[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 168 (Tuesday, August 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52630-52638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22061]



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Part V





Department of Education





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Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Grant 
Applications Under the Special Education--Personnel Preparation To 
Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities Program; 
Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 168 / Tuesday, August 29, 2000 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Grant 
Applications Under the Special Education--Personnel Preparation To 
Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year 
(FY) 2001.

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SUMMARY: This notice provides closing dates and other information 
regarding the transmittal of applications for FY 2001 competitions 
under one program authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act (IDEA), as amended. The program is: Special Education--
Personnel Preparation to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities (six priorities).

Goals 2000: Educate America Act

    The Goals 2000: Education America Act (Goals 2000) focuses the 
Nation's education reform efforts on the eight National Education Goals 
and provides a framework for meeting them. Goals 2000 promotes new 
partnerships to strengthen schools and expands the Department's 
capacities for helping communities to exchange ideas and obtain 
information needed to achieve the goals.
    These priorities would address the first National Education Goal 
that all children in America will start school ready to learn by 
helping to improve results for children with disabilities.

Waiver of Rulemaking

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

General Requirements

    (a) The projects funded under this notice must make positive 
efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with 
disabilities in project activities (see Section 606 of IDEA).
    (b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this notice must 
involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals with 
disabilities in planning, implementing, and evaluating the projects 
(see Section 661(f)(1)(A) of IDEA).
    (c) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this notice that 
are not local educational agencies or State educational agencies must 
include information demonstrating to our satisfaction that the 
applicant and one or more State educational agencies have engaged in a 
cooperative effort to plan the project to which the application 
pertains and will cooperate in carrying out and monitoring the project.
    (d) The projects funded under these priorities must budget for a 
two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, D.C. during each year 
of the project.
    (e) In a single application, an applicant must address only one 
absolute priority in this notice.
    (f) Part III of each application submitted under a priority in this 
notice, the application narrative, is where an applicant addresses the 
selection criteria that are used by reviewers in evaluating the 
application. You must limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than 
the number of pages listed under each applicable priority, using the 
following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5" x 11" (on one side only) with one-inch 
margins (top, bottom, and sides).
     Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, and captions, as well as all text in charts, 
tables, figures, and graphs.
     If using a proportional computer font, use no smaller than 
a 12-point font, and an average character density no greater than 18 
characters per inch. If using a nonproportional font or a typewriter, 
do not use more than 12 characters per inch.
    The page limit does not apply to Part I--the cover sheet; Part II--
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the 
resumes, the bibliography or references, or the letters of support. 
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    We will reject without consideration or evaluation any application 
if--
     You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.

Special Education--Personnel Preparation To Improve Services and 
Results for Children With Disabilities [CFDA 84.325]

    Purpose of Program: The purposes of this program are to (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: Institutions of higher education are eligible 
applicants for Absolute Priorities 1-4 under this program. Eligible 
applicants for Absolute Priority 5, Projects of National Significance, 
are: State and local educational agencies; institutions of higher 
education; other public agencies; private nonprofit organizations; 
outlying areas; freely associated States; and Indian tribes or tribal 
organizations.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) Program regulations in 34 CFR Part 304; 
(b) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) 
in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99; (c) 
The selection criteria for the priorities under this program that are 
drawn from the EDGAR general selection menu. The specific selection 
criteria for each priority are included in the funding application 
packet for the applicable competition.

Additional Requirement for All Personnel Preparation Program 
Priorities

    Student financial assistance is authorized only for the preservice 
preparation of special education and related services personnel who 
serve children ages 3 through 21, early intervention personnel who 
serve infants and toddlers, and leadership personnel who work in these 
areas.

Priority

    Under section 673 of the Act and 34 CFR 75.105 (c)(3) we consider 
only applications that meet one of the following priorities:

Absolute Priority 1--Preparation of Special Education, Related 
Services, and Early Intervention Personnel to Serve Infants, Toddlers, 
and Children with Low-Incidence Disabilities (84.325A) 

Background
    The national demand for educational, related services, and early 
intervention personnel to serve infants, toddlers, and children with 
low-incidence disabilities exceeds available supply. However, because 
of the small number of these personnel needed in each State, 
institutions of higher education and individual States have not given 
priority to programs that train personnel to work with those with low-
incidence disabilities. Moreover, of the programs that do exist, many 
are not producing graduates with the prerequisite skills

