Applications for New Awards; Educational Technology, Media, and Materials Program for Individuals with Disabilities-Center on Technology and Disability, 39271-39279 [2013-15712]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 126 / Monday, July 1, 2013 / Notices
Dated: June 26, 2013.
Michael K. Yudin,
Delegated the authority to perform the
functions and duties of the Assistant
Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2013, this
priority is an absolute priority. Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only
applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
[FR Doc. 2013–15715 Filed 6–28–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Educational Technology, Media, and
Materials Program for Individuals with
Disabilities—Center on Technology
and Disability
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Overview Information: Educational
Technology, Media, and Materials
Program for Individuals with
Disabilities—Center on Technology and
Disability.
Notice inviting applications for new
awards for fiscal year (FY) 2013.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.327F.
Applications Available: July 1,
2013.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: August 15, 2013.
DATES:
Full Text of Announcement
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I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
the Educational Technology, Media, and
Materials for Individuals with
Disabilities Program 1 is to: (1) Improve
results for children with disabilities by
promoting the development,
demonstration, and use of technology;
(2) support educational media services
activities designed to be of educational
value in the classroom for children with
disabilities; (3) provide support for
captioning and video description that is
appropriate for use in the classroom;
and (4) provide accessible educational
materials to children with disabilities in
a timely manner.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority is from
allowable activities specified in the
statute (see sections 674(b)(1),
674(b)(2)(A), and 681(d) of the
1 This program was formerly called ‘‘Technology
and Media Services for Individuals with
Disabilities.’’ The Department has changed the
name to ‘‘Educational Technology, Media, and
Materials for Individuals with Disabilities,’’ and
updated the purposes of the program to more
clearly convey that the program includes accessible
educational materials. The program’s activities and
statutory authorization (20 U.S.C. 1474) remain
unchanged.
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Educational Technology, Media, and
Materials for Individuals with
Disabilities—Center on Technology and
Disability
Background: The purpose of this
priority is to fund a cooperative
agreement to support the establishment
and operation of a Center on
Technology and Disability (Center). The
Center will increase the capacity 2 of
families and providers 3 to advocate for,
acquire, and implement effective
assistive technology (AT) 4 and
instructional technology (IT) 5 to help
infants, toddlers, children, and youth
with disabilities (collectively, ‘‘children
with disabilities’’) participate fully in
daily routines in their natural
environments, have increased access to
the general education curriculum,
improve their functional outcomes and
educational results, and meet collegeand career-ready standards.
The Center will achieve these results
by: (1) Compiling and disseminating
accurate and current information on
evidence-based AT and IT for families
and providers in formats that are usable
and accessible and that address the
needs of diverse families and providers;
(2) providing technical assistance (TA)
to State educational agencies (SEAs) to
enable SEAs to effectively increase the
capacity of their local educational
agencies (LEAs) to support families and
providers in acquiring and
implementing appropriate AT and IT;
(3) providing TA to other projects
funded by the Office of Special
2 ‘‘Capacity’’ means possessing essential
knowledge, skills, and competencies to act
effectively.
3 ‘‘Providers’’ denotes teachers, therapists,
paraprofessionals, and other professionals
providing services to children with disabilities
under Parts B and C of IDEA. The term includes
general educators serving children in inclusive
settings.
4 Section 602 of IDEA defines an ‘‘assistive
technology device’’ as ‘‘any item, piece of
equipment, or product system, whether acquired
commercially off the shelf, modified or customized,
that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the
functional capabilities of a child with a disability;’’
and an ‘‘assistive technology service’’ as ‘‘any
service that directly assists a child with a disability
in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive
technology device.’’ For purposes of this priority,
‘‘AT’’ refers to any assistive technology device or
assistive technology service.
5 IDEA does not provide a definition for IT, but
for the purposes of this priority, ‘‘IT’’ is defined as
technology processes and resources that facilitate
learning and improve student performance for all
students.
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Education Programs (OSEP) to enable
these projects to more effectively train
families and providers on how to
advocate for, acquire, and implement
AT and IT for children with disabilities;
and (4) providing TA to personnel
development projects funded by OSEP
to enable them to better prepare
providers on effective AT and IT use by
children with disabilities.
Almost 30 years of research and
experience have demonstrated that
supporting the development and use of
AT and IT to maximize accessibility for
children with disabilities can enhance
the education and development of
children with disabilities (section
601(c)(5)(H) of IDEA). With the
increased use of appropriate AT and IT,
more children with disabilities will to
the maximum extent possible
participate fully in daily routines in
their natural environments, have access
to the general education curriculum, be
prepared to meet college- and careerready standards, and lead productive
and independent adult lives.
Providers play a key role in ensuring
that AT and IT are used effectively by
children with disabilities. However,
research shows that these providers
often lack knowledge about AT and IT;
and, furthermore, this lack of knowledge
has been identified as a critical barrier
to effective technology use by children
with disabilities (Smith & Robinson,
2003; Lee & Vega, 2005; Bausch, Ault,
Evmenova, & Behrmann, 2008; Zhou,
Parker, Smith, & Griffin-Shirley, 2011;
U.S. Department of Education, 2010).
Families also often lack knowledge of
effective AT and IT, and how they can
support their children’s use of AT and
IT. Informed parents actively involved
in their children’s development and
education contribute significantly to
positive educational outcomes (Caspe &
Lopez, 2006). Studies suggest that
parents of children with disabilities
want to be involved in planning AT and
IT for their children (Long, Huang,
Woodbridge, Woolverton, & Minkel,
2003; Parette & McMahan, 2002; Lee &
Templeton, 2008) and that a lack of
family involvement may lead to misuse
and disuse of AT and IT (Alper &
Raharinirina, 2006; Zabala & Carl, 2005).
To increase their knowledge of
effective, evidence-based AT and IT and
to actively support children’s use of AT
and IT, both families and providers
need ongoing, reliable, accurate, and
current information (Marino, Marino, &
Shaw, 2006). The information must help
families and providers make sense of
the rapid proliferation of new
technologies, products, and approaches
developed for all users and specifically
for children with disabilities. The
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information must also help families and
providers navigate the growing number
of sources of information about AT and
IT, including projects and
clearinghouses supported by the
Department of Education (Department).6
Lastly, information about AT and IT
must be tailored to the specific
technologies, audiences, and
environments in which the technologies
will be used and must also promote the
adoption and use of AT and IT (Hazen,
Wu, Sankar, & Jones-Farmer, 2011). The
Center will provide accurate and current
information on evidence-based AT and
IT for providers and families. The
Center will tailor this information to the
particular needs of providers and
families.
Knowledge alone, however, is not
enough to build capacity and increase
the effective use of AT and IT. The
Center will also develop a
comprehensive approach to providing
TA that uses strategies built on the most
current evidence base for effective AT
and IT use. These strategies will
increase the capacity of families and
providers to advocate for, acquire, and
implement effective AT and IT for
children with disabilities to help them
participate fully in daily routines in
their natural environments, increase
their access to the general education
curriculum, improve their functional
outcomes and educational results, and
meet college- and career-ready
standards. These strategies are:
First, the Center will build support for
scaling up effective practices in LEAs
and individual schools through the
provision of targeted TA 7 to SEAs. A
6 Examples of Department projects and
clearinghouses include, but are not limited to, the
following: (1) Projects partially focused on AT and
IT such as the What Works Clearinghouse, the
Doing What Works Web site, Comprehensive
Centers, Regional Resource Centers, Parent Training
and Information Centers (PTIs), and Community
Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs); and (2) projects
exclusively focused on AT and IT such as the
Family Center on Technology and Disability, Center
for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd),
AbleData, [AT] Connects, National Center on
Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM Center), the
Center on Technology Implementation, Tots ‘n
Tech, Stepping-up to Technology Implementation,
and Steppingstones of Technology Innovation.
