[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47502-47509]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19479]



[[Page 47501]]

Vol. 77

Wednesday,

No. 153

August 8, 2012

Part III





Department of Education





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Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance on State Data 
Collection, Analysis, and Reporting--National IDEA Technical Assistance 
Center on Early Childhood Longitudinal Data Systems; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 77 , No. 153 / Wednesday, August 8, 2012 / 
Notices  

[[Page 47502]]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance on State Data 
Collection, Analysis, and Reporting--National IDEA Technical Assistance 
Center on Early Childhood Longitudinal Data Systems

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, 
Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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Overview Information

Technical Assistance on State Data Collection, Analysis, and 
Reporting--National IDEA Technical Assistance Center on Early Childhood 
Longitudinal Data Systems

    Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 
2012.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.373Z.

DATES: Applications Available: August 8, 2012.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 7, 2012.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Technical Assistance on 
State Data Collection program is to improve the capacity of States to 
meet the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) data 
collection and reporting requirements. Funding for the program is 
authorized under section 611(c)(1) of IDEA, which gives the Secretary 
the authority to reserve funds appropriated under Part B to provide 
technical assistance (TA) activities authorized under section 616(i). 
Section 616(i) requires the Secretary to review the data collection and 
analysis capacity of States to ensure that data and information 
determined necessary for implementation of section 616 of IDEA are 
collected, analyzed, and accurately reported. It also requires the 
Secretary to provide TA, where needed, to improve the capacity of 
States to meet the data collection requirements under IDEA.
    Priority: This priority is from the notice of final priorities for 
this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 
Register.
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2012 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, 
this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we 
consider only applications that meet this priority.
    The priority is:

National IDEA Technical Assistance Center on Early Childhood 
Longitudinal Data Systems

    The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative agreement to 
support the establishment and operation of a National IDEA Technical 
Assistance Center on Early Childhood Longitudinal Data Systems 
(Center). This Center will provide TA to States on the development and 
enhancement of statewide early childhood longitudinal data systems to 
improve the States' capacity to collect, analyze, and report high-
quality data required under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA. This Center 
must provide TA to States on developing or enhancing statewide early 
childhood longitudinal data systems that horizontally link child-level 
data on infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities (birth 
through age 5) from one data system to child-level data in other early 
learning data systems (including those developed with funding provided 
by the Department's Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge program), 
vertically link these child-level data to statewide longitudinal data 
systems (SLDS) for school-aged children (including those developed with 
funding provided by the Department's SLDS program), and meet the data 
system capabilities and elements described under paragraph (b) in the 
Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities section of this 
priority. These statewide early childhood longitudinal data systems 
should allow States to: (1) Accurately and efficiently respond to IDEA-
related data submission requirements (e.g., IDEA sections 616 and 618 
requirements); (2) continuously improve processes for defining, 
acquiring, and validating the data; and (3) comply with applicable 
Federal, State, and local privacy laws, including the requirements of 
the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and privacy requirements 
in IDEA. This TA must be focused on building the State's capacity to 
report high-quality data to meet IDEA reporting requirements and must 
be conducted in coordination with other SLDS work being conducted in 
the State.
    To be considered for funding under this absolute priority, 
applicants must meet the application requirements contained in this 
priority. Any project funded under this priority also must meet the 
programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the priority.
    Application Requirements. An applicant must include in its 
application--
    (a) A logic model that depicts, at a minimum, the goals, 
activities, outputs, and outcomes of the proposed project. A logic 
model communicates how a project will achieve its outcomes and provides 
a framework for both the formative and summative evaluations of the 
project;

    Note: The following Web sites provide more information on logic 
models: www.researchutilization.org/matrix/logicmodel_resource3c.html and www.tadnet.org/model_and_performance.

