[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3060-3068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-1121]



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Part IV





Department of Education





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Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Grant 
Applications Under Part D, Subpart 2 of the Individuals With 
Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997; Notice



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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 12 / Wednesday, January 19, 2000 / 
Notices  

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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 Amendments of 1997

AGENCY:  Department of Education.

ACTION:  Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year 
(FY) 2000.

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SUMMARY:  This notice provides closing dates and other information 
regarding the transmittal of applications for FY 2000 competitions 
under three programs authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act (IDEA Amendments of 1997), as amended. The three programs 
are: (1) Special Education--Research and Innovation to Improve Services 
and Results for Children with Disabilities (one priority); (2) Special 
Education--Personnel Preparation to Improve Services and Results for 
Children with Disabilities (one priority); and (3) Special Education--
Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results 
for Children with Disabilities (three priorities).
    This notice supports the National Education Goals by helping to 
improve results for children with disabilities.

Waiver of Rulemaking

    It is generally the practice of the Secretary to offer interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, 
section 661(e)(2) of IDEA makes the Administrative Procedure Act (5 
U.S.C. 553) inapplicable to the priorities in this notice.

General Requirements

    (a) Projects funded under this notice must make positive efforts to 
employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with 
disabilities in project activities (see Section 606 of IDEA).
    (b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this notice must 
involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals with 
disabilities in planning, implementing, and evaluating the projects 
(see Section 661(f)(1)(A) of IDEA).
    (c) Projects funded under these priorities must budget for a two-
day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, D.C. during each year of 
the project.
    (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 in the ``Page Limits'' section under the 
applicable priority in 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.
    If, to meet the page limit, you use a larger page or you use a 
print size, spacing, or margins smaller than the standards in this 
notice, we will reject your application.
    Information collection resulting from this notice has been 
submitted to OMB for review under the Paperwork Reduction Act and has 
been approved under control number 1820-0028, expiration date July 31, 
2000.

Research and Innovation To Improve Services and Results for 
Children With Disabilities

Purpose of Program

    To produce, and advance the use of, knowledge to: (1) Improve 
services provided under IDEA, including the practices of professionals 
and others involved in providing those services to children with 
disabilities; and (2) improve educational and early intervention 
results for infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities.

Eligible Applicants

    State and local educational agencies; institutions of higher 
education; other public agencies; private nonprofit organizations; 
outlying areas; freely associated States; and Indian tribes or tribal 
organizations.

Applicable Regulations

    (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations 
(EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 
99; (b) The selection criteria for the priorities under this program 
are drawn from the EDGAR general selection criteria menu. The specific 
selection criteria for this priority are included in the funding 
application packet for this competition.


    Note:
     The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher 
education only.

Priority

    Under section 672 of the Act and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider 
only applications that meet the following priority:
Absolute Priority--Directed Research Projects (84.324D)
    This priority provides support for projects that advance and 
improve the knowledge base and improve the practice of professionals, 
parents, and others providing early intervention, special education, 
and related services. This includes professionals who work with 
children with disabilities in regular education environments and 
natural environments. Under this priority, projects must support 
innovation, development, exchange of information, and use of 
advancements in knowledge and practice. If the project maintains a web 
site, it must include relevant information and documents in an 
accessible form. Projects must (1) use rigorous quantitative or 
qualitative research and evaluation methods and (2) communicate 
appropriately with audiences.
Focus 1--Inclusion of Students With Disabilities in Large-Scale 
Assessment Programs
    The IDEA Amendments of 1997 include a number of provisions related 
to State and district-wide assessment programs. These provisions call 
for (1) the participation of children with disabilities in general 
State and district-wide assessment programs, with appropriate 
accommodations, where necessary (section 612(a)(17)(A)); (2) the 
provision of alternate assessments for children with disabilities who 
cannot participate in State or districtwide assessment programs 
(section 612(a)(17)(A)(i) and (ii)); (3) public reporting on the 
participation and performance of students with disabilities in general 
assessment programs and alternate assessments (section 612(a)(17)(B)); 
and (4) statements in the IEP regarding

