66436 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Notice Inviting Applications for New

Awards for Fiscal Year 1998

AGENCY: Department of Education.

SUMMARY: On June 4, 1997, the President

signed into law Pub. L. 105–17, the

Individuals with Disabilities Education

Act Amendments, amending the

Individual with Disabilities Education

Act (IDEA).

This notice provides closing dates and

other information regarding the

transmittal of applications for fiscal year

1998 competitions under two programs

authorized by IDEA, as amended. The

priorities under these programs are

based on previously published priorities

for which public comment was sought

and received. Only changes required by

IDEA were made to priorities previously

published. For example, IDEA no longer

refers to ‘‘youth with disabilities’’.

‘‘Youth with disabilities’’ is no longer

distinguished from ‘‘children with

disabilities’’ under IDEA; therefore, all

references to ‘‘youth with disabilities’’

have been deleted from the priorities.

Also, the types of entities eligible to

apply for grants under these programs

have been changed where necessary to

reflect changes in IDEA.

This notice supports the National

Education Goals by improving

understanding of how to enable

children with disabilities to reach

higher levels of academic achievement.

Note: The Department of Education is not

bound by any estimates in this notice.

Special Education—Research and

Innovation To Improve Services and

Results for Children With Disabilities

[CFDA No. 84.324]

Purpose of Program: To produce, and

advance the use of, knowledge to: (1)

Improve services provided under IDEA,

including the practices of professionals

and others involved in providing those

services to children with disabilities;

and (2) improve educational and early

intervention results for infants, toddlers,

and children with disabilities.

Eligible Applicants: State and local

educational agencies; institutions of

higher education; other public agencies;

private nonprofit organizations; outlying

areas; freely associated States; and

Indian tribes or tribal organizations.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 76, 77, 80, 81, 82,

85, and 86; and (b) The selection criteria

included in regulations in 34 CFR

324.31 for priority 2, and 34 CFR 324.32

for priority 1.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR Part 86

apply to institutions of higher education

only.

Priorities: Under section 672 of IDEA

and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary

gives an absolute preference to

applications that meet the following

priorities. The Secretary funds under

these competitions only those

applications that meet these absolute

priorities:

Absolute Priority 1—Outreach Projects

for Children With Disabilities (84.324R)

This priority supports projects that

assist educational and other agencies in

implementing proven models,

components of models, and other

exemplary practices to improve services

for infants, toddlers, children with

disabilities, and individuals with

disabilities transitioned into

postsecondary settings. The models,

components of models, or exemplary

practices selected for outreach may

include models developed for preservice and in-service personnel

preparation, and do not need to have

been developed through projects funded

under IDEA, or by the applicant. To

increase the impact of outreach

activities, projects are encouraged to

select implementation sites in multiple

regions or States.

An outreach project must—

(a) Disseminate information about and

assist in replicating proven models,

components of models, or exemplary

practices;

(b) Coordinate dissemination and

replication activities as appropriate with

dissemination projects, technical

assistance providers, consumer and

advocacy organizations, State and local

educational agencies, and the lead

agencies for Part C of IDEA;

(c) Ensure interagency coordination if

multiple agencies are involved in the

provision of services;

(d) Ensure that the models,

components of models, or exemplary

practices are consistent with Parts B and

C of IDEA, are state-of-the-art, match the

needs of the proposed sites, and have

evaluation data supporting their

effectiveness;

(e) Include public awareness, product

development and dissemination,

training, and technical assistance

activities and written plans for working

with sites;

(f) Describe criteria for selecting

implementation sites where outreach

activities will be conducted; and the

expected costs, needed personnel, staff

training, equipment, and sequence of

implementation activities;

(g) Evaluate the outreach activities to

determine their effectiveness. The

evaluation must include the types and

numbers of sites where outreach

activities are conducted, number of

persons trained, types of follow-up

activities, number of children and

families served at each outreach site,

child and family progress and

satisfaction, and changes in the model

or practices made by sites;

(h) Make positive efforts to employ

and advance in employment qualified

individuals with disabilities in

programs assisted under this Act. (See

section 606 of IDEA); and

(i) Prepare products from the project

in formats that are useful for specific

audiences, including parents,

administrators, teachers, early

intervention personnel, related services

personnel, and individuals with

disabilities. (See section 661(f)(2)(B) of

IDEA).