    (b) A plan to implement the activities described in the Project 
Activities section of this priority;
    (c) A plan, linked to the proposed project's logic model, for a 
formative evaluation of the proposed project's activities. The plan 
must describe how the formative evaluation will use clear performance 
objectives to ensure continuous improvement in the operation of the 
proposed project, including objective measures of progress in 
implementing the project and ensuring the quality of products and 
services;
    (d) A plan for recruiting and selecting a minimum of 10 States to 
receive intensive TA on developing or enhancing their statewide early 
childhood longitudinal data systems to improve the States' capacity to 
collect and report high-quality data required under sections 616 and 
618 of IDEA. This TA may include supporting each State in developing a 
statewide early childhood longitudinal data system that links to other 
statewide data systems (i.e., other statewide early learning data 
systems and statewide longitudinal education data systems) in order to 
accurately and efficiently respond to all of a State's IDEA-related 
data submission requirements for infants, toddlers, and young children 
(birth through age 5) with disabilities. The intensive TA may also 
include enhancing an existing statewide data system (e.g., SLDS) by 
including the child-level data on infants, toddlers, and young children 
(birth through age 5) with disabilities that are needed to meet the 
IDEA reporting requirements. To ensure that the Center provides TA to 
support States in overcoming the additional challenge of sharing early 
childhood data between State agencies (e.g., State Department of Health 
and State Department of Education), when selecting States for intensive 
TA, a preference must be given to States that have IDEA Part C lead 
agencies (LAs) that are not the State educational agency (SEA).


[[Page 47503]]


    Note: The Center must obtain approval from OSEP on the final 
selection of intensive TA States.

    (e) To prevent duplication of TA efforts around early childhood 
data systems, a plan for, and description of, how the Center will 
collaborate with the SLDS program (including SLDS TA efforts \1\), the 
Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge program, the Common Education 
Data Standards initiative, the Privacy Technical Assistance Center,\2\ 
and, as appropriate, other Federal programs that provide TA in the area 
of early childhood data (e.g., Comprehensive Centers program \3\);
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    \1\ More information on the SLDS TA efforts is available at 
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/pdf/TechAssistance.pdf.
    \2\ The Privacy Technical Assistance Center is one component of 
the Department's comprehensive privacy initiatives. It offers 
technical assistance to State education agencies, local education 
agencies, and institutions of higher education related to the 
Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality of student records. For the 
Privacy Technical Assistance Center Help Desk, email 
[email protected] or call, toll free, 855-249-3072. For more 
information, see http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/ptac/index.html.
    \3\ The Comprehensive Center program ``supports 21 comprehensive 
centers to help increase state capacity to assist districts and 
schools meet their student achievement goals. The 16 regional 
centers provide services primarily to State Education Agencies 
(SEAs) to enable them to assist school districts and schools, 
especially low performing schools. At a minimum, each regional 
center provides training and technical assistance in the 
implementation and administration of programs authorized under the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the use of 
research-based information and strategies. The five content centers 
focus on specific areas, with one center in each of five areas: 
assessment and accountability, instruction, teacher quality, 
innovation and improvement, and high schools. These centers supply 
much of the research-based information and products in the specific 
area that regional centers use when working with SEAs.'' US 
Department of Education. Comprehensive Centers Program. Retrieved 
April 17, 2012 from: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/newccp/index.html.
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    (f) A budget for a summative evaluation to be conducted by an 
independent third party;
    (g) A budget for attendance at the following:
    (1) A one and one-half day kick-off meeting to be held in 
Washington, DC, after receipt of the award, and an annual planning 
meeting held in Washington, DC, with the OSEP Project Officer and other 
relevant staff during each subsequent year of the project period.

    Note: Within 30 days of the award a post-award teleconference 
must be held between the OSEP Project Officer and grantee's project 
director or other authorized representative.

    (2) A three-day Project Directors' Conference in Washington, DC, 
during each year of the project period.
    (3) A two-day Leveraging Resources Conference in Washington, DC, 
during each year of the project period.
    (4) Two two-day trips annually to attend Department briefings, 
Department-sponsored conferences, and other meetings, as requested by 
OSEP; and
    (h) A line item in the proposed budget for an annual set-aside of 
five percent of the grant amount to support emerging needs that are 
consistent with the proposed project's activities, as those needs are 
identified in consultation with OSEP.

    Note:  With approval from the OSEP Project Officer, the Center 
must reallocate any remaining funds from this annual set-aside no 
later than the end of the third quarter of each budget period.

