Applications for New Awards; Personnel Development To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities-Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Leadership Personnel, 61194-61202 [2015-25876]
Download as PDF
61194
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 196 / Friday, October 9, 2015 / Notices
Dated: October 5, 2015.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison
Officer, Department of Defense.
same electronic docket and downloaded
for review/testing. Follow the
instructions at https://
www.regulations.gov for submitting
comments. Please submit comments on
any given form identified by docket
number, form number, and title.
[FR Doc. 2015–25788 Filed 10–8–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–06–P
Department of the Navy
[Docket ID: USN–2013–0040]
Proposed Collection; Comment
Request
Department of the Navy, DoD.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Department of the Navy announces a
proposed public information collection
and seeks public comment on the
provisions thereof. Comments are
invited on: (a) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed information collection; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the information collection on
respondents, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
DATES: Consideration will be given to all
comments received by December 8,
2015.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by docket number and title,
by any of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Department of Defense, Office
of the Deputy Chief Management
Officer, Directorate of Oversight and
Compliance, Regulatory and Audit
Matters Office, 9010 Defense Pentagon,
Washington, DC 20301–9010.
Instructions: All submissions received
must include the agency name, docket
number and title for this Federal
Register document. The general policy
for comments and other submissions
from members of the public is to make
these submissions available for public
viewing on the Internet at https://
www.regulations.gov as they are
received without change, including any
personal identifiers or contact
information.
Any associated form(s) for this
collection may be located within this
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:44 Oct 08, 2015
Jkt 238001
To
request more information on this
proposed information collection or to
obtain a copy of the proposal and
associated collection instruments,
please write to the Headquarters Marine
Corps, Attn: Dr. Tim Foresman, 3000
Marine Corps Pentagon, Room 2D153A,
or call (703) 614–8348.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title; Associated Form; and OMB
Number: Camp Lejeune Notification
Database; OMB Control Number 0703–
0057.
Needs and Uses: The information
collection requirement is used to obtain
and maintain contact information of
people who may have been exposed to
contaminated drinking water in the past
aboard Marine Corps Base Camp
Lejeune, NC, as well as other persons
interested in the issue. The information
will be used to provide notifications and
updated information as it becomes
available. The information will also be
used to correspond with registrants, as
necessary (e.g. respond to voicemails or
letters).
Affected Public: Individuals or
households; Federal government.
Annual Burden Hours: 1,000.
Number of Respondents: 10,000.
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Average Burden per Response: 6
minutes.
Frequency: On occasion.
The Camp Lejeune Notification
Registry contains contact information of
people who may have been exposed to
contaminated drinking water in the past
aboard Marine Corps Base Camp
Lejeune, NC, as well as other persons
interested in the issue. The information
will be used to provide notifications and
updated information as it becomes
available. The information will also be
used to correspond with registrants, as
necessary (e.g. respond to voicemails or
letters).
Dated: October 5, 2015.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison
Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2015–25782 Filed 10–8–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–06–P
PO 00000
Frm 00040
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Personnel Development To Improve
Services and Results for Children With
Disabilities—Preparation of Special
Education, Early Intervention, and
Related Services Leadership
Personnel
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Overview Information: Personnel
Development to Improve Services and
Results for Children with Disabilities—
Preparation of Special Education, Early
Intervention, and Related Services
Leadership Personnel.
Notice inviting applications for new
awards for fiscal year (FY) 2016.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.325D.
DATES: Applications Available: October
9, 2015.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: December 8, 2015.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: February 8, 2016.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purposes of
this program are to (1) help address
State-identified needs for personnel
preparation in special education, early
intervention, related services, and
regular education to work with children,
including infants and toddlers, with
disabilities; and (2) ensure that those
personnel have the necessary skills and
knowledge, derived from practices that
have been determined through
scientifically based research and
experience, to be successful in serving
those children.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from
allowable activities specified in the
statute (see sections 662 and 681 of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2016 and
any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition, this
priority is an absolute priority. Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only
applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
Preparation of Special Education,
Early Intervention, and Related Services
Leadership Personnel.
Background: The purpose of the
Preparation of Special Education, Early
Intervention, and Related Services
Leadership Personnel priority is to
E:\FR\FM\09OCN1.SGM
09OCN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 196 / Friday, October 9, 2015 / Notices
support pre-existing programs that
prepare special education, early
intervention, and related services
personnel at the doctoral level who are
well-qualified for, and can act
effectively in, leadership positions in
universities, State educational agencies
(SEAs), lead agencies (LAs), local
educational agencies (LEAs), early
intervention services programs (EIS
programs), or schools.
There is a well-documented need for
leadership personnel who are prepared
at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels
to fill faculty and leadership positions
in special education, early intervention,
and related services (Montrosse &
Young, 2012; Robb, Smith, & Montrosse,
2012; Smith, Montrosse, Robb, Tyler, &
Young, 2011; Smith, Robb, West, &
Tyler, 2010; Woods & Snyder, 2009). In
the report Assessing Trends in
Leadership: Special Education’s
Capacity to Produce a Highly Qualified
Workforce, Smith et al. (2011) stated:
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Although the field has faced a consistent
shortage of faculty, the predicted supply/
demand imbalance is of historic proportions.
To meet projected demand, the nation’s
doctoral programs will need to produce over
six times the current number of SE [special
education] doctoral graduates. . . . Unless
abated, this shortage will impair the field’s
capacity to generate new knowledge and
produce a sufficient number of SE teacher
educators who can in turn produce enough
well-prepared teachers to meet the needs of
students with disabilities and their families.
(p. 38)
Moreover, Smith et al. (2011) report
that some special education doctoral
programs anticipate one-half to twothirds of their faculty will retire in the
next six years. These leaders teach
evidence-based practices to future
special education, early intervention,
and related services professionals who
will work in a variety of educational
settings and provide services directly to
children and youth with disabilities.
These leaders also conduct research to
increase the knowledge of effective
interventions and services for these
children (Robb et al., 2012; Smith et al.,
2010; West & Hardman, 2012).
State and local agencies also need
leadership personnel who are prepared
at the doctoral level to fill special
education and early intervention
administrator positions. These
administrators supervise and evaluate
the implementation of evidence-based
instructional programs to make sure that
State or local agencies are meeting the
needs of children with disabilities.
Administrators also ensure that schools
and programs meet Federal, State, and
local requirements for special
education, early intervention, and
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:44 Oct 08, 2015
Jkt 238001
related services (Lashley & Boscardin,
2003).
Federal support can increase the
supply of personnel who have the
necessary knowledge and skills to
assume leadership positions in special
education, early intervention, and
related services in universities, SEAs,
LAs, LEAs, EIS programs, or schools.
Critical competencies for special
education, early intervention, and
related services personnel vary
depending on the type of personnel and
the requirements of the preparation
program but can include, for example,
skills needed for postsecondary
instruction, administration, policy
development, professional practice,
leadership, or research. However, all
leadership personnel need to have
current knowledge of effective
interventions and services that improve
outcomes for children with disabilities,
including high-need children with
disabilities.1
Priority: The purpose of the
Preparation of Special Education, Early
Intervention, and Related Services
Leadership Personnel priority is to
support pre-existing doctoral degree
programs and postdoctoral learning
experiences that prepare special
education, early intervention, and
related services personnel who are wellqualified for, and can act effectively in,
leadership positions in universities,
SEAs, LAs, LEAs, EIS programs, or
schools. This priority supports two
types of programs:
Type A programs are designed to
prepare special education, early
intervention, or related services
personnel to serve as higher education
faculty. Type A programs culminate in
a doctoral degree or provide
postdoctoral learning opportunities.
