Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 37 / Friday, February 26, 2021 / Notices 11751 

educational materials from the National 

Instructional Materials Accessibility 

Center funded by the ETechM2 

Program. 

• Program Performance Measure 4.3: 

The Federal cost per unit of video 

description funded by the ETechM2 

Program. 

These measures apply to projects 

funded under this competition, and 

grantees are required to submit data on 

these measures as directed by OSEP. 

Grantees will be required to report 

information on their project’s 

performance in annual performance 

reports and additional performance data 

to the Department (34 CFR 75.590 and 

75.591). 

6. Continuation Awards: In making a 

continuation award under 34 CFR 

75.253, the Secretary considers, among 

other things: Whether a grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the goals and objectives of the project; 

whether the grantee has expended funds 

in a manner that is consistent with its 

approved application and budget; and, 

if the Secretary has established 

performance measurement 

requirements, whether the grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the performance targets in the grantee’s 

approved application. 

In making a continuation award, the 

Secretary also considers whether the 

grantee is operating in compliance with 

the assurances in its approved 

application, including those applicable 

to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit 

discrimination in programs or activities 

receiving Federal financial assistance 

from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 

104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). 

VII. Other Information 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 

individuals with disabilities can obtain 

this document and a copy of the 

application package in an accessible 

format. The Department will provide the 

requestor with an accessible format that 

may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or 

text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 

file, braille, large print, audiotape, or 

compact disc, or other accessible format. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. You may access the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the 

Code of Federal Regulations at 

www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can 

view this document, as well as all other 

documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Portable Document Format 

(PDF). To use PDF you must have 

Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at the site. 

You may also access documents of the 

Department published in the Federal 

Register by using the article search 

feature at www.federalregister.gov. 

Specifically, through the advanced 

search feature at this site, you can limit 

your search to documents published by 

the Department. 

David Cantrell, 

Deputy Director, Office of Special Education 

Programs, delegated the authority to perform 

the functions and duties of the Assistant 

Secretary for the Office of Special Education 

and Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. 2021–03996 Filed 2–25–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Technical Assistance and 

Dissemination To Improve Services 

and Results for Children With 

Disabilities; Personnel Development 

To Improve Services and Results for 

Children With Disabilities; and 

Educational Technology, Media, and 

Materials for Individuals With 

Disabilities Programs—National 

Technical Assistance Center for 

Postsecondary Education and Training 

for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of 

Hearing 

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Education 

(Department) is issuing a notice inviting 

applications for new awards for fiscal 

year (FY) 2021 for the National 

Technical Assistance Center for 

Postsecondary Education and Training 

for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of 

Hearing, Assistance Listing Number 

84.326D. This notice relates to the 

approved information collection under 

OMB control number 1820–0028. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: February 26, 

2021. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: April 27, 2021. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: June 28, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for 

obtaining and submitting an 

application, please refer to our Common 

Instructions for Applicants to 

Department of Education Discretionary 

Grant Programs, published in the 

Federal Register on February 13, 2019 

(84 FR 3768), and available at 

www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019- 

02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Louise Tripoli, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 5124, Potomac Center Plaza, 

Washington, DC 20202–5076. 

Telephone: (202) 245–7554. Email: 

Louise.Tripoli@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 

telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 

8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: Funds from the 

following three Department programs 

support this competition: The Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination to 

Improve Services and Results for 

Children with Disabilities (TA&D) 

program; the Personnel Development to 

Improve Services and Results for 

Children with Disabilities (PD) program; 

and the Educational Technology, Media, 

and Materials for Individuals with 

Disabilities (ETechM2) program. 

The purpose of the TA&D program is 

to promote academic achievement and 

to improve results for children with 

disabilities by providing technical 

assistance (TA), supporting model 

demonstration projects, disseminating 

useful information, and implementing 

activities that are supported by 

scientifically based research. The 

purposes of the PD program are to (1) 

help address State-identified needs for 

personnel—in special education, related 

services, early intervention, and regular 

education—to work with children and 

youth with disabilities; and (2) ensure 

that those personnel have the skills and 

knowledge—derived from practices that 

have been determined through research 

and experience to be successful—that 

are needed to serve those children. 

Finally, the purposes of the ETechM2 

program are to (1) improve results for 

children with disabilities by promoting 

the development, demonstration, and 

use of technology; (2) support 

educational activities designed to be of 

educational value in the classroom for 

students with disabilities; (3) provide 

support for captioning and video 

description that is appropriate for use in 

the classroom; and (4) provide 

accessible educational materials to 

students with disabilities in a timely 

manner. 

Priority: This competition includes 

one absolute priority. In accordance 

with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this 

priority is from allowable activities 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
11752 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 37 / Friday, February 26, 2021 / Notices 

specified in the statute (see sections 

662(c)(2), 663(c)(8)(C), 674(b) and (c), 

and 681(d) of the Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); 20 

U.S.C. 1462(c)(2), 1463(c)(8)(C), 1474(b) 

and (c), and 1481(d)). 

Absolute Priority: For FY 2021 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition, this 

priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 

CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only 

applications that meet this priority. 

This priority is: 

National Technical Assistance Center 

for Postsecondary Education and 

Training for Individuals who are Deaf or 

Hard of Hearing 

Background: Section 682(d)(1)(B) of 

IDEA requires the Secretary to ensure 

that, for each fiscal year, not less than 

$4,000,000 is provided, under subparts 

2 and 3 of IDEA, to address the 

postsecondary, vocational, technical, 

continuing, and adult education needs 

of individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing. The Department intends to 

build on current efforts to improve 

outcomes in postsecondary education 

and training for individuals who are 

deaf or hard of hearing by funding a TA 

center dedicated to improving the 

collaboration among postsecondary 

institutions, State educational agencies 

(SEAs), local educational agencies 

(LEAs), State vocational rehabilitation 

(VR) agencies, VR service providers, and 

other relevant organizations and public 

agencies. 

Many people have low expectations of 

individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing. Deaf individuals’ expectations 

about their abilities and future 

educational attainment do not develop 

in a vacuum—parents, teachers, and 

other professionals make a significant 

contribution to how those expectations 

and beliefs are formed. Parental 

expectations are an important 

contributor to long-term outcomes (e.g., 

living independently, enrolling in and 

completing college) of deaf individuals. 

