48814 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 153 / Tuesday, August 9, 2011 / Notices 

mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed 

to 202–401–0920. Please specify the 

complete title of the information 

collection and OMB Control Number 

when making your request. 

Individuals who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877– 

8339. 

[FR Doc. 2011–20198 Filed 8–8–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Postsecondary Education Center for 

Individuals Who Are Deaf 

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Overview Information: 

Technical Assistance and 

Dissemination to Improve Services and 

Results for Children with Disabilities 

(TA&D); Personnel Development to 

Improve Services and Results for 

Children with Disabilities (Personnel 

Development); and Technology and 

Media Services for Individuals with 

Disabilities (T&M Services) Programs— 

Postsecondary Education Center for 

Individuals who are Deaf 

Notice inviting applications for new 

awards for fiscal year (FY) 2011. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

(CFDA) Number: 84.326D. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: August 9, 

2011. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: September 8, 2011. 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Programs: Funding from 

three programs—the TA&D, the 

Personnel Development, and the T&M 

Services Programs—supports this 

competition. 

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 Personnel Development Program: 

(1) Helps address State-identified needs 

for highly qualified personnel—in 

special education, related services, early 

intervention, and regular education—to 

work with children with disabilities and 

(2) ensures 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 T&M Services Program: 

(1) Improves results for children with 

disabilities by promoting the 

development, demonstration, and use of 

technology, (2) supports educational 

media services activities designed to be 

of educational value in the classroom 

setting to children with disabilities, and 

(3) provides support for captioning and 

video description that is appropriate for 

use in the classroom setting. 

Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 

75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority is from 

allowable activities specified in the 

statute or otherwise authorized in the 

statute (see sections 662(c)(2), 

663(c)(8)(C), 674(b), and 681(d)of the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education 

Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. 1463 and 

1481(d)). 

Absolute Priority: For FY 2011 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards based on the list of unfunded 

applicants 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: 

Postsecondary Education Center for 

Individuals who are Deaf 84.326D 

Background: 

Individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing have unique communication 

and language barriers that require a 

range of accommodations for success in 

postsecondary education settings. 

Research, policy, and practice suggest 

that decisions about accommodations 

should be made on an individual basis 

(Marschark, 2001; U.S. Department of 

Education, 2005). For example, different 

accommodations are needed for a 

student who has hearing aids, a student 

who has 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 (Marschark, 2001). It is 

important that postsecondary 

institutions be well-informed about the 

various accommodations that may be 

appropriate for students who are deaf or 

hard of hearing, such as oral 

transliteration services, cued language 

transliteration services, sign language 

transliteration, and interpreting and 

transcription services. 

To address the needs of these 

students, section 682(d)(1)(B) of IDEA 

requires that the Secretary ensure that, 

for each fiscal year, not less than 

$4,000,000 is provided to address the 

postsecondary, vocational, technical, 

continuing, and adult education needs 

of individuals with deafness. Pursuant 

to this requirement, the Department’s 

Office of Special Education Programs 

(OSEP) has previously funded four 

regional centers to assist postsecondary 

institutions in more effectively 

addressing the postsecondary, 

vocational, technical, continuing, and 

adult education needs of individuals 

who are deaf or hard of hearing. These 

centers have served collectively as the 

Postsecondary Education Programs 

Network (PEPNet). While PEPNet’s 

project period is scheduled to end on 

September 30, 2011, institutions of 

higher education (IHEs) continue to 

need assistance to support this 

population. For more information about 

PEPNet, see http://www.pepnet.org. 

In addition to the funding required 

under section 682(d)(1)(B) of IDEA, 

section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 

1973 (Section 504) and the Americans 

with Disabilities Act of 1990, as 

amended (ADA) outline postsecondary 

institutions’ obligations to ensure they 

do not discriminate on the basis of 

disability, including in their provision 

of academic adjustments and auxiliary 

aids and services for students with 

disabilities (34 CFR 104.44; 28 CFR 

35.160–164; 28 CFR 36.303). Current 

statistics show that many individuals 

who are deaf or hard of hearing are 

enrolling in mainstream postsecondary 

institutions (Raue & Lewis, 2011). Given 

the numbers of students enrolling in 

mainstream postsecondary institutions, 

and considering the various types of 

accommodations that may be necessary 

to serve this low-incidence population, 

it is paramount that personnel at these 

postsecondary institutions have the 

knowledge and skills needed to provide 

fully accessible learning experiences for 

students who are deaf or hard of hearing 

(Lang, 2002). For example, personnel 

must be skilled at helping to determine 

the appropriate type of interpreting 

services for a particular student’s needs. 

Personnel must also be knowledgeable 

about other services from which the 

student may benefit (e.g., captioning or 

note-taking) and the availability of 

newer technology, such as live textcaptioning technologies (e.g., C–Print or 

Computer Assisted Realtime 

Translation) and assistive listening 

devices, that are effective 

accommodations for students who are 

deaf or hard of hearing (Cawthon, 

Nichols, & Collier, 2009). Given the fast 

pace of emerging technology, it is 

particularly important for personnel to 


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1 In this study, employment skills included jobseeking skills, work adjustment skills (e.g., work 

schedules and deadlines, job-related reading and 

math), and job-related social and interpersonal 

skills. Independent living skills included money 

management skills, health- and home-related skills, 

and community awareness (e.g., use of public 

transportation, effective communication) (Luft and 

Huff, 2011). 

