Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Personnel Preparation To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities-Combined Priority for Personnel Preparation; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005, 15299-15306 [05-5957]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 57 (Friday, March 25, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15299-15306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-5957]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Personnel Preparation To Improve Services and Results for 
Children With Disabilities--Combined Priority for Personnel 
Preparation; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2005

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


    Note: This notice includes one priority with five focus areas, 
and funding information for each focus area of the competition.

    Dates: Applications Available: March 28, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 9, 2005.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 8, 2005.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education.
    Estimated Available Funds: $15,000,000.
    For funding information regarding each of the specific focus areas 
of the priority, see the chart in the Award Information section of this 
notice.
    Estimated Range of Awards: See chart.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: See chart.
    Maximum Awards: See chart.
    Estimated Number of Awards: See chart.
    Project Period: Up to 48 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purposes of this program are to (1) help 
address State-identified needs for highly qualified personnel--in 
special education, related services, early intervention, and regular 
education--to work with children with disabilities; and (2) ensure that 
those personnel have the skills and knowledge--derived from practices 
that have been determined through research and experience to be 
successful--that are needed to serve those children.
    Priority: In this competition, we are establishing one absolute 
priority (with five focus areas), a competitive preference priority 
within one of these five focus areas, and two separate competitive 
preference priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), these 
priorities are from allowable activities specified in the statute (see 
section 662(d) and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act (IDEA)).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2005 this priority is, except as 
otherwise specified, an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we 
consider only applications that meet this absolute priority.
    This priority is:
Combined Priority for Personnel Preparation
    Background: State agencies, university training programs, local 
schools, and other community-based entities confirm the importance and 
difficulty of improving training programs for personnel to serve 
children with disabilities or infants and toddlers with disabilities.
    The national demand for fully credentialed special education, 
related services and early intervention personnel to serve children 
with disabilities also exceeds available supply. Thus, Federal support 
is required to improve both the quality and supply of personnel who 
serve children with disabilities.
    Priority: The purpose of this priority is to increase the number 
and quality of personnel who are fully credentialed to serve children 
with disabilities, especially in areas of chronic shortage, by 
supporting projects that prepare special education, early intervention, 
and related services personnel at the associate, baccalaureate, 
master's and specialist levels. In order to be eligible under this 
priority, programs must provide training and support for students to 
complete, within the term of the project, a degree and/or State 
certification, professional license, or State endorsement in early 
intervention, special education or related services. Programs preparing 
students to be special education paraprofessionals or related services 
assistants are also eligible under this priority. The Secretary is 
particularly interested in programs that prepare special educators who 
provide instruction in core academic areas to children with 
disabilities to be highly qualified under section 602(10) of IDEA, in 
accordance with State requirements. The Secretary is also particularly 
interested in programs that provide enhanced support for beginning 
special educators (see section 662(b)(3) of IDEA).
    Absolute Priority Requirements: Projects funded under this absolute 
priority must--
    (a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of Project Services'', how--
    (1) Research that has been shown to be effective in improving 
outcomes for children with disabilities is incorporated into training 
requirements and reflected in required coursework for

[[Page 15300]]

