[Federal Register: July 1, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 126)]
[Notices]
[Page 39913-39917]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01jy04-57]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information: Special Education--Research and Innovation To Improve
Services and Results for Children With Disabilities--Research on
Accessible Reading Assessments; Notice Inviting Applications for New
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2004
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.324F
Dates: Applications Available: July 2, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 23, 2004.
Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); local
educational agencies (LEAs); institutions of higher education (IHEs);
other public agencies; nonprofit private organizations; outlying areas;
freely associated States; and Indian tribes and tribal organizations.
Estimated Available Funds: $4,800,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $960,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $1,000,000 for a single budget period of 12 months
unless the application involves a consortium of organizations, or any
other group of eligible parties that meets the requirements of 34 CFR
75.127-75.129, and a compelling rationale is provided. The Assistant
Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in
the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 5.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: To produce, and advance the use of, knowledge
to improve the results of education and early intervention for infants,
toddlers, and children with disabilities.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections
661(e)(2) and 672 of IDEA).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2004 this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is: Research on Accessible Reading Assessments.
Background: The purpose of this priority is to support research to
make large-scale assessments of reading proficiency more accessible for
students who have disabilities that affect reading. This research will
contribute to the ultimate goal of making large-scale assessments more
``universally designed'', i.e., designed from the beginning to be
accessible and valid for the widest possible range of students,
including students with disabilities.
Note: For additional background information and a complete list
of the references for this priority, applicants are encouraged to
review this material in the application package for this
competition.
Priority: This priority is for projects to conduct systematic
programs of research and development to make large-scale assessments of
reading proficiency more accessible for students who have disabilities
that affect reading. Projects may focus on one or more of the
categories of disabilities that affect reading. Given a sufficient
number of approved high quality applications, the Department intends to
fund projects that, in combination, address the assessment of students
with a full range of disabilities that affect reading, including
particularly blindness and other visual impairments, deafness and other
hearing impairments, learning disabilities, and mental retardation. The
Department intends to fund at least one project that addresses the
assessment of students working toward alternate achievement standards,
as defined in 34 CFR Part 200 as amended by the regulations published
in the Federal Register, December 9, 2003, pp. 68698-68708.
Each project must complete the goals described below:
Goal One: In collaboration with the other projects funded under
this priority, formulate a definition of the construct of ``reading
proficiency'' that can be used by all of the projects as a basis for
research and development for accessible large-scale tests of reading
proficiency (as discussed above) that (consistent with the requirements
of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)) provide (a) a valid
measure of proficiency against academic standards, and (b) individual
interpretive, descriptive, and diagnostic reports for the full range of
students with disabilities that affect reading. In collaboration with
the other projects funded under this priority: (1) Develop
documentation that supports the definition on the basis of research and
theory, including reports of the National Reading Panel and the Rand
Corporation's report on reading comprehension; \1\ (2) analyze the
definition in relation to current State and national academic
standards, and the characteristics of the populations under study by
the projects; (3) obtain input from relevant outside groups, such as
experts in assessment, reading, special education, disabilities; and
(4) refine the definition as needed on the basis of input from external
sources and research conducted under this priority.
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\1\ Snow, C. E. (2002). Reading for understanding: toward a
research and development program in reading comprehension. Santa
Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.
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Goal Two: Conduct a program of research on the assessment of
reading proficiency (as defined under Goal One) to determine the
effects of various factors of test development, design, and
administration (item development, field test methods, presentation
modes, formats, schedules, etc.) on accessibility, validity, and
comparability for students with disabilities that affect reading. The
program of research must be designed to produce an empirical base, in
combination with other available research findings, for developing
accessible reading assessments that can provide (a) a valid measure of
proficiency against academic standards, and (b) individual
interpretive, descriptive, and diagnostic reports for students with
disabilities that affect reading. The research may include
investigations of technology-based assessments, vertical scaling, and
other approaches for allowing tests to accommodate wide variations in
student proficiency and other characteristics.
The research must employ sound methodologies. It cannot simply be
designed to demonstrate performance increments for students with
disabilities, but must be designed to demonstrate increased access
while validity and comparability are maintained. One possible research
design is based on experimental research on assessment accommodations.
This design is based on an ``interaction'' model in which
accommodations produce a ``differential boost'' in the performance of
students with specific disabilities in comparison to the performance of
students without those disabilities who also receive the
accommodations.\2\ This research is discussed in several recent
summaries.\3\
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For the purposes of this priority, this design may be adapted to test
specific features of accessible reading assessments. Other research
approaches, for example research based on item response theory or
factor analysis, may also be important components of the program of
research supported under this priority. For all research designs, the
project must provide sufficient sample sizes and research rigor to
produce conclusive findings.
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\2\ Phillips, S.E. (1994). High-stakes testing accommodations:
Validity versus disabled rights. Applied Measurement in Education,
7, 93-120.
