Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities-Planning Grants for Increasing Instructional Time and Reducing Administrative Burdens, 33762-33767 [2019-14890]
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Authority: Public Law 107–279, Title III—
National Assessment of Educational Progress
§ 301.
Lisa Stooksberry,
Deputy Executive Director, National
Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), U.S.
Department of Education.
[FR Doc. 2019–14904 Filed 7–12–19; 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—Planning Grants for
Increasing Instructional Time and
Reducing Administrative Burdens
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
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. As such,
the Department of Education
(Department) is issuing a notice inviting
applications for new awards for fiscal
year (FY) 2019 for Planning Grants for
Increasing Instructional Time and
Reducing Administrative Burdens,
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) number 84.326A. This notice
relates to the approved information
collection under OMB control number
1820–0028.
DATES:
Applications Available: July 15, 2019.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: August 14, 2019.
No later than July 22, 2019, OSERS
will post pre-recorded informational
SUMMARY:
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webinars designed to provide technical
assistance (TA) to interested applicants.
The webinars may be found at
www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/
new-osep-grants.html.
Pre-Application Q & A Blog: No later
than July 22, 2019, OSERS will open a
blog where interested applicants may
post questions about the application
requirements for this competition and
where OSERS will post answers to the
questions received. OSERS will not
respond to questions unrelated to the
application requirements for this
competition. The blog may be found at
www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/
new-osep-grants.html and will remain
open until August 19, 2019. After the
blog closes, applicants should direct
questions to the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
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 13, 2019
(84 FR 3768), and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-201902-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Egnor, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW,
Room 5163, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202–5108.
Telephone: (202) 245–7334. Email:
David.Egnor@ed.gov.
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
TA, supporting model demonstration
projects, disseminating useful
information, and implementing
activities that are supported by
scientifically based research.
Priority: This competition includes
one absolute 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)).
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Absolute Priority: For FY 2019 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:
Planning Grants for Increasing
Instructional Time and Reducing
Administrative Burdens.
Background:
The Secretary believes that all
students should be given the
opportunity to succeed and that their
success should be the primary focus of
everyone in the educational system.
When special education teachers,
related services providers, and
administrators spend time completing
unnecessary paperwork, their ability to
focus on improving outcomes for
children with disabilities is hampered.
In the 2004 reauthorization of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA), Congress recognized that
some Federal IDEA Part B requirements
could create excessive paperwork and
noninstructional time burdens on
special education teachers, related
services providers, and State and local
administrators, thus diverting time and
resources away from instruction and
other activities that would improve
educational and functional results for
children with disabilities. As such,
under section 609 of IDEA, Congress
gave the Department limited authority
to grant waivers of certain requirements
of Part B of IDEA to not more than 15
States, based on State proposals to
reduce excessive paperwork and
noninstructional time burdens that do
not assist in improving educational and
functional results for children with
disabilities. States and local
governments have always had the
authority, within the constraints of State
and local law, to change or waive State
and local requirements that exceed
IDEA statutory and regulatory
requirements in order to reduce
administrative burden and increase
instructional time.
The purpose of this priority is to
support States in planning systemic
changes that will promote improved
educational and functional results for
children with disabilities by reducing
administrative burdens. Generally,
States receiving grants under this
priority will (1) assess the extent to
which specific local, State, and Federal
IDEA Part B requirements generate
excessive paperwork and
noninstructional time burdens on
special education teachers, related
services providers, and State and local
administrators that do not assist in
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improving educational and functional
results for children with disabilities
(hereafter in the background,
‘‘administrative burdens’’); and (2)
develop a plan to reduce those
administrative burdens.
Specifically, the Department seeks to
make one-year awards to State
educational agencies (SEAs) to assist
them in conducting a comprehensive
review of local, State, and Federal IDEA
Part B requirements that result in
administrative burdens. This review
must not affect children’s civil rights,
procedural safeguards, and right to
receive a free appropriate public
education (FAPE). The Department
anticipates that, at the end of the oneyear project period, grantees will have
developed a plan to reduce
administrative burdens resulting from
State or local statutory or regulatory
requirements, policies, procedures, or
practices that exceed IDEA Part B
statutory or regulatory requirements.
