Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities, 50189-50197 [2011-20583]
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[FR Doc. 2011–20564 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am]
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SUMMARY:
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PRAMain or from the Department’s Web
site at https://edicsweb.ed.gov, by
selecting the ‘‘Browse Pending
Collections’’ link and by clicking on
link number 4563. When you access the
information collection, click on
‘‘Download Attachments’’ to view.
Written requests for information should
be addressed to U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–4537.
Requests may also be electronically
mailed to the Internet address
ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed to 202–
401–0920. Please specify the complete
title of the information collection and
OMB Control Number when making
your request.
Individuals who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–
8339.
[FR Doc. 2011–20565 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Technical Assistance and
Dissemination To Improve Services
and Results for Children With
Disabilities
Office of Special Education
Programs, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Overview Information
Technical Assistance and
Dissemination to Improve Services and
Results for Children with Disabilities—
National Center for Students with
Disabilities Who Require Intensive
Interventions. Notice inviting
applications for new awards for fiscal
year (FY) 2011.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.326Q.
Applications Available: August
12, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: September 12, 2011.
DATES:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
the Technical Assistance and
Dissemination to Improve Services and
Results for Children with Disabilities
program is to promote academic
achievement and to improve results for
children with disabilities by providing
technical assistance (TA), supporting
model demonstration projects,
disseminating useful information, and
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implementing activities that are
supported by scientifically based
research.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority is from
allowable activities specified in the
statute or otherwise authorized in the
statute (see sections 663 and 681(d) of
the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. 1463
and 1481(d)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2011 and
any subsequent year in which we make
awards based on the list of unfunded
applicants 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:
Technical Assistance and
Dissemination To Improve Services and
Results for Children With Disabilities—
National Center for Students With
Disabilities Who Require Intensive
Interventions
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Background
Despite efforts by school personnel to
improve academic and school-based
behaviors, many students with
disabilities continue to struggle in
school. For example, 65 percent of
fourth graders with disabilities and 62
percent of eighth graders with
disabilities who participated in the 2009
National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP) scored below the basic
level in reading achievement in contrast
with 33 percent of fourth graders and 25
percent of eighth graders without
disabilities (U.S. Department of
Education, 2010). Results from the
National Longitudinal Transition Study2 (NLTS2) indicate that students with
disabilities, on average, are more than
three years behind grade level in
reading and mathematics abilities.
Further, approximately 20 percent of
students with disabilities have difficulty
controlling their behavior in class, and
35 percent of students with disabilities
have been involved in some type of
disciplinary action (Wagner et al.,
2003).
Many students in a typical classroom
setting make academic progress and
improve their behavior when they
receive high-quality scientifically based
instruction and supports. Those
students who do not make progress
under such conditions may require
intensive interventions. Intensive
interventions are interventions that are
specifically designed to address a
student’s persistent learning or behavior
difficulties and are implemented with
greater frequency than in a typical
classroom setting and for an extended
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duration, either individually or in small
groups (Wanzek & Vaughn, 2010).
Intensive interventions require
educators to have knowledge and skills
in implementing multiple evidencebased interventions. In addition, more
than what is required of educators in a
typical classroom setting, intensive
interventions require that educators use
a student’s ongoing assessment data to
continually evaluate the effectiveness of
their instructional approach in
improving the student’s learning or
behavioral performance. Based on the
student’s performance, an educator will
need to change intervention approaches,
when needed, to meet a student’s
specific learning needs (Fuchs & Fuchs,
2009).
Research has demonstrated the
effectiveness of intensive interventions
in improving reading (e.g., Allor,
Mathes, Roberts, Cheatham, &
Champlin, 2010; Kamps, Greenwood,
Wills, Veerkamp, & Kaufman, 2008;
Mautone, DuPaul, Jitendra, Tresco,
Junod, & Volpe, 2009; Scammacca, N.,
Vaughn, S., Roberts, G., Wanzek, J., &
Torgesen, J. K., 2007; Vaughn, Denton,
& Fletcher, 2010; Wanzek & Vaughn,
2010), mathematics (e.g, Fuchs, Fuchs,
Powell, Seethaler, Cirino, & Fletcher,
2008; Gersten et al., 2009) and behavior
(e.g., Eikeseth, Smith, Jahr, & Eldevik,
2002; Fairbanks, Sugai, Guardino, &
Lathrop, 2007; Freeman et al., 2006;
O’Connor & Healy, 2010) for students atrisk of, or identified as, having
disabilities. In addition, the use of a
student’s assessment data to make
instructional changes that result in
improved student outcomes has been
well-documented (e.g., see Fuchs &
Fuchs, 1986; Shapiro, Edwards, &
Zigmond, 2005; Stecker, Fuchs, &
Fuchs, 2005). Furthermore, there is
evidence that training on, and supports
for, using student’s ongoing assessment
data can improve an educator’s ability
to plan and identify appropriate
instructional or behavioral programs
(e.g., Cook et al., 2007; Roehrig et al.,
2008; Stecker et al., 2005).
Notwithstanding this body of
knowledge, multiple studies have
documented that educators find it
difficult to implement individualized
instructional or behavioral interventions
for a variety of reasons (e.g., Kern, HiltPanahon, & Sokol, 2009; Vaughn,
Moody, & Schumm, 1998; Swanson &
Vaughn, 2010). For example, educators
report that they have not received
adequate professional development on
how to adapt materials, activities, and
strategies for individualized instruction
(e.g., Boardman et al., 2005; Bryant,
Linan-Thompson, Ugel, Hamff, &
Hoegen, 2001; Roehrig, Duggar, Moats,
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Glover, & Mincey, 2008; Schumm &
Vaughn, 1995). Similarly, educators
report gaps in their ability to effectively
use student data to make appropriate
individualized instructional or
behavioral intervention changes (e.g.
Bambara, Nonnemacher, & Kern, 2009;
Roehrig et al., 2008; Stecker et al.,
2005).
Local educational agencies (LEAs)
struggle with how best to support
schools’ and educators’ implementation
of intensive interventions (Boardman,
Arguelles, Vaughn, Hughes, & Klingner,
2005). Implementing and sustaining
evidence-based and intensive
interventions requires support at
multiple levels in the education system.
Several components of State, LEA, and
school systems have been identified as
important supports for successful
implementation and sustainability of
interventions; these components
include staff development, leadership
support, and organizational resources
(e.g., Bambara et al., 2009; Denton,
Vaughn, & Fletcher, 2003; Durlak &
DuPre, 2008; Fixsen et al., 2005; Lewis,
Barrett, Sugai & Horner, 2010; Sadler &
Sugai, 2009; Sugai et al., 2010). If
implementation supports (e.g., staff
development) are not provided at
multiple system levels, educators’
capacity to implement intensive
interventions may be limited and, in
turn, may negatively affect a student’s
academic and behavioral outcomes. The
optimal goal for educators in working
with students with learning or behavior
disabilities is not only to ensure that
students make progress in acquiring the
necessary skills to succeed in school but
also to accelerate the acquisition of such
skills so that students master grade-level
content. LEAs need assistance to
support schools and educators in
implementing and sustaining effective
intensive academic and behavioral
interventions for students with
disabilities.
