Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Personnel Development To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010; CFDA Numbers; 84.325D, 84.325K, and 84.325T [OSERS]

FR Doc 2010-14229
[Federal Register: June 14, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 113)]
[Notices]
[Page 33593-33605]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14jn10-39]

Download:

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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; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards
for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.325D,
84.325K, and 84.325T

Note: This notice invites applications for three separate
competitions. For key dates, contact person information, and funding
information regarding each competition, see the chart in the Award
Information section of this notice.

Dates:
Applications Available: See chart.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See chart.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See chart.

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 children, including infants and toddlers, 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.
Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), these
priorities are from allowable activities specified in the statute (see
sections 662 and 681 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA)). Each of the absolute priorities announced in this notice
corresponds to a separate competition as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Competition CFDA
Absolute priority No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preparation of Leadership Personnel................... 84.325D
Combined Personnel Preparation........................ 84.325K
Special Education Preservice Program Improvement 84.325T
Grants...............................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Absolute Priorities: For FY 2010 and any subsequent year in which
we make awards based on the list of unfunded applications from these
competitions, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3), for each competition, we consider only applications that
meet the absolute priority for that competition.
The priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1--Preparation of Leadership Personnel (84.325D).
Background:
There continues to be a persistent need for special education,
early intervention, and related services personnel who have been
trained at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels to fill faculty,
research, and direct service positions (Smith, Pion, & Tyler, 2004;
Wasburn-Moses & Therrien, 2008; Woods & Snyder, 2009). Further,
according to Lashley & Boscardin (2003), there is a need for personnel
who have been trained at the graduate level (i.e., masters, education
specialist, and doctoral degrees, depending on State certification
requirements) to fill special education and early intervention
administrator positions.

[[Page 33594]]

Federal support is needed to increase the supply of these personnel
and ensure that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to assume
special education, early intervention, and related services leadership
positions in universities, State educational agencies (SEAs), State
lead agencies (State LAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), local
lead agencies (local LAs), schools, or programs. Critical competencies
for special education, early intervention, and related services
leadership personnel are varied, depending on the type of training
program; however, these competencies often include teaching skills,
administrative skills,\1\ and research skills as well as current
knowledge of effective interventions that improve academic and
functional outcomes for children with disabilities, including high-need
children with disabilities. For the purpose of this priority, ``high-
need children with disabilities'' refers to children (ages birth
through twenty-one, depending on the State) who are eligible for
services under IDEA, and who may be further disadvantaged and at risk
of educational failure because they: (1) Are living in poverty, (2) are
far below grade level, (3) are at risk of not graduating with a regular
high school diploma on time, (4) are homeless, (5) are in foster care,
(6) have been incarcerated, or (7) are English language learners.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\ For an example of standards for administrative skills, see
the performance-based standards for a special education
administrator developed by the Council for Exceptional Children
(CEC) at: http://www2.astate.edu/dotAsset/118756.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Priority:
The purpose of the Preparation of Leadership Personnel priority is
to increase the quantity of special education, early intervention, and
related services personnel who have been trained at the graduate and
advanced graduate levels, and who are well-qualified for, and can
effectively carry out leadership positions in universities, SEAs, State
LAs, LEAs, local LAs, schools, or programs. This priority supports two
types of programs that train leadership personnel:
Type A programs are designed to train, at the advanced graduate
level, higher education faculty, researchers, or direct service
providers in early intervention, special education, or related
services. Type A programs culminate in a doctoral degree or provide
postdoctoral learning opportunities.

Note: Training that leads to a Doctor of Audiology (AUD) degree
is not included as part of this priority. Training programs that
lead to an AUD degree are eligible to apply for funding under the
Combined Personnel Preparation priority (CFDA 84.325K) announced
elsewhere in this notice.

Type B programs are designed to train, at the graduate or advanced
graduate levels, special education or early intervention administrators
to work in SEAs, State LAs, LEAs, local LAs, schools, or programs. The
applicant, based on State certification requirements for some
positions, can determine whether the proposed Type B program prepares
personnel for one or more administrative positions. Type B programs
prepare personnel for positions such as SEA special education
administrators, LEA special education directors or regional directors,
school-based special education directors, preschool coordinators, and
early intervention coordinators. Type B programs culminate in a
master's, education specialist, or doctoral degree. The Office of
Special Education Programs (OSEP) intends to fund in FY 2010 at least
three approved applications proposing Type B programs.

Note: The training of school principals is not included as part
of this priority.

Note: Applicants must identify the specific program type, A or
B, for which they are applying for funding as part of the
competition title on the application cover sheet (SF form 424, line
4). Applicants may not submit the same proposal for more than one
program type.

Note: This priority does not authorize the selection of
trainees on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, or disability
status.

To be considered for funding under the Preparation of Leadership
Personnel absolute priority, both Type A and Type B program applicants
must meet the application requirements contained in the priority. All
projects funded under the absolute priority also must meet the
programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the priority.
The requirements of this priority are as follows:
(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application, under
``Quality of Project Services,'' how--
(1) The program prepares leadership personnel to address the
specialized needs of high-need children with disabilities (as defined
in the background statement for this absolute priority). To address the
needs of this population, the proposed program must--
(i) Identify the competencies needed by leadership personnel to
either effectively teach others to implement, or to directly administer
or conduct further research on, programs or interventions that improve
the academic or functional outcomes of high-need children with
disabilities; and
(ii) Prepare leadership personnel to apply these competencies in a
variety of settings, including in high-need LEAs,\2\ high-poverty
schools,\3\ and low-performing schools, including the persistently
lowest-achieving schools.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\2\ For purposes of this priority, the term high-need LEA means
an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families
with incomes below the poverty line; or (b) for which not less than
20 percent of the children served by the LEA are from families with
incomes below the poverty line.
\3\ For the purposes of this priority, the term high-poverty
school means, consistent with section 1111(h)(1)(C)(viii) of the
ESEA, a school in the highest quartile of schools in the State with
respect to poverty level, using a measure of poverty determined by
the State.
\4\ For purposes of this priority, the term persistently lowest-
achieving school means, consistent with section 1003(g) of the ESEA,
School Improvement Grants (74 FR 65618), as determined by the State:
(i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring that (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of
Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring
or the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in improvement,
corrective action, or restructuring in the State, whichever number
of schools is greater; or (b) Is a high school that has had a
graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60
percent over a number of years; and (ii) Any secondary school that
is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that (a) Is
among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary schools or the
lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State that are
eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever number of
schools is greater; or (b) Is a high school that has had a
graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60
percent over a number of years. To determine whether a school is a
lowest-achieving school for purposes of this definition, a State
must take into account both (i) The academic achievement of the
``all students'' group in a school in terms of proficiency on the
State's assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/
language arts and mathematics combined; and (ii) The school's lack
of progress on those assessments over a number of years in the ``all
students'' group.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(2) All relevant coursework for the proposed program reflects
current research and pedagogy on--
(i) Participation and achievement in the general education
curriculum and improved outcomes for all children with disabilities,
including high-need children with disabilities;
(ii) The provision of early intervention services in natural
environments to improve outcomes for infants and toddlers with
disabilities, including high-need children with disabilities and their
families.
(iii) The competencies needed to work in high-need LEAs (as defined
in this absolute priority), high-poverty schools (as defined in this
absolute priority), and low-performing schools, including the
persistently lowest-achieving schools (as defined in this absolute
priority).
(3) The program is designed to integrate coursework with practicum