Teachers of deaf students can provide 

support and guidance through sharing 

high expectations for their students’ 

achievement, teaching them to be selfadvocates, and supporting their healthy 

self-concept and social emotional 

development. However, there remains a 

significant need to educate parents, 

teachers, and professionals about deaf 

individuals’ true potential for success. 

Continuing education and training 

after high school can play a major role 

in overall quality of life. Educational 

attainment is linked to many life 

outcomes, including physical health, 

personal stability, community 

involvement, among others. Educational 

attainment also contributes to increased 

employment opportunities, career 

advancement, and earnings. For deaf 

people, continuing education and 

training after high school appears to be 

an important component of narrowing 

the employment gap between deaf and 

hearing people. In 2017, 83.7 percent of 

deaf adults in the United States had 

successfully completed high school, 

compared to 89.4 percent of hearing 

adults (Garberoglio et al., 2019). 

Although an increasing number of 

individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing are attending postsecondary 

education and training programs, they 

have poor rates of completion compared 

to their non-disabled peers, which is 

often due to inadequate postsecondary 

skill preparation. National data shows 

that in 2017 only 5 percent of deaf 

people were enrolled in postsecondary 

institutions of any type, compared to 11 

percent of hearing people (Garberoglio 

et al., 2019). In addition, data from the 

2017 American Community Survey 

showed that only 18.8 percent of deaf 

adults in the United States had 

completed a bachelor’s degree or higher, 

compared to 34 percent of hearing 

adults (U.S. Census Bureau, 2018–2019). 

Individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing have unique and varying 

communication and language barriers 

that require a range of accommodations 

for success in postsecondary education 

and training settings. For example, 

different accommodations are needed 

for a student who has hearing aids or a 

cochlear implant and uses oral-auditory 

strategies, a student with a cochlear 

implant who uses sign language in 

addition to oral-auditory strategies, and 

a student who uses sign language only. 

Postsecondary institutions must be wellinformed about relevant requirements 

and the various accommodations that 

may be appropriate for students who are 

deaf or hard of hearing (e.g., oral 

transliteration services, sign language 

transliteration, and sign language 

interpreting and transcription services). 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 

of 1973, as amended, and the Americans 

with Disabilities Act of 1990, as 

amended (ADA), outline postsecondary 

institutions’ obligations to ensure that 

they do not discriminate on the basis of 

disability. These obligations include 

providing academic adjustments and 

auxiliary aids and services for students 

with disabilities (28 CFR 35.160–35.164; 

28 CFR 36.303; 34 CFR 104.44). With 

the rapid pace of technological 

advancement and the increasing 

sophistication of technology, it is 

important for personnel at 

postsecondary institutions, other 

relevant organizations, and public 

agencies to stay current on available 

technology and policies to ensure 

communication access for their deaf or 

hard of hearing students. For example, 

personnel must be knowledgeable about 

a variety of interpreting, transcription, 

and note-taking services and remote or 

on-site captioning technologies (e.g., C– 

Print or Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART)), as well as 

assistive listening devices that may 

serve as effective accommodations for 

some students who are deaf or hard of 

hearing. 

Individuals with disabilities, 

including those who are deaf or hard of 

hearing, often need to simultaneously 

access services from several different 

agencies to successfully meet their 

needs. To address the diverse and 

complex needs of individuals who are 

deaf or hard of hearing and their 

families, policymakers and other 

professionals have stressed the 

importance of ensuring individuals with 

disabilities have access to a 

comprehensive set of services and 

supports to help them develop the skills 

they will need to access and persevere 

in postsecondary education and training 

settings. Currently, no single system or 

agency is responsible for providing all 

the necessary supports to help 

individuals with disabilities develop 

these essential skills. Providing support 

for improved interagency collaboration 

at State and local levels may produce 

better outcomes in postsecondary 

education and training for individuals 

who are deaf or hard of hearing 

(Garberoglio et al., 2020). 

Priority: The purpose of this priority 

is to fund a cooperative agreement to 

establish and operate a National 

Technical Assistance Center for 

Postsecondary Education and Training 

for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of 

Hearing. This Center will support 

postsecondary education through its 

work with postsecondary institutions, 

SEAs, LEAs, State VR agencies, VR 

service providers, and other relevant 

organizations and public agencies, to 

more effectively address the 

postsecondary, vocational, technical, 

continuing, and adult education 

(postsecondary education and training) 

needs of individuals who are deaf or 

hard of hearing, including those who 

have co-occurring disabilities, and those 

who are English learners. The Center 

will foster collaboration among 

postsecondary institutions, SEAs, LEAs, 

State VR agencies, VR service providers, 

and other relevant organizations and 

public agencies to support improved 

outcomes for deaf or hard of hearing 

transition-aged youth. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 37 / Friday, February 26, 2021 / Notices 11753 

1For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘evidencebased practices’’ means practices that, at a 

minimum, demonstrate a rationale (as defined in 34 

CFR 77.1), where a key project component included 

in the project’s logic model is informed by research 

or evaluation findings that suggest the project 

component is likely to improve relevant outcomes. 

The Center must achieve, at a 

minimum, the following expected 

outcomes: 

(a) Increased numbers of individuals 

who are deaf or hard of hearing who are 

admitted to, persist in, and complete 

postsecondary, vocational, technical, 

and continuing and adult education and 

training, including adult basic 

education and developmental education 

programs; 

(b) Improved collaboration among 

postsecondary institutions, SEAs, LEAs, 

State VR agencies, VR service providers, 

and other relevant organizations and 

public agencies so they are more 

effective at the following activities: 

(1) Identifying roles, responsibilities, 

and procedures for outreach to 

individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing and who are interested in 

pursuing postsecondary education and 

training, including outreach to 

secondary school students who have 

identified postsecondary education and 

training goals as part of an 

individualized education program or 

individualized plan for employment; 

(2) Identifying and providing 

education and employment training 

opportunities for individuals who are 

deaf or hard of hearing and who are not 

college bound; 

(3) Improving the ability of 

individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing to be effective self-advocates in 

postsecondary education and training 

settings; 

(4) Providing TA and services to 

individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing and their families; and 

(5) Implementing evidence-based 

practices 1 (EBPs) and strategies 

designed to increase the number of 

individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing who, without requiring 

remedial coursework, are admitted to, 

persist in, and complete college or other 

postsecondary education and training; 

(c) An increased body of knowledge 

on how to effectively utilize technology 

to promote access and provide 

accommodations (e.g., high-quality 

captioning, note-taking, and interpreting 

services) for individuals who are deaf or 

hard of hearing in postsecondary 

education and training settings; 

(d) Expanded dissemination of 

lessons learned from implementing 

EBPs and strategies to inform national, 

State, and local efforts to improve 

postsecondary education and training 

outcomes for individuals who are deaf 

or hard of hearing; and 

(e) Improved capacity of 

postsecondary institutions’ career 

planning and placement offices to serve 

deaf and hard of hearing individuals. 

