[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 41 (Thursday, March 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10370-10374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4103]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Technology and Media Services for Individuals With 
Disabilities--Research on Technology Effectiveness and Implementation 
for Children With Disabilities; Notice Inviting Applications for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.327R.


DATES: Applications Available: March 4, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 15, 2005.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 14, 2005.
    Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); local 
educational agencies (LEAs); public charter schools that are LEAs under 
State law; institutions of higher education (IHEs); other public 
agencies; private nonprofit organizations; outlying areas; freely 
associated States; Indian tribes or tribal organizations; and for-
profit organizations.
    Estimated Available Funds: $600,000.
    Maximum Award: The Secretary does not intend to fund an application 
that proposes a budget exceeding $600,000 for a single budget period of 
12 months. The Assistant Secretary for 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: The purpose of the program is to: (1) Improve 
results for children with disabilities by promoting the development, 
demonstration, and use of technology; (2) support educational media 
services activities designed to be of educational value in the 
classroom setting to children with disabilities; and (3) provide 
support for captioning and video description that is appropriate for 
use in the classroom setting.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority 
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 674 
and 681(d) of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2005 this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is: Technology and Media Services for Individuals 
With Disabilities--Research on Technology Effectiveness and 
Implementation for Children With Disabilities.
    Background: Recent years have witnessed the emergence of a 
technology-based instructional medium that has been variously termed 
``electronic text'', ``digital text'', ``hypertext'', ``hypermedia'', 
``supported text'', and other similar terms. In this priority, the 
expression ``electronic text'' will be used.
    Specific features and capabilities of ``electronic text'' vary, but 
the following eight types of resources, proposed by Horney & Anderson-
Inman (1999),\1\ can be used as a basic (but not necessarily 
exhaustive) reference set to define ``electronic text'' as used in this 
priority--
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    \1\ Horney, M. A. & Anderson-Inman, L. (1999). Supported Text in 
Electronic Reading Environments. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 15, 
127-168.
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    (1) Translational resources that provide the reader with an 
alternate form for words or phrases that might be problematic (e.g., 
language translation or text-to-speech);
    (2) Illustrative resources that provide the reader with examples, 
illustrations, or comparisons of a concept or set of concepts, often 
taking advantage of multimedia such as graphics, animation, or sound;
    (3) Summarizing resources that provide an overview of the text's 
structure, content, or major features, for example in outline form 
(e.g., a table of contents with each title linked to its appropriate 
page in the text) or in graphic form (e.g., a concept map of key ideas 
in the document or a timeline of major events);
    (4) Instructional resources that prompt students to learn by 
guiding their interaction with the text, for example by means of 
questions embedded in the text, tutorials, or assignments;
    (5) Enrichment resources that augment the main body of the text 
with material that is related to, but not actually necessary for, 
comprehension, such as photos or sound clips;
    (6) Notational resources that enable students to support their 
reading by

[[Page 10371]]

such activities as recording observations, summarizing main ideas, or 
marking parts of the text;
    (7) Collaborative resources that promote the process of joint 
construction of meaning when reading from text (e.g., collaborative 
projects shared electronically); and
    (8) General-purpose resources that support the content of an 
electronic book with information that is relevant but never designed to 
be a part of the book, such as a dictionary linked to an electronic 
book but not designed specifically for that book.
    In electronic text, these resources are generally under the 
learner's control and are accessed by means of ``buttons,'' specially-
marked words, or images located in or near the text.
    Electronic text has a number of potential benefits for students 
with disabilities. For example, it can provide supports to compensate 
for learning difficulties, sensory impairments, and academic skill 
deficits. Recently, a National Instructional Materials Accessibility 
Standard (NIMAS) was developed through an OSEP-funded grant. This new 
standard is expected to streamline the production of accessible 
textbooks to students who are blind or print-disabled, and holds 
tremendous promise related to addressing the needs of a much broader 
range of students with disabilities.
    Toward this end, the Department of Education is funding two centers 
to support further development and implementation of NIMAS. The NIMAS 
Technical Assistance Center will provide information and technical 
assistance to States to improve their effectiveness and efficiency in 
providing accessible instructional materials to students with 
disabilities. The NIMAS Development Center will provide national 
leadership to develop the standard further, including making 
recommendations about updating and revising NIMAS to take into account 
advances in technology and to address the needs of a broader range of 
students with disabilities and evaluating whether adoption of the NIMAS 
standard results in greater and more timely availability of materials.
    Notwithstanding the foregoing, research to document the benefits of 
electronic text for students with disabilities is not entirely 
conclusive. While some studies have found electronic text or some of 
its features to be effective in improving reading comprehension, other 
studies have found no effects, or inconsistent effects (MacArthur, 
Ferretti, Okolo, & Cavalier, 2001 \2\). Moreover, resources added to 
text to provide access for one population of students may create 
accessibility barriers for others (e.g., graphic features may not be 
accessible to students with visual disabilities, hyper-linked resources 
or graphic organizers may increase cognitive demands and thus create 
barriers for students with cognitive disabilities). Finally, the 
effectiveness of electronic text in widespread use in typical 
educational environments has not been fully explored.
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    \2\ MacArthur, C.A., Ferretti, R.P., Okolo, C.M., & Cavalier, 
A.R. (2001). Technology applications for students with literacy 
problems: A critical review. The Elementary School Journal, 101(3), 
273-301.
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Priority