The plan would also identify
administrative burdens resulting from
Federal IDEA Part B statutory or
regulatory requirements for which the
State could seek a waiver in accordance
with section 609 of IDEA.1
The Department also intends to
propose and adopt requirements for
waivers and waiver applications under
section 609 of IDEA later this year. In
fiscal year 2020, the Department intends
to solicit applications for multiyear
waiver projects that could, but would
not be required to, build on the plans
developed under the planning grants
awarded under this competition.
Our primary purpose is to help States
identify the solutions that work best in
their own circumstances while
protecting children’s civil rights,
1 Under section 609 of IDEA, the Secretary is
authorized to grant waivers of the statutory
requirements of, or regulatory requirements relating
to, Part B to not more than 15 States and for a
period not to exceed 4 years. The waivers must be
based on proposals submitted by States to reduce
excessive paperwork and noninstructional time
burdens that do not assist in improving educational
and functional results for children with disabilities.
For any State that receives a waiver of Federal IDEA
Part B requirements, the Secretary will terminate
the waiver if the Secretary determines that the State
failed to appropriately implement its waiver, or the
Secretary determines the State needs assistance in
implementing IDEA requirements and the waiver
has contributed to or caused such need for
assistance, needs intervention in implementing
IDEA requirements, or needs substantial
intervention in implementing IDEA requirements.
Not all statutory and regulatory requirements
under Part B of IDEA may be waived under section
609. Specifically, the Secretary may not waive any
statutory or regulatory provisions relating to
applicable civil rights requirements or procedural
safeguards. Furthermore, waivers may not affect the
right of a child with a disability to receive FAPE.
In short, State proposals for waivers must preserve
the basic rights of children with disabilities.
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procedural safeguards, and the right to
receive FAPE. The intention of the
Department is not to predetermine
specific solutions for any State, but
rather to support States’ own efforts to
review, analyze, and identify barriers to
improved outcomes for children with
disabilities. The Department believes
that by taking the time to review current
requirements and meaningfully engage
local stakeholders, States can make real
and lasting change in the provision and
effectiveness of services to children
with disabilities.
Priority:
The purpose of this priority is to fund
up to 10 grants to support States in
planning systemic changes that will
promote improved educational and
functional results for children with
disabilities by reducing administrative
burdens. Generally, States receiving
grants under this priority will (1) assess
the extent to which specific local, State,
and Federal IDEA Part B requirements
generate excessive paperwork and
noninstructional time burdens on
special education teachers, related
services providers, and State and local
administrators that do not assist in
improving educational and functional
results for children with disabilities
(hereafter in the priority,
‘‘administrative burdens’’); and (2)
develop a plan to reduce those
administrative burdens.
Projects must achieve, at a minimum,
the following outcomes—
(a) Identification of the particular
sources and effects of administrative
burdens on special education and other
teachers, related services providers, and
State and local administrators; and
(b) A plan to reduce administrative
burdens that would result in increased
time and resources available for
instruction and other activities aimed at
improving results for children with
disabilities.
Applicants must propose projects that
meet the following programmatic
requirements:
(a) The project must meaningfully
consult a diverse group of stakeholders
on an ongoing basis to support the goals
and objectives of the project. Such a
group must include, at a minimum,
representatives of the following groups:
(i) Special education teachers and
related services providers;
(ii) Local special education
administrators;
(iii) Individuals with disabilities;
(iv) Parents, as defined in IDEA
Section 602(23), of children with
disabilities; and
(v) The State Advisory Panel; and
(b) The project must prepare a plan
that—
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(i) Identifies the State and local
statutory and regulatory requirements or
policies, procedures, and practices that
exceed IDEA Part B statutory and
regulatory requirements and were
considered for revision;
(ii) Describes the range of options
available to the State in reducing local,
State, or Federal IDEA Part B
administrative burdens, including any
limitations on those options (e.g.,
statutory or regulatory requirements,
judicial precedent);
(iii) Establishes clear and achievable
timelines for the reduction of State and
local administrative burdens;
(iv) Identifies the anticipated benefits
of any potential reforms, including
likely beneficiaries, and the magnitude
and scope of anticipated benefits and
potential increases in the time and
resources available for instruction and
other activities intended to improve
educational and functional results for
children with disabilities; and
(v) Identifies any Federal IDEA Part B
statutory or regulatory requirements for
which a waiver may be sought in
accordance with section 609 of IDEA;
and
(vi) Describes the procedures the State
will use to ensure that any waiver that
may be sought in accordance with
section 609 of IDEA will not—
(A) Waive any statutory requirements
of, or regulatory requirements relating
to, applicable civil rights requirements
or procedural safeguards under section
615 of IDEA; or
(B) Affect the right of a child with a
disability to receive FAPE under Part B
of IDEA.
