Applications for New Awards; Personnel Development To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities-Preparation of Related Services Personnel Serving Children With Disabilities who Have High-Intensity Needs, 30108-30116 [2023-09954]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 10, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30108-30116]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09954]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Personnel Development To Improve 
Services and Results for Children With Disabilities--Preparation of 
Related Services Personnel Serving Children With Disabilities who Have 
High-Intensity Needs

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) 2023 for 
Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities--Preparation of Related Services Personnel Serving 
Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs, Assistance 
Listing Number (ALN) 84.325R. This notice relates to the approved 
information collection under OMB control number 1820-0028.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: May 10, 2023.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 29, 2023.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 28, 2023.
    Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than May 15, 2023, 
the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services will post 
details on pre-recorded informational webinars designed to provide 
technical assistance to interested applicants. Links to the webinars 
may be found at https://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 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs. Please note that these Common Instructions supersede 
the version published on December 27, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Louise Tripoli, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5013, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-5076. Telephone: (202) 245-7554. Email: 
[email protected].
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and 
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

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 early 
intervention, special education, related services, and regular 
education to work with children, including infants, toddlers, and 
youth, 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, to be successful in 
serving those children.
    Priorities: This competition includes one absolute priority and, 
within that absolute priority, one competitive preference priority. In 
accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), the absolute 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 2023 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:

[[Page 30109]]

    Preparation of Related Services Personnel Serving Children with 
Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs.
    Background:
    The purpose of this priority is to prepare scholars in related 
services who are fully credentialed and licensed to serve children, 
including infants, toddlers, and youth, with disabilities (children 
with disabilities) who have high-intensity needs.\1\ The Department is 
committed to promoting equity for children with disabilities to access 
educational resources and opportunities, and a high priority for the 
Department is to increase the number of related services personnel, 
including increasing the number of multilingual personnel and personnel 
from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, who provide services 
to children with disabilities. To support these goals, under this 
absolute priority, the Department will fund high-quality projects that 
prepare related services personnel at the bachelor's degree, 
certification, master's degree, or clinical doctoral degree levels for 
professional practice in a variety of education settings, including 
natural environments (the home and community settings in which children 
with and without disabilities participate), early childhood programs, 
classrooms, schools, and distance learning environments; including 
increasing the number of multilingual personnel and personnel from 
racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. Projects will also prepare 
such personnel to support each child with a disability who has high-
intensity needs in meeting high expectations and to have meaningful and 
effective collaborations with other providers, families, and 
administrators.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ For the purposes of this priority, ``high-intensity needs'' 
refers to a complex array of disabilities (e.g., multiple 
disabilities, significant cognitive disabilities, significant 
physical disabilities, significant sensory disabilities, significant 