[[Page 33595]]

opportunities (e.g., interning in a program or school serving high-need
children with disabilities) that will enhance the competencies of
leadership personnel to effectively--
(i) Serve in a variety of leadership positions, including positions
that involve direct service, research, teacher training, or leadership
at the university, SEA, State LA, LEA, local LA, school, or program
level;
(ii) Work in a variety of leadership settings, particularly those
in high-need LEAs with programs and schools serving high-need children
with disabilities;
(iii) Collaborate and work with regular education personnel;
(iv) Incorporate universal design for learning principles \5\ into
curricula and instructional practice; and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\5\ For purposes of this priority, the term universal design for
learning has the meaning provided for the term under the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended: ``a scientifically valid
framework for guiding educational practice that--``(A) provides
flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways
students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the
ways students are engaged; and (B) reduces barriers in instruction,
provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and
maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including
students with disabilities and students who are limited English
proficient'' (20 U.S.C. 1003(24)). For consistency across U.S.
Department of Education programs, we use this definition for
priorities that intend to prepare personnel to teach and work in
schools and other settings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(iv) Integrate instructional and assistive technologies into the
delivery of services.
(4) The proposed leadership program ensures that scholars \6\ are
knowledgeable about--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\6\ For the purposes of this priority, the term scholar means an
individual who is pursuing a degree, license, endorsement, or
certification related to special education, related services, or
early intervention services and who receives scholarship assistance
under section 662 of IDEA (see 34 CFR 304.3(g)).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(i) Applicable laws that affect children with disabilities,
including IDEA and the ESEA;
(ii) The requirements for highly qualified teachers under IDEA and
the ESEA;
(iii) The strategies that foster collaboration between personnel
serving children with disabilities; and
(iv) The collection, management, and use of data to improve
teaching and learning for the purpose of increasing children's academic
and functional outcomes.
(b) Include, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of Project Evaluation,'' a clear, effective plan for
evaluating the extent to which program graduates have acquired the
competencies set forth in the application as part of the proposed
program. Applicants also must clearly describe, under ``Quality of
Project Evaluation,'' how the project will report these evaluation
results to OSEP in the grantee's annual performance reports, the
Scholar Data Report, and the project final performance report.
(c) Include, in the application appendix, all course syllabi for
the proposed training program. Course syllabi must clearly incorporate
research-based curriculum and pedagogy as required under paragraph (a)
of this priority.
(d) Provide, in the application narrative, a detailed description
of the program that includes the sequence of courses offered in the
program and a comprehensive curriculum designed to meet program goals
and obtain mastery in the following professional domains, as
appropriate--
(1) Research methodology;
(2) Personnel preparation;
(3) Policy or professional practice; or
(4) Administration practices or techniques.
(e) Demonstrate in the application narrative the existence of
national, State, or regional needs through appropriate research data.
The applicant must provide evidence of the need for the leadership
personnel they are proposing to train.
(f) Certify in the application that the applicant intends that all
scholars recruited into the program will graduate from the program by
the end of the grant's project period.
(g) Meet the statutory requirements in section 662(e) through
662(h) of IDEA,
(h) Ensure that at least 65 percent of the total requested budget
per year will be used for scholar support or provide justification in
the application narrative for any designation less than 65 percent.
Examples of sufficient justification for proposing less than 65 percent
of the budget for scholar support include:
(1) A project servicing rural areas that provides long-distance
training, and requires Web Masters, adjunct professors, or mentors to
operate effectively.
(2) A project that is expanding or adding a new area of emphasis to
the program and, as a result of this expansion, needs additional
faculty or other resources, such as expert consultants, additional
training supplies, or equipment that would enhance the program.

Note: Applicants proposing projects to develop, expand, or add
a new area of emphasis to special education, early intervention, or
related services programs must provide, in their applications,
information on how these new areas will be sustained once Federal
funding ends.

(i) Certify in the application that the institution will not
require scholars recruited into the program to work as a condition of
receiving a scholarship (e.g., as graduate assistants, unless the work
is required to complete their training program). Please note that this
prohibition on work as a condition of receiving a scholarship does not
apply to the service obligation requirements in section 662(h) of IDEA.
(j) Budget for attendance at a three-day Project Directors' meeting
in Washington, DC, during each year of the project.
(k) If the project maintains a Web site, include relevant
information and documents in a format that meets government or
industry-recognized standards for accessibility.
(l) Submit annual data on each scholar who receives grant support.
Applicants are encouraged to visit the Personnel Development Scholar
Data Report Web site at: http://www.osepppd.org for further information
about this data collection requirement. Typically, data collection
begins on or around November 1st of each year, and grantees are
notified by e-mail about the data collection period for their grant.
This data collection must be submitted electronically by the grantee
and does not supplant the annual grant performance report required of
each grantee for continuation funding (see 34 CFR 75.590).
Competitive Preference Priorities: Within this absolute priority,
we give competitive preference to applications that meet one or more of
the following priorities. For FY 2010 and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this
competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities.
Competitive Preference Priority 1: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this
priority.
This priority is:
Applicants that demonstrate an established relationship with a
high-need LEA that will provide scholars with a high-quality practicum
experience in a high-poverty school, which may include a professional
development school.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\7\ Professional development schools are innovative partnerships
between school districts and institutions of higher education that
focus on four primary goals: (a) The preparation of new teachers;
(b) faculty development; (c) inquiry directed at the improvement of
practice; and (d) enhanced student achievement (National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2009).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 33596]]

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this
priority.
This priority is:
Applicants that prepare leadership personnel who will either
provide direct services to, or train others who will work with,
children, including infants and toddlers, who are deaf or hard of
hearing to teach them listening and spoken language skills.

