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, 88218-88226 [2016-29371]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 235 / Wednesday, December 7, 2016 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket No.: ED–2016–ICCD–0137]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for Review
and Approval; Comment Request;
Middle Grades Longitudinal Study of
2017–18 (MGLS: 2017) Operational
Field Test (OFT) and Recruitment for
Main Study Base-Year Study
National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES), Department of
Education (ED).
ACTION: Notice.
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 January
6, 2017.
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–
2016–ICCD–0137. 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
the comment period will not be
accepted. Written requests for
information or comments submitted by
postal mail or delivery should be
addressed to the Director of the
Information Collection Clearance
Division, U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Room
2E–347, Washington, DC 20202–4537.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
specific questions related to collection
activities, please contact NCES
Information Collections at
NCES.Information.Collections@ed.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Department of Education (ED), in
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general
public and Federal agencies with an
opportunity to comment on proposed,
revised, and continuing collections of
information. This helps the Department
assess the impact of its information
collection requirements and minimize
the public’s reporting burden. It also
helps the public understand the
Department’s information collection
requirements and provide the requested
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SUMMARY:
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data in the desired format. ED is
soliciting comments on the proposed
information collection request (ICR) that
is described below. The Department of
Education is especially interested in
public comment addressing the
following issues: (1) Is this collection
necessary to the proper functions of the
Department; (2) will this information be
processed and used in a timely manner;
(3) is the estimate of burden accurate;
(4) how might the Department enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (5) how
might the Department minimize the
burden of this collection on the
respondents, including through the use
of information technology. Please note
that written comments received in
response to this notice will be
considered public records.
Title of Collection: Middle Grades
Longitudinal Study of 2017–18 (MGLS:
2017) Operational Field Test (OFT) and
Recruitment for Main Study Base-year
Study.
OMB Control Number: 1850–0911.
Type of Review: A revision of an
existing information collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Individuals or Households.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 34,952.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 17,391.
Abstract: The Middle Grades
Longitudinal Study of 2017–18
(MGLS:2017) is the first study
conducted by the National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES) to follow a
nationally-representative sample of
students as they enter and move through
the middle grades (grades 6–8). The data
collected through repeated measures of
key constructs will provide a rich
descriptive picture of the academic
experiences and development of
students during these critical years and
will allow researchers to examine
associations between contextual factors
and student outcomes. The study will
focus on student achievement in
mathematics and literacy along with
measures of student socioemotional
wellbeing and other outcomes. The
study will also include a special sample
of students with different types of
disabilities that will provide descriptive
information on their outcomes,
educational experiences, and special
education services. Main Study Baseyear data for the MGLS:2017 will be
collected from a nationallyrepresentative sample of 6th grade
students beginning in January 2018,
with annual follow-ups beginning in
January 2019 and in January 2020 when
most of the students in the sample will
be in grades 7 and 8, respectively. In
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preparation for the national data
collection, referred to as the Main
Study, the data collection instruments
and procedures must be field tested. An
Item Validation Field Test (IVFT) was
conducted in the winter/spring 2016 to
determine the psychometric properties
of items and the predictive potential of
assessment and survey items so that
valid, reliable, and useful assessment
and survey instruments can be
composed for the Main Study. An
Operational Field Test (OFT) will begin
in January 2017 to test the near final
instruments and the recruitment and
data collection processes and
procedures in preparation for the Main
Study. OMB approved the recruitment
of schools, school districts, and parents
to participate in the OFT in December
2015 with the latest change request
approved in March 2016 (OMB# 1850–
0911 v.6,9,10). The request to conduct
the OFT data collection, Main Study
recruitment, and tracking of OFT
students is currently under review at
OMB (OMB# 1850–0911 v.11), with
expected approval in early December
2016. This request is to modify language
in the parent contacting materials, the
video introductory script for the student
session, and the study questionnaires
(student, parent, math teacher, special
education teacher, school administrator,
and facilities observation checklist).
These changes are driven by the
recently completed analyses of IVFT
results. The data collection for the OFT
will begin January 23, 2017. Main Study
recruitment will also commence in
January 2017.
Dated: December 2, 2016.
Kate Mullan,
Acting Director, Information Collection
Clearance Division, Office of the Chief Privacy
Officer, Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2016–29327 Filed 12–6–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
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
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Intervention, and Related Services
Leadership Personnel
Notice inviting applications for a new
award for fiscal year (FY) 2017.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.325D.
DATES: Applications Available:
December 7, 2016.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: February 6, 2017.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: April 6, 2017.
Full Text of Announcement
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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)(v), this priority is from
allowable activities specified in the
statute (see sections 662 and 681 of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA); 20 U.S.C. 1462 and 20
U.S.C. 1481).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2017 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
support existing doctoral degree
programs that prepare special
education, early intervention, and
related services personnel who are wellqualified for, and can act effectively in,
leadership positions as researchers and
special education/early intervention/
related services personnel preparers in
institutions of higher education (IHEs),
or as leaders in national organizations,
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 to fill faculty and
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leadership positions in special
education, early intervention, and
related services (Castillo, Curtis, & Tan,
2014; Montrosse & Young, 2012; Robb,
Smith, & Montrosse, 2012; Smith,
Montrosse, Robb, Tyler, & Young, 2011;
Smith, Robb, West, & Tyler, 2010;
Woods & Snyder, 2009). These leaders
conduct research to increase the
knowledge of effective interventions
and services for children and youth
with disabilities. These leaders also
teach practices supported by evidence
to future special education, early
intervention, and related services
professionals who will work in a variety
of educational settings and provide
services directly to these children (Robb
et al., 2012; Smith et al., 2010; West &
Hardman, 2012). Shortages in these
leadership positions could limit the
field’s capacity to generate new
knowledge of effective interventions
and to prepare future professionals to
improve outcomes for children with
disabilities (Smith et al., 2011).
Shortages of leadership personnel at
State and local agencies to fill special
education and early intervention
administrator positions have also been
noted (Billingsley, Crockett, & Kamman,
2014). These administrators supervise
and evaluate the implementation of
instructional programs supported by
evidence 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 as researchers and
special education/early intervention/
related services personnel preparers in
IHEs, or as leaders in national
organizations, 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
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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 that prepare special
education, early intervention, and
related services personnel who are wellqualified for, and can act effectively in,
leadership positions as researchers and
special education/early intervention/
related services personnel preparers in
IHEs, or as leaders in national
organizations, SEAs, LAs, LEAs, or EIS
programs. This priority supports two
types of programs:
Type A programs are designed to
prepare special education, early
intervention, and related services
personnel as researchers and personnel
preparers in IHEs. Type A programs
culminate in a doctoral degree.
Note: Preparation programs that lead to
clinical doctoral degrees in related services
(e.g., a Doctor of Audiology degree or Doctor
of Physical Therapy 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 2017.
Type B programs are designed to
prepare special education or early
intervention administrators to work as
leaders in national organizations, SEAs,
LAs, LEAs, or EIS programs. 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.
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 abstract.
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
1 For a definition of ‘‘high-need children with
disabilities,’’ please see footnote 2.
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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
data (e.g., national, State) demonstrating
the need for the leadership personnel
the applicant proposes to prepare; and
(ii) Present data demonstrating the
effectiveness of the doctoral program to
date in producing leaders in special
education, early intervention, or related
services such as: 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; 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 program
graduates to complete the program; the
number of program graduates; and the
percentage of program graduates finding
employment directly related to their
preparation.
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 scholars or program graduates)
must be provided.
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(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
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.
