Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance on State Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting-National IDEA Technical Assistance Center on Early Childhood Longitudinal Data Systems, 47501-47509 [2012-19479]
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Vol. 77
Wednesday,
No. 153
August 8, 2012
Part III
Department of Education
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Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance on State Data
Collection, Analysis, and Reporting—National IDEA Technical Assistance
Center on Early Childhood Longitudinal Data Systems; Notice
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 153 / Wednesday, August 8, 2012 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Technical Assistance on State Data
Collection, Analysis, and Reporting—
National IDEA Technical Assistance
Center on Early Childhood
Longitudinal Data Systems
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Overview Information
Technical Assistance on State Data
Collection, Analysis, and Reporting—
National IDEA Technical Assistance
Center on Early Childhood Longitudinal
Data Systems
Notice inviting applications for new
awards for fiscal year (FY) 2012.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.373Z.
Applications Available: August
8, 2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: September 7, 2012.
DATES:
Full Text of Announcement
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I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
the Technical Assistance on State Data
Collection program is to improve the
capacity of States to meet the
Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) data collection and reporting
requirements. Funding for the program
is authorized under section 611(c)(1) of
IDEA, which gives the Secretary the
authority to reserve funds appropriated
under Part B to provide technical
assistance (TA) activities authorized
under section 616(i). Section 616(i)
requires the Secretary to review the data
collection and analysis capacity of
States to ensure that data and
information determined necessary for
implementation of section 616 of IDEA
are collected, analyzed, and accurately
reported. It also requires the Secretary to
provide TA, where needed, to improve
the capacity of States to meet the data
collection requirements under IDEA.
Priority: This priority is from the
notice of final priorities for this
program, published elsewhere in this
issue of the Federal Register.
Absolute Priority: For FY 2012 and
any subsequent year in which we make
awards from 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.
The priority is:
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National IDEA Technical Assistance
Center on Early Childhood Longitudinal
Data Systems
The purpose of this priority is to fund
a cooperative agreement to support the
establishment and operation of a
National IDEA Technical Assistance
Center on Early Childhood Longitudinal
Data Systems (Center). This Center will
provide TA to States on the
development and enhancement of
statewide early childhood longitudinal
data systems to improve the States’
capacity to collect, analyze, and report
high-quality data required under
sections 616 and 618 of IDEA. This
Center must provide TA to States on
developing or enhancing statewide early
childhood longitudinal data systems
that horizontally link child-level data on
infants, toddlers, and young children
with disabilities (birth through age 5)
from one data system to child-level data
in other early learning data systems
(including those developed with
funding provided by the Department’s
Race to the Top—Early Learning
Challenge program), vertically link these
child-level data to statewide
longitudinal data systems (SLDS) for
school-aged children (including those
developed with funding provided by the
Department’s SLDS program), and meet
the data system capabilities and
elements described under paragraph (b)
in the Technical Assistance and
Dissemination Activities section of this
priority. These statewide early
childhood longitudinal data systems
should allow States to: (1) Accurately
and efficiently respond to IDEA-related
data submission requirements (e.g.,
IDEA sections 616 and 618
requirements); (2) continuously improve
processes for defining, acquiring, and
validating the data; and (3) comply with
applicable Federal, State, and local
privacy laws, including the
requirements of the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act and privacy
requirements in IDEA. This TA must be
focused on building the State’s capacity
to report high-quality data to meet IDEA
reporting requirements and must be
conducted in coordination with other
SLDS work being conducted in the
State.
To be considered for funding under
this absolute priority, applicants must
meet the application requirements
contained in this priority. Any project
funded under this priority also must
meet the programmatic and
administrative requirements specified in
the priority.
Application Requirements. An
applicant must include in its
application—
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(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:
www.researchutilization.org/matrix/
logicmodel_resource3c.html and
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
a minimum of 10 States to receive
intensive TA on developing or
enhancing their statewide early
childhood longitudinal data systems to
improve the States’ capacity to collect
and report high-quality data required
under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA.
This TA may include supporting each
State in developing a statewide early
childhood longitudinal data system that
links to other statewide data systems
(i.e., other statewide early learning data
systems and statewide longitudinal
education data systems) in order to
accurately and efficiently respond to all
of a State’s IDEA-related data
submission requirements for infants,
toddlers, and young children (birth
through age 5) with disabilities. The
intensive TA may also include
enhancing an existing statewide data
system (e.g., SLDS) by including the
child-level data on infants, toddlers, and
young children (birth through age 5)
with disabilities that are needed to meet
the IDEA reporting requirements. To
ensure that the Center provides TA to
support States in overcoming the
additional challenge of sharing early
childhood data between State agencies
(e.g., State Department of Health and
State Department of Education), when
selecting States for intensive TA, a
preference must be given to States that
have IDEA Part C lead agencies (LAs)
that are not the State educational agency
(SEA).
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Note: The Center must obtain approval
from OSEP on the final selection of intensive
TA States.
(e) To prevent duplication of TA
efforts around early childhood data
systems, a plan for, and description of,
how the Center will collaborate with the
SLDS program (including SLDS TA
efforts 1), the Race to the Top—Early
Learning Challenge program, the
Common Education Data Standards
initiative, the Privacy Technical
Assistance Center,2 and, as appropriate,
other Federal programs that provide TA
in the area of early childhood data (e.g.,
Comprehensive Centers program 3);
(f) A budget for a summative
evaluation to be conducted by an
independent third party;
(g) A budget for attendance at the
following:
(1) A one and one-half day kick-off
meeting to be held in Washington, DC,
after receipt of the award, and an annual
planning meeting held in Washington,
DC, with the OSEP Project Officer and
other relevant staff during each
subsequent year of the project period.
Note: Within 30 days of the award a postaward teleconference must be held between
the OSEP Project Officer and grantee’s project
director or other authorized representative.
