[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 21, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6754-6758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3843]




[[Page 6753]]

_______________________________________________________________________

Part IV





Department of Education





_______________________________________________________________________



Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Proposed 
Priorities; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 35 / Wednesday, February 21, 1996 / 
Notices   

[[Page 6754]]


DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services


Notice of Proposed Priorities

SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes priorities for three programs 
administered by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services (OSERS) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 
The Secretary may use these priorities in Fiscal Year 1996 and 
subsequent years. The Secretary takes this action to focus Federal 
assistance on identified needs to improve outcomes for children with 
disabilities. The proposed priorities are intended to ensure wide and 
effective use of program funds.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 22, 1996 for the 
Training Personnel for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities 
Program (CFDA 84.029) and the Program for Children and Youth with 
Serious Emotional Disturbance (CFDA 84.237); and April 22, 1996 for the 
Research in the Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program 
(CFDA 84.023).

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning proposed priorities should be 
addressed to: Linda Glidewell, U.S. Department of Education, 600 
Independence Avenue SW., Room 3524, Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 
20202-2641.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The name, address, and telephone 
number of the person at the Department to contact for information on 
each specific proposed priority is listed under that priority.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains four proposed 
priorities under three programs authorized by the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act, as follows: Research in Education of 
Individuals with Disabilities Program (one proposed priority); Training 
Personnel for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program 
(two proposed priorities); and Program for Children and Youth with 
Serious Emotional Disturbance (one proposed priority). The purpose of 
each program is stated separately under the title of that program.
    These proposed priorities would support the National Education 
Goals by improving understanding of how to enable children and youth 
with disabilities to reach higher levels of academic achievement.
    The Secretary will announce the final priorities in a notice in the 
Federal Register. The final priorities will be determined by responses 
to this notice, available funds, and other considerations of the 
Department. Funding of particular projects depends on the availability 
of funds, the content of the final priorities, and the quality of the 
applications received. Further, priorities could be affected by 
enactment of legislation reauthorizing these programs. The publication 
of these proposed priorities does not preclude the Secretary from 
proposing additional priorities, nor does it limit the Secretary to 
funding only these priorities, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking 
requirements.

    Note: This notice of proposed priorities does not solicit 
applications. Notices inviting applications under these competitions 
will be published in the Federal Register concurrent with or 
following publication of the notices of final priorities.

Research in Education of Individuals With Disabilities Program

    Purpose of Program: To advance and improve the knowledge base and 
improve the practice of professionals, parents, and others providing 
early intervention, special education, and related services--including 
professionals in regular education environments--to provide children 
with disabilities effective instruction and enable these children to 
learn successfully.
    Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary proposes to give 
an absolute preference to applications that meet the following 
priority. The Secretary proposes to fund under this competition only 
applications that meet this absolute priority:

Proposed Absolute Priority--Research Institute to Accelerate Learning 
for Children With Disabilities With Curricular and Instructional 
Interventions

Background

    The consequences of failing to learn are serious. Lack of learning 
in one domain reduces an individual's capacity to benefit from 
educational experience. Failure establishes a self-perpetuating cycle 
and negatively affects the individual's disposition toward lifelong 
learning, employment, and contribution to society. Most children with 
disabilities face challenges to learning. These challenges are 
amplified as calls are made for higher standards to be achieved by all 
students, including children with disabilities, and as more children 
with disabilities are educated in general education classrooms.
    Evidence from the National Longitudinal Transition Study indicates 
children with disabilities are not learning subject matter content. An 
urgency exists to develop powerful curricular and instructional 
interventions that maximize rates of development, promote generalized 
learning, and reduce discrepancies between their performance and that 
of their peers.
    Intervention research has demonstrated that children with 
disabilities possess the potential to learn, participate, and 
contribute in school, home, community, and work place. Research on 
instructional interventions for children with disabilities has been the 
hallmark of special education research. For example, research on direct 
instruction, behavioral management interventions, learning strategies, 
peer mediated learning, and reciprocal teaching has led to improvements 
in professional practice.
    Yet, single solution interventions are insufficient for teaching 
children with disabilities complex subject matter content. In many 
instances, these interventions are content free. Moreover, little 
empirical evidence is available on the context of the classroom for 
supporting the implementation of these solutions.