the proposed training program and include relevant research citations;
    (2) The program is designed to offer integrated training and 
practice opportunities that will enhance the skills of appropriate 
personnel who share responsibility for providing effective services to 
children with disabilities;
    (3) The program prepares personnel to address the specialized needs 
of children with disabilities from diverse cultural and language 
backgrounds, including limited English proficient children with 
disabilities, by--
    (i) Identifying the competencies needed for personnel to work 
effectively with culturally and linguistically diverse populations; and
    (ii) Infusing those competencies into early intervention, special 
education, and related services training programs;
    (4) The program is designed to develop or improve and implement 
mutually beneficial partnerships with schools and other service 
settings to promote continuous improvement in preparation programs and 
in service delivery;
    (5) The program includes field-based training opportunities for 
students in diverse settings, such as schools and settings in high-
poverty communities, in rural areas and in urban areas;
    (6) The training program equips scholars with the knowledge and 
skills necessary to effectively assist children in achieving State 
learning standards; and
    (7) Student support systems (including tutors, mentors, and other 
innovative practices) are provided to enhance student retention and 
success in the program;
    (b) Include in the application narrative under ``Quality of Project 
Evaluation'', a clear, effective plan for evaluating the extent to 
which graduates of the training program have the knowledge and skills 
necessary to provide research-based instruction and services that 
result in improved outcomes for children with disabilities;
    (c) Communicate student evaluation results to the Office of Special 
Education Programs (OSEP) in required annual performance reports for 
continuation funding and the project's final performance report;
    (d) Budget for a two-day Project Director's meeting in Washington, 
DC, during each year of the project;
    (e) If the project maintains a Web site, include relevant 
information and documents in a form that meets a government or 
industry-recognized standard for accessibility;
    (f) Include, in the application Appendix, all course syllabi for 
the proposed training program. Course syllabi must clearly reflect the 
incorporation of research-based curriculum and pedagogy as required 
under paragraph (a) of this section of the priority;
    (g) Submit annual data on each scholar who receives grant support. 
Projects funded under this priority must submit this scholar data 
electronically within 60 days after the end of each grant budget year. 
Applicants are encouraged to visit the Personnel Prep Data (PPD) Web 
site at www.osepppd.org for further information. This data collection 
is in addition to and does not supplant the annual grant performance 
report required of each grantee for continuation funding (34 CFR 
75.590); and
    (h) Assure that at least 60 percent of the total requested budget 
be used for student training stipends.
    Statutory and Other Requirements: To be considered for an award 
under this priority, applicants must also satisfy the following 
requirements authorized under sections 662(e)(2) and (3), section 
662(h)(1) and section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA:
    (a) Demonstrate that the activities described in the application 
will address needs identified by the State or States the applicant 
proposes to serve and that the State or States intend to accept 
successful completion of the proposed personnel preparation program as 
meeting State personnel standards or other requirements in State law or 
regulation for serving children with disabilities or serving infants 
and toddlers with disabilities (see sections 662(e)(2)(A) and 662(e)(3) 
of IDEA). Letters from one or more States that the project proposes to 
serve could be one method for addressing this requirement;
    (b) Demonstrate that the applicant and one or more State 
educational agencies--or, if appropriate, State appointed lead agencies 
responsible for providing early intervention services--or local 
educational agencies will cooperate in carrying out and monitoring the 
proposed project (see section 662(e)(2)(B) of IDEA);
    (c) 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); and
    (d) Provide an assurance that the applicant will ensure that 
individuals who receive financial assistance under the proposed project 
agree to meet the service obligation requirements, or repay all or part 
of the amount of the scholarship, in accordance with section 662(h)(1) 
of IDEA and the Additional Requirements section of this notice. 
Applicants must describe how they will inform scholarship recipients of 
this service obligation requirement.
Focus Areas
    Within this absolute priority, the Secretary intends to support 
projects under the following five (5) focus areas: (a) Training of 
Early Intervention and Early Childhood Personnel, (b) Training of Low-
Incidence Personnel, (c) Training of High-Incidence Personnel, (d) 
Training Programs for Related Services, Speech/Language, and Adapted 
Physical Education Personnel, and (e) Training Programs in Minority 
Institutions. Provided that there are a sufficient number of high 
quality applications, a total of up to 5 of the awards made in focus 
areas (b), (c) and (e) combined will be to applicants training special 
education teachers that demonstrate how grant supported scholars who 
complete the proposed program will meet State certification standards 
in special education and will be highly qualified under section 602(10) 
of IDEA.
    Provided that there are a sufficient number of high quality 
applications, a total of up to 5 of the awards made in focus areas (b), 
(c) and (e) combined will be to applicants training beginning special 
education teachers that demonstrate how the program is designed to 
carry out the activities described in one or both paragraphs (A) or (B) 
in section 662(b)(3) of IDEA.

    Note: Applicants must identify the focus area (i.e., (a), (b), 
(c), (d), or (e)) under which they are applying as part of the 
project title on the application cover sheet and may not submit the 
same proposal under more than one focus area. In addition, 
applicants applying under focus areas (b), (c) or (e) that are 
addressing either of the categories of intended awards under the 
preceding paragraphs (i.e., highly qualified and/or beginning 
special educator training) must also identify the intended award 
area at the beginning of the Application Abstract.