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(2) A three-day Project Directors’
Conference in Washington, DC, during
each year of the project period.
(3) A two-day Leveraging Resources
Conference in Washington, DC, during
each year of the project period.
1 More information on the SLDS TA efforts is
available at https://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/pdf/
TechAssistance.pdf.
2 The Privacy Technical Assistance Center is one
component of the Department’s comprehensive
privacy initiatives. It offers technical assistance to
State education agencies, local education agencies,
and institutions of higher education related to the
Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality of student
records. For the Privacy Technical Assistance
Center Help Desk, email PrivacyTA@ed.gov or call,
toll free, 855–249–3072. For more information, see
https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/ptac/
index.html.
3 The Comprehensive Center program ‘‘supports
21 comprehensive centers to help increase state
capacity to assist districts and schools meet their
student achievement goals. The 16 regional centers
provide services primarily to State Education
Agencies (SEAs) to enable them to assist school
districts and schools, especially low performing
schools. At a minimum, each regional center
provides training and technical assistance in the
implementation and administration of programs
authorized under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA) and the use of research-based
information and strategies. The five content centers
focus on specific areas, with one center in each of
five areas: assessment and accountability,
instruction, teacher quality, innovation and
improvement, and high schools. These centers
supply much of the research-based information and
products in the specific area that regional centers
use when working with SEAs.’’ US Department of
Education. Comprehensive Centers Program.
Retrieved April 17, 2012 from: https://www2.ed.gov/
programs/newccp/.
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(4) Two two-day trips annually to
attend Department briefings,
Department-sponsored conferences, and
other meetings, as requested by OSEP;
and
(h) 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) Conduct a survey of all 56 Part C
LAs and 56 IDEA Part B preschool
programs administered by SEAs in the
first year to assess their capacity to
collect, analyze, and report high-quality
data required under sections 616 and
618 of IDEA and identify the policies
and practices that facilitate or hinder a
statewide early childhood longitudinal
data system to link to other early
learning data systems and the statewide
longitudinal educational data system for
school-aged children (e.g., SLDS).
Additionally, review State information
from sources such as SPPs and APRs to
assess State data system and data
quality needs for the 56 LAs that have
IDEA Part C programs and 56 SEAs that
have IDEA Part B preschool programs.
The Center must analyze the
information from the surveys, SPPs/
APRs, and other sources, as appropriate,
and prepare papers that summarize the
findings that can be disseminated
according to a dissemination plan
described in paragraph (f) of the
Technical Assistance and
Dissemination Activities section of this
priority. These findings must be used in
the selection of States for intensive TA.
(b) Using the findings from the survey
described in paragraph (a), identify a
minimum of four States to partner with
to develop a statewide early childhood
longitudinal data system framework (see
paragraph (c)). This framework will be
a TA resource for other States trying to
develop or enhance statewide early
childhood longitudinal data systems.
Each partnering State must have
commitments from its IDEA Part C early
intervention and Part B preschool
programs to participate in the activities
of the Center. Additionally, the
partnering States must be a combination
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of States with Department of Education
LAs and non-Department of Education
LAs (e.g., State Departments of Health,
State Departments of Developmental
Services). Factors for consideration in
selecting these States could include the
demographic and geographic
characteristics of the State, the history
of data system development in the State,
and the collection and analysis of highquality data required under sections 616
and 618 of IDEA. There may be overlap
between these partnering States and
those States selected to receive intensive
TA. The Center must obtain approval
from OSEP on the final selection of
partnering States.
Note: To fulfill the requirements of
paragraph (b) of the Application
Requirements section of this priority,
applicants must describe the methods and
criteria they propose to use to recruit and
select the four partnering States.
(c) Within the first year of the project
period, partner with the States
identified in paragraph (b) of this
section to develop, implement, and
evaluate a statewide early childhood
longitudinal data system framework for
IDEA Part C early intervention and Part
B preschool programs. In developing
this framework, the Center must work
with the partner States to identify,
describe, and document the components
and processes needed to develop or
enhance a statewide early childhood
longitudinal data system that provides
data necessary to accurately and
efficiently respond to reporting
requirements under sections 616 and
618 of IDEA and addresses the data
system requirements and capabilities
listed under paragraph (b) of the
Technical Assistance and
Dissemination Activities section of this
priority. Through this work, the Center
must develop guidance and exemplar
tools and processes that any State can
use to develop or enhance and
implement a statewide early childhood
longitudinal data system framework
within its unique setting.
(d) Develop documents and resources
on best practices and lessons learned
that can be used to improve States’
capacity to develop or enhance their
statewide early childhood longitudinal
data systems for the purposes of
collecting high-quality data required
under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA.
Technical Assistance and
Dissemination Activities
(a) Provide intensive TA to a
minimum of 10 States to develop and
implement a project management and
data governance plan with the goal of a
fully implemented statewide early
childhood longitudinal data system, as
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described in paragraph (b) of this
section. The intensive TA will be based
on the statewide early childhood
longitudinal data system framework
described in paragraph (b) of the
Knowledge Development Activities
section of this priority.
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Note: To fulfill the requirements in
paragraph (a) in the Technical Assistance
and Dissemination Activities section of this
priority, applicants must describe the
methods and criteria they will use to recruit
and select States. The Center must obtain
approval from OSEP on the final selection of
intensive TA States.
