[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 56 (Friday, March 23, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13764-13770]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-5377]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services 
and Results for Children With Disabilities--Technical Assistance Center 
for Evidence-Based Practices To Improve the Social-Emotional 
Development of Young Children With or At Risk of Disabilities; Notice 
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.326B.
    Dates:
    Applications Available: March 23, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 7, 2007.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 6, 2007.

[[Page 13765]]

    Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs); local 
educational agencies (LEAs); public charter schools that are LEAs under 
State law; institutions of higher education (IHEs); other public 
agencies, such as lead agencies, public early intervention service 
programs and public early intervention service providers under Part C 
of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); private 
nonprofit organizations; outlying areas; freely associated States; 
Indian tribes or tribal organizations; and for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Available Funds: $700,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $700,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 
may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal 
Register.
    Number of Awards: 1.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: This program promotes academic achievement and 
improves results for children with disabilities by supporting technical 
assistance, model demonstration projects, dissemination of useful 
information, and implementation activities that are supported by 
scientifically based research.
    Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority 
is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 663 
and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 
20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.).
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2007 this priority is an absolute 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that 
meet this priority.
    This priority is:

Technical Assistance Center for Evidence-Based Practices To Improve the 
Social-Emotional Development of Young Children With or At Risk of 
Disabilities

    Background:
    The early years in a child's life set the foundation for everything 
that follows. The social-emotional development of the young child is 
grounded in the interaction of early experiences and feelings with 
emerging intellectual, linguistic, sensory, and physical abilities. The 
formation of healthy personalities, appropriate emotions, mutually 
reinforcing relationships, and constructive behaviors establishes the 
framework for all other areas of growth, learning, and expression.
    Young children with or at risk of disabilities, along with their 
families, have special needs for additional or different supports and 
guidance. These supports are necessary to ensure the healthy 
development of the child in affective, physical, and cognitive domains. 
Service providers, policymakers, and other early childhood experts are 
becoming increasingly aware of the need for early intervention to 
support healthy social-emotional development in young children. 
Children from birth through two years old have the highest rates of 
abuse and neglect, in comparison to children in older age groups, and 
the highest rates of death from victimization (U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services, 2004).
    In the spring of 2005, a national study conducted at Yale 
University (Gilliam, 2005) reported that preschool children, aged three 
through five years old, had the highest expulsion rates in the United 
States, three times that of school-aged children. These removals from 
services were primarily associated with ``behavioral'' issues. National 
survey data have documented that 10 to 25 percent of children in low-
income families present problem behaviors in preschool settings, and 
their teachers have indicated that these disruptive behavior problems 
are the most challenging issues they face (Webster-Stratton & Hammond, 
1998; Joseph & Strain, 2003).
    Research has documented both short- and long-term benefits from 
early childhood interventions that promote positive social-emotional 
skills and address challenging behaviors. Specifically, evidence-based 
early interventions have been shown to decrease withdrawal, aggression, 
non-compliance, and disruption (Strain & Timm, 2001). Early 
interventions also foster positive peer relationships, understanding, 
friendship, cooperation, and sharing (Denham & Burton, 1998), as well 
as improvement in self-control, self-awareness, and self-satisfaction 
(Webster-Stratton, 1990). Research also has shown that children's 
social-emotional competence is associated with later academic success 
or failure in elementary and secondary schools (Walker, et al., 1998; 
Reynolds, et al., 2001; Strain & Timm, 2001). In addition, early 
interventions that promote healthy social-emotional behavior are tied 
to long-term achievement in the post-secondary education and employment 
arenas (Barnett, 1993; Karoly, et al., 1998).
    In response to findings that abused and neglected children under 
the age of three may be eligible for, and benefit from, early 
intervention services under Part C of IDEA, Congress amended the Child 
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) in June, 2003, to require 
State CAPTA agencies to have policies for the referral to the Part C 
program of children under the age of three who are involved in a 
substantiated case of abuse or neglect (CAPTA children). In December, 
2004, section 637(a)(6) of IDEA was amended to require the Part C 
program lead agencies to have policies and procedures regarding the 
referral to the Part C program of children under the age of three who 
are CAPTA children, as well as those who are identified as affected by 
illegal substance abuse, or withdrawal symptoms resulting from prenatal 
drug exposure.
    To further encourage a focus on the social-emotional development of 
infants, toddlers, and other young children receiving services under 
IDEA, and as part of the State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual 
Performance Report (APR) reporting requirements, the Office of Special 
Education Programs (OSEP) requires States to report the percent of 
young children, birth through five years old, receiving services under 
Parts B and C of IDEA, who show improvement in positive social-
emotional skills (including positive social relationships). Specialized 
technical assistance is needed to ensure that early intervention and 
early childhood service providers have the knowledge needed to support 
positive social-emotional development in infants, toddlers, and other 
young children (birth through five) receiving services under IDEA.
    Priority:
    This priority supports the establishment and operation of a 
Technical Assistance Center for Evidence-Based Practices to Improve the 
Social-Emotional Development of Young Children With or At Risk of 
Disabilities (Center). This Center must identify, disseminate, and 
assist in the implementation of the most successful, evidence-based 
practices available to improve the social, emotional, and behavioral 
functioning of young children with disabilities. For purposes of this 
priority, ``young children with disabilities'' means infants and 
toddlers from birth through age two with or at risk for developmental 
delays or disabilities, and young children ages three through five with 
or at risk for developmental delays or disabilities.