Priority

    The Secretary proposes to establish an absolute priority for the 
purpose of establishing a research institute to study kindergarten 
through grade six curricular and instructional classroom based 
interventions that accelerate subject matter learning for children with 
disabilities and promote its sustained use by practitioners. These 
studies must examine--
    (1) The effectiveness of the intervention for children with 
disabilities; and
    (2) The classroom context that supports the implementation of the 
interventions that produce and sustain positive learning outcomes for 
children with disabilities, including such factors as classroom groups; 
classroom and cross-classroom management strategies; curriculum design 
principles; classroom settings; instructional materials; amount of time 
on task; integration into the curriculum; and teacher actions, skills, 
and attitudes.
    The research may include, but need not be limited to, studying 
classroom based exemplars and models, designing and implementing 
interventions, and collecting student and teacher data from exemplars, 
using a rich array of research methods to reach the intended goals of 
this priority and as articulated by the proposed research hypotheses.
    The research Institute must--
    (a) Design and conduct a strategic program of research that focuses 
on 

[[Page 6755]]
helping students with disabilities in kindergarten through grade six 
learn subject matter content in critical areas such as reading and 
math, and builds upon the existing research knowledge for teaching 
children with disabilities;
    (b) Design and conduct a strategic program of research across 
multiple sites to represent organizational and demographic diversity;
    (c) Collect, analyze, and communicate student outcome data and 
supporting context data; and multiple outcome data for teachers, 
parents, administrators, as appropriate;
    (d) Collaborate with experts and researchers in related subject 
matter and methodological fields, as appropriate for the program of 
research, to design and conduct the strategic program of research;
    (e) Collaborate with communication specialists and professional and 
advocacy organizations to ensure that findings are prepared in formats 
that are useable for specific audiences such as teachers, 
administrators, and other service providers;
    (f) Develop linkages with Education Department technical assistance 
providers to communicate research findings and distribute products;
    (g) Provide training and research opportunities for a limited 
number of graduate students including students who are from 
traditionally underrepresented groups; and
    (h) Meet with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) 
project officer in the first four months of the project to review the 
program of research and communication approaches.
    The project must budget for two trips annually to Washington, D.C. 
for: (1) A two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) another 
meeting to meet and collaborate with the OSEP project officer.
    Under this priority, the Secretary anticipates making one award for 
a cooperative agreement with a project period of up to 60 months 
subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for continuation 
awards. In determining whether to continue the Institute for the fourth 
and fifth years of the project period, the Secretary, in addition to 
the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), will consider--
    (1) The recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts 
selected by the Secretary. The services of the review team, including a 
two-day site visit to the project are to be performed during the last 
half of the Institute's second year and may be included in that year's 
evaluation required under 34 CFR 75.590. Costs associated with the 
services to be performed by the review team must also be included in 
the institute's budget for year two. These costs are estimated to be 
approximately $4,000;
    (2) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of 
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the 
Research Institute; and
    (3) The degree to which the Institute's research designs and 
methodologies demonstrate the potential for advancing significant new 
knowledge.
    For Further Information Contact: Ellen Schiller, U.S. Department of 
Education, 600 Independence Avenue SW., Room 3523, Switzer Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8123. FAX: (202) 205-
8105. Internet: Ellen__S[email protected]
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the TDD number: (202) 205-8953.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1441 and 1442.

Training Personnel for the Education of Individuals With 
Disabilities Program

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of Grants for Personnel Training is 
to increase the quantity and improve the quality of personnel available 
to serve infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.
    Priorities: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary proposes to 
give an absolute preference to applications that meet the following 
priorities. The Secretary proposes to fund under these competitions 
only applications that meet these absolute priorities:

Proposed Absolute Priority 1--Preparation of Special Education, Related 
Services, and Early Intervention Personnel to Serve Infants, Toddlers, 
Children, and Youth With Low-Incidence Disabilities

