Department of Education June 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces three priorities under the DRRP program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, we announce (1) A priority for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network Regional Centers (Priority 1), (2) a priority for the ADA National Network Knowledge Translation Center (Priority 2), and (3) a priority for the ADA National Network Collaborative Research Projects (Priority 3). The Assistant Secretary may use one or more of these priorities for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2011 and later years. We take this action to focus attention on areas of national need.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Interventions to Promote Community Living Among Individuals with Disabilities. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2011 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend this priority to contribute to improved participation and community living outcomes for individuals with disabilities and their families.

The Secretary is publishing the following list pursuant to section 607(f) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Under section 607(f) of the IDEA, the Secretary is required, on a quarterly basis, to publish in the Federal Register a list of correspondence from the U.S. Department of Education (Department) received by individuals during the previous quarter that describes the interpretations of the Department of the IDEA or the regulations that implement the IDEA. This list and the letters or other Departmental documents described in this list, with personally identifiable information redacted, as appropriate, can be found at: https:// www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (Privacy Act), 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Chief Operating Officer for Federal Student Aid (FSA) of the Department of Education (Department) publishes this notice proposing to revise the system of records entitled ``National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)'' (18-11-06), originally published on December 27, 1999 (64 FR 72395-72397) and altered on September 7, 2010 (75 FR 54331-54336). In this notice, the Department proposes to revise this system of records to make updates needed as a result of amendments to the Program Integrity regulations that apply to institutions that participate in the Federal student financial aid programs under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) that will impose new requirements on certain programs that prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation. As a result of these regulatory changes, we have expanded the categories of records maintained in this system, the categories of individuals covered by the system, the system's purposes, and the routine uses to reflect needed programmatic disclosures. We also have expanded the authority under which the system of records is maintained to include the authority under sections 101, 102, 485, and 485B of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1001, 1002, 1092, and 1092b) to collect data to determine whether an educational program provides training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation. The Department seeks comments on the proposed routine uses in the altered system of records notice on or before July 25, 2011. The Department filed a report describing the altered system of records covered by this notice with the Chair of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), on June 20, 2011. This altered system of records will become effective at the later date of: (1) The expiration of the 40-day period for OMB review on July 30, 2011; or (2) July 25, 2011, unless the system of records needs to be changed as a result of public comment or OMB review.

The notice sets forth the schedule and agenda of the meeting of the Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities. The notice also describes the functions of the Commission. Notice of the meeting is required by section 10 (a) (2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and is intended to notify the public of its opportunity to attend.

The Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority under the Special Demonstration Programs authorized under 303(b) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (the Rehabilitation Act). The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2011 and later years. We take this action to focus technical assistance (TA) on areas of national need identified by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) through analyses of information obtained during monitoring and oversight of its grant programs. We also intend the priority to increase the transfer, utilization, and dissemination of information on promising practices and knowledge from research on topics in the field of rehabilitation that have national significance and improve the performance of State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies.

On September 17, 2010 (75 FR 57000) (DDRA); October 1, 2010 (75 FR 60740) (FRA); January 13, 2011 (76 FR 2349) (BIE) and (76 FR 2353) (IRS); January 25, 2011 (76 FR 4330) (AORC); February 8, 2011 (76 FR 6769) (UISFL); and March 22, 2011 (76 FR 15956) (Comprehensive Program), the Department published in the Federal Register notices inviting applications for new awards for each of the programs identified. Since that time, the Department has determined that, as a result of final Congressional action on FY 2011 appropriations, there are not sufficient funds available in 2011 to support new awards under these programs. As such, the Department withdraws these notices inviting applications for new awards for FY 2011.

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

The Secretary amends the Student Assistance General Provisions regulations to improve disclosure of relevant information and to establish minimal measures for determining whether certain postsecondary educational programs lead to gainful employment in recognized occupations, and the conditions under which these educational programs remain eligible for the student financial assistance programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).

The notice sets forth the schedule and agenda of the meeting of the Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities. The notice also describes the functions of the Commission. Notice of the meeting is required by section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and is intended to notify the public of its opportunity to attend.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, this notice proposes a priority for a center on knowledge translation for disability and rehabilitation research (KTDRR Center). The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for a competition in fiscal year (FY) 2011 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need.

The Secretary proposes to waive the requirements in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), in 34 CFR 75.250 and 75.261(a) and (c), respectively, that generally prohibit project periods exceeding five years and extensions of project periods involving the obligation of additional Federal funds. This extension of project period and waiver would enable the currently funded project to receive funding from October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012.

The Secretary announces deadline dates for the receipt of documents and other information from institutions and applicants for the Federal student aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, for the 2010-2011 award year. The Federal student aid programs include the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Pell Grant, Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership, William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan), Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant), Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant, and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant programs. These programs, administered by the U.S. Department of Education (Department), provide financial assistance to students attending eligible postsecondary educational institutions to help them pay their educational costs. Deadline and Submission Dates: See Tables A, B, and C at the end of this notice.

The Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement amends the final priorities, requirements, and selection criteria under the Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) program as established in the notice of final priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria (2010 i3 NFP) that was published in the Federal Register on March 12, 2010. The 2010 i3 NFP established specific priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria to be used in evaluating grant applications for the i3 program. This document provides the Secretary with additional flexibility in using the priorities and selection criteria for i3 competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2011 and subsequent years. In addition, the document modifies the requirements on the ``Limits on Grant Awards'' and ``Cost Sharing or Matching.'' The revisions we establish in this document respond to specific lessons learned from the first competition of the i3 program in FY 2010 and allow the Department to simplify and improve the design of the i3 program to better achieve its purposes and goals.

The Department of Education (the Department), 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 and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the reporting burden on the public and helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.