7 As used in this priority, ‘‘targeted TA’’ means
TA service based on needs common to multiple
recipients and not extensively individualized. A
relationship is established between the TA recipient
and one or more TA center staff. This category of
TA includes one-time, labor-intensive events, such
as facilitating strategic planning or hosting regional
or national meetings. It can also include episodic,
less labor-intensive events that extend over a period
of time, such as facilitating a series of conference
calls on single or multiple topics that are designed
around the needs of the recipients. Facilitating
communities of practice can also be considered
targeted, specialized TA. The following Web site
provides more information on levels of TA:
www.tadnet.org.
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survey of SEAs on their efforts to
support LEAs in the provision of
education-related AT revealed
significant variability among States
(Sopko, 2008). Most States provide
general information and personnel
development regarding AT, while few
States provide specific TA on AT and
IT. The Center will work with SEAs to
effectively increase the capacity of LEAs
to provide services to families and
providers that increase their skills in
advocating for, acquiring, and
implementing effective AT and IT for
children with disabilities.
Second, the Center will provide
targeted TA to OSEP-funded projects,
including Parent Training and
Information Centers (PTIs) and
Community Parent Resource Centers
(CPRCs), to increase the projects’
capacity to provide effective training on
AT and IT to families, as well as
collaborate with providers to foster the
effective implementation of AT and IT
(Edyburn, 2004).
And third, the Center will provide
targeted TA to personnel development
projects funded under the Personnel
Preparation program authorized under
section 662 of IDEA to increase their
capacity to prepare providers on the
effective use of AT and IT with children
with disabilities. One of the objectives
of the Personnel Preparation program is
to ensure that projects provide training
to early intervention and special
education personnel, including
administrators, on the use of new
technologies (section 662(a)(6)(A) of
IDEA). Personnel development projects
also need to improve the AT and IT
content they provide in order to reduce
providers’ knowledge gaps (Chesley &
Jordan, 2012; Manning & Carpenter,
2008). The Center will provide targeted
TA to personnel development projects
to better enable them to prepare
providers on the effective use of AT and
IT with children with disabilities.
Priority:
The purpose of this priority is to fund
a cooperative agreement to support the
establishment and operation of a Center
on Technology and Disability. The
Center will increase the capacity of
families and providers to advocate for,
acquire, and implement effective AT
and IT to help children with disabilities
participate fully in daily routines in
their natural environments, have
increased access to the general
education curriculum, improve their
functional outcomes and educational
results, and meet college- and careerready standards.
The Center must provide, at a
minimum, the necessary TA to meet the
following expected outcomes:
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(a) Families and providers will have
access to accurate and current
information on evidence-based AT and
IT for children with disabilities in
formats that are relevant to their needs
so that they can (1) Advocate for
appropriate AT and IT; (2) participate
effectively in planning, acquiring, and
implementing AT and IT; and (3) make
informed decisions about how resources
should be spent.
(b) SEAs will increase their capacity
to provide TA to LEAs so that LEAs can
more effectively support families and
providers in the acquisition and
implementation of appropriate AT and
IT in order to improve educational
results and functional outcomes for
children with disabilities.
(c) Other OSEP-funded projects,
including PTIs and CPRCs, will increase
their capacity to train families and
providers so that they can effectively
advocate for, acquire, and implement
AT and IT for children with disabilities.
(d) OSEP-funded personnel
development projects will increase their
capacity to prepare providers to help
children with disabilities use AT and IT
more effectively.
To be considered for funding under
this absolute priority, applicants must
meet the application, programmatic, and
administrative requirements specified in
this priority.
The requirements of this priority are
as follows:
(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Significance of the Project,’’ how the
project—
(1) Addresses families’ and providers’
need for useful, relevant, and current
information and training on evidencebased AT and IT for children with
disabilities. To address this requirement
the applicant must—
(i) Demonstrate knowledge of the
following:
(A) Evidence-based research and
effective practices on AT and IT use by
children with disabilities and providers;
(B) Information and training currently
available on AT and IT through various
sources;
(C) Federal and State TA currently
available to LEAs on AT and IT; and
(ii) Identify gaps and weaknesses in
the information and training on AT and
IT that is currently available to SEAs,
LEAs, OSEP-funded projects, families,
and providers;
(2) Increases families’ and providers’
understanding of effective strategies to
advocate for, acquire, and use
appropriate AT and IT for children with
disabilities. To address this requirement
the applicant must—
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(i) Demonstrate knowledge of best
practices in providing information to
families and providers;
(ii) Identify dissemination strategies
that will enable more families and
providers to efficiently acquire reliable
and up-to-date information on AT and
IT, as well as use the acquired
information effectively, including
families and providers who are
underserved or have limited access to
information; and
(iii) Identify effective strategies for
providing TA to SEAs, LEAs, OSEPfunded projects, families, and providers;
and
(3) Increases families’ and providers’
capacity to advocate for, acquire, and
use appropriate AT and IT for children
with disabilities.
(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Quality of the Project Services,’’ how
the project will—
(1) Use a conceptual framework and
project logic model (see paragraph (f)(1))
to guide the development of project
plans and activities describing any
underlying concepts, assumptions,
expectations, beliefs, or theories, as well
as the presumed relationship or linkages
among these variables, and any
empirical support for this framework;
(2) Collect and evaluate information
on AT and IT using consistent evidence
standards, such as those used by the
What Works Clearinghouse (see https://
ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc). The information
on AT and IT must—
(i) Address a variety of topics,
including, but not limited to: emerging
technologies; new and available AT and
IT products; universally designed
alternatives to traditional AT and IT;
resources to help families and providers
acquire AT and IT; and best practices in
the selection, implementation, and use
of AT and IT to benefit children with
disabilities; and
(ii) Include current and archival
information from other projects funded
by the Department, such as grants
funded under the Educational
Technology, Media, and Materials for
Individuals with Disabilities Program;
(3) Create new training and
information materials for families and
providers that—
(i) Synthesize reliable information
about evidence-based AT and IT,
including advancements in AT and IT;
(ii) Are accessible, usable, and easy
for families and others to understand;
(iii) Are available in other languages
and address the linguistic needs of
English learners (ELs) with disabilities;
(iv) Respond to the changing needs of
SEAs, LEAs, OSEP-funded projects,
families, and providers; and
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(v) Increase parents’ and providers’
knowledge of AT, IT, and effective
practices in the use of technology to
improve functional outcomes and
educational results for children with
disabilities;
(4) Provide universal TA,8 using
information collected in response to
paragraph (b)(2), on effective AT and IT
for children with disabilities, including
how to acquire, use, and implement that
AT and IT, that—
(i) Meets the needs of multiple
audiences, including, but not limited to:
Families, families with limited English
proficiency, parent service
organizations, providers, administrators,
professional organizations, SEAs, LEAs,
lead agencies, professional training
programs, AT and IT developers,
vendors, and researchers;
(ii) Includes a variety of formats that
are appropriate to the audience and to
the nature of the information, such as
Web sites, newsletters, guidebooks,
research syntheses, conference
presentations, and published articles,
among others;
(iii) Uses various dissemination
methods (in-person, remote, and Webbased, among others) to reach as many
families and providers as possible;
(iv) Uses best practices for training
and providing TA to adult learners; and
(v) Uses technology to increase the
efficiency and effectiveness of the TA
provided;
(5) Provide targeted TA to SEAs that—
(i) Increases SEAs’ capacity to help
LEAs to support families and providers
in the acquisition and implementation
of appropriate AT and IT by children
with disabilities;
(ii) Includes a variety of formats, such
as webinars, workshops, training
modules, meetings, communities of
practice, and wikis;
(iii) Uses various dissemination
methods (in-person, remote, and Webbased, among others) to reach as many
families and providers as possible;
(iv) Uses best practices for training
and providing TA to adult learners;
(v) Uses technology to increase the
efficiency and effectiveness of the TA
provided; and
8 As used in this priority, ‘‘universal TA’’ means
TA and information provided to independent users
through their own initiative, resulting in minimal
interaction with TA center staff and including onetime, invited, or offered conference presentations by
TA center staff. This category of TA also includes
information or products, such as newsletters,
guidebooks, or research syntheses, downloaded
from the TA center’s Web site by independent
users. Brief communications by TA center staff with
recipients, either by telephone or email, are also
considered universal, general TA. The following
Web site provides more information on levels of
TA: www.tadnet.org.
