[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 36 (Thursday, February 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13315-13323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03595]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance and 
Dissemination To Improve Services and Results for Children With 
Disabilities--National Center on Rigorous Comprehensive Education for 
Students With Disabilities

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2024 for a 
National Center on Rigorous Comprehensive Education for Students with 
Disabilities, Assistance Listing Number 84.326C. This notice relates to 
the approved information collection under OMB control number 1820-0028.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: February 22, 2024.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 22, 2024.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 21, 2024.
    Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than February 27, 
2024, OSERS will post pre-recorded informational webinars designed to 
provide technical assistance (TA) to interested applicants. Links to 
the webinars may be found at https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an 
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to 
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the 
Federal Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Emenheiser, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4A10, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 987-0124. Email: [email protected].
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and 
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Technical Assistance and 
Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities program is to promote academic achievement and to improve 
results for children with disabilities by providing TA, supporting 
model demonstration projects, disseminating useful information, and 
implementing activities that are supported by scientifically based 
research.
    Priority: This competition includes one absolute 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); 20 U.S.C. 1463 and 
1481(d)).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2024 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    The National Center on Rigorous Comprehensive Education for 
Students with Disabilities.
    Background:
    Students receiving special education and related services are 
general education students first and foremost. In the 2004 
reauthorization of IDEA, Congress found that ``[a]n effective 
educational system serving students with disabilities should maintain 
high academic achievement standards and clear performance goals for 
children with disabilities, consistent with the standards and 
expectations for all students in the educational system and provide for 
appropriate and effective strategies and methods to ensure that all 
children with disabilities have the opportunity to achieve those 
standards and goals.'' 20 U.S.C. 1450(4)(A). ``Raise the Bar: Lead the 
World is the U.S. Department of Education's call to action to transform 
P-12 education and unite around what truly works--based on decades of 
experience and research--to advance educational equity and excellence'' 
(www.ed.gov/raisethebar/), including for students with disabilities. 
Through the Raise the Bar initiative, the Department seeks to focus 
attention to ``deliver a comprehensive and rigorous education for every 
student.'' Currently, students with disabilities too frequently lack 
access to a rigorous comprehensive education and remain under-
challenged to achieve and progress from grade to grade (Cole et al., 
2023).
    A cornerstone of special education under IDEA is a free appropriate 
public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). It 
is through high-quality person-centered \1\ individualized

[[Page 13316]]