In addition to these programmatic 

requirements, to be considered for 

funding under this priority, applicants 

must meet the application and 

administrative requirements in this 

priority, which are: 

(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Significance,’’ how the proposed 

project will— 

(1) Address the training and 

information needs of postsecondary 

institutions, SEAs, LEAs, State VR 

agencies, VR service providers, and 

other relevant organizations and public 

agencies for better implementing 

evidence-based practices and strategies 

that will increase the number of 

individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing who, without remedial 

coursework, are admitted to, persist in, 

and complete college or other 

postsecondary education and training, 

including adult basic education and 

developmental education programs. To 

meet this requirement, the applicant 

must— 

(i) Present applicable national and 

State data demonstrating the training 

needs of postsecondary institutions, 

SEAs, LEAs, State VR agencies, VR 

service providers, and other relevant 

organizations and public agencies to 

better implement EBPs and strategies 

that will increase enrollment and 

completion in postsecondary education 

and training for students who are deaf 

or hard of hearing; and 

(ii) Identify current issues and policy 

initiatives in secondary transition, 

postsecondary education, career 

preparation, and employment for 

students who are deaf or hard of 

hearing; and 

(2) Address the current and emerging 

needs of postsecondary institutions, 

SEAs, LEAs, State VR agencies, VR 

service providers, and other relevant 

organizations and public agencies for 

better implementing strategies to 

improve postsecondary education and 

training outcomes for students who are 

deaf or hard of hearing. 

(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of project services,’’ how the 

proposed project will— 

(1) Ensure equal access and treatment 

for members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe how it will— 

(i) Identify the needs of the intended 

recipients for TA and information; and 

(ii) Ensure that services and products 

meet the needs of the intended 

recipients of the grant; 

(2) Achieve its goals, objectives, and 

intended outcomes. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

provide— 

(i) Measurable intended project 

outcomes; and 

(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model 

(as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) by which 

the proposed project will achieve its 

intended outcomes that depicts, at a 

minimum, the goals, activities, outputs, 

and intended outcomes of the proposed 

project; 

(3) Use a conceptual framework (and 

provide a copy in Appendix A) to 

develop project plans and activities, 

describing any underlying concepts, 

assumptions, expectations, beliefs, or 

theories, as well as the presumed 

relationships or linkages among these 

variables, and any empirical support for 

this framework; 

Note: The following websites provide 

more information on logic models and 

conceptual frameworks: 

www.osepideasthatwork.org/logicModel 

and www.osepideasthatwork.org/ 

resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/ 

tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptualframework. 

(4) Be based on current research and 

make use of EBPs. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe— 

(i) The current research on the most 

effective ways to support students who 

are deaf or hard of hearing in 

postsecondary education and training; 

(ii) The current research about adult 

learning principles and implementation 

science that will inform the proposed 

TA; and 

(iii) How the proposed project will 

incorporate current research and 

practices in the development and 

delivery of its products and services; 

(5) Develop products and provide 

services that are of high quality and 

sufficient intensity and duration to 

achieve the intended outcomes of the 

proposed project. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe— 

(i) How it will develop and use stateof-the-art communication tools and 

platforms, including virtual 

conferences, social media, and 

searchable databases, and the latest 

knowledge translation methods and 

techniques to improve postsecondary 

opportunities for deaf and hard of 

hearing individuals. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
11754 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 37 / Friday, February 26, 2021 / Notices 

2 ‘‘Universal, general TA’’ means TA and 

information provided to independent users through 

their own initiative, resulting in minimal 

interaction with TA center staff and including onetime, invited or offered conference presentations by 

TA center staff. This category of TA also includes 

information or products, such as newsletters, 

guidebooks, or research syntheses, downloaded 

from the TA center’s website by independent users. 

Brief communications by TA center staff with 

recipients, either by telephone or email, are also 

considered universal, general TA. 

3 ‘‘Targeted, specialized TA’’ means TA services 

based on needs common to multiple recipients and 

not extensively individualized. A relationship is 

established between the TA recipient and one or 

more TA center staff. This category of TA includes 

one-time, labor-intensive events, such as facilitating 

strategic planning or hosting regional or national 

conferences. It can also include episodic, less laborintensive events that extend over a period of time, 

such as facilitating a series of conference calls on 

single or multiple topics that are designed around 

the needs of the recipients. Facilitating 

communities of practice can also be considered 

targeted, specialized TA. 

4 ‘‘Intensive, sustained TA’’ means TA services 

often provided on-site and requiring a stable, 

ongoing relationship between the TA center staff 

and the TA recipient. ‘‘TA services’’ are defined as 

negotiated series of activities designed to reach a 

valued outcome. This category of TA should result 

in changes to policy, program, practice, or 

operations that support increased recipient capacity 

or improved outcomes at one or more systems 

levels. 

5The major tasks of CIPP are to guide, coordinate, 

and oversee the design of formative evaluations for 

every large discretionary investment (i.e., those 

awarded $500,000 or more per year and required to 

participate in the 3+2 process) in OSEP’s Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination; Personnel 

Development; Parent Training and Information 

Centers; and Educational Technology, Media, and 

Materials programs. The efforts of CIPP are 

expected to enhance individual project evaluation 

plans by providing expert and unbiased TA in 

designing the evaluations with due consideration of 

the project’s budget. CIPP does not function as a 

third-party evaluator. 