(b) The statewide early childhood
longitudinal data system must meet the
following requirements:
(1) Have the following specific data
system capabilities:
(i) Enable the State staff to efficiently
respond to all IDEA-related data
submission requirements (e.g., sections
616 and 618 data) with accurate and
valid IDEA data by—
(A) Improving the quality of IDEA
data related to child find, child count,
settings, and educational environments
data; and Indicators C2, C5, C6, and B6,
which are included in Appendices A
and B to this notice, by linking early
childhood IDEA Part C and Part B
preschool child-level data horizontally
to other statewide early learning data
systems when available (e.g., child care,
home visiting programs, Head Start,
Early Head Start, and publicly-funded
State preschool programs and services);
(B) Improving the quality of the IDEA
data related to early childhood and
preschool outcomes; and Indicators C3,
C8, B7, and B12 by linking early
childhood IDEA Part C and Part B
preschool child-level data vertically to
other statewide longitudinal education
data systems, including those funded
under the Department’s SLDS grants
(e.g., P–12 systems, K–12 systems, P–20
systems, and K–20 systems);
(C) Improving the quality of the IDEA
personnel data by linking child-level
early childhood IDEA Part C and Part B
preschool data with early intervention
and preschool service providers so that
an individual child may be matched
with the particular providers primarily
responsible for providing services to
that child; and
(D) Improving the quality of the data
about personnel providing services
under IDEA Part B by linking early
intervention and preschool service
providers with data on their
qualifications, certification, and
preparation programs, including the
institutions at which providers received
their training;
(ii) Enable the State to improve the
accuracy of the IDEA data through
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validity and reliability checks (e.g., data
verification) and to provide access to the
information needed to analyze and
explain progress or slippage in the Parts
B and C indicators;
(iii) Enable the State to examine
progress in the implementation of IDEA
(e.g., improving transitions from Part C
to Part B IDEA services) and the
outcomes (e.g., social-emotional skills,
the use of appropriate behaviors to meet
needs, and the acquisition and use of
knowledge and skills) over time of
infants, toddlers, and young children
receiving services under IDEA and
ensure data are easily generated for
analysis and decision-making, including
timely reporting to various IDEA Part C
and preschool service providers across
the State on the progress of infants,
toddlers, and young children receiving
services under IDEA; and
(iv) Ensure the quality (i.e., validity
and reliability) of all data.
(2) In order to improve the State’s
capacity to collect and analyze highquality data, have the following data
system elements:
(i) A unique statewide child identifier
accepted by, and aligned with, the
State’s P–20/P–12 unique identifier that
does not permit a child to be
individually identified by users of the
system (except as allowed by Federal
and State law).
(ii) An early intervention and
preschool service provider identifier
system with the ability to match early
intervention and preschool service
providers to children;
(iii) Child-level enrollment,
demographic, and program participation
data.
(iv) Child-level data on the
identification of the child under IDEA
(including data on the timeliness of the
child’s evaluation and assessment) and
services identified as needed and
received, including timeliness of
services and service settings.
(v) Child and family outcome 4 data.
(vi) Child-level data about the points
at which children start and stop
receiving early intervention services or
preschool special education services
(including reasons for exiting).
(vii) Child-level data about the extent
to which children receive timely
transition planning to support their
movement to preschool and other
4 An outcome is formed by the impact that
services and supports have on the functioning of
children and families. Early Childhood Outcome
Center. Outcomes 101: ECO Q&A. Available at:
www.fpg.unc.edu/∼eco/pages/
faqs_view_item.cfm?id=7. For further information
on early childhood child and family outcomes, see
the Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center Web
site (www.fpg.unc.edu/∼eco/index.cfm).
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appropriate community services by their
third birthday.
(viii) A State data audit system to
assess data quality (i.e., reliability and
validity).
(3) Have a data system
interoperability plan that—
(i) Allows for linking the statewide
early childhood longitudinal data
systems to other statewide longitudinal
education data systems and other
statewide early learning data systems;
and
(ii) Complies with applicable Federal,
State, and local privacy laws, including
the requirements of FERPA and the
privacy requirements in IDEA.
(c) Develop and coordinate a national
TA network comprised of a cadre of
experts that the Center will use to
provide TA to States to assist them in
developing or enhancing statewide early
childhood longitudinal data systems to
improve States’ capacity to collect and
report high-quality data required under
sections 616 and 618 of IDEA, which
may include the development of open
source data system software that
addresses the unique needs of each
State. General TA will be provided to all
States and intensive TA will be
provided to a minimum of 10 States.
(d) Provide a continuum of general
TA and dissemination activities (e.g.,
managing Web sites, listservs, and
communities of practice, and holding
conferences and training institutes) on
best practices that promote the efficient
collection of accurate and valid data
required under sections 616 and 618 of
IDEA to improve the educational results
and functional outcomes of all children
with disabilities.
(e) 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).5
(f) Prepare and disseminate reports,
documents, and other materials on
statewide early childhood longitudinal
data systems, and related topics as
requested by OSEP for specific
audiences including IDEA Part C LAs,
SEAs, policymakers, local educational
agencies, service providers, and
teachers. In consultation with the OSEP
Project Officer, make selected reports,
documents, and other materials
available for Part C LAs, SEAs,
policymakers, local educational
agencies, service providers, and teachers
in both English and Spanish.
(g) Develop materials and guidance
for States and provide targeted TA
5 For more information regarding the TACC
products and services database, please see:
www.tadnet.org.
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related to the performance and
compliance indicator(s) on their APRs
and SPPs, as requested by OSEP.
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Leadership and Coordination Activities
(a) Establish and maintain an advisory
committee to review the activities and
outcomes of the Center and provide
programmatic support and advice
throughout the project period. At a
minimum, the advisory committee must
meet annually in Washington, DC, and
consist of representatives of IDEA Part
C LAs, representatives of SEAs,
individuals with disabilities, other TA
providers, parents of individuals with
disabilities, data system experts,
representatives of other early learning
and development programs,
representatives of other Federal offices
working to improve State data systems,
and software developers with expertise
in statewide longitudinal data systems
and interoperability. 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 and other relevant Federalfunded projects, including the SLDS
program, SLDS TA efforts,6 the Race to
the Top—Early Learning Challenge
program, the Common Education Data
Standards initiative,7 the Privacy
Technical Assistance Center, and, as
appropriate, other Federal programs that
provide TA in the area of early
childhood data (e.g., Comprehensive
Centers program). 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 if they
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:
www.tadnet.org/communities.