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(vi) Makes use of existing knowledge
and expertise within SEAs;
(6) Provide targeted TA to OSEPfunded personnel development projects,
PTIs, CPRCs, and other projects that—
(i) Increases the projects’ knowledge
of AT and IT and their capacity to more
effectively train families and providers
on how to advocate for, acquire, and
implement effective AT and IT for
children with disabilities;
(ii) Uses a variety of formats, such as
webinars, workshops, training modules,
meetings, communities of practice, and
wikis, among others;
(iii) Uses various dissemination
methods (in-person, remote, and Webbased, among others) to reach as many
families and providers as possible;
(iv) Uses best practices for training
and providing TA to adult learners;
(v) Uses technology to increase the
efficiency and effectiveness of the TA
provided; and
(vi) Makes use of existing knowledge
and expertise within personnel
development projects, parent training
and information centers, deaf-blind
projects, TA centers, and State
personnel development projects, among
others;
(7) Collaborate with other projects and
initiatives that can contribute to meeting
the Center’s outcomes, including, but
not limited to: AbleData, [AT] Connects,
State projects supported by the AT Act,
and AT and IT vendors and researchers;
(8) Disseminate information about the
Center’s products and services in order
to promote their use to improve
outcomes for children with disabilities;
and
(9) Consult with a group of persons,
including, but not limited to:
Representatives from OSEP-funded
personnel development and other
projects; SEAs, LEAs, and Part C lead
agencies; providers and provider
associations; families; people with
disabilities; and researchers, as
appropriate; on the activities and
outcomes of the Center; and solicit
programmatic support and advice from
various participants in the group, as
appropriate. The Center must identify
the members of this group to OSEP, for
its approval, within eight weeks
following receipt of the award.
(c) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Quality of the Evaluation Plan,’’ how—
(1) The applicant will evaluate the
effectiveness of the proposed project by
undertaking a formative evaluation and
a summative evaluation, including a
description of how the applicant will
measure the outcomes proposed in the
logic model (see paragraph (f)(1)). The
description must include—
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(i) Evaluation methodologies,
including proposed instruments, data
collection methods, evaluation
questions, and possible analyses;
(ii) Proposed standards or targets for
determining effectiveness; and
(iii) A proposed third-party evaluator
to carry out the summative evaluation;
(2) The applicant will use the results
of the formative evaluation to provide
performance feedback for examining the
effectiveness of project implementation
strategies and progress toward achieving
intended outcomes; and
(3) Formative evaluation activities
during the project period will
complement and inform the summative
evaluation. The final summative
evaluation will be developed in
consultation with the third-party
evaluator and the OSEP project officer.
(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Adequacy of Project Resources,’’
how—
(1) The proposed personnel,
consultants, and contractors are highly
qualified, experienced, and committed
to carrying out the proposed activities
and meeting the outcomes identified in
the project logic model (see paragraph
(f)(1));
(2) The qualifications of the members
of the group referred to in paragraph
(b)(9) are relevant to the proposed
activities and outcomes;
(3) The applicant will encourage
applications for employment from
persons who are members of groups that
have traditionally been
underrepresented based on race, color,
national origin, language, linguistic
background, gender, age, or disability,
as appropriate; and
(4) The applicant and any key
partners will ensure that they have
adequate resources to carry out the
proposed activities.
(e) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Quality of the Management Plan,’’
how—
(1) The proposed management plan
will ensure that the project’s outcomes,
identified in the project logic model (see
paragraph (f)(1)), will be achieved on
time and within budget;
(2) The time of key personnel,
consultants, and contractors will be
sufficiently allocated to the project;
(3) The proposed management plan
will ensure that the products and
services provided are of high quality;
and
(4) The proposed project will benefit
from a diversity of perspectives,
including families, researchers,
personnel development projects, parent
training and information centers, SEAs
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and lead agencies, and other OSEPfunded projects, among others.
(f) Address the following application
requirements as directed. The applicant
must—
(1) Include, in Appendix 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/pages/589;
(2) Include, in Appendix A, a
conceptual framework for the project;
(3) Include, in Appendix A, personloading charts and timelines to illustrate
the management plan described in the
narrative;
(4) Ensure that the budget includes
attendance at all of the following events:
(i) A one and one-half day kick-off
meeting to be held in Washington, DC,
following 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 receipt of the
award, a post-award teleconference must be
held between the OSEP project officer and
the grantee’s project director or other
authorized representative.
(ii) A three-day project directors’
conference in Washington, DC, during
each year of the project period.
(iii) One trip annually to attend
Department briefings, Departmentsponsored conferences, and other
meetings, as requested by OSEP;
(5) Ensure that the budget includes—
(i) A line item 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 should
reallocate any remaining funds from this
annual set-aside no later than the end of
the third quarter of each budget period.
(ii) A line item for a summative
evaluation to be conducted by an
independent third party; and
(6) Ensure that the project maintains
a Web site that meets government or
industry-recognized standards for
accessibility.
Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project:
In deciding whether to continue
funding the Center for the fourth and
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fifth years, the Secretary will consider
the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), as
well as—
(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 increase
families’ and providers’ capacity to
advocate for, acquire, and implement
effective AT and IT for children with
disabilities and thereby improve
educational and developmental
outcomes for children with disabilities.
References:
Alper, S., & Raharinirina, S. (2006). Assistive
technology for individuals with
disabilities: A review and synthesis of
the literature. Journal of Special
Education Technology, 21(2), 47–64.
Bausch, M. E., Ault, M. J., Evmenova, A. S.,
& Behrmann, M. M. (2008). Going
beyond AT devices: Are AT services
being considered? Journal of Special
Education Technology, 23(2), 1–16.
Caspe, M., & Lopez, M. E. (2006). Lessons
from family-strengthening interventions:
Learning from evidence-based practice.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard Family
Research Project. Retrieved from
www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/
resources/research/lessons.html.
Chesley, G. M., & Jordan, J. (2012). What’s
missing from teacher prep. Educational
Leadership, 69(8), 41–45.
Edyburn, D. L. (2004). Rethinking assistive
technology. Special Education
Technology Practice, 5(4), 16–23.
Hazen, B. T., Wu, Y., Sankar, C. S., & JonesFarmer, L. (2011). A proposed framework
for educational innovation
dissemination. Journal Of Educational
Technology Systems, 40(3), 301–321.
Lee, H., & Templeton, R. (2008). Ensuring
equal access to Technology: Providing
assistive technology for students with
disabilities. Theory Into Practice, 47(3),
212–219. doi: 10.1080/
00405840802153874.
Lee, Y., & Vega, L. A. (2005). Perceived
knowledge, attitudes, and challenges of
AT use in special education. Journal of
Special Education Technology, 20(2),
60–62.
Long, T., Huang, L., Woodbridge, M.,
Woolverton, M., & Minkel, J. (2003).
Integrating assistive technology into an
outcome-driven model of service
delivery. Infants and Young Children,
16, 272–283.
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Manning, J. B., & Carpenter, L. B. (2008).
Assistive Technology WebQuest:
Improving learning for preservice
teachers. TechTrends, 52(6), 47–52.
