3090 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 13 / Thursday, January 20, 2022 / Notices 

Needs and Uses: The United States 

Patent System uses a ‘first to file’ 

system, as introduced by the LeahySmith America Invents Act (AIA) which 

was enacted into law on September 16, 

2011. To determine the first inventor to 

file, information is needed in order to 

identify the inventorship and 

ownership, or obligation to assign 

ownership, of each claimed invention 

on its effective filing date. Section 3 of 

the AIA, inter alia, amended 35 U.S.C. 

102 and 103 consistent with the 

objectives of the AIA, including the 

conversion of the United States patent 

system from a ‘‘first to invent’’ system 

to a ‘‘first inventor to file’’ system. The 

changes in section 3 of the AIA went 

into effect on March 16, 2013, but apply 

only to certain applications filed on or 

after March 16, 2013. 

This information collection covers 

information required by 37 CFR 1.55(k), 

1.78(a)(6), and 1.78(d)(6) to assist the 

USPTO in determining whether an 

application is subject to 35 U.S.C. 102 

and 103 as amended by Section 3 of the 

Leahy-Smith America Invents Act 

(AIA), or 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103, in 

effect on March 15, 2013. 

Form Numbers: None. 

Type of Review: Extension and 

revision of a currently approved 

information collection. 

Affected Public: Private sector; 

individuals or households. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Required to 

obtain or retain benefits. 

Frequency: On occasion. 

Estimated Number of Annual 

Respondents: 99 respondents. 

Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 144 responses. 

Estimated Time per Response: The 

USPTO estimates that the responses in 

this information collection will take the 

public 2 hours to complete. This 

includes the time to gather the 

necessary information, create the 

document, and submit the completed 

request to the USPTO. 

Estimated Total Annual Respondent 

Burden Hours: 288 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Respondent 

Non-Hourly Cost Burden: $8. 

This information collection request 

may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov. 

Follow the instructions to view 

Department of Commerce, USPTO 

information collections currently under 

review by OMB. 

Written comments and 

recommendations for this information 

collection should be submitted within 

30 days of the publication of this notice 

on the following website 

www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 

Find this particular information 

collection by selecting ‘‘Currently under 

30-day Review—Open for Public 

Comments’’ or by using the search 

function and entering either the title of 

the information collection or the OMB 

Control Number 0651–0071. 

Further information can be obtained 

by: 

• Email: InformationCollection@

uspto.gov. Include ‘‘0651–0071 

information request’’ in the subject line 

of the message. 

• Mail: Kimberly Hardy, Office of the 

Chief Administrative Officer, United 

States Patent and Trademark Office, 

P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22313– 

1450. 

Kimberly Hardy, 

Information Collections Officer, Office of the 

Chief Administrative Officer, United States 

Patent and Trademark Office. 

[FR Doc. 2022–01075 Filed 1–19–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 1410–30–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Technical Assistance and 

Dissemination To Improve Services 

and Results for Children With 

Disabilities—Technical Assistance 

Center on Positive Social, Emotional, 

and Behavioral Outcomes for Young 

Children With, and At Risk for, 

Developmental Delays or Disabilities 

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) 2022 for a Technical 

Assistance Center on Positive Social, 

Emotional, and Behavioral Outcomes for 

Young Children with, and At Risk for, 

Developmental Delays or Disabilities, 

Assistance Listing Number 84.326B. 

This notice relates to the approved 

information collection under OMB 

control number 1820–0028. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: January 20, 

2022. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: March 21, 2022. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: May 20, 2022. 

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 27, 2021 

(86 FR 73264) and available at 

www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-27979. 

Please note that these Common 

Instructions supersede the version 

published on February 13, 2019, and, in 

part, describe the transition from the 

requirement to register in SAM.gov a 

Data Universal Numbering System 

(DUNS) number to the implementation 

of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). 

More information on the phase-out of 

DUNS numbers is available at https://

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

docs/unique-entity-identifier-transitionfact-sheet.pdf. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sunyoung Ahn, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 5012A, Potomac Center Plaza, 

Washington, DC 20202–5076. 

Telephone: (202) 245–6460. Email: 

Sunyoung.Ahn@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 

telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 

8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The purpose of 

the Technical Assistance and 

Dissemination to Improve Services and 

Results for Children with Disabilities 

program is to promote academic 

achievement and to improve results for 

children with disabilities by providing 

technical assistance (TA), supporting 

model demonstration projects, 

disseminating useful information, and 

implementing activities that are 

supported by scientifically based 

research. 

Priority: 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 663 

and 681(d) of the Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); 20 

U.S.C. 1463 and 1481(d)). 

Absolute Priority: For FY 2022 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: 

Technical Assistance Center on 

Positive Social, Emotional, and 

Behavioral Outcomes for Young 

Children with, and At Risk for, 

Developmental Delays or Disabilities. 

