Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Overview Information; State Personnel Development Grants Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 (To Be Awarded in FY 2006), 33579-33585 [06-5273]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 111 / Friday, June 9, 2006 / Notices
the needs of, and improve the
performance and achievement of
infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and
children with disabilities; (2)
Implements practices to sustain the
knowledge and skills of personnel who
have received training in scientificallybased instruction; and (3) Implements
strategies that are effective in promoting
the recruitment, hiring, and retention of
highly qualified special education
teachers in accordance with section
602(10) and section 612(a)(14) of IDEA.
Projects funded under this priority
must also:
(a) Budget for a three-day Project
Directors’ meeting in Washington, DC
during each year of the project;
(b) Budget $4,000 annually for
support of the State Personnel
Development Grants Program Web site
currently administered by the
University of Oregon (https://
www.signetwork.org); and
(c) If a project receiving assistance
under this program authority maintains
a Web site, include relevant information
and documents in a form that meets a
government or industry-recognized
standard for accessibility.
Executive Order 12866
This NFP has been reviewed in
accordance with Executive Order 12866.
Under the terms of the order, we have
assessed the potential costs and benefits
of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with
the NFP are those resulting from
statutory requirements and those we
have determined as necessary for
administering this program effectively
and efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and
benefits—both quantitative and
qualitative—of this NFP, we have
determined that the benefits of the final
priority justify the costs.
We have also determined that this
regulatory action does not unduly
interfere with State, local, and tribal
governments in the exercise of their
governmental functions.
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Intergovernmental Review
This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34
CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the
Executive order is to foster an
intergovernmental partnership and a
strengthened federalism. The Executive
order relies on processes developed by
State and local governments for
coordination and review of proposed
Federal financial assistance.
This document provides early
notification of our specific plans and
actions for this program.
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Applicable Program Regulations: 34
CFR part 300.
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index.html.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Number 84.323A State Personnel
Development Grants)
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1451–1455.
Dated: June 6, 2006.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 06–5272 Filed 6–8–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Overview
Information; State Personnel
Development Grants Program; Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 (To Be
Awarded in FY 2006)
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.323A
Dates: Applications Available: June 9,
2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: July 24, 2006.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: September 22, 2006.
Eligible Applicants: A State
educational agency (SEA) of one of the
50 States, the District of Columbia, or
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or an
outlying area (United States Virgin
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and
the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands). Current State Program
Improvement Grant grantees with multiyear awards who wish to apply for a
grant under the State Personnel
Development Grants Program may do
so, subject to section 651(e) of the
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33579
Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA), which prohibits a State
requesting a continuation award under
the State Improvement Grant Program,
as in effect prior to December 3, 2004,
from receiving any other award under
this program authority for that fiscal
year.
Estimated Available Funds:
$10,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: In the
case of the 50 States, the District of
Columbia, and the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, award amounts will be not
less than $500,000, nor more than
$4,000,000. In the case of an outlying
area, awards will be not less than
$80,000.
Note: Consistent with 34 CFR 75.104(b) of
the Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), we
will reject, without consideration or
evaluation, any application that proposes a
project funding level for any fiscal year that
exceeds the stated maximum award amount
of $4,000,000 for that fiscal year.
We will set the amount of each grant
after considering—
(1) The amount of funds available for
making grants;
(2) The relative population of the
State or outlying area;
(3) The types of activities proposed by
the State or outlying area;
(4) The alignment of proposed
activities with section 612(a)(14) of
IDEA;
(5) The alignment of proposed
activities with State plans and
applications submitted under sections
1111 and 2112, respectively, of the
Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA); and
(6) The use, as appropriate, of
scientifically-based research and
instruction.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$1,000,000, excluding outlying areas.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Not less than one year
and not more than five years.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
this program is to assist SEAs in
reforming and improving their systems
for personnel preparation and
professional development in early
intervention, educational, and transition
services in order to improve results for
children with disabilities.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(v) this priority is from the
notice of final priority for this program
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published elsewhere in this issue of the
Federal Register.
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.
Priority
The Assistant Secretary establishes a
priority to assist SEAs in reforming and
improving their personnel preparation
and professional development systems
for teachers, principals, administrators,
related services personnel,
paraprofessionals, and early
intervention personnel. The intent of
this priority is to improve educational
results for children with disabilities
through the delivery of high quality
instruction and the recruitment, hiring,
and retention of highly qualified special
education teachers.
In order to meet this priority an
applicant must demonstrate that the
project for which it seeks funding—(1)
Provides professional development
activities that improve the knowledge
and skills of personnel as defined in
section 651(b) of IDEA in delivering
scientifically-based instruction to meet
the needs of, and improve the
performance and achievement of
infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and
children with disabilities; (2)
Implements practices to sustain the
knowledge and skills of personnel who
have received training in scientificallybased instruction; and (3) Implements
strategies that are effective in promoting
the recruitment, hiring, and retention of
highly qualified special education
teachers in accordance with section
602(10) and section 612(a)(14) of IDEA.