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individual modifications needed in the administration of State and 
districtwide assessments or how a child will participate in alternate 
assessments (section 614(d)(1)(A)(v)).
    Focus 1 supports projects that pursue systematic programs of 
applied research to (a) determine how State and local educational 
agencies can best meet these requirements, and (b) study the effects of 
efforts made by these agencies to meet these requirements. The 
Assistant Secretary is particularly interested in projects that examine 
the impact of State assessment policies on students with disabilities, 
specifically those projects that require students with disabilities to 
demonstrate reading proficiency at a particular level in order to 
graduate.
    Projects may focus on one or more specific requirements or effects.
    The Assistant Secretary intends to make approximately 3 awards in 
Focus Area 1 with at least one award focusing on low-incidence 
disabilities, i.e., 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.
Focus 2--Instructional Interventions and Results for Children With 
Disabilities
    The successful implementation of the IDEA Amendments of 1997 
requires a strong emphasis on supports for children with disabilities 
to help them access the general education curricula. Research is needed 
to describe, test, and validate instructional practices that have the 
potential for generating positive results for children with 
disabilities as they strive to meet State and local standards and 
performance goals set for all students. The research must focus on 
children in preschool, elementary, middle, or high school.
    Projects supported under Focus 2 must investigate one or more 
issues related to providing instruction in the general education 
curriculum for children with disabilities. These issues may include, 
but are not limited to:
    The relationship of instructional interventions to results in the 
following areas: (1) Core subjects e.g., language arts, mathematics, 
science, social studies, and (2) second language acquisition;
    (b) Contextual variables that influence access to the general 
education curriculum for students with disabilities. Contextual 
variables include, for example, classroom design, relative role of 
regular educators and special educators, groupings, or management 
strategies; curricular design, delivery, or materials; and family and 
staff interaction;
    (c) Instructional and curricular accommodations to ensure that 
students with disabilities have access to the general education 
curriculum;
    (d) The relationship of inclusive preschool practices and child-
family transition practices to child development, readiness skills, and 
preparation for participation in the primary grades; and
    (e) The development of interventions that promote better results 
through standards based reform and accountability.
    The Assistant Secretary intends to fund approximately 12 awards in 
Focus 2 with at least 2 projects for each of the following grade 
levels: preschool, elementary, middle, and high school.
Focus Area 3--Early and Prescriptive Assessment of Children With 
Learning or Emotional Disabilities
    Children with physical, sensory, speech, and significant cognitive 
disabilities are identified relatively early, and children with 
learning and emotional disabilities, relatively late. Between first 
grade and fourth grade, the number of children identified with learning 
disabilities and emotional disturbance triples. Research has shown that 
early intervention is particularly effective for children with learning 
or emotional disabilities, to improve educational results and reduce 
behavioral difficulties.
    Attempts to explain the late identification patterns for children 
with learning or emotional disabilities have targeted weaknesses in 
assessment practices, and the reluctance of schools to engage in 
potentially stigmatizing erroneous identification. This late 
identification problem has resulted in many young children not 
receiving appropriate services at the age when they would obtain the 
greatest benefit from targeted interventions.
    Research is needed to examine and document effective and 
prescriptive assessment procedures that will contribute to the accurate 
identification of young children (3 through 9 years of age) with 
learning or emotional disabilities, and will lead to appropriate 
services to maximize their social and educational development. The 
procedures and services to be studied must incorporate multiple 
assessment approaches including observational techniques, cultural and 
linguistic factors, and prereferral strategies to enhance the accuracy 
of assessment and prevent misidentification of children, where 
appropriate. The research must document the effectiveness of methods to 
accurately identify and prescribe interventions for young children with 
learning or emotional disabilities, including students whose 
eligibility for special education is based upon having specific 
learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, development delay, or 
other health impairments. Because learning and behavioral problems 
often coexist in young children, research awards under this focus area 
must address early assessment procedures that examine both emotional or 
behavioral and learning domains.
    The Assistant Secretary intends to award approximately 3 projects 
in Focus 3.
Focus 4--Gender and Special Education
    The purpose of this priority is to explore the influences of gender 
on special education referral, placement, and service provision for 
students with disabilities.
    Males and females comprise equal proportions of the school-aged 
population; however, males account for approximately two-thirds of all 
students served in special education. In many cases, it is not clear if 
females are underidentified for special education, if males are 
overidentified, or if real differences exist in the prevalence of 
disability between males and females. The research to date has 
primarily addressed commonalities of students rather than differences 
based on gender.
    Some additional facts regarding gender and disabilities include:
    (a) Females with disabilities have more significant disabilities 
than their male peers at the time of referral;
    (b) Females with disabilities have lower IQ scores than their male 
counterparts at the time of referral; and
    (c) Post school outcomes for females with disabilities are 
significantly worse than their male peers with disabilities.
    Little is known, however, about the different characteristics, 
treatment and experiences of males and females with disabilities. These 
differences are likely to be caused by a combination of factors.
    Under this priority, a research project must pursue a systematic 
program of research that focuses on one or more issues related to 
gender and special education. The issues may include, but are not 
limited to:
    (a) The differences that may exist in the prevalence of 
disabilities based on gender, and if those differences exist, why;