education programs (IEPs) that local educational agencies (LEAs) and 
schools plan and deliver evidence-based instruction, supports, and 
services to students with disabilities to provide FAPE in the LRE. 
However, States, LEAs, and schools continue to face significant 
challenges with providing FAPE, including person-centered, rigorous, 
and specially designed instruction and service delivery. Recent 
research indicates that the majority of IEPs are incomplete and lack 
substantive sufficiency of the statement of present levels of 
performance, which is the crucial initial component of a person-
centered IEP (e.g., Hott et al., 2021; Lequia et al., 2023). Although 
LEA, school-level, and classroom-level programming directly influence 
student outcomes, school teams are often too overwhelmed to implement 
the many projects, priorities, curricula, frameworks, and initiatives 
they are tasked to do (Wong et al., 2017). Schools end up piecing 
together multiple competing and fragmented priorities, instructional 
materials, and programs (Kaufman et al., 2020).
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    \1\ Some States and organizations have defined ``person-
centered,'' as used in this notice, to reference when students and 
their families are actively sought to participate in their 
schooling, including IEP development and implementation, the course 
of study, and related and transition services, however this term is 
still developing in the field. The discussions and decisions leading 
to a person-centered program are founded upon the unique school, 
extracurricular, and post-secondary strengths, interests, and goals 
of the student and their family.
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    Schools have supported students' academic recovery in post-COVID 
schooling through accelerated learning, compensatory education, mental 
health supports, trauma-informed practices, and other activities (Page 
et al., 2021), but study findings suggest that the pandemic worsened 
existing inequity (Kuhfeld et al., 2022). As a result, LEAs and schools 
often struggle to address the needs of students with disabilities. 
School personnel need strategies, resources, and supports to assist 
them in streamlining, braiding, blending, and integrating instructional 
materials, standards, initiatives, frameworks, priorities, and 
practices into comprehensive and rigorous programming, which can result 
in increased and improved access, opportunities, and outcomes for 
students with disabilities as a whole and among subpopulations (e.g., 
disability category, age, grade, gender, race, ethnicity).
    The current instructional environment is further challenged when 
novice and underqualified personnel provide instruction and services to 
students with disabilities, serve on IEP teams, and manage caseloads of 
students with disabilities (Garcia et al., 2019). The National Center 
for Education Statistics (NCES) data show that 45 percent of public 
schools are operating without a full teaching staff (https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/), with special education positions 
disproportionately vacant, and 52 percent report great difficulty in 
filling vacancies by teachers with the appropriate certification or 
license. Additionally, all school professionals, including special 
education and general education personnel, should have a strong 
understanding of their roles on school teams to develop rigorous IEPs 
and to implement instruction and service delivery consistent with 
students' IEPs (Lequia et al., 2023). Teams must work together to 
develop and implement rigorous and comprehensive educational 
programming that allows students with disabilities to meet person-
centered, rigorous objectives across the school's curricular, co-
curricular, and extracurricular offerings.
    Taken together, these challenges indicate the local context remains 
both unique from LEA to LEA and crucial to the programming offered, the 
objectives identified, and the services and supports needed to overcome 
the challenges and meet the objectives. To assist in addressing them, 
this project will develop and disseminate models and resources and 
provide TA to school teams to support the development and 
implementation of a rigorous and comprehensive education, which will 
result in improved educational results and functional outcomes for 
students with disabilities.
    Priority:
    The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative agreement to 
establish and operate a National Center on Rigorous Comprehensive 
Education for Students with Disabilities (project). The project will 
assist public, private, charter, Tribal, and correctional school teams, 
including administration, general and special education, related 
services, families, the community, and, to the extent possible, 
students, to increase the number and quality of evidence-based \2\ IEPs 
with person-centered, rigorous objectives, the implementation of which 
will support the progress of students with disabilities from grade to 
grade and preparation for postsecondary education, employment, and 
community living.
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    \2\ For the purposes of this priority, ``evidence-based'' means, 
at a minimum, evidence that demonstrates a rationale (as defined in 
34 CFR 77.1) based on high-quality research findings or positive 
evaluation that such activity, strategy, or intervention is likely 
to improve student outcomes or other relevant outcomes.
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    The project must achieve, at a minimum, the following expected 
outcomes:
    (a) Support of school teams to achieve consistent implementation of 
person-centered specially designed instruction, related services, and 
accommodations consistent with the students' IEPs and through use of 
evidence-based and best instructional practices to allow students with 
disabilities to achieve person-centered, rigorous objectives;
    (b) Development and use of models for streamlining, braiding, 
blending, and integrating instructional materials, standards, 
initiatives, frameworks, priorities, and practices into a cohesive 
school-wide program easing professional burden while simultaneously 
raising school team expectations of students with disabilities to 
achieve person-centered, rigorous objectives;
    (c) Development and increased use of evidence-based strategies, 
resources, and supports that allow schools to provide rigorous 
educational programming to prepare students with disabilities for 
postsecondary education, employment, and community living; and
    (d) Support of school teams to achieve improved equity of access, 
opportunities, achievement, attainment, and outcomes, including 
academic achievement and social, emotional, and behavioral development 
by students with disabilities as a whole group and among disaggregated 
groups.
    In addition to these programmatic requirements, to be considered 
for funding under this priority, applicants must meet the application 
and administrative requirements in this priority, which are:
    (a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Significance,'' how the proposed project will--
    (1) Identify and address the challenges to forming and sustaining 
effective school teams that include administration, general and special 
education personnel, related services providers, families, the 
community, and students;
    (2) Identify and address the challenges facing public, private, 
charter, Tribal, and correctional school teams in their substantive and 
procedural implementation of educational programming for children with 
disabilities; and
    (3) Apply evidence-based strategies and best practices that will 
effectively address the nature and magnitude of the challenges, 
described in response to

