[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 140 (Thursday, July 23, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36474-36479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17554]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview
Information; Personnel Development To Improve Services and Results for
Children With Disabilities--Leadership Preparation in Sensory
Disabilities; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal
Year (FY) 2009
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.325V.
DATES:
Applications Available: July 23, 2009.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 24, 2009.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 1, 2009.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purposes of this program are to (1) help
address State-identified needs for highly qualified personnel--in
special education, related services, early intervention, and regular
education--to work with infants, toddlers, and children with
disabilities; and (2) ensure that those personnel have the necessary
skills and knowledge, derived from practices that have been determined
through scientifically based research and experience, to be successful
in serving those children.
Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority
is from allowable activities specified in the statute or otherwise
authorized in the statute (see sections 662 and 681 of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.)).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2009 and any subsequent year in which we
make awards based on the list of unfunded applicants from this
competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.
This priority is:
Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children
with Disabilities--Leadership Preparation in Sensory Disabilities
(84.325V).
Background: During the ten-year period between 1996 and 2006 there
was little change in the number of doctorates awarded annually in
special education. The numbers ranged from a high of 288 doctorates
awarded in 2004 to a low of 213 doctorates awarded in 2002; 237
doctorates were awarded in special education in 2006, the most recent
year reported (Hoffer, Hess, Welch, & Williams, 2007). As a general
matter, this number of doctoral graduates is insufficient to fill
current and anticipated future vacancies for special education faculty
at institutions of higher education (IHEs), special education teachers,
and special education leaders at State and local public agencies.
(Smith, Pion, & Tyler, 2004; Smith, Pion, Tyler, Sindelar, & Rosenberg,
2001; Wasburn-Moses & Therrien, 2008).
The lack of doctoral graduates in special education is even more
acute in the area of sensory disabilities (e.g., deaf and hard-of-
hearing, visual impairments and blindness, and deaf-blindness). These
specialties have an immediate and critical need for doctoral-level
personnel (Dilka, Haydon, & Mertens, 2007; Huebner, Merk-Adam, Stryker,
& Wolfe, 2004; Johnson, 2003). ``The Study of Special Education
Leadership Personnel: With Particular Attention to the Professoriate''
(Smith, Pion, Tyler, Sindelar, & Rosenberg, 2001) reports that one-
third of higher education faculty positions available in special
education go unfilled every year, including many in sensory disability
areas. For doctoral training programs in sensory disabilities that have
only one full-time faculty on staff, the inability to fill a vacant
position often results in the termination of the program. Because
doctoral-level faculty also provide training for teachers and related
services providers (e.g., orientation and mobility training) who work
with children with sensory disabilities, faculty shortages at IHEs mean
that there are fewer resources to train critical direct service staff.
In 2004, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) awarded a
five-year cooperative agreement for the establishment of a National
Center on Leadership in Visual Impairment (NCLVI) to address the
ongoing shortage of doctoral-level leaders in the field of visual
impairment and blindness. The 14 universities participating in the
NCLVI each offer doctoral degrees with an emphasis on doctoral
leadership training in the areas of visual impairment, blindness, or
deaf-blindness. The NCLVI, with OSEP input, established the terms of
the student awards, offering full tuition awards and a stipend for
living expenses for a maximum of four years to offset additional costs
related to full-time studies and general living expenses. Scholars were
required to be full-time so as to ensure that they completed their
doctoral studies as expeditiously as possible to address the immediate
and critical need for doctoral professionals in the field.
According to a recently published National Center of Education
Statistics (NCES) report, ``The Condition of Education 2007,'' the
2003-04 average annual costs for a doctorate in education were $10,700
for tuition and $17,200 for living expenses, for a total of $27,900.
According to NCES, the 2003-2004 average annual costs for all other
Ph.D. programs, excluding those in education, totaled $33,600,
including an average annual tuition amount of $14,900 and living
expenses of approximately $18,700. Without adjusting for inflation, the
comparable average NCLVI annual tuition amount for 2007-08 was $10,673,
and the average stipend was $20,535, for a total average NCLVI annual
award of $31,208. Thus, based on the most recent NCES data available,
[[Page 36475]]
with no adjustments for inflation, the average costs for tuition and
living expenses for NCLVI program fellows are slightly above the
average annual costs for doctoral programs in education and slightly
below the average annual costs for all other doctoral programs.
Of the 19 NCLVI scholars, six completed their doctoral degrees in
their third year of enrollment, three completed in their fourth year,
and NCLVI faculty report that the remaining ten students are on
schedule to complete their doctorates in their fourth year of
enrollment. Assuming that these projections are accurate, the NCLVI
average completion time is shorter than the national median time to
completion of 7.9 years for Ph.D.s, Ed.D.s, and D.Sc.s. (Hoffer, Hess,
Welch, & Williams, 2007). NCLVI graduates have also successfully
secured positions in the field of visual impairment.\1\
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\1\ The students who completed their doctorates found employment
in leadership positions in the field of visual impairment, including
five in university faculty positions. One graduate secured a highly
competitive two-year post-doctoral internship at the Centers for
Disease Control, and the three most recent graduates are actively
interviewing for positions in IHEs, SEAs and research organizations.