The Office of Special Education
Programs (OSEP) proposes to support a
new national center that will focus on
intensive academic and behavioral
interventions for students with
disabilities with persistent learning or
behavior difficulties who are not those
with the most significant cognitive
disabilities.
Priority
The purpose of this priority is to fund
a cooperative agreement to support the
establishment and operation of a
National Center for Students with
Disabilities Who Require Intensive
Interventions (Center) that will: (1)
Identify and disseminate evidence-
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based 1 intensive interventions 2 or sets
of interventions in the areas of reading,
mathematics, and behavior for students
with disabilities with persistent learning
or behavioral difficulties who are not
those with the most significant cognitive
disabilities (the targeted students); (2)
identify LEA and school system
components (e.g., staff development,
leadership support, and organizational
resources) that affect the
implementation and sustainability of
effective intensive academic and
behavioral interventions; (3) develop
universally available resources and
strategies for LEAs to use in supporting
schools and educators in the
implementation of evidence-based
intensive interventions for the targeted
students; and (4) provide intensive TA
to 12 LEAs to assist them in building
their capacity to support schools and
educators’ implementation of intensive
reading, mathematics, and behavior
interventions for the targeted students.
To be considered for funding under
this absolute priority, applicants must
meet the application requirements
contained in this priority. Any project
funded under this absolute priority also
must meet the programmatic and
administrative requirements specified in
the priority.
Application Requirements
An applicant must include in its
application—
(a) A logic model that depicts, at a
minimum, the goals, activities, outputs,
and outcomes of the proposed project. A
logic model communicates how a
project will achieve its outcomes and
provides a framework for both the
formative and summative evaluations of
the project;
Note: The following Web sites provide
more information on logic models: https://
www.researchutilization.org/matrix/
logicmodel_resource3c.html and https://
www.tadnet.org/model_and_performance.
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(b) A plan to implement the activities
described in the Project Activities
section of this priority;
1 For the purposes of this priority, evidence-based
means practices for which there is ‘‘strong
evidence’’ or ‘‘moderate evidence’’ of effectiveness
as defined in the Department’s notice of final
supplemental priorities and definitions for
discretionary grant programs, published in the
Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR
78486) (https://www2.ed.gov/legislation/
FedRegister/other/2010–4/121510b.html).
2 For purposes of this priority, intensive
interventions or intensive academic and behavioral
interventions means interventions that are
specifically designed to address a student’s
persistent learning or behavior difficulties and are
implemented with greater frequency than in a
typical classroom setting and for an extended
duration, either individually or in small groups.
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(c) A plan, linked to the proposed
project’s logic model, for a formative
evaluation of the proposed project’s
activities. The plan must describe how
the formative evaluation will use clear
performance objectives to ensure
continuous improvement in the
operation of the proposed project,
including objective measures of progress
in implementing the project and
ensuring the quality of products and
services;
(d) A plan for recruiting and selecting
12 LEAs, in a minimum of three States,
including one or more high-need LEAs 3
and one or more rural LEAs in each
State,4 to receive intensive technical
assistance in building capacity to
support schools and educators to
implement intensive interventions for
the targeted students. The plan must
include the criteria the Center will use
to select LEAs to receive the intensive
technical assistance;
(e) A budget for a summative
evaluation to be conducted by an
independent third party;
(f) A budget for attendance at the
following:
(1) A one and one half-day kick-off
meeting to be held in Washington, DC,
within four weeks after receipt of the
award, and an annual planning meeting
held in Washington, DC, with the OSEP
Project Officer during each subsequent
year of the project period.
(2) A three-day Project Directors’
Conference in Washington, DC, during
each year of the project period.
(3) Two, two-day trips annually to
attend Department briefings,
Department-sponsored conferences, and
other meetings, as requested by OSEP;
and
(g) A line item in the proposed budget
for an annual set-aside of five percent of
the grant amount to support emerging
needs that are consistent with the
proposed project’s activities, as those
3 Section 2102(3) of the ESEA defines a high-need
LEA as an LEA—(a) That serves not fewer than
10,000 children from families with incomes below
the poverty line (as that term is defined in section
9101(33) of the ESEA), or for which not less than
20 percent of the children served by the LEA are
from families with incomes below the poverty line;
and (b) For which there is (1) a high percentage of
teachers not teaching in the academic subjects or
grade levels that the teachers were trained to teach,
or (2) a high percentage of teachers with emergency,
provisional, or temporary certification or licensing.
4 Rural LEA means an LEA that is eligible under
the Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA)
program or the Rural and Low-Income School
(RLIS) program authorized under Title VI, Part B of
the ESEA. Applicants may determine whether a
particular LEA is eligible for these programs by
referring to the information on the following
Department Web sites. For SRSA: https://
www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/ For
RLIS: https://www.ed.gov/programs/reaprlisp/
eligibility.html.
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needs are identified in consultation
with OSEP.
Note: With approval from the OSEP Project
Officer, the Center must reallocate any
remaining funds from this annual set-aside
no later than the end of the third quarter of
each budget period.
Project Activities. To meet the
requirements of this priority, the Center,
at a minimum, must conduct the
following activities:
Knowledge Development Activities
(a) Review available research on
intensive academic and behavioral
interventions for the targeted students,
including research on LEA and school
system components (e.g., staff
development, leadership support, and
organizational resources) that facilitate
or limit the implementation and
sustainability of intensive interventions.
In conducting this review of studies and
related evidence, the Center must use
standards that are consistent with those
used by the What Works Clearinghouse
(https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/) and the
definitions of strong evidence and
moderate evidence contained in the
notice of final priorities and definitions
for discretionary grants programs,
published in the Federal Register on
December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486)
(https://www2.ed.gov/legislation/
FedRegister/other/2010–4/
121510b.html). If the Center determines
that it cannot conduct the review using
these standards, it must develop and use
other rigorous standards.
(b) Based on the research review
conducted under paragraph (a) of these
Knowledge Development Activities, as
well as ongoing input from OSEP and
the advisory committee established
under paragraph (a) of the Leadership
and Coordination Activities, prepare
state-of-knowledge papers that
synthesize the research on—
(1) Intensive academic and behavioral
interventions (e.g., programs, practices,
or instructional approaches) for the
targeted students, to be completed in the
first six months of the project period;
and
(2) Professional development models
that improve the implementation of
intensive academic and behavioral
interventions for the targeted students,
including strategies for how to
effectively use student data to make
instructional or behavioral intervention
changes and how to adapt materials,
activities, and strategies for
individualized instruction, to be
completed in the first year of the project
period; and
(3) LEA and school system
components (e.g., staff development,
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leadership support, and organizational
resources) that facilitate or limit the
implementation and sustainability of
intensive interventions, including in
high-need and rural LEAs, to be
completed by the end of the second year
of the project period.