Projects funded under this priority
must also:
(a) Budget for a three-day Project
Directors’ meeting in Washington, DC
during each year of the project;
(b) Budget $4,000 annually for
support of the State Personnel
Development Grants Program Web site
currently administered by the
University of Oregon (https://
www.signetwork.org); and
(c) If a project receiving assistance
under this program authority maintains
a Web site, include relevant information
and documents in a form that meets a
government or industry-recognized
standard for accessibility.
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Statutory Requirements
State Personnel Development Plan
Applicants must submit a State
Personnel Development Plan that
identifies and addresses the State and
local needs for personnel preparation
and professional development of
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personnel, as well as individuals who
provide direct supplementary aids and
services to children with disabilities,
and that—
(a) Is designed to enable the State to
meet the requirements of section
612(a)(14) and section 635(a)(8) and (9)
of IDEA;
(b) Is based on an assessment of State
and local needs that identifies critical
aspects and areas in need of
improvement related to the preparation,
ongoing training, and professional
development of personnel who serve
infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and
children with disabilities within the
State, including—
(i) Current and anticipated personnel
vacancies and shortages; and
(ii) The number of preservice and
inservice programs; and
(c) Is integrated and aligned, to the
maximum extent possible, with State
plans and activities under the ESEA, the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended,
and the Higher Education Act of 1965,
as amended (HEA);
(d) Describes a partnership agreement
that is in effect for the period of the
grant, which agreement shall specify—
(i) The nature and extent of the
partnership described in accordance
with section 652(b) of the IDEA and the
respective roles of each member of the
partnership, including, if applicable, an
individual, entity, or agency other than
the SEA that has the responsibility
under State law for teacher preparation
and certification; and
(ii) How the SEA will work with other
persons and organizations involved in,
and concerned with, the education of
children with disabilities, including the
respective roles of each of the persons
and organizations;
(e) Describes how the strategies and
activities the SEA uses to address
identified professional development and
personnel needs will be coordinated
with activities supported with other
public resources (including funds
provided under Part B and Part C of
IDEA and retained for use at the State
level for personnel and professional
development purposes) and private
resources;
(f) Describes how the SEA will align
its personnel development plan with the
plan and application submitted under
sections 1111 and 2112, respectively, of
the ESEA;
(g) Describes those strategies the SEA
will use to address the identified
professional development and
personnel needs and how such
strategies will be implemented,
including—
(i) A description of the programs and
activities that will provide personnel
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with the knowledge and skills to meet
the needs of, and improve the
performance and achievement of,
infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and
children with disabilities; and
(ii) How such strategies will be
integrated, to the maximum extent
possible, with other activities supported
by grants funded under section 662 of
IDEA;
(h) Provides an assurance that the
SEA will provide technical assistance to
LEAs to improve the quality of
professional development available to
meet the needs of personnel who serve
children with disabilities;
(i) Provides an assurance that the SEA
will provide technical assistance to
entities that provide services to infants
and toddlers with disabilities to
improve the quality of professional
development available to meet the
needs of personnel serving those
children;
(j) Describes how the SEA will recruit
and retain highly qualified teachers and
other qualified personnel in geographic
areas of greatest need;
(k) Describes the steps the SEA will
take to ensure that economically
disadvantaged and minority children
are not taught at higher rates by teachers
who are not highly qualified; and
(l) Describes how the SEA will assess,
on a regular basis, the extent to which
the strategies implemented have been
effective in meeting the performance
goals described in section 612(a)(15) of
IDEA.
Partnerships
Required Partners
Applicants shall establish a
partnership with LEAs and other State
agencies involved in, or concerned with,
the education of children with
disabilities, including—
(a) Not less than one institution of
higher education; and
(b) The State agencies responsible for
administering Part C of IDEA, early
education, child care, and vocational
rehabilitation programs.
Other Partners
An SEA shall work in partnership
with other persons and organizations
involved in, and concerned with, the
education of children with disabilities,
which may include—
(a) The Governor;
(b) Parents of children with
disabilities ages birth through 26;
(c) Parents of nondisabled children
ages birth through 26;
(d) Individuals with disabilities;
(e) Parent training and information
centers or community parent resource
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centers funded under sections 671 and
672, respectively, of IDEA;
(f) Community-based and other
nonprofit organizations involved in the
education and employment of
individuals with disabilities;
(g) Personnel as defined in section
651(b) of IDEA;
(h) The State advisory panel
established under Part B of IDEA;
(i) The State interagency coordinating
council established under Part C of
IDEA;
(j) Individuals knowledgeable about
vocational education;
(k) The State agency for higher
education;
(l) Noneducational public agencies
with jurisdiction in the areas of health,
mental health, social services, and
juvenile justice;
(m) Other providers of professional
development who work with infants,
toddlers, preschoolers, and children
with disabilities;
(n) Other individuals; and
(o) In cases where the SEA is not
responsible for teacher certification, an
individual, entity, or agency responsible
for teacher certification as defined in
section 652(b)(3) of IDEA.