(ii) Its proposed approach to 

universal, general TA,2 which must 

identify the intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients, that will receive the products 

and services, a description of the 

products and services that the Center 

proposes to make available, and the 

expected impact of those products and 

services under this approach; 

(iii) Its proposed approach to targeted, 

specialized TA,3 which must identify— 

(A) The intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients, that will receive the products 

and services, a description of the 

products and services that the Center 

proposes to make available, and the 

expected impact of those products and 

services under this approach; and 

(B) Its proposed approach to measure 

the readiness of potential TA recipients 

to work with the project, assessing, at a 

minimum, their current infrastructure, 

available resources, and ability to build 

capacity at the local level; and 

(iv) Its proposed approach to 

intensive, sustained TA,4 which must 

identify— 

(A) The intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients from a variety of settings and 

geographic distribution, that will 

receive the products and services 

designed to impact the postsecondary 

education and training needs of 

individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing; 

(B) Its proposed approach to measure 

the readiness of postsecondary 

institutions, SEAs, LEAs, State VR 

agencies, VR service providers, and 

other relevant organizations and public 

agencies to work with the project, 

including their commitment to the 

initiative, alignment of the initiative to 

their needs, current infrastructure, 

available resources, and ability to build 

capacity at the local, district, or State 

level; 

(C) Its proposed plan for assisting 

postsecondary institutions, SEAs, LEAs, 

State VR agencies, VR service providers, 

and other relevant organizations and 

public agencies to build training 

systems that include professional 

development based on adult learning 

principles and coaching; and 

(D) Its proposed plan for working with 

students, families, postsecondary 

institutions, SEAs, LEAs, State VR 

agencies, VR service providers, and 

other relevant organizations and public 

agencies at the State and local levels 

(e.g., TA providers, schools, transition 

coordinators, guidance counselors, 

career and technical education 

educators, Department of Labor 

personnel, private industry, 

postsecondary education professionals) 

to ensure there is communication 

between each level and there are 

systems in place to effectively address 

the postsecondary education and 

training needs of individuals who are 

deaf or hard of hearing, including those 

who have co-occurring disabilities and 

those who are English learners; 

(E) Its proposed plan for working with 

students, families, postsecondary 

institutions, SEAs, LEAs, State VR 

agencies, VR service providers, and 

other relevant organizations and public 

agencies at the State and local levels to 

focus on building capacity of personnel 

to work with non-college-bound deaf 

and hard of hearing individuals to build 

up their technical, academic, and soft 

skills for employment opportunities; 

and 

(v) How the proposed project will use 

non-project resources to achieve the 

intended project outcomes. 

(6) Develop products and implement 

services that maximize efficiency. To 

address this requirement, the applicant 

must describe— 

(i) How the proposed project will use 

technology to achieve the intended 

project outcomes; 

(ii) With whom the proposed project 

will collaborate and the intended 

outcomes of this collaboration; and 

(iii) How the proposed project will 

use non-project resources to achieve the 

intended project outcomes; and 

(7) Develop a dissemination plan that 

describes how the applicant will 

systematically distribute information, 

products, and services to varied 

intended audiences, using a variety of 

dissemination strategies, to promote 

awareness and use of the Center’s 

products and services. 

(c) In the narrative section of the 

application under ‘‘Quality of the 

project evaluation,’’ include an 

evaluation plan for the project as 

described in the following paragraphs. 

The evaluation plan must describe: 

Measures of progress in 

implementation, including the criteria 

for determining the extent to which the 

project’s products and services have met 

the goals for reaching its target 

population; measures of intended 

outcomes or results of the project’s 

activities in order to evaluate those 

activities; and how well the goals or 

objectives of the proposed project, as 

described in its logic model, have been 

met. 

The applicant must provide an 

assurance that, in designing the 

evaluation plan, it will— 

(1) Designate, with the approval of the 

Office of Special Education Programs 

(OSEP) project officer, a project liaison 

with sufficient dedicated time, 

experience in evaluation, and 

knowledge of the project to work in 

collaboration with the Center to 

Improve Program and Project 

Performance (CIPP),5 the project 

director, and the OSEP project officer on 

the following tasks: 

(i) Revise the logic model submitted 

in the application to provide for a more 

comprehensive measurement of 

implementation and outcomes and to 

reflect any changes or clarifications to 

the model discussed at the kick-off 

meeting; 

(ii) Refine the evaluation design and 

instrumentation proposed in the 

application consistent with the revised 

logic model and using the most rigorous 

design suitable (e.g., prepare evaluation 

questions about significant program 

processes and outcomes; develop 

quantitative or qualitative data 

collections that permit both the 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 37 / Friday, February 26, 2021 / Notices 11755 

collection of progress data, including 

fidelity of implementation, as 

appropriate, and the assessment of 

project outcomes; and identify analytic 

strategies); and 

(iii) Revise the evaluation plan 

submitted in the application such that it 

clearly— 

(A) Specifies the evaluation questions, 

measures, and associated instruments or 

sources for data appropriate to answer 

these questions, suggests analytic 

strategies for those data, provides a 

timeline for conducting the evaluation, 

and includes staff assignments for 

completing the evaluation activities; 

(B) Delineates the data expected to be 

available by the end of the second 

project year for use during the project’s 

evaluation (3+2 review) for continued 

funding described under the heading 

Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project; 

and 

(C) Can be used to assist the project 

director and the OSEP project officer, 

with the assistance of CIPP, as needed, 

to specify the project performance 

measures to be addressed in the 

project’s annual performance report; 

(2) Dedicate sufficient staff time and 

other resources during the first six 

months of the project to collaborate with 

CIPP staff, including regular meetings 

(e.g., weekly, biweekly, or monthly) 

with CIPP and the OSEP project officer, 

in order to accomplish the tasks 

described in paragraph (c)(1) of this 

section; and 

(3) Dedicate sufficient funds in each 

budget year to cover the costs of 

carrying out the tasks described in 

paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section 

and revising and implementing the 

evaluation plan. Please note in your 

budget narrative the funds dedicated for 

this activity. 