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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; and
(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 applicant 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 supported by evidence to
improve outcomes, including collegeand 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,
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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 are supported by
evidence to improve outcomes,
including college- and career-readiness,
of children with disabilities in a variety
of settings, including in high-need
LEAs; 3 high-poverty schools; 4 lowperforming schools; 5 priority schools
(in the case of States that have received
the Department of Education’s
(Department’s) approval of a request for
ESEA flexibility); 6 and early childhood
programs located within the
geographical boundaries of a high-need
LEA;
(iv) Demonstrate, through a letter of
support from a 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
3 For the 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.
4 For the purposes of this priority, the term ‘‘highpoverty school’’ means a school that is in the
highest two quartiles of schools served by an LEA,
based on the percentage of enrolled students from
low-income families as defined in section
1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA).
5 For the purposes of this priority, the term ‘‘lowperforming school’’ means a school receiving
assistance through Title I of the ESEA that, at the
time of submission of an application under this
competition, is (1) identified as a school in need of
corrective action or restructuring under section
1116 of the ESEA, as amended by the No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB); or (2) identified as a
priority or focus school in a State that implemented
ESEA flexibility. The inclusion of these schools as
‘‘low-performing schools’’ reflects the fact that the
2016–2017 school year is a year of transition
between requirements of the ESEA as amended by
the NCLB and the ESEA as amended by the Every
Student Succeeds Act.
6 For the 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.
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 235 / Wednesday, December 7, 2016 / Notices
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 how
well the goals or objectives of the
proposed leadership project have been
met. 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; and the evaluation
methodologies to be employed,
including proposed instruments, data
collection methods, and possible
analyses;
(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 applicant 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 scholar 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,
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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 IHE will not
require scholars enrolled in the program
to work (e.g., as graduate assistants) as
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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;
(11) Ensure that scholar
accomplishments (e.g., publications,
awards) will be reported in annual and
final performance reports; and
(12) 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
Certification for each scholar funded
under an OSEP grant (see paragraph (4)
of this section, subparagraphs (i) and
(ii)).
References
Billingsley, B. S., Crockett, J., & Kamman, M.
L. (2014). Recruiting and retaining
teachers and administrators in special
education. In P. T. Sindelar, E. D.
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McCray, M. T. Brownell, & B. Lignugaris/
Kraft (Eds.), Handbook of research on
special education teacher preparation
(pp. 94–112). New York, NY: Routledge.
Castillo, J. M., Curtis, M. J., & Tan, S. Y.
(2014). Personnel needs in school
psychology: A 10-year follow-up study
on predicted personnel shortages.
Psychology in the Schools, 51, 832–849.
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, 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 in 34 CFR
parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98,
and 99. (b) The Office of Management
and Budget 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
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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 2017, of which we
intend to use an estimated $3,250,000
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
2018 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: 13.
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 34
CFR 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
competition must make positive efforts
to employ and advance in employment
qualified individuals with disabilities
(see section 606 of IDEA).
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(b) Each applicant for, and recipient
of, funding must, with respect to the
aspects of their proposed project
relating to the absolute priority, 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 and form 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
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New, or Arial. An application submitted
in any other font (including Times
Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be
accepted.
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
this notice and the application package.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: December 7,
2016.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: February 6, 2017.
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 in
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: April 6, 2017.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This
competition is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34
CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs under Executive Order 12372
is in the application package for this
competition.
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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), 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,
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we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet,
which you can find at: 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
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uploaded and submitted and must be
date and time stamped by the
Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will
not accept your application if it is
received—that is, date and time
stamped by the Grants.gov system—after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
the application deadline date. We do
not consider an application that does
not comply with the deadline
requirements. When we retrieve your
application from Grants.gov, we will
notify you if we are rejecting your
application because it was date and time
stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
the application deadline date.
• The amount of time it can take to
upload an application will vary
depending on a variety of factors,
including the size of the application and
the speed of your Internet connection.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that
you do not wait until the application
deadline date to begin the submission
process through Grants.gov.
• You should review and follow the
Education Submission Procedures for
submitting an application through
Grants.gov that are included in the
application package for this competition
to ensure that you submit your
application in a timely manner to the
Grants.gov system. You can also find the
Education Submission Procedures
pertaining to Grants.gov under News
and Events on the Department’s G5
system home page at www.G5.gov. 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
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interactive or fillable PDF file. If you
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 application 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.
