Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities-Center on Dispute Resolution, 35247-35256 [2018-15932]
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statements with the committee, or make
verbal comments from the floor during
the public meeting, at the times, and in
the manner, permitted by the BoV.
Written Statements: Pursuant to 41
CFR 102–3.105(j) and 102–3.140 and
section 10(a)(3) of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, the public or interested
organizations may submit written
comments or statements to the BoV
about its mission and/or the topics to be
addressed in this public meeting.
Written comments or statements should
be submitted to Capt Campos, via
electronic mail, the preferred mode of
submission, at the email address listed
in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section in the following
formats: Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft
Word. The comment or statement must
include the author’s name, title,
affiliation, address, and daytime
telephone number. Written comments or
statements being submitted in response
to the agenda set forth in this notice
must be received by the committee DFO
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amended, all written comments will be
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invited to speak in the order in which
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the BoV meeting shall be made available
upon request.
Henry Williams,
Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison
Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2018–15898 Filed 7–24–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–10–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Air Force
Exchange of Air Force Real Property
for Non-Air Force Real Property
Air Force Civil Engineer
Center, United States Air Force, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
The Air Force is publishing
this Notice to identify Federal real
property that it intends to exchange for
property that is needed by the Air Force
to limit encroachment and other
constraints on military operations at
Melrose Air Force Range (MAFR), NM.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Joe Weathersby, Air Force Civil
Engineer Center (AFCEC/CIUB), 2261
Hughes Avenue, Suite 155, Joint Base
San Antonio (JBSA) Lackland, TX
78236–9853; telephone (210) 395–9516.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: MAFR is a
long established training range,
consisting of some 70,000 acres, 25
miles west of Cannon Air Force Base,
New Mexico. Operations on Melrose
Range also cover an area of 2,500 square
miles of airspace. Melrose is used for
training such as air to ground, small
arms, and electronic combat.
Description of the Air Force Property:
Approximately 1,240 acres of
undeveloped rangeland located on the
southern perimeter of MAFR in
Township 1S, Ranges 29E and 30E, in
Roosevelt County, New Mexico. This
undeveloped land is adjacent to private
ranchlands owned by Davis Mesa
Ranch, LLC, Davis Arch Ranch, LLC,
and Davis Spear Ranch, LLC. The
ranchland properties represent ideal
conditions for the commercial
development of wind energy generation.
For the exchange of 1,240 acres of Air
Force real property the owner of these
properties has agreed to convey 160
acres of ranchland on the eastern
perimeter of the range utilizing 10
U.S.C. 2869 authority.
In conjunction with the exchange, the
same landowner has agreed to convey a
perpetual restrictive use easement on
SUMMARY:
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29,319 acres to protect those acres
adjoining MAFR from incompatible
land uses. 10 U.S.C. 2869 authorizes the
Air Force to convey real property at an
installation in exchange for property
interests to be acquired under the terms
of an encroachment protection
agreement executed in accordance with
Title 10 U.S.C. 2684a. The Air Force
executed an encroachment management
agreement with The Conservation Fund
on July 21, 2017.
The Air Force has notified the
appropriate Congressional committees
of the terms and conditions of the
proposed exchange pursuant to 10
U.S.C. 2869(d)(2).
Authority: 10 U.S.C. 2869(d)(1) and 10
U.S.C. 2684a(d)(4)(B).
Dated: July 19, 2018.
Henry Williams,
Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison
Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018–15901 Filed 7–24–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Technical Assistance and
Dissemination To Improve Services
and Results for Children With
Disabilities—Center on Dispute
Resolution
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative. Services, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Department of Education
is issuing a notice inviting applications
for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2018
for Technical Assistance and
Dissemination to Improve Services and
Results for Children With Disabilities—
Center on Dispute Resolution, Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
number 84.326X.
DATES:
Applications Available: July 25, 2018.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: August 24, 2018.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for
obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common
Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary
Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 12, 2018
(83 FR 6003) and available at
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/
pdf/2018-02558.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tina
Diamond, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW,
Room 5136, Potomac Center Plaza,
SUMMARY:
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Washington, DC 20202–5108.
Telephone: (202) 245–6674.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–
8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
the Technical Assistance and
Dissemination to Improve Services and
Results for Children with Disabilities
program is to promote academic
achievement and to improve results for
children with disabilities by providing
technical assistance, supporting model
demonstration projects, disseminating
useful information, and implementing
activities that are supported by
scientifically based research.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR
75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority is from
allowable activities specified in the
statute (see sections 663 and 681(d) of
the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA); 20 U.S.C. 1463
and 1481(d)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2018 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:
Center on Dispute Resolution.
Background: The mission of the
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is to
improve early childhood, educational,
and employment outcomes and raise
expectations for all people with
disabilities, their families, their
communities, and the Nation. This
priority is consistent with Supplemental
Priority 1 in the Secretary’s Final
Supplemental Priorities and Definitions
for Discretionary Grant Programs,
published in the Federal Register on
March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096)
(Supplemental Priorities)—Empowering
Families and Individuals To Choose a
High-Quality Education That Meets
Their Unique Needs; and Supplemental
Priority 5—Meeting the Unique Needs
of Students and Children With
Disabilities and/or Those With Unique
Gifts and Talents.
IDEA includes procedural safeguards
that are designed to protect the rights of
children with disabilities and their
parents and to provide parents with
mechanisms for resolving, at the earliest
point in time, disputes with those who
provide services to children with
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disabilities (State educational agencies
(SEAs), local educational agencies
(LEAs), schools, Part C State lead
agencies, and early intervention service
(EIS) providers). The procedural
safeguards include the opportunity to
seek a timely resolution of disputes
about establishing a child’s eligibility
under IDEA and providing a free
appropriate public education (FAPE) to
an eligible child or the appropriate EIS
to infants and toddlers with disabilities.
Thus, IDEA encourages constructive
relationships between parents of
children with disabilities and those who
provide services to children with
disabilities by facilitating open
communication between the parents
and these entities and encouraging early
resolution of disputes so that
disagreements do not escalate and
become adversarial and result in a delay
in identifying, and providing needed
services to, eligible children. IDEA’s
dispute resolution procedures include
provisions for State complaints,
mediation, due process complaints, and
resolution sessions, as described below.
State Complaints. IDEA’s State
complaint procedures permit parents
and other interested individuals or
organizations to file a complaint with
the SEA or Part C State lead agency to
seek resolution of any alleged violations
of IDEA. The goal of the State complaint
procedures is to resolve disputes while
avoiding costly or time-consuming due
process hearings (34 CFR 300.151
through 300.153—Part B regulations; 34
CFR 303.432 through 303.434—Part C
regulations). The State complaint
procedures provide an important means
of ensuring that the educational or early
intervention needs of children with
disabilities are met (34 CFR 300.151 and
303.432).
Mediation. In response to increasing
numbers of due process complaints
under Part B of IDEA, Congress
amended IDEA in 1997 to require SEAs
and Part C State lead agencies to make
mediation available, at a minimum,
whenever a due process complaint is
filed. In 2004, Congress further
amended section 615(e) of IDEA to
allow parties to use mediation to resolve
disputes involving any matter under
IDEA, not just those matters that are the
subject of a due process complaint, thus
making mediation available at any time
and on any matter under IDEA. (This
amendment also applies to Part C
through section 639(a)(8) of IDEA.) In
mediation, the goal is for a neutral third
party to facilitate the resolution of
disputes without the need for an
adversarial hearing. Thus, mediation is
more likely than due process hearings to
foster positive relationships between
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families and educators and EIS
providers (Government Accountability
Office, 2003).
Due Process Hearings. In due process
hearings, IDEA requires that an
impartial, knowledgeable decisionmaker resolve disputes. While due
process hearings are an important
protection, they can be costly, timeconsuming, and contentious, and they
may damage relationships between the
parties involved in the dispute.
Resolution Session. The 2004
amendments to IDEA added a
requirement for a resolution session
prior to a due process hearing. The
resolution session requirement applies
to all IDEA Part B due process
complaints and to those IDEA Part C
due process complaints filed in a State
that has elected to adopt the Part B-type
due process hearing procedures in 34
CFR 303.440 through 303.449. Under
section 615(f)(1)(B) of IDEA, the LEA (or
in the case of IDEA Part C, under 34
CFR 303.442, the State lead agency)
must convene a meeting with the
parents and relevant members of the
child’s individualized education
program (IEP) or individualized family
service plan (IFSP) team who have
specific knowledge of the facts
identified in the complaint. This
provides the parents and the agency
responsible for providing service to a
child with an opportunity to resolve the
complaint and avoid a due process
hearing.
Early Resolution Practices. In addition
to these methods of dispute resolution
specifically required under IDEA, there
are a variety of informal or ‘‘early
resolution’’ practices that can be used to
resolve disputes at the school or district
level and avoid time-consuming and
costly litigation.
Each SEA and Part C State lead
agency is responsible for annually
reporting data on dispute resolution
activity to the Office of Special
Education Programs (OSEP) to help
determine the extent to which States
effectively implement dispute
resolution practices. The data collected
by OSEP include information on the
timeliness of State complaint reports
and due process hearing decisions, the
percentage of due process complaints
that were resolved through settlement
agreements, and mediations resulting in
agreements.