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    (b) The reasons for different outcomes and opportunities, (e.g., 
employment, parenting, vocational education programs) for students with 
disabilities based on gender; and
    (c) The factors that contribute to disproportionate representation 
of males and females in special education including (i) students' 
environmental, social, and learning experiences, and cultural and 
linguistic characteristics; (ii) student or teacher behaviors and 
interactions; (iii) teacher expectations and attitudes; and (iv) any 
other relevant areas.
    The Assistant Secretary intends to fund 3 awards in Focus 4.
Focus 5--Research To Improve Literacy Results for Children Who Are 
Unresponsive to Effective Classroom or Schoolwide Programs in Grades K-
3
    Recent reading research has focused on developing and validating 
strategies and interventions to ensure that children acquire literacy 
in regular education classroom settings by using effective classroom 
reading programs. These programs may include explicit and intensive 
instruction within or outside the classroom in small groups and, in the 
most difficult cases, with individualized one-on-one tutoring. The hope 
has been that all children would succeed in these circumstances; 
however, there are a small number of children who do not benefit from 
these interventions and who are at the highest risk for academic and 
social failure.
    Effective learning and teaching strategies must also be found for 
these children. These strategies need to be based on the learning 
characteristics and needs of a child as well as by reasonable 
expectations for the child. Some children may benefit from more 
intensive interventions of longer duration, or they may benefit from a 
number of new innovations, e.g., a universal design of curriculum that 
has embedded modifications, adaptations and accommodations to serve 
diverse student populations. Supports and supplementary aids and 
services may also help these children.
    Projects supported under Focus 5 must--
    (a) Identify the criteria used to decide that a child is 
unresponsive to interventions that are effective for most students;
    (b) Identify and describe characteristics related to (i) the 
environmental, social, and cultural factors each child may have 
experienced, and (ii) the learning characteristics related to the 
literacy of each child who is unresponsive to reading programs to which 
a majority of children respond. Learning characteristics may include, 
but are not limited to, specific deficits in phonological awareness, 
inattentiveness and distractibility, motivation, language development, 
developmental delay, and IQ;
    (c) Design processes for making decisions about how to target 
instruction that will be effective given the identified learning 
characteristics of the child;
    (d) Identify alternative methods of providing access to content for 
those who have not acquired sufficient reading proficiency;
    (e) Document the progress of individual children toward meeting 
intervention goals, the fidelity of implementation of interventions, 
the qualifications of persons who make decisions and who implement 
interventions, the length and intensity of interventions, and the 
settings where the interventions take place; and
    (f) Evaluate the expectations that were made for each child.
    The Assistant Secretary intends to fund 3 awards in Focus 5.
Focus 6--Research to Improve Reading Comprehension Results for Children 
With Disabilities
    In recent years, research has advanced our understanding of how 
skilled readers comprehend and how instructional strategies support 
children with learning disabilities to comprehend text. Comprehension 
is not merely a text-based process where meaning resides in the text 
and the role of the reader is to discover the meaning. To develop 
successful comprehension skills, many children with learning 
disabilities need an explicit instructional program that: (a) Teaches 
them how to access prior knowledge through strategies such as semantic 
mapping, think aloud sheets, etc.; (b) motivates and supports 
persistence on task, including expressions of a student's own thoughts 
when reading and writing, questioning the expert or inquiring, or using 
technology or grouping practices; and (c) teaches them cognitive and 
metacognitive strategies for reading with understanding, including how 
to monitor one's own progress through self-regulation, summarizing, 
generating questions, mnemonics, or imagery.
    Under Focus 6, a research project must pursue a systematic program 
of applied research that focuses on one or more issues related to 
improving reading comprehension results of children with learning 
disabilities related to reading. These issues include, but are not 
limited to:
    (a) The types of effective comprehension instruction for children 
with learning disabilities in grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 inclusive; the 
components of particularly effective programs for children with 
learning disabilities, e.g., the basal materials, supplemental or 
adapted materials, instructional strategies used by teachers, and how 
families may support the instructional program;
    (b) The types of effective questioning strategies used by teachers, 
peers, and parents to encourage and develop comprehension skills; and
    (c) The kinds of individualized instruction, grouping practices, 
instructional strategies, and curricula that improve comprehension and 
problem solving.
    The Assistant Secretary intends to make approximately 3 awards in 
Focus 6.
Competitive Preferences
    Within this absolute priority, 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, the Assistant 
Secretary can consider the applicant's past success in pursuit of this 
goal.
    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 for All Focus Areas

