Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Personnel Development To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, 33593-33605 [2010-14229]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 113 (Monday, June 14, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33593-33605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-14229]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Personnel Development To Improve Services and Results for 
Children With Disabilities; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards 
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.325D, 
84.325K, and 84.325T

    Note: This notice invites applications for three separate 
competitions. For key dates, contact person information, and funding 
information regarding each competition, see the chart in the Award 
Information section of this notice.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: See chart.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See chart.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See chart.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purposes of this program are to (1) help 
address State-identified needs for highly qualified personnel--in 
special education, related services, early intervention, and regular 
education--to work with children, including infants and toddlers, with 
disabilities; and (2) ensure that those personnel have the necessary 
skills and knowledge, derived from practices that have been determined 
through scientifically based research and experience, to be successful 
in serving those children.
    Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), these 
priorities are from allowable activities specified in the statute (see 
sections 662 and 681 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
(IDEA)). Each of the absolute priorities announced in this notice 
corresponds to a separate competition as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        Competition CFDA
                   Absolute priority                           No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preparation of Leadership Personnel...................           84.325D
Combined Personnel Preparation........................           84.325K
Special Education Preservice Program Improvement                 84.325T
 Grants...............................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Absolute Priorities: For FY 2010 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards based on the list of unfunded applications from these 
competitions, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3), for each competition, we consider only applications that 
meet the absolute priority for that competition.
    The priorities are:
    Absolute Priority 1--Preparation of Leadership Personnel (84.325D).
    Background:
    There continues to be a persistent need for special education, 
early intervention, and related services personnel who have been 
trained at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels to fill faculty, 
research, and direct service positions (Smith, Pion, & Tyler, 2004; 
Wasburn-Moses & Therrien, 2008; Woods & Snyder, 2009). Further, 
according to Lashley & Boscardin (2003), there is a need for personnel 
who have been trained at the graduate level (i.e., masters, education 
specialist, and doctoral degrees, depending on State certification 
requirements) to fill special education and early intervention 
administrator positions.

[[Page 33594]]

    Federal support is needed to increase the supply of these personnel 
and ensure that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to assume 
special education, early intervention, and related services leadership 
positions in universities, State educational agencies (SEAs), State 
lead agencies (State LAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), local 
lead agencies (local LAs), schools, or programs. Critical competencies 
for special education, early intervention, and related services 
leadership personnel are varied, depending on the type of training 
program; however, these competencies often include teaching skills, 
administrative skills,\1\ and research skills as well as current 
knowledge of effective interventions that improve academic and 
functional outcomes for children with disabilities, including high-need 
children with disabilities. For the purpose of this priority, ``high-
need children with disabilities'' refers to children (ages birth 
through twenty-one, depending on the State) who are eligible for 
services under IDEA, and who may be further disadvantaged and at risk 
of educational failure because they: (1) Are living in poverty, (2) are 
far below grade level, (3) are at risk of not graduating with a regular 
high school diploma on time, (4) are homeless, (5) are in foster care, 
(6) have been incarcerated, or (7) are English language learners.
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    \1\ For an example of standards for administrative skills, see 
the performance-based standards for a special education 
administrator developed by the Council for Exceptional Children 
(CEC) at: https://www2.astate.edu/dotAsset/118756.pdf.
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    Priority:
    The purpose of the Preparation of Leadership Personnel priority is 
to increase the quantity of special education, early intervention, and 
related services personnel who have been trained at the graduate and 
advanced graduate levels, and who are well-qualified for, and can 
effectively carry out leadership positions in universities, SEAs, State 
LAs, LEAs, local LAs, schools, or programs. This priority supports two 
types of programs that train leadership personnel:
    Type A programs are designed to train, at the advanced graduate 
level, higher education faculty, researchers, or direct service 
providers in early intervention, special education, or related 
services. Type A programs culminate in a doctoral degree or provide 
postdoctoral learning opportunities.

    Note: Training that leads to a Doctor of Audiology (AUD) degree 
is not included as part of this priority. Training programs that 
lead to an AUD degree are eligible to apply for funding under the 
Combined Personnel Preparation priority (CFDA 84.325K) announced 
elsewhere in this notice.

    Type B programs are designed to train, at the graduate or advanced 
graduate levels, special education or early intervention administrators 
to work in SEAs, State LAs, LEAs, local LAs, schools, or programs. The 
applicant, based on State certification requirements for some 
positions, can determine whether the proposed Type B program prepares 
personnel for one or more administrative positions. Type B programs 
prepare personnel for positions such as SEA special education 
administrators, LEA special education directors or regional directors, 
school-based special education directors, preschool coordinators, and 
early intervention coordinators. Type B programs culminate in a 
master's, education specialist, or doctoral degree. The Office of 
Special Education Programs (OSEP) intends to fund in FY 2010 at least 
three approved applications proposing Type B programs.

    Note:  The training of school principals is not included as part 
of this priority.


    Note:  Applicants must identify the specific program type, A or 
B, for which they are applying for funding as part of the 
competition title on the application cover sheet (SF form 424, line 
4). Applicants may not submit the same proposal for more than one 
program type.


