Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities-Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities; Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities-Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, 12343-12349 [2011-5081]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 44 (Monday, March 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12343-12349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5081]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities--
Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities; 
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Technology and Media Services for Individuals With 
Disabilities--Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With 
Disabilities; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal 
Year (FY) 2011

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.327A.

    Note:  This notice includes one absolute priority with two 
phases, and funding information for each phase of the competition, 
and two competitive preference priorities within the absolute 
priority.

    Dates:
    Applications Available: March 7, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See the chart in the 
Award Information section of this notice (Chart).
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See Chart.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purposes of the Technology and Media 
Services for Individuals with Disabilities program are to: (1) Improve 
results for children with disabilities by promoting the development, 
demonstration, and use of technology; (2) support educational media 
services activities designed to be of educational value in the 
classroom setting to children with disabilities; and (3) provide 
support for captioning and video description that are appropriate for 
use in the classroom setting.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority 
is from allowable activities specified in the statute, or otherwise 
authorized in the statute (see sections 674 and 681(d) of the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards based on the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities--
Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with Disabilities
    Background: The Department has made Steppingstones of Technology

[[Page 12344]]

Innovation for Children with Disabilities awards for several years 
under the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with 
Disabilities program. Awards are made in two phases: (1) Development 
and (2) research on effectiveness. Abstracts of projects funded under 
these two phases can be found at https://publicddb.tadnet.org/.
    Priority: The Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children 
with Disabilities absolute priority requires grantees to develop, 
implement, and evaluate innovative technology approaches designed to 
improve results for children with disabilities. Phase 1 projects must 
develop, refine, and test the feasibility of specific technology-based 
approaches. Phase 2 projects must subject technology-based approaches 
to rigorous field-based research to determine their effectiveness.
    To be considered for funding under the Steppingstones of Technology 
Innovation for Children with Disabilities absolute 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 application, programmatic, and administrative requirements are as 
follows:
    (a) In the application, an applicant must--
    (1) Describe a technology-based approach for use in (a) early 
intervention programs, (b) response-to-intervention (RTI) assessment 
techniques, or (c) preschool, elementary school, middle school, or high 
school educational programs that is designed to improve results for 
children with disabilities. The technology-based approach must be an 
innovative combination of new technology and additional materials and 
methodologies that enable the technology to improve results for 
children with disabilities;
    (2) Present a justification, based on scientifically rigorous 
research or theory, that demonstrates the potential effectiveness of 
the technology-based approach described pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of 
this priority for improving results for children with disabilities. The 
approach must have the potential to improve child outcomes, not just 
parent or provider outcomes. Child outcomes may include improved 
academic or pre-academic skills, improved behavioral or social 
functioning, and improved functional performance, provided that valid 
and reliable measurement instruments are employed to assess the 
outcomes. Technology-based approaches intended for use by providers or 
parents may not be funded under this priority unless child-level 
benefits are clearly demonstrated. Technology-based approaches for 
professional development will not be funded under this priority;
    (3) Provide a detailed plan for conducting work in one of the 
following two phases:
    (i) Phase 1--Development: Projects funded under Phase 1 must 
develop and refine a technology-based approach, and test its 
feasibility for use with children with disabilities. Activities under 
Phase 1 of the priority may include development, adaptation, and 
refinement of technology, materials, or methodologies. Activities under 
Phase 1 of the priority must include a formative evaluation of the 
technology-based approach's usability and feasibility for use with 
children with disabilities. Each project funded under Phase 1 must be 
designed to develop, as its primary product, a promising technology-
based approach for which it demonstrates evidence of its usability and 
feasibility for improving results for children with disabilities.
    (ii) Phase 2--Research on Effectiveness: Projects funded under 
Phase 2 must select a promising technology-based approach that has been 
developed and tested in a manner consistent with the criteria for 
activities funded under Phase 1, and subject the approach to rigorous 
field-based research to determine its effectiveness in educational or 
early intervention settings. Approaches studied under Phase 2 may have 
been developed with previous funding under Phase 1 of this priority or 
with funding from other sources. Phase 2 of this priority is primarily 
intended to produce sound research-based evidence demonstrating that 
the technology-based approach can improve educational or early 
intervention results for children with disabilities in a defined range 
of real world contexts.
    Projects funded under Phase 2 of this priority must conduct 
research that poses a causal question and must seek to answer that 
question through randomized assignment to treatment and comparison 
conditions, unless a strong justification is made for why a randomized 
trial is not possible. If a randomized trial is not possible, the 
applicant must employ alternatives that substantially minimize 
selection bias or allow the selection bias to be modeled. These 
alternatives include appropriately structured regression-discontinuity 
designs and natural experiments in which naturally occurring 
circumstances or institutions (perhaps unintentionally) divide people 
into treatment and comparison groups in a manner akin to purposeful 
random assignment. In their applications, applicants proposing to use 
an alternative system must (1) make a compelling case that 
randomization is not possible, and (2) describe in detail how the 
procedures will result in substantially minimizing the effects of 
selection bias on estimates of effect size. Choice of randomizing unit 
or units (e.g., students, classrooms, schools) must be grounded in a 
theoretical framework. Observational, survey, or qualitative 
methodologies may complement experimental methodologies to assist in 
the identification of factors that may explain the effectiveness or 
ineffectiveness of the technology-based approach being evaluated. 
Applicants must propose research designs that permit the identification 
and assessment of factors that may have an impact on the fidelity of 
implementation. Mediating and moderating variables that are both 
measured in the practice or model condition and are likely to affect 
outcomes in the comparison condition must be measured in the comparison 
condition (e.g., student time-on-task, teacher experience, or time in 
position).
    Projects funded under Phase 2 of this priority must conduct 
comprehensive research in order to provide convincing evidence of the 
effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the technology-based approach under 
study, at least within a defined range of settings. Applicants must 
provide documentation that available sample sizes, methodologies, and 
treatment effects are likely to result in conclusive findings regarding 
the effectiveness of the technology-based approach;
    (4) Provide a plan for forming collaborative relationships with 
vendors, other dissemination or marketing resources, or both to ensure 
that the technology-based approach can be made widely available if 
sufficient evidence of effectiveness is obtained. Applicants should 
document the availability and willingness of dissemination or marketing 
resources to participate. Applicants are encouraged to plan these 
collaborative relationships early in their projects, even in Phase 1 
(if applicable), but should refrain from widespread dissemination of 
the technology-based approach to practitioners until evidence of its 
effectiveness is obtained in Phase 2; and
    (5) Budget for the project director to attend an annual three-day 
Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC, and another annual two-
day trip to