\3\ Chiu, C., & Pearson, P.D. (June 1999). Synthesizing the
Effects of Test Accommodations for Special Education and Limited
English Proficiency Students. Paper presented at the National
Conference on Large Scale Assessment (Snowbird, UT June 1999).
American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences, Palo
Alto, CA.
Sireci, S.G., Li, S., & Scarpati, S. (2003). The effects of test
accommodations on test performance: A review of the literature.
Center for Educational Assessment Research, Report No. 485. Amherst,
MA: School of Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Thompson, S., Blount, A., & Thurlow, M. (2002). A summary of
research on the effects of test accommodations: 1999 through 2001
(Technical Report 34). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota,
National Center on Educational Outcomes.
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Goal Three: In collaboration with the other projects funded under
this priority, develop research-based principles and guidelines for
making large-scale assessments of reading proficiency more accessible
for students who have disabilities that affect reading. The principles
and guidelines must address all phases of test design and development,
including definitions of constructs, development of items and formats,
field testing and revision, etc. To the greatest possible degree, the
principles and guidelines developed under this goal must be compatible
extensions of the Standards for Educational and Psychological
Testing.\4\ These principles and guidelines must be in formats that
allow for their use in developing and evaluating assessments, as well
as in focusing future research.
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\4\ American Educational Research Association, American
Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in
Education. (1999). Standards for Educational and Psychological
Testing. Washington, DC.
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Goal Four: In collaboration with the other projects funded under
this priority, and based on the definition formulated under Goal One
and the research conducted under Goal Two, develop instruments and/or
methods for assessing reading proficiency that are suitable for large-
scale administration for school accountability purposes, that are
accessible to students who have disabilities that affect reading, that
maintain validity and comparability of scores, and that can provide (a)
a valid measure of proficiency against academic standards, and (b)
individual interpretive, descriptive, and diagnostic reports for the
full range of students with disabilities that affect reading.
In collaboration with the other projects funded under this
priority, a project must conduct a large-scale field test on the
instruments and methods to determine the degree to which they provide
for accessibility, validity, and comparability. The projects must
provide sufficient sample size and diversity, as well as sound data
collection and analysis procedures to ensure conclusive field test
findings.
It is anticipated that the projects will complete Goals 1 through 3
during the first three years of operation, and that Goal 4 will be
completed during years 4 and 5. In deciding whether to continue each
project for the fourth and fifth years for the completion of Goal 4, we
will consider the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), and in addition--
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of experts
selected by the Secretary, which review will be conducted during the
first half of the project's third year in Washington DC. Projects must
budget for staff travel associated with this review;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
project;
(c) The degree to which the project is making a positive
contribution to providing research findings for making large-scale
assessments of reading proficiency more accessible for students who
have disabilities that affect reading;
(d) The degree to which the project is collaborating effectively
with other projects funded under this priority and producing a cohesive
set of products and findings; and
(e) The quality of plans and arrangements for conducting the field
test called for under Goal 4.
General Requirements: Each project must--
(a) Form a general advisory committee on which representation is
invited from the National Center for Education Statistics; the National
Assessment Governing Board; the National Center on Educational
Outcomes; the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards,
and Student Testing; organizations representing test developers,
reading educators, and researchers; disability groups; and other
appropriate projects and organizations. The primary purposes of this
advisory committee are to review and advise on the general plans of the
project and to provide liaison with significant stakeholder groups;
(b) Form a technical advisory committee consisting of experts in
reading, assessment, and research. The purpose of this technical
advisory committee is to review and provide technical input on the
specific research and development plans and activities of the project;
(c) Disseminate the project's findings. Dissemination must include
the use of a Web site that meets all relevant standards for
accessibility;
(d) Budget for a two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington,
DC during each year of the project; and
(e) In addition to the annual two-day Project Directors' meeting in
Washington, DC provided for in paragraph (d), budget for another annual
two-day trip to Washington, DC to meet with Federal officials and the
other projects funded under this priority, to discuss plans, findings,
and methods of dissemination.
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. However, section 661(e)(2) of IDEA
makes the public comment requirements in the APA inapplicable to the
absolute priority in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1461 and 1472.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 80, 81,
82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: $4,800,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $960,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $1,000,000 for a single budget period of 12 months
unless the application involves a consortium of organizations, or any
other group of eligible parties that meet the requirements of 34 CFR
75.127-75.129, and a compelling rationale is provided. The Assistant
Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in
the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 5.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
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III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs; IHEs; other public agencies;
nonprofit private organizations; outlying areas; freely associated
States; and Indian tribes and tribal organizations.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: General Requirements--(a) The projects funded under this
notice must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment
qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).
(b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this notice must
involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals with
disabilities in planning, implementing, and evaluating the projects
(see section 661(f)(1)(A) of IDEA).
