Applications for New Awards; Personnel Development To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities-National Center for Development and Dissemination of Digital Open Educational Resources That Translate Research To Practice for Building the Capacity of Personnel Serving Students With Disabilities, 12152-12161 [2022-04422]
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Katherine Neas,
Deputy Assistant Secretary. Delegated the
authority to perform the functions and duties
of the Assistant Secretary for the Office of
Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 2022–04420 Filed 3–2–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Personnel Development To Improve
Services and Results for Children With
Disabilities—National Center for
Development and Dissemination of
Digital Open Educational Resources
That Translate Research To Practice
for Building the Capacity of Personnel
Serving Students With Disabilities
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Department of Education
(Department) is issuing a notice inviting
applications for new awards for fiscal
year (FY) 2022 for the National Center
for Development and Dissemination of
Digital Open Educational Resources that
Translate Research to Practice for
Building the Capacity of Personnel
Serving Students with Disabilities,
Assistance Listing Number 84.325E.
This notice relates to the approved
information collection under OMB
control number 1820–0028.
DATES:
Applications Available: March 3,
2022.
Deadline for Transmittal of
Applications: May 2, 2022.
Deadline for Intergovernmental
Review: July 1, 2022.
Pre-Application Webinar Information:
No later than March 8, 2022, the Office
of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services will post details on prerecorded informational webinars
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SUMMARY:
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designed to provide technical assistance
(TA) to interested applicants. Links to
the webinars may be found at
www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/
new-osep-grants.html.
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 December 27, 2021
(86 FR 73264) and available at
www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-27979.
Please note that these Common
Instructions supersede the version
published on February 13, 2019, and, in
part, describe the transition from the
requirement to register in SAM.gov a
Data Universal Numbering System
(DUNS) number to the implementation
of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).
More information on the phase-out of
DUNS numbers is available at https://
www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ofo/
docs/unique-entity-identifier-transitionfact-sheet.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sarah Allen, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW,
Room 5160, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202–5076.
Telephone: (202) 245–7875. Email:
Sarah.Allen@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 purposes of
this program are to (1) help address
State-identified needs for personnel
preparation in special education, early
intervention, related services, and
regular education to work with children,
including infants and toddlers, with
disabilities; and (2) ensure that those
personnel have the necessary skills and
knowledge, derived from practices that
have been determined through
scientifically based research and
experience, to be successful in serving
those children.
Priority: 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 662
and 681 of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); 20
U.S.C. 1462 and 1481).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2022 and
any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded
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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:
National Center for the Development
and Dissemination of Digital Open
Educational Resources that Translate
Research to Practice for Building the
Capacity of Personnel Serving Students
with Disabilities (Center).
Background: Well-prepared,
culturally and linguistically responsive,
and committed special education
personnel are vital to improving
developmental and learning outcomes
(e.g., social, emotional, behavioral, and
academic) for all students, especially
students with disabilities (DarlingHammond et al., 2020). The Nation
faces continued chronic shortages in the
education workforce, especially special
education personnel, and these
shortages have been exacerbated by the
COVID–19 pandemic (Billingsley &
Bettini, 2019; Gecker, 2021; MasonWilliams et al., 2020). Between 2009
and 2014, enrollment in higher
education programs preparing personnel
declined more than 30 percent
(Espinoza et al., 2018). Schools and
districts report increasing difficulty
hiring personnel, especially personnel
for special education and related
services positions. As a result, many
States lowered academic requirements
to enter teacher preparation programs
and are hiring personnel under
emergency certifications (Putman &
Walsh, 2021). The most effective way to
ensure the use of evidence-based
practices (EBPs) with cultural and
linguistic competence by personnel
serving students with disabilities is by
(a) improving the quality of preparation
programs through the incorporation of
EBPs with cultural and linguistic
competence into their program of study,
and (b) providing ongoing professional
development for the practicing
workforce to ensure they have the
knowledge and skills to use the most up
to date EBPs (CEEDAR Center and
Center for Great Teachers and Leaders,
2020).
Despite the gains made in identifying
EBPs, use of those practices in delivery
of instruction and interventions for
students with disabilities continues to
lag (Cook et al., 2021; Cook & Odom,
2021). Given the importance of EBPs in
supporting students’ growth and
improving outcomes, it is critical that
personnel serving students with
disabilities have the updated knowledge
and skills to choose and use these
effective practices.
To ensure that personnel serving
students with disabilities have the
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knowledge and skills to use EBPs
effectively, States, districts, schools, and
institutions of higher education (IHEs)
must implement effective personnel
development practices in both
preparation programs and professional
learning opportunities supporting
growth for the current education
workforce. Resources that may be used
within such programs or stand-alone
training are needed to support
personalized professional learning for
those seeking to advance their
knowledge and skills. Further, both
preparation programs and professional
learning opportunities must be designed
with a clear focus on course and
curricular content that (a) translates
research to practice by first building
knowledge and understanding and then
linking to meaningful applied learning
experiences; (b) incorporates active
learning with adult-learning principles;
(c) connects learning to real-world
settings; and (d) provides opportunities
for modeling, coaching, and feedback
(Darling-Hammond et al., 2017).
To advance educational equity in the
use of EBPs with cultural and linguistic
competence, preparatory programs and
professional learning opportunities
must also support multiple pathways
into the profession, and support
personnel development over a lifetime
of learning and working, for individuals
from diverse backgrounds (DarlingHammond et al., 2017). In addition to
traditional career pathways, some may
enter the education workforce under
provisional or alternate certification as
career changers or after returning from
military service. Others who are
working as paraprofessionals may
continue their education at a
community college and then a four-year
institution, with a pipeline program that
leads to completion of the degree
requirements needed for certification.
Regardless of how one pursues full
certification, all pathways that support
traditionally underserved populations
in obtaining meaningful and rewarding
work within the education workforce
need to be solidly grounded in the use
of EBPs with cultural and linguistic
competence.
Even before the onset of the COVID–
19 pandemic, digital teaching and
learning tools were playing an
increasingly important role in
preparation programs and professional
learning opportunities for personnel
serving and supporting students with
disabilities (Pelletier et al., 2021).
Digital learning tools can facilitate
interactive preparation and professional
learning environments and support
learner variability. Mixed reality
classroom simulators are expanding
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opportunities for teaching and learning
in IHE courses from a focus on
constructing knowledge and
understanding to building skills by
providing practice opportunities in
simulated classrooms. New learning
management platforms are being used to
support the development, organization,
and delivery of high-quality teaching
and learning, and allow both
personalized and competency-based
learning and monitoring performance
across individuals and groups. Other
platforms continue to expand the use of
microcredentials, badging, and other
forms of credit for professional growth
and meeting continuing education
requirements. Evidence-based
professional development is needed to
support faculty and professional
development providers to identify and
use these tools to enhance teaching and
learning in personnel preparation
programs and professional learning
opportunities.
With hybrid education expected to
grow in importance and relevance, the
need and demand for high-quality
digital teaching and learning content,
products, and services that build the
capacity of personnel to use EBPs also
continues to grow. In addition, there is
increased demand for using virtual
environments and paradigms to enhance
personnel preparation programs and
professional learning opportunities.
Likewise, the need to support IHE
faculty, and State and local professional
development providers in learning to
use these resources to design and
deliver effective courses and plan
comprehensive curricula or programs
has grown and expanded.
This absolute priority will advance
the Secretary’s priorities in the areas of
addressing the impact of COVID–19 on
students, educators, and faculty and
supporting a diverse educator workforce
and professional growth to strengthen
student learning.