    Focus Area a: Training of Early Intervention and Early Childhood 
Personnel. For the purpose of this focus area, early intervention 
personnel are those who are trained to provide services to infants and 
toddlers with disabilities and early childhood personnel are those who 
are trained to provide services to children with disabilities ages 3 
through 5. In States where certification in early intervention (EI) is 
combined with certification in early childhood (EC), applicants may 
propose a combined EI/EC training project under this focus area. 
Projects training related services, speech/

[[Page 15301]]

language and/or adapted physical education personnel are not eligible 
under this focus area (see Focus Area d).
    Focus Area b: Training of Low-Incidence Personnel. For the purpose 
of this focus area, low-incidence personnel are special education 
personnel, including paraprofessionals, trained to serve school-age 
children with low-incidence disabilities including visual impairments, 
hearing impairments, simultaneous vision and hearing impairments, 
significant cognitive impairments (severe mental retardation), 
orthopedic impairments, autism, and/or traumatic brain injury. Programs 
preparing special education personnel to provide services to visually 
impaired or blind children that can be appropriately provided in 
Braille, must prepare those individuals to provide those services in 
Braille. Projects training related services, speech/language and/or 
adapted physical education personnel are not eligible under this focus 
area (see Focus Area d). Projects training special education pre-school 
personnel are eligible under Focus Area a.
    Focus Area c: Training of High-Incidence Personnel. For the purpose 
of this focus area, high-incidence personnel are special education 
personnel, including paraprofessionals, trained to serve school-age 
children with mild and/or moderate mental retardation, emotional 
disturbance, specific learning disability, other health impairment 
(including children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) and/or 
children ages 5 through 9 with developmental delay. Projects training 
related services, speech/language and/or adapted physical education 
personnel are not eligible under this focus area (see Focus Area d). 
Projects training special education pre-school personnel are eligible 
under Focus Area a.
    Focus Area d: Training Programs for Related Services, Speech/
Language, and Adapted Physical Education Personnel. Programs training 
related services, speech/language or adapted physical education 
personnel to serve infants, toddlers, children and youth with high- 
and/or low-incidence disabilities are eligible within this focus area. 
For the purpose of this focus area, related services include, but are 
not limited to, psychological services, physical therapy, occupational 
therapy, therapeutic recreation, social work services, counseling 
services, audiology services (including personnel trained at the Doctor 
of Audiology level), and or speech/language services. Training programs 
in States where personnel trained to serve children with speech/
language impairments are considered to be special educators are 
eligible under this focus area. Training programs preparing related 
services assistants are also eligible under this focus area.
    Focus Area e: Training Programs in Minority Institutions. Programs 
in minority institutions that are training special education, including 
adapted physical education, and/or related services personnel to serve 
infants, toddlers, children and youth with high- and/or low-incidence 
disabilities are eligible within this focus area. Minority institutions 
include institutions with a minority student enrollment of 25 percent 
or more, which may include Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
and Tribal Colleges. Within this focus area and for the FY 2005 
competition, projects that are recommended for funding and that have 
not received support under the IDEA Personnel Preparation Program in FY 
2003 or FY 2004 will receive 10 competitive preference points.
    Under Focus Area e, a project may budget for less than the required 
percentage (60 percent) for student training support if they can 
provide sufficient justification for any designation less than 60 
percent for student scholarships. Sufficient justification for 
proposing less than 60 percent of the budget for student support would 
include support for activities such as program development, expansion 
of a program, or the addition of a new area of emphasis. Some examples 
include the following:
     A project that is starting a new program may request up to 
a year for program development and capacity building. In the initial 
project year, no student support would be required. Instead, a project 
could hire a new faculty member or a consultant to assist in program 
development.
     A project that is proposing to build capacity may hire a 
field supervisor so that additional students can be trained.
     A project that is expanding or adding a new emphasis area 
to the program may initially need additional faculty or other resources 
such as expert consultants, additional training supplies, or equipment 
that would enhance the program.
    Projects that are funded to develop, expand, or to add a new area 
of emphasis to special education or related services programs must 
provide information on how these new areas will be maintained once 
Federal funding ends.


    Note: The statute does not authorize the selection of trainees 
on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, or disability status.


    Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2005, these priorities 
are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award up to an additional five points for each priority depending on 
how well the application meets the priority.
    These competitive preference priorities are:
    Competitive Preference Priority 1: We give competitive preference 
to institutions of higher education that are educating regular 
education personnel to meet the needs of children with disabilities in 
integrated settings and educating special education personnel to work 
in collaboration with regular educators in integrated settings.