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Use of funds
(a) Professional Development
Activities—Consistent with the final
priority, each SEA that receives a State
Personnel Development Grant under
this program shall use the grant funds
to support activities in accordance with
the State’s Personnel Development Plan,
including one or more of the following:
(1) Carrying out programs that provide
support to both special education and
regular education teachers of children
with disabilities and principals, such as
programs that—
(i) Provide teacher mentoring, team
teaching, reduced class schedules and
case loads, and intensive professional
development;
(ii) Use standards or assessments for
guiding beginning teachers that are
consistent with challenging State
student academic achievement and
functional standards and with the
requirements for professional
development, as defined in section 9101
of the ESEA; and
(iii) Encourage collaborative and
consultative models of providing early
intervention, special education, and
related services.
(2) Encouraging and supporting the
training of special education and regular
education teachers and administrators
to effectively use and integrate
technology—
(i) Into curricula and instruction,
including training to improve the ability
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to collect, manage, and analyze data to
improve teaching, decision-making,
school improvement efforts, and
accountability;
(ii) To enhance learning by children
with disabilities; and
(iii) To effectively communicate with
parents.
(3) Providing professional
development activities that—
(i) Improve the knowledge of special
education and regular education
teachers concerning—
(A) The academic and developmental
or functional needs of students with
disabilities; or
(B) Effective instructional strategies,
methods, and skills, and the use of State
academic content standards and student
academic achievement and functional
standards, and State assessments, to
improve teaching practices and student
academic achievement;
(ii) Improve the knowledge of special
education and regular education
teachers and principals and, in
appropriate cases, paraprofessionals,
concerning effective instructional
practices, and that—
(A) Provide training in how to teach
and address the needs of children with
different learning styles and children
who are limited English proficient;
(B) Involve collaborative groups of
teachers, administrators, and, in
appropriate cases, related services
personnel;
(C) Provide training in methods of—
(I) Positive behavioral interventions
and supports to improve student
behavior in the classroom;
(II) Scientifically-based reading
instruction, including early literacy
instruction;
(III) Early and appropriate
interventions to identify and help
children with disabilities;
(IV) Effective instruction for children
with low incidence disabilities;
(V) Successful transitioning to
postsecondary opportunities; and
(VI) Using classroom-based
techniques to assist children prior to
referral for special education;
(D) Provide training to enable
personnel to work with and involve
parents in their child’s education,
including parents of low income and
limited English proficient children with
disabilities;
(E) Provide training for special
education personnel and regular
education personnel in planning,
developing, and implementing effective
and appropriate individualized
education programs (IEPs); and
(F) Provide training to meet the needs
of students with significant health,
mobility, or behavioral needs prior to
serving those students;
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(iii) Train administrators, principals,
and other relevant school personnel in
conducting effective IEP meetings; and
(iv) Train early intervention,
preschool, and related services
providers, and other relevant school
personnel, in conducting effective
individualized family service plan
(IFSP) meetings.
(4) Developing and implementing
initiatives to promote the recruitment
and retention of highly qualified special
education teachers, particularly
initiatives that have been proven
effective in recruiting and retaining
highly qualified teachers, including
programs that provide—
(i) Teacher mentoring from exemplary
special education teachers, principals,
or superintendents;
(ii) Induction and support for special
education teachers during their first
three years of employment as teachers;
or
(iii) Incentives, including financial
incentives, to retain special education
teachers who have a record of success
in helping students with disabilities.
(5) Carrying out programs and
activities that are designed to improve
the quality of personnel who serve
children with disabilities, such as—
(i) Innovative professional
development programs (which may be
provided through partnerships that
include institutions of higher
education), including programs that
train teachers and principals to integrate
technology into curricula and
instruction to improve teaching,
learning, and technology literacy, which
professional development shall be
consistent with the definition of
professional development in section
9101 of the ESEA; and
(ii) The development and use of
proven, cost effective strategies for the
implementation of professional
development activities, such as through
the use of technology and distance
learning.
(6) Carrying out programs and
activities that are designed to improve
the quality of early intervention
personnel, including paraprofessionals
and primary referral sources, such as—
(i) Professional development
programs to improve the delivery of
early intervention services;
(ii) Initiatives to promote the
recruitment and retention of early
intervention personnel; and
(iii) Interagency activities to ensure
that early intervention personnel are
adequately prepared and trained.
(b) Other Activities—Consistent with
the final priority, each SEA that receives
a State Personnel Development Grant
under this program shall use the grant
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funds to support activities in
accordance with the State’s Personnel
Development Plan, including one or
more of the following:
(1) Reforming special education and
regular education teacher certification
(including recertification) or licensing
requirements to ensure that—
(i) Special education and regular
education teachers have—
(A) The training and information
necessary to address the full range of
needs of children with disabilities
across disability categories; and
(B) The necessary subject matter
knowledge and teaching skills in the
academic subjects that the teachers
teach;
(ii) Special education and regular
education teacher certification
(including recertification) or licensing
requirements are aligned with
challenging State academic content
standards; and
(iii) Special education and regular
education teachers have the subject
matter knowledge and teaching skills,
including technology literacy, necessary
to help students with disabilities meet
challenging State student academic
achievement and functional standards.
(2) Programs that establish, expand, or
improve alternative routes for State
certification of special education
teachers for highly qualified individuals
with a baccalaureate or master’s degree,
including mid-career professionals from
other occupations, paraprofessionals,
and recent college or university
graduates with records of academic
distinction who demonstrate the
potential to become highly effective
special education teachers.