Applicants and resulting projects

must involve individuals with

disabilities or parents of individuals

with disabilities in planning,

implementing, and evaluating the

projects. (See section 661(f)(1)(A) of

IDEA).

Projects must budget for two trips

annually to Washington, DC, for: (1) A

two-day project directors’ meeting; and

(2) a meeting to collaborate with the

Federal project officer and other projects

funded under this priority, to share

information and discuss project

implementation issues.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $150,000 for any single

budget period of 12 months. The

Secretary may change the maximum

amount through a notice published in

the Federal Register.

Page Limits

The applicant must limit Part III of its

application to the equivalent of no more

than 40 double-spaced 81⁄2 x 11′′ pages

(on one side only) with one inch

margins (top, bottom, and sides). Please

refer to the ‘‘Page Limit Requirements

for All Applications’’ section of this

notice for more specific information on

this page limit requirement.

Absolute Priority 2—Research Institute

to Accelerate Learning for Children

With Disabilities With Curricular and

Instructional Interventions in

Kindergarten Through Grade Three

(84.324V)

Background

The consequences of failing to learn

are serious. Lack of learning in one

domain reduces an individual’s capacity
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 1997 / Notices 66437

to benefit from other educational

experiences. Failure in education

establishes a self-perpetuating cycle and

negatively affects the individual’s

disposition toward lifelong learning,

employment, and contribution to

society. Most children with disabilities

face challenges to learning. These

challenges are amplified as calls are

made for higher standards to be

achieved by all students, including

children with disabilities, and as more

children with disabilities are educated

in general education classrooms.

Evidence from the National

Longitudinal Transition Study indicates

that many children with disabilities are

not learning subject matter content. An

urgency exists to develop powerful

curricular and instructional

interventions that maximize rates of

development, promote generalized

learning, and reduce discrepancies

between their performance and that of

their peers.

Intervention research has

demonstrated that children with

disabilities possess the potential to

learn, participate, and contribute in

school, home, community, and

workplace. Research on instructional

interventions for children with

disabilities has been the hallmark of

special education research. For

example, research on direct instruction,

behavioral management interventions,

learning strategies, peer mediated

learning, and reciprocal teaching has led

to improvements in professional

practice.

Yet, single solution interventions are

insufficient for teaching children with

disabilities complex subject matter

content. In many instances, these

interventions are content free.

Moreover, little empirical evidence is

available on the context of the

classroom for supporting the

implementation of these solutions.

Priority

The Secretary establishes an absolute

priority for the purpose of establishing

a research institute to study curricular

and instructional classroom based

interventions in kindergarten through

grade three that accelerate subject

matter learning for children with

disabilities and promote sustained use

of these interventions by practitioners.

The Institute must examine—

(a) The effectiveness of the various

interventions for children with

disabilities; and

(b) The classroom context that

supports the implementation of the

interventions that produce and sustain

positive learning outcomes for children

with disabilities, including such factors

as classroom groups; classroom and

cross-classroom management strategies;

curriculum design principles; classroom

settings; instructional materials; amount

of time on task; integration into the

curriculum; and teacher actions, skills,

and attitudes.

The research may include, for

example, studying classroom based

exemplars and models, designing and

implementing interventions, and

collecting student and teacher data from

exemplars, using a rich array of research

methods to reach the intended goals of

this priority and as articulated by the

proposed research hypotheses.