[[Page 13766]]

    In carrying out its knowledge development activities, the Center 
must develop the conceptual framework and research base for 
intervention practices and a cohesive decision-making model related to 
implementing those practices. The Center's knowledge development 
activities must include, but are not limited to--
    (a) Developing a conceptual framework for the work of the Center 
that includes evidence-based practices that have been shown to improve 
early social-emotional outcomes in the context of general learning and 
development, and a cohesive decision-making model related to 
implementing those practices. The model must incorporate and 
distinguish, where appropriate, specific practices targeted toward 
infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children with disabilities; and
    (b) In year one of the project period, identifying or conducting 
syntheses of research on evidence-based interventions or practices that 
have been shown to improve social-emotional outcomes for young children 
with disabilities, thereby increasing the likelihood that these 
children will enter school ready to succeed and participate in 
classrooms with their typically developing peers. To the extent 
possible, the Center must use the standards established by the What 
Works Clearinghouse (http://www.whatworks.ed.gov/reviewprocess/study_standards_final/pdf). If it is not possible to use these standards, 
other rigorous standards must be used to identify evidence-based 
interventions and practices. The research syntheses must at a minimum 
address--
    (1) Developmentally appropriate practices for providers of early 
intervention and other services to young children with disabilities 
that target the critical components of social-emotional development, 
such as social skills and peer interactions, relationships with adults, 
recognizing and communicating emotions and desires, problem solving, 
and adaptive skills including self-regulation (controlling anger and 
impulse);
    (2) Evidence-based intervention methods, materials, and curricula 
designed for young children that include a focus on social-emotional 
development and how these methods and materials can be successfully 
modified, adapted, or individualized for young children with 
disabilities;
    (3) The delivery of evidence-based interventions targeting social-
emotional development in a variety of inclusive settings and natural 
environments;
    (4) The delivery of family-centered early intervention services 
that promote the social-emotional development of infants, toddlers, and 
other young children with disabilities eligible for services under Part 
C of IDEA;
    (5) Empirically-based assessments, including valid and reliable 
instruments, for measuring social-emotional development, monitoring 
individual growth and progress, supporting data-based decision making, 
aggregating individual child data to evaluate program efforts, and 
aligning assessments with State early learning, early child 
development, or school readiness standards and State reporting 
requirements. Assessments also should cover such areas as self-
regulation, response to directions, communication/language, adaptive 
functioning, autonomy, affect, and social interaction; and
    (6) Effective technical assistance (TA) strategies that lead to 
knowledge utilization, sustainable changes in practice, and improved 
outcomes.
    The Center's TA and dissemination activities must include, but are 
not limited to--
    (a) Developing and coordinating a national TA network comprised of 
a cadre of experts that the Center will use to provide TA to States in 
early social-emotional development for young children with 
disabilities. In their applications, applicants must describe their 
proposal for this network and identify the cadre of experts;
    (b) Providing general TA and information on evidence-based 
practices that promote the development of social-emotional skills for 
young children with disabilities to SEAs, lead agencies and other 
public agencies, service providers, and other stakeholders in all 
States. This TA and information must reflect the on-going work of the 
Center to provide up-to-date information on practices that enhance 
early social-emotional development of young children with disabilities. 
TA and information must be provided through a variety of vehicles 
(e.g., Web site; listserv; presentations at national, regional, or 
State conferences; and conducting national training institutes). The 
Center's TA and information must be designed to develop the capacity of 
service providers to use high quality, evidence-based practices in the 
various inclusive settings and natural environments in which young 
children with disabilities are served, including the home, community-
based settings and programs for typically developing children, other 
early intervention settings (if identified as appropriate for infants 
and toddlers), and, for preschool children aged three through five, 
inclusive or other appropriately-identified preschool, early childhood 
special education, and related service settings. With respect to 
children receiving services under Part C of IDEA, the TA and 
information must include identification of family-centered early 
intervention services that promote children's social and emotional 
development. The application must describe the approaches being 
proposed to provide general TA and information;
    (c) In years one and two of the project period, identifying or 
developing and evaluating models that are based on evidence-based or 
promising practices and interventions, and that include assessments 
that promote the development of social-emotional competence in young 
children with disabilities in a minimum of five local communities of 
different types (rural, urban, suburban, etc.) serving children from 
diverse backgrounds in a variety of settings (such as Head Start 
Programs, early childhood special education programs, home-based 
programs, State-funded pre-kindergarten programs, etc). While the 
critical elements of the models should be consistent across the five 
settings, the models may contain modifications or adaptations that are 
based on the setting context. Models must be identified or developed 
for providers and programs serving young children with disabilities 
under Part C and Part B of IDEA. Models must include the creation and 
implementation of professional development plans that enhance early 
childhood professionals' implementation of evidence-based and high 
quality interventions and practices. Professional development plans 
must include early intervention and early childhood special education 
providers and may include other early care and education providers 
serving young children with disabilities, such as providers in Head 
Start/Early Head Start, child care, school-based preschools funded 
under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (ESEA), and State-funded pre-kindergarten programs. The Center 
must document factors that facilitate fidelity of implementation and 
are necessary to sustain the model;
    (d) In years three, four, and five of the project period, 
facilitating the development of State-wide or regional TA networks 
specifically focused on increasing the use of evidence-based practices 
that improve social-emotional outcomes of young children with 
disabilities by scaling-up models identified and/or developed and 
evaluated in years one and two in accordance with paragraph (c). These 
TA networks must include systems for