(d) Prior to developing any new
product, submit a proposal for the
6 More information on the SLDS TA efforts is
available at https://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/pdf/
TechAssistance.pdf.
7 ‘‘The Common Education Data Standards is a
specified set of the most commonly used education
data elements to support the effective exchange of
data within and across States, as students transition
between educational sectors and levels, and for
federal reporting.’’ National Center for Education
Statistics. Common Education Data Standards.
Retrieved February 8, 2012 from: https://nces.ed.gov/
programs/ceds/. For more information, see https://
ceds.ed.gov/Default.aspx.
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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 (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 the 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.
Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project
In deciding whether to continue
funding the Center for the fourth and
fifth years, the Secretary will consider
the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a),
and in addition—
(a) The recommendation of a review
team consisting of experts selected by
the Secretary. This review will be
conducted during a one-day intensive
meeting in Washington, DC, that will be
held during the last half of the second
year of the project period. The Center
must budget for travel expenses
associated with this one-day intensive
review;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness
with which all requirements of the
negotiated cooperative agreement have
been or are being met by the Center; and
(c) The quality, relevance, and
usefulness of the Center’s activities and
products and the degree to which the
Center’s activities and products have
contributed to changed practice and
improved the States’ capacity to collect
and report high-quality data required
under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA by
developing and enhancing of statewide
early childhood longitudinal data
systems.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1411(c),
1416(i), and 1418(c).
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82,
84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education
Department debarment and suspension
regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The
regulations in 34 CFR part 300.702. (d)
The notice of final priorities for this
program, published elsewhere in this
issue of the Federal Register.
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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
agreement.
Estimated Available Funds:
$6,500,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any
application that proposes a budget
exceeding $6,500,000 for a single budget
period of 12 months. The Assistant
Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services may change the
maximum amount through a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 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. Applications must
include plans for both the 36-month
award and the 24-month extension.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: State
educational agencies (SEAs); local
educational agencies (LEAs), including
public charter schools that are
considered LEAs under State law; IDEA
Part C State lead agencies; 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
program does not require cost sharing or
matching.
3. Other: General Requirements—The
project funded under this program must
make positive efforts to employ and
advance in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities (see section
606 of IDEA).
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address To Request Application
Package: 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: 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
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(TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call,
toll free: 1–877–576–7734.
You can contact ED Pubs at its Web
site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at its
email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application package
from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this
competition as follows: CFDA Number
84.373Z.
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 compact disc)
by contacting the person or team listed
under Accessible Format in section VIII
of this notice.
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission: Requirements concerning
the content of an application, together
with the forms you must submit, are in
the application package for this
competition.
Page Limit: The application narrative
(Part III of the application) is where you,
the applicant, address the selection
criteria that reviewers use to evaluate
your application. You must limit Part III
to the equivalent of no more than 100
pages, using the following standards:
• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side
only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,
and both sides.
• Double space (no more than three
lines per vertical inch) all text in the
application narrative, including titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations,
references, and captions.
• 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, 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; or if you apply
other standards and exceed the
equivalent of the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: August 8,
2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: September 7, 2012.
Applications for grants under this
competition may be submitted
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electronically using the Grants.gov
Apply site (Grants.gov), or in paper
format by mail or hand delivery. For
information (including dates and times)
about how to submit your application
electronically, or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery, please refer to
section IV.7. Other Submission
Requirements of this notice.
We do not consider an application
that does not comply with the deadline
requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who
need an accommodation or auxiliary aid
in connection with the application
process should contact the person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT in section VII of this notice. If
the Department provides an
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an
individual with a disability in
connection with the application
process, the individual’s application
remains subject to all other
requirements and limitations in this
notice.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This
program is subject to Executive Order
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR
part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs under Executive Order 12372
is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System
Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor
Registry, and System for Award
Management: 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)—and, after July 24, 2012,
with the System for Award Management
(SAM), the Government’s primary
registrant database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and
TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR of SAM
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
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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 or SAM 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 annually. This may
take three or more business days to
complete. Information about SAM is
available at SAM.gov.
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: 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 IDEA Technical
Assistance Center on Early Childhood
Longitudinal Data Systems competition,
CFDA number 84.373Z, 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 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 IDEA
Technical Assistance Center on Early
Childhood Longitudinal Data Systems
competition at www.Grants.gov. You
must search for the downloadable
application package for this competition
by the CFDA number. Do not include
the CFDA number’s alpha suffix in your
search (e.g., search for 84.373, not
84.373Z).
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
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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 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) read-only,
non-modifiable format. Do not upload
an interactive or fillable PDF file. If you
upload a file type other than a read-
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only, non-modifiable 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 email.
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
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
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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 84.373Z),
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 84.373Z),
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,
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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 program are from 34 CFR
75.210 and are listed in the application
package.
2. Review and Selection Process: We
remind potential applicants that in
reviewing applications in any
discretionary grant competition, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR
75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the
applicant in carrying out a previous
award, such as the applicant’s use of
funds, achievement of project
objectives, and compliance with grant
conditions. The Secretary may also
consider whether the applicant failed to
submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable
quality.
In addition, in making a competitive
grant award, the Secretary also requires
various assurances including those
applicable to Federal civil rights laws
that prohibit discrimination in programs
or activities receiving Federal financial
assistance from the Department of
Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4,
108.8, and 110.23).