    Note: Grant-supported scholarships should not be provided to 
students preparing to become regular education personnel as these 
students will not be able to meet the service obligation 
requirements under section 662(h) of IDEA.



    Competitive Preference Priority 2: We give competitive preference 
to institutions of higher education based on the extent to which they 
successfully recruit individuals with disabilities and individuals from 
groups that are underrepresented in the profession for which they are 
preparing individuals. In the case of a new project, the applicant must 
submit a plan with strategies on how it will meet this competitive 
preference.


    Note: The statute does not authorize the selection of trainees 
on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, or disability status.


    Additional Requirements: Specific provisions contained in the 
regulations for this program, which are in 34 CFR part 304, no longer 
apply because they have been superseded by requirements in IDEA, as 
recently reauthorized and amended by the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Improvement Act of 2004. Accordingly, for purposes of this 
competition, the following requirements will apply in lieu of the 
regulations in 34 CFR part 304.


    Note: The Secretary will be issuing a notice of proposed 
rulemaking to amend part 304 to implement these recent changes in 
IDEA. The Secretary does not expect the final regulations to be 
substantially different from the requirements in this Additional 
Requirements section. However, the competition announced in this 
notice will be governed solely by the requirements in this notice.


    Sec. A. Purpose.
    Individuals who receive scholarship assistance from projects funded 
under the Special Education--Personnel Development to Improve Services 
and Results for Children with Disabilities

[[Page 15302]]

program are required to complete a service obligation, or repay all or 
part of the costs of such assistance, in accordance with section 662(h) 
of IDEA and the requirements set forth in this Additional Requirements 
section of this notice.
    Sec. B. Definitions that apply to this program.
    The following definitions apply to this program:
    Academic year means--
    (1) A full-time course of study--
    (i) Taken for a period totaling at least nine months; or
    (ii) Taken for the equivalent of at least two semesters, two 
trimesters, or three quarters; or
    (2) For a part-time student, the accumulation of periods of part-
time courses of study that is equivalent to an ``academic year'' under 
paragraph 1 of this definition.
    Early intervention services means early intervention services as 
defined in section 632(4) of IDEA.
    Full-time, for purposes of determining whether an individual is 
employed full-time in accordance with Sec. F (All references to 
``Sec.'' refer to sections in these Additional Requirements), means a 
full-time position as defined by the individual's employer or by the 
agencies served by the individual.
    Related services means related services as defined in section 
602(26) of IDEA.
    Repayment means monetary reimbursement of scholarship assistance in 
lieu of completion of a service obligation.
    Scholar means an individual who is pursuing a degree, license, 
endorsement, or certification related to special education, related 
services, or early intervention services and who receives scholarship 
assistance under section 662 of IDEA.
    Scholarship means financial assistance to a scholar for training 
under the program and includes all disbursements or credits for 
tuition, fees, student stipends, and books, and travel in conjunction 
with training assignments.
    Service obligation means a scholar's employment obligation, as 
described in section 662(h) of IDEA and Sec. F.
    Special education means special education as defined in section 
602(29) of IDEA.
    Sec. C. Allowable costs.
    In addition to the allowable costs established in EDGAR in 34 CFR 
75.530 through 75.562, the following items are allowable expenditures 
by projects funded under the program:
    (a) Tuition and fees.
    (b) Student stipends and books.
    (c) Travel in conjunction with training assignments.
    Sec. D. Requirements for grantees in disbursing scholarships.
    Before disbursement of scholarship assistance to an individual, a 
grantee must--
    (a) Ensure that the scholar--
    (1) Is a citizen or national of the United States;
    (2) Is a permanent resident of--