Background 

The beginning years of a child’s life 

are critical for building the early 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 13 / Thursday, January 20, 2022 / Notices 3091 

1For the purpose of this priority, ‘‘multi-tiered 

system of supports (MTSS)’’ is a way to provide 

high-quality teaching and responsive caregiving 

through the delivery of differentiated support for all 

young children. Four key practices in an early 

childhood MTSS include: (a) Universal screening to 

determine which children may need additional 

services or supports, (b) differentiation of child 

goals or outcomes to clarify what individual skills 

children need to focus on, (c) tiered instruction or 

interventions to meet children’s need, and (d) 

ongoing progress monitoring to adjust instruction as 

needed (Division of Early Childhood, 2021). 

2For the purpose of this priority, ‘‘traumainformed’’ means a program, organization, or 

system realizes the widespread impact of trauma 

and understands potential paths for recovery; 

recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in 

clients, families, staff, and others involved with the 

system; and responds by fully integrating 

knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, 

and practices, and seeks to actively resist 

retraumatization (Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration, 2014). 

foundation of learning, health, and 

wellness. Responsive relationships and 

high-quality early care and education 

experiences are central to promoting 

young children’s social, emotional, and 

behavioral competence, which can lead 

to more success in school, relationships, 

and life (Campbell et al., 2016; Jones et 

al., 2015). However, early childhood 

systems and programs that serve infants, 

toddlers, and preschool children (young 

children) with, and at risk for, 

developmental delays or disabilities 

have struggled to systematically 

promote social, emotional, and 

behavioral competence and address 

behavioral challenges. According to a 

recent survey (Smith et al., 2020), there 

is great variation in the capacity of State 

IDEA Part C programs to identify and 

meet the needs of infants and toddlers 

who have social-emotional delays, 

mental health conditions, or 

circumstances that put them at high risk 

of developing these difficulties. Most 

States report a shortage of qualified 

personnel who can provide services or 

provide training on evidence-based 

models that support young children’s 

social, emotional, and behavioral 

development. In classroom settings, 

early childhood personnel frequently 

report that coping with challenging 

behavior is their most pressing training 

need and presents a barrier to including 

young children with disabilities into 

programs with their typically 

developing peers (Brock & BeamanDiglia, 2018; Snell et al., 2012). 

The well-documented, and troubling, 

data on preschool expulsion and 

suspension as well as its 

disproportionate application highlights 

the need for early childhood personnel 

to build competencies on how to 

equitably support young children’s 

social, emotional, and behavior 

development. Early research by Gilliam 

(2005) showed that the rate of expulsion 

from State-funded pre-K programs was 

three times higher than that for K–12 

programs. Later studies bolster these 

initial findings and demonstrate that 

suspension and expulsion from early 

education disproportionately affect 

young boys of color (Gilliam & Reyes, 

2018; Malik, 2017; Meek & Gilliam, 

2016). 

The COVID–19 pandemic has 

highlighted the need to improve the 

capacity of early childhood personnel 

and programs to promote young 

children’s social, emotional, and 

behavioral competence. The pandemic 

is exposing many young children to 

added stressors, including reduced 

connection with peers, loss of family or 

community members, financial 

insecurity, or exacerbated physical or 

mental health needs of family members. 

Parents of young children with 

disabilities reported being more 

concerned about their children’s 

behavior, development, and learning; 

and feeling more anxious and depressed 

during the pandemic (Center for 

Translational Neuroscience, 2020). 

Studies indicate that the COVID–19 

pandemic’s social distancing 

restrictions have prompted a surge in 

the mental health needs of children 

(West et al., 2021). Children of color are 

especially subject to significant stressors 

during the pandemic (RoblesRamamurthy et al., 2021); however, they 

and their families have been less likely 

than their White counterparts to receive 

care or have access to services, placing 

them in an especially vulnerable 

position for social, emotional, and 

behavioral challenges (Stephenson, 

2021). Because of these stressors, the 

President’s Executive Order 14000, 

Supporting the Reopening and 

Continuing Operation of Schools and 

Early Childhood Education Providers 

(86 FR 7215) identified the need for 

‘‘trauma-informed care, and behavioral 

and mental health support,’’ and the 

‘‘promotion of mental health and socialemotional well-being’’ in early 

childhood programs. 

Meeting young children’s social, 

emotional, and behavioral needs 

requires a multi-faceted and multi-tiered 

approach. There is growing evidence 

that a multi-tiered system of support 1

(MTSS) can yield positive outcomes in 

early childhood learning and social, 

emotional, and behavioral development 

(Blair et al., 2010; Hebbeler & Spiker, 

2016; Sanford & Horner, 2013; 

