Notice2024-03595
Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities-National Center on Rigorous Comprehensive Education for Students With Disabilities
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 22, 2024
Issuing agencies
Education Department
Abstract
The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2024 for a National Center on Rigorous Comprehensive Education for Students with Disabilities, Assistance Listing Number 84.326C. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1820-0028.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 36 (Thursday, February 22, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 36 (Thursday, February 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13315-13323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03595]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance and
Dissemination To Improve Services and Results for Children With
Disabilities--National Center on Rigorous Comprehensive Education for
Students With Disabilities
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2024 for a
National Center on Rigorous Comprehensive Education for Students with
Disabilities, Assistance Listing Number 84.326C. This notice relates to
the approved information collection under OMB control number 1820-0028.
DATES:
Applications Available: February 22, 2024.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: April 22, 2024.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: June 21, 2024.
Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than February 27,
2024, OSERS will post pre-recorded informational webinars designed to
provide technical assistance (TA) to interested applicants. Links to
the webinars may be found at <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html">https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html</a>.
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
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554">www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Emenheiser, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4A10, Washington, DC 20202.
Telephone: (202) 987-0124. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5c183d2a353872193139323439352f392e1c3938723b332a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="743015021d105a3119111a1c111d0711063411105a131b02">[email protected]</span></a>.
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 purpose of the Technical Assistance and
Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities program is to promote academic achievement and to improve
results for children with disabilities by providing TA, supporting
model demonstration projects, disseminating useful information, and
implementing activities that are supported by scientifically based
research.
Priority: This competition includes one absolute priority. In
accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority is from allowable
activities specified in the statute (see sections 663 and 681(d) of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); 20 U.S.C. 1463 and
1481(d)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2024 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:
The National Center on Rigorous Comprehensive Education for
Students with Disabilities.
Background:
Students receiving special education and related services are
general education students first and foremost. In the 2004
reauthorization of IDEA, Congress found that ``[a]n effective
educational system serving students with disabilities should maintain
high academic achievement standards and clear performance goals for
children with disabilities, consistent with the standards and
expectations for all students in the educational system and provide for
appropriate and effective strategies and methods to ensure that all
children with disabilities have the opportunity to achieve those
standards and goals.'' 20 U.S.C. 1450(4)(A). ``Raise the Bar: Lead the
World is the U.S. Department of Education's call to action to transform
P-12 education and unite around what truly works--based on decades of
experience and research--to advance educational equity and excellence''
(<a href="http://www.ed.gov/raisethebar/">www.ed.gov/raisethebar/</a>), including for students with disabilities.
Through the Raise the Bar initiative, the Department seeks to focus
attention to ``deliver a comprehensive and rigorous education for every
student.'' Currently, students with disabilities too frequently lack
access to a rigorous comprehensive education and remain under-
challenged to achieve and progress from grade to grade (Cole et al.,
2023).
A cornerstone of special education under IDEA is a free appropriate
public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). It
is through high-quality person-centered \1\ individualized
[[Page 13316]]
education programs (IEPs) that local educational agencies (LEAs) and
schools plan and deliver evidence-based instruction, supports, and
services to students with disabilities to provide FAPE in the LRE.
However, States, LEAs, and schools continue to face significant
challenges with providing FAPE, including person-centered, rigorous,
and specially designed instruction and service delivery. Recent
research indicates that the majority of IEPs are incomplete and lack
substantive sufficiency of the statement of present levels of
performance, which is the crucial initial component of a person-
centered IEP (e.g., Hott et al., 2021; Lequia et al., 2023). Although
LEA, school-level, and classroom-level programming directly influence
student outcomes, school teams are often too overwhelmed to implement
the many projects, priorities, curricula, frameworks, and initiatives
they are tasked to do (Wong et al., 2017). Schools end up piecing
together multiple competing and fragmented priorities, instructional
materials, and programs (Kaufman et al., 2020).