An analysis of national data trends in
dispute resolution conducted by the
Center for Appropriate Dispute
Resolution in Special Education
(CADRE) shows declines in processes,
such as written State complaints and
due process complaints, and increases
in the use of collaborative approaches,
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such as mediation and IEP facilitation
(CADRE, 2017). However, OSEP’s most
recent analysis of Annual Performance
Reports (APRs) shows that States
continue to fall short of their targets for
agreement rates in resolution sessions.
A survey of State officials indicated that
a lack of public awareness about early
resolution practices presents a challenge
to expanding their use, which
demonstrates a need for additional
technical assistance (TA), dissemination
of information, and coordination with
parent organizations (Government
Accountability Office, 2014). OSEPfunded parent TA providers have noted
that this lack of awareness is prevalent
among vulnerable populations due to
language, informational, or economic
barriers.
Priority: The purpose of this priority
is to fund a cooperative agreement to
establish and operate a Center on
Dispute Resolution (Center). This Center
will provide TA to SEAs, Part C State
lead agencies, and OSEP-funded parent
centers to improve the implementation
of all of the dispute resolution practices
required under IDEA, along with any
optional early resolution strategies that
may be available. The Center must
achieve, at a minimum, the following
expected outcomes:
(a) Increased capacity of SEAs and
Part C State lead agencies to support
local implementation of effective early
resolution practices to resolve disputes
and thereby decrease State complaints
and due process complaints;
(b) Increased capacity of SEAs and
Part C State lead agencies to collect,
report, and use high-quality dispute
resolution data;
(c) Increased body of knowledge on
dispute prevention and exemplary
dispute resolution practices to meet the
dispute resolution needs of parents and
families, including those from
vulnerable populations who may be less
likely to access dispute resolution due
to language, informational, or economic
barriers;
(d) Improved access for hearing
officers to information on emerging
issues related to special education and
early intervention dispute resolution;
(e) Improved ability of SEAs and Part
C State lead agencies to implement a
range of dispute resolution options,
including methods of dispute resolution
required under IDEA and early
resolution practices and to support
SEAs and Part C State lead agencies in
ensuring that dispute resolution options
are not affected by administrative
constraints (e.g., staffing or target
agreement rates for mediation
agreements and resolution sessions);
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(f) Improved capacity of OSEP-funded
parent centers to provide TA on the
range of effective dispute resolution
options;
(g) Increased knowledge of OSEPfunded parent centers, parents, and
families about school choice as it relates
to due process and procedural
safeguards under IDEA; and
(h) An annual analysis of State and
national trends and other data about
dispute resolution to determine the
extent to which SEAs and Part C State
lead agencies have—
(i) Met the required timelines when
resolving State complaints and issuing
due process hearing decisions;
(ii) Used resolution meetings and
mediation to successfully resolve
disputes between parents and LEAs or
EIS providers; and
(iii) Implemented effective methods of
early dispute resolution.
In addition to these programmatic
requirements, to be considered for
funding under this priority, applicants
must meet the application and
administrative requirements in this
priority, which are:
(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Significance of the Project,’’ how the
proposed project will—
(1) Address gaps or weaknesses in
State or local dispute resolution
performance and compliance to meet
the dispute resolution needs of SEA and
Part C State lead agency personnel, as
well as the needs of parents and
families, including those from
vulnerable populations who may be less
likely to access dispute resolution due
to language, informational, or economic
barriers. To meet this requirement the
applicant must—
(i) Demonstrate knowledge of
exemplary dispute resolution practices
that will assist SEAs and Part C State
lead agencies in improving dispute
resolution, especially practices that will
assist agencies in meeting compliance
and performance targets and
implementing effective early resolution
practices;
(ii) Present information about the
current level of implementation of
exemplary dispute resolution practices
in SEAs and Part C State lead agencies,
especially practices that will assist
agencies in meeting compliance and
performance targets and implementing
effective early resolution practices; and
(iii) Present national, State, or local
data on the financial and administrative
burden of involvement in dispute
resolution and discuss strategies for
minimizing these burdens for all parties
involved.
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(2) Improve outcomes in dispute
resolution compliance and performance
for SEAs and Part C State lead agencies
and increase the implementation of
early resolution practices.
(3) Improve communication between
parents and families and education
professionals to minimize conflict and
increase the use of collaborative
problem-solving and dispute resolution
practices.
(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Quality of the Project Services,’’ how
the proposed project will—
(1) Ensure equal access and treatment
for members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented
based on race, color, national origin,
gender, age, or disability. To meet this
requirement, the applicant must
describe how it will—
(i) Identify the needs of the intended
recipients for TA and information; and
(ii) Ensure that services and products
meet the needs of the intended
recipients of the grant;
(2) Achieve its goals, objectives, and
intended outcomes. To meet this
requirement, the applicant must
provide—
(i) Measurable intended project
outcomes; and
(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model
(as defined in this notice) by which the
proposed project will achieve its
intended outcomes that depicts, at a
minimum, the goals, activities, outputs,
and intended outcomes of the proposed
project;
(3) Use a conceptual framework (and
provide a copy in Appendix A) to
develop project plans and activities,
describing any underlying concepts,
assumptions, expectations, beliefs, or
theories, as well as the presumed
relationships or linkages among these
variables, and any empirical support for
this framework;
Note: The following websites provide
more information on logic models and
conceptual frameworks:
www.osepideasthatwork.org/logicModel
and www.osepideasthatwork.org/
resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/
tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptualframework.
(4) Be based on current research on
effective dispute resolution practices,
provide services that assist SEAs and
Part C State lead agencies to comply
with IDEA requirements, and draw from
the knowledge base of effective early
resolution evidence-based (as defined in
this notice) practices (EBPs). To meet
this requirement, the applicant must
describe—
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(i) The current research on effective
dispute resolution practices, including
early resolution EBPs;
(ii) The current research about adult
learning principles and implementation
science that will inform the proposed
TA; and
(iii) How the proposed project will
incorporate current research and EBPs
in the development and delivery of its
products and services;
(5) Develop products and provide
services that are of high quality and
sufficient intensity and duration to
achieve the intended outcomes of the
proposed project. To address this
requirement, the applicant must
describe—
(i) How it proposes to identify or
develop the knowledge base in special
education dispute resolution;
(ii) Its proposed approach to
universal, general TA,1 which must
identify the intended recipients,
including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products
and services, a description of the
products and services that the Center
proposes to make available, and the
expected impact of those products and
services under this approach;
(iii) Its proposed approach to targeted,
specialized TA,2 which must identify—
(A) The intended recipients,
including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products
and services, a description of the
products and services that the Center
proposes to make available, and the
expected impact of those products and
services under this approach; and
(B) Its proposed approach to measure
the dispute resolution needs and
readiness of potential TA recipients to
work with the project, assessing, at a
minimum, their current infrastructure,
1 ‘‘Universal, general TA’’ means TA and
information provided to independent users through
their own initiative, resulting in minimal
interaction with TA center staff and including onetime, invited or offered conference presentations by
TA center staff. This category of TA also includes
information or products, such as newsletters,
guidebooks, or research syntheses, downloaded
from the TA center’s website by independent users.
Brief communications by TA center staff with
recipients, either by telephone or email, are also
considered universal, general TA.
2 ‘‘Targeted, specialized TA’’ means TA services
based on needs common to multiple recipients and
not extensively individualized. A relationship is
established between the TA recipient and one or
more TA center staff. This category of TA includes
one-time, labor-intensive events, such as facilitating
strategic planning or hosting regional or national
conferences. It can also include episodic, less laborintensive events that extend over a period of time,
such as facilitating a series of conference calls on
single or multiple topics that are designed around
the needs of the recipients. Facilitating
communities of practice can also be considered
targeted, specialized TA.
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available resources, and ability to build
capacity at the local level; and
(iv) Its proposed approach to
intensive, sustained TA,3 which must
identify—
(A) The intended recipients,
including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products
and services, a description of the
products and services that the Center
proposes to make available, and the
expected impact of those products and
services under this approach;
(B) Its proposed approach to measure
the dispute resolution needs and
readiness of SEAs, Part C State lead
agencies, and parent centers to work
with the project, including their
commitment to the initiative, alignment
of the initiative to their needs, current
infrastructure, available resources, and
ability of the SEAs, Part C State lead
agencies, and parent centers to build
capacity at the local school district or
program level;
(C) Its proposed plan for assisting
SEAs and Part C State lead agencies to
build or enhance training systems
related to special education dispute
resolution that include professional
development based on adult learning
principles and coaching; and
(D) Its proposed plan for working with
appropriate levels of the education
system (e.g., SEAs, Part C State lead
agencies, regional TA providers, parents
and families) to ensure that there is
communication between each level and
that there are systems in place to
support the use of effective dispute
resolution practices, including early
resolution EBPs;
(6) Develop products and implement
services that are impartial and maximize
efficiency. To address this requirement,
the applicant must describe—
(i) How the proposed project will use
technology to achieve the intended
project outcomes;
(ii) With whom the proposed project
will collaborate and the intended
outcomes of this collaboration; and
(iii) How the proposed project will
use non-project resources to achieve the
intended project outcomes.
(c) In the narrative section of the
application under ‘‘Quality of the
Evaluation Plan,’’ include an evaluation
plan for the project as described in the
following paragraphs. The evaluation
3 ‘‘Intensive, sustained TA’’ means TA services
often provided on-site and requiring a stable,
ongoing relationship between the TA center staff
and the TA recipient. ‘‘TA services’’ are defined as
negotiated series of activities designed to reach a
valued outcome. This category of TA should result
in changes to policy, program, practice, or
operations that support increased recipient capacity
or improved outcomes at one or more systems
levels.
