[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 92 (Thursday, May 13, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26952-26955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-11357]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
(NIDRR)--Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers
Program--Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTCs)--Center
on Employment Policy and Measurement
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.133B-4.
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priority.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority for the Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by
NIDRR. Specifically, this notice proposes a priority for an RRTC on
Employment Policy and Measurement. The Assistant Secretary may use this
priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2010 and later years. We
take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need.
We intend this priority to improve rehabilitation services and outcomes
for individuals with disabilities.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before June 14, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this notice to Marlene Spencer,
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 5133,
Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2700.
If you prefer to send your comments by e-mail, use the following
address: [email protected]. You must include the term ``Proposed
Priority for a Center on Employment Policy and Measurement'' in the
subject line of your electronic message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marlene Spencer. Telephone: (202) 245-
7532 or by e-mail: [email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice of proposed priority is in
concert with NIDRR's Final Long-Range Plan for FY 2005-2009 (Plan). The
Plan, which was published in the Federal Register on February 15, 2006
(71 FR 8165), can be accessed on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/policy.html.
Through the implementation of the Plan, NIDRR seeks to: (1) Improve
the quality and utility of disability and rehabilitation research; (2)
foster an exchange of expertise, information, and training to
facilitate the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the unique
needs of traditionally underserved populations; (3) determine best
strategies and programs to improve rehabilitation outcomes for
underserved populations; (4) identify research gaps; (5) identify
mechanisms of integrating research and practice; and (6) disseminate
findings.
Invitation To Comment: We invite you to submit comments regarding
this notice.
We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of
reducing regulatory burden that might result from this proposed
priority. Please let us know of any further ways we could reduce
potential costs or increase potential benefits while preserving the
effective and efficient administration of the program.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments about this notice in room 5142, 550 12th Street, SW., PCP,
Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.,
Washington, DC time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal
holidays.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the
Rulemaking Record: On request we will provide an appropriate
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability who
needs assistance to review the comments or other documents in the
public rulemaking record for this notice. If you want to schedule an
appointment for this type of accommodation or auxiliary aid, please
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Project and Centers Program is to plan and
conduct research, demonstration projects, training, and related
activities, including international activities, to develop methods,
procedures and rehabilitation technology that maximize the full
inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living,
family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals
with disabilities, especially individuals with the most severe
disabilities, and to improve the effectiveness of services authorized
under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
RRTC Program
The purpose of the RRTC program is to improve the effectiveness of
services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act through advanced
research, training, technical assistance, and dissemination activities
in general problem areas, as specified by NIDRR. Such activities are
designed to benefit rehabilitation service providers, individuals with
disabilities, and the family members or other authorized
representatives of individuals with disabilities. In addition, NIDRR
intends to require all RRTC applicants to meet the requirements of the
General Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTC)
Requirements priority that it published in a notice of final priorities
in the Federal Register on February 1, 2008 (73 FR 6132). Additional
information on the RRTC program can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/res-program.html#RRTC.
Statutory and Regulatory Requirements of RRTCs
RRTCs must--
Carry out coordinated advanced programs of rehabilitation
research;
Provide training, including graduate, pre-service, and in-
service training, to help rehabilitation personnel more effectively
provide rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities;
Provide technical assistance to individuals with
disabilities, their representatives, providers, and other interested
parties;
Disseminate informational materials to individuals with
disabilities, their representatives, providers, and other interested
parties; and
Serve as centers of national excellence in rehabilitation
research for individuals with disabilities, their representatives,
providers, and other interested parties.
Applicants for RRTC grants must demonstrate in their applications
how they will address, in whole or in part, the needs of individuals
from minority backgrounds.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(2).
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.
Proposed Priority: This notice contains one proposed priority.
[[Page 26953]]
Center on Employment Policy and Measurement
Background: Despite the enactment of legislation and the
implementation of a variety of policy and program efforts at the
Federal and State levels to improve employment outcomes for individuals
with disabilities during the past 20 years, the rate of employment for
individuals with disabilities remains substantially lower than the rate
for those without disabilities. In December 2009, only 18.6 percent of
persons with a disability were employed, compared to 63.3 percent of
persons with no disability. (U.S. Department of Labor, 2009). This
discrepancy in employment rates exists across all sociodemographic
groups. Additionally, the median earnings for individuals with
disabilities who are employed are less than $18,000 per year as
compared to $28,000 per year earned by individuals without disabilities
(Steinmetz, 2006; U.S. Census Bureau, 2006).
Research conducted by NIDRR grantees and others has shown that
Federal and State government policies are critical factors that
influence the employment status of individuals with disabilities. For
instance, programs such as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) have a significant impact on
employment rates for individuals with disabilities (Fraser et al.,
2004; Goodman & Waidmann, 2003). SSDI and SSI recipients with
disabilities are less likely to achieve gainful employment than
individuals with disabilities who do not receive these benefits
(Goodman & Waidmann, 2003).
