[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 108 (Friday, June 4, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31592-31595]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-12712]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Special Education--Research and Innovation To Improve 
Services and Results for Children With Disabilities--National Center on 
Secondary, Transition, and Postsecondary School Outcomes for Students 
With Disabilities Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2004

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.324S.
    Dates:
    Applications Available: June 7, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 19, 2004.
    Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs), local 
educational agencies (LEAs), institutions of higher education (IHEs), 
other public agencies, nonprofit private organizations, outlying areas, 
freely associated States, and Indian tribes or tribal organizations.
    Estimated Available Funds: $700,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $700,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice 
published in the Federal Register.
    Number of Awards: 1.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: To produce, and advance the use of, knowledge 
to improve the results of education and early intervention for infants, 
toddlers, and children with disabilities.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority 
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 
661(e)(2) and 672 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
(IDEA)).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2004 this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:

National Center On Secondary, Transition, and Postsecondary School 
Outcomes for Students with Disabilities

    Background: Better data on secondary and postsecondary school 
outcomes for students are needed to assess the effectiveness of 
programs and services provided under Part B of IDEA and to improve 
secondary and postsecondary school outcomes for students with 
disabilities.
    While there is general agreement that assessing academic 
achievement should be part of school accountability systems, many 
individuals involved in the education of students with disabilities 
believe that for IDEA purposes it is also important to collect other 
types of information that focus on assessing transition and 
postsecondary school success.
    A recent GAO study (GAO-03-773) entitled ``Special Education: 
Federal Actions Can Assist States in Improving Postsecondary Outcomes 
for Youth'' found that, while a majority of youth receiving IDEA 
services complete high school with a diploma, it is difficult to 
determine what happens to students after they leave high school.
    GAO found that less than half of the States routinely collect data 
on students' employment or education status after graduation. Most 
States collecting postsecondary school data used it for program 
improvement purposes such as monitoring school districts or targeting 
schools for technical assistance. However, existing State methodologies 
for collecting such data often have limitations that preclude using the 
data to assess the status of youth in the State who are receiving IDEA 
services, or reduce the usefulness of the data in other ways.
    GAO also found that many of the States that do not routinely 
collect postsecondary school data on the status of youth receiving IDEA 
services have expressed interest in doing so. For example, State 
educational agency officials familiar with State data collection 
efforts indicated that State and local school systems did not always 
have appropriate guidance on how data could be collected, analyzed, and 
used to improve programs and outcomes for youth with disabilities.
    Priority: The Secretary establishes a priority for a cooperative 
agreement to support a National Center on Secondary, Transition, and 
Postsecondary School Outcomes for Students with Disabilities that will 
advance the development and use of secondary, transition, and 
postsecondary school outcome information. This center must conduct 
research activities and provide technical assistance to States, 
schools, communities, and agencies in developing and implementing 
practical, efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable strategies for 
collecting and using outcome data to improve secondary, transition, and 
postsecondary school outcomes.
    Knowledge Development Activities of the Center must include, but 
are not limited to:
    (a) Conducting a national survey to identify State systems for the 
collection of secondary, transition, and postsecondary school outcome 
data on youth with disabilities and to identify policies and practices 
that sustain these data systems.
    (b) Conducting a literature review on the measures and 
methodologies that are used to collect data on secondary, transition, 
and postsecondary school outcomes for youth with disabilities.
    (c) Conducting activities to develop and implement practical, 
efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable strategies for identifying, 
collecting, and using student secondary, transition, and postsecondary 
school data for school improvement.
    (d) Reviewing the technical adequacy of measures used to assess 
secondary, transition, and postsecondary school outcomes.

[[Page 31593]]

    Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities of the Center 
must include, but are not limited to:
    (a) Maintaining a user-friendly Web site with relevant information 
and documents in an accessible format, and responding to written and 
telephone inquiries with research validated information.
    (b) Developing and implementing strategic technical assistance to 
States to assist them in (1) developing strategies for collecting and 
using secondary, transition, and postsecondary school outcome data; (2) 
developing approaches to assess the nature and extent of problems in 
data quality and address them; and (3) developing effective models for 
collecting and using data in districts and school sites and helping 
States replicate these throughout the State.
    (c) Disseminating information on current practices for collection 
of secondary, transition, and postsecondary school outcome data.
    (d) Conducting national and regional meetings, focused trainer 
forums, and other technical assistance activities on data collection, 
feedback, and the use of data to improve secondary education, 
transition, and postsecondary school outcomes. Meetings must be 
conducted to develop consensus among parents and other stakeholders on 
outcomes to be measured.
    (e) Developing and applying strategies for the dissemination of 
information to specific audiences including teachers, parents, service 
providers, administrators, policy makers, and researchers. Such 
strategies must involve collaboration with other technical assistance 
providers, organizations, and researchers.
    (f) Maintaining communication and collaboration with other 
Department of Education funded projects (such as the IDEA Partnerships, 
National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO), the Regional Resource 
Centers, the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition 
(NCSET), the National Center for Special Education Accountability and 
Monitoring (CSEAM), and Parent Training and Information Centers 
(PTIs)), and other agencies and organizations seeking to improve 
outcomes for youth with disabilities.
    (g) Providing technical assistance to States focused on needs 
identified in a State survey to be conducted by the Center. The Center 
must also participate, as requested by the Office of Special Education 
Programs (OSEP), in providing technical assistance to States identified 
by OSEP as States in need. The Center must plan for assistance to three 
identified States per year (similar State assistance efforts have 
averaged approximately $40,000 per year).
    The Center must also:
    (a) Meet with the OSEP project officer in the first two months of 
the project to review and refine the strategic plan of technical 
assistance and dissemination approaches.
    (b) Communicate with the OSEP project officer through monthly phone 
conversations and e-mail communication as needed. The Center must 
submit annual performance reports and provide additional written 
materials as needed for the OSEP project officer to monitor the 
Center's work.
    (c) Establish, and meet at least annually with, a technical 
workgroup consisting of SEA and LEA data specialists, researchers, and 
other appropriate individuals to advise on the Center's technical and 
research activities.
    (d) Conduct evaluations of the Center's specific activities and of 
the overall impact of those activities. The Center must report its 
evaluation findings annually to the OSEP project officer.
    (e) Establish, maintain, and meet at least annually with an 
advisory committee consisting of representatives of SEAs and LEAs, 
individuals with disabilities, educators, parents, service providers, 
professional organizations and advocacy groups, and other appropriate 
groups to review and advise on the Center's activities and plans. The 
committee membership must include individuals from communities 
representing rural, low-income, urban, and limited English proficiency 
populations.
    (f) Budget for (1) a two-day Project Directors' meeting in 
Washington, DC during each year of the project, (2) at least two annual 
planning meetings in DC, and (3) at least four two-day trips annually 
as requested by OSEP to attend meetings such as Department briefings, 
Department-sponsored conferences, and other OSEP requested activities.
    Fourth and Fifth Years of Project: In deciding whether to continue 
this project for the fourth and fifth years, the Secretary will 
consider the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), and in addition--
    (a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of experts 
selected by the Secretary which review will be conducted during the 
last half of the project's second year in Washington, DC. Projects must 
budget for the travel associated with this one-day intensive review;
    (b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of 
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the 
Center; and
    (c) Evidence of the degree to which the Center's activities have 
contributed to changed practices and improved child outcomes.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, section 
661(e)(2) of IDEA makes the public comment requirements inapplicable to 
the priority in this notice.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1461 and 1472.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81, 
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: $700,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $700,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice 
published in the Federal Register.
    Number of Awards: 1.