Note: Five is the maximum amount of points an applicant can
receive for meeting one or both of the competitive preference
priorities. The Department will fund a maximum of three applications
in each of competitive preference priorities one and two with peer
review scores that would not have otherwise qualified for funding
without the competitive preference points.

References:

Lashley, C., & Boscardin, M.L. (2003). Special education
administration at the crossroads: Availability, licensure, and
preparation of special education administrators. Gainesville, FL:
Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education, University of
Florida. Retrieved February 24, 2010, from
http://www.coe.ufl.edu/copsse/docs/IB-8/1/IB-8.pdf.
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (2009). What
is a professional development school? Retrieved June 29, 2009, from
http://www.ncate.org/public/.
Wasburn-Moses, L., & Therrien, W.J. (2008). The impact of Leadership
Personnel Grants on the doctoral student population in special
education. Teacher Education and Special Education, 31(2), 1-12.
Woods, J., & Snyder, P. (2009). Interdisciplinary doctoral
leadership training in early intervention. Infants & Young Children,
(22)1, 32-4.

Absolute Priority 2--Combined Personnel Preparation (84.325K).
Background:
State agencies, university training programs, local schools, early
intervention programs, and community-based entities have emphasized the
importance and difficulty of improving training programs for personnel
to serve children, including infants and toddlers, with disabilities
(Anderson & Hendrickson, 2007; Chang, Early, & Winton, 2005; Dymond,
Gilson, & Myran, 2007). In addition, the national demand for fully
credentialed early intervention, special education, and related
services personnel to serve children, including infants and toddlers,
with disabilities exceeds the available supply (McLeskey & Billingsley,
2008). Federal support is needed to increase the supply of these
personnel and ensure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge
to be successful in serving these children.
Priority:
The purpose of the Combined Personnel Preparation priority is to
improve the quality and increase the number of personnel who are fully
credentialed to serve children, including infants and toddlers, with
disabilities--especially in areas of chronic personnel shortage--by
supporting projects that prepare early intervention, special education,
and related services personnel at the associate, baccalaureate,
master's, and specialist levels. In order to be eligible under this
priority, programs must provide training and support for scholars \8\
to complete, within the project period of the grant, a degree, State
certification, professional license, or State endorsement in early
intervention, special education, or a related services field. Programs
preparing scholars to be special education paraprofessionals,
assistants in related services professions (e.g., physical therapist
assistants, occupational therapist assistants), or educational
interpreters are also eligible under this priority.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\8\ For the purposes of this priority the term scholar means an
individual who is pursuing a degree, license, endorsement, or
certification related to special education, related services, or
early intervention services and who receives scholarship assistance
under section 662 of IDEA (see 34 CFR 304.3(g)).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Programs that provide an alternate route to certification or that
support dual certification (special education and general education)
for teachers are eligible as well.

Note: This priority does not authorize the selection of
trainees on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, or disability
status.

To be considered for funding under the Combined Personnel
Preparation absolute priority, applicants must meet the application
requirements contained in the priority. All projects funded under this
absolute priority also must meet the programmatic and administrative
requirements specified in the priority. These requirements are as
follows:
(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of Project Services,'' how--
(1) Training requirements and required coursework for the proposed
training program incorporate research-based practices that improve
outcomes for children with disabilities (including relevant research
citations);
(2) The program is designed to integrate coursework with practicum
opportunities that will enhance the competencies of special education
personnel to effectively--
(i) Serve and instruct children with disabilities;
(ii) Collaborate and work with regular education personnel;
(iii) Incorporate universal design for learning principles \9\ into
curricula and instructional practice;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\9\ For purposes of this priority, the term universal design for
learning has the meaning provided for the term under the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended: ``a scientifically valid
framework for guiding educational practice that--``(A) provides
flexibility in the ways information is presented, in the ways
students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the
ways students are engaged; and (B) reduces barriers in instruction,
provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and
maintains high achievement expectations for all students, including
students with disabilities and students who are limited English
proficient.'' (20 U.S.C. 1003(24)) For consistency across U.S.
Department of Education programs, we use this definition for
priorities that intend to prepare personnel to teach and work in
schools and other settings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(iv) Integrate instructional and assistive technologies into the
delivery of services;
(v) Collect, manage, and analyze data to improve teaching and
learning for the purpose of increasing student academic achievement;
and
(vi) Support and work with parents and families of children with
disabilities;
(3) The program prepares personnel to address the specialized needs
of high-need children with disabilities.

Note: For the purpose of this priority, ``high-need children
with disabilities'' refers to children (ages birth through twenty-
one, depending on the State) who are eligible for services under
IDEA, and who may be further disadvantaged and at risk of
educational failure because they: (1) Are living in poverty, (2) are
far below grade level, (3) are at risk of not graduating with a
regular high school diploma on time, (4) are homeless, (5) are in
foster care, (6) have been incarcerated, or (7) are English language
learners.