The Institute must—

(a) Design and conduct a strategic

program of research that focuses on

helping students with disabilities learn

subject matter content in critical areas

such as reading and math, and builds

upon the existing research knowledge

for teaching children with disabilities;

(b) Design and conduct a strategic

program of research across multiple

sites to represent organizational and

demographic diversity;

(c) Collect, analyze, and communicate

student outcome data and supporting

context data, and multiple outcome data

for teachers, parents, and

administrators, as appropriate;

(d) Collaborate with other research

institutes supported under the

Individuals with Disabilities Education

Act and experts and researchers in

related subject matter and

methodological fields, as appropriate for

the program of research, to design and

conduct the strategic program of

research;

(e) Collaborate with communication

specialists and professional and

advocacy organizations to ensure that

findings are prepared in formats that are

useable for specific audiences such as

teachers, administrators, and other

service providers;

(f) Develop linkages with Education

Department technical assistance

providers to communicate research

findings and distribute products;

(g) Provide training and research

opportunities for a limited number of

graduate students, including students

who are from traditionally

underrepresented groups;

(h) Meet with the Office of Special

Education Programs (OSEP) project

officer in the first four months of the

project to review the program of

research and communication

approaches;

(i) Make positive efforts to employ

and advance in employment qualified

individuals with disabilities in

programs assisted under this Act. (See

section 606 of IDEA); and

(j) Prepare the research and evaluation

findings and products from the project

in formats that are useful for specific

audiences, including parents,

administrators, teachers, early

intervention personnel, related services

personnel, and individuals with

disabilities. (See section 661(f)(2)(B) of

IDEA).

Applicants and resulting projects

must involve individuals with

disabilities or parents of individuals

with disabilities in planning,

implementing, and evaluating the

projects. (See section 661(f)(1)(A) of

IDEA).

The project must budget for two trips

annually to Washington, D.C. for: (1) a

two-day Research Project Directors’

meeting; and (2) another meeting to

meet and collaborate with the OSEP

project officer.

Under this priority, The Secretary will

make one award for a cooperative

agreement with a project period of up to

60 months subject to the requirements

of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for continuation

awards. In determining whether to

continue the Institute for the fourth and

fifth years of the project period, the

Secretary, in addition to the

requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), will

consider—

(a) The recommendation of a review

team consisting of three experts selected

by the Secretary. The services of the

review team, including a two-day site

visit to the Institute are to be performed

during the last half of the Institute’s

second year and may be included in that

year’s evaluation required under 34 CFR

75.590. Costs associated with the

services to be performed by the review

team must also be included in the

Institute’s budget for year two. These

costs are estimated to be approximately

$4,000;

(b) The timeliness and effectiveness

with which all requirements of the

negotiated cooperative agreement have

been or are being met by the Institute;

and

(c) The degree to which the Institute’s

research design and methodology

demonstrates the potential for

advancing significant new knowledge.

Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $700,000 for any single

budget period of 12 months. The

Secretary rejects and does not consider

an application that proposes a budget

exceeding this maximum amount. The

Secretary may change the maximum

amount through a notice published in

the Federal Register.
66438 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 1997 / Notices

Page Limits: The applicant must limit

Part III of its application to the

equivalent of no more than 60 doublespaced 81⁄2 x 11′′ pages (on one side

only) with one inch margins (top,

bottom, and sides). Please refer to the

‘‘Page Limit Requirements for All

Applications’’ section of this notice for

more specific information on this page

limit requirement.

Program Authority: Section 672 of

IDEA.

Special Education—Technology and

Media Services for Individuals With

Disabilities [CFDA No. 84.327]

Purpose of Program: The purpose of

this program is to promote the

development, demonstration, and

utilization of technology and to support

educational media activities designed to

be of educational value to children with

disabilities. This program also provides

support for some captioning, video

description, and cultural activities.

Eligible Applicants: State and local

educational agencies; institutions of

higher education; other public agencies;

private nonprofit organizations; outlying

areas; freely associated States; Indian

tribes or tribal organizations; and forprofit organizations.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

34 CFR parts 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81,

82, 85, and 86; and (b) The selection

criteria included in regulations for these

programs in 34 CFR 332.32.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86

apply to institutions of higher education

only.