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The consortium design and curriculum used by NCLVI have facilitated
the pooling of resources and expertise to provide high-quality training
opportunities for NCLVI scholars, including structured research and
learning opportunities that extend beyond those available at any of the
individual NCLVI partner institutions. NCLVI students have the
additional benefit of interacting with professionals and other students
outside their home universities.
This priority builds on OSEP's previous investment in a consortium
model that is focused on the preparation of doctoral leaders in visual
impairment and blindness.
Priority: The purpose of this priority is to fund a consortium
(Consortium) that will prepare leaders at the doctoral level to work in
the special education field with a specialty in the following sensory
disabilities: (1) Visual impairment and blindness; (2) deaf-blindness;
and (3) deafness and hard-of-hearing.
To be considered for funding under this absolute priority,
applicants must meet the application requirements contained in this
priority. All projects funded under this absolute priority also must
meet the programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the
priority.
All scholars receiving support through this project must satisfy
the service obligation requirement in 34 CFR Part 304, which requires 2
years of work for every year of scholarship support. The service
obligation requirement, however, does not create an incentive for
scholars to obtain employment in postsecondary institutions, which is
one of the main objectives of this priority, over other kinds of
employment. Thus, the service obligation may indirectly be deterring
doctoral-level graduates under this project from seeking and obtaining
employment as higher education faculty in postsecondary institutions
with low incidence training programs. As a result, under the authority
of section 662(h)(2) of IDEA, which authorizes the Secretary to reduce
or waive the service obligation in this situation, the Secretary has
determined that scholars who complete doctoral-level degrees under this
project and go on to obtain employment as higher education faculty at
postsecondary institutions in the area for which they received training
will only be required to complete 1 year of work for every year of
scholarship support instead of 2 years of work for every year of
scholarship support.
Application Requirements. An applicant must include in its
application--
(a) A logic model that depicts, at a minimum, the goals,
activities, outputs, and outcomes of the proposed project. A logic
model communicates how a project will achieve its outcome and provides
a framework for both the formative and summative evaluations of the
project;
Note: The following Web site provides more information on logic
models and lists multiple on-line resources: http://www.cdc.gov/eval/resources.htm.
(b) A plan to implement the activities described in the Project
Activities section of this priority;
(c) A plan, linked to the proposed project's logic model, for a
formative evaluation of the proposed project's activities. The plan
must describe how the formative evaluation will use clear performance
objectives to ensure continuous improvement in the operation of the
proposed project, including objective measures of progress in
implementing the project and ensuring the quality of products and
services;
(d) A budget that ensures that at least 70 percent of the total
requested budget is used for student support, with a minimum of 30
full-time students to be supported;
(e) A budget for a summative evaluation to be conducted by an
independent third party;
(f) A budget for attendance at the following:
(1) A one-and-one-half-day kick-off meeting to be held in
Washington, DC, within four weeks after receipt of the award, and an
annual planning meeting held in Washington, DC, with the OSEP Project
Officer during each subsequent year of the project period.
(2) A three-day Project Director's Conference in Washington, DC,
during each year of the project period.
(3) Three two-day trips annually to attend Department briefings,
Department-sponsored conferences, and other meetings, as requested by
OSEP; and
(g) A line item in the proposed budget for an annual set-aside of
five percent of the grant amount to support emerging needs that are
consistent with the proposed project's activities, as those needs are
identified in consultation with OSEP.
Note: With approval from the OSEP Project Officer, the
Consortium must reallocate any remaining funds from this annual set-
aside no later than the end of the third quarter of each budget
period.
Project Activities. To meet the requirements of this priority, the
project, at a minimum, must conduct the following activities:
(a) Establish a Consortium comprised of IHEs that prepares students
to work as doctoral leaders in all of the following sensory disability
areas: Visual impairment and blindness, deaf-blindness, and deafness
and hard-of-hearing. The project must include at least two established
IHE programs in each of the sensory disability areas. The application
must include the following information from each proposed Consortium
member: The name of the IHE, the specific sensory disability program or
programs at each IHE, and a letter of commitment from each IHE. OSEP
will approve the Consortium members within eight weeks after making the
award.