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

    To be considered for funding under the Preparation of Leadership 
Personnel absolute priority, both Type A and Type B program applicants 
must meet the application requirements contained in the priority. All 
projects funded under the absolute priority also must meet the 
programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the priority.
    The requirements of this priority are as follows:
    (a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application, under 
``Quality of Project Services,'' how--
    (1) The program prepares leadership personnel to address the 
specialized needs of high-need children with disabilities (as defined 
in the background statement for this absolute priority). To address the 
needs of this population, the proposed program must--
    (i) Identify the competencies needed by leadership personnel to 
either effectively teach others to implement, or to directly administer 
or conduct further research on, programs or interventions that improve 
the academic or functional outcomes of high-need children with 
disabilities; and
    (ii) Prepare leadership personnel to apply these competencies in a 
variety of settings, including in high-need LEAs,\2\ high-poverty 
schools,\3\ and low-performing schools, including the persistently 
lowest-achieving schools.\4\
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    \2\ For purposes of this priority, the term high-need LEA means 
an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families 
with incomes below the poverty line; or (b) for which not less than 
20 percent of the children served by the LEA are from families with 
incomes below the poverty line.
    \3\ For the purposes of this priority, the term high-poverty 
school means, consistent with section 1111(h)(1)(C)(viii) of the 
ESEA, a school in the highest quartile of schools in the State with 
respect to poverty level, using a measure of poverty determined by 
the State.
    \4\ For purposes of this priority, the term persistently lowest-
achieving school means, consistent with section 1003(g) of the ESEA, 
School Improvement Grants (74 FR 65618), as determined by the State: 
(i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring that (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of 
Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring 
or the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in improvement, 
corrective action, or restructuring in the State, whichever number 
of schools is greater; or (b) Is a high school that has had a 
graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 
percent over a number of years; and (ii) Any secondary school that 
is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that (a) Is 
among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools or the 
lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State that are 
eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever number of 
schools is greater; or (b) Is a high school that has had a 
graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 
percent over a number of years. To determine whether a school is a 
lowest-achieving school for purposes of this definition, a State 
must take into account both (i) The academic achievement of the 
``all students'' group in a school in terms of proficiency on the 
State's assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/
language arts and mathematics combined; and (ii) The school's lack 
of progress on those assessments over a number of years in the ``all 
students'' group.
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    (2) All relevant coursework for the proposed program reflects 
current research and pedagogy on--
    (i) Participation and achievement in the general education 
curriculum and improved outcomes for all children with disabilities, 
including high-need children with disabilities;
    (ii) The provision of early intervention services in natural 
environments to improve outcomes for infants and toddlers with 
disabilities, including high-need children with disabilities and their 
families.
    (iii) The competencies needed to work in high-need LEAs (as defined 
in this absolute priority), high-poverty schools (as defined in this 
absolute priority), and low-performing schools, including the 
persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in this absolute 
priority).
    (3) The program is designed to integrate coursework with practicum

[[Page 33595]]

opportunities (e.g., interning in a program or school serving high-need 
children with disabilities) that will enhance the competencies of 
leadership personnel to effectively--
    (i) Serve in a variety of leadership positions, including positions 
that involve direct service, research, teacher training, or leadership 
at the university, SEA, State LA, LEA, local LA, school, or program 
level;
    (ii) Work in a variety of leadership settings, particularly those 
in high-need LEAs with programs and schools serving high-need children 
with disabilities;
    (iii) Collaborate and work with regular education personnel;
    (iv) Incorporate universal design for learning principles \5\ into 
curricula and instructional practice; and
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    \5\ For purposes of this priority, the term universal design for 
learning has the meaning provided for the term under the Higher 
Education Act of 1965, as amended: ``a scientifically valid 
framework for guiding educational practice that--``(A) provides 
flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways 
students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the 
ways students are engaged; and (B) reduces barriers in instruction, 
provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and 
maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including 
students with disabilities and students who are limited English 
proficient'' (20 U.S.C. 1003(24)). For consistency across U.S. 
Department of Education programs, we use this definition for 
priorities that intend to prepare personnel to teach and work in 
schools and other settings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (iv) Integrate instructional and assistive technologies into the 
delivery of services.
    (4) The proposed leadership program ensures that scholars \6\ are 
knowledgeable about--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ For the purposes of this priority, the term scholar means an 
individual who is pursuing a degree, license, endorsement, or 
certification related to special education, related services, or 
early intervention services and who receives scholarship assistance 
under section 662 of IDEA (see 34 CFR 304.3(g)).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (i) Applicable laws that affect children with disabilities, 
including IDEA and the ESEA;
    (ii) The requirements for highly qualified teachers under IDEA and 
the ESEA;
    (iii) The strategies that foster collaboration between personnel 
serving children with disabilities; and
    (iv) The collection, management, and use of data to improve 
teaching and learning for the purpose of increasing children's academic 
and functional outcomes.
    (b) Include, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of Project Evaluation,'' a clear, effective plan for 
evaluating the extent to which program graduates have acquired the 
competencies set forth in the application as part of the proposed 
program. Applicants also must clearly describe, under ``Quality of 
Project Evaluation,'' how the project will report these evaluation 
results to OSEP in the grantee's annual performance reports, the 
Scholar Data Report, and the project final performance report.
    (c) Include, in the application appendix, all course syllabi for 
the proposed training program. Course syllabi must clearly incorporate 
research-based curriculum and pedagogy as required under paragraph (a) 
of this priority.
    (d) Provide, in the application narrative, a detailed description 
of the program that includes the sequence of courses offered in the 
program and a comprehensive curriculum designed to meet program goals 
and obtain mastery in the following professional domains, as 
appropriate--
    (1) Research methodology;
    (2) Personnel preparation;
    (3) Policy or professional practice; or
    (4) Administration practices or techniques.
    (e) Demonstrate in the application narrative the existence of 
national, State, or regional needs through appropriate research data. 
The applicant must provide evidence of the need for the leadership 
personnel they are proposing to train.
    (f) Certify in the application that the applicant intends that all 
scholars recruited into the program will graduate from the program by 
the end of the grant's project period.
    (g) Meet the statutory requirements in section 662(e) through 
662(h) of IDEA,
    (h) Ensure that at least 65 percent of the total requested budget 
per year will be used for scholar support or provide justification in 
the application narrative for any designation less than 65 percent. 
Examples of sufficient justification for proposing less than 65 percent 
of the budget for scholar support include:
    (1) A project servicing rural areas that provides long-distance 
training, and requires Web Masters, adjunct professors, or mentors to 
operate effectively.
    (2) A project that is expanding or adding a new area of emphasis to 
the program and, as a result of this expansion, needs additional 
faculty or other resources, such as expert consultants, additional 
training supplies, or equipment that would enhance the program.