2The National Agenda is an education initiative 

based on a set of priorities that are stated as goals 

and that are designed to bring about significant 

improvement in the quality and nature of 

educational services and programs for deaf and 

hard of hearing students. The National Agenda was 

developed by a coalition of parent, consumer, 

professional, and advocacy organizations involved 

in the education of children who are deaf and hard 

of hearing, and working to develop an effective, 

communication and language-driven educational 

delivery system for children. The following Web 

sites provide more information on the National 

Agenda: http://www.ndepnow.org/agenda/ 

agenda.htm or http://http://www.pepnet.org/ 

2011Summit.asp 

have access to the information needed 

to stay current in this area. 

In addition, there are deaf or hard of 

hearing students who are not collegebound and who need to develop their 

basic skills to prepare to enter job 

training programs or matriculate to 

other postsecondary education 

programs. Researchers examined the 

transition strengths and needs of 53 

middle and high school students who 

were deaf or hard of hearing and found 

substantial deficits in employment and 

independent living skills 1 (Luft and 

Huff, 2011). Individuals who are deaf or 

hard of hearing need access to a wide 

variety of institutions or programs that 

provide postsecondary educational 

opportunities to address these needs. 

These postsecondary educational 

opportunities may be provided by 

postsecondary institutions and other 

relevant organizations and public 

agencies such as secondary schools, 

vocational rehabilitation agencies, 

community service agencies, centers for 

independent living, and one stop 

centers funded under the Workforce 

Investment Act. 

To help bring about significant 

improvement in the quality of services 

for students who are deaf or hard of 

hearing and to improve educational 

outcomes, a national agenda was 

developed by a coalition of parent, 

consumer, professional, and advocacy 

organizations involved in the education 

of children who are deaf or hard of 

hearing. This national agenda, called 

Moving Forward on Achieving 

Educational Equality for Deaf and Hard 

of Hearing Students (National Agenda),2

is currently underway and its focus is 

on helping State educational agencies 

(SEAs), local educational agencies 

(LEAs), postsecondary institutions, and 

their partners identify and implement 

strategies to significantly improve the 

quality and nature of educational 

programs and services for students who 

are deaf or hard of hearing (Muller, 

2005; National Agenda, 2005; NASDSE, 

2006; National State Leaders’ Summit, 

2010). For the past several years, 

through this National Agenda, State 

teams comprised of parents and 

representatives from SEAs, LEAs, State 

(or other) special schools and programs 

for the deaf, postsecondary institutions, 

early childhood deaf education, and 

others have met annually for a National 

State Leaders Summit to learn about 

effective strategies and develop State 

plans for improving outcomes for 

children and youth who are deaf or hard 

of hearing. The National Agenda 

encourages State teams to focus on goals 

and practices that will help support 

postsecondary access and completion 

for deaf or hard of hearing students. 

These practices include establishing 

collaborative partnerships among 

diverse agencies to improve 

coordination of services, making 

technology available to support 

educational access, and preparing 

personnel to meet the needs of a diverse 

population of deaf or hard of hearing 

students. The Department intends to 

build on these efforts by providing TA 

to State teams, including representatives 

from postsecondary institutions, to 

address the postsecondary, vocational, 

technical, continuing, and adult 

education needs of individuals who are 

deaf or hard of hearing. 

Consistent with the Department’s 

priority to increase all students’ 

postsecondary success, the Department 

seeks to support postsecondary 

institutions, working with other relevant 

organizations and public agencies, in 

increasing the number and proportion of 

students who are deaf or hard of hearing 

who attend, persist in, and complete 

college or other postsecondary 

education and training (U.S. Department 

of Education, 2010b). 

Priority: 

The purpose of this priority is to 

support a Postsecondary Education 

Center for Individuals who are Deaf 

(Center) that will support postsecondary 

institutions, working with other relevant 

organizations and public agencies, to 

more effectively address the 

postsecondary, vocational, technical, 

continuing, and adult education needs 

of individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing, including those who are deaf or 

hard of hearing with co-occurring 

disabilities such as learning and 

emotional disabilities, so that a greater 

number and proportion of these 

students persist in and complete college 

or other postsecondary education and 

training. The Center will: (1) Provide 

postsecondary institutions and other 

relevant organizations and public 

agencies with technical assistance on 

programs, practices, and activities that 

postsecondary institutions could use to 

improve the completion and persistence 

of students who are deaf or hard of 

hearing; (2) provide professional 

development opportunities through 

local, State, regional, and national inperson or online trainings to 

postsecondary educators and other 

individuals who provide educational 

services to postsecondary students who 

are deaf; and (3) provide training and 

information about how postsecondary 

institutions and other relevant 

organizations and public agencies can 

utilize technology to provide and 

promote access and accommodations for 

individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing. 

To be considered eligible for funding 

under this absolute priority, applicants 

must meet the application requirements 

contained in this priority. Any project 

funded under this absolute priority also 

must meet the programmatic and 

administrative requirements specified in 

the priority. 

Application Requirements. An 

applicant must include in its 

application— 

(a) A logic model that depicts, at a 

minimum, the goals, activities, outputs, 

and outcomes of the proposed Center. A 

logic model communicates how the 

Center will achieve its outcomes and 

provides a framework for both the 

formative and summative evaluations of 

the Center; 

Note: The following Web sites provide 

more information on logic models: http:// 

www.researchutilization.org/matrix/ 

logicmodel_resource3c.html and http:// 

www.tadnet.org/model_and_performance. 