Note: Preparation programs that lead to
clinical doctoral degrees in related services
(e.g., a Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree or
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree) are
not included in this priority. These types of
preparation programs are eligible to apply for
funding under the Personnel Preparation in
Special Education, Early Intervention, and
Related Services priority (CFDA 84.325K)
that the Office of Special Education Programs
(OSEP) intends to fund in FY 2016.
Type B programs are designed to
prepare special education or early
intervention administrators to work in
SEAs, LAs, LEAs, EIS programs or
providers, or schools. Type B programs
prepare personnel for positions such as
SEA special education administrators,
LEA or regional special education
directors, school-based special
1 For a definition of ‘‘high-need children with
disabilities,’’ please see footnote 2.
PO 00000
Frm 00041
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
61195
education directors, including those in
youth correctional facilities, preschool
coordinators, and early intervention
coordinators. Type B programs
culminate in a doctoral degree or
provide postdoctoral learning
opportunities.
Note: The preparation of school principals
is not included in this priority.
Note: Applicants must identify the specific
program type, A or B, for which they are
applying for funding as part of the
competition title on the application cover
sheet (SF form 424, item 15). Applicants may
not submit the same proposal for more than
one program type.
To be considered for funding under
the Preparation of Special Education,
Early Intervention, and Related Services
Leadership Personnel absolute priority,
all program applicants must meet the
application requirements contained in
the priority. All projects funded under
this absolute priority also must meet the
programmatic and administrative
requirements specified in the priority.
The requirements of this priority are
as follows:
(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Significance of the Project,’’ how—
(1) The project addresses national,
State, regional, or district needs for
leadership personnel to administer
programs or provide, or prepare others
to provide, interventions and services
that improve outcomes of children with
disabilities, ages birth through 21,
including high-need children with
disabilities.2 To address this
requirement, the applicant must—
(i) Present appropriate and applicable
national, State, regional, or district data
demonstrating the need for the
leadership personnel the applicant
proposes to prepare; and
(ii) Present data on the effectiveness
of the doctoral program to date in areas
such as: The effectiveness of program
graduates as educators of teachers,
service providers, or administrators,
including any results from evaluating
the impact of those teachers, service
providers, or administrators on the
outcomes of children with disabilities;
the average amount of time it takes for
2 For purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-need
children with disabilities’’ refers to children (ages
birth through 21, depending on the State) who are
eligible for services under IDEA, and who may be
further disadvantaged and at risk of educational
failure because they: (1) Are living in poverty, (2)
are far below grade level, (3) are at risk of not
graduating with a regular high school diploma on
time, (4) are homeless, (5) are in foster care, (6) have
been incarcerated, (7) are English learners, (8) are
pregnant or parenting teenagers, (9) are new
immigrants, (10) are migrant, or (11) are not on
track to being college- or career-ready by
graduation.
E:\FR\FM\09OCN1.SGM
09OCN1
61196
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 196 / Friday, October 9, 2015 / Notices
program graduates to complete the
program; the percentage of program
graduates finding employment directly
related to their preparation; and the
professional accomplishments of
program graduates (e.g., public service,
honors, or publications) that
demonstrate their leadership in special
education, early intervention, or related
services.
Note: Data on the effectiveness of a
doctoral program should be no older than
five years prior to the start date of the project
proposed in the application. When reporting
percentages, the denominator (i.e., the total
number of students or program graduates)
must be provided.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
(2) Scholar competencies to be
acquired in the program relate to
knowledge and skills needed by the
leadership personnel the applicant
proposes to prepare, including
knowledge of technologies designed to
provide instruction. To address this
requirement, the applicant must—
(i) Identify the competencies needed
by leadership personnel in
postsecondary instruction,
administration, policy development,
professional practice, leadership, or
research in order to administer
programs or provide, or prepare others
to provide, interventions and services
that improve outcomes of children with
disabilities, ages birth through 21,
including high-need children with
disabilities;
(ii) Demonstrate that the interventions
and services of the project’s specialized
preparation area are supported by
evidence of promise 3 that they will
result in improved outcomes for
children with disabilities; and
(ii) Provide the conceptual framework
of the leadership preparation program,
including any empirical support, that
3 Under 34 CFR 77.1, ‘‘evidence of promise’’
means there is empirical evidence to support the
theoretical linkage(s) between at least one critical
component and at least one relevant outcome
presented in the logic model for the proposed
process, product, strategy, or practice. Specifically,
‘‘evidence of promise’’ means the conditions in
both paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this definition are
met:
(i) There is at least one study that is a—
(A) Correlational study with statistical controls
for selection bias;
(B) Quasi-experimental design study that meets
the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards
with reservations; or
(C) Randomized controlled trial that meets the
What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards
with or without reservations.
(ii) The study referenced in paragraph (i) of this
definition found a statistically significant or
substantively important (defined as a difference of
0.25 standard deviations or larger) favorable
association between at least one critical component
and one relevant outcome presented in the logic
model for the proposed process, product, strategy,
or practice.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:44 Oct 08, 2015
Jkt 238001
will promote the acquisition of the
identified competencies needed by
leadership personnel, including
knowledge of technologies designed to
provide instruction, and, where
applicable, how these competencies
relate to the project’s specialized
preparation area.
(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Quality of the Project Services,’’ how—
(1) The project will recruit and
support high-quality scholars. The
narrative must—
(i) Describe the selection criteria the
applicant will use to identify highquality applicants for admission in the
program;
(ii) Describe the recruitment strategies
the applicant will use to attract highquality applicants and any specific
recruitment strategies targeting highquality applicants from traditionally
underrepresented groups, including
individuals with disabilities; and
(iii) Describe the approach the
applicant will use to help all scholars,
including individuals with disabilities,
complete the program; and
(2) The project is designed to promote
the acquisition of the competencies
needed by leadership personnel to
administer programs or provide, or
prepare others to provide, interventions
and services that improve outcomes,
including college- and career-readiness
of children with disabilities. To address
this requirement, the applicant must—
(i) Describe how the components of
the project, such as coursework,
internship or practicum experiences,
research requirements, and other
opportunities provided to scholars to
analyze data, critique research and
methodologies, and practice newly
acquired knowledge and skills, will
enable the scholars to acquire the
competencies needed by leadership
personnel for postsecondary instruction,
administration, policy development,
professional practice, leadership, or
research in special education, early
intervention, or related services;
(ii) Describe how the components of
the project are integrated in order to
support the acquisition and
enhancement of the identified
competencies needed by leadership
personnel in special education, early
intervention, or related services,
including knowledge of technologies
designed to provide instruction;
(iii) Describe how the components of
the project prepare scholars to
administer programs or provide, or
prepare others to provide, interventions
and services that improve outcomes,
including college- and career-readiness,
PO 00000
Frm 00042
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
of children with disabilities in a variety
of settings, including in high-need
LEAs; 4 high-poverty schools; 5 lowperforming schools, including
persistently lowest-achieving schools; 6
priority schools (in the case of States
that have received the Department of
Education’s (Department’s) approval of
a request for ESEA flexibility); 7 and
early childhood programs located
4 For purposes of this priority, the term ‘‘highneed LEA’’ means an LEA (a) that serves not fewer
than 10,000 children from families with incomes
below the poverty line; or (b) for which not less
than 20 percent of the children served by the LEA
are from families with incomes below the poverty
line.
5 For purposes of this priority, the term ‘‘highpoverty school’’ means a school in which at least
50 percent of students are eligible for free or
reduced-price lunches under the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act or in which at least 50
percent of students are from low-income families as
determined using one of the criteria specified under
section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). For
middle and high schools, eligibility may be
calculated on the basis of comparable data from
feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty school
under this definition is determined on the basis of
the most currently available data (www2.ed.gov/
legislation/FedRegister/other/2010-4/
121510b.html).