Priority: Under section 687 and 34

CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary gives an

absolute preference to applications that

meet any one of the following priorities.

The Secretary funds under these

competitions only those applications

that meet these absolute priorities:

Absolute Priority 1 —Closed-Captioned

Daytime Television Programs (84.327S)

This priority would continue and

expand closed-captioning of a variety of

daytime television programs broadcast

nationally for persons who are deaf or

hard of hearing during this segment of

the day that has proven to be the most

difficult in terms of private sector

support.

To be considered for funding under

this priority, a project must—

(a) Include the criteria used to

determine which programs are proposed

for captioning. These criteria must take

into account the preference of

consumers for particular programs, the

diversity of programming available, and

the contribution of programs to the

general educational and cultural

experiences of individuals with hearing

impairments;

(b) Determine the total number of

hours and the projected cost per hour

for each program to be captioned;

(c) For each proposed program to be

captioned, identify the source of private

or other public support and the

projected dollar amount of that support;

(d) Identify the methods of captioning

to be used for each hour and the

projected cost per hour for each method

used;

(e) Provide and maintain back-up

systems that would ensure successful,

timely captioning service;

(f) Demonstrate the willingness of

major national television networks and

cable companies to permit captioning of

their programs; and

(g) Implement procedures for

monitoring the extent to which full and

accurate captioning is provided and use

this information to make refinements in

captioning operations.

Applicants and resulting projects

must involve individuals with

disabilities or parents of individuals

with disabilities in planning,

implementing, and evaluating the

projects. (See section 661(f)(1)(A) of

IDEA).

All projects funded under this priority

must make positive efforts to employ

and advance in employment qualified

individuals with disabilities in

programs assisted under this Act. (See

section 606 of IDEA).

A project’s budget must include funds

to attend a two-day Project Directors’

meeting to be held in Washington, D.C.

each year of the project.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $350,000 for any single

budget period of 12 months. The

Secretary rejects and does not consider

an application that proposes a budget

exceeding this maximum amount. The

Secretary may change the maximum

amount through a notice published in

the Federal Register.

Page Limits: The applicant must limit

Part III of its application to the

equivalent of no more than 40 doublespaced 81⁄2 x 11′′ pages (on one side

only) with one inch margins (top,

bottom, and sides). Please refer to the

‘‘Page Limit Requirements for All

Applications’’ section of this notice for

more specific information on this page

limit requirement.

Absolute Priority 2—Cultural

Experiences for Deaf or Hard of

Hearing Individuals (84.327T)

Background

In the past, projects under this

priority have supported a variety of

activities, including: theatrical

experiences in which cast members

included deaf, hard-of hearing, and

hearing performers; theater and set

design, directing, dance, and

storytelling; cultural experiences

focusing on Native American art and

culture; hands-on theater experience

involving persons from minority groups;

and a touring ‘‘instant theater’.

Priority: This priority supports a

variety of cultural activities designed to

enrich the lives of deaf or hard-of

hearing individuals, including children

and adults. These activities must use an

approach that integrates children and

adults who are deaf or hard of hearing

with those who can hear while

conducting cultural experiences that

will increase public awareness and

understanding of deafness and other

hearing impairments, and of the artistic

and intellectual achievements of deaf

and hard of hearing individuals.

A grantee may not use funds under

this priority for passive activities such

as viewing a play or video, or passively

watching a storyteller or artist at work.

To be considered for funding under

this priority, a project must—

(a) Use an integrated approach that

mixes children and adults who are deaf

or hard of hearing, with those who are

hearing in carrying out project activities;

and

(b) Develop and implement strategies

that will increase public awareness and

understanding of deafness and other

hearing impairments and of the artistic

and intellectual achievements of deaf

and hard of hearing individuals,

including children and adults. Outreach

activities such as promoting the project

to schools, community organizations,

news media, and relevant national

organizations are encouraged.

