[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67756-67760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19706]



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Part III





Department of Education





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Grants and Cooperative Agreements--Notice of Funding Availability; 
Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 225 / Wednesday, November 22, 2006 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and 
Overview Information; Personnel Development To Improve Services and 
Results for Children With Disabilities--Special Education Preservice 
Training Improvement Grants; Notice Inviting Applications for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.325T.

    Dates: Applications Available: November 22, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 8, 2007.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 7, 2007.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs).

    Note: Programs in IHEs that are preparing preschool teachers are 
not eligible to apply under this competition.

    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$90,626,000 for the Personnel Development to Improve Services and 
Results for Children with Disabilities program for FY 2007, of which we 
intend to use an estimated $3,054,944 for the Special Education 
Preservice Training Improvement Grants 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.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $90,000-$100,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $95,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $100,000 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: 32.

    Note: No more than one cooperative agreement will be awarded per 
IHE. Programs in minority institutions that are preparing special 
education teachers of children with high incidence disabilities are 
eligible to apply under this competition. For purposes of this 
competition, the term ``minority institutions'' include IHEs with a 
minority student enrollment of 25 percent or more, which may include 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges, and 
Predominantly Hispanic Serving Colleges and Universities. Six awards 
under this competition will be set aside for minority institutions.



    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 purposes of this program are to (1) help 
address State-identified needs for highly qualified personnel--in 
special education, related services, early intervention, and regular 
education--to work with infants or toddlers with disabilities, or 
children with disabilities; and (2) ensure that those personnel have 
the skills and knowledge--derived from practices that have been 
determined through research and experience to be successful--that are 
needed to serve those children.
    Priorities: In this competition, we are establishing one absolute 
priority and one competitive preference priority. In accordance with 34 
CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), these priorities are from allowable activities 
specified in the statute (see sections 662 and 681(c) of the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2007 this priority is, except as 
otherwise specified, an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we 
consider only applications that meet this priority.
    This priority is:

Special Education Preservice Training Improvement Grants Background

    State educational agencies, IHEs, and local districts consistently 
report that it is necessary to restructure or redesign most preparation 
programs for kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) special education 
teachers to ensure that graduates of these programs are able to meet 
the highly qualified teacher (HQT) requirements in the No Child Left 
Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), and the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act, as amended by the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA). To accomplish this goal, 
preparation programs need to ensure that their graduates who expect to 
be providing instruction in core content areas are not only able to 
meet State certification or licensure requirements, but that they also 
have the necessary content knowledge, consistent with the HQT 
requirements in NCLB and IDEA.
    Children with disabilities are now expected to meet high standards 
for learning in core academic subjects, regardless of classroom 
setting. Because this is the case, K-12 special education teacher 
preparation programs must address content knowledge, standards, 
assessments, and evidence-based practices. Federal support can assist 
in improving the quality of IHE programs that prepare special education 
teachers, and help to ensure that these teachers have the knowledge and 
skills needed to teach students with disabilities using evidence-based 
interventions.

Priority

    The purpose of this priority is to improve the quality of K-12 
special education teacher preparation programs to ensure that 
preparation program graduates are able to meet the HQT requirements 
under sections 602(10) and 612(14) of IDEA and are well prepared to 
serve children with high incidence disabilities. For purposes of this 
priority, the term ``high incidence disabilities'' refers to learning 
disabilities, emotional disturbance, or mental retardation. In order to 
be eligible under this priority, applicants must currently prepare 
personnel (at the baccalaureate or master's level) to serve school-age 
children with high incidence disabilities.
    To be considered for an award under this priority, applicants 
must--
    (a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of Project Services,'' how--
    (1) The first year of the project period will be used for planning 
an improved or restructured K-12 teacher preparation program that 
includes induction and mentoring components; revising curriculum for, 
and integrating evidence-based interventions that improve outcomes for 
children with high incidence disabilities into the improved or 
restructured program (including providing research citations for those 
evidence-based interventions); and coordinating with the National 
Center to Enhance the Professional Development of School Personnel on 
the use of its web-based training modules. Applicants must describe 
first year activities and include a five-year timeline and 
implementation plan in their applications. This plan must describe the 
proposed project activities associated with implementation of the 
improved or restructured program that includes the induction and 
mentoring components. Prior to the actual implementation of this plan 
(if the applicant receives a cooperative agreement under this 
competition), the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) must 
approve it;
    (2) The improved or restructured program is designed to offer 
integrated training and practice opportunities that will enhance the 
skills of beginning special education teachers who share responsibility 
with general education teachers and other personnel for