Marino, M. T., Marino, E. C., & Shaw, S. F.
(2006). Making informed assistive
technology decisions for students with
high incidence disabilities. Teaching
Exceptional Children, 38(6), 18–25.
Parette, P., & McMahan, G. A. (2002). What
should we expect of assistive
technology? Being sensitive to family
goals. Teaching Exceptional Children,
35, 56–61.
Smith, S. J., & Robinson, S. (2003).
Technology integration through
collaborative cohorts. Remedial &
Special Education, 24(3), 154–159.
Sopko, K. M. (2008). State support of
education-related assistive technology
(inForum Brief Policy Analysis). Project
Forum at NASDSE. Retrieved from
www.projectforum.org.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Educational Technology. (2010).
Transforming American education:
Learning powered by technology.
Retrieved from www.ed.gov/sites/
default/files/netp2010.pdf.
Zabala, J. S., & Carl, D. F. (2005). Quality
indicators for assistive technology
services in schools. In D. L. Edyburn, K.
Higgins, & R. Boone (Eds.), The
handbook of special education
technology research and practice (pp.
179–207). Whitefish Bay, WI: Knowledge
by Design, Inc.
Zhou, L., Parker, A. T., Smith, D. W., &
Griffin-Shirley, N. (2011). Assistive
technology for students with visual
impairments: Challenges and needs in
teachers’ preparation programs and
practice. Journal of Visual Impairment &
Blindness, 105(4), 197–210.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking:
Under the Administrative Procedure Act
(APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department
generally offers interested parties the
opportunity to comment on proposed
priorities and requirements. Section
681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the
public comment requirements of the
APA inapplicable to the priority in this
notice.
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Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1474 and
1481.
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.
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.
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II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative
agreement.
Estimated Available Funds:
$1,435,500.
Contingent upon the availability of
funds and the quality of applications,
we may make additional awards in FY
2014 from the list of unfunded
applicants from this competition.
Maximum Award: We will reject any
application that proposes a budget
exceeding $1,435,500 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 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs,
including public charter schools that are
considered LEAs under State law; IHEs;
other public agencies; private nonprofit
organizations; outlying areas; freely
associated States; Indian tribes or tribal
organizations; and for-profit
organizations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other:
(a) General Requirements. The
projects funded under this competition
must make positive efforts to employ,
and advance in employment, qualified
individuals with disabilities (see section
606 of IDEA).
(b) Applicants and grant recipients
funded under this competition must
involve individuals with disabilities or
parents of individuals with disabilities
ages birth through 26 in planning,
implementing, and evaluating the
project (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of
IDEA).
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address to Request Application
Package: Education Publications Center
(ED Pubs), U.S. Department of
Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria,
VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1–877–
433–7827. FAX: (703) 605–6794. If you
use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) 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
84.327F.
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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 team listed under
Accessible Format in section VIII of this
notice.
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission: Requirements concerning
the content of an application, together
with the forms you must submit, are in
the application package for this
competition. Page Limit: The
application narrative (Part III of the
application) is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your
application. You must limit Part III to
the equivalent of no more than 50 pages,
using the following standards:
• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side
only, with 1’’ margins at the top,
bottom, and both sides.
• Double space (no more than three
lines per vertical inch) all text in the
application narrative, including titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations,
references, and captions, as well as all
text in charts, tables, figures, and
graphs.
• Use a font that is either 12 point or
larger or no smaller than 10 pitch
(characters per inch).
• 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: July 1, 2013.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: August 15, 2013.
Applications for grants under this
competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov
Apply site (Grants.gov). For information
(including dates and times) about how
to submit your application
electronically, or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery if you qualify for
an exception to the electronic
submission requirement, please refer to
section IV. 7. Other Submission
Requirements of this notice.
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We do not consider an application
that does not comply with the deadline
requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who
need an accommodation or auxiliary aid
in connection with the application
process should contact the person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT in section VII of this notice. If
the Department provides an
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an
individual with a disability in
connection with the application
process, the individual’s application
remains subject to all other
requirements and limitations in this
notice.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This
competition is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34
CFR part 79. However, under 34 CFR
79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental
review in order to make an award by the
end of FY 2013.
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 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 System for Award
Management (SAM) (formerly the
Central Contractor Registry (CCR)), the
Government’s primary registrant
database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and
TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active 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 SAM registration process may
take seven or more business days to
complete. If you are currently registered
with the SAM, you may not need to
make any changes. However, please
make certain that the TIN associated
with your DUNS number is correct. Also
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note that you will need to update your
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 must be submitted
electronically unless you qualify for an
exception to this requirement in
accordance with the instructions in this
section.
a. Electronic Submission of
Applications.
Applications for grants under the
Center on Technology and Disability
competition, CFDA number 84.327F,
must be submitted electronically using
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.
We will reject your application if you
submit it in paper format unless, as
described elsewhere in this section, you
qualify for one of the exceptions to the
electronic submission requirement and
submit, no later than two weeks before
the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you
qualify for one of these exceptions.
Further information regarding
calculation of the date that is two weeks
before the application deadline date is
provided later in this section under
Exception to Electronic Submission
Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant
application for the Center on
Technology and Disability 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 84.327, not 84.327F).
Please note the following:
• When you enter the Grants.gov site,
you will find information about
submitting an application electronically
through the site, as well as the hours of
operation.
• Applications received by Grants.gov
are date and time stamped. Your
application must be fully uploaded and
submitted and must be date and time
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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 qualify for
an exception to the electronic
submission requirement, as described
elsewhere in this section, and submit
your application in paper format.
• 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—NonConstruction Programs (ED 524), and all
necessary assurances and certifications.
• You must upload any narrative
sections and all other attachments to
your application as files in a PDF
(Portable Document) read-only, nonmodifiable format. Do not upload an
interactive or fillable PDF file. If you
upload a file type other than a readonly, non-modifiable PDF or submit a
password-protected file, we will not
review that material. Additional,
detailed information on how to attach
files is in the application instructions.
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• 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
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
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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.
Exception to Electronic Submission
Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission
requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are
unable to submit an application through
the Grants.gov system because—
• You do not have access to the
Internet; or
• You do not have the capacity to
upload large documents to the
Grants.gov system;
and
• No later than two weeks before the
application deadline date (14 calendar
days or, if the fourteenth calendar day
before the application deadline date
falls on a Federal holiday, the next
business day following the Federal
holiday), you mail or fax a written
statement to the Department, explaining
which of the two grounds for an
exception prevent you from using the
Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to
the Department, it must be postmarked
no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date. If you fax
your written statement to the
Department, we must receive the faxed
statement no later than two weeks
before the application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your
statement to: Carmen Sanchez, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue SW., Room 4057, Potomac
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC
20202–2600. FAX: (202) 245–6595.
Your paper application must be
submitted in accordance with the mail
or hand delivery instructions described
in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications
by Mail.
If you qualify for an exception to the
electronic submission requirement, you
may mail (through the U.S. Postal
Service or a commercial carrier) your
application to the Department. 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 84.327F) 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.
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(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 qualify for an exception to the
electronic submission requirement, you
(or a courier service) may deliver your
paper application to the Department by
hand. You 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 84.327F) 550 12th
Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260.
The Application Control Center
accepts hand deliveries daily between
8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington,
DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays,
and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper
Applications: If you mail or hand deliver
your application to the Department—
(1) You must indicate on the envelope
and—if not provided by the Department—in
Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number,
including suffix letter, if any, of the
competition under which you are submitting
your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will
mail to you a notification of receipt of your
grant application. If you do not receive this
notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call
the U.S. Department of Education
Application Control Center at (202) 245–
6288.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection
criteria for this 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
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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 parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has
not fulfilled the conditions of a prior
grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application
is successful, we notify your U.S.