Wackerle-Hollman et al., 2021). One of 

the foundational premises of MTSS is 

inclusive, high-quality instruction in 

general education settings or a child’s 

natural environments (Hebbeler & 

Spiker, 2016). The flexible, tiered 

structure of an MTSS framework can 

allow early childhood personnel and 

system leaders to integrate intervention 

and support components based on the 

program’s needs and resources 

(Wackerle-Hollman et al., 2021) and 

ensure access, participation, and 

support for all young children in an 

early childhood program. Recently, 

there has been an effort to integrate 

trauma-informed 2 approaches within 

MTSS frameworks to better support 

children’s social, emotional, and 

behavioral development (Eber et al., 

2020; National Center for Pyramid 

Model Innovations, 2021; Ormiston et 

al., 2021). To leverage the flexibility and 

inclusiveness of an MTSS framework, 

and to embed necessary traumainformed supports for young children 

and their families, States and local early 

childhood systems and programs need 

to understand the key features of an 

MTSS framework and the supports 

needed to implement, scale-up, and 

sustain it. This includes building 

collaborative partnerships with 

community resources, including social 

service and health systems, to integrate 

necessary services within early 

childhood programs and scale-up and 

sustain effective practices. 

The absolute priority is designed to 

accomplish these objectives. It is also 

aligned to the Secretary’s priorities 

published in the Federal Register on 

December 10, 2021 (86 FR 70612) in the 

area of meeting student social, 

emotional, and academic needs. 

Priority 

The purpose of this priority is to fund 

a cooperative agreement to establish and 

operate a Technical Assistance Center 

on Positive Social, Emotional, and 

Behavioral Outcomes for Young 

Children with, and At Risk for, 

Developmental Delays or Disabilities. 

The Center will improve State and local 

capacity to implement, scale-up, and 

sustain effective practices and policies 

to equitably support the social, 

emotional, and behavioral development 

of young children with, and at risk for, 

developmental delays or disabilities. 

The Center must achieve, at a 

minimum, the following expected 

outcomes: 

(a) Increased knowledge base on 

effective practices within, and 

implementation supports for, the 

equitable implementation of an early 

childhood MTSS framework that 

integrates necessary educational, social, 

and mental health services through 

partnerships and collaboration with 

community resources; supports the 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
3092 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 13 / Thursday, January 20, 2022 / Notices 

3Logic model (34 CFR 77.1) (also referred to as 

a theory of action) means a framework that 

identifies key project components of the proposed 

project (i.e., the active ‘‘ingredients’’ that are 

hypothesized to be critical to achieving the relevant 

outcomes) and describes the theoretical and 

operational relationships among the key project 

components and relevant outcomes. 

inclusion of young children with 

disabilities across various settings; 

promotes family engagement; and 

embeds trauma-informed and culturally 

and linguistically responsive practices 

to promote positive and equitable social, 

emotional, and behavioral outcomes for 

all young children, including children 

of color, with, and at risk for, 

developmental delays or disabilities; 

(b) Improved State infrastructures to 

support the capacity of local early 

childhood programs and personnel to 

implement, scale-up, and sustain the 

MTSS framework to equitably improve 

the social, emotional, and behavioral 

outcomes of all young children with, 

and at risk for, developmental delays or 

disabilities and eliminate inappropriate, 

disproportionate, exclusionary, and 

ineffective discipline practices, such as 

suspension, expulsion, and seclusion 

and the inappropriate use of restraint 

that disproportionately impacts children 

of color and young children with 

disabilities. 

(c) Increased capacity of State and 

local early childhood programs to 

develop policies and implement 

practices to address factors that 

influence disparities in early childhood 

social, emotional, and behavioral 

outcomes, including, but not limited to, 

equitable access to services and 

supports for young children and 

families; impacts of adverse childhood 

experiences, toxic stress, and trauma on 

young children and families; and 

inappropriate and disproportionate 

discipline practices; and 

(d) Improved capacity of State and 

local early childhood programs to 

collect and use data to measure progress 

towards meeting social, emotional, and 

behavioral outcomes of young children 

with, and at risk for, developmental 

delays or disabilities at the child and 

program levels, and identifying any 

disparities across race, ethnicity, home 

language, and income levels within the 

data. 

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— 

(1) Address the current and emerging 

needs of States, early childhood 

programs, and personnel to improve the 

social, emotional, and behavioral 

outcomes of all young children with, 

and at risk for, developmental delays or 

disabilities through the implementation 

of an early childhood MTSS framework. 

To meet this requirement, the applicant 

must— 

(i) Present applicable national or State 

data demonstrating the need to improve 

positive social, emotional, and 

behavioral outcomes for all young 

children with, and at risk for, 

developmental delays or disabilities, 

and the needs of States, early childhood 

programs, and personnel in equitably 

implementing an early childhood MTSS 

framework focused on social, emotional, 

and behavioral development; 

(ii) Demonstrate knowledge of the 

current capacity of personnel to 

implement family engagement, traumainformed, and culturally and 

linguistically responsive practices to 

promote positive and equitable social, 

emotional, and behavioral outcomes for 

all young children with, and at risk for, 

developmental delays or disabilities; 

(iii) Demonstrate knowledge of 

current educational issues and policy 

initiatives relating to— 

(A) Implementing and sustaining an 

early childhood MTSS framework that 

promotes positive and equitable social, 

emotional, and behavioral outcomes for 

all young children with, and at risk for, 

developmental delays or disabilities 

across early childhood systems and 

programs, including IDEA Part C and 

Part B, section 619, Head Start and Early 

Head Start, child care, and public 

preschool; 

