Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Training and Information for Parents of Children With Disabilities-Parent Training and Information Centers; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, 67675-67680 [05-22257]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 215 / Tuesday, November 8, 2005 / Notices Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877– 8339. collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. 67675 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests Dated: November 3, 2005. Angela C. Arrington, Leader, Information Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Training and Information for Parents of Children With Disabilities—Parent Training and Information Centers; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 AGENCY: Department of Education. SUMMARY: The Leader, Information Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.328M. [FR Doc. 05–22196 Filed 11–7–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before January 9, 2006. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provide interested Federal agencies and the public an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. OMB may amend or waive the requirement for public consultation to the extent that public participation in the approval process would defeat the purpose of the information collection, violate State or Federal law or substantially interfere with any agency’s ability to perform its statutory obligations. The Leader, Information Management Case Services Team, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer, publishes that notice containing proposed information collection requests prior to submission of these requests to OMB. Each proposed information collection, grouped by office, contains the following: (1) Type of review requested, e.g. new, revision, extension, existing or reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of the collection; (4) Description of the need for, and proposed use of, the information; (5) Respondents and frequency of collection; and (6) Reporting and/or Recordkeeping burden. OMB invites public comment. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:11 Nov 07, 2005 Jkt 208001 Type of Review: Extension. Title: Quarterly Cumulative Caseload Report. Frequency: Quarterly. Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Gov’t, SEAs or LEAs. Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: Responses: 320. Burden Hours: 320. Abstract: State VR agencies who administer vocational programs provide key caseload indicator data on this form, including numbers of persons who are applicants, determined eligible/ ineligible, waiting for services, and also their program outcomes. This data is used for program, planning, management, budgeting and general statistical purposes. Requests for copies of the proposed information collection request may be accessed from https://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the ‘‘Browse Pending Collections’’ link and by clicking on link number 2840. When you access the information collection, click on ‘‘Download Attachments’’ to view. Written requests for information should be addressed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Potomac Center, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20202–4700. Requests may also be electronically mailed to the Internet address OCIO_RIMG@ed.gov or faxed to 202–245–6621. Please specify the complete title of the information collection when making your request. Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity requirements should be directed to Sheila Carey at her e-mail address Sheila.Carey@ed.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877– 8339. [FR Doc. 05–22271 Filed 11–7–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Dates: Applications Available: November 8, 2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 12, 2006. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 12, 2006. Eligible Applicants: Parent organizations, as defined in section III. Eligibility Information in this notice. Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested $25,964,000 for the Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities program for FY 2006, of which we intend to use an estimated $5,187,290 for the Parent Training and Information Centers 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. Information concerning funding amounts for individual States is provided in a chart elsewhere in this notice under section II. Award Information. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $288,182. Estimated Number of Awards: 18. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: With the exception of Mississippi and Oklahoma, projects will be funded for a period up to 60 months. Mississippi will be funded for a period up to 36 months and Oklahoma will be funded for a period up to 48 months. Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to ensure that parents of children with disabilities receive training and information to help improve results for their children. Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv) and (v), this priority is from allowable activities specified in the statute, or otherwise authorized in the statute (see sections 671 and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)). E:\FR\FM\08NON1.SGM 08NON1 67676 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 215 / Tuesday, November 8, 2005 / Notices Absolute Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority. This priority is: Parent Training and Information Centers (PTI Centers) Background: This priority supports parent training and information centers that will provide parents of children with disabilities, including low-income parents, parents of limited English proficient children, and parents with disabilities, with the training and information they need to enable them to participate effectively in helping their children with disabilities to: (a) Meet developmental and functional goals, and challenging academic achievement goals that have been established for all children; and (b) Be prepared to lead productive, independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible. In addition, a purpose of this priority is to ensure that children with disabilities and their parents receive training and information on their rights, responsibilities, and protections under IDEA in order to develop the skills necessary to cooperatively and effectively participate in planning and decision making relating to early intervention, educational, and transitional services. Text of Priority: Each Parent Training and Information Center (PTI Center) assisted under this program shall: (a) Provide training and information that meets the needs of parents of children with disabilities living in the area served by the PTI Center, particularly underserved parents and parents of children who may be inappropriately identified as having a disability when they may not have one, to enable their children with disabilities to: (1) Meet developmental and functional goals and challenging academic achievement goals established for all children; and (2) Be prepared to lead productive independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible; (b) Serve the parents of infants, toddlers, and children, from ages birth through 26, with the full range of disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA; (c) Familiarize