Note: The purpose of this priority is
to support States in developing a plan
that meets these criteria. Applicants are
not expected to submit the actual plan
that meets these criteria as part of their
application.
Application Requirements:
To be considered for funding under
this priority, applicants must meet the
application requirements in this
priority. Each project funded under this
absolute priority also must meet the
programmatic requirements specified in
the priority.
(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative
portion of the application under ‘‘Need
for the project,’’ how the proposed
project will identify administrative
burdens on special education teachers,
related services providers, and State and
local administrators. To meet this
requirement, the applicant must
describe—
(1) The current magnitude and scope
of the administrative burdens to be
addressed;
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(2) The current number of State and
local staff impacted by those burdens
and the number of children with
disabilities that they serve; and
(3) The current impact of those
burdens on State and local staff and
children with disabilities (e.g., teacher
retention, planning time, transparency
for families).
(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative
portion of the application under
‘‘Significance’’ how the proposed
project will—
(1) Develop a plan to reduce
administrative burdens and produce
meaningful and sustained change at the
State or local level; and
(2) Develop specific proposals for
changes to, or waivers of, requirements,
policies, procedures, or practices that
will reduce administrative burdens for
State or local staff in order to increase
the time and resources available for
instruction and other activities aimed at
improving educational and functional
results for children with disabilities.
(c) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Quality of the project design,’’ how the
proposed project will—
(1) Meet the consultation
requirements in paragraph (a) under the
programmatic requirements specified in
the priority. Applicants must include a
proposed timeline for the consultation
process, including a description of the
methods of consultation (e.g., in-person
meetings, conference calls, emails);
(2) Identify local, State, or Federal
IDEA Part B requirements, policies,
procedures, or practices that may
generate administrative burdens for
State and local staff and may be
reviewed by the project, including any
proposed criteria for that review (e.g.,
frequency, complexity, number of staff
affected, number of families affected);
(3) Assess the extent to which specific
sources of administrative burdens may
affect educational and functional results
for children with disabilities; and
(4) Produce and make publicly
available a plan that meets the
requirements in paragraph (b) under the
programmatic requirements specified in
the priority.
(d) 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
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(ii) Timelines and milestones for
accomplishing the project tasks,
including the publication of the final
plan on the State’s website within three
months of the close of the project
period;
(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; and
(3) The proposed project will benefit
from a diversity of perspectives,
including those of families, educators,
TA providers, researchers, and
policymakers, among others, in its
development and operation.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking:
Under the Administrative Procedure Act
(APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department
generally offers interested parties the
opportunity to comment on proposed
priorities. Section 681(d) of IDEA,
however, makes the public comment
requirements of the APA inapplicable to
the priority in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 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.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative
agreement.
Estimated Available Funds:
$1,500,000.
Contingent upon the availability of
funds and the quality of applications,
we may make additional awards in FY
2020 from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition.
Maximum Award: We will not make
an award exceeding $150,000 for a
single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10.
Note: The Department is not bound by
any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 12 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs in any
State, which is defined, consistent with
section 602(31) of IDEA, as each of the
50 States, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and
each of the outlying areas.
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2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
program does not require cost sharing or
matching.
3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this
competition may not award subgrants to
entities to directly carry out project
activities described in its application.
Under 34 CFR 75.708(e), a grantee may
contract for supplies, equipment, and
other services in accordance with 2 CFR
part 200.