[[Page 52631]]

needed to meet the needs of the low-incidence disability population. 
Thus, Federal support is required to ensure an adequate supply of 
personnel to serve children with low-incidence disabilities and to 
improve the quality of appropriate training programs so that graduates 
possess necessary prerequisite skills.
    Priority: This priority supports projects that increase the number 
and quality of personnel to serve children with low-incidence 
disabilities by providing preservice preparation of special educators, 
early intervention personnel, and related services personnel at the 
associate, baccalaureate, master's, or specialist level.
    A preservice program is a program that leads to a degree, 
certification, professional license or endorsement (or its equivalent), 
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, endorsements, or licenses.
    The term ``low-incidence disability'' means a visual or hearing 
impairment, or simultaneous visual and hearing impairments, a 
significant cognitive impairment, or any impairment for which a small 
number of personnel with highly specialized skills and knowledge are 
needed in order for children with that impairment to receive early 
intervention services or a free appropriate public education (IDEA, 
section 673(b)(3)). Training for personnel to serve children with mild-
moderate mental retardation, specific learning disabilities, speech or 
language disorders, or emotional and behavioral disabilities is 
addressed under the priority for the preparation of personnel to serve 
children with high-incidence disabilities (84.325H), and, therefore, is 
not supported under this priority.
    Applicants may propose to prepare one or more of the following 
types of personnel:
    (a) Early intervention personnel who serve children birth through 
age 2 (until the third birthday) with low-incidence disabilities and 
their families. For the purpose of this priority, all children who 
require early intervention services are considered to have a low-
incidence disability. Early intervention personnel include persons who 
train, or serve as consultants to, service providers and service 
coordinators;
    (b) Special educators, including early childhood, speech and 
language, adapted physical education, and assistive technology, and 
paraprofessional personnel who work with children with low-incidence 
disabilities; or
    (c) Related services personnel who provide developmental, 
corrective, and other support services (such as school psychologists, 
occupational or physical therapists, and recreational therapists) that 
assist children with low-incidence disabilities to benefit from special 
education. Both comprehensive programs, and specialty components within 
a broader discipline, that prepare personnel for work with the low-
incidence population may be supported. For the purpose of this 
priority, eligible related services providers do not include 
physicians.
    We particularly encourage projects that address the needs of more 
than one State, provide multi-disciplinary training, and provide for 
collaboration among several training institutions and between training 
institutions and public schools. In addition, we encourage projects 
that foster successful coordination between special education and 
regular education professional development programs to meet the needs 
of children with low-incidence disabilities in inclusive settings.
    Each project funded under this absolute priority must--
    (a) Use research-based curriculum and pedagogy to prepare personnel 
who are able to improve outcomes for students with low-incidence 
disabilities and to foster appropriate access to and achievement in the 
general education curriculum whenever appropriate;
    (b) Offer integrated training and practice opportunities that will 
enhance the collaborative skills of appropriate personnel who share 
responsibility for providing effective services for children with the 
disabilities;
    (c) Prepare personnel to address the specialized needs of children 
with low-incidence disabilities from diverse cultural and language 
backgrounds by;
    (1) Determining the additional competencies needed for personnel to 
understand and work with culturally and linguistically diverse 
populations; and
    (2) Infusing those competencies into early intervention, special 
education, and related services training programs, as appropriate.
    (d) Develop or improve and implement mutually beneficial 
partnerships between training programs and schools where children are 
served to promote continuous improvement in preparation programs and in 
service delivery;
    (e) If field-based training is provided, include field-based 
training opportunities for students in schools and settings reflecting 
wide contextual and student diversity, including schools and settings 
in high poverty communities;
    (f) If the project prepares personnel to provide services to 
visually impaired or blind children that can be appropriately provided 
in Braille, prepare those individuals to provide those services in 
Braille.
    To be considered for an award, an applicant must satisfy the 
following requirements contained in section 673(f)-(i) of the Act and 
34 CFR part 304--
    (a) Demonstrate, with letters from one or more States that the 
project proposes to serve, that States need personnel in the area or 
areas in which the applicant proposes to provide preparation, as 
identified in the States' comprehensive systems of personnel 
development under Part B or C of the Act;
    (b) Demonstrate that it has engaged in a cooperative effort with 
one or more State educational agencies or, if appropriate, lead 
agencies for providing early intervention services, to plan, carry out, 
and monitor the project;
    (c) Provide letters from one or more States stating that they 
intend to accept successful completion of the proposed personnel 
preparation program as meeting State personnel standards for serving 
children with disabilities or serving infants and toddlers with 
disabilities;
    (d) Meet State and professionally-recognized standards for the 
preparation of special education, related services, or early 
intervention personnel;
    (e) Ensure that individuals who receive financial assistance under 
the proposed project will meet the service obligation requirements, or 
repay all or part of the cost of that assistance, in accordance with 
section 673(h)(1) of the Act and the regulations in 34 CFR part 304. 
Applicants must describe how they will inform scholarship recipients of 
this service obligation requirement; and
    (f) In accordance with section 673(i) of the Act and Sec. 304.20 of 
the regulations, use at least 55 percent of the total requested budget 
for student scholarships or provide sufficient justification for any 
designation less than 55 percent of the total requested budget for 
student scholarships.
    Under this absolute priority, we plan to award approximately:
     60 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in special education, including early childhood 
educators;
     10 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in educational interpreter services for hearing 
impaired individuals;