themselves with the provision of special education, related services, and early intervention services in the areas they serve to help ensure that children with disabilities are receiving appropriate services; (d) Ensure that the training and information provided meets the needs of VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:11 Nov 07, 2005 Jkt 208001 low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient children; (e) Assist parents to: (1) Better understand the nature of their children’s disabilities and their educational, developmental, and transitional needs; (2) Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with personnel responsible for providing special education, early intervention services, transition services, and related services; (3) Participate in decision making processes, including those regarding participation in State and local assessments, and the development of individualized education programs under Part B of IDEA and individualized family service plans under Part C of IDEA; (4) Obtain appropriate information about the range, type and quality of: (A) options, programs, services, technologies, practices and interventions that are based on scientifically based research, to the extent practicable; and (B) resources available to assist children with disabilities and their families in school and at home, including information available through the Office of Special Education Programs’ (OSEP) technical assistance network and Communities of Practice; (5) Understand the provisions of IDEA for the education of, and the provision of early intervention services to, children with disabilities; (6) Participate in activities at the school level that benefit their children; and (7) Participate in school reform activities. (f) In States where the State elects to contract with the PTI Center, contract with the State educational agencies to provide, consistent with paragraphs (B) and (D) of section 615(e)(2) of IDEA, individuals to meet with parents in order to explain the mediation process; (g) Assist parents in resolving disputes in the most expeditious and effective way possible, including encouraging the use, and explaining the benefits, of alternative methods of dispute resolution, such as the mediation process described in section 615(e) of IDEA; (h) Assist parents and students with disabilities to understand their rights and responsibilities under IDEA, including those under section 615(m) of IDEA upon the student’s reaching the age of majority (as appropriate under State law); (i) Assist parents to understand the availability of, and how to effectively use, procedural safeguards under IDEA, PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 including the resolution session described in section 615(e) of IDEA; (j) Assist parents in understanding, preparing for, and participating in, the resolution session as described in section 615(f)(1)(B) of IDEA; (k) Establish cooperative partnerships with other PTI Centers in the State and any Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) in the State funded under section 672 of IDEA; (l) Network with appropriate clearinghouses, including organizations conducting national dissemination activities under section 663 of IDEA and the Institute of Education Sciences, and with other national, State, and local organizations and agencies, such as protection and advocacy agencies, that serve parents and families of children with the full range of disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA; (m) Annually report to the Assistant Secretary on: (1) The number and demographics of parents to whom the PTI Center provided information and training in the most recently concluded fiscal year, including additional information regarding their unique needs and levels of service provided to them; (2) The effectiveness of strategies used to reach and serve parents, including underserved parents of children with disabilities by providing evidence of how those parents were served effectively; and (3) The number of parents served who have resolved disputes through alternative methods of dispute resolution. (n) Respond to requests from the National Technical Assistance Center (NTAC) and Regional Parent Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) and use the technical assistance services of the NTAC and PTACs in order to serve the families of infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities as efficiently as possible. PTACs are charged with assisting parent centers with administrative and programmatic issues; (o) If there is more than one PTI Center or one or more CPRC in a particular State, demonstrate in the application how it will coordinate its services and supports with the other center or centers to ensure the most effective assistance to parents in that State; (p) Budget for a two-day Project Directors’ meeting in Washington, D.C. during each year of the project. In addition, a project’s budget must include funds for the center’s project director to attend a Regional Project Directors’ meeting to be held each year of the project; E:\FR\FM\08NON1.SGM 08NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 215 / Tuesday, November 8, 2005 / Notices (q) If the PTI Center maintains a Web site, include relevant information and documents in a format that meets a government or industry-recognized standard for accessibility; (r) Prior to developing any new product, whether paper or electronic, submit for approval a proposal describing the content and purpose of the product to the document review board of OSEP’s Dissemination Center; (s) In collaboration with OSEP and the NTAC, participate in an annual collection of program data for PTI Centers and CPRCs; and (t) Identify with specificity in its application the special efforts it will make to: (1) Ensure that the needs for training and information of underserved parents of children with disabilities in the area to be served are effectively met; and (2) Work with community based organizations, including those that work with low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient children. Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, section 681(d) of IDEA makes the public comment requirements in the APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1471. Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. II. Award Information Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested $25,964,000 for the Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities program for FY 2006, of which we intend to use an estimated $5,187,290 for the Parent Training and Information Centers 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. Information concerning funding amounts for individual States is provided elsewhere in this section of this notice. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $288,182. Estimated Number of Awards: 18. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:11 Nov 07, 2005 Jkt 208001 Project Period: With the exception of Mississippi and Oklahoma, projects will be funded for a period up to 60 months. Mississippi will be funded for a period up to 36 months and Oklahoma will be funded for a period up to 48 months. In order to allocate resources equitably, create a unified system of service delivery, and provide the broadest coverage for the parents and families in every State, the Assistant Secretary is making awards in five-year cycles for each State. In FY 2006, applications for 5-year awards will be accepted for the following States: Alaska, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Awards also may be made to eligible applicants in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the freely associated States; however, maximum funding levels for these areas have not been specified. Applications for a 4-year award will be accepted for Oklahoma and applications for a 3-year award will be accepted for Mississippi. The Assistant Secretary took into consideration current funding levels and population distribution when determining the award amounts for grants under this competition. In the following States, one award may be made for up to the amounts listed in the chart to a qualified applicant for a PTI Center to serve the entire State: Alaska, Alabama, Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Vermont, and Wisconsin. To ensure maximum coverage for this competition, the Assistant Secretary has adopted regional designations in Florida and New York, and has identified corresponding maximum award amounts. Regions were identified in Florida and New York by utilizing the educational services breakdown operational within the States. Any applicant that applies for grants for more than one region must complete a separate application for each region. In Florida, up to three awards will be made to qualified applicants for a PTI Center to serve Regions 1 through 3 in the following amounts: Region 1—$100,000. Region 2—$290,000. Region 3—$195,000. The total of the awards for the three Regions will not exceed the maximum amount listed in the chart included elsewhere in this notice. A list of the counties that are included in each region follows the chart. In New York, up to three awards will be made to qualified applicants for a PTI PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 67677 Center to serve Region 1 (the 5 Boroughs of Manhattan) and one award will be made to a qualified applicant for a PTI Center to serve Region 2 (the remainder of the State) in the following amounts: Region 1—$648,554. Region 2—$538,250. The total of the awards for the two Regions will not exceed the maximum amount listed in the following chart. INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT APPLICATION NOTICE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006 CFDA number and name 84.328M Parent Training and Information Centers*: Alaska .......................... Alabama ...................... Colorado ...................... Florida .......................... —Region 1— $100,000. —Region 2— $290,000. —Region 3— $195,000. Kentucky ...................... Maine ........................... Maryland ...................... Mississippi ................... Nevada ........................ New York ..................... —Region 1— $648,554. —Region 2— $538,250. North Dakota ............... Oklahoma .................... Puerto Rico .................. Vermont ....................... Wisconsin .................... Maximum award (per year)** $269,820 280,940 277,330 585,000 253,760 193,350 297,890 244,050 210,280 1,186,804 210,170 255,566 278,880 193,870 449,580 * Awards may also be made to eligible applicants in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the freely associated States. However, maximum funding levels for these areas have not been specified. ** We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the funding level for a single budget period of 12 months. Florida Regions Region 1 includes the following 28 counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Liberty, Franklin, Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Hamilton, Suwannee, Lafayette, Dixie, Alachua, Columbia, Baker, Union, Bradford, Gilchrist. Region 2 includes the following 30 counties: Nassau, Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Putnam, Flagler, Levy, Marion, Citrus, Sumpter, Volusia, Lake, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, DeSoto, Highlands, Hardee, Okeechobee, St. Lucie, Brevard, E:\FR\FM\08NON1.SGM 08NON1 67678 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 215 / Tuesday, November 8, 2005 / Notices Indian River, Polk, Osceola, Orange, Seminole. Region 3 includes the following 9 counties: Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe, Collier, Lee, Hendry, Martin, Glades. III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: Parent organizations, as defined in section 671(a)(2) of IDEA. A parent organization is a private nonprofit organization (other than an institution of higher education) that: (a) Has a board of directors: (1) The majority of whom are parents of children with disabilities ages birth through 26; (2) That includes: (i) Individuals working in the fields of special education, related services, and early intervention; and (ii) Individuals with disabilities; and (iii) The parent and professional members of which are broadly representative of the population to be served including low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient children; and (b) Has as its mission serving families of children with disabilities who are ages birth through 26, and have the full range of disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost sharing or matching. 3. Other: General Requirements: (a) The projects funded under this competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA). (b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this competition must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and evaluating the projects (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA). IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794–1398. Telephone (toll free): 1– 877–433–7827. FAX: (301) 470–1244. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1–877–576–7734. You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: 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 VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:11 Nov 07, 2005 Jkt 208001 competition as follows: CFDA number 84.328M. 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 60 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; the one-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, the references, or the letters of support. However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III. We will reject your application if: • You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or • You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit. 3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: November 8, 2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 12, 2006. 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. PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 12, 2006. 