(B) Reducing disparities in early 

childhood social, emotional, and 

behavioral outcomes, including through 

eliminating inappropriate and 

ineffective discipline practices, such as 

suspension, expulsion, and seclusion 

and the inappropriate use of restraint 

that disproportionately impacts children 

of color and young children with 

disabilities; 

(C) Increasing inclusive opportunities 

for young children with, and at risk for, 

developmental delays or disabilities; 

and 

(D) Providing equitable access to 

educational, social, and mental health 

services to young children and families 

to promote the social, emotional, and 

behavioral outcomes of young children 

with, and at risk for, developmental 

delays or disabilities and the 

intersection of these services; and 

(iv) Present information about the 

current level of State and local 

implementation of— 

(A) Early childhood MTSS 

frameworks focused on social, 

emotional, and behavioral development 

across early childhood systems and 

programs, including IDEA Part C and 

Part B, section 619, Head Start and Early 

Head Start, child care, and public 

preschool programs; 

(B) Policies and practices to reduce 

disparities in early childhood social, 

emotional, and behavioral outcomes, 

including through eliminating 

inappropriate and inequitable discipline 

practices, including suspension, 

expulsion, and seclusion, and the 

inappropriate use of restraint in early 

childhood programs; 

(C) Activities to measure changes in 

social, emotional, and behavioral 

outcomes at the child and program 

levels and make data-based decisions to 

inform more equitable practices and 

policies; and 

(D) Activities to support scaling-up 

and sustaining effective practices to 

improve social, emotional, and 

behavioral outcomes for young children 

with, and at risk for, developmental 

delays or disabilities through key 

implementation drivers, including 

comprehensive preservice preparation, 

professional development and support, 

family engagement and support, and 

policy changes; and 

(2) Improve State and local capacity to 

implement, scale-up, and sustain 

effective practices and policies to 

equitably support the social, emotional, 

and behavioral development of young 

children with, and at risk for, 

developmental delays or disabilities, 

and indicate the likely magnitude or 

importance of the improvements. 

(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 grant; 

(2) Achieve its goals, objectives, and 

intended outcomes. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

provide— 

(i) Measurable intended project 

outcomes; and 

(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model 3

(as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) by which 

the proposed project will achieve its 

intended outcomes that depicts, at a 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 13 / Thursday, January 20, 2022 / Notices 3093 

4For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘evidencebased practices’’ means practices that, at a 

minimum, demonstrate a rationale (as defined in 34 

CFR 77.1), where a key project component included 

in the project’s logic model is informed by research 

or evaluation findings that suggest the project 

component is likely to improve relevant outcomes. 

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

information provided to independent users through 

their own initiative, resulting in minimal 

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

TA center staff. This category of TA also includes 

information or products, such as newsletters, 

guidebooks, or research syntheses, downloaded 

from the TA center’s website by independent users. 

Brief communications by TA center staff with 

recipients, either by telephone or email, are also 

considered universal, general TA. 

6 ‘‘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 center 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. 

minimum, the goals, activities, outputs, 

and intended outcomes of the proposed 

project; 

(3) Use a conceptual framework (and 

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: 

www.osepideasthatwork.org/resourcesgrantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tadproject-logic-model-and-conceptualframework; https://osepideas

thatwork.org/evaluation?tab=eval-logic; 

and https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/ 

regions/central/pdf/REL_2021112.pdf. 

(4) Be based on current research and 

make use of evidence-based practices 

(EBPs).4 To meet this requirement, the 

applicant must describe— 

(i) The current research on effective 

and equitable early childhood MTSS 

frameworks that promote positive 

social, emotional, and behavioral 

outcomes; family engagement, traumainformed, and culturally and 

linguistically responsive practices to 

support young children’s social, 

emotional, and behavioral outcomes; 

service integration across education, 

social services, and health systems; 

systems change; and capacity building; 

(ii) The current research about adult 

learning principles and implementation 

science that will inform the proposed 

TA; and 

(iii) How the proposed project will 

incorporate current research and 

practices in the development and 

delivery of its products and services; 

(5) 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 identify or 

develop the knowledge base on effective 

practices within, and implementation 

supports for, an early childhood MTSS 

framework focused on social, emotional, 

and behavioral development across 

early childhood settings that— 

(A) Integrates effective educational, 

social and mental health services to 

support equitable access to needed 

services for young children with, and at 

risk for, developmental delays or 

disabilities and their families; 

(B) Promotes family engagement and 

supports, including those for families 

that have been traditionally 

underrepresented; 

(C) Embeds trauma-informed and 

culturally and linguistically responsive 

practices to promote positive and 

equitable social, emotional, and 

behavioral outcomes for all young 

children with, and at risk for, 

developmental delays or disabilities; 

(D) Increases the inclusion of young 

children with disabilities in early 

childhood programs; 