4. Other General Requirements: (a)
Recipients of funding under this
competition must make positive efforts
to employ and advance in employment
qualified individuals with disabilities
(see section 606 of IDEA).
(b) 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: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for
Applicants to Department of Education
Discretionary Grant Programs,
published in the Federal Register on
February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and
available at www.govinfo.gov/content/
pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf,
which contain requirements and
information on how to submit an
application.
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 2019.
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,
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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) Need for the project (10 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the need
for the proposed project.
(2) In determining the need for the
proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The magnitude or severity of the
problem to be addressed by the
proposed project; and
(ii) 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.
(b) Significance (25 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 likelihood that the proposed
project will result in system change or
improvement;
(ii) The extent to which the proposed
project is likely to yield findings that
may be utilized by other appropriate
agencies and organizations; and
(iii) The importance or magnitude of
the results or outcomes likely to be
attained by the proposed project,
especially improvements in teaching
and student achievement.
(c) Quality of the project design (30
points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the design of the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
design of the proposed project, the
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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 the design of
the proposed project is appropriate to,
and will successfully address, the needs
of the target population or other
identified needs;
(iii) The extent to which the proposed
project is designed to build capacity and
yield results that will extend beyond the
period of Federal financial assistance;
(iv) The extent to which the proposed
project encourages parental
involvement; and
(v) The extent to which the proposed
project will increase efficiency in the
use of time, staff, money, or other
resources in order to improve results
and increase productivity.
(d) Adequacy of resources (15 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the
adequacy of resources for the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the adequacy of
resources for the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following
factors:
(i) The extent to which the budget is
adequate to support the proposed
project; and
(ii) The potential for the incorporation
of project purposes, activities, or
benefits into the ongoing program of the
agency or organization at the end of
Federal funding.
(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 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;
(ii) How the applicant will ensure that
a diversity of perspectives is 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; and
(iii) 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.
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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 (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.
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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 $250,000), under 2
CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a
judgment about your integrity, business
ethics, and record of performance under
Federal awards—that is, the risk posed
by you as an applicant—before we make
an award. In doing so, we must consider
any information about you that is in the
integrity and performance system
(currently referred to as the Federal
Awardee Performance and Integrity
Information System (FAPIIS)),
accessible through 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
PO 00000
Frm 00034
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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 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. 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 number of administrative burdens
identified for reduction.
• Program Performance Measure #2:
The number of special education
teachers, related service providers, and
administrators impacted by the
proposed burden reduction.
• Program Performance Measure #3:
The estimated change in hours spent by
teachers, related service providers and
administrators on compliance with
administrative burdens as a result of the
proposed burden reduction.
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 a report to the
E:\FR\FM\15JYN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 135 / Monday, July 15, 2019 / Notices
Department at the end of the one-year
project period (34 CFR 75.590).
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 5081A, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202–5076.
Telephone: (202) 245–7363. If you use a
TDD or a TTY, call the FRS, toll free, at
1–800–877–8339.
Electronic Access to This Document:
The official version of this document is
the document published in the Federal
Register. You may access the official
edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations at
www.govinfo.gov. 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.
Johnny W. Collett,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2019–14890 Filed 7–12–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Combined Notice of Filings #1
Take notice that the Commission
received the following electric corporate
filings:
Docket Numbers: EC19–112–000.
Applicants: 2018 ESA Project
Company, LLC.
Description: Application for
Authorization Under Section 203 of the
Federal Power Act, et al. of 2018 ESA
Project Company, LLC.
Filed Date: 7/8/19.
Accession Number: 20190708–5128.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/29/19.
Take notice that the Commission
received the following electric rate
filings:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:08 Jul 12, 2019
Jkt 247001
Docket Numbers: ER10–1651–004.
Applicants: Golden State Water
Company.
Description: Updated Market Power
Analysis for the Southwest Region of
Golden State Water Company.
Filed Date: 6/28/19.
Accession Number: 20190628–5235.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 8/27/19.
Docket Numbers: ER19–1672–002.
Applicants: Southwest Power Pool,
Inc.