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 2006. Parent Training and Information Centers-CFDA Number 84.328M is one of the competitions included in this project. We request your participation in Grants.gov. If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must use the Grants.gov Apply site at https:// www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. You may access the electronic grant application for Parent Training and Information Centers-CFDA Number 84.328M competition at: https:// www.grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number’s alpha suffix in your search. Please note the following: • Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary. • When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, as well as the hours of operation. • Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this E:\FR\FM\08NON1.SGM 08NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 215 / Tuesday, November 8, 2005 / Notices section, we will not consider your application if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. • The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process through Grants.gov. • You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for this competition to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov at https://eGrants.ed.gov/help/ GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf. To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must complete the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see https://www.Grants.gov/GetStarted) and provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please note that the registration process may take five or more business days to complete. • 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-NonConstruction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (portable document) format. If you upload a file type other than the three file types specified above or submit a password protected file, we will not review that material. • Your electronic application must comply with any page limit requirements described in this notice. • After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment from VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:11 Nov 07, 2005 Jkt 208001 Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your application). • We may request that you provide us original signatures on forms at a later date. Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For Further Information Contact, and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted. Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system. b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail. If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable following address: By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 67679 (CFDA Number 84.328M), 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 84.328M), 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 84.328M), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260. The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays and Federal holidays. Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department: (1) You must indicate on the envelope and—if not provided by the Department—in Item 4 of the 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 E:\FR\FM\08NON1.SGM 08NON1 67680 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 215 / Tuesday, November 8, 2005 / Notices 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 Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package. VI. Award Administration Information 1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally. If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you. 2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice. We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant. 3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118. 4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the Department is currently developing measures that will yield information on various aspects of the quality of the Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities program. The measures will focus on: The extent to which projects provide high quality products and services, the relevance of project products and services to educational and early intervention policy and practice, and the use of products and services to improve educational and early intervention policy and practice. Once the measures are developed, we will notify grantees if they will be required to provide any information related to these measures. Grantees will also be required to report information on their projects’ VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:11 Nov 07, 2005 Jkt 208001 performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR 75.590). VII. Agency Contact For Further Information Contact: Donna Fluke, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4059, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–2550. Telephone: (202) 245–7345. 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/ index.html. Dated: November 3, 2005. John H. Hager, Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. [FR Doc. 05–22257 Filed 11–7–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000–01–P PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Training and Information for Parents of Children With Disabilities—Community Parent Resource Centers; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.328C. Applications Available: November 8, 2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 3, 2006. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 4, 2006. Eligible Applicants: Local parent organizations, as defined in section III. Eligibility Information in this notice. Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested $25,964,000 for the Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities program for FY 2006, of which we intend to use an estimated $1,000,000 for the Community Parent Resource Centers competition. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $100,000. Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $100,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register. Estimated Number of Awards: 10. DATES: Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 36 months. Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to ensure that parents of children with disabilities receive training and information to help improve results for their children. Priorities: This competition contains an absolute priority and a competitive preference priority. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv) and (v), these priorities are from allowable activities specified in the statute, or otherwise authorized in the statute (see sections 672 and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)). E:\FR\FM\08NON1.SGM 08NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 215 (Tuesday, November 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67675-67680]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-22257]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Training and Information for Parents of Children With 
Disabilities--Parent Training and Information Centers; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.328M.
    Dates:
    Applications Available: November 8, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 12, 2006.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 12, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: Parent organizations, as defined in section 
III. Eligibility Information in this notice.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$25,964,000 for the Training and Information for Parents of Children 
with Disabilities program for FY 2006, of which we intend to use an 
estimated $5,187,290 for the Parent Training and Information Centers 
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.
    Information concerning funding amounts for individual States is 
provided in a chart elsewhere in this notice under section II. Award 
Information.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $288,182.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 18.

