Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 2 / Wednesday, January 3, 2024 / Notices 361 

approved application and budget; and, 

if the Secretary has established 

performance measurement 

requirements, whether the grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the performance targets in the grantee’s 

approved application. 

In making a continuation award, the 

Secretary also considers whether the 

grantee is operating in compliance with 

the assurances in its approved 

application, including those applicable 

to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit 

discrimination in programs or activities 

receiving Federal financial assistance 

from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 

104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). 

VII. Other Information 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 

individuals with disabilities can obtain 

this document and a copy of the 

application package in an accessible 

format. The Department will provide the 

requestor with an accessible format that 

may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or 

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

file, braille, large print, audiotape, or 

compact disc, or other accessible format. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. You may access the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the 

Code of Federal Regulations at 

www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can 

view this document, as well as all other 

documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Portable Document Format 

(PDF). To use PDF you must have 

Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at the site. 

You may also access documents of the 

Department published in the Federal 

Register by using the article search 

feature at www.federalregister.gov. 

Specifically, through the advanced 

search feature at this site, you can limit 

your search to documents published by 

the Department. 

Dante ́ Allen, 

Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services 

Administration, Office of Special Education 

and Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28896 Filed 1–2–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Educational Technology, Media, and 

Materials for Individuals With 

Disabilities Program—National Center 

on Digital Access in Education 

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Education 

(Department) is issuing a notice inviting 

applications for new awards for fiscal 

year (FY) 2024 for Educational 

Technology, Media, and Materials for 

Individuals with Disabilities Program— 

National Center on Digital Access in 

Education, Assistance Listing Number 

84.327Z. This notice relates to the 

approved information collection under 

OMB control number 1820–0028. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: January 3, 

2024. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: March 4, 2024. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: May 2, 2024. 

Pre-Application Webinar Information: 

No later than January 8, 2024, the Office 

of Special Education and Rehabilitative 

Services will post details on prerecorded informational webinars 

designed to provide technical assistance 

(TA) to interested applicants. Links to 

the webinars may be found at https://

www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/ 

new-osep-grants.html. 

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for 

obtaining and submitting an 

application, please refer to our Common 

Instructions for Applicants to 

Department of Education Discretionary 

Grant Programs, published in the 

Federal Register on December 7, 2022 

(87 FR 75045) and available at 

www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-26554. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Rebecca Sheffield, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 4A10, Washington, DC 20202. 

Telephone: (202) 245–6490. Email: 

rebecca.sheffield@ed.gov. 

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or 

have a speech disability and wish to 

access telecommunications relay 

services, please dial 7–1–1. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The purposes of 

the Educational Technology, Media, and 

Materials for Individuals with 

Disabilities Program are to improve 

results for children with disabilities by 

(1) promoting the development, 

demonstration, and use of technology; 

(2) supporting educational activities 

designed to be of educational value in 

the classroom for children with 

disabilities; (3) providing support for 

captioning and video description that is 

appropriate for use in the classroom; 

and (4) providing accessible educational 

materials to children with disabilities in 

a timely manner. 

Priority: This competition includes 

one absolute priority. In accordance 

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

priority is from allowable activities 

specified in the statute (see sections 

674(b)(2) and 681(d) of the Individuals 

with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 

(20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.). 

Absolute Priority: For FY 2024 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition, this 

priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 

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

applications that meet this priority. 

This priority is: 

National Center on Digital Access in 

Education 

Background: In order for children 

with disabilities served under IDEA to 

benefit from education, special 

education, and early intervention 

services, agencies (State educational 

agencies (SEAs), local educational 

agencies (LEAs), and Part C lead 

agencies) and schools must provide 

accommodations needed by children 

and families to ensure their access to 

and participation in learning. Section 

504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits 

discrimination against people with 

disabilities in federally funded 

programs, and Title II of the Americans 

with Disabilities Act prohibits 

discrimination against people with 

disabilities by public entities, requiring 

that children with disabilities and their 

families have equal access to public 

schools and other government programs. 

Under Part B of IDEA, special education 

includes specially designed instruction, 

defined as ‘‘adapting, as appropriate to 

the needs of an eligible child . . . the 

content, methodology or delivery of 

instruction—(i) to address the unique 

needs of the child that result from the 

child’s disability; and (ii) to ensure 

access of the child to the general 

curriculum’’ (34 CFR 300.39(b)(3)). 

SEAs, LEAs, and schools are required to 

provide individualized 

accommodations, including assistive 

technologies (34 CFR 300.105), 

assessment accommodations (34 CFR 

300.160), and timely access to accessible 

materials (34 CFR 300.172), whenever 


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1For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘key partners’’ 

must include SEAs, LEAs, Part C lead agencies, and 

relevant OSEP-funded TA centers and may include 

other partners identified by the Center as essential 

to the required outcomes of the grant. 

2For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘accessible 

digital educational materials and instruction’’ 

means electronic educational materials and 

accompanying technologies, including assessments, 

which are accessible to children with disabilities, 

along with any necessary instruction in the use of 

these materials and technologies and instruction 

which effectively incorporates these materials and 

technologies. Children with disabilities and their 

families must be able to acquire the same 

information, engage in the same interactions, and 

enjoy the same services as people who do not have 

disabilities in an equally integrated and equally 

effective manner, with substantially equivalent ease 

of use (U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. 

Department of Education, June 29, 2010; U.S. 

Department of Education, May 26, 2011). 

3Applicants should note that other laws, 

including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 

1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.; 28 CFR part 35) and 

section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 

U.S.C. 794; 34 CFR part 104), may require that State 

educational agencies and local educational agencies 

provide captioning, video description, and other 

accessible educational materials to children with 

disabilities when such materials are necessary to 

provide children with disabilities with equally 

integrated and equally effective access to the 

benefits of the educational program or activity, or 

as part of a ‘‘free appropriate public education’’ as 

defined in the Department of Education’s Section 

504 regulation. 

necessary for a child with a disability to 

fully access and participate in education 

in the least restrictive environment. 

Under Part C of IDEA, early intervention 

services are designed to meet the 

developmental needs of infants and 

toddlers with disabilities, as identified 

through a multidisciplinary evaluation. 

These services may include assistive 

technology and supports for 

communication development for young 

children (34 CFR 300.13) to enable them 

to make measurable progress towards 

results or outcomes identified in their 

individualized family services plans. 