[[Page 67757]]

providing effective services and academic content to children with high 
incidence disabilities in K-12 classrooms;
    (3) The improved or restructured program is designed to prepare 
special education teachers to address the specialized needs of children 
with high incidence disabilities from diverse cultural and language 
backgrounds, including limited English proficient children with 
disabilities, by identifying the skills that special education teachers 
need to work effectively with culturally and linguistically diverse 
populations;
    (4) The improved or restructured program is designed to provide 
extended clinical learning opportunities, field experiences, or 
supervised practica and ongoing high quality mentoring and induction 
opportunities in local schools. Applicants also must demonstrate how 
they will coordinate with the National Center on Policy and Practice in 
Special Education in designing the program to provide extended clinical 
learning opportunities, field experiences, or supervised practica;
    (5) The improved or restructured program is designed to include 
field-based training opportunities in diverse settings including 
schools and settings in high-need communities and in schools not making 
Adequate Yearly (AYP) Progress under NCLB, especially those schools not 
making AYP for children with high incidence disabilities;
    (6) Upon completion of the improved or restructured program, 
graduates will be able to meet the HQT requirements in accordance with 
section 602(10) of IDEA and section 300.18 of the regulations 
implementing part B of IDEA (34 CFR 300.18); and will be equipped with 
the knowledge and skills necessary to assist children in achieving 
State learning standards;
    (7) The improved or restructured program is designed to provide 
support systems (including tutors, mentors, and other innovative 
practices) to enhance retention and success in the program; and
    (8) The improved or restructured program will be maintained once 
Federal funding ends;
    (b) Include in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of Project Evaluation'', a clear, effective plan for 
collecting data on the extent to which graduates of the improved or 
restructured program have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide 
evidence-based instruction and services that result in improved 
outcomes for children with high incidence disabilities. Projects will 
be expected to report data in the Annual Performance Report on the 
extent to which this objective is achieved;
    (c) Meet the following statutory requirements of IDEA:
    (1) Demonstrate how the proposals for restructuring the teacher 
preparation program described in the application will be designed to 
enable graduates of the program to meet State special education teacher 
licensure standards and HQT requirements in State law or regulation for 
personnel serving children with disabilities (see section 662(f)(1) and 
(2) of IDEA). Letters from one or more States that the applicant serves 
could be one method for addressing this requirement.
    (2) Demonstrate how the project involves individuals with 
disabilities or parents of individuals with disabilities ages birth 
through 26 in planning, implementing, and evaluating the project (see 
section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA).
    (3) Demonstrate how the project funded under this competition makes 
positive efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified 
individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA); and
    (d) Meet the following additional requirements:
    (1) Budget for planning and improvement activities, including 
consultants. This priority does not provide for financial support of 
scholars.
    (2) Budget for a three-day Project Director's meeting in 
Washington, DC, during each year of the project.
    (3) If the project maintains a Web site, include relevant 
information and documents in a form that meets a government or 
industry-recognized standard for accessibility.
    (4) Include, in the application Appendix, all course syllabi for 
the existing teacher preparation program.
    (5) Agree to submit an Annual Performance Report which is required 
of each grantee for continuation funding (34 CFR 75.590).
    Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2007, this priority is a 
competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award 
up to an additional 10 points to an application depending on the extent 
to which the application meets this priority.
    This priority is:

Competitive Preference Points Based on Number of Special Education 
Teacher Graduates from Program in a Recent Year