Background

    The national demand for educational, related services, and early 
intervention personnel to serve infants, toddlers, children and youth 
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 are reluctant to 
support the needed professional development programs. Of the programs 
that are available, not all are producing graduates with the 
prerequisite skills needed to meet the needs of the low-incidence 
disability population. 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: The Secretary proposes to establish an absolute priority 
to support projects that increase the number and quality of personnel 
to serve children with low-incidence 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, or specialist level.
    The term ``low-incidence disability'' means a visual or hearing 
impairment, or simultaneous visual and hearing impairments, significant 
mental retardation, or an impairment such as severe and multiple 
disabilities, severe orthopedic disabilities, autism, and traumatic 
brain injury, for which a small number of highly skilled and 
knowledgeable personnel are needed.
    Applicants may propose to prepare one or more of the following 
types of personnel:
    (1) Special educators including early childhood, speech and 
language, adapted physical education, and assistive technology 
personnel;
    (2) Related services personnel who provide developmental, 
corrective, and other supportive services that assist children with 
low-incidence disabilities to benefit from special education. Both 
comprehensive programs and specialty components of programs that 
emphasize children with low-incidence disabilities within a broader 
discipline may be supported; or
    (3) Early intervention personnel who serve children birth through 
age 2 with disabilities and their families. Early intervention 
personnel include persons prepared to provide training for, or be 
consultants to, service providers and case managers.
    The Secretary particularly encourages projects that address the 
needs of more than one State, provide multi-disciplinary training, and 
include collaboration among several institutions and between training 
institutions and public schools. In addition, 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 are encouraged.
    Projects must:
    (a) Show how their proposed activities address the need for trained 
personnel to serve children with low-incidence disabilities, as 
identified in 

[[Page 6756]]
State Comprehensive Systems of Personnel Development, in the State or 
States where personnel trained by the project are expected to be 
employed;
    (b) Prepare personnel to address the specialized needs of children 
with low-incidence disabilities from different cultural and language 
backgrounds;
    (c) Incorporate best practices in the design of the program and the 
curricula;
    (d) Incorporate curricula that focus on improving results for 
children with low-incidence disabilities;
    (e) Promote high expectations for students with low-incidence 
disabilities and foster access to the general curriculum in the regular 
classroom, wherever appropriate; and
    (f) Develop linkages with Education Department technical assistance 
providers to communicate information on program models used and program 
effectiveness.
    Under this absolute priority, the Secretary plans to award 
approximately:
     55 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in special education, including early childhood 
educators;
     30 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in related services; and
     15 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in early intervention.
    For Further Information Contact: Verna Hart, U.S. Department of 
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3519, Switzer Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-5392. FAX: (202) 205-
9070. Internet: Verna__H[email protected] Individuals who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the TDD number: 
(202) 205-7381.

Proposed Absolute Priority 2--Preparation of Personnel to Serve 
Children and Youth With High-Incidence Disabilities

    Background: In many States, there are insufficient numbers of 
personnel available to meet the needs of children with high-incidence 
disabilities. In addition, the quality of personnel preparation 
programs needs to be improved so that professionals will be better 
prepared to help children with high-incidence disabilities reach their 
individual developmental goals and meet challenging standards.
    Priority: The Secretary proposes to establish an absolute priority 
to support projects that increase the number and quality of personnel 
to serve children ages 3 through 21 with high-incidence disabilities 
such as mild or moderate mental retardation, speech or language 
impairments, emotional disturbance, or specific learning disabilities. 
This priority supports projects that provide preservice preparation of 
special educators, including early childhood educators and related 
services personnel.
    A preservice program is defined as one that leads toward a degree, 
certification, or professional standard, and may be supported at the 
associate, baccalaureate, master's or specialist level. A preservice 
program may include the preparation of currently employed personnel who 
are seeking additional degrees, certifications, or endorsements.
    Applicants may propose to prepare one or more of the following 
types of personnel:
    (1) Special educators including speech and language, adapted 
physical education, and adaptive technology personnel;
    (2) Related services personnel who provide developmental, 
corrective, and other supportive services that assist children with 
high-incidence disabilities to benefit from special education; and
    (3) Early childhood special education or related services personnel 
who address the needs of children age three through five with high-
incidence disabilities and their families.
    The Secretary particularly encourages projects that foster 
successful coordination between special education and regular education 
professional development programs to meet the needs of children with 
high-incidence disabilities in inclusive settings.
    Projects must:
    (a) Show through letters of acknowledgement from States or other 
documentation that the proposed professional development activities 
support the Comprehensive Systems of Personnel Development of the State 
or States where personnel prepared by the project are expected to be 
employed;
    (b) Show through letters of acknowledgement from States or other 
documentation that the proposed personnel preparation meets the 
standards for employment in the State or States where personnel 
prepared by the project are expected to be employed;
    (c) Prepare personnel to address the needs of children with high-
incidence disabilities from different cultural and language 
backgrounds;
    (d) Incorporate best practices in the design of the program and 
curricula;
    (e) Incorporate curricula that focus on improving results for 
children with high-incidence disabilities;
    (f) Promote high expectations for children with high-incidence 
disabilities and foster access to the general curriculum in the regular 
classroom, wherever appropriate; and
    (g) Develop linkages with Education Department technical assistance 
providers to communicate information on program models used and program 
effectiveness.
    Under this absolute priority, the Secretary plans to award 
approximately:
     55 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in special education;
     30 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in related services; and,
     15 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in early childhood education.
    For Further Information Contact: Martha Bokee, U.S. Department of 
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3078, Switzer Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-5509. FAX: (202) 205-
9070. Internet: Martha____B[email protected]. Individuals who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the TDD number: 
(202) 205-7381.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431.