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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
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holiday), you mail or fax a written
statement to the Department, explaining
which of the two grounds for an
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 5146, Potomac
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC
20202–5076. FAX: (202) 245–7590.
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)
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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 competition are from 34
CFR 75.210 and are listed in the
application package.
2. Review and Selection Process: We
remind potential applicants that in
reviewing applications in any
discretionary grant competition, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR
75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the
applicant in carrying out a previous
award, such as the applicant’s use of
funds, achievement of project
objectives, and compliance with grant
conditions. The Secretary may also
consider whether the applicant failed to
submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable
quality.
In addition, in making a competitive
grant award, the Secretary 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
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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.
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.
5. Integrity and Performance System:
If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that
over the course of the project period
may exceed the simplified acquisition
threshold (currently $150,000), under 2
CFR 200.205(a)(2), we must make a
judgment about your integrity, business
ethics, and record of performance under
Federal awards—that is, the risk posed
by you as an applicant—before we make
an award. In doing so, we must consider
any information about you that is in the
integrity and performance system
(currently referred to as the Federal
Awardee Performance and Integrity
Information System (FAPIIS)),
accessible through SAM. You may
review and comment on any
information about yourself that a
Federal agency previously entered and
that is currently in FAPIIS.
Please note that, if the total value of
your currently active grants, cooperative
agreements, and procurement contracts
from the Federal Government exceeds
$10,000,000, the reporting requirements
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asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII,
require you to report certain integrity
information to FAPIIS semiannually.
Please review the requirements in 2 CFR
part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant
plus all the other Federal funds you
receive exceed $10,000,000.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application
is successful, we notify your U.S.
Representative and U.S. Senators and
send you a Grant Award Notification
(GAN); or we may send you an email
containing a link to access an electronic
version of your GAN. We may notify
you informally, also.
If your application is not evaluated or
not selected for funding, we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy
requirements in the application package
and reference these and other
requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining
the terms and conditions of an award in
the Applicable Regulations section of
this notice and include these and other
specific conditions in the GAN. The
GAN also incorporates your approved
application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a
grant under this competition, you must
ensure that you have in place the
necessary processes and systems to
comply with the reporting requirements
in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive
funding under the competition. This
does not apply if you have an exception
under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period,
you must submit a final performance
report, including financial information,
as directed by the Secretary. If you
receive a 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.
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
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:54 Dec 06, 2016
Jkt 241001
preparation programs that incorporate
scientifically or evidence-based
practices into their curricula; (2) the
percentage of scholars completing
preparation programs who are
knowledgeable and skilled in evidencebased practices for children with
disabilities; (3) the percentage of
scholars who exit preparation programs
prior to completion due to poor
academic performance; (4) the
percentage of scholars completing
preparation programs who are working
in the area(s) in which they were
prepared upon program completion; and
(5) the Federal cost per scholar who
completed the preparation program.
In addition, the Department will
gather information on the following
outcome measures: (1) The percentage
of scholars who completed the
preparation program and are employed
in high-need districts; (2) the percentage
of scholars who completed the
preparation program and are employed
in the field of special education for at
least two years; and (3) the percentage
of scholars who completed the
preparation program and who are rated
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 of the project;
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 5146, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202–5076.
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.
PO 00000
Frm 00030
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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 Management Support
Services Team, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW.,
Room 5113, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202–2500.
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: December 2, 2016.
Sue Swenson,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services,
delegated the authority to perform the
functions and duties of the Assistant
Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2016–29371 Filed 12–6–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Training
and Information for Parents of Children
With Disabilities—Community Parent
Resource Centers
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Overview Information
Training and Information for Parents
of Children with Disabilities—
Community Parent Resource Centers
Notice inviting applications for new
awards for fiscal year (FY) 2017.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.328C.