    (i) Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American 
Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; or
    (ii) The Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of 
Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau (during the period in which these 
entities are eligible to receive an award under the program); or
    (3) Provides evidence from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security 
that the individual is--
    (i) A lawful permanent resident of the United States; or
    (ii) In the United States for other than a temporary purpose with 
the intention of becoming a citizen or permanent resident.
    (b) Limit scholarship assistance to the amount by which the 
individual's cost of attendance at the institution exceeds the amount 
of grant assistance the scholar is to receive for the same academic 
year under Title IV of the Higher Education Act; and
    (c) Obtain a Certification of Eligibility for Federal Assistance 
from each scholar, as prescribed in 34 CFR 75.60, 75.61, and 75.62.
    Sec. E. Assurances that must be provided by a grantee.
    Before receiving an award, a grantee that intends to grant 
scholarships under the program must include in its application an 
assurance that the following requirements will be satisfied:
    (a) Requirement for agreement. Prior to granting a scholarship, the 
grantee will enter into a written agreement with each scholar that 
contains the terms and conditions required by Sec. F, explains the 
Secretary's authority to grant deferrals and exceptions to the service 
obligation pursuant to Sec. G, and provides the current Department 
address.
    (b) Standards for satisfactory progress. The grantee must 
establish, notify students of, and apply reasonable standards for 
measuring whether a scholar is maintaining satisfactory progress in the 
scholar's course of study.
    (c) Exit certification. The grantee must establish policies and 
procedures for receiving written certification from scholars at the 
time of exit from the program that identifies--
    (1) The number of years the scholar needs to work to satisfy the 
work requirements in Sec. F(d).
    (2) The total amount of scholarship assistance received subject to 
Sec. F.
    (3) The time period, consistent with Sec. F(f)(1), during which the 
scholar must satisfy the work requirements.
    (4) As applicable, all other obligations of the scholar under Sec. 
F.
    (d) Information. The grantee must provide the Secretary 
information, including records maintained under paragraph (c) of this 
Sec. E, that is necessary to carry out the Secretary's functions under 
this Additional Requirements section.
    (e) Notification to the Secretary. If the grantee is aware that the 
scholar has chosen not to fulfill or will be unable to fulfill the 
obligation under Sec. F(d), the grantee must notify the Secretary when 
the scholar exits the program.
    Sec. F. Requirements for scholars.
    Individuals who receive scholarship assistance from grantees funded 
under this competition must:
    (a) Training. Receive the training at the educational institution 
or agency designated in the scholarship;
    (b) Educational allowances. Not accept payment of educational 
allowances from any other entity if that allowance conflicts with the 
scholar's obligation under these Additional Requirements;
    (c) Satisfactory progress. Maintain satisfactory progress toward 
the degree, certificate, endorsement, or license as determined by the 
grantee;
    (d) Service obligation. Upon exiting the training program under 
paragraph (a) of this Sec. F, subsequently maintain employment--
    (1) On a full-time or full-time equivalent basis; and
    (2) For a period of at least two years for every academic year for 
which assistance was received.
    (e) Eligible employment. In order to meet the requirements of 
paragraph (d) of this Sec. F for any project funded under section 662 
of IDEA, be employed in a position in which--
    (1) A majority of the persons to whom the individual provides 
services are receiving special education, related services, or early 
intervention services from the individual;
    (2) The individual spends a majority of his or her time providing 
special education or related services to children with disabilities or 
early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities;
    (3) If the position is supervisory, including principals, the 
individual spends a majority of his or her time employed in a position 
performing work