The program prepares personnel to work with this particular
population by--
(i) Identifying the competencies needed by personnel to work with
high-need children with disabilities;
(ii) Preparing personnel to apply these competencies in a variety
of settings, including in high-need LEAs,\10\ high-

[[Page 33597]]

poverty schools,\11\ and low-performing schools, including the
persistently lowest achieving schools.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\10\ For purposes of this priority, the term high-need LEA means
a local educational agency (LEA) (a) that serves not fewer than
10,000 children from families with incomes below the poverty line;
or (b) for which not less than 20 percent of the children served by
the LEA are from families with incomes below the poverty line.
\11\ For purposes of this priority, the term high-poverty school
means, consistent with section 1111(h)(1)(C)(viii) of the ESEA, a
school in the highest quartile of schools in the State with respect
to poverty level, using a measure of poverty determined by the
State.
\12\ For purposes of this priority, the term persistently
lowest-achieving school means, consistent with section 1003(g) of
the ESEA, School Improvement Grants (74 FR 65618), as determined by
the State: (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action,
or restructuring that (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent
of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring or the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in
improvement, corrective action, or restructuring in the State,
whichever number of schools is greater; or (b) Is a high school that
has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is
less than 60 percent over a number of years; and (ii) Any secondary
school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds
that (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary
schools or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State
that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever
number of schools is greater; or (b) Is a high school that has had a
graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60
percent over a number of years. To determine whether a school is a
lowest-achieving school for purposes of this definition, a State
must take into account both (i) The academic achievement of the
``all students'' group in a school in terms of proficiency on the
State's assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/
language arts and mathematics combined; and (ii) The school's lack
of progress on those assessments over a number of years in the ``all
students'' group.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(iii) Preparing personnel to use those competencies through early
intervention, special education, and related services training
programs.
(4) If preparing beginning special educators, the program is
designed to provide extended clinical learning opportunities,\13\ field
experiences, or supervised practica (such as an additional year), and
ongoing high-quality mentoring and induction opportunities;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\13\ For the purposes of this priority, the term clinical
learning opportunities are a method of instruction for students to
apply knowledge and skills in highly controlled or simulated
situations to ensure that they possess needed skills and
competencies prior to entering actual or typical environments with
children with disabilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(5) The program includes field-based training opportunities for
scholars (as defined in 34 CFR 304.3(g));
(6) The proposed training program will--
(i) Enable scholars to be highly qualified, in accordance with
section 602(10) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) and 34 CFR 300.18, in the State(s) to be served by the
applicant; and
(ii) Ensure that scholars are equipped with the knowledge and
skills necessary to assist children in meeting State academic
achievement standards; and
(7) The training program provides support to scholars through
innovative strategies that are designed to enhance scholar retention
and success in the program, such as using tutors or mentors or
providing extended clinical learning opportunities or other field
experiences.
(b) Include, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of Project Evaluation,'' a clear, effective plan for
evaluating the extent to which graduates of the training program have
the knowledge and skills necessary to provide scientifically based or
evidence-based instruction and services that result in improved
outcomes for children with disabilities. Applicants also must clearly
describe, under ``Quality of Project Evaluation,'' how the project will
report these evaluation results to the Office of Special Education
Programs (OSEP) in the grantee's annual performance reports, the
Scholar Data Report, and the project final performance report.
(c) Include, in the application appendix, all course syllabi for
the proposed training program. Course syllabi must incorporate
research-based curriculum and pedagogy as required under paragraph (a)
of this priority.
(d) Certify in the application that the applicant intends that all
scholars recruited into the program will graduate from the program by
the end of the grant's project period.
(e) Certify in the application that the institution will not
require scholars recruited into the program to work as a condition of
receiving a scholarship (e.g., as graduate assistants, unless the work
is required to complete their training program). Please note that this
prohibition on work as a condition of receiving a scholarship does not
apply to the service obligation requirements in section 662(h) of IDEA.
(f) Meet the statutory requirements contained in section 662(e)
through 662(h) of IDEA.
(g) Ensure that at least 65 percent of the total requested budget
per year be used for scholar support.
(h) Budget for attendance at a three-day Project Directors' meeting
in Washington, DC, during each year of the project.
(i) If the project maintains a Web site, include relevant
information and documents in a form that meets government or industry-
recognized standards for accessibility.
(j) Submit annual data on each scholar who receives grant support.
Applicants are encouraged to visit the Personnel Development Scholar
Data Report Web site at http://www.osepppd.org for further information
about this data collection requirement. Typically, data collection
begins on or around November 1st of each year, and grantees are
notified by e-mail about the data collection period for their grant.
This data collection must be submitted electronically by the grantee
and does not supplant the annual grant performance report required of
each grantee for continuation funding (see 34 CFR 75.590).
Focus Areas:
Within this absolute priority, the Secretary intends to support
projects under the following five focus areas: (A) Training Personnel
to Serve Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children with
Disabilities; (B) Training Personnel to Serve School-Age Children with
Low-Incidence Disabilities; (C) Training Personnel to Provide Related
Services to Children, Including Infants and Toddlers, with
Disabilities; (D) Training Personnel in Minority Institutions to Serve
Children, Including Infants and Toddlers, with Disabilities; and (E)
Training Personnel to Provide Secondary Transition Services to School-
Age Children with Disabilities.

Note: Applicants must identify the specific focus area (i.e.,
A, B, C, D, or E) under which they are applying as part of the
competition title on the application cover sheet (SF form 424, line
4). Applicants may not submit the same proposal under more than one
focus area.

Focus Area A: Training Personnel to Serve Infants, Toddlers, and
Preschool-Age Children with Disabilities. For the purpose of Focus Area
A, early intervention personnel are those who are trained to provide
services to infants and toddlers with disabilities ages birth to three,
and early childhood personnel are those who are trained to provide
services to children with disabilities ages three through five (in
States where the age range is other than ages three through five, we
will defer to the State's certification for early childhood). In States
where certification in early intervention is combined with
certification in early childhood, applicants may propose a combined
early intervention and early childhood training project under this
focus area. We encourage interdisciplinary projects under this focus
area. For purposes of this focus area, interdisciplinary projects are
projects that implement common core content and practica experiences
across disciplines for early intervention providers or early childhood
special educators, and related services personnel to serve infants,
toddlers, and preschool-age children with disabilities. Projects
training only related services personnel to serve infants, toddlers,
and preschool-age children with disabilities are not

