[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 131 (Wednesday, July 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40914-40918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-17360]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.328R]

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services


Special Education--Training and Information for Parents of 
Children With Disabilities Program--Technical Assistance for the Parent 
Centers (84.328R)

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year 
(FY) 2003.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services invites applications for FY 2003 under the 
Special Education--Training and Information for Parents of Children 
with Disabilities Program. This program is authorized under the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended. This 
notice provides closing dates, priorities, and other information 
regarding the transmittal of applications.
    Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to ensure that 
parents of children with disabilities receive training and information 
to help improve results for their children.
    Eligible Applicants: Nonprofit private organizations.
    Applications Available: July 9, 2003.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 8, 2003.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 7, 2003.
    Estimated Available Funds:
    Focus Area 1: $900,000.
    Focus Area 2: $1,500,000.
    Estimated Average Size and Maximum Award Amount:
    Focus Area 1: $900,000.
    Focus Area 2: $250,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards:
    Focus Area 1: 1.
    Focus Area 2: 6.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.
    Page Limit: Part III of the application submitted under this 
notice, the application narrative, is where you, the applicant, address 
the selection criteria

[[Page 40915]]

that reviewers use in evaluating your application. You must limit Part 
III to the equivalent of no more than 70 pages, using the following 
standards:
    [sbull] A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'' (on one side only) with one-inch 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
    [sbull] 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.
    [sbull] Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the 
resumes, the bibliography or references, or the letters of support. 
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    We will reject your application if--
    [sbull] You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
    [sbull] You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
    Selection Criteria: In evaluating an application for a new award 
under this competition, we use selection criteria chosen from the 
general selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. The specific 
selection criteria to be used for this competition will be provided in 
the application package for this competition.

General Requirements

    (a) The projects funded under this competition must make positive 
efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with 
disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).
    (b) Applicants and grant recipients under this competition must 
involve qualified individuals with disabilities or parents of 
individuals with disabilities in planning, implementing, and evaluating 
the projects (see section 661(f)(1)(A) of IDEA).
    (c) The projects funded under this competition must budget for a 
two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC during each year 
of the project.
    (d) If a project maintains a Web site, it must include relevant 
information and documents in an accessible form.

Priorities

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet 
the following absolute priority: Absolute Priority--Technical 
Assistance for the Parent Centers (84.328R)
    Background: This priority, authorized under section 684 of IDEA, is 
for the purpose of developing, assisting, and coordinating parent 
training and information programs carried out by Parent Training and 
Information Centers (PTIs) under section 682 and the Community Parent 
Resource Centers (CPRCs) under section 683.
    A technical assistance component to support the funded centers has 
been part of the law since the beginning of the program. This priority 
will create a unified technical assistance system that will provide 
support to the PTIs and CPRCs, as well as strengthen connections to the 
larger technical assistance network that supports research-based 
training, including educating parents about effective practices that 
improve results for children with disabilities. The priority will also 
strengthen partnerships among the PTIs, CPRCs, and State education 
systems at the regional and national levels.
    Priority: This priority will support cooperative agreements in two 
focus areas: (1) A national technical assistance project, the National 
Parent Technical Assistance Center (National Parent TAC); and (2) six 
regional technical assistance centers, Regional Parent Technical 
Assistance Centers (Regional Parent TACs), which will coordinate with 
the National Parent TAC and provide direct support to the PTIs and 
CPRCs in their identified States based on the best empirical evidence 
of how to meet the informational and training needs of families who 
have children with disabilities.
    Prior to developing any new product, whether paper or electronic, 
the projects funded under this priority must submit for approval a 
proposal describing the content and purpose of any new product to the 
document review board of the Office of Special Education Program's 
(OSEP) new Dissemination Center.

Focus Area 1

    The National Parent TAC funded under this priority will assist six 
Regional Parent TACs in creating a unified technical assistance system 
for the PTIs and CPRCs funded under the IDEA.
    The National Parent TAC must--
    (a) Collaborate with other technical assistance providers and 
researchers in developing or adapting resource and training materials 
that incorporate scientifically based research and best practices for 
use by the PTIs and the CPRCs;
    (b) Maintain and update a materials database that aligns with the 
OSEP Product Database and the Dissemination Center, which includes 
products developed under paragraph (a) and, to the extent possible, 
materials in multiple languages and accessible formats;
    (c) In collaboration with OSEP, develop an evaluation instrument, 
which must be approved by OSEP, to be used by all the funded PTIs and 
CPRCs, that measures program effectiveness and outcomes for children;
    (d) Establish a mechanism for data collection and reporting that 
corresponds to the outcomes established under paragraph (c) and 
corresponds to other information needs as determined through 
collaboration and coordination with the regional centers and OSEP;
    (e) Maximize the computer and technological capacities of the PTIs 
and CPRCs by building on the system and network currently in place;
    (f) Plan and conduct an annual national conference, in conjunction 
with the OSEP project officer and the six Regional Parent TACs, for all 
the funded parent centers in this program;
    (g) Plan and conduct a New Directors' Conference in November of 
each year for all new directors of PTIs and CPRCs;
    (h) Provide direct technical assistance to the Military and Native 
American National Centers funded under this program;
    (i) Collaborate with other technical assistance providers, such as 
the Federal Resource Center (FRC), the Regional Resource Centers 
(RRCs), and the Dissemination Center, to use available resources, to 
access research-based practices and findings, and to participate in 
educational and system reform activities to improve results for 
children with disabilities;
    (j) Coordinate and collaborate with the six Regional Parent TACs 
and OSEP to--
    (1) Support the development of a unified parent training and 
information system that includes ways to improve results for children 
with disabilities;
    (2) Coordinate special education technical assistance efforts 
across regions to benefit and enhance the PTIs and the CPRCs;
    (3) Promote partnerships and collaborations with other entities 
involved in creating positive outcomes for children with disabilities;
    (4) Conduct an assessment of the training and information needs of 
the PTIs and the CPRCs (including information on parent involvement and 
support for improved outcomes for students), in conjunction with the 
six Regional Parent TACs;