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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs, LEAs, IHEs, other public agencies, 
nonprofit private organizations, outlying areas, freely associated 
States, and Indian tribes or tribal organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: General Requirements--(a) The projects funded under this 
notice must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment 
qualified individuals with disabilities (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).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications 
Center

[[Page 31594]]

(ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 
1-877-433-7827. FAX: (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 Number 84.324S.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts 
Services Team listed under For Further Information Contact in section 
VII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition. Page 
Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where 
you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use 
to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to the equivalent 
of no more than 70 pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     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, the references, or the letters of support. 
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    We will reject your application if--
     You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: June 7, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 19, 2004. The dates 
and times for the transmittal of applications by mail or by hand 
(including a courier service or commercial carrier) are in the 
application package for this competition. The application package also 
specifies the hours of operation of the e-Application Web site.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Instructions and requirements for 
the transmittal of applications by mail or by hand (including a courier 
service or commercial carrier) are in the application package for this 
competition.
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 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
    We are continuing to expand our pilot project for electronic 
submission of applications to include additional formula grant programs 
and additional discretionary grant competitions. The Special 
Education--Research and Innovation to Improve Services and Results for 
Children with Disabilities--National Center on Secondary, Transition, 
and Postsecondary School Outcomes for Students with Disabilities 
competition--CFDA Number 84.324S is one of the competitions included in 
the pilot project. If you are an applicant under the Special 
Education--Research and Innovation to Improve Services and Results for 
Children with Disabilities--National Center on Secondary, Transition, 
and Postsecondary school Outcomes for Students with Disabilities 
competition, 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). If you use e-Application, you will 
be entering data online while completing your application. You may not 
e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. If you 
participate in this voluntary pilot project by submitting an 
application electronically, the data you enter online will be saved 
into a database. We request your participation in e-Application. We 
shall continue to evaluate its success and solicit suggestions for its 
improvement.
    If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
     Your participation is voluntary.
     When you enter the e-Application system, you will find 
information about its hours of operation. We strongly recommend that 
you do not wait until the application deadline date to initiate an e-
Application package.
     You will not receive 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.
     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.
     Your e-Application must comply with any page limit 
requirements described in this notice.
     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).
     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.
     We may request that you give us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System 
Unavailability: If you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot 
for the Special Education--Research and Innovation to Improve Services 
and Results for Children with Disabilities--National Center on 
Secondary, Transition, and Postsecondary School Outcomes for

[[Page 31595]]

Students with Disabilities competition and you are prevented from 
submitting your application on the application deadline 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. We will grant this 
extension if--
    1. You are a registered user of e-Application, and you have 
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
    2. (a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or 
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date; or
    (b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time 
during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time 
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the 
application deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
GRANTS help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Special 
Education--Research and Innovation to Improve Services and Results for 
Children with Disabilities-- National Center on Secondary, Transition, 
and Postsecondary School Outcomes for Students with Disabilities 
competition at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
listed in 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. The specific selection criteria to be 
used for this competition are in the application package.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118.
    4. Performance Measures: Because this project deals primarily with 
technical assistance activities, it will be assessed using performance 
measures for the Technical Assistance to Improve Services and Results 
for Children with Disabilities Program. Under the Government 
Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the Department is currently 
developing measures that will yield information on various aspects of 
the quality of the Technical Assistance to Improve Services and Results 
for Children with Disabilities Program (e.g., the extent to which 
projects use high quality methods and materials, provide useful 
products and services, and contribute to improving results for children 
with disabilities). Data on these measures will be collected from the 
projects funded under this notice.
    Grantees will also be required to report information on their 
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (EDGAR, 34 
CFR 75.590).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Selete Avoke, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4120, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8157.
    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 by contacting the following office: The Grants and 
Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. 
Telephone: (202) 205-8207.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department 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.


    Dated: June 1, 2004.
Troy R. Justesen,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 04-12712 Filed 6-3-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P