Description: Tariff Amendment:
Deficiency Response in ER19–1672–
1148R25 American Electric Power
NITSA and NOA to be effective
4/1/2019.
Filed Date: 7/8/19.
Accession Number: 20190708–5118.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/29/19.
Docket Numbers: ER19–1777–000.
Applicants: Midwest Energy, Inc.
Description: Supplement to May 3,
2019 Petition for Temporary Waiver of
Midwest Energy, Inc.
Filed Date: 7/8/19.
Accession Number: 20190708–5144.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/18/19.
Docket Numbers: ER19–2241–001.
Applicants: Midcontinent
Independent System Operator, Inc.
Description: Tariff Amendment:
2019–07–08_Errata to ITC Schedule 33
Blackstart to be effective 8/24/2019.
Filed Date: 7/8/19.
Accession Number: 20190708–5123.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/29/19.
Docket Numbers: ER19–2365–000.
Applicants: Mid-Atlantic Interstate
Transmission, LLC, PJM
Interconnection, L.L.C.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing:
MAIT submits 4 ECSAs, Service
Agreement Nos. 5325, 5328, 5394, and
5396 to be effective 9/7/2019.
Filed Date: 7/9/19.
Accession Number: 20190709–5054.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/30/19.
Docket Numbers: ER19–2366–000.
Applicants: American Transmission
Systems, Incorporated, PJM
Interconnection, L.L.C.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing:
ATSI submits an ECSA, Service
Agreement No. 5326 with Ohio Edison
to be effective 9/7/2019.
Filed Date: 7/9/19.
Accession Number: 20190709–5088.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/30/19.
Docket Numbers: ER19–2367–000.
Applicants: Dominion Energy South
Carolina, Inc.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing: VCS
Transmission Agreement Between DESC
and SCPSA to be effective 9/8/2019.
Filed Date: 7/9/19.
Accession Number: 20190709–5093.
PO 00000
Frm 00035
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
33767
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/30/19.
Docket Numbers: ER19–2368–000.
Applicants: Midcontinent
Independent System Operator, Inc.
Ameren Illinois Company.
Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing:
2019–07–09_SA 3028 Ameren IL-Prairie
Power Project#16 Monmouth to be
effective 7/10/2019.
Filed Date: 7/9/19.
Accession Number: 20190709–5095.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 7/30/19.
The filings are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the links or querying the
docket number.
Any person desiring to intervene or
protest in any of the above proceedings
must file in accordance with Rules 211
and 214 of the Commission’s
Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214) on or before 5 p.m. Eastern
time on the specified comment date.
Protests may be considered, but
intervention is necessary to become a
party to the proceeding.
eFiling is encouraged. More detailed
information relating to filing
requirements, interventions, protests,
service, and qualifying facilities filings
can be found at: https://www.ferc.gov/
docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For
other information, call (866) 208–3676
(toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659.
Dated: July 9, 2019.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019–14924 Filed 7–12–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP19–482–000]
Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC.; Notice
of Request Under Blanket
Authorization
July 9, 2019.
Take notice that on June 25, 2019,
Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC (Sabal
Trail), 5400 Westheimer Court, Houston,
Texas 77056, filed a prior notice
application pursuant to sections
157.205, 157.208 of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission’s (Commission)
regulations under the Natural Gas Act
(NGA), and the blanket certificate issued
in Docket No. CP15–17–000. Sabal Trail
requests authorization to construct, own
and operate a new metering and
regulating facility (M&R Facility) for the
receipt of natural gas from the Florida
Gas Transmission, LLC (FGT) pipeline
system to a point on Sabal Trail’s Citrus
E:\FR\FM\15JYN1.SGM
15JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 135 (Monday, July 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33762-33767]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-14890]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance and
Dissemination To Improve Services and Results for Children With
Disabilities--Planning Grants for Increasing Instructional Time and
Reducing Administrative Burdens
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: 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. As such, the Department of Education (Department) is issuing a
notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2019
for Planning Grants for Increasing Instructional Time and Reducing
Administrative Burdens, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
number 84.326A. This notice relates to the approved information
collection under OMB control number 1820-0028.
