[Federal Register: May 18, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 97)]
[Notices]
[Page 27813-27817]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18my01-113]
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Part V
Department of Education
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Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Special
Education--Training and Information for Parents of Children With
Disabilities; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Special
Education--Training and Information for Parents of Children With
Disabilities
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year
(FY) 2001.
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SUMMARY: This notice provides closing dates and other information
regarding the transmittal of applications for FY 2001 competitions
under one program authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), as amended: Special Education-- Training and
Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities.
National Education Goals
The eight National Education Goals focus the Nation's education
reform efforts and provide a framework for improving teaching and
learning.
This priority addresses the National Education Goals that promote
new partnerships to strengthen schools and expand the Department's
capacities for helping communities to exchange ideas and obtain
information needed to achieve the goals.
This priority would address the National Education Goals by helping
to improve results for children with disabilities.
Waiver of Rulemaking
It is generally our practice to offer interested parties the
opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. However, section
661(e)(2) of IDEA makes the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553)
inapplicable to the priority in this notice.
General Requirements
(a) The projects funded under this notice must make positive
efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with
disabilities in project activities (see section 606 of IDEA).
(b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this notice must
involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals with
disabilities in planning, implementing, and evaluating the projects
(see section 661(f)(1)(A) of IDEA).
(c) The projects funded under these priorities must budget for a
two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, D.C. during each year
of the project.
(d) In a single application, an applicant must address only one
absolute priority in this notice.
(e) Part III of each application submitted under a priority in this
notice, the application narrative, is where an applicant addresses the
selection criteria that are used by reviewers in evaluating the
application. You must limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than
the number of pages listed in the table at the end of this notice for
each applicable priority, using the following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5"x11" (on one side only) with one-inch
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, and captions, as well as all text in charts,
tables, figures, and graphs.
If using a proportional computer font, use no smaller than
a 12-point font, and an average character density no greater than 18
characters per inch. If using a nonproportional font or a typewriter,
do not use more than 12 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 or references, or the letters of support.
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
We will reject without consideration or evaluation any application
if --
You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the
page limit.
Special Education--Training and Information for Parents of Children
With Disabilities [CFDA No. 84.328]
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to ensure that
parents of children with disabilities receive training and information
to help improve results for their children.
Under section 682(e) of IDEA, we are required to:
(a) Make at least one award to a parent organization in each State,
unless we do not receive an application from such an organization in
each State of sufficient quality to warrant approval; and
(b) Select among applications submitted by parent organizations in
a State in a manner that ensures the most effective assistance to
parents, including parents in urban and rural areas, in the State.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 85, 97, 98, and 99; (b) The selection criteria for this
priority are drawn from the EDGAR general selection criteria menu. The
specific selection criteria for this priority are included in the
funding application package for this competition.
Eligible Applicants: Parent organizations, as defined in section
682(g) of IDEA. A parent organization is a private nonprofit
organization (other than an institution of higher education) that:
(a) Has a board of directors, the parent and professional members
of which are broadly representative of the population to be served and
the majority of whom are parents of children with disabilities, that
includes individuals with disabilities and individuals working in the
fields of special education, related services, and early intervention;
or
(b) Has a membership that represents the interests of individuals
with disabilities and has established a special governing committee
meeting the requirements for a board of directors in paragraph (a) of
this section and develops a memorandum of understanding between this
special governing committee and the board of directors of the
organization that clearly outlines the relationship between the board
and the committee and the decisionmaking responsibilities and authority
of each.
Priority
Under section 682 of the Act and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we will give
an absolute preference to applications that meet the following
priority. We will fund under this competition only those applications
that meet this priority:
Absolute Priority--Parent Training and Information Centers (84.328M)
Background
The IDEA Amendments of 1997 strengthen the role of parents and
increase their involvement in decisions about their children's
education. In order to allocate resources more equitably, create a
unified system of service delivery, and provide the broadest coverage
for the parents and families in every State, the Department is making
awards in five (5)-year cycles for each State. In FY 2001, applications
for 5-year awards will be accepted for Alaska, Alabama, Colorado,
Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota,
Nevada, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico.
In addition to the above State awards, we intend to fund one award
that focuses on the needs of Native-American families who have children
with disabilities and one award that
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focuses on the needs of military families who have children with
disabilities.
Until the first five (5)-year cycle is completed, there is a need
to have an interim schedule for awards in States where there is more
than one PTI and their current awards do not have the same end date. We
are holding competitions for one or more awards in these States for the
time periods needed to match the end date of the last Center funded.
Applications will be accepted for FY 2001 interim competitions for
the State of California and the State of Michigan. We intend to fund
five awards for one-year each:
(1) One Center in the State of California that will serve the
population in the northern part of the State. This award will be for
$399,400.
