6516 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 24 / Friday, February 4, 2022 / Notices 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice 

of Intent to prepare this EIS was 

published in the Federal Register on 

September 15, 2020 (Federal Register 

(FR) Doc 2020–19961) with a correction 

on September 18, 2020. The DoN’s 

coaction proponents for this EIS are 

JBPHH and Naval Facilities Engineering 

Systems Command Program 

Management Office 555. The U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District; 

U.S. EPA, Region 9; and the National 

Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands 

Regional Office are cooperating 

agencies. 

PHNSY & IMF’s mission is to repair, 

maintain, and modernize DoN fastattack submarines and surface ships. 

The purpose of the proposed action is 

to provide appropriate dry dock 

capability at PHNSY & IMF no later than 

January 2028 to meet submarine depot 

maintenance mission requirements, as 

well as build and operate a properly 

sized and configured WPF to enable 

efficient submarine maintenance. The 

proposed action is needed because the 

existing DD3 at PHNSY & IMF does not 

have the necessary length or floor 

strength to accommodate current and 

future class fast-attack submarines. 

Additionally, an appropriately sized 

and adjacent WPF is needed to reduce 

lost operational days by increasing 

collaboration and efficiency among the 

workforce. The culmination of a 

replacement DD and new WPF will 

ensure that the Navy achieves necessary 

efficiencies and is capable of fulfilling 

scheduled maintenance requirements. 

The mission need date of January 2028 

is driven by current projected Fleet 

maintenance schedules. 

The DoN is considering four action 

alternatives that meet the purpose of 

and need for the proposed action, as 

well as a no action alternative. Under 

the No Action Alternative, Alternative 

1, there would be no change from the 

status quo. Action alternatives are 

differentiated by the location of the 

WPF relative to a new dry dock (east or 

west), whether the WPF serves only that 

dry dock (single support concept) or has 

capability to serve more than one dry 

dock (multiple support concept), and 

whether the dry dock is covered or 

uncovered. 

In the EIS, the DoN analyzes potential 

environmental impacts of the different 

alternatives. Additionally, the DoN will 

conduct all coordination and 

consultation activities required by the 

National Historic Preservation Act, the 

Endangered Species Act, the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act, the 

Clean Water Act, and other laws and 

regulations determined to be applicable 

to the project. The DoN will implement 

mitigation and monitoring measures to 

avoid or reduce environmental impacts, 

as determined in cooperation with the 

appropriate regulatory agencies and 

consulting parties. 

The DoN distributed the Draft EIS to 

federal agencies and Native Hawaiian 

Organizations with which the DoN is 

consulting and to other stakeholders. 

The DoN provided press releases to the 

local newspapers and distributed letters 

and postcards to stakeholders, Native 

Hawaiian Organizations, and other 

interested parties. Copies of the Draft 

EIS are available for public review at the 

following public libraries: 1. Hawaii 

State Public Library and 2. Salt LakeMoanalua Public Library. The Draft EIS 

is also available for electronic viewing 

or download at https://www.pearlharbor

drydockeis.org. 

Dated: January 28, 2022. 

J.M. Pike, 

Commander, Judge Advocate General’s Corps, 

U.S. Navy, Federal Register Liaison Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2022–02168 Filed 2–3–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Personnel Development To Improve 

Services and Results for Children With 

Disabilities—Personnel Preparation in 

Special Education, Early Intervention, 

and Related Services for Personnel 

Serving Children With 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 Personnel 

Development to Improve Services and 

Results for Children with Disabilities— 

Personnel Preparation in Special 

Education, Early Intervention, and 

Related Services for Personnel Serving 

Children with Disabilities, Assistance 

Listing Number 84.325K. This notice 

relates to the approved information 

collection under OMB control number 

1820–0028. 

DATES:

Applications Available: February 4, 

2022. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: April 15, 2022. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: June 14, 2022. 

Pre-Application Webinar Information: 

No later than February 9, 2022, the 

Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) will 

post details on pre-recorded 

informational webinars designed to 

provide technical assistance to 

interested applicants. Links to the 

webinars may be found at www2.ed.gov/ 

fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osepgrants.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 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:

For Absolute Priority 1 Focus Area A: 

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. 

For Absolute Priority 1 Focus Area B: 

Carlene Reid, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 5038A, Potomac Center Plaza, 

Washington, DC 20202–5076. 

Telephone: (202) 245–6139. Email: 

Carlene.Reid@ed.gov. 