3. Additional Review and Selection
Process Factors: In the past, the
Department has had difficulty finding
peer reviewers for certain competitions
because so many individuals who are
eligible to serve as peer reviewers have
conflicts of interest. The Standing Panel
requirements under section 682(b) of
IDEA also have placed additional
constraints on the availability of
reviewers. Therefore, the Department
has determined that, for some
discretionary grant competitions,
applications may be separated into two
or more groups and ranked and selected
for funding within specific groups. This
procedure will make it easier for the
Department to find peer reviewers, by
ensuring that greater numbers of
individuals who are eligible to serve as
reviewers for any particular group of
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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 part 74 or 80, as applicable; has not
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant;
or is otherwise not responsible.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application
is successful, we notify your U.S.
Representative and U.S. Senators and
send you a Grant Award Notification
(GAN). We may notify you informally,
also.
If your application is not evaluated or
not selected for funding, we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy
requirements in the application package
and reference these and other
requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining
the terms and conditions of an award in
the Applicable Regulations section of
this notice and include these and other
specific conditions in the GAN. The
GAN also incorporates your approved
application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a
grant under this competition, you must
ensure that you have in place the
necessary processes and systems to
comply with the reporting requirements
in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive
funding under the competition. This
does not apply if you have an exception
under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period,
you must submit a final performance
report, including financial information,
as directed by the Secretary. If you
receive a multi-year award, you must
submit an annual performance report
that provides the most current
performance and financial expenditure
information as directed by the Secretary
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary
may also require more frequent
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performance reports under 34 CFR
75.720(c). For specific requirements on
reporting, please go to 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. We
are proposing to use the measures
established for the Technical Assistance
and Dissemination to Improve Services
and Results for Children with
Disabilities program to assess the
performance of the Technical Assistance
on State Data Collection, Analysis, and
Reporting program. The Department
will use these measures to assess the
extent to which this program provides
high-quality products and services, the
relevance of project products and
services to educational and early
intervention policy and practice, and
the usefulness 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:
Meredith Miceli, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
room 4069, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP),
Washington, DC 20202–2600.
Telephone: (202) 245–6028 or by email:
meredith.miceli@ed.gov.
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If you use a TDD or a TTY, 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 compact disc) 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 or a TTY, 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: 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: www.federalregister.gov.
Specifically, through the advanced
search feature at this site, you can limit
your search to documents published by
the Department.
Dated: August 2, 2012.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47501-47509]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19479]
[[Page 47501]]
Vol. 77
Wednesday,
No. 153
August 8, 2012
Part III
Department of Education
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Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance on State Data
Collection, Analysis, and Reporting--National IDEA Technical Assistance
Center on Early Childhood Longitudinal Data Systems; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 77 , No. 153 / Wednesday, August 8, 2012 /
Notices
[[Page 47502]]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance on State Data
Collection, Analysis, and Reporting--National IDEA Technical Assistance
Center on Early Childhood Longitudinal Data Systems
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview Information
Technical Assistance on State Data Collection, Analysis, and
Reporting--National IDEA Technical Assistance Center on Early Childhood
Longitudinal Data Systems
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)
2012.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.373Z.
DATES: Applications Available: August 8, 2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 7, 2012.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Technical Assistance on
State Data Collection program is to improve the capacity of States to
meet the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) data
collection and reporting requirements. Funding for the program is
authorized under section 611(c)(1) of IDEA, which gives the Secretary
the authority to reserve funds appropriated under Part B to provide
technical assistance (TA) activities authorized under section 616(i).
Section 616(i) requires the Secretary to review the data collection and
analysis capacity of States to ensure that data and information
determined necessary for implementation of section 616 of IDEA are
collected, analyzed, and accurately reported. It also requires the
Secretary to provide TA, where needed, to improve the capacity of
States to meet the data collection requirements under IDEA.
Priority: This priority is from the notice of final priorities for
this program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal
Register.
Absolute Priority: For FY 2012 and any subsequent year in which we
make awards from 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.
The priority is:
National IDEA Technical Assistance Center on Early Childhood
Longitudinal Data Systems
The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative agreement to
support the establishment and operation of a National IDEA Technical
Assistance Center on Early Childhood Longitudinal Data Systems
(Center). This Center will provide TA to States on the development and
enhancement of statewide early childhood longitudinal data systems to
improve the States' capacity to collect, analyze, and report high-
quality data required under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA. This Center
must provide TA to States on developing or enhancing statewide early
childhood longitudinal data systems that horizontally link child-level
data on infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities (birth
through age 5) from one data system to child-level data in other early
learning data systems (including those developed with funding provided
by the Department's Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge program),
vertically link these child-level data to statewide longitudinal data
systems (SLDS) for school-aged children (including those developed with
funding provided by the Department's SLDS program), and meet the data
system capabilities and elements described under paragraph (b) in the
Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities section of this
priority. These statewide early childhood longitudinal data systems
should allow States to: (1) Accurately and efficiently respond to IDEA-
related data submission requirements (e.g., IDEA sections 616 and 618
requirements); (2) continuously improve processes for defining,
acquiring, and validating the data; and (3) comply with applicable
Federal, State, and local privacy laws, including the requirements of
the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and privacy requirements
in IDEA. This TA must be focused on building the State's capacity to
report high-quality data to meet IDEA reporting requirements and must
be conducted in coordination with other SLDS work being conducted in
the State.