(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Adequacy of resources and quality of 

project personnel,’’ how— 

(1) The proposed project will 

encourage applications for employment 

from persons who are members of 

groups that have traditionally been 

underrepresented based on race, color, 

national origin, gender, age, or 

disability, as appropriate; 

(2) The proposed key project 

personnel, consultants, and 

subcontractors have the qualifications 

and experience to carry out the 

proposed activities and achieve the 

project’s intended outcomes; 

(3) The applicant and any key 

partners have adequate resources to 

carry out the proposed activities; and 

(4) The proposed costs are reasonable 

in relation to the anticipated results and 

benefits. 

(e) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of the management plan,’’ 

how— 

(1) The proposed management plan 

will ensure that the project’s intended 

outcomes will be achieved on time and 

within budget. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe— 

(i) Clearly defined responsibilities for 

key project personnel, consultants, and 

subcontractors, as applicable; and 

(ii) Timelines and milestones for 

accomplishing the project tasks; 

(2) Key project personnel and any 

consultants and subcontractors will be 

allocated and how these allocations are 

appropriate and adequate to achieve the 

project’s intended outcomes; 

(3) The proposed management plan 

includes a minimum 0.50 full-time 

equivalent (FTE) position for the project 

director; 

(4) The proposed management plan 

will ensure that the products and 

services provided are of high quality, 

relevant, and useful to recipients; and 

(5) The proposed project will benefit 

from a diversity of perspectives, 

including those of families, educators, 

TA providers, researchers, and policy 

makers, among others, in its 

development and operation. 

(f) Address the following application 

requirements. The applicant must— 

(1) Include, in Appendix A, 

personnel-loading charts and timelines, 

as applicable, to illustrate the 

management plan described in the 

narrative; 

(2) Include, in the budget, attendance 

at the following: 

(i) A kick-off meeting either virtually 

or in Washington, DC, after receipt of 

the award, and an annual planning 

meeting either virtually or in 

Washington, DC, with the OSEP project 

officer and other relevant staff during 

each subsequent year of the project 

period. 

Note: Within 30 days of receipt of the 

award, a post-award teleconference 

must be held between the OSEP project 

officer and the grantee’s project director 

or other authorized representative; 

(ii) A project directors’ conference 

either virtually or in Washington, DC, 

during each year of the project period; 

(iii) Two annual two-day trips, either 

virtually or in Washington DC, to attend 

Department briefings, Departmentsponsored conferences, and other 

meetings, as requested by OSEP; and 

(iv) A one-day intensive 3+2 review 

meeting either virtually or in 

Washington, DC, during the second year 

of the project period; 

(3) Include, in the budget, a line item 

for an annual set-aside of 5 percent of 

the grant amount to support emerging 

needs that are consistent with the 

proposed project’s intended outcomes, 

as those needs are identified in 

consultation with, and approved by, the 

OSEP project officer. With approval 

from the OSEP project officer, the 

project must reallocate any remaining 

funds from this annual set-aside no later 

than the end of the third quarter of each 

budget period; and 

(4) Maintain a high-quality website, 

with an easy-to-navigate design, that 

meets government or industryrecognized standards for accessibility; 

(5) Ensure that annual project 

progress toward meeting project goals is 

posted on the project website; and 

(6) Include, in Appendix A, an 

assurance to assist OSEP with the 

transfer of pertinent resources and 

products and to maintain the continuity 

of services to States during the 

transition to a new award at the end of 

this award period, as appropriate. 

Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project: 

In deciding whether to continue funding 

the project for the fourth and fifth years, 

the Secretary will consider the 

requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), 

including— 

(a) The recommendations of a 3+2 

review team consisting of experts who 

have experience and knowledge in 

providing technical assistance to 

personnel who work with deaf or hard 

of hearing students at the postsecondary 

education level. This review will be 

conducted during a one-day intensive 

meeting that will be held during the last 

half of the second year of the project 

period; 

(b) The timeliness with which, and 

how well, the requirements of the 

negotiated cooperative agreement have 

been or are being met by the project; and 

(c) The quality, relevance, and 

usefulness of the project’s products and 

services and the extent to which the 

project’s products and services are 

aligned with the project’s objectives and 

likely to result in the project achieving 

its intended outcomes. 

Under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary 

may reduce continuation awards or 

discontinue awards in any year of the 

project period for excessive carryover 

balances or a failure to make substantial 

progress. The Department intends to 

closely monitor unobligated balances 

and substantial progress under this 

program and may reduce or discontinue 

funding accordingly. 

References 

Garberoglio, C.L., Guerra, D.H., Sanders, G.T., 

& Cawthon, S.W. (2020). Communitydriven strategies for improving 

postsecondary outcomes of deaf people. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
11756 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 37 / Friday, February 26, 2021 / Notices 

American Annals of the Deaf, 165(3), 

369–392. https://doi.org/10.1353/ 

aad.2020.0024. 

Garberoglio, C.L., Palmer, J.L., Cawthon, S., 

& Sales, A. (2019). Deaf people and 

educational attainment in the United 

States: 2019. U.S. Department of 

Education, Office of Special Education 

Programs, National Deaf Center on 

Postsecondary Outcomes. 

U.S. Census Bureau. (2018–2019). The 

American community survey public use 

microdata sample (2017) [dataset]. 

https://www2.census.gov/programssurveys/acs/data/pums/2017/. 

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. Section 681(d) of IDEA, 

however, makes the public comment 

requirements of the APA inapplicable to 

the priority in this notice. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1462, 1463, 

1474, 1481, and 1482. 

Note: Projects must be awarded and 

operated in a manner consistent with 

the nondiscrimination requirements 

contained in the U.S. Constitution and 

the Federal civil rights laws. 

Applicable Regulations: (a) The 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR 

parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, 

and 99. (b) The Office of Management 

and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on 

Governmentwide Debarment and 

Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR 

part 180, as adopted and amended as 

regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 

part 3485. (c) The Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost 

Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as 

adopted and amended as regulations of 

the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 

79 apply to all applicants except 

federally recognized Indian Tribes. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 

86 apply to institutions of higher 

education (IHEs) only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

agreement. 

Estimated Available Funds: Three 

programs plan to make available a total 

of $4,000,000 for this competition in FY 

2021: $1,300,000 from the TA&D 

program; $1,700,000 from the PD 

program; and $1,000,000 from the 

ETechM2 program. 