Priority: The purpose of this priority
is to fund a cooperative agreement to
establish and operate a national center
that will develop and disseminate
digital, open educational resources
(OER) 1 that translate research to
practice for use in building the capacity
of special education personnel 2 to use
1 Open
Educational Resources are teaching and
learning materials that you may freely use and reuse
at no cost.
2 For the purpose of this priority, ‘‘special
education personnel’’ include general and special
education teachers, related service providers, and
educational administrators of systems that provide
services to children and youth with disabilities and
their families. Also included may be faculty, policy
makers, and others indirectly supporting delivery of
services and support for students with disabilities.
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EBPs 3 with cultural and linguistic
competence to improve results for
students with disabilities. In addition,
the Center will disseminate resources to
(a) faculty who prepare special
education personnel, including future
faculty; (b) State, local, and other
professional development providers;
and (c) individuals independently
seeking to use the Center’s resources to
design and deliver effective course and
curriculum content needed to support
the preparation and professional
learning in use of EBPs with cultural
and linguistic competence to deliver
instruction, interventions, and services
for students with disabilities and their
families, including those from
underserved populations.
The Center must achieve, at a
minimum, the following expected
outcomes:
(a) Development and dissemination of
innovative accessible digital OER that
translate research to practice for use in
building the capacity of special
education personnel to use EBPs with
cultural and linguistic competence to
improve results for students with
disabilities including those from
underserved populations;
(b) Products and services that include
knowledge-based teaching and learning
tools, skill-building exercises, and
connections to real-world or simulated
practice opportunities aligned to
professional standards;
(c) Resources developed by the Center
that are licensed through an open-access
licensing authority;
(d) Resources developed by the Center
that are responsive to learners from
varied backgrounds (e.g., race, ethnicity,
disability, primary language) and
education levels (e.g., bachelor’s,
doctoral); and as needed, may be
differentiated by role (e.g., teacher,
provider, administrator) and used across
certification pathways and professional
development opportunities;
(e) Increased capacity of faculty and
IHEs with personnel preparation
programs 4 to build knowledge and
skills of special education personnel to
use EBPs with cultural and linguistic
competence to strengthen learning and
improve results for students with
disabilities by using the Center’s
3 For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘evidencebased practices’’ means practices that, at a
minimum, demonstrate a rationale (as defined in 34
CFR 77.1), where 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.
4 For the purpose of this priority, ‘‘personnel
preparation programs’’ include associate,
bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist, and
doctoral programs that prepare personnel serving
students with disabilities.
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resources to enhance course and
curricula content;
(f) Increased capacity of State
educational agencies (SEAs), local
educational agencies (LEAs), and other
providers supporting professional
growth of current special education
personnel in the use of EBPs with
cultural and linguistic competence by
using Center products to enhance course
and curricula content; offer multiple
comprehensive and evidence-based
certification pathways and professional
development opportunities; and track
progress, verify learning across
individuals or groups, and assign credit
needed to meet continuing education
requirements for personnel serving
students with disabilities; and
(g) Partnerships or agreements that
support dissemination and use of the
Center’s products in personnel
preparation programs and professional
learning opportunities, and services to
yield verification of learning or forms of
credit needed to demonstrate
professional growth and meet
continuing education requirements for
personnel serving students with
disabilities.
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,’’ how the proposed
project will—
(1) Address current and emerging
needs for instructional and intervention
resources that translate research to
practice for use in building the
knowledge and skills of special
education personnel to use EBPs with
cultural and linguistic competence to
improve results for students with
disabilities, including those from
underserved populations. To meet this
requirement, the applicant must—
(i) Demonstrate knowledge of the
need for special education personnel to
have the knowledge and skills to
identify and use EBPs with cultural and
linguistic competence to improve
outcomes for students with disabilities
and knowledge of the challenges that
faculty and IHEs offering personnel
preparation programs, and SEAs, LEAs,
and others offering professional learning
opportunities, face in building the
capacity of personnel;
(ii) Demonstrate knowledge of the
need for high-quality, innovative,
interactive OER that translate research
to practice for enhancing courses and
curricula content offered by IHEs, SEAs,
LEAs, and other providers building the
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capacity of personnel to use EBPs with
cultural and linguistic competence to
deliver instruction, interventions, and
services for students with disabilities
and their families; and
(iii) Demonstrate knowledge of the
current and emerging content,
pedagogy, and instructional needs of
learners differentiated by roles (e.g.,
teacher, service provider,
administrator); credentials (e.g.,
uncertified or certified, across degree
levels); backgrounds (e.g., education
professional, career changer, race, and
ethnicity); program type (e.g., higher
education preparation program and
professional learning opportunities);
and expertise in developing and
delivering instructional and
intervention resources to build capacity
of personnel to use EBPs with cultural
and linguistic competence in delivering
instruction, interventions, and services
for students with disabilities and their
families;
(2) Address the current and emerging
needs for innovative, state-of-the-art
educational technologies for use in
personnel preparation programs and
professional learning opportunities
seeking to optimize course and
curriculum content in programs
designed to build the capacity of
personnel to deliver evidence-based
instruction, interventions, and services
with cultural and linguistic competence
for students with disabilities and their
families. To address this requirement,
the applicant must—
(i) Demonstrate knowledge of the
need for innovative and promising
educational technologies to enhance
instruction and learning, and provide
verification of learning of course and
curriculum content, and expertise
integrating these technologies in
products and services designed to
support preparation and professional
learning opportunities of special
education personnel;
(ii) Demonstrate knowledge of, and
expertise in, effective dissemination of
digital, OER addressing the use of EBPs
with cultural and linguistic competence
to IHEs, SEAs, LEAs, and other
personnel development programs,
including data demonstrating quality
and use of those resources; and
(iii) Demonstrate knowledge of, and
expertise in, building the capacity of
IHE faculty (including future faculty)
and personnel development providers to
use digital OER in courses and curricula
of personnel preparation programs and
professional learning opportunities with
consideration of learners differentiated
by roles (e.g., teacher, provider,
administrator); credentials (e.g.,
uncertified or certified, across degree
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levels); backgrounds (e.g., education
professional, career changer, race, and
ethnicity); and program type (e.g.,
higher education preparation program,
continuing professional development).
(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Quality of 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, including both those learning
to use EBPs with cultural and linguistic
competence (e.g., special education
personnel and scholars enrolled in
preparation programs), and those who
will use the Center’s resources to design
and deliver effective course and
curriculum content needed to support
the preparation (e.g., faculty, future
faculty), or professional learning
opportunities for special education
personnel (e.g., SEAs, LEAs, other
professional development providers) to
use EBPs with cultural and linguistic
competence to deliver instruction,
interventions, and services for students
with disabilities and their families; 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 consistent with the intended
outcomes specified in this notice; and
(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model 5
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
5 Logic model (34 CFR 77.1) (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.
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conceptual frameworks:
www.osepideasthatwork.org/resourcesgrantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tadproject-logic-model-and-conceptualframework; https://
osepideasthatwork.org/
evaluation?tab=eval-logic; and https://
ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/central/
pdf/REL_2021112.pdf.