To be considered for funding under this absolute priority,
applicants must meet the application requirements contained in this
priority. Any project funded under this 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: www.researchutilization.org/matrix/logicmodel_resource3c.html and 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 a minimum of 10 States to
receive intensive TA on developing or enhancing their statewide early
childhood longitudinal data systems to improve the States' capacity to
collect and report high-quality data required under sections 616 and
618 of IDEA. This TA may include supporting each State in developing a
statewide early childhood longitudinal data system that links to other
statewide data systems (i.e., other statewide early learning data
systems and statewide longitudinal education data systems) in order to
accurately and efficiently respond to all of a State's IDEA-related
data submission requirements for infants, toddlers, and young children
(birth through age 5) with disabilities. The intensive TA may also
include enhancing an existing statewide data system (e.g., SLDS) by
including the child-level data on infants, toddlers, and young children
(birth through age 5) with disabilities that are needed to meet the
IDEA reporting requirements. To ensure that the Center provides TA to
support States in overcoming the additional challenge of sharing early
childhood data between State agencies (e.g., State Department of Health
and State Department of Education), when selecting States for intensive
TA, a preference must be given to States that have IDEA Part C lead
agencies (LAs) that are not the State educational agency (SEA).
[[Page 47503]]
Note: The Center must obtain approval from OSEP on the final
selection of intensive TA States.
(e) To prevent duplication of TA efforts around early childhood
data systems, a plan for, and description of, how the Center will
collaborate with the SLDS program (including SLDS TA efforts \1\), the
Race to the Top--Early Learning Challenge program, the Common Education
Data Standards initiative, the Privacy Technical Assistance Center,\2\
and, as appropriate, other Federal programs that provide TA in the area
of early childhood data (e.g., Comprehensive Centers program \3\);
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ More information on the SLDS TA efforts is available at
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/pdf/TechAssistance.pdf.
\2\ The Privacy Technical Assistance Center is one component of
the Department's comprehensive privacy initiatives. It offers
technical assistance to State education agencies, local education
agencies, and institutions of higher education related to the
Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality of student records. For the
Privacy Technical Assistance Center Help Desk, email
PrivacyTA@ed.gov or call, toll free, 855-249-3072. For more
information, see https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/ptac/.
\3\ The Comprehensive Center program ``supports 21 comprehensive
centers to help increase state capacity to assist districts and
schools meet their student achievement goals. The 16 regional
centers provide services primarily to State Education Agencies
(SEAs) to enable them to assist school districts and schools,
especially low performing schools. At a minimum, each regional
center provides training and technical assistance in the
implementation and administration of programs authorized under the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the use of
research-based information and strategies. The five content centers
focus on specific areas, with one center in each of five areas:
assessment and accountability, instruction, teacher quality,
innovation and improvement, and high schools. These centers supply
much of the research-based information and products in the specific
area that regional centers use when working with SEAs.'' US
Department of Education. Comprehensive Centers Program. Retrieved
April 17, 2012 from: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/newccp/.
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(f) A budget for a summative evaluation to be conducted by an
independent third party;
(g) A budget for attendance at the following:
(1) A one and one-half day kick-off meeting to be held in
Washington, DC, after receipt of the award, and an annual planning
meeting held in Washington, DC, with the OSEP Project Officer and other
relevant staff during each subsequent year of the project period.
Note: Within 30 days of the award a post-award teleconference
must be held between the OSEP Project Officer and grantee's project
director or other authorized representative.
(2) A three-day Project Directors' Conference in Washington, DC,
during each year of the project period.
(3) A two-day Leveraging Resources Conference in Washington, DC,
during each year of the project period.
(4) Two two-day trips annually to attend Department briefings,
Department-sponsored conferences, and other meetings, as requested by
OSEP; and
(h) 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) Conduct a survey of all 56 Part C LAs and 56 IDEA Part B
preschool programs administered by SEAs in the first year to assess
their capacity to collect, analyze, and report high-quality data
required under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA and identify the policies
and practices that facilitate or hinder a statewide early childhood
longitudinal data system to link to other early learning data systems
and the statewide longitudinal educational data system for school-aged
children (e.g., SLDS). Additionally, review State information from
sources such as SPPs and APRs to assess State data system and data
quality needs for the 56 LAs that have IDEA Part C programs and 56 SEAs
that have IDEA Part B preschool programs. The Center must analyze the
information from the surveys, SPPs/APRs, and other sources, as
appropriate, and prepare papers that summarize the findings that can be
disseminated according to a dissemination plan described in paragraph
(f) of the Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities section of
this priority. These findings must be used in the selection of States
for intensive TA.
(b) Using the findings from the survey described in paragraph (a),
identify a minimum of four States to partner with to develop a
statewide early childhood longitudinal data system framework (see
paragraph (c)). This framework will be a TA resource for other States
trying to develop or enhance statewide early childhood longitudinal
data systems. Each partnering State must have commitments from its IDEA
Part C early intervention and Part B preschool programs to participate
in the activities of the Center. Additionally, the partnering States
must be a combination of States with Department of Education LAs and
non-Department of Education LAs (e.g., State Departments of Health,
State Departments of Developmental Services). Factors for consideration
in selecting these States could include the demographic and geographic
characteristics of the State, the history of data system development in
the State, and the collection and analysis of high-quality data
required under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA. There may be overlap
between these partnering States and those States selected to receive
intensive TA. The Center must obtain approval from OSEP on the final
selection of partnering States.
Note: To fulfill the requirements of paragraph (b) of the
Application Requirements section of this priority, applicants must
describe the methods and criteria they propose to use to recruit and
select the four partnering States.
(c) Within the first year of the project period, partner with the
States identified in paragraph (b) of this section to develop,
implement, and evaluate a statewide early childhood longitudinal data
system framework for IDEA Part C early intervention and Part B
preschool programs. In developing this framework, the Center must work
with the partner States to identify, describe, and document the
components and processes needed to develop or enhance a statewide early
childhood longitudinal data system that provides data necessary to
accurately and efficiently respond to reporting requirements under
sections 616 and 618 of IDEA and addresses the data system requirements
and capabilities listed under paragraph (b) of the Technical Assistance
and Dissemination Activities section of this priority. Through this
work, the Center must develop guidance and exemplar tools and processes
that any State can use to develop or enhance and implement a statewide
early childhood longitudinal data system framework within its unique
setting.