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[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88218-88226]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29371]
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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
[[Page 88219]]
Intervention, and Related Services Leadership Personnel
Notice inviting applications for a new award for fiscal year (FY)
2017.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.325D.
Dates: Applications Available: December 7, 2016.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 6, 2017.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 6, 2017.
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)(v), this priority
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 662
and 681 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); 20
U.S.C. 1462 and 20 U.S.C. 1481).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2017 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 support existing doctoral degree programs that prepare special
education, early intervention, and related services personnel who are
well-qualified for, and can act effectively in, leadership positions as
researchers and special education/early intervention/related services
personnel preparers in institutions of higher education (IHEs), or as
leaders in national organizations, 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 to fill
faculty and leadership positions in special education, early
intervention, and related services (Castillo, Curtis, & Tan, 2014;
Montrosse & Young, 2012; Robb, Smith, & Montrosse, 2012; Smith,
Montrosse, Robb, Tyler, & Young, 2011; Smith, Robb, West, & Tyler,
2010; Woods & Snyder, 2009). These leaders conduct research to increase
the knowledge of effective interventions and services for children and
youth with disabilities. These leaders also teach practices supported
by evidence to future special education, early intervention, and
related services professionals who will work in a variety of
educational settings and provide services directly to these children
(Robb et al., 2012; Smith et al., 2010; West & Hardman, 2012).
Shortages in these leadership positions could limit the field's
capacity to generate new knowledge of effective interventions and to
prepare future professionals to improve outcomes for children with
disabilities (Smith et al., 2011).
Shortages of leadership personnel at State and local agencies to
fill special education and early intervention administrator positions
have also been noted (Billingsley, Crockett, & Kamman, 2014). These
administrators supervise and evaluate the implementation of
instructional programs supported by evidence 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 as
researchers and special education/early intervention/related services
personnel preparers in IHEs, or as leaders in national organizations,
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 that prepare
special education, early intervention, and related services personnel
who are well-qualified for, and can act effectively in, leadership
positions as researchers and special education/early intervention/
related services personnel preparers in IHEs, or as leaders in national
organizations, SEAs, LAs, LEAs, or EIS programs. This priority supports
two types of programs:
Type A programs are designed to prepare special education, early
intervention, and related services personnel as researchers and
personnel preparers in IHEs. Type A programs culminate in a doctoral
degree.
Note: Preparation programs that lead to clinical doctoral
degrees in related services (e.g., a Doctor of Audiology degree or
Doctor of Physical Therapy 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 2017.
Type B programs are designed to prepare special education or early
intervention administrators to work as leaders in national
organizations, SEAs, LAs, LEAs, or EIS programs. 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.
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 abstract.
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
[[Page 88220]]
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 data (e.g., national, State)
demonstrating the need for the leadership personnel the applicant
proposes to prepare; and
(ii) Present data demonstrating the effectiveness of the doctoral
program to date in producing leaders in special education, early
intervention, or related services such as: 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; 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
program graduates to complete the program; the number of program
graduates; and the percentage of program graduates finding employment
directly related to their preparation.
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 scholars 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; and
(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 applicant 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
supported by evidence to 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 are supported by evidence to improve
outcomes, including college- and career-readiness, of children with
disabilities in a variety of settings, including in high-need LEAs; \3\
high-poverty schools; \4\ low-performing schools; \5\ priority schools
(in the case of States that have received the Department of Education's
(Department's) approval of a request for ESEA flexibility); \6\ and
early childhood programs located within the geographical boundaries of
a high-need LEA;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ For the 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.
\4\ For the purposes of this priority, the term ``high-poverty
school'' means a school that is in the highest two quartiles of
schools served by an LEA, based on the percentage of enrolled
students from low-income families as defined in section 1113(a)(5)
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended
(ESEA).