(b) A plan to implement the activities 

described in the Project Activities 

section of this priority; 

(c) A plan, linked to the proposed 

project’s logic model, for a formative 

evaluation of the proposed project’s 

activities. The plan must describe how 

the formative evaluation will use clear 

performance objectives to ensure 

continuous improvement in the 

operation of the proposed project, 

including objective measures of progress 

in implementing the project and 

ensuring the quality of products and 

services; 

(d) A budget for a summative 

evaluation to be conducted by an 

independent third party; 

(e) A budget for attendance at the 

following: 

(1) A one and one half day kick-off 

meeting to be held in Washington, DC, 


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within four weeks after receipt of the 

award, and an annual two-day planning 

meeting held in Washington, DC, with 

the OSEP Project Officer during each 

subsequent year of the project period. 

(2) A three-day Project Directors’ 

Conference in Washington, DC, during 

each year of the project period. 

(3) A three-day Technical Assistance 

and Dissemination Conference in 

Washington, DC, during each year of the 

project period. 

(4) A minimum of two two-day trips 

annually to attend Department briefings, 

Department-sponsored conferences, and 

other meetings, as requested by OSEP. 

(f) A line item in the proposed budget 

for an annual set-aside of 5 percent of 

the grant amount to support emerging 

needs that are consistent with the 

proposed project’s activities, as those 

needs are identified in consultation 

with OSEP. 

Note: With approval from the OSEP Project 

Officer, the Center must reallocate any 

remaining funds from this annual set-aside 

no later than the end of the third quarter of 

each budget period. 

(g) A description of both the process 

and the selection criteria that the Center 

will use to identify the recipients of the 

needs assessments and subsequent TA 

described under sections (a) and (b) of 

each of the Project Activities sections of 

this notice (TA&D Project Activities, 

Personnel Development Project 

Activities, T&M Services Project 

Activities). The Center must obtain 

approval from OSEP before finalizing 

the selection criteria and making the 

final selection of the recipients. 

Project Activities. To meet the 

requirements of this priority, the Center 

at a minimum, must conduct the 

following project activities: TA&D 

Project Activities, Personnel 

Development Project Activities, and 

T&M Services Project Activities. 

TA&D Project Activities (Consistent 

with section 663(c)(8)(C) of IDEA). 

(a) Conduct assessments, including 

examining student outcome data, to 

determine current TA needs of 

postsecondary institutions related to 

meeting the postsecondary, vocational, 

technical, continuing, and adult 

education needs of individuals who are 

deaf or hard of hearing. Such 

assessments must identify the needs of 

postsecondary institutions related to 

enrolling, retaining, and instructing 

students who are deaf or hard of hearing 

and addressing the varying 

communication needs of, and methods 

used by, individuals who are deaf or 

hard of hearing, such as oral 

transliteration services, cued language 

transliteration services, sign language 

transliteration and interpreting services, 

and transcription services. In its 

application, an applicant must describe 

both the process and the selection 

criteria that the Center will use to 

identify the institutions that will receive 

the needs assessment and subsequent 

TA. The Center must obtain approval 

from OSEP before finalizing the 

selection criteria and making the final 

selection of institutions. 

(b) Provide TA to postsecondary 

institutions to address the needs 

identified in assessments conducted 

under paragraph (a) of these TA&D 

Project Activities. This TA must— 

(1) Be designed to enhance access to 

college or other postsecondary 

education and training by individuals 

who are deaf or hard of hearing; 

(2) Address the needs of individuals 

who are deaf or hard of hearing to 

improve their persistence and 

completion in postsecondary education 

by implementing practices, strategies, or 

programs that improve student learning 

outcomes, reduce time to degree, reduce 

instructional costs, or other activities as 

appropriate; 

(3) Provide information on how to use 

data to improve postsecondary student 

outcomes relating to enrollment, 

persistence, and completion, and 

leading to career success. 

(c) Provide TA on request to other 

relevant organizations and public 

agencies working with postsecondary 

institutions to increase the number and 

proportion of individuals who are deaf 

or hard of hearing who enroll in, persist 

in, and complete postsecondary 

education. Other relevant organizations 

and public agencies may include SEAs, 

vocational rehabilitation agencies, 

community service agencies, centers for 

independent living, and one stop 

centers funded under the Workforce 

Investment Act. The TA provided under 

this paragraph (c) must focus on: 

(1) Students who are deaf or hard of 

hearing, including those who are deaf or 

hard of hearing with co-occurring 

disabilities such as learning or 

emotional disabilities, who are 

transitioning from secondary to 

postsecondary, vocational, technical, 

continuing, adult education, the 

workforce, and the community. 

(2) Assisting postsecondary 

institutions to meet their 

responsibilities under Federal laws, 

including Section 504 and the ADA, 

with respect to students who are deaf or 

hard of hearing. 

(3) Developing and implementing 

effective procedures for providing 

postsecondary educational supports to 

students who are deaf or hard of 

hearing, including by encouraging the 

use of cooperative arrangements among 

postsecondary institutions and other 

service providers, such as public and 

private community service providers 

that may address the educational, 

remedial, support services, transitional, 

independent living, and employment 

needs of individuals who are deaf or 

hard of hearing. The Center may also 

address the transition of these students 

from postsecondary institutions to 

independent living and employment. 