    Up to 36 months.

Maximum Award for All Focus Areas

    We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding 
$180,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. This maximum award 
applies to any application for any Focus area. The Assistant Secretary 
for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may change the 
maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

Page Limits for All Focus Areas

    The maximum page limit for this priority is 50 double-spaced pages.



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    Note:  Applications must meet the required page limit standards 
that are described in the General Requirements section of this 
notice.

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 (1) 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 (2) 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

    State and local educational agencies; institutions of higher 
education; other public agencies; private nonprofit organizations; 
outlying areas; freely associated States; and Indian tribes or tribal 
organizations.

Applicable Regulations

    (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations 
(EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 
99; (b) The selection criteria for this priority are drawn from the 
EDGAR general selection criteria menu. The specific selection criteria 
for this priority are included in the funding application packet for 
this competition.


    Note:  The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions 
of higher education only.

Priority

    Under section 673(d) of the Act and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we 
consider only those applications that meet the following priority:
Absolute Priority--Projects of National Significance (84.325N)
    The Assistant Secretary establishes 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, 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 should note that:
    (a) The purpose of this priority is model development. Thus, it is 
not expected that student stipends will be supported. However, release 
time for staff for development activities is appropriate; and
    (b) It is expected 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, the Assistant Secretary is 
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. It is expected that these 
projects will 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 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, the Assistant 
Secretary can consider the applicant's past success in pursuit of this 
goal.
    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

    We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding 
$200,000 for any single budget period of 12 months. This maximum award 
applies to any application. The Assistant Secretary for Special 
Education and Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount 
through a notice published in the Federal Register.

Page Limits

    The maximum page limit for this priority is 40 double-spaced pages.

    Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards 
that are described in the General Requirements section of this 
notice.


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Special Education--Technical Assistance and Dissemination To 
Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities

Purpose of Program

    The purpose of this program is to provide technical assistance and 
information through programs that support States and local entities in 
building capacity, to improve early intervention, educational, and 
transitional services and results for children with disabilities and 
their families, and address systemic-change goals and priorities.

Applicable Regulations

    (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations 
(EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 
99; (b) The selection criteria for the priorities under this program 
are drawn from the EDGAR general selection criteria menu. The specific 
selection criteria for each of these priorities 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.

Eligible Applicants

    State and local educational agencies, institutions of higher 
education, other public agencies, private nonprofit organizations, 
outlying areas, freely associated States, and Indian tribes or tribal 
organizations.

Additional Requirements for all Technical Assistance and Dissemination 
Priorities

    Projects funded under this program must (1) use current research-
validated practices and materials and (2) communicate appropriately 
with target audiences.

Priority

    Under section 685 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only 
applications that meet one of the following priorities:
Absolute Priority 1--Linking Policy and Practice Audiences to the IDEA 
Amendments of 1997 (84.326A)
Background
    The continued, effective implementation of the IDEA Amendments of 
1997 is dependent, in part, on the active participation of educational 
and professional associations, parent organizations, advocacy groups, 
and other entities concerned with the early intervention and education 
for children with disabilities. In 1998, the Office of Special 
Education Programs funded four partnerships among these associations 
and other entities to address the information and training needs of 
four specific audiences: families and advocates; policy makers; local 
administrators; and services providers.
    The four partnership projects include the: (1) Families and 
Advocates Partnership for Education (FAPE), which addresses the needs 
of families and advocates; (2) Policy Maker Partnership (PMP), which 
addresses the needs of education policy makers; (3) IDEA Local 
Implementation by Local Administrators Partnership (ILIAD), which 
addresses the needs of local education administrators; and (4) 
Association of Service Providers Implementing IDEA Reforms in Education 
Partnership (ASPIIRE), which addresses the needs of the services 
providers, including teachers and related service providers.
    Three of the four partnership projects, FAPE, ILIAD, and ASPIIRE 
were funded for three years with an option for two additional years of 
funding. Since the PMP was funded for only two years, the following 
priority is needed in order to continue that partnership for up to 3 
additional years.