Additionally, early intervention services 

include ‘‘the design of learning 

environments and activities that 

promote the infant’s or toddler’s 

acquisition of skills’’ (34 CFR 300.13). 

For these young learners and their 

families, special instruction, assistive 

technology, and supports for 

communication increasingly incorporate 

digital materials and technologies, 

including mobile applications, video, 

and tools for developing print and 

braille awareness (American Printing 

House for the Blind, 2022; National 

Center for Accessible Educational 

Materials, 2020). 

While there have been improvements 

in the accessibility of digital content in 

early intervention and education 

systems, other significant accessibility 

barriers persist, which deny children 

with disabilities equitable access and 

participation in education and early 

intervention systems. This can 

ultimately lead to inequities in longterm outcomes such as employment and 

quality of life opportunities for 

Americans with disabilities (Shaheen & 

Watulak, 2019). 

A review of the literature on 

accessibility in K–12 education 

concluded that there has been a 

consistent pattern over the last fifteen 

years of accessibility challenges for 

learners with disabilities (Shaheen and 

Watulak, 2019). Increased remote and 

web-based instruction during the 

COVID–19 pandemic revealed 

continued needs for improvement; a 

study by the American Foundation for 

the Blind (Rosenblum et al., 2020) found 

that 85 percent of the 710 teachers of 

students with visual impairments who 

responded to an online survey served 

one or more children enrolled in online 

general or special education classes 

during the pandemic who experienced 

accessibility barriers. Examples of these 

barriers included lack of support or 

interoperability for assistive and 

augmentative technologies needed to 

access instruction as well as 

inaccessible online learning materials, 

which required adults to read or 

navigate digital materials on a child’s 

behalf. Public concern about the use of 

inaccessible technologies and digital 

materials is further confirmed by 

ongoing receipt by the Department’s 

Office for Civil Rights of numerous 

allegations concerning the 

inaccessibility of elementary and 

secondary schools’ websites and online 

courses. 

The wide variety of modern, digital 

resources and technologies produced by 

a range of publishers and vendors hold 

promise for individualized and 

inclusive learning for children with 

disabilities in schools and other 

learning environments. Learners are 

increasingly presented with open 

educational resources (OERs), online 

platforms, and learning management 

systems which can facilitate faster, 

greater access to an increasing array of 

materials and learning tools. Even the 

youngest learners can benefit when 

families and service providers are aware 

of and experienced with digital learning 

tools and strategies. However, 

accessibility must be meaningfully and 

routinely considered during creation, 

procurement, and curation processes to 

ensure equitable access to materials and 

instruction, a process which can 

sometimes be confusing, timeconsuming, and expensive for schools 

and agencies (Shaheen, 2022). Agencies, 

administrators, educators, service 

providers, and other partners in special 

education and early intervention need 

support, including training and 

resources, on current and evidencebased strategies, tools, and systemic 

interventions to effectively and 

efficiently provide materials and 

instruction which are accessible for 

children with disabilities. 

Priority: The purpose of this priority 

is to fund a cooperative agreement to 

establish and operate a National Center 

on Digital Access in Education (Center). 

The Center will work with key 

partners 1 to improve the quality, 

availability, and timely provision of 

accessible digital educational materials 

and instruction,2 for children with 

disabilities.3 The Center funded under 

this priority will consider digital access 

to learning for children with disabilities 

in all learning environments in which 

children with disabilities are served 

under Part B and Part C of IDEA. 

The Center must achieve, at a 

minimum, the following expected 

outcomes: 

(a) Increased procurement and 

production of accessible digital 

educational technologies and materials 

by SEAs, LEAs, Part C lead agencies, 

educators, and service providers, 

including in areas with the highest 

percentages of children living in lowincome families and in rural and remote 

areas. 

(b) Increased SEA, LEA, and Part C 

Lead Agency adoption and use of 

policies and practices which ensure the 

procurement, curation, and provision of 

accessible materials, educational tools, 

and assessments for children with 

disabilities. 

(c) Increased efficiency of SEA and 

LEA internal accessibility reviews of 

digital educational technologies, 

resulting in reduced costs and 

duplication of efforts. 

(d) Increased knowledge and skills of 

pre-service and in-service general and 

special educators, related service 

providers, and TA providers in Office of 

Special Education Programs (OSEP) 

funded projects in the selection and 

preparation of accessible digital 

educational materials and instruction. 

In addition to these programmatic 

requirements, to be considered for 

funding under this priority, applicants 

must meet the application and 

administrative requirements in this 

priority, which are: 

(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Significance,’’ how the proposed 

project will address the need for 

accessible digital educational materials 

and instruction, to support equal 

opportunities for all children with 


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4For the purpose of this priority, ‘‘underserved 

children’’ refers to children living in poverty or 

served by schools with high concentrations of 

children living in poverty; children of color; 

children who are members of a federally recognized 

Indian Tribe; English learners; disconnected youth; 

technologically unconnected youth; migrant 

children; children experiencing homelessness or 

housing insecurity; lesbian, gay, bisexual, 

transgender, queer or questioning, or intersex 

(LGBTQI+) children; children in foster care; 

children without documentation of immigration 

status; pregnant, parenting, or caregiving children; 

children impacted by the justice system, including 

those formerly incarcerated; children performing 

significantly below grade level; and military- or 

veteran-connected children. 

5For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘underserved 

families’’ refers to foster, kinship, migrant, 

technologically unconnected, and military- or 

veteran-connected families; and families of color, 

living in poverty, without documentation of 

immigration status, experiencing homelessness or 

housing insecurity, or impacted by the justice 

system, including the juvenile justice system. 

Underserved families also refers to families that 

include: members of a federally or State recognized 

Indian Tribe; English learners; adults who 

experience a disability; members who are lesbian, 

gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, or 

intersex (LGBTQI+); adults in need of improving 

their basic skills or with limited literacy; and 

disconnected adults. 

6 ‘‘Accessible Format’’ is defined in Section 121 

of the Copyright Act as ‘‘[A]n alternative manner or 

form that gives an eligible person access to the work 

when the copy or phonorecord in the accessible 

format is used exclusively by the eligible person to 

permit him or her to have access as feasibly and 

comfortably as a person without such disability.’’ 

7See https://osepideasthatwork.org/find-centeror-grant for information about centers funded by the 

Office of Special Education Programs. 

