[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 102 (Wednesday, May 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30138-30140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11928]



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Part VIII





Department of Education





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Special Demonstration Programs--Model Demonstration Projects--Positive 
Psychology; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 102 / Wednesday, May 26, 2004 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

RIN 1820-ZA35


Special Demonstration Programs--Model Demonstration Projects--
Positive Psychology

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, 
Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed priority, definitions, and application 
requirements.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education 
and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority, definitions, and 
application requirements under the Special Demonstration Programs 
focusing on developing models that adapt positive psychology techniques 
for use by vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals to improve the 
employment outcomes of VR consumers. The positive psychology models 
developed under this priority must incorporate effective, research-
based principles. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority, 
definitions, and application requirements for competitions in fiscal 
year (FY) 2004 and later years. We take this action to improve the 
quality of employment outcomes for VR consumers through testing and 
measuring the effects of three specific positive psychology techniques 
for use within State VR agencies.

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before June 25, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this proposed priority, 
definitions, and application requirements to Alfreda Reeves, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3314, Switzer 
Building, Washington, DC 20202-2645 (on or before June 4, 2004); room 
5040, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2645 (after June 4, 
2004). If you prefer to send your comments through the Internet, use 
the following address: [email protected].
    You must include the term ``SPECIAL DEMONSTRATION: POSITIVE 
PSYCHOLOGY'' in the subject line of your electronic message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alfreda Reeves. Telephone: (202) 205-
9361 (on or before June 4, 2004); (202) 245-7485 (after June 4, 2004); 
or via Internet: [email protected].
    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 in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Invitation To Comment

    We invite you to submit comments regarding this proposed priority, 
definitions, and application requirements.
    We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific 
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of 
reducing regulatory burden that might result from this notice. Please 
let us know of any further opportunities we should take to reduce 
potential costs or increase potential benefits while preserving the 
effective and efficient administration of the program.
    During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public 
comments about this proposed priority, definitions, and application 
requirements between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., eastern time, 
Monday through Friday of each week except Federal holidays. On or 
before June 4, 2004, you may inspect the comments in room 3038, 330 C 
Street, SW., Washington, DC. After June 4, 2004, you may inspect the 
comments in room 5058, 550 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC.

Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Rulemaking 
Record

    On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or 
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs 
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public 
rulemaking record for this proposed priority, definitions, and 
application requirements. If you want to schedule an appointment for 
this type of aid, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.
    We will announce the final priority, definitions, and application 
requirements in a notice in the Federal Register. We will determine the 
final priority, definitions, and application requirements after 
considering responses to this notice and other information available to 
the Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing or 
funding additional priorities, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking 
requirements.

    Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in 
which we choose to use this proposed priority, definitions, and 
application requirements, we invite applications through a notice in 
the Federal Register.

    When inviting applications we designate the priority as absolute, 
competitive preference, or invitational. The effect of each type of 
priority follows:
    Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only 
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
    Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference 
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by either 
(1) awarding additional points, depending on how well or the extent to 
which the application meets the competitive priority (34 CFR 
75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting an application that meets the 
competitive priority over an application of comparable merit that does 
not meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
    Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are 
particularly interested in applications that meet the invitational 
priority. However, we do not give an application that meets the 
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over other 
applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).

Priority

Proposed Priority, Definitions, and Application Requirements--Model 
Demonstration Projects--Positive Psychology

    These model demonstration projects would improve the quality of 
employment outcomes for VR consumers through testing and measuring the 
effects of three specific positive psychology techniques for use within 
State VR agencies.
    The program will be conducted under section 303(b) of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The proposed priority 
supports section 303(b) by furthering the purposes of the Act, 
specifically empowering consumers of VR by implementing techniques that 
will increase the skills of individuals with disabilities, enabling 
them to achieve high quality employment outcomes.

Background

    Positive psychology is the study and practice of counseling 
techniques based on cognitive-behavioral therapy to assist individuals 
to develop an increased awareness of their own positive character 
strengths, emotional processing, and belief systems (Seligman & 
Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). These techniques help consumers to build 
skills to accurately assess their

