[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 53 (Tuesday, March 20, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13098-13103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-5048]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services 
and Results for Children With Disabilities--Center on Response To 
Intervention; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2007

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.326E.
    Dates: Applications Available: March 20, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 4, 2007.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 3, 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: $2,830,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $2,830,000 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: This program promotes academic achievement and 
improves results for children with disabilities by supporting technical 
assistance, model demonstration projects, dissemination of useful 
information, and implementation activities that are supported by 
scientifically-based research.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority 
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 663 
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:

[[Page 13099]]

Center on Response to Intervention

Background
    Response to Intervention (RTI) involves maximizing student 
achievement by monitoring student progress to make data-based 
instructional decisions for students. While RTI varies in its 
methodologies, a common model is based on implementation of universal, 
secondary, and tertiary interventions (Kamps & Greenwood, 2005; Fuchs & 
Fuchs, 2006; Vaughn, 2003). Universal interventions involve providing 
high quality core instruction to students in regular education 
classrooms. Secondary interventions involve more intensive small group 
instruction, and tertiary interventions are even more intensive and are 
often provided by an interventionist or special educator.
    One of the many benefits of RTI is early identification of students 
who experience academic or behavioral difficulties. Experts in the 
field have reached consensus regarding the need to identify children 
with academic and behavioral difficulties at an early age. Early 
intervention with these students can either eliminate the need for 
special education or at least reduce the intensity of the services 
required. A National Research Council (NRC) report (Donovan & Cross, 
2002) confirmed that intervening early, specifically in reading and 
behavior management, is associated with reduced placement rates of 
students in special education programs. Specifically, it was found that 
placement rates in special education were lower in schools where 
effective reading programs or strong classroom management programs 
existed than in schools where such programs did not exist. The report 
concluded that the effectiveness of early intervention was greater than 
the cumulative effectiveness of interventions provided to students 
after they had experienced years of failure.
    RTI is currently being used and investigated in regular and special 
education classrooms and is demonstrating promise as a means for early 
identification of children with disabilities, particularly specific 
learning disabilities (SLD), as well as students who are at risk of 
either or both academic or behavioral disabilities (Kamps & Greenwood, 
2005; Fuchs & Fuchs, 2006; Vaughn, 2003). RTI also holds promise for 
children from some racial and ethnic backgrounds who are not 
progressing in the general education curriculum. Data from the National 
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) indicate that students from 
certain racial and ethnic backgrounds continue to lag behind other 
students in English, math, and science (Lee, 2006). Over time, the 
disparity in progress may lead to over-identification or 
disproportionate representation of this group of students for special 
education services (Donovan & Cross, 2002). Preliminary data indicate 
that RTI may reduce the number of instances of inappropriately 
identified students who are from certain racial or ethnic backgrounds 
or who are limited-English proficient for special education services 
(Kamps & Greenwood, 2005; Kamps, Wills, Greenwood, Thorne, Lazo, 
Crockett, McGonigle, & Swaggart, 2003).
    The 2004 amendments to IDEA amended section 613(f) to allow local 
educational agencies (LEAs) to use up to 15 percent of their Part B 
funding for early intervening services to support students who struggle 
academically or behaviorally in a general education environment, but 
who have not been identified for special education. Additionally, LEAs 
that significantly over-identify children from particular racial or 
ethnic backgrounds for special education services must use the maximum 
amount of their IDEA funding available for early intervening services 
to provide comprehensive, coordinated early intervening services to 
children, particularly children in groups that were significantly over-
identified (see section 618(d)(2)(B) of IDEA).
    Amendments made to IDEA by the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Improvement Act of 2004 also explicitly authorize the use of 
response to scientifically-based research interventions to identify 
students with SLD. The amendments removed a requirement to find 
discrepancies between achievement and intellectual ability before 
identifying a student as having SLD. This requirement often precluded 
early identification of children in need of special education.
References
    Donovan, S. & Cross, C. (2002). Minority students in special and 
gifted education. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
    Fuchs, D. & Fuchs, L.S. (2006). Introduction to response to 
intervention: What, why, and how valid is it? Reading Research 
Quarterly, 41, 92-99.
    Kamps, D., & Greenwood, C. R. (2005). Formulating secondary-
level reading interventions. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38, 
500-509.
    Kamps, D., Wills, H., Greenwood, C., Thorne, S., Lazo, J., 
Crockett, J., McGonigle, J., & Swaggart, B. (2003). Curriculum 
influences on growth in early reading fluency for students with 
academic and behavioral risks: A descriptive study. Journal of 
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 11, 211-224.
    Lee, J. (2006). Tracking Achievement Gaps and Assessing the 
Impact of NCLB on the Gaps: An In-depth Look into National and State 
Reading and Math Outcome Trends. Retrieved June 27, 2006, from The 
Civil Rights Project Harvard University Web site: http://www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu/research/esea/nclb_naep_lee.pdf.
    Vaughn, S. (2003). How many tiers are needed for response to 
intervention to achieve acceptable prevention outcomes. Retrieved 
May 14, 2006, from The National Research Center on Learning 
Disabilities Web site: http://www.nrcld.org/symposium2003/vaughn/vaughn.pdf.