8For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘evidencebased’’ means, at a minimum, evidence that 

demonstrates a rationale (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) 

based on high-quality research findings or positive 

evaluation that such activity, strategy, or 

intervention is likely to improve relevant outcomes. 

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

information provided to independent users through 

their own initiative, resulting in minimal 

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

Continued 

disabilities. To meet this requirement 

the applicant must— 

(1) Present applicable national, State, 

regional, or local data demonstrating the 

need for accessible digital educational 

materials and instruction in schools and 

other learning environments, for 

children with disabilities, including 

underserved children 4 and children 

whose families may be underserved; 5

and 

(2) Demonstrate knowledge of the 

following: 

(i) Benefits, services, and 

opportunities accessible digital 

educational materials and instruction 

make available to children with 

disabilities, including children whose 

families may be underserved; 

(ii) Accepted accessibility standards 

and technical and industry-developed 

specifications for digital materials and 

technologies (including those applicable 

to efficient conversion of educational 

media into accessible formats 6); 

(iii) TA resources available to 

personnel in early learning programs 

and schools to support the evaluation, 

design, development, maintenance, 

distribution, timely delivery, and use of 

accessible digital educational materials 

and instruction; and 

(iv) Systemic and policy-related 

barriers, gaps, and challenges with the 

evaluation and use of OERs, teacher and 

provider-created resources, and 

interactive digital resources, to ensure 

equitable access to learning; and 

(v) Challenges and opportunities for 

personnel preparation programs and TA 

providers, including projects in OSEP’s 

Technical Assistance and Dissemination 

Network,7 in ensuring that current and 

future personnel and staff members 

create accessible digital content and 

evaluate accessibility of digital content 

and technologies prior to use. 

(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of project services,’’ how the 

proposed project will— 

(1) Ensure equal access and treatment 

for members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe how it will— 

(i) Identify the needs of the intended 

recipients for TA and information; and 

(ii) Ensure that services and products 

meet the needs of the intended 

recipients of the Center’s services; 

(2) Achieve its goals, objectives, and 

intended outcomes. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

provide— 

(i) Measurable intended project 

outcomes; 

(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model 

(as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) by which 

the proposed project will achieve its 

intended outcomes that depicts, at a 

minimum, the goals, activities, outputs, 

and intended outcomes of the proposed 

project; and 

(iii) A conceptual framework (provide 

a copy in Appendix A) to develop 

project plans and activities, describing 

any underlying concepts, assumptions, 

expectations, beliefs, or theories, as well 

as the presumed relationships or 

linkages among these variables, and any 

empirical support for this framework; 

Note: The following websites provide 

more information on logic models and 

conceptual frameworks: https://

osepideasthatwork.org/sites/default/ 

files/2021-12/ConceptualFramework_

Updated.pdf and 

www.osepideasthatwork.org/resourcesgrantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tadproject-logic-model-and-conceptualframework. 

(3) Be based on current research and 

make use of evidence-based 8 practices 

(EBPs). To meet this requirement, the 

applicant must describe— 

(i) How the proposed project will 

align with current research, and 

evidence-based policies, procedures, 

and practices which support key 

partners in the selection, procurement, 

and use of accessible digital educational 

materials and instruction, for children 

with disabilities, including those who 

may be underserved; and 

(ii) The current research about adult 

learning principles and implementation 

science that will inform the proposed 

TA; 

(4) Develop products and provide 

services that are of high quality and 

sufficient intensity and duration to 

achieve the intended outcomes of the 

proposed project. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe— 

(i) How it proposes to sustain and 

continuously expand the dynamic 

knowledge base on— 

(A) Evidence-based practices for the 

evaluation, procurement, curation, and 

provision of accessible digital 

educational materials, in schools and 

other learning environments; 

(B) Implementation supports for State 

and local systems to apply strategies 

which increase awareness, capacity, and 

commitment to the procurement, 

curation, creation, and use of accessible 

digital educational materials and 

instruction, for children with 

disabilities; 

(C) Evidence-based approaches to preservice and in-service preparation of 

educators, administrators, and service 

providers that build adult learners’ 

awareness, capacity, and commitment to 

procurement, curation, creation, and use 

of accessible digital educational 

materials and instruction, for children 

with disabilities; and 

(D) Technology design and evaluation 

criteria that conform to or exceed 

accepted accessibility standards (e.g., 

National Instructional Materials 

Accessibility Standard) and, when 

appropriate, widely used electronic 

publishing industry standards (e.g., 

electronic publication (EPUB) 

accessibility, Web Content Accessibility 

Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA, World 

Wide Web Consortium (W3C) web 

standards, voluntary product 

accessibility templates (VPATs)); 

(ii) Its proposed approach to 

universal, general TA,9 which must 

describe— 


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TA project staff. This category of TA also includes 

information or products, such as newsletters, 

guidebooks, or research syntheses, downloaded 

from the TA project’s website by independent users. 

Brief communications by TA project staff with 

recipients, either by telephone or email, are also 

considered universal, general TA. 

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

based on needs common to multiple recipients and 

not extensively individualized. A relationship is 

established between the TA recipient and one or 

more TA project staff. This category of TA includes 

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

strategic planning or hosting regional or national 

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

such as facilitating a series of conference calls on 

single or multiple topics that are designed around 

the needs of the recipients. Facilitating 

communities of practice can also be considered 

targeted, specialized TA. 

11See https://aem.cast.org/coordinate/qualityindicators-provision-accessible-materialstechnologies. 

12A ‘‘third-party’’ evaluator is an independent 

and impartial program evaluator who is contracted 

by the grantee to conduct an objective evaluation 

of the project. This evaluator must not have 

participated in the development or implementation 

of any project activities, except for the evaluation 

activities, nor have any financial interest in the 

outcome of the evaluation. 