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\1\ Some States and organizations have defined ``person-
centered,'' as used in this notice, to reference when students and
their families are actively sought to participate in their
schooling, including IEP development and implementation, the course
of study, and related and transition services, however this term is
still developing in the field. The discussions and decisions leading
to a person-centered program are founded upon the unique school,
extracurricular, and post-secondary strengths, interests, and goals
of the student and their family.
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Schools have supported students' academic recovery in post-COVID
schooling through accelerated learning, compensatory education, mental
health supports, trauma-informed practices, and other activities (Page
et al., 2021), but study findings suggest that the pandemic worsened
existing inequity (Kuhfeld et al., 2022). As a result, LEAs and schools
often struggle to address the needs of students with disabilities.
School personnel need strategies, resources, and supports to assist
them in streamlining, braiding, blending, and integrating instructional
materials, standards, initiatives, frameworks, priorities, and
practices into comprehensive and rigorous programming, which can result
in increased and improved access, opportunities, and outcomes for
students with disabilities as a whole and among subpopulations (e.g.,
disability category, age, grade, gender, race, ethnicity).
The current instructional environment is further challenged when
novice and underqualified personnel provide instruction and services to
students with disabilities, serve on IEP teams, and manage caseloads of
students with disabilities (Garcia et al., 2019). The National Center
for Education Statistics (NCES) data show that 45 percent of public
schools are operating without a full teaching staff (<a href="https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/">https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/</a>), with special education positions
disproportionately vacant, and 52 percent report great difficulty in
filling vacancies by teachers with the appropriate certification or
license. Additionally, all school professionals, including special
education and general education personnel, should have a strong
understanding of their roles on school teams to develop rigorous IEPs
and to implement instruction and service delivery consistent with
students' IEPs (Lequia et al., 2023). Teams must work together to
develop and implement rigorous and comprehensive educational
programming that allows students with disabilities to meet person-
centered, rigorous objectives across the school's curricular, co-
curricular, and extracurricular offerings.
Taken together, these challenges indicate the local context remains
both unique from LEA to LEA and crucial to the programming offered, the
objectives identified, and the services and supports needed to overcome
the challenges and meet the objectives. To assist in addressing them,
this project will develop and disseminate models and resources and
provide TA to school teams to support the development and
implementation of a rigorous and comprehensive education, which will
result in improved educational results and functional outcomes for
students with disabilities.
Priority:
The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative agreement to
establish and operate a National Center on Rigorous Comprehensive
Education for Students with Disabilities (project). The project will
assist public, private, charter, Tribal, and correctional school teams,
including administration, general and special education, related
services, families, the community, and, to the extent possible,
students, to increase the number and quality of evidence-based \2\ IEPs
with person-centered, rigorous objectives, the implementation of which
will support the progress of students with disabilities from grade to
grade and preparation for postsecondary education, employment, and
community living.
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\2\ For the purposes of this priority, ``evidence-based'' means,
at a minimum, evidence that demonstrates a rationale (as defined in
34 CFR 77.1) based on high-quality research findings or positive
evaluation that such activity, strategy, or intervention is likely
to improve student outcomes or other relevant outcomes.
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The project must achieve, at a minimum, the following expected
outcomes:
(a) Support of school teams to achieve consistent implementation of
person-centered specially designed instruction, related services, and
accommodations consistent with the students' IEPs and through use of
evidence-based and best instructional practices to allow students with
disabilities to achieve person-centered, rigorous objectives;
(b) Development and use of models for streamlining, braiding,
blending, and integrating instructional materials, standards,
initiatives, frameworks, priorities, and practices into a cohesive
school-wide program easing professional burden while simultaneously
raising school team expectations of students with disabilities to
achieve person-centered, rigorous objectives;
(c) Development and increased use of evidence-based strategies,
resources, and supports that allow schools to provide rigorous
educational programming to prepare students with disabilities for
postsecondary education, employment, and community living; and
(d) Support of school teams to achieve improved equity of access,
opportunities, achievement, attainment, and outcomes, including
academic achievement and social, emotional, and behavioral development
by students with disabilities as a whole group and among disaggregated
groups.