\5\ For the purposes of this priority, the term ``low-performing
school'' means a school receiving assistance through Title I of the
ESEA that, at the time of submission of an application under this
competition, is (1) identified as a school in need of corrective
action or restructuring under section 1116 of the ESEA, as amended
by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB); or (2) identified as
a priority or focus school in a State that implemented ESEA
flexibility. The inclusion of these schools as ``low-performing
schools'' reflects the fact that the 2016-2017 school year is a year
of transition between requirements of the ESEA as amended by the
NCLB and the ESEA as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act.
\6\ For the 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 a 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
[[Page 88221]]
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 how well the goals or objectives of
the proposed leadership project have been met. 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; and the evaluation methodologies to be
employed, including proposed instruments, data collection methods, and
possible analyses;
(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 applicant 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 scholar 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 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;
(11) Ensure that scholar accomplishments (e.g., publications,
awards) will be reported in annual and final performance reports; and
(12) 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
Certification for each scholar funded under an OSEP grant (see
paragraph (4) of this section, subparagraphs (i) and (ii)).
References
Billingsley, B. S., Crockett, J., & Kamman, M. L. (2014). Recruiting
and retaining teachers and administrators in special education. In
P. T. Sindelar, E. D.
[[Page 88222]]
McCray, M. T. Brownell, & B. Lignugaris/Kraft (Eds.), Handbook of
research on special education teacher preparation (pp. 94-112). New
York, NY: Routledge.
Castillo, J. M., Curtis, M. J., & Tan, S. Y. (2014). Personnel needs
in school psychology: A 10-year follow-up study on predicted
personnel shortages. Psychology in the Schools, 51, 832-849.
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, 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 in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86,
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget 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 2017, of which we
intend to use an estimated $3,250,000 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 2018 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: 13.
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 34 CFR 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 competition 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 must, with
respect to the aspects of their proposed project relating to the
absolute priority, 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 and form 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
[[Page 88223]]
New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font (including
Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.
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 this notice and the application package.
3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: December 7,
2016.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 6, 2017.
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 in 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: April 6, 2017.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
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), 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: 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
[[Page 88224]]
uploaded and submitted and must be date and time stamped by the
Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on
the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this
section, we will not accept your application if it is received--that
is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system--after 4:30:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We do not
consider an application that does not comply with the deadline
requirements. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we
will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was
date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that
you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov
system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures
pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5
system home page at www.G5.gov. 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 application
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
[[Page 88225]]
holiday), you mail or fax a written statement to the Department,
explaining which of the two grounds for an 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 5146, Potomac
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-5076. FAX: (202) 245-7590.
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 competition
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
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.
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.
5. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently
$150,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2), we must make a judgment about
your integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under
Federal awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before
we make an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about
you that is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred
to as the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System
(FAPIIS)), accessible through SAM. You may review and comment on any
information about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered and
that is currently in FAPIIS.
Please note that, if the total value of your currently active
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements
[[Page 88226]]
in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain
integrity information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the
requirements in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all
the other Federal funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally,
also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a 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.
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 preparation programs that incorporate
scientifically or evidence-based practices into their curricula; (2)
the percentage of scholars completing preparation programs who are
knowledgeable and skilled in evidence-based practices for children with
disabilities; (3) the percentage of scholars who exit preparation
programs prior to completion due to poor academic performance; (4) the
percentage of scholars completing preparation programs who are working
in the area(s) in which they were prepared upon program completion; and
(5) the Federal cost per scholar who completed the preparation program.
In addition, the Department will gather information on the
following outcome measures: (1) The percentage of scholars who
completed the preparation program and are employed in high-need
districts; (2) the percentage of scholars who completed the preparation
program and are employed in the field of special education for at least
two years; and (3) the percentage of scholars who completed the
preparation program and who are rated 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 of
the project; 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 5146, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-5076. 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 Management Support Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400
Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5113, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC
20202-2500. 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: December 2, 2016.
Sue Swenson,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services, delegated the authority to perform the functions and duties
of the Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 2016-29371 Filed 12-6-16; 8:45 am]
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