[[Page 13767]]

training and supporting State-funded or program-funded ``coaches'' who 
will provide TA to regional, State, and local early intervention and 
early childhood special education programs and providers, and other 
early childhood professionals and agencies serving young children with 
disabilities (such as Head Start/Early Head Start, child care, school-
based preschool programs funded under Title I of the ESEA, and State-
funded pre-kindergarten programs). These TA networks also must include 
State and local early childhood program administrators (Part C early 
intervention lead agency staff and early intervention service 
providers, Part B early childhood staff, section 619 IDEA coordinators, 
child care administrators, Head Start administrators, and pre-
kindergarten administrators), families, early childhood professional 
development experts (including experts from community colleges and 
other IHEs), researchers, early childhood TA experts, and others. The 
Center must allocate sufficient resources and time to develop strong TA 
networks and must give priority to working with States or regions most 
in need. Applicants must describe in their applications the process for 
creating sustainable networks and criteria for choosing the States or 
regions with whom they will work, including child outcome data reported 
on State Annual Performance Reports. This State selection process must 
involve consultation with OSEP; and
    (e) Developing and implementing a plan for involving and 
communicating with families on the work of the Center. This plan must 
be developed in collaboration with OSEP-funded parent programs, 
including representatives from both the Parent Training and Information 
Centers and the Community Parent Resource Centers funded by the 
Department, and must include strategies to ensure involvement and 
communication with diverse and hard-to-reach families;
    (f) Coordinating the Center's and the TA networks' activities with 
other IDEA-funded early intervention and early childhood special 
education TA centers. For example, the Center must build on the work of 
other federally funded early childhood projects where applicable, such 
as the Research and Training Center in Early Childhood Development and 
the Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging 
Behavior. The Center must coordinate activities with the National Early 
Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC), the Regional Resource 
Centers (RRCs), and the Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center;
    (g) Coordinating the Center's and the TA networks' activities with 
other national, regional, State, and local early childhood training and 
TA efforts, including but not limited to efforts that target Head 
Start/Early Head Start, child care, school-based preschool programs 
under Title I of the ESEA, and State-funded pre-kindergarten programs. 
The Center should coordinate with the Center on the Social and 
Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL), a joint project of 
the Office of Head Start and the Child Care Bureau in the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services;
    (h) Evaluating the Center's and TA networks' activities by 
measuring the impact of TA activities on early childhood program and 
service professionals and families of young children with disabilities. 
Specifically, the Center must document what these practitioners and 
families learned and how TA affected their use of evidence-based 
practices that promote positive social-emotional development in young 
children with disabilities; and
    (i) Maintaining a Web site that is available to early childhood 
professionals and families and includes all TA materials prepared by 
the Center in a format that meets a government or industry-recognized 
standard for accessibility.
    The Center also must--
    (a) Establish, maintain, and meet at least annually with a national 
advisory group that includes families of young children with 
disabilities, early intervention service providers and early childhood 
special education providers, experts in early childhood psychology and 
development, national early childhood organizations, and community 
members involved with young children with disabilities. The national 
advisory group will be responsible for providing annual feedback on the 
plans, activities, and accomplishments of the Center;
    (b) Maintain ongoing communication with the OSEP Project Officer, 
including monthly conference calls. Budget for a three-day Project 
Directors' meeting in Washington, DC during each year of the project, 
plus one additional two-day trip annually to Washington, DC to attend 
additional national meetings and to meet and collaborate with the OSEP 
Project Officer and other funded projects for purposes of cross-project 
collaboration and information exchange; and
    (c) Budget five percent of the grant amount annually to support 
emerging needs as identified jointly through consultation with the OSEP 
project officer.
    Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project:
    In deciding whether to continue funding the Center for the fourth 
and fifth years, the Secretary will consider the requirements of 34 CFR 
75.253(a), and in addition--
    (a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of experts 
selected by the Secretary, which review will be conducted during the 
last half of the project's second year in Washington, DC. Projects must 
budget for travel expenses associated with this one-day intensive 
review;
    (b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of 
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the 
Center; and
    (c) The degree to which the project promotes best practices in the 
area of IDEA and other services to young children with disabilities.
    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 a proposed priority. However, 
section 681(d) of IDEA makes the public comment requirements under the 
APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1463 and 1481(d).
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

    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.

References

Barnett, W.S. (1993). Benefit-cost analysis of preschool education: 
Findings from a 25-year follow-up. American Journal of 
Orthopsychiatry, 63, 500-508.
Denham, S.A., & Burton, R. (1996). A social-emotional intervention 
for at-risk 4-year-olds. Journal of School Psychology, 34, 225-245.
Gilliam, W.S. (2005). Prekindergarteners left behind: Expulsion 
rates in state prekindergarten systems. Amherst: Yale (Retrieved 
July 20, 2005, from http://www.fcd-us.org/PDFs/National 
PreKExpulsionPaper03.02--new.pdf)
Joseph, G.E., & Strain, P.S. (2003). Comprehensive evidence-based 
social emotional curricula for young children: An analysis of 
efficacious adoption potential. Topics in Early Childhood Special 
Education, 23, 65-76.
Karoly, L.A., Greenwood, P.W., Everingham, S.S., Hoube, J., Kilburn, 
M.R., Rydell,

[[Page 13768]]

C.P., Sanders, M., & Chiesa, J. (1998). Investing in our children: 
What we know and don't know about the costs and benefits of early 
childhood interventions. Santa Monica, CA: Rand.
Reynolds, A.J., Temple, J.A., Robertson, D.L., & Mann, E.A. (2001). 
Long-term effects of an early childhood intervention on educational 
achievement and juvenile arrest: A 15-year follow-up of low-income 
children in public schools. Journal of the American Medical 
Association, 285, 2339-2346.
Strain, P.S., & Timm, M.A. (2001). Remediation and prevention of 
aggression: An evaluation of the Regional Intervention Program over 
a quarter of a century. Behavioral Disorders, 26, 297-313.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on 
Children, Youth and Families. Child Maltreatment 2004 (Washington, 
DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2006).
Walker, H.M., Kavanagh, K., Stiller, B., Golly, A., Severson, H.H., 
& Feil, E.G. (1998). First Step to Success: An early intervention 
approach for preventing school antisocial behavior. Journal of 
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 6, 66-80.
Webster-Stratton, C. (1990). Long-term follow-up of families with 
young conduct-problem children: From preschool to grade school. 
Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 19, 144-149.
Webster-Stratton, C. & Hammond, M. (1998). Conduct problems and 
level of social competence in Head Start children: Prevalence, 
pervasiveness, and associated risk factors. Clinical Child 
Psychology, 65, 93-109.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: $700,000.
    Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a 
budget exceeding $700,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The 
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 
may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal 
Register.
    Number of Awards: 1.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs; public charter schools that are 
LEAs under State law; IHEs; other public agencies, such as lead 
agencies, public early intervention service programs and public early 
intervention service providers under Part C of IDEA; private nonprofit 
organizations; outlying areas; freely associated States; Indian tribes 
or tribal organizations; and for-profit organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve cost 
sharing or matching.
    3. Other: General Requirements--(a) The projects funded under this 
competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in 
employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of 
IDEA).
    (b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this competition 
must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals 
with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and 
evaluating the project (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll 
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 
1-877-576-7734.
    You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f0959480859283b0999e9584de9594de979f86"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a8cdccd8ddcadbe8c1c6cddc86cdcc86cfc7de">[email protected]</span></a>.
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA Number 84.326B.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts 
Services Team listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section 
VII of this notice.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) 
is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that 
reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to 
the equivalent of no more than 70 pages, using the following standards:
    <bullet> A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
    <bullet> Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
    <bullet> Use a font that is either 12-point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
    The page limit does not apply to Part I, the coversheet; Part II, 
the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part 
IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the 
resumes, the bibliography, references, or the letters of support. 
However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.
    We will reject your application if--
    <bullet> You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
    <bullet> You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the 
page limit.
    3. Submission Dates and Times:
    Applications Available: March 23, 2007.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 7, 2007.
    Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted 
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in 
paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates 
and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by 
mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. Other Submission 
Requirements in this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or 
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact 
the person listed under For Further Information Contact.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 6, 2007.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by 
mail or hand delivery.
    a. Electronic Submission of Applications.
    We have been accepting applications electronically through the 
Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on 
those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are 
continuing to participate as a partner in the new