DATES:
Applications Available: July 15, 2019.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 14, 2019.
No later than July 22, 2019, OSERS will post pre-recorded
informational webinars designed to provide technical assistance (TA) to
interested applicants. The webinars may be found at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html.
Pre-Application Q & A Blog: No later than July 22, 2019, OSERS will
open a blog where interested applicants may post questions about the
application requirements for this competition and where OSERS will post
answers to the questions received. OSERS will not respond to questions
unrelated to the application requirements for this competition. The
blog may be found at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html and will remain open until August 19, 2019. After the blog
closes, applicants should direct questions to the person listed under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
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 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Egnor, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5163, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-5108. Telephone: (202) 245-7334. Email:
[email protected].
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 TA, supporting
model demonstration projects, disseminating useful information, and
implementing activities that are supported by scientifically based
research.
Priority: This competition includes one absolute 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)).
[[Page 33763]]
Absolute Priority: For FY 2019 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:
Planning Grants for Increasing Instructional Time and Reducing
Administrative Burdens.
Background:
The Secretary believes that all students should be given the
opportunity to succeed and that their success should be the primary
focus of everyone in the educational system. When special education
teachers, related services providers, and administrators spend time
completing unnecessary paperwork, their ability to focus on improving
outcomes for children with disabilities is hampered.
In the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), Congress recognized that some Federal IDEA Part B
requirements could create excessive paperwork and noninstructional time
burdens on special education teachers, related services providers, and
State and local administrators, thus diverting time and resources away
from instruction and other activities that would improve educational
and functional results for children with disabilities. As such, under
section 609 of IDEA, Congress gave the Department limited authority to
grant waivers of certain requirements of Part B of IDEA to not more
than 15 States, based on State proposals to reduce excessive paperwork
and noninstructional time burdens that do not assist in improving
educational and functional results for children with disabilities.
States and local governments have always had the authority, within the
constraints of State and local law, to change or waive State and local
requirements that exceed IDEA statutory and regulatory requirements in
order to reduce administrative burden and increase instructional time.
The purpose of this priority is to support States in planning
systemic changes that will promote improved educational and functional
results for children with disabilities by reducing administrative
burdens. Generally, States receiving grants under this priority will
(1) assess the extent to which specific local, State, and Federal IDEA
Part B requirements generate excessive paperwork and noninstructional
time burdens on special education teachers, related services providers,
and State and local administrators that do not assist in improving
educational and functional results for children with disabilities
(hereafter in the background, ``administrative burdens''); and (2)
develop a plan to reduce those administrative burdens.
Specifically, the Department seeks to make one-year awards to State
educational agencies (SEAs) to assist them in conducting a
comprehensive review of local, State, and Federal IDEA Part B
requirements that result in administrative burdens. This review must
not affect children's civil rights, procedural safeguards, and right to
receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). The Department
anticipates that, at the end of the one-year project period, grantees
will have developed a plan to reduce administrative burdens resulting
from State or local statutory or regulatory requirements, policies,
procedures, or practices that exceed IDEA Part B statutory or
regulatory requirements. The plan would also identify administrative
burdens resulting from Federal IDEA Part B statutory or regulatory
requirements for which the State could seek a waiver in accordance with
section 609 of IDEA.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Under section 609 of IDEA, the Secretary is authorized to
grant waivers of the statutory requirements of, or regulatory
requirements relating to, Part B to not more than 15 States and for
a period not to exceed 4 years. The waivers must be based on
proposals submitted by States to reduce excessive paperwork and
noninstructional time burdens that do not assist in improving
educational and functional results for children with disabilities.
For any State that receives a waiver of Federal IDEA Part B
requirements, the Secretary will terminate the waiver if the
Secretary determines that the State failed to appropriately
implement its waiver, or the Secretary determines the State needs
assistance in implementing IDEA requirements and the waiver has
contributed to or caused such need for assistance, needs
intervention in implementing IDEA requirements, or needs substantial
intervention in implementing IDEA requirements.