These papers must present the
research in a format that is accessible to
the Center’s relevant audiences,
including LEAs, educators, and
researchers. The papers must also
provide useful recommendations, with
specific reference to the evidence base
upon which the recommendations are
founded that can be incorporated into
the Center’s technical assistance
activities. The Center must submit these
papers for review to the advisory
committee, and, once the papers are
approved by the advisory committee,
disseminate the papers according to the
dissemination strategy developed under
paragraph (f) of the Leadership and
Coordination Activities.
(c) Identify and conduct site analyses
of LEAs and schools that are
implementing evidence-based intensive
interventions for the targeted students
in the areas of reading, mathematics, or
behavior and that might serve as
potential model demonstration sites.
The Center must identify and describe
the intensive interventions being
implemented, including the evidence
base for these interventions; student
outcomes, including academic
achievement and behavior; and the
system components (e.g., staff
development, leadership support, and
organizational resources at the sites)
within each site that facilitate or limit
the implementation and sustainability
of intensive interventions.
(d) Prepare papers summarizing the
analyses conducted under paragraph (c)
of these Knowledge Development
Activities, submit the papers for review
to the advisory committee established
under paragraph (a) of the Leadership
and Coordination Activities, and, once
the papers are approved by the advisory
committee, disseminate the papers
according to the dissemination strategy
developed under paragraph (f) of the
Leadership and Coordination Activities.
Technical Assistance and
Dissemination Activities
(a) Develop for distribution and use in
technical assistance (TA) activities a
‘‘blueprint’’ of implementation
components at the LEA level that
support educators’ use of intensive
academic and behavioral interventions
for the targeted students, based on
current research and the Knowledge
Development Activities performed by
the Center. The Center must ensure that
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the TA it develops under this paragraph
is informed by research and evidencebased practices, supplemented in
subsequent years by the knowledge
gained from the research syntheses and
site analyses performed under the
Knowledge Development Activities
section of this priority.
(b) Develop training materials for
LEAs (including high-need and rural
LEAs) on how to build their capacity to
support the implementation of intensive
interventions for the targeted students.
(c) Identify, or develop if appropriate,
and evaluate self-assessment tools that
can be used by schools and LEAs to
evaluate the implementation of, and
support for, intensive academic and
behavioral interventions for the targeted
students.
(d) Provide 12 LEAs in a minimum of
three States with intensive TA that is
designed to assist them in building their
capacity to support schools and
educators’ implementation of intensive
reading, mathematics, and behavior
interventions for the targeted students.
(f) Develop and coordinate a national
technical assistance and dissemination
(TA&D) network comprised of a cadre of
experts that the Center will use to
provide TA to LEAs to assist them in
building their capacity to support
schools and educators in implementing
and sustaining intensive academic and
behavioral interventions for the targeted
students.
(g) Maintain a Web site that meets
government or industry-recognized
standards for accessibility and that links
to the Web site operated by the
Technical Assistance Coordination
Center (TACC).
(h) Prepare and disseminate reports,
documents, and other materials on
intensive academic and behavioral
interventions and related topics as
requested by OSEP for specific
audiences, including families,
educators, administrators, policymakers,
and researchers. In consultation with
the OSEP Project Officer, make selected
reports, documents, and other materials
available in both English and Spanish.
Leadership and Coordination Activities
(a) Establish and maintain an advisory
committee to review activities,
products, and outcomes of the Center
and provide programmatic support and
advice throughout the project period. At
a minimum, the advisory committee
must meet on an annual basis in
Washington, DC, and consist of
representatives of SEAs and LEAs,
individuals with disabilities, educators,
parents of individuals with disabilities,
representatives from institutions of
higher education, and researchers. The
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Center must submit the names of
proposed members of the advisory
committee to OSEP for approval within
eight weeks after receipt of the award.
(b) Communicate and collaborate on
an ongoing basis with OSEP-funded
projects, including the Response to
Intervention Center, Center on Positive
Behavioral Supports, Center on State
Implementation and Scaling-up of
Evidence-based Practices, the IDEA
Partnership Project, the Regional
Resource Centers, and the National
Parent Technical Assistance Center.
This collaboration could include the
joint development of products, the
coordination of TA services, and the
planning and carrying out of TA
meetings and events.
(c) Participate in, organize, or
facilitate communities of practice that
align with the needs of the project’s
target audience. Communities of
practice should align with the project’s
objectives to support discussions and
collaboration among key stakeholders.
The following Web site provides more
information on communities of practice:
https://www.tadnet.org/communities.
(d) Prior to developing any new
product, submit a proposal for the
product to the TACC database for
approval from the OSEP Project Officer.
The development of new products
should be consistent with the product
definition and guidelines posted on the
TACC Web site (https://www.tadnet.org).
(e) Contribute, on an ongoing basis,
updated information on the Center’s
approved and finalized products and
services to a database at TACC.
(f) Coordinate with the National
Dissemination Center for Individuals
with Disabilities to develop an efficient
and high-quality dissemination strategy
that reaches broad audiences. The
Center must report to the OSEP Project
Officer the outcomes of these
coordination efforts.
(g) Maintain ongoing communication
with the OSEP Project Officer through
monthly phone conversations and email communication.
Extending the Project for a Fourth and
Fifth Year
The Secretary may extend the Center
for up to two additional years beyond its
original project period of 36 months if
a grantee is achieving the intended
outcomes of the grant, shows
improvement against baseline measures
on performance indicators, and is
making a positive contribution to the
implementation and sustainability of
intensive interventions.
References
Allor, J. H., Mathes, P. G., Roberts, J. K.,
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Cheatham, J. P., & Champlin, T. M.
(2010). Comprehensive reading
instruction for students with intellectual
disabilities. Psychology in the Schools,
47, 445–466.
Bambara, L. M., Nonnemacher, S., & Kern, L.
(2009). Sustaining school-based
individualized positive behavior
support. Journal of Positive Behavior
Interventions, 11, 161–176.
Berkeley, S., Bender, W. N., Peaster, L. G., &
Saunders, L. (2009). Implementation of
Response to Intervention: A snapshot of
progress. Journal of Learning Disabilities,
42, 85–95.
Boardman, A. G., Arguelles, M. E., Vaughn,
S., Hughes, M. T., & Klingner, J. (2005).
Special education teachers’ views of
research-based practices. The Journal of
Special Education, 39, 168–180.
Bryant, D. P., Linan-Thompson, S., Ugel, N.,
Hamff, A., & Hougen, M. (2001). The
effects of professional development on
middle school general and special
education teachers on implementation of
reading strategies in inclusive content.
Learning Disability Quarterly, 24, 251–
264.
Cook, C. R., Crews, S. D., Wright, D. B.,
Mayer, G. R., Gale, B., Kraemer, B., &
Gresham, F. M. (2007). Establishing and
evaluating the substantive adequacy of
positive behavioral support plans.
Journal of Behavioral Education, 16,
191–206.
Denton, C. A., Vaughn, S., & Fletcher, J. M.
(2003). Bringing research-based practice
in reading intervention to scale. Learning
Disabilities Research & Practice, 18, 201–
211.
Durlak, J. A., & DuPre, E. P. (2008).
