[Federal Register: April 6, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 65)]
[Notices]
[Page 17428-17432]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Training and Information for Parents of Children With
Disabilities--Parent Training and Information Centers; Notice Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.328M.
Dates: Applications Available: April 7, 2005. Deadline for
Transmittal of Applications: May 25, 2005. Deadline for
Intergovernmental Review: July 25, 2005.
Eligible Applicants: Parent organizations, as defined in section
III. Eligibility Information in this notice.
Estimated Available Funds: $3,307,306. Information concerning
funding amounts for individual States is provided in a chart elsewhere
in this notice under section II, Award Information.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $275,600.
Estimated Number of Awards: 12.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: With the exception of Mississippi, projects will be
funded for a period up to 60 months. Mississippi will be funded for a
period up to 48 months.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to ensure that
parents of children with disabilities receive training and information
to help improve results for their children.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv) and (v), this
priority is from allowable activities specified in the statute, or
otherwise authorized in the statute (see sections 671 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:
Parent Training and Information Centers (PTI Centers) Background:
This priority supports parent training and information centers that
will provide parents of children with disabilities, including low-
income parents, parents of limited English proficient children and
parents with disabilities, with the training and information they need
to enable them to participate effectively in helping their children
with disabilities to--
(a) Meet developmental and functional goals, and challenging
academic achievement goals that have been established for all children;
and
(b) Be prepared to lead productive, independent adult lives, to the
maximum extent possible.
In addition, a purpose of this priority is to ensure that children
with disabilities and their parents receive training and information on
their rights, responsibilities, and protections under IDEA in order to
develop the skills necessary to cooperatively and effectively
participate in planning and decision making relating to early
intervention, educational, and transitional services.
Text of Priority:
A PTI Center shall--
(a) Provide training and information that meets the needs of
parents of children with disabilities living in the area served by the
PTI Center, particularly underserved parents and parents of children
who may be inappropriately identified as having a disability when the
child may not have a disability, to enable their children with
disabilities to--
(1) Meet developmental and functional goals and challenging
academic achievement goals established for all children; and
(2) Be prepared to lead productive independent adult lives, to the
maximum extent possible;
(b) Ensure that the training and information provided meets the
needs of low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient
children;
(c) Assist parents in resolving disputes in the most expeditious
and effective way possible, including encouraging the use, and
explaining the benefits, of alternative methods of dispute resolution,
such as the mediation process described in section 615(e) of IDEA;
(d) Assist parents and students with disabilities to understand
their rights and responsibilities under IDEA, including those under
section 615(m) of IDEA upon the student's reaching the age of majority
(as appropriate under State law);
(e) Assist parents to understand the availability of, and how to
effectively use, procedural safeguards under IDEA, including the
resolution session described in section 615(e) of IDEA;
(f) Assist parents in understanding, preparing for, and
participating in, the process described in section 615(f)(1)(B) of
IDEA;
(g) Serve the parents of infants, toddlers, and children, from ages
birth through 26, with the full range of disabilities described in
section 602(3) of IDEA;
(h) Familiarize themselves with the provision of special education
and related services in the areas they serve to help ensure that
children with disabilities are receiving appropriate services;
(i) Assist parents to--
(1) Better understand the nature of their children's disabilities
and their educational, developmental, and transitional needs;
(2) Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with personnel
responsible for providing special education, early intervention
services, transition services, and related services;
(3) Participate in decision making processes regarding
participation in State and local assessments and the development of
individualized education programs and individualized family service
plans;
(4) Obtain appropriate information about the range, type and
quality of (A) options, programs, services, technologies, practices and
interventions that are based on scientifically based research, to the
extent practicable, and (B) resources available to assist children with
disabilities and their families in school and at home, including
information available through the Office of Special Education Programs'
(OSEP) technical assistance network and Communities of Practice;
(5) Understand the provisions of IDEA for the education of, and the
provision of early intervention services to, children with
disabilities;
(6) Participate in activities at the school level that benefit
their children; and
(7) Participate in school reform activities;
(j) In States where the State elects to contract with the parent
training and information center, contract with the State educational
agencies to provide, consistent with subparagraphs (B) and (D) of
section 615(e)(2) of IDEA, individuals who meet with parents to explain
the mediation process to the parents;
(k) Establish cooperative partnerships with other PTI Centers in
the State and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRC) funded under
section 672 of IDEA;
(l) Respond to requests from the National Technical Assistance
Center (NTAC) and Regional Parent Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs)
and use the technical assistance services of the NTAC and PTACs in
order to serve the families of infants, toddlers, and children with
disabilities as efficiently
[[Page 17429]]
as possible. PTACs are charged with assisting parent centers with
administrative and programmatic issues;
(m) Network with appropriate clearinghouses, including
organizations conducting national dissemination activities under
section 663 of IDEA, the Institute of Education Sciences, and with
other national, State, and local organizations and agencies, such as
protection and advocacy agencies, that serve parents and families of
children with the full range of disabilities described in section
602(3) of IDEA;
(n) Annually report to the Assistant Secretary on--
(1) The number and demographics of parents to whom the PTI Center
provided information and training in the most recently concluded fiscal
year,
(2) The effectiveness of strategies used to reach and serve
parents, including underserved parents of children with disabilities by
providing evidence of how those parents were served effectively; and
(3) The number of parents served who have resolved disputes through
alternative methods of dispute resolution;
(o) If there is more than one PTI Center in a particular State,
coordinate its activities with the other center or centers to ensure
the most effective assistance to parents in that State;
(p) Budget for a two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington,
DC during each year of the project. In addition, a project's budget
must include funds to attend a regional Project Directors' meeting to
be held each year of the project;
(q) If the PTI Center maintains a Web site, include relevant
information and documents in a form that meets a government or
industry-recognized standard for accessibility;
(r) Prior to developing any new product, whether paper or
electronic, submit for approval a proposal describing the content and
purpose of the product to the document review board of OSEP's
Dissemination Center;
(s) In collaboration with OSEP and the NTAC, participate in an
annual collection of program data for PTI Centers and CPRCs; and
(t) Identify with specificity in its application the special
efforts it will make to--
(1) Ensure that the needs for training and information of
underserved parents of children with disabilities in the area to be
served are effectively met; and
(2) Work with community based organizations, including community
based organizations that work with low-income parents and parents of
limited English proficient children. 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 681(d) of IDEA makes
the public comment requirements in the APA inapplicable to the priority
in this notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1471.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 81,
82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $3,307,306. Information concerning
funding amounts for individual States is provided elsewhere in this
section of this notice.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $275,600.