Representative and U.S. Senators and
send you a Grant Award Notification
(GAN); or we may send you an email
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containing a link to access an electronic
version of your 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
Educational Technology, Media, and
Materials for Individuals with
Disabilities program. For purposes of
this priority, the Center will use these
measures, which focus on the extent to
which projects provide high-quality
products and services, the relevance of
project products and services to
educational and early intervention
policy and practice, and the use of
products and services to improve
educational and early intervention
policy and practice. Grantees will be
required to report information on their
project’s performance in annual reports
to the Department (34 CFR 75.590).
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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:
Carmen Sanchez, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Room 4057, PCP, Washington, DC
20202–2600. Telephone: (202) 245–
6595.
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
E:\FR\FM\01JYN1.SGM
01JYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 126 / Monday, July 1, 2013 / Notices
your search to documents published by
the Department.
Dated: June 26, 2013.
Michael K. Yudin,
Delegated the authority to perform the
functions and duties of the Assistant
Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2013–15712 Filed 6–28–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 2692–055]
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Notice of
Application Accepted for Filing and
Soliciting Comments, Motions To
Intervene, and Protests
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection:
a. Application Type: Shoreline
Management Plan.
b. Project No: 2692–055.
c. Date Filed: December 6, 2012.
d. Applicant: Duke Energy Carolinas,
LLC.
e. Name of Project: Nantahala
Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: The Franklin
Hydroelectric Project is located on the
Nantahala River in Clay and Macon
counties, North Carolina.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power
Act, 16 U.S.C. 791a–825r.
h. Applicant Contact: Dennis
Whitaker, Duke Energy—Lake Services,
526 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC, 28202,
(704) 382–1594.
i. FERC Contact: Mark Carter at (678)
245–3083, or email:
mark.carter@ferc.gov.
j. Deadline for filing comments,
motions to intervene, and protests: July
24, 2013.
All documents may be filed
electronically via the Internet. See 18
CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the
instructions on the Commission’s Web
site at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling.asp. Commenters can submit
brief comments up to 6,000 characters,
without prior registration, using the
eComment system at https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
ecomment.asp. You must include your
name and contact information at the end
of your comments. For assistance,
please contact FERC Online Support at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll
free at 1–866–208–3676, or for TTY,
(202) 502–8659. Although the
VerDate Mar<15>2010
21:38 Jun 28, 2013
Jkt 229001
Commission strongly encourages
electronic filing, documents may also be
paper-filed. To paper-file, mail an
original and seven copies to: Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street NE., Washington, DC
20426. Please include the project
number (P–2692–055) on any
comments, motions, or
recommendations filed.
The Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure require all intervenors
filing documents with the Commission
to serve a copy of that document on
each person whose name appears on the
official service list for the project.
Further, if an intervenor files comments
or documents with the Commission
relating to the merits of an issue that
may affect the responsibilities of a
particular resource agency, they must
also serve a copy of the document on
that resource agency.
k. Description of Request: As required
by article 408 of the February 8, 2012
license, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC
requests Commission approval of a
proposed shoreline management plan
(SMP) for the project. The SMP defines
shoreline management classifications
for the reservoir shoreline within the
project boundary, identifies allowable
and prohibited uses within the
shoreline areas, and describes the
shoreline use permitting process.
l. Locations of the Application: A
copy of the application is available for
inspection and reproduction at the
Commission’s Public Reference Room,
located at 888 First Street NE., Room
2A, Washington, DC 20426, or by calling
(202) 502–8371. This filing may also be
viewed on the Commission’s Web site at
https://www.ferc.gov using the
‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Enter the docket
number excluding the last three digits in
the docket number field (P–2692) to
access the document. You may also
register online at https://www.ferc.gov/
docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be
notified via email of new filings and
issuances related to this or other
pending projects. For assistance, call 1–
866–208–3676 or email
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, for TTY,
call (202) 502–8659. A copy is also
available for inspection and
reproduction at the address in item (h)
above. Agencies may obtain copies of
the application directly from the
applicant.
m. Individuals desiring to be included
on the Commission’s mailing list should
so indicate by writing to the Secretary
of the Commission.
n. Comments, Protests, or Motions to
Intervene: Anyone may submit
comments, a protest, or a motion to
intervene in accordance with the
PO 00000
Frm 00029
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
39279
requirements of Rules of Practice and
Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211, .214,
respectively. In determining the
appropriate action to take, the
Commission will consider all protests or
other comments filed, but only those
who file a motion to intervene in
accordance with the Commission’s
Rules may become a party to the
proceeding. Any comments, protests, or
motions to intervene must be received
on or before the specified comment date
for the particular application.
o. Filing and Service of Documents:
Any filing must (1) bear in all capital
letters the title ‘‘COMMENTS’’,
‘‘PROTEST’’, or ‘‘MOTION TO
INTERVENE’’ as applicable; (2) set forth
in the heading the name of the applicant
and the project number of the
application to which the filing
responds; (3) furnish the name, address,
and telephone number of the person
commenting, protesting or intervening;
and (4) otherwise comply with the
requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001
through 385.2005. All comments,
motions to intervene, or protests must
set forth their evidentiary basis. Any
filing made by an intervenor must be
accompanied by proof of service on all
persons listed in the service list
prepared by the Commission in this
proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR
385.2010.
Dated: June 24, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013–15666 Filed 6–28–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. NJ13–10–000]
United States Department of Energy;
Bonneville Power Administration;
Notice of Petition for Declaratory Order
Take notice that on June 19, 2013,
pursuant to sections 35.28(e) and
385.207 of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission’s (Commission)
Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR
35.28(e) and 18 CFR 385.207, the
Bonneville Power Administration
(Bonneville), submitted certain
amendments to its Open Access
Transmission Tariff (OATT) and a
Petition for Declaratory Order
requesting the Commission find that
Bonneville’s OATT, as amended by this
filing, substantially conform or is
superior to the pro forma OATT as it
E:\FR\FM\01JYN1.SGM
01JYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 126 (Monday, July 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39271-39279]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-15712]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Educational Technology, Media, and
Materials Program for Individuals with Disabilities--Center on
Technology and Disability
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview Information: Educational Technology, Media, and Materials
Program for Individuals with Disabilities--Center on Technology and
Disability.
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)
2013.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.327F.
DATES: Applications Available: July 1, 2013.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 15, 2013.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Educational Technology,
Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities Program \1\ is
to: (1) Improve results for children with disabilities by promoting the
development, demonstration, and use of technology; (2) support
educational media services activities designed to be of educational
value in the classroom for children with disabilities; (3) provide
support for captioning and video description that is appropriate for
use in the classroom; and (4) provide accessible educational materials
to children with disabilities in a timely manner.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ This program was formerly called ``Technology and Media
Services for Individuals with Disabilities.'' The Department has
changed the name to ``Educational Technology, Media, and Materials
for Individuals with Disabilities,'' and updated the purposes of the
program to more clearly convey that the program includes accessible
educational materials. The program's activities and statutory
authorization (20 U.S.C. 1474) remain unchanged.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections
674(b)(1), 674(b)(2)(A), and 681(d) of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2013, this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with
Disabilities--Center on Technology and Disability
Background: The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative
agreement to support the establishment and operation of a Center on
Technology and Disability (Center). The Center will increase the
capacity \2\ of families and providers \3\ to advocate for, acquire,
and implement effective assistive technology (AT) \4\ and instructional
technology (IT) \5\ to help infants, toddlers, children, and youth with
disabilities (collectively, ``children with disabilities'') participate
fully in daily routines in their natural environments, have increased
access to the general education curriculum, improve their functional
outcomes and educational results, and meet college- and career-ready
standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ ``Capacity'' means possessing essential knowledge, skills,
and competencies to act effectively.