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     15 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in related services, other than educational interpreter 
services; and
     15 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in early intervention.
    Competitive Preferences: Within this absolute priority, we will 
give the following competitive preference under section 673(g)(2)(B) of 
IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applications that are otherwise 
eligible for funding under this priority:
    Up to ten (10) points based on the extent to which institutions of 
higher education are successfully recruiting and preparing individuals 
with disabilities and individuals from groups that are underrepresented 
in the profession for which they are preparing individuals.
    In addition, we will give the following competitive preference 
under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applications 
that are otherwise eligible for funding under this priority:
    Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's 
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified 
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under 
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice. 
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, we may consider 
the applicant's past success in pursuit of this goal.
    Therefore, for purposes of these competitive preferences, 
applicants can be awarded up to a total of 20 points in addition to 
those awarded under the published selection criteria for this priority. 
That is, an applicant meeting these competitive preferences could earn 
a maximum total of 120 points.
    Project Period: Up to 60 months.
    Maximum Award: The maximum award amount is $300,000. Consistent 
with EDGAR 34 CFR 75.104(b), we will reject any application that 
proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated 
maximum award amount for that year. We will consider, and may fund, 
requests for additional funding as an addendum to an application to 
reflect the costs of reasonable accommodations necessary to allow 
individuals with disabilities to be employed on the project as 
personnel on project activities.
    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.

Absolute Priority 2--Preparation of Leadership Personnel (84.325D)

    This priority supports projects that conduct the following 
preparation activities for leadership personnel:
    (a) Preparing personnel at the doctoral, and postdoctoral levels of 
training to administer, enhance, or to provide special education, 
related services, or early intervention services for children with 
disabilities; or
    (b) Master's and specialist level programs in special education 
administration.
    Projects funded under this absolute priority must--
    (a) Prepare personnel to work with culturally and linguistically 
diverse populations by;
    (i) Determining the additional competencies for personnel needed to 
understand and work with culturally diverse populations; and
    (ii) Infusing those competencies into early intervention, special 
education and related services training programs.
    (b) Include coursework reflecting current research and pedagogy on: 
(1) Participation and achievement in the general education curriculum 
and improved outcomes for children with disabilities; or (2) the 
provision of coordinated services in natural environments to improve 
outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.
    (c) Offer integrated training and practice opportunities that will 
enhance the collaborative skills of appropriate personnel who share 
responsibility for providing effective services for children with 
disabilities.
    To be considered for an award, an applicant must satisfy the 
following requirements contained in section 673(f)-(i) of the Act and 
34 CFR part 304--
    (a) Demonstrate, with letters from one or more States that the 
project proposes to serve, that States need personnel in the area or 
areas in which the applicant proposes to provide preparation, as 
identified in the States' comprehensive systems of personnel 
development under Part B or C of the Act;
    (b) Demonstrate that it has engaged in a cooperative effort with 
one or more State educational agencies or, if appropriate, lead 
agencies for providing early intervention services, to plan, carry out, 
and monitor the project;
    (c) Meet State and professionally-recognized standards for the 
preparation of leadership personnel in special education, related 
services, or early intervention fields; and
    (d) Ensure that individuals who receive financial assistance under 
the proposed project will meet the service obligation requirements, or 
repay all or part of the cost of that assistance, in accordance with 
section 673(h)(2) of the Act and the regulations in 34 CFR part 304. 
Applicants must describe how they will inform scholarship recipients of 
this service obligation requirement; and
    (e) In accordance with section 673(i) of the Act and Sec. 304.20 of 
the regulations, use at least 65 percent of the total requested budget 
for student scholarships or provide sufficient justification for any 
designation less than 65 percent of the total requested budget for 
student scholarships.

Competitive Preferences

    Within this absolute priority, we will give the following 
competitive preference under section 673(g)(2)(B) of IDEA and 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(2)(i) to applications that are otherwise eligible for funding 
under this priority:
    Up to ten (10) points based on the extent to which institutions of 
higher education are successfully recruiting and preparing individuals 
with disabilities and individuals from groups that are underrepresented 
in the profession for which they are preparing individuals.
    In addition, we will give the following competitive preference 
under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applications 
that are otherwise eligible for funding under this priority:
    Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's 
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified 
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under 
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice. 
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, we may consider 
the applicant's past success in pursuit of this goal.
    Therefore, for purposes of these competitive preferences, 
applicants can be awarded up to a total of 20 points in addition to 
those awarded under the published selection criteria for this priority. 
That is, an applicant meeting these competitive preferences could earn 
a maximum total of 120 points.
    Project Period: Up to 48 months.
    Maximum Award: The maximum award amount is $200,000. Consistent 
with EDGAR 34 CFR 75.104(b), we will reject any application that 
proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated 
maximum award amount for that year. We will consider, and may fund, 
requests for additional funding as an addendum to an application to 
reflect the costs of reasonable accommodations necessary to allow 
individuals with disabilities to

[[Page 52633]]

be employed on the project as personnel on project activities.
    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.