(E) Reduces disparities in early 

childhood social, emotional, and 

behavioral outcomes, including through 

eliminating the use of inappropriate, 

disproportionate, exclusionary, and 

ineffective discipline practices in early 

childhood programs; 

(F) Allows for the collection and use 

of data to inform decision-making and 

identify disparities in social, emotional, 

and behavioral outcomes; and 

(G) Supports scaling-up and 

sustaining effective practices through 

key implementation drivers, such as 

preservice preparation, professional 

development and staffing support, 

family engagement and support, systems 

change, and policy changes; 

(ii) Its proposed approach to 

universal, general TA,5 which must 

identify the intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients, that will receive the products 

and services, a description of the 

products and services that the Center 

proposes to make available, and the 

expected impact of those products and 

services under this approach. At 

minimum, the approach should include 

activities focused on— 

(A) Identifying and developing 

resources and materials to increase the 

awareness of the benefits of 

implementing, scaling-up, and 

sustaining an early childhood MTSS 

framework focused on social, emotional, 

and behavioral development across 

early childhood systems and programs, 

and the importance of developing 

policies and practices to reduce 

disparities in early childhood social, 

emotional, and behavioral outcomes; 

and 

(B) Identifying and developing 

materials, resources, and tools to help 

States, local early childhood programs, 

and providers increase their knowledge 

of an MTSS framework and implement 

effective policies and practices to 

support positive and equitable social, 

emotional, and behavioral outcomes for 

all young children with, or at risk for, 

developmental delays or disabilities; 

(iii) Its proposed approach to targeted, 

specialized TA,6 which must identify— 

(A) The intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients, that will receive the products 

and services, a description of the 

products and services that the Center 

proposes to make available, and the 

expected impact of those products and 

services under this approach; 

(B) Its proposed approach to measure 

the readiness of potential TA recipients 

to work with the project, assessing, at a 

minimum, their current infrastructure, 

available resources, and ability to build 

capacity at the local level; 

(C) The process by which the 

proposed project will collaborate with 

other federally funded TA centers, 

including those funded by OSEP and 

the Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS), that are focused on 

supporting the social, emotional, and 

behavioral development of young 

children with, and at risk for, 

developmental delays or disabilities 

across various early childhood systems 

and programs; and 

(D) Its proposed approach to 

increasing the engagement and 

leadership of State IDEA Part C and Part 

B, section 619 coordinators to 

collaborate with other early childhood 

State leaders to develop and implement 

policies and practices that address 

factors that influence disparities in early 

childhood social, emotional, and 

behavioral outcomes, including, but not 

limited to, eliminating the use of 

inappropriate, disproportionate, 

exclusionary, and ineffective discipline 

practices in early childhood programs 

and supporting equitable access to 

needed services and supports. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
3094 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 13 / Thursday, January 20, 2022 / Notices 

7 ‘‘Intensive, sustained TA’’ means TA services 

often provided on-site and requiring a stable, 

ongoing relationship between the TA center staff 

and the TA recipient. ‘‘TA services’’ are defined as 

negotiated series of activities designed to reach a 

valued outcome. This category of TA should result 

in changes to policy, program, practice, or 

operations that support increased recipient capacity 

or improved outcomes at one or more systems 

levels. 

8A ‘‘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. 

(iv) Its proposed approach to 

intensive, sustained TA,7 which must 

identify— 

(A) The intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients, that will receive the services, 

a description of the services that the 

Center proposes to make available, and 

the expected impact of those services 

under this approach; 

(B) Its proposed approach to measure 

the readiness of potential TA recipients 

to work with the project, assessing, at a 

minimum, their commitment to the 

initiative, alignment of the initiative to 

their needs, current infrastructure, 

available resources, and ability to build 

capacity within at the local level; 

(C) Its proposed plan for assisting 

State early childhood systems to build 

or enhance professional development 

systems, including by engaging key 

preservice preparation programs and inservice professional development 

providers; 

(D) Its proposed plan for working 

across early childhood, social service, 

and health systems to ensure that there 

are processes in place to support the 

implementation of an early childhood 

MTSS framework that integrates 

necessary educational, social, and 

mental health services to promote young 

children’s social, emotional, and 

behavioral development; and 

(E) The process by which the 

proposed project will ensure the use of 

effective TA practices and continuously 

evaluate the practices to improve the 

delivery of TA; and 

(v) How the proposed project will use 

non-project resources to achieve the 

intended project outcomes. 

(6) 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 

(7) Develop a dissemination plan that 

describes how the applicant will 

systematically distribute information, 

products, and services to varied 

intended audiences, using a variety of 

dissemination strategies, to promote 

awareness and use of the Center’s 

products and services. 

(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.8 The evaluation plan must— 

(1) Articulate formative and 

summative evaluation questions, 

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 the application 

and administrative requirements in this 

priority; 

(2) Describe how progress in and 

fidelity of implementation, as well as 

project outcomes will be measured to 

answer the evaluation questions. 

