Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities-Model Demonstration Centers on Implementing Tertiary Level Behavioral Interventions Within a School-Wide Model for Children Who Are Not Responsive to Universal and Secondary Level Interventions; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, 10658-10663 [E6-3012]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 41 (Thursday, March 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10658-10663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3012]


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

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services 
and Results for Children With Disabilities--Model Demonstration Centers 
on Implementing Tertiary Level Behavioral Interventions Within a 
School-Wide Model for Children Who Are Not Responsive to Universal and 
Secondary Level Interventions; Notice Inviting Applications for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.326M.
    Dates: Applications Available: March 2, 2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 17, 2006.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 16, 2006.
    Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs).
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,200,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Award: $400,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $400,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 
may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal 
Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 3.

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

    Project Period: Up to 48 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: This program promotes academic achievement and 
improves results for children with disabilities by supporting technical 
assistance, model demonstration projects, dissemination of useful 
information, and implementation activities that are supported by 
scientifically based research.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority 
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 663 
and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 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: Model Demonstration Centers on Implementing 
Tertiary Level Behavioral Interventions within a School-Wide Model for 
Children who are Not Responsive to Universal and Secondary Level 
Interventions.

Background

    During the last several years, increased attention and an emerging 
research base have focused on a response to intervention model that 
identifies and addresses the needs of children who do not respond 
sufficiently to high quality class-wide academic instruction and 
remedial evidence-based interventions. This response to intervention 
model, while gaining attention with respect to students experiencing 
academic challenges, is also applicable to students experiencing 
behavioral challenges. Despite high quality class-wide behavioral 
strategies and remedial interventions, some children with behavioral 
challenges fail to make sufficient progress and require more 
individualized and intensive supports to be successful in their 
educational program.
    The school setting is one of the most important settings for 
behavioral prevention and intervention programs and has been described 
as the ideal setting for these programs due to compulsory attendance 
and sustained contact with youth during the early years of development 
(Loeber & Farrington, 1998, Walker and Shinn, 2002). School-wide 
behavioral programs have received increased attention since the 1997 
amendments to IDEA introduced the concept of ``positive behavioral 
interventions and supports.'' The three-tiered prevention model, 
originally adapted from mental health literature, has emerged as the 
prevailing model for school-wide implementation of behavioral 
prevention and intervention programs. Components of the model include: 
(1) Universal interventions for all students; (2) secondary 
interventions for smaller groups of students who may require some 
additional remedial interventions in order to be successful in their 
educational program; and (3) tertiary

[[Page 10659]]

level interventions for those students who, despite a high quality 
universal program and subsequent evidence-based secondary 
interventions, fail to make substantial progress without the 
implementation of individualized, intensive interventions. Assessment 
of progress throughout the multi-level tiers of support is based on a 
student's response to interventions.
    Currently, approximately one percent of all children who receive 
services under IDEA are children with emotional disturbances (ED). 
Students with ED are identified later than students with other 
disabilities, with the earliest identifications generally occurring at 
age nine (National Longitudinal Transition Study of Youth II). With 
evidence documenting the reduced effects of interventions that are 
implemented after antisocial and aggressive behaviors have persisted, 
early intervention is critical to mitigate and possibly reverse these 
negative behavioral trajectories (Webster-Stratton & Hammond, 1997 and 
Campbell, 1995). Young children who demonstrate significant, 
intractable, behavioral challenges and who do not respond sufficiently 
to universal or secondary interventions will need comprehensive 
tertiary level interventions to prevent extremely bleak outcomes both 
for the individual and society as a whole (Sprague, et al., 2001).
    In the 1987 National Longitudinal Transition Study of Youth, 
students with ED had the poorest outcomes of all students with 
disabilities. Unfortunately, these outcomes persisted in a follow-up 
study conducted ten years later (SRI, 2004). Negative outcomes 
included: Poor grades, dropping out, arrest, teenage pregnancy, and 
unemployment. Students with ED, in spite of their average to above 
average intelligence, are significantly more likely than students 
without ED to experience academic problems. These academic problems may 
become more significant for children who do not respond to universal 
efforts and secondary interventions and, due to their behavior 
problems, these children are frequently removed from instructional 
environments. For these students with intractable behavioral 
challenges, tertiary level interventions are critical to enable them to 
participate in the educational system.
    Tertiary interventions are designed to focus on the needs of 
individuals who exhibit patterns of significant problem behavior that 
is dangerous or highly disruptive, impedes learning, or results in 
social or educational exclusion. Tertiary interventions are most 
effective when they are nested within a multi-tiered school-wide model. 
The goal of tertiary interventions is to diminish problem behavior and 
to increase the student's adaptive skills, access to instruction, and 
opportunities for an enhanced quality of life. Due to the complexity 
and intensity of behaviors targeted for intervention at this level and 
based on the individualized nature of the interventions implemented, a 
functional behavior assessment (FBA) is a necessary tool to assist 
educators in determining the most appropriate interventions designed to 
meet the student's specific needs.
    An FBA is an evidence-based method of assessment that uses direct 
observation to develop hypothesis statements for behavior support plans 
and uses a comprehensive approach to identify antecedents and 
consequences that will help control problem behavior and to develop 
appropriate interventions (Horner, 1994). It provides data regarding 
the student's behavior and potential intervention strategies and 
assists educators in focusing on modifications that can be made to the 
environment to effect change in the student (Crone, Horner, & Hawken, 
2004). Behavioral interventions based on FBAs are also three times more 
likely than those not based on FBAs to be effective in reducing problem 
behaviors and encouraging more appropriate behaviors (Carr, Turnbull, 
et al., 2001). Implementation of interventions that are effective in 
reducing problem behaviors likely will increase the student's exposure 
to instructional environments and result in improved achievement and 
more positive life outcomes.