6 For purposes of this priority, the term
‘‘persistently lowest-achieving schools’’ means, as
determined by the State—
(a)(1) Any Title I school in improvement,
corrective action, or restructuring that—
(i) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of
Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring or the lowest-achieving five Title I
schools in improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring in the State, whichever number of
schools is greater; or
(ii) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate
as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60
percent over a number of years; and
(2) Any secondary school that is eligible for, but
does not receive, Title I funds that—
(i) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of
secondary schools or the lowest-achieving five
secondary schools in the State that are eligible for,
but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever number
of schools is greater; or
(ii) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate
as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60
percent over a number of years.
(b) To identify the persistently lowest-achieving
schools, a State must take into account both—
(i) The academic achievement of the ‘‘all
students’’ group in a school in terms of proficiency
on the State’s assessments under section 1111(b)(3)
of the ESEA in reading/language arts and
mathematics combined; and
(ii) The school’s lack of progress on those
assessments over a number of years in the ‘‘all
students’’ group.
For the purposes of this priority, the Department
considers schools that are identified as Tier I or Tier
II schools under the School Improvement Grants
Program (see 75 FR 66363) as part of a State’s
approved application to be persistently lowestachieving schools. A list of these Tier I and Tier II
schools can be found on the Department’s Web site
at www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/.
7 For purposes of this priority, the term ‘‘priority
school’’ means a school that has been identified by
the State as a priority school pursuant to the State’s
approved request for ESEA flexibility.
E:\FR\FM\09OCN1.SGM
09OCN1
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 196 / Friday, October 9, 2015 / Notices
within the geographical boundaries of a
high-need LEA;
(iv) Demonstrate, through a letter of
support from the partnering agency,
school, or program that there is an
agreement with one or more high-need
LEAs; publicly funded preschool
programs, including Head Start
programs, located within the geographic
boundaries of a high-need LEA; or
programs serving children eligible for
services under Part C or Part B, section
619 of IDEA located within the
geographic boundaries of a high-need
LEA, that it will provide scholars with
a high-quality internship or practicum
experience in a school in a high-need
LEA, publicly funded preschool, or
early intervention program;
(v) Describe how the project will use
resources, as appropriate, available
through technical assistance centers,
which may include centers funded by
the Department; and
(vi) Describe the approach that faculty
members will use to mentor scholars
with the goal of helping them acquire
competencies needed by leadership
personnel and promote career goals in
special education, early intervention, or
related services.
(c) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Quality of the Project Evaluation,’’
how—
(1) The applicant will evaluate the
effectiveness of the proposed leadership
project. The applicant must describe the
outcomes to be measured for both the
project and the scholars, particularly the
acquisition of scholar competencies and
their impact on the services provided by
future teachers, service providers, or
administrators; the evaluation
methodologies to be employed,
including proposed instruments, data
collection methods, and possible
analyses; and the proposed standards or
targets for determining effectiveness;
(2) The applicant will collect, analyze,
and use data on current scholars and
scholars who graduate from the program
to improve the proposed program on an
ongoing basis; and
(3) The grantee will report the
evaluation results to OSEP in its annual
and final performance reports.
(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative
under ‘‘Required Project Assurances,’’
or appendices as directed, that the
following program requirements are
met. The applicant must—
(1) Include in the application
appendix—
(i) Course syllabi for all coursework in
the major and any required coursework
for a minor;
(ii) Course syllabi for all research
methods, evaluation methods, or data
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:44 Oct 08, 2015
Jkt 238001
analysis courses required by the degree
program and elective research methods,
evaluation methods, or data analysis
courses that have been completed by
more than one student enrolled in the
program in the last five years; and
(iii) For new coursework, proposed
syllabi;
Note: Applicants for Type B programs
should provide a syllabus or syllabi for
current or proposed courses that provide
instruction on, or permit practice with,
research and the methodological, statistical,
and practical considerations in the use of
data on early learning outcomes, student
achievement, or growth in student
achievement to evaluate the effectiveness of
early intervention providers, related services
providers, teachers, or principals.
(2) Ensure that the proposed number
of scholars to be recruited into the
program can graduate from the program
by the end of the grant’s project period.
The described scholar recruitment
strategies, including recruitment of
individuals with disabilities, the
program components and their
sequence, and proposed budget must be
consistent with this project requirement;
(3) Ensure scholars will not be
selected based on race or national
origin/ethnicity. Per the Supreme
Court’s decision in Adarand
Constructors, Inc. v. Pena, 515 U.S. 200
(1995), the Department does not allow
the selection of individuals on the basis
of race or national origin/ethnicity. For
this reason, grantees must ensure that
any discussion of the recruitment of
scholars based on race or national
origin/ethnicity distinguishes between
increasing the pool of applicants and
actually selecting scholars;
(4) Ensure that the project will meet
the requirements in 34 CFR 304.23,
particularly those related to informing
all scholarship recipients of their
service obligation commitment. Failure
by a grantee to properly meet these
requirements is a violation of the grant
award that may result in sanctions,
including the grantee being liable for
returning any misused funds to the
Department. Specifically, the grantee
must prepare, and ensure that each
scholarship recipient signs, the
following two documents:
(i) A Pre-Scholarship Agreement prior
to the scholar receiving a scholarship for
an eligible program (Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Control
Number 1820–0686); and
(ii) An Exit Certification immediately
upon the scholar leaving, completing, or
otherwise exiting that program (OMB
Control Number 1820–0686);
(5) Ensure that prior approval from
the OSEP project officer will be
obtained before admitting additional
PO 00000
Frm 00043
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
61197
scholars beyond the number of scholars
proposed in the application and before
transferring a scholar to another
preparation program funded by OSEP;
(6) Ensure that the project will meet
the statutory requirements in section
662(e) through 662(h) of IDEA;
(7) Ensure that at least 65 percent of
the total requested budget over the five
years will be used for scholar support;
(8) Ensure that the institution of
higher education (IHE) will not require
scholars enrolled in the program to
work (e.g., as graduate assistants) as a
condition of receiving support (e.g.,
tuition, stipends) from the proposed
project, unless the work is specifically
related to the acquisition of scholars’
competencies and the requirements for
completion of their personnel
preparation program. This prohibition
on work as a condition of receiving
support does not apply to the service
obligation requirements in section
662(h) of IDEA;
(9) Ensure that the budget includes
attendance of the project director at a
three-day project directors’ meeting in
Washington, DC, during each year of the
project. The budget may also provide for
the attendance of scholars at the same
three-day project directors’ meetings in
Washington, DC;
(10) Ensure that if the project
maintains a Web site, relevant
information and documents are in a
format that meets government or
industry-recognized standards for
accessibility; and
(11) Ensure that annual data will be
submitted on each scholar who receives
grant support (OMB Control Number
1820–0686). The primary purposes of
the data collection are to track the
service obligation fulfillment of scholars
who receive funds from OSEP grants
and to collect data for program
performance measure reporting under
the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA). Applicants
are encouraged to visit the Personnel
Development Program Data Collection
System (DCS) Web site at https://
pdp.ed.gov/osep for further information
about this data collection requirement.
Typically, data collection begins in
January of each year, and grantees are
notified by email about the data
collection period for their grant,
although grantees may submit data as
needed, year round. This data collection
must be submitted electronically by the
grantee and does not supplant the
annual grant performance report
required of each grantee for
continuation funding (see 34 CFR
75.590). Data collection includes the
submission of a signed, completed PreScholarship Agreement and Exit
E:\FR\FM\09OCN1.SGM
09OCN1
61198
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 196 / Friday, October 9, 2015 / Notices
Certification for each scholar funded
under an OSEP grant (see paragraph (4)
of this section, subparagraphs (i) and
(ii)).
References
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Lashley, C., & Boscardin, M. L. (2003).
Special education administration at the
crossroads: Availability, licensure, and
preparation of special education
administrators. Gainesville, FL: Center
on Personnel Studies in Special
Education, University of Florida.