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) Identify and address the challenges to forming and sustaining
effective school teams that include administration, general and special
education personnel, related services providers, families, the
community, and students;
(2) Identify and address the challenges facing public, private,
charter, Tribal, and correctional school teams in their substantive and
procedural implementation of educational programming for children with
disabilities; and
(3) Apply evidence-based strategies and best practices that will
effectively address the nature and magnitude of the challenges,
described in response to
[[Page 13317]]
paragraphs (a)(1) and (2), within a variety of schools, LEAs, and
community contexts.
(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 for TA and
information; and
(ii) Ensure that services and products meet the needs of the
intended recipients of the project services;
(2) Achieve its goals, objectives, and intended outcomes. To meet
this requirement, the applicant must provide--
(i) Measurable intended project outcomes; and
(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) by
which the proposed project will achieve the expected outcomes and that
depicts, at a minimum, the goals, activities, outputs, and intended
outcomes of the proposed project;
(3) Use a conceptual framework (and provide a copy in Appendix A)
to develop project plans and activities, describing any underlying
concepts, assumptions, expectations, beliefs, or theories, as well as
the presumed relationships or linkages among these variables, and any
empirical support for this framework;
Note: The following websites provide more information on logic
models and conceptual frameworks: <a href="https://osepideasthatwork.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/ConceptualFramework_Updated.pdf">https://osepideasthatwork.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/ConceptualFramework_Updated.pdf</a> and
<a href="http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptual-framework">www.osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptual-framework</a>.
(4) Be based on current research and make use of evidence-based
practices (EBPs). To meet this requirement, the applicant must
describe--
(i) The current research and practices on developing, implementing,
evaluating, and improving rigorous comprehensive education for students
with disabilities to progress grade to grade and be ready for
postsecondary education, employment, and community living;
(ii) The current research and practices about adult learning
principles and implementation science that will inform the proposed
product development, training, and TA;
(iii) How the proposed project will incorporate current research
and practices in the development and delivery of its products and
services; and
(iv) How the proposed project will transfer the pertinent resources
and products developed by the PROGRESS Center
(<a href="http://www.promotingprogress.org">www.promotingprogress.org</a>) and maintain the continuity of services to
their TA recipients as part of the transition to a new award, as
appropriate;
(5) Develop products and provide services that are of high quality
and sufficient intensity and duration, responsive to the users'
changing capacity, to achieve the intended outcomes of the proposed
project. To address this requirement, the applicant must describe--
(i) How it proposes to identify or develop the knowledge base
regarding--
(A) Defining and operationalizing high expectations for students
with disabilities, and supporting the students, their families, and the
professionals working with them to strive to meet the high
expectations;
(B) Clarifying the appropriate use of EBPs by disaggregating the
research evidence of effectiveness among diverse settings and
populations, such as areas with low and high population densities,
diverse levels of wealth and poverty, and underserved populations, such
as populations of color, homeless, food insecure, migrant, and justice-
involved populations;
(C) Clarifying roles and strengthening meaningful participation of
administrators, general educators, special educators, related service
providers, and others to set high expectations and person-centered,
rigorous objectives;
(D) Building capacity of school teams to leverage expertise of all
school and LEA personnel, families, students, and community members in
providing instruction, supports, and services so that students with
disabilities progress from grade to grade and are prepared for
postsecondary education, employment, and community living;
(E) Building and sustaining community partnerships among schools,
community-based programs, child and youth associations, and places of
worship, among others, to establish, strengthen, and sustain rigorous
comprehensive education within various community contexts; and
(F) Allocating resources effectively and efficiently, including
personnel who are qualified to serve students with disabilities but are
currently not in special education positions (e.g., dual certified
teachers);
(ii) Its proposed approach to universal, general TA,\3\ which must
describe--
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\3\ ``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.