[[Page 13769]]

government wide Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2007. The Technical 
Assistance Center for Evidence-Based Practices to Improve the Social-
Emotional Development of Young Children With or At Risk of 
Disabilities, CFDA Number 84.326B, is one of the programs included in 
this project. We request your participation in Grants.gov.
    If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must 
use the Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.grants.gov. Through this 
site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, 
complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You 
may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    You may access the electronic grant application for the Technical 
Assistance Center for Evidence-Based Practices to Improve the Social-
Emotional Development of Young Children With or At Risk of Disabilities 
at: http://www.grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable 
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include 
the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search.

    Please note the following: 
    <bullet> Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date 
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and 
must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 
4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. 
Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your 
application if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system 
later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we 
will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was 
date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., 
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
    <bullet> 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 application process through 
Grants.gov.
    <bullet> You should review and follow the Education Submission 
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are 
included in the application package for this competition to ensure 
that you submit your application in a timely manner to the 
Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission 
Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov at http:// e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.

    <bullet> To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must 
complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process 
(see http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp). These 
steps include (1) Registering your organization, (2) registering 
yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) 
getting authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on these 
steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see 
http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf). You also must provide on your 
application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. 
Please note that the registration process may take five or more 
business days to complete, and you must have completed all 
registration steps to allow you to successfully submit an 
application via Grants.gov.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> You may submit all documents electronically, including 
all information typically included on the Application for Federal 
Assistance (SF 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs 
(ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. If you 
choose to submit your application electronically, you must attach 
any narrative sections of your application as files in a .DOC 
(document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. If 
you upload a file type other than the three file types specified 
above or submit a password protected file, we will not review that 
material.
    <bullet> Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
    <bullet> After you electronically submit your application, you 
will receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that 
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve 
your application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation 
by e-mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified 
identifying number unique to your application).
    <bullet> We may request that you provide us original signatures 
on forms at a later date.

Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability

    If you are prevented from electronically submitting your 
application on the application deadline date because of technical 
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension 
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to 
enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand 
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing 
instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an 
application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, 
please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an explanation of the 
technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the 
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your 
application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with 
the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to 
submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a 
determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

    Note: Extensions referred to 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 deadline date 
and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to 
the Grants.gov system.

    b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
    If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the 
U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the 
original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable 
following address:

By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.326B), 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260 or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.326B), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.

    Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing 
consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service,
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier, or
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark, or
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

[[Page 13770]]

    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 
84.326B), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays and Federal holidays.

    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you 
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department:
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by 
the Department--in Item 11 of the Application for Federal Assistance 
(SF 424) the CFDA number--and suffix letter, if any--of the 
competition under which you are submitting your application.
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application 
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant 
application receipt acknowledgment 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

    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has developed measures that 
will yield information on various aspects of the Technical Assistance 
and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with 
Disabilities program. These measures focus on: the extent to which 
projects provide high quality products and services, the relevance of 
project products and services to educational and early intervention 
policy and practice, and the use of products and services to improve 
educational and early intervention policy and practice.
    Grantees will be required to provide information related to these 
measures.
    Grantees also will be required to report information on their 
projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR 
75.590).

VII. Agency Contact

    For Further Information Contact: Dr. Beth Caron, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4066, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7293.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request by contacting the following office: The Grants and 
Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. 
Telephone: (202) 245-7363.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.


    Dated: March 19, 2007.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
 [FR Doc. E7-5377 Filed 3-22-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P


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