(4) Be based on current research and
make use of EBPs. To meet this
requirement, the applicant must
describe—
(i) The current research on special
education personnel’s use of EBPs with
cultural and linguistic competence in
the delivery of instruction,
interventions, and services that
strengthen learning and improve
outcomes for students with disabilities;
(ii) The current research on the use of
innovative and promising interactive
educational technologies to enhance
instruction and learning, and provide
verification of learning in course and
curricula content of personnel
preparation programs and professional
learning opportunities that require
demonstrated knowledge, skills, and
practice in real-world or simulated
settings; and
(iii) The current research about adult
learning principles and implementation
science that will inform the proposed
product development, dissemination,
and TA to IHEs, SEAs, LEAs, and other
professional development providers;
and
(iv) How the proposed project will
incorporate current research and
practices 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:
(A) Innovative, accessible digital OER
that translate research to practice for use
in building the capacity of special
education personnel to implement EBPs
with cultural and linguistic competence
to improve results for students with
disabilities;
(B) Existing products from the Office
of Special Education Program’s (OSEP’s)
prior investment for updating, to reflect
current research, policy, product design,
and delivery features;
(C) Products grounded in adultlearning principles and use of
interactive educational technologies to
enhance instruction and learning,
provide verification of knowledge-based
learning, provide skill-building
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exercises, and connect to real-world or
simulated practice opportunities aligned
to professional standards;
(D) Products that are responsive to the
needs of learners from varied
backgrounds (e.g., race, ethnicity,
disability, primary language); education
levels (e.g., bachelor’s, doctoral); and, as
needed, may be differentiated by role
(e.g., teacher, provider, administrator)
and used within personnel preparation,
professional development, or by
individuals for personalized learning;
(E) A framework and tools for
identifying, implementing, and
sustaining use of Center products within
special education personnel preparation
programs and for professional learning
opportunities, to enhance the
curriculum and support special
education personnel; and
(F) A comprehensive communication
plan to support dissemination of, and
outreach related to, the Center’s library
of products and services. The
framework should address the (a) target
audiences; (b) context in which
communication will occur; (c) purpose
or intended outcomes of the
communications (e.g., inform, increase
use); and (d) use of media, including
social media; and also include metrics
to document effectiveness and reach;
(ii) Its proposed approach to
universal, general TA,6 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 project
proposes to make available, and the
expected impact of those products and
services under this approach. At
minimum, the approach should include
activities focused on—
(A) Identifying, developing, and
disseminating products, materials, and
tools to increase awareness of the
importance and benefits of using EBPs
with cultural and linguistic competence
to strengthen student learning and
improve outcomes for students with
disabilities, including students with
disabilities who have high-intensity
needs and from underserved
populations; and
(B) Identifying, developing, and
disseminating products that translate
6 ‘‘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.
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research to practice for use in building
the capacity of special education
personnel to use EBPs with cultural and
linguistic competence to improve
results for students with disabilities,
including students with disabilities who
have high-intensity needs and those
from underserved populations; and
(C) Identifying, developing, and
disseminating products, materials, and
tools to help IHEs, SEAs, LEAs, and
other professional development
providers use the Center’s products or
services to enhance and expand
coverage of EBPs with cultural and
linguistic competence in course and
curriculum content of personnel
preparation programs and professional
development opportunities for those
who serve students with disabilities;
(iii) Its proposed approach to targeted,
specialized TA,7 which must identify—
(A) Its proposed approach for
identifying and establishing
partnerships or agreements with
ethnically and culturally diverse faculty
and IHEs supporting different levels of
preparation (associate, bachelor’s,
master’s, educational specialist, and
doctoral levels) to support use of Center
products in course and curricula
content;
(B) Its proposed approach for
identifying and establishing
partnerships or agreements with SEAs,
LEAs (especially high-need LEAs 8) and
other professional development
providers to support use of Center
products in course and curriculum
content of programs supporting
professional learning opportunities for
current special education personnel;
(C) The Center’s services to track
progress, verify learning across
individuals or groups, and assign credit
needed to meet continuing education
requirements for personnel serving
students with disabilities;
(D) Its proposed approach for
establishing partnerships or agreements
that support dissemination and use of
7 ‘‘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.
8 For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-need
LEA’’ means an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than
10,000 children from families with income below
the poverty line; or (b) for which not less than 20
percent of the children are from families with
income below the poverty line.
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the Center’s resources in personnel
preparation programs, and for
professional learning opportunities to
enhance teaching and learning, yield
verification of learning, or forms of
verification needed to demonstrate
professional growth and meet
continuing education requirements for
personnel serving students with
disabilities;
(E) Its proposed approach for
collaborating with partners, including
OSEP-funded TA centers, to increase
use of EBPs with cultural and linguistic
competence by special education
personnel and build capacity for use of
the Center’s products in training and
TA, and support alignment in resources
across centers; and
(F) Its proposed approach for
identifying and partnering with OSEPfunded grantees with Personnel
Development to Improve Services and
Results for Children With Disabilities
Program projects to build the capacity of
scholars, including future faculty, to use
the Center’s products in personnel
preparation programs and to deliver
professional learning opportunities.
(6) Develop products and implement
services that 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; and
(7) Develop a dissemination plan that
describes how the applicant will
systematically distribute information,
products, and services to varied
intended audiences, using a variety of
dissemination strategies, to promote
awareness and use of the project’s
products and services.
(c) In the narrative section of the
application under ‘‘Quality of the
project evaluation,’’ include an
evaluation plan for the project
developed in consultation with and
implemented by a third-party
evaluator.9 The evaluation plan must—
(1) Articulate formative and
summative evaluation questions,
including important process and
outcome evaluation questions. These
9 A ‘‘third-party’’ evaluator is an independent and
impartial program evaluator who is contracted by
the grantee to conduct an objective evaluation of the
project. This evaluator must not have participated
in the development or implementation of any
project activities, except for the evaluation
activities, nor have any financial interest in the
outcome of the evaluation.
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questions should be related to the
project’s proposed logic model required
in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this notice;
(2) Describe how progress in and
fidelity of implementation, as well as
project outcomes will be measured to
answer the evaluation questions.
Specify the measures and associated
instruments or sources for data
appropriate to the evaluation questions.
Include information regarding reliability
and validity of measures where
appropriate;
(3) Describe strategies for analyzing
data and how data collected as part of
this plan will be used to inform and
improve service delivery over the course
of the project and to refine the proposed
logic model and evaluation plan,
including subsequent data collection;
(4) Provide a timeline for conducting
the evaluation and include staff
assignments for completing the plan.
The timeline must indicate that the data
will be available annually for the annual
performance report and at the end of
Year 2 for the review process described
under the heading, Fourth and Fifth
Years of the Project;
(5) Dedicate sufficient funds in each
budget year to cover the costs of
developing or refining the evaluation
plan in consultation with a third-party
evaluator, as well as the costs associated
with the implementation of the
evaluation plan by the third-party
evaluator.
(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Adequacy of resources and quality of
project personnel,’’ 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
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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, including
those who are racially and ethnically
diverse; faculty; special education
personnel; 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, or virtually,
after receipt of the award, and an annual
planning meeting in Washington, DC, or
virtually, 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, or virtually, during each year of the
project period;
(iii) Three 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 in Washington, DC, or virtually,
during the second year of the project
period;
(3) Include, in the budget, a line item
for an annual set-aside of 5 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
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than the end of the third quarter of each
budget period;
(4) Engage doctoral scholars or postdoctoral fellows in the project to deepen
the knowledge, skills, competencies,
and dispositions that future leaders in
the field need to increase the special
education workforce, ensure special
education preparation programs are
preparing scholars with the knowledge
and skills to use EBPs with cultural and
linguistic competence; translate
research to practice; deliver professional
learning opportunities; and provide TA;
(5) Maintain a high-quality website,
with an easy-to-navigate design, that
meets government or industryrecognized standards for accessibility;
(6) Ensure that annual project
progress toward meeting project goals is
posted on the project website; and
(7) 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 States during the
transition to a new award 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),
including—
(a) The recommendations of a 3+2
review team consisting of experts with
knowledge of, and experience in,
providing TA for building the capacity
of special education personnel to
improve results for students with
disabilities. 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.