Retrieved from www.coe.ufl.edu/copsse/
docs/IB-8/1/IB-8.pdf.
Montrosse, B.E., & Young, C.J. (2012). Market
demand for special education faculty.
Teacher Education and Special
Education, 35, 140–153.
Robb, S.M., Smith, D.D., & Montrosse, B.E.
(2012). A context of the demand for
special education faculty: A study of
special education teacher preparation
programs. Teacher Education and
Special Education, 35, 128–139.
Smith, D.D., Montrosse, B.E., Robb, S.M.,
Tyler, N.C., & Young, C. (2011).
Assessing trends in leadership: Special
education’s capacity to produce a highly
qualified workforce. Claremont, CA:
IRIS@CGU, Claremont Graduate
University.
Smith, D.D., Robb, S.M., West, J., & Tyler,
N.C. (2010). The changing education
landscape: How special education
leadership preparation can make a
difference for teachers and their students
with disabilities. Teacher Education and
Special Education, 33(1), 25–43.
West, J.E., & Hardman, H.L. (2012). Averting
current and future special education
faculty shortages: Policy implications
and recommendations. Teacher
Education and Special Education, 35,
154–160.
Woods, J., & Snyder, P. (2009).
Interdisciplinary doctoral leadership
training in early intervention. Infants &
Young Children, 22(1), 32–34.
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. 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. 1462
and 1481.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in
34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86,
97, 98, and 99. (b) The OMB Guidelines
to Agencies on Governmentwide
Debarment and Suspension
(Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as
adopted and amended as regulations of
the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c)
The Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles, and
Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:44 Oct 08, 2015
Jkt 238001
in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and
amended as regulations of the
Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The
regulations for this program in 34 CFR
part 304.
parents of individuals with disabilities
ages birth through 26, in planning,
implementing, and evaluating the
project (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of
IDEA).
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86
apply to IHEs only.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The
Administration has requested
$83,700,000 for the Personnel
Development to Improve Services and
Results for Children with Disabilities
program for FY 2016, of which we
intend to use an estimated $3,500,000
for this competition. The actual level of
funding, if any, depends on final
congressional action. However, we are
inviting applications to allow enough
time to complete the grant process if
Congress appropriates funds for this
program.
Contingent upon the availability of
funds and the quality of applications,
we may make additional awards in FY
2017 from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards:
$225,000–$250,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards:
$237,500 per year.
Maximum Award: We will reject any
application that proposes a budget
exceeding $250,000 for a single budget
period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 14.
1. Address to Request Application
Package: You can obtain an application
package via the Internet or from the
Education Publications Center (ED
Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet,
use the following address: www.ed.gov/
fund/grant/apply/grantapps/.
To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write,
fax, or call: 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
84.325D.
Individuals with disabilities can
obtain a copy of the application package
in an accessible format (e.g., braille,
large print, audiotape, or compact disc)
by contacting the person or team listed
under Accessible Format in section VIII
of this notice.
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission: Requirements concerning
the content of an application, together
with the forms you must submit, are in
the application package for this
competition.
Page Limit: The application narrative
(Part III of the application) is where you,
the applicant, address the selection
criteria that reviewers use to evaluate
your application. You must limit Part III
to 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,
reference citations, and captions, as well
as all text in charts, tables, figures,
graphs, and screen shots.
• Use a font that is 12 point or larger.
• 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.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs, private
nonprofit organizations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
program does not require cost sharing or
matching.
3. Eligible Subgrantees: (a) Under
75.708(b) and (c) a grantee may award
subgrants—to directly carry out project
activities described in its application—
to the following types of entities: IHEs
and private nonprofit organizations
suitable to carry out the activities
proposed in the application.
(b) The grantee may award subgrants
to entities it has identified in an
approved application.
4. Other General Requirements:
(a) Recipients of funding under this
program must make positive efforts to
employ and advance in employment
qualified individuals with disabilities
(see section 606 of IDEA).
(b) Each applicant for, and recipient
of, funding under this program must
involve individuals with disabilities, or
PO 00000
Frm 00044
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
E:\FR\FM\09OCN1.SGM
09OCN1
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 196 / Friday, October 9, 2015 / Notices
The page limit and double-spacing
requirements do 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 abstract (follow the
guidance provided in the application
package for completing the abstract), the
table of contents, the list of priority
requirements, the resumes, the reference
list, the letters of support, or the
appendices. However, the page limit
and double-spacing requirements do
apply to all of Part III, the application
narrative, including all text in charts,
tables, figures, graphs, and screen shots.
We will reject your application if you
exceed the page limit in the application
narrative section or if you apply
standards other than those specified in
the application package.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: October 9,
2015.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: December 8, 2015.
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
Other Submission Requirements section
IV of this notice.
We do not consider an application
that does not comply with the deadline
requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who
need an accommodation or auxiliary aid
in connection with the application
process should contact the person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT in section VII of this notice. If
the Department provides an
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an
individual with a disability in
connection with the application
process, the individual’s application
remains subject to all other
requirements and limitations in this
notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: February 8, 2016.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This
program is subject to Executive Order
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR
part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs under Executive Order 12372
is in the application package for this
program.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:44 Oct 08, 2015
Jkt 238001
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), 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 at the following
Web site: https://fedgov.dnb.com/
webform. A DUNS number can be
created within one to two business days.
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 two to five weeks for your
TIN to become active.
The SAM registration process can take
approximately seven business days, but
may take upwards of several weeks,
depending on the completeness and
accuracy of the data you enter into the
SAM database. Thus, if you think you
might want to apply for Federal
financial assistance under a program
administered by the Department, please
allow sufficient time to obtain and
register your DUNS number and TIN.
We strongly recommend that you
register early.
Note: Once your SAM registration is active,
it may be 24 to 48 hours before you can
access the information in, and submit an
application through, Grants.gov.
If you are currently registered with
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.
Information about SAM is available at
www.SAM.gov. To further assist you
with obtaining and registering your
DUNS number and TIN in SAM or
updating your existing SAM account,
we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet,
which you can find at: https://
PO 00000
Frm 00045
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
61199
www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/samfaqs.html.
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/
web/grants/register.html.
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
Preparation of Special Education, Early
Intervention, and Related Services
Leadership Personnel competition,
CFDA number 84.325D, 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 Preparation of
Special Education, Early Intervention,
and Related Services Leadership
Personnel 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 84.325, not 84.325D).
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
E:\FR\FM\09OCN1.SGM
09OCN1
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
61200
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 196 / Friday, October 9, 2015 / Notices
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. In
addition, for specific guidance and
procedures for submitting an
application through Grants.gov, please
refer to the Grants.gov Web site at:
www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/
apply-for-grants.html.
• 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 read-only,
non-modifiable Portable Document
Format (PDF). Do not upload an
interactive or fillable PDF file. If you
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:44 Oct 08, 2015
Jkt 238001
upload a file type other than a readonly, non-modifiable PDF (e.g., Word,
Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a
password-protected file, we will not
review that material. Please note that
this could result in your application not
being considered for funding because
the material in question—for example,
the project narrative—is critical to a
meaningful review of your proposal. For
that reason it is important to allow
yourself adequate time to upload all
material as PDF files. The Department
will not convert material from other
formats to PDF. Additional, detailed
information on how to attach files is in
the application instructions.
• 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. Grants.gov
will also notify you automatically by
email if your application met all the
Grants.gov validation requirements or if
there were any errors (such as
submission of your application by
someone other than a registered
Authorized Organization
Representative, or inclusion of an
attachment with a file name that
contains special characters). You will be
given an opportunity to correct any
errors and resubmit, but you must still
meet the deadline for submission of
applications.
Once your application is successfully
validated by Grants.gov, the Department
will retrieve your application from
Grants.gov and send you an email with
a unique PR/Award number for your
application.