(3) Teacher advancement initiatives
for special education teachers that
promote professional growth and
emphasize multiple career paths (such
as paths to becoming a career teacher,
mentor teacher, or exemplary teacher)
and pay differentiation.
(4) Developing and implementing
mechanisms to assist LEAs and schools
in effectively recruiting and retaining
highly qualified special education
teachers.
(5) Reforming tenure systems,
implementing teacher testing for subject
matter knowledge, and implementing
teacher testing for State certification or
licensing, consistent with Title II of the
HEA.
(6) Funding projects to promote
reciprocity of teacher certification or
licensing between or among States for
special education teachers, except that
no reciprocity agreement developed
under this priority may lead to the
weakening of any State teacher
certification or licensing requirement.
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(7) Assisting LEAs to serve children
with disabilities through the
development and use of proven,
innovative strategies to deliver intensive
professional development programs that
are both cost effective and easily
accessible, such as strategies that
involve delivery through the use of
technology, peer networks, and distance
learning.
(8) Developing, or assisting LEAs in
developing, merit based performance
systems, and strategies that provide
differential and bonus pay for special
education teachers.
(9) Supporting activities that ensure
that teachers are able to use challenging
State academic content standards and
student academic achievement and
functional standards, and State
assessments for all children with
disabilities, to improve instructional
practices and improve the academic
achievement of children with
disabilities.
(10) When applicable, coordinating
with, and expanding centers established
under, section 2113(c)(18) of the ESEA
to benefit special education teachers.
(c) Contracts and Subgrants—An SEA
that receives a grant under this
program—
(1) Shall award contracts or subgrants
to LEAs, institutions of higher
education, parent training and
information centers, or community
parent resource centers, as appropriate,
to carry out the State plan; and
(2) May award contracts and
subgrants to other public and private
entities, including the lead agency
under Part C of IDEA, to carry out the
State plan.
(d) Use of Funds for Professional
Development—An SEA that receives a
grant under this program shall use—
(1) Not less than 90 percent of the
funds the SEA receives under the grant
for any fiscal year for the Professional
Development Activities described in
paragraph (a); and
(2) Not more than 10 percent of the
funds the SEA receives under the grant
for any fiscal year for the Other
Activities described in paragraph (b).
(e) Grants to Outlying Areas—Public
Law 95–134, permitting the
consolidation of grants to the outlying
areas, shall not apply to funds received
under this program authority.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1451
through 1455.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82,
84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of
final priority for this program published
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elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79
apply to all applicants except federally
recognized Indian tribes.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Range of Awards: In the
case of the 50 States, the District of
Columbia, and the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, award amounts will be not
less than $500,000, nor more than
$4,000,000. In the case of an outlying
area awards will be not less than
$80,000.
Note: Consistent with 34 CFR 75.104(b) of
EDGAR, we will reject without further
consideration or evaluation any application
that proposes a project funding level for any
fiscal year that exceeds the stated maximum
award amount of $4,000,000 for that fiscal
year.
We will set the amount of each grant
after considering—
(1) The amount of funds available for
making the grants;
(2) The relative population of the
State or outlying area;
(3) The types of activities proposed by
the State or outlying area;
(4) The alignment of proposed
activities with section 612(a)(14) of
IDEA;
(5) The alignment of proposed
activities with State plans and
applications submitted under sections
1111 and 2112, respectively, of the
ESEA; and
(6) The use, as appropriate, of
scientifically-based activities.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$1,000,000, excluding outlying areas.
Estimated Available Funds:
$10,000,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Not less than one year
and not more than five years.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: An SEA of one
of the 50 States, the District of
Columbia, or the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico or an outlying area (United
States Virgin Islands, Guam, American
Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands). Current
State Program Improvement Grant
grantees with multi-year awards who
wish to apply for a grant under the State
Personnel Development Grants Program
may do so, subject to section 651(e) of
IDEA, which prohibits a State
requesting to receive a continuation
award under the State Improvement
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Grant Program, as in effect prior to
December 3, 2004, from receiving any
other award under this program
authority for that fiscal year.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
competition does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: General Requirements—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).
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
84.323A.
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 program
contact person 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 100
pages, using the following standards:
• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side
only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,
and both sides.
• Double space (no more than three
lines per vertical inch) all text in the
application narrative, including titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations,
references, and captions, 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
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section, including the narrative budget
justification; Part IV, the assurances and
certifications; or the one-page abstract,
the resumes, the bibliography, the
references, or the letters of support.
However, you must include all of the
application narrative in Part III.
We will reject your application if—
• You apply these standards and
exceed the page limit; or
• You apply other standards and
exceed the equivalent of the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: June 9, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: July 24, 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.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: September 22, 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
governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site
in FY 2006. The State Personnel
Development Grants Program—CFDA
Number 84.323A 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
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application. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to
us.
You may access the electronic grant
application for the State Personnel
Development Grants Program—CFDA
Number 84.323A 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 program 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 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
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(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/
GrantsgovCoBrandBrochure8X11.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—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
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
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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 84.323A), 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 84.323A),
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.
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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 84.323A), 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
Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424) the CFDA
number—and suffix letter, if any—of the
competition under which you are
submitting your application.