(4) Assisting teams of other relevant 

organizations and appropriate public 

agencies, including postsecondary 

institutions, working on State plans or 

other strategies to address the 

postsecondary, vocational, technical, 

continuing, and adult education needs 

of individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing. 

(d) Make information available to 

individuals who are deaf or hard of 

hearing, parents of students who are 

deaf or hard of hearing, secondary 

schools, and postsecondary institutions 

on the availability of resources (e.g., 

different kinds of accommodations, 

financial, support services) to support 

students who are deaf or hard of hearing 

in completing their postsecondary 

education. 

(e) Incorporate the effective use of 

technology (e.g., webinars, online 

instruction) in the delivery of TA to 

improve productivity and efficiency of 

these activities. 

Personnel Development Project 

Activities (Consistent With section 

662(c)(2) of IDEA) 

(a) Conduct assessments, including 

examining student outcome data, of the 

personnel development training needs 

of postsecondary, vocational, and adult 

education professional and support staff 

who provide transitional or 

postsecondary educational services to 

students who are deaf or hard of 

hearing. 

(b) Provide interdisciplinary training 

to postsecondary educators, guidance 

counselors, interpreters, speech 

pathologists, audiologists, social 

workers, rehabilitation counselors, and 

other staff that addresses the needs 

identified in the assessments conducted 

under paragraph (a) of these Personnel 

Development Project Activities and that 

will contribute to improvements in 

transitional and postsecondary 

educational results for students who are 

deaf or hard of hearing. This training 

must include information on— 

(1) How to use data to improve 

practice and student outcomes; and 

(2) Evidence-based practices that 

address the postsecondary, vocational, 

technical, continuing, and adult 


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education needs of individuals who are 

deaf or hard of hearing. 

(c) Provide professional development 

opportunities through local, State, 

regional, and national in-person or 

online trainings on key topics (e.g., 

orientation to deafness; deafness and 

English proficiency status; deafness and 

co-occurring disabilities; how to use 

data to improve instructional practices) 

to postsecondary educators and other 

individuals who provide postsecondary 

services to students who are deaf or 

hard of hearing. 

(d) Incorporate the effective use of 

technology (e.g., webinars, online 

instruction) in the delivery of training to 

improve the productivity and efficiency 

of the Center and to ensure that the 

Center supports a broad audience. 

T&M Services Project Activities 

(Consistent with section 674(b) and (c) 

of IDEA). 

(a) Conduct assessments, including 

examining student outcome data, to 

determine the accessible technology and 

media needs of postsecondary, 

vocational, and adult education 

programs related to— 

(1) Enrolling, retaining, and 

instructing students who are deaf or 

hard of hearing; and 

(2) Addressing the varying 

communication needs of and methods 

used by individuals who are deaf or 

hard of hearing. 

(b) Provide TA to administrators, 

faculty, and support staff at 

postsecondary institutions to address 

the needs identified in assessments 

conducted under paragraph (a) of these 

T&M Services Project Activities. This 

TA must— 

(1) Be designed to enhance access to, 

and completion of, college or other 

postsecondary education and training 

by individuals who are deaf; 

(2) Provide information, technological 

support, and in-service training, as 

needed, to personnel at postsecondary 

institutions who provide services to 

students who are deaf or hard of 

hearing; 

(3) Train personnel in the innovative 

uses and applications of technology, 

including universally designed 

technologies, assistive technology 

devices, and accessible media formats; 

and 

(4) Train personnel on developing and 

implementing effective procedures for 

providing educational technology and 

media supports to postsecondary 

students who are deaf or hard of 

hearing. 

(c) Provide information on how 

postsecondary institutions can use 

technology to meet their responsibilities 

under Federal laws, including the ADA 

and Section 504, to provide access to 

college or other postsecondary 

education and training, and to provide 

accommodations to individuals who are 

deaf or hard of hearing. 

Leadership and Coordination 

Activities. In addition to the activities 

conducted under the Project Activities 

section of this priority, the Center 

must— 

(a) Maintain a Web site that meets 

government or industry-recognized 

standards for accessibility and that links 

to the Web site operated by the 

Technical Assistance Coordination 

Center (TACC). 

(b) Establish and maintain an advisory 

committee to review the activities and 

outcomes of the Center and provide 

programmatic support and advice 

throughout the project period. At a 

minimum, the advisory committee must 

meet on an annual basis in Washington, 

DC, and consist of representatives from 

SEAs, LEAs, school administrators, 

individuals who are deaf, educators, 

parents of individuals who are deaf, 

vocational rehabilitation agencies, 

community service agencies, centers for 

independent living, one stop centers 

funded under the Workforce Investment 

Act, postsecondary institutions, and 

service providers who work with 

transitioning youth and adults who are 

deaf. The Center must submit the names 

of proposed members of the advisory 

committee to OSEP for approval within 

eight weeks after receipt of the award. 

(c) Prepare and disseminate reports, 

documents, and other materials on 

appropriate accommodations in 

postsecondary institutions, how to 

prepare students who are deaf or hard 

of hearing to be college and career 

ready, and related topics as requested by 

OSEP. The reports must identify 

effective evidence-based practices as 

well as areas that would benefit, 

through additional research, from 

improved levels of evidence for specific 

practices. In consultation with the OSEP 

Project Officer, the Center must make 

selected reports, documents, and other 

materials available for parents, 

educators, service providers, members 

of professional organizations and 

advocacy groups, researchers, and 

others, as appropriate. 