autism, significant emotional disabilities, or significant learning 
disabilities, including dyslexia) or the needs of children with 
these disabilities requiring intensive, individualized 
intervention(s) (i.e., that are specifically designed to address 
persistent learning or behavior difficulties, implemented with 
greater frequency and for an extended duration than is commonly 
available in a typical classroom or early intervention setting, or 
which require personnel to have knowledge and skills in identifying 
and implementing multiple evidence-based interventions).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A shortage of related services personnel persists in all regions of 
the country and ultimately impedes the ability of children with 
disabilities to reach their full academic, social, and emotional 
potential (National Coalition on Personnel Shortages in Special 
Education, n.d.). In a national survey of Part C State coordinators, 
most respondents indicated that they had shortages of personnel to work 
in their system with the top three areas of shortage being speech-
language pathologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists 
(IDEA Infant and Toddler Coordinators Association, 2021). Other data 
substantiates this acute shortage in school-based settings with the 
majority of school districts reporting that they do not have enough 
related services personnel to meet the needs of students with 
disabilities (National Coalition on Personnel Shortages in Special 
Education, n.d.). These shortages are only expected to increase as the 
estimated demand for future related services professions is expected to 
exceed the supply (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023). The overall 
shortage in related services personnel is exacerbated by the 
substantial shortage of multilingual personnel, personnel with 
disabilities, and personnel from racially and ethnically diverse 
backgrounds prepared to enter the workforce (American Physical Therapy 
Association, 2020; American Speech-Language Hearing Association, 2019; 
National Association of School Psychologists, 2021). These shortages 
are of concern, as research indicates that increasing multilingual 
personnel, personnel with disabilities, and personnel from racially and 
ethnically diverse backgrounds can have positive impacts on all 
children. Multilingual children and children of color, with and without 
disabilities, demonstrate improved academic achievement and behavioral 
and social-emotional development when they receive services from 
multilingual personnel and personnel from racially and ethnically 
diverse backgrounds (Bryan, 2021; Carver-Thomas, 2018).
    The need for related services personnel with the knowledge and 
skills to serve children with disabilities who have high-intensity 
needs is even greater. To effectively serve children with disabilities 
who have high-intensity needs, related services personnel require 
specialized or advanced skills and knowledge to work within a 
multidisciplinary team, collaboratively design and deliver evidence-
based intensive individualized interventions, and provide interventions 
in person and through distance learning technologies in natural 
environments, classrooms, and schools that address the needs of these 
individuals (Boe et al., 2013; Browder et al., 2014; McLeskey & 
Brownell, 2015).
    To enable related services personnel to provide efficient, high-
quality, integrated, and equitable services, both in person and through 
distance learning technologies, personnel preparation programs need to 
embed, into preservice training in early intervention settings, early 
childhood programs, and schools, content, practices, and extensive 
field or clinical experiences that are evidence-based and culturally 
and linguistically responsive. Therefore, this priority aims to fund 
high-quality projects that prepare scholars in related services, 
including multilingual scholars, scholars with disabilities, and 
scholars from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, who are 
fully credentialed and licensed to enter the field and serve children 
with disabilities who have high-intensity needs.
    Priority:
    The purpose of this priority is to increase the number and improve 
the quality of related services personnel,\2\ including multilingual 
personnel and personnel from racially and ethnically diverse 
backgrounds, who are fully credentialed and licensed to serve children 
with disabilities who have high-intensity needs.\3\ The priority will 
fund high-quality projects that prepare scholars \4\ in related 
services at the bachelor's degree, certification,\5\