Under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary
may reduce continuation awards or
discontinue awards in any year of the
project period for excessive carryover
balances or a failure to make substantial
progress. The Department intends to
closely monitor unobligated balances
and substantial progress under this
program and may reduce or discontinue
funding accordingly.
References
Billingsley, B., & Bettini, E. (2019). Special
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education teacher attrition and retention:
A review of the literature. Review of
Educational Research, 89(5), 697–744.
https://doi.org/10.3102/
0034654319862495
CEEDAR Center and The Center for Great
Teachers and Leaders (2020). Preparing
and retaining effective special education
teachers: Short-term strategies for longterm solutions. A policy brief. https://
ceedar.education.ufl.edu/wp-content/
uploads/2020/01/CEEDAR-GTLShortages-Brief.pdf
Cook., B., Cook., L., & Landrum, T. (2021).
Moving Research into Practice: Can we
make dissemination stick? Exceptional
Children, 79(2), 163–180. https://doi.org/
10.1177%2F001440291307900203
Cook., B., & Odom, S. (2021). Evidence-based
practices and implementation in special
education. Exceptional Children, 79(2),
135–144. https://doi.org/10.1177/
001440291307900201
Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., CookHarvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D.
(2020). Implications for educational
practice of the science of learning and
development. Applied Developmental
Science, 24(2), 97–140. https://dx.doi.org/
10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M.E., &
Gardner, M. (2017). Effective Teacher
Professional Development. Learning
Policy Institute. https://doi.org/
10.54300/122.311
Espinoza, D., Saunders, R., Kini, T., &
Darling-Hammond, L. (2018). Taking the
long view: State efforts to solve teaching
shortages by strengthening the
profession. Learning Policy Institute.
https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/
default/files/product-files/Long_View_
REPORT.pdf
Gecker, Jocelyn. ‘‘Covid–19 Creates Dire US
Shortage of Teachers, School Staff.’’ AP
NEWS, Associated Press, 23 Sept. 2021,
https://apnews.com/article/businessscience-health-education-california
b6c495eab9a2a8f1a3ca068582c9d3c7
Mason-Williams, L., Bettini, E., Peyton, D.,
Harvey, A., Rosenberg, M., & Sindelar,
P.T. (2020). Rethinking shortages in
special education: Making good on the
promise of an equal opportunity for
students with disabilities. Teacher
Education and Special Education, 43(1),
45–62. https://doi.org/10.1177/
0888406419880352
Pelletier, K., Brown, M., Brooke, D.C.,
McCormack, M., Reeves, J., and Arbino,
N., with Bozkut, A., Crawford, S.,
Czerniewicz, L., Gibson, R., Linder, K.,
Mason, J., & Mondelli, V. (2021). 2021
EDUCAUSE Horizon Report: Teaching
and learning edition. EDUCAUSE.
https://library.educause.edu/-/media/
files/library/2021/4/2021hrteaching
learning.pdf?la=en&hash=C9DEC1
2398593F297CC634409DFF4B8C
5A60B36E
Putman, H., & Walsh, K. (2021). State of the
States 2021: Teacher Preparation Policy.
National Council on Teacher Quality.
www.nctq.org/publications/State-of-theStates-2021:-Teacher-Preparation-Policy
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Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking:
Under the Administrative Procedure Act
(APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department
generally offers interested parties the
opportunity to comment on proposed
priorities. Section 681(d) of IDEA,
however, makes the public comment
requirements of the APA inapplicable to
the priority in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1462
and 1481.
Note: Projects will be awarded and
must be operated in a manner consistent
with the nondiscrimination
requirements contained in Federal civil
rights laws.
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 IHEs only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative
agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: The
Administration has requested
$90,200,000 for the Personnel
Development To Improve Services and
Results for Children With Disabilities
program for FY 2022, of which we
intend to use an estimated $1,200,000
for this competition. The actual level of
funding, if any, depends on final
congressional action. However, we are
inviting applications to allow enough
time to complete the grant process if
Congress appropriates funds for this
program.
Contingent upon the availability of
funds and the quality of applications,
we may make additional awards in FY
2023 from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition.
Maximum Award: We will not make
an award exceeding $1,200,000 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 are
considered 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.a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This
program uses an unrestricted indirect
cost rate. For more information
regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a
negotiated indirect cost rate, please see
www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/
intro.html.
c. Administrative Cost Limitation:
This program does not include any
program-specific limitation on
administrative expenses. All
administrative expenses must be
reasonable and necessary and conform
to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR
part 200 subpart E of the Uniform
Guidance.
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).
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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
December 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264) and
available at www.federalregister.gov/d/
2021-27979, which contain
requirements and information on how to
submit an application. Please note that
these Common Instructions supersede
the version published on February 13,
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2019, and, in part, describe the
transition from the requirement to
register in SAM.gov a DUNS number to
the implementation of the UEI. More
information on the phase-out of DUNS
numbers is available at https://
www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ofo/
docs/unique-entity-identifier-transitionfact-sheet.pdf.
2. Intergovernmental Review: This
competition is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34
CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs under Executive Order 12372
is in the application package for this
competition.
3. Funding Restrictions: We reference
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
4. Recommended Page Limit: The
application narrative 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 the cover sheet; the budget
section, including the narrative budget
justification; 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 listed below:
(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:
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(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
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 TA
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.
(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.
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(iii) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation will provide performance
feedback and permit periodic
assessment of progress toward achieving
intended outcomes.
(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 key
project personnel.
(ii) The qualifications, including
relevant training and experience, of
project consultants or subcontractors.
(iii) The adequacy of support,
including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources, from the
applicant organization or the lead
applicant organization.
(iv) 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
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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 (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
200.206, before awarding grants under
this competition the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by
applicants. Under 2 CFR 200.208, the
Secretary may impose specific
conditions, and under 2 CFR 3474.10, 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
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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 200.206(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.
6. In General: In accordance with the
Office of Management and Budget’s
guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all
applicable Federal laws, and relevant
Executive guidance, the Department
will review and consider applications
for funding pursuant to this notice
inviting applications in accordance
with—
(a) Selecting recipients most likely to
be successful in delivering results based
on the program objectives through an
objective process of evaluating Federal
award applications (2 CFR 200.205);
(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain
telecommunication and video
surveillance services or equipment in
alignment with section 889 of the
National Defense Authorization Act of
2019 (Pub. L. 115–232) (2 CFR 200.216);
(c) Providing a preference, to the
extent permitted by law, to maximize
use of goods, products, and materials
produced in the United States (2 CFR
200.322); and
(d) Terminating agreements in whole
or in part to the greatest extent
authorized by law if an award no longer
effectuates the program goals or agency
priorities (2 CFR 200.340).
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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
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18:23 Mar 02, 2022
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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: For the
purposes of Department reporting under
34 CFR 75.110, we have 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 special
education personnel preparation and
professional development, 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
special education personnel preparation
and professional development, 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 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
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performance reports to the Department
(34 CFR 75.590).
The Department will also closely
monitor the extent to which the
products and services provided by the
Center meet needs identified by
stakeholders and may require the Center
to report on such alignment in their
annual and final performance reports.
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, whether the grantee has
made substantial progress in achieving
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: On request to the
program contact person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT,
individuals with disabilities can obtain
this document and a copy of the
application package in an accessible
format. The Department will provide the
requestor with an accessible format that
may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or
text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3
file, braille, large print, audiotape, or
compact disc, or other accessible format.