Absolute Priority 3--National IHE Faculty Enhancement Center To Improve 
Results for Children With Disabilities in Schools (84.325F)

    Children with disabilities are, in growing numbers, joining their 
nondisabled peers in schools and in classrooms to receive instruction 
in the general education curriculum with appropriate supports and 
services. The intent of the standards based reform movement is for all 
students to have access to and to enjoy meaningful participation and 
progress in curricular offerings that will enable them to achieve to 
high standards. As schools seek to ensure appropriate access to and 
participation of students with disabilities in the daily life of the 
regular school and in the general education curriculum within the 
standards based reform movement, many school administrative, general 
instructional, and support personnel are finding themselves ill-
prepared to effectively carry out their new and emerging roles and 
responsibilities. Unless a major initiative is mounted at the 
preservice training level, incoming personnel will continue to face 
these challenges ill-prepared.
    The purpose of this priority is to support a National Center to 
enhance the knowledge and skills of IHE faculty in school 
administration, regular education teacher training (including bilingual 
teacher training), school counseling, and school nursing, to improve 
the preservice training of personnel who share responsibility with 
special educators for providing effective services and ensuring 
improved results for children with disabilities in our schools. The 
Center must:
    (a) Identify needs. Identify knowledge and skill enhancement needs 
of IHE faculty in each of the targeted training programs (i.e., school 
administration; regular education teacher training; school counseling; 
and school nursing) that are most critical to ensuring that trainees in 
these programs are well prepared to carry out their respective roles 
and responsibilities in serving children with disabilities in school 
settings. This need identification process must be guided by a 
comprehensive review of the extant literature base and supplemented 
with methodologically sound investigative activities to enhance the 
current knowledge base where gaps are identified. Informants to this 
process must include recent program graduates and parents of children 
with disabilities.
    (b) Identify appropriate existing resources. Identify existing 
resources, including those that have been developed with IDEA 
discretionary grant or contract support, that represent state of the 
art, research-based knowledge and practice that address the critical 
needs identified in paragraph (a) and that can be appropriately 
integrated into training modules under paragraph (c). Products 
developed by the IDEA Partnerships Technical Assistance projects 
currently supported by OSEP must be reviewed and considered for 
incorporation into proposed training modules.
    (c) Develop training modules. Develop content-rich training modules 
that address the critical knowledge and skill enhancement needs 
identified in paragraph (a), that integrate existing resources 
identified in paragraph (b), and that are designed for ease of 
integration into existing curricular courses and experiential 
opportunities in the targeted IHE training programs. Modules must be 
structured to incorporate state of the art technology that will serve 
to enhance dissemination and use.
    (d) Disseminate training modules. Develop and implement mechanisms 
that will result in broad, effective dissemination and use of training 
modules developed in paragraph (c).
    (e) Conduct comprehensive evaluation. Design and conduct a 
comprehensive evaluation of the work, accomplishments, outcomes, 
impact, and effectiveness of the Center. This evaluation must be 
designed to provide information to guide necessary, ongoing, 
refinements to the structure, activities, workflow, and products that 
will improve the ultimate impact and effectiveness of the Center. This 
comprehensive evaluation must also be designed to measure the impact of 
this National Center on the primary goal of enhancing the knowledge and 
skills of IHE faculty in school administration, regular education 
teacher training, school counseling, and school nursing to improve the 
preservice training of personnel who share responsibility for providing 
effective services and ensuring improved results for children with 
disabilities in our public schools.
    In designing and carrying out the required activities of this 
National Center, the project must collaborate with individuals and 
groups of individuals such as deans, IHE faculty, practicing 
professionals in the targeted training fields and in special education, 
module design technology experts, dissemination and training entities, 
and evaluation experts. Collaborators must include appropriate 
professional organizations and associations, federally supported 
technical assistance providers, and federally supported higher 
education projects, as appropriate.
    In addition to the annual two-day Project Directors' meeting in 
Washington, DC mentioned in the ``General Requirements'' section of 
this notice, projects must budget for two additional meetings in 
Washington, DC to collaborate with the Federal project officer and the 
other projects funded under this priority, to share information and 
discuss model development, evaluation, and project implementation 
issues.
    Project Period: Under this priority, we 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, we 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 
whom we select. 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 demonstrate the potential for 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

[[Page 52634]]

employment qualified individuals with disabilities in project 
activities as required under paragraph (a) of the ``General 
Requirements'' section of this notice. In determining the effectiveness 
of those strategies, we may consider the applicant's past success in 
pursuit of this goal.
    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: The maximum award amount is $850,000. Consistent 
with EDGAR 34 CFR 75.104(b), we will reject any application that 
proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated 
maximum award amount for that year. We will consider, and may fund, 
requests for additional funding as an addendum to an application to 
reflect the costs of reasonable accommodations necessary to allow 
individuals with disabilities to be employed on the project as 
personnel on project activities.
    Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 70 double-
spaced pages.