Implementation matters: A review of
research on the influence of
implementation on program outcomes
and the factors affecting implementation.
American Journal of Community
Psychology, 41, 327–350.
Eikeseth, S., Smith, T., Jahr, E., & Eldevik, S.,
(2002). Intensive behavioral treatment at
school for 4-to-7-year old children with
autism. Behavior Modification, 26, 49–
68.
Fairbanks, S., Sugai, G., Guardino, D., &
Lathrop, M. (2007). Response to
intervention: Examining classroom
behavior support in the second grade.
Exceptional Children, 73, 288–310.
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Fixsen, D. L., Naoom, S. F., Blase, K. A.,
Friedman, R. M., & Wallace, F. (2005).
Implementation research: A synthesis of
the literature. Tampa, FL: University of
South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida
Mental Health Institute.
Freeman, R., Eber, L., Anderson, C., Irvin, L.,
Horner, R., Bounds, M., & Dunlap, G.
(2006). Building inclusive school
cultures using school-wide positive
behavior support: Designing effective
individual support systems for students
with significant disabilities. Research
and Practice for Persons with Severe
Disabilities, 31, 4–17.
Fuchs, L. S. & Fuchs, D. (1986). Effects of
systematic formative evaluation: A metaanalysis. Exceptional Children, 53, 199–
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Fuchs, L. S. & Fuchs, D. (2009). Creating
opportunities for intensive intervention
for students with learning disabilities.
Teaching Exceptional Children, 42, 60–
62.
Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L. S. & Stecker, P. M.
(2010). The ‘‘blurring’’ of special
education in a new continuum of general
education placements and services.
Exceptional Children, 76, 301–323.
Fuchs, L. S. & Fuchs, D., Powell, S. R.,
Seethaler, P. M., Cirino, P. T., & Fletcher,
J. M. (2008). Intensive intervention for
students with mathematics disabilities:
Seven principles of effective practice.
Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 31, 79–
92.
Gersten, R., Beckmann, S., Clarke, B., Foegen,
A., Marsh, L., Star, J. R., & Witzel, B.
(2009). Assisting students struggling with
mathematics: Response to Intervention
(RtI) for elementary and middle schools
(NCEE 2009–4060). Washington, DC:
National Center for Education Evaluation
and Regional Assistance, Institute of
Education Sciences, U.S. Department of
Education. Retrieved November 1, 2010
from https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/
publications/practiceguides/.
Kamps, D., Abbott, M., Greenwood, C., Wills,
H., Veerkamp, M., & Kaufman, J. (2008).
Effects of small-group reading
instruction and curriculum differences
for students most at risk in kindergarten:
Two-year results for secondary- and
tertiary-level interventions. Journal of
Learning Disabilities, 41, 101–114.
Kern, L., Hilt-Panahon, A., & Sokol, N. G.
(2009). Further examining the triangle
tip: Improving support for students with
emotional and behavioral needs.
Psychology in the Schools, 46, 18–32.
Lewis, T.J., Barrett, S., Sugai, G., Horner, R.
H. (2010). Blueprint for schoolwide
positive behavior support training and
professional development. Eugene, OR:
National Technical Assistance Center on
Positive Behavior Interventions and
Support. Retrieved from https://
www.pbis.org.
Mautone, J. A., DuPaul, G. J., Jitendra, A. K.,
Tresco, K. E., Junod, R. V., & Volpe, R.
J. (2009). The relationship between
treatment integrity and acceptability of
reading interventions for children with
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Psychology in the Schools, 46, 919–931.
O’Connor, A. B., & Healy, O. (2010). Longterm post-intensive behavioral
intervention outcomes for five children
with autism spectrum disorder. Research
in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4, 594–
604.
Roehrig, A. D., Duggar, S. W., Moats, L.,
Glover, M., & Mincey, B. (2008). When
teachers work to use progress monitoring
data to inform literacy instruction:
Identifying potential supports and
challenges. Remedial and Special
Education, 29, 364–382.
Sadler, C., & Sugai, G. (2009). Effective
behavior and instructional support: A
district model for early identification
and prevention of reading and behavior
problems. Journal of Positive Behavior
Interventions, 11, 35–46.
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Extensive reading interventions in grades
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Portsmouth, N.H.: RMC Research
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Meaningful professional development in
accommodating students with
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Education, 16, 344–353.
Shapiro, E. S., Edwards, L., & Zigmond, N.
(2005). Progress monitoring of
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Effective Intervention, 30, 15–32.
Stecker, P. M., Fuchs, L. S., & Fuchs, D.
(2005). Using curriculum-based
measurement to improve student
achievement: Review of research.
Psychology in the Schools, 42, 795–819.
Sugai, G., Horner, R.H., Algozzine, R.,
Barrett, S., Lewis, T., Anderson, C.,
Bradley, R., Choi, J. H., Dunlap, G., Eber,
L., George, H., Kincaid, D., McCart, A.,
Nelson, M., Newcomer, L., Putnam, R.,
Riffel, L., Rovins, M., Sailor, W.,
Simonsen, B. (2010). School-wide
positive behavior support: Implementers’
blueprint and self-assessment. Eugene,
OR: University of Oregon. Retrieved from
https://www.pbis.org.
Swanson, E. A., & Vaughn, S. (2010). An
observation study of reading instruction
provided to elementary students with
learning disabilities in the resource
room. Psychology in the Schools, 47,
481–491.
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Vaughn, S., Denton, C. A., & Fletcher, J. M.
(2010). Why intensive interventions are
necessary for students with severe
reading difficulties. Psychology in the
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(1998). Broken promises: Reading
instruction in the resource room.
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Davies-Mercier, E. (with Chorost, M.,
Garza, N., Guzman, A., & Sumi, C.)
(2003). The achievements of youth with
disabilities during secondary school. A
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November 12, 2010 from https://
www.nlts2.org/reports/2003_11/
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Wagner, M., Newman, L., Cameto, R., Levine,
P., & Garza, N. (2006). An overview of
findings from Wave 2 of the national
longitudinal transition study—2
(NLTS2). Menlo Park, CA: SRI
International. Retrieved November 12,
2010 from https://ies.ed.gov/ncser/pubs/
20063004/.
Wanzek, J. & Vaughn, S. (2010). Tier 3
interventions for students with
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Practice, 49, 305–314.
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 156 / Friday, August 12, 2011 / Notices
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 priority in this
notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1463 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: Cooperative
agreements.
Estimated Available Funds:
$1,500,000 for year one of the project
period and $2,100,000 for each of years
two through five of the project period.
Maximum Awards: We will reject any
application that proposes a budget
exceeding $1,500,000 for year one of the
project period and $2,100,000 for years
two through five 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: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months with
an optional additional 24 months based
on performance.
Note: Applications must include plans for
both the 36-month award and the 24-month
extension.
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III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs,
including public charter schools that are
considered 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.
3. Other: General Requirements—(a)
The projects funded under this
competition must make positive efforts
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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
program or competition as follows:
CFDA number 84.326Q.
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 the
application narrative to the equivalent
of no more than 70 pages, using the
following standards:
• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side
only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,
and both sides.