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


    Project Period: With the exception of Mississippi and Oklahoma, 
projects will be funded for a period up to 60 months. Mississippi will 
be funded for a period up to 36 months and Oklahoma will be funded for 
a period up to 48 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to ensure that 
parents of children with disabilities receive training and information 
to help improve results for their children.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv) and (v), this 
priority is from allowable activities specified in the statute, or 
otherwise authorized in the statute (see sections 671 and 681(d) of the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)).

[[Page 67676]]

    Absolute Priority: For FY 2006 this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Parent Training and Information Centers (PTI Centers) Background: 
This priority supports parent training and information centers that 
will provide parents of children with disabilities, including low-
income parents, parents of limited English proficient children, and 
parents with disabilities, with the training and information they need 
to enable them to participate effectively in helping their children 
with disabilities to:
    (a) Meet developmental and functional goals, and challenging 
academic achievement goals that have been established for all children; 
and
    (b) Be prepared to lead productive, independent adult lives, to the 
maximum extent possible.
    In addition, a purpose of this priority is to ensure that children 
with disabilities and their parents receive training and information on 
their rights, responsibilities, and protections under IDEA in order to 
develop the skills necessary to cooperatively and effectively 
participate in planning and decision making relating to early 
intervention, educational, and transitional services.
    Text of Priority: Each Parent Training and Information Center (PTI 
Center) assisted under this program shall:
    (a) Provide training and information that meets the needs of 
parents of children with disabilities living in the area served by the 
PTI Center, particularly underserved parents and parents of children 
who may be inappropriately identified as having a disability when they 
may not have one, to enable their children with disabilities to:
    (1) Meet developmental and functional goals and challenging 
academic achievement goals established for all children; and
    (2) Be prepared to lead productive independent adult lives, to the 
maximum extent possible;
    (b) Serve the parents of infants, toddlers, and children, from ages 
birth through 26, with the full range of disabilities described in 
section 602(3) of IDEA;
    (c) Familiarize themselves with the provision of special education, 
related services, and early intervention services in the areas they 
serve to help ensure that children with disabilities are receiving 
appropriate services;
    (d) Ensure that the training and information provided meets the 
needs of low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient 
children;
    (e) Assist parents to:
    (1) Better understand the nature of their children's disabilities 
and their educational, developmental, and transitional needs;
    (2) Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with personnel 
responsible for providing special education, early intervention 
services, transition services, and related services;
    (3) Participate in decision making processes, including those 
regarding participation in State and local assessments, and the 
development of individualized education programs under Part B of IDEA 
and individualized family service plans under Part C of IDEA;
    (4) Obtain appropriate information about the range, type and 
quality of:
    (A) options, programs, services, technologies, practices and 
interventions that are based on scientifically based research, to the 
extent practicable; and
    (B) resources available to assist children with disabilities and 
their families in school and at home, including information available 
through the Office of Special Education Programs' (OSEP) technical 
assistance network and Communities of Practice;
    (5) Understand the provisions of IDEA for the education of, and the 
provision of early intervention services to, children with 
disabilities;
    (6) Participate in activities at the school level that benefit 
their children; and