(d) Communicate and collaborate, on 

an ongoing basis and as appropriate, 

with OSEP-funded projects, such as the 

Parent Training and Information 

Centers, the National Secondary 

Transition Technical Assistance Center, 

the National High School Center (jointly 

funded with the Office of Elementary 

and Secondary Education), the National 

Center on Deaf-Blindness, the Regional 

Resource Centers, the Center for 

Implementing Technology in Education, 

the Family Center on Technology and 

Disability, and OSEP-funded projects 

that focus on training personnel to serve 

students with low incidence disabilities. 

In addition, communicate and 

collaborate, on an ongoing basis and as 

appropriate, with related projects 

funded by the Rehabilitation Services 

Administration, the National Institute 

on Disability and Rehabilitation 

Research, the Institute of Education 

Sciences, and the Office of Vocational 

and Adult Education. This collaboration 

could include the joint development of 

products, the coordination of TA 

services, and the planning and carrying 

out of TA meetings and events. 

(e) Host an annual National State 

Systems Change Summit with 

representatives from the SEAs, LEAs, 

State schools, parent organizations, 

postsecondary institutions, vocational 

rehabilitation agencies, community 

service agencies, centers for 

independent living, and one stop 

centers funded under the Workforce 

Investment Act, service providers who 

work with transitioning youth and 

adults who are deaf or hard of hearing, 

and other stakeholders. The National 

State Systems Change Summit may be 

held in conjunction with other national 

conferences such as the annual National 

State Leaders’ Summit. The summit 

must— 

(1) Provide, and enable the exchange 

of, information on establishing and 

implementing strategies to improve 

educational programs and services for 

postsecondary students who are deaf or 

hard of hearing, and to increase the 

number and proportion of these 

students who persist in and complete 

college or other postsecondary 

education and training. 

(2) Facilitate collaborative planning 

and implementation among 

stakeholders to address identified needs 

of postsecondary institutions in the 

State related to enrolling, retaining, 

instructing, and graduating students 

who are deaf or hard of hearing. 

(f) Participate in, organize, or facilitate 

communities of practice if they align 

with the needs of the Center’s target 

audience. Communities of practice must 

align with the Center’s objectives to 

support discussions and collaboration 

among key stakeholders. 

Note: The following Web site provides 

more information on communities of 

practice: http://www.tadnet.org/ 

communities. 

(g) Prior to developing any new 

product, submit a proposal for the 

product to the TACC database for 

approval from the OSEP Project Officer. 


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48818 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 153 / Tuesday, August 9, 2011 / Notices 

The development of new products must 

be consistent with the product 

definition and guidelines posted on the 

TACC Web site (http://www.tadnet.org). 

(h) Maintain ongoing communication 

with the OSEP Project Officer through 

monthly phone conversations and email communication, as needed. 

Extending the Project for a Fourth and 

Fifth Year 

The Secretary may extend the project 

period of the Center for up to two 

additional years beyond its original 

project period of 36 months if the 

grantee is achieving the intended 

outcomes of the grant, shows 

improvement against baseline measures 

on performance indicators, and is 

making a positive contribution to 

practices and improved services that 

address the postsecondary, vocational, 

technical, continuing, and adult 

education needs of individuals who are 

deaf or hard of hearing, including those 

who are deaf or hard of hearing with cooccurring disabilities (e.g., learning or 

emotional disabilities), so that a greater 

number of students with deafness will 

complete their postsecondary education. 

References: 

Cawthon, S. W., Nichols, S. K., & 

Collier, M. (2009). Facilitating access: 

What Information do Texas 

postsecondary institutions provide on 

accommodations and services for 

students who are deaf or hard of 

hearing? American Annals of the 

Deaf, 155 (5), 450–460. 

Lang, H. G. (2002). Higher education for 

deaf students: Research priorities in 

the new millennium. Journal of Deaf 

Studies and Deaf Education, 7 (4), 

267–280. 

Luft, P., and Huff, K. (2011). How 

prepared are transition-age deaf and 

hard of hearing students for adult 

living? Results of the Transition 

Competence Battery. American 

Annals of the Deaf. 155 (5), 569–579. 

Marschark, M. (2001). Language 

development in children who are 

deaf: A research synthesis. 

Alexandria, VA: National Association 

of State Directors of Special 

Education. (http://www.nasdse.org) 

Mu ̈ller, E. (2005). Deaf and hard of 

hearing: State infrastructures and 

programs. Alexandria, VA: National 

Association of State Directors of 

Special Education, Project Forum. 

Retrieved February 17, 2011 from 

http://www.projectforum.org/ 

documentsearch.cfm 

NASDSE, (2006). Meeting the needs of 

students who are deaf or hard of 

hearing: Educational services 

guidelines. Alexandria, VA: National 

Association of State Directors of 

Special Education. (http:// 

www.nasdse.org). 

National Agenda: Moving Forward on 

Achieving Educational Equality for 

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students, 

(2005). Retrieved February 17, 2011 

from http://www.ndepnow.org/ 

agenda/agenda.htm 

National State Leaders’ Summit on Deaf 

Education, (2010). (http:// 

www.pepnet.org). 

Raue, K., and Lewis, L. (2011). Students 

with Disabilities at Degree-Granting 

Postsecondary Institutions (NCES 

2011–018). National Center for 

Education Statistics, Institute of 

Education Sciences, U.S. Department 

of Education. Washington, DC. 