[[Page 30110]]

master's degree, or clinical doctoral degree levels for professional 
practice in natural environments, early childhood programs, classrooms, 
school settings, and in distance learning environments serving children 
with disabilities who have high-intensity needs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ For the purposes of this priority, ``related services'' 
includes the following: speech-language pathology and audiology 
services; interpreting services; psychological services; applied 
behavior analysis; physical therapy and occupational therapy; 
recreation, including therapeutic recreation; social work services; 
counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling; and 
orientation and mobility services.
    \3\ For the purposes of this priority, ``high-intensity needs'' 
refers to a complex array of disabilities (e.g., multiple 
disabilities, significant cognitive disabilities, significant 
physical disabilities, significant sensory disabilities, significant 
autism, significant emotional disabilities, or significant learning 
disabilities, including dyslexia) or the needs of children with 
these disabilities requiring intensive, individualized 
intervention(s) (i.e., that are specifically designed to address 
persistent learning or behavior difficulties, implemented with 
greater frequency and for an extended duration than is commonly 
available in a typical classroom or early intervention setting, or 
which require personnel to have knowledge and skills in identifying 
and implementing multiple evidence-based interventions).
    \4\ For the purposes of this priority, ``scholar'' means an 
individual who: (a) is pursuing a bachelor's, certification, 
master's, or clinical doctoral degree in related services; (b) 
receives scholarship assistance as authorized under section 662 of 
IDEA (34 CFR 304.3(g)); (c) will be eligible for a license, 
endorsement, or certification from a State or national credentialing 
authority following completion of the degree program identified in 
the application; and (d) will be able to be employed in a position 
that serves children with disabilities for a minimum of 51 percent 
of their time or case load.
    \5\ For the purposes of this priority, ``certification'' refers 
to programs of study that lead to State licensure, endorsement, or 
certification that qualifies graduates to teach or provide services 
to children with disabilities. Programs of study that lead to a 
certificate of completion from the institution of higher education 
(IHE), but do not lead to State licensure, endorsement, or 
certification, do not qualify.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Note: Projects may include individuals who are not funded as 
scholars, but are in degree programs (e.g., general education, early 
childhood education, administration) that are cooperating with the 
grantee's project. These individuals may participate in the coursework, 
assignments, field or clinical experiences, and other opportunities 
required of scholars' program of study (e.g., speaker series, monthly 
seminars) if doing so does not diminish the benefit for project-funded 
scholars (e.g., by reducing funds available for scholar support or 
limiting opportunities for scholars to participate in project 
activities).
    Note: Projects that prepare scholars from two or more related 
services degree programs can qualify under this priority. Related 
services degree programs across more than one institution of higher 
education (IHE) may partner together within a project.
    Note: Applications that propose to prepare early intervention and 
special education personnel who do not provide related services are not 
eligible under this priority but can qualify under the Preparation of 
Early Intervention and Special Education Personnel Serving Children 
with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs priority (ALN 84.325K).
    Focus Areas:
    Within this absolute priority, the Secretary intends to support 
projects under the following two focus areas: (A) Preparing Related 
Services Personnel to Serve Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age 
Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs; and (B) 
Preparing Related Services Personnel to Serve School-Age Children with 
Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs.
    Applicants must identify the specific focus area (i.e., A or B) 
under which they are applying as part of the competition title on the 
application cover sheet (SF 424, line 12). Applicants may not submit 
the same proposal under more than one focus area. Applicants may submit 
different proposals in different focus areas.
    Note: The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) may fund out 
of rank order high-quality applications to ensure that projects are 
funded in both Focus Area A and Focus Area B.
    Focus Area A: Preparing Related Services Personnel to Serve 
Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children with Disabilities who 
have High-Intensity Needs. This focus area is for projects that prepare 
related services personnel to provide services to infants, toddlers, 
and preschool children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs. 
In States where the certification age range is other than birth through 