    This priority supports one cooperative agreement for a Center to 
conduct a systematic program of research on the use of electronic text 
to advance the principles of universal design (i.e., design of products 
that will be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, 
with minimal need for additional adaptations and accommodations) 
related to the development of curriculum and instructional materials 
that are accessible to all students with disabilities, in order to 
improve access to and progress in the general curriculum for students 
with disabilities.
    Applicants must:
    (a) Propose an operational definition of electronic text to be used 
in a program of research. This definition must incorporate at least 
five of the eight types of resources discussed in the Background 
section, and can include additional types of resources.
    (b) Demonstrate that they have access to existing electronic text 
materials so that research can proceed quickly with minimal time 
devoted to additional development.
    (c) Demonstrate knowledge of the state of practice in terms of use 
of products, sources of products, and research on electronic text.
    (d) Present a plan for conducting a program of research to answer 
the following questions: (1) Does electronic text improve learning of 
academic content in actual educational settings with typical resources 
and levels of teacher support? (2) What characteristics of electronic 
text facilitate or impede access to and learning of academic content? 
(3) What student characteristics (e.g., disability, technology skills) 
and contextual factors (e.g., teacher training, hardware resources, 
student groupings) influence the effectiveness of electronic text?
    This plan may focus on specific academic content areas, student 
ages, and implementations of electronic text, but, at a minimum, must 
address each of the three research questions separately for each of 
these populations: Students with learning disabilities, students with 
mental retardation, students with visual impairments or blindness, 
students with hearing impairments or deafness, and students with 
physical disabilities.
    These research questions are intended to test causal relationships, 
and the research must employ rigorous experimental designs using 
randomized assignment or repeated measures unless a compelling case is 
made that such designs are not possible and that other designs, such as 
quasi-experiments with matched groups and statistical controls, can be 
used to determine treatment effects.
    Applicants must fully describe methodologies and must provide 
documentation that available sample sizes and methodologies are 
sufficient to produce the statistical power needed to yield conclusive 
findings. Experimental research may be supplemented with qualitative or 
non-experimental methodologies, provided sufficient rigor is 
maintained.
    The plan must provide for conducting the majority of research in 
actual educational environments using typical resources and levels of 
teacher support.
    Once funded, the Center must:
    (a) Establish a technical review board to review its operational 
definition of electronic text and its research plans, and identify any 
needed improvements.
    (b) Revise its operational definition of electronic text and its 
research plan in accordance with comments from the technical review 
board and instructions from the U.S. Department of Education.
    (c) Conduct the program of research called for in its plan, taking 
appropriate steps to ensure that the research is rigorous and 
objective. Toward this end, the Center must maintain communication with 
the U.S. Department of Education and the technical review board to 
identify needed corrective actions.
    (d) Coordinate and collaborate with the NIMAS Development Center 
and the NIMAS Technical Assistance Center. This coordination must be 
designed to minimize duplication of effort and to ensure that the 
research conducted under this competition supports, to the maximum 
possible extent, the further development and implementation of NIMAS.
    (e) Disseminate findings to appropriate audiences. The Center must 
submit reports for publication in peer-

[[Page 10372]]

reviewed professional journals and for presentation at professional 
conferences, and must post reports on a Web site that meets a 
government or industry-recognized standard for accessibility.
    (f) Formulate research-based guidelines for the development and use 
of electronic text to improve access to and progress in the general 
curriculum for students with disabilities. These guidelines must be 
designed to reflect, to the maximum possible extent, the implementation 
and possible further development of NIMAS.
    (g) Budget for a two-day Research Project Directors' meeting, a 
two-day Technology Project Directors' meeting, and a two-day Technical 
Assistance and Dissemination Project Directors' meeting, each in 
Washington, DC during each year of the project.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, 
section 681(d) of the IDEA makes the public comment requirements of the 
APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.