U.S. Department of Education, Office for 

Civil Rights. (1998). Auxiliary aids 

and services for post-secondary 

students with disabilities: Higher 

education’s obligations under section 

504 and title II of the ADA, 

Washington, DC, 2010. Retrieved 

February 17, 2011 from http:// 

www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/ 

publications.html#Section504. 

U.S. Department of Education, Office for 

Civil Rights. (2005). Deaf Students 

Education Services. Retrieved 

December 13, 2010 from http:// 

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

docs/hq9806.html. 

U.S. Department of Education, Office for 

Civil Rights (2007). Transition of 

students with disabilities to 

postsecondary education: A guide for 

high school educators, Washington, 

DC, Retrieved February 17, 2011 from 

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ 

ocr/transitionguide.html. 

U.S. Department of Education, National 

Center for Education Statistics 

(2010a), 2003–04 Beginning 

Postsecondary Students Longitudinal 

Study, Second Follow-up (BPS:04/ 

09). Computation by NCES 

PowerStats Version 1.0 on 12/4/2010; 

revised on December 17, 2010. 

U.S. Department of Education (2010). 

Supplemental Priorities for 

Discretionary Grant Programs. Federal 

Register 75 (15 December 2010): 

78486–78511. Print 

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 priority in this 

notice. 

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

1474, 1481, and 1482. 

Applicable Regulations: The 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 

34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 

84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 

apply to all applicants except federally 

recognized Indian tribes. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 

apply to IHEs only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

agreement. 

Estimated Available Funds: Three 

programs plan to make available a total 

of an estimated $4,000,000 for this 

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

Program; $1,700,000 from the Personnel 

Development Program; and $1,000,000 

from the T&M Program. 

Estimated Average Size of Award: 

$4,000,000. 

Note: In each budget period of 12 months 

$1,300,000 must be budgeted for the 

activities described under Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination Activities 

(Consistent with section 663(c)(8)(C) of 

IDEA); $1,700,000 must be budgeted for the 

activities described under Personnel 

Development Activities (Consistent with 

section 662(c)(2) of IDEA); and $1,000,000 

must be budgeted for the activities described 

under T&M Services Activities (Consistent 

with section 674(b) of IDEA). The Assistant 

Secretary for Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services may change these 

maximum amounts through a notice 

published in the Federal Register. 

Maximum Awards: We will reject any 

application that proposes a total budget 

exceeding $4,000,000 or the individual 

program budget amounts for the 

designated activities described in the 

note under the Estimated Average Size 

of Award section of this notice for a 

single budget period of 12 months. The 

Assistant Secretary for Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services 

may change any of these maximum 

amounts through a notice published in 

the Federal Register. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 1. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 36 months with 

an optional additional 24 months based 

on performance. Applications must 

include plans for both the 36 month 

award and the 24 month extension. 

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; outlying areas; freely 

associated States; Indian tribes or tribal 

organizations; and for-profit 

organizations. 


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Note: Eligible applicants may form 

consortia that meet the requirements in 34 

CFR 75.127 to 75.129 to apply under this 

competition. The Secretary views the 

formation of consortia as an effective and 

efficient strategy to address the requirements 

of this priority. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This 

competition does not require cost 

sharing or matching. 

3. Other: General Requirements—(a) 

The project funded under this 

competition must make positive efforts 

to employ and advance in employment 

qualified individuals with disabilities 

(see section 606 of IDEA). 

(b) Applicants and the grant recipient 

funded under this competition must 

involve individuals with disabilities or 

parents of individuals with disabilities 

ages birth through 26 in planning, 

implementing, and evaluating the 

projects (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of 

IDEA). 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package: You can obtain an application 

package via the Internet, from the 

Education Publications Center (ED 

Pubs), or from the program office. 

To obtain a copy via the Internet, use 

the following address: http:// 

www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/ 

grantapps/index.html. 

To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, 

fax, or call the following: 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 package 

from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this 

program or competition as follows: 

CFDA number 84.326D. 

To obtain a copy from the program 

office, contact the person listed under 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in 

section VII of this notice. 

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 the 

application narrative to the equivalent 

of no more than 70 pages, using the 

following standards: 

• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5′′ x 11′′, on one side 

only, with 1′′ margins 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. 

• Use a font that is either 12 point or 

larger or no smaller than 10 pitch 

(characters per inch). 

• Use one of the following fonts: 

Times New Roman, Courier, Courier 

New, or Arial. An application submitted 

in any other font (including Times 

Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be 

accepted. 

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, the page limit does apply to 

all of the application narrative section 

(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: August 9, 

2011. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: September 8, 2011. 

Applications for grants under this 

competition may be submitted 

electronically using the Grants.gov 

Apply site (Grants.gov), or in paper 

format by mail or hand delivery. For 

information (including dates and times) 

about how to submit your application 

electronically, or 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. 

4. 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. 

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, you must— 

a. Have a Data Universal Numbering 

System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer 

Identification Number (TIN); 

b. Register both your DUNS number 

and TIN with the Central Contractor 

Registry (CCR), the Government’s 

primary registrant database; 

c. Provide your DUNS number and 

TIN on your application; and 

d. Maintain an active CCR registration 

with current information while your 

application is under review by the 

Department and, if you are awarded a 

grant, during the project period. 

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. 

In addition, if you are submitting your 

application via Grants.gov, you must (1) 

Be designated by your organization as 

an Authorized Organization 

Representative (AOR); and (2) register 

yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. 

Details on these steps are outlined at the 

following Grants.gov Web page: http:// 

www.grants.gov/applicants/ 

get_registered.jsp). 