[[Page 33598]]

eligible under this focus area (see Focus Area C).
Focus Area B: Training Personnel to Serve School-Age Children with
Low-Incidence Disabilities. For the purpose of Focus Area B, personnel
who serve children with low-incidence disabilities are special
education personnel, including paraprofessionals, trained to serve
school-age children with low-incidence disabilities including visual
impairments, hearing impairments, simultaneous vision and hearing
impairments, significant cognitive impairments (severe mental
retardation), orthopedic impairments, autism, and traumatic brain
injury. Programs preparing special education personnel to provide
services to visually impaired or blind children that can be
appropriately provided in braille must prepare those individuals to
provide those services in braille. Projects training educational
interpreters are eligible under this focus area. Projects training
other related services, speech and language, or adapted physical
education personnel are not eligible under this focus area (see Focus
Area C). Projects training special education early intervention or
preschool personnel are not eligible under this focus area (see Focus
Area A).
Focus Area C: Training Personnel to Provide Related Services to
Children, Including Infants and Toddlers, with Disabilities. Programs
training related services personnel to serve children, including
infants and toddlers, with disabilities are eligible within Focus Area
C. For the purpose of this focus area, related services include, but
are not limited to, psychological services, physical therapy (including
therapy provided by personnel trained at the Doctor of Physical Therapy
(DPT) level), adapted physical education, occupational therapy,
therapeutic recreation, social work services, counseling services,
audiology services (including services provided by personnel trained at
the Doctor of Audiology (DAud) level), and speech and language
services. Training programs in States where personnel trained to serve
children with speech and language impairments are considered to be
special educators are eligible under this focus area. Projects training
educational interpreters are not eligible under this focus area (see
Focus Area B).
Focus Area D: Training Personnel in Minority Institutions to Serve
Children, Including Infants and Toddlers, with Disabilities. Programs
in minority institutions are eligible under Focus Area D if they train:
(a) Personnel to serve one or more of the following: Infants, toddlers,
and preschool-age children with disabilities; (b) personnel to serve
school-age children with low-incidence disabilities; (c) personnel to
provide related services to children, including infants and toddlers,
with disabilities; or (d) personnel to provide secondary transition
services to school-age children with disabilities. Minority
institutions include institutions with a minority enrollment of 25
percent or more, which may include Historically Black Colleges and
Universities, Tribal Colleges, and Predominantly Hispanic Serving
Colleges and Universities. Programs in minority institutions training
personnel in Focus Areas A, B, C, and E are eligible within Focus Area
D. Programs that are training high-incidence special education
personnel are not eligible under this priority (for the purpose of this
priority ``high-incidence disabilities'' refers to learning
disabilities, emotional disturbance, or mental retardation). However,
programs that are training high-incidence special education personnel
are eligible under Absolute Priority 3 described elsewhere in this
notice.

Note: A project funded under Focus Area D may budget for less
than 65 percent, the required percentage, for scholar support if the
applicant can provide sufficient justification for any designation
less than this required percentage. Sufficient justification for
proposing less than 65 percent of the budget for scholar support
would include support for activities such as program development,
program expansion, or the addition of a new area of emphasis. Some
examples of projects that may be eligible to designate less than 65
percent of their budget for scholar support include the following:
(1) A project that is proposing to start a new program may
request up to a year for program development and capacity building.
In the initial project year, no scholar support would be required.
Instead, a project could hire a new faculty member or a consultant
to assist in program development.
(2) A project that is proposing to build capacity may hire a
field supervisor so that additional scholars can be trained.
(3) A project that is proposing to expand or add a new area of
emphasis to the program may hire additional faculty or obtain other
resources such as expert consultants, additional training supplies,
or equipment that would enhance the program.

Note: Applicants proposing projects to develop, expand, or add
a new area of emphasis to special education or related services
programs must provide, in their applications, information on how
these new areas will be sustained once Federal funding ends.

Focus Area E: Training Personnel to Provide Secondary Transition
Services to School-Age Children with Disabilities. Programs that offer
a sequence of career, vocational, or secondary transition courses or
that enable personnel to meet State requirements for a credential or
endorsement in secondary transition services for children with
disabilities are eligible under Focus Area E.
Eligible applicants must establish partnerships with the
appropriate personnel in the institution's vocational rehabilitation
counseling and career and technical education programs, if those
programs are offered at the institution. Funds may be used to support
faculty from those programs for their involvement in the activities
outlined in this priority. Applicants must also provide documentation
of the partnership in the form of a letter from the Dean or Department
Chair. This letter must describe how the faculty from those programs
will be involved in the partnership (e.g., involvement in the design
and delivery of courses and the supervision of scholar practicum
experiences).
Competitive Preference Priorities: Within this absolute priority,
we give competitive preference to applications that meet one or more of
the following priorities. For FY 2010 and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this
competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities.
Competitive Preference Priority 1: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this
priority.
This priority is:
Applicants that design, field-test, and implement, as part of the
evaluation described pursuant to paragraph (b) of the absolute priority
under ``Quality of Project Evaluation,'' a clear, effective plan for
evaluating the knowledge and skills of graduates using a methodology
that: (1) Tracks graduates after they exit from a training program; and
(2) is sufficiently rigorous to yield reliable information on the
quality of services provided by program graduates. Applicants must also
discuss how they intend to use results and findings from this
evaluation as a basis for enhancing the curriculum, pedagogy, and other
elements of the training program receiving support.
The applicant can use up to $25,000 of the total award in each of
years 1 and 2 for designing and field-testing the evaluation plan and
can use up to $100,000 in each of years 3 and 4 for implementing the
evaluation plan. Funds for the design, field testing, and
implementation of the evaluation plan are not subject to the
requirement to use at least 65 percent of the total requested budget
per year for scholar support.

[[Page 33599]]

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this
priority.
This priority is:
Applicants that demonstrate an established relationship with a
high-need LEA (as defined in this absolute priority) that will provide
scholars with a high-quality practicum experience in a high-poverty
school (as defined in the absolute priority), which may include a
professional development school,\14\ and opportunities for research-
based professional development on strategies to better serve high-need
children with disabilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\14\ For the purposes of this priority the term professional
development schools are innovative partnerships between school
districts and institutions of higher education that focus on four
primary goals: (a) The preparation of new teachers; (b) faculty
development; (c) inquiry directed at the improvement of practice;
and (d) enhanced student achievement (National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Competitive Preference Priority 3: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this
priority.
This priority is:
In Focus Area D, applicants that document that they are
institutions with minority enrollment of 50 percent or more.
Competitive Preference Priority 4: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this
priority.
This priority is:
In Focus Areas A, B, C, and D, applicants that prepare personnel
who work with children, including infants and toddlers, who are deaf or
hard of hearing to teach them listening and spoken language skills.