Contingent upon the availability of 

funds and the quality of applications, 

we may make additional awards in FY 

2022 from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition. 

Maximum Award: We will not make 

an award exceeding $4,000,000 for a 

single budget period of 12 months. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 1. 

Note: The Department is not bound by 

any estimates in this notice. In each 

budget period of 12 months, no more 

than $1,300,000 may be budgeted under 

the TA&D program (consistent with 

section 663(c)(8)(C) of IDEA); no more 

than $1,700,000 may be budgeted under 

the PD program (consistent with section 

662(c)(2) of IDEA); and no more than 

$1,000,000 may be budgeted under the 

ETechM2 program (consistent with 

section 674(b) of IDEA). Applicants 

must separately budget for funds under 

each program. 

Project Period: Up to 60 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs, 

including public charter schools that are 

considered LEAs under State law; IHEs; 

other public agencies; private nonprofit 

organizations; freely associated States 

and outlying areas; Indian Tribes or 

Tribal organizations; and for-profit 

organizations. 

Note: If you are a nonprofit 

organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you 

may demonstrate your nonprofit status 

by providing: (1) Proof that the Internal 

Revenue Service currently recognizes 

the applicant as an organization to 

which contributions are tax deductible 

under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 

Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a 

State taxing body or the State attorney 

general certifying that the organization 

is a nonprofit organization operating 

within the State and that no part of its 

net earnings may lawfully benefit any 

private shareholder or individual; (3) a 

certified copy of the applicant’s 

certificate of incorporation or similar 

document if it clearly establishes the 

nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) 

any item described above if that item 

applies to a State or national parent 

organization, together with a statement 

by the State or parent organization that 

the applicant is a local nonprofit 

affiliate. 

2.a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This 

competition does not require cost 

sharing or matching. 

b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This 

program uses an unrestricted indirect 

cost rate. For more information 

regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a 

negotiated indirect cost rate, please see 

www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/ 

intro.html. 

c. Administrative Cost Limitation: 

This program does not include any 

program-specific limitation on 

administrative expenses. All 

administrative expenses must be 

reasonable and necessary and conform 

to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR 

part 200 subpart E of the Uniform 

Guidance. 

3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this 

competition may not award subgrants to 

entities to directly carry out project 

activities described in its application. 

Under 34 CFR 75.708(e), a grantee may 

contract for supplies, equipment, and 

other services in accordance with 2 CFR 

part 200. 

4. Other General Requirements: 

a. Recipients of funding under this 

competition must make positive efforts 

to employ and advance in employment 

qualified individuals with disabilities 

(see section 606 of IDEA). 

b. Applicants for, and recipients of, 

funding must, with respect to the 

aspects of their proposed project 

relating to the absolute priority, 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. Application Submission 

Instructions: Applicants are required to 

follow the Common Instructions for 

Applicants to Department of Education 

Discretionary Grant Programs, 

published in the Federal Register on 

February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and 

available at www.govinfo.gov/content/ 

pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, 

which contain requirements and 

information on how to submit an 

application. 

2. Intergovernmental Review: This 

competition is subject to Executive 

Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 

CFR part 79. Information about 

Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs under Executive Order 12372 

is in the application package for this 

competition. 

3. Funding Restrictions: We reference 

regulations outlining funding 

restrictions in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

4. Recommended Page Limit: The 

application narrative is where you, the 

applicant, address the selection criteria 

that reviewers use to evaluate your 

application. We recommend that you (1) 

limit the application narrative to no 

more than 50 pages and (2) use 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, 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 37 / Friday, February 26, 2021 / Notices 11757 

headings, footnotes, quotations, 

reference citations, and captions, as well 

as all text in charts, tables, figures, 

graphs, and screen shots. 

• Use a font that is 12 point or larger. 

• Use one of the following fonts: 

Times New Roman, Courier, Courier 

New, or Arial. 

The recommended page limit does not 

apply to the cover sheet; the budget 

section, including the narrative budget 

justification; the assurances and 

certifications; or the abstract (follow the 

guidance provided in the application 

package for completing the abstract), the 

table of contents, the list of priority 

requirements, the resumes, the reference 

list, the letters of support, or the 

appendices. However, the 

recommended page limit does apply to 

all of the application narrative, 

including all text in charts, tables, 

figures, graphs, and screen shots. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this competition are from 34 

CFR 75.210 and are as follows: 

(a) Significance (10 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

significance of the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the significance of 

the proposed project, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The extent to which specific gaps 

or weaknesses in services, 

infrastructure, or opportunities have 

been identified and will be addressed by 

the proposed project, including the 

nature and magnitude of those gaps or 

weaknesses. 

(ii) The importance or magnitude of 

the results or outcomes likely to be 

attained by the proposed project. 

(b) Quality of project services (35 

points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the services to be provided by 

the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

services to be provided by the proposed 

project, the Secretary considers the 

quality and sufficiency of strategies for 

ensuring equal access and treatment for 

eligible project participants who are 

members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. 

(3) In addition, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The extent to which the goals, 

objectives, and outcomes to be achieved 

by the proposed project are clearly 

specified and measurable. 

(ii) The extent to which there is a 

conceptual framework underlying the 

proposed research or demonstration 

activities and the quality of that 

framework. 

(iii) The extent to which the services 

to be provided by the proposed project 

reflect up-to-date knowledge from 

research and effective practice. 

(iv) The extent to which the training 

or professional development services to 

be provided by the proposed project are 

of sufficient quality, intensity, and 

duration to lead to improvements in 

practice among the recipients of those 

services. 

(v) The extent to which the TA 

services to be provided by the proposed 

project involve the use of efficient 

strategies, including the use of 

technology, as appropriate, and the 

leveraging of non-project resources. 

(c) Quality of the project evaluation 

(20 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the evaluation to be 

conducted of the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

evaluation, the Secretary considers the 

following factors: 

(i) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and 

appropriate to the goals, objectives, and 

outcomes of the proposed project. 

(ii) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation provide for examining the 

effectiveness of project implementation 

strategies. 

(iii) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation will provide performance 

feedback and permit periodic 

assessment of progress toward achieving 

intended outcomes. 

