[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 113 (Monday, June 14, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32997-33001]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-13330]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services 
and Results for Children With Disabilities--IDEA General Supervision 
Enhancement Grant; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for 
Fiscal Year (FY) 2004

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.326X.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: June 14, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 23, 2004.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 21, 2004.
    Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs), local 
educational agencies (LEAs), institutions of higher education (IHEs), 
other public agencies, nonprofit private organizations, for-profit 
organizations, outlying areas, freely associated States, and Indian 
tribes or tribal organizations.
    Additional information concerning eligibility requirements is 
provided elsewhere in this notice under Section III., 1.

Eligible Applicants.

    Estimated Available Funds: $6,700,000. Additional information 
concerning funding amounts is provided elsewhere in this notice under 
Section II. Award Information.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: See Section II. Award 
Information.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 13. Additional information concerning 
the number of awards is provided elsewhere in this notice under Section 
II. Award Information.

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

    Project Period: October 1, 2004-September 30, 2005.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: This program provides technical assistance and 
information that (1) support States and local entities in building 
capacity to improve early intervention, educational, and transitional 
services and results for children with disabilities and their families; 
and (2) address goals and priorities for improving State systems that 
provide early intervention, educational, and transitional services for 
children with disabilities and their families.
    This competition contains one funding priority with four focus 
areas addressing services provided under Parts B and C of the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as amended (IDEA).
    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 685 of the 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:

Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services and Results 
for Children With Disabilities--IDEA General Supervision Enhancement 
Grant

    Background of Priority: Consistent with the No Child Left Behind 
Act of 2001 (NCLB) and its focus on children with disabilities meeting 
State educational achievement standards, many States have begun the 
challenging but important process of--
    (1) Developing outcome indicators for children with disabilities;
    (2) Developing outcome indicators for infants and toddlers with 
disabilities;
    (3) Developing or redesigning State academic standards and 
assessment systems using universal design principles; and
    (4) Developing or enhancing State systems to disseminate research-
based promising practices in education and early intervention.
    States may obtain technical assistance on these processes from a 
variety of sources, including the Office of Special Education Programs 
(OSEP) funded Technical Assistance and Dissemination Centers such as 
the National Center on Special Education and Accountability Monitoring, 
the National Center on Educational Outcomes, the Early Childhood 
Outcomes Center, the National Dissemination Center for Children with 
Disabilities, the Regional Resource Centers, and other sources of 
technical assistance. States may find the technical assistance provided 
by the Early Childhood Outcomes Center particularly useful with regard 
to early intervention and preschool outcomes.
    Statement of Priority: This priority is to support projects that 
address the technical assistance and dissemination needs of States to 
improve services and results for children with disabilities in one or 
more of the following four focus areas.
Focus 1: Developing or Enhancing Part B State Outcome Indicators and 
Methods To Collect and analyze Part B outcome indicator data
    Background of Focus: The development of outcome indicators, against 
which progress can be measured, is the cornerstone of any 
accountability system. State performance reports, self-assessments, and 
other extant data show that most States, as well as their LEAs, have 
not developed outcome indicators for children with disabilities served 
under Part B of IDEA or methods to collect and analyze Part B outcome 
indicator data, especially for preschool children. Therefore, the 
States lack the capacity to collect sufficient data to determine the 
impact of special education services.
    Statement of Focus: This focus supports development or enhancement 
of Part B State outcome indicators and methods to collect and analyze 
Part B State outcome indicator data. These indicators must provide 
information about one or more of the following:
    (a) The impact of Part B preschool services (age 3-5) on children 
with disabilities at the State and LEA level.
    (b) The impact of Part B services on school-aged children with 
disabilities at the State and LEA level.
    (c) Post-secondary education and employment outcomes (including the 
impact of Part B services on these outcomes) at the State and LEA level 
using indicators that have been shown to lead to positive post-
secondary school outcomes.

[[Page 32998]]