\3\ ``Providers'' denotes teachers, therapists,
paraprofessionals, and other professionals providing services to
children with disabilities under Parts B and C of IDEA. The term
includes general educators serving children in inclusive settings.
\4\ Section 602 of IDEA defines an ``assistive technology
device'' as ``any item, piece of equipment, or product system,
whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customized,
that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional
capabilities of a child with a disability;'' and an ``assistive
technology service'' as ``any service that directly assists a child
with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an
assistive technology device.'' For purposes of this priority, ``AT''
refers to any assistive technology device or assistive technology
service.
\5\ IDEA does not provide a definition for IT, but for the
purposes of this priority, ``IT'' is defined as technology processes
and resources that facilitate learning and improve student
performance for all students.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Center will achieve these results by: (1) Compiling and
disseminating accurate and current information on evidence-based AT and
IT for families and providers in formats that are usable and accessible
and that address the needs of diverse families and providers; (2)
providing technical assistance (TA) to State educational agencies
(SEAs) to enable SEAs to effectively increase the capacity of their
local educational agencies (LEAs) to support families and providers in
acquiring and implementing appropriate AT and IT; (3) providing TA to
other projects funded by the Office of Special Education Programs
(OSEP) to enable these projects to more effectively train families and
providers on how to advocate for, acquire, and implement AT and IT for
children with disabilities; and (4) providing TA to personnel
development projects funded by OSEP to enable them to better prepare
providers on effective AT and IT use by children with disabilities.
Almost 30 years of research and experience have demonstrated that
supporting the development and use of AT and IT to maximize
accessibility for children with disabilities can enhance the education
and development of children with disabilities (section 601(c)(5)(H) of
IDEA). With the increased use of appropriate AT and IT, more children
with disabilities will to the maximum extent possible participate fully
in daily routines in their natural environments, have access to the
general education curriculum, be prepared to meet college- and career-
ready standards, and lead productive and independent adult lives.
Providers play a key role in ensuring that AT and IT are used
effectively by children with disabilities. However, research shows that
these providers often lack knowledge about AT and IT; and, furthermore,
this lack of knowledge has been identified as a critical barrier to
effective technology use by children with disabilities (Smith &
Robinson, 2003; Lee & Vega, 2005; Bausch, Ault, Evmenova, & Behrmann,
2008; Zhou, Parker, Smith, & Griffin-Shirley, 2011; U.S. Department of
Education, 2010). Families also often lack knowledge of effective AT
and IT, and how they can support their children's use of AT and IT.
Informed parents actively involved in their children's development and
education contribute significantly to positive educational outcomes
(Caspe & Lopez, 2006). Studies suggest that parents of children with
disabilities want to be involved in planning AT and IT for their
children (Long, Huang, Woodbridge, Woolverton, & Minkel, 2003; Parette
& McMahan, 2002; Lee & Templeton, 2008) and that a lack of family
involvement may lead to misuse and disuse of AT and IT (Alper &
Raharinirina, 2006; Zabala & Carl, 2005).
To increase their knowledge of effective, evidence-based AT and IT
and to actively support children's use of AT and IT, both families and
providers need ongoing, reliable, accurate, and current information
(Marino, Marino, & Shaw, 2006). The information must help families and
providers make sense of the rapid proliferation of new technologies,
products, and approaches developed for all users and specifically for
children with disabilities. The
[[Page 39272]]
information must also help families and providers navigate the growing
number of sources of information about AT and IT, including projects
and clearinghouses supported by the Department of Education
(Department).\6\ Lastly, information about AT and IT must be tailored
to the specific technologies, audiences, and environments in which the
technologies will be used and must also promote the adoption and use of
AT and IT (Hazen, Wu, Sankar, & Jones-Farmer, 2011). The Center will
provide accurate and current information on evidence-based AT and IT
for providers and families. The Center will tailor this information to
the particular needs of providers and families.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Examples of Department projects and clearinghouses include,
but are not limited to, the following: (1) Projects partially
focused on AT and IT such as the What Works Clearinghouse, the Doing
What Works Web site, Comprehensive Centers, Regional Resource
Centers, Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs), and
Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs); and (2) projects
exclusively focused on AT and IT such as the Family Center on
Technology and Disability, Center for Implementing Technology in
Education (CITEd), AbleData, [AT] Connects, National Center on
Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM Center), the Center on
Technology Implementation, Tots `n Tech, Stepping-up to Technology
Implementation, and Steppingstones of Technology Innovation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Knowledge alone, however, is not enough to build capacity and
increase the effective use of AT and IT. The Center will also develop a
comprehensive approach to providing TA that uses strategies built on
the most current evidence base for effective AT and IT use. These
strategies will increase the capacity of families and providers to
advocate for, acquire, and implement effective AT and IT for children
with disabilities to help them participate fully in daily routines in
their natural environments, increase their access to the general
education curriculum, improve their functional outcomes and educational
results, and meet college- and career-ready standards. These strategies
are:
First, the Center will build support for scaling up effective
practices in LEAs and individual schools through the provision of
targeted TA \7\ to SEAs. A survey of SEAs on their efforts to support
LEAs in the provision of education-related AT revealed significant
variability among States (Sopko, 2008). Most States provide general
information and personnel development regarding AT, while few States
provide specific TA on AT and IT. The Center will work with SEAs to
effectively increase the capacity of LEAs to provide services to
families and providers that increase their skills in advocating for,
acquiring, and implementing effective AT and IT for children with
disabilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ As used in this priority, ``targeted TA'' means TA service
based on needs common to multiple recipients and not extensively
individualized. A relationship is established between the TA
recipient and one or more TA center staff. This category of TA
includes one-time, labor-intensive events, such as facilitating
strategic planning or hosting regional or national meetings. It can
also include episodic, less labor-intensive events that extend over
a period of time, such as facilitating a series of conference calls
on single or multiple topics that are designed around the needs of
the recipients. Facilitating communities of practice can also be
considered targeted, specialized TA. The following Web site provides
more information on levels of TA: www.tadnet.org.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second, the Center will provide targeted TA to OSEP-funded
projects, including Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and
Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs), to increase the projects'
capacity to provide effective training on AT and IT to families, as
well as collaborate with providers to foster the effective
implementation of AT and IT (Edyburn, 2004).
And third, the Center will provide targeted TA to personnel
development projects funded under the Personnel Preparation program
authorized under section 662 of IDEA to increase their capacity to
prepare providers on the effective use of AT and IT with children with
disabilities. One of the objectives of the Personnel Preparation
program is to ensure that projects provide training to early
intervention and special education personnel, including administrators,
on the use of new technologies (section 662(a)(6)(A) of IDEA).
Personnel development projects also need to improve the AT and IT
content they provide in order to reduce providers' knowledge gaps
(Chesley & Jordan, 2012; Manning & Carpenter, 2008). The Center will
provide targeted TA to personnel development projects to better enable
them to prepare providers on the effective use of AT and IT with
children with disabilities.
Priority:
The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative agreement to
support the establishment and operation of a Center on Technology and
Disability. The Center will increase the capacity of families and
providers to advocate for, acquire, and implement effective AT and IT
to help children with disabilities participate fully in daily routines
in their natural environments, have increased access to the general
education curriculum, improve their functional outcomes and educational
results, and meet college- and career-ready standards.
The Center must provide, at a minimum, the necessary TA to meet the
following expected outcomes:
(a) Families and providers will have access to accurate and current
information on evidence-based AT and IT for children with disabilities
in formats that are relevant to their needs so that they can (1)
Advocate for appropriate AT and IT; (2) participate effectively in
planning, acquiring, and implementing AT and IT; and (3) make informed
decisions about how resources should be spent.
(b) SEAs will increase their capacity to provide TA to LEAs so that
LEAs can more effectively support families and providers in the
acquisition and implementation of appropriate AT and IT in order to
improve educational results and functional outcomes for children with
disabilities.