    Note:  Applicants proposing projects to develop, expand, or add 
a new area of emphasis to special education, early intervention, or 
related services programs must provide, in their applications, 
information on how these new areas will be sustained once Federal 
funding ends.


    (i) Certify in the application that the institution will not 
require scholars recruited into the program to work as a condition of 
receiving a scholarship (e.g., as graduate assistants, unless the work 
is required to complete their training program). Please note that this 
prohibition on work as a condition of receiving a scholarship does not 
apply to the service obligation requirements in section 662(h) of IDEA.
    (j) Budget for attendance at a three-day Project Directors' meeting 
in Washington, DC, during each year of the project.
    (k) If the project maintains a Web site, include relevant 
information and documents in a format that meets government or 
industry-recognized standards for accessibility.
    (l) Submit annual data on each scholar who receives grant support. 
Applicants are encouraged to visit the Personnel Development Scholar 
Data Report Web site at: https://www.osepppd.org for further information 
about this data collection requirement. Typically, data collection 
begins on or around November 1st of each year, and grantees are 
notified by e-mail about the data collection period for their grant. 
This data collection must be submitted electronically by the grantee 
and does not supplant the annual grant performance report required of 
each grantee for continuation funding (see 34 CFR 75.590).
    Competitive Preference Priorities: Within this absolute priority, 
we give competitive preference to applications that meet one or more of 
the following priorities. For FY 2010 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities.
    Competitive Preference Priority 1: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this 
priority.
    This priority is:
    Applicants that demonstrate an established relationship with a 
high-need LEA that will provide scholars with a high-quality practicum 
experience in a high-poverty school, which may include a professional 
development school.\7\
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    \7\ Professional development schools are innovative partnerships 
between school districts and institutions of higher education that 
focus on four primary goals: (a) The preparation of new teachers; 
(b) faculty development; (c) inquiry directed at the improvement of 
practice; and (d) enhanced student achievement (National Council for 
Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2009).

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[[Page 33596]]

    Competitive Preference Priority 2: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this 
priority.
    This priority is:
    Applicants that prepare leadership personnel who will either 
provide direct services to, or train others who will work with, 
children, including infants and toddlers, who are deaf or hard of 
hearing to teach them listening and spoken language skills.


    Note: Five is the maximum amount of points an applicant can 
receive for meeting one or both of the competitive preference 
priorities. The Department will fund a maximum of three applications 
in each of competitive preference priorities one and two with peer 
review scores that would not have otherwise qualified for funding 
without the competitive preference points.


    References:

Lashley, C., & Boscardin, M.L. (2003). Special education 
administration at the crossroads: Availability, licensure, and 
preparation of special education administrators. Gainesville, FL: 
Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education, University of 
Florida. Retrieved February 24, 2010, from https://www.coe.ufl.edu/copsse/docs/IB-8/1/IB-8.pdf.
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (2009). What 
is a professional development school? Retrieved June 29, 2009, from 
https://www.ncate.org/public/.
Wasburn-Moses, L., & Therrien, W.J. (2008). The impact of Leadership 
Personnel Grants on the doctoral student population in special 
education. Teacher Education and Special Education, 31(2), 1-12.
Woods, J., & Snyder, P. (2009). Interdisciplinary doctoral 
leadership training in early intervention. Infants & Young Children, 
(22)1, 32-4.

    Absolute Priority 2--Combined Personnel Preparation (84.325K).
    Background:
    State agencies, university training programs, local schools, early 
intervention programs, and community-based entities have emphasized the 
importance and difficulty of improving training programs for personnel 
to serve children, including infants and toddlers, with disabilities 
(Anderson & Hendrickson, 2007; Chang, Early, & Winton, 2005; Dymond, 
Gilson, & Myran, 2007). In addition, the national demand for fully 
credentialed early intervention, special education, and related 
services personnel to serve children, including infants and toddlers, 
with disabilities exceeds the available supply (McLeskey & Billingsley, 
2008). Federal support is needed to increase the supply of these 
personnel and ensure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge 
to be successful in serving these children.
    Priority:
    The purpose of the Combined Personnel Preparation priority is to 
improve the quality and increase the number of personnel who are fully 
credentialed to serve children, including infants and toddlers, with 
disabilities--especially in areas of chronic personnel shortage--by 
supporting projects that prepare early intervention, special education, 
and related services personnel at the associate, baccalaureate, 
master's, and specialist levels. In order to be eligible under this 
priority, programs must provide training and support for scholars \8\ 
to complete, within the project period of the grant, a degree, State 
certification, professional license, or State endorsement in early 
intervention, special education, or a related services field. Programs 
preparing scholars to be special education paraprofessionals, 
assistants in related services professions (e.g., physical therapist 
assistants, occupational therapist assistants), or educational 
interpreters are also eligible under this priority.
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    \8\ For the purposes of this priority the term scholar means an 
individual who is pursuing a degree, license, endorsement, or 
certification related to special education, related services, or 
early intervention services and who receives scholarship assistance 
under section 662 of IDEA (see 34 CFR 304.3(g)).
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    Programs that provide an alternate route to certification or that 
support dual certification (special education and general education) 
for teachers are eligible as well.


