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of
your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date,
to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.326J), 550 12th
[[Page 11218]]
Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-
4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail
or hand deliver your application to the Department:
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the
Department--in Item 4 of the Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424) the CFDA number--and suffix letter, if any--of the
competition under which you are submitting your application.
(2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
from 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR and are listed in the application package.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA), the Department is currently developing measures
that will yield information on various aspects of the quality of the
Technical Assistance to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities program. The measures will focus on: the extent to which
projects provide high quality products and services, the relevance of
project products and services to educational and early intervention
policy and practice, and the use of products and services to improve
educational and early intervention policy and practice.
Once the measures are developed, we will notify grantees if they
will be required to provide any information related to these measures.
Grantees will also be required to report information on their
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR
75.590).
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Marlene Simon-Burroughs, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4151, Potomac
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7525.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal 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 by contacting the following office: The Grants and
Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550.
Telephone: (202) 245-7363.
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 2, 2005.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 05-4442 Filed 3-7-05; 8:45 am]
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