    (d) Whether children served under Part B of the IDEA are meeting 
State educational achievement standards, including, as appropriate, 
whether preschool-aged children with disabilities are meeting 
appropriate academic achievement and developmental standards at the 
State and LEA level.
    (e) Trend data on the extent to which children who have received 
services under Part B of the IDEA are meeting State educational 
achievement standards at the State and LEA level.
Focus 2: Developing or Enhancing Part C State Outcome Indicators and 
Methods To Collect and Analyze Part C Outcome Indicator Data.
    Background of Focus: The development of outcome indicators, against 
which progress can be measured, is the cornerstone of any 
accountability system. State performance reports, self-assessments, and 
other extant data show that most State Lead Agencies (as defined under 
Part C of the IDEA) and LEAs have not developed outcome indicators for 
infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families served under 
Part C or methods to collect and analyze Part C outcome indicator data. 
Therefore, the States lack the capacity to collect sufficient data to 
determine the impact of early intervention services.
    Statement of Focus: This focus supports development or enhancement 
of Part C State outcome indicators and methods to collect and analyze 
Part C State outcome indicator data. These indicators must provide 
information about one or more of the following:
    (a) The impact of Part C services on infants and toddlers with 
disabilities and their families at the State and local level.
    (b) If the State has standards for early intervention outcomes, 
whether infants and toddlers with disabilities are meeting those 
standards.
    (c) Trend data on the extent to which infants and toddlers with 
disabilities are meeting State standards.
Focus 3: Developing, Enhancing, or Redesigning State Assessment 
Systems, Including alternate Assessments and alternate Achievement 
Standards, Using Universal Design Principles.
    Background of Focus: The NCLB requires accountability for the 
academic achievement of all students. Under the law, every student and 
every group of students is expected to be able to meet State standards. 
For that very limited group of students with the most significant 
cognitive disabilities, whose intellectual functioning is well below 
that of their peers, the Department's regulations allow States to 
develop alternate achievement standards that are aligned with the 
State's academic content standards and reflect professional judgment of 
the highest learning standards possible for those students. The 
regulation permits the proficient and advanced scores of students 
assessed based on alternate achievement standards to be included in AYP 
calculations in the same manner as scores based on grade level 
achievement, subject to a one percent cap. See http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/finrule/2003-4/120903a.pdf for more 
information.
    Assessments used for system accountability purposes should be 
designed to include the widest possible range of students. Universal 
design can be applied to all phases of test development, including 
creation of test designs and formats, development of tasks and items, 
standardization, and development of scoring and reporting procedures. 
Universally designed assessments can reduce confusion concerning the 
appropriate uses of accommodations with tests, and can also improve the 
consistency with which tests are administered and scored.
    Statement of Focus: This focus supports development, enhancement, 
or redesign of State systems, including alternate assessments and 
alternate achievement standards, using universal design principles.
Focus 4: Developing or Enhancing State Systems to Disseminate and 
Implement Research-Based Promising Educational or Early Intervention 
Practices
    Background of Focus: OSEP has found that many States either do not 
have a State technical assistance and dissemination structure to 
identify, disseminate, and implement research-based promising 
educational or early intervention practices, or the existing structure 
lacks sufficient resources to be effective. OSEP believes that a State 
technical assistance and dissemination structure is a critical 
component to every State's effort to support better outcomes for 
infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities.
    Statement of Focus: This focus supports the development or 
enhancement of Statewide technical assistance systems that are aligned 
with the State's process for planning improved outcomes for infants, 
toddlers, and children with disabilities and that address such areas 
as--
    (a) Developing models to be used in Statewide technical assistance 
efforts.
    (b) Providing information about research-based intervention and 
instructional practices.
    (c) Supporting the use of research-based approaches in instruction 
and the delivery of service in local schools and agencies.
    (d) Serving as a conduit for the dissemination of research-based 
information among SEAs, State Lead Agencies, and LEAs, and national 
technical assistance centers.
    (e) Improving the efficiency of disseminating information by 
existing State technical assistance centers.
    In addition, the projects funded under this priority must--
    (a) Budget for a two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, 
DC.
    (b) If a project maintains a Web site, include relevant information 
and documents in an accessible form.
    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. 1485.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


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


II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $6,700,000. The Secretary intends to 
award at least $2,000,000 for joint applications from SEAs and Part C 
Lead Agencies (LA) that address that portion of Focus 1 related to 
children with disabilities served under section 619 of the IDEA and 
Focus 2.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $412,000 for awards addressing 
either Part B activities or Part C activities; $825,000 for awards 
addressing both Part B activities and Part C activities.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 13. The Secretary will award a maximum 
of (a) one award in a State to address Part B activities and (b) one 
award in a State to address Part C activities, or (c) one award in a 
State to address Parts B and C activities together.



[[Page 32999]]


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

    Project Period: October 1, 2004-September 30, 2005.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs, LEAs, IHEs, other public agencies, 
nonprofit private organizations, for-profit organizations, outlying 
areas, freely associated States, and Indian tribes or tribal 
organizations.
    Eligibility information for specific types of applicants is as 
follows: (a) If an applicant is not an SEA and applying under Focus 1, 
3, or 4 (with regard to Part B services only), the applicant must 
include in its application a signed letter of endorsement from the SEA. 
(b) If an applicant is not a Part C LA and is applying under Focus 2 or 
4 (with regard to Part C services only), then the applicant must 
include in its application a signed letter of endorsement from the 
director of the Part C LA. (c) If an application is not being jointly 
submitted by an SEA and Part C LA, and the application proposes to 
address both Part B and Part C activities, the applicant must include 
in its application signed letters of endorsement from the directors of 
the SEA and Part C LA, as applicable.
    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 (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: 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 84.326X.
    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 Contract 
Services Team listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in Section 
VII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: (a) If the SEA 
endorses the State LA or the State LA endorses the SEA as the 
applicant, the proposed project must describe: (1) How the State LA and 
SEA collaborated to develop the application; and (2) how the award will 
address the needs of children served under Parts B and C as appropriate 
(e.g., developing language development outcome measures for children 
participating in Part C early intervention and Part B early childhood 
programs).
    (b) Additional 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.
    If your proposed project addresses only Part B activities or only 
Part C activities, you must limit Part III to the equivalent of no more 
than 20 pages. If your proposed project addresses both Part B and Part 
C activities, you must limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than 
40 pages. To determine the number of pages or the equivalent, you must 
use 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 14, 2004.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 23, 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.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 21, 2004.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
    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--
Technical Assistance and Dissemination of Services and Results for 
Children with Disabilities--General Supervision Enhancement Grant 
competition--CFDA number 84.326X is one of the competitions included in 
the pilot project. If you are an applicant under the Special 
Education--Technical Assistance and Dissemination of Services and 
Results for Children with Disabilities--General Supervision

[[Page 33000]]

Enhancement Grant 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 of 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) 
245-6272.

     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--Technical Assistance and Dissemination of 
Services and Results for Children with Disabilities--General 
Supervision Enhancement Grant 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 hand delivery. We will grant this extension 
if--
    1. You are 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 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--Technical Assistance and Dissemination of Services and 
Results for Children with Disabilities--General Supervision Enhancement 
Grant competition at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program 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: 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 
project's performance in annual reports to the Department (EDGAR CFR 
75.590).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Wexler, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4019, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 205-5390.
    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

[[Page 33001]]

Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 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: www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.



    Dated: June 8, 2004.
Troy R. Justesen,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 04-13330 Filed 6-10-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P