These emails do not mean that your
application is without any disqualifying
errors. While your application may have
been successfully validated by
Grants.gov, it must also meet the
Department’s application requirements
as specified in this notice and in the
application instructions. Disqualifying
errors could include, for instance,
failure to upload attachments in a readonly, non-modifiable PDF; failure to
submit a required part of the
application; or failure to meet applicant
eligibility requirements. It is your
responsibility to ensure that your
submitted application has met all of the
Department’s requirements.
• 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
PO 00000
Frm 00046
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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 the problem
affected your ability to submit your
application by 4:30:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. We will
contact you after we determine 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
E:\FR\FM\09OCN1.SGM
09OCN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 196 / Friday, October 9, 2015 / Notices
exception prevents 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: Celia Rosenquist, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue SW., Room 4070, Potomac
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–
2600. FAX: (202) 245–7617.
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 84.325D), 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.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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.
We will not consider applications
postmarked after the application
deadline date.
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
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:44 Oct 08, 2015
Jkt 238001
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 84.325D), 550 12th
Street SW., Room 7039, 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
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 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
PO 00000
Frm 00047
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
61201
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. Risk Assessment and Special
Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.205, before awarding grants under
this competition the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by
applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the
Secretary may impose special
conditions and, in appropriate
circumstances, high-risk 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 2
CFR part 200, subpart D; 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.
E:\FR\FM\09OCN1.SGM
09OCN1
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
61202
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 196 / Friday, October 9, 2015 / Notices
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 multiyear 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.
(c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the
Secretary may provide a grantee with
additional funding for data collection
analysis and reporting. In this case the
Secretary establishes a data collection
period.
4. Performance Measures: Under
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
Personnel Development to Improve
Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities program. These measures
include: (1) The percentage of Special
Education Personnel Development
projects that incorporate evidence-based
practices into their curricula; (2) the
percentage of scholars completing
Special Education Personnel
Development funded programs who are
knowledgeable and skilled in evidencebased practices for infants, toddlers,
children, and youth with disabilities; (3)
the percentage of Special Education
Personnel Development funded scholars
who exit preparation programs prior to
completion due to poor academic
performance; (4) the percentage of
Special Education Personnel
Development funded degree/
certification recipients who are working
in the area(s) for which they were
prepared upon program completion; (5)
the percentage of Special Education
Personnel Development funded degree/
certification recipients who are working
in the area(s) for which they were
prepared upon program completion and
who are fully qualified under IDEA; (6)
the percentage of Special Education
Personnel Development funded degree/
certification recipients who maintain
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:44 Oct 08, 2015
Jkt 238001
employment in the area(s) for which
they were prepared for three or more
years and who are fully qualified under
IDEA; and (7) the Federal cost per fully
qualified degree/certification recipient.
In addition, the Department will
gather information on the following
outcome measures: (1) The number and
percentage of degree/certification
recipients who are employed in highneed schools; (2) the number and
percentage of degree/certification
recipients who are employed in a school
for at least two years; and (3) the
number and percentage of degree/
certification recipients who are rated as
effective by their employers.
Grantees may be asked to participate
in assessing and providing information
on these aspects of program quality.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a
continuation award under 34 CFR
75.253, the Secretary considers, among
other things: Whether a grantee has
made substantial progress in achieving
the goals and objectives in its approved
application and budget; whether the
grantee has expended funds in a manner
that is consistent with its approved
application and budget; and, if the
Secretary has established performance
measurement requirements, the
performance targets in the grantee’s
approved application.
In making a continuation award, 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).
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 PDF. To use PDF you must have
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at the site.
You may also access documents of the
Department published in the Federal
Register by using the article search
feature at: www.federalregister.gov.
Specifically, through the advanced
search feature at this site, you can limit
your search to documents published by
the Department.
Dated: October 6, 2015.
Michael K. Yudin,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2015–25876 Filed 10–8–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket No. ED–2015–ICCD–0098]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for Review
and Approval; Comment Request;
Federal Perkins/NDSL Loan
Assignment Form
VII. Agency Contact
Federal Student Aid (FSA),
Department of Education (ED).
ACTION: Notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUMMARY:
Celia Rosenquist, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Room 4070, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202–2600.
Telephone: (202) 245–7373.
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 5037, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202–2550.
Telephone: (202) 245–7363. If you use a
PO 00000
Frm 00048
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is
proposing a revision of an existing
information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before
November 9, 2015.
ADDRESSES: To access and review all the
documents related to the information
collection listed in this notice, please
use https://www.regulations.gov by
searching the Docket ID number ED–
2015–ICCD–0098. Comments submitted
in response to this notice should be
submitted electronically through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov by selecting the
Docket ID number or via postal mail,
commercial delivery, or hand delivery.
Please note that comments submitted by
fax or email and those submitted after
E:\FR\FM\09OCN1.SGM
09OCN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 196 (Friday, October 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61194-61202]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25876]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Personnel Development To Improve
Services and Results for Children With Disabilities--Preparation of
Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Leadership
Personnel
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview Information: Personnel Development to Improve Services and
Results for Children with Disabilities--Preparation of Special
Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Leadership
Personnel.
Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)
2016.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.325D.
DATES: Applications Available: October 9, 2015.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: December 8, 2015.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: February 8, 2016.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purposes of this program are to (1) help
address State-identified needs for personnel preparation in special
education, early intervention, related services, and regular education
to work with children, including infants and toddlers, with
disabilities; and (2) ensure that those personnel have the necessary
skills and knowledge, derived from practices that have been determined
through scientifically based research and experience, to be successful
in serving those children.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 662
and 681 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2016 and any subsequent year in which we
make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this
competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related
Services Leadership Personnel.
Background: The purpose of the Preparation of Special Education,
Early Intervention, and Related Services Leadership Personnel priority
is to
[[Page 61195]]
support pre-existing programs that prepare special education, early
intervention, and related services personnel at the doctoral level who
are well-qualified for, and can act effectively in, leadership
positions in universities, State educational agencies (SEAs), lead
agencies (LAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), early intervention
services programs (EIS programs), or schools.
There is a well-documented need for leadership personnel who are
prepared at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels to fill faculty and
leadership positions in special education, early intervention, and
related services (Montrosse & Young, 2012; Robb, Smith, & Montrosse,
2012; Smith, Montrosse, Robb, Tyler, & Young, 2011; Smith, Robb, West,
& Tyler, 2010; Woods & Snyder, 2009). In the report Assessing Trends in
Leadership: Special Education's Capacity to Produce a Highly Qualified
Workforce, Smith et al. (2011) stated:
Although the field has faced a consistent shortage of faculty,
the predicted supply/demand imbalance is of historic proportions. To
meet projected demand, the nation's doctoral programs will need to
produce over six times the current number of SE [special education]
doctoral graduates. . . . Unless abated, this shortage will impair
the field's capacity to generate new knowledge and produce a
sufficient number of SE teacher educators who can in turn produce
enough well-prepared teachers to meet the needs of students with
disabilities and their families. (p. 38)
Moreover, Smith et al. (2011) report that some special education
doctoral programs anticipate one-half to two-thirds of their faculty
will retire in the next six years. These leaders teach evidence-based
practices to future special education, early intervention, and related
services professionals who will work in a variety of educational
settings and provide services directly to children and youth with
disabilities. These leaders also conduct research to increase the
knowledge of effective interventions and services for these children
(Robb et al., 2012; Smith et al., 2010; West & Hardman, 2012).
State and local agencies also need leadership personnel who are
prepared at the doctoral level to fill special education and early
intervention administrator positions. These administrators supervise
and evaluate the implementation of evidence-based instructional
programs to make sure that State or local agencies are meeting the
needs of children with disabilities. Administrators also ensure that
schools and programs meet Federal, State, and local requirements for
special education, early intervention, and related services (Lashley &
Boscardin, 2003).