[[Page 40916]]

    (5) Provide the six Regional Parent TACs with information on 
effective models for collaborative training that involves both parents 
and professionals who provide education and services to children with 
disabilities; and
    (6) Provide technical assistance to the PTIs and the CPRCs to 
identify and implement effective strategies for working with families 
from underserved and underrepresented populations; and
    (k) Coordinate and collaborate with the Regional Parent TACs, OSEP, 
the FRC, and RRCs to improve collaboration and coordination of effort 
among RRCs, PTIs, and CPRCs on the preparation of training materials 
that include scientifically based research and best practices and 
information on the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).

Focus Area 2

    The six Regional Parent TACs funded under this priority will 
coordinate with the National Parent TAC in order to promote a unified 
system for the provision of technical assistance to PTIs and CPRCs and 
to strengthen and enhance OSEP's Technical Assistance and Dissemination 
(TA&D) Network.
    Each project must--
    (a) Provide direct technical assistance to PTIs and CPRCs in its 
region;
    (b) Provide direct technical assistance and disseminate information 
through a variety of mechanisms to individual parent centers on 
management processes or content areas (e.g., NCLB, special education 
and related services issues, system reform, laws and regulations, 
alternative dispute resolution, and networking), as identified through 
a needs assessment;
    (c) Provide direct technical assistance to each PTI and CPRC in its 
region on outreach efforts to underserved and underrepresented 
populations;
    (d) Collaborate with other technical assistance providers, such as 
the FRC, RRCs, and the Dissemination Center, to use available 
resources, to access research-based practices and findings, and to 
participate in educational and system reform activities;
    (e) Collaborate with the National Parent TAC, the FRC, and RRCs to 
improve collaboration and coordination of efforts among RRCs, PTIs, and 
CPRCs on the preparation of training materials that include 
scientifically based research and best practices and information on the 
NCLB; and
    (f) Coordinate and collaborate with the National Parent TAC to--
    (1) Conduct an assessment of the training and information needs of 
the PTIs and CPRCs;
    (2) Provide direct technical assistance to each parent center to 
assist them in measuring program effectiveness and outcomes for 
children and to make changes as needed;
    (3) Maximize the computer and technological capabilities of the 
PTIs and CPRCs by identifying training needs and providing access to 
training, supporting a national database of training materials in 
multiple languages and accessible formats, supporting an electronic 
linkage across all the funded centers using a Web page and bulletin 
boards that are user friendly, and implementing other appropriate 
strategies; and
    (4) Participate in planning the national conference each year and 
conduct one regional conference each year.

Geographic Regions

    There will be one award in each of the regions identified as 
follows:

Region 1 Parent TAC: CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT.
Region 2 Parent TAC: DE, KY, MD, NC, SC, TN, VA, DC, WV.
Region 3 Parent TAC: AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, OK, Puerto Rico, TX, U.S. 
Virgin Islands.
Region 4 Parent TAC: IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, OH, PA, WI.
Region 5 Parent TAC: AZ, CO, KS, MT, NE, ND, NM, SD, UT, WY.
Region 6 Parent TAC: AK, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA, the outlying areas of 
the Pacific Basin, and the Freely Associated States.