(iv) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation include the use of 

objective performance measures that are 

clearly related to the intended outcomes 

of the project and will produce 

quantitative and qualitative data to the 

extent possible. 

(d) Adequacy of resources and quality 

of project personnel (15 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

adequacy of resources for the proposed 

project and the quality of the personnel 

who will carry out the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of 

project personnel, the Secretary 

considers the extent to which the 

applicant encourages applications for 

employment from persons who are 

members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. 

(3) In addition, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of key 

project personnel. 

(ii) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of 

project consultants or subcontractors. 

(iii) The qualifications, including 

relevant training, experience, and 

independence, of the evaluator. 

(iv) The extent to which the costs are 

reasonable in relation to the objectives, 

design, and potential significance of the 

proposed project. 

(e) Quality of the management plan 

(20 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the management plan for the 

proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

management plan for the proposed 

project, the Secretary considers the 

following factors: 

(i) The adequacy of the management 

plan to achieve the objectives of the 

proposed project on time and within 

budget, including clearly defined 

responsibilities, timelines, and 

milestones for accomplishing project 

tasks. 

(ii) The extent to which the time 

commitments of the project director and 

principal investigator and other key 

project personnel are appropriate and 

adequate to meet the objectives of the 

proposed project. 

(iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for 

ensuring high-quality products and 

services from the proposed project. 

(iv) How the applicant will ensure 

that a diversity of perspectives are 

brought to bear in the operation of the 

proposed project, including those of 

parents, teachers, the business 

community, a variety of disciplinary 

and professional fields, recipients or 

beneficiaries of services, or others, as 

appropriate. 

2. Review and Selection Process: We 

remind potential applicants that in 

reviewing applications in any 

discretionary grant competition, the 

Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 

75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the 

applicant in carrying out a previous 

award, such as the applicant’s use of 

funds, achievement of project 

objectives, and compliance with grant 

conditions. The Secretary may also 

consider whether the applicant failed to 

submit a timely performance report or 

submitted a report of unacceptable 

quality. 

In addition, in making a competitive 

grant award, the Secretary requires 

various assurances, including those 

applicable to Federal civil rights laws 

that prohibit discrimination in programs 

or activities receiving Federal financial 

assistance from the Department (34 CFR 

100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). 

3. Additional Review and Selection 

Process Factors: In the past, the 

Department has had difficulty finding 

peer reviewers for certain competitions 

because so many individuals who are 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
11758 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 37 / Friday, February 26, 2021 / Notices 

eligible to serve as peer reviewers have 

conflicts of interest. The standing panel 

requirements under section 682(b) of 

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. 

4. Risk Assessment and Specific 

Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 

200.206, before awarding grants under 

this competition the Department 

conducts a review of the risks posed by 

applicants. Under 2 CFR 200.208, the 

Secretary may impose specific 

conditions, and under 2 CFR 3474.10, in 

appropriate circumstances, high-risk 

conditions on a grant if the applicant or 

grantee is not financially stable; has a 

history of unsatisfactory performance; 

has a financial or other management 

system that does not meet the standards 

in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 

fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; 

or is otherwise not responsible. 

5. Integrity and Performance System: 

If you are selected under this 

competition to receive an award that 

over the course of the project period 

may exceed the simplified acquisition 

threshold (currently $250,000), under 2 

CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a 

judgment about your integrity, business 

ethics, and record of performance under 

Federal awards—that is, the risk posed 

by you as an applicant—before we make 

an award. In doing so, we must consider 

any information about you that is in the 

integrity and performance system 

(currently referred to as the Federal 

Awardee Performance and Integrity 

Information System (FAPIIS)), 

accessible through the System for 

Award Management. You may review 

and comment on any information about 

yourself that a Federal agency 

previously entered and that is currently 

in FAPIIS. 

Please note that, if the total value of 

your currently active grants, cooperative 

agreements, and procurement contracts 

from the Federal Government exceeds 

$10,000,000, the reporting requirements 

in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, 

require you to report certain integrity 

information to FAPIIS semiannually. 

Please review the requirements in 2 CFR 

part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant 

plus all the other Federal funds you 

receive exceed $10,000,000. 

6. In General: In accordance with the 

Office of Management and Budget’s 

guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all 

applicable Federal laws, and relevant 

Executive guidance, the Department 

will review and consider applications 

for funding pursuant to this notice 

inviting applications in accordance 

with— 

(a) Selecting recipients most likely to 

be successful in delivering results based 

on the program objectives through an 

objective process of evaluating Federal 

award applications (2 CFR 200.205); 

(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain 

telecommunication and video 

surveillance services or equipment in 

alignment with section 889 of the 

National Defense Authorization Act of 

2019 (Pub. L. 115–232) (2 CFR 200.216); 

(c) Promoting the freedom of speech 

and religious liberty in alignment with 

Promoting Free Speech and Religious 

Liberty (E.O. 13798) and Improving Free 

Inquiry, Transparency, and 

Accountability at Colleges and 

Universities (E.O. 13864) (2 CFR 

200.300, 200.303, 200.339, and 

200.341); 

(d) Providing a preference, to the 

extent permitted by law, to maximize 

use of goods, products, and materials 

produced in the United States (2 CFR 

200.322); and 

(e) Terminating agreements in whole 

or in part to the greatest extent 

authorized by law if an award no longer 

effectuates the program goals or agency 

priorities (2 CFR 200.340). 

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); or we may send you an email 

containing a link to access an electronic 

version of your 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. Open Licensing Requirements: 

Unless an exception applies, if you are 

awarded a grant under this competition, 

you will be required to openly license 

to the public grant deliverables created 

in whole, or in part, with Department 

grant funds. When the deliverable 

consists of modifications to pre-existing 

works, the license extends only to those 

modifications that can be separately 

identified and only to the extent that 

open licensing is permitted under the 

terms of any licenses or other legal 

restrictions on the use of pre-existing 

works. Additionally, a grantee that is 

awarded competitive grant funds must 

have a plan to disseminate these public 

grant deliverables. This dissemination 

plan can be developed and submitted 

after your application has been 

reviewed and selected for funding. For 

additional information on the open 

licensing requirements please refer to 2 

CFR 3474.20. 