Federal support can increase the supply of personnel who have the
necessary knowledge and skills to assume leadership positions in
special education, early intervention, and related services in
universities, SEAs, LAs, LEAs, EIS programs, or schools. Critical
competencies for special education, early intervention, and related
services personnel vary depending on the type of personnel and the
requirements of the preparation program but can include, for example,
skills needed for postsecondary instruction, administration, policy
development, professional practice, leadership, or research. However,
all leadership personnel need to have current knowledge of effective
interventions and services that improve outcomes for children with
disabilities, including high-need children with disabilities.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For a definition of ``high-need children with
disabilities,'' please see footnote 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Priority: The purpose of the Preparation of Special Education,
Early Intervention, and Related Services Leadership Personnel priority
is to support pre-existing doctoral degree programs and postdoctoral
learning experiences that prepare special education, early
intervention, and related services personnel who are well-qualified
for, and can act effectively in, leadership positions in universities,
SEAs, LAs, LEAs, EIS programs, or schools. This priority supports two
types of programs:
Type A programs are designed to prepare special education, early
intervention, or related services personnel to serve as higher
education faculty. Type A programs culminate in a doctoral degree or
provide postdoctoral learning opportunities.
Note: Preparation programs that lead to clinical doctoral
degrees in related services (e.g., a Doctor of Audiology (AuD)
degree or Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree) are not included
in this priority. These types of preparation programs are eligible
to apply for funding under the Personnel Preparation in Special
Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services priority (CFDA
84.325K) that the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
intends to fund in FY 2016.
Type B programs are designed to prepare special education or early
intervention administrators to work in SEAs, LAs, LEAs, EIS programs or
providers, or schools. Type B programs prepare personnel for positions
such as SEA special education administrators, LEA or regional special
education directors, school-based special education directors,
including those in youth correctional facilities, preschool
coordinators, and early intervention coordinators. Type B programs
culminate in a doctoral degree or provide postdoctoral learning
opportunities.
Note: The preparation of school principals is not included in
this priority.
Note: Applicants must identify the specific program type, A or
B, for which they are applying for funding as part of the
competition title on the application cover sheet (SF form 424, item
15). Applicants may not submit the same proposal for more than one
program type.
To be considered for funding under the Preparation of Special
Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Leadership
Personnel absolute priority, all program applicants must meet the
application requirements contained in the priority. All projects funded
under this absolute priority also must meet the programmatic and
administrative requirements specified in the priority.
The requirements of this priority are as follows:
(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Significance of the Project,'' how--
(1) The project addresses national, State, regional, or district
needs for leadership personnel to administer programs or provide, or
prepare others to provide, interventions and services that improve
outcomes of children with disabilities, ages birth through 21,
including high-need children with disabilities.\2\ To address this
requirement, the applicant must--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ For purposes of this priority, ``high-need children with
disabilities'' refers to children (ages birth through 21, depending
on the State) who are eligible for services under IDEA, and who may
be further disadvantaged and at risk of educational failure because
they: (1) Are living in poverty, (2) are far below grade level, (3)
are at risk of not graduating with a regular high school diploma on
time, (4) are homeless, (5) are in foster care, (6) have been
incarcerated, (7) are English learners, (8) are pregnant or
parenting teenagers, (9) are new immigrants, (10) are migrant, or
(11) are not on track to being college- or career-ready by
graduation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) Present appropriate and applicable national, State, regional,
or district data demonstrating the need for the leadership personnel
the applicant proposes to prepare; and
(ii) Present data on the effectiveness of the doctoral program to
date in areas such as: The effectiveness of program graduates as
educators of teachers, service providers, or administrators, including
any results from evaluating the impact of those teachers, service
providers, or administrators on the outcomes of children with
disabilities; the average amount of time it takes for
[[Page 61196]]
program graduates to complete the program; the percentage of program
graduates finding employment directly related to their preparation; and
the professional accomplishments of program graduates (e.g., public
service, honors, or publications) that demonstrate their leadership in
special education, early intervention, or related services.
Note: Data on the effectiveness of a doctoral program should be
no older than five years prior to the start date of the project
proposed in the application. When reporting percentages, the
denominator (i.e., the total number of students or program
graduates) must be provided.
(2) Scholar competencies to be acquired in the program relate to
knowledge and skills needed by the leadership personnel the applicant
proposes to prepare, including knowledge of technologies designed to
provide instruction. To address this requirement, the applicant must--
(i) Identify the competencies needed by leadership personnel in
postsecondary instruction, administration, policy development,
professional practice, leadership, or research in order to administer
programs or provide, or prepare others to provide, interventions and
services that improve outcomes of children with disabilities, ages
birth through 21, including high-need children with disabilities;
(ii) Demonstrate that the interventions and services of the
project's specialized preparation area are supported by evidence of
promise \3\ that they will result in improved outcomes for children
with disabilities; and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Under 34 CFR 77.1, ``evidence of promise'' means there is
empirical evidence to support the theoretical linkage(s) between at
least one critical component and at least one relevant outcome
presented in the logic model for the proposed process, product,
strategy, or practice. Specifically, ``evidence of promise'' means
the conditions in both paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this definition
are met:
(i) There is at least one study that is a--
(A) Correlational study with statistical controls for selection
bias;
(B) Quasi-experimental design study that meets the What Works
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with reservations; or
(C) Randomized controlled trial that meets the What Works
Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations.
(ii) The study referenced in paragraph (i) of this definition
found a statistically significant or substantively important
(defined as a difference of 0.25 standard deviations or larger)
favorable association between at least one critical component and
one relevant outcome presented in the logic model for the proposed
process, product, strategy, or practice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(ii) Provide the conceptual framework of the leadership preparation
program, including any empirical support, that will promote the
acquisition of the identified competencies needed by leadership
personnel, including knowledge of technologies designed to provide
instruction, and, where applicable, how these competencies relate to
the project's specialized preparation area.
(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of the Project Services,'' how--
(1) The project will recruit and support high-quality scholars. The
narrative must--
(i) Describe the selection criteria the applicant will use to
identify high-quality applicants for admission in the program;
(ii) Describe the recruitment strategies the applicant will use to
attract high-quality applicants and any specific recruitment strategies
targeting high-quality applicants from traditionally underrepresented
groups, including individuals with disabilities; and
(iii) Describe the approach the applicant will use to help all
scholars, including individuals with disabilities, complete the
program; and
(2) The project is designed to promote the acquisition of the
competencies needed by leadership personnel to administer programs or
provide, or prepare others to provide, interventions and services that
improve outcomes, including college- and career-readiness of children
with disabilities. To address this requirement, the applicant must--
(i) Describe how the components of the project, such as coursework,
internship or practicum experiences, research requirements, and other
opportunities provided to scholars to analyze data, critique research
and methodologies, and practice newly acquired knowledge and skills,
will enable the scholars to acquire the competencies needed by
leadership personnel for postsecondary instruction, administration,
policy development, professional practice, leadership, or research in
special education, early intervention, or related services;
(ii) Describe how the components of the project are integrated in
order to support the acquisition and enhancement of the identified
competencies needed by leadership personnel in special education, early
intervention, or related services, including knowledge of technologies
designed to provide instruction;
(iii) Describe how the components of the project prepare scholars
to administer programs or provide, or prepare others to provide,
interventions and services that improve outcomes, including college-
and career-readiness, of children with disabilities in a variety of
settings, including in high-need LEAs; \4\ high-poverty schools; \5\
low-performing schools, including persistently lowest-achieving
schools; \6\ priority schools (in the case of States that have received
the Department of Education's (Department's) approval of a request for
ESEA flexibility); \7\ and early childhood programs located
[[Page 61197]]
within the geographical boundaries of a high-need LEA;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ For purposes of this priority, the term ``high-need LEA''
means an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than 10,000 children from
families with incomes below the poverty line; or (b) for which not
less than 20 percent of the children served by the LEA are from
families with incomes below the poverty line.