Priority

    The Assistant Secretary establishes an absolute priority for a 
Center on Response to Intervention (Center) to (a) identify, adapt, 
evaluate, and scale-up RTI models for identifying and serving children 
with disabilities, particularly SLD; (b) provide technical assistance 
and disseminate information to SEAs and LEAs to implement comprehensive 
RTI programs in LEAs and schools; and (c) disseminate information on 
RTI to parents, service providers, policymakers, and others. SEAs must 
be the primary targets for the technical assistance activities of the 
Center. The Center must support States to help them develop the 
capacity to provide technical assistance to LEAs.

Demonstrated Expertise of Key Staff

    To be considered for funding under this priority, an applicant must 
demonstrate that key staff responsible for fulfilling the activities of 
the Center have expertise in (a) scientifically-based research 
practices associated with SLD identification; (b) the use and 
implementation of RTI and all its components, including screening, 
progress monitoring, data-based decision-making, procedural safeguards, 
and multi-tiered interventions; and (c) issues related to 
disproportionate representation of children based on race or ethnicity. 
Expertise in these areas may be demonstrated by having refereed 
publications on respective topics. An applicant may use a team-based 
approach across sites to capitalize on the knowledge, experience, and 
qualifications of various key staff who will be responsible for 
providing technical assistance and disseminating information to SEAs 
and LEAs. The Assistant Secretary anticipates that this Center will 
build on the expertise and resources of previously and currently 
supported Department of Education technical assistance centers, such as 
the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD), the 
National Center on Student Progress Monitoring (NCSPM), the Research 
Institute on

[[Page 13100]]

Progress Monitoring (RIPM), the National Center for Culturally 
Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt), the Center on Instruction 
(COI), the Access Center, and the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act 2004-Research for Inclusive Settings (IRIS) Center.

Requirements

    To meet the requirements of this priority, the Center, at a 
minimum, must--
    (a) Identify, adapt, evaluate, and scale up evidence-based, school-
wide RTI models that identify and serve children with disabilities, 
particularly SLD, and children at risk of developing a disability, to 
use as a basis for providing technical assistance to SEAs and LEAs. 
These models also must be evaluated on the extent to which the models 
reduce over-identification for special education services based on race 
or ethnicity and of students who are limited-English proficient;
    (b) Assist SEAs in developing the capacity to support local 
implementation of RTI models that provide comprehensive, coordinated 
early intervening services to students who are experiencing either or 
both academic or behavioral difficulties, especially in LEAs that are 
required to provide early intervening services because of significant 
disproportionality of students based on race or ethnicity;
    (c) Provide technical assistance and disseminate information to 
SEAs and LEAs on implementing scientifically-based practices for using 
RTI to improve instruction for all students and identify students with 
SLD;
    (d) Assist SEAs to provide technical assistance to enable LEAs to 
provide comprehensive, coordinated early intervening services, such as 
RTI, particularly to LEAs that are required to provide early 
intervening services because of significant disproportionality of 
students based on race or ethnicity required under section 618(d) of 
IDEA;
    (e) Communicate, coordinate, and collaborate with the NRCLD, NCSPM, 
COI, RIPM, NCCRESt, Access Center, IRIS, and progress monitoring model 
demonstration projects funded under the Technical Assistance and 
Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities program to summarize and proactively disseminate reports 
and documents on research findings and related topics to inform policy 
and practice related to RTI, including early intervening services to 
decrease over-identification or disproportionate representation in 
special education of students based on race or ethnicity;
    (f) Communicate, coordinate, and collaborate with the appropriate 
OSEP-funded centers identified in this priority to develop and 
disseminate information on RTI, progress monitoring, secondary and 
tertiary educational and behavioral interventions, and other pertinent 
matters;
    (g) Communicate, coordinate, and collaborate with appropriate OSEP-
funded centers identified in this priority to develop and disseminate 
information for professional development on scientifically-based models 
of RTI that include progress monitoring for teachers and other school 
staff;
    (h) Conduct national and regional meetings, in collaboration with 
other centers, to assist SEAs and LEAs in implementing RTI models to 
provide early intervening services, especially in LEAs with significant 
disproportionality, and to identify children with SLD;
    (i) Coordinate with the NRCLD, NCSPM, RIPM, NCCRESt, and Access 
Center as these projects end to transfer their key responsibilities to 
the Center and integrate the content from their Web sites to the 
Center's Web site;
    (j) Maintain communication and collaboration with other technical 
assistance centers and organizations, e.g., Regional Comprehensive 
Centers, NCLB-IDEA Partnership Project, Regional Resource Centers, and 
Federal Resource Center, National Association of State Directors of 
Special Education, Council of Chief State School Officers, Council for 
Exceptional Children, 100 Black Men of America, National Association 
for Bilingual Education, and others as appropriate;
    (k) Provide funding to at least two graduate or doctoral level 
students who have concentrations in special education, learning 
disabilities, or other related areas that have been approved by the 
Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to assist with project 
related activities; and
    (l) Address the needs for information on RTI for all stakeholders 
including parents, service providers, policy makers, and administrators 
at the national, State, and local levels through dissemination 
activities that include the maintenance of a Web site. This Web site 
must be maintained in a format that meets a government or industry 
recognized standard for accessibility.