Priority

    The Assistant Secretary establishes an absolute priority to support 
one partnership among associations of education policy makers and other 
entities so they can contribute to the successful implementation of the 
IDEA Amendments of 1997, including those related to Part C of IDEA. 
This partnership will be established in order to inform and provide 
support to the partnership's members and constituents in understanding 
the law, the implications of the law for their respective roles in 
improving results for children with disabilities, and how research-
based best practices can be used to implement the law.
    The partnerships must--
    (a) Collaborate to meet the needs of policy makers (e.g., chief 
State school officers, State boards of education, local school boards, 
State directors of special education, State directors of mental health 
programs, State directors of vocational rehabilitation programs, State 
directors of programs for children with special health care needs, 
deans of education and special education department chairs, school 
superintendents, governors, State legislators);
    (b) Include--
    (1) from 5 to 10 associations and entities representing regular and 
special education interests; and
    (2) one project director responsible for the leadership and 
management of the partnership;
    (c) Conduct needs assessments of member associations and other 
entities prior to submitting an application in order to identify the 
needs of their respective memberships and constituents regarding the 
implementation of the IDEA Amendments of 1997;
    (d) Describe in the application the strategies (e.g., 
questionnaires, telephone surveys, focus groups, the use of documents 
in electronic formats) used to obtain needs assessment data from their 
respective memberships and constituents;
    (e) Provide an analysis of the needs assessment data with the 
application and submit the analysis to the Coordinating Committee 
described in paragraph (h);
    (f) Develop a joint agreement among the participating associations 
and other entities to be included in the application. This agreement 
must describe--
    (1) The audience whose needs the partnership will address and the 
roles and responsibilities of each member organization or other entity 
in the partnership;
    (2) The activities that the partnership is proposing to conduct. 
Activities must include dissemination of information and outreach. The 
partnership must also employ information specialists to answer 
questions and provide materials to audience members and constituents 
upon request; and
    (3) How resources are to be allocated to ensure the success of the 
partnership activities;
    (g) Implement an external review process in which experts review 
partnership materials for technical accuracy and clarity. Experts must 
be knowledgeable in the IDEA Amendments of 1997, supporting legislative 
history, and regulations implementing the Amendments, and also must be 
familiar with related OSEP policy guidance. The external expert review 
process shall be finalized in consultation with, and approved by, OSEP. 
Information products produced under this award may not be disseminated 
to outside audiences without prior approval by OSEP;
    (h) Describe how the project will be involved in the Partnership 
Projects' Coordinating Committee, described below, which is comprised 
of representatives of each of the four partnerships described in the

[[Page 3065]]

Background section of this priority. The Coordinating Committee 
includes, at a minimum, the project director of each partnership and 
appropriate OSEP staff, and may also include other partnership staff 
for purposes of carrying out committee responsibilities, including 
assisting partnerships in implementing their projects. The proposal 
under this paragraph must address each of the ongoing committee 
functions listed below and include a method for allocating partnership 
resources to support committee activities. The Coordinating Committee--
    (1) Provides technical assistance across the four partnerships and 
develops cross-partnership materials to ensure clarity, accuracy, 
consistency of message and efficient use of resources across the 
partnerships;
    (2) Provides the partnerships timely information, including 
information on pertinent research;
    (3) Develops and implements a joint marketing, training, 
dissemination, and outreach plan based on the results of the 
partnerships' needs assessments, for reaching each of the four target 
audiences in an efficient and timely manner; and
    (4) Designs and conducts a media campaign that includes the 
successful implementation of researched-based practices and that 
increases public awareness of how children with disabilities are being 
served appropriately and how appropriate services affect results for 
children; and
    (i) Maintain a world wide web site with relevant information and 
documents in an accessible form.
Competitive Preference:
    Within this absolute priority, 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, the Assistant 
Secretary can consider the applicant's past success in pursuit of this 
goal.
    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

    Under this priority, the Assistant Secretary will make an award for 
a cooperative agreement with a project period of up to 36 months 
subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for continuation 
awards.