Specify the measures and associated 

instruments or sources for data 

appropriate to the evaluation questions. 

Include information regarding reliability 

and validity of measures 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 at the end 

of Year 2 for the review process 

described under the heading, Fourth 

and Fifth Years of the Project; 

(5) Dedicate sufficient funds in each 

budget year to cover the costs of 

developing or refining the evaluation 

plan in consultation with a ‘‘thirdparty’’ 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; and 

(4) The proposed costs are reasonable 

in relation to the anticipated results and 

benefits. 

(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 perspectives, 

including those of families, including 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

diverse families, early childhood 

educators, early intervention and early 

childhood special educators, 

administrators, 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, or virtually, 

after receipt of the award, and an annual 

planning meeting in Washington, DC, or 

virtually, 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 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 13 / Thursday, January 20, 2022 / Notices 3095 

must be held between the OSEP project 

officer and the grantee’s project director 

or other authorized representative; 

(ii) A two and one-half day project 

directors’ conference in Washington, 

DC, or virtually, during each year of the 

project period; 

(iii) Two annual two-day trips, or 

virtually, to attend Department 

briefings, Department-sponsored 

conferences, and other meetings, as 

requested by OSEP; and 

(iv) A one-day intensive 3+2 review 

meeting in Washington, DC, or virtually, 

during the second year of the project 

period; 

(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 in the project to 

increase future leaders in the field who 

are knowledgeable on how to 

implement, scale-up, and sustain an 

MTSS framework focused on social, 

emotional, and behavioral development; 

and culturally responsive practices and 

policies that support positive and 

equitable social, emotional, and 

behavioral outcomes for young children 

with, and at risk for, developmental 

delays or disabilities; 

(5) Maintain a high-quality website, 

with an easy-to-navigate design, that 

meets government or industryrecognized standards for accessibility; 

(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. 

Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project 

In deciding whether to continue 

funding the project for the fourth and 

fifth years, the Secretary will, under 34 

CFR 75.253(a), consider certain 

requirements, including— 

(a) The recommendations of a 3+2 

review team consisting of experts 

selected by the Secretary. This review 

will be conducted during a one-day 

intensive meeting that will be held 

during the last half of the second year 

of the project period; 

(b) The timeliness with which, and 

how well, the requirements of the 

negotiated cooperative agreement have 

been or are being met by the project; and 

(c) The quality, relevance, and 

usefulness of the project’s products and 

services and the extent to which the 

project’s products and services are 

aligned with the project’s objectives and 

likely to result in the project achieving 

its intended outcomes. 

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 or a failure to make substantial 

progress. The Department intends to 

closely monitor unobligated balances 

and substantial progress under this 

program and may reduce or discontinue 

funding accordingly. 

References 

Blair, K.S.C., Fox, L., & Lentini, R. (2010). 

Use of positive behavior support to 

address the challenging behavior of 

young children within a community 

early childhood program. Topics in Early 

Childhood Special Education, 30(2), 68– 

79. 

Brock, M.E., & Beaman-Diglia, L.E. (2018). 

Efficacy of coaching preschool teachers 

to manage challenging behavior. 

Education and Treatment of Children, 

41(1), 31–48. 

Campbell, S.B., Denham, S.A., Howarth, G.Z., 

Jones, S.M., Whittaker, J.V., Williford, 

A.P., Willoughby, M.T., Yudron, M., & 

Darling-Churchill, K. (2016). 

Commentary on the review of measures 

of early childhood social and emotional 

development: Conceptualization, 

critique, and recommendations. Journal 

of Applied Developmental Psychology, 

45, 19–41. 

Center for Translational Neuroscience. 

(2020). Overloaded: Families with 

children who have special needs are 

bearing an especially heavy weight, and 

support is needed. University of Oregon. 

https://medium.com/rapid-ec-project/ 

overloaded-families-with-children-whohave-special-needs-are-bearing-anespecially-heavy-weight-4e613a7681bd. 

Division for Early Childhood. (2021). New 

position statement: Multitiered system of 

support framework in early childhood. 

www.decdocs.org/position-statementmtss. 

Eber, L., Barrett, S., Scheel, N., Flammini, A., 

& Pohlman, K. (2020). Integrating a 

trauma-informed approach within a 

PBIS framework. Center on Positive 

Behavioral Interventions and Supports, 

University of Oregon. www.pbis.org/ 

resource/integrating-a-trauma-informedapproach-within-a-pbis-framework. 

Exec. Order No. 14000, 86 FR 7215 (7215– 

7218). www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR2021-01-26/pdf/2021-01864.pdf. 

Gilliam, W.S. (2005). Prekindergarteners left 

behind: Expulsion rates in state 

prekindergarten systems. Foundation for 

Child Development. 

www.researchgate.net/publication/ 

228701481_Prekindergarteners_Left_

Behind_Expulsion_Rates_in_State_

Prekindergarten_Systems. 