(b) Establish policies and procedures for the work of the
Consortium in areas such as: Decision-making, recruitment, and
selection of students who will be supported by the Consortium,
distribution of tuition and stipends among participating students,
measurement and reporting of student progress, and contingency planning
in case of Consortium faculty losses. The Consortium must create
standard guidelines for awarding tuition and stipends to all
Consortium-supported students and must submit those proposed guidelines
to the OSEP project officer for approval prior to their implementation.
[[Page 36476]]
(c) Develop and implement a single, common research-based
curriculum for all Consortium students that aligns with each IHE
Consortium member's course of study and that reflects scientifically
based practices in course syllabi.
(d) Maintain a Web site that meets government or industry-
recognized standards for accessibility and that links to the Web site
operated by the Technical Assistance Coordination Center (TACC).
(e) Establish and maintain an advisory committee to review the
activities and outcomes of the Consortium and to provide programmatic
support and advice throughout the project period. At a minimum, the
advisory committee must meet on an annual basis in Washington, DC, and
consist of at least one representative from each of the following:
(1) Organizations, agencies, and associations that represent the
interests of persons with sensory disabilities, specifically the
disability areas addressed by the Consortium.
(2) Persons with sensory disabilities.
(3) Professional organizations representing the interests and work
of faculty and administrators of IHEs; and
(4) Students enrolled in Consortium-member universities' sensory
disabilities doctoral leadership preparation programs. The Consortium
must submit the names of proposed advisory committee members to OSEP
for approval within eight weeks after receipt of the award.
(f) Communicate and collaborate, on an ongoing basis, with other
OSEP-funded projects, and the Technical Assistance and Dissemination
(TA&D) Network Centers. This collaboration could include the joint
development and implementation of curriculum activities, accessing and
using research-based strategies and promising practices that are
disseminated by personnel preparation centers and TA&D Network Centers,
and planning and carrying out joint meetings and events with other
OSEP-funded projects.
(g) Maintain ongoing communication with the OSEP Project Officer
through monthly phone conversations with the grantee and Consortium
members and e-mail communication.
Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project: In deciding whether to
continue funding the Consortium 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. This review will be conducted during a one-
day intensive meeting in Washington, DC, that will be held during the
last half of the second year of the project period. The Consortium must
budget for travel expenses 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
Consortium; and
(c) The quality, relevance, and usefulness of the Consortium's
activities and products and the degree to which the Consortium's
activities will contribute to increasing the supply of doctoral
leadership personnel in visual impairment and blindness, deaf-
blindness, and deafness and hard-of-hearing.
References
Dilka, K., Haydon, D., & Mertens, D. M. (2007). Program faculty
demographics of deaf and hard of hearing teacher preparation
programs. Paper presented at the Association of College Educators-
Dear Hard-of-Hearing.
Hoffer, T.B., Hess, M., Welch, V. Jr., & Williams, K. (2007).
Doctorate recipients from United States universities: Summary report
2006. Chicago: National Opinion Research Center.
Huebner, M. K., Merk-Adam, B., Stryker, D., & Wolfe, K. E. (2004).
The national agenda for the education of children and youths with
visual impairments, including those with multiple disabilities--
revised. New York: American Foundation for the Blind.
Johnson, H.A. (2003). U.S. deaf education teacher preparation
programs: A look at the present and a vision for the future (COPSSE
Document No. IB-9). Gainesville, FL: University of Florida, Center
of Personnel Studies in Special Education.
National Center for Education Statistics: (2007). The condition of
education 2007 (ED-NCES 2007-064). Washington, DC: U.S. Government
Printing Office.
Sindelar (Eds.), Critical Issues in Special Education: Access,
Diversity, and Accountability (pp. 258-276). New York: Pearson Allyn
and Bacon.
Smith, D.S., Pion, G., Tyler, N.C., Sindelar, P., & Rosenberg, M.
(2001). The study of special education leadership personnel: With
particular attention to the professoriate. Vanderbilt University,
Nashville, TN, University of Florida at Gainesville, Gainesville,
FL, and Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Smith, D.D., Pion, G.M., Tyler, N.C. (2004) Leadership personnel in
special education: Can persistent shortage be resolved? In A. McCray
Sorrells, H.J. Rieth, & P.T.
Smith, D.D. (March, 2009). Special Education Faculty Needs
Assessment Brief: A comparison of doctoral funding levels across
Federal programs. Claremont Graduate University: Claremont, CA.
Wasburn-Moses, L. & Therrien, W.J. (2008). The impact of Leadership
Personnel Grants on the doctoral student population in special
education. Teacher Education in Special Education. 31(2), 65-76.
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 and
requirements. Section 681(d) of the IDEA, however, makes the public
comment requirements of the APA inapplicable to the priorities in this
notice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1462 and 1481.
Applicable Regulations: (a) 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. (b) The regulations for this
program in 34 CFR part 304.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants
except federally recognized Indian tribes.
II. Award Information
Type of Awards: Cooperative agreements.