    (7) Participate in school reform activities.
    (f) In States where the State elects to contract with the PTI 
Center, contract with the State educational agencies to provide, 
consistent with paragraphs (B) and (D) of section 615(e)(2) of IDEA, 
individuals to meet with parents in order to explain the mediation 
process;
    (g) Assist parents in resolving disputes in the most expeditious 
and effective way possible, including encouraging the use, and 
explaining the benefits, of alternative methods of dispute resolution, 
such as the mediation process described in section 615(e) of IDEA;
    (h) Assist parents and students with disabilities to understand 
their rights and responsibilities under IDEA, including those under 
section 615(m) of IDEA upon the student's reaching the age of majority 
(as appropriate under State law);
    (i) Assist parents to understand the availability of, and how to 
effectively use, procedural safeguards under IDEA, including the 
resolution session described in section 615(e) of IDEA;
    (j) Assist parents in understanding, preparing for, and 
participating in, the resolution session as described in section 
615(f)(1)(B) of IDEA;
    (k) Establish cooperative partnerships with other PTI Centers in 
the State and any Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) in the 
State funded under section 672 of IDEA;
    (l) Network with appropriate clearinghouses, including 
organizations conducting national dissemination activities under 
section 663 of IDEA and the Institute of Education Sciences, and with 
other national, State, and local organizations and agencies, such as 
protection and advocacy agencies, that serve parents and families of 
children with the full range of disabilities described in section 
602(3) of IDEA;
    (m) Annually report to the Assistant Secretary on:
    (1) The number and demographics of parents to whom the PTI Center 
provided information and training in the most recently concluded fiscal 
year, including additional information regarding their unique needs and 
levels of service provided to them;
    (2) The effectiveness of strategies used to reach and serve 
parents, including underserved parents of children with disabilities by 
providing evidence of how those parents were served effectively; and
    (3) The number of parents served who have resolved disputes through 
alternative methods of dispute resolution.
    (n) Respond to requests from the National Technical Assistance 
Center (NTAC) and Regional Parent Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) 
and use the technical assistance services of the NTAC and PTACs in 
order to serve the families of infants, toddlers, and children with 
disabilities as efficiently as possible. PTACs are charged with 
assisting parent centers with administrative and programmatic issues;
    (o) If there is more than one PTI Center or one or more CPRC in a 
particular State, demonstrate in the application how it will coordinate 
its services and supports with the other center or centers to ensure 
the most effective assistance to parents in that State;
    (p) Budget for a two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, 
D.C. during each year of the project. In addition, a project's budget 
must include funds for the center's project director to attend a 
Regional Project Directors' meeting to be held each year of the 
project;

[[Page 67677]]

    (q) If the PTI Center maintains a Web site, include relevant 
information and documents in a format that meets a government or 
industry-recognized standard for accessibility;
    (r) Prior to developing any new product, whether paper or 
electronic, submit for approval a proposal describing the content and 
purpose of the product to the document review board of OSEP's 
Dissemination Center;
    (s) In collaboration with OSEP and the NTAC, participate in an 
annual collection of program data for PTI Centers and CPRCs; and
    (t) Identify with specificity in its application the special 
efforts it will make to:
    (1) Ensure that the needs for training and information of 
underserved parents of children with disabilities in the area to be 
served are effectively met; and
    (2) Work with community based organizations, including those that 
work with low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient 
children.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, 
section 681(d) of IDEA makes the public comment requirements in the APA 
inapplicable to the priority in this notice.