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free):
1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html
or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify
this competition as follows: CFDA Number 84.324F.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the person listed under
For FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application)
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to
the equivalent of no more than 70 pages, using 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, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II,
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the
resumes, the bibliography, the references, the letters of support, or
the appendix. However, you must include all of the application
narrative in Part III.
We will reject your application if--
You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: July 2, 2004.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 23, 2004. The
dates and times for the transmittal of applications by mail or by hand
(including a courier service or commercial carrier) are in the
application package for this competition. The application package also
specifies the hours of operation of the e-Application Web site.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Instructions and requirements for
the transmittal of applications by mail or by hand (including a courier
service or commercial carrier) are in the application package for this
competition.
Application Procedures
Note: Some of the procedures in these instructions for
transmitting applications differ from those in EDGAR (34 CFR
75.102). Under the APA (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally
offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed
regulations. However, these amendments make procedural changes only
and do not establish new substantive policy. Therefore, under 5
U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined that proposed
rulemaking is not required.
Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications: We are
continuing to expand our pilot project for electronic submission of
applications to include additional formula grant programs and
additional discretionary grant competitions. The Special Education--
Research and Innovation To Improve Services and Results for Children
With Disabilities Program--Research on Accessible Reading Assessments
competition--CFDA Number 84.324F is one of the competitions included in
the pilot project. If you are an applicant under the Special
Education--Research and Innovation To Improve Services and Results for
Children With Disabilities Program--Research on Accessible Reading
Assessments competition, you may submit your application to us in
either electronic or paper format.
The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant
Application System (e-Application). If you use e-Application, you will
be entering data online while completing your application. You may not
e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. If you
participate in this voluntary pilot project by submitting an
application electronically, the data you enter online will be saved
into a database. We request your participation in e-Application. We
shall continue to evaluate its success and solicit suggestions for its
improvement.
If you participate in e-Application, please note the following:
Your participation is voluntary.
When you enter the e-Application system, you will find
information about its hours of operation. We strongly recommend that
you do not wait until the application deadline date to initiate an e-
Application package.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will we penalize
you if you submit an application in paper format.
You may submit all documents electronically, including the
Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary
assurances and certifications.
Your e-Application must comply with any page limit
requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
Within three working days after submitting your electronic
application, fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424)
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to the Application Control Center after following these steps:
1. Print ED 424 from e-Application.
2. The institution's Authorizing Representative must sign this
form.
3. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the
hard copy signature page of the ED 424.
4. Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202)
245-6272.
We may request that you give us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System
Unavailability: If you elect to participate in the e-Application pilot
for the Special Education--Research and Innovation To Improve Services
and Results for Children With Disabilities Program--Research on
Accessible Reading Assessments competition and you are prevented from
submitting your application on the application deadline date because
the e-Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension
of one business day in order to transmit your application
electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this
extension if--
1. You are a registered user of e-Application, and you have
initiated an e-Application for this competition; and
2. (a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date; or
(b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time
during the last hour of operation (that is, for any period of time
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time) on the
application deadline date.
We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
GRANTS help desk at 1-888-336-8930.
You may access the electronic grant application for the Special
Education--Research and Innovation To Improve Services and Results for
Children With Disabilities Program--Research on Accessible Reading
Assessments competition at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
listed in 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. The specific selection criteria to be
used for this competition are in the application package.
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). We may also notify you informally.
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. Reporting: 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 multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118.
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA), the Department is currently developing indicators
and measures that will yield information on various aspects of the
quality of the Research and Innovation To Improve Services and Results
for Children With Disabilities program. Included in these indicators
and measures will be those that assess the quality and relevance of
newly funded research projects. Two indicators will address the quality
of new projects. First, an external panel of eminent senior scientists
will review the quality of a randomly selected sample of newly funded
research applications, and the percentage of new projects that are
deemed to be of high quality will be determined. Second, because much
of the Department's work focuses on questions of effectiveness, newly
funded applications will be evaluated to identify those that address
causal questions and then to determine what percentage of those
projects use randomized field trials to answer the causal questions. To
evaluate the relevance of newly funded research projects, a panel of
experienced education practitioners and administrators will review
descriptions of a randomly selected sample of newly funded projects and
rate the degree to which the projects are relevant to practice.
Other indicators and measures are still under development in areas
such as the quality of project products and long-term impact. Data on
these measures will be collected from the projects funded under this
notice. Grantees will also be required to report information on their
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (EDGAR, 34
CFR 75.590).
We will notify grantees of the performance measures once they are
developed.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Malouf, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4078, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7427.
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 by contacting the following office: The Grants and
Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550.
Telephone: (202) 205-8207.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
.
[[Page 39917]]
Dated: June 28, 2004.
Troy R. Justesen,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 04-14987 Filed 6-30-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P