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plan must describe: Measures of
progress in implementation, including
the criteria for determining the extent to
which the project’s products and
services have met the goals for reaching
its target population; measures of
intended outcomes or results of the
project’s activities in order to evaluate
those activities; and how well the goals
or objectives of the proposed project, as
described in its logic model, have been
met.
The applicant must provide an
assurance that, in designing the
evaluation plan, it will—
(1) Designate, with the approval of the
OSEP project officer, a project liaison
staff person with sufficient dedicated
time, experience in evaluation, and
knowledge of the project to work in
collaboration with the Center to
Improve Program and Project
Performance (CIP3),4 the project
director, and the OSEP project officer on
the following tasks:
(i) Revise, as needed, the logic model
submitted in the application to provide
for a more comprehensive measurement
of implementation and outcomes and to
reflect any changes or clarifications to
the model discussed at the kick-off
meeting;
(ii) Refine the evaluation design and
instrumentation proposed in the
application consistent with the logic
model (e.g., prepare evaluation
questions about significant program
processes and outcomes; develop
quantitative or qualitative data
collections that permit both the
collection of progress data, including
fidelity of implementation, as
appropriate, and the assessment of
project outcomes; and identify analytic
strategies); and
(iii) Revise, as needed, the evaluation
plan submitted in the application such
that it clearly—
(A) Specifies the measures and
associated instruments or sources for
data appropriate to the evaluation
questions, suggests analytic strategies
for those data, provides a timeline for
conducting the evaluation, and includes
staff assignments for completing the
plan;
4 The major tasks of CIP3 are to guide, coordinate,
and oversee the design of formative evaluations for
every large discretionary investment (i.e., those
awarded $500,000 or more per year and required to
participate in the 3+2 process) in OSEP’s Technical
Assistance and Dissemination; Personnel
Development; Parent Training and Information
Centers; and Educational Technology, Media, and
Materials programs. The efforts of CIP3 are expected
to enhance individual project evaluation plans by
providing expert and unbiased TA in designing the
evaluations with due consideration of the project’s
budget. CIP3 does not function as a third-party
evaluator.
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(B) Delineates the data expected to be
available by the end of the second
project year for use during the project’s
evaluation (3+2 review) for continued
funding described under the heading
Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project;
and
(C) Can be used to assist the project
director and the OSEP project officer,
with the assistance of CIP3, as needed,
to specify the performance measures to
be addressed in the project’s Annual
Performance Report;
(2) Cooperate with CIP3 staff in order
to accomplish the tasks described in
paragraph (1) of this section; and
(3) Dedicate sufficient funds in each
budget year to cover the costs of
carrying out the tasks described in
paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section
and implementing the evaluation plan.
(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Adequacy of Project Resources,’’
how—
(1) The proposed project will
encourage applications for employment
from persons who are members of
groups that have traditionally been
underrepresented based on race, color,
national origin, gender, age, or
disability, as appropriate;
(2) The proposed key project
personnel, consultants, and
subcontractors have the qualifications
and experience to carry out the
proposed activities and achieve the
project’s intended outcomes;
(3) The applicant and any key
partners have adequate resources to
carry out the proposed activities; and
(4) The proposed costs are reasonable
in relation to the anticipated results and
benefits.
(e) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Quality of the Management Plan,’’
how—
(1) The proposed management plan
will ensure that the project’s intended
outcomes will be achieved on time and
within budget. To address this
requirement, the applicant must
describe—
(i) Clearly defined responsibilities for
key project personnel, consultants, and
subcontractors, as applicable; and
(ii) Timelines and milestones for
accomplishing the project tasks;
(2) Key project personnel and any
consultants and subcontractors will be
allocated and how these allocations are
appropriate and adequate to achieve the
project’s intended outcomes;
(3) The proposed management plan
will ensure that the products and
services provided are of high quality,
relevant, and useful to recipients; and
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(4) The proposed project will benefit
from a diversity of perspectives,
including those of families, educators,
TA providers, researchers, and policy
makers, among others, in its
development and operation.
(f) Address the following application
requirements. The applicant must—
(1) Include, in Appendix A,
personnel-loading charts and timelines,
as applicable, to illustrate the
management plan described in the
narrative;
(2) Include, in the budget, attendance
at the following:
(i) A one and one-half day kick-off
meeting in Washington, DC, after receipt
of the award, and an annual planning
meeting, with the OSEP project officer
and other relevant staff during each
subsequent year of the project period.
Note: Within 30 days of receipt of the
award, a post-award teleconference
must be held between the OSEP project
officer and the grantee’s project director
or other authorized representative;
(ii) A two and one-half day project
directors’ conference in Washington,
DC, during each year of the project
period;
(iii) Two annual two-day trips to
attend Department briefings,
Department-sponsored conferences, and
other meetings, as requested by OSEP;
and
(iv) A one-day intensive 3+2 review
meeting during the last half of the
second year of the project period;
(3) Include, in the budget, a line item
for an annual set-aside of five percent of
the grant amount to support emerging
needs that are consistent with the
proposed project’s intended outcomes,
as those needs are identified in
consultation with, and approved by, the
OSEP project officer. With approval
from the OSEP project officer, the
project must reallocate any remaining
funds from this annual set-aside no later
than the end of the third quarter of each
budget period;
(4) Maintain a high-quality website,
with an easy-to-navigate design, that
meets government or industryrecognized standards for accessibility;
and
(5) Include, in Appendix A, an
assurance to assist OSEP with the
transfer of pertinent resources and
products and to maintain the continuity
of services to TA recipients during the
transition to this new award period and
at the end of this award period, as
appropriate.
Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project:
In deciding whether to continue
funding the project for the fourth and
fifth years, the Secretary will consider
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the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), as
well as—
(a) The recommendation of a 3+2
review team consisting of experts
selected by the Secretary. This review
will be conducted during a one-day
intensive meeting that will be held
during the last half of the second year
of the project period;
(b) The timeliness with which, and
how well, the requirements of the
negotiated cooperative agreement have
been or are being met by the project; and
(c) The quality, relevance, and
usefulness of the project’s products and
services and the extent to which the
project’s products and services are
aligned with the project’s objectives and
likely to result in the project achieving
its intended outcomes.
References
Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in
Special Education (CADRE). (2017).
Trends in dispute resolution under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA). Eugene, OR: CADRE.
Retrieved from www.cadreworks.org/
sites/default/files/TrendsinDispute
Resolution%20DEC17.pdf.
Government Accountability Office. (2003).
Numbers of formal disputes are generally
low and States are using mediation and
other strategies to resolve conflicts (GAO
Publication No. 03–897). Washington,
DC: Government Printing Office.
Government Accountability Office. (2014).
Improved performance measures could
enhance oversight of dispute resolution
(GAO Publication No. 14–390).
Washington, DC: Government Printing
Office.
Definitions: The following definitions
are from 34 CFR 77.1:
Demonstrates a rationale means a key
project component included in the
project’s logic model is informed by
research or evaluation findings that
suggest the project component is likely
to improve relevant outcomes.
Evidence-based means the proposed
project component is supported by one
or more of strong evidence, moderate
evidence, promising evidence, or
evidence that demonstrates a rationale.
Experimental study means a study
that is designed to compare outcomes
between two groups of individuals
(such as students) that are otherwise
equivalent except for their assignment
to either a treatment group receiving a
project component or a control group
that does not. Randomized controlled
trials, regression discontinuity design
studies, and single-case design studies
are the specific types of experimental
studies that, depending on their design
and implementation (e.g., sample
attrition in randomized controlled trials
and regression discontinuity design
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studies), can meet What Works
Clearinghouse (WWC) standards
without reservations as described in the
WWC Handbook:
(i) A randomized controlled trial
employs random assignment of, for
example, students, teachers, classrooms,
or schools to receive the project
component being evaluated (the
treatment group) or not to receive the
project component (the control group).
(ii) A regression discontinuity design
study assigns the project component
being evaluated using a measured
variable (e.g., assigning students reading
below a cutoff score to tutoring or
developmental education classes) and
controls for that variable in the analysis
of outcomes.
(iii) A single-case design study uses
observations of a single case (e.g., a
student eligible for a behavioral
intervention) over time in the absence
and presence of a controlled treatment
manipulation to determine whether the
outcome is systematically related to the
treatment.
Logic model (also referred to as a
theory of action) means a framework
that identifies key project components
of the proposed project (i.e., the active
‘‘ingredients’’ that are hypothesized to
be critical to achieving the relevant
outcomes) and describes the theoretical
and operational relationships among the
key project components and relevant
outcomes.