[[Page 13317]]

paragraphs (a)(1) and (2), within a variety of schools, LEAs, and 
community contexts.
    (b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of project services,'' how the proposed project will--
    (1) Ensure equal access and treatment for members of groups that 
have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability. To meet this requirement, the 
applicant must describe how it will--
    (i) Identify the needs of the intended recipients for TA and 
information; and
    (ii) Ensure that services and products meet the needs of the 
intended recipients of the project services;
    (2) Achieve its goals, objectives, and intended outcomes. To meet 
this requirement, the applicant must provide--
    (i) Measurable intended project outcomes; and
    (ii) In Appendix A, the logic model (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) by 
which the proposed project will achieve the expected outcomes and that 
depicts, at a minimum, the goals, activities, outputs, and intended 
outcomes of the proposed project;
    (3) Use a conceptual framework (and provide a copy in Appendix A) 
to develop project plans and activities, describing any underlying 
concepts, assumptions, expectations, beliefs, or theories, as well as 
the presumed relationships or linkages among these variables, and any 
empirical support for this framework;
    Note: The following websites provide more information on logic 
models and conceptual frameworks: https://osepideasthatwork.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/ConceptualFramework_Updated.pdf and 
www.osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptual-framework.
    (4) Be based on current research and make use of evidence-based 
practices (EBPs). To meet this requirement, the applicant must 
describe--
    (i) The current research and practices on developing, implementing, 
evaluating, and improving rigorous comprehensive education for students 
with disabilities to progress grade to grade and be ready for 
postsecondary education, employment, and community living;
    (ii) The current research and practices about adult learning 
principles and implementation science that will inform the proposed 
product development, training, and TA;
    (iii) How the proposed project will incorporate current research 
and practices in the development and delivery of its products and 
services; and
    (iv) How the proposed project will transfer the pertinent resources 
and products developed by the PROGRESS Center 
(www.promotingprogress.org) and maintain the continuity of services to 
their TA recipients as part of the transition to a new award, as 
appropriate;
    (5) Develop products and provide services that are of high quality 
and sufficient intensity and duration, responsive to the users' 
changing capacity, to achieve the intended outcomes of the proposed 
project. To address this requirement, the applicant must describe--
    (i) How it proposes to identify or develop the knowledge base 
regarding--
    (A) Defining and operationalizing high expectations for students 
with disabilities, and supporting the students, their families, and the 
professionals working with them to strive to meet the high 
expectations;
    (B) Clarifying the appropriate use of EBPs by disaggregating the 
research evidence of effectiveness among diverse settings and 
populations, such as areas with low and high population densities, 
diverse levels of wealth and poverty, and underserved populations, such 
as populations of color, homeless, food insecure, migrant, and justice-
involved populations;
    (C) Clarifying roles and strengthening meaningful participation of 
administrators, general educators, special educators, related service 
providers, and others to set high expectations and person-centered, 
rigorous objectives;
    (D) Building capacity of school teams to leverage expertise of all 
school and LEA personnel, families, students, and community members in 