7. Other Submission Requirements: 

Applications for grants under this 

competition may be submitted 


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electronically or in paper format by mail 

or hand delivery. 

a. Electronic Submission of 

Applications. 

We are participating as a partner in 

the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply 

site. The Postsecondary Education 

Center for Individuals who are Deaf 

competition, CFDA number 84.326D, is 

included in this project. We request 

your participation in Grants.gov. 

If you choose to submit your 

application electronically, you must use 

the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply 

site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through 

this site, you will be able to download 

a copy of the application package, 

complete it offline, and then upload and 

submit your application. You may not email an electronic copy of a grant 

application to us. 

You may access the electronic grant 

application for the Postsecondary 

Education Center for Individuals who 

are Deaf competition at http:// 

www.Grants.gov. You must search for 

the downloadable application package 

for this competition by the CFDA 

number. Do not include the CFDA 

number’s alpha suffix in your search 

(e.g., search for 84.326, not 84.326D). 

Please note the following: 

• Your participation in Grants.gov is 

voluntary. 

• When you enter the Grants.gov site, 

you will find information about 

submitting an application electronically 

through the site, as well as the hours of 

operation. 

• Applications received by 

Grants.gov are date and time stamped. 

Your application must be fully 

uploaded and submitted and must be 

date and time stamped by the 

Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 

p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 

application deadline date. Except as 

otherwise noted in this section, we will 

not accept your application if it is 

received—that is, date and time 

stamped by the Grants.gov system—after 

4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on 

the application deadline date. We do 

not consider an application that does 

not comply with the deadline 

requirements. When we retrieve your 

application from Grants.gov, we will 

notify you if we are rejecting your 

application because it was date and time 

stamped by the Grants.gov system after 

4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on 

the application deadline date. 

• The amount of time it can take to 

upload an application will vary 

depending on a variety of factors, 

including the size of the application and 

the speed of your Internet connection. 

Therefore, we strongly recommend that 

you do not wait until the application 

deadline date to begin the submission 

process through Grants.gov. 

• You should review and follow the 

Education Submission Procedures for 

submitting an application through 

Grants.gov that are included in the 

application package for this competition 

to ensure that you submit your 

application in a timely manner to the 

Grants.gov system. You can also find the 

Education Submission Procedures 

pertaining to Grants.gov under News 

and Events on the Department’s G5 

system home page at http://www.G5.gov. 

• You will not receive additional 

point value because you submit your 

application in electronic format, nor 

will we penalize you if you submit your 

application in paper format. 

• If you submit your application 

electronically, you must submit all 

documents electronically, including all 

information you typically provide on 

the following forms: 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. 

• If you submit your application 

electronically, you must upload any 

narrative sections and all other 

attachments to your application as files 

in a .PDF (Portable Document) format 

only. If you upload a file type other than 

a .PDF or submit a password-protected 

file, we will not review that material. 

• Your electronic application must 

comply with any page-limit 

requirements described in this notice. 

• After you electronically submit 

your application, you will receive from 

Grants.gov an automatic notification of 

receipt that contains a Grants.gov 

tracking number. (This notification 

indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not 

receipt by the Department.) The 

Department then will retrieve your 

application from Grants.gov and send a 

second notification to you by e-mail. 

This second notification indicates that 

the Department has received your 

application and has assigned your 

application a PR/Award number (an EDspecified identifying number unique to 

your application). 

• We may request that you provide us 

original signatures on forms at a later 

date. 

Application Deadline Date Extension 

in Case of Technical Issues with the 

Grants.gov System: If you are 

experiencing problems submitting your 

application through Grants.gov, please 

contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, 

toll free, at 1–800–518–4726. You must 

obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case 

Number and must keep a record of it. 

If you are prevented from 

electronically submitting your 

application on the application deadline 

date because of technical problems with 

the Grants.gov system, we will grant you 

an extension until 4:30:00 p.m., 

Washington, DC time, the following 

business day to enable you to transmit 

your application electronically or by 

hand delivery. You also may mail your 

application by following the mailing 

instructions described elsewhere in this 

notice. 

If you submit an application after 

4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on 

the application deadline date, please 

contact the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in 

section VII of this notice and provide an 

explanation of the technical problem 

you experienced with Grants.gov, along 

with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case 

Number. We will accept your 

application if we can confirm that a 

technical problem occurred with the 

Grants.gov system and that that problem 

affected your ability to submit your 

application by 4:30:00 p.m., 

Washington, DC time, on the 

application deadline date. The 

Department will contact you after a 

determination is made on whether your 

application will be accepted. 

Note: The extensions to which we 

refer in this section apply only to the 

unavailability of, or technical problems 

with, the Grants.gov system. We will not 

grant you an extension if you failed to 

fully register to submit your application 

to Grants.gov before the application 

deadline date and time or if the 

technical problem you experienced is 

unrelated to the Grants.gov system. 

b. Submission of Paper Applications 

by Mail. 

If you submit your application in 

paper format by mail (through the U.S. 

Postal Service or a commercial carrier), 

you must mail the original and two 

copies of your application, on or before 

the application deadline date, to the 

Department at the following address: 

U.S. Department of Education, 

Application Control Center, Attention: 

(CFDA Number 84.326D), LBJ Basement 

Level 1, 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. 


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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 84.326D), 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 notification within 15 

business days from the application 

deadline date, you should call the U.S. 