Moderate evidence means that there is
evidence of effectiveness of a key
project component in improving a
relevant outcome for a sample that
overlaps with the populations or
settings proposed to receive that
component, based on a relevant finding
from one of the following:
(i) A practice guide prepared by the
WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the
WWC Handbook reporting a ‘‘strong
evidence base’’ or ‘‘moderate evidence
base’’ for the corresponding practice
guide recommendation;
(ii) An intervention report prepared
by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of
the WWC Handbook reporting a
‘‘positive effect’’ or ‘‘potentially positive
effect’’ on a relevant outcome based on
a ‘‘medium to large’’ extent of evidence,
with no reporting of a ‘‘negative effect’’
or ‘‘potentially negative effect’’ on a
relevant outcome; or
(iii) A single experimental study or
quasi-experimental design study
reviewed and reported by the WWC
using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC
Handbook, or otherwise assessed by the
Department using version 3.0 of the
WWC Handbook, as appropriate, and
that—
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(A) Meets WWC standards with or
without reservations;
(B) Includes at least one statistically
significant and positive (i.e., favorable)
effect on a relevant outcome;
(C) Includes no overriding statistically
significant and negative effects on
relevant outcomes reported in the study
or in a corresponding WWC
intervention report prepared under
version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC
Handbook; and
(D) Is based on a sample from more
than one site (e.g., State, county, city,
school district, or postsecondary
campus) and includes at least 350
students or other individuals across
sites. Multiple studies of the same
project component that each meet
requirements in paragraphs (iii)(A), (B),
and (C) of this definition may together
satisfy this requirement.
Project component means an activity,
strategy, intervention, process, product,
practice, or policy included in a project.
Evidence may pertain to an individual
project component or to a combination
of project components (e.g., training
teachers on instructional practices for
English learners and follow-on coaching
for these teachers).
Promising evidence means that there
is evidence of the effectiveness of a key
project component in improving a
relevant outcome, based on a relevant
finding from one of the following:
(i) A practice guide prepared by WWC
reporting a ‘‘strong evidence base’’ or
‘‘moderate evidence base’’ for the
corresponding practice guide
recommendation;
(ii) An intervention report prepared
by the WWC reporting a ‘‘positive
effect’’ or ‘‘potentially positive effect’’
on a relevant outcome with no reporting
of a ‘‘negative effect’’ or ‘‘potentially
negative effect’’ on a relevant outcome;
or
(iii) A single study assessed by the
Department, as appropriate, that—
(A) Is an experimental study, a quasiexperimental design study, or a welldesigned and well-implemented
correlational study with statistical
controls for selection bias (e.g., a study
using regression methods to account for
differences between a treatment group
and a comparison group); and
(B) Includes at least one statistically
significant and positive (i.e., favorable)
effect on a relevant outcome.
Quasi-experimental design study
means a study using a design that
attempts to approximate an
experimental study by identifying a
comparison group that is similar to the
treatment group in important respects.
This type of study, depending on design
and implementation (e.g., establishment
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of baseline equivalence of the groups
being compared), can meet WWC
standards with reservations, but cannot
meet WWC standards without
reservations, as described in the WWC
Handbook.
Relevant outcome means the student
outcome(s) or other outcome(s) the key
project component is designed to
improve, consistent with the specific
goals of the program.
Strong evidence means that there is
evidence of the effectiveness of a key
project component in improving a
relevant outcome for a sample that
overlaps with the populations and
settings proposed to receive that
component, based on a relevant finding
from one of the following:
(i) A practice guide prepared by the
WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the
WWC Handbook reporting a ‘‘strong
evidence base’’ for the corresponding
practice guide recommendation;
(ii) An intervention report prepared
by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of
the WWC Handbook reporting a
‘‘positive effect’’ on a relevant outcome
based on a ‘‘medium to large’’ extent of
evidence, with no reporting of a
‘‘negative effect’’ or ‘‘potentially
negative effect’’ on a relevant outcome;
or
(iii) A single experimental study
reviewed and reported by the WWC
using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC
Handbook, or otherwise assessed by the
Department using version 3.0 of the
WWC Handbook, as appropriate, and
that—
(A) Meets WWC standards without
reservations;
(B) Includes at least one statistically
significant and positive (i.e., favorable)
effect on a relevant outcome;
(C) Includes no overriding statistically
significant and negative effects on
relevant outcomes reported in the study
or in a corresponding WWC
intervention report prepared under
version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC
Handbook; and
(D) Is based on a sample from more
than one site (e.g., State, county, city,
school district, or postsecondary
campus) and includes at least 350
students or other individuals across
sites. Multiple studies of the same
project component that each meet
requirements in paragraphs (iii)(A), (B),
and (C) of this definition may together
satisfy this requirement.
What Works Clearinghouse Handbook
(WWC Handbook) means the standards
and procedures set forth in the WWC
Procedures and Standards Handbook,
Version 3.0 or Version 2.1 (incorporated
by reference, see 34 CFR 77.2). Study
findings eligible for review under WWC
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standards can meet WWC standards
without reservations, meet WWC
standards with reservations, or not meet
WWC standards. WWC practice guides
and intervention reports include
findings from systematic reviews of
evidence as described in the Handbook
documentation.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking:
Under the Administrative Procedure Act
(APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department
generally offers interested parties the
opportunity to comment on proposed
priorities and requirements. Section
681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the
public comment requirements of the
APA inapplicable to the priority in this
notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1463
and 1481.
Applicable Regulations: (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.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part
79 apply to all applicants except
federally recognized Indian Tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part
86 apply to institutions of higher
education (IHEs) only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative
agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: $750,000.
Contingent upon the availability of
funds and the quality of applications,
we may make additional awards in FY
2019 from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition.
Maximum Award: We will not make
an award exceeding $750,000 for a
single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by
any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
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III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs,
including public charter schools that
operate as LEAs under State law; IHEs;
other public agencies; private nonprofit
organizations; freely associated States
and outlying areas; Indian Tribes or
Tribal organizations; and for-profit
organizations.
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2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
program does not require cost sharing or
matching.
3. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR
75.708(b) and (c) a grantee under this
competition 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. The grantee may award
subgrants to entities it has identified in
an approved application.
4. Other: (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) Applicants for, and recipients 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. Application Submission
Instructions: For information on how to
submit an application please refer to our
Common Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary
Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 12, 2018
(83 FR 6003) and available at
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/
pdf/2018-02558.pdf.
2. Intergovernmental Review: This
competition is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34
CFR part 79. However, under 34 CFR
79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental
review in order to make an award by the
end of FY 2018.
3. Funding Restrictions: We reference
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
4. Recommended 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. We recommend that you (1)
limit the application narrative to no
more than 70 pages and (2) use the
following standards:
• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side
only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,
and both sides.
• Double space (no more than three
lines per vertical inch) all text in the
application narrative, including titles,
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headings, footnotes, quotations,
reference citations, and captions, as well
as all text in charts, tables, figures,
graphs, and screen shots.
• Use a font that is 12 point or larger.
• Use one of the following fonts:
Times New Roman, Courier, Courier
New, or Arial.
The recommended page limit does not
apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the
narrative budget justification; Part IV,
the assurances and certifications; or the
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
recommended page limit does apply to
all of the application narrative,
including all text in charts, tables,
figures, graphs, and screen shots.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection
criteria for this competition are from 34
CFR 75.210 and are as follows:
(a) Significance (10 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
significance of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the significance of
the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which specific gaps
or weaknesses in services,
infrastructure, or opportunities have
been identified and will be addressed by
the proposed project, including the
nature and magnitude of those gaps or
weaknesses.
(ii) The importance or magnitude of
the results or outcomes likely to be
attained by the proposed project.
(b) Quality of project services (35
points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the services to be provided by
the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
services to be provided by the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the
quality and sufficiency of strategies for
ensuring equal access and treatment for
eligible project participants who are
members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented
based on race, color, national origin,
gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the goals,
objectives, and outcomes to be achieved
by the proposed project are clearly
specified and measurable.
(ii) The extent to which there is a
conceptual framework underlying the
proposed research or demonstration
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activities and the quality of that
framework.
(iii) The extent to which the services
to be provided by the proposed project
reflect up-to-date knowledge from
research and effective practice.
(iv) The extent to which the training
or professional development services to
be provided by the proposed project are
of sufficient quality, intensity, and
duration to lead to improvements in
practice among the recipients of those
services.
(v) The extent to which the technical
assistance services to be provided by the
proposed project involve the use of
efficient strategies, including the use of
technology, as appropriate, and the
leveraging of non-project resources.
(vi) The adequacy of mechanisms for
ensuring high-quality products and
services from the proposed project.
(c) Quality of the project evaluation
(20 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
evaluation, the Secretary considers the
following factors:
(i) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and
appropriate to the goals, objectives, and
outcomes of the proposed project.
(ii) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation provide for examining the
effectiveness of project implementation
strategies.
(iii) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation will provide performance
feedback and permit periodic
assessment of progress toward achieving
intended outcomes.
(iv) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation include the use of
objective performance measures that are
clearly related to the intended outcomes
of the project and will produce
quantitative and qualitative data to the
extent possible.
(d) Adequacy of resources and quality
of project personnel (15 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
adequacy of resources for the proposed
project and the quality of the personnel
who will carry out the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of
project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the
applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are
members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented
based on race, color, national origin,
gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The qualifications, including
relevant training and experience, of the
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project director or principal
investigator.
(ii) The qualifications, including
relevant training and experience, of key
project personnel.
(iii) The qualifications, including
relevant training and experience, of
project consultants or subcontractors.
(iv) The qualifications, including
relevant training, experience, and
independence, of the evaluator.
(v) The adequacy of support,
including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources, from the
applicant organization or the lead
applicant organization.
(vi) The relevance and demonstrated
commitment of each partner in the
proposed project to the implementation
and success of the project.
(vii) The extent to which the budget
is adequate to support the proposed
project.
(viii) The extent to which the costs are
reasonable in relation to the objectives,
design, and potential significance of the
proposed project.