\5\ For purposes of this priority, the term ``high-poverty
school'' means a school in which at least 50 percent of students are
eligible for free or reduced-price lunches under the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act or in which at least 50 percent of
students are from low-income families as determined using one of the
criteria specified under section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). For middle and
high schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of
comparable data from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty
school under this definition is determined on the basis of the most
currently available data (www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2010-4/121510b.html).
\6\ For purposes of this priority, the term ``persistently
lowest-achieving schools'' means, as determined by the State--
(a)(1) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring that--
(i) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I
schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring or the
lowest-achieving five Title I schools in improvement, corrective
action, or restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools
is greater; or
(ii) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined
in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of
years; and
(2) Any secondary school that is eligible for, but does not
receive, Title I funds that--
(i) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary
schools or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State
that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever
number of schools is greater; or
(ii) Is a high school that has had a graduation rate as defined
in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number of
years.
(b) To identify the persistently lowest-achieving schools, a
State must take into account both--
(i) The academic achievement of the ``all students'' group in a
school in terms of proficiency on the State's assessments under
section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language arts and
mathematics combined; and
(ii) The school's lack of progress on those assessments over a
number of years in the ``all students'' group.
For the purposes of this priority, the Department considers
schools that are identified as Tier I or Tier II schools under the
School Improvement Grants Program (see 75 FR 66363) as part of a
State's approved application to be persistently lowest-achieving
schools. A list of these Tier I and Tier II schools can be found on
the Department's Web site at www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/.
\7\ For purposes of this priority, the term ``priority school''
means a school that has been identified by the State as a priority
school pursuant to the State's approved request for ESEA
flexibility.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(iv) Demonstrate, through a letter of support from the partnering
agency, school, or program that there is an agreement with one or more
high-need LEAs; publicly funded preschool programs, including Head
Start programs, located within the geographic boundaries of a high-need
LEA; or programs serving children eligible for services under Part C or
Part B, section 619 of IDEA located within the geographic boundaries of
a high-need LEA, that it will provide scholars with a high-quality
internship or practicum experience in a school in a high-need LEA,
publicly funded preschool, or early intervention program;
(v) Describe how the project will use resources, as appropriate,
available through technical assistance centers, which may include
centers funded by the Department; and
(vi) Describe the approach that faculty members will use to mentor
scholars with the goal of helping them acquire competencies needed by
leadership personnel and promote career goals in special education,
early intervention, or related services.
(c) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of the Project Evaluation,'' how--
(1) The applicant will evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed
leadership project. The applicant must describe the outcomes to be
measured for both the project and the scholars, particularly the
acquisition of scholar competencies and their impact on the services
provided by future teachers, service providers, or administrators; the
evaluation methodologies to be employed, including proposed
instruments, data collection methods, and possible analyses; and the
proposed standards or targets for determining effectiveness;
(2) The applicant will collect, analyze, and use data on current
scholars and scholars who graduate from the program to improve the
proposed program on an ongoing basis; and
(3) The grantee will report the evaluation results to OSEP in its
annual and final performance reports.
(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative under ``Required Project
Assurances,'' or appendices as directed, that the following program
requirements are met. The applicant must--
(1) Include in the application appendix--
(i) Course syllabi for all coursework in the major and any required
coursework for a minor;
(ii) Course syllabi for all research methods, evaluation methods,
or data analysis courses required by the degree program and elective
research methods, evaluation methods, or data analysis courses that
have been completed by more than one student enrolled in the program in
the last five years; and
(iii) For new coursework, proposed syllabi;
Note: Applicants for Type B programs should provide a syllabus
or syllabi for current or proposed courses that provide instruction
on, or permit practice with, research and the methodological,
statistical, and practical considerations in the use of data on
early learning outcomes, student achievement, or growth in student
achievement to evaluate the effectiveness of early intervention
providers, related services providers, teachers, or principals.
(2) Ensure that the proposed number of scholars to be recruited
into the program can graduate from the program by the end of the
grant's project period. The described scholar recruitment strategies,
including recruitment of individuals with disabilities, the program
components and their sequence, and proposed budget must be consistent
with this project requirement;
(3) Ensure scholars will not be selected based on race or national
origin/ethnicity. Per the Supreme Court's decision in Adarand
Constructors, Inc. v. Pena, 515 U.S. 200 (1995), the Department does
not allow the selection of individuals on the basis of race or national
origin/ethnicity. For this reason, grantees must ensure that any
discussion of the recruitment of scholars based on race or national
origin/ethnicity distinguishes between increasing the pool of
applicants and actually selecting scholars;
(4) Ensure that the project will meet the requirements in 34 CFR
304.23, particularly those related to informing all scholarship
recipients of their service obligation commitment. Failure by a grantee
to properly meet these requirements is a violation of the grant award
that may result in sanctions, including the grantee being liable for
returning any misused funds to the Department. Specifically, the
grantee must prepare, and ensure that each scholarship recipient signs,
the following two documents:
(i) A Pre-Scholarship Agreement prior to the scholar receiving a
scholarship for an eligible program (Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Control Number 1820-0686); and
(ii) An Exit Certification immediately upon the scholar leaving,
completing, or otherwise exiting that program (OMB Control Number 1820-
0686);
(5) Ensure that prior approval from the OSEP project officer will
be obtained before admitting additional scholars beyond the number of
scholars proposed in the application and before transferring a scholar
to another preparation program funded by OSEP;
(6) Ensure that the project will meet the statutory requirements in
section 662(e) through 662(h) of IDEA;
(7) Ensure that at least 65 percent of the total requested budget
over the five years will be used for scholar support;
(8) Ensure that the institution of higher education (IHE) will not
require scholars enrolled in the program to work (e.g., as graduate
assistants) as a condition of receiving support (e.g., tuition,
stipends) from the proposed project, unless the work is specifically
related to the acquisition of scholars' competencies and the
requirements for completion of their personnel preparation program.
This prohibition on work as a condition of receiving support does not
apply to the service obligation requirements in section 662(h) of IDEA;
(9) Ensure that the budget includes attendance of the project
director at a three-day project directors' meeting in Washington, DC,
during each year of the project. The budget may also provide for the
attendance of scholars at the same three-day project directors'
meetings in Washington, DC;
(10) Ensure that if the project maintains a Web site, relevant
information and documents are in a format that meets government or
industry-recognized standards for accessibility; and
(11) Ensure that annual data will be submitted on each scholar who
receives grant support (OMB Control Number 1820-0686). The primary
purposes of the data collection are to track the service obligation
fulfillment of scholars who receive funds from OSEP grants and to
collect data for program performance measure reporting under the
Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA). Applicants are
encouraged to visit the Personnel Development Program Data Collection
System (DCS) Web site at https://pdp.ed.gov/osep for further
information about this data collection requirement. Typically, data
collection begins in January of each year, and grantees are notified by
email about the data collection period for their grant, although
grantees may submit data as needed, year round. This data collection
must be submitted electronically by the grantee and does not supplant
the annual grant performance report required of each grantee for
continuation funding (see 34 CFR 75.590). Data collection includes the
submission of a signed, completed Pre-Scholarship Agreement and Exit
[[Page 61198]]
Certification for each scholar funded under an OSEP grant (see
paragraph (4) of this section, subparagraphs (i) and (ii)).
References
Lashley, C., & Boscardin, M. L. (2003). Special education
administration at the crossroads: Availability, licensure, and
preparation of special education administrators. Gainesville, FL:
Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education, University of
Florida. Retrieved from www.coe.ufl.edu/copsse/docs/IB-8/1/IB-8.pdf.