[[Page 12345]]

Washington, DC to collaborate with the Federal project officer and the 
other projects funded under this priority to share information, and to 
discuss findings and methods of dissemination.
    (b) The project also must conduct the following activities:
    (1) If the project maintains a Web site, include relevant 
information and documents in a format that meets a government or 
industry-recognized standard for accessibility.
    (2) If the project produces instructional materials for 
dissemination, produce them in accessible formats (e.g., with 
captioning, with video description) complying with the National 
Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) when 
appropriate.
    Competitive Preference Priorities: Within this absolute priority, 
we give competitive preference to applications that meet one or more of 
the following priorities. For FY 2011 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 3 points to an application that meets this 
priority.
    This priority is:
    Applicants with projects that are designed to improve school 
readiness and success by using technology-based approaches for children 
with disabilities from birth through third grade and focus on one or 
more of the following priority areas: (a) Physical well-being and motor 
development; (b) social-emotional development; (c) language and 
literacy development; (d) cognition and general knowledge, including 
early numeracy and early scientific development; and (e) approaches 
toward learning.
    Competitive Preference Priority 2: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we 
award an additional 3 points to an application that meets this 
priority.
    This priority is:
    Applicants with projects that are designed to focus on technology-
based approaches for instruction in science, mathematics, or both for 
children with disabilities.

    Note: Three is the maximum amount of points an applicant can 
receive for meeting one or both of the competitive preference 
priorities. Thus, even if an applicant meets both priorities, it 
will only earn a total of 3 points. Applicants must include in the 
project abstract a statement indicating which competitive preference 
priorities they have addressed.

    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested 
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities and 
requirements. Section 681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment 
requirements of the APA inapplicable to the priorities in this notice.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1474 and 1481.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

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


    Note:  The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions 
of higher education (IHEs) only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$41,223,000 for awards for the Technology and Media Services for 
Individuals with Disabilities program for FY 2011, of which we intend 
to use an estimated $2,400,000 for the Steppingstones of Technology 
Innovation for Children with Disabilities competition. Please refer to 
the ``Estimated Range of Awards'' column in the Chart for the estimated 
dollar amounts for the two phases of this competition. The actual level 
of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we 
are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant 
process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Estimated Range of Awards: See Chart.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: See Chart.
    Maximum Award: Phase 1: $200,000, per year and Phase 2: $300,000, 
per year. We will reject any application that proposes a budget 
exceeding the maximum award for a single budget period of 12 months. 
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in 
the Federal Register.
    Estimated Number of Awards: See Chart.
    Project Period: Projects funded under Phase 1 will be funded for up 
to 24 months. Projects funded under Phase 2 will be funded for up to 36 
months. We will reject any application that proposes a project period 
exceeding 24 months for Phase 1 or 36 months for Phase 2.

                                         Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children With Disabilities
                                                        [Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2011]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                 Estimated
                                         Deadline for transmittal of            Deadline for           Estimated    Estimated     average     Estimated
           CFDA No. and Name                     applications             intergovernmental review     available     range of     size of     number of
                                                                                                         funds        awards       awards       awards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.327A--Steppingstones of Technology
 Innovation for Children With
 Disabilities:
    Phase 1--Development..............  April 21, 2011...............  June 20, 2011................   $1,200,000    $100,000-     $200,000            6
                                                                                                                       200,000
    Phase 2--Research on Effectiveness  April 21, 2011...............  June 20, 2011................    1,200,000     200,000-      300,000            4
                                                                                                                       300,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); local 
educational agencies (LEAs); public charter schools that are LEAs under 
State law; IHEs; other public agencies; private nonprofit 
organizations; outlying areas; freely associated States; Indian tribes 
or tribal organizations; and for-profit organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost 
sharing or matching.

