[Federal Register: August 8, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 151)]
[Notices]
[Page 45712-45716]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08au05-86]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Technical Assistance and Dissemination To Improve Services
and Results for Children With Disabilities--National Technical
Assistance Center on Assessment for Children With Disabilities; Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.326G.
Dates: Applications Available: August 8, 2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 7, 2005.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 19, 2005.
Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs), local
educational agencies (LEAs), public charter schools that are LEAs under
State law, institutions of higher education (IHEs), other public
agencies, private nonprofit organizations, outlying areas, freely
associated States, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and for-
profit organizations.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,000,000.
Maximum Award: The Secretary does not intend to fund an application
that proposes a budget exceeding $1,000,000 for a single budget period
of 12 months.
Number of Awards: 1.
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: This program promotes academic achievement and
improves results for children with disabilities by supporting technical
assistance, model demonstration projects, dissemination of useful
information, and implementation activities that are supported by
scientifically based research.
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).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2005 this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
National Technical Assistance Center on Assessment for Children With
Disabilities
Background of Priority: Federal and State education policies,
including those based on the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB),
call for the inclusion of students with disabilities in assessment and
accountability programs in order to improve educational results for
these students. A series of recent Federal policies and initiatives are
expected to enhance the inclusion of students with disabilities in
assessments and accountability. Among these are the Department's
regulations in 34 CFR part 200 permitting alternate assessments based
on alternate achievement standards for students with the most
significant cognitive disabilities. In addition, on April 7, 2005, the
Secretary announced the intent to provide additional flexibility that
will allow States to develop modified academic achievement standards
and use alternate assessments based on these modified achievement
standards for students served under the IDEA who do not have the most
significant cognitive disabilities, but who are not able to participate
in the regular assessment, even with accommodations. The Department is
also preparing a ``Tool Kit'' with information to help States improve
instruction and assessments for students with disabilities. On June 3,
2005, the Department announced in the Federal Register (70 FR 32583) a
competition to support Comprehensive Regional and Content Centers that
will focus on helping States to implement NCLB and to build their
capacity to assist LEAs and schools in implementing NCLB. The Content
Centers, one of which will focus specifically on assessments and
accountability, are intended to work primarily through the Regional
Centers in providing technical assistance.
Statement of Priority: This priority supports one cooperative
agreement for a Center to provide technical assistance on improving
results for students with disabilities by increasing their
participation rates in high quality assessment and accountability
systems, improving the quality of assessments in which they
participate, improving the capacity of States to meet data collection
requirements, and strengthening accountability for results. The Center
must accomplish this mission through a combination of activities in the
following areas: (1) Needs assessments and information gathering, (2)
technical assistance and dissemination to improve the participation of
students with disabilities in assessments and accountability systems,
(3) technical assistance to improve the capacity of States to meet data
collection requirements, (4) collaboration and leadership, and (5)
other functions.
Activity Area (1): The Center's needs assessments and information
gathering activities must include, but are not limited to:
(a) Conducting surveys of States and other entities to determine
the status of the implementation of assessment and accountability
policies related to students with disabilities;
(b) Analyzing State-reported assessment data to track the
participation and performance of students with disabilities in large-
scale assessments;
(c) Analyzing State and local policies and practices to determine
the best approaches to improve the participation of students with
disabilities in assessment and accountability systems;
(d) Synthesizing research information on relevant topics such as
assessment accommodations, alternate assessments, data analysis and
reporting, and other related areas; and
(e) Collecting research and technical information from the
Technical Workgroup on Large Scale Assessment for Children with
Disabilities, the National Alternate Assessment Center, the Research
Institute on Progress Monitoring, research projects funded under the
Research on Accessible Reading Assessments competition, and other
federally funded projects as appropriate.
Activity Area (2): The Center's technical assistance and
dissemination activities to improve the participation of students with
disabilities in high-quality assessments and accountability systems
must include, but are not limited to:
(a) Preparing and disseminating reports and documents on research
findings and related topics;
(b) Maintaining a Web site with relevant information and documents
in a format that meets a government or industry-recognized standard for
accessibility;
(c) Conducting national and regional meetings and teleconferences,
in collaboration with other centers such as the Federal and Regional
Resource Centers and the Comprehensive
[[Page 45713]]
Regional and Content Centers, to assist SEAs and LEAs and other
relevant audiences in continuing the implementation of assessment and
accountability policies for students with disabilities;
(d) Working directly with States and other stakeholders in
collaboration with the Comprehensive Regional and Content Centers to
increase the participation of students with disabilities in State and
local assessment and accountability systems, and improve the quality of
assessment procedures;
(e) Disseminating information to specific audiences, including
teachers, families, administrators, policymakers and researchers, in
collaboration with other technical assistance providers, organizations,
and researchers; and
(f) Collaborating with the Comprehensive Content Centers,
particularly the Center on Assessment and Accountability, to assist the
Comprehensive Regional Centers in providing technical assistance to
States by supplying them with research-based information, products,
guidance, analyses, and tools.
Activity Area (3): The Center's technical assistance activities to
improve the capacity of States to meet data collection requirements
must include, but are not limited to:
(a) Conducting needs assessments and analyzing State reports to
evaluate the capacity of States to collect data on the participation
and performance of students with disabilities on large-scale
assessments and to identify areas requiring technical assistance;
(b) Collecting information on best practices for State data
collection;
(c) Developing technical assistance materials and resources that
can be used to evaluate and improve the capacity of States to collect
data on the participation and performance of students with disabilities
on large-scale assessments; and
(d) Delivering and evaluating technical assistance to States to
improve their capacity to collect data on the participation and
performance of students with disabilities on large-scale assessments.