(2) One Center in the State of California that will serve the
population in the central part of the State. This award will be for
$230,470.
(3) One Center in the State of California that will serve the
population in the southern part of the State. This award will be for
$236,970.
(4) One Center in the State of California that will serve the
population in the San Francisco Bay area. This award will be for
$236,970.
(5) One Center in the State of Michigan that will serve the
population in the Detroit area. This award will be for $274,440.
Priority
A Parent Training and Information Center must --
(a) Provide training and information that meets the training and
information needs of parents of children with disabilities in the area
served by the Center, particularly underserved parents and parents of
children who may be inappropriately identified, including those who are
not identified at all;
(b) Assist parents to understand the availability of, and how to
effectively use, procedural safeguards under IDEA, including
encouraging the use, and explaining the benefits, of alternative
methods of dispute resolution, such as the mediation process described
in IDEA;
(c) Serve the parents of infants, toddlers, and children with the
full range of disabilities;
(d) Assist parents to--
(1) Better understand the nature of their children's disabilities
and their educational and developmental needs;
(2) Communicate effectively with personnel responsible for
providing special education, early intervention, and related services;
(3) Participate in decisionmaking processes and the development of
individualized education programs and individualized family service
plans;
(4) Obtain appropriate information about the range of options,
programs, services, and resources available to assist children with
disabilities and their families;
(5) Understand the provisions of the Act for the education of, and
the provision of early intervention services to, children with
disabilities; and
(6) Participate in school reform activities;
(e) Contract with the State educational agency, if the State elects
to contract with the Parent Training and Information Center, for the
purpose of meeting with parents who choose not to use the mediation
process to encourage the use, and explain the benefits, of mediation
consistent with section 615(e)(2)(B) and (D) of IDEA;
(f) Establish cooperative relations with the Community Parent
Resource Center or Centers in their State in accordance with section
683(b)(3) of IDEA;
(g) Network with appropriate clearinghouses, including
organizations conducting national dissemination activities under
section 685(d) of IDEA, and with other national, State, and local
organizations and agencies, such as protection and advocacy agencies,
that serve parents and families of children with the full range of
disabilities;
(h) Annually report to the Assistant Secretary on--
(1) The number of parents to whom the Parent Training and
Information Center provided information and training in the most
recently concluded fiscal year, and
(2) The effectiveness of strategies used to reach and serve
parents, including underserved parents of children with disabilities;
and
(i) If there is more than one parent center in a particular State,
coordinate its activities to ensure the most effective assistance to
parents in that State.
An applicant must identify the strategies it will undertake--
(a) To ensure that the needs for training and information of
underserved parents of children with disabilities in the areas to be
served are effectively met, particularly in underserved areas of the
State; and
(b) To work with the community-based organizations, particularly in
the underserved areas of the State.
A Parent Training and Information Center that receives assistance
under this absolute priority may also conduct the following activities
--
(a) Provide information to teachers and other professionals who
provide special education and related services to children with
disabilities;
(b) Assist students with disabilities to understand their rights
and responsibilities on reaching the age of majority, as stated in
section 615(m) of IDEA; and
(c) Assist parents of children with disabilities to be informed
participants in the development and implementation of the State
improvement plan under IDEA.
In addition to the annual Project Directors' meeting included in
the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice, a project's budget
must include funds to attend a regional Project Directors' meeting to
be held each year of the project.
In order to demonstrate eligibility to receive a grant, an
applicant must describe how its board or special governing committee
meets the criteria for a parent organization in section 682(g) of IDEA.
In addition, any parent organization that establishes a special
governing committee under section 682(g)(2) of IDEA must demonstrate
that the bylaws of its organization allow the governing committee to be
responsible for operating the project (consistent with existing fiscal
policies of its organization).
Current funding levels and population of school age children were
factors in determining the funding levels for these grants.
Competitive Preferences
Within this absolute priority, we will award the following
competitive preference points under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i): An
additional 10 points to an application submitted by a parent
organization or a consortia of parent organizations that qualify as
parent organizations under section 682(g)(1) of IDEA.
In addition, we will give the following competitive preference
points under section 606 of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), to
applications that are otherwise eligible for funding under this
priority:
Up to ten (10) points based on the effectiveness of the applicant's
strategies for employing and advancing in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities as required under
paragraph (a) of the ``General Requirements'' section of this notice.
In determining the effectiveness of those strategies, we may consider
the applicant's past success in pursuit of this goal.
Therefore, for purposes of these competitive preferences,
applicants can be awarded up to a total of 20 points in addition to
those awarded under the
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selection criteria for this priority. That is, an applicant meeting
this competitive preference could earn a maximum total of 120 points.