    Program Authority:  20 U.S.C. 1474.

    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: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: $600,000.
    Maximum Award: The Secretary does not intend to fund an application 
that proposes a budget exceeding $600,000 for a single budget period of 
12 months. The Assistant Secretary for 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; public charter schools that are 
LEAs under State law; IHEs; other public agencies; private nonprofit 
organizations; outlying areas; freely associated States; Indian tribes 
or tribal organizations; and for-profit 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 
competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in 
employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of 
the IDEA).
    (b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this competition 
must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals 
with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and 
evaluating the projects (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of the 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: 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 84.327R.
    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 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, the letters of support, or 
the appendix. 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: March 4, 
2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 15, 2005.
    Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in 
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates 
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by 
mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission 
Requirements in this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 14, 2005.
    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: Applications for grants under 
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by 
mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications. We have been accepting 
applications electronically through the Department's e-Application 
system since FY 2000. In order to expand on those efforts and comply 
with the President's Management Agenda, we are continuing to 
participate as a partner in the new government wide Grants.gov Apply 
site in FY 2005. Research on Technology Effectiveness and 
Implementation for Children With

[[Page 10373]]

Disabilities--CFDA Number 84.327R is one of the competitions included 
in this project.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Grants.gov Apply site (http://www.grants.gov). Through this 
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, 
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You 
may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. We 
request your participation in Grants.gov.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Research on 
Technology Effectiveness and Implementation for Children with 
Disabilities--CFDA Number 84.327R competition at: http://www.grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application 
package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA 
number's alpha suffix in your search.
    Please note the following:
     Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted with a 
date/time received by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We will not 
consider your application if it was received by the Grants.gov system 
later than 4:30 p.m. on the application deadline date. When we retrieve 
your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are 
rejecting your application because it was submitted after 4:30 p.m. on 
the application deadline date.
     If you experience technical difficulties on the 
application deadline date and are unable to meet the 4:30 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, deadline, print out your application and follow 
the instructions in this notice for the submission of paper 
applications by mail or hand delivery.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
your application is submitted timely to the Grants.gov system.
     To use Grants.gov, you, as the applicant, must have a D-U-
N-S Number and register in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). You 
should allow a minimum of five business days to complete the CCR 
registration.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you submit your application in paper format.
     You may submit all documents electronically, including all 
information typically included on the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 
524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Any narrative 
sections of your application should be attached as files in a .DOC 
(document), .RTF (rich text) or .PDF (Portable Document) format.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your 
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying 
number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail. If you submit your 
application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or 
a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of 
your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the 
Department at the applicable following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.327R), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or
    By mail through a commercial carrier:
    U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center--Stop 
4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.327R), 7100 Old Landover Road, 
Landover, MD 20785-1506.
    Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing 
consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service,
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier, or
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark, or
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.

    Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your 
local post office.

    c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery. If you submit 
your application in paper format by hand delivery, you (or a courier 
service) must deliver the original and two copies of your application 
by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department 
at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application 
Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.327R), 550 12th Street, SW., 
Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays and Federal holidays.
    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail 
or hand deliver your application to the Department: (1) You must 
indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the Department--in 
Item 4 of the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424) the 
CFDA number--and suffix letter, if any--of the competition under which 
you are submitting your application.
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application 
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant 
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.

[[Page 10374]]

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 
Technology and Media Services to Improve Services and Results for 
Children with Disabilities program (e.g., the extent to which projects 
are of high quality and are relevant to the needs of children with 
disabilities). Data on these measures will be collected from the 
projects funded under this competition.
    Grantees will also be required to report information on their 
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR 
75.590).
    We will notify grantees of the performance measures once they are 
developed.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Malouf, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4078, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7427.
    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) 245-7363.

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: February 24, 2005.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 05-4103 Filed 3-2-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P