Montrosse, B.E., & Young, C.J. (2012). Market demand for special
education faculty. Teacher Education and Special Education, 35, 140-
153.
Robb, S.M., Smith, D.D., & Montrosse, B.E. (2012). A context of the
demand for special education faculty: A study of special education
teacher preparation programs. Teacher Education and Special
Education, 35, 128-139.
Smith, D.D., Montrosse, B.E., Robb, S.M., Tyler, N.C., & Young, C.
(2011). Assessing trends in leadership: Special education's capacity
to produce a highly qualified workforce. Claremont, CA: IRIS@CGU,
Claremont Graduate University.
Smith, D.D., Robb, S.M., West, J., & Tyler, N.C. (2010). The
changing education landscape: How special education leadership
preparation can make a difference for teachers and their students
with disabilities. Teacher Education and Special Education, 33(1),
25-43.
West, J.E., & Hardman, H.L. (2012). Averting current and future
special education faculty shortages: Policy implications and
recommendations. Teacher Education and Special Education, 35, 154-
160.
Woods, J., & Snyder, P. (2009). Interdisciplinary doctoral
leadership training in early intervention. Infants & Young Children,
22(1), 32-34.
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. 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. 1462 and 1481.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82,
84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The OMB Guidelines to Agencies on
Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part
180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
part 3474. (d) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 304.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$83,700,000 for the Personnel Development to Improve Services and
Results for Children with Disabilities program for FY 2016, of which we
intend to use an estimated $3,500,000 for this competition. The actual
level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action.
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete
the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2017 from the list of
unfunded applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $225,000-$250,000 per year.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $237,500 per year.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $250,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 14.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs, private nonprofit organizations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Eligible Subgrantees: (a) Under 75.708(b) and (c) a grantee may
award subgrants--to directly carry out project activities described in
its application--to the following types of entities: IHEs and private
nonprofit organizations suitable to carry out the activities proposed
in the application.
(b) The grantee may award subgrants to entities it has identified
in an approved application.
4. Other General Requirements:
(a) Recipients of funding under this program must make positive
efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with
disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).
(b) Each applicant for, and recipient of, funding under this
program 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: You can obtain an
application package via the Internet or from the Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs). To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following
address: www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/. To obtain a
copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call: 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 84.325D.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or compact disc) by contacting the person or team listed under
Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application)
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to
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, reference citations, and captions, as well as
all text in charts, tables, figures, graphs, and screen shots.
Use a font that is 12 point or larger.
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.
[[Page 61199]]
The page limit and double-spacing requirements do 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 abstract (follow the guidance provided in the
application package for completing the abstract), the table of
contents, the list of priority requirements, the resumes, the reference
list, the letters of support, or the appendices. However, the page
limit and double-spacing requirements do apply to all of Part III, the
application narrative, including all text in charts, tables, figures,
graphs, and screen shots.
We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit in the
application narrative section or if you apply standards other than
those specified in the application package.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: October 9, 2015.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: December 8, 2015.
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 Other Submission Requirements section IV
of this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: February 8, 2016.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this program.
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), 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 at the
following Web site: https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. A DUNS number can be
created within one to two business days.
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 two to five weeks for your TIN to become active.
The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business
days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the
completeness and accuracy of the data you enter into the SAM database.
Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial
assistance under a program administered by the Department, please allow
sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. We
strongly recommend that you register early.
Note: Once your SAM registration is active, it may be 24 to 48
hours before you can access the information in, and submit an
application through, Grants.gov.
If you are currently registered with 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.
Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further
assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in
SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov
Tip Sheet, which you can find at: https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
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/web/grants/register.html.
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 Preparation of Special Education,
Early Intervention, and Related Services Leadership Personnel
competition, CFDA number 84.325D, 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 Preparation
of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services
Leadership Personnel 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 84.325, not 84.325D).
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
[[Page 61200]]
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. In addition, for specific guidance and
procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov, please
refer to the Grants.gov Web site at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.
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 read-only, non-modifiable
Portable Document Format (PDF). Do not upload an interactive or
fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other than a read-only,
non-modifiable PDF (e.g., Word, Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a
password-protected file, we will not review that material. Please note
that this could result in your application not being considered for
funding because the material in question--for example, the project
narrative--is critical to a meaningful review of your proposal. For
that reason it is important to allow yourself adequate time to upload
all material as PDF files. The Department will not convert material
from other formats to PDF. Additional, detailed information on how to
attach files is in the application instructions.
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. Grants.gov
will also notify you automatically by email if your application met all
the Grants.gov validation requirements or if there were any errors
(such as submission of your application by someone other than a
registered Authorized Organization Representative, or inclusion of an
attachment with a file name that contains special characters). You will
be given an opportunity to correct any errors and resubmit, but you
must still meet the deadline for submission of applications.
Once your application is successfully validated by Grants.gov, the
Department will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send you
an email with a unique PR/Award number for your application.
These emails do not mean that your application is without any
disqualifying errors. While your application may have been successfully
validated by Grants.gov, it must also meet the Department's application
requirements as specified in this notice and in the application
instructions. Disqualifying errors could include, for instance, failure
to upload attachments in a read-only, non-modifiable PDF; failure to
submit a required part of the application; or failure to meet applicant
eligibility requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that your
submitted application has met all of the Department's requirements.
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 the
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We will
contact you after we determine 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
[[Page 61201]]
exception prevents 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: Celia Rosenquist, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4070, Potomac
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2600. FAX: (202) 245-7617.
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 84.325D), 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.
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.
We will not consider applications postmarked after the application
deadline date.
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 84.325D), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, 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 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
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. Risk Assessment and Special Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.205, before awarding grants under this competition the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR
3474.10, the Secretary may impose special conditions and, in
appropriate circumstances, high-risk 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 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; 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.
[[Page 61202]]
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 multiyear 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.
(c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
4. Performance Measures: Under 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 Personnel Development to Improve Services and
Results for Children with Disabilities program. These measures include:
(1) The percentage of Special Education Personnel Development projects
that incorporate evidence-based practices into their curricula; (2) the
percentage of scholars completing Special Education Personnel
Development funded programs who are knowledgeable and skilled in
evidence-based practices for infants, toddlers, children, and youth
with disabilities; (3) the percentage of Special Education Personnel
Development funded scholars who exit preparation programs prior to
completion due to poor academic performance; (4) the percentage of
Special Education Personnel Development funded degree/certification
recipients who are working in the area(s) for which they were prepared
upon program completion; (5) the percentage of Special Education
Personnel Development funded degree/certification recipients who are
working in the area(s) for which they were prepared upon program
completion and who are fully qualified under IDEA; (6) the percentage
of Special Education Personnel Development funded degree/certification
recipients who maintain employment in the area(s) for which they were
prepared for three or more years and who are fully qualified under
IDEA; and (7) the Federal cost per fully qualified degree/certification
recipient.
In addition, the Department will gather information on the
following outcome measures: (1) The number and percentage of degree/
certification recipients who are employed in high-need schools; (2) the
number and percentage of degree/certification recipients who are
employed in a school for at least two years; and (3) the number and
percentage of degree/certification recipients who are rated as
effective by their employers.
Grantees may be asked to participate in assessing and providing
information on these aspects of program quality.
5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: Whether a grantee
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives in
its approved application and budget; whether the grantee has expended
funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and
budget; and, if the Secretary has established performance measurement
requirements, the performance targets in the grantee's approved
application.
In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Celia Rosenquist, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 4070, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-2600. Telephone: (202) 245-7373.
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 5037, Potomac Center Plaza, 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 PDF. To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat
Reader, which is available free at the site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dated: October 6, 2015.
Michael K. Yudin,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2015-25876 Filed 10-8-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P