    Project Activities. To meet the requirements of this priority, the 
Center, at a minimum, must conduct the following activities:

Knowledge Development Activities

    (a) Conduct a survey of all 56 Part C LAs and 56 IDEA Part B 
preschool programs administered by SEAs in the first year to assess 
their capacity to collect, analyze, and report high-quality data 
required under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA and identify the policies 
and practices that facilitate or hinder a statewide early childhood 
longitudinal data system to link to other early learning data systems 
and the statewide longitudinal educational data system for school-aged 
children (e.g., SLDS). Additionally, review State information from 
sources such as SPPs and APRs to assess State data system and data 
quality needs for the 56 LAs that have IDEA Part C programs and 56 SEAs 
that have IDEA Part B preschool programs. The Center must analyze the 
information from the surveys, SPPs/APRs, and other sources, as 
appropriate, and prepare papers that summarize the findings that can be 
disseminated according to a dissemination plan described in paragraph 
(f) of the Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities section of 
this priority. These findings must be used in the selection of States 
for intensive TA.
    (b) Using the findings from the survey described in paragraph (a), 
identify a minimum of four States to partner with to develop a 
statewide early childhood longitudinal data system framework (see 
paragraph (c)). This framework will be a TA resource for other States 
trying to develop or enhance statewide early childhood longitudinal 
data systems. Each partnering State must have commitments from its IDEA 
Part C early intervention and Part B preschool programs to participate 
in the activities of the Center. Additionally, the partnering States 
must be a combination of States with Department of Education LAs and 
non-Department of Education LAs (e.g., State Departments of Health, 
State Departments of Developmental Services). Factors for consideration 
in selecting these States could include the demographic and geographic 
characteristics of the State, the history of data system development in 
the State, and the collection and analysis of high-quality data 
required under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA. There may be overlap 
between these partnering States and those States selected to receive 
intensive TA. The Center must obtain approval from OSEP on the final 
selection of partnering States.

    Note:  To fulfill the requirements of paragraph (b) of the 
Application Requirements section of this priority, applicants must 
describe the methods and criteria they propose to use to recruit and 
select the four partnering States.

    (c) Within the first year of the project period, partner with the 
States identified in paragraph (b) of this section to develop, 
implement, and evaluate a statewide early childhood longitudinal data 
system framework for IDEA Part C early intervention and Part B 
preschool programs. In developing this framework, the Center must work 
with the partner States to identify, describe, and document the 
components and processes needed to develop or enhance a statewide early 
childhood longitudinal data system that provides data necessary to 
accurately and efficiently respond to reporting requirements under 
sections 616 and 618 of IDEA and addresses the data system requirements 
and capabilities listed under paragraph (b) of the Technical Assistance 
and Dissemination Activities section of this priority. Through this 
work, the Center must develop guidance and exemplar tools and processes 
that any State can use to develop or enhance and implement a statewide 
early childhood longitudinal data system framework within its unique 
setting.
    (d) Develop documents and resources on best practices and lessons 
learned that can be used to improve States' capacity to develop or 
enhance their statewide early childhood longitudinal data systems for 
the purposes of collecting high-quality data required under sections 
616 and 618 of IDEA.

Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities

    (a) Provide intensive TA to a minimum of 10 States to develop and 
implement a project management and data governance plan with the goal 
of a fully implemented statewide early childhood longitudinal data 
system, as

[[Page 47504]]

described in paragraph (b) of this section. The intensive TA will be 
based on the statewide early childhood longitudinal data system 
framework described in paragraph (b) of the Knowledge Development 
Activities section of this priority.

    Note: To fulfill the requirements in paragraph (a) in the 
Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities section of this 
priority, applicants must describe the methods and criteria they 
will use to recruit and select States. The Center must obtain 
approval from OSEP on the final selection of intensive TA States.