    Program Authority:  20 U.S.C. 1471.

    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 81, 
82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$25,964,000 for the Training and Information for Parents of Children 
with Disabilities program for FY 2006, of which we intend to use an 
estimated $5,187,290 for the Parent Training and Information Centers 
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.
    Information concerning funding amounts for individual States is 
provided elsewhere in this section of this notice.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $288,182.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 18.

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


    Project Period: With the exception of Mississippi and Oklahoma, 
projects will be funded for a period up to 60 months. Mississippi will 
be funded for a period up to 36 months and Oklahoma will be funded for 
a period up to 48 months.
    In order to allocate resources equitably, create a unified system 
of service delivery, and provide the broadest coverage for the parents 
and families in every State, the Assistant Secretary is making awards 
in five-year cycles for each State. In FY 2006, applications for 5-year 
awards will be accepted for the following States: Alaska, Alabama, 
Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New York, North 
Dakota, Puerto Rico, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Awards also may be made to 
eligible applicants in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, and the freely associated States; however, maximum funding 
levels for these areas have not been specified. Applications for a 4-
year award will be accepted for Oklahoma and applications for a 3-year 
award will be accepted for Mississippi.
    The Assistant Secretary took into consideration current funding 
levels and population distribution when determining the award amounts 
for grants under this competition.
    In the following States, one award may be made for up to the 
amounts listed in the chart to a qualified applicant for a PTI Center 
to serve the entire State: Alaska, Alabama, Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, 
Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, 
Vermont, and Wisconsin.
    To ensure maximum coverage for this competition, the Assistant 
Secretary has adopted regional designations in Florida and New York, 
and has identified corresponding maximum award amounts. Regions were 
identified in Florida and New York by utilizing the educational 
services breakdown operational within the States. Any applicant that 
applies for grants for more than one region must complete a separate 
application for each region. In Florida, up to three awards will be 
made to qualified applicants for a PTI Center to serve Regions 1 
through 3 in the following amounts:

Region 1--$100,000.
Region 2--$290,000.
Region 3--$195,000.

The total of the awards for the three Regions will not exceed the 
maximum amount listed in the chart included elsewhere in this notice. A 
list of the counties that are included in each region follows the 
chart.
    In New York, up to three awards will be made to qualified 
applicants for a PTI Center to serve Region 1 (the 5 Boroughs of 
Manhattan) and one award will be made to a qualified applicant for a 
PTI Center to serve Region 2 (the remainder of the State) in the 
following amounts:

Region 1--$648,554.
Region 2--$538,250.

The total of the awards for the two Regions will not exceed the maximum 
amount listed in the following chart.

   Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Application Notice for
                            Fiscal Year 2006
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Maximum award
                  CFDA number and name                     (per year)**
------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.328M Parent Training and Information Centers*:
    Alaska.............................................         $269,820
    Alabama............................................          280,940
    Colorado...........................................          277,330
    Florida............................................          585,000
        --Region 1--$100,000...........................
        --Region 2--$290,000...........................
        --Region 3--$195,000...........................
    Kentucky...........................................          253,760
    Maine..............................................          193,350
    Maryland...........................................          297,890
    Mississippi........................................          244,050
    Nevada.............................................          210,280
    New York...........................................        1,186,804
        --Region 1--$648,554...........................
        --Region 2--$538,250...........................
    North Dakota.......................................          210,170
    Oklahoma...........................................          255,566
    Puerto Rico........................................          278,880
    Vermont............................................          193,870
    Wisconsin..........................................         449,580
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Awards may also be made to eligible applicants in Guam, the
  Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the freely
  associated States. However, maximum funding levels for these areas
  have not been specified.
** We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the
  funding level for a single budget period of 12 months.