Maximum Award

    We reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding 
$1,500,000 for any single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant 
Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may change 
the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

Page Limits

    The maximum page limit for this priority is 60 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--State and Federal Policy Forum for Program 
Improvement. (84.326F)
Background
    Access to information is critical for decisionmakers and policy 
officials to ensure that appropriate and effective education and early 
intervention services are provided to all infants, toddlers, and 
children with disabilities. State and Federal decisionmakers 
responsible for the implementation of the IDEA Amendments of 1997 must 
have access to valid statistics, research findings, and policy options, 
as well as current information on trends in providing special education 
and related services.
    The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) within the U.S. 
Department of Education has responsibility for the Federal 
administration of IDEA. State educational agencies (SEAs), or other 
designated State agencies under Part C of IDEA, oversee the 
administration of IDEA at the State and local level. The project 
supported under the following priority will provide access to and 
analysis of administrative and policy information generated by the 
States and other jurisdictions, and will facilitate coordination 
between OSEP and State and local IDEA administrators.

Priority

    The Assistant Secretary establishes a priority to facilitate 
communication between the U.S. Department of Education and State and 
local administrators of IDEA, and to synthesize national program 
information that will improve the management, administration, delivery, 
and effectiveness of programs and services provided under IDEA. The 
cooperative agreement funded under this priority will provide the 
Department with a mechanism and resources for analyzing policies and 
emerging issues that are of significant national concern.
    The project must--
    (a) Through expert knowledge, research reviews, and other types of 
needs assessment, identify national and State program improvement 
information that is needed to obtain better results for infants, 
toddlers, and children with disabilities receiving educational and 
early intervention settings;
    (b) Organize, synthesize, interpret, and integrate information 
needed for program improvement using a variety of methods and formats;
    (c) Analyze emerging policy or program issues regarding the 
administration of IDEA at the Federal, State, and local levels;
    (d) Facilitate the flow of information at the Federal, State, and 
local levels related to program improvement for infants, toddlers, and 
children with disabilities, via existing information resources and 
communication networks;
    (e) Maintain a world wide web site with relevant information and 
documents in an accessible form;
    (f) Organize, coordinate, and maintain a data base of laws, 
policies, and regulations that govern special education within the 
States and other jurisdictions; communicate, on a regular basis, with 
State educational agencies to identify emerging policy issues; and 
convene meetings between special education administrators, outside 
experts, and others to review, plan, and provide leadership in 
recommending multi-level actions that respond to the emerging issues;
    (g) Maintain communication and collaboration with technical 
assistance providers funded under the Linking Policy and Practice 
Audiences to the IDEA Amendments of 1997 priority and the Technical 
Assistance Project for the Parent Training and Information Centers 
priority to help inform OSEP of emerging policy or program issues 
related to IDEA that the technical assistance providers are addressing 
or have identified; and
    (h) Communicate regularly with OSEP to provide information that may 
assist OSEP in improving its efficiency in administering IDEA.
    In addition to the annual two-day Project Director's meeting in 
Washington, DC listed in the General Requirements section of this 
notice, the project must budget for another annual

[[Page 3066]]

two-day trip to Washington, DC to meet and collaborate with the OSEP 
project officer and other funded projects for purposes of cross-project 
collaboration and information exchange.

Project Period

    Under this priority, the Assistant Secretary will make 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. During the second year of the project, the Assistant Secretary 
will determine whether to continue the Center for the fourth and fifth 
years of the project period and will consider in addition to the 
requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a):
    (a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts 
selected by the Assistant 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 project'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 project's budget for year two. These costs are 
estimated to be approximately $6,000;
    (b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of 
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the 
project; and
    (c) The degree to which the project's design and technical 
strategies are disseminating significant new knowledge.
Competitive Preferences
    Within this absolute priority, 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, the Assistant 
Secretary can consider the applicant's past success in pursuit of this 
goal.
    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.