    (b) The statewide early childhood longitudinal data system must 
meet the following requirements:
    (1) Have the following specific data system capabilities:
    (i) Enable the State staff to efficiently respond to all IDEA-
related data submission requirements (e.g., sections 616 and 618 data) 
with accurate and valid IDEA data by--
    (A) Improving the quality of IDEA data related to child find, child 
count, settings, and educational environments data; and Indicators C2, 
C5, C6, and B6, which are included in Appendices A and B to this 
notice, by linking early childhood IDEA Part C and Part B preschool 
child-level data horizontally to other statewide early learning data 
systems when available (e.g., child care, home visiting programs, Head 
Start, Early Head Start, and publicly-funded State preschool programs 
and services);
    (B) Improving the quality of the IDEA data related to early 
childhood and preschool outcomes; and Indicators C3, C8, B7, and B12 by 
linking early childhood IDEA Part C and Part B preschool child-level 
data vertically to other statewide longitudinal education data systems, 
including those funded under the Department's SLDS grants (e.g., P-12 
systems, K-12 systems, P-20 systems, and K-20 systems);
    (C) Improving the quality of the IDEA personnel data by linking 
child-level early childhood IDEA Part C and Part B preschool data with 
early intervention and preschool service providers so that an 
individual child may be matched with the particular providers primarily 
responsible for providing services to that child; and
    (D) Improving the quality of the data about personnel providing 
services under IDEA Part B by linking early intervention and preschool 
service providers with data on their qualifications, certification, and 
preparation programs, including the institutions at which providers 
received their training;
    (ii) Enable the State to improve the accuracy of the IDEA data 
through validity and reliability checks (e.g., data verification) and 
to provide access to the information needed to analyze and explain 
progress or slippage in the Parts B and C indicators;
    (iii) Enable the State to examine progress in the implementation of 
IDEA (e.g., improving transitions from Part C to Part B IDEA services) 
and the outcomes (e.g., social-emotional skills, the use of appropriate 
behaviors to meet needs, and the acquisition and use of knowledge and 
skills) over time of infants, toddlers, and young children receiving 
services under IDEA and ensure data are easily generated for analysis 
and decision-making, including timely reporting to various IDEA Part C 
and preschool service providers across the State on the progress of 
infants, toddlers, and young children receiving services under IDEA; 
and
    (iv) Ensure the quality (i.e., validity and reliability) of all 
data.
    (2) In order to improve the State's capacity to collect and analyze 
high-quality data, have the following data system elements:
    (i) A unique statewide child identifier accepted by, and aligned 
with, the State's P-20/P-12 unique identifier that does not permit a 
child to be individually identified by users of the system (except as 
allowed by Federal and State law).
    (ii) An early intervention and preschool service provider 
identifier system with the ability to match early intervention and 
preschool service providers to children;
    (iii) Child-level enrollment, demographic, and program 
participation data.
    (iv) Child-level data on the identification of the child under IDEA 
(including data on the timeliness of the child's evaluation and 
assessment) and services identified as needed and received, including 
timeliness of services and service settings.
    (v) Child and family outcome \4\ data.
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    \4\ An outcome is formed by the impact that services and 
supports have on the functioning of children and families. Early 
Childhood Outcome Center. Outcomes 101: ECO Q&A. Available at: 
www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/pages/faqs--view--item.cfm?id=7. For further 
information on early childhood child and family outcomes, see the 
Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center Web site (www.fpg.unc.edu/
~eco/index.cfm).
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    (vi) Child-level data about the points at which children start and 
stop receiving early intervention services or preschool special 
education services (including reasons for exiting).
    (vii) Child-level data about the extent to which children receive 
timely transition planning to support their movement to preschool and 
other appropriate community services by their third birthday.
    (viii) A State data audit system to assess data quality (i.e., 
reliability and validity).
    (3) Have a data system interoperability plan that--
    (i) Allows for linking the statewide early childhood longitudinal 
data systems to other statewide longitudinal education data systems and 
other statewide early learning data systems; and
    (ii) Complies with applicable Federal, State, and local privacy 
laws, including the requirements of FERPA and the privacy requirements 
in IDEA.
    (c) Develop and coordinate a national TA network comprised of a 
cadre of experts that the Center will use to provide TA to States to 
assist them in developing or enhancing statewide early childhood 
longitudinal data systems to improve States' capacity to collect and 
report high-quality data required under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA, 
which may include the development of open source data system software 
that addresses the unique needs of each State. General TA will be 
provided to all States and intensive TA will be provided to a minimum 
of 10 States.
    (d) Provide a continuum of general TA and dissemination activities 
(e.g., managing Web sites, listservs, and communities of practice, and 
holding conferences and training institutes) on best practices that 
promote the efficient collection of accurate and valid data required 
under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA to improve the educational results 
and functional outcomes of all children with disabilities.
    (e) Maintain a Web site that meets government or industry-
recognized standards for accessibility and that links to the Web site 
operated by the Technical Assistance Coordination Center (TACC).\5\
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    \5\ For more information regarding the TACC products and 
services database, please see: www.tadnet.org.
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    (f) Prepare and disseminate reports, documents, and other materials 
on statewide early childhood longitudinal data systems, and related 
topics as requested by OSEP for specific audiences including IDEA Part 
C LAs, SEAs, policymakers, local educational agencies, service 
providers, and teachers. In consultation with the OSEP Project Officer, 
make selected reports, documents, and other materials available for 
Part C LAs, SEAs, policymakers, local educational agencies, service 
providers, and teachers in both English and Spanish.
    (g) Develop materials and guidance for States and provide targeted 
TA

[[Page 47505]]

related to the performance and compliance indicator(s) on their APRs 
and SPPs, as requested by OSEP.