Additional Requirements

    The Center also must--
    (1) Establish, maintain, and meet at least annually with an 
advisory committee consisting of representatives of SEAs, LEAs, 
individuals with disabilities, parents, educators, professional 
organizations and advocacy groups, researchers, and other appropriate 
groups to review and advise on the Center's activities and plans. The 
committee must include membership that represents urban schools. The 
final advisory committee will be jointly selected by OSEP and the 
Center;
    (2) Budget annually for attendance at a three-day Project 
Director's meeting in Washington, DC and for a two-day trip to 
Washington, DC to attend an additional Project Director's meeting and 
to meet and collaborate with the OSEP Project Officer and other funded 
projects for purposes of cross-project collaboration and information 
exchange;
    (3) Budget for at least a monthly trip to attend appropriate 
meetings convened by the Department of Education and other centers and 
organizations; and
    (4) Budget five percent of the grant amount annually to support 
emerging needs as identified jointly through consultation with the OSEP 
Project Officer.
    Fourth and Fifth Years of Project: In deciding whether to continue 
funding the Center for the fourth and fifth years, the Secretary will 
consider the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) and in addition--
    (a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of experts 
selected by the Secretary. This review team will convene in Washington, 
DC during the last half of the project's second year. Projects must 
budget for travel expenses associated with this one-day intensive 
review;
    (b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of 
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the 
Center; and
    (c) Evidence of the degree to which the Center's activities have 
contributed to changed practices and improved outcomes for children 
with disabilities and children at risk of developing a disability.
    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 IDEA makes the public comment requirements under the 
APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1463 and 1481(d).
    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.


[[Page 13101]]


    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 agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: $2,830,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $2,830,000 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 
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 project (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: 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 84.326E.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts 
Services Team listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section 
VII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition. Page 
Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where 
you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use 
to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to the equivalent 
of no more than 70 pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'' (on one side only), with 1'' 
margins (top, bottom, and 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 proportional font that is 12-point or larger, or a 
font that is 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, 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: March 20, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 4, 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.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under For Further Information Contact.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 3, 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. To comply with the 
President's Management Agenda, we are participating as a partner in the 
Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site. The Center on Response to 
Intervention, CFDA Number 84.326E, is included in this project. We 
request your participation in Grants.gov.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Governmentwide 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 Center on 
Response to Intervention at: http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for 
the downloadable application package for this program or competition by 
the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your 
search (e.g., search for 84.326, not 84.326E).
    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 date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no

[[Page 13102]]

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 and 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 and 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 submission 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 the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These steps include (1) 
registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes 
registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (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 submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In 
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual 
basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
     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.
     If you submit your application electronically, you must 
submit all documents electronically, including all information you 
typically provide 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 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 in 
this paragraph 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 from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application 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 Technical 
Issues with the Grant.Gov System: If you are experiencing problems 
submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the 
Grants.gov Support Desk at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov 
Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    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 described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application 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. 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: The extensions to which we refer 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 application 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 84.326E), 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 
84.326E), 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.
    (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

[[Page 13103]]

accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark.
    (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 84.326E), 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 the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this notification 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 also have 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 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 measures that 
will yield information on various aspects of the Technical Assistance 
and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities program. These measures, which will be used for this 
competition, focus on: The extent to which projects provide high 
quality products and services, the relevance of project products and 
services to educational and early intervention policy and practice, and 
the use of products and services to improve educational and early 
intervention policy and practice.
    Grantees will be required to provide information related to these 
measures.
    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: Grace Zamora Duran, Ed.D., U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4088, Potomac 
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7328.
    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: March 15, 2007.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
 [FR Doc. E7-5048 Filed 3-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P