Applicants and resulting projects

must involve individuals with

disabilities or parents of individuals

with disabilities in planning,

implementing, and evaluating the

project. (See section 661(f)(1)(A) of

IDEA).

All projects funded under this priority

must make positive efforts to employ

and advance in employment qualified

individuals with disabilities in

programs assisted under this Act. (See

section 606 of IDEA).

A project’s budget must include funds

to attend a two-day Project Directors’
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 1997 / Notices 66439

meeting to be held in Washington, D.C.

each year of the project.

Invitational Priority

Within this absolute priority, the

Secretary is particularly interested in

applications that meet the following

invitational priority. However, pursuant

to 34 CFR 75.105(c)(i), an application

that meets this invitational priority does

not receive competitive or absolute

preference over applications that do not

meet this priority:

Projects that include people from a

variety of cultural, racial, or ethnic

backgrounds.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $110,000 for any single

budget period of 12 months. The

Secretary rejects and does not consider

an application that proposes a budget

exceeding this maximum amount. The

Secretary may change the maximum

amount through a notice published in

the Federal Register.

Page Limits: The applicant must limit

Part III of its application to the

equivalent of no more than 40 doublespaced 81⁄2 x 11′′ pages (on one side

only) with one inch margins (top,

bottom, and sides). Please refer to the

‘‘Page Limit Requirements for All

Applications’’ section of this notice for

more specific information on this page

limit requirement.

Absolute Priority 3—Video Description

Projects (84.327C)

This priority supports the description

of national television programming in

order to make television more accessible

to persons with visual impairments. The

intent of this priority is to provide

access to diverse programming in order

to enhance shared educational, social,

and cultural experiences of persons who

are visually impaired. The range of

programs proposed for description may

include, but is not limited to, children’s

programs, prime time programming,

movies, and specials.

To be considered for funding under

this priority, a project must—

(a) In selecting programs to be video

described, include criteria that take into

account the preference of consumers for

particular programs, the diversity of

programming available, and the

contribution of programs to the general

educational, social, and cultural

experience of individuals with visual

impairments;

(b) Determine the total number of

hours and the projected cost per hour

for each program to be described;

(c) For each program to be described,

identify the source of private or other

public support, if any, and the projected

dollar amount of that support;

(d) Identify the methods to be used in

the provision of described video;

(e) Demonstrate the willingness of

major national television networks and

cable companies to permit video

description of their programs; and

(f) Implement procedures for

monitoring the extent to which an

accurate description is provided and use

this information to make refinements in

the video description operations.

Applicants and resulting projects

must involve individuals with

disabilities or parents of individuals

with disabilities in planning,

implementing, and evaluating the

projects. (See section 661(f)(1)(A) of

IDEA).

All projects funded under this priority

must make positive efforts to employ

and advance in employment qualified

individuals with disabilities in

programs assisted under this Act. (See

section 606 of IDEA).

A project’s budget must include funds

to attend a two-day Project Directors’

meeting to be held in Washington, D.C.

each year of the project.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $350,000 for any single

budget period of 12 months. The

Secretary rejects and does not consider

an application that proposes a budget

exceeding this maximum amount. The

Secretary may change the maximum

amount through a notice published in

the Federal Register.

Page Limits: The applicant must limit

Part III of its application to the

equivalent of no more than 40 doublespaced 81⁄2 x 11′′ pages (on one side

only) with one inch margins (top,

bottom, and sides). Please refer to the

‘‘Page Limit Requirements for All

Applications’’ section of this notice for

more specific information on this page

limit requirement.

Program Authority: Section 687 of

IDEA.

Page Limit: Part III of the application,

the application narrative, is where an

applicant addresses the selection

criteria that are used by reviewers in

evaluating the application. An applicant

must limit Part III to the equivalent of

the number of pages listed under each

priority, using the following standards:

(1) A ‘‘page’’ is 81⁄2′′ x 11′′ (on one side

only) with one-inch margins (top,

bottom, and sides). (2) 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, must be double-spaced (no more

than 3 lines per vertical inch). If using

a proportional computer font, use no

smaller than a 12-point font, and an

average character density no greater

than 18 characters per inch. If using a

nonproportional font or a typewriter, do

not use more than 12 characters to the

inch.