Program for Children and Youth With Serious Emotional Disturbance

    Purpose of Program: To support projects designed to improve special 
education and related services to children and youth with serious 
emotional disturbance. Types of projects that may be supported under 
the program include, but are not limited to, research, development, and 
demonstration projects. Funds may also be used to develop and 
demonstrate approaches to assist and prevent children with emotional 
and behavioral problems from developing serious emotional disturbance.
    Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary proposes to give 
an absolute preference to applications that meet the following 
priority. The Secretary proposes to fund under this competition only 
applications that meet this absolute priority:

Proposed Absolute Priority--Center to Promote Collaboration and 
Communication of Effective Practices for Children With, or At Risk of 
Developing, Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED)

    Background: ``Collaboration'' is one of the seven strategic targets 
identified in the National Agenda for Achieving Better Results for 
Children and Youth with SED, developed by the Office of Special 
Education Programs (OSEP) with extensive participation by a variety of 
individuals and organizations. 

[[Page 6757]]
Collaboration is critically important, at Federal, State, and local 
levels: ``To promote systems change resulting in the development of 
coherent services built around the individual needs of children and 
youth with and at risk of developing SED.'' In the past, there has been 
too little interaction between agencies and service providers, e.g., 
education, mental health, child welfare, and juvenile justice. Lack of 
coordination between and across agencies has had a negative impact on 
children and families. The new direction, demonstrated in many of the 
projects currently funded by OSEP and other agencies, is toward more 
``seamless'' and ``wrap-around'' service delivery models built around 
the needs of students, families, and communities--systems that 
coordinate services, articulate responsibilities, and provide system-
wide and agency-level accountability.
    Many of these new model programs are only in their infancy, but are 
already documenting their effectiveness. It is essential that 
mechanisms be put in place to foster the identification, development, 
and exchange of information about these innovative projects--to 
communicate their findings and approaches nationally to other 
communities and agencies that are seeking solutions to the needs of 
children with mental health problems and their families.
    Priority: The Secretary proposes to establish an absolute priority 
to support one cooperative agreement for a center to promote Federal, 
State, and local interagency collaboration and facilitate the 
identification, development, and exchange of information on effective 
practices to improve services for children with SED and for children 
with emotional and behavioral problems who are at risk of developing 
SED. The center must coordinate and collaborate with related centers 
and activities across agencies, including but not limited to: OSEP's 
ongoing activities to validate and communicate the SED National Agenda; 
other OSEP and Department-supported technical assistance and 
information exchange activities; and the two rehabilitation research 
and training centers (RRTCs) on children's mental health jointly funded 
by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research 
(NIDRR) and the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). The center 
must provide and support information identification, development, and 
exchange for Federal, State, and community-based projects and programs 
providing services for children with or at risk of SED in accordance 
with a plan that describes the centers schedule.
    The center must:
    (1) Establish working relationships with Federal, State, and local 
programs and projects to identify and develop useful and usable 
information for, and to foster the exchange of usable and useful 
information with--
    (a) Federal, State, and community-based programs and projects to 
assist them in their efforts; and,
    (b) Broader audiences of individuals and organizations including 
parents and family members of children with or at risk of serious 
emotional disturbance.
    (2) Ensure and facilitate access, including electronic and 
telecommunication access, to information on SED, including information 
on projects funded by the Office of Special Education and 
Rehabilitation Services; other offices in the Department of Education; 
the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Justice; and 
other sources such as foundations and associations, as appropriate.
    (3) Evaluate the impact of information identification, development, 
and exchange activities.
    It is anticipated that initial information exchanges will rely 
heavily upon information already produced by programs and projects, but 
that additional information will be synthesized and developed by the 
center based on findings from the available research and information/
findings provided to the center by programs and projects.
    The center must also ensure that the targets and cross-cutting 
themes of OSEP's National Agenda for Achieving Better Results for 
Children and Youth with SED are addressed in the center's information 
activities. Four areas of particular interest that must be addressed in 