(A) The intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients, that will receive the products 

and services; 

(B) The products and services that the 

Center proposes to make available; 

(C) The development and 

maintenance of a high-quality website, 

with an easy to navigate design, that 

meets or exceeds government or 

industry-recognized standards for 

accessibility; 

(D) The expected reach and impact of 

universal, general TA; 

(E) Its proposed plan to disseminate 

information gained from the work of the 

National Center on Accessible 

Educational Materials, from recognized 

experts and national partners in digital 

accessibility, and from ongoing 

knowledge development activities; 

(F) Its proposed plan to provide, at a 

minimum, web-based professional 

development on the preparation, 

selection, curation, and provision of 

accessible digital educational materials, 

to meet the needs of pre-service and inservice educators and service providers 

(in both general and special education) 

in diverse geographic and demographic 

areas of the United States, using the 

information described in paragraph 

(b)(3) of this priority; 

(G) Its proposed plan to develop a 

searchable, user-friendly platform that 

includes accessibility reviews, 

accessibility best practices, and 

strategies for aligning policies and 

practices to current statutes and 

standards on accessibility to— 

(1) Increase efficiency of SEA and 

LEA internal accessibility reviews of 

digital educational technologies, 

resulting in reduced costs and 

duplication of efforts; and 

(2) Increase access to comprehensive 

and accurate information about the 

digital accessibility in schools and other 

learning environments, including 

information about IDEA requirements 

and resources for SEAs and LEAs 

related to the National Instructional 

Materials Accessibility Standard; and 

(iii) The proposed approach to 

targeted, specialized TA,10 which must 

describe— 

(A) The intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients, that will receive the products 

and services; 

(B) The proposed plan to provide TA 

to key partners based on— 

(1) The findings of the Center’s 

ongoing work to sustain and 

continuously expand the dynamic 

knowledge base described in paragraph 

(b)(4)(i); 

(2) The Quality Indicators for the 

Provision of Accessible Educational 

Materials and Technologies and the 

aligned Critical Components and 

Innovation Configurations developed by 

the OSEP-funded National Center for 

Accessible Educational Materials; 11

(C) The products and services that the 

Center proposes to make available; 

(D) The proposed approach to 

measure the readiness of potential TA 

recipients to work with the project, 

including, at a minimum, an assessment 

of potential recipients’ current 

infrastructure, available resources, and 

ability to build capacity at the local 

level; 

(E) The proposed plan to support key 

partners in collecting and reporting data 

to identify gaps and facilitate systematic 

improvements in the production, 

curation, and provision of accessible 

digital educational materials and 

instruction; 

(F) The proposed plan to work with 

SEAs, assessment developers, and other 

key partners as necessary to resolve 

challenges specific to digital 

accessibility in large-scale assessments 

of children with disabilities; and 

(G) The proposed plan to include 

publishers, OER producers, and 

technology vendors, in collaboration 

with key partners, to increase 

accessibility of digital educational 

materials, in schools and other learning 

environments; and 

(iv) How the proposed project will 

intentionally engage families of children 

with disabilities and individuals with 

disabilities, including underserved 

families and individuals in the 

development, implementation, and 

evaluation of its products and services 

across all levels of TA; 

(5) Develop products and implement 

services that maximize efficiency. To 

address this requirement, the applicant 

must describe— 

(i) How the proposed project will use 

technology to achieve the intended 

project outcomes; 

(ii) With whom the proposed project 

will collaborate and the intended 

outcomes of this collaboration; and 

(iii) How the proposed project will 

use non-project resources to achieve the 

intended project outcomes; and 

(6) How the project will 

systematically disseminate information, 

products, and services to varied 

intended audiences. To address this 

requirement the applicant must 

describe— 

(i) The variety of dissemination 

strategies the Center will use throughout 

the four years of the project to promote 

awareness and use of its products and 

services. 

(ii) How the project will evaluate and 

tailor its dissemination strategies across 

all planned levels of TA on an ongoing 

basis to ensure that products and 

services reach intended recipients and 

those recipients can access and use 

those products and services; 

(iii) How the project’s dissemination 

plan is connected to the proposed 

outcomes of the project; and 

(iv) How the project will evaluate and, 

if necessary, remediate all digital 

products and external communications 

to ensure they meet or exceed 

government or industry-recognized 

standards for accessibility. 

(c) In the narrative section of the 

application under ‘‘Quality of the 

project evaluation,’’ include an 

evaluation plan for the project 

developed in consultation with and 

implemented by a third-party 

evaluator.12 The evaluation plan must— 

(1) Articulate formative and 

summative evaluation questions across 

all planned levels of TA, including 

important process and outcome 

evaluation questions. These questions 

should be related to the project’s 

proposed logic model required in 

paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this notice; 

(2) Describe how progress in and 

fidelity of implementation, as well as 

project outcomes, will be measured to 

answer the evaluation questions. 

Note: In measuring progress of 

implementation across all levels of TA, 

the plan should include criteria for 

determining the extent to which the 

project’s products and services reached 

intended recipients, data, including 


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13For information about digital accessibility and 

accessibility standards from Section 508 of the 

Rehabilitation Act, visit https://

osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/508- 

resources. 

feedback from recipients, on how 

recipients used the products and 

services, and the impact of the products 

and services. The plan should also 

specify sources for data, and measures 

and instruments appropriate to the 

evaluation questions, including 

information on reliability and validity of 

the measures and associated 

instruments where appropriate. 

(3) Describe strategies for analyzing 

data and how data collected as part of 

this plan will be used to inform and 

improve service delivery over the course 

of the project and to refine the proposed 

logic model and evaluation plan, 

including subsequent data collection; 

(4) Provide a timeline for conducting 

the evaluation and include staff 

assignments for completing the plan. 

The timeline must indicate that the data 

will be available annually for the annual 

performance report (APR); and 

(5) Dedicate sufficient funds in each 

budget year to cover the costs of 

developing or refining the evaluation 

plan in consultation with a third-party 

evaluator, as well as the costs associated 

with the implementation of the 

evaluation plan by the third-party 

evaluator. 

(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Adequacy of resources and quality of 

project personnel,’’ how— 

(1) The proposed project will 

encourage applications for employment 

from persons who are members of 

groups that have traditionally been 

underrepresented based on race, color, 

national origin, gender, age, or 

disability, as appropriate; 

(2) The proposed key project 

personnel, consultants, and 

subcontractors have the qualifications 

and experience to carry out the 

proposed activities and achieve the 

project’s intended outcomes; 

(3) The applicant and any key 

partners have adequate resources to 

carry out the proposed activities; 

(4) The proposed project will have 

processes, resources, and funds in place 

to provide equitable access for project 

staff, contractors, and partners, who 

require digital accessibility 

accommodations; 13 and 

(5) The proposed costs are reasonable 

in relation to the anticipated results and 

benefits, and funds will be spent in a 

way that increases their efficiency and 

cost-effectiveness, including by 

reducing waste or achieving better 

outcomes. 