Not all statutory and regulatory requirements under Part B of
IDEA may be waived under section 609. Specifically, the Secretary
may not waive any statutory or regulatory provisions relating to
applicable civil rights requirements or procedural safeguards.
Furthermore, waivers may not affect the right of a child with a
disability to receive FAPE. In short, State proposals for waivers
must preserve the basic rights of children with disabilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Department also intends to propose and adopt requirements for
waivers and waiver applications under section 609 of IDEA later this
year. In fiscal year 2020, the Department intends to solicit
applications for multiyear waiver projects that could, but would not be
required to, build on the plans developed under the planning grants
awarded under this competition.
Our primary purpose is to help States identify the solutions that
work best in their own circumstances while protecting children's civil
rights, procedural safeguards, and the right to receive FAPE. The
intention of the Department is not to predetermine specific solutions
for any State, but rather to support States' own efforts to review,
analyze, and identify barriers to improved outcomes for children with
disabilities. The Department believes that by taking the time to review
current requirements and meaningfully engage local stakeholders, States
can make real and lasting change in the provision and effectiveness of
services to children with disabilities.
Priority:
The purpose of this priority is to fund up to 10 grants to support
States in planning systemic changes that will promote improved
educational and functional results for children with disabilities by
reducing administrative burdens. Generally, States receiving grants
under this priority will (1) assess the extent to which specific local,
State, and Federal IDEA Part B requirements generate excessive
paperwork and noninstructional time burdens on special education
teachers, related services providers, and State and local
administrators that do not assist in improving educational and
functional results for children with disabilities (hereafter in the
priority, ``administrative burdens''); and (2) develop a plan to reduce
those administrative burdens.
Projects must achieve, at a minimum, the following outcomes--
(a) Identification of the particular sources and effects of
administrative burdens on special education and other teachers, related
services providers, and State and local administrators; and
(b) A plan to reduce administrative burdens that would result in
increased time and resources available for instruction and other
activities aimed at improving results for children with disabilities.
Applicants must propose projects that meet the following
programmatic requirements:
(a) The project must meaningfully consult a diverse group of
stakeholders on an ongoing basis to support the goals and objectives of
the project. Such a group must include, at a minimum, representatives
of the following groups:
(i) Special education teachers and related services providers;
(ii) Local special education administrators;
(iii) Individuals with disabilities;
(iv) Parents, as defined in IDEA Section 602(23), of children with
disabilities; and
(v) The State Advisory Panel; and
(b) The project must prepare a plan that--
[[Page 33764]]
(i) Identifies the State and local statutory and regulatory
requirements or policies, procedures, and practices that exceed IDEA
Part B statutory and regulatory requirements and were considered for
revision;
(ii) Describes the range of options available to the State in
reducing local, State, or Federal IDEA Part B administrative burdens,
including any limitations on those options (e.g., statutory or
regulatory requirements, judicial precedent);
(iii) Establishes clear and achievable timelines for the reduction
of State and local administrative burdens;
(iv) Identifies the anticipated benefits of any potential reforms,
including likely beneficiaries, and the magnitude and scope of
anticipated benefits and potential increases in the time and resources
available for instruction and other activities intended to improve
educational and functional results for children with disabilities; and
(v) Identifies any Federal IDEA Part B statutory or regulatory
requirements for which a waiver may be sought in accordance with
section 609 of IDEA; and
(vi) Describes the procedures the State will use to ensure that any
waiver that may be sought in accordance with section 609 of IDEA will
not--
(A) Waive any statutory requirements of, or regulatory requirements
relating to, applicable civil rights requirements or procedural
safeguards under section 615 of IDEA; or
(B) Affect the right of a child with a disability to receive FAPE
under Part B of IDEA.
Note: The purpose of this priority is to support States in
developing a plan that meets these criteria. Applicants are not
expected to submit the actual plan that meets these criteria as part of
their application.
Application Requirements:
To be considered for funding under this priority, applicants must
meet the application requirements in this priority. Each project funded
under this absolute priority also must meet the programmatic
requirements specified in the priority.