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

Absolute Priority 4--Preparation of Personnel in Minority Institutions 
(84.325E)

    This priority supports awards to institutions of higher education 
with minority student enrollments of at least 25 percent, including 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, for the purpose of 
preparing personnel to work with children with disabilities.
    This priority supports projects that provide preservice preparation 
of special educators, early intervention personnel, and related 
services personnel at the associate, baccalaureate, master's, 
specialist, doctoral, or post-doctoral level.
    A preservice program is a program that leads toward a degree, 
certification, professional license or endorsement (or its equivalent), 
and may include the preparation of currently employed personnel who are 
seeking additional degrees, certifications, endorsements, or licenses.
    Applicants may propose to prepare one or more of the following 
types of personnel:
    (a) Special educators, including early childhood, speech and 
language, adapted physical education, and assistive technology, and 
paraprofessional personnel who work with children with disabilities;
    (b) Related services personnel who provide developmental, 
corrective, and other support services (such as school psychologists, 
occupational or physical therapists, recreational therapists) that 
assist children with disabilities to benefit from special education. 
Both comprehensive programs, and specialty components within a broader 
discipline, that prepare personnel for work with children with 
disabilities may be supported. For the purpose of this priority, 
eligible related services providers do not include physicians; or
    (c) Early intervention personnel who serve children birth through 
age 2 (until the third birthday) and their families. Early intervention 
personnel include persons who train, or serve as consultants to service 
providers and service coordinators.
    Projects funded under this absolute priority must--
    (a) Use research-based curriculum and pedagogy to prepare personnel 
who are able to improve outcomes for students with disabilities and to 
foster appropriate access to and achievement in the general education 
curriculum where appropriate;
    (b) Offer integrated training and practice opportunities that will 
enhance the collaborative skills of appropriate personnel who share 
responsibility for providing effective services for children with the 
disabilities;
    (c) Prepare personnel to address the specialized needs of children 
with disabilities from diverse cultural and language backgrounds by:
    (1) Determining the additional competencies needed for personnel to 
understand and work with culturally and linguistically diverse 
populations; and
    (2) Infusing those competencies into early intervention, special 
education, and related services training programs, as appropriate.
    (d) Develop or improve and implement mutually beneficial 
partnerships between training programs and schools where children are 
served to promote continuous improvement in preparation programs and in 
service delivery;
    (e) If field-based training is provided, include field-based 
training opportunities for students in schools and settings reflecting 
wide contextual and student diversity, including schools and settings 
in high poverty communities;
    (f) Employ effective strategies for recruiting students from 
culturally and linguistically diverse populations; and
    (g) Provide student support systems (including tutors, mentors, and 
other innovative practices) to enhance student retention and success in 
the program.
    To be considered for an award, an applicant must satisfy the 
following requirements contained in section 673(f)-(i) of the Act and 
34 CFR part 304-
    (a) Demonstrate, with letters from one or more States that the 
project proposes to serve, that States need personnel in the area or 
areas in which the applicant proposes to provide preparation, as 
identified in the States' comprehensive systems of personnel 
development under Part B or C of the Act;
    (b) Demonstrate that it has engaged in a cooperative effort with 
one or more State educational agencies or, if appropriate, lead 
agencies for providing early intervention services, to plan, carry out, 
and monitor the project;
    (c) Provide letters from one or more States stating that they 
intend to accept successful completion of the proposed personnel 
preparation program as meeting State personnel standards for serving 
children with disabilities or serving infants and toddlers with 
disabilities;
    (d) Meet State and professionally-recognized standards for the 
preparation of special education, related services, or early 
intervention personnel, if the purpose of the project is to assist 
personnel in obtaining degrees;
    (e) Ensure that individuals who receive financial assistance under 
the proposed project will meet the service obligation requirements, or 
repay all or part of the cost of that assistance, in accordance with 
section 673(h)(1) of the Act and the regulations in 34 CFR part 304. 
Applicants must describe how they will inform scholarship recipients of 
this service obligation requirement; and
    (f) In accordance with section 673(i) of the Act and Sec. 304.20 of 
the regulations, use at least 55 percent of the total requested budget 
for student scholarships or provide sufficient justification for any 
designation less than 55 percent of the total requested budget for 
student scholarships.
    Sufficient justification for proposing less than 65 percent of the 
budget for student support would include activities such as program 
development, expansion of a program, or the addition of a new emphasis 
area. Examples include:

     A project that is starting a new program may request up 
to a year for program development and capacity building. In the 
initial project year, no student support would be required. Instead, 
a project could hire a new faculty member, or a consultant to assist 
in program development;

[[Page 52635]]

     A project that is proposing to build capacity may hire 
a field supervisor so that additional students can be trained; and
     A project that is expanding or adding a new emphasis 
area to the program may initially need additional faculty or other 
resources such as expert consultants, additional training supplies 
or equipment that would enhance the program.