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(A) The intended recipients, including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products and services;
(B) The products and services that the project proposes to make
available;
(C) How it proposes to develop and maintain a high-quality website,
with an easy-to-navigate design, that meets or exceeds government- or
industry-recognized standards for accessibility; and
(D) The expected reach and impact of universal, general TA;
(iii) The proposed approach to targeted, specialized TA,\4\ which
must describe--
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\4\ ``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.
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(A) The intended recipients, including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products and services;
(B) The products and services that the project proposes to make
available; and
(C) The expected impact of targeted, specialized TA;
(iv) Its proposed approach to intensive, sustained TA,\5\ which
must describe--
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\5\ ``Intensive, sustained TA'' means TA services often provided
on-site and requiring a stable, ongoing relationship between the TA
center staff and the TA recipient. ``TA services'' are defined as
negotiated series of activities designed to reach a valued outcome.
This category of TA should result in changes to policy, program,
practice, or operations that support increased recipient capacity or
improved outcomes at one or more systems levels.
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(A) The intended recipients, including the type and number of
recipients from a variety of settings and geographic distributions,
that will receive the intensive, sustained TA products and services
designed to impact the number and quality of IEPs with person-centered,
rigorous
[[Page 13318]]
objectives that support the progress of students with disabilities from
grade to grade and preparation for postsecondary education, employment,
and community living;
(B) The proposed approach to determine the readiness, capacity, and
commitment of the--
(1) Project to engage specific LEA and school teams--that include
administration, general and special education personnel, related
services providers, families, and the community--in a manner that is
responsive to the local context (as described in the Background section
of this notice), giving special attention to engage those LEAs and
schools with the greatest need for support;
(2) Public, private, charter, Tribal, and correctional LEA and
school teams to specify the scope and duration of intensive work to
effect change of policies, programs, and operations and allocate the
resources; and
(3) Project, LEA, and school teams to allocate the resources to
implement the TA plan and measure and evaluate the improvement, spread,
and sustainment of the new policies, programs, and operations at the
district and school levels, and among disaggregated populations; and
(C) The expected impact of intensive, sustained TA; and
(v) How the proposed project will intentionally engage families of
children with disabilities and individuals with disabilities--including
underserved families \6\ and individuals--in the development,
implementation, and evaluation of its products and services across all
levels of TA;
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\6\ For the purposes of this priority, ``underserved families''
refers to foster, kinship, migrant, technologically unconnected, and
military- or veteran-connected families; and families of color,
living in poverty, without documentation of immigration status,
experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, or impacted by the
justice system, including the juvenile justice system. Underserved
families also refers to families that include: members of a
federally or State recognized Indian Tribe; English learners; adults
who experience a disability; members who are lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, queer or questioning, or intersex (LGBTQI+); adults in
need of improving their basic skills or with limited literacy; and
disconnected adults.
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(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) The organizations with which the proposed project will
collaborate, three of which must be the FY 2023 funded National Center
for Innovative Development of Educational Approaches for Leaders,
National Center on Intensive Interventions, and National Center for
Systemic Improvement, and the intended outcomes of the collaboration;
and
(iii) How the proposed project will use non-project resources to
achieve the intended project outcomes, including the dissemination of
pertinent products developed by other Department-funded projects; and
(7) How the project will systematically disseminate information,
products, and services to varied intended audiences. To address this
requirement the applicant must describe--
(i) The variety of dissemination strategies the project will use
throughout the five years of the project to promote awareness and use
of its products and services;
(ii) How the project will tailor dissemination strategies across
all planned levels of TA to ensure that products and services reach
intended recipients and those recipients can access and use those
products and services;
(iii) How the project's dissemination plan is connected to the
proposed outcomes of the project; and
(iv) How the project will ensure, by evaluating and, when
necessary, correcting, all digital products and external communications
meet or exceed government or industry-recognized standards for
accessibility.
(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.\7\ The evaluation plan must--
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\7\ 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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(1) Articulate formative, diagnostic, and summative evaluation
questions, including important process and outcome evaluation
questions, the answers to which provide evidence of the success and
impact of the project reaching the outcomes listed in this notice.