five, applicants must propose a preparation project that complies with 
the State's certification requirements for related services personnel 
to work in early intervention or early childhood special education.
    Focus Area B: Preparing Related Services Personnel to Serve School-
Age Children With Disabilities Who Have High-Intensity Needs. This 
focus area is for projects that prepare related services personnel to 
work with school-age children with disabilities who have high-intensity 
needs.
    Focus Areas A and B:
    Applicants may, but are not required to, use up to the first 12 
months of the performance period and up to $100,000 of funds awarded in 
the first budget period for planning, including enhancing an existing 
program, without enrolling scholars. If an applicant chooses to use the 
first year for program planning, then the applicant must provide 
sufficient justification for requesting program planning time and 
include the goals, objectives, key personnel and necessary 
collaborators, and intended outcomes of program planning in year one, a 
description of the proposed strategies and activities to be supported, 
and a timeline for the work. The proposed strategies may include 
activities such as--
    (1) Updating coursework, group assignments, or extensive and 
coordinated field or clinical experiences in early intervention 
settings, early childhood programs, and schools needed to support 
preparation for related services personnel, including personnel from 
groups that are underrepresented in the field, including personnel with 
disabilities, multilingual personnel, and personnel from racially and 
ethnically diverse backgrounds, serving children with disabilities who 
have high-intensity needs;
    (2) Building capacity (e.g., hiring a field supervisor, providing 
professional development for faculty and field supervisors) of the 
program to prepare scholars, including scholars from groups that are 
underrepresented in the field, including scholars with disabilities, 
multilingual scholars, and scholars from racially and ethnically 
diverse backgrounds, to serve children with disabilities with high-
intensity needs and their families;
    (3) Purchasing needed resources (e.g., additional intervention 
supplies, technology-based resources, or other specialized equipment to 
enhance interventions); or
    (4) Establishing relationships with early intervention and early 
childhood programs or schools to serve as sites for field or clinical 
experiences needed to support the project. These sites may include 
high-need local educational agencies (LEAs),\6\ high-poverty 
schools,\7\ schools identified for comprehensive support and 
improvement,\8\ and schools implementing a targeted support and 
improvement plan \9\ for children with disabilities; early childhood 
and early intervention programs located within the geographic 
boundaries of a high-need LEA; and early childhood and early 
intervention programs located within the geographical boundaries of an 
LEA serving the highest percentage of schools identified for 
comprehensive support and improvement or implementing targeted support 
and improvement plans in the State.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ For the purposes of this priority, ``high-need LEA'' means 
an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families 
with incomes below the poverty line; or (b) for which not less than 
20 percent of the children are from families with incomes below the 
poverty line.
    \7\ For the purposes of this priority, ``high-poverty school'' 
means a school in which at least 50 percent of students are from 
low-income families as determined using one of the measures of 
poverty specified in section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). For middle and 
high schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of 
comparable data from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty 
school under this definition is determined on the basis of the most 
currently available data.
    \8\ For the purposes of this priority, ``school implementing a 
comprehensive support and improvement plan'' means a school 
identified for comprehensive support and improvement by a State 
under section 1111(c)(4)(D) of the ESEA that includes (a) not less 
than the lowest performing 5 percent of all schools in the State 
receiving funds under title I, part A of the ESEA; (b) all public 
high schools in the State failing to graduate one third or more of 
their students; and (c) public schools in the State described in 
section 1111(d)(3)(A)(i)(II) of the ESEA.
    \9\ For the purposes of this priority, ``school implementing a 
targeted support and improvement plan'' means a school identified 
for targeted support and improvement by a State that has developed 
and is implementing a school-level targeted support and improvement 
plan to improve student outcomes based on the indicators in the 
statewide accountability system defined in section 1111(d)(2) of the 
ESEA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Additional Federal funds may be requested for scholar support and 
other grant activities occurring in year one of the project, provided 
that the total request for year one does not exceed the maximum award 
available for one