Note: Five is the maximum amount of points an applicant can
receive for meeting competitive preference priorities 2, 3, or 4.
Ten is the maximum amount of points an applicant can receive for
meeting competitive preference priority 1 and either of competitive
preference priorities 2, 3, or 4. Also, the Department will fund a
maximum of three applications in each of the Focus Areas, with peer
review scores that would not have otherwise qualified for funding
without the competitive preference points.

References:
Anderson, L. F. & Hendrickson, J. M. (2007). Early-career EBD
teacher knowledge, ratings of competency importance, and observed
use of instruction and management competencies. Education and
Treatment of Children, 30 (4), 43-65.
Chang, F., Early, D., & Winton, P. (2005). Early childhood teacher
preparation in special education at 2- and 4-year institutions of
higher education. Journal of Early Intervention, 27 (2), 110-124.
Dymond, S. K., Gilson, C. L., & Myran, S. P. (2007). Services for
children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Disability
Policy Studies, 18 (3), 133-147.
McLeskey, J. & Billingsley, B. (2008). How does the quality and
stability of the teaching force influence the research-to-practice
gap? Remedial and Special Education, 29 (5), 293-305.

Absolute Priority 3--Special Education Preservice Program
Improvement Grants (84.325T).
Background:
State educational agencies, institutions of higher education
(IHEs), and local educational agencies (LEAs) consistently report that
personnel preparation programs for kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12)
special education teachers should be restructured or redesigned so that
graduates of these programs meet the highly qualified teacher (HQT)
requirements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
To accomplish this goal, personnel preparation programs must ensure
that their graduates who expect to be providing instruction in a core
academic subject are able to meet State special education certification
or licensure requirements, as well as have the necessary content
knowledge, consistent with the HQT requirements in IDEA.
In A Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (Blueprint),\15\ the Department
emphasizes research that shows that ``top-performing teachers can make
a dramatic difference in the achievement of their students, and
suggests that the impact of being assigned to top-performing teachers
year after year is enough to significantly narrow achievement gaps.''
Reflecting this research, in both the Race to the Top competition \16\
and the Blueprint, the Department has called for a focus on teacher
effectiveness, determined by multiple measures, including in
significant part the growth of each teacher's students. High-quality
information on teacher effectiveness that is based on multiple measures
can be used to provide feedback to teachers for on-going improvement
and support every teacher's access to effective preparation, on-going
support, recognition, and the collaboration opportunities he or she
needs to succeed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\15\ The following Web site provides more information on A
Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA):
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/blueprint.pdf.
\16\ The following Web site provides more information on the
Race to the Top competition:
http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Priority:
The purpose of this priority is to support the improvement and
restructuring (through expansion or redesign) of K-12 special education
teacher preparation programs to ensure that program graduates meet the
HQT requirements in IDEA and effectively serve children with high-
incidence disabilities. For the purposes of this priority, the term
high-incidence disabilities refers to learning disabilities, emotional
disturbance, or mental retardation. In order to be eligible under this
priority, applicants must currently prepare special education personnel
(at the baccalaureate or master's level) to serve school-age children
with high-incidence disabilities.

Note: This priority only supports the improvement or
restructuring of existing programs for high-incidence personnel,
through, for example, the expansion of a program for elementary
school teachers to include a program for secondary school teachers
serving children with high-incidence disabilities. This priority
does not support the development of new programs for high-incidence
personnel. In addition, this priority does not support the
improvement of programs in institutions of higher education (IHEs)
that are preparing preschool teachers.

Note: This priority does not authorize the selection of trainees
on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, or disability status.

To be considered for funding under the Special Education Preservice
Program Improvement Grants priority, applicants must meet the
application requirements contained in the priority. All projects funded
under the absolute priority also must meet the programmatic and
administrative requirements specified in the priority. The requirements
of this priority are as follows:
(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of Project Services,'' how--
(1) The first year of the project period will be used for planning
an improved or restructured K-12 teacher preparation program that
includes induction and mentoring for program participants in LEAs. The
planning activities during the first year must include revising
curriculum; integrating evidence-based interventions that improve
outcomes for children with high-incidence disabilities into the
improved or restructured program (including providing research
citations for those evidence-based interventions); and coordinating
with the IDEA '04 and Research For Inclusive Settings (IRIS) Center for
Training Enhancements on

[[Page 33600]]

the use of its Web-based training modules (see
http://www.iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu). Applicants must describe first-year
activities and include a five-year timeline and implementation plan in
their applications. This plan must describe the proposed project
activities associated with implementation of the improved or
restructured program. Implementation of the plan may not begin without
approval from OSEP;
(2) The improved or restructured program is designed to integrate
coursework with practicum opportunities that will enhance the
competencies of beginning special education teachers to--
(i) Collaborate and work with general education teachers and other
personnel to:
(A) Provide effective services and instruction in academic subjects
to children with high-incidence disabilities in K-12 general education
classrooms; and
(B) Address the challenges of serving high-need children with
disabilities.