(2) The Application Control Center
will mail a grant application receipt
acknowledgment to you. If you do not
receive the grant application receipt
acknowledgment within 15 business
days from the application deadline date,
you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at
(202) 245–6288.
V. Application Review Information
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
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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: The goal of
the State Personnel Development Grants
(SPDG) Program is to reform and
improve State systems for personnel
preparation and professional
development in early intervention,
educational, and transition services in
order to improve results for children
with disabilities. Under the Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA),
the Department has developed
performance measures to assess the
success of the program in meeting these
goals. These measures are: (1) The
percent of personnel receiving
professional development through the
SPDG program based on scientific-or
evidence-based instructional practices;
(2) the percentage of SPDG projects that
have implemented personnel
development/training activities that are
aligned with improvement strategies
identified in their State Performance
Plan (SPP); (3) the percentage of
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professional development/training
activities provided through the SPDG
program based on scientific-or evidencebased instructional/behavioral practices;
(4) the percentage of professional
development/training activities based
on scientific-or evidence-based
instructional/behavioral practices,
provided through the SPDG program,
that are sustained through ongoing and
comprehensive practices (e.g.,
mentoring, coaching, structured
guidance, modeling, continuous
inquiry, etc.); and (5) in States with
SPDG projects that have special
education teacher retention as a goal,
the Statewide percentage of highly
qualified special education teachers in
State-identified professional disciplines
(e.g., teachers of children with
emotional disturbance, deafness, etc.)
consistent with sections 602(a)(10) and
612(a)(14) of IDEA, who remain
teaching after the first three years of
employment.
Each grantee must annually report its
performance on these measures in the
project’s annual performance report to
the Department in accordance with
section 653(d) of IDEA and 34 CFR
75.590.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Larry Wexler, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
Room 4019, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202–2550.
Telephone: (202) 245–7571.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–
800–877–8339.
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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: June 6, 2006.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 06–5273 Filed 6–8–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 111 (Friday, June 9, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33579-33585]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5273]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Overview
Information; State Personnel Development Grants Program; Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 (To Be
Awarded in FY 2006)
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.323A
Dates: Applications Available: June 9, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 24, 2006.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 22, 2006.
Eligible Applicants: A State educational agency (SEA) of one of the
50 States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
or an outlying area (United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American
Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). Current
State Program Improvement Grant grantees with multi-year awards who
wish to apply for a grant under the State Personnel Development Grants
Program may do so, subject to section 651(e) of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which prohibits a State requesting a
continuation award under the State Improvement Grant Program, as in
effect prior to December 3, 2004, from receiving any other award under
this program authority for that fiscal year.
Estimated Available Funds: $10,000,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: In the case of the 50 States, the
District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, award
amounts will be not less than $500,000, nor more than $4,000,000. In
the case of an outlying area, awards will be not less than $80,000.
Note: Consistent with 34 CFR 75.104(b) of the Education
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), we will
reject, without consideration or evaluation, any application that
proposes a project funding level for any fiscal year that exceeds
the stated maximum award amount of $4,000,000 for that fiscal year.
We will set the amount of each grant after considering--
(1) The amount of funds available for making grants;
(2) The relative population of the State or outlying area;
(3) The types of activities proposed by the State or outlying area;
(4) The alignment of proposed activities with section 612(a)(14) of
IDEA;
(5) The alignment of proposed activities with State plans and
applications submitted under sections 1111 and 2112, respectively, of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA);
and
(6) The use, as appropriate, of scientifically-based research and
instruction.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,000,000, excluding outlying
areas.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Not less than one year and not more than five
years.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to assist SEAs
in reforming and improving their systems for personnel preparation and
professional development in early intervention, educational, and
transition services in order to improve results for children with
disabilities.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v) this priority
is from the notice of final priority for this program
[[Page 33580]]
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
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.
Priority
The Assistant Secretary establishes a priority to assist SEAs in
reforming and improving their personnel preparation and professional
development systems for teachers, principals, administrators, related
services personnel, paraprofessionals, and early intervention
personnel. The intent of this priority is to improve educational
results for children with disabilities through the delivery of high
quality instruction and the recruitment, hiring, and retention of
highly qualified special education teachers.
In order to meet this priority an applicant must demonstrate that
the project for which it seeks funding--(1) Provides professional
development activities that improve the knowledge and skills of
personnel as defined in section 651(b) of IDEA in delivering
scientifically-based instruction to meet the needs of, and improve the
performance and achievement of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and
children with disabilities; (2) Implements practices to sustain the
knowledge and skills of personnel who have received training in
scientifically-based instruction; and (3) Implements strategies that
are effective in promoting the recruitment, hiring, and retention of
highly qualified special education teachers in accordance with section
602(10) and section 612(a)(14) of IDEA.
Projects funded under this priority must also:
(a) Budget for a three-day Project Directors' meeting in
Washington, DC during each year of the project;
(b) Budget $4,000 annually for support of the State Personnel
Development Grants Program Web site currently administered by the
University of Oregon (https://www.signetwork.org); and
(c) If a project receiving assistance under this program authority
maintains a Web site, include relevant information and documents in a
form that meets a government or industry-recognized standard for
accessibility.
Statutory Requirements
State Personnel Development Plan
Applicants must submit a State Personnel Development Plan that
identifies and addresses the State and local needs for personnel
preparation and professional development of personnel, as well as
individuals who provide direct supplementary aids and services to
children with disabilities, and that--
(a) Is designed to enable the State to meet the requirements of
section 612(a)(14) and section 635(a)(8) and (9) of IDEA;
(b) Is based on an assessment of State and local needs that
identifies critical aspects and areas in need of improvement related to
the preparation, ongoing training, and professional development of
personnel who serve infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children with
disabilities within the State, including--
(i) Current and anticipated personnel vacancies and shortages; and
(ii) The number of preservice and inservice programs; and
(c) Is integrated and aligned, to the maximum extent possible, with
State plans and activities under the ESEA, the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, as amended, and the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended
(HEA);
(d) Describes a partnership agreement that is in effect for the
period of the grant, which agreement shall specify--
(i) The nature and extent of the partnership described in
accordance with section 652(b) of the IDEA and the respective roles of
each member of the partnership, including, if applicable, an
individual, entity, or agency other than the SEA that has the
responsibility under State law for teacher preparation and
certification; and
(ii) How the SEA will work with other persons and organizations
involved in, and concerned with, the education of children with
disabilities, including the respective roles of each of the persons and
organizations;
(e) Describes how the strategies and activities the SEA uses to
address identified professional development and personnel needs will be
coordinated with activities supported with other public resources
(including funds provided under Part B and Part C of IDEA and retained
for use at the State level for personnel and professional development
purposes) and private resources;
(f) Describes how the SEA will align its personnel development plan
with the plan and application submitted under sections 1111 and 2112,
respectively, of the ESEA;
(g) Describes those strategies the SEA will use to address the
identified professional development and personnel needs and how such
strategies will be implemented, including--
(i) A description of the programs and activities that will provide
personnel with the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of, and
improve the performance and achievement of, infants, toddlers,
preschoolers, and children with disabilities; and
(ii) How such strategies will be integrated, to the maximum extent
possible, with other activities supported by grants funded under
section 662 of IDEA;
(h) Provides an assurance that the SEA will provide technical
assistance to LEAs to improve the quality of professional development
available to meet the needs of personnel who serve children with
disabilities;
(i) Provides an assurance that the SEA will provide technical
assistance to entities that provide services to infants and toddlers
with disabilities to improve the quality of professional development
available to meet the needs of personnel serving those children;
(j) Describes how the SEA will recruit and retain highly qualified
teachers and other qualified personnel in geographic areas of greatest
need;
(k) Describes the steps the SEA will take to ensure that
economically disadvantaged and minority children are not taught at
higher rates by teachers who are not highly qualified; and
(l) Describes how the SEA will assess, on a regular basis, the
extent to which the strategies implemented have been effective in
meeting the performance goals described in section 612(a)(15) of IDEA.
Partnerships
Required Partners
Applicants shall establish a partnership with LEAs and other State
agencies involved in, or concerned with, the education of children with
disabilities, including--
(a) Not less than one institution of higher education; and
(b) The State agencies responsible for administering Part C of
IDEA, early education, child care, and vocational rehabilitation
programs.
Other Partners
An SEA shall work in partnership with other persons and
organizations involved in, and concerned with, the education of
children with disabilities, which may include--
(a) The Governor;
(b) Parents of children with disabilities ages birth through 26;
(c) Parents of nondisabled children ages birth through 26;
(d) Individuals with disabilities;
(e) Parent training and information centers or community parent
resource
[[Page 33581]]
centers funded under sections 671 and 672, respectively, of IDEA;
(f) Community-based and other nonprofit organizations involved in
the education and employment of individuals with disabilities;
(g) Personnel as defined in section 651(b) of IDEA;
(h) The State advisory panel established under Part B of IDEA;
(i) The State interagency coordinating council established under
Part C of IDEA;
(j) Individuals knowledgeable about vocational education;
(k) The State agency for higher education;
(l) Noneducational public agencies with jurisdiction in the areas
of health, mental health, social services, and juvenile justice;
(m) Other providers of professional development who work with
infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children with disabilities;
(n) Other individuals; and
(o) In cases where the SEA is not responsible for teacher
certification, an individual, entity, or agency responsible for teacher
certification as defined in section 652(b)(3) of IDEA.
Use of funds
(a) Professional Development Activities--Consistent with the final
priority, each SEA that receives a State Personnel Development Grant
under this program shall use the grant funds to support activities in
accordance with the State's Personnel Development Plan, including one
or more of the following:
(1) Carrying out programs that provide support to both special
education and regular education teachers of children with disabilities
and principals, such as programs that--
(i) Provide teacher mentoring, team teaching, reduced class
schedules and case loads, and intensive professional development;
(ii) Use standards or assessments for guiding beginning teachers
that are consistent with challenging State student academic achievement
and functional standards and with the requirements for professional
development, as defined in section 9101 of the ESEA; and
(iii) Encourage collaborative and consultative models of providing
early intervention, special education, and related services.
