[Federal Register: March 20, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 53)]
[Notices]
[Page 13098-13103]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20mr07-52]
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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--Center on Response To
Intervention; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal
Year (FY) 2007
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.326E.
Dates: Applications Available: March 20, 2007.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 4, 2007.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 3, 2007.
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: $2,830,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $2,830,000 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.
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 2007 this priority is an absolute
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that
meet this priority.
This priority is:
[[Page 13099]]
Center on Response to Intervention
Background
Response to Intervention (RTI) involves maximizing student
achievement by monitoring student progress to make data-based
instructional decisions for students. While RTI varies in its
methodologies, a common model is based on implementation of universal,
secondary, and tertiary interventions (Kamps & Greenwood, 2005; Fuchs &
Fuchs, 2006; Vaughn, 2003). Universal interventions involve providing
high quality core instruction to students in regular education
classrooms. Secondary interventions involve more intensive small group
instruction, and tertiary interventions are even more intensive and are
often provided by an interventionist or special educator.
One of the many benefits of RTI is early identification of students
who experience academic or behavioral difficulties. Experts in the
field have reached consensus regarding the need to identify children
with academic and behavioral difficulties at an early age. Early
intervention with these students can either eliminate the need for
special education or at least reduce the intensity of the services
required. A National Research Council (NRC) report (Donovan & Cross,
2002) confirmed that intervening early, specifically in reading and
behavior management, is associated with reduced placement rates of
students in special education programs. Specifically, it was found that
placement rates in special education were lower in schools where
effective reading programs or strong classroom management programs
existed than in schools where such programs did not exist. The report
concluded that the effectiveness of early intervention was greater than
the cumulative effectiveness of interventions provided to students
after they had experienced years of failure.
RTI is currently being used and investigated in regular and special
education classrooms and is demonstrating promise as a means for early
identification of children with disabilities, particularly specific
learning disabilities (SLD), as well as students who are at risk of
either or both academic or behavioral disabilities (Kamps & Greenwood,
2005; Fuchs & Fuchs, 2006; Vaughn, 2003). RTI also holds promise for
children from some racial and ethnic backgrounds who are not
progressing in the general education curriculum. Data from the National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) indicate that students from
certain racial and ethnic backgrounds continue to lag behind other
students in English, math, and science (Lee, 2006). Over time, the
disparity in progress may lead to over-identification or
disproportionate representation of this group of students for special
education services (Donovan & Cross, 2002). Preliminary data indicate
that RTI may reduce the number of instances of inappropriately
identified students who are from certain racial or ethnic backgrounds
or who are limited-English proficient for special education services
(Kamps & Greenwood, 2005; Kamps, Wills, Greenwood, Thorne, Lazo,
Crockett, McGonigle, & Swaggart, 2003).
The 2004 amendments to IDEA amended section 613(f) to allow local
educational agencies (LEAs) to use up to 15 percent of their Part B
funding for early intervening services to support students who struggle
academically or behaviorally in a general education environment, but
who have not been identified for special education. Additionally, LEAs
that significantly over-identify children from particular racial or
ethnic backgrounds for special education services must use the maximum
amount of their IDEA funding available for early intervening services
to provide comprehensive, coordinated early intervening services to
children, particularly children in groups that were significantly over-
identified (see section 618(d)(2)(B) of IDEA).
Amendments made to IDEA by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Improvement Act of 2004 also explicitly authorize the use of
response to scientifically-based research interventions to identify
students with SLD. The amendments removed a requirement to find
discrepancies between achievement and intellectual ability before
identifying a student as having SLD. This requirement often precluded
early identification of children in need of special education.
References
Donovan, S. & Cross, C. (2002). Minority students in special and
gifted education. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
Fuchs, D. & Fuchs, L.S. (2006). Introduction to response to
intervention: What, why, and how valid is it? Reading Research
Quarterly, 41, 92-99.
Kamps, D., & Greenwood, C. R. (2005). Formulating secondary-
level reading interventions. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38,
500-509.
Kamps, D., Wills, H., Greenwood, C., Thorne, S., Lazo, J.,
Crockett, J., McGonigle, J., & Swaggart, B. (2003). Curriculum
influences on growth in early reading fluency for students with
academic and behavioral risks: A descriptive study. Journal of
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 11, 211-224.
Lee, J. (2006). Tracking Achievement Gaps and Assessing the
Impact of NCLB on the Gaps: An In-depth Look into National and State
Reading and Math Outcome Trends. Retrieved June 27, 2006, from The
Civil Rights Project Harvard University Web site: http://www.civilrightsproject.harvard.edu/research/esea/nclb_naep_lee.pdf
.