providing instruction, supports, and services so that students with 
disabilities progress from grade to grade and are prepared for 
postsecondary education, employment, and community living;
    (E) Building and sustaining community partnerships among schools, 
community-based programs, child and youth associations, and places of 
worship, among others, to establish, strengthen, and sustain rigorous 
comprehensive education within various community contexts; and
    (F) Allocating resources effectively and efficiently, including 
personnel who are qualified to serve students with disabilities but are 
currently not in special education positions (e.g., dual certified 
teachers);
    (ii) Its proposed approach to universal, general TA,\3\ which must 
describe--
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    \3\ ``Universal, general TA'' means TA and information provided 
to independent users through their own initiative, resulting in 
minimal interaction with TA center staff and including one-time, 
invited or offered conference presentations by TA center staff. This 
category of TA also includes information or products, such as 
newsletters, guidebooks, or research syntheses, downloaded from the 
TA center's website by independent users. Brief communications by TA 
center staff with recipients, either by telephone or email, are also 
considered universal, general TA.
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    (A) The intended recipients, including the type and number of 
recipients, that will receive the products and services;
    (B) The products and services that the project proposes to make 
available;
    (C) How it proposes to develop and maintain a high-quality website, 
with an easy-to-navigate design, that meets or exceeds government- or 
industry-recognized standards for accessibility; and
    (D) The expected reach and impact of universal, general TA;
    (iii) The proposed approach to targeted, specialized TA,\4\ which 
must describe--
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    \4\ ``Targeted, specialized TA'' means TA services based on 
needs common to multiple recipients and not extensively 
individualized. A relationship is established between the TA 
recipient and one or more TA center staff. This category of TA 
includes one-time, labor-intensive events, such as facilitating 
strategic planning or hosting regional or national conferences. It 
can also include episodic, less labor-intensive events that extend 
over a period of time, such as facilitating a series of conference 
calls on single or multiple topics that are designed around the 
needs of the recipients. Facilitating communities of practice can 
also be considered targeted, specialized TA.
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    (A) The intended recipients, including the type and number of 
recipients, that will receive the products and services;
    (B) The products and services that the project proposes to make 
available; and
    (C) The expected impact of targeted, specialized TA;
    (iv) Its proposed approach to intensive, sustained TA,\5\ which 
must describe--
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    \5\ ``Intensive, sustained TA'' means TA services often provided 
on-site and requiring a stable, ongoing relationship between the TA 
center staff and the TA recipient. ``TA services'' are defined as 
negotiated series of activities designed to reach a valued outcome. 
This category of TA should result in changes to policy, program, 
practice, or operations that support increased recipient capacity or 
improved outcomes at one or more systems levels.
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    (A) The intended recipients, including the type and number of 
recipients from a variety of settings and geographic distributions, 
that will receive the intensive, sustained TA products and services 
designed to impact the number and quality of IEPs with person-centered, 
rigorous