Project Period: With the exception of the following, projects will
be funded for a period up to 60 months. Interim projects will be funded
for a period up to 12 months.
Estimated Project Awards: Project award amounts are for a single
budget period of 12 months. The FY 2001 State awards, interim State
awards, and awards focusing on Native American families and military
families are listed below:
Alaska..................................................... $269,820
Alabama.................................................... 280,940
Colorado................................................... 277,330
Florida.................................................... 585,020
Kentucky................................................... 253,760
Maine...................................................... 193,350
Maryland................................................... 297,890
Nebraska................................................... 202,110
New York................................................... 1,154,270
North Dakota............................................... 210,170
Nevada..................................................... 210,280
Puerto Rico................................................ 278,880
Vermont.................................................... 193,870
Wisconsin.................................................. 450,000
Native American Families................................... 100,000
Military Families.......................................... 100,000
California (4 Interim Awards).............................. 1,103,810
Michigan (Interim Award)................................... 274,440
Awards may also be made to authorized entities in Guam, Palau, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the freely associated
States. However, maximum funding levels have not been specified.
Consistent with EDGAR 34 CFR 75.104(b), we will reject any
application that proposes a project funding level for any year that
exceeds the stated maximum award amount for that year.
Page Limits: The maximum page limit for this priority is 50 double-
spaced pages.
Note: Applications must meet the required page limit standards
that are described in the ``General Requirements'' section of this
notice.
For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs),
P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, Maryland 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-
877-4ED-Pubs (1-877-433-7827). FAX: 301-470-1244. Individuals who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call (toll free) 1-
877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs via its Web site (http://www.ed.gov/
pubs/edpubs.html) or 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 84.328M.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Grants and Contracts Services Team,
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3317,
Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 260-9182.
If you use a TDD you may call the Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) 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 to the contact office.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format by contacting the Department contact
office. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an
alternative format the standard forms included in the application
package.
Intergovernmental Review
The program in this notice is subject to the requirements of
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. The
objective of the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental
partnership and a strengthened federalism by relying on processes
developed by State and local governments for coordination and review of
proposed Federal financial assistance.
In accordance with the order, we intend this document to provide
early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for
this program.
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2001
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Application Deadline for Maximum Estimated
CFDA No. and name Applications deadline intergovernmental award (per Project period Page limit No. of
available date review year) * ** awards
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84.328M Parent Training and Information 05/25/01 07/13/01 09/13/01 ........... Up to 60 mos.............. 50 21
Centers.
Alaska................................. ............ ........... ................. $269,820 .......................... ........... ...........
Alabama................................ ............ ........... ................. 280,940 .......................... ........... ...........
Colorado............................... ............ ........... ................. 277,330 .......................... ........... ...........
Florida................................ ............ ........... ................. 585,020 .......................... ........... ...........
Kentucky............................... ............ ........... ................. 253,760 .......................... ........... ...........
Maine.................................. ............ ........... ................. 193,350 .......................... ........... ...........
Maryland............................... ............ ........... ................. 297,890 .......................... ........... ...........
Nebraska............................... ............ ........... ................. 202,110 .......................... ........... ...........
New York............................... ............ ........... ................. 1,154,270 .......................... ........... ...........
North Dakota........................... ............ ........... ................. 210,170 .......................... ........... ...........
Nevada................................. ............ ........... ................. 210,280 .......................... ........... ...........
Puerto Rico............................ ............ ........... ................. 278,880 .......................... ........... ...........
Vermont................................ ............ ........... ................. 193,870 .......................... ........... ...........
Wisconsin.............................. ............ ........... ................. 450,000 .......................... ........... ...........
Native American Families............... ............ ........... ................. 100,000 .......................... ........... ...........
Military Families...................... ............ ........... ................. 100,000 .......................... ........... ...........
California (Interim)................... ............ ........... ................. 1,103,810 .......................... ........... ...........
Michigan (Interim)..................... ............ ........... ................. 274,440 .......................... ........... ...........
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* Consistent with EDGAR 34 CFR 75.104(b), we will reject any application that proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated
maximum award amount for that year. Awards may also be made to authorized entities in Guam, Palau, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
and the freely associated States. However, maximum funding levels have not been specified.
** Applicants must limit the Application Narrative, Part III of the Application, to the page limits noted above. Please refer to the ``Page Limit''
requirements included under each priority description and the page limit standards described in the ``General Requirements'' section. We will reject
and will not consider an application that does not adhere to this requirement.
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Electronic Access To This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or
portable document format (PDF) on the internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/Legislation/FedRegister. To use PDF you must have
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the previous 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.access.gpo/
nara/index.html.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1482.
Dated: May 14, 2001.
Frank V. Corrigan,
Deputy Director for National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
and Research.
[FR Doc. 01-12518 Filed 5-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P