    Projects that are funded to develop, expand, or to add a new 
emphasis area to special education or related services programs must 
provide information on how these new areas will be institutionalized 
once Federal funding ends.
    Competitive Preferences: Within this absolute priority, we will 
give the following competitive preference under section 673(g)(2)(B) of 
IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applicant institutions that are 
otherwise eligible for funding under this priority:
    (a) Up to ten (10) points based on the extent to which institutions 
of higher education are successfully recruiting and preparing 
individuals with disabilities and individuals from groups that are 
underrepresented in the profession for which they are preparing 
individuals.
    (b) Up to ten (10) points to applicant institutions that have not 
received a FY 2000 or FY 2001 award under the IDEA personnel 
preparation program.
    In addition, we will give the following competitive preference 
under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), to applications 
that are otherwise eligible for funding under this priority:
    Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's 
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified 
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under 
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice. 
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, we may consider 
the applicant's past success in pursuit of this goal.
    Therefore, for purposes of these competitive preferences applicants 
can be awarded up to a total of 30 points in addition to those awarded 
under the published selection criteria for this priority. That is, an 
applicant meeting all of these competitive preferences could earn a 
maximum total of 130 points.
    Project Period: Up to 48 months.
    Maximum Award: The maximum award amount is $200,000. Consistent 
with EDGAR 34 CFR 75.104(b), we will reject any application that 
proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated 
maximum award amount for that year. We will consider, and may fund, 
requests for additional funding as an addendum to an application to 
reflect the costs of reasonable accommodations necessary to allow 
individuals with disabilities to be employed on the project as 
personnel on project activities.
    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.

Absolute Priority 4--Improving the Preparation of Personnel to Serve 
Children with High-Incidence Disabilities (84.325H)

Background
    State agencies, university training programs, local schools, and 
other community-based agencies and organizations confirm both the 
importance and the challenge of improving training programs for 
personnel to serve children with high-incidence disabilities and of 
meeting the staffing needs of localities experiencing chronic shortages 
of these personnel.
    This priority is intended to improve personnel preparation programs 
throughout the nation and help meet shortages in particular areas. A 
number of important factors that are common to effective personnel 
preparation programs are:
    (a) Collaboration among governmental, educational and community-
based organizations on the Federal, State, and local levels in meeting 
personnel needs;
    (b) Field-based training opportunities for students to use acquired 
knowledge and skills in demographically diverse schools;
    (c) Multi-disciplinary training of teachers, including regular and 
special education teachers, and related services personnel;
    (d) Coordinating personnel preparation programs aimed at addressing 
chronic personnel shortages with State practices for addressing those 
needs;
    (e) Addressing shortages of teachers in particular geographic and 
content areas;
    (f) Integration of research-based curriculum and pedagogical 
knowledge and practices; and
    (g) Meeting the needs of trainees, and of children with 
disabilities, from diverse backgrounds.
Priority
    Consistent with section 673(e) of the Act, the purpose of this 
priority is to develop or improve, and implement, programs that provide 
preservice preparation for special and regular education teachers and 
related services personnel in order to meet the diverse needs of 
children with high incidence disabilities and to enhance the supply of 
well-trained personnel to serve these children in areas of chronic 
shortage. For the purpose of this priority, high-incidence disabilities 
include mild or moderate mental retardation, speech or language 
impairments, emotional disturbance, or specific learning disability. 
Training of early intervention personnel is addressed under the 
priority for the preparation of personnel to serve children with low-
incidence disabilities (84.325A), and, therefore, is not included as 
part of this priority).
    A preservice program is a program that leads to a degree, 
certification, professional license or endorsement (or its equivalent), 
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, endorsements, or licenses.
    Applicants may propose to prepare one or more of the following 
types of personnel:
    (a) Special educators, including early childhood, speech and 
language, adapted physical education, assistive technology, and 
paraprofessional personnel who work with children with high-incidence 
disabilities.
    (b) Related services personnel, who provide developmental, 
corrective, and other support services (such as school psychologists, 
occupational or physical therapists, recreational therapists) that 
assist children with high-incidence disabilities to benefit from 
special education. For the purpose of this priority, eligible related 
service providers do not include physicians. Both comprehensive 
programs, and specialty components within a broader discipline that 
prepare personnel for work with the high incidence population, may be 
supported.
    Projects funded under this priority must--
    (a) Use research-based curriculum and pedagogy to prepare personnel 
who are able to assist students with disabilities in achieving in the 
general education curricula and to improve student outcomes;
    (b) Offer integrated training and practice opportunities that will 
enhance the collaborative skills of appropriate personnel who share 
responsibility for providing effective services for children with high-
incidence disabilities;
    (c) Prepare personnel to work with culturally and linguistically 
diverse populations by:

[[Page 52636]]

    (1) Determining the additional competencies needed for personnel to 
understand and work with culturally and linguistically diverse students 
with high-incidence disabilities; and
    (2) Infusing those competencies into special education or related 
services training;
    (d) Develop or improve and implement partnerships that are mutually 
beneficial to grantees and LEAs in order to promote continuous 
improvement of preparation programs; and
    (e) Include field-based training opportunities for students in 
schools reflecting wide contextual and student diversity, including 
high poverty schools;
    An applicant must satisfy the following requirements contained in 
section 673(f)-(i) of the Act and 34 CFR part 304:
    (a) Demonstrate, with letters from one or more States that the 
project proposes to serve, that States need personnel in the area or 
areas in which the applicant proposes to provide preparation, as 
identified in the States' comprehensive systems of personnel 
development under Part B of the Act;
    (b) Demonstrate that it has engaged in a cooperative effort with 
one or more State educational agencies to plan, carry out, and monitor 
the project;
    (c) Provide letters from one or more States stating that they 
intend to accept successful completion of the proposed personnel 
preparation program as meeting State personnel standards for serving 
children with disabilities;
    (d) Meet State and professionally-recognized standards for the 
preparation of special education and related services personnel;
    (e) Ensure that individuals who receive financial assistance under 
the proposed project will meet the service obligation requirements, or 
repay all or part of the cost of that assistance, in accordance with 
section 673(h)(1) of the Act and the regulations in 34 CFR part 304. 
Applicants must describe how they will inform scholarship recipients of 
this service obligation requirement; and
    (f) In accordance with section 673(i) of the Act and Sec. 304.20 of 
the regulations, use at least 65 percent of the total requested budget 
for student scholarships or provide sufficient justification for any 
designation less than 65 percent of the total requested budget for 
student scholarships.
    Competitive Preferences: Within this absolute priority we will give 
the following competitive preferences under section 673(g)(2)(B) of 
IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applications that are otherwise 
eligible for funding under this priority.
    Up to ten (10) points based on the extent to which institutions of 
higher education are successfully recruiting and preparing individuals 
with disabilities and individuals from groups that are underrepresented 
in the profession for which they are preparing individuals.
    In addition, we will give the following competitive preference 
under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applications 
that are otherwise eligible for funding under this priority:
    Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's 
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified 
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under 
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice. 
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, we may consider 
the applicant's past success in pursuit of this goal.
    Therefore, for purposes of these competitive preferences applicants 
can be awarded up to a total of 20 points in addition to those awarded 
under the published selection criteria for this priority. That is, an 
applicant meeting each of these competitive preferences could earn a 
maximum total of 120 points.
    Project Period: The maximum funding period for awards is 48 months.
    Maximum Award: The maximum award amount is $200,000.
    Consistent with EDGAR 34 CFR 75.104(b), we will reject any 
application that proposes a project funding level for any year that 
exceeds the stated maximum award amount for that year. We will 
consider, and may fund, requests for additional funding as an addendum 
to an application to reflect the costs of reasonable accommodations 
necessary to allow individuals with disabilities to be employed on the 
project as personnel on project activities.
    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.

Absolute Priority 5--Projects of National Significance (84.325N)

    We establish an absolute priority to support projects that address 
issues of national significance and have broad applicability. Projects 
supported under this priority must develop, evaluate, and disseminate 
innovative models. These models must be designed to serve as blueprints 
for systemic improvement in the recruitment, preparation, induction, 
retention, or ongoing professional development of personnel who have 
responsibility for ensuring that children with disabilities achieve to 
high standards and become independent, productive citizens. These 
personnel include early intervention personnel, regular and special 
education teachers, administrators, related service personnel, and 
paraprofessionals. If the project maintains a web site, it must include 
relevant information and documents in an accessible form.
    Projects must (1) use current research-validated practices and 
materials and (2) communicate appropriately with target audiences.
    Applicants must note that:
    (a) The purpose of this priority is model development. Thus, we do 
not expect that student scholarships will be supported. However, 
release time for staff for development activities is appropriate; and
    (b) We expect that projects funded under this priority will 
incorporate a systemic approach to dissemination to relevant training 
and technical assistance entities.