Leadership and Coordination Activities

    (a) Establish and maintain an advisory committee to review the 
activities and outcomes of the Center and provide programmatic support 
and advice throughout the project period. At a minimum, the advisory 
committee must meet annually in Washington, DC, and consist of 
representatives of IDEA Part C LAs, representatives of SEAs, 
individuals with disabilities, other TA providers, parents of 
individuals with disabilities, data system experts, representatives of 
other early learning and development programs, representatives of other 
Federal offices working to improve State data systems, and software 
developers with expertise in statewide longitudinal data systems and 
interoperability. The Center must submit the names of proposed members 
of the advisory committee to OSEP for approval within eight weeks after 
receipt of the award.
    (b) Communicate and collaborate, on an ongoing basis, with OSEP-
funded projects and other relevant Federal- funded projects, including 
the SLDS program, SLDS TA efforts,\6\ the Race to the Top--Early 
Learning Challenge program, the Common Education Data Standards 
initiative,\7\ the Privacy Technical Assistance Center, and, as 
appropriate, other Federal programs that provide TA in the area of 
early childhood data (e.g., Comprehensive Centers program). This 
collaboration could include the joint development of products, the 
coordination of TA services, and the planning and carrying out of TA 
meetings and events.
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    \6\ More information on the SLDS TA efforts is available at 
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/pdf/TechAssistance.pdf.
    \7\ ``The Common Education Data Standards is a specified set of 
the most commonly used education data elements to support the 
effective exchange of data within and across States, as students 
transition between educational sectors and levels, and for federal 
reporting.'' National Center for Education Statistics. Common 
Education Data Standards. Retrieved February 8, 2012 from: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/ceds/. For more information, see http://ceds.ed.gov/Default.aspx.
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    (c) Participate in, organize, or facilitate communities of practice 
if they align with the needs of the project's target audience. 
Communities of practice should align with the project's objectives to 
support discussions and collaboration among key stakeholders. The 
following Web site provides more information on communities of 
practice: www.tadnet.org/communities.
    (d) Prior to developing any new product, submit a proposal for the 
product to the TACC database for approval from the OSEP Project 
Officer. The development of new products should be consistent with the 
product definition and guidelines posted on the TACC Web site 
(www.tadnet.org).
    (e) Contribute, on an ongoing basis, updated information on the 
Center's approved and finalized products and services to a database at 
the TACC.
    (f) Coordinate with the National Dissemination Center for 
Individuals with Disabilities to develop an efficient and high-quality 
dissemination strategy that reaches broad audiences. The Center must 
report to the OSEP Project Officer the outcomes of these coordination 
efforts.
    (g) Maintain ongoing communication with the OSEP Project Officer 
through monthly phone conversations and email communication.

Fourth and Fifth Years of the 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 will be conducted during a one-
day intensive meeting in Washington, DC, that will be held during the 
last half of the second year of the project period. The Center 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) The quality, relevance, and usefulness of the Center's 
activities and products and the degree to which the Center's activities 
and products have contributed to changed practice and improved the 
States' capacity to collect and report high-quality data required under 
sections 616 and 618 of IDEA by developing and enhancing of statewide 
early childhood longitudinal data systems.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1411(c), 1416(i), and 1418(c).