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


    To be considered for funding under the Combined Personnel 
Preparation absolute priority, applicants must meet the application 
requirements contained in the priority. All projects funded under this 
absolute priority also must meet the programmatic and administrative 
requirements specified in the priority. These requirements are as 
follows:
    (a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of Project Services,'' how--
    (1) Training requirements and required coursework for the proposed 
training program incorporate research-based practices that improve 
outcomes for children with disabilities (including relevant research 
citations);
    (2) The program is designed to integrate coursework with practicum 
opportunities that will enhance the competencies of special education 
personnel to effectively--
    (i) Serve and instruct children with disabilities;
    (ii) Collaborate and work with regular education personnel;
    (iii) Incorporate universal design for learning principles \9\ into 
curricula and instructional practice;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \9\ For purposes of this priority, the term universal design for 
learning has the meaning provided for the term under the Higher 
Education Act of 1965, as amended: ``a scientifically valid 
framework for guiding educational practice that--``(A) provides 
flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways 
students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the 
ways students are engaged; and (B) reduces barriers in instruction, 
provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and 
maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including 
students with disabilities and students who are limited English 
proficient.'' (20 U.S.C. 1003(24)) For consistency across U.S. 
Department of Education programs, we use this definition for 
priorities that intend to prepare personnel to teach and work in 
schools and other settings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (iv) Integrate instructional and assistive technologies into the 
delivery of services;
    (v) Collect, manage, and analyze data to improve teaching and 
learning for the purpose of increasing student academic achievement; 
and
    (vi) Support and work with parents and families of children with 
disabilities;
    (3) The program prepares personnel to address the specialized needs 
of high-need children with disabilities.

    Note: For the purpose of this priority, ``high-need children 
with disabilities'' refers to children (ages birth through twenty-
one, depending on the State) who are eligible for services under 
IDEA, and who may be further disadvantaged and at risk of 
educational failure because they: (1) Are living in poverty, (2) are 
far below grade level, (3) are at risk of not graduating with a 
regular high school diploma on time, (4) are homeless, (5) are in 
foster care, (6) have been incarcerated, or (7) are English language 
learners.

    The program prepares personnel to work with this particular 
population by--
    (i) Identifying the competencies needed by personnel to work with 
high-need children with disabilities;
    (ii) Preparing personnel to apply these competencies in a variety 
of settings, including in high-need LEAs,\10\ high-

[[Page 33597]]

poverty schools,\11\ and low-performing schools, including the 
persistently lowest achieving schools.\12\
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    \10\ For purposes of this priority, the term high-need LEA means 
a local educational agency (LEA) (a) that serves not fewer than 
10,000 children from families with incomes below the poverty line; 
or (b) for which not less than 20 percent of the children served by 
the LEA are from families with incomes below the poverty line.
    \11\ For purposes of this priority, the term high-poverty school 
means, consistent with section 1111(h)(1)(C)(viii) of the ESEA, a 
school in the highest quartile of schools in the State with respect 
to poverty level, using a measure of poverty determined by the 
State.
    \12\ For purposes of this priority, the term persistently 
lowest-achieving school means, consistent with section 1003(g) of 
the ESEA, School Improvement Grants (74 FR 65618), as determined by 
the State: (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, 
or restructuring that (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent 
of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring or the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in 
improvement, corrective action, or restructuring in the State, 
whichever number of schools is greater; or (b) Is a high school that 
has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is 
less than 60 percent over a number of years; and (ii) Any secondary 
school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds 
that (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary 
schools or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State 
that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever 
number of schools is greater; or (b) Is a high school that has had a 
graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 
percent over a number of years. To determine whether a school is a 
lowest-achieving school for purposes of this definition, a State 
must take into account both (i) The academic achievement of the 
``all students'' group in a school in terms of proficiency on the 
State's assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/
language arts and mathematics combined; and (ii) The school's lack 
of progress on those assessments over a number of years in the ``all 
students'' group.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (iii) Preparing personnel to use those competencies through early 
intervention, special education, and related services training 
programs.
    (4) If preparing beginning special educators, the program is 
designed to provide extended clinical learning opportunities,\13\ field 
experiences, or supervised practica (such as an additional year), and 
ongoing high-quality mentoring and induction opportunities;
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    \13\ For the purposes of this priority, the term clinical 
learning opportunities are a method of instruction for students to 
apply knowledge and skills in highly controlled or simulated 
situations to ensure that they possess needed skills and 
competencies prior to entering actual or typical environments with 
children with disabilities.
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    (5) The program includes field-based training opportunities for 
scholars (as defined in 34 CFR 304.3(g));
    (6) The proposed training program will--
    (i) Enable scholars to be highly qualified, in accordance with 
section 602(10) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
(IDEA) and 34 CFR 300.18, in the State(s) to be served by the 
applicant; and
    (ii) Ensure that scholars are equipped with the knowledge and 
skills necessary to assist children in meeting State academic 
achievement standards; and
    (7) The training program provides support to scholars through 
innovative strategies that are designed to enhance scholar retention 
and success in the program, such as using tutors or mentors or 
providing extended clinical learning opportunities or other field 
experiences.
    (b) Include, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of Project Evaluation,'' a clear, effective plan for 
evaluating the extent to which graduates of the training program have 
the knowledge and skills necessary to provide scientifically based or 
evidence-based instruction and services that result in improved 
outcomes for children with disabilities. Applicants also must clearly 
describe, under ``Quality of Project Evaluation,'' how the project will 
report these evaluation results to the Office of Special Education 
Programs (OSEP) in the grantee's annual performance reports, the 
Scholar Data Report, and the project final performance report.
    (c) Include, in the application appendix, all course syllabi for 
the proposed training program. Course syllabi must incorporate 
research-based curriculum and pedagogy as required under paragraph (a) 
of this priority.
    (d) Certify in the application that the applicant intends that all 
scholars recruited into the program will graduate from the program by 
the end of the grant's project period.
    (e) Certify in the application that the institution will not 
require scholars recruited into the program to work as a condition of 
receiving a scholarship (e.g., as graduate assistants, unless the work 
is required to complete their training program). Please note that this 
prohibition on work as a condition of receiving a scholarship does not 
apply to the service obligation requirements in section 662(h) of IDEA.
    (f) Meet the statutory requirements contained in section 662(e) 
through 662(h) of IDEA.
    (g) Ensure that at least 65 percent of the total requested budget 
per year be used for scholar support.
    (h) Budget for attendance at a three-day Project Directors' meeting 
in Washington, DC, during each year of the project.
    (i) If the project maintains a Web site, include relevant 
information and documents in a form that meets government or industry-
recognized standards for accessibility.
    (j) Submit annual data on each scholar who receives grant support. 
Applicants are encouraged to visit the Personnel Development Scholar 
Data Report Web site at https://www.osepppd.org for further information 
about this data collection requirement. Typically, data collection 
begins on or around November 1st of each year, and grantees are 
notified by e-mail about the data collection period for their grant. 
This data collection must be submitted electronically by the grantee 
and does not supplant the annual grant performance report required of 
each grantee for continuation funding (see 34 CFR 75.590).
    Focus Areas:
    Within this absolute priority, the Secretary intends to support 
projects under the following five focus areas: (A) Training Personnel 
to Serve Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children with 
Disabilities; (B) Training Personnel to Serve School-Age Children with 
Low-Incidence Disabilities; (C) Training Personnel to Provide Related 
Services to Children, Including Infants and Toddlers, with 
Disabilities; (D) Training Personnel in Minority Institutions to Serve 
Children, Including Infants and Toddlers, with Disabilities; and (E) 
Training Personnel to Provide Secondary Transition Services to School-
Age Children with Disabilities.