(e) Quality of the management plan
(20 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the management plan for the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
management plan for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the
following factors:
(i) The adequacy of the management
plan to achieve the objectives of the
proposed project on time and within
budget, including clearly defined
responsibilities, timelines, and
milestones for accomplishing project
tasks.
(ii) The extent to which the time
commitments of the project director and
principal investigator and other key
project personnel are appropriate and
adequate to meet the objectives of the
proposed project.
(iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for
ensuring high-quality products and
services from the proposed project.
(iv) How the applicant will ensure
that a diversity of perspectives are
brought to bear in the operation of the
proposed project, including those of
parents, teachers, the business
community, a variety of disciplinary
and professional fields, recipients or
beneficiaries of services, or others, as
appropriate.
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
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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 Specific
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 specific
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
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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 the System for
Award Management. 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
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. Open Licensing Requirements:
Unless an exception applies, if you are
awarded a grant under this competition,
you will be required to openly license
to the public grant deliverables created
in whole, or in part, with Department
grant funds. When the deliverable
consists of modifications to pre-existing
works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately
identified and only to the extent that
open licensing is permitted under the
terms of any licenses or other legal
restrictions on the use of pre-existing
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18:50 Jul 24, 2018
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works. Additionally, a grantee or
subgrantee that is awarded competitive
grant funds must have a plan to
disseminate these public grant
deliverables. This dissemination plan
can be developed and submitted after
your application has been reviewed and
selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing
requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
4. 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.
5. Performance Measures: Under the
Government Performance and Results
Act of 1993, the Department has
established a set of performance
measures, including long-term
measures, that are designed to yield
information on various aspects of the
effectiveness and quality of the
Technical Assistance and Dissemination
to Improve Services and Results for
Children With Disabilities program.
These measures are:
• Program Performance Measure #1:
The percentage of Technical Assistance
and Dissemination products and
services deemed to be of high quality by
an independent review panel of experts
qualified to review the substantive
content of the products and services.
• Program Performance Measure #2:
The percentage of Special Education
Technical Assistance and Dissemination
products and services deemed by an
independent review panel of qualified
experts to be of high relevance to
educational and early intervention
policy or practice.
• Program Performance Measure #3:
The percentage of all Special Education
Technical Assistance and Dissemination
products and services deemed by an
independent review panel of qualified
experts to be useful in improving
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35255
educational or early intervention policy
or practice.
• Program Performance Measure #4:
The cost efficiency of the Technical
Assistance and Dissemination Program
includes the percentage of milestones
achieved in the current annual
performance report period and the
percentage of funds spent during the
current fiscal year.
• Long-term Program Performance
Measure: The percentage of States
receiving Special Education Technical
Assistance and Dissemination services
regarding scientifically or evidencebased practices for infants, toddlers,
children, and youth with disabilities
that successfully promote the
implementation of those practices in
school districts and service agencies.
The measures apply to projects
funded under this competition, and
grantees are required to submit data on
these measures as directed by OSEP.
Grantees will be required to report
information on their project’s
performance in annual and final
performance reports to the Department
(34 CFR 75.590).
6. 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. 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
E:\FR\FM\25JYN1.SGM
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35256
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 25, 2018 / Notices
the document published in the Federal
Register. You may access the official
edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations 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 Portable Document Format
(PDF). To use PDF you must have
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at the site.
You may also access documents of the
Department published in the Federal
Register by using the article search
feature at: www.federalregister.gov.
Specifically, through the advanced
search feature at this site, you can limit
your search to documents published by
the Department.
Dated: July 19, 2018.
Johnny W. Collett,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2018–15932 Filed 7–24–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket No. ED–2018–ICCD–0077]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Comment Request; High
School Longitudinal Study of 2009
(HSLS: 09) Panel Maintenance 2018
and 2021
National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES), Department of
Education (ED).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is
proposing a revision of an existing
information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before
September 24, 2018.
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–
2018–ICCD–0077. 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
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:50 Jul 24, 2018
Jkt 244001
addressed to the Director of the
Information Collection Clearance
Division, U.S. Department of Education,
550 12th Street, SW, PCP, Room 9089,
Washington, DC 20202–0023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
specific questions related to collection
activities, please contact Kashka
Kubzdela, 202–502–7411 or email
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
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: High School
Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS: 09)
Panel Maintenance 2018 and 2021.
OMB Control Number: 1850–0852.
Type of Review: A revision of an
existing information collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Individuals or Households.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 9,326.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 778.
Abstract: The High School
Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) is
a nationally representative, longitudinal
study of more than 20,000 9th graders
in 944 schools in 2009 who are being
followed through their secondary and
postsecondary years. The study focuses
on understanding students’ trajectories
from the beginning of high school into
postsecondary education or the
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workforce and beyond. What students
decide to pursue when, why, and how
are crucial questions for HSLS:09,
especially, but not solely, in regards to
science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) courses, majors, and
careers. HSLS:09 measured math
achievement gains in the first 3 years of
high school and, like past studies,
surveyed students, their parents, school
administrators, school counselors, and
teachers. After the initial 2009 data
collection, the main study students were
re-surveyed in 2012 when most were
high school 11th-graders, then again in
2013 when most had just graduated
from high school, and lastly in 2016.
The 2016 second follow-up data
collection consisted of a survey,
postsecondary transcript collection,
financial aid records collection, and file
matching to extant data sources. It
focused on postsecondary attendance
patterns, field of study selection
processes with particular emphasis on
STEM, the postsecondary academic and
social experience, education financing,
employment history including instances
of unemployment and
underemployment, job characteristics
including income and benefits, job
values, family formation, and civic
engagement. The HSLS:09 data elements
are designed to support research that
speaks to the underlying dynamics and
education processes that influence
student achievement, growth, and
personal development over time. This
request is to conduct the HSLS:09 panel
maintenance to keep sample members’
contact information up-to-date for future
follow-up activities.
Dated: July 20, 2018.
Stephanie Valentine,
Acting Director, Information Collection
Clearance Division, Office of the Chief Privacy
Officer, Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2018–15871 Filed 7–24–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Technical Assistance and
Dissemination To Improve Services
and Results for Children With
Disabilities, School Safety National
Activities, and Student Support and
Academic Enrichment (SSAE) Grants
Programs—National Technical
Assistance Center on Positive
Behavioral Interventions and Supports
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Office of
Elementary and Secondary Education,
Department of Education.
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\25JYN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35247-35256]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15932]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance and
Dissemination To Improve Services and Results for Children With
Disabilities--Center on Dispute Resolution
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative. Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Education is issuing a notice inviting
applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2018 for Technical
Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for
Children With Disabilities--Center on Dispute Resolution, Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.326X.
DATES:
Applications Available: July 25, 2018.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 24, 2018.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003) and available at
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02558.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tina Diamond, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5136, Potomac Center Plaza,
[[Page 35248]]
Washington, DC 20202-5108. Telephone: (202) 245-6674.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Technical Assistance and
Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities program is to promote academic achievement and to improve
results for children with disabilities by providing technical
assistance, supporting model demonstration projects, disseminating
useful information, and implementing activities that are supported by
scientifically based research.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 663
and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);
20 U.S.C. 1463 and 1481(d)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2018 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:
Center on Dispute Resolution.
Background: The mission of the Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is to improve early childhood,
educational, and employment outcomes and raise expectations for all
people with disabilities, their families, their communities, and the
Nation. This priority is consistent with Supplemental Priority 1 in the
Secretary's Final Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for
Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on
March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096) (Supplemental Priorities)--Empowering
Families and Individuals To Choose a High-Quality Education That Meets
Their Unique Needs; and Supplemental Priority 5--Meeting the Unique
Needs of Students and Children With Disabilities and/or Those With
Unique Gifts and Talents.
IDEA includes procedural safeguards that are designed to protect
the rights of children with disabilities and their parents and to
provide parents with mechanisms for resolving, at the earliest point in
time, disputes with those who provide services to children with
disabilities (State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational
agencies (LEAs), schools, Part C State lead agencies, and early
intervention service (EIS) providers). The procedural safeguards
include the opportunity to seek a timely resolution of disputes about
establishing a child's eligibility under IDEA and providing a free
appropriate public education (FAPE) to an eligible child or the
appropriate EIS to infants and toddlers with disabilities. Thus, IDEA
encourages constructive relationships between parents of children with
disabilities and those who provide services to children with
disabilities by facilitating open communication between the parents and
these entities and encouraging early resolution of disputes so that
disagreements do not escalate and become adversarial and result in a
delay in identifying, and providing needed services to, eligible
children. IDEA's dispute resolution procedures include provisions for
State complaints, mediation, due process complaints, and resolution
sessions, as described below.
State Complaints. IDEA's State complaint procedures permit parents
and other interested individuals or organizations to file a complaint
with the SEA or Part C State lead agency to seek resolution of any
alleged violations of IDEA. The goal of the State complaint procedures
is to resolve disputes while avoiding costly or time-consuming due
process hearings (34 CFR 300.151 through 300.153--Part B regulations;
34 CFR 303.432 through 303.434--Part C regulations). The State
complaint procedures provide an important means of ensuring that the
educational or early intervention needs of children with disabilities
are met (34 CFR 300.151 and 303.432).