Invitational Priorities

    Within this absolute priority, we are particularly interested in 
applications that meet one or more of the following priorities. 
However, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) an application that meets one or 
more of these invitational priorities does not receive competitive or 
absolute preference over other applications:
    (a) Projects that are designed to reduce personnel shortages by 
developing innovative models for promoting the transferability, across 
State and local jurisdictions, of licensure and certification of 
personnel serving infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities;
    (b) Projects that are designed to increase the quantity, quality, 
and diversity of personnel who serve infants, toddlers, or children 
with disabilities by developing innovative, proactive models for 
recruiting personnel into training programs or professional positions;
    (c) Projects that are designed to increase the retention of new 
personnel by developing innovative, multi-year, developmental induction 
models;
    (d) Projects that are designed to improve the learning of children 
with disabilities in the general education curricula by developing 
innovative models for collaborative training of regular and special 
education personnel, including paraprofessionals;

[[Page 52637]]

    (e) Projects that are designed to enhance professional development 
curricula for personnel serving infants, toddlers, or children with 
disabilities by developing case or problem-based training modules that 
can be integrated into training curricula. We expect that these 
projects would incorporate state of the art technology in the design 
and dissemination of the modules;
    (f) Projects that are designed to enhance teaching and learning 
through the development of innovative training models that incorporate 
state of the art assistive, instructional and communicative technology 
knowledge and use; and
    (g) Projects that are designed to enhance professional development 
curricula for teachers and administrators serving infants, toddlers, or 
children with disabilities by developing modules for individualized 
education program (IEP) decisionmaking, particularly with regard to a 
child's participation in assessments.
    Competitive Preference: Within this absolute priority, we will give 
the following competitive preference under section 606 of IDEA and 34 
CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applications that are otherwise eligible for 
funding under this priority:
    Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's 
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified 
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under 
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice. 
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, we may consider 
the applicant's past success in pursuit of this goal.
    Therefore, for purposes of this competitive preference, applicants 
can be awarded up to a total of 10 points in addition to those awarded 
under the published selection criteria for this priority. That is, an 
applicant meeting this competitive preference could earn a maximum 
total of 110 points.
    Project Period: Up to 36 months.
    Maximum Award: The maximum award amount is $200,000. Consistent 
with EDGAR 34 CFR 75.104(b), we will reject any application that 
proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated 
maximum award amount for that year. We will consider, and may fund, 
requests for additional funding as an addendum to an application to 
reflect the costs of reasonable accommodations necessary to allow 
individuals with disabilities to be employed on the project as 
personnel on project activities.
    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.

    For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), 
PO 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, SW., room 3317, 
Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 260-9182.
    If you use a TDD you may call the Federal Information Relay Service 
(FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
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 are subject to the requirements of 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. The 
objective of the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental 
partnership and a strengthened federalism by relying on processes 
developed by State and local governments for coordination and review of 
proposed Federal financial assistance.
    In accordance with the order, we intend this document to provide 
early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for 
those programs.

                                  Individuals With Disabilities Education Act--Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2001
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       Application     Deadline for      Maximum                                              Estimated
           CFDA No. and name             Applications    deadline   intergovernmental  award  (per        Project period            Page      number of
                                           available       date           review          year)*                                  limit**       awards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.325A Preparation of Special               09/06/00     10/20/00        12/19/00        $300,000  Up to 60 mos..............           40           33
 Education, Related Services, and Early
 Intervention Personnel to Serve
 Infants, Toddlers, and Children with
 Low-Incidence Disabilities
84.325D Preparation of Leadership            09/06/00     10/13/00        12/12/00         200,000  Up to 48 mos..............           40           13
 Personnel
84.325E Preparation of Personnel in          09/06/00     01/26/01        03/27/01         200,000  Up to 48 mos..............           40           16
 Minority Institutions
84.325F National IHE Faculty                 09/06/00     10/27/00        12/26/00         850,000  Up to 60 mos..............           70            1
 Enhancement Center to Improve Results
 for Children with Disabilities in
 School

[[Page 52638]]

 
84.325H Improving the Preparation of         09/06/00     11/17/00        01/16/01         200,000  Up to 48 mos..............           40           31
 Personnel to Serve Children with High-
 Incidence Disabilities.
84.325N Projects of National                 09/06/00     12/08/00        01/30/01         200,000  Up to 36 mos..............           40          12
 Significance.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Consistent with EDGAR 34 CFR 75.104(b), we will reject any application that proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated
  maximum award amount for that year. We will consider, and may fund, requests for additional funding as an addendum to an application to reflect the
  costs of reasonable accommodations necessary to allow individuals with disabilities to be employed on the project as personnel on project activities.
  ** 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 under each priority in this notice. The Assistant Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that does not adhere to
  this requirement.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 
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 Adobe Acrobat Reader, 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/nara/index.html


    Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1473.

    Dated: August 24, 2000.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 00-22061 Filed 8-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U