    Note:  Applicants must identify the specific focus area (i.e., 
A, B, C, D, or E) under which they are applying as part of the 
competition title on the application cover sheet (SF form 424, line 
4). Applicants may not submit the same proposal under more than one 
focus area.

    Focus Area A: Training Personnel to Serve Infants, Toddlers, and 
Preschool-Age Children with Disabilities. For the purpose of Focus Area 
A, early intervention personnel are those who are trained to provide 
services to infants and toddlers with disabilities ages birth to three, 
and early childhood personnel are those who are trained to provide 
services to children with disabilities ages three through five (in 
States where the age range is other than ages three through five, we 
will defer to the State's certification for early childhood). In States 
where certification in early intervention is combined with 
certification in early childhood, applicants may propose a combined 
early intervention and early childhood training project under this 
focus area. We encourage interdisciplinary projects under this focus 
area. For purposes of this focus area, interdisciplinary projects are 
projects that implement common core content and practica experiences 
across disciplines for early intervention providers or early childhood 
special educators, and related services personnel to serve infants, 
toddlers, and preschool-age children with disabilities. Projects 
training only related services personnel to serve infants, toddlers, 
and preschool-age children with disabilities are not

[[Page 33598]]

eligible under this focus area (see Focus Area C).
    Focus Area B: Training Personnel to Serve School-Age Children with 
Low-Incidence Disabilities. For the purpose of Focus Area B, personnel 
who serve children with low-incidence disabilities are special 
education personnel, including paraprofessionals, trained to serve 
school-age children with low-incidence disabilities including visual 
impairments, hearing impairments, simultaneous vision and hearing 
impairments, significant cognitive impairments (severe mental 
retardation), orthopedic impairments, autism, and traumatic brain 
injury. Programs preparing special education personnel to provide 
services to visually impaired or blind children that can be 
appropriately provided in braille must prepare those individuals to 
provide those services in braille. Projects training educational 
interpreters are eligible under this focus area. Projects training 
other related services, speech and language, or adapted physical 
education personnel are not eligible under this focus area (see Focus 
Area C). Projects training special education early intervention or 
preschool personnel are not eligible under this focus area (see Focus 
Area A).
    Focus Area C: Training Personnel to Provide Related Services to 
Children, Including Infants and Toddlers, with Disabilities. Programs 
training related services personnel to serve children, including 
infants and toddlers, with disabilities are eligible within Focus Area 
C. For the purpose of this focus area, related services include, but 
are not limited to, psychological services, physical therapy (including 
therapy provided by personnel trained at the Doctor of Physical Therapy 
(DPT) level), adapted physical education, occupational therapy, 
therapeutic recreation, social work services, counseling services, 
audiology services (including services provided by personnel trained at 
the Doctor of Audiology (DAud) level), and speech and language 
services. Training programs in States where personnel trained to serve 
children with speech and language impairments are considered to be 
special educators are eligible under this focus area. Projects training 
educational interpreters are not eligible under this focus area (see 
Focus Area B).
    Focus Area D: Training Personnel in Minority Institutions to Serve 
Children, Including Infants and Toddlers, with Disabilities. Programs 
in minority institutions are eligible under Focus Area D if they train: 
(a) Personnel to serve one or more of the following: Infants, toddlers, 
and preschool-age children with disabilities; (b) personnel to serve 
school-age children with low-incidence disabilities; (c) personnel to 
provide related services to children, including infants and toddlers, 
with disabilities; or (d) personnel to provide secondary transition 
services to school-age children with disabilities. Minority 
institutions include institutions with a minority enrollment of 25 
percent or more, which may include Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities, Tribal Colleges, and Predominantly Hispanic Serving 
Colleges and Universities. Programs in minority institutions training 
personnel in Focus Areas A, B, C, and E are eligible within Focus Area 
D. Programs that are training high-incidence special education 
personnel are not eligible under this priority (for the purpose of this 
priority ``high-incidence disabilities'' refers to learning 
disabilities, emotional disturbance, or mental retardation). However, 
programs that are training high-incidence special education personnel 
are eligible under Absolute Priority 3 described elsewhere in this 
notice.