Mediation. In response to increasing numbers of due process
complaints under Part B of IDEA, Congress amended IDEA in 1997 to
require SEAs and Part C State lead agencies to make mediation
available, at a minimum, whenever a due process complaint is filed. In
2004, Congress further amended section 615(e) of IDEA to allow parties
to use mediation to resolve disputes involving any matter under IDEA,
not just those matters that are the subject of a due process complaint,
thus making mediation available at any time and on any matter under
IDEA. (This amendment also applies to Part C through section 639(a)(8)
of IDEA.) In mediation, the goal is for a neutral third party to
facilitate the resolution of disputes without the need for an
adversarial hearing. Thus, mediation is more likely than due process
hearings to foster positive relationships between families and
educators and EIS providers (Government Accountability Office, 2003).
Due Process Hearings. In due process hearings, IDEA requires that
an impartial, knowledgeable decision-maker resolve disputes. While due
process hearings are an important protection, they can be costly, time-
consuming, and contentious, and they may damage relationships between
the parties involved in the dispute.
Resolution Session. The 2004 amendments to IDEA added a requirement
for a resolution session prior to a due process hearing. The resolution
session requirement applies to all IDEA Part B due process complaints
and to those IDEA Part C due process complaints filed in a State that
has elected to adopt the Part B-type due process hearing procedures in
34 CFR 303.440 through 303.449. Under section 615(f)(1)(B) of IDEA, the
LEA (or in the case of IDEA Part C, under 34 CFR 303.442, the State
lead agency) must convene a meeting with the parents and relevant
members of the child's individualized education program (IEP) or
individualized family service plan (IFSP) team who have specific
knowledge of the facts identified in the complaint. This provides the
parents and the agency responsible for providing service to a child
with an opportunity to resolve the complaint and avoid a due process
hearing.
Early Resolution Practices. In addition to these methods of dispute
resolution specifically required under IDEA, there are a variety of
informal or ``early resolution'' practices that can be used to resolve
disputes at the school or district level and avoid time-consuming and
costly litigation.
Each SEA and Part C State lead agency is responsible for annually
reporting data on dispute resolution activity to the Office of Special
Education Programs (OSEP) to help determine the extent to which States
effectively implement dispute resolution practices. The data collected
by OSEP include information on the timeliness of State complaint
reports and due process hearing decisions, the percentage of due
process complaints that were resolved through settlement agreements,
and mediations resulting in agreements.
An analysis of national data trends in dispute resolution conducted
by the Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education
(CADRE) shows declines in processes, such as written State complaints
and due process complaints, and increases in the use of collaborative
approaches,
[[Page 35249]]
such as mediation and IEP facilitation (CADRE, 2017). However, OSEP's
most recent analysis of Annual Performance Reports (APRs) shows that
States continue to fall short of their targets for agreement rates in
resolution sessions. A survey of State officials indicated that a lack
of public awareness about early resolution practices presents a
challenge to expanding their use, which demonstrates a need for
additional technical assistance (TA), dissemination of information, and
coordination with parent organizations (Government Accountability
Office, 2014). OSEP-funded parent TA providers have noted that this
lack of awareness is prevalent among vulnerable populations due to
language, informational, or economic barriers.
Priority: The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative
agreement to establish and operate a Center on Dispute Resolution
(Center). This Center will provide TA to SEAs, Part C State lead
agencies, and OSEP-funded parent centers to improve the implementation
of all of the dispute resolution practices required under IDEA, along
with any optional early resolution strategies that may be available.
The Center must achieve, at a minimum, the following expected outcomes:
(a) Increased capacity of SEAs and Part C State lead agencies to
support local implementation of effective early resolution practices to
resolve disputes and thereby decrease State complaints and due process
complaints;
(b) Increased capacity of SEAs and Part C State lead agencies to
collect, report, and use high-quality dispute resolution data;
(c) Increased body of knowledge on dispute prevention and exemplary
dispute resolution practices to meet the dispute resolution needs of
parents and families, including those from vulnerable populations who
may be less likely to access dispute resolution due to language,
informational, or economic barriers;
(d) Improved access for hearing officers to information on emerging
issues related to special education and early intervention dispute
resolution;
(e) Improved ability of SEAs and Part C State lead agencies to
implement a range of dispute resolution options, including methods of
dispute resolution required under IDEA and early resolution practices
and to support SEAs and Part C State lead agencies in ensuring that
dispute resolution options are not affected by administrative
constraints (e.g., staffing or target agreement rates for mediation
agreements and resolution sessions);
(f) Improved capacity of OSEP-funded parent centers to provide TA
on the range of effective dispute resolution options;
(g) Increased knowledge of OSEP-funded parent centers, parents, and
families about school choice as it relates to due process and
procedural safeguards under IDEA; and
(h) An annual analysis of State and national trends and other data
about dispute resolution to determine the extent to which SEAs and Part
C State lead agencies have--
(i) Met the required timelines when resolving State complaints and
issuing due process hearing decisions;
(ii) Used resolution meetings and mediation to successfully resolve
disputes between parents and LEAs or EIS providers; and
(iii) Implemented effective methods of early dispute resolution.
In addition to these programmatic requirements, to be considered
for funding under this priority, applicants must meet the application
and administrative requirements in this priority, which are:
(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Significance of the Project,'' how the proposed project will--
(1) Address gaps or weaknesses in State or local dispute resolution
performance and compliance to meet the dispute resolution needs of SEA
and Part C State lead agency personnel, as well as the needs of parents
and families, including those from vulnerable populations who may be
less likely to access dispute resolution due to language,
informational, or economic barriers. To meet this requirement the
applicant must--
(i) Demonstrate knowledge of exemplary dispute resolution practices
that will assist SEAs and Part C State lead agencies in improving
dispute resolution, especially practices that will assist agencies in
meeting compliance and performance targets and implementing effective
early resolution practices;
(ii) Present information about the current level of implementation
of exemplary dispute resolution practices in SEAs and Part C State lead
agencies, especially practices that will assist agencies in meeting
compliance and performance targets and implementing effective early
resolution practices; and
(iii) Present national, State, or local data on the financial and
administrative burden of involvement in dispute resolution and discuss
strategies for minimizing these burdens for all parties involved.
(2) Improve outcomes in dispute resolution compliance and
performance for SEAs and Part C State lead agencies and increase the
implementation of early resolution practices.
(3) Improve communication between parents and families and
education professionals to minimize conflict and increase the use of
collaborative problem-solving and dispute resolution practices.
(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of the Project Services,'' how the proposed project will--
(1) Ensure equal access and treatment for members of groups that
have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability. To meet this requirement, the
applicant must describe how it will--
(i) Identify the needs of the intended recipients for TA and
information; and
(ii) Ensure that services and products meet the needs of the
intended recipients of the grant;
(2) Achieve its goals, objectives, and intended outcomes. To meet
this requirement, the applicant must provide--
(i) Measurable intended project outcomes; and
(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model (as defined in this notice) by
which the proposed project will achieve its intended outcomes that
depicts, at a minimum, the goals, activities, outputs, and intended
outcomes of the proposed project;
(3) Use a conceptual framework (and provide a copy in Appendix A)
to develop project plans and activities, describing any underlying
concepts, assumptions, expectations, beliefs, or theories, as well as
the presumed relationships or linkages among these variables, and any
empirical support for this framework;
Note: The following websites provide more information on logic
models and conceptual frameworks: www.osepideasthatwork.org/logicModel
and www.osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptual-framework.
(4) Be based on current research on effective dispute resolution
practices, provide services that assist SEAs and Part C State lead
agencies to comply with IDEA requirements, and draw from the knowledge
base of effective early resolution evidence-based (as defined in this
notice) practices (EBPs). To meet this requirement, the applicant must
describe--
[[Page 35250]]
(i) The current research on effective dispute resolution practices,
including early resolution EBPs;
(ii) The current research about adult learning principles and
implementation science that will inform the proposed TA; and
(iii) How the proposed project will incorporate current research
and EBPs in the development and delivery of its products and services;
(5) Develop products and provide services that are of high quality
and sufficient intensity and duration to achieve the intended outcomes
of the proposed project. To address this requirement, the applicant
must describe--
(i) How it proposes to identify or develop the knowledge base in
special education dispute resolution;
(ii) Its proposed approach to universal, general TA,\1\ which must
identify the intended recipients, including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products and services, a description
of the products and services that the Center proposes to make
available, and the expected impact of those products and services under
this approach;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ ``Universal, general TA'' means TA and information provided
to independent users through their own initiative, resulting in
minimal interaction with TA center staff and including one-time,
invited or offered conference presentations by TA center staff. This
category of TA also includes information or products, such as
newsletters, guidebooks, or research syntheses, downloaded from the
TA center's website by independent users. Brief communications by TA
center staff with recipients, either by telephone or email, are also
considered universal, general TA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(iii) Its proposed approach to targeted, specialized TA,\2\ which
must identify--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ ``Targeted, specialized TA'' means TA services based on
needs common to multiple recipients and not extensively
individualized. A relationship is established between the TA
recipient and one or more TA center staff. This category of TA
includes one-time, labor-intensive events, such as facilitating
strategic planning or hosting regional or national conferences. It
can also include episodic, less labor-intensive events that extend
over a period of time, such as facilitating a series of conference
calls on single or multiple topics that are designed around the
needs of the recipients. Facilitating communities of practice can
also be considered targeted, specialized TA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(A) The intended recipients, including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products and services, a description
of the products and services that the Center proposes to make
available, and the expected impact of those products and services under
this approach; and
(B) Its proposed approach to measure the dispute resolution needs
and readiness of potential TA recipients to work with the project,
assessing, at a minimum, their current infrastructure, available
resources, and ability to build capacity at the local level; and
(iv) Its proposed approach to intensive, sustained TA,\3\ which
must identify--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ ``Intensive, sustained TA'' means TA services often provided
on-site and requiring a stable, ongoing relationship between the TA
center staff and the TA recipient. ``TA services'' are defined as
negotiated series of activities designed to reach a valued outcome.