(d) Develop documents and resources on best practices and lessons
learned that can be used to improve States' capacity to develop or
enhance their statewide early childhood longitudinal data systems for
the purposes of collecting high-quality data required under sections
616 and 618 of IDEA.
Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities
(a) Provide intensive TA to a minimum of 10 States to develop and
implement a project management and data governance plan with the goal
of a fully implemented statewide early childhood longitudinal data
system, as
[[Page 47504]]
described in paragraph (b) of this section. The intensive TA will be
based on the statewide early childhood longitudinal data system
framework described in paragraph (b) of the Knowledge Development
Activities section of this priority.
Note: To fulfill the requirements in paragraph (a) in the
Technical Assistance and Dissemination Activities section of this
priority, applicants must describe the methods and criteria they
will use to recruit and select States. The Center must obtain
approval from OSEP on the final selection of intensive TA States.
(b) The statewide early childhood longitudinal data system must
meet the following requirements:
(1) Have the following specific data system capabilities:
(i) Enable the State staff to efficiently respond to all IDEA-
related data submission requirements (e.g., sections 616 and 618 data)
with accurate and valid IDEA data by--
(A) Improving the quality of IDEA data related to child find, child
count, settings, and educational environments data; and Indicators C2,
C5, C6, and B6, which are included in Appendices A and B to this
notice, by linking early childhood IDEA Part C and Part B preschool
child-level data horizontally to other statewide early learning data
systems when available (e.g., child care, home visiting programs, Head
Start, Early Head Start, and publicly-funded State preschool programs
and services);
(B) Improving the quality of the IDEA data related to early
childhood and preschool outcomes; and Indicators C3, C8, B7, and B12 by
linking early childhood IDEA Part C and Part B preschool child-level
data vertically to other statewide longitudinal education data systems,
including those funded under the Department's SLDS grants (e.g., P-12
systems, K-12 systems, P-20 systems, and K-20 systems);
(C) Improving the quality of the IDEA personnel data by linking
child-level early childhood IDEA Part C and Part B preschool data with
early intervention and preschool service providers so that an
individual child may be matched with the particular providers primarily
responsible for providing services to that child; and
(D) Improving the quality of the data about personnel providing
services under IDEA Part B by linking early intervention and preschool
service providers with data on their qualifications, certification, and
preparation programs, including the institutions at which providers
received their training;
(ii) Enable the State to improve the accuracy of the IDEA data
through validity and reliability checks (e.g., data verification) and
to provide access to the information needed to analyze and explain
progress or slippage in the Parts B and C indicators;
(iii) Enable the State to examine progress in the implementation of
IDEA (e.g., improving transitions from Part C to Part B IDEA services)
and the outcomes (e.g., social-emotional skills, the use of appropriate
behaviors to meet needs, and the acquisition and use of knowledge and
skills) over time of infants, toddlers, and young children receiving
services under IDEA and ensure data are easily generated for analysis
and decision-making, including timely reporting to various IDEA Part C
and preschool service providers across the State on the progress of
infants, toddlers, and young children receiving services under IDEA;
and
(iv) Ensure the quality (i.e., validity and reliability) of all
data.
(2) In order to improve the State's capacity to collect and analyze
high-quality data, have the following data system elements:
(i) A unique statewide child identifier accepted by, and aligned
with, the State's P-20/P-12 unique identifier that does not permit a
child to be individually identified by users of the system (except as
allowed by Federal and State law).
(ii) An early intervention and preschool service provider
identifier system with the ability to match early intervention and
preschool service providers to children;
(iii) Child-level enrollment, demographic, and program
participation data.
(iv) Child-level data on the identification of the child under IDEA
(including data on the timeliness of the child's evaluation and
assessment) and services identified as needed and received, including
timeliness of services and service settings.
(v) Child and family outcome \4\ data.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ An outcome is formed by the impact that services and
supports have on the functioning of children and families. Early
Childhood Outcome Center. Outcomes 101: ECO Q&A. Available at:
www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/pages/faqs--view--item.cfm?id=7. For further
information on early childhood child and family outcomes, see the
Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center Web site (www.fpg.unc.edu/
~eco/index.cfm).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(vi) Child-level data about the points at which children start and
stop receiving early intervention services or preschool special
education services (including reasons for exiting).
(vii) Child-level data about the extent to which children receive
timely transition planning to support their movement to preschool and
other appropriate community services by their third birthday.
(viii) A State data audit system to assess data quality (i.e.,
reliability and validity).
(3) Have a data system interoperability plan that--
(i) Allows for linking the statewide early childhood longitudinal
data systems to other statewide longitudinal education data systems and
other statewide early learning data systems; and
(ii) Complies with applicable Federal, State, and local privacy
laws, including the requirements of FERPA and the privacy requirements
in IDEA.
(c) Develop and coordinate a national TA network comprised of a
cadre of experts that the Center will use to provide TA to States to
assist them in developing or enhancing statewide early childhood
longitudinal data systems to improve States' capacity to collect and
report high-quality data required under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA,
which may include the development of open source data system software
that addresses the unique needs of each State. General TA will be
provided to all States and intensive TA will be provided to a minimum
of 10 States.
(d) Provide a continuum of general TA and dissemination activities
(e.g., managing Web sites, listservs, and communities of practice, and
holding conferences and training institutes) on best practices that
promote the efficient collection of accurate and valid data required
under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA to improve the educational results
and functional outcomes of all children with disabilities.
(e) 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).\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ For more information regarding the TACC products and
services database, please see: www.tadnet.org.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(f) Prepare and disseminate reports, documents, and other materials
on statewide early childhood longitudinal data systems, and related
topics as requested by OSEP for specific audiences including IDEA Part
C LAs, SEAs, policymakers, local educational agencies, service
providers, and teachers. In consultation with the OSEP Project Officer,
make selected reports, documents, and other materials available for
Part C LAs, SEAs, policymakers, local educational agencies, service
providers, and teachers in both English and Spanish.