The fear of losing eligibility for public health insurance is
frequently identified as a major reason that people with disabilities
work only limited hours or do not seek employment (Livermore & Goodman,
2009; Stapleton, O'Day, Livermore, & Imparato, 2006). Medicaid Buy-In
programs may allow some individuals to maintain both employment and
adequate insurance coverage. While some studies indicate that Medicaid
Buy-In enrollees increase their average earnings after enrollment,
there are not yet rigorous data that link participation in these
Medicaid programs to an increase in employment (Livermore & Goodman,
2009).
Despite many efforts to better coordinate these and other Federal
programs that affect employment outcomes for individuals with
disabilities, ``[t]here is no Federal system for disability that
coordinates the many different disability programs and services, and no
comprehensive lifetime picture of the needs of individuals with
disabilities'' (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2005). Although
many agencies evaluate their own programs, NIDRR's unique mission
allows it to examine interactions among government programs and the
collective impact of government policies and programs upon employment
outcomes among individuals with disabilities.
As policies emerge and evolve, there is a need for continued
research on the impact of government policies and programs as they
shape the environment in which individuals with disabilities attempt to
enter and stay in the workforce. This research would provide
information to guide policymakers and other stakeholders, including
individuals with disabilities and their advocates, as they work to
develop and implement policies that will lead to positive employment
outcomes.
NIDRR is also interested in conducting research to support further
development of useful measures that will improve understanding of and
communication regarding employment outcomes. Inconsistent measurement
in employment research creates uncertainty about the validity of data
on outcomes such as job retention, hours worked, wage rate and
benefits, and opportunities for advancement (Loprest, 2007;
Silverstein, Julnes, & Nolan, 2005; Interagency Committee on Disability
Research, 2007; Hotchkiss, 2004). The use of common measures and
metrics will enhance our ability to monitor the effectiveness of
policies and programs intended to improve employment outcomes for
individuals with disabilities.
We have reached a critical point in our ability to understand
relationships between functional status, health status, access to
support services and health care, and employment outcomes. This is
because, for the first time in our history, three national datasets--
the American Community Survey, the Current Population Survey, and the
National Health Interview Survey \1\--will include the same seven
questions to identify most people with disabilities.
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\1\ The U.S. Census Bureau conducts data collection for all
three surveys. The agency sponsors are--
1. U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau (American
Community Survey);
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (National Health Interview Survey);
and
3. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (Current
Population Survey).
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Each of these datasets includes a wealth of additional information
that can further our understanding of the complex factors that
facilitate or hinder successful employment outcomes. However, across
the datasets there is variation in how specific components of
employment outcomes are measured. Improved methods of linking data
across these data sets would allow for more and better comparisons of
employment-related outcome data such as wages and earnings, benefits,
quality of employment, and job stability. Further research using these
datasets, as well as research using State surveys and agency data
sources such as the Rehabilitation Services Administration Case Service
Report (RSA-911) will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the
problems in measuring employment outcomes for individuals with
disabilities. This research can also inform the development of more
effective means to evaluate the Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants
Program, the Ticket to Work Program, and other Federal programs
designed to improve employment rates and other employment outcomes for
individuals with disabilities.
References:
Fraser, R., Vandergoot, D., Thomas, D., & Wagner, C. (2004).
Employment outcomes research in vocational rehabilitation:
Implications for Rehabilitation Counselor (RC) training. Journal of
Vocational Rehabilitation, 20, 135-142.
Goodman, N. & Waidmann, T. (2003). ``Social Security Disability
Insurance and the recent decline in the employment rate of people
with disabilities.'' In Stapleton & Burkhauser (Eds.), The Decline
in Employment of People with Disabilities: A Policy Puzzle.
Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, pp.
339-368.
Hotchkiss, J.L. (2004). Growing part-time employment among
workers with disabilities: Marginalization or opportunity? Federal
Reserve Bank of Atlanta Economic Review, Third Quarter 2004, pp. 25-
40.
Interagency Committee on Disability Research. (2007). Employer
perspectives on workers with disabilities: A national summit to
develop a research agenda. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.
Livermore, G. & Goodman, N. (2009). A Review of Recent
Evaluation Efforts Associated with Programs and Policies Designed to
Promote the Employment of Adults with Disabilities. Ithaca, NY:
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment Policy for
Persons with Disabilities. See http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/edicollect/1262.
Loprest, P. (2007). Strategic Assessment of the State of the
Science in Research on Employment for Individuals with Disabilities.
Final Report. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute. National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department
of Education.
Silverstein, R., Julnes, G. & Nolan, R. (2005). What
policymakers need and must demand from research regarding the
employment rate of persons with disabilities.
[[Page 26954]]
Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 23, 399-448.
Stapleton, D., O'Day, B., Livermore, G., and Imparato, A.
(2006). Dismantling the Poverty Trap: Disability Policy for the 21st
Century. Milbank Quarterly, 84(4), 701-732.