Estimated Available Funds: $1,000,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2010 from the list of
unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,000,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $1,000,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in
the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: IHEs.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require 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
the IDEA).
(b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this competition
must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals
with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and
evaluating the project (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of the IDEA).
[[Page 36477]]
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), call, toll free: 1-877-
576-7734.
You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or at its e-mail address: [email protected].
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify the
competition as follows: CFDA number 84.325V.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team listed under
Accessible Format in section VIII 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 50 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 exceed the page limit; or if
you apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: July 23, 2009.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 24, 2009.
Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants system, 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 of this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 1, 2009.
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.
If you choose to submit your application to us electronically, you
must use e-Application, accessible through the Department's e-Grants
portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
While completing your electronic application, you will be entering
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
Please note the following:
Your participation in e-Application is voluntary.
You must complete the electronic submission of your grant
application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. E-Application will not accept an application for this
competition after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait
until the application deadline date to begin the application process.
The hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6 a.m.
Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until 8 p.m. Sunday,
Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of maintenance, the
system is unavailable between 8 p.m. on Sundays and 6 a.m. on Mondays,
and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on Thursdays, Washington,
DC time. Any modifications to these hours are posted on the e-Grants
Web site.
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 must submit all documents electronically, including
all information you typically provide on the following forms: the
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications. 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 in this paragraph 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.
Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive an automatic acknowledgment that 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 SF 424 to the Application Control
Center after following these steps:
(1) Print SF 424 from e-Application.
(2) The applicant'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 SF 424.
(4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the Application Control Center at
(202) 245-6272.
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
[[Page 36478]]
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting
your application on the application deadline date because e-Application
is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day to
enable you 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 electronic application for this competition; and
(2) (a) E-Application 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) E-Application is unavailable for any period of time between
3:30 p.m. and 4:30:00 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 acknowledgment 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. If e-Application is unavailable due
to technical problems with the system and, therefore, the application
deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users
who have initiated an e-Application.
Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the
unavailability of e-Application. If e-Application is available, and,
for any reason, you are unable to submit your application
electronically or you do not receive an automatic acknowledgment of
your submission, you may submit your application in paper format by
mail or hand delivery in accordance with the instructions in this
notice.
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 following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.325V), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-
4260.
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.
(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.
(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
84.325V), 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 4:30:00 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 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not
receive this notification 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
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
2. Review and Selection Process: In the past, the Department has
had difficulty finding peer reviewers for certain competitions, because
so many individuals who are eligible to serve as peer reviewers have
conflicts of interest. The Standing Panel requirements under the IDEA
also have placed additional constraints on the availability of
reviewers. Therefore, the Department has determined that, for some
discretionary grant competitions, applications may be separated into
two or more groups and ranked and selected for funding within specific
groups. This procedure will make it easier for the Department to find
peer reviewers, by ensuring that greater numbers of individuals who are
eligible to serve as reviewers for any particular group of applicants
will not have conflicts of interest. It also will increase the quality,
independence, and fairness of the review process, while permitting
panel members to review applications under discretionary grant
competitions for which they also have submitted applications. However,
if the Department decides to select an equal number of applications in
each group for funding, this may result in different cut-off points for
fundable applications in each group.
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 notify you informally, also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. 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 directed by the Secretary
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent
performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements
on reporting, please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
[[Page 36479]]
4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has established a set of
performance measures, including long-term measures, that are designed
to yield information on various aspects of the effectiveness and
quality of the Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results
for Children with Disabilities program. These measures include: (1) The
percentage of projects that incorporate scientifically based practices
into the curriculum; (2) the percentage of scholars who exit training
programs prior to completion due to poor academic performance; (3) the
percentage of degree or certification recipients who are working in the
area(s) for which they were trained upon program completion; (4) the
percentage of degree or certification recipients who are working in the
area(s) for which they were trained upon program completion and are
fully qualified under the IDEA; (5) the percentage of scholars
completing the IDEA-funded training programs who are knowledgeable and
skilled in scientifically based practices for infants, toddlers, and
children with disabilities; (6) the percentage of low incidence
positions that are filled by personnel who are fully qualified under
the IDEA; and (7) the percentage of program graduates who maintain
employment for three or more years in the area(s) for which they were
trained.
Grantees may be asked to participate in assessing and providing
information on these aspects of program quality.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Glinda Hill, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4063, Potomac Center Plaza
(PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7376.
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
VIII. Other Information
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by
contacting the Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC
20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7363. If you use a TDD, call the FRS,
toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
Electronic Access to This Document: You can 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.
Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated
authority to Andrew J. Pepin, Executive Administrator for the Office of
Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to perform the functions
of the Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
Dated: July 17, 2009.
Andrew J. Pepin,
Executive Administrator for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. E9-17554 Filed 7-22-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P