[[Page 13318]]

objectives that support the progress of students with disabilities from 
grade to grade and preparation for postsecondary education, employment, 
and community living;
    (B) The proposed approach to determine the readiness, capacity, and 
commitment of the--
    (1) Project to engage specific LEA and school teams--that include 
administration, general and special education personnel, related 
services providers, families, and the community--in a manner that is 
responsive to the local context (as described in the Background section 
of this notice), giving special attention to engage those LEAs and 
schools with the greatest need for support;
    (2) Public, private, charter, Tribal, and correctional LEA and 
school teams to specify the scope and duration of intensive work to 
effect change of policies, programs, and operations and allocate the 
resources; and
    (3) Project, LEA, and school teams to allocate the resources to 
implement the TA plan and measure and evaluate the improvement, spread, 
and sustainment of the new policies, programs, and operations at the 
district and school levels, and among disaggregated populations; and
    (C) The expected impact of intensive, sustained TA; and
    (v) How the proposed project will intentionally engage families of 
children with disabilities and individuals with disabilities--including 
underserved families \6\ and individuals--in the development, 
implementation, and evaluation of its products and services across all 
levels of TA;
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    \6\ For the purposes of this priority, ``underserved families'' 
refers to foster, kinship, migrant, technologically unconnected, and 
military- or veteran-connected families; and families of color, 
living in poverty, without documentation of immigration status, 
experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, or impacted by the 
justice system, including the juvenile justice system. Underserved 
families also refers to families that include: members of a 
federally or State recognized Indian Tribe; English learners; adults 
who experience a disability; members who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
transgender, queer or questioning, or intersex (LGBTQI+); adults in 
need of improving their basic skills or with limited literacy; and 
disconnected adults.
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    (6) Develop products and implement services that maximize 
efficiency. To address this requirement, the applicant must describe--
    (i) How the proposed project will use technology to achieve the 
intended project outcomes;
    (ii) The organizations with which the proposed project will 
collaborate, three of which must be the FY 2023 funded National Center 
for Innovative Development of Educational Approaches for Leaders, 
National Center on Intensive Interventions, and National Center for 
Systemic Improvement, and the intended outcomes of the collaboration; 
and
    (iii) How the proposed project will use non-project resources to 
achieve the intended project outcomes, including the dissemination of 
pertinent products developed by other Department-funded projects; and
    (7) How the project will systematically disseminate information, 
products, and services to varied intended audiences. To address this 
requirement the applicant must describe--
    (i) The variety of dissemination strategies the project will use 
throughout the five years of the project to promote awareness and use 
of its products and services;
    (ii) How the project will tailor dissemination strategies across 
all planned levels of TA to ensure that products and services reach 
intended recipients and those recipients can access and use those 
products and services;
    (iii) How the project's dissemination plan is connected to the 
proposed outcomes of the project; and
    (iv) How the project will ensure, by evaluating and, when 
necessary, correcting, all digital products and external communications 
meet or exceed government or industry-recognized standards for 
accessibility.
    (c) In the narrative section of the application under ``Quality of 
the project evaluation,'' include an evaluation plan for the project 
developed in consultation with and implemented by a third-party 
evaluator.\7\ The evaluation plan must--
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    \7\ A ``third-party'' evaluator is an independent and impartial 
program evaluator who is contracted by the grantee to conduct an 
objective evaluation of the project. This evaluator must not have 
participated in the development or implementation of any project 
activities, except for the evaluation activities, nor have any 
financial interest in the outcome of the evaluation.
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    (1) Articulate formative, diagnostic, and summative evaluation 
questions, including important process and outcome evaluation 
questions, the answers to which provide evidence of the success and 
impact of the project reaching the outcomes listed in this notice. 
These questions must be related to the project's proposed logic model 
required in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this notice;
    (2) Describe how resources, costs, progress, and fidelity of 
implementation, as well as project outcomes, will be measured to answer 
the evaluation questions. In measuring progress of implementation 
across all levels of TA, the plan must include criteria for determining 
the extent to which the project's products and services reached 
intended recipients, data on how recipients use the products and 
services, and the impact of the products and services. Data collected 
must include feedback from recipients. The plan must also specify the 
measures and associated instruments or sources for data appropriate to 
the evaluation questions and include information regarding reliability 
and validity of measures where appropriate;
    (3) Describe strategies for analyzing data and how data collected 
as part of this plan will be used--
    (i) To inform and improve service delivery and efficiency over the 
course of the project;
    (ii) To refine the proposed logic model and evaluation plan, 
including subsequent data collection; and
    (iii) To report formative and summative project performance; and
    (4) Provide a timeline for conducting the evaluation and include 
staff assignments for completing the plan. The timeline must indicate 
that the data will be available annually for the annual performance 
report (APR) and at the end of Year 2 for the review process described 
under the heading, Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project; and
    (5) Dedicate sufficient funds in each budget year to cover the 
costs of developing or refining the evaluation plan in consultation 
with a third-party evaluator, as well as the costs associated with the 
implementation of the evaluation plan by the third-party evaluator.
    (d) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Adequacy of resources and quality of project personnel,'' how--
    (1) The proposed project will encourage applications for employment 
from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been 
underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or 
disability, as appropriate;
    (2) The proposed key project personnel, consultants, and 
subcontractors have the qualifications and experience to carry out the 
proposed activities and achieve the project's intended outcomes;
    (3) The applicant and any key partners have adequate resources to 
carry out the proposed activities;
    (4) The proposed project will have processes, resources, and funds 
in place to provide equitable access for project staff, contractors, 
and partners who

[[Page 13319]]

require digital accessibility accommodations; \8\ and
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    \8\ For information about digital accessibility and 
accessibility standards from Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, 
visit https://osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/508-resources.
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    (5) The proposed costs are reasonable in relation to the 
anticipated results and benefits.
    (e) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of the management plan,'' how--
    (1) The proposed management plan will ensure that the project's 
intended outcomes will be achieved on time and within budget. To 
address this requirement, the applicant must describe--
    (i) Clearly defined responsibilities for key project personnel, 
consultants, and subcontractors, as applicable; and
    (ii) Timelines and milestones for accomplishing the project tasks;
    (2) Key project personnel and any consultants and subcontractors 
will be allocated and how these allocations are appropriate and 
adequate to achieve the project's intended outcomes;
    (3) The proposed management plan will ensure that the products and 
services provided are of high quality, relevant, and useful to 
recipients; and
    (4) The proposed project will benefit from a diversity of 
perspectives, including those of families, educators, TA providers, 
researchers, and policy makers, among others, in its development and 
operation.
    (f) Address the following application requirements. The applicant 
must--
    (1) Include, in Appendix A, personnel-loading charts and timelines, 
as applicable, to illustrate the management plan described in the 
narrative;
    (2) Include, in the budget, attendance at the following:
    (i) A one and one-half day kick-off meeting in Washington, DC, 
after receipt of the award, and an annual planning meeting 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 receipt of the award, a post-award 
teleconference must be held between the OSEP project officer and the 
grantee's project director or other authorized representative;
    (ii) A three-day project directors' conference in Washington, DC, 
during each year of the project period;
    (iii) Two annual two-day trips to attend Department briefings, 
Department-sponsored conferences, and other meetings, as requested by 
OSEP; and
    (iv) A one-day intensive 3+2 review meeting in Washington, DC, 
during the second year of the project period;
    (3) Include, in the budget, a line item for an annual set-aside of 
5 percent of the grant amount to support emerging needs that are 
consistent with the proposed project's intended outcomes, as those 
needs are identified in consultation with, and approved by, the OSEP 
project officer. With approval from the OSEP project officer, the 
project must reallocate any remaining funds from this annual set-aside 
no later than the end of the third quarter of each budget period;
    (4) Describe how the project will engage doctoral students or post-
doctoral fellows, including those who are multilingual and racially, 
ethnically, and culturally diverse, in the project to increase the 
number of future leaders in the field who are knowledgeable about 
special education leadership, knowledge development, TA, and 
Department-funded projects;
    (5) Provide an assurance that it will post its annual project 
progress toward meeting project goals on the project website; and
    (6) Include, in Appendix A, an assurance to assist OSEP with the 
transfer of pertinent resources and products and to maintain the 
continuity of services to LEAs and schools during the transition to a 
new award at the end of this award period, as appropriate.
    Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project:
    In deciding whether to continue funding the project for the fourth 
and fifth years, the Secretary will consider the requirements of 34 CFR 
75.253(a), including--
    (a) The recommendations of a 3+2 review team consisting of experts 
with knowledge and experience in school administration, special 
education leadership, TA, and project evaluation. This review will be 
conducted during a one-day intensive meeting that will be held during 
the last half of the second year of the project period;
    (b) The timeliness with which, and how well, the requirements of 
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the 
project; and
    (c) The quality, relevance, and usefulness of the project's 
products and services and the extent to which the project's products 
and services are aligned with the project's objectives and likely to 
result in the project achieving its intended outcomes.
    Under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary may reduce continuation awards 
or discontinue awards in any year of the project period for excessive 
carryover balances or a failure to make substantial progress. The 
Department intends to closely monitor unobligated balances and 
substantial progress under this program and may reduce or discontinue 
funding accordingly.