[[Page 15303]]

related to the individual's preparation under section 662 of IDEA by 
providing one or both of the following:
    (i) Special education or related services to children with 
disabilities or early intervention services to infants and toddlers 
with disabilities; and
    (ii) Supervision to others on issues directly related to special 
education or related services for children with disabilities or early 
intervention services for infants and toddlers;
    (4) If the position is postsecondary faculty, the individual spends 
a majority of his or her time performing work related to the 
individual's preparation under section 662 of IDEA by preparing special 
education teachers and related services personnel to provide services 
to improve results for children with disabilities, including early 
intervention, educational, and transitional services; or
    (5) If the position is in research, the individual spends a 
majority of his or her time performing research related to the 
individual's preparation under section 662 of IDEA that focuses on 
improving results for children with disabilities, including early 
intervention, educational, and transitional services.
    (f) Time period. Meet the service obligation under paragraph (d) of 
this Sec. F as follows:
    (1) Complete the service obligation within the period ending not 
more than the sum of the number of years required in paragraph (d)(2) 
of this Sec. F, as appropriate, plus three additional years, from the 
date the recipient completes the training for which the scholarship 
assistance was awarded.
    (2) Obtain employment subsequent to the completion of one academic 
year of the training for which the scholarship assistance was received 
that otherwise meets the requirements of Sec. F(f)(1).
    (g) Part-time scholars. Meet the service obligation in this Sec. F, 
as applied to a part-time scholar, based on the accumulated academic 
years of training for which the scholarship is received.
    (h) Information upon exit. Provide the grantee all requested 
information necessary for the grantee to meet the exit certification 
requirements under Sec. E(c).
    (i) Information after exit. Within 60 days after exiting the 
program, and as necessary thereafter for any changes, provide the 
Department all information the Secretary needs to monitor the scholar's 
service obligation under this Sec. F, including social security number, 
address, employment setting, and employment status, via U.S. mail at 
the following address: Office of Special Education Programs, Research 
to Practice Division, Service Obligation Coordinator, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2600.
    (j) Repayment. If not fulfilling the requirements in this Sec. F, 
subject to the provisions in Sec. G regarding a deferral or exception, 
repay any scholarship received, plus interest, in an amount 
proportional to the service obligation not completed as follows:
    (1) The Secretary charges the scholar interest on the unpaid 
balance owed in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3717.
    (2)(i) Interest on the unpaid balance accrues from the date the 
scholar is determined to have entered repayment status under paragraph 
(4) of this subsection (j).
    (ii) Any accrued interest is capitalized at the time the scholar's 
repayment schedule is established.
    (iii) No interest is charged for the period of time during which 
repayment has been deferred under Sec. G.
    (3) Under the authority of 31 U.S.C. 3717, the Secretary may impose 
reasonable collection costs.
    (4) A scholar enters repayment status on the first day of the first 
calendar month after the earliest of the following dates, as 
applicable:
    (i) The date the scholar informs the grantee or the Secretary that 
the scholar does not plan to fulfill the service obligation under the 
agreement.
    (ii) Any date when the scholar's failure to begin or maintain 
employment makes it impossible for that individual to complete the 
service obligation within the number of years required in this Sec. F.
    (iii) Any date on which the scholar discontinues enrollment in the 
course of study under Sec. F(a).
    (5) The scholar must make payments to the Secretary that cover 
principal, interest, and collection costs according to a schedule 
established by the Secretary.
    (6) Any amount of the scholarship that has not been repaid pursuant 
to (1) through (5) of this paragraph will constitute a debt owed to the 
United States that may be collected by the Secretary in accordance with 
34 CFR part 30.
    Sec. G. Requirements for obtaining a deferral or exception to 
performance or repayment under an agreement.
    (a) Based upon sufficient evidence to substantiate the grounds, the 
Secretary may grant an exception to the repayment requirement in Sec. 
F(j), in whole or part, if the scholar--
    (1) Is unable to continue the course of study in Sec. F(j) or 
perform the service obligation because of a permanent disability; or
    (2) Has died.
    (b) Based upon sufficient evidence to substantiate the grounds, the 
Secretary may grant a deferral of the repayment requirement in Sec. 
F(j) during the time the scholar--
    (1) Is engaging in a full-time course of study at an institution of 
higher education;
    (2) Is serving on active duty as a member of the armed services of 
the United States;
    (3) Is serving as a volunteer under the Peace Corps Act; or
    (4) Is serving as a full-time volunteer under Title I of the 
Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities and 
requirements. Section 681(d) of IDEA makes the public comment 
requirements of the APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice. 
With Respect to the Additional Requirements, section 437(d)(1) of the 
General Education Provisions Act exempts from the APA's notice and 
comment requirement rules that apply to the first competition under a 
new or substantially revised program authority. This is the first 
competition under section 662 of IDEA (the Personnel Development to 
Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program), 
which was substantially revised by the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Improvement Act of 2004. These Additional Requirements will 
apply to the FY 2005 grant competition only.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1462 and 1481.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $15,000,000.
    For funding information regarding each of the specific focus areas 
of the priority, see the chart in this section of this notice.
    Estimated Range of Awards: See chart.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: See chart.
    Maximum Awards: See chart.
    Estimated Number of Awards: See chart.



[[Page 15304]]


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


    Project Period: Up to 48 months.