Department of Education Application 

Control Center at (202) 245–6288. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this competition are from 34 

CFR 75.210 and are listed in the 

application package. 

2. 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 also 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 of 

Education (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 

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 the 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. 

4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 

74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary may 

impose special 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 34 

CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has 

not fulfilled the conditions of a prior 

grant; or is otherwise not responsible. 

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: (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 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 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 TA&D 

program. These measures focus on the 

extent to which projects provide highquality products and services, the 

relevance of project products and 

services to educational and early 

intervention policy and practice, and 

the use of products and services to 

improve educational and early 

intervention policy and practice. 

Grantees will be required to report 

information on their project’s 

performance in annual reports to the 

Department (34 CFR 75.590). 

5. Continuation Awards: In making a 

continuation award, the Secretary may 

consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the 

extent to which a grantee has made 

‘‘substantial progress toward meeting 

the objectives in its approved 

application.’’ This consideration 

includes the review of a grantee’s 

progress in meeting the targets and 

projected outcomes in its approved 


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1As used here, an IEP is a written statement for 

each child with a disability that is developed, 

reviewed, and revised in a meeting in accordance 

with 34 CFR 300.320 through 300.324 (34 CFR 

300.320(a)). The term IEP Team means a group of 

individuals described in 34 CFR 300.321 that is 

responsible for developing, reviewing, or revising 

an IEP for a child with a disability (34 CFR 300.23). 

An IEP Team includes both parents and school 

officials. Additionally, if a purpose of an IEP Team 

meeting will be the consideration of the 

postsecondary goals for the student and the 

transition services needed to assist the student in 

reaching those goals, the student must be invited to 

attend that meeting (34 CFR 300.321(b)(1)). Also, to 

the extent appropriate, with the consent of the 

parents or a student who has reached the age of 

majority, the public agency must invite a 

representative of any participating agency that is 

likely to be responsible for providing or paying for 

transition services to an IEP Team meeting where 

postsecondary goals and transition services are 

considered (34 CFR 300.321(b)(3)). 

2The term transition services means a 

coordinated set of activities for a child with a 

disability that—(A) Is designed to be within a 

results-oriented process, that is focused on 

improving the academic and functional 

achievement of the child with a disability to 

facilitate the child’s movement from school to postschool activities, including post-secondary 

education, vocational education, integrated 

employment (including supported employment), 

continuing and adult education, adult services, 

independent living, or community participation; (B) 

is based on the individual child’s needs, taking into 

account the child’s strengths, preferences, and 

interests; and (C) includes instruction, related 

services, community experiences, the development 

of employment and other post-school adult living 

objectives, and, when appropriate, acquisition of 

daily living skills and functional vocational 

evaluation. (20 U.S.C. 1401(34)). 

application, and whether the grantee 

has expended funds in a manner that is 

consistent with its approved application 

and budget. In making a continuation 

grant, 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. Agency Contact 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Louise Tripoli, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 

room 4077, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), 

Washington, DC 20202–2550. 

Telephone: (202) 245–7554. 

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) 

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Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 

room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 

20202–2550. Telephone: (202) 245– 

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free, at 1–800–877–8339. 

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Department. 

Dated: August 4, 2011. 

Alexa Posny, 

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. 2011–20180 Filed 8–8–11; 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—Transition to College and 

Careers Center 

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

Overview Information: Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination to 

Improve Services and Results for 

Children with Disabilities—Transition 

to College and Careers Center; Notice 

inviting applications for new awards for 

fiscal year (FY) 2011. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

(CFDA) Number: 84.326J. 

Dates: Applications Available: August 

9, 2011. Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: September 8, 2011. 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The purpose of 

the Technical Assistance and 

Dissemination to Improve Services and 

Results for Children with Disabilities 

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. 

Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 

75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority is from 

allowable activities specified in the 

statute or otherwise authorized in the 

statute (see sections 663 and 681(d) of 

the Individuals with Disabilities 

Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. 1463 

and 1481(d)). 

Absolute Priority: For FY 2011 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards based on the list of unfunded 

applicants 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: 

Technical Assistance and Dissemination 

To Improve Services and Results for 

Children With Disabilities—Transition 

to College and Careers Center 

Background: 

The Department is committed to the 

goal of ensuring that every child is on 

track to graduate from high school with 

the knowledge and skills needed for 

success in college and careers. Under 

Part B of IDEA, State educational 

agencies (SEAs) and local educational 

agencies (LEAs) must ensure that the 

individualized education programs 

(IEPs) of children with disabilities who 

turn 16, or younger if determined 

appropriate by the IEP Team,1 include 

appropriate, measurable postsecondary 

goals in specified areas and the 

transition services 2 needed to assist the 

child in reaching those goals. The 

postsecondary goals and transition 

services components in the IEPs of 

eligible students with disabilities must 

be updated annually thereafter (20 

U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A)(VIII)). The SEA 

must also have in effect policies and 

procedures related to interagency 

agreements or other mechanisms for 

interagency coordination to meet its 

obligation related to, and methods of, 

ensuring transition services for students 

with disabilities (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(12)). 

Effective transition services are 

directly linked to better post-school 

outcomes for students with disabilities 

(National Alliance for Secondary 

Education and Transition (NASET), 

2005; Test, Fowler, Richter, White, 

Mazzotti, Walker, Kohler & Kortering, 

2009; Test, Mazzotti, Mustian, Fowler, 

Kortering & Kohler, 2009). Researchers 


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