(ii) Incorporate universal design for learning principles \17\ into
curricula and instructional practice;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\17\ For purposes of this priority, the term universal design
for learning under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended: ``a
scientifically valid framework for guiding educational practice
that--``(A) provides flexibility in the ways information is
presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and
skills, and in the ways students are engaged; and (B) reduces
barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations,
supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement
expectations for all students, including students with disabilities
and students who are limited English proficient'' (20 U.S.C.
1003(24)). For consistency across U.S. Department of Education
programs, we use this definition for priorities that intend to
prepare personnel to teach and work in schools and other settings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(iii) Integrate instructional and assistive technologies into the
delivery of services;
(iv) Collect, manage, and analyze data to improve teaching and
learning for the purpose of increasing student academic achievement;
and
(v) Support and work with parents and families of children with
disabilities;
(3) The improved or restructured program is designed to prepare
special education teachers to address the specialized needs of high-
need children with disabilities (as defined in this absolute priority)
with high-incidence disabilities by identifying the competencies that
special education teachers need to work effectively with this
population;
(4) The improved or restructured program is designed to provide
extended clinical learning opportunities,\18\ field experiences, or
supervised practica and ongoing high-quality mentoring and induction
opportunities in local schools. Applicants also must demonstrate how
they will collaborate with the National Center to Inform Policy and
Practice in Special Education Professional Development in designing the
program to provide extended clinical learning opportunities, field
experiences, or supervised practica (see http://www.ncipp.org);
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\18\ Clinical learning opportunities are a method of instruction
for students to apply knowledge and skills in highly controlled or
simulated situations to ensure that they possess needed skills and
competencies prior to entering actual or typical environments with
children with disabilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(5) The improved or restructured program is designed to include
field-based training opportunities in diverse settings including high-
need LEAs,\19\ high-poverty schools,\20\ and low-performing schools,
including the persistently lowest-achieving schools; \21\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\19\ For purposes of this priority, the term high-need LEA means
an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families
with incomes below the poverty line; or (b) for which not less than
20 percent of the children served by the LEA are from families with
incomes below the poverty line.
\20\ For purposes of this priority, the term high-poverty school
means, consistent with section 1111(h)(1)(C)(viii) of the ESEA, a
school in the highest quartile of schools in the State with respect
to poverty level, using a measure of poverty determined by the
State.
\21\ For purposes of this priority, the term persistently
lowest-achieving school means, consistent with the section 1003(g)
of the ESEA, School Improvement Grants (74 FR 65618), as determined
by the State: (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective
action, or restructuring that (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five
percent of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring or the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in
improvement, corrective action, or restructuring in the State,
whichever number of schools is greater; or (b) Is a high school that
has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is
less than 60 percent over a number of years; and (ii) Any secondary
school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds
that (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five percent of secondary
schools or the lowest-achieving five secondary schools in the State
that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds, whichever
number of schools is greater; or (b) Is a high school that has had a
graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60
percent over a number of years. To determine whether a school is a
lowest-achieving school, a State must take into account both (i) The
academic achievement of the ``all students'' group in a school in
terms of proficiency on the State's assessments under section
1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language arts and mathematics
combined; and (ii) The school's lack of progress on those
assessments over a number of years in the ``all students'' group.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(6) The improved or restructured program will--
(i) Enable scholars \22\ to be highly qualified, in accordance with
section 602(10) of IDEA and 34 CFR 300.18, in the State(s) to be served
by the applicant; and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\22\ For the purposes of this priority, the term scholar means
an individual who is pursuing a degree, license, endorsement, or
certification related to special education, related services, or
early intervention services and who receives scholarship assistance
under section 662 of IDEA (see 34 CFR 304.3(g)).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(ii) Ensure that scholars are equipped with the knowledge and
skills necessary to assist children in meeting State academic
achievement standards;
(7) The improved or restructured program is designed to provide
support systems (including tutors, mentors, and other innovative
practices) to enhance retention in and successful completion of the
program; and
(8) The improved or restructured program will be maintained once
Federal funding ends.
(b) For programs that will be restructured to produce graduates who
meet the HQT requirements for teachers who teach core academic
subjects, applicants must establish partnerships with the appropriate
academic departments. Funds may be used to support faculty from the
academic departments for their involvement in the activities outlined
in paragraph (a)(4) of this priority. To address this requirement,
applications must--
(1) Describe how representatives of relevant academic departments
with expertise in the core academic subjects being addressed in the
application will be involved in the partnership;
(2) Provide evidence that such partnerships will include a
permanent faculty member from the appropriate academic departments, who
will be involved in developing the overall project and designing the
curriculum used to train scholars in the particular core academic
subject; and
(3) Provide evidence that permanent faculty members from the
appropriate academic departments participated in the design of the
program.
(c) Include, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of Project Evaluation,'' a clear, effective plan for
evaluating the extent to which graduates of the training program have
the knowledge and skills necessary to provide scientifically based or
evidence-based instruction and services that

[[Page 33601]]

result in improved outcomes for children with disabilities. This plan
must include a description of how the project will--
(1) Track training program graduates after they exit from the
training program;
(2) Collect reliable data on the academic outcomes of students with
high-incidence disabilities receiving special education and related
services from program graduates; and
(3) Assess the quality of services provided by program graduates
using student academic outcomes data, and data on other student
outcomes as appropriate. Applicants must discuss how they intend to use
any results and findings from this evaluation as a basis for informing
and validating any proposed changes to the improved or restructured
program. Applicants also must clearly describe, under ``Quality of
Project Evaluation,'' how the project will report these evaluation
results to OSEP in the grantee's annual performance reports and final
performance report.
(d) Include, in the application appendix, all course syllabi for
the existing teacher preparation program.
(e) Submit to the Department, at the end of the first year of the
project period, revised syllabi for the improved teacher preparation
program.
(f) Meet the statutory requirements in section 662(e) through
662(f) of IDEA.
(g) Budget for planning and improvement activities, including
activities to be performed by consultants. This priority does not
provide financial support for scholars during any year of the project.
(h) Budget for attendance at a three-day Project Directors' meeting
in Washington, DC, during each year of the project.
(i) If the project maintains a Web site, include relevant
information and documents in a form that meets government or industry-
recognized standards for accessibility.
Competitive Preference Priorities: Within this absolute priority,
we give competitive preference to applications that address the
following priority. For FY 2010 and any subsequent year in which we
make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition,
these priorities are competitive preference priorities.
Competitive Preference Priority 1: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this
priority.
This priority is:
Competitive Preference Points Based on Collaborative Activities
with an SEA or State Licensing Agency.
Applicants that document how the project will collaborate with the
SEA or State teacher licensing agency on issues of program improvement
that affect teacher quality and effectiveness. For purposes of this
competitive preference priority, documentation must include at least a
letter from both the Dean and Department Chair of the appropriate
college or department that supports high-incidence special education
teacher preparation and from the relevant SEA or State teacher
licensing agency verifying their intent to collaborate to improve
teacher quality and effectiveness. The letter must include examples of
the methods to be used for collaboration (i.e., establishing a
statewide consortium of teacher preparation programs for program
improvement, program evaluation support, or other activities that would
directly support program improvement of the projects within that
State).
Competitive Preference Priority 2: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we
award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this
priority.
This priority is:
Competitive Preference Points Based on Dual Certification (i.e.,
high-incidence disabilities and regular education).
Applicants that document that the improved or restructured program
will prepare graduates to be dually certified in high-incidence
disabilities and regular education. Documentation for purposes of this
competitive preference priority must include at least a letter from
both the Dean or Department Chair of the appropriate college or
department that supports high-incidence special education teacher
preparation and from the Dean or Department Chair of the appropriate
college or department that prepares regular education teachers
verifying their intent to collaborate to ensure that the improved or
restructured program will prepare graduates to be dually certified in
high-incidence disabilities and regular education. The applicant must
include examples of collaboration in the letter of intent.
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 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.