• Double space (no more than three
lines per vertical inch) all text in the
application narrative, including titles,
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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, the page limit does apply to
all of the application narrative section
(Part III).
We will reject your application if you
exceed the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: August 12,
2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: September 12, 2011.
Applications for grants under this
competition may be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov
Apply site, 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.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This
competition 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.
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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 at the
following Grants.gov Web page: https://
www.grants.gov/applicants/
get_registered.jsp).
7. Other Submission Requirements:
Applications for grants under this
competition may be submitted
electronically or in paper format by mail
or hand delivery.
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a. Electronic Submission of
Applications
We are participating as a partner in
the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply
site. The National Center for Students
with Disabilities Who Require Intensive
Interventions competition, CFDA
number 84.326Q, is included in this
project. We request your participation in
Grants.gov.
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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 email an electronic copy of a grant
application to us.
You may access the electronic grant
application for the National Center for
Students with Disabilities Who Require
Intensive Interventions competition at
https://www.Grants.gov. You must search
for the downloadable application
package for this program by the CFDA
number. Do not include the CFDA
number’s alpha suffix in your search
(e.g., search for 84.326, not 84.326Q).
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
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50195
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 upload any
narrative sections and all other
attachments to 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 EDspecified 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 4:30:00 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
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instructions described elsewhere in this
notice.
If you submit an application after
4:30:00 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 4:30:00 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.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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 84.326Q), 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.
If your application is postmarked after
the application deadline date, we will
not consider your application.
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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 84.326Q), 550 12th
Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260.
The Application Control Center
accepts hand deliveries daily between
8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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
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 competition 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
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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 the 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
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 156 / Friday, August 12, 2011 / Notices
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
Technical Assistance and Dissemination
to Improve Services and Results for
Children with Disabilities program.
These measures focus on the extent to
which projects provide high-quality
products and services, the relevance of
project products and services to
educational and early intervention
policy and practice, and the use of
products and services to improve
educational and early intervention
policy and practice.
Grantees will be required to report
information on their project’s
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, including those
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:37 Aug 11, 2011
Jkt 223001
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
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:
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 via the Federal Digital System
at: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this
site 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). To use PDF
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader,
which is available free at the site.
You may also access documents of the
Department published in the Federal
Register by using the article search
feature at: https://
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically,
through the advanced search feature on
this site, you can limit your search to
documents published by the
Department.
Dated: August 8, 2011.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2011–20583 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
Frm 00032
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Notice Inviting Publishers To Submit
Tests for a Determination of Suitability
for Use in the National Reporting
System for Adult Education
Office of Vocational and Adult
Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of invitation.
AGENCY:
For Further Information Contact:
Celia Rosenquist, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
room 4052, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP),
Washington, DC 20202–2550.
Telephone: (202) 245–7373.
If you use a TDD, call the Federal
Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–
877–8339.
PO 00000
50197
Sfmt 4703
The Department of Education
(Department) announces the date by
which test publishers must submit tests
to the Secretary for review and approval
for use in the National Reporting System
for Adult Education (NRS).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John
LeMaster, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
Room 11159, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202–7240.
Telephone: (202) 245–6218 or by e-mail:
John.LeMaster@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–
877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Department’s Measuring Educational
Gain in the National Reporting System
for Adult Education regulations, 34 CFR
part 462 (NRS regulations), include the
procedures for determining the
suitability of tests for use in the NRS.
Criteria the Secretary uses: In order
for the Secretary to consider a test
suitable for use in the NRS, the test
must meet the criteria and requirements
established in § 462.13 of the NRS
regulations.
SUMMARY:
Submission Requirements
(a) A test publisher must comply with
the requirements in § 462.11 of the NRS
regulations when submitting an
application.
(b) In accordance with § 462.10 of the
NRS regulations, the deadline for
transmittal of applications is October 1,
2011.
(c) Whether you submit your
application by mail (through the U.S.
Postal Service or a commercial carrier)
or deliver your application by hand or
by courier service, you must mail or
deliver three copies of your application,
on or before the deadline date, to the
following address:
NRS Assessment Review, c/o American
Institutes for Research, 1000
Thomas Jefferson Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20007.
(d) If you submit your application by
mail or commercial carrier, you must
show proof of mailing consisting of one
of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service
postmark.
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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 156 (Friday, August 12, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50189-50197]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-20583]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance and
Dissemination To Improve Services and Results for Children With
Disabilities
AGENCY: Office of Special Education Programs, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview Information
Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and
Results for Children with Disabilities--National Center for Students
with Disabilities Who Require Intensive Interventions. Notice inviting
applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2011.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.326Q.
DATES: Applications Available: August 12, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 12, 2011.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Technical Assistance and
Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities program is to promote academic achievement and to improve
results for children with disabilities by providing technical
assistance (TA), supporting model demonstration projects, disseminating
useful information, and
[[Page 50190]]
implementing activities that are supported by scientifically based
research.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority
is from allowable activities specified in the statute or otherwise
authorized in the statute (see sections 663 and 681(d) of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. 1463 and
1481(d)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which we
make awards based on the list of unfunded applicants 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:
Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services and Results
for Children With Disabilities--National Center for Students With
Disabilities Who Require Intensive Interventions
Background
Despite efforts by school personnel to improve academic and school-
based behaviors, many students with disabilities continue to struggle
in school. For example, 65 percent of fourth graders with disabilities
and 62 percent of eighth graders with disabilities who participated in
the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scored
below the basic level in reading achievement in contrast with 33
percent of fourth graders and 25 percent of eighth graders without
disabilities (U.S. Department of Education, 2010). Results from the
National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) indicate that students
with disabilities, on average, are more than three years behind grade
level in reading and mathematics abilities. Further, approximately 20
percent of students with disabilities have difficulty controlling their
behavior in class, and 35 percent of students with disabilities have
been involved in some type of disciplinary action (Wagner et al.,
2003).
Many students in a typical classroom setting make academic progress
and improve their behavior when they receive high-quality
scientifically based instruction and supports. Those students who do
not make progress under such conditions may require intensive
interventions. Intensive interventions are interventions that are
specifically designed to address a student's persistent learning or
behavior difficulties and are implemented with greater frequency than
in a typical classroom setting and for an extended duration, either
individually or in small groups (Wanzek & Vaughn, 2010). Intensive
interventions require educators to have knowledge and skills in
implementing multiple evidence-based interventions. In addition, more
than what is required of educators in a typical classroom setting,
intensive interventions require that educators use a student's ongoing
assessment data to continually evaluate the effectiveness of their
instructional approach in improving the student's learning or
behavioral performance. Based on the student's performance, an educator
will need to change intervention approaches, when needed, to meet a
student's specific learning needs (Fuchs & Fuchs, 2009).
Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of intensive
interventions in improving reading (e.g., Allor, Mathes, Roberts,
Cheatham, & Champlin, 2010; Kamps, Greenwood, Wills, Veerkamp, &
Kaufman, 2008; Mautone, DuPaul, Jitendra, Tresco, Junod, & Volpe, 2009;
Scammacca, N., Vaughn, S., Roberts, G., Wanzek, J., & Torgesen, J. K.,
2007; Vaughn, Denton, & Fletcher, 2010; Wanzek & Vaughn, 2010),
mathematics (e.g, Fuchs, Fuchs, Powell, Seethaler, Cirino, & Fletcher,
2008; Gersten et al., 2009) and behavior (e.g., Eikeseth, Smith, Jahr,
& Eldevik, 2002; Fairbanks, Sugai, Guardino, & Lathrop, 2007; Freeman
et al., 2006; O'Connor & Healy, 2010) for students at-risk of, or
identified as, having disabilities. In addition, the use of a student's
assessment data to make instructional changes that result in improved
student outcomes has been well-documented (e.g., see Fuchs & Fuchs,
1986; Shapiro, Edwards, & Zigmond, 2005; Stecker, Fuchs, & Fuchs,
2005). Furthermore, there is evidence that training on, and supports
for, using student's ongoing assessment data can improve an educator's
ability to plan and identify appropriate instructional or behavioral
programs (e.g., Cook et al., 2007; Roehrig et al., 2008; Stecker et
al., 2005).
Notwithstanding this body of knowledge, multiple studies have
documented that educators find it difficult to implement individualized
instructional or behavioral interventions for a variety of reasons
(e.g., Kern, Hilt-Panahon, & Sokol, 2009; Vaughn, Moody, & Schumm,
1998; Swanson & Vaughn, 2010). For example, educators report that they
have not received adequate professional development on how to adapt
materials, activities, and strategies for individualized instruction
(e.g., Boardman et al., 2005; Bryant, Linan-Thompson, Ugel, Hamff, &
Hoegen, 2001; Roehrig, Duggar, Moats, Glover, & Mincey, 2008; Schumm &
Vaughn, 1995). Similarly, educators report gaps in their ability to
effectively use student data to make appropriate individualized
instructional or behavioral intervention changes (e.g. Bambara,
Nonnemacher, & Kern, 2009; Roehrig et al., 2008; Stecker et al., 2005).
Local educational agencies (LEAs) struggle with how best to support
schools' and educators' implementation of intensive interventions
(Boardman, Arguelles, Vaughn, Hughes, & Klingner, 2005). Implementing
and sustaining evidence-based and intensive interventions requires
support at multiple levels in the education system. Several components
of State, LEA, and school systems have been identified as important
supports for successful implementation and sustainability of
interventions; these components include staff development, leadership
support, and organizational resources (e.g., Bambara et al., 2009;
Denton, Vaughn, & Fletcher, 2003; Durlak & DuPre, 2008; Fixsen et al.,
2005; Lewis, Barrett, Sugai & Horner, 2010; Sadler & Sugai, 2009; Sugai
et al., 2010). If implementation supports (e.g., staff development) are
not provided at multiple system levels, educators' capacity to
implement intensive interventions may be limited and, in turn, may
negatively affect a student's academic and behavioral outcomes. The
optimal goal for educators in working with students with learning or
behavior disabilities is not only to ensure that students make progress
in acquiring the necessary skills to succeed in school but also to
accelerate the acquisition of such skills so that students master
grade-level content. LEAs need assistance to support schools and
educators in implementing and sustaining effective intensive academic
and behavioral interventions for students with disabilities.
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) proposes to support
a new national center that will focus on intensive academic and
behavioral interventions for students with disabilities with persistent
learning or behavior difficulties who are not those with the most
significant cognitive disabilities.
Priority
The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative agreement to
support the establishment and operation of a National Center for
Students with Disabilities Who Require Intensive Interventions (Center)
that will: (1) Identify and disseminate evidence-
[[Page 50191]]
based \1\ intensive interventions \2\ or sets of interventions in the
areas of reading, mathematics, and behavior for students with
disabilities with persistent learning or behavioral difficulties who
are not those with the most significant cognitive disabilities (the
targeted students); (2) identify LEA and school system components
(e.g., staff development, leadership support, and organizational
resources) that affect the implementation and sustainability of
effective intensive academic and behavioral interventions; (3) develop
universally available resources and strategies for LEAs to use in
supporting schools and educators in the implementation of evidence-
based intensive interventions for the targeted students; and (4)
provide intensive TA to 12 LEAs to assist them in building their
capacity to support schools and educators' implementation of intensive
reading, mathematics, and behavior interventions for the targeted
students.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For the purposes of this priority, evidence-based means
practices for which there is ``strong evidence'' or ``moderate
evidence'' of effectiveness as defined in the Department's notice of
final supplemental priorities and definitions for discretionary
grant programs, published in the Federal Register on December 15,
2010 (75 FR 78486) (https://www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2010-4/121510b.html).
\2\ For purposes of this priority, intensive interventions or
intensive academic and behavioral interventions means interventions
that are specifically designed to address a student's persistent
learning or behavior difficulties and are implemented with greater
frequency than in a typical classroom setting and for an extended
duration, either individually or in small groups.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To be considered for funding under this absolute priority,
applicants must meet the application requirements contained in this
priority. Any project funded under this absolute priority also must
meet the programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the
priority.
Application Requirements
An applicant must include in its application--
(a) A logic model that depicts, at a minimum, the goals,
activities, outputs, and outcomes of the proposed project. A logic
model communicates how a project will achieve its outcomes and provides
a framework for both the formative and summative evaluations of the
project;
Note: The following Web sites provide more information on logic
models: https://www.researchutilization.org/matrix/logicmodel_resource3c.html and https://www.tadnet.org/model_and_performance.
(b) A plan to implement the activities described in the Project
Activities section of this priority;
(c) A plan, linked to the proposed project's logic model, for a
formative evaluation of the proposed project's activities. The plan
must describe how the formative evaluation will use clear performance
objectives to ensure continuous improvement in the operation of the
proposed project, including objective measures of progress in
implementing the project and ensuring the quality of products and
services;
(d) A plan for recruiting and selecting 12 LEAs, in a minimum of
three States, including one or more high-need LEAs \3\ and one or more
rural LEAs in each State,\4\ to receive intensive technical assistance
in building capacity to support schools and educators to implement
intensive interventions for the targeted students. The plan must
include the criteria the Center will use to select LEAs to receive the
intensive technical assistance;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Section 2102(3) of the ESEA defines a high-need LEA as an
LEA--(a) That serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families
with incomes below the poverty line (as that term is defined in
section 9101(33) of the ESEA), or for which not less than 20 percent
of the children served by the LEA are from families with incomes
below the poverty line; and (b) For which there is (1) a high
percentage of teachers not teaching in the academic subjects or
grade levels that the teachers were trained to teach, or (2) a high
percentage of teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary
certification or licensing.
\4\ Rural LEA means an LEA that is eligible under the Small
Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program or the Rural and Low-Income
School (RLIS) program authorized under Title VI, Part B of the ESEA.