(e) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of the management plan,’’ 

how— 

(1) The proposed management plan 

will ensure that the project’s intended 

outcomes will be achieved on time and 

within budget. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe— 

(i) Clearly defined responsibilities for 

key project personnel, consultants, and 

subcontractors, as applicable; and 

(ii) Timelines and milestones for 

accomplishing the project tasks; 

(2) Key project personnel and any 

consultants and subcontractors will be 

allocated and how these allocations are 

appropriate and adequate to achieve the 

project’s intended outcomes; 

(3) The proposed management plan 

will ensure that the products and 

services provided are of high quality, 

relevant, and useful to recipients; and 

(4) The proposed project will benefit 

from a diversity of partner perspectives, 

including those of families, educators, 

TA providers, researchers, and policy 

makers, among others, in its 

development and operation. 

(f) Address the following application 

requirements. The applicant must— 

(1) Include, in Appendix A, 

personnel-loading charts and timelines, 

as applicable, to illustrate the 

management plan described in the 

narrative; 

(2) Include, in the budget, attendance 

at the following: 

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

meeting in Washington, DC, after receipt 

of the award, and an annual planning 

meeting in Washington, DC, with the 

OSEP project officer and other relevant 

staff during each subsequent year of the 

project period. 

Note: Within 30 days of receipt of the 

award, a post-award teleconference 

must be held between the OSEP project 

officer and the grantee’s project director 

or other authorized representative; 

(ii) A three-day project directors’ 

conference in Washington, DC, during 

each year of the project period. The 

project must reallocate funds for travel 

to the project directors’ conference no 

later than the end of the third quarter of 

each budget period if the conference is 

conducted virtually; and 

(iii) Two annual two-day trips to 

attend Department briefings, 

Department-sponsored conferences, and 

other meetings, as requested by OSEP; 

and 

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

for an annual set-aside of 5 percent of 

the grant amount to support emerging 

needs that are consistent with the 

proposed project’s intended outcomes, 

as those needs are identified in 

consultation with, and approved by, the 

OSEP project officer. With approval 

from the OSEP project officer, the 

project must reallocate any remaining 

funds from this annual set-aside no later 

than the end of the third quarter of each 

budget period; 

(4) Engage doctoral students or postdoctoral fellows, including those who 

are multilingual and racially, ethnically, 

and culturally diverse, in the project to 

increase the number of future leaders in 

the field who are knowledgeable about 

digital accessibility and related 

technologies in educational and earlylearning contexts; 

(5) Maintain a high-quality website; 

(6) Ensure that annual project 

progress toward meeting project goals is 

posted on the project website; and 

(7) Include, in Appendix A, an 

assurance to assist OSEP with the 

transfer of pertinent resources and 

products and to maintain the continuity 

of services to States during the 

transition to a new award at the end of 

this award period, as appropriate. 

Under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary 

may reduce continuation awards or 

discontinue awards in any year of the 

project period for excessive carryover 

balances, a failure to make substantial 

progress, or has not maintained 

financial and administrative 

management systems that meet 

requirements in 2 CFR 200.302, 

Financial Management, and 200.303, 

Internal controls. The Department 

intends to closely monitor unobligated 

balances and substantial progress under 

this program and may reduce or 

discontinue funding accordingly. 

References: 

American Printing House for the Blind. 

(2022). Building your early childhood 

toolkit. www.aph.org/building-yourearly-childhood-toolkit/. 

National Center on Accessible Educational 

Materials. (2020). AEM Quality 

Indicators with Critical Components for 

Early Childhood. https://aem.cast.org/ 

binaries/content/assets/common/ 

publications/aem/ec-aemqualityindicatorscriticalcomponents.pdf. 

Rosenblum, L.P., Herzberg, T.S., Wild, T., 

Botsford, K.D., Fast, D., Kaiser, J.T., 

Cook, L.K., Hicks, M.A., DeGrant, J.N., & 

McBride, C.R. (2020). Access and 

engagement: Examining the impact of 

COVID–19 on students birth-21 with 

visual impairments, their families, and 

professionals in the United States and 

Canada, executive summary. https://

afb.org/research-and-initiatives/ 

education/covid19-education-research. 

Shaheen, N.L. (2022). Technology 

accessibility: How U.S. K–12 schools are 

enacting policy and addressing the 

equity imperative. Computers & 


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366 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 2 / Wednesday, January 3, 2024 / Notices 

Education, 179. https://doi.org/10.1016/ 

j.compedu.2021.104414. 

Shaheen, N.L., & Watulak, S.L. (2019). 

Bringing disability into the discussion: 

Examining technology accessibility as an 

equity concern in the field of 

instructional technology. Journal of 

Research on Technology in Education, 

51(2), 187–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 

15391523.2019.1566037. 

U.S. Department of Education. (2011, May 

26). Frequently asked questions about 

the June 29, 2010 dear colleague letter. 

www.ed.gov/ocr/docs/dcl-ebook-faq201105.pdf. 

U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. 

Department of Education. (2010, June 

29). Joint ‘‘Dear Colleague’’ letter: 

Electronic book readers. https://

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

letters/colleague-20100629.html. 

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: 

Under the Administrative Procedure Act 

(APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department 

generally offers interested parties the 

opportunity to comment on proposed 

priorities. Section 681(d) of IDEA, 

however, makes the public comment 

requirements of the APA inapplicable to 

the priority in this notice. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1474 

and 1481. 

Note: Projects will be awarded and 

must be operated in a manner consistent 

with the nondiscrimination 

requirements contained in Federal civil 

rights laws. 

Applicable Regulations: (a) The 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR 

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

and 99. (b) The Office of Management 

and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on 

Governmentwide Debarment and 

Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR 

part 180, as adopted and amended as 

regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 

part 3485. (c) The Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost 

Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as 

adopted and amended as regulations of 

the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 

79 apply to all applicants except 

federally recognized Indian Tribes. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 

86 apply to institutions of higher 

education (IHEs) only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

agreement. 

Estimated Available Funds: The 

Administration has requested 

$41,433,000 for the Educational 

Technology, Media, and Materials for 

Individuals with Disabilities program 

for FY 2024, of which we intend to use 

an estimated $1,800,000 for this 

competition. The actual level of 

funding, if any, depends on final 

congressional action. However, we are 

inviting applications to allow enough 

time to complete the grant process if 

Congress appropriates funds for this 

program. 

Contingent upon the availability of 

funds and the quality of applications, 

we may make additional awards in FY 

2025 from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition. 

Maximum Award: We will not make 

an award exceeding $1,800,000 for a 

single budget period of 12 months. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 1. 

Note: The Department is not bound by 

any estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 48 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs; LEAs, 

including public charter schools that are 

considered LEAs under State law; IHEs; 

other public agencies; private nonprofit 

organizations; freely associated States 

and outlying areas; Indian Tribes or 

Tribal organizations; and for-profit 

organizations. 

2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This 

competition does not require cost 

sharing or matching. 

b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This 

program uses an unrestricted indirect 

cost rate. For more information 

regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a 

negotiated indirect cost rate, please see 

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

intro.html. 

c. Administrative Cost Limitation: 

This program does not include any 

program-specific limitation on 

administrative expenses. All 

administrative expenses must be 

reasonable and necessary and conform 

to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR 

part 200 subpart E of the Uniform 

Guidance. 

3. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR 

75.708(b) and (c), a grantee under this 

competition may award subgrants—to 

directly carry out project activities 

described in its application—to the 

following types of entities: IHEs, 

nonprofit organizations suitable to carry 

out the activities proposed in the 

application, and public agencies. The 

grantee may award subgrants to entities 

it has identified in an approved 

application or that it selects through a 

competition under procedures 

established by the grantee, consistent 

with 34 CFR 75.708(b)(2). 

4. Other General Requirements: 

(a) Recipients of funding under this 

competition must make positive efforts 

to employ and advance in employment 

qualified individuals with disabilities 

(see section 606 of IDEA). 

(b) Applicants for, and recipients of, 

funding must, with respect to the 

aspects of their proposed project 

relating to the absolute priority, involve 

individuals with disabilities, or parents 

of individuals with disabilities ages 

birth through 26, in planning, 

implementing, and evaluating the 

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

IDEA). 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Application Submission 

Instructions: Applicants are required to 

follow the Common Instructions for 

Applicants to Department of Education 

Discretionary Grant Programs, 

published in the Federal Register on 

December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and 

available at www.federalregister.gov/d/ 

2022-26554, which contain 

requirements and information on how to 

submit an application. 

2. Intergovernmental Review: This 

competition is subject to Executive 

Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 

CFR part 79. Information about 

Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs under Executive Order 12372 

is in the application package for this 

competition. 

3. Funding Restrictions: We reference 

regulations outlining funding 

restrictions in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

4. Recommended Page Limit: The 

application narrative is where you, the 

applicant, address the selection criteria 

that reviewers use to evaluate your 

application. We recommend that you (1) 

limit the application narrative to no 

more than 70 pages and (2) use the 

following standards: 

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

only, with 1′′ margins at the top, bottom, 

and both sides. 

• Double-space (no more than three 

lines per vertical inch) all text in the 

application narrative, including titles, 

headings, footnotes, quotations, 

reference citations, and captions, as well 

as all text in charts, tables, figures, 

graphs, and screen shots. 

• Use a font that is 12 point or larger. 

• Use one of the following fonts: 

Times New Roman, Courier, Courier 

New, or Arial. 

The recommended page limit does not 

apply to the cover sheet; the budget 

section, including the narrative budget 

justification; the assurances and 

certifications; or the abstract (follow the 

guidance provided in the application 

package for completing the abstract), the 

table of contents, the list of priority 

requirements, the resumes, the reference 

list, the letters of support, image 

descriptions provided for accessibility, 


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or the appendices. However, the 

recommended page limit does apply to 

all of the application narrative, 

including all text in charts, tables, 

figures, graphs, and screen shots. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this competition are from 34 

CFR 75.210 and are listed below: 

(a) Significance (10 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

significance of the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the significance of 

the proposed project, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The extent to which specific gaps 

or weaknesses in services, 

infrastructure, or opportunities have 

been identified and will be addressed by 

the proposed project, including the 

nature and magnitude of those gaps or 

weaknesses; and 

(ii) The importance or magnitude of 

the results or outcomes likely to be 

attained by the proposed project. 

(iii) The extent to which the proposed 

project is likely to build local capacity 

to provide, improve, or expand services 

that address the needs of the target 

population. 

(b) Quality of project services (35 

points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the services to be provided by 

the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

services to be provided by the proposed 

project, the Secretary considers the 

quality and sufficiency of strategies for 

ensuring equal access and treatment for 

eligible project participants who are 

members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. 

(3) In addition, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The extent to which the goals, 

objectives, and outcomes to be achieved 

by the proposed project are clearly 

specified and measurable; 

(ii) The extent to which there is a 

conceptual framework underlying the 

proposed research or demonstration 

activities and the quality of that 

framework; 

(iii) The extent to which the services 

to be provided by the proposed project 

reflect up-to-date knowledge from 

research and effective practice; 

(iv) The extent to which the training 

or professional development services to 

be provided by the proposed project are 

of sufficient quality, intensity, and 

duration to lead to improvements in 

practice among the recipients of those 

services; 

(v) The extent to which the services 

to be provided by the proposed project 

involve the collaboration of appropriate 

partners for maximizing the 

effectiveness of project services; and 

(vi) The extent to which the TA 

services to be provided by the proposed 

project involve the use of efficient 

strategies, including the use of 

technology, as appropriate, and the 

leveraging of non-project resources. 

(c) Quality of the project evaluation 

(20 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the evaluation to be 

conducted of the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

evaluation, the Secretary considers the 

following factors: 

(i) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and 

appropriate to the goals, objectives, and 

outcomes of the proposed project. 

(ii) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation include the use of 

objective performance measures that are 

clearly related to the intended outcomes 

of the project and will produce 

quantitative and qualitative data to the 

extent possible; 

(iii) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation will provide performance 

feedback and permit periodic 

assessment of progress toward achieving 

intended outcomes. 

(d) Adequacy of resources and quality 

of project personnel (15 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

adequacy of resources for the proposed 

project and the quality of the personnel 

who will carry out the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of 

project personnel, the Secretary 

considers the extent to which the 

applicant encourages applications for 

employment from persons who are 

members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. 

(3) In addition, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of the 

project director or principal 

investigator. 

(ii) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of key 

project personnel. 

(iii) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of 

project consultants or subcontractors. 

(iv) The qualifications, including 

relevant training, experience, and 

independence, of the evaluator. 

(v) The adequacy of support, 

including facilities, equipment, 

supplies, and other resources, from the 

applicant organization or the lead 

applicant organization. 

(vi) The relevance and demonstrated 

commitment of each partner in the 

proposed project to the implementation 

and success of the project. 

(vii) The extent to which the budget 

is adequate to support the proposed 

project. 

(viii) The extent to which the costs are 

reasonable in relation to the objectives, 

design, and potential significance of the 

proposed project. 

(e) Quality of the management plan 

(20 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the management plan for the 

proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

management plan for the proposed 

project, the Secretary considers the 

following factors: 

(i) The adequacy of the management 

plan to achieve the objectives of the 

proposed project on time and within 

budget, including clearly defined 

responsibilities, timelines, and 

milestones for accomplishing project 

tasks. 

(ii) The adequacy of procedures for 

ensuring feedback and continuous 

improvement in the operation of the 

proposed project; 

(iii) The extent to which the time 

commitments of the project director and 

principal investigator and other key 

project personnel are appropriate and 

adequate to meet the objectives of the 

proposed project. 

(iv) How the applicant will ensure 

that a diversity of perspectives are 

brought to bear in the operation of the 

proposed project, including those of 

parents, teachers, the business 

community, a variety of disciplinary 

and professional fields, recipients or 

beneficiaries of services, or others, as 

appropriate. 

2. Review and Selection Process: We 

remind potential applicants that in 

reviewing applications in any 

discretionary grant competition, the 

Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 

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

applicant in carrying out a previous 

award, such as the applicant’s use of 

funds, achievement of project 

objectives, and compliance with grant 

conditions. The Secretary may also 

consider whether the applicant failed to 

submit a timely performance report or 

submitted a report of unacceptable 

quality. 

In addition, in making a competitive 

grant award, the Secretary requires 

various assurances, including those 

applicable to Federal civil rights laws 

that prohibit discrimination in programs 

or activities receiving Federal financial 

assistance from the Department (34 CFR 

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

3. Additional Review and Selection 

Process Factors: In the past, the 


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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 section 682(b) of 

IDEA also have placed additional 

constraints on the availability of 

reviewers. Therefore, the Department 

has determined that for some 

discretionary grant competitions, 

applications may be separated into two 

or more groups and ranked and selected 

for funding within specific groups. This 

procedure will make it easier for the 

Department to find peer reviewers by 

ensuring that greater numbers of 

individuals who are eligible to serve as 

reviewers for any particular group of 

applicants will not have conflicts of 

interest. It also will increase the quality, 

independence, and fairness of the 

review process, while permitting panel 

members to review applications under 

discretionary grant competitions for 

which they also have submitted 

applications. 

4. Risk Assessment and Specific 

Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 

200.206, before awarding grants under 

this competition the Department 

conducts a review of the risks posed by 

applicants. Under 2 CFR 200.208, the 

Secretary may impose specific 

conditions, and under 2 CFR 3474.10, in 

appropriate circumstances, high-risk 

conditions on a grant if the applicant or 

grantee is not financially stable; has a 

history of unsatisfactory performance; 

has a financial or other management 

system that does not meet the standards 

in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 

fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; 

or is otherwise not responsible. 

5. Integrity and Performance System: 

If you are selected under this 

competition to receive an award that 

over the course of the project period 

may exceed the simplified acquisition 

threshold (currently $250,000), under 2 

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

judgment about your integrity, business 

ethics, and record of performance under 

Federal awards—that is, the risk posed 

by you as an applicant—before we make 

an award. In doing so, we must consider 

any information about you that is in the 

integrity and performance system 

(currently referred to as the Federal 

Awardee Performance and Integrity 

Information System (FAPIIS)), 

accessible through the System for 

Award Management. You may review 

and comment on any information about 

yourself that a Federal agency 

previously entered and that is currently 

in FAPIIS. 

Please note that, if the total value of 

your currently active grants, cooperative 

agreements, and procurement contracts 

from the Federal Government exceeds 

$10,000,000, the reporting requirements 

in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, 

require you to report certain integrity 

information to FAPIIS semiannually. 

Please review the requirements in 2 CFR 

part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant 

plus all the other Federal funds you 

receive exceed $10,000,000. 

6. In General: In accordance with the 

Office of Management and Budget’s 

guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all 

applicable Federal laws, and relevant 

Executive guidance, the Department 

will review and consider applications 

for funding pursuant to this notice 

inviting applications in accordance 

with: 

(a) Selecting recipients most likely to 

be successful in delivering results based 

on the program objectives through an 

objective process of evaluating Federal 

award applications (2 CFR 200.205); 

(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain 

telecommunication and video 

surveillance services or equipment in 

alignment with section 889 of the 

National Defense Authorization Act of 

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

(c) Providing a preference, to the 

extent permitted by law, to maximize 

use of goods, products, and materials 

produced in the United States (2 CFR 

200.322); and 

(d) Terminating agreements in whole 

or in part to the greatest extent 

authorized by law if an award no longer 

effectuates the program goals or agency 

priorities (2 CFR 200.340). 

VI. Award Administration Information 

1. Award Notices: If your application 

is successful, we notify your U.S. 

Representative and U.S. Senators and 

send you a Grant Award Notification 

(GAN); or we may send you an email 

containing a link to access an electronic 

version of your GAN. We may notify 

you informally, also. 

If your application is not evaluated or 

not selected for funding, we notify you. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements: We identify 

administrative and national policy 

requirements in the application package 

and reference these and other 

requirements in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

We reference the regulations outlining 

the terms and conditions of an award in 

the Applicable Regulations section of 

this notice and include these and other 

specific conditions in the GAN. The 

GAN also incorporates your approved 

application as part of your binding 

commitments under the grant. 

3. Open Licensing Requirements: 

Unless an exception applies, if you are 

awarded a grant under this competition, 

you will be required to openly license 

to the public grant deliverables created 

in whole, or in part, with Department 

grant funds. When the deliverable 

consists of modifications to pre-existing 

works, the license extends only to those 

modifications that can be separately 

identified and only to the extent that 

open licensing is permitted under the 

terms of any licenses or other legal 

restrictions on the use of pre-existing 

works. Additionally, a grantee that is 

awarded competitive grant funds must 

have a plan to disseminate these public 

grant deliverables. This dissemination 

plan can be developed and submitted 

after your application has been 

reviewed and selected for funding. For 

additional information on the open 

licensing requirements please refer to 2 

CFR 3474.20. 