[[Page 30111]]

budget period of 12 months (i.e., $250,000).
    Note: Applicants proposing projects to develop, expand, or add a 
new area of emphasis to related services programs must provide, in 
their applications, information on how these new areas will be 
sustained once Federal funding ends.
    Note: Project periods under this priority may be up to 60 months. 
Projects should be designed to ensure that all proposed scholars 
successfully complete the program within 60 months from the start of 
the project. The Secretary may reduce continuation awards for any 
project in which scholar recruitment is not on track or scholars are 
not on track to complete the program within the project period.
    To be considered for funding under this absolute priority, all 
program applicants must meet the requirements contained in this 
priority.
    To meet the requirements of this priority, an applicant must--
    (a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Significance,'' how--
    (1) The proposed project will address the need in the proposed 
preparation focus area to prepare related services personnel who are 
fully qualified to serve children with disabilities who have high-
intensity needs;
    (2) The proposed project will increase the number of personnel in 
the proposed preparation focus area who demonstrate the competencies 
\10\ needed to--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \10\ For the purposes of this priority, ``competencies'' means 
what a person knows and can do--the knowledge, skills, and 
dispositions necessary to effectively function in a role (National 
Professional Development Center on Inclusion, 2011).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (i) Promote high expectations and improve outcomes for children 
with disabilities who have high-intensity needs;
    (ii) Provide intensive, evidence-based \11\ individualized 
interventions in person and through distance learning technologies in a 
variety of early intervention, early childhood, and school settings 
(e.g., natural environments; public schools, including charter schools; 
private schools; and other nonpublic education settings, including home 
education);
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \11\ For the purposes of this priority, ``evidence-based'' 
means, at a minimum, evidence that demonstrates a rationale (as 
defined in 34 CFR 77.1), where a key project component (as defined 
in 34 CFR 77.1) included in the project's logic model (as defined in 
34 CFR 77.1) is informed by research or evaluation findings that 
suggest the project component is likely to improve relevant outcomes 
(as defined in 34 CFR 77.1).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (iii) Provide culturally and linguistically responsive 
interventions and services;
    (iv) Collaborate with diverse partners, including multilingual 
individuals, individuals and families from racially and ethnically 
diverse backgrounds, and individuals with disabilities, using a 
multidisciplinary team approach to address the individualized 
developmental, learning, and academic needs of children with 
disabilities who have high-intensity needs, and support their 
successful transitions from early childhood to elementary, elementary 
to secondary, or transition to postsecondary education and the 
workforce; and
    (v) Exercise leadership to improve professional practice and 
services and education for children with disabilities who have high-
intensity needs; and
    (3) The applicant has successfully graduated students in their 
program, including students with disabilities, multilingual students, 
and students who are from racially, and ethnically diverse backgrounds, 
including data disaggregated by disability status, race, national 
origin, and primary language(s), and the number of students who have 
graduated in the last five years.
    (b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of project services,'' how--
    (1) The project will conduct its planning activities, if the 
applicant will use any of the allowable first 12 months of the project 
period for planning;
    (2) The project will recruit and retain scholars. To meet this 
requirement, the applicant must describe--
    (i) The selection criteria the project will use to identify 
applicants for admission in the program;
    (ii) The specific recruitment strategies the project will use to 
attract a diverse pool of applicants, including from groups that are 
traditionally underrepresented in the field, applicants with 
disabilities, multilingual applicants, and applicants from racially and 
ethnically diverse backgrounds; and
    Note: Applicants should engage in focused outreach and recruitment 
to increase the number of applicants from groups that are traditionally 
underrepresented in the field, including applicants with disabilities, 
multilingual applicants, and applicants from racial and ethnic 
diversity backgrounds, but the selection criteria the applicant intends 
to use must ensure equal access and treatment of all applicants seeking 
admission to the program and must be consistent with applicable law, 
including Federal civil rights law.
    (iii) The approach that will be used to mentor and support all 
scholars, including any specific approaches to supporting groups that 
are traditionally underrepresented in the field, including individuals 
with disabilities, multilingual scholars, and scholars from racially 
and ethnically diverse backgrounds, for retention and completion of the 
program within the project period and preparing them for careers in 
early intervention, special education, and related services; and
    (3) The project will be designed to promote the acquisition of the 
competencies needed by related services personnel to support improved 
outcomes for children with disabilities with high-intensity needs. To 
address this requirement, the applicant must--
    (i) Describe how the proposed components, such as coursework; field 
or clinical experiences in early intervention, early childhood, and 
school settings; work-based experiences; or other opportunities 
provided to scholars, and sequence of the project components will 
enable the scholars to acquire the competencies needed by personnel 
working with children with disabilities with high-intensity needs;
    (ii) Describe how the proposed project will implement current 
evidence-based practices (EBPs) to prepare scholars to provide 
effective and equitable evidence-based culturally and linguistically 
responsive instruction, interventions, and services that improve 
outcomes for children with disabilities with high-intensity needs, in a 
variety of educational or early childhood and early intervention 
settings, including in-person and remote settings; and
    (iii) Describe how the proposed project will engage partners, 
including: multilingual individuals and individuals and families of 
color; public or private partnering agencies, schools, or programs; 
centers or organizations that provide services to children with 
disabilities and their families; and individuals with disabilities and 
their families, to inform and support project components.
    (c) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of the project personnel and management plan,'' how--
    (1) The project director and other key project personnel are 
qualified to prepare scholars in the project's preparation focus area;
    (2) The project director and other key project personnel will 
manage the components of the project; and
    (3) The time commitments of the project director and other key 
project

[[Page 30112]]