    Note:  A project funded under Focus Area D may budget for less 
than 65 percent, the required percentage, for scholar support if the 
applicant can provide sufficient justification for any designation 
less than this required percentage. Sufficient justification for 
proposing less than 65 percent of the budget for scholar support 
would include support for activities such as program development, 
program expansion, or the addition of a new area of emphasis. Some 
examples of projects that may be eligible to designate less than 65 
percent of their budget for scholar support include the following:
    (1) A project that is proposing to start a new program may 
request up to a year for program development and capacity building. 
In the initial project year, no scholar support would be required. 
Instead, a project could hire a new faculty member or a consultant 
to assist in program development.
    (2) A project that is proposing to build capacity may hire a 
field supervisor so that additional scholars can be trained.
    (3) A project that is proposing to expand or add a new area of 
emphasis to the program may hire additional faculty or obtain other 
resources such as expert consultants, additional training supplies, 
or equipment that would enhance the program.


    Note:  Applicants proposing projects to develop, expand, or add 
a new area of emphasis to special education or related services 
programs must provide, in their applications, information on how 
these new areas will be sustained once Federal funding ends.

    Focus Area E: Training Personnel to Provide Secondary Transition 
Services to School-Age Children with Disabilities. Programs that offer 
a sequence of career, vocational, or secondary transition courses or 
that enable personnel to meet State requirements for a credential or 
endorsement in secondary transition services for children with 
disabilities are eligible under Focus Area E.
    Eligible applicants must establish partnerships with the 
appropriate personnel in the institution's vocational rehabilitation 
counseling and career and technical education programs, if those 
programs are offered at the institution. Funds may be used to support 
faculty from those programs for their involvement in the activities 
outlined in this priority. Applicants must also provide documentation 
of the partnership in the form of a letter from the Dean or Department 
Chair. This letter must describe how the faculty from those programs 
will be involved in the partnership (e.g., involvement in the design 
and delivery of courses and the supervision of scholar practicum 
experiences).
    Competitive Preference Priorities: Within this absolute priority, 
we give competitive preference to applications that meet one or more of 
the following priorities. For FY 2010 and any subsequent year in which 
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this 
competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities.
    Competitive Preference Priority 1: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this 
priority.
    This priority is:
    Applicants that design, field-test, and implement, as part of the 
evaluation described pursuant to paragraph (b) of the absolute priority 
under ``Quality of Project Evaluation,'' a clear, effective plan for 
evaluating the knowledge and skills of graduates using a methodology 
that: (1) Tracks graduates after they exit from a training program; and 
(2) is sufficiently rigorous to yield reliable information on the 
quality of services provided by program graduates. Applicants must also 
discuss how they intend to use results and findings from this 
evaluation as a basis for enhancing the curriculum, pedagogy, and other 
elements of the training program receiving support.
    The applicant can use up to $25,000 of the total award in each of 
years 1 and 2 for designing and field-testing the evaluation plan and 
can use up to $100,000 in each of years 3 and 4 for implementing the 
evaluation plan. Funds for the design, field testing, and 
implementation of the evaluation plan are not subject to the 
requirement to use at least 65 percent of the total requested budget 
per year for scholar support.

[[Page 33599]]

    Competitive Preference Priority 2: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this 
priority.
    This priority is:
    Applicants that demonstrate an established relationship with a 
high-need LEA (as defined in this absolute priority) that will provide 
scholars with a high-quality practicum experience in a high-poverty 
school (as defined in the absolute priority), which may include a 
professional development school,\14\ and opportunities for research-
based professional development on strategies to better serve high-need 
children with disabilities.
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    \14\ For the purposes of this priority the term professional 
development schools are innovative partnerships between school 
districts and institutions of higher education that focus on four 
primary goals: (a) The preparation of new teachers; (b) faculty 
development; (c) inquiry directed at the improvement of practice; 
and (d) enhanced student achievement (National Council for 
Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2009).
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    Competitive Preference Priority 3: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this 
priority.
    This priority is:
    In Focus Area D, applicants that document that they are 
institutions with minority enrollment of 50 percent or more.
    Competitive Preference Priority 4: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this 
priority.
    This priority is:
    In Focus Areas A, B, C, and D, applicants that prepare personnel 
who work with children, including infants and toddlers, who are deaf or 
hard of hearing to teach them listening and spoken language skills.

    Note: Five is the maximum amount of points an applicant can 
receive for meeting competitive preference priorities 2, 3, or 4. 
Ten is the maximum amount of points an applicant can receive for 
meeting competitive preference priority 1 and either of competitive 
preference priorities 2, 3, or 4. Also, the Department will fund a 
maximum of three applications in each of the Focus Areas, with peer 
review scores that would not have otherwise qualified for funding 
without the competitive preference points.