(c) Other OSEP-funded projects, including PTIs and CPRCs, will
increase their capacity to train families and providers so that they
can effectively advocate for, acquire, and implement AT and IT for
children with disabilities.
(d) OSEP-funded personnel development projects will increase their
capacity to prepare providers to help children with disabilities use AT
and IT more effectively.
To be considered for funding under this absolute priority,
applicants must meet the application, programmatic, and administrative
requirements specified in this priority.
The requirements of this priority are as follows:
(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Significance of the Project,'' how the project--
(1) Addresses families' and providers' need for useful, relevant,
and current information and training on evidence-based AT and IT for
children with disabilities. To address this requirement the applicant
must--
(i) Demonstrate knowledge of the following:
(A) Evidence-based research and effective practices on AT and IT
use by children with disabilities and providers;
(B) Information and training currently available on AT and IT
through various sources;
(C) Federal and State TA currently available to LEAs on AT and IT;
and
(ii) Identify gaps and weaknesses in the information and training
on AT and IT that is currently available to SEAs, LEAs, OSEP-funded
projects, families, and providers;
(2) Increases families' and providers' understanding of effective
strategies to advocate for, acquire, and use appropriate AT and IT for
children with disabilities. To address this requirement the applicant
must--
[[Page 39273]]
(i) Demonstrate knowledge of best practices in providing
information to families and providers;
(ii) Identify dissemination strategies that will enable more
families and providers to efficiently acquire reliable and up-to-date
information on AT and IT, as well as use the acquired information
effectively, including families and providers who are underserved or
have limited access to information; and
(iii) Identify effective strategies for providing TA to SEAs, LEAs,
OSEP-funded projects, families, and providers; and
(3) Increases families' and providers' capacity to advocate for,
acquire, and use appropriate AT and IT for children with disabilities.
(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of the Project Services,'' how the project will--
(1) Use a conceptual framework and project logic model (see
paragraph (f)(1)) to guide the development of project plans and
activities describing any underlying concepts, assumptions,
expectations, beliefs, or theories, as well as the presumed
relationship or linkages among these variables, and any empirical
support for this framework;
(2) Collect and evaluate information on AT and IT using consistent
evidence standards, such as those used by the What Works Clearinghouse
(see https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc). The information on AT and IT must--
(i) Address a variety of topics, including, but not limited to:
emerging technologies; new and available AT and IT products;
universally designed alternatives to traditional AT and IT; resources
to help families and providers acquire AT and IT; and best practices in
the selection, implementation, and use of AT and IT to benefit children
with disabilities; and
(ii) Include current and archival information from other projects
funded by the Department, such as grants funded under the Educational
Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities
Program;
(3) Create new training and information materials for families and
providers that--
(i) Synthesize reliable information about evidence-based AT and IT,
including advancements in AT and IT;
(ii) Are accessible, usable, and easy for families and others to
understand;
(iii) Are available in other languages and address the linguistic
needs of English learners (ELs) with disabilities;
(iv) Respond to the changing needs of SEAs, LEAs, OSEP-funded
projects, families, and providers; and
(v) Increase parents' and providers' knowledge of AT, IT, and
effective practices in the use of technology to improve functional
outcomes and educational results for children with disabilities;
(4) Provide universal TA,\8\ using information collected in
response to paragraph (b)(2), on effective AT and IT for children with
disabilities, including how to acquire, use, and implement that AT and
IT, that--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ As used in this priority, ``universal TA'' means TA and
information provided to independent users through their own
initiative, resulting in minimal interaction with TA center staff
and including one-time, invited, or offered conference presentations
by TA center staff. This category of TA also includes information or
products, such as newsletters, guidebooks, or research syntheses,
downloaded from the TA center's Web site by independent users. Brief
communications by TA center staff with recipients, either by
telephone or email, are also considered universal, general TA. The
following Web site provides more information on levels of TA:
www.tadnet.org.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) Meets the needs of multiple audiences, including, but not
limited to: Families, families with limited English proficiency, parent
service organizations, providers, administrators, professional
organizations, SEAs, LEAs, lead agencies, professional training
programs, AT and IT developers, vendors, and researchers;
(ii) Includes a variety of formats that are appropriate to the
audience and to the nature of the information, such as Web sites,
newsletters, guidebooks, research syntheses, conference presentations,
and published articles, among others;
(iii) Uses various dissemination methods (in-person, remote, and
Web-based, among others) to reach as many families and providers as
possible;
(iv) Uses best practices for training and providing TA to adult
learners; and
(v) Uses technology to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of
the TA provided;
(5) Provide targeted TA to SEAs that--
(i) Increases SEAs' capacity to help LEAs to support families and
providers in the acquisition and implementation of appropriate AT and
IT by children with disabilities;
(ii) Includes a variety of formats, such as webinars, workshops,
training modules, meetings, communities of practice, and wikis;
(iii) Uses various dissemination methods (in-person, remote, and
Web-based, among others) to reach as many families and providers as
possible;
(iv) Uses best practices for training and providing TA to adult
learners;
(v) Uses technology to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of
the TA provided; and
(vi) Makes use of existing knowledge and expertise within SEAs;
(6) Provide targeted TA to OSEP-funded personnel development
projects, PTIs, CPRCs, and other projects that--
(i) Increases the projects' knowledge of AT and IT and their
capacity to more effectively train families and providers on how to
advocate for, acquire, and implement effective AT and IT for children
with disabilities;
(ii) Uses a variety of formats, such as webinars, workshops,
training modules, meetings, communities of practice, and wikis, among
others;
(iii) Uses various dissemination methods (in-person, remote, and
Web-based, among others) to reach as many families and providers as
possible;
(iv) Uses best practices for training and providing TA to adult
learners;
(v) Uses technology to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of
the TA provided; and
(vi) Makes use of existing knowledge and expertise within personnel
development projects, parent training and information centers, deaf-
blind projects, TA centers, and State personnel development projects,
among others;
(7) Collaborate with other projects and initiatives that can
contribute to meeting the Center's outcomes, including, but not limited
to: AbleData, [AT] Connects, State projects supported by the AT Act,
and AT and IT vendors and researchers;
(8) Disseminate information about the Center's products and
services in order to promote their use to improve outcomes for children
with disabilities; and
(9) Consult with a group of persons, including, but not limited to:
Representatives from OSEP-funded personnel development and other
projects; SEAs, LEAs, and Part C lead agencies; providers and provider
associations; families; people with disabilities; and researchers, as
appropriate; on the activities and outcomes of the Center; and solicit
programmatic support and advice from various participants in the group,
as appropriate. The Center must identify the members of this group to
OSEP, for its approval, within eight weeks following receipt of the
award.
(c) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of the Evaluation Plan,'' how--
(1) The applicant will evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed
project by undertaking a formative evaluation and a summative
evaluation, including a description of how the applicant will measure
the outcomes proposed in the logic model (see paragraph (f)(1)). The
description must include--
[[Page 39274]]
(i) Evaluation methodologies, including proposed instruments, data
collection methods, evaluation questions, and possible analyses;
(ii) Proposed standards or targets for determining effectiveness;
and
(iii) A proposed third-party evaluator to carry out the summative
evaluation;
(2) The applicant will use the results of the formative evaluation
to provide performance feedback for examining the effectiveness of
project implementation strategies and progress toward achieving
intended outcomes; and
(3) Formative evaluation activities during the project period will
complement and inform the summative evaluation. The final summative
evaluation will be developed in consultation with the third-party
evaluator and the OSEP project officer.