information activities are: (1) early identification, intervention, and 
prevention; (2) behavior management, conflict resolution, and other 
approaches to creating more productive and safe educational 
environments for all students; (3) personnel preparation; and (4) 
evaluation of community-based (local) program and service 
effectiveness.
    Under this priority, the Secretary proposes to award one 
cooperative agreement with a project period of up to 60 months subject 
to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for continuation awards. In 
determining whether to continue the center for the fourth and fifth 
years of the project period, the Secretary, in addition to the 
requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), will consider the recommendation of a 
review team consisting of three experts selected by the Secretary. The 
services of the review team, including a two-day visit to the center, 
are to be performed during the last half of the center's second year 
and must be included in that year's evaluation required under 34 CFR 
75.590. In its budget for the second year, the center must set aside 
funds to cover the costs of the review team. These funds are estimated 
to be approximately $4,000.
    In determining whether to continue the center for the fourth and 
fifth years of the project period, in addition to considering the 
factors in 34 75.253(a), the Secretary will consider the following:
    (a) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of 
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the 
center; and
    (b) The degree to which the center's evaluation methods and 
information activities demonstrate the potential for advancing 
significant new knowledge.
    The Secretary particularly encourages applicants for this 
cooperative agreement to incorporate technologically innovative 
approaches in all aspects of center activities, to improve their 
efficiency and impact.
    The project must budget for two trips annually to Washington, D.C., 
for: (1) a two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) another 
meeting, in the first quarter of each project year, to meet and review 
project plans and accomplishments with the OSEP project officer and 
other OSEP and other agency staff to share information on the project.
    For Further Information Contact: Tom V. Hanley, U.S. Department of 
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3526, Switzer Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8110. FAX: (202) 205-
8105. Internet: Tom____H[email protected]
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the TDD number: (202) 205-8953.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1423

Executive Order 12866

    This notice of proposed priorities has been reviewed in accordance 
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order the Secretary 
has assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory 
action.
    The potential costs associated with the notice of proposed 
priorities are those determined by the Secretary as necessary for 
administering this program effectively and efficiently.
    In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative 
and 

[[Page 6758]]
qualitative--of this notice of proposed priorities, the Secretary has 
determined that the benefits of the proposed priorities justify the 
costs.
    The Secretary has also determined that this regulatory action does 
not unduly interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the 
exercise of their governmental functions.
    To assist the Department in complying with the specific 
requirements of Executive Order 12866, the Secretary invites comment on 
whether there may be further opportunities to reduce any potential 
costs or increase potential benefits resulting from these proposed 
priorities without impeding the effective and efficient administration 
of the program.
    Summary of Potential Costs and Benefits: There are no identified 
costs associated with this notice of proposed priorities. Announcement 
of the priorities will not result in costs to State and local 
governments, recipients of grant funds, or to children and youth with 
disabilities and their families. The benefit from these priorities will 
be to focus activities and Federal assistance on improving outcomes for 
children and youth with disabilities.

Intergovernmental Review

    Except for the Research in Education of Individuals with 
Disabilities Program (84.023), all other programs included in this 
notice 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 
this program.

Invitation to Comment

    Interested persons are invited to submit comments and 
recommendations regarding these proposed priorities.
    All comments submitted in response to this notice will be available 
for public inspection, during and after the comment period, in Room 
3524, 300 C Street SW., Washington, D.C., between the hours of 8:30 
a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday of each week except Federal 
holidays.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers: Research in 
Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program, 84.023; Training 
Personnel for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities 
Program, 84.029; and Program for Children and Youth with Serious 
Emotional Disturbance, 84.237)

    Dated: November 8, 1995.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 96-3843 Filed 2-20-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P