[Federal Register: March 31, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 61)]
[Notices]
[Page 15439-15440]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31mr03-63]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Proposed Extension of Project Period and Waiver
AGENCY: Office of Special Education Programs, Office of Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed extension of project period and waiver.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes to waive the requirements in Education
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), at 34 CFR 75.250
and 75.261(a), that generally prohibit project periods exceeding 5
years and project extensions involving the obligation of additional
Federal funds to enable the currently-funded Regional Resource Centers
(RRCs) to receive funding from June 1, 2003 until May 31, 2004.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before April 30, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this proposal to Debra
Sturdivant or Marie Roane, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., room 3527, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2641. If
you prefer to send your comments through the Internet, use the
following address:
Debra.Sturdivant@ed.gov or
Marie.Roane@ed.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debra Sturdivant, Telephone: (202)
205-8038, or Marie Roane, Telephone: (202) 205-8451.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact persons listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Invitation To Comment
We invite you to submit comments regarding this proposed extension
of project period and waiver.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments about this extension of project period and waiver in room
3727, Switzer Building, 330 C Street SW., Washington, DC, between the
hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday of
each week except Federal holidays.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Rulemaking
Record
On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public
rulemaking record for this proposed extension of project period and
waiver. If you want to schedule an appointment for this type of aid,
you may call (202) 205-8113 or (202) 260-9895. If you use a TDD, you
may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.
Background
On February 24, 1998, we published in the Federal Register (63 FR
9376-9378) a notice inviting applications for new awards under the
Regional Resource Center Program for Fiscal Year 1998. Based on this
notice, the Department made six awards of 56 months under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA). Section 685 of IDEA authorizes the Secretary to support the
establishment of Regional Resource Centers (RRCs). These Centers
provide technical assistance and information that support States and
local agencies in building capacity to improve early intervention,
educational, and transitional services and results for children with
disabilities and their families, and address systemic-change goals and
priorities. The grant period for the six centers ends May 31, 2003.
In order to carry out activities related to implementing an
initiative of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to
identify and disseminate alternative approaches to identifying children
with learning disabilities, it is necessary to issue continuation
awards to the existing grantees. Specifically, the current RRCs are
helping to conduct a survey in each of their regions to collect
information on the ways that States identify children with learning
disabilities.
In particular, the Secretary plans for the RRCs to work with staff
of OSEP, the Kennedy Center Research Program on Learning Accommodations
for Individuals with Special Needs at Vanderbilt University, State
educational agencies, regional in-state technical assistance systems
and other State and local agencies to:
(1) Develop a coordinated plan for identifying sites within each
RRC region using alternative approaches for identification of children
with learning disabilities;
(2) Assist in efforts to provide or gather evidence of the value of
more effective approaches for addressing the needs of children with
learning disabilities; and
(3) Use research-based dissemination, training, and technical
assistance to extend and increase effective practices in the area of
learning disabilities.
The RRCs will also work with centers providing technical assistance
to projects funded under the Training and Information for Parents of
Children with Disabilities program to continue to foster improved
collaboration on the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and IDEA, which
will improve results for children with disabilities.
In addition, the Secretary plans for the RRCs to provide continued
assistance to State educational agencies for Part B and the lead
agencies for Part C in each region to support their implementation of
continuous improvement and focused monitoring activities.
Reasons
There is an immediate need to provide training and information to
the populations that will be targeted by these efforts. Providing
continuous support to existing grantees will help ensure the success of
these efforts by avoiding the possible disruption or interruption of
activities resulting from a change in grantees. Waiting until after a
new RRC competition to begin this important work would severely hinder
the Department's efforts to address the critical needs that are now
present in the regions. The current RRCs have already conducted
extensive training and information activities related to State
implementation of the IDEA Amendments of 1997 and are best suited to
conduct this effort. We have determined that an additional period of
time is needed to begin the additional technical assistance and
training activities described in this notice.
Therefore, the Secretary proposes to issue continuation awards to
the current grantees for twelve (12) months. A one-year time extension
beginning June 1,
[[Page 15440]]
2003 thru May 31, 2004 is being proposed to ensure the successful
completion of the projects. However, to do so, the Secretary must waive
the requirements in 34 CFR 75.250 and 75.261(c)(2), which prohibit
project periods exceeding 5 years and period extensions that involve
the obligation of additional Federal funds. We are proposing a waiver
at this time in order to give the affected grantees early notice of the
availability of an additional twelve months of funding.
Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification
The Secretary certifies that the proposed waiver and extension of
the project period will not have a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities. The only small entities that
would be affected are the six RRCs.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
This extension and waiver does not contain any information
collection requirements.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of
the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a
strengthened federalism. The Executive order relies on processes
developed by State and local governments for coordination and review of
proposed Federal financial assistance.
This document provides early notification of our specific plans and
actions for this program.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other
Department of Education documents published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister
.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html
.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.326, Technical
Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for
Children with Disabilities.)
Dated: March 25, 2003.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 03-7690 Filed 3-28-03; 8:45 am]
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