These questions must be related to the project's proposed logic model
required in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this notice;
(2) Describe how resources, costs, progress, and fidelity of
implementation, as well as project outcomes, will be measured to answer
the evaluation questions. In measuring progress of implementation
across all levels of TA, the plan must include criteria for determining
the extent to which the project's products and services reached
intended recipients, data on how recipients use the products and
services, and the impact of the products and services. Data collected
must include feedback from recipients. The plan must also specify the
measures and associated instruments or sources for data appropriate to
the evaluation questions and 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--
(i) To inform and improve service delivery and efficiency over the
course of the project;
(ii) To refine the proposed logic model and evaluation plan,
including subsequent data collection; and
(iii) To report formative and summative project performance; and
(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 (APR) and at the end of Year 2 for the review process described
under the heading, Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project; and
(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;
(4) The proposed project will have processes, resources, and funds
in place to provide equitable access for project staff, contractors,
and partners who
[[Page 13319]]
require digital accessibility accommodations; \8\ and
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\8\ For information about digital accessibility and
accessibility standards from Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act,
visit <a href="https://osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/508-resources">https://osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/508-resources</a>.
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(5) The proposed costs are reasonable in relation to the
anticipated results and benefits.
(e) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of the management plan,'' how--
(1) The proposed management plan will ensure that the project's
intended outcomes will be achieved on time and within budget. To
address this requirement, the applicant must describe--
(i) Clearly defined responsibilities for key project personnel,
consultants, and subcontractors, as applicable; and
(ii) Timelines and milestones for accomplishing the project tasks;
(2) Key project personnel and any consultants and subcontractors
will be allocated and how these allocations are appropriate and
adequate to achieve the project's intended outcomes;
(3) The proposed management plan will ensure that the products and
services provided are of high quality, relevant, and useful to
recipients; and
(4) The proposed project will benefit from a diversity of
perspectives, including those of families, educators, TA providers,
researchers, and policy makers, among others, in its development and
operation.
(f) Address the following application requirements. The applicant
must--
(1) Include, in Appendix A, personnel-loading charts and timelines,
as applicable, to illustrate the management plan described in the
narrative;
(2) Include, in the budget, attendance at the following:
(i) A one and one-half day kick-off meeting in Washington, DC,
after receipt of the award, and an annual planning meeting in
Washington, DC, 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 three-day project directors' conference in Washington, DC,
during each year of the project period;
(iii) Two annual two-day trips to attend Department briefings,
Department-sponsored conferences, and other meetings, as requested by
OSEP; and
(iv) A one-day intensive 3+2 review meeting in Washington, DC,
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 than the end of the third quarter of each budget period;
(4) Describe how the project will engage doctoral students or post-
doctoral fellows, including those who are multilingual and racially,
ethnically, and culturally diverse, in the project to increase the
number of future leaders in the field who are knowledgeable about
special education leadership, knowledge development, TA, and
Department-funded projects;
(5) Provide an assurance that it will post its annual project
progress toward meeting project goals on the project website; and
(6) 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 LEAs and schools 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 and experience in school administration, special
education leadership, TA, and project evaluation. 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
Cole, S.M., Murphy, H.R., Frisby, M.B., & Robinson, J. (2023). The
relationship between special education placement and high school
outcomes. Journal of Special Education, 57(1), 13-23. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00224669221097945">https://doi.org/10.1177/00224669221097945</a>.
Garcia, E., & Weiss, E. (2019). The teacher shortage is real, large
and growing, and worse than we thought. The first report in ``The
Perfect Storm in the Teacher Labor Market'' series. Economic Policy
Institute. <a href="https://files.epi.org/pdf/163651.pdf">https://files.epi.org/pdf/163651.pdf</a>.
Hott, B.L., Jones, B.A., Randolph, K.M., Kuntz, E., McKenna, J.W., &
Brigham, F.J. (2021). Lessons learned from a descriptive review of
rural individualized education programs. Journal of Special
Education, 55(3), 163-173. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0022466920972670">https://doi.org/10.1177/0022466920972670</a>.