    References:
Anderson, L. F. & Hendrickson, J. M. (2007). Early-career EBD 
teacher knowledge, ratings of competency importance, and observed 
use of instruction and management competencies. Education and 
Treatment of Children, 30 (4), 43-65.
Chang, F., Early, D., & Winton, P. (2005). Early childhood teacher 
preparation in special education at 2- and 4-year institutions of 
higher education. Journal of Early Intervention, 27 (2), 110-124.
Dymond, S. K., Gilson, C. L., & Myran, S. P. (2007). Services for 
children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Disability 
Policy Studies, 18 (3), 133-147.
McLeskey, J. & Billingsley, B. (2008). How does the quality and 
stability of the teaching force influence the research-to-practice 
gap? Remedial and Special Education, 29 (5), 293-305.

    Absolute Priority 3--Special Education Preservice Program 
Improvement Grants (84.325T).
    Background:
    State educational agencies, institutions of higher education 
(IHEs), and local educational agencies (LEAs) consistently report that 
personnel preparation programs for kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) 
special education teachers should be restructured or redesigned so that 
graduates of these programs meet the highly qualified teacher (HQT) 
requirements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). 
To accomplish this goal, personnel preparation programs must ensure 
that their graduates who expect to be providing instruction in a core 
academic subject are able to meet State special education certification 
or licensure requirements, as well as have the necessary content 
knowledge, consistent with the HQT requirements in IDEA.
    In A Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (Blueprint),\15\ the Department 
emphasizes research that shows that ``top-performing teachers can make 
a dramatic difference in the achievement of their students, and 
suggests that the impact of being assigned to top-performing teachers 
year after year is enough to significantly narrow achievement gaps.'' 
Reflecting this research, in both the Race to the Top competition \16\ 
and the Blueprint, the Department has called for a focus on teacher 
effectiveness, determined by multiple measures, including in 
significant part the growth of each teacher's students. High-quality 
information on teacher effectiveness that is based on multiple measures 
can be used to provide feedback to teachers for on-going improvement 
and support every teacher's access to effective preparation, on-going 
support, recognition, and the collaboration opportunities he or she 
needs to succeed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \15\ The following Web site provides more information on A 
Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act (ESEA): https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/blueprint.pdf.
    \16\ The following Web site provides more information on the 
Race to the Top competition: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Priority:
    The purpose of this priority is to support the improvement and 
restructuring (through expansion or redesign) of K-12 special education 
teacher preparation programs to ensure that program graduates meet the 
HQT requirements in IDEA and effectively serve children with high-
incidence disabilities. For the purposes of this priority, the term 
high-incidence disabilities refers to learning disabilities, emotional 
disturbance, or mental retardation. In order to be eligible under this 
priority, applicants must currently prepare special education personnel 
(at the baccalaureate or master's level) to serve school-age children 
with high-incidence disabilities.

    Note: This priority only supports the improvement or 
restructuring of existing programs for high-incidence personnel, 
through, for example, the expansion of a program for elementary 
school teachers to include a program for secondary school teachers 
serving children with high-incidence disabilities. This priority 
does not support the development of new programs for high-incidence 
personnel. In addition, this priority does not support the 
improvement of programs in institutions of higher education (IHEs) 
that are preparing preschool teachers.


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

    To be considered for funding under the Special Education Preservice 
Program Improvement Grants priority, applicants must meet the 
application requirements contained in the priority. All projects funded 
under the absolute priority also must meet the programmatic and 
administrative requirements specified in the priority. The requirements 
of this priority are as follows:
    (a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of Project Services,'' how--
    (1) The first year of the project period will be used for planning 
an improved or restructured K-12 teacher preparation program that 
includes induction and mentoring for program participants in LEAs. The 
planning activities during the first year must include revising 
curriculum; integrating evidence-based interventions that improve 
outcomes for children with high-incidence disabilities into the 
improved or restructured program (including providing research 
citations for those evidence-based interventions); and coordinating 
with the IDEA '04 and Research For Inclusive Settings (IRIS) Center for 
Training Enhancements on

[[Page 33600]]

the use of its Web-based training modules (see https://www.iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu). Applicants must describe first-year 
activities and include a five-year timeline and implementation plan in 
their applications. This plan must describe the proposed project 
activities associated with implementation of the improved or 
restructured program. Implementation of the plan may not begin without 
approval from OSEP;
    (2) The improved or restructured program is designed to integrate 
coursework with practicum opportunities that will enhance the 
competencies of beginning special education teachers to--
    (i) Collaborate and work with general education teachers and other 
personnel to:
    (A) Provide effective services and instruction in academic subjects 
to children with high-incidence disabilities in K-12 general education 
classrooms; and
    (B) Address the challenges of serving high-need children with 
disabilities.

    Note: For the purpose of this priority, ``high-need children 
with disabilities'' refers to children (ages birth through twenty-
one, depending on the State) who are eligible for services under 
IDEA, and who may be further disadvantaged and at risk of 
educational failure because they: (1) Are living in poverty, (2) are 
far below grade level, (3) are at risk of not graduating with a 
regular high school diploma on time, (4) are homeless, (5) are in 
foster care, (6) have been incarcerated, or (7) are English language 
learners.