Priority

    The purpose of this priority is to support three (3) centers, each 
of which is to develop a behavioral model that incorporates scientific 
evidence-based, tertiary level interventions within a school-wide 
behavior model for students in elementary and middle school, in regular 
and special education classrooms. Each Center's model must apply and 
test research findings in typical settings where children with 
disabilities receive services to determine the services' usefulness, 
effectiveness, and general applicability to these typical settings. To 
meet this priority, a Center must design and implement a model that: 
(1) Targets the group of children who have not been responsive to 
universal behavioral strategies or secondary evidence-based 
interventions that have been shown to be effective based on scientific 
research and who require intensive and individualized behavioral 
interventions at the tertiary level; (2) is based on evidence-based 
practices, strategies, and interventions; (3) includes a process for 
the collection, analysis, and use of data for decision making; and (4) 
includes a professional development strategy. A Center's model must 
have the same critical components across different school levels but 
these components may be implemented slightly differently based on the 
age of the students.
    Each Center must establish its model in at least three sites. A 
site must consist of, at a minimum, one elementary school and one 
middle school, and may include a pre-school or high school setting.
    In order to be considered for funding under this priority, an IHE 
must demonstrate that the key staff responsible for implementing the 
model have expertise in the full continuum of school-wide behavioral 
interventions--universal, secondary, and tertiary--which may be 
demonstrated by having refereed publications on this topic or federally 
supported grants addressing this area. Key staff must also have 
demonstrated success implementing behavioral interventions and models 
in typical settings. In addition, the IHE must establish a partnership 
with a local educational agency (LEA) to facilitate the implementation 
of the model in school settings and increase the likelihood that school 
personnel will develop sufficient expertise in order to sustain the 
model after project completion.
    Each Center must coordinate with the Model Demonstration 
Coordination Center (MDCC), a separate center funded by the 
Department's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) that is 
responsible for coordinating implementation and analyzing data to 
determine the effectiveness of the tertiary level intervention models. 
In 2005, OSEP awarded funds, through a contract, for the establishment 
of the MDCC. The MDCC is developing a data coordination plan and cross 
site data collection instruments, and will generate common evaluation 
questions, synthesize and analyze data collection, monitor fidelity of 
implementation, ensure reliability of data, and foster dissemination of 
information.
    The start date for the projects funded under this competition is 
expected to be January 1, 2007. A meeting of all Centers funded under 
this priority as well as the MDCC will be held one month after the 
awards are made. The purpose of this meeting is to review and, as 
necessary, modify proposals and discuss collaboration among the Centers 
and the MDCC.
    An applicant must describe, in its application--

[[Page 10660]]