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
E:\FR\FM\03MRN1.SGM
03MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Notices
your search to documents published by
the Department.
Katherine Neas,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Delegated the
authority to perform the functions and duties
of the Assistant Secretary for the Office of
Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 2022–04422 Filed 3–2–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket No. ED–2021–SCC–0156]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for Review
and Approval; Comment Request;
School Pulse Panel Data Collection
Institute of Educational Science
(IES), Department of Education (ED).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is
proposing a new information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before April 4,
2022.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and
recommendations for proposed
information collection requests should
be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/
do/PRAMain. Find this information
collection request by selecting
‘‘Department of Education’’ under
‘‘Currently Under Review,’’ then check
‘‘Only Show ICR for Public Comment’’
checkbox. Comments may also be sent
to ICDocketmgr@ed.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
specific questions related to collection
activities, please contact Carrie Clarady,
202–245–6347.
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
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
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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: School Pulse Panel
Data Collection.
OMB Control Number: 1850–NEW.
Type of Review: A new information
collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Individuals and Households.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 17,280.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 4,752.
Abstract: The School Pulse Panel
(SPP) is a new data collection originally
designed to collect voluntary responses
from a nationally representative sample
of public schools to better understand
how schools, students, and educators
are responding to the ongoing stressors
of the coronavirus pandemic. Due to the
immediate need to collect information
from schools during the pandemic to
satisfy the requirement of Executive
Order 14000, an emergency clearance
(OMB #1850–0963) was issued to
develop and field the first several
monthly collections of the SPP. This
submission is seeking a request for a full
review of the SPP data collection under
the traditional clearance review process.
The School Pulse Panel is conducted
by the National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES), part of the Institute of
Education Sciences (IES), within the
United States Department of Education.
The purpose of the study is to collect
extensive data on issues concerning the
impact of the COVID–19 pandemic on
students and staff in U.S. public
primary, middle, high, and combinedgrade schools. The survey asks school
staff about a wide range of topics,
including but not limited to
instructional mode offered; enrollment
counts of subgroups of students using
various instructional modes; strategies
to address pandemic-related learning
needs; safe and healthy school
mitigation strategies; mental health
services; use of technology; information
on staffing, nutrition services, principal/
parental/student/staff concerns,
absenteeism, and overall principal
experiences. It is planned that some
new content will be rotated in (and
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12161
some rotated out) monthly. This
package includes items that were
fielded as part of the January, February,
and March collections, as well as
proposed new content to be collected in
April, May, and June. Subsequent new
content area additions (estimated to take
place on a quarterly basis) will take
place as revisions with 30-day public
comment periods for each subsequent
quarterly collection and may be
followed by change requests to further
refine items for each month.
The administration of the School
Pulse Panel study is in direct response
to President Biden’s Executive Order
14000: Supporting the Reopening and
Continuing Operation of Schools and
Early Childhood Education Providers. It
is one of the nation’s few sources of
reliable data on a wealth of information
focused on school reopening efforts,
virus spread mitigation strategies,
services offered for students and staff,
and technology use, as reported by
school principals and other staff in U.S.
public schools. About 2,400 (1,200 in an
initial sample and 1,200 in a reserve
sample) public elementary, middle,
high, and combined-grade schools have
been initially selected to participate in
a panel where school staff will be asked
to provide requested data monthly
during the 2021–22 school years. This
approach provides the ability to collect
detailed information on various topics
while also assessing changes in
reopening efforts over time. Given the
high demand for data collection during
this time, the content of the survey will
likely change monthly.
Dated: February 28, 2022.
Stephanie Valentine,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and
Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division,
Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of
Planning, Evaluation and Policy
Development.
[FR Doc. 2022–04515 Filed 3–2–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
2022 Election Administration and
Voting Survey; Survey and Submission
to OMB of Proposed Collection of
Information
U.S. Election Assistance
Commission.
ACTION: Notice; request for comment.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
EAC announces an information
collection and seeks public comment on
the provisions thereof. The EAC intends
to submit this proposed information
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\03MRN1.SGM
03MRN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 42 (Thursday, March 3, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12152-12161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-04422]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Personnel Development To Improve
Services and Results for Children With Disabilities--National Center
for Development and Dissemination of Digital Open Educational Resources
That Translate Research To Practice for Building the Capacity of
Personnel Serving Students With Disabilities
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2022 for the
National Center for Development and Dissemination of Digital Open
Educational Resources that Translate Research to Practice for Building
the Capacity of Personnel Serving Students with Disabilities,
Assistance Listing Number 84.325E. This notice relates to the approved
information collection under OMB control number 1820-0028.
DATES:
Applications Available: March 3, 2022.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 2, 2022.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 1, 2022.
Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than March 8, 2022,
the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services will post
details on pre-recorded informational webinars designed to provide
technical assistance (TA) to interested applicants. Links to the
webinars may be found at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html.
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 December 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264) and available at
www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-27979. Please note that these Common
Instructions supersede the version published on February 13, 2019, and,
in part, describe the transition from the requirement to register in
SAM.gov a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to the
implementation of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). More information
on the phase-out of DUNS numbers is available at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ofo/docs/unique-entity-identifier-transition-fact-sheet.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Allen, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5160, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-5076. Telephone: (202) 245-7875. 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 purposes of this program are to (1) help
address State-identified needs for personnel preparation in special
education, early intervention, related services, and regular education
to work with children, including infants and toddlers, with
disabilities; and (2) ensure that those personnel have the necessary
skills and knowledge, derived from practices that have been determined
through scientifically based research and experience, to be successful
in serving those children.
Priority: 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 662 and 681 of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); 20 U.S.C. 1462 and
1481).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2022 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:
National Center for the Development and Dissemination of Digital
Open Educational Resources that Translate Research to Practice for
Building the Capacity of Personnel Serving Students with Disabilities
(Center).
Background: Well-prepared, culturally and linguistically
responsive, and committed special education personnel are vital to
improving developmental and learning outcomes (e.g., social, emotional,
behavioral, and academic) for all students, especially students with
disabilities (Darling-Hammond et al., 2020). The Nation faces continued
chronic shortages in the education workforce, especially special
education personnel, and these shortages have been exacerbated by the
COVID-19 pandemic (Billingsley & Bettini, 2019; Gecker, 2021; Mason-
Williams et al., 2020). Between 2009 and 2014, enrollment in higher
education programs preparing personnel declined more than 30 percent
(Espinoza et al., 2018). Schools and districts report increasing
difficulty hiring personnel, especially personnel for special education
and related services positions. As a result, many States lowered
academic requirements to enter teacher preparation programs and are
hiring personnel under emergency certifications (Putman & Walsh, 2021).
The most effective way to ensure the use of evidence-based practices
(EBPs) with cultural and linguistic competence by personnel serving
students with disabilities is by (a) improving the quality of
preparation programs through the incorporation of EBPs with cultural
and linguistic competence into their program of study, and (b)
providing ongoing professional development for the practicing workforce
to ensure they have the knowledge and skills to use the most up to date
EBPs (CEEDAR Center and Center for Great Teachers and Leaders, 2020).
Despite the gains made in identifying EBPs, use of those practices
in delivery of instruction and interventions for students with
disabilities continues to lag (Cook et al., 2021; Cook & Odom, 2021).
Given the importance of EBPs in supporting students' growth and
improving outcomes, it is critical that personnel serving students with
disabilities have the updated knowledge and skills to choose and use
these effective practices.