   Personnel Preparation to Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities Application Notice for
                                                Fiscal Year 2005
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Estimated                       Estimated
             CFDA No. and name                Estimated range of   average size    Maximum award     number of
                                                    awards           of awards      (per year)*       awards
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.325K Combination Priority for Personnel
 Preparation:
    Focus Area a: Training of Early            $172,000-$200,000        $196,250        $200,000              11
     Intervention and Early Childhood
     Personnel.............................
    Focus Area b: Training of Low-Incidence      194,969-200,000         196,200         200,000              23
     Personnel.............................
    Focus Area c: Training of High-              163,848-200,000         196,840         200,000              19
     Incidence Personnel...................
    Focus Area d: Training Programs for          163,848-200,000         196,840         200,000               9
     Related Services, Speech/Language, and
     Adapted Physical Education Personnel..
    Focus Area e: Training Programs in           186,234-200,000         196,450         200,000             13
     Minority Institutions.................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*The Secretary does not intend to fund an application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum award
  specified for a single budget period of 12 months.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll 
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 
1-877-576-7734.
    You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: https://www.ed.gov/
pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: 
edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA Number 84.325K.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts 
Services Team listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section 
VII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to 
the equivalent of no more than 50 pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the 
resumes, the bibliography, the references, or the letters of support. 
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    We will reject your application if--
     You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: March 28, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 9, 2005.
    Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in 
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates 
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by 
mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission 
Requirements in this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 8, 2005.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by 
mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    We have been accepting applications electronically through the 
Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on 
those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are 
continuing to participate as a partner in the new government wide 
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2005. The Combined Priority for Personnel 
Preparation-CFDA Number 84.325K competition is one of the competitions 
included in this project.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). Through this site, you will 
be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it 
offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-
mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. We request your 
participation in Grants.gov.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Combined 
Priority for Personnel Preparation-CFDA Number 84.325K competition at: 
https://www.grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application 
package for this program by the CFDA

[[Page 15305]]

number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search. 
Please note the following:
     Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted with a 
date/time received by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We will not 
consider your application if it was received by the Grants.gov system 
later than 4:30 p.m. on the application deadline date. When we retrieve 
your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are 
rejecting your application because it was submitted after 4:30 p.m. on 
the application deadline date.
     If you experience technical difficulties on the 
application deadline date and are unable to meet the 4:30 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, deadline, print out your application and follow 
the instructions in this notice for the submission of paper 
applications by mail or hand delivery.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
your application is submitted timely to the Grants.gov system.
     To use Grants.gov, you, as the applicant, must have a D-U-
N-S Number and register in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). You 
should allow a minimum of five business days to complete the CCR 
registration.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you submit your application in paper format.
     You may submit all documents electronically, including all 
information typically included on the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 
524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Any narrative 
sections of your application should be attached as files in a .DOC 
(document), .RTF (rich text) or .PDF (Portable Document) format.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your 
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying 
number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the 
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the 
original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable 
following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.325K), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260;

or

    By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center `` Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.325K), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
    Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing 
consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service,
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier, or
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark, or
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.


    Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your 
local post office. c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand 
Delivery.


    If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, 
you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of 
your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, 
to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.325K), 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 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays and Federal holidays.
    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail 
or hand deliver your application to the Department:
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and `` if not provided by the 
Department `` in Item 4 of the Application for Federal Education 
Assistance (ED 424) the CFDA number `` and suffix letter, if any `` of 
the competition under which you are submitting your application.
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application 
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant 
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

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

[[Page 15306]]

priorities for which they have also submitted applications. However, if 
the Department decides to select for funding an equal number of 
applications in each group, this may result in different cut-off points 
for fundable applications in each group.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118. In addition, to satisfy the requirements of the priority 
in this notice, you must submit annual data on each scholar who 
receives grant support through this program.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), the Department has established a set of performance 
measures that are designed to yield information on the effectiveness of 
the Personnel Preparation program. These measures include the extent to 
which scholars are successfully completing their program and the extent 
to which they are employed in the area(s) trained upon program 
completion.
    If funded, applicants will be required to collect and report data 
on grant-supported students through the PPD Web site at https://
www.oespppd.org (see paragraph (g) under the Absolute Priority section 
of this notice).
    Beyond the performance measures specifically described in this 
notice, the Department is also currently developing measures that will 
be designed to yield information on various aspects of program quality 
(e.g., the extent to which the curricula of training programs funded 
under this competition reflect the current knowledge base on effective 
practices; and the extent to which program graduates maintain 
employment for three or more years in the area(s) for which they were 
trained). Grantees will be asked to participate in assessing and 
providing information on program quality.
    We will notify grantees of the performance measures once they are 
developed.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maryann McDermott, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4062, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2600. Telephone: (202) 245-7439.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request by contacting the following office: The Grants and 
Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. 
Telephone: (202) 245-7363.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: https://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.gov/
nara/.


    Dated: March 3, 2005.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 05-5957 Filed 3-24-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P