This category of TA should result in changes to policy, program,
practice, or operations that support increased recipient capacity or
improved outcomes at one or more systems levels.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(A) The intended recipients, including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products and services, a description
of the products and services that the Center proposes to make
available, and the expected impact of those products and services under
this approach;
(B) Its proposed approach to measure the dispute resolution needs
and readiness of SEAs, Part C State lead agencies, and parent centers
to work with the project, including their commitment to the initiative,
alignment of the initiative to their needs, current infrastructure,
available resources, and ability of the SEAs, Part C State lead
agencies, and parent centers to build capacity at the local school
district or program level;
(C) Its proposed plan for assisting SEAs and Part C State lead
agencies to build or enhance training systems related to special
education dispute resolution that include professional development
based on adult learning principles and coaching; and
(D) Its proposed plan for working with appropriate levels of the
education system (e.g., SEAs, Part C State lead agencies, regional TA
providers, parents and families) to ensure that there is communication
between each level and that there are systems in place to support the
use of effective dispute resolution practices, including early
resolution EBPs;
(6) Develop products and implement services that are impartial and
maximize efficiency. To address this requirement, the applicant must
describe--
(i) How the proposed project will use technology to achieve the
intended project outcomes;
(ii) With whom the proposed project will collaborate and the
intended outcomes of this collaboration; and
(iii) How the proposed project will use non-project resources to
achieve the intended project outcomes.
(c) In the narrative section of the application under ``Quality of
the Evaluation Plan,'' include an evaluation plan for the project as
described in the following paragraphs. The evaluation plan must
describe: Measures of progress in implementation, including the
criteria for determining the extent to which the project's products and
services have met the goals for reaching its target population;
measures of intended outcomes or results of the project's activities in
order to evaluate those activities; and how well the goals or
objectives of the proposed project, as described in its logic model,
have been met.
The applicant must provide an assurance that, in designing the
evaluation plan, it will--
(1) Designate, with the approval of the OSEP project officer, a
project liaison staff person with sufficient dedicated time, experience
in evaluation, and knowledge of the project to work in collaboration
with the Center to Improve Program and Project Performance (CIP3),\4\
the project director, and the OSEP project officer on the following
tasks:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The major tasks of CIP3 are to guide, coordinate, and
oversee the design of formative evaluations for every large
discretionary investment (i.e., those awarded $500,000 or more per
year and required to participate in the 3+2 process) in OSEP's
Technical Assistance and Dissemination; Personnel Development;
Parent Training and Information Centers; and Educational Technology,
Media, and Materials programs. The efforts of CIP3 are expected to
enhance individual project evaluation plans by providing expert and
unbiased TA in designing the evaluations with due consideration of
the project's budget. CIP3 does not function as a third-party
evaluator.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) Revise, as needed, the logic model submitted in the application
to provide for a more comprehensive measurement of implementation and
outcomes and to reflect any changes or clarifications to the model
discussed at the kick-off meeting;
(ii) Refine the evaluation design and instrumentation proposed in
the application consistent with the logic model (e.g., prepare
evaluation questions about significant program processes and outcomes;
develop quantitative or qualitative data collections that permit both
the collection of progress data, including fidelity of implementation,
as appropriate, and the assessment of project outcomes; and identify
analytic strategies); and
(iii) Revise, as needed, the evaluation plan submitted in the
application such that it clearly--
(A) Specifies the measures and associated instruments or sources
for data appropriate to the evaluation questions, suggests analytic
strategies for those data, provides a timeline for conducting the
evaluation, and includes staff assignments for completing the plan;
[[Page 35251]]
(B) Delineates the data expected to be available by the end of the
second project year for use during the project's evaluation (3+2
review) for continued funding described under the heading Fourth and
Fifth Years of the Project; and
(C) Can be used to assist the project director and the OSEP project
officer, with the assistance of CIP3, as needed, to specify the
performance measures to be addressed in the project's Annual
Performance Report;
(2) Cooperate with CIP3 staff in order to accomplish the tasks
described in paragraph (1) of this section; and
(3) Dedicate sufficient funds in each budget year to cover the
costs of carrying out the tasks described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of
this section and implementing the evaluation plan.
(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Adequacy of Project Resources,'' how--
(1) The proposed project will encourage applications for employment
from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been
underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or
disability, as appropriate;
(2) The proposed key project personnel, consultants, and
subcontractors have the qualifications and experience to carry out the
proposed activities and achieve the project's intended outcomes;
(3) The applicant and any key partners have adequate resources to
carry out the proposed activities; and
(4) The proposed costs are reasonable in relation to the
anticipated results and benefits.
(e) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of the Management Plan,'' how--
(1) The proposed management plan will ensure that the project's
intended outcomes will be achieved on time and within budget. To
address this requirement, the applicant must describe--
(i) Clearly defined responsibilities for key project personnel,
consultants, and subcontractors, as applicable; and
(ii) Timelines and milestones for accomplishing the project tasks;
(2) Key project personnel and any consultants and subcontractors
will be allocated and how these allocations are appropriate and
adequate to achieve the project's intended outcomes;
(3) The proposed management plan will ensure that the products and
services provided are of high quality, relevant, and useful to
recipients; and
(4) The proposed project will benefit from a diversity of
perspectives, including those of families, educators, TA providers,
researchers, and policy makers, among others, in its development and
operation.
(f) Address the following application requirements. The applicant
must--
(1) Include, in Appendix A, personnel-loading charts and timelines,
as applicable, to illustrate the management plan described in the
narrative;
(2) Include, in the budget, attendance at the following:
(i) A one and one-half day kick-off meeting in Washington, DC,
after receipt of the award, and an annual planning meeting, with the
OSEP project officer and other relevant staff during each subsequent
year of the project period.
Note: Within 30 days of receipt of the award, a post-award
teleconference must be held between the OSEP project officer and the
grantee's project director or other authorized representative;
(ii) A two and one-half day project directors' conference in
Washington, DC, during each year of the project period;
(iii) Two annual two-day trips to attend Department briefings,
Department-sponsored conferences, and other meetings, as requested by
OSEP; and
(iv) A one-day intensive 3+2 review meeting during the last half of
the second year of the project period;
(3) Include, in the budget, a line item for an annual set-aside of
five percent of the grant amount to support emerging needs that are
consistent with the proposed project's intended outcomes, as those
needs are identified in consultation with, and approved by, the OSEP
project officer. With approval from the OSEP project officer, the
project must reallocate any remaining funds from this annual set-aside
no later than the end of the third quarter of each budget period;
(4) Maintain a high-quality website, with an easy-to-navigate
design, that meets government or industry-recognized standards for
accessibility; and
(5) Include, in Appendix A, an assurance to assist OSEP with the
transfer of pertinent resources and products and to maintain the
continuity of services to TA recipients during the transition to this
new award period and at the end of this award period, as appropriate.
Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project:
In deciding whether to continue funding the project for the fourth
and fifth years, the Secretary will consider the requirements of 34 CFR
75.253(a), as well as--
(a) The recommendation of a 3+2 review team consisting of experts
selected by the Secretary. This review will be conducted during a one-
day intensive meeting that will be held during the last half of the
second year of the project period;
(b) The timeliness with which, and how well, the requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
project; and
(c) The quality, relevance, and usefulness of the project's
products and services and the extent to which the project's products
and services are aligned with the project's objectives and likely to
result in the project achieving its intended outcomes.
References
Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education
(CADRE). (2017). Trends in dispute resolution under the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Eugene, OR: CADRE. Retrieved
from www.cadreworks.org/sites/default/files/TrendsinDisputeResolution%20DEC17.pdf.
Government Accountability Office. (2003). Numbers of formal disputes
are generally low and States are using mediation and other
strategies to resolve conflicts (GAO Publication No. 03-897).
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
Government Accountability Office. (2014). Improved performance
measures could enhance oversight of dispute resolution (GAO
Publication No. 14-390). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
Definitions: The following definitions are from 34 CFR 77.1:
Demonstrates a rationale means a key project component included in
the project's logic model is informed by research or evaluation
findings that suggest the project component is likely to improve
relevant outcomes.
Evidence-based means the proposed project component is supported by
one or more of strong evidence, moderate evidence, promising evidence,
or evidence that demonstrates a rationale.
Experimental study means a study that is designed to compare
outcomes between two groups of individuals (such as students) that are
otherwise equivalent except for their assignment to either a treatment
group receiving a project component or a control group that does not.
Randomized controlled trials, regression discontinuity design studies,
and single-case design studies are the specific types of experimental
studies that, depending on their design and implementation (e.g.,
sample attrition in randomized controlled trials and regression
discontinuity design
[[Page 35252]]
studies), can meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards without
reservations as described in the WWC Handbook:
(i) A randomized controlled trial employs random assignment of, for
example, students, teachers, classrooms, or schools to receive the
project component being evaluated (the treatment group) or not to
receive the project component (the control group).