personnel are adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project.
    (d) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Adequacy of resources,'' how--
    (1) Information regarding the types of accommodations and resources 
available to fully support scholars' well-being and a work-life balance 
(e.g., university and community mental health supports, counseling 
services, health resources, housing resources, child care) will be 
disseminated and how the project will support scholars to access those 
accommodations and resources on a timely basis, if needed, while the 
scholar is in the program;
    (2) The types of accommodations and resources provided to support 
scholars' well-being and a work-life balance will be individualized 
based on scholars' cultural, academic, social emotional, and 
disability-related needs with the goal of supporting them to complete 
the program; and
    (3) The budget is adequate for meeting the project objectives and 
mitigating financial burden to scholars in completing the program of 
study.
    Note: Scholar support does not need to be uniform for all scholars 
and should be customized for individual scholars based on scholars' 
financial needs, including consideration of all costs associated with 
the cost of attendance, even if that means enrolling fewer scholars. 
Scholar support can include support for cost of attendance (i.e., 
tuition and fees; university student health insurance; an allowance for 
books, materials, and supplies; an allowance for miscellaneous personal 
expenses; an allowance for dependent care, such as child care; and/or 
an allowance for room and board), travel in conjunction with training 
assignments including conference registration, and stipends to support 
scholars' completion of the program. Projections for scholar support 
should consider tuition increases and cost of living increases over the 
project period.
    (e) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of the project evaluation,'' how the applicant will--
    (1) Evaluate how well the goals or objectives of the proposed 
project have been met. To meet this requirement, the applicant must 
describe--
    (i) The outcomes to be measured for both the project and the 
scholars, particularly the acquisition of scholars' competencies; and
    (ii) The evaluation methodologies, data collection methods, and 
data analyses that will be used; and
    (2) Collect, analyze, and use data on scholars supported by the 
project to inform the project on an ongoing basis.
    (f) Demonstrate, in the appendices or narrative under ``Required 
project assurances'' as directed, that the following requirements are 
met. The applicant must--
    (1) Include in Appendix A of the application--
    (i) Charts, tables, figures, graphs, screen shots, and visuals that 
provide information directly relating to the application requirements 
for the narrative. Appendix A should not be used for supplementary 
information. Please note that charts, tables, figures, graphs, and 
screen shots can be single-spaced when placed in Appendix A; and
    (ii) A letter of support from a public or private partnering 
agency, school, or program, that states it will provide scholars with a 
field or clinical experience in a high-need LEA, a high-poverty school, 
a school implementing a comprehensive support and improvement plan, a 
school implementing a targeted support and improvement plan for 
children with disabilities, a State educational agency, an early 
childhood and early intervention program located within the 
geographical boundaries of a high-need LEA, or an early childhood and 
early intervention program located within the geographical boundaries 
of an LEA serving the highest percentage of schools identified for 
comprehensive support and improvement or implementing targeted support 
and improvement plans in the State;
    (2) Include in Appendix B of the application--
    (i) A table that lists the project's required coursework and 
includes the course title, brief description, learning goals, and 
relevant State or national professional organization personnel 
standards for each course;
    (ii) Four exemplar course syllabi required by the degree program 
that reflect EBPs across the areas of assessment; social, emotional, 
and behavior development and learning; inclusive practices; 
instructional strategies; and literacy, as appropriate;
    (3) Include in the application budget attendance by the project 
director at a three-day project directors' meeting in Washington, DC, 
during each year of the project; and
    (4) Provide an assurance that--
    (i) The project will meet the requirements in 34 CFR 304.23, 
particularly those related to (A) informing all scholarship recipients 
of their service obligation commitment; and (B) disbursing 
scholarships. Failure by a grantee to properly meet these requirements 
is a violation of the grant award that may result in the grantee being 
liable for returning any misused funds to the Department;
    (ii) The project will meet the statutory requirements in section 
662(e) through (h) of IDEA;
    (iii) The project will be operated in a manner consistent with 
nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal civil rights laws;
    (iv) All the syllabi for the project's required coursework will be 
provided if requested by OSEP;
    (v) At least 65 percent of the total award over the project period 
(i.e., up to 5 years) will be used for scholar support;
    (vi) Scholar support provided by the project (e.g., tuition and 
fees; university student health insurance; an allowance for books, 
materials, and supplies; an allowance for miscellaneous personal 
expenses; an allowance for dependent care, such as child care; and an 
allowance for room and board) is not based on the condition that the 
scholar work for the grantee (e.g., personnel at the IHE);
    (vii) The project director, key personnel, and scholars will 
actively participate in learning opportunities (e.g., webinars, 
briefings) supported by OSEP. This is intended to promote opportunities 
for participants to understand reporting requirements, share resources, 
and generate new knowledge by addressing topics of common interest to 
participants across projects including Department priorities and needs 
in the field;
    (viii) The project website, if applicable, will be of high quality, 
with an easy-to-navigate design that meets government or industry-
recognized standards for accessibility;
    (ix) Scholar accomplishments (e.g., public service, awards, 
publications, conference presentations) will be reported in annual and 
final performance reports; and
    (x) Annual data will be submitted on each scholar who receives 
grant support (OMB Control Number 1820-0686). The primary purposes of 
the data collection are to track the service obligation fulfillment of 
scholars who receive funds from OSEP grants and to collect data for 
program performance measure reporting under 34 CFR 75.110. Data 
collection includes the submission of a signed, completed pre-
scholarship agreement and exit certification for each scholar funded 
under an OSEP grant (see paragraph (f)(4)(i) of this priority). 
Applicants are encouraged to visit the Personnel Development Program 
Data Collection System website at https://