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internal beliefs that create barriers to effectively cope with 
adversities that occur in their lives and to expand their ability to 
challenge these beliefs in order to pursue flexible and appropriate 
responses to the adversities. Positive psychology techniques empower 
individuals to take control of their own lives, to increase their 
capacity for effective decisionmaking, and to persist in pursuing goal-
directed activities.
    The principles of positive psychology and the effectiveness of 
counseling techniques using these principles are well documented in the 
literature (Reivich & Shatte, 2002; Fredrickson, 2001; Sheldon & King, 
2001; Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000; Vaillant, 2000; Peterson & 
Seligman, 1984). Positive psychology factors have been demonstrated to 
affect the subjective experience of disability and the use of effective 
coping skills by individuals with a variety of physical and 
psychological conditions (Helgeson, Snyder, and Seltman, 2004; 
Brissette, Leventhal & Leventhal, 2003; Fredrickson, B. L., et al., 
2003; Symister & Friend, 2003; Penedo, et al., 2003; Chapin & Kewman, 
2001; Waldrop, et al., 2001; Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000; 
Callahan, 2000). A review of the literature by the National Institute 
on Disability Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) and use of the 
PsychArticles research database revealed one reported application of 
the principles of positive psychology to the employment outcomes of 
individuals with disabilities (Chapin & Kewin, 2001). However, no 
research literature was identified that applied these principles and 
techniques to individuals with disabilities in VR settings.
    Therefore, this proposed priority is intended to develop and 
demonstrate the validity of counseling tools and techniques based on 
the principles of positive psychology with individuals with 
disabilities in the VR system. Research in positive psychology has 
yielded a variety of approaches to assist individuals to identify their 
own beliefs and actions that are barriers to their ability to handle 
effectively life's adversities. These approaches are based on the 
techniques of cognitive-behavioral skills development and include 
models developed to change rigid and pessimistic beliefs and cognitive 
constructs to more flexible and positive ones. Major work in developing 
positive psychology approaches has been reported by Martin Seligman 
(1991), Barbara Fredrickson (2001), Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1997), 
Reivich & Shatte (2002), and others. Successful projects under this 
model demonstration program would address three specific aspects of 
positive psychology and their application to rehabilitation--learned 
optimism; strengths and virtues versus talents for employment; and 
subjective well-being.
    The learned optimism technique has been demonstrated to be an 
effective clinical therapeutic intervention in numerous studies 
(Reivich & Shatte, 2002; Fredrickson, 2001; Sheldon & King, 2001; 
Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000; Vaillant, 2000; Peterson & Seligman, 
1984, for example). Optimistic individuals have the skill to see 
setbacks as temporary and local, whereas pessimistic individuals see 
setbacks as permanent, pervasive, and personal. Pessimism primarily 
undermines people by lowering response initiation: Pessimistic people 
give up easily.
    Research demonstrates that learned optimism results in less 
depression, better productivity (including work productivity), and 
better overall health (Helgeson, Snyder, & Seltman, 2004; Riolli & 
Savicki, 2003; Brissette, Leventhal & Leventhal, 2003; Morris & Long, 
2002; Waldrop, et al., 2001; Lyubomirsky, Tucker, Caldwell & Berg, 
1999; Segerstrom, Taylor, Kemeny, & Fahey, 1998).
    The field of positive psychology has demonstrated the effectiveness 
of learned optimism principles and techniques in changing pessimism to 
optimism, but these principles and techniques have not been applied to 
individuals with disabilities in the public VR setting.
    Strengths and virtues versus talents for employment is a 
theoretical approach that has identified a paradox about most work 
settings: Individuals are selected and educated for jobs based on their 
talents, but much of their success, retention, and productivity at work 
depends, not on talents, but on their strengths and virtues. Physical 
coordination, analytic intelligence, and verbal fluency are examples of 
some of the talents that result in obtaining jobs, but persistence, 
social intelligence, kindness, humor, sense of purpose, and loyalty are 
some examples of the strengths and virtues that have been identified as 
resulting in keeping jobs (Seligman, 2002).
    Methodology using the principles of positive psychology exists for 
assessing strengths and virtues as a means of determining an 
individual's compatibility with a particular job. Research has 
demonstrated that individuals who use their ``signature strengths'' on 
the job have higher job satisfaction, more loyalty, better 
productivity, are more engaged, and are more likely to have peak 
experiences related to their work (Seligman, 2002). Some individuals 
with disabilities may lack access or functional abilities to gain some 
work-related talents, but they may possess a variety of individual 
strengths and virtues. Identifying employment settings based on 
individuals' strengths and virtues may result in a better match for 
individuals to employment opportunities, higher productivity, and 
longer job retention.
    Positive psychology techniques have been linked to improved 
subjective well-being (SWB) (Segerstrom, Taylor, Kemeny, & Fahey, 1998; 
Lucas, Diener & Suh, 1996; Smith, Christensen, Peck, & Ward, 1994; 
Mikulincer, 1989; Peterson, Luborsky, & Seligman, 1983). Individuals 
with high SWB take better care of themselves than do individuals with 
low SWB.
    For example, the Surgeon General's report on smoking revealed that 
optimists (those believing ``what I do matters'') gave up smoking at a 
higher rate than pessimists. Coping well with a disability often 
requires compliance with medical, physical, and rehabilitation planning 
and activities. For example, individuals in recovery from many types of 
cardiac conditions are often recommended to make medication, dietary, 
and exercise changes in their lives. Research in positive psychology 
has demonstrated that individuals with low SWB fail to follow these 
medical recommendations and, as a result, experience increased levels 
of functional limitation more often than individuals with high SWB. 
Research in the field of positive psychology has developed 
interventions that produce improved SWB.
    To date, these three interventions have not been used with 
individuals with disabilities in the VR setting to demonstrate their 
effect on high quality employment outcomes.