(2) Encouraging and supporting the training of special education
and regular education teachers and administrators to effectively use
and integrate technology--
(i) Into curricula and instruction, including training to improve
the ability to collect, manage, and analyze data to improve teaching,
decision-making, school improvement efforts, and accountability;
(ii) To enhance learning by children with disabilities; and
(iii) To effectively communicate with parents.
(3) Providing professional development activities that--
(i) Improve the knowledge of special education and regular
education teachers concerning--
(A) The academic and developmental or functional needs of students
with disabilities; or
(B) Effective instructional strategies, methods, and skills, and
the use of State academic content standards and student academic
achievement and functional standards, and State assessments, to improve
teaching practices and student academic achievement;
(ii) Improve the knowledge of special education and regular
education teachers and principals and, in appropriate cases,
paraprofessionals, concerning effective instructional practices, and
that--
(A) Provide training in how to teach and address the needs of
children with different learning styles and children who are limited
English proficient;
(B) Involve collaborative groups of teachers, administrators, and,
in appropriate cases, related services personnel;
(C) Provide training in methods of--
(I) Positive behavioral interventions and supports to improve
student behavior in the classroom;
(II) Scientifically-based reading instruction, including early
literacy instruction;
(III) Early and appropriate interventions to identify and help
children with disabilities;
(IV) Effective instruction for children with low incidence
disabilities;
(V) Successful transitioning to postsecondary opportunities; and
(VI) Using classroom-based techniques to assist children prior to
referral for special education;
(D) Provide training to enable personnel to work with and involve
parents in their child's education, including parents of low income and
limited English proficient children with disabilities;
(E) Provide training for special education personnel and regular
education personnel in planning, developing, and implementing effective
and appropriate individualized education programs (IEPs); and
(F) Provide training to meet the needs of students with significant
health, mobility, or behavioral needs prior to serving those students;
(iii) Train administrators, principals, and other relevant school
personnel in conducting effective IEP meetings; and
(iv) Train early intervention, preschool, and related services
providers, and other relevant school personnel, in conducting effective
individualized family service plan (IFSP) meetings.
(4) Developing and implementing initiatives to promote the
recruitment and retention of highly qualified special education
teachers, particularly initiatives that have been proven effective in
recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, including programs
that provide--
(i) Teacher mentoring from exemplary special education teachers,
principals, or superintendents;
(ii) Induction and support for special education teachers during
their first three years of employment as teachers; or
(iii) Incentives, including financial incentives, to retain special
education teachers who have a record of success in helping students
with disabilities.
(5) Carrying out programs and activities that are designed to
improve the quality of personnel who serve children with disabilities,
such as--
(i) Innovative professional development programs (which may be
provided through partnerships that include institutions of higher
education), including programs that train teachers and principals to
integrate technology into curricula and instruction to improve
teaching, learning, and technology literacy, which professional
development shall be consistent with the definition of professional
development in section 9101 of the ESEA; and
(ii) The development and use of proven, cost effective strategies
for the implementation of professional development activities, such as
through the use of technology and distance learning.
(6) Carrying out programs and activities that are designed to
improve the quality of early intervention personnel, including
paraprofessionals and primary referral sources, such as--
(i) Professional development programs to improve the delivery of
early intervention services;
(ii) Initiatives to promote the recruitment and retention of early
intervention personnel; and
(iii) Interagency activities to ensure that early intervention
personnel are adequately prepared and trained.
(b) Other Activities--Consistent with the final priority, each SEA
that receives a State Personnel Development Grant under this program
shall use the grant
[[Page 33582]]
funds to support activities in accordance with the State's Personnel
Development Plan, including one or more of the following:
(1) Reforming special education and regular education teacher
certification (including recertification) or licensing requirements to
ensure that--
(i) Special education and regular education teachers have--
(A) The training and information necessary to address the full
range of needs of children with disabilities across disability
categories; and
(B) The necessary subject matter knowledge and teaching skills in
the academic subjects that the teachers teach;
(ii) Special education and regular education teacher certification
(including recertification) or licensing requirements are aligned with
challenging State academic content standards; and
(iii) Special education and regular education teachers have the
subject matter knowledge and teaching skills, including technology
literacy, necessary to help students with disabilities meet challenging
State student academic achievement and functional standards.
(2) Programs that establish, expand, or improve alternative routes
for State certification of special education teachers for highly
qualified individuals with a baccalaureate or master's degree,
including mid-career professionals from other occupations,
paraprofessionals, and recent college or university graduates with
records of academic distinction who demonstrate the potential to become
highly effective special education teachers.
(3) Teacher advancement initiatives for special education teachers
that promote professional growth and emphasize multiple career paths
(such as paths to becoming a career teacher, mentor teacher, or
exemplary teacher) and pay differentiation.
(4) Developing and implementing mechanisms to assist LEAs and
schools in effectively recruiting and retaining highly qualified
special education teachers.
(5) Reforming tenure systems, implementing teacher testing for
subject matter knowledge, and implementing teacher testing for State
certification or licensing, consistent with Title II of the HEA.
(6) Funding projects to promote reciprocity of teacher
certification or licensing between or among States for special
education teachers, except that no reciprocity agreement developed
under this priority may lead to the weakening of any State teacher
certification or licensing requirement.