II. Award Information

Type of Awards: Discretionary grants for competitions CFDA 84.325D
and 84.325K, and cooperative agreements for competition CFDA 84.325T.
Estimated Available Funds: $22,900,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: See chart.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: See chart.
Maximum Award: See chart.
Estimated Number of Awards: See chart.
Project Period: See chart.

Personnel Development To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities Application Notice for Fiscal Year 2010
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated
Applications Deadline for Deadline for Estimated range of average Maximum Estimate
CFDA No. and name available transmittal of intergovernmental awards size of award number of Project period Contact person
applications review awards awards
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
84.325D Preparation of June 14, 2010...... July 14, 2010...... September 13, 2010... $275,000-$300,000.. 288,000 *300,000 21 Up to 48 mos....... Patricia Gonzalez,
Leadership Personnel. (202) 245-7355,
Rm 4082.
84.325K Combined Personnel June 14, 2010...... July 14, 2010...... September 13, 2010... ................... ......... ......... ......... ................... Maryann McDermott,
Preparation: (202) 245-7439,
Rm 4062.

[[Page 33602]]

Focus Area A: Training ................... ................... ..................... $275,000-$300,000.. 288,000 *300,000 9 Up to 48 mos....... ..................
Personnel to Serve Infants,
Toddlers, and Pre-school Age
Children with Disabilities
Focus Area B: Training ................... ................... ..................... $275,000-$300,000.. 288,000 *300,000 11 Up to 48 mos....... ..................
Personnel to Serve School-Age
Children with Low-Incidence
Disabilities
Focus Area C: Training ................... ................... ..................... $275,000-$300,000.. 288,000 *300,000 9 Up to 48 mos.......
Personnel to Provide Related
Services, Speech and Language
Services, and Adapted
Physical Education Children,
Including Infants and
Toddlers, with Disabilities
Focus Area D: Training ................... ................... ..................... $275,000-$300,000.. 288,000 *300,000 9 Up to 48 mos....... ..................
Personnel in Minority
Institutions to Serve
Children, Including Infants
and Toddlers, with
Disabilities
Focus Area E: Training ................... ................... ..................... $275,000-$300,000.. 288,000 *300,000 9 Up to 48 mos....... ..................
Personnel to Provide
Secondary Transition Services
to School-Age Children with
Disabilities
84.325T Special Education June 14, 2010...... July 14, 2010...... September 13, 2010... $275,000-$300,000.. 288,000 **300,000 12 Up to 60 mos....... Tina Diamond,
Preservice Program Improvement (202) 245-6674,
Grants. Rm 40940.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum award 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.
** For the Special Education Preservice Program Improvement Grants, 84.325T competition:
Note: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum award for a single budget period of 12 months.

Note: No more than one cooperative agreement will be awarded per IHE during the five-year project period. Programs in minority institutions that are preparing special education teachers of
children with high-incidence disabilities are eligible to apply under this competition. For purposes of this competition, the term ``minority institutions'' include IHEs with a minority
enrollment of 25 percent or more, which may include Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges, and Predominantly Hispanic Serving Colleges and Universities.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education (IHEs).

Note: For Absolute Priority 2--Special Education Preservice
Program Improvement Grants (84.325T), programs in IHEs that are
preparing preschool teachers are not eligible to apply under that
competition.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost
sharing or matching.
3. Other: General Requirements--(a) The projects funded under this
program must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment
qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).
(b) Each applicant and grant recipient funded under this program
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), U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207,
Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703)
605-6794. 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.EDPubs.gov or at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify the
competition as follows: CFDA number 84.325D, 84.325K, or 84.325T.
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

[[Page 33603]]

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: See chart.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See chart.
Applications for grants under this program may be submitted
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants site, or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in
paper format by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV.7.
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: See chart.
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 the competitions announced in
this notice.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, (1) you must have a Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN); (2)
you must register both of those numbers with the Central Contractor
Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database; and (3)
you must provide those same numbers on your application.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take
three or more business days to complete.
7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under the
competitions announced in this notice 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
Web site 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
program 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 6:00
a.m. Monday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday; and 6:00 a.m. Thursday until
8:00 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC time. Please note that, because of
maintenance, the system is unavailable between 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and
6:00 a.m. on Mondays, and between 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6:00 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.

[[Page 33604]]

We may request that you provide us original signatures on
other forms at a later date.
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 84.325D, 84.325K, or 84.325T), LBJ Basement Level, 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 84.325D,
84.325K, or 84.325T), 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 grant 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 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

[[Page 33605]]

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.
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 IDEA; (5) the percentage of scholars completing
the IDEA-funded training programs who are knowledgeable and skilled in
scientifically based practices for children, including infants and
toddlers, with disabilities; (6) the percentage of low-incidence
positions that are filled by personnel who are fully qualified under
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

See chart in the Award Information section in this notice for the
name, room number and telephone number of the contact person for each
competition. You can write to the contact person at the following
address: U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.,
Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2600.
If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service (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.

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: June 9, 2010.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2010-14229 Filed 6-11-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P