Maximum Award

    We reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $400,000 
for any single budget period of 12 months. This maximum amount applies 
to any application. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice 
published in the Federal Register.

Page Limits

    The maximum page limit for this priority is 60 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--Center on Achieving Results in Education for 
Students With Disabilities (84.326G)
Background
    The IDEA Amendments of 1997 introduced a number of provisions 
related to large-scale assessment and accountability. These provisions 
called for the participation of students with disabilities in State and 
district-wide assessments, with appropriate accommodations or alternate 
assessments provided when necessary. States must publicly report on the 
performance and participation of students with disabilities on regular 
and alternate assessments, and must establish goals and performance 
indicators that address, among other things, the performance of 
students with disabilities on assessments. Individualized education 
programs (IEPs) must reflect individual decisions about modifications 
in administration of State and district-wide assessments, and 
participation in alternate assessments.
    These requirements reflect the importance of ensuring that students 
with disabilities have access to the general curriculum and that they 
benefit from State and local efforts toward accountability and 
standards-based reform. In addition, State and district-wide 
assessments may provide a valuable source of national and State 
information about educational results for students with disabilities, 
provided those students are sufficiently included.
    Recent evidence suggests that States are making progress in 
implementing these assessment and accountability requirements. However, 
a number of technical and policy challenges must be overcome before the 
requirements can yield all of their potential benefits for students 
with disabilities.

Priority

    The Assistant Secretary establishes an absolute priority for a 
center to provide national leadership in improving results for students 
with disabilities by improving their participation in State and local 
assessment and accountability systems. The Center must accomplish this 
mission through a combination of research, technical assistance, 
dissemination, collaboration, and other leadership functions.
    The Center's research activities must include, but are not limited 
to:
    (a) Conducting an annual survey of States to determine their 
current status in implementing the assessment and accountability 
provisions of IDEA;
    (b) Evaluating State and local policies and practices to determine 
the best approaches for promoting meaningful participation of students 
with disabilities in assessment and accountability activities;
    (c) Conducting an annual review of State reports and assessment 
data to track the participation and performance levels of students with 
disabilities in large-scale assessments;
    (d) Synthesizing research on relevant topics such as assessment 
accommodations, alternate assessments, data analysis and reporting, and 
other related areas; and
    (e) Conducting, collaborating in, or commissioning focused research 
studies on topics related to assessment and accountability.
    The Center's technical assistance and dissemination activities must 
include, but are not limited to:
    (a) Preparing and disseminating reports and documents on research 
findings and related topics;
    (b) Maintaining a world wide web site with relevant information and 
documents in an accessible form;
    (c) Conducting national and regional meetings, in collaboration 
with other centers such as the Regional Resource Centers, to assist 
States and local education agencies in continuing the implementation of 
the assessment and accountability provisions of IDEA;
    (d) Working directly with States and other stakeholders to improve 
the participation of students with disabilities in State and local 
assessment and accountability systems; and
    (e) Developing and applying strategies for dissemination of 
information to specific audiences, including teachers, families, 
administrators, policymakers and researchers. Such strategies must 
involve collaboration with other technical assistance providers, 
organizations, and researchers as described below.
    The Center's collaboration and other leadership activities must 
include, but are not limited to:

[[Page 3067]]