Gilliam, W.S., & Reyes, C.R. (2018). Teacher 

decision factors that lead to preschool 

expulsion: Scale development and 

preliminary validation of the preschool 

expulsion risk measure. Infants & Young 

Children, 31(2), 93–108. 

Hebbeler, K., & Spiker, D. (2016). Supporting 

young children with disabilities. The 

future of children, 185–205. https://

files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1118562.pdf. 

Jones, D.E., Greenberg, M, & Crowley, M. 

(2015). Early social-emotional 

functioning and public health: The 

relationship between kindergarten social 

competence and future wellness. 

American Journal of Public Health, 

105(11), 2283–2290. 

Malik, R. (2017). New data reveal 250 

preschoolers are suspended or expelled 

every day. Center for American Progress, 

17, 2018. 

Meek, S.E., & Gilliam, W.S. (2016). Expulsion 

and suspension in early education as 

matters of social justice and health 

equity [Discussion paper]. NAM 

Perspectives, 6(10). National Academy of 

Medicine. https://doi.org/10.31478/ 

201610e. 

National Center for Pyramid Model 

Innovations. (2020). Trauma-informed 

care and the Pyramid Model for 

promoting social and emotional 

competence in infants and young 

children. University of South Florida. 

https://challengingbehavior.

cbcs.usf.edu/docs/Trauma-InformedCare_PyramidModel.pdf. 

Ormiston, H.E., Nygaard, M.A., & Heck, O.C. 

(2020). The role of school psychologists 

in the implementation of traumainformed multi-tiered systems of support 

in schools. Journal of Applied School 

Psychology, 37(4), 319–351. https://

doi.org/10.1080/15377903.2020.1848955. 

Robles-Ramamurthy, B., Coombs, A.A., 

Wilson, W., & Vinson, S.Y. (2021). Black 

children and the pressing need for 

antiracism in child psychiatry. Journal of 

the American Academy of Child and 

Adolescent Psychiatry, 60(4), 432–434. 

Sanford, A.K., & Horner, R.H. (2013). Effects 

of matching instruction difficulty to 

reading level for students with escapemaintained problem behavior. Journal of 

Positive Behavior Interventions, 15(2), 

79–89. 

Smith, S., Ferguson, D., Burak, E.W., Granja, 

M.R., & Ortuzar, C. (2020). Supporting 

social-emotional and mental health 

needs of young children through Part C 

early intervention: Results of a 50-State 

survey. National Center for Children in 

Poverty, Bank Street Graduate School of 

Education. www.nccp.org/wp-content/ 

uploads/2020/11/Part-C-ReportFinal.pdf. 

Snell, M.E., Voorhees, M.D., Berlin, R.A., 

Stanton-Chapman, T.L., Hadden, S., & 

McCarty, J. (2012). Use of interview and 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
3096 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 13 / Thursday, January 20, 2022 / Notices 

observation to clarify reported practices 

of Head Start staff concerning problem 

behavior: For programs and training. 

Journal of Positive Behavior 

Interventions, 14, 108–117. 

Stephenson, J. (2021, June). Children and 

teens struggling with mental health 

during COVID–19 pandemic. In JAMA 

Health Forum (Vol. 2, No. 6, pp. 

e211701–e211701). American Medical 

Association. 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration. (2014). SAMHSA’s 

concept of trauma and guidance for a 

trauma-informed approach (HHS 

Publication No. 14–4884). https://store.

samhsa.gov/system/files/sma14- 

4884.pdf. 

Wackerle-Hollman, A., Spencer, T.D., 

Artman-Meeker, K., Kelley, E.S., Dura ́n, 

L., & Foster, M.E. (2021). Multi-tiered 

system of supports in early childhood: 

Identifying gaps, considerations for 

application, and solutions. Early 

Childhood Research Quarterly, 56, 201– 

212. 

West, K.D., Ali, M.M., Schreier, A., & 

Plourde, E. (2021). Child and Adolescent 

Mental Health During COVID–19: 

Considerations for Schools and Early 

Childhood Providers (Issue Brief). U.S. 

Department of Health and Human 

Services, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. 

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. 1463 

and 1481. 

Note: Projects will be awarded and must be 

operated in a manner consistent with the 

nondiscrimination requirements contained in 

the 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 

$49,345,000 for the Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination to 

Improve Services and Results for 

Children with Disabilities program for 

FY 2022, of which we intend to use an 

estimated $1,100,000 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 

2023 from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition. 

Maximum Award: We will not make 

an award exceeding $1,100,000 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 60 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: State 

educational agencies; State lead 

agencies under Part C of the IDEA; local 

educational agencies (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: A grantee under this 

competition may not award subgrants to 

entities to directly carry out project 

activities described in its application. 

Under 34 CFR 75.708(e), a grantee may 

contract for supplies, equipment, and 

other services in accordance with 2 CFR 

part 200. 