To ensure that personnel serving students with disabilities have
the
[[Page 12153]]
knowledge and skills to use EBPs effectively, States, districts,
schools, and institutions of higher education (IHEs) must implement
effective personnel development practices in both preparation programs
and professional learning opportunities supporting growth for the
current education workforce. Resources that may be used within such
programs or stand-alone training are needed to support personalized
professional learning for those seeking to advance their knowledge and
skills. Further, both preparation programs and professional learning
opportunities must be designed with a clear focus on course and
curricular content that (a) translates research to practice by first
building knowledge and understanding and then linking to meaningful
applied learning experiences; (b) incorporates active learning with
adult-learning principles; (c) connects learning to real-world
settings; and (d) provides opportunities for modeling, coaching, and
feedback (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017).
To advance educational equity in the use of EBPs with cultural and
linguistic competence, preparatory programs and professional learning
opportunities must also support multiple pathways into the profession,
and support personnel development over a lifetime of learning and
working, for individuals from diverse backgrounds (Darling-Hammond et
al., 2017). In addition to traditional career pathways, some may enter
the education workforce under provisional or alternate certification as
career changers or after returning from military service. Others who
are working as paraprofessionals may continue their education at a
community college and then a four-year institution, with a pipeline
program that leads to completion of the degree requirements needed for
certification. Regardless of how one pursues full certification, all
pathways that support traditionally underserved populations in
obtaining meaningful and rewarding work within the education workforce
need to be solidly grounded in the use of EBPs with cultural and
linguistic competence.
Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital teaching
and learning tools were playing an increasingly important role in
preparation programs and professional learning opportunities for
personnel serving and supporting students with disabilities (Pelletier
et al., 2021). Digital learning tools can facilitate interactive
preparation and professional learning environments and support learner
variability. Mixed reality classroom simulators are expanding
opportunities for teaching and learning in IHE courses from a focus on
constructing knowledge and understanding to building skills by
providing practice opportunities in simulated classrooms. New learning
management platforms are being used to support the development,
organization, and delivery of high-quality teaching and learning, and
allow both personalized and competency-based learning and monitoring
performance across individuals and groups. Other platforms continue to
expand the use of microcredentials, badging, and other forms of credit
for professional growth and meeting continuing education requirements.
Evidence-based professional development is needed to support faculty
and professional development providers to identify and use these tools
to enhance teaching and learning in personnel preparation programs and
professional learning opportunities.
With hybrid education expected to grow in importance and relevance,
the need and demand for high-quality digital teaching and learning
content, products, and services that build the capacity of personnel to
use EBPs also continues to grow. In addition, there is increased demand
for using virtual environments and paradigms to enhance personnel
preparation programs and professional learning opportunities. Likewise,
the need to support IHE faculty, and State and local professional
development providers in learning to use these resources to design and
deliver effective courses and plan comprehensive curricula or programs
has grown and expanded.
This absolute priority will advance the Secretary's priorities in
the areas of addressing the impact of COVID-19 on students, educators,
and faculty and supporting a diverse educator workforce and
professional growth to strengthen student learning.
Priority: The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative
agreement to establish and operate a national center that will develop
and disseminate digital, open educational resources (OER) \1\ that
translate research to practice for use in building the capacity of
special education personnel \2\ to use EBPs \3\ with cultural and
linguistic competence to improve results for students with
disabilities. In addition, the Center will disseminate resources to (a)
faculty who prepare special education personnel, including future
faculty; (b) State, local, and other professional development
providers; and (c) individuals independently seeking to use the
Center's resources to design and deliver effective course and
curriculum content needed to support the preparation and professional
learning in use of EBPs with cultural and linguistic competence to
deliver instruction, interventions, and services for students with
disabilities and their families, including those from underserved
populations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Open Educational Resources are teaching and learning
materials that you may freely use and reuse at no cost.
\2\ For the purpose of this priority, ``special education
personnel'' include general and special education teachers, related
service providers, and educational administrators of systems that
provide services to children and youth with disabilities and their
families. Also included may be faculty, policy makers, and others
indirectly supporting delivery of services and support for students
with disabilities.
\3\ For the purposes of this priority, ``evidence-based
practices'' means practices that, at a minimum, demonstrate a
rationale (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1), where 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Center must achieve, at a minimum, the following expected
outcomes:
(a) Development and dissemination of innovative accessible digital
OER that translate research to practice for use in building the
capacity of special education personnel to use EBPs with cultural and
linguistic competence to improve results for students with disabilities
including those from underserved populations;
(b) Products and services that include knowledge-based teaching and
learning tools, skill-building exercises, and connections to real-world
or simulated practice opportunities aligned to professional standards;
(c) Resources developed by the Center that are licensed through an
open-access licensing authority;
(d) Resources developed by the Center that are responsive to
learners from varied backgrounds (e.g., race, ethnicity, disability,
primary language) and education levels (e.g., bachelor's, doctoral);
and as needed, may be differentiated by role (e.g., teacher, provider,
administrator) and used across certification pathways and professional
development opportunities;
(e) Increased capacity of faculty and IHEs with personnel
preparation programs \4\ to build knowledge and skills of special
education personnel to use EBPs with cultural and linguistic competence
to strengthen learning and improve results for students with
disabilities by using the Center's
[[Page 12154]]
resources to enhance course and curricula content;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ For the purpose of this priority, ``personnel preparation
programs'' include associate, bachelor's, master's, educational
specialist, and doctoral programs that prepare personnel serving
students with disabilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(f) Increased capacity of State educational agencies (SEAs), local
educational agencies (LEAs), and other providers supporting
professional growth of current special education personnel in the use
of EBPs with cultural and linguistic competence by using Center
products to enhance course and curricula content; offer multiple
comprehensive and evidence-based certification pathways and
professional development opportunities; and track progress, verify
learning across individuals or groups, and assign credit needed to meet
continuing education requirements for personnel serving students with
disabilities; and
(g) Partnerships or agreements that support dissemination and use
of the Center's products in personnel preparation programs and
professional learning opportunities, and services to yield verification
of learning or forms of credit needed to demonstrate professional
growth and meet continuing education requirements for personnel serving
students with disabilities.
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,'' how the proposed project will--
(1) Address current and emerging needs for instructional and
intervention resources that translate research to practice for use in
building the knowledge and skills of special education personnel to use
EBPs with cultural and linguistic competence to improve results for
students with disabilities, including those from underserved
populations. To meet this requirement, the applicant must--
(i) Demonstrate knowledge of the need for special education
personnel to have the knowledge and skills to identify and use EBPs
with cultural and linguistic competence to improve outcomes for
students with disabilities and knowledge of the challenges that faculty
and IHEs offering personnel preparation programs, and SEAs, LEAs, and
others offering professional learning opportunities, face in building
the capacity of personnel;
(ii) Demonstrate knowledge of the need for high-quality,
innovative, interactive OER that translate research to practice for
enhancing courses and curricula content offered by IHEs, SEAs, LEAs,
and other providers building the capacity of personnel to use EBPs with
cultural and linguistic competence to deliver instruction,
interventions, and services for students with disabilities and their
families; and
(iii) Demonstrate knowledge of the current and emerging content,
pedagogy, and instructional needs of learners differentiated by roles
(e.g., teacher, service provider, administrator); credentials (e.g.,
uncertified or certified, across degree levels); backgrounds (e.g.,
education professional, career changer, race, and ethnicity); program
type (e.g., higher education preparation program and professional
learning opportunities); and expertise in developing and delivering
instructional and intervention resources to build capacity of personnel
to use EBPs with cultural and linguistic competence in delivering
instruction, interventions, and services for students with disabilities
and their families;
(2) Address the current and emerging needs for innovative, state-
of-the-art educational technologies for use in personnel preparation
programs and professional learning opportunities seeking to optimize
course and curriculum content in programs designed to build the
capacity of personnel to deliver evidence-based instruction,
interventions, and services with cultural and linguistic competence for
students with disabilities and their families. To address this
requirement, the applicant must--
(i) Demonstrate knowledge of the need for innovative and promising
educational technologies to enhance instruction and learning, and
provide verification of learning of course and curriculum content, and
expertise integrating these technologies in products and services
designed to support preparation and professional learning opportunities
of special education personnel;
(ii) Demonstrate knowledge of, and expertise in, effective
dissemination of digital, OER addressing the use of EBPs with cultural
and linguistic competence to IHEs, SEAs, LEAs, and other personnel
development programs, including data demonstrating quality and use of
those resources; and
(iii) Demonstrate knowledge of, and expertise in, building the
capacity of IHE faculty (including future faculty) and personnel
development providers to use digital OER in courses and curricula of
personnel preparation programs and professional learning opportunities
with consideration of learners differentiated by roles (e.g., teacher,
provider, administrator); credentials (e.g., uncertified or certified,
across degree levels); backgrounds (e.g., education professional,
career changer, race, and ethnicity); and program type (e.g., higher
education preparation program, continuing professional development).