Applicants may determine whether a particular LEA is eligible for
these programs by referring to the information on the following
Department Web sites. For SRSA: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/ For RLIS: https://www.ed.gov/programs/reaprlisp/eligibility.html.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(e) A budget for a summative evaluation to be conducted by an
independent third party;
(f) A budget for attendance at the following:
(1) A one and one half-day kick-off meeting to be held in
Washington, DC, within four weeks after receipt of the award, and an
annual planning meeting held in Washington, DC, with the OSEP Project
Officer during each subsequent year of the project period.
(2) A three-day Project Directors' Conference in Washington, DC,
during each year of the project period.
(3) Two, two-day trips annually to attend Department briefings,
Department-sponsored conferences, and other meetings, as requested by
OSEP; and
(g) A line item in the proposed budget for an annual set-aside of
five percent of the grant amount to support emerging needs that are
consistent with the proposed project's activities, as those needs are
identified in consultation with OSEP.
Note: With approval from the OSEP Project Officer, the Center
must reallocate any remaining funds from this annual set-aside no
later than the end of the third quarter of each budget period.
Project Activities. To meet the requirements of this priority, the
Center, at a minimum, must conduct the following activities:
Knowledge Development Activities
(a) Review available research on intensive academic and behavioral
interventions for the targeted students, including research on LEA and
school system components (e.g., staff development, leadership support,
and organizational resources) that facilitate or limit the
implementation and sustainability of intensive interventions. In
conducting this review of studies and related evidence, the Center must
use standards that are consistent with those used by the What Works
Clearinghouse (https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/) and the definitions of
strong evidence and moderate evidence contained in the notice of final
priorities and definitions for discretionary grants programs, published
in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486) (https://www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2010-4/121510b.html). If the
Center determines that it cannot conduct the review using these
standards, it must develop and use other rigorous standards.
(b) Based on the research review conducted under paragraph (a) of
these Knowledge Development Activities, as well as ongoing input from
OSEP and the advisory committee established under paragraph (a) of the
Leadership and Coordination Activities, prepare state-of-knowledge
papers that synthesize the research on--
(1) Intensive academic and behavioral interventions (e.g.,
programs, practices, or instructional approaches) for the targeted
students, to be completed in the first six months of the project
period; and
(2) Professional development models that improve the implementation
of intensive academic and behavioral interventions for the targeted
students, including strategies for how to effectively use student data
to make instructional or behavioral intervention changes and how to
adapt materials, activities, and strategies for individualized
instruction, to be completed in the first year of the project period;
and
(3) LEA and school system components (e.g., staff development,
[[Page 50192]]
leadership support, and organizational resources) that facilitate or
limit the implementation and sustainability of intensive interventions,
including in high-need and rural LEAs, to be completed by the end of
the second year of the project period.
These papers must present the research in a format that is
accessible to the Center's relevant audiences, including LEAs,
educators, and researchers. The papers must also provide useful
recommendations, with specific reference to the evidence base upon
which the recommendations are founded that can be incorporated into the
Center's technical assistance activities. The Center must submit these
papers for review to the advisory committee, and, once the papers are
approved by the advisory committee, disseminate the papers according to
the dissemination strategy developed under paragraph (f) of the
Leadership and Coordination Activities.
(c) Identify and conduct site analyses of LEAs and schools that are
implementing evidence-based intensive interventions for the targeted
students in the areas of reading, mathematics, or behavior and that
might serve as potential model demonstration sites. The Center must
identify and describe the intensive interventions being implemented,
including the evidence base for these interventions; student outcomes,
including academic achievement and behavior; and the system components
(e.g., staff development, leadership support, and organizational
resources at the sites) within each site that facilitate or limit the
implementation and sustainability of intensive interventions.
(d) Prepare papers summarizing the analyses conducted under
paragraph (c) of these Knowledge Development Activities, submit the
papers for review to the advisory committee established under paragraph
(a) of the Leadership and Coordination Activities, and, once the papers
are approved by the advisory committee, disseminate the papers
according to the dissemination strategy developed under paragraph (f)
of the Leadership and Coordination Activities.
Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities
(a) Develop for distribution and use in technical assistance (TA)
activities a ``blueprint'' of implementation components at the LEA
level that support educators' use of intensive academic and behavioral
interventions for the targeted students, based on current research and
the Knowledge Development Activities performed by the Center. The
Center must ensure that the TA it develops under this paragraph is
informed by research and evidence-based practices, supplemented in
subsequent years by the knowledge gained from the research syntheses
and site analyses performed under the Knowledge Development Activities
section of this priority.
(b) Develop training materials for LEAs (including high-need and
rural LEAs) on how to build their capacity to support the
implementation of intensive interventions for the targeted students.
(c) Identify, or develop if appropriate, and evaluate self-
assessment tools that can be used by schools and LEAs to evaluate the
implementation of, and support for, intensive academic and behavioral
interventions for the targeted students.
(d) Provide 12 LEAs in a minimum of three States with intensive TA
that is designed to assist them in building their capacity to support
schools and educators' implementation of intensive reading,
mathematics, and behavior interventions for the targeted students.
(f) Develop and coordinate a national technical assistance and
dissemination (TA&D) network comprised of a cadre of experts that the
Center will use to provide TA to LEAs to assist them in building their
capacity to support schools and educators in implementing and
sustaining intensive academic and behavioral interventions for the
targeted students.
(g) Maintain a Web site that meets government or industry-
recognized standards for accessibility and that links to the Web site
operated by the Technical Assistance Coordination Center (TACC).
(h) Prepare and disseminate reports, documents, and other materials
on intensive academic and behavioral interventions and related topics
as requested by OSEP for specific audiences, including families,
educators, administrators, policymakers, and researchers. In
consultation with the OSEP Project Officer, make selected reports,
documents, and other materials available in both English and Spanish.
Leadership and Coordination Activities
(a) Establish and maintain an advisory committee to review
activities, products, and outcomes of the Center and provide
programmatic support and advice throughout the project period. At a
minimum, the advisory committee must meet on an annual basis in
Washington, DC, and consist of representatives of SEAs and LEAs,
individuals with disabilities, educators, parents of individuals with
disabilities, representatives from institutions of higher education,
and researchers. The Center must submit the names of proposed members
of the advisory committee to OSEP for approval within eight weeks after
receipt of the award.
(b) Communicate and collaborate on an ongoing basis with OSEP-
funded projects, including the Response to Intervention Center, Center
on Positive Behavioral Supports, Center on State Implementation and
Scaling-up of Evidence-based Practices, the IDEA Partnership Project,
the Regional Resource Centers, and the National Parent Technical
Assistance Center. This collaboration could include the joint
development of products, the coordination of TA services, and the
planning and carrying out of TA meetings and events.
(c) Participate in, organize, or facilitate communities of practice
that align with the needs of the project's target audience. Communities
of practice should align with the project's objectives to support
discussions and collaboration among key stakeholders. The following Web
site provides more information on communities of practice: https://www.tadnet.org/communities.
(d) Prior to developing any new product, submit a proposal for the
product to the TACC database for approval from the OSEP Project
Officer. The development of new products should be consistent with the
product definition and guidelines posted on the TACC Web site (https://www.tadnet.org).