Vaughn, S. (2003). How many tiers are needed for response to
intervention to achieve acceptable prevention outcomes. Retrieved
May 14, 2006, from The National Research Center on Learning
Disabilities Web site: http://www.nrcld.org/symposium2003/vaughn/vaughn.pdf
.
Priority
The Assistant Secretary establishes an absolute priority for a
Center on Response to Intervention (Center) to (a) identify, adapt,
evaluate, and scale-up RTI models for identifying and serving children
with disabilities, particularly SLD; (b) provide technical assistance
and disseminate information to SEAs and LEAs to implement comprehensive
RTI programs in LEAs and schools; and (c) disseminate information on
RTI to parents, service providers, policymakers, and others. SEAs must
be the primary targets for the technical assistance activities of the
Center. The Center must support States to help them develop the
capacity to provide technical assistance to LEAs.
Demonstrated Expertise of Key Staff
To be considered for funding under this priority, an applicant must
demonstrate that key staff responsible for fulfilling the activities of
the Center have expertise in (a) scientifically-based research
practices associated with SLD identification; (b) the use and
implementation of RTI and all its components, including screening,
progress monitoring, data-based decision-making, procedural safeguards,
and multi-tiered interventions; and (c) issues related to
disproportionate representation of children based on race or ethnicity.
Expertise in these areas may be demonstrated by having refereed
publications on respective topics. An applicant may use a team-based
approach across sites to capitalize on the knowledge, experience, and
qualifications of various key staff who will be responsible for
providing technical assistance and disseminating information to SEAs
and LEAs. The Assistant Secretary anticipates that this Center will
build on the expertise and resources of previously and currently
supported Department of Education technical assistance centers, such as
the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD), the
National Center on Student Progress Monitoring (NCSPM), the Research
Institute on
[[Page 13100]]
Progress Monitoring (RIPM), the National Center for Culturally
Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt), the Center on Instruction
(COI), the Access Center, and the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act 2004-Research for Inclusive Settings (IRIS) Center.
Requirements
To meet the requirements of this priority, the Center, at a
minimum, must--
(a) Identify, adapt, evaluate, and scale up evidence-based, school-
wide RTI models that identify and serve children with disabilities,
particularly SLD, and children at risk of developing a disability, to
use as a basis for providing technical assistance to SEAs and LEAs.
These models also must be evaluated on the extent to which the models
reduce over-identification for special education services based on race
or ethnicity and of students who are limited-English proficient;
(b) Assist SEAs in developing the capacity to support local
implementation of RTI models that provide comprehensive, coordinated
early intervening services to students who are experiencing either or
both academic or behavioral difficulties, especially in LEAs that are
required to provide early intervening services because of significant
disproportionality of students based on race or ethnicity;
(c) Provide technical assistance and disseminate information to
SEAs and LEAs on implementing scientifically-based practices for using
RTI to improve instruction for all students and identify students with
SLD;
(d) Assist SEAs to provide technical assistance to enable LEAs to
provide comprehensive, coordinated early intervening services, such as
RTI, particularly to LEAs that are required to provide early
intervening services because of significant disproportionality of
students based on race or ethnicity required under section 618(d) of
IDEA;
(e) Communicate, coordinate, and collaborate with the NRCLD, NCSPM,
COI, RIPM, NCCRESt, Access Center, IRIS, and progress monitoring model
demonstration projects funded under the Technical Assistance and
Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities program to summarize and proactively disseminate reports
and documents on research findings and related topics to inform policy
and practice related to RTI, including early intervening services to
decrease over-identification or disproportionate representation in
special education of students based on race or ethnicity;
(f) Communicate, coordinate, and collaborate with the appropriate
OSEP-funded centers identified in this priority to develop and
disseminate information on RTI, progress monitoring, secondary and
tertiary educational and behavioral interventions, and other pertinent
matters;
(g) Communicate, coordinate, and collaborate with appropriate OSEP-
funded centers identified in this priority to develop and disseminate
information for professional development on scientifically-based models
of RTI that include progress monitoring for teachers and other school
staff;
(h) Conduct national and regional meetings, in collaboration with
other centers, to assist SEAs and LEAs in implementing RTI models to
provide early intervening services, especially in LEAs with significant
disproportionality, and to identify children with SLD;
(i) Coordinate with the NRCLD, NCSPM, RIPM, NCCRESt, and Access
Center as these projects end to transfer their key responsibilities to
the Center and integrate the content from their Web sites to the
Center's Web site;
(j) Maintain communication and collaboration with other technical
assistance centers and organizations, e.g., Regional Comprehensive
Centers, NCLB-IDEA Partnership Project, Regional Resource Centers, and
Federal Resource Center, National Association of State Directors of
Special Education, Council of Chief State School Officers, Council for
Exceptional Children, 100 Black Men of America, National Association
for Bilingual Education, and others as appropriate;
(k) Provide funding to at least two graduate or doctoral level
students who have concentrations in special education, learning
disabilities, or other related areas that have been approved by the
Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to assist with project
related activities; and
(l) Address the needs for information on RTI for all stakeholders
including parents, service providers, policy makers, and administrators
at the national, State, and local levels through dissemination
activities that include the maintenance of a Web site. This Web site
must be maintained in a format that meets a government or industry
recognized standard for accessibility.