(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of 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, including both
those learning to use EBPs with cultural and linguistic competence
(e.g., special education personnel and scholars enrolled in preparation
programs), and those who will use the Center's resources to design and
deliver effective course and curriculum content needed to support the
preparation (e.g., faculty, future faculty), or professional learning
opportunities for special education personnel (e.g., SEAs, LEAs, other
professional development providers) to use EBPs with cultural and
linguistic competence to deliver instruction, interventions, and
services for students with disabilities and their families; 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 consistent with the
intended outcomes specified in this notice; and
(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model \5\ 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;
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\5\ Logic model (34 CFR 77.1) (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.
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(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
[[Page 12155]]
conceptual frameworks: www.osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptual-framework;
https://osepideasthatwork.org/evaluation?tab=eval-logic; and https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/central/pdf/REL_2021112.pdf.
(4) Be based on current research and make use of EBPs. To meet this
requirement, the applicant must describe--
(i) The current research on special education personnel's use of
EBPs with cultural and linguistic competence in the delivery of
instruction, interventions, and services that strengthen learning and
improve outcomes for students with disabilities;
(ii) The current research on the use of innovative and promising
interactive educational technologies to enhance instruction and
learning, and provide verification of learning in course and curricula
content of personnel preparation programs and professional learning
opportunities that require demonstrated knowledge, skills, and practice
in real-world or simulated settings; and
(iii) The current research about adult learning principles and
implementation science that will inform the proposed product
development, dissemination, and TA to IHEs, SEAs, LEAs, and other
professional development providers; and
(iv) How the proposed project will incorporate current research and
practices 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:
(A) Innovative, accessible digital OER that translate research to
practice for use in building the capacity of special education
personnel to implement EBPs with cultural and linguistic competence to
improve results for students with disabilities;
(B) Existing products from the Office of Special Education
Program's (OSEP's) prior investment for updating, to reflect current
research, policy, product design, and delivery features;
(C) Products grounded in adult-learning principles and use of
interactive educational technologies to enhance instruction and
learning, provide verification of knowledge-based learning, provide
skill-building exercises, and connect to real-world or simulated
practice opportunities aligned to professional standards;
(D) Products that are responsive to the needs of learners from
varied backgrounds (e.g., race, ethnicity, disability, primary
language); education levels (e.g., bachelor's, doctoral); and, as
needed, may be differentiated by role (e.g., teacher, provider,
administrator) and used within personnel preparation, professional
development, or by individuals for personalized learning;
(E) A framework and tools for identifying, implementing, and
sustaining use of Center products within special education personnel
preparation programs and for professional learning opportunities, to
enhance the curriculum and support special education personnel; and
(F) A comprehensive communication plan to support dissemination of,
and outreach related to, the Center's library of products and services.
The framework should address the (a) target audiences; (b) context in
which communication will occur; (c) purpose or intended outcomes of the
communications (e.g., inform, increase use); and (d) use of media,
including social media; and also include metrics to document
effectiveness and reach;
(ii) Its proposed approach to universal, general TA,\6\ 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 project proposes to make
available, and the expected impact of those products and services under
this approach. At minimum, the approach should include activities
focused on--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ ``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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(A) Identifying, developing, and disseminating products, materials,
and tools to increase awareness of the importance and benefits of using
EBPs with cultural and linguistic competence to strengthen student
learning and improve outcomes for students with disabilities, including
students with disabilities who have high-intensity needs and from
underserved populations; and
(B) Identifying, developing, and disseminating products that
translate research to practice for use in building the capacity of
special education personnel to use EBPs with cultural and linguistic
competence to improve results for students with disabilities, including
students with disabilities who have high-intensity needs and those from
underserved populations; and
(C) Identifying, developing, and disseminating products, materials,
and tools to help IHEs, SEAs, LEAs, and other professional development
providers use the Center's products or services to enhance and expand
coverage of EBPs with cultural and linguistic competence in course and
curriculum content of personnel preparation programs and professional
development opportunities for those who serve students with
disabilities;
(iii) Its proposed approach to targeted, specialized TA,\7\ which
must identify--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ ``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) Its proposed approach for identifying and establishing
partnerships or agreements with ethnically and culturally diverse
faculty and IHEs supporting different levels of preparation (associate,
bachelor's, master's, educational specialist, and doctoral levels) to
support use of Center products in course and curricula content;
(B) Its proposed approach for identifying and establishing
partnerships or agreements with SEAs, LEAs (especially high-need LEAs
\8\) and other professional development providers to support use of
Center products in course and curriculum content of programs supporting
professional learning opportunities for current special education
personnel;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ For the purposes of this priority, ``high-need LEA'' means
an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families
with income below the poverty line; or (b) for which not less than
20 percent of the children are from families with income below the
poverty line.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(C) The Center's services to track progress, verify learning across
individuals or groups, and assign credit needed to meet continuing
education requirements for personnel serving students with
disabilities;
(D) Its proposed approach for establishing partnerships or
agreements that support dissemination and use of
[[Page 12156]]
the Center's resources in personnel preparation programs, and for
professional learning opportunities to enhance teaching and learning,
yield verification of learning, or forms of verification needed to
demonstrate professional growth and meet continuing education
requirements for personnel serving students with disabilities;
(E) Its proposed approach for collaborating with partners,
including OSEP-funded TA centers, to increase use of EBPs with cultural
and linguistic competence by special education personnel and build
capacity for use of the Center's products in training and TA, and
support alignment in resources across centers; and
(F) Its proposed approach for identifying and partnering with OSEP-
funded grantees with Personnel Development to Improve Services and
Results for Children With Disabilities Program projects to build the
capacity of scholars, including future faculty, to use the Center's
products in personnel preparation programs and to deliver professional
learning opportunities.
(6) Develop products and implement services that 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; and
(7) Develop a dissemination plan that describes how the applicant
will systematically distribute information, products, and services to
varied intended audiences, using a variety of dissemination strategies,
to promote awareness and use of the project's products and services.