(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Adequacy of Project Resources,'' how--
(1) The proposed personnel, consultants, and contractors are highly
qualified, experienced, and committed to carrying out the proposed
activities and meeting the outcomes identified in the project logic
model (see paragraph (f)(1));
(2) The qualifications of the members of the group referred to in
paragraph (b)(9) are relevant to the proposed activities and outcomes;
(3) The applicant will encourage applications for employment from
persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been
underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, language,
linguistic background, gender, age, or disability, as appropriate; and
(4) The applicant and any key partners will ensure that they have
adequate resources to carry out the proposed activities.
(e) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of the Management Plan,'' how--
(1) The proposed management plan will ensure that the project's
outcomes, identified in the project logic model (see paragraph (f)(1)),
will be achieved on time and within budget;
(2) The time of key personnel, consultants, and contractors will be
sufficiently allocated to the project;
(3) The proposed management plan will ensure that the products and
services provided are of high quality; and
(4) The proposed project will benefit from a diversity of
perspectives, including families, researchers, personnel development
projects, parent training and information centers, SEAs and lead
agencies, and other OSEP-funded projects, among others.
(f) Address the following application requirements as directed. The
applicant must--
(1) Include, in Appendix 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/pages/589;
(2) Include, in Appendix A, a conceptual framework for the project;
(3) Include, in Appendix A, person-loading charts and timelines to
illustrate the management plan described in the narrative;
(4) Ensure that the budget includes attendance at all of the
following events:
(i) A one and one-half day kick-off meeting to be held in
Washington, DC, following 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 receipt of the award, a post-award
teleconference must be held between the OSEP project officer and the
grantee's project director or other authorized representative.
(ii) A three-day project directors' conference in Washington, DC,
during each year of the project period.
(iii) One trip annually to attend Department briefings, Department-
sponsored conferences, and other meetings, as requested by OSEP;
(5) Ensure that the budget includes--
(i) A line item 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
should reallocate any remaining funds from this annual set-aside no
later than the end of the third quarter of each budget period.
(ii) A line item for a summative evaluation to be conducted by an
independent third party; and
(6) Ensure that the project maintains a Web site that meets
government or industry-recognized standards for accessibility.
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), as well as--
(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 increase families' and providers' capacity to advocate
for, acquire, and implement effective AT and IT for children with
disabilities and thereby improve educational and developmental outcomes
for children with disabilities.
References:
Alper, S., & Raharinirina, S. (2006). Assistive technology for
individuals with disabilities: A review and synthesis of the
literature. Journal of Special Education Technology, 21(2), 47-64.
Bausch, M. E., Ault, M. J., Evmenova, A. S., & Behrmann, M. M.
(2008). Going beyond AT devices: Are AT services being considered?
Journal of Special Education Technology, 23(2), 1-16.
Caspe, M., & Lopez, M. E. (2006). Lessons from family-strengthening
interventions: Learning from evidence-based practice. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard Family Research Project. Retrieved from www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/research/lessons.html.
Chesley, G. M., & Jordan, J. (2012). What's missing from teacher
prep. Educational Leadership, 69(8), 41-45.
Edyburn, D. L. (2004). Rethinking assistive technology. Special
Education Technology Practice, 5(4), 16-23.
Hazen, B. T., Wu, Y., Sankar, C. S., & Jones-Farmer, L. (2011). A
proposed framework for educational innovation dissemination. Journal
Of Educational Technology Systems, 40(3), 301-321.
Lee, H., & Templeton, R. (2008). Ensuring equal access to
Technology: Providing assistive technology for students with
disabilities. Theory Into Practice, 47(3), 212-219. doi: 10.1080/
00405840802153874.
Lee, Y., & Vega, L. A. (2005). Perceived knowledge, attitudes, and
challenges of AT use in special education. Journal of Special
Education Technology, 20(2), 60-62.
Long, T., Huang, L., Woodbridge, M., Woolverton, M., & Minkel, J.
(2003). Integrating assistive technology into an outcome-driven
model of service delivery. Infants and Young Children, 16, 272-283.
[[Page 39275]]
Manning, J. B., & Carpenter, L. B. (2008). Assistive Technology
WebQuest: Improving learning for preservice teachers. TechTrends,
52(6), 47-52.
Marino, M. T., Marino, E. C., & Shaw, S. F. (2006). Making informed
assistive technology decisions for students with high incidence
disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 38(6), 18-25.
Parette, P., & McMahan, G. A. (2002). What should we expect of
assistive technology? Being sensitive to family goals. Teaching
Exceptional Children, 35, 56-61.
Smith, S. J., & Robinson, S. (2003). Technology integration through
collaborative cohorts. Remedial & Special Education, 24(3), 154-159.
Sopko, K. M. (2008). State support of education-related assistive
technology (inForum Brief Policy Analysis). Project Forum at NASDSE.
Retrieved from www.projectforum.org.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology.
(2010). Transforming American education: Learning powered by
technology. Retrieved from www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/netp2010.pdf.
Zabala, J. S., & Carl, D. F. (2005). Quality indicators for
assistive technology services in schools. In D. L. Edyburn, K.
Higgins, & R. Boone (Eds.), The handbook of special education
technology research and practice (pp. 179-207). Whitefish Bay, WI:
Knowledge by Design, Inc.
Zhou, L., Parker, A. T., Smith, D. W., & Griffin-Shirley, N. (2011).
Assistive technology for students with visual impairments:
Challenges and needs in teachers' preparation programs and practice.
Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 105(4), 197-210.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities and
requirements. Section 681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment
requirements of the APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1474 and 1481.
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.
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: $1,435,500.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2014 from the list of
unfunded applicants from this competition.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $1,435,500 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 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs, including public charter schools
that are considered LEAs under State law; IHEs; other public agencies;
private nonprofit organizations; outlying areas; freely associated
States; Indian tribes or tribal organizations; and for-profit
organizations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other:
(a) General Requirements. The projects funded under this
competition must make positive efforts to employ, and advance in
employment, qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of
IDEA).
(b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this competition
must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals
with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and
evaluating the project (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA).
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs), U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207,
Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703)
605-6794. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 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 84.327F.
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 team listed under Accessible Format
in section VIII of this notice.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition. Page
Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where
you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use
to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to the equivalent
of no more than 50 pages, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
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: July 1, 2013.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 15, 2013.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission
Requirements of this notice.
[[Page 39276]]
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. However,
under 34 CFR 79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental review in order to
make an award by the end of FY 2013.
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 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 System for Award
Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry (CCR)), the
Government's primary registrant database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active 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 SAM registration process may take seven or more business days
to complete. If you are currently registered with the SAM, 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 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 must be submitted electronically unless you qualify
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the
instructions in this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
Applications for grants under the Center on Technology and
Disability competition, CFDA number 84.327F, must be submitted
electronically using 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.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Center on
Technology and Disability 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 84.327, not 84.327F).
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5
system home page at 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 qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
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.
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. Additional, detailed information on how to attach
files is in the application instructions.
[[Page 39277]]
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.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system;
and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Carmen Sanchez, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4057, Potomac
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2600. FAX: (202) 245-6595.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. 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 84.327F) 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 qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper
application to the Department by hand. You 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 84.327F) 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this notification within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this 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
[[Page 39278]]
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 parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to
access an electronic version of your 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 Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for
Individuals with Disabilities program. For purposes of this priority,
the Center will use these measures, which focus on the extent to which
projects provide high-quality products and services, the relevance of
project products and services to educational and early intervention
policy and practice, and the use of products and services to improve
educational and early intervention policy and practice. Grantees will
be required to report information on their project's performance in
annual reports to the Department (34 CFR 75.590).
5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carmen Sanchez, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4057, PCP, Washington, DC
20202-2600. Telephone: (202) 245-6595.
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
[[Page 39279]]
your search to documents published by the Department.
Dated: June 26, 2013.
Michael K. Yudin,
Delegated the authority to perform the functions and duties of the
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2013-15712 Filed 6-28-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P