Kaufman, J.H., Doan, S., Tuma, A.P., Woo, A., Henry, D., & Lawrence,
R.A. (2020). How instructional materials are used and supported in
U.S. K-12 classrooms: Findings from the 2019 American Instructional
Resources Survey. RAND Corporation. <a href="https://doi.org/10.7249/rra134-1">https://doi.org/10.7249/rra134-1</a>.
Kuhfeld, M., Soland, J., Lewis, K., Ruzek, E., & Johnson, A. (2022).
The COVID-19 school year: Learning and recovery across 2020-2021.
AERA Open, 8. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221099306">https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221099306</a>.
Lequia, J.L., Vincent, L.B., Lyons, G.L., Asmus, J.M., & Carter,
E.W. (2023). Individualized education programs of high school
students with significant disabilities. Education & Training in
Autism & Developmental Disabilities, 58(1), 22-35.
Page, E., Leonard-Kane, R., Kashefpakdel, E., Riggall, A., &
Guerriero, S. (2021). Learning loss, learning gains and wellbeing: A
rapid evidence assessment. Education Development Trust.
Wong, V.W., Ruble, L.A., Yu, Y., & McGrew, J.H. (2017). Too stressed
to teach? Teaching quality, student engagement, and IEP outcomes.
Exceptional Children, 83(4), 412-427. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402917690729">https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402917690729</a>.
Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested
parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. Section
681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment requirements of the
APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1463 and 1481.
Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner
consistent with the nondiscrimination
[[Page 13320]]
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 institutions of
higher education (IHEs) only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested
$55,345,000 for the Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve
Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program for FY
2024, of which we intend to use an estimated $3,250,000 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 2025 from the list of
unfunded applications from this competition.
Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $3,250,000 for a
single budget period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; State lead agencies under Part C of
the IDEA; 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 <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html">www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html</a>.
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
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554">www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554</a>, which contain requirements and
information on how to submit an application.
2. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
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:
<bullet> A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> Use a font that is 12 point or larger.
<bullet> 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
[[Page 13321]]
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.
(iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes.
(iv) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the
intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and
qualitative data to the extent possible.
(d) Adequacy of resources and quality of project personnel (15
points).
(1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the
proposed project and the quality of the personnel who will carry out
the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of the project director or principal investigator.
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of key project personnel.
(iii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors.
(iv) The qualifications, including relevant training, experience,
and independence, of the evaluator.
(v) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the
lead applicant organization.
(vi) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
(vii) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the
proposed project.
(viii) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to
the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed
project.
(e) Quality of the management plan (20 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for
the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
(i) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks.
(ii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed
project.
(iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products
and services from the proposed project.
(iv) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives
are brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project, including
those of parents, teachers, the business community, a variety of
disciplinary and professional fields, recipients or beneficiaries of
services, or others, as appropriate.
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
(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
[[Page 13322]]
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 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 <a href="http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html">www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html</a>.
5. Performance Measures: For the purpose 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:
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> Program Performance Measure #2: The percentage of Special
Education Technical Assistance and Dissemination products and services
deemed by an independent review panel of qualified experts to be of
high relevance to educational and early intervention policy or
practice.
<bullet> Program Performance Measure #3: The percentage of all
Special Education Technical Assistance and Dissemination products and
services deemed by an independent review panel of qualified experts to
be useful in improving educational or early intervention policy or
practice.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> Long-term Program Performance Measure: The percentage of
States receiving Special Education Technical Assistance and
Dissemination services regarding scientifically or evidence-based
practices for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities
that successfully promote the implementation of those practices in
school districts and service agencies.
The measures apply to projects funded under this competition, and
grantees are required to submit data on these measures as directed by
OSEP.
Grantees will be required to report information on their project's
performance in annual and final
[[Page 13323]]
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 <a href="http://www.govinfo.gov">www.govinfo.gov</a>. 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
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov">www.federalregister.gov</a>. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Glenna Wright-Gallo,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2024-03595 Filed 2-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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