For Absolute Priority 2: Tracie 

Dickson, U.S. Department of Education, 

400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5176, 

Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 

20202–5076. Telephone: (202) 245– 

7844. Email: Tracie.Dickson@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 purposes of 

this program are to (1) help address 

State-identified needs for personnel 

preparation in special education, early 

intervention, related services, and 

regular education to work with children, 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 24 / Friday, February 4, 2022 / Notices 6517 

1For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-intensity 

needs’’ refers to a complex array of disabilities (e.g., 

multiple disabilities, significant cognitive 

disabilities, significant physical disabilities, 

significant sensory disabilities, significant autism, 

significant emotional disabilities, or significant 

learning disabilities, including dyslexia) or the 

needs of children with these disabilities requiring 

intensive, individualized intervention(s) (i.e., that 

are specifically designed to address persistent 

learning or behavior difficulties, implemented with 

greater frequency and for an extended duration than 

is commonly available in a typical classroom or 

early intervention setting, or which require 

personnel to have knowledge and skills in 

identifying and implementing multiple evidencebased interventions). 

2For the purposes of this priority, 

‘‘interdisciplinary’’ refers to preparing scholars 

from two or more graduate degree programs in 

special education or early intervention and one or 

more related services through shared coursework, 

group assignments, and extensive and coordinated 

field or clinical experiences. Different graduate 

degree programs across more than one institution of 

higher education may partner to develop an 

interdisciplinary project. 

For the purpose of this priority, 

‘‘interdisciplinary’’ does not include: (a) Individual 

scholars who receive two or more graduate degrees; 

(b) one graduate degree program that prepares 

scholars with different areas of focus; (c) one 

graduate degree program that offers 

interdisciplinary content but does not prepare 

scholars from two or more degree programs 

together; or (d) one graduate degree program in 

special education, early intervention, and related 

services partnering with a graduate degree program 

other than special education, early intervention, or 

related services. Programs in which scholars receive 

only a certificate or endorsement without a graduate 

degree are not eligible. 

3For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘related 

services’’ includes the following: Speech-language 

pathology and audiology services; interpreting 

services; psychological services; applied behavior 

analysis; physical therapy and occupational 

therapy; recreation, including therapeutic 

recreation; social work services; counseling 

services, including rehabilitation counseling; and 

orientation and mobility services. 

4For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-need 

school’’ refers to a public elementary or secondary 

school that is a ‘‘high-need local educational agency 

(LEA),’’ ‘‘high-poverty,’’ ‘‘implementing a 

comprehensive support and improvement plan,’’ or 

‘‘implementing a targeted support and improvement 

plan’’ as defined in footnotes 9, 10, 11, and 12, 

respectively. 

5For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘evidencebased’’ means, at a minimum, evidence that 

demonstrates 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. 

including infants, toddlers, and youth 

with disabilities; and (2) ensure that 

those personnel have the necessary 

skills and knowledge, derived from 

practices that have been determined 

through scientifically based research, to 

be successful in serving those children. 

Priorities: This competition includes 

two absolute priorities. In accordance 

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

Priority 1 and Absolute Priority 2 are 

from allowable activities specified in 

the statute (see sections 662 and 681 of 

the Individuals with Disabilities 

Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1462 

and 1481)). 

Absolute Priority: For FY 2022 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition, 

these priorities are absolute priorities. 

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider 

only applications that meet Absolute 

Priority 1 or Absolute Priority 2. The 

Department may fund out of rank order 

high-quality applications to ensure that 

awards are evenly funded under each 

absolute priority. Applicants may apply 

under both absolute priorities but must 

submit two separate applications. 

Applicants must clearly identify if the 

proposed project addresses Absolute 

Priority 1 or Absolute Priority 2. 

These priorities are: 

Absolute Priority 1: Interdisciplinary 

Preparation in Special Education, Early 

Intervention, and Related Services for 

Personnel Serving Children with 

Disabilities who have High-Intensity 

Needs. 

Background: 

The purpose of this priority is to 

increase the number and improve the 

quality of personnel who are fully 

credentialed to serve children, 

including infants, toddlers, and youth 

with disabilities, who have highintensity needs.1 Under this priority, the 

Department will fund high-quality 

interdisciplinary 2 projects that prepare 

special education, early intervention, 

and related services 3 personnel at the 

master’s degree, educational specialist 

degree, or clinical doctoral degree levels 

for professional practice in a variety of 

education settings, including natural 

environments (the home and 

community settings in which children 

with and without disabilities 

participate), early learning programs, 

classrooms, schools, and distance 

learning environments. The competition 

will also prepare personnel who have 

the knowledge and skills to support 

each child with a disability who has 

high-intensity needs, in meeting high 

expectations and to partner with other 

providers, families, and administrators 

in meaningful and effective 

collaborations. 