(ii) A regression discontinuity design study assigns the project
component being evaluated using a measured variable (e.g., assigning
students reading below a cutoff score to tutoring or developmental
education classes) and controls for that variable in the analysis of
outcomes.
(iii) A single-case design study uses observations of a single case
(e.g., a student eligible for a behavioral intervention) over time in
the absence and presence of a controlled treatment manipulation to
determine whether the outcome is systematically related to the
treatment.
Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a
framework that identifies key project components of the proposed
project (i.e., the active ``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be
critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the
theoretical and operational relationships among the key project
components and relevant outcomes.
Moderate evidence means that there is evidence of effectiveness of
a key project component in improving a relevant outcome for a sample
that overlaps with the populations or settings proposed to receive that
component, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:
(i) A practice guide prepared by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0
of the WWC Handbook reporting a ``strong evidence base'' or ``moderate
evidence base'' for the corresponding practice guide recommendation;
(ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC using version 2.1
or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook reporting a ``positive effect'' or
``potentially positive effect'' on a relevant outcome based on a
``medium to large'' extent of evidence, with no reporting of a
``negative effect'' or ``potentially negative effect'' on a relevant
outcome; or
(iii) A single experimental study or quasi-experimental design
study reviewed and reported by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the
WWC Handbook, or otherwise assessed by the Department using version 3.0
of the WWC Handbook, as appropriate, and that--
(A) Meets WWC standards with or without reservations;
(B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome;
(C) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative
effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a
corresponding WWC intervention report prepared under version 2.1 or 3.0
of the WWC Handbook; and
(D) Is based on a sample from more than one site (e.g., State,
county, city, school district, or postsecondary campus) and includes at
least 350 students or other individuals across sites. Multiple studies
of the same project component that each meet requirements in paragraphs
(iii)(A), (B), and (C) of this definition may together satisfy this
requirement.
Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention,
process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence
may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of
project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices
for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).
Promising evidence means that there is evidence of the
effectiveness of a key project component in improving a relevant
outcome, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:
(i) A practice guide prepared by WWC reporting a ``strong evidence
base'' or ``moderate evidence base'' for the corresponding practice
guide recommendation;
(ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC reporting a
``positive effect'' or ``potentially positive effect'' on a relevant
outcome with no reporting of a ``negative effect'' or ``potentially
negative effect'' on a relevant outcome; or
(iii) A single study assessed by the Department, as appropriate,
that--
(A) Is an experimental study, a quasi-experimental design study, or
a well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with
statistical controls for selection bias (e.g., a study using regression
methods to account for differences between a treatment group and a
comparison group); and
(B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome.
Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design that
attempts to approximate an experimental study by identifying a
comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important
respects. This type of study, depending on design and implementation
(e.g., establishment of baseline equivalence of the groups being
compared), can meet WWC standards with reservations, but cannot meet
WWC standards without reservations, as described in the WWC Handbook.
Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s)
the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the
specific goals of the program.
Strong evidence means that there is evidence of the effectiveness
of a key project component in improving a relevant outcome for a sample
that overlaps with the populations and settings proposed to receive
that component, based on a relevant finding from one of the following:
(i) A practice guide prepared by the WWC using version 2.1 or 3.0
of the WWC Handbook reporting a ``strong evidence base'' for the
corresponding practice guide recommendation;
(ii) An intervention report prepared by the WWC using version 2.1
or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook reporting a ``positive effect'' on a
relevant outcome based on a ``medium to large'' extent of evidence,
with no reporting of a ``negative effect'' or ``potentially negative
effect'' on a relevant outcome; or
(iii) A single experimental study reviewed and reported by the WWC
using version 2.1 or 3.0 of the WWC Handbook, or otherwise assessed by
the Department using version 3.0 of the WWC Handbook, as appropriate,
and that--
(A) Meets WWC standards without reservations;
(B) Includes at least one statistically significant and positive
(i.e., favorable) effect on a relevant outcome;
(C) Includes no overriding statistically significant and negative
effects on relevant outcomes reported in the study or in a
corresponding WWC intervention report prepared under version 2.1 or 3.0
of the WWC Handbook; and
(D) Is based on a sample from more than one site (e.g., State,
county, city, school district, or postsecondary campus) and includes at
least 350 students or other individuals across sites. Multiple studies
of the same project component that each meet requirements in paragraphs
(iii)(A), (B), and (C) of this definition may together satisfy this
requirement.
What Works Clearinghouse Handbook (WWC Handbook) means the
standards and procedures set forth in the WWC Procedures and Standards
Handbook, Version 3.0 or Version 2.1 (incorporated by reference, see 34
CFR 77.2). Study findings eligible for review under WWC
[[Page 35253]]
standards can meet WWC standards without reservations, meet WWC
standards with reservations, or not meet WWC standards. WWC practice
guides and intervention reports include findings from systematic
reviews of evidence as described in the Handbook documentation.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities and
requirements. Section 681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment
requirements of the APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1463 and 1481.
Applicable Regulations: (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.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian Tribes.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education (IHEs) only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: $750,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2019 from the list of
unfunded applications from this competition.
Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $750,000 for a
single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs, including public charter
schools that operate as LEAs under State law; IHEs; other public
agencies; private nonprofit organizations; freely associated States and
outlying areas; Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations; and for-profit
organizations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) a grantee under this
competition 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. The grantee may award
subgrants to entities it has identified in an approved application.
4. Other: (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) Applicants for, and recipients 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. Application Submission Instructions: For information on how to
submit an application please refer to our Common Instructions for
Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs,
published in the Federal Register on February 12, 2018 (83 FR 6003) and
available at www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-02-12/pdf/2018-02558.pdf.
2. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. However,
under 34 CFR 79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental review in order to
make an award by the end of FY 2018.
3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
4. Recommended 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. We recommend
that you (1) limit the application narrative to no more than 70 pages
and (2) use the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, reference citations, and captions, as well as
all text in charts, tables, figures, graphs, and screen shots.
Use a font that is 12 point or larger.
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial.
The recommended page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover
sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget
justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the
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 recommended page limit does apply to
all of the application narrative, including all text in charts, tables,
figures, graphs, and screen shots.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are as follows:
(a) Significance (10 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services,
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude
of those gaps or weaknesses.
(ii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project.
(b) Quality of project services (35 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be
provided by the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for
eligible project participants who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.
(ii) The extent to which there is a conceptual framework underlying
the proposed research or demonstration
[[Page 35254]]
activities and the quality of that framework.
(iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the
proposed project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and
effective practice.
(iv) The extent to which the training or professional development
services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient
quality, intensity, and duration to lead to improvements in practice
among the recipients of those services.
(v) The extent to which the technical assistance services to be
provided by the proposed project involve the use of efficient
strategies, including the use of technology, as appropriate, and the
leveraging of non-project resources.
(vi) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products
and services from the proposed project.
(c) Quality of the project evaluation (20 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough,
feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the
proposed project.
(ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for
examining the effectiveness of project implementation strategies.
(iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes.
(iv) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and
qualitative data to the extent possible.
(d) Adequacy of resources and quality of project personnel (15
points).
(1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the
proposed project and the quality of the personnel who will carry out
the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director or principal investigator.
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of key project personnel.
(iii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors.
(iv) The qualifications, including relevant training, experience,
and independence, of the evaluator.
(v) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the
lead applicant organization.
(vi) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
(vii) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the
proposed project.
(viii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to
the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed
project.
(e) Quality of the management plan (20 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for
the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks.
(ii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed
project.
(iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products
and services from the proposed project.
(iv) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives
are brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project, including
those of parents, teachers, the business community, a variety of
disciplinary and professional fields, recipients or beneficiaries of
services, or others, as appropriate.
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 Specific 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 specific 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
[[Page 35255]]
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 the System for Award
Management. 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 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. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works.
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables.
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
4. 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.
5. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993, the Department has established a set of
performance measures, including long-term measures, that are designed
to yield information on various aspects of the effectiveness and
quality of the Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve
Services and Results for Children With Disabilities program. These
measures are:
Program Performance Measure #1: The percentage of
Technical Assistance and Dissemination products and services deemed to
be of high quality by an independent review panel of experts qualified
to review the substantive content of the products and services.
Program Performance Measure #2: The percentage of Special
Education Technical Assistance and Dissemination products and services
deemed by an independent review panel of qualified experts to be of
high relevance to educational and early intervention policy or
practice.
Program Performance Measure #3: The percentage of all
Special Education Technical Assistance and Dissemination products and
services deemed by an independent review panel of qualified experts to
be useful in improving educational or early intervention policy or
practice.
Program Performance Measure #4: The cost efficiency of the
Technical Assistance and Dissemination Program includes the percentage
of milestones achieved in the current annual performance report period
and the percentage of funds spent during the current fiscal year.
Long-term Program Performance Measure: The percentage of
States receiving Special Education Technical Assistance and
Dissemination services regarding scientifically or evidence-based
practices for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities
that successfully promote the implementation of those practices in
school districts and service agencies.
The measures apply to projects funded under this competition, and
grantees are required to submit data on these measures as directed by
OSEP.
Grantees will be required to report information on their project's
performance in annual and final performance reports to the Department
(34 CFR 75.590).
6. 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. 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
[[Page 35256]]
the document published in the Federal Register. You may access the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations 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 Portable
Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader,
which is available free at the site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dated: July 19, 2018.
Johnny W. Collett,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2018-15932 Filed 7-24-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P