    (a) The sites where the model will be implemented and the methods 
used to recruit and select sites, including documentation of the 
implementation and fidelity of evidence-based universal and secondary 
practices and interventions and a reliable, effective process for 
determining which students have not responded to universal and 
secondary interventions and therefore require tertiary level 
interventions;
    (b) The proposed model and the supporting evidence for the model as 
a whole or for the critical components that are included within the 
model; and
    (c) The knowledge, experience, and capabilities of the key staff 
who will be responsible for the implementation of tertiary level 
interventions and the model.
    To meet the requirements of this priority, each Center, at a 
minimum, must--
    (1) Implement a model and a data collection plan that includes: a 
selection or screening procedure for children who are not responsive to 
universal or secondary level interventions, a method for linking 
interventions to problem behaviors, a detailed description of critical 
elements of the model, a process for collecting, evaluating and 
formulating decisions based on individual student and systems (i.e., 
class, school, district) data, and a description of the system 
variables required to implement and sustain the model;
    (2) Provide and document initial and continuing professional 
development to administrators, regular educators, and special educators 
on the use of tertiary level interventions nested within a school-wide 
behavior model;
    (3) Collect data related to the fidelity of the implementation of 
the model and describe the methods of fidelity evaluation, as well as 
how these methods relate to continuing professional development and 
feedback provided to teachers and administrators;
    (4) Identify methods for effectively increasing communication and 
collaboration among parents, community agencies, and school/Center 
staff;
    (5) Collaborate with the other Centers funded under this 
competition and the MDCC in order to determine a plan for evaluating 
the impact of these models on children's behavior and academic progress 
and outcomes;
    (6) Develop regular communication with OSEP's National Center on 
Positive Behavioral Supports and OSEP's other funded centers, as 
appropriate, to share information regarding topics such as successful 
strategies and less successful approaches for implementing behavioral 
interventions in schools;
    (7) Develop strategies for the dissemination of implementation 
information, if the model proves to be successful, to specific 
audiences, including teachers, families, administrators, policymakers, 
and researchers. These dissemination strategies must involve 
collaboration with other technical assistance providers including 
parent centers funded by OSEP, organizations, and researchers;
    (8) 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 Project Officer to be designated by OSEP 
and the document review board of OSEP's Dissemination Center;
    (9) Budget for the Center's project director to attend a three-day 
Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC during each year of the 
project; and
    (10) If a Web site is maintained, format the information and 
documents on the Web site in a manner that meets a government or 
industry-recognized standard for accessibility.
    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 a proposed priority. However, 
section 681(d) of IDEA makes the public comment requirements under the 
APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1463 and 1481(d).
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

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

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: $1,200,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Award: $400,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $400,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 
may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal 
Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 3.

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

    Project Period: Up to 48 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs.
    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 84.326M.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts 
Services Team listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section 
VII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to 
the equivalent of no more than 70 pages, using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the

[[Page 10661]]

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: March 2, 
2006.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 17, 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: June 16, 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. The Model Demonstration Centers on Implementing 
Tertiary Level Behavioral Interventions within a School-Wide Model for 
Children who are Not Responsive to Universal and Secondary Level 
Interventions--CFDA Number 84.326M 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 The Model 
Demonstration Centers on Implementing Tertiary Level Behavioral 
Interventions within a School-Wide Model for Children who are Not 
Responsive to Universal and Secondary Level Interventions 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 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/ Grantsgov 
Submission Procedures.pdf.
     To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must 
complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see 
https://www.Grants.gov/ GetStarted). These steps include (1) registering 
your organization, (2) registering yourself as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting authorized as an AOR 
by your organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the 
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see https://www.grants.gov/assets/ GrantsgovCo Brand Brochure8X11.pdf). You also must provide on your 
application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please 
note that the registration process may take five or more business days 
to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to 
allow you to successfully submit an application via Grants.gov.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you submit your application in paper format.
     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

[[Page 10662]]

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 
84.326M), 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 
84.326M), 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 84.326M), 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 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

    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 has developed measures that will 
yield information on various aspects of the Technical Assistance and 
Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities program. These measures 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.
    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: Renee Bradley, U.S. Department of

[[Page 10663]]

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4105, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7277.
    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: February 27, 2006.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. E6-3012 Filed 3-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P