Estimated Number of Awards: 12.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: With the exception of Mississippi, projects will be
funded for a period up to 60 months. Mississippi will be funded for a
period up to 48 months.
Estimated Project Awards: In order to allocate resources equitably,
create a unified system of service delivery, and provide the broadest
coverage for the parents and families in every State, the Assistant
Secretary is making awards in five-year cycles for each State. In FY
2005, applications for 5-year awards will be accepted for the following
States: Hawaii; Idaho; Louisiana; New Hampshire; North Carolina;
Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; Tennessee; and West Virginia.
Applications for a 4-year award will be accepted for the State of
Mississippi. Awards may also be made to eligible applicants in the
Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
and the freely associated States; however, maximum funding levels for
these areas have not been specified.
The Assistant Secretary took into consideration current funding
levels and population distribution when determining the award amounts
for grants under this competition.
In the following States, one award may be made for up to the
amounts listed in the chart to a qualified applicant for a PTI Center
to serve the entire State: Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, New
Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and West
Virginia.
To ensure maximum coverage for this competition, the Assistant
Secretary has adopted regional designations established by Pennsylvania
and has identified corresponding maximum award amounts. Regions were
identified in Pennsylvania by utilizing the educational services
breakdown operational within the State. Any applicant that applies for
grants for more than one region must complete a separate application
for each region. In Pennsylvania, one award will be made in the
following amounts to a qualified applicant for a PTI Center to serve
each identified Region:
Region 1--$382,000
Region 2--$254,650
The total of these two awards will not exceed the maximum amount listed
in the following chart. A list of the counties that are included in
each region follows the chart.
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Application Notice for
Fiscal Year 2005
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maximum award
CFDA No. and name (per year)**
------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.328M Parent Training and Information Centers*:
Hawaii.................................................. $210,680
Idaho................................................... 208,780
Louisiana............................................... 334,000
Mississippi............................................. 244,050
New Hampshire........................................... 208,600
North Carolina.......................................... 424,225
Oklahoma................................................ 255,566
Pennsylvania............................................ 636,650
--Region 1............................................ 382,000
--Region 2............................................ 254,650
Rhode Island............................................ 209,400
Tennessee............................................... 364,708
West Virginia........................................... 210,647
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Awards may also be made to eligible applicants in the Virgin Islands,
Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the freely
associated States. However, maximum funding levels for these areas
have not been specified.
** We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the
funding level for a single budget period of 12 months.
Pennsylvania Regions
Region 1 includes the following counties: Adams, Berks, Bucks,
Carbon, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Lackawanna, Lancaster,
Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry,
Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming, and York.
Region 2 includes the following counties: Allegheny, Armstrong,
Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Bradford, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre,
Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette,
Forest, Franklin,
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Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lawrence,
Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Potter,
Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington,
and Westmoreland.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Parent organizations, as defined in section
671(a)(2) of IDEA. A parent organization is a private nonprofit
organization (other than an institution of higher education) that:
(a) Has a board of directors, the parent and professional members
of which are broadly representative of the population to be served
(including low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient
children), and the majority of whom are parents of children with
disabilities ages birth through 26; and that includes individuals with
disabilities and individuals working in the fields of special
education, related services, and early intervention; and
(b) Has as its mission serving families of children with
disabilities who are ages birth through 26, and have the full range of
disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA.
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 84.328M.
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 Grants and Contracts
Services Team 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 60 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, 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: April 7,
2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 25, 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.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 25,
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 governmentwide
Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2005. Parent Training and Information
Centers-CFDA Number 84.328M 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 (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. We request your
participation in Grants.gov.
You may access the electronic grant application for Parent Training
and Information Centers-CFDA Number 84.328M competition 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 with a
date/time received by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We will not
consider your application if it was received by the Grants.gov system
later than 4:30 p.m. on the application deadline date. When we retrieve
your
[[Page 17431]]
application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting
your application because it was submitted after 4:30 p.m. on the
application deadline date.
If you experience technical difficulties on the
application deadline date and are unable to meet the 4:30 p.m.,
Washington, DC time deadline, print out your application and follow the
instructions in this notice for the submission of paper applications by
mail or hand delivery.
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
your application is submitted timely to the Grants.gov system.
To use Grants.gov, you, as the applicant, must have a D-U-
N-S Number and register in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). You
should allow a minimum of five business days to complete the CCR
registration.
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. Any narrative
sections of your application should be attached as files in a .DOC
(document), .RTF (rich text) or .PDF (portable document) format.
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 acknowledgement 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.
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
84.328M), 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
84.328M), 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
84.328M), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-4260. The Application Control Center accepts hand
deliveries daily between 8 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: If 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 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 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 quality of the
Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities
[[Page 17432]]
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: Donna Fluke, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4059, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7345.
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: March 31, 2005.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 05-6749 Filed 4-5-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P