Priority

    Under 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v) and section 303(b)(1) of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Act), this priority supports 
projects that test and measure the effects of three specific positive 
psychology techniques for vocational rehabilitation (VR) professionals 
for improving the quality of employment outcomes for individuals with 
disabilities. The models tested under this program must incorporate 
effective, research-based positive psychology methods.

A. Definitions

    Learned optimism teaches people to become more hopeful, realistic, 
and flexible in their identification of and disputation of internal 
beliefs that result

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in rigid, pessimistic, and negative outcome expectations.
    Strengths and virtues versus talents for employment is a 
theoretical concept that links the internal characteristics of 
individuals rather than specific functional skills or talents with 
employment success.
    Subjective well-being (SWB) is a measurement of an individual's 
positive view of himself or herself across a number of dimensions, 
including optimism, life satisfaction, engagement, health, and sense of 
purpose.

B. General Requirements for Applicants

    These model demonstration projects must focus on research-based 
positive psychology principles that adapt appropriate techniques for VR 
professionals to use to assist VR consumers to obtain meaningful 
postsecondary education and employment outcomes. The projects must test 
and measure the effects of three specific techniques on achieving 
meaningful postsecondary education and employment outcomes. The 
projects must measure outcomes associated with each required technique. 
An applicant must be specific about what data it will collect in order 
to measure project outcomes against the established goals. To meet the 
requirements an applicant must--
    (1) Describe the manner in which positive psychology strategies 
will increase participation in postsecondary education and employment 
outcomes for consumers of the public VR program;
    (2) Adapt, test, and measure the impact of three positive 
psychology strategies on increasing the level of optimism of consumers 
of the public VR program and investigate the relationship between 
learned optimism and consumers' outcomes;
    (3) Adapt and develop positive psychology assessment tools to 
identify the strengths and virtues of individuals with disabilities, 
identify specific job environments that match specific strengths and 
virtues, pilot placement activities with individuals with disabilities 
based on the fit of their strengths and virtues, and investigate the 
relationship of consumers' strengths and virtues and meaningful 
postsecondary education and employment outcomes;
    (4) Develop positive psychology strategies to enhance SWB of people 
with disabilities in the VR setting. Projects must investigate the 
relationship between these strategies and meaningful postsecondary 
education and employment outcomes;
    (5) Design and implement an evaluation plan that--
    (a) assesses the validity of the models tested and developed under 
this program;
    (b) includes use of objective performance measures that are clearly 
related to the intended outcomes and goals of the project and will 
produce quantitative and qualitative data to the extent possible; and
    (c) provides performance feedback and permits periodic assessment 
of progress toward achieving intended outcomes and goals; and
    (6) Disseminate these strategies, as appropriate, to State VR 
agencies, their service providers, and independent living centers 
funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration and other agencies 
and entities funded under the Act.

Executive Order 12866

    This notice of proposed priority, definitions, and application 
requirements has been reviewed in accordance with Executive Order 
12866. Under the terms of the order, we have assessed the potential 
costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
    The potential costs associated with the notice are those resulting 
from statutory requirements and those we have determined as necessary 
for administering this program effectively and efficiently.
    In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative 
and qualitative--of this notice, we have determined that the benefits 
of the proposed priority, definitions, and application requirements 
justify the costs.
    We have also determined that this regulatory action does not unduly 
interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the exercise of 
their governmental functions.

Summary of Potential Costs and Benefits

    The Assistant Secretary has determined that the cost to the Federal 
Government associated with this program will not exceed $300,000 in FY 
2004. No other costs will result from the announcement of this proposed 
priority, definitions, and application requirements.
    The benefit of this proposed priority, definitions, and application 
requirements will be the establishment of model demonstration projects 
that will lead to improving the quality of employment outcomes for VR 
customers through developing positive psychology techniques for use 
within State VR agencies.

Intergovernmental Review

    This program is subject to 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.
    Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 373.

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: 
http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

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


(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.235A Special 
Demonstration Programs--Model Demonstration Projects--Positive 
Psychology)

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 773(b).

    Dated: April 14, 2004.
Troy R. Justesen,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 04-11928 Filed 5-25-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P