State demand for fully credentialed 

special education, early intervention, 

and related services personnel to serve 

children, including infants, toddlers, 

and youth, with disabilities exceeds the 

available supply, particularly in highneed schools 4 (Boe et al., 2013). These 

shortages can negatively affect the 

quality of services provided to children, 

including infants, toddlers, and youth, 

with disabilities and their families (Boe 

et al., 2013). These shortages limit the 

field’s ability to ensure that each child 

has the opportunity to meet challenging 

objectives and receive an education that 

addresses individualized needs and is 

both meaningful and appropriately 

ambitious, which is essential for 

preparing them for the future. 

The need for personnel with the 

knowledge and skills to serve children 

with disabilities, including infants, 

toddlers, and youth, who have highintensity needs is even greater because 

specialized or advanced preparation is 

required to collaboratively design and 

deliver evidence-based 5 instruction and 

intensive individualized intervention(s) 

in person and through distance learning 

technologies in natural environments, 

classrooms, and schools that address the 

needs of these individuals (Boe et al., 

2013; Browder et al., 2014; McLeskey & 

Brownell, 2015). 

Although children with disabilities, 

including infants, toddlers, and youth, 

who have high-intensity needs may 

require the combined expertise of 

numerous professionals (including 

special education, early intervention, 

and related services providers), it is 

often difficult for personnel from varied 

professional backgrounds to work 

together because they lack shared 

information, understanding, and 

experience. Personnel also need 

leadership skills to strengthen 

professional practice and cultural and 

linguistic competencies to effectively 

deliver services and education for 

children with disabilities who have 

high-intensity needs, including those 

who are racially and ethnically diverse. 

Interdisciplinary approaches to 

personnel preparation provide scholars 

with experience working and learning 

in team environments similar to those in 

which they are likely to work once 

employed (Smith, 2010). That is, when 

providing early intervention or special 

education services under IDEA, 

personnel serving children with 

disabilities, including infants, toddlers, 

and youth, work on interdisciplinary 

teams with parents, general and special 

education teachers, early 

interventionists, and related service 

providers with the expertise to design, 

implement, and evaluate instruction, 

intervention plans, individualized 

family service plans, and individualized 

education programs based on the unique 

learning and developmental needs of 

each child. To enable personnel to 

provide efficient, high-quality, 

integrated, and equitable services, both 

in person and through distance learning 

technologies, personnel preparation 

programs need to embed content, 


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6For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘scholar’’ is 

limited to an individual who: (a) Is pursuing a 

master’s, educational specialist degree, or clinical 

doctoral graduate degree in special education, early 

intervention, or related services (as defined in this 

notice); (b) receives scholarship assistance as 

authorized under section 662 of IDEA (34 CFR 

304.3(g)); (c) will be eligible for a license, 

endorsement, or certification from a State or 

national credentialing authority following 

completion of the graduate degree program 

identified in the application; and (d) will be able 

to be employed in a position that serves children 

with disabilities for a minimum of 51 percent of 

their time or case load. See https://pdp.ed.gov/ 

OSEP/Home/Regulation for more information. 

Scholars from each graduate degree program 

participating in the proposed interdisciplinary 

project must receive scholar support and be eligible 

to fulfill service obligation requirements following 

graduate degree program completion. Scholars from 

each graduate degree program participating in this 

project must complete the requirements of their 

unique graduate degree program and receive 

different graduate degrees. Individuals pursuing 

degrees in general education or early childhood 

education do not qualify as ‘‘scholars’’ eligible for 

scholarship assistance. 

practices, and extensive field or clinical 

experiences into preservice training that 

is culturally and linguistically 

responsive and aligned with an 

interdisciplinary team-based approach 

to effectively meet the needs of children 

with high-intensity needs and their 

families in ways that are culturally and 

linguistically responsive. This priority 

aims to fund interdisciplinary projects 

that will provide such preparation. 

Priority: 

The purpose of this priority is to 

increase the number and improve the 

quality of personnel who are fully 

credentialed to serve children, 

including infants and toddlers, and 

youth with disabilities, who have highintensity needs—especially in areas of 

chronic personnel shortage. The priority 

will fund high-