References

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relationship between special education placement and high school 
outcomes. Journal of Special Education, 57(1), 13-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224669221097945.
Garcia, E., & Weiss, E. (2019). The teacher shortage is real, large 
and growing, and worse than we thought. The first report in ``The 
Perfect Storm in the Teacher Labor Market'' series. Economic Policy 
Institute. https://files.epi.org/pdf/163651.pdf.
Hott, B.L., Jones, B.A., Randolph, K.M., Kuntz, E., McKenna, J.W., & 
Brigham, F.J. (2021). Lessons learned from a descriptive review of 
rural individualized education programs. Journal of Special 
Education, 55(3), 163-173. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022466920972670.
Kaufman, J.H., Doan, S., Tuma, A.P., Woo, A., Henry, D., & Lawrence, 
R.A. (2020). How instructional materials are used and supported in 
U.S. K-12 classrooms: Findings from the 2019 American Instructional 
Resources Survey. RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/rra134-1.
Kuhfeld, M., Soland, J., Lewis, K., Ruzek, E., & Johnson, A. (2022). 
The COVID-19 school year: Learning and recovery across 2020-2021. 
AERA Open, 8. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221099306.
Lequia, J.L., Vincent, L.B., Lyons, G.L., Asmus, J.M., & Carter, 
E.W. (2023). Individualized education programs of high school 
students with significant disabilities. Education & Training in 
Autism & Developmental Disabilities, 58(1), 22-35.
Page, E., Leonard-Kane, R., Kashefpakdel, E., Riggall, A., & 
Guerriero, S. (2021). Learning loss, learning gains and wellbeing: A 
rapid evidence assessment. Education Development Trust.
Wong, V.W., Ruble, L.A., Yu, Y., & McGrew, J.H. (2017). Too stressed 
to teach? Teaching quality, student engagement, and IEP outcomes. 
Exceptional Children, 83(4), 412-427. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402917690729.

    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. Section 
681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment requirements of the 
APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1463 and 1481.
    Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner 
consistent with the nondiscrimination

[[Page 13320]]

requirements contained in Federal civil rights laws.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to 
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department 
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 
part 3474.
    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: The Administration has requested 
$55,345,000 for the Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve 
Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program for FY 
2024, of which we intend to use an estimated $3,250,000 for this 
competition. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final 
congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow 
enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates 
funds for this program.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2025 from the list of 
unfunded applications from this competition.
    Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $3,250,000 for a 
single budget period of 12 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; State lead agencies under Part C of 
the IDEA; LEAs, including public charter schools that are considered 
LEAs under State law; IHEs; other public agencies; private nonprofit 
organizations; freely associated States and outlying areas; Indian 
Tribes or Tribal organizations; and for-profit organizations.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require 
cost sharing or matching.
    b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses an 
unrestricted indirect cost rate. For more information regarding 
indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please 
see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.
    c. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include 
any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All 
administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to 
Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform 
Guidance.
    3. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c), a grantee under 
this competition may award subgrants--to directly carry out project 
activities described in its application--to the following types of 
entities: IHEs, nonprofit organizations suitable to carry out the 
activities proposed in the application, and public agencies. The 
grantee may award subgrants to entities it has identified in an 
approved application or that it selects through a competition under 
procedures established by the grantee, consistent with 34 CFR 
75.708(b)(2).
    4. Other General Requirements:
    (a) Recipients of funding under this competition must make positive 
efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with 
disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).
    (b) Applicants for, and recipients of, funding must, with respect 
to the aspects of their proposed project relating to the absolute 
priority, 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. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to 
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of 
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal 
Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554, which contain requirements and 
information on how to submit an application.
    2. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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.
    3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, 
the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the 
application narrative to no more than 70 pages and (2) use 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, reference citations, and captions, as well as 
all text in charts, tables, figures, graphs, and screen shots.
     Use a font that is 12 point or larger.
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the 
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the 
assurances and certifications; or the abstract (follow the guidance 
provided in the application package for completing the abstract), the 
table of contents, the list of priority requirements, the resumes, the 
reference list, the letters of support, or the appendices. However, the 
recommended page limit does apply to all of the application narrative, 
including all text in charts, tables, figures, graphs, and screen 
shots.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed below:
    (a) Significance (10 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed 
project.
    (2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, 
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be 
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude 
of those gaps or weaknesses.
    (ii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project.
    (b) Quality of project services (35 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be 
provided by the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by 
the proposed