    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department debarment 
and suspension regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The regulations in 
34 CFR part 300.702. (d) The notice of final priorities for this 
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

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


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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: $6,500,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $6,500,000 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 36 months with an optional additional 24 
months based on performance. Applications must include plans for both 
the 36-month award and the 24-month extension.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); local 
educational agencies (LEAs), including public charter schools that are 
considered LEAs under State law; IDEA Part C State lead agencies; 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 program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: General Requirements--The project funded under this 
program must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment 
qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address To Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet, from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), or from the program office.
    To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: 
www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html.
    To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: 
ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 
22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If 
you use a telecommunications device for the deaf

[[Page 47506]]

(TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.
    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at 
its email address: [email protected].
    If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to 
identify this competition as follows: CFDA Number 84.373Z.
    To obtain a copy from the program office, contact the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or compact disc) by contacting the person or team listed under 
Accessible Format in section VIII 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 100 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.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    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, or the letters of support. However, the page 
limit does apply to all of the application narrative section (Part 
III).
    We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit; or if 
you apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: August 8, 2012.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 7, 2012.
    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 in 
paper format by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV.7. 
Other Submission Requirements of 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 in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    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. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry, and System for Award 
Management: To do business with the Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR)--and, after July 24, 2012, with the System 
for Award Management (SAM), the Government's primary registrant 
database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active CCR of SAM registration with current 
information while your application is under review by the Department 
and, if you are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one business day.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR or SAM registration process may take five or more business 
days to complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may 
not need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN 
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will 
need to update your CCR registration annually. This may take three or 
more business days to complete. Information about SAM is available at 
SAM.gov.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the 
following Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
    7. 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 are participating as a partner in the Governmentwide Grants.gov 
Apply site. The National IDEA Technical Assistance Center on Early 
Childhood Longitudinal Data Systems competition, CFDA number 84.373Z, 
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 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 email an electronic copy of a grant 
application to us.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the National 
IDEA Technical Assistance Center on Early Childhood Longitudinal Data 
Systems competition at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the 
downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA 
number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search 
(e.g., search for 84.373, not 84.373Z).
    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

[[Page 47507]]

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 later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. 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 
4:30:00 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 under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at www.G5.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.
     If you submit your application electronically, you must 
submit all documents electronically, including all information you 
typically provide on the following forms: 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.
     If you submit your application electronically, you must 
upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your 
application as files in a PDF (Portable Document) read-only, non-
modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or fillable PDF file. 
If you upload a file type other than a read-only, non-modifiable PDF 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 email. 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 Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, 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 4:30:00 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 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this 
notice 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 4:30:00 
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 following address:

U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.373Z), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.

    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 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 84.373Z), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington,

[[Page 47508]]

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 program are 
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Additional Review and Selection Process Factors: In the past, 
the Department has had difficulty finding peer reviewers for certain 
competitions because so many individuals who are eligible to serve as 
peer reviewers have conflicts of interest. The Standing Panel 
requirements under section 682(b) of IDEA also have placed additional 
constraints on the availability of reviewers. Therefore, the Department 
has determined that, for some discretionary grant competitions, 
applications may be separated into two or more groups and ranked and 
selected for funding within specific groups. This procedure will make 
it easier for the Department to find peer reviewers, by ensuring that 
greater numbers of individuals who are eligible to serve as reviewers 
for any particular group of applicants will not have conflicts of 
interest. It also will increase the quality, independence, and fairness 
of the review process, while permitting panel members to review 
applications under discretionary grant competitions for which they also 
have submitted applications. However, if the Department decides to 
select an equal number of applications in each group for funding, this 
may result in different cut-off points for fundable applications in 
each group.
    4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary 
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is 
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; 
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the 
standards in 34 CFR part 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled the 
conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

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 notify you informally, also.
    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: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) 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 directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has established a set of 
performance measures, including long-term measures, that are designed 
to yield information on various aspects of the effectiveness and 
quality of the Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve 
Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program. We are 
proposing to use the measures established for the Technical Assistance 
and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities program to assess the performance of the Technical 
Assistance on State Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting program. 
The Department will use these measures to assess the extent to which 
this program provides high-quality products and services, the relevance 
of project products and services to educational and early intervention 
policy and practice, and the usefulness of products and services to 
improve educational and early intervention policy and practice. 
Grantees will be required to report information on their project's 
performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR 75.590).
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the 
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a 
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives 
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review 
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes 
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds 
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and 
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Meredith Miceli, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room 4069, Potomac Center Plaza 
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2600. Telephone: (202) 245-6028 or by 
email: [email protected].

[[Page 47509]]

    If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), 
toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) by contacting 
the Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 
400 Maryland Avenue SW., room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 20202-2550. 
Telephone: (202) 245-7363. If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, 
toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System 
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can 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). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: August 2, 2012.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2012-19479 Filed 8-7-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P