The page limit does not apply to Part

I—the cover sheet; Part II—the budget

section (including the narrative budget

justification); Part IV—the assurances

and certifications; or the one-page

abstract, resumes, bibliography, and

letters of support. However, all of the

application narrative must be included

in Part III. If an application narrative

uses a smaller print size, spacing, or

margin that would make the narrative

exceed the equivalent of the page limit,

the application will not be considered

for funding.

For Applications and General

Information Contact

Requests for applications and general

information should be addressed to the

Grants and Contracts Services Team,

600 Independence Avenue, S.W., room

3317, Switzer Building, Washington,

D.C. 20202–2641. The preferred method

for requesting information is to FAX

your request to: (202) 205–8717.

Telephone: (202) 260–9182.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the TDD number: (202)

205–8953. Individuals with disabilities

may obtain a copy of this notice or the

application packages referred to in this

notice in an alternate format (e.g.

Braille, large print, audiotape, or

computer diskette) by contacting the

Department as listed above. However,

the Department is not able to reproduce

in an alternate format the standard

forms included in the application

package.

Intergovernmental Review

All programs in this notice are subject

to the requirements of Executive Order

12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR

Part 79. The objective of the Executive

order is to foster an intergovernmental

partnership and a strengthened

federalism by relying on processes

developed by State and local

governments for coordination and

review of proposed Federal financial

assistance.

In accordance with the order, this

document is intended to provide early

notification of the Department’s specific

plans and actions for those program.
66440 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 243 / Thursday, December 18, 1997 / Notices

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT APPLICATION NOTICE FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998

CFDA number and name Applications

available

Application

deadline

date

Deadline for

intergovernmental review

Maximum

award (per

year)*

Page limit**

Estimated

number of

awards

84.324R Outreach Projects for Infants, Toddlers, and

Children with Disabilities ............................................... 12/29/97 2/23/98 4/27/98 $150,000 40 21

84.324V Research Institute to Accelerate Learning for

Children with Disabilities with Curricular and Instructional Interventions in Kindergarten through Grade

Three ............................................................................. 12/29/97 2/23/98 4/27/98 700,000 60 1

84.327S Closed-Captioned Daytime Television Programs ............................................................................. 12/29/97 2/23/98 4/27/98 350,000 40 4

84.327T Cultural Experiences for Deaf or Hard of

Hearing Individuals ........................................................ 12/29/97 2/23/98 4/27/98 110,000 40 5

84.327C Video Description Projects .............................. 12/29/97 2/23/98 4/27/98 350,000 40 2

* The Department rejects and does not consider an application that proposes a budget exceeding the amount listed for each priority for any

single budget period of 12 months.

**Applicants must limit the Application Narrative, Part III of the Application, to the page limits noted above. Please refer to the ‘‘Page Limit’’

section of this notice for the specific requirements. The Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that does not adhere to this requirement.

Electronic Access to This Document

Anyone may view this document, as

well as all other Department of

Education documents published in the

Federal Register, in text or portable

document format (pdf) on the World

Wide Web at either of the following

sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm

http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the pdf you must have the

Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with

Search, which is available free at either

of the previous sites. If you have

questions about using the pdf, call the

U.S. Government Printing Office toll

free at 1–888–293–6498.

Anyone may also view these

documents in text copy only on an

electronic bulletin board of the

Department. Telephone: (202) 219–1511

or, toll free, 1–800–222–4922. The

documents are located under Option

G—Files/Announcements, Bulletins,

and Press Releases.

Note: The official version of a document is

the document published in the Federal

Register.

Dated: December 12, 1997.

Judith E. Heumann,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 97–33007 Filed 12–17–97; 8:45 am]

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