    (a) Maintaining communication and collaboration with other 
technical assistance providers (including the Regional Resource 
Centers, Federal Resource Center, Centers funded under the ``Linking 
Policy and Practice Audiences with the 1997 Amendments of IDEA'' 
priority, Educational Labs, Parent Training and Information Centers, 
Technical Assistance Project for the Parent Training and Information 
Centers priority, and others) and organizations (including the National 
Association of State Directors of Special Education, the Council for 
Exceptional Children, the Council of Chief State School Officers and 
others, as well as projects funded by the Office of Bilingual Education 
and Minority Languages Affairs and the Office of Elementary and 
Secondary Education) concerning assessment and accountability related 
activities;
    (b) Maintaining a network of researchers (including the Research 
Institute to Enhance the Role of Special Education and Children With 
Disabilities in Education Policy Reform; the Urban Special Education 
Collaborative; and the Outreach Services to Minority Entities to Expand 
Research Capacity project) studying assessment, accountability, and 
related topics to facilitate communication and collaboration among 
researchers and to promote the use of research findings and products; 
and
    (c) Convening conferences, at the request of OSEP, on topics 
related to assessment and accountability.
    The Center must also:
    (a) Establish, maintain, and meet at least annually with an 
advisory committee consisting of representatives of State and local 
educational agencies, individuals with disabilities, parents, 
educators, professional organizations and advocacy groups, researchers, 
and other appropriate groups to review and advise on the Center's 
activities and plans. The committee must include membership that 
represents urban schools and underrepresented populations;
    (b) Fund as project assistants at least three doctoral students per 
year who have concentrations in relevant topics such as special 
education, assessment, educational policy, and administration;
    (c) In addition to the two-day Project Directors Meeting listed in 
the General Requirements section of this notice, budget for two 
additional two-day trips annually to Washington, DC, to attend an 
additional Project Director meeting and to attend an OSEP Leadership 
Conference; and
    (d) Budget for at least a monthly trip to attend appropriate 
meetings convened by the Department of Education (such as the regional 
Improving America's Schools conferences), the Council of Chief State 
School Officers (such as meetings of the State Collaborative on 
Assessment and Student Standards, and the Large Scale Assessment 
Conference), and other Centers and organizations.

Project Period

    Under this priority, the Assistant Secretary will make one award 
for a cooperative agreement for a project period of up to 60 months 
subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for continuation 
awards. During the second year of the project, the Assistant Secretary 
will determine whether to continue the Center for the fourth and fifth 
years of the project period and will consider in addition to the 
requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a):
    (a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts 
selected by the Assistant 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 project'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 project's budget for year two. These costs are 
estimated to be approximately $6,000;
    (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) The degree to which the Center is making a positive 
contribution to the participation of students with disabilities in 
State and local assessment and accountability systems.
Competitive Preferences
    Within this absolute priority, 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, the Assistant 
Secretary can consider the applicant's past success in pursuit of this 
goal.
    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.

Maximum Award

    We reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $700,000 
for any single budget period of 12 months. We reject and do not 
consider an application that proposes a budget exceeding this maximum 
amount. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amounts through a notice 
published in the Federal Register.

Page Limits

    The maximum page limit for this priority is 60 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 ([email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Grants and Contracts Services Team, 
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., room 3317, 
Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 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 
alternate 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 alternate format by contacting the Department as listed 
above. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate 
format the standard forms included in the application package.

Intergovernmental Review

    All programs in this notice (except for Research and Innovation) 
are subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372 and the 
regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. The objective of the Executive

[[Page 3068]]

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.

Available Funds

    The Administration has requested funds for these programs for 
Fiscal Year 2000. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final 
congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow 
enough time to complete the grant process before the end of the fiscal 
year, provided Congress appropriates funds for these programs.

                                  Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Application Notice For Fiscal Year 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        Deadline for                                                          Estimated
         CFDA No. and name            Applications     Application   intergovernmental  Maximum  award      Project  period     Page  limit   number of
                                        available    deadline  date        review         (per year)*                                **         awards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.324D  Directed Research Projects        01/26/00        03/20/00          05/19/00         $180,000  Up to 36 mos..........           50           27
84.325N  Projects of National              01/26/00        03/10/00          05/09/00          200,000  Up to 36 mos..........           40           12
 Significance.
84.326A  Linking Policy and                01/26/00        03/10/00          05/09/00        1,500,000  Up to 36 mos..........           60            1
 Practice Audiences to the 1997
 Amendments of IDEA.
84.326F  State and Federal Policy          01/26/00        03/10/00          05/09/00          400,000  Up to 60 mos..........           60            1
 Forum for Program Improvement.
84.326G  Center on Achieving               01/26/00        03/10/00          05/09/00          700,000  Up to 60 mos..........           60           1
 Results in Education for Students
 with Disabilities.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* The Assistant Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that proposes a budget exceeding the amount listed for each priority for any
  single budget period of 12 months. ** Applicants must limit the Application Narrative, Part III of the Application, to the page limits noted above.
  Please refer to the ``Page Limit'' requirements included in the General Requirements section of this notice. The Assistant Secretary rejects and does
  not consider an application that does not adhere to this requirement.
Note: The Department of Education is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

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 either of the 
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

    To use the PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you 
have questions about using the PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing 
Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC. 
area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: January 12, 2000.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 00-1121 Filed 1-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U