    Competitive Preference Priorities: Within the absolute priority, we 
will award additional points under the following competitive preference 
priority under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to applicant organizations that 
are otherwise eligible for funding under the absolute priority:
    We will award 10 points to applicants that are organizations that 
meet the following definition:
    Parent organizations, as defined in section 682(g) of IDEA. A 
parent organization is a private nonprofit organization (other than an 
institution of higher education) that--
    (a) Has a board of directors, (1) the parent and professional 
members of which are broadly representative of the population to be 
served, (2) the majority of whom are parents of children with 
disabilities, and (3) that includes individuals with disabilities and 
individuals working in the fields of special education, related 
services, and early intervention; or
    (b) Has a membership that represents the interests of individuals 
with disabilities and has established a special governing committee 
meeting the requirements for a board of directors in paragraph (a) and 
has a memorandum of understanding between this special governing 
committee and the board of directors of the organization that clearly 
outlines the relationship between the board and the committee and the 
decisionmaking responsibilities and authority of each.
    Any parent organization that establishes a special governing 
committee under section 682(g)(2) of IDEA must demonstrate that the 
bylaws of its organization allow the governing committee to be 
responsible for operating the project (consistent with existing fiscal 
policies of its organization).
    In addition, we will award additional points under the following 
competitive preference priority under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) to 
applicant organizations that are otherwise eligible for funding under 
the absolute priority:
    We will award 10 points under Focus 2 of the absolute priority to 
applicants who are located in the region they are proposing to serve.
    Therefore, for the purposes of these competitive preference 
priorities, applicants under Focus 1 can be awarded a total of 10 
points in addition to those awarded under the published selection 
criteria for this program. That is, an applicant meeting the first 
competitive preference could earn a maximum total of 110 points.
    Applicants under Focus 2 can be awarded a total of 10 points in 
addition to those awarded under the published selection criteria for 
this program. That is, an applicant meeting the second competitive 
preference could earn a maximum total of 110 points. An applicant 
meeting both competitive preferences could earn a maximum total of 120 
points.
    Waiver of Proposed 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 public comment 
requirements in the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) 
inapplicable to the priorities in this notice.

Application Procedures

    Note:
    Some of the procedures in these instructions for transmitting 
applications differ from those in the Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.102). Under the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally 
offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed 
regulations. However, these amendments make procedural changes only 
and do not establish new substantive

[[Page 40917]]

policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary has 
determined that proposed rulemaking is not required.

Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications

    In FY 2003, the U.S. Department of Education is continuing to 
expand its pilot project of electronic submission of applications to 
include additional formula grant programs and additional discretionary 
grant competitions. The Special Education--Training and Information for 
Parents of Children with Disabilities Program--CFDA 84.328R is 
one of the programs included in the pilot project. If you are an 
applicant under the Special Education--Training and Information for 
Parents of Children with Disabilities Program, you may submit your 
application to us in either electronic or paper format.
    The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant 
Application System (e-Application). Users of e-Application will be 
entering data on-line while completing their applications. You may not 
e-mail a soft copy of a grant application to us. If you participate in 
this voluntary pilot project by submitting an application 
electronically, the data you enter on-line will be saved into a 
database. We request your participation in e-Application. We shall 
continue to evaluate its success and solicit suggestions for 
improvement.
    If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
    [sbull] Your participation is voluntary.
    [sbull] You will not receive any additional point value because you 
submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will we penalize 
you if you submit an application in paper format. When you enter the e-
Application system, you will find information about its hours of 
operation.
    [sbull] You may submit all documents electronically, including the 
Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget 
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary 
assurances and certifications.
    [sbull] After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award 
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
    [sbull] Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424) to the Application Control Center after following 
these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 from e-Application.
    2. The institution's Authorizing Representative must sign this 
form.
    3. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard copy signature page of the ED 424.
    4. Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 
260-1349.
    [sbull] We may request that you give us original signatures on all 
other forms at a later date.
    [sbull] Closing Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability: If 
you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot for the Special 
Education--Training and Information for Parents of Children with 
Disabilities Program and you are prevented from submitting your 
application on the closing date because the e-Application system is 
unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day in 
order to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by hand 
delivery. For us to grant this extension--
    1. You must be a registered user of e-Application, and have 
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
    2. (a) The e-Application system must be unavailable for 60 minutes 
or more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the deadline date; or
    (b) The e-Application system must be unavailable for any period of 
time during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time 
between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the deadline date.
    The Department must acknowledge and confirm these periods of 
unavailability before granting you an extension. To request this 
extension you must contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in 
this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or (2) the e-GRANTS 
help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Special 
Education--Training and Information for Parents of Children with 
Disabilities Program at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    We have included additional information about the e-Application 
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic 
Applications) in the application package.
    For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), 
P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, Maryland 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-
877-433-7827. Fax: 1-301-470-1244. If you use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734.
    You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html.
    Or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: 
[email protected]
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA 84.328R.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Grants and Contracts Services 
Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 
3317, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: 1-202-
205-8207.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document or a copy of 
the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large 
print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the Grants and 
Contracts Services Team listed in this section. However, the Department 
is not able to reproduce in an alternative format the standard forms 
included in the application package.

Intergovernmental Review

    The program in this notice is subject to the requirements of 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the 
objectives of the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental 
partnership and a strengthened federalism. The Executive order relies 
on processes developed by State and local governments for coordination 
and review of proposed Federal financial assistance.
    This document provides early notification of our specific plans and 
actions for this program.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the internet at the following site: 
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

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


    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1484.


[[Page 40918]]


    Dated: July 3, 2003.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 03-17360 Filed 7-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-U