[[Page 12346]]

    3. Other: General Requirements--(a) The projects funded under this 
competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in 
employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of 
IDEA).
    (b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this competition 
must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals 
with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and 
evaluating the projects (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an 
application package via the Internet, from the Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), or from the program office.
    To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: 
https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/.
    To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: 
ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 
22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. Fax: (703) 605-6794. If 
you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll 
free: 1-877-576-7734.
    You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: https://www.EDPubs.gov or at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
    If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to 
identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.327A.
    To obtain a copy from the program office, contact the person listed 
under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this notice.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application 
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, 
or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team listed under 
Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to 
the equivalent of no more than 50 pages using the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font 
(including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
    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 exceed the page limit; or if 
you apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: March 7, 2011.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See Chart.
    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 in 
paper format by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 7. 
Other Submission Requirements of this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the 
application process, the individual's application remains subject to 
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See Chart.
    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. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification 
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the 
Department of Education, you must--
    a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a 
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
    b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant 
database;
    c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
    d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information 
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you 
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
    You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number 
can be created within one business day.
    If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or 
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. 
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal 
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a 
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
    The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to 
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not 
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN 
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will 
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take 
three or more business days to complete.
    In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, 
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with 
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the 
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see https://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
    7. 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 are participating as a partner in the Governmentwide Grants.gov 
Apply site. The Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children 
with

[[Page 12347]]

Disabilities competition, CFDA number 84.327A, is included in this 
project. We request your participation in Grants.gov.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Governmentwide 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 
Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with Disabilities 
competition, CFDA number 84.327A 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 (e.g., search for 84.327, not 84.327A).
    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 date and time 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must 
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as 
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if 
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov 
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply 
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from 
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application 
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 
4:30:00 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 submission process through Grants.gov.
     You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that 
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov 
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures 
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 
system home page at https://www.G5.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.
     If you submit your application electronically, you must 
submit all documents electronically, including all information you 
typically provide on the following forms: The Application for Federal 
Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental 
Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs 
(ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications.
     If you submit your application electronically, you must 
attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .PDF 
(Portable Document) format only. If you upload a file type other than a 
.PDF 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 from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates 
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The 
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send 
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification 
indicates that the Department has received your application and has 
assigned your application 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 Technical Issues 
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting 
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov 
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
    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 described elsewhere in this notice.
    If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice and 
provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with 
Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. 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:  The extensions to which we refer 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 application 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 following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.327A), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    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.
    (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.
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

[[Page 12348]]

    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 
84.327A), 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 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including 
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are 
submitting your application; and
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a 
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not 
receive this grant notification within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Additional Review and Selection Process Factors:
    In the past, the Department has had difficulty finding peer 
reviewers for certain competitions, because so many individuals who are 
eligible to serve as peer reviewers have conflicts of interest. The 
Standing Panel requirements under IDEA also have placed additional 
constraints on the availability of reviewers. Therefore, the Department 
has determined that, for some discretionary grant competitions, 
applications may be separated into two or more groups and ranked and 
selected for funding within specific groups. This procedure will make 
it easier for the Department to find peer reviewers, by ensuring that 
greater numbers of individuals who are eligible to serve as reviewers 
for any particular group of applicants will not have conflicts of 
interest. It also will increase the quality, independence, and fairness 
of the review process, while permitting panel members to review 
applications under discretionary grant competitions for which they also 
have submitted applications. However, if the Department decides to 
select an equal number of applications in each group for funding, this 
may result in different cut-off points for fundable applications in 
each group.
    4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary 
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is 
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; 
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the 
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled 
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

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 notify you informally, also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) 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 directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has established a set of 
performance measures, including long-term measures, that are designed 
to yield information on various aspects of the effectiveness and 
quality of the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with 
Disabilities program. These measures focus on the extent to which 
projects are of high quality, are relevant to improving outcomes of 
children with disabilities, and contribute to improving outcomes for 
children with disabilities. We will collect data on these measures from 
the projects funded under this competition.
    Grantees also will be required to report information on their 
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR 
75.590).
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the 
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a 
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives 
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review 
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes 
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds 
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and 
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application,

[[Page 12349]]

including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit 
discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial 
assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 
110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Terry Jackson, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4081, Potomac Center Plaza 
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-6039.
    If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by 
contacting the Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 
20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7363. If you use a TDD, call the FRS, 
toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Electronic Access to This Document: You can 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.

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


    Dated: March 2, 2011.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2011-5081 Filed 3-4-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P