(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative portion of the application under
``Need for the project,'' how the proposed project will identify
administrative burdens on special education teachers, related services
providers, and State and local administrators. To meet this
requirement, the applicant must describe--
(1) The current magnitude and scope of the administrative burdens
to be addressed;
(2) The current number of State and local staff impacted by those
burdens and the number of children with disabilities that they serve;
and
(3) The current impact of those burdens on State and local staff
and children with disabilities (e.g., teacher retention, planning time,
transparency for families).
(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative portion of the application under
``Significance'' how the proposed project will--
(1) Develop a plan to reduce administrative burdens and produce
meaningful and sustained change at the State or local level; and
(2) Develop specific proposals for changes to, or waivers of,
requirements, policies, procedures, or practices that will reduce
administrative burdens for State or local staff in order to increase
the time and resources available for instruction and other activities
aimed at improving educational and functional results for children with
disabilities.
(c) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of the project design,'' how the proposed project will--
(1) Meet the consultation requirements in paragraph (a) under the
programmatic requirements specified in the priority. Applicants must
include a proposed timeline for the consultation process, including a
description of the methods of consultation (e.g., in-person meetings,
conference calls, emails);
(2) Identify local, State, or Federal IDEA Part B requirements,
policies, procedures, or practices that may generate administrative
burdens for State and local staff and may be reviewed by the project,
including any proposed criteria for that review (e.g., frequency,
complexity, number of staff affected, number of families affected);
(3) Assess the extent to which specific sources of administrative
burdens may affect educational and functional results for children with
disabilities; and
(4) Produce and make publicly available a plan that meets the
requirements in paragraph (b) under the programmatic requirements
specified in the priority.
(d) 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,
including the publication of the final plan on the State's website
within three months of the close of the project period;
(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; and
(3) The proposed project will benefit from a diversity of
perspectives, including those of families, educators, TA providers,
researchers, and policymakers, among others, in its development and
operation.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. Section
681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment requirements of the
APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 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.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,500,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2020 from the list of
unfunded applications from this competition.
Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $150,000 for a
single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 12 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs in any State, which is defined,
consistent with section 602(31) of IDEA, as each of the 50 States, the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each of the
outlying areas.
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2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities
described in its application. Under 34 CFR 75.708(e), a grantee may
contract for supplies, equipment, and other services in accordance with
2 CFR part 200.
4. Other General Requirements: (a) Recipients of funding under this
competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in
employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of
IDEA).
(b) 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: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal
Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, which
contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.
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 2019.
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) Need for the project (10 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project.
(2) In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The magnitude or severity of the problem to be addressed by the
proposed project; and
(ii) 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.
(b) Significance (25 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 likelihood that the proposed project will result in system
change or improvement;
(ii) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to yield
findings that may be utilized by other appropriate agencies and
organizations; and
(iii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in
teaching and student achievement.
(c) Quality of the project design (30 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed
project, 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 the design of the proposed project is
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target
population or other identified needs;
(iii) The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build
capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of
Federal financial assistance;
(iv) The extent to which the proposed project encourages parental
involvement; and
(v) The extent to which the proposed project will increase
efficiency in the use of time, staff, money, or other resources in
order to improve results and increase productivity.
(d) Adequacy of resources (15 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the
proposed project.
(2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the
proposed project; and
(ii) The potential for the incorporation of project purposes,
activities, or benefits into the ongoing program of the agency or
organization at the end of Federal funding.
(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 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;
(ii) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives
is 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; and
(iii) 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.
[[Page 33766]]
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
(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
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System
(FAPIIS)), accessible through 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 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. 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 number of
administrative burdens identified for reduction.
Program Performance Measure #2: The number of special
education teachers, related service providers, and administrators
impacted by the proposed burden reduction.
Program Performance Measure #3: The estimated change in
hours spent by teachers, related service providers and administrators
on compliance with administrative burdens as a result of the proposed
burden reduction.
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 a report to the
[[Page 33767]]
Department at the end of the one-year project period (34 CFR 75.590).
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 5081A, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC
20202-5076. Telephone: (202) 245-7363. If you use a TDD or a TTY, call
the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. 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.
Johnny W. Collett,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2019-14890 Filed 7-12-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