4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a 

grant under this competition, you must 

ensure that you have in place the 

necessary processes and systems to 

comply with the reporting requirements 

in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive 

funding under the competition. This 

does not apply if you have an exception 

under 2 CFR 170.110(b). 

(b) 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 multiyear award, you must 

submit an annual performance report 

that provides the most current 

performance and financial expenditure 

information as directed by the Secretary 

under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary 

may also require more frequent 

performance reports under 34 CFR 

75.720(c). For specific requirements on 

reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/ 

fund/grant/apply/appforms/ 

appforms.html. 

5. Performance Measures: For the 

purposes of the Government 

Performance and Results Act of 1993 

(GPRA) and reporting under 34 CFR 

75.110, we have established a set of 

performance measures, including longterm measures, that are designed to 

yield information on various aspects of 

the effectiveness and quality of the 

Technical Assistance and Dissemination 

to Improve Services and Results for 

Children with Disabilities program. 

These measures are: 

• Program Performance Measure 1: 

The percentage of technical assistance 

and dissemination products and 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 37 / Friday, February 26, 2021 / Notices 11759 

services deemed to be of high quality by 

an independent review panel of experts 

qualified to review the substantive 

content of the products and services. 

• Program Performance Measure 2: 

The percentage of special education 

technical assistance and dissemination 

products and services deemed by an 

independent review panel of qualified 

experts to be of high relevance to 

educational and early intervention 

policy or practice. 

• Program Performance Measure 3: 

The percentage of all special education 

technical assistance and dissemination 

products and services deemed by an 

independent review panel of qualified 

experts to be useful in improving 

educational or early intervention policy 

or practice. 

• Program Performance Measure 4: 

The cost efficiency of the Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination to 

Improve Services and Results for 

Children with Disabilities program 

includes the percentage of milestones 

achieved in the current annual 

performance report period and the 

percentage of funds spent during the 

current fiscal year. 

• Long-term Program Performance 

Measure: The percentage of States 

receiving special education technical 

assistance and dissemination services 

regarding scientifically or evidencebased practices for infants, toddlers, 

children, and youth with disabilities 

that successfully promote the 

implementation of those practices in 

school districts and service agencies. 

The measures apply to projects 

funded under this competition, and 

grantees are required to submit data on 

these measures as directed by OSEP. 

Grantees will be required to report 

information on their project’s 

performance in annual and final 

performance reports to the Department 

(34 CFR 75.590). 

The Department will also closely 

monitor the extent to which the 

products and services provided by the 

Center meet needs identified by 

stakeholders and may require the Center 

to report on such alignment in their 

annual and final performance reports. 

6. Continuation Awards: In making a 

continuation award under 34 CFR 

75.253, the Secretary considers, among 

other things: Whether a grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the goals and objectives of the project; 

whether the grantee has expended funds 

in a manner that is consistent with its 

approved application and budget; and, 

if the Secretary has established 

performance measurement 

requirements, the performance targets in 

the grantee’s approved application. 

In making a continuation award, the 

Secretary also considers whether the 

grantee is operating in compliance with 

the assurances in its approved 

application, including those applicable 

to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit 

discrimination in programs or activities 

receiving Federal financial assistance 

from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 

104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). 

VII. Other Information 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 

individuals with disabilities can obtain 

this document and a copy of the 

application package in an accessible 

format. The Department will provide the 

requestor with an accessible format that 

may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or 

text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 

file, braille, large print, audiotape, or 

compact disc, or other accessible format. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. You may access the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the 

Code of Federal Regulations at 

www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can 

view this document, as well as all other 

documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Portable Document Format 

(PDF). To use PDF you must have 

Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at the site. 

You may also access documents of the 

Department published in the Federal 

Register by using the article search 

feature at www.federalregister.gov. 

Specifically, through the advanced 

search feature at this site, you can limit 

your search to documents published by 

the Department. 

David Cantrell, 

Deputy Director, Office of Special Education 

Programs. Delegated the authority to perform 

the functions and duties of the Assistant 

Secretary for the Office of Special Education 

and Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. 2021–03971 Filed 2–25–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. ER21–1176–000] 

Delta Edge Solar, LLC; Supplemental 

Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate 

Filing Includes Request for Blanket 

Section 204 Authorization 

This is a supplemental notice in the 

above-referenced proceeding of Delta 

Edge Solar, LLC’s application for 

market-based rate authority, with an 

accompanying rate tariff, noting that 

such application includes a request for 

blanket authorization, under 18 CFR 

part 34, of future issuances of securities 

and assumptions of liability. 

Any person desiring to intervene or to 

protest should file with the Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 

First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, 

in accordance with Rules 211 and 214 

of the Commission’s Rules of Practice 

and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and 

385.214). Anyone filing a motion to 

intervene or protest must serve a copy 

of that document on the Applicant. 

Notice is hereby given that the 

deadline for filing protests with regard 

to the applicant’s request for blanket 

authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of 

future issuances of securities and 

assumptions of liability, is March 15, 

2021. 

The Commission encourages 

electronic submission of protests and 

interventions in lieu of paper, using the 

FERC Online links at http://

www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic 

service, persons with internet access 

who will eFile a document and/or be 

listed as a contact for an intervenor 

must create and validate an 

eRegistration account using the 

eRegistration link. Select the eFiling 

link to log on and submit the 

intervention or protests. 

Persons unable to file electronically 

may mail similar pleadings to the 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 

888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 

20426. Hand delivered submissions in 

docketed proceedings should be 

delivered to Health and Human 

Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, 

Rockville, Maryland 20852. 

In addition to publishing the full text 

of this document in the Federal 

Register, the Commission provides all 

interested persons an opportunity to 

view and/or print the contents of this 

document via the internet through the 

Commission’s Home Page (http://

www.ferc.gov) using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. 

Enter the docket number excluding the 

last three digits in the docket number 

field to access the document. At this 

time, the Commission has suspended 

access to the Commission’s Public 

Reference Room, due to the 

proclamation declaring a National 

Emergency concerning the Novel 

Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19), issued 

by the President on March 13, 2020. For 

assistance, contact the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission at 

FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call 

toll-free, (886) 208–3676 or TYY, (202) 

502–8659. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES