70408 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 22, 2000 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Notice of Final Competitive Preference

for Fiscal Year 2001 and Subsequent

Fiscal Years

AGENCY: Department of Education.

SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for

the Office of Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)

announces the addition of a competitive

preference to certain grant competitions

for fiscal year 2001 and subsequent

fiscal years. This notice contains and

describes the additional competitive

preference and lists the programs to

which it applies.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This competitive

preference takes effect on December 22,

2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ann

Queen, U.S. Department of Education,

400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3317,

Switzer Building, Washington, DC

20202–2550. Telephone: (202) 205–8285

or via Internet: Ann_Queen@ed.gov.

If you use a telecommunications

device for the deaf (TDD), you may call

the Federal Information Relay Service

(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339.

Individuals with disabilities may

obtain this document in an alternative

format (e.g., Braille, large print,

audiotape, or computer diskette) on

request to the contact person listed

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice contains language for adding a

final competitive preference to

competitions under the following 11

programs, which are authorized under

the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as

amended. Information on how we

evaluate applications for each of these

programs follows in parentheses:

84.128G—Migrant and Seasonal

Farmworkers Program (34 CFR 75.200).

84.128J—Recreational Programs (34

CFR 75.200).

84.132—Centers for Independent

Living (34 CFR 366.26).

84.133A—Disability and

Rehabilitation Research Projects and

Centers Program (34 CFR 350.53).

84.133B—Rehabilitation Research and

Training Centers (34 CFR 350.53).

84.133D—Knowledge Dissemination

and Utilization (34 CFR 350.53).

84.133E—Rehabilitation Engineering

Research Centers (34 CFR 350.53).

84.133N—Special Projects and

Demonstrations for Spinal Cord Injuries

(34 CFR 359.30).

84.234—Projects With Industry (34

CFR 379.30).

84.235—Special Demonstration

Programs (34 CFR 75.200)

84.250—Vocational Rehabilitation

Service Projects for American Indians

with Disabilities (34 CFR 75.200).

On September 7, 2000 the Assistant

Secretary for OSERS published a notice

of proposed competitive preference for

these programs in the Federal Register

(65 FR 54394). Except for minor

editorial and technical revisions, there

are no differences between the notice of

proposed competitive preference and

this notice of final competitive

preference.

Analysis of Comments and Changes

In response to our invitation in the

notice of proposed competitive

preference, two parties submitted

comments on the proposed additional

competitive preference. An analysis of

the comments follows.

Comment: One commenter supported

the proposed competitive preference.

Discussion: None.

Change: None.

Comment: The other commenter

noted that it may be difficult to

substantiate information on people with

disabilities serving as project staff. Some

people with disabilities prefer not to

disclose those disabilities.

Discussion: Based upon experience

with current and former grantees, the

Assistant Secretary believes that

substantiation will be a minor issue.

Change: None.

Note: This notice does not solicit

applications. In any year in which the

Assistant Secretary chooses to use this

priority, we invite applications through a

notice in the Federal Register.

Competitive Preference

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) the

Assistant Secretary adds a competitive

preference to applications that are

otherwise eligible for funding under the

ll previously mentioned programs.

The maximum score under the

selection criteria for each of these

programs is 100 points; however, we

will also use the following competitive

preference so that up to an additional 10

points may be earned by an applicant

for a total possible score of 110 points.

Up to 10 points may be earned based

on the extent to which an application

includes effective strategies for

employing and advancing in

employment qualified individuals with

disabilities as project employees in

projects awarded under these programs.

In determining the effectiveness of those

strategies, we will consider the

applicant’s prior success, as described

in the application, in employing and

advancing in employment qualified

individuals with disabilities.

Therefore, within this competitive

preference, applicants can be awarded

up to a total of 10 points in addition to

those awarded under the published

selection criteria noted previously in

parentheses after each program. That is,

an applicant meeting this competitive

preference could earn a maximum total

of 110 points.

Goals 2000: Educate America Act

The Goals 2000: Educate America Act

(Goals 2000) focuses the Nation’s

education reform efforts on the eight

National Education Goals and provides

a framework for meeting them. Goals

2000 promotes new partnerships to

strengthen schools and expands the

Department’s capacities for helping

communities to exchange ideas and

obtain information needed to achieve

the goals.

This competitive preference supports

the National Education Goal that calls

for every American to possess the skills

necessary to compete in a global

economy.

Intergovernmental Review

These programs are subject to

Executive Order 12372 and the

regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of

the objectives of the Executive order is

to foster an intergovernmental

partnership and a strengthened

federalism. The Executive order relies

on processes developed by State and

local governments for coordination and

review of proposed Federal financial

assistance.

This document provides early

notification of our specific plans and

actions for these programs.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 226 / Wednesday, November 22, 2000 / Notices 70409

Electronic Access to This Document

You may view this document, as well

as all other Department of Education

documents published in the Federal

Register, in text or Adobe Portable

Document Format (PDF) on the Internet

at either of the following sites:

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

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

To use PDF you must have Adobe

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at either of the preceding sites. If you

have questions about using PDF, call the

U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO),

toll free, at 1–888–293–6498; or in the

Washington, DC area at (202) 512–1530.

Note: The official version of this document

is the document published in the Federal

Register. Free Internet access to the official

edition of the Federal Register and the Code

of Federal Regulations is available on GPO

Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/

index.html

Applicable Program Regulations: 34

CFR parts 350, 359, 366, 371, and 379.

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 709(c), 741,

764, 773, 774, 775, 795, and 796f–796f–5.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Numbers: 84.128G–Migrant and Seasonal

Farmworkers Program; 84.128J–Recreational

Program; 84.132–Centers for Independent

Living; 84.133A–Disability and

Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers

Program; 84.133B–Rehabilitation Research

and Training Centers; 84.133D–Knowledge

Dissemination and Utilization; 84.133E–

Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers;

84.133N–Special Projects and

Demonstrations for Spinal Cord Injuries;

84.234–Projects With Industry; 84.235–

Special Demonstration Programs; and

84.250–Vocational Rehabilitation Service

Projects for American Indians with

Disabilities).

Dated: November 16, 2000.

Judith E. Heumann,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 00–29817 Filed 11–21–00; 8:45 am]

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