[[Page 13321]]

project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of 
strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project 
participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been 
underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or 
disability.
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
    (ii) The extent to which there is a conceptual framework underlying 
the proposed research or demonstration activities and the quality of 
that framework.
    (iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and 
effective practice.
    (iv) The extent to which the training or professional development 
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient 
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice 
among the recipients of those services.
    (v) The extent to which the TA services to be provided by the 
proposed project involve the use of efficient strategies, including the 
use of technology, as appropriate, and the leveraging of non-project 
resources.
    (c) Quality of the project evaluation (20 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be 
conducted of the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, 
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the 
proposed project.
    (ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for 
examining the effectiveness of project implementation strategies.
    (iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.
    (iv) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use 
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the 
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and 
qualitative data to the extent possible.
    (d) Adequacy of resources and quality of project personnel (15 
points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the 
proposed project and the quality of the personnel who will carry out 
the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for 
employment from persons who are members of groups that have 
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national 
origin, gender, age, or disability.
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator.
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of key project personnel.
    (iii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors.
    (iv) The qualifications, including relevant training, experience, 
and independence, of the evaluator.
    (v) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the 
lead applicant organization.
    (vi) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in 
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
    (vii) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project.
    (viii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to 
the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed 
project.
    (e) Quality of the management plan (20 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives 
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks.
    (ii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project.
    (iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products 
and services from the proposed project.
    (iv) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives 
are brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project, including 
those of parents, teachers, the business community, a variety of 
disciplinary and professional fields, recipients or beneficiaries of 
services, or others, as appropriate.
    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 
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 
(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.
    4. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.206, before awarding grants under this competition the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions, and under 2 CFR 
3474.10, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant 
if the applicant or

[[Page 13322]]

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 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the 
conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
    5. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your 
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal 
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make 
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that 
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as 
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System 
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may 
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal 
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
    Please note that, if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the 
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity 
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal 
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
    6. In General: In accordance with the Office of Management and 
Budget's guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal 
laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department will review and 
consider applications for funding pursuant to this notice inviting 
applications in accordance with:
    (a) Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering 
results based on the program objectives through an objective process of 
evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR 200.205);
    (b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video 
surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) (2 CFR 
200.216);
    (c) Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to 
maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United 
States (2 CFR 200.322); and
    (d) Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest 
extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program 
goals or agency priorities (2 CFR 200.340).

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); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your 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. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you 
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to 
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in 
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of 
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those 
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent 
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or 
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. 
Additionally, a grantee that is awarded competitive grant funds must 
have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. This 
dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your 
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional 
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 
3474.20.
    4. 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 multiyear 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.
    5. Performance Measures: For the purpose of Department reporting 
under 34 CFR 75.110, we have 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. These measures are:
     Program Performance Measure #1: The percentage of 
Technical Assistance and Dissemination products and services deemed to 
be of high quality by an independent review panel of experts qualified 
to review the substantive content of the products and services.
     Program Performance Measure #2: The percentage of Special 
Education Technical Assistance and Dissemination products and services 
deemed by an independent review panel of qualified experts to be of 
high relevance to educational and early intervention policy or 
practice.
     Program Performance Measure #3: The percentage of all 
Special Education Technical Assistance and Dissemination products and 
services deemed by an independent review panel of qualified experts to 
be useful in improving educational or early intervention policy or 
practice.
     Program Performance Measure #4: The cost efficiency of the 
Technical Assistance and Dissemination Program includes the percentage 
of milestones achieved in the current annual performance report period 
and the percentage of funds spent during the current fiscal year.
     Long-term Program Performance Measure: The percentage of 
States receiving Special Education Technical Assistance and 
Dissemination services regarding scientifically or evidence-based 
practices for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities 
that successfully promote the implementation of those practices in 
school districts and service agencies.
    The measures apply to projects funded under this competition, and 
grantees are required to submit data on these measures as directed by 
OSEP.
    Grantees will be required to report information on their project's 
performance in annual and final

[[Page 13323]]

performance reports to the Department (34 CFR 75.590).
    The Department will also closely monitor the extent to which the 
products and services provided by the Center meet needs identified by 
stakeholders and may require the Center to report on such alignment in 
their annual and final performance reports.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether 
the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the performance 
targets in the grantee's approved application.
    In making a continuation award, 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. Other Information

    Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an 
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an 
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text 
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible format.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. 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 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.

Glenna Wright-Gallo,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2024-03595 Filed 2-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P