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

grant under this competition, you must 

ensure that you have in place the 

necessary processes and systems to 

comply with the reporting requirements 

in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive 

funding under the competition. This 

does not apply if you have an exception 

under 2 CFR 170.110(b). 

(b) At the end of your project period, 

you must submit a final performance 

report, including financial information, 

as directed by the Secretary. If you 

receive a multiyear award, you must 

submit an annual performance report 

that provides the most current 

performance and financial expenditure 

information as directed by the Secretary 

under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary 

may also require more frequent 

performance reports under 34 CFR 

75.720(c). For specific requirements on 

reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/ 

fund/grant/apply/appforms/ 

appforms.html. 

5. Performance Measures: For the 

purpose of Department reporting under 

34 CFR 75.110, we have 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 

Educational Technology, Media, and 

Materials for Individuals with 

Disabilities Program. These measures 

are: 

• Program Performance Measure #1: 

The percentage of Educational 

Technology, Media, and Materials 

Program products and services judged to 

be of high quality by an independent 

review panel of experts qualified to 

review the substantial content of the 

products and services. 

• Program Performance Measure #2: 

The percentage of Educational 

Technology, Media, and Materials 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 2 / Wednesday, January 3, 2024 / Notices 369 

Program products and services judged to 

be of high relevance to improving 

outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, 

and youth with disabilities. 

• Program Performance Measure #3: 

The percentage of Educational 

Technology, Media, and Materials 

Program products and services judged to 

be useful in improving results for 

infants, toddlers, children, and youth 

with disabilities. 

• Program Performance Measure 

#4.1: The Federal cost per unit of 

accessible educational materials funded 

by the Educational Technology, Media, 

and Materials Program. 

• Program Performance Measure 

#4.2: The Federal cost per unit of 

accessible educational materials from 

the National Instructional Materials 

Accessibility Center funded by the 

Educational Technology, Media, and 

Materials Program. 

• Program Performance Measure 

#4.3: The Federal cost per unit of video 

description funded by the Educational 

Technology, Media, and Materials 

Program (long-term measure). 

The measures apply to projects 

funded under this competition, and 

grantees are required to submit data on 

these measures as directed by OSEP. 

Grantees will be required to report 

information on their project’s 

performance in annual and final 

performance reports to the Department 

(34 CFR 75.590). 

The Department will also closely 

monitor the extent to which the 

products and services provided by the 

Center meet needs identified by partners 

and may require the Center to report on 

such alignment in their annual and final 

performance reports. 

6. Continuation Awards: In making a 

continuation award under 34 CFR 

75.253, the Secretary considers, among 

other things: whether a grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the goals and objectives of the project; 

whether the grantee has expended funds 

in a manner that is consistent with its 

approved application and budget; and, 

if the Secretary has established 

performance measurement 

requirements, whether the grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the performance targets in the grantee’s 

approved application. 

In making a continuation award, the 

Secretary also considers whether the 

grantee is operating in compliance with 

the assurances in its approved 

application, including those applicable 

to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit 

discrimination in programs or activities 

receiving Federal financial assistance 

from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 

104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). 

VII. Other Information 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 

individuals with disabilities can obtain 

this document and a copy of the 

application package in an accessible 

format. The Department will provide the 

requestor with an accessible format that 

may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or 

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

file, braille, large print, audiotape, or 

compact disc, or other accessible format. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. You may access the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the 

Code of Federal Regulations at 

www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can 

view this document, as well as all other 

documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Portable Document Format 

(PDF). To use PDF you must have 

Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at the site. 

You may also access documents of the 

Department published in the Federal 

Register by using the article search 

feature at www.federalregister.gov. 

Specifically, through the advanced 

search feature at this site, you can limit 

your search to documents published by 

the Department. 

Dante ́ Allen, 

Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services 

Administration, Office of Special Education 

and Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28871 Filed 1–2–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Secretary of Energy Advisory Board 

AGENCY: Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of cancellation of open 

virtual meeting. 

SUMMARY: On December 20, 2023, the 

Department of Energy published a 

notice of open meeting announcing a 

virtual meeting on January 16, 2024, of 

the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board 

(SEAB). This notice announces the 

cancellation of this virtual meeting. 

DATES: The virtual meeting scheduled 

for January 16, 2024, announced in the 

December 20, 2023, issue of the Federal 

Register (FR Doc. 2023–27904, 88 FR 

88057), is cancelled. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

David Borak, Designated Federal 

Officer, U.S. Department of Energy, 

1000 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20585; email: seab@

hq.doe.gov; telephone: (202) 586–5216. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Department of 

Energy was signed on December 27, 

2023, by David Borak, Deputy 

Committee Management Officer, 

Secretarial Office of Boards & Councils, 

pursuant to delegated authority from the 

Secretary of Energy. That document 

with the original signature and date is 

maintained by DOE. For administrative 

purposes only, and in compliance with 

requirements of the Office of the Federal 

Register, the undersigned DOE Federal 

Register Liaison Officer has been 

authorized to sign and submit the 

document in electronic format for 

publication, as an official document of 

the Department of Energy. This 

administrative process in no way alters 

the legal effect of this document upon 

publication in the Federal Register. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on December 

28, 2023. 

Treena V. Garrett, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28934 Filed 1–2–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

Combined Notice of Filings #1 

Take notice that the Commission 

received the following Complaints and 

Compliance filings in EL Dockets: 

Docket Numbers: EL24–50–000. 

Applicants: Salsa Solar Energy, LLC 

and Towner Wind Energy III LLC v. 

Public Service Company of Colorado. 

Description: Complaint of Salsa Solar 

Energy, LLC and Towner Wind Energy 

III LLC v. Public Service Company of 

Colorado. 

Filed Date: 12/22/23. 

Accession Number: 20231222–5335. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 1/11/24. 

Take notice that the Commission 

received the following electric rate 

filings: 

Docket Numbers: ER24–172–001. 

Applicants: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania 

Electric Company. 

Description: Tariff Amendment: 

2023.12.22—Deficiency Letter Response 

to be effective 12/31/9998. 

Filed Date: 12/26/23. 

Accession Number: 20231226–5000. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 1/16/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER24–262–000. 

Applicants: Mustang Hills, LLC. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1