Specific attention must be given to States engaged in large-scale
assessment planning or implementation projects funded under the Office
of Special Education Programs' (OSEP) General Supervision Enhancement
Grant (GSEG) competition.
Activity Area (4): The Center's collaboration and leadership
activities must include, but are not limited to:
(a) Participating in a community or communities of practice related
to the Center's mission. The community or communities may include
research experts, other federally funded projects (such as the Regional
Resource Centers, the Federal Resource Center, the Center to Improve
Access to the General Education Curriculum for Students with
Disabilities at the Elementary and Middle School Levels, and the
Comprehensive Regional and Content Centers), professional organizations
(such as the National Association of State Directors of Special
Education, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the Council of
Chief State School Officers), and other projects and organizations
(such as organizations representing parents or disability
organizations); and
(b) Convening topical meetings, at the request of OSEP, to study
issues and develop proactive recommendations for addressing challenges
related to the participation of students with disabilities in
assessment and accountability systems.
Activity Area (5): The Center must also:
(a) Develop a strategic plan and submit it to OSEP for review and
approval. The plan must include, among other things, how the Center
will collaborate with other Department of Education technical
assistance centers, including the Comprehensive Regional and Content
Centers. The plan must be revised and approved periodically as needed;
(b) Establish, maintain, and meet at least annually with a
technical work group (TWG) to ensure that the highest standards of
scientific rigor are maintained in the Center's work. Members of this
TWG must be approved by OSEP and must include membership from the
Technical Workgroup on Large Scale Assessment for Children with
Disabilities and other research experts in the areas of large scale
assessments, instructional improvement and reform, and instruction for
students with disabilities;
(c) Establish, maintain, and meet at least annually with an
advisory committee consisting of representatives of SEAs and LEAs,
individuals with disabilities, parents, educators, professional
organizations, advocacy groups, researchers, and other appropriate
groups to review and advise on the Center's activities,
accomplishments, and strategic plan. The committee must include
membership that represents urban schools and underrepresented
populations;
(d) Budget for three annual two-day meetings in Washington, DC to
attend two Project Directors' meetings and an OSEP Leadership
Conference; and
(e) Budget for at least one trip monthly to attend meetings
organized by projects and organizations such as the Assessing Special
Education Students State Collaborative on Assessment and Student
Standards (ASES SCASS), the National Association of State Directors of
Special Education, and Federal offices, on topics relevant to the
Center's mission.
In deciding whether to continue this project for the fourth and
fifth years, the Secretary 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. The review will be conducted in Washington,
DC during the last half of the project's second year. Applicants must
budget for the travel associated with this one-day intensive review;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
Center; and
(c) The degree to which the Center is making a positive
contribution to the participation of students with disabilities in
State and local assessment and accountability systems.
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 a proposed priority. However, section 681(d) of IDEA makes
the public comment requirements under the APA inapplicable to the
priorities in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1463 and 1481(d).
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.
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 IHEs only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,000,000.
Maximum Award: The Secretary does not intend to fund an application
that proposes a budget exceeding $1,000,000 for a single budget period
of 12 months.
Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
[[Page 45714]]
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs, LEAs, public charter schools that are
LEAs under State law, IHEs, other public agencies, private nonprofit
organizations, outlying areas, freely associated States, Indian tribes
or tribal organizations, and for-profit 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
competition 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 ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and
evaluating the projects (see section 682(a)(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 84.326G.
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 program contact
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; the one-page abstract, the
resumes, the bibliography, the references, or the letters of support.
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 August 8,
2005.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 7, 2005.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by
mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission
Requirements in this notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 19, 2005.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program 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.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
We have been accepting applications electronically through the
Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on
those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are
continuing to participate as a partner in the new government wide
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2005. The National Technical Assessment
Center on Assessment for Children with Disabilities-CFDA Number 84.326G
is one of the competitions included in this project.
If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must
use the Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through this
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package,
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You
may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
You may access the electronic grant application for The National
Technical Assessment Center on Assessment for Children with
Disabilities at: http://www.grants.gov. You must search for the
downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number.
Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search.
Please note the following:
Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application
if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we
retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are
rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the
Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this competition to ensure that
you submit your
[[Page 45715]]
application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also
find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov at
http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must
complete the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.Grants.gov/GetStarted
) and provide on your application the same D-
U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please note that the
registration process may take five or more business days to complete.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you submit your application in paper format.
You may submit all documents electronically, including all
information typically included on the Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED
524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. If you choose to
submit your application electronically, you must attach any narrative
sections of your application as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich
text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If you upload a file type
other than the three file types specified above or submit a password
protected file, we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a
Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your
application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-
mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying
number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an
application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date,
please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an explanation of the
technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your
application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with
the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to
submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the
application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a
determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.
Note: Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the
unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system.
We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register
to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to
the Grants.gov system.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the
original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable
following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.326G), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.326G), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service,
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier, or
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark, or
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery,
you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of
your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date,
to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.326G), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays and Federal holidays. Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper
Applications: f you mail or hand deliver your application to the
Department:
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the
Department--in Item 4 of the Application for Federal Education
Assistance (ED 424) the CFDA number--and suffix letter, if any--of the
competition under which you are submitting your application.
(2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed 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
[[Page 45716]]
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 measures
that will yield information on various aspects of the Technical
Assistance to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities program. The measures will focus on: the extent to which
projects provide high quality products and services, the relevance of
project products and services to educational and early intervention
policy and practice, and the use of products and services to improve
educational and early intervention policy and practice.
Once the measures are developed, we will notify grantees if they
will be required to provide any information related to these measures.
Grantees will also be required to report information on their
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR
75.590).
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Egnor, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4114, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7334.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) 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) 245-7363.
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
.
Dated: August 3, 2005.
Troy R. Justesen,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 05-15637 Filed 8-5-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P