(e) Contribute, on an ongoing basis, updated information on the
Center's approved and finalized products and services to a database at
TACC.
(f) Coordinate with the National Dissemination Center for
Individuals with Disabilities to develop an efficient and high-quality
dissemination strategy that reaches broad audiences. The Center must
report to the OSEP Project Officer the outcomes of these coordination
efforts.
(g) Maintain ongoing communication with the OSEP Project Officer
through monthly phone conversations and e-mail communication.
Extending the Project for a Fourth and Fifth Year
The Secretary may extend the Center for up to two additional years
beyond its original project period of 36 months if a grantee is
achieving the intended outcomes of the grant, shows improvement against
baseline measures on performance indicators, and is making a positive
contribution to the implementation and sustainability of intensive
interventions.
References
Allor, J. H., Mathes, P. G., Roberts, J. K.,
[[Page 50193]]
Cheatham, J. P., & Champlin, T. M. (2010). Comprehensive reading
instruction for students with intellectual disabilities. Psychology
in the Schools, 47, 445-466.
Bambara, L. M., Nonnemacher, S., & Kern, L. (2009). Sustaining
school-based individualized positive behavior support. Journal of
Positive Behavior Interventions, 11, 161-176.
Berkeley, S., Bender, W. N., Peaster, L. G., & Saunders, L. (2009).
Implementation of Response to Intervention: A snapshot of progress.
Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42, 85-95.
Boardman, A. G., Arguelles, M. E., Vaughn, S., Hughes, M. T., &
Klingner, J. (2005). Special education teachers' views of research-
based practices. The Journal of Special Education, 39, 168-180.
Bryant, D. P., Linan-Thompson, S., Ugel, N., Hamff, A., & Hougen, M.
(2001). The effects of professional development on middle school
general and special education teachers on implementation of reading
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Cook, C. R., Crews, S. D., Wright, D. B., Mayer, G. R., Gale, B.,
Kraemer, B., & Gresham, F. M. (2007). Establishing and evaluating
the substantive adequacy of positive behavioral support plans.
Journal of Behavioral Education, 16, 191-206.
Denton, C. A., Vaughn, S., & Fletcher, J. M. (2003). Bringing
research-based practice in reading intervention to scale. Learning
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Durlak, J. A., & DuPre, E. P. (2008). Implementation matters: A
review of research on the influence of implementation on program
outcomes and the factors affecting implementation. American Journal
of Community Psychology, 41, 327-350.
Eikeseth, S., Smith, T., Jahr, E., & Eldevik, S., (2002). Intensive
behavioral treatment at school for 4-to-7-year old children with
autism. Behavior Modification, 26, 49-68.
Fairbanks, S., Sugai, G., Guardino, D., & Lathrop, M. (2007).
Response to intervention: Examining classroom behavior support in
the second grade. Exceptional Children, 73, 288-310.
Fixsen, D. L., Naoom, S. F., Blas[eacute], K. A., Friedman, R. M., &
Wallace, F. (2005). Implementation research: A synthesis of the
literature. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Louis de la
Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.
Freeman, R., Eber, L., Anderson, C., Irvin, L., Horner, R., Bounds,
M., & Dunlap, G. (2006). Building inclusive school cultures using
school-wide positive behavior support: Designing effective
individual support systems for students with significant
disabilities. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe
Disabilities, 31, 4-17.
Fuchs, L. S. & Fuchs, D. (1986). Effects of systematic formative
evaluation: A meta-analysis. Exceptional Children, 53, 199-208.
Fuchs, L. S. & Fuchs, D. (2009). Creating opportunities for
intensive intervention for students with learning disabilities.
Teaching Exceptional Children, 42, 60-62.
Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L. S. & Stecker, P. M. (2010). The ``blurring'' of
special education in a new continuum of general education placements
and services. Exceptional Children, 76, 301-323.
Fuchs, L. S. & Fuchs, D., Powell, S. R., Seethaler, P. M., Cirino,
P. T., & Fletcher, J. M. (2008). Intensive intervention for students
with mathematics disabilities: Seven principles of effective
practice. Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 31, 79-92.
Gersten, R., Beckmann, S., Clarke, B., Foegen, A., Marsh, L., Star,
J. R., & Witzel, B. (2009). Assisting students struggling with
mathematics: Response to Intervention (RtI) for elementary and
middle schools (NCEE 2009-4060). Washington, DC: National Center for
Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education
Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved November 1, 2010
from https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/practiceguides/.
Kamps, D., Abbott, M., Greenwood, C., Wills, H., Veerkamp, M., &
Kaufman, J. (2008). Effects of small-group reading instruction and
curriculum differences for students most at risk in kindergarten:
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Kern, L., Hilt-Panahon, A., & Sokol, N. G. (2009). Further examining
the triangle tip: Improving support for students with emotional and
behavioral needs. Psychology in the Schools, 46, 18-32.
Lewis, T.J., Barrett, S., Sugai, G., Horner, R. H. (2010). Blueprint
for schoolwide positive behavior support training and professional
development. Eugene, OR: National Technical Assistance Center on
Positive Behavior Interventions and Support. Retrieved from https://
www.pbis.org.
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Junod, R. V., & Volpe, R. J. (2009). The relationship between
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based measurement to improve student achievement: Review of
research. Psychology in the Schools, 42, 795-819.
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Reading instruction in the resource room. Exceptional Children, 64,
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314.
[[Page 50194]]
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 priority in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1463 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: Cooperative agreements.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,500,000 for year one of the project
period and $2,100,000 for each of years two through five of the project
period.
Maximum Awards: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $1,500,000 for year one of the project period and
$2,100,000 for years two through five 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: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months with an optional additional 24
months based on performance.
Note: Applications must include plans for both the 36-month
award and the 24-month extension.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs, including public charter
schools that are considered 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.
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 program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.326Q.
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 the
application narrative to the equivalent of no more than 70 pages, using
the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the 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, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative
section (Part III).
We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: August 12, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 12, 2011.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site, 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.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition 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.
[[Page 50195]]
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 at the
following Grants.gov Web page: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp).
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 National Center for Students with Disabilities Who
Require Intensive Interventions competition, CFDA number 84.326Q, 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 National
Center for Students with Disabilities Who Require Intensive
Interventions competition at https://www.Grants.gov. You must search for
the downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA
number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search
(e.g., search for 84.326, not 84.326Q).
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
upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to 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 4:30:00 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
[[Page 50196]]
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 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 4:30:00
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 84.326Q), 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.
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
84.326Q), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 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 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 competition
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 the 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
[[Page 50197]]
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 Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve
Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program. These
measures focus on the extent to which projects provide high-quality
products and services, the relevance of project products and services
to educational and early intervention policy and practice, and the use
of products and services to improve educational and early intervention
policy and practice.
Grantees will be required to report information on their project's
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, 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: Celia Rosenquist, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4052, Potomac Center Plaza
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7373.
If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), 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: 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 via the Federal Digital System
at: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site 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). To
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at
the site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: https://www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature on this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dated: August 8, 2011.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2011-20583 Filed 8-11-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P