Florida Regions

    Region 1 includes the following 28 counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, 
Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, 
Liberty, Franklin, Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, 
Hamilton, Suwannee, Lafayette, Dixie, Alachua, Columbia, Baker, Union, 
Bradford, Gilchrist.
    Region 2 includes the following 30 counties: Nassau, Duval, Clay, 
St. Johns, Putnam, Flagler, Levy, Marion, Citrus, Sumpter, Volusia, 
Lake, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, 
Charlotte, DeSoto, Highlands, Hardee, Okeechobee, St. Lucie, Brevard,

[[Page 67678]]

Indian River, Polk, Osceola, Orange, Seminole.
    Region 3 includes the following 9 counties: Dade, Broward, Palm 
Beach, Monroe, Collier, Lee, Hendry, Martin, Glades.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Parent organizations, as defined in section 
671(a)(2) of IDEA. A parent organization is a private nonprofit 
organization (other than an institution of higher education) that:
    (a) Has a board of directors:
    (1) The majority of whom are parents of children with disabilities 
ages birth through 26;
    (2) That includes:
    (i) Individuals working in the fields of special education, related 
services, and early intervention; and
    (ii) Individuals with disabilities; and
    (iii) The parent and professional members of which are broadly 
representative of the population to be served including low-income 
parents and parents of limited English proficient children; and
    (b) Has as its mission serving families of children with 
disabilities who are ages birth through 26, and have the full range of 
disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: General Requirements: (a) The projects funded under this 
competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in 
employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of 
IDEA).
    (b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this competition 
must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals 
with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and 
evaluating the projects (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll 
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 
1-877-576-7734.
    You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: 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 84.328M.
    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 60 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; the one-page abstract, the 
resumes, the bibliography, the references, or the letters of support. 
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    We will reject your application if:
     You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
     You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: November 8, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 12, 2006.
    Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in 
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates 
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by 
mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission 
Requirements in this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 12, 2006.
    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 2006. Parent Training and Information 
Centers-CFDA Number 84.328M is one of the competitions included in this 
project. We request your participation in Grants.gov.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Grants.gov Apply site at https://www.Grants.gov. Through this 
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, 
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You 
may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    You may access the electronic grant application for Parent Training 
and Information Centers-CFDA Number 84.328M competition at: https://
www.grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application 
package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA 
number's alpha suffix in your search.
    Please note the following:
     Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
     When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site, as well as the hours of operation.
     Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and 
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this

[[Page 67679]]

section, we will not consider your application if it is date/time 
stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC 
time, on the application deadline date. When we retrieve your 
application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting 
your application because it was date/time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date.
     The amount of time it can take to upload an application 
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the 
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we 
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline 
date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov at https://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/
GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf. To submit your application via 
Grants.gov, you must complete the steps in the Grants.gov registration 
process (see https://www.Grants.gov/GetStarted) and provide on your 
application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please 
note that the registration process may take five or more business days 
to complete.
     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. If you choose to 
submit your application electronically, you must attach any narrative 
sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich 
text), or .PDF (portable document) format. If you upload a file type 
other than the three file types specified above or submit a password 
protected file, we will not review that material.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a 
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your 
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying 
number unique to your application).
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
forms at a later date.

Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability

    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an 
application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, 
please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under For 
Further Information Contact, and provide an explanation of the 
technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your 
application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with 
the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to 
submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a 
determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.


    Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the 
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system. 
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register 
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date 
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to 
the Grants.gov system.


    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the 
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the 
original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable 
following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.328M), 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 
84.328M), 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 
84.328M), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays and Federal holidays.
    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail 
or hand deliver your application to the Department:
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the 
Department--in Item 4 of the 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

[[Page 67680]]

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

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), the Department is currently developing measures 
that will yield information on various aspects of the quality of the 
Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities 
program. The measures will focus on: The extent to which projects 
provide high quality products and services, the relevance of project 
products and services to educational and early intervention policy and 
practice, and the use of products and services to improve educational 
and early intervention policy and practice.
    Once the measures are developed, we will notify grantees if they 
will be required to provide any information related to these measures.
    Grantees will also be required to report information on their 
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR 
75.590).

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Donna Fluke, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4059, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7345.
    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: November 3, 2005.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 05-22257 Filed 11-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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