    In order to earn competitive preference points under this priority, 
applicants must document the number of K-12 special education teachers 
who have graduated from a preparation program that prepares personnel 
(at the baccalaureate or master's level) to serve school-age children 
with high incidence disabilities in any recent year, regardless of 
whether the graduates received support from a Federal grant. For 
purposes of this competitive preference priority, the term ``recent 
year'' is defined as any of the past three fiscal years (i.e., FY 2003, 
FY 2004, or FY 2005). For example, an applicant that documents 10 
graduates during FY 2005 earns 2 competitive preference points. An 
applicant that documents 16 graduates during FY 2003 earns 6 
competitive preference points. An applicant that documents 24 or more 
graduates during FY 2004 earns 10 competitive preference points.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Number of
     Number of students graduating (new K-12 special        competitive
    education teachers) from program in a recent year       preference
          (including non-OSEP funded graduates)           points awarded
------------------------------------------------------------------------
8-11 graduates..........................................       2 points.
12-15 graduates.........................................       4 points.
16-19 graduates.........................................       6 points.
20-23 graduates.........................................       8 points.
24+ graduates...........................................      10 points.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The number of students graduating from the program must be 
documented in the application.
    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 and 
requirements. However, section 681(d) of IDEA makes the public comment 
requirements of the APA inapplicable to the priorities in this notice.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1462 and 1481.

    Applicable Regulations: (a) 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. (b) The regulations for this 
program in 34 CFR part 304.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$90,626,000 for the Personnel Development to Improve Services and 
Results for Children with Disabilities program for FY 2007, of which we 
intend to use an estimated $3,054,944 for the Special Education 
Preservice Training Improvement Grants

[[Page 67758]]

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.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $90,000-$100,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $95,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $100,000 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: 32.

    Note: No more than one cooperative agreement will be awarded per 
IHE. Programs in minority institutions that are preparing special 
education teachers of children with high incidence disabilities are 
eligible to apply under this competition. For purposes of this 
competition, the term ``minority institutions'' include IHEs with a 
minority student enrollment of 25 percent or more, which may include 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges, and 
Predominantly Hispanic Serving Colleges and Universities. Six awards 
under this competition will be set aside for minority institutions.


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

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs.

    Note: Programs in IHEs that are preparing preschool teachers are 
not eligible to apply under this competition.

    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.

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 84.325T.
    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 50 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: November 22, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 8, 2007.
    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: March 7, 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 2007. The Special Education Preservice Training Improvement 
Grants competition--CFDA number 84.325T 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 Special 
Education Preservice Training Improvement Grants competition--CFDA 
number 84.325T 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

[[Page 67759]]

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 following forms: 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) 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 
or 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 84.325T), 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 
84.325T), 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 84.325T), 550 12th Street, SW., 
Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8

[[Page 67760]]

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.

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 of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has developed annual 
performance measures that will yield information on various aspects of 
the effectiveness of the Personnel Development to Improve Services and 
Results for Children with Disabilities program. These measures include: 
(1) The percentage of projects that incorporate scientifically-based or 
evidence-based practices; (2) the percentage of scholars who exit 
training programs prior to completion due to poor academic performance; 
(3) the percentage of degree or certification recipients employed upon 
program completion who are working in the area(s) for which they were 
trained; and (4) the percentage of degree or certification recipients 
employed upon program completion who are working in the area(s) for 
which they were trained and are fully qualified under IDEA.
    The Department also has developed long-term measures that are 
designed to yield information on various aspects of program quality. 
These measures include: (1) The percentage of scholars completing IDEA-
funded training programs who are knowledgeable and skilled in 
scientifically-based or evidence-based practices for infants, toddlers, 
children and youth with disabilities; and (2) the percentage of program 
graduates who maintain employment for three or more years in the 
area(s) for which they were trained). Grantees may be asked to 
participate in assessing and providing information on these long-term 
aspects of program quality.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bonnie Jones, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4153, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2600. Telephone: (202) 245-7395.
    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: 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: November 15, 2006.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
 [FR Doc. E6-19706 Filed 11-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P