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 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264) and 

available at www.federalregister.gov/d/ 

2021–27979, which contain 

requirements and information on how to 

submit an application. Please note that 

these Common Instructions supersede 

the version published on February 13, 

2019, and, in part, describe the 

transition from the requirement to 

register in SAM.gov a DUNS number to 

the implementation of the UEI. More 

information on the phase-out of DUNS 

numbers is available at https://

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

docs/unique-entity-identifier-transitionfact-sheet.pdf. 

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, 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 13 / Thursday, January 20, 2022 / Notices 3097 

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, 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 as follows: 

(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. 

(ii) The importance or magnitude of 

the results or outcomes likely to be 

attained by the proposed project. 

(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 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 

(15 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 provide for examining the 

effectiveness of project implementation 

strategies. 

(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 (20 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 key 

project personnel. 

(ii) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of 

project consultants or subcontractors. 

(iii) The adequacy of support, 

including facilities, equipment, 

supplies, and other resources, from the 

applicant organization or the lead 

applicant organization. 

(iv) The relevance and demonstrated 

commitment of each partner in the 

proposed project to the implementation 

and success of the project. 

(v) 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 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. 

(iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for 

ensuring high-quality products and 

services from 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 

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 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
3098 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 13 / Thursday, January 20, 2022 / Notices 

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 for 

Fiscal Year 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 or 

subgrantee 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: Under 34 

CFR 75.110, the Department has 

established a set of performance 

measures, including long-term 

measures, that are designed to yield 

information on various aspects of the 

effectiveness and quality of the 

Technical Assistance and Dissemination 

to Improve Services and Results for 

Children With Disabilities program. 

These measures are: 

• Program Performance Measure #1: 

The percentage of Technical Assistance 

and Dissemination products and 

services deemed to be of high quality by 

an independent review panel of experts 

qualified to review the substantive 

content of the products and services. 

• Program Performance Measure #2: 

The percentage of Special Education 

Technical Assistance and Dissemination 

products and services deemed by an 

independent review panel of qualified 

experts to be of high relevance to 

educational and early intervention 

policy or practice. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 13 / Thursday, January 20, 2022 / Notices 3099 

• Program Performance Measure #3: 

The percentage of all Special Education 

Technical Assistance and Dissemination 

products and services deemed by an 

independent review panel of qualified 

experts to be useful in improving 

educational or early intervention policy 

or practice. 

• Program Performance Measure #4: 

The cost efficiency of the Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination Program 

includes the percentage of milestones 

achieved in the current annual 

performance report period and the 

percentage of funds spent during the 

current fiscal year. 

• Long-term Program Performance 

Measure: The percentage of States 

receiving Special Education Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination services 

regarding scientifically or evidencebased practices for infants, toddlers, 

children, and youth with disabilities 

that successfully promote the 

implementation of those practices in 

school districts and service agencies. 

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 

stakeholders 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. 

Katherine Neas, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Delegated the 

authority to perform the functions and duties 

of the Assistant Secretary for the Office of 

Special Education and Rehabilitative 

Services. 

[FR Doc. 2022–00965 Filed 1–19–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

[Docket No.: ED–2022–SCC–0005] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget for Review 

and Approval; Comment Request; 

GEAR UP Applications for Partnership 

and State Grants 

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary 

Education (OPE), Department of 

Education (ED). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is 

proposing an extension without change 

of a currently approved collection. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before February 

22, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations for proposed 

information collection requests should 

be sent within 30 days of publication of 

this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/ 

do/PRAMain. Find this information 

collection request by selecting 

‘‘Department of Education’’ under 

‘‘Currently Under Review,’’ then check 

‘‘Only Show ICR for Public Comment’’ 

checkbox. Comments may also be sent 

to ICDocketmgr@ed.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

specific questions related to collection 

activities, please contact Craig Pooler, 

202–453–6195. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Department of Education (ED), in 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general 

public and Federal agencies with an 

opportunity to comment on proposed, 

revised, and continuing collections of 

information. This helps the Department 

assess the impact of its information 

collection requirements and minimize 

the public’s reporting burden. It also 

helps the public understand the 

Department’s information collection 

requirements and provide the requested 

data in the desired format. ED is 

soliciting comments on the proposed 

information collection request (ICR) that 

is described below. The Department of 

Education is especially interested in 

public comment addressing the 

following issues: (1) Is this collection 

necessary to the proper functions of the 

Department; (2) will this information be 

processed and used in a timely manner; 

(3) is the estimate of burden accurate; 

(4) how might the Department enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (5) how 

might the Department minimize the 

burden of this collection on the 

respondents, including through the use 

of information technology. Please note 

that written comments received in 

response to this notice will be 

considered public records. 

Title of Collection: GEAR UP 

Applications for Partnership and State 

Grants. 

OMB Control Number: 1840–0821. 

Type of Review: Extension without 

change of a currently approved 

collection. 

Respondents/Affected Public: State, 

Local, and Tribal Governments. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 241. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 13,580. 

Abstract: Gaining Early Awareness 

and Readiness for Undergraduate 

Programs (GEAR UP), created in the 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1