    (ii) Incorporate universal design for learning principles \17\ into 
curricula and instructional practice;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \17\ For purposes of this priority, the term universal design 
for learning under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended: ``a 
scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice 
that--``(A) provides flexibility in the ways information is 
presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and 
skills, and in the ways students are engaged; and (B) reduces 
barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, 
supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement 
expectations for all students, including students with disabilities 
and students who are limited English proficient'' (20 U.S.C. 
1003(24)). For consistency across U.S. Department of Education 
programs, we use this definition for priorities that intend to 
prepare personnel to teach and work in schools and other settings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (iii) Integrate instructional and assistive technologies into the 
delivery of services;
    (iv) Collect, manage, and analyze data to improve teaching and 
learning for the purpose of increasing student academic achievement; 
and
    (v) Support and work with parents and families of children with 
disabilities;
    (3) The improved or restructured program is designed to prepare 
special education teachers to address the specialized needs of high-
need children with disabilities (as defined in this absolute priority) 
with high-incidence disabilities by identifying the competencies that 
special education teachers need to work effectively with this 
population;
    (4) The improved or restructured program is designed to provide 
extended clinical learning opportunities,\18\ field experiences, or 
supervised practica and ongoing high-quality mentoring and induction 
opportunities in local schools. Applicants also must demonstrate how 
they will collaborate with the National Center to Inform Policy and 
Practice in Special Education Professional Development in designing the 
program to provide extended clinical learning opportunities, field 
experiences, or supervised practica (see https://www.ncipp.org);
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \18\ Clinical learning opportunities are a method of instruction 
for students to apply knowledge and skills in highly controlled or 
simulated situations to ensure that they possess needed skills and 
competencies prior to entering actual or typical environments with 
children with disabilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (5) The improved or restructured program is designed to include 
field-based training opportunities in diverse settings including high-
need LEAs,\19\ high-poverty schools,\20\ and low-performing schools, 
including the persistently lowest-achieving schools; \21\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \19\ For purposes of this priority, the term high-need LEA means 
an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families 
with incomes below the poverty line; or (b) for which not less than 
20 percent of the children served by the LEA are from families with 
incomes below the poverty line.
    \20\ For purposes of this priority, the term high-poverty school 
means, consistent with section 1111(h)(1)(C)(viii) of the ESEA, a 
school in the highest quartile of schools in the State with respect 
to poverty level, using a measure of poverty determined by the 
State.
    \21\ For purposes of this priority, the term persistently 
lowest-achieving school means, consistent with the section 1003(g) 
of the ESEA, School Improvement Grants (74 FR 65618), as determined 
by the State: (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective 
action, or restructuring that (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five 
percent of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or 
restructuring or the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in 
improvement, corrective action, or restructuring in the State, 
whichever number of schools is greater; or (b) Is a high school that 
has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is 
less than 60 percent over a number of years; and (ii) Any secondary 
school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds 
that (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary 
schools or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State 
that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever 
number of schools is greater; or (b) Is a high school that has had a 
graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 
percent over a number of years. To determine whether a school is a 
lowest-achieving school, a State must take into account both (i) The 
academic achievement of the ``all students'' group in a school in 
terms of proficiency on the State's assessments under section 
1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language arts and mathematics 
combined; and (ii) The school's lack of progress on those 
assessments over a number of years in the ``all students'' group.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (6) The improved or restructured program will--
    (i) Enable scholars \22\ to be highly qualified, in accordance with 
section 602(10) of IDEA and 34 CFR 300.18, in the State(s) to be served 
by the applicant; and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \22\ For the purposes of this priority, the term scholar means 
an individual who is pursuing a degree, license, endorsement, or 
certification related to special education, related services, or 
early intervention services and who receives scholarship assistance 
under section 662 of IDEA (see 34 CFR 304.3(g)).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (ii) Ensure that scholars are equipped with the knowledge and 
skills necessary to assist children in meeting State academic 
achievement standards;
    (7) The improved or restructured program is designed to provide 
support systems (including tutors, mentors, and other innovative 
practices) to enhance retention in and successful completion of the 
program; and
    (8) The improved or restructured program will be maintained once 
Federal funding ends.
    (b) For programs that will be restructured to produce graduates who 
meet the HQT requirements for teachers who teach core academic 
subjects, applicants must establish partnerships with the appropriate 
academic departments. Funds may be used to support faculty from the 
academic departments for their involvement in the activities outlined 
in paragraph (a)(4) of this priority. To address this requirement, 
applications must--
    (1) Describe how representatives of relevant academic departments 
with expertise in the core academic subjects being addressed in the 
application will be involved in the partnership;
    (2) Provide evidence that such partnerships will include a 
permanent faculty member from the appropriate academic departments, who 
will be involved in developing the overall project and designing the 
curriculum used to train scholars in the particular core academic 
subject; and
    (3) Provide evidence that permanent faculty members from the 
appropriate academic departments participated in the design of the 
program.
    (c) Include, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of Project Evaluation,'' a clear, effective plan for 
evaluating the extent to which graduates of the training program have 
the knowledge and skills necessary to provide scientifically based or 
evidence-based instruction and services that

[[Page 33601]]

result in improved outcomes for children with disabilities. This plan 
must include a description of how the project will--
    (1) Track training program graduates after they exit from the 
training program;
    (2) Collect reliable data on the academic outcomes of students with 
high-incidence disabilities receiving special education and related 
services from program graduates; and
    (3) Assess the quality of services provided by program graduates 
using student academic outcomes data, and data on other student 
outcomes as appropriate. Applicants must discuss how they intend to use 
any results and findings from this evaluation as a basis for informing 
and validating any proposed changes to the improved or restructured 
program. Applicants also must clearly describe, under ``Quality of 
Project Evaluation,'' how the project will report these evaluation 
results to OSEP in the grantee's annual performance reports and final 
performance report.
    (d) Include, in the application appendix, all course syllabi for 
the existing teacher preparation program.
    (e) Submit to the Department, at the end of the first year of the 
project period, revised syllabi for the improved teacher preparation 
program.
    (f) Meet the statutory requirements in section 662(e) through 
662(f) of IDEA.
    (g) Budget for planning and improvement activities, including 
activities to be performed by consultants. This priority does not 
provide financial support for scholars during any year of the project.
    (h) Budget for attendance at a three-day Project Directors' meeting 
in Washington, DC, during each year of the project.
    (i) If the project maintains a Web site, include relevant 
information