[[Page 30113]]

pdp.ed.gov/osep for further information about this data collection 
requirement.
    Competitive Preference Priority: Within this absolute priority, we 
give competitive preference to applications that address the following 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional 3 points 
to an application that meets the competitive preference priority. 
Applicants should indicate in the abstract if they are addressing the 
competitive preference priority.
    This priority is:
    Applications from New Potential Grantees (0 or 3 points).
    (a) Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate that the 
applicant (e.g., the IHE) has not had an active discretionary grant 
under ALN 84.325K,\12\ in the last five years before the deadline date 
for submission of applications under this program (ALN 84.325R).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \12\ 84.325R is a new related services personnel preparation 
program for serving children with disabilities who have high-
intensity needs. Previously, personnel preparation of related 
services providers was funded under 84.325K.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (b) For the purpose of this priority, a grant is active until the 
end of the grant's project or funding period, including any extensions 
of those periods that extend the grantee's authority to obligate funds.
    References:

American Physical Therapy Association. (2020). APTA physical therapy 
workforce analysis. www.apta.org/contentassets/5997bfa5c8504df789fe4f1c01a717eb/apta-workforce-analysis-2020.pdf.
American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2019, July). A 
demographic snapshot of SLPs. The ASHA Leader, 24(7), 32. https://leader.pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/leader.AAG.24072019.32.
Boe, E.E., deBettencourt, L., Dewey, J.F., Rosenberg, M.S., 
Sindelar, P.T., & Leko, C.D. (2013). Variability in demand for 
special education teachers: Indicators, explanations, and impacts. 
Exceptionality, 21(2), 103-125.
Browder, D.M., Wood, L., Thompson, J., & Ribuffo, C. (2014). 
Evidence-based practices for students with severe disabilities 
(Document No. IC-3). https://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/tool/innovation-configurations/.
Bryan, N. (2021, May 26). Black male teachers and gender equity in 
early childhood education. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of 
Education. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.1565.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (2023). 
Occupational Outlook Handbook. www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/ healthcare/.
Carver-Thomas, D. (2018, April). Diversifying the teaching 
profession through high-retention pathways [Research brief]. 
Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/media/164/download?inline&file=Diversifying_Teaching_Profession_BRIEF.pdf.
IDEA Infant and Toddler Coordinators Association. (2021). Tipping 
points survey: Demographics, challenges, and opportunities. 
www.ideainfanttoddler.org/pdf/2021-Tipping-Points-Survey.pdf.
McLeskey, J., & Brownell, M. (2015). High-leverage practices and 
teacher preparation in special education (Document No. PR-1). https://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/High-Leverage-Practices-and-Teacher-Preparation-in-Special-Education.pdf.
National Association of School Psychologists. (2021). Shortages in 
school psychology: Challenges to meeting the growing needs of U.S. 
students and schools [Research summary]. www.nasponline.org/research-and-policy/research-center/school-psychology-workforce.
National Coalition on Personnel Shortages in Special Education. 
(n.d.) About the shortage. https://specialedshortages.org/about-the-shortage/. National Professional Development Center on Inclusion. 
(2011, June). Competencies for early childhood educators in the 
context of inclusion: Issues and guidance for States. The University 
of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute. https://fpg.unc.edu/sites/fpg.unc.edu/files/resource-files/FPG_NPDCI_Competencies_2011.pdf.