(g) Develop materials and guidance for States and provide targeted
TA
[[Page 47505]]
related to the performance and compliance indicator(s) on their APRs
and SPPs, as requested by OSEP.
Leadership and Coordination Activities
(a) Establish and maintain an advisory committee to review the
activities and outcomes of the Center and provide programmatic support
and advice throughout the project period. At a minimum, the advisory
committee must meet annually in Washington, DC, and consist of
representatives of IDEA Part C LAs, representatives of SEAs,
individuals with disabilities, other TA providers, parents of
individuals with disabilities, data system experts, representatives of
other early learning and development programs, representatives of other
Federal offices working to improve State data systems, and software
developers with expertise in statewide longitudinal data systems and
interoperability. 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 and other relevant Federal- funded projects, including
the SLDS program, SLDS TA efforts,\6\ the Race to the Top--Early
Learning Challenge program, the Common Education Data Standards
initiative,\7\ the Privacy Technical Assistance Center, and, as
appropriate, other Federal programs that provide TA in the area of
early childhood data (e.g., Comprehensive Centers program). 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ More information on the SLDS TA efforts is available at
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/pdf/TechAssistance.pdf.
\7\ ``The Common Education Data Standards is a specified set of
the most commonly used education data elements to support the
effective exchange of data within and across States, as students
transition between educational sectors and levels, and for federal
reporting.'' National Center for Education Statistics. Common
Education Data Standards. Retrieved February 8, 2012 from: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/ceds/. For more information, see https://ceds.ed.gov/Default.aspx.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(c) Participate in, organize, or facilitate communities of practice
if they 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: 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
(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
the 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.
Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project
In deciding whether to continue funding the Center for the fourth
and fifth years, the Secretary will consider the requirements of 34 CFR
75.253(a), and in addition--
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of experts
selected by the Secretary. This review will be conducted during a one-
day intensive meeting in Washington, DC, that will be held during the
last half of the second year of the project period. The Center must
budget for travel expenses associated with this one-day intensive
review;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
Center; and
(c) The quality, relevance, and usefulness of the Center's
activities and products and the degree to which the Center's activities
and products have contributed to changed practice and improved the
States' capacity to collect and report high-quality data required under
sections 616 and 618 of IDEA by developing and enhancing of statewide
early childhood longitudinal data systems.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1411(c), 1416(i), and 1418(c).
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Education Department debarment
and suspension regulations in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The regulations in
34 CFR part 300.702. (d) The notice of final priorities for this
program, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education (IHEs) only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: $6,500,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $6,500,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in
the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 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. Applications must include plans for both
the 36-month award and the 24-month extension.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); local
educational agencies (LEAs), including public charter schools that are
considered LEAs under State law; IDEA Part C State lead agencies; 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 program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: General Requirements--The project funded under this
program must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment
qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package: 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:
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
[[Page 47506]]
(TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.
You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at
its email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to
identify this competition as follows: CFDA Number 84.373Z.
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 compact disc) by contacting the person or team listed under
Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application)
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to
the equivalent of no more than 100 pages, using the following
standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions.
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, 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; or if
you apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: August 8, 2012.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 7, 2012.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV.7.
Other Submission Requirements of this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor Registry, and System for Award
Management: 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)--and, after July 24, 2012, with the System
for Award Management (SAM), the Government's primary registrant
database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR of SAM 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 or SAM 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 annually. This may take three or
more business days to complete. Information about SAM is available at
SAM.gov.
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: 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 IDEA Technical Assistance Center on Early
Childhood Longitudinal Data Systems competition, CFDA number 84.373Z,
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 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
IDEA Technical Assistance Center on Early Childhood Longitudinal Data
Systems competition at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the
downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA
number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search
(e.g., search for 84.373, not 84.373Z).
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
[[Page 47507]]
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 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) read-only, non-
modifiable format. Do not upload an interactive or fillable PDF file.
If you upload a file type other than a read-only, non-modifiable 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 email. 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
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 84.373Z), 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 84.373Z), 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,
[[Page 47508]]
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 program are
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
3. Additional Review and Selection Process Factors: In the past,
the Department has had difficulty finding peer reviewers for certain
competitions because so many individuals who are eligible to serve as
peer reviewers have conflicts of interest. The Standing Panel
requirements under section 682(b) of IDEA also have placed additional
constraints on the availability of reviewers. Therefore, the Department
has determined that, for some discretionary grant competitions,
applications may be separated into two or more groups and ranked and
selected for funding within specific groups. This procedure will make
it easier for the Department to find peer reviewers, by ensuring that
greater numbers of individuals who are eligible to serve as reviewers
for any particular group of applicants will not have conflicts of
interest. It also will increase the quality, independence, and fairness
of the review process, while permitting panel members to review
applications under discretionary grant competitions for which they also
have submitted applications. However, if the Department decides to
select an equal number of applications in each group for funding, this
may result in different cut-off points for fundable applications in
each group.
4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance;
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the
standards in 34 CFR part 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled the
conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting,
please go to 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. We are
proposing to use the measures established for the Technical Assistance
and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities program to assess the performance of the Technical
Assistance on State Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting program.
The Department will use these measures to assess the extent to which
this program provides high-quality products and services, the relevance
of project products and services to educational and early intervention
policy and practice, and the usefulness 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: Meredith Miceli, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., room 4069, Potomac Center Plaza
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2600. Telephone: (202) 245-6028 or by
email: meredith.miceli@ed.gov.
[[Page 47509]]
If you use a TDD or a TTY, 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 compact disc) 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 or a TTY, 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: 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:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dated: August 2, 2012.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2012-19479 Filed 8-7-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P