(7) Assisting LEAs to serve children with disabilities through the
development and use of proven, innovative strategies to deliver
intensive professional development programs that are both cost
effective and easily accessible, such as strategies that involve
delivery through the use of technology, peer networks, and distance
learning.
(8) Developing, or assisting LEAs in developing, merit based
performance systems, and strategies that provide differential and bonus
pay for special education teachers.
(9) Supporting activities that ensure that teachers are able to use
challenging State academic content standards and student academic
achievement and functional standards, and State assessments for all
children with disabilities, to improve instructional practices and
improve the academic achievement of children with disabilities.
(10) When applicable, coordinating with, and expanding centers
established under, section 2113(c)(18) of the ESEA to benefit special
education teachers.
(c) Contracts and Subgrants--An SEA that receives a grant under
this program--
(1) Shall award contracts or subgrants to LEAs, institutions of
higher education, parent training and information centers, or community
parent resource centers, as appropriate, to carry out the State plan;
and
(2) May award contracts and subgrants to other public and private
entities, including the lead agency under Part C of IDEA, to carry out
the State plan.
(d) Use of Funds for Professional Development--An SEA that receives
a grant under this program shall use--
(1) Not less than 90 percent of the funds the SEA receives under
the grant for any fiscal year for the Professional Development
Activities described in paragraph (a); and
(2) Not more than 10 percent of the funds the SEA receives under
the grant for any fiscal year for the Other Activities described in
paragraph (b).
(e) Grants to Outlying Areas--Public Law 95-134, permitting the
consolidation of grants to the outlying areas, shall not apply to funds
received under this program authority.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1451 through 1455.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final priority for
this program published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Range of Awards: In the case of the 50 States, the
District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, award
amounts will be not less than $500,000, nor more than $4,000,000. In
the case of an outlying area awards will be not less than $80,000.
Note: Consistent with 34 CFR 75.104(b) of EDGAR, we will reject
without further consideration or evaluation any application that
proposes a project funding level for any fiscal year that exceeds
the stated maximum award amount of $4,000,000 for that fiscal year.
We will set the amount of each grant after considering--
(1) The amount of funds available for making the grants;
(2) The relative population of the State or outlying area;
(3) The types of activities proposed by the State or outlying area;
(4) The alignment of proposed activities with section 612(a)(14) of
IDEA;
(5) The alignment of proposed activities with State plans and
applications submitted under sections 1111 and 2112, respectively, of
the ESEA; and
(6) The use, as appropriate, of scientifically-based activities.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,000,000, excluding outlying
areas.
Estimated Available Funds: $10,000,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Not less than one year and not more than five
years.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: An SEA of one of the 50 States, the
District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or an outlying
area (United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). Current State Program
Improvement Grant grantees with multi-year awards who wish to apply for
a grant under the State Personnel Development Grants Program may do so,
subject to section 651(e) of IDEA, which prohibits a State requesting
to receive a continuation award under the State Improvement
[[Page 33583]]
Grant Program, as in effect prior to December 3, 2004, from receiving
any other award under this program authority for that fiscal year.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: General Requirements--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).
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 84.323A.
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 program contact
person 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 100 pages, using the following
standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the
resumes, the bibliography, the references, or the letters of support.
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
We will reject your application if--
You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: June 9, 2006.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 24, 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.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 22, 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 governmentwide
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2006. The State Personnel Development
Grants Program--CFDA Number 84.323A 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 State
Personnel Development Grants Program--CFDA Number 84.323A 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 program 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 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
[[Page 33584]]
(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/GrantsgovCoBrandBrochure8X11.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 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
84.323A), 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
84.323A), 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
84.323A), 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 Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424) the CFDA number--and suffix letter, if any--of the
competition under which you are submitting your application.
(2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
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
[[Page 33585]]
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: The goal of the State Personnel
Development Grants (SPDG) Program is to reform and improve State
systems for personnel preparation and professional development in early
intervention, educational, and transition services in order to improve
results for children with disabilities. Under the Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the Department has developed
performance measures to assess the success of the program in meeting
these goals. These measures are: (1) The percent of personnel receiving
professional development through the SPDG program based on scientific-
or evidence-based instructional practices; (2) the percentage of SPDG
projects that have implemented personnel development/training
activities that are aligned with improvement strategies identified in
their State Performance Plan (SPP); (3) the percentage of professional
development/training activities provided through the SPDG program based
on scientific-or evidence-based instructional/behavioral practices; (4)
the percentage of professional development/training activities based on
scientific-or evidence-based instructional/behavioral practices,
provided through the SPDG program, that are sustained through ongoing
and comprehensive practices (e.g., mentoring, coaching, structured
guidance, modeling, continuous inquiry, etc.); and (5) in States with
SPDG projects that have special education teacher retention as a goal,
the Statewide percentage of highly qualified special education teachers
in State-identified professional disciplines (e.g., teachers of
children with emotional disturbance, deafness, etc.) consistent with
sections 602(a)(10) and 612(a)(14) of IDEA, who remain teaching after
the first three years of employment.
Each grantee must annually report its performance on these measures
in the project's annual performance report to the Department in
accordance with section 653(d) of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.590.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Wexler, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4019, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7571.
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: June 6, 2006.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 06-5273 Filed 6-8-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