    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 priorities 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. (d) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 304.
    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $6,750,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2024 from the list of 
unfunded applications from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $200,000-$250,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $225,000 per year.
    Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $250,000 for a 
single budget period of 12 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 27.
    Project Period: Up to 60 months.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants are IHEs and private 
nonprofit organizations.
    Note: If you are a nonprofit organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you 
may demonstrate your nonprofit status by providing: (1) proof that the 
Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as an 
organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a State 
taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that the 
organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the State and 
that no part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private 
shareholder or individual; (3) a certified copy of the applicant's 
certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly 
establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) any item 
described above if that item applies to a State or national parent 
organization, together with a statement by the State or parent 
organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing or matching is not 
required for this competition.
    b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses a training 
indirect cost rate. This limits indirect cost reimbursement to an 
entity's actual indirect costs, as determined in its negotiated 
indirect cost rate agreement, or eight percent of a modified total 
direct cost base, whichever amount is less. For more information 
regarding training indirect cost rates, see 34 CFR 75.562. For more 
information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated 
indirect cost rate, please see https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.

[[Page 30114]]

    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: Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c), a grantee under 
this competition may award subgrants--to directly carry out project 
activities described in its application--to the following types of 
entities: IHEs, nonprofit organizations suitable to carry out the 
activities proposed in the application, and public agencies. The 
grantee may award subgrants to entities it has identified in an 
approved application or that it selects through a competition under 
procedures established by the grantee, consistent with 34 CFR 
75.708(b)(2).
    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 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at 
www.federalregister.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-12-07/pdf/2022-26554.pdf, 
which contain requirements and information on how to submit an 
application. Please note that these Common Instructions supersede the 
version published on December 27, 2021.
    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 40 pages; (2) limit the whole 
application to no more than 100 pages; and (3) 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 as follows:
    (a) Significance (10 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed 
project.
    (2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the proposed project will prepare personnel 
for fields in which shortages have been demonstrated; and
    (ii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in 
teaching and student achievement.
    (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 services to be provided by the proposed 
project reflect up-to-date knowledge from research and effective 
practice;
    (ii) 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;
    (iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for 
maximizing the effectiveness of project services; and
    (iv) The extent to which the proposed activities constitute a 
coherent, sustained program of training in the field.
    (c) Quality of project personnel and quality of the management plan 
(20 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the project personnel 
and the quality of the management plan.
    (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 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; and
    (iii) 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.
    (d) Adequacy of resources (20 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources of the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the adequacy of resources of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

[[Page 30115]]

    (i) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, 
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the 
lead applicant organization; and
    (ii) 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 project evaluation (15 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; and
    (ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide 
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward 
achieving intended outcomes.
    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).

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, 
also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you 
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to 
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in 
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of 
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those 
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent 
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or 
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. 
Additionally, a grantee that is awarded competitive grant funds must 
have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. This 
dissemination plan can be developed and submitted

[[Page 30116]]

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.
    (c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee 
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In 
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
    5. Performance Measures: For the purposes of Department reporting 
under 34 CFR 75.110, the Department has established a set of 
performance measures, including long-term measures, that are designed 
to yield information on various aspects of the effectiveness and 
quality of the Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results 
for Children with Disabilities program. These measures include (1) the 
percentage of preparation programs that incorporate scientifically 
based practices or EBPs into their curricula; (2) the percentage of 
scholars completing the preparation program who are knowledgeable and 
skilled in EBPs that improve outcomes for children with disabilities; 
(3) the percentage of scholars who exit the preparation program prior 
to completion due to poor academic performance; (4) the percentage of 
scholars completing the preparation program who are working in the 
area(s) in which they were prepared upon program completion; (5) the 
Federal cost per scholar who completed the preparation program; (6) the 
percentage of scholars who completed the preparation program and are 
employed in high-need districts; and (7) the percentage of scholars who 
completed the preparation program and who are rated effective by their 
employers.
    In addition, the Department will gather information on the 
following outcome measures: the number and percentage of scholars 
proposed by the grantee in their application that were actually 
enrolled and making satisfactory academic progress in the current 
academic year; the number and percentage of enrolled scholars who are 
on track to complete the training program by the end of the project's 
original grant period; and the percentage of scholars who completed the 
preparation program and are employed in the field of special education 
for at least two years.
    Grantees may be asked to participate in assessing and providing 
information on these aspects of program quality.
    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 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. 2023-09954 Filed 5-9-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P