[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56133-56137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15765]


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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: Web-Supported 
Instructional Approaches Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards 
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.327W

DATES: Applications Available: September 26, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 13, 2006.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: January 9, 2007.
    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: The Administration has requested 
$31,063,000 for the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with 
Disabilities program for FY 2007, of which we intend to use an 
estimated $500,000 for the Research on Technology Effectiveness and 
Implementation for Children with Disabilities: Web-Supported 
Instructional Approaches competition. The actual level of funding, if 
any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting 
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if 
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $500,000 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 this 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 2007 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: Web-Supported Instructional Approaches

    Background: A number of Office of Special Education Programs 
(OSEP)-funded projects have developed and tested World Wide Web-
supported approaches for improving educational results for children 
with disabilities. In some cases, these projects have used generally 
available Web resources (e.g., newspaper sites, museum sites, and 
search engines). In other cases, the projects have developed 
specialized Web sites (e.g., simulation of learning environments, 
discussion boards, and strategy reminders) to improve student learning.
    Web-supported educational approaches have a number of potential 
benefits for students with disabilities. The Web can support varied 
learning strategies and Web-supported activities can be designed to 
address different student needs. For example, they can provide supports 
to compensate for learning difficulties, sensory impairments, and 
academic skill deficits. Research on the benefits of Web-supported 
approaches for students with disabilities is not entirely conclusive, 
however. While some studies have found the Web or some of its features 
to be effective in teaching and learning, other studies have not found 
the Web to be effective in teaching. We also have little information 
about whether Web-based resources that 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 
intellectual demands and thus create barriers for students with 
cognitive disabilities). Finally, the effectiveness of Web-supported 
instruction in widespread use in typical educational environments has 
not been fully explored.
    Priority: This priority supports a Center to conduct a systematic 
program of research on the use of Web-supported instructional 
approaches to improve access to, and participation and progress in, the 
general curriculum for students with disabilities. In carrying out its 
research, the Center must apply the principles of universal design 
(i.e., design of products that will be usable by children with 
different disabilities, to the greatest extent possible, with minimal 
need for additional adaptations).
    In their applications, applicants must--
    (a) Propose an operational definition of Web-supported 
instructional approaches to be used in a program of research;
    (b) Describe their access to existing Web-supported instructional 
materials that will allow the Center to proceed quickly with the 
research without substantial 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 the use of the Web to 
support instruction;
    (d) Present a plan for conducting a program of research to answer 
the following questions: (1) Do Web-supported instructional approaches 
improve learning of academic content for students with disabilities in 
actual educational settings with typical resources and levels of 
teacher support? (2) What characteristics of Web-supported instruction 
facilitate or impede access to and learning of academic content for 
students with disabilities? (3) What student characteristics (e.g., 
disability, technology skills) and contextual factors (e.g., teacher 
training, hardware

[[Page 56134]]

resources, student groupings) influence the effectiveness of Web-
supported instruction?
    This plan may focus on specific academic content areas or student 
ages, but, at a minimum, must address each of the three research 
questions separately for each of the following 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 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 Web-supported instructional approaches and its research 
plans, and identify any needed improvements.
    (b) Revise its operational definition of Web-supported 
instructional approaches and its research plan in accordance with 
comments from the technical review board and input from the U.S. 
Department of Education.
    (c) Conduct the program of research called for in its plan, as 
revised, 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) Disseminate findings to appropriate audiences. The Center must 
submit reports for publication in peer-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.
    (e) Formulate research-based guidelines for the development and use 
of the Web to support instruction and to improve access to, and 
participation and progress in the general education curriculum for 
students with disabilities.
    (f) Budget for a two-day Project Directors' meeting and a two-day 
Technology Innovation meeting, each in Washington, DC during each year 
of the project.
    (g) Budget five percent of the grant amount annually to support 
emerging needs as identified jointly through consultation with the OSEP 
project officer.
    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 and 1481.
    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 IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreements.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$31,063,000 for the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with 
Disabilities program for FY 2007, of which we intend to use an 
estimated $500,000 for the Research on Technology Effectiveness and 
Implementation for Children with Disabilities: Web-Supported 
Instructional Approaches competition. The actual level of funding, if 
any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting 
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if 
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $500,000 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.
    Estimated 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 
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 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 84.327W.
    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

[[Page 56135]]

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: September 26, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 13, 2006.
    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: January 9, 2007.
    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 governmentwide 
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2006. The Research on Technology 
Effectiveness and Implementation for Children with Disabilities: Web-
Supported Instructional Approaches competition--CFDA number 84.327W is 
one of the competitions included in this project. We request your 
participation in Grants.gov.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Grants.gov Apply site at 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.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Research on 
Technology Effectiveness and Implementation for Children with 
Disabilities: Web-Supported Instructional Approaches competition--CFDA 
number 84.327W 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, and 
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application 
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, 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 date/time stamped by the 
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date.
     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 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
     To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must 
complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see 
http://www.Grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps 
include (1) registering your organization, (2) registering yourself as 
an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting 
authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on these steps are 
outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf). You also 
must provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this 
registration. Please note that the registration process may take five 
or more business days to complete, and you must have completed all 
registration steps to allow you to successfully submit an application 
via Grants.gov.
     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 
Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental 
Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs 
(ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Please note 
that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the Department of Education 
Supplemental Information for SF 424--have replaced the ED 424 
(Application for Federal Education Assistance). If you choose to submit 
your application electronically, you must attach any narrative sections 
of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text) or 
.PDF (portable document)

[[Page 56136]]

format. If you upload a file type other than the three file types 
specified above or submit a password protected file, we will not review 
that material.
     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 acknowledgment 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.

Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability

    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an 
application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, 
please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For 
Further Information Contact, and provide an explanation of the 
technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your 
application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with 
the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to 
submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a 
determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

    Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the 
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system. 
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register 
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date 
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to 
the Grants.gov system.

    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 
84.327W), 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 
84.327W), 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 
84.327W), 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 11 of SF 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

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
    2. Treating A Priority As Two Separate Competitions: In the past, 
there have been problems in finding peer reviewers without conflicts of 
interest for competitions in which many entities throughout the country 
submit applications. The Standing Panel requirements under IDEA also 
have placed additional constraints on the availability of reviewers. 
Therefore, the Department has determined that, for some discretionary 
competitions, applications may be separated into two or more groups and 
ranked and selected for funding within the specific group. This 
procedure will ensure the availability of a much larger group of 
reviewers without conflicts of interest. It also will increase the 
quality, independence and fairness of the review process and permit 
panel members to review applications under discretionary competitions 
for which they have also submitted applications. However, if the 
Department decides to select for funding an equal number of 
applications in each group, this may result in different cut-off points 
for fundable applications in each group.

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

[[Page 56137]]

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 has developed measures that will 
yield information on various aspects of the quality of the Technology 
and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities program. These 
measures focus on the extent to which projects are of high quality, are 
relevant to the needs of children with disabilities, and contribute to 
improving the results for children with disabilities. Data on these 
measures will be collected from the projects funded under this 
competition.
    Grantees also will be required to report information on their 
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR 
75.590).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane Hauser, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4067, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7373.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) 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: 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: September 20, 2006.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
 [FR Doc. E6-15765 Filed 9-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P