(c) In the narrative section of the application under ``Quality of
the project evaluation,'' include an evaluation plan for the project
developed in consultation with and implemented by a third-party
evaluator.\9\ The evaluation plan must--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ A ``third-party'' evaluator is an independent and impartial
program evaluator who is contracted by the grantee to conduct an
objective evaluation of the project. This evaluator must not have
participated in the development or implementation of any project
activities, except for the evaluation activities, nor have any
financial interest in the outcome of the evaluation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Articulate formative and summative evaluation questions,
including important process and outcome evaluation questions. These
questions should be related to the project's proposed logic model
required in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this notice;
(2) Describe how progress in and fidelity of implementation, as
well as project outcomes will be measured to answer the evaluation
questions. Specify the measures and associated instruments or sources
for data appropriate to the evaluation questions. Include information
regarding reliability and validity of measures where appropriate;
(3) Describe strategies for analyzing data and how data collected
as part of this plan will be used to inform and improve service
delivery over the course of the project and to refine the proposed
logic model and evaluation plan, including subsequent data collection;
(4) Provide a timeline for conducting the evaluation and include
staff assignments for completing the plan. The timeline must indicate
that the data will be available annually for the annual performance
report and at the end of Year 2 for the review process described under
the heading, Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project;
(5) Dedicate sufficient funds in each budget year to cover the
costs of developing or refining the evaluation plan in consultation
with a third-party evaluator, as well as the costs associated with the
implementation of the evaluation plan by the third-party evaluator.
(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Adequacy of resources and quality of project personnel,'' 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, including those who are
racially and ethnically diverse; faculty; special education personnel;
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, or
virtually, after receipt of the award, and an annual planning meeting
in Washington, DC, or virtually, 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, or virtually, during each year of the project period;
(iii) Three 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 in Washington, DC, or
virtually, during the second year of the project period;
(3) Include, in the budget, a line item for an annual set-aside of
5 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
[[Page 12157]]
than the end of the third quarter of each budget period;
(4) Engage doctoral scholars or post-doctoral fellows in the
project to deepen the knowledge, skills, competencies, and dispositions
that future leaders in the field need to increase the special education
workforce, ensure special education preparation programs are preparing
scholars with the knowledge and skills to use EBPs with cultural and
linguistic competence; translate research to practice; deliver
professional learning opportunities; and provide TA;
(5) Maintain a high-quality website, with an easy-to-navigate
design, that meets government or industry- recognized standards for
accessibility;
(6) Ensure that annual project progress toward meeting project
goals is posted on the project website; and
(7) 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 States during the transition to a new award
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),
including--
(a) The recommendations of a 3+2 review team consisting of experts
with knowledge of, and experience in, providing TA for building the
capacity of special education personnel to improve results for students
with disabilities. 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.
Under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary may reduce continuation awards
or discontinue awards in any year of the project period for excessive
carryover balances or a failure to make substantial progress. The
Department intends to closely monitor unobligated balances and
substantial progress under this program and may reduce or discontinue
funding accordingly.
References
Billingsley, B., & Bettini, E. (2019). Special education teacher
attrition and retention: A review of the literature. Review of
Educational Research, 89(5), 697-744. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654319862495
CEEDAR Center and The Center for Great Teachers and Leaders (2020).
Preparing and retaining effective special education teachers: Short-
term strategies for long-term solutions. A policy brief. https://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CEEDAR-GTL-Shortages-Brief.pdf
Cook., B., Cook., L., & Landrum, T. (2021). Moving Research into
Practice: Can we make dissemination stick? Exceptional Children,
79(2), 163-180. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F001440291307900203
Cook., B., & Odom, S. (2021). Evidence-based practices and
implementation in special education. Exceptional Children, 79(2),
135-144. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440291307900201
Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., &
Osher, D. (2020). Implications for educational practice of the
science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science,
24(2), 97-140. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M.E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective
Teacher Professional Development. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/122.311
Espinoza, D., Saunders, R., Kini, T., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2018).
Taking the long view: State efforts to solve teaching shortages by
strengthening the profession. Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/Long_View_REPORT.pdf
Gecker, Jocelyn. ``Covid-19 Creates Dire US Shortage of Teachers,
School Staff.'' AP NEWS, Associated Press, 23 Sept. 2021, https://apnews.com/article/business-science-health-education-californiab6c495eab9a2a8f1a3ca068582c9d3c7
Mason-Williams, L., Bettini, E., Peyton, D., Harvey, A., Rosenberg,
M., & Sindelar, P.T. (2020). Rethinking shortages in special
education: Making good on the promise of an equal opportunity for
students with disabilities. Teacher Education and Special Education,
43(1), 45-62. https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406419880352
Pelletier, K., Brown, M., Brooke, D.C., McCormack, M., Reeves, J.,
and Arbino, N., with Bozkut, A., Crawford, S., Czerniewicz, L.,
Gibson, R., Linder, K., Mason, J., & Mondelli, V. (2021). 2021
EDUCAUSE Horizon Report: Teaching and learning edition. EDUCAUSE.
https://library.educause.edu/-/media/files/library/2021/4/2021hrteachinglearning.pdf?la=en&hash=C9DEC12398593F297CC634409DFF4B8C5A60B36E
Putman, H., & Walsh, K. (2021). State of the States 2021: Teacher
Preparation Policy. National Council on Teacher Quality.
www.nctq.org/publications/State-of-the-States-2021:-Teacher-Preparation-Policy
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. Section
681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment requirements of the
APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1462 and 1481.
Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal
civil rights laws.
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 IHEs only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$90,200,000 for the Personnel Development To Improve Services and
Results for Children With Disabilities program for FY 2022, of which we
intend to use an estimated $1,200,000 for this competition. The actual
level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action.
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete
the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2023 from the list of
unfunded applications from this competition.
Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $1,200,000 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.
[[Page 12158]]
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs, including public charter
schools that are considered 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.a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require
cost sharing or matching.
b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses an
unrestricted indirect cost rate. For more information regarding
indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please
see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.
c. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include
any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All
administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to
Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform
Guidance.
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 December 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264) and available at
www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-27979, which contain requirements and
information on how to submit an application. Please note that these
Common Instructions supersede the version published on February 13,
2019, and, in part, describe the transition from the requirement to
register in SAM.gov a DUNS number to the implementation of the UEI.
More information on the phase-out of DUNS numbers is available at
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ofo/docs/unique-entity-identifier-transition-fact-sheet.pdf.
2. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this
competition.
3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative 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 the cover sheet; the
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; 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 listed below:
(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 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 TA 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.
(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.
[[Page 12159]]
(iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes.
(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 key project personnel.
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors.
(iii) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the
lead applicant organization.
(iv) 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
(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
200.206, before awarding grants under this competition the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR
200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions, and under 2 CFR
3474.10, 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 200.206(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.
6. In General: In accordance with the Office of Management and
Budget's guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal
laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department will review and
consider applications for funding pursuant to this notice inviting
applications in accordance with--
(a) Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering
results based on the program objectives through an objective process of
evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR 200.205);
(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video
surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the
National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) (2 CFR
200.216);
(c) Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to
maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United
States (2 CFR 200.322); and
(d) Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest
extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program
goals or agency priorities (2 CFR 200.340).
[[Page 12160]]
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: For the purposes of Department reporting
under 34 CFR 75.110, we have 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 special education personnel preparation and
professional development, 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 special education personnel preparation and
professional development, 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 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).
The Department will also closely monitor the extent to which the
products and services provided by the Center meet needs identified by
stakeholders and may require the Center to report on such alignment in
their annual and final performance reports.
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, whether
the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving 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: On request to the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print,
audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible format.
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
[[Page 12161]]
your search to documents published by the Department.
Katherine Neas,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Delegated the authority to perform the
functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for the Office of
Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2022-04422 Filed 3-2-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P