Additional Requirements
The Center also must--
(1) Establish, maintain, and meet at least annually with an
advisory committee consisting of representatives of SEAs, LEAs,
individuals with disabilities, parents, educators, professional
organizations and advocacy groups, researchers, and other appropriate
groups to review and advise on the Center's activities and plans. The
committee must include membership that represents urban schools. The
final advisory committee will be jointly selected by OSEP and the
Center;
(2) Budget annually for attendance at a three-day Project
Director's meeting in Washington, DC and for a two-day trip to
Washington, DC to attend an additional Project Director's meeting and
to meet and collaborate with the OSEP Project Officer and other funded
projects for purposes of cross-project collaboration and information
exchange;
(3) Budget for at least a monthly trip to attend appropriate
meetings convened by the Department of Education and other centers and
organizations; and
(4) Budget five percent of the grant amount annually to support
emerging needs as identified jointly through consultation with the OSEP
Project Officer.
Fourth and Fifth Years of Project: In deciding whether to continue
funding the Center 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 team will convene in Washington,
DC during the last half of the project's second year. Projects 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
Center; and
(c) Evidence of the degree to which the Center's activities have
contributed to changed practices and improved outcomes for children
with disabilities and children at risk of developing a disability.
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 under the
APA inapplicable to the priority 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.
[[Page 13101]]
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: $2,830,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $2,830,000 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.
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: 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 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 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 84.326E.
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 70 pages, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'' (on one side only), with 1''
margins (top, bottom, and 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 proportional font that is 12-point or larger, or a
font that is 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, 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: March 20, 2007.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 4, 2007.
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.
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.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 3, 2007.
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. To comply with the
President's Management Agenda, we are participating as a partner in the
Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site. The Center on Response to
Intervention, CFDA Number 84.326E, is included in this project. We
request your participation in Grants.gov.
If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must
use the Governmentwide 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 Center on
Response to Intervention at: http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for
the downloadable application package for this program or competition by
the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your
search (e.g., search for 84.326, not 84.326E).
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 date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no
[[Page 13102]]
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 and 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 and 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 submission 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 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/applicants/get_registered.jsp
). These steps include (1)
registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes
registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (2)
registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative
(AOR); and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization.
Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step
Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf
). You also must 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, and you must have completed all registration steps to
allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual
basis. This may take three 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.
If you submit your application electronically, you must
submit all documents electronically, including all information you
typically provide on the following forms: 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. Please note
that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the Department of Education
Supplemental Information for SF 424--have replaced the ED 424
(Application for Federal Education Assistance).
If you 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 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.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application 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 Technical
Issues with the Grant.Gov System: If you are experiencing problems
submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the
Grants.gov Support Desk at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov
Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
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 described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application 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. 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: The extensions to which we refer 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 application 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 84.326E), 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
84.326E), 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.
(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
[[Page 13103]]
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 84.326E), 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 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 competition
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.
2. Treating A Priority As Two Separate Competitions: In the past,
there have been problems in finding peer reviewers without conflicts of
interest for competitions in which many entities throughout the country
submit applications. The Standing Panel requirements under IDEA also
have placed additional constraints on the availability of reviewers.
Therefore, the Department has determined that, for some discretionary
competitions, applications may be separated into two or more groups and
ranked and selected for funding within the specific group. This
procedure will ensure the availability of a much larger group of
reviewers without conflicts of interest. It also will increase the
quality, independence and fairness of the review process and permit
panel members to review applications under discretionary competitions
for which they also have submitted applications. However, if the
Department decides to select for funding an equal number of
applications in each group, 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 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 of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has developed measures that
will yield information on various aspects of the Technical Assistance
and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities program. These measures, which will be used for this
competition, 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.
Grantees will be required to provide information related to these
measures.
Grantees also will 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: Grace Zamora Duran, Ed.D., U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 4088, Potomac
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7328.
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 15, 2007.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. E7-5048 Filed 3-19-07; 8:45 am]
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