Steinmetz, E. (2006). Americans With Disabilities: 2002.
Household Economic Studies Current Population Reports (pp.70-107).
Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau. See http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/disability/sipp/disable02.html.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2006). American Community Survey table
B1802: Selected Economic Characteristics for the Civilian
Noninstitutionalized Population By Disability Status. Washington,
DC: U.S. Census Bureau. See http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-qr_name=ACS_2006_EST_G00_S1802.
U.S. Department of Labor. (2009). Labor force statistics from
the current population survey. Washington, DC: Bureau of Labor
Statistics. U.S. Department of Labor. See http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability.htm.
U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2005). Federal
Disability Assistance: Wide Array of Programs Needs to be Examined
in Light of 21st Century Challenges. GAO-05-626. Washington, DC:
U.S. Government Accountability Office. See http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05626.pdf.
Proposed Priority:
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services proposes a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and Training
Center (RRTC) on Employment Policy and Measurement. The RRTC must
conduct research, knowledge translation, training, dissemination, and
technical assistance to advance the understanding of how government
policies, and changes in policies, affect employment outcomes of
individuals with disabilities and to expand the capacity of government
agencies, other policy groups, and consumer organizations to produce
consistent data related to the employment of individuals with
disabilities. Under this priority, the RRTC must contribute to the
following outcomes:
(a) Increased knowledge of government policies and programs that
affect employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. The RRTC
must contribute to this outcome by--
(1) Conducting rigorous research on the ways in which policies,
changes in policies, and the interaction of policies such as those
reflected in the Workforce Investment Act, including the Vocational
Rehabilitation (VR) State Grants program; the Social Security
Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs; health
care initiatives; and other Federal or State programs affect employment
rates for individuals with disabilities. Examples of such policy topics
include, but are not limited to, the interaction between income support
programs, poverty, disability, and employment success; the interaction
between requirements for the VR State Grants and Ticket to Work
programs; and the policy barriers to successful transition from youth
to adulthood for young people with disabilities;
(2) Assessing existing research findings and other materials such
as agency documents or data to produce timely policy briefs on emerging
topics related to employment of individuals with disabilities; and
(3) Identifying statistical methods that can be used to interpret
and compare data from different programs and data sets that provide
information on the employment of individuals with disabilities.
(b) Improved capacity to measure the employment outcomes of
individuals with disabilities. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome
by--
(1) Identifying or developing a framework that includes common
measures and metrics that capture the different types of employment
outcomes for individuals with disabilities, including wages, benefits,
employment retention and re-entry, and opportunities for advancement,
and that can be used to analyze and compare data across different
programs; and
(2) Validating the new measures and metrics by collecting new data
or analyzing existing data to determine the properties of these
measures and metrics and their sensitivity to factors that are
hypothesized to affect employment among people with disabilities.
(c) Increased incorporation of research findings from the RRTC
project into practice or policy. The RRTC must contribute to this
outcome by--
(1) Collaborating with stakeholder groups to develop, evaluate, or
implement strategies to increase utilization of research findings;
(2) Conducting training and dissemination activities to facilitate
the utilization of research findings by employers, policymakers, and
individuals with disabilities; and
(3) Collaborating and sharing information with other agencies
across the Federal Government through mechanisms such as the
Interagency Committee on Disability Research.
In addition, the RRTC must--
(1) Establish an Interagency Advisory Group that includes, but is
not limited to, representatives from the Rehabilitation Services
Administration (RSA), the Office of Disability Employment Policy, the
Social Security Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services, and other agencies, as necessary, to ensure that the policy
topics address the issues of most concern across key agencies and to
guide development of the measures' framework;
(2) Collaborate with appropriate NIDRR-funded grantees, including
knowledge translation grantees and grantees involved with employment
research; and
(3) Collaborate with relevant RSA grantees and NIDRR-funded
Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers.
Types of Priorities:
When inviting applications for a competition using one or more
priorities, we designate the type of each priority as absolute,
competitive preference, or invitational through a notice in the Federal
Register. The effect of each type of priority follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by (1)
awarding additional points, depending on the extent to which the
application meets the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2)
selecting an application that meets the priority over an application of
comparable merit that does not meet the priority (34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the priority.
However, we do not give an application that meets the priority a
preference over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Final Priority:
We will announce the final priority in a notice in the Federal
Register. We will determine the final priority after considering
responses to this notice and other information available to the
Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing additional
priorities, requirements, definitions, or selection criteria, subject
to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use this priority, we invite applications through
a notice in the Federal Register.
Executive Order 12866: Under Executive Order 12866, we have
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this proposed regulatory
action and have determined that it is not ``significant'' under the
terms of that Executive order.
Intergovernmental Review: This program is not subject to Executive
[[Page 26955]]
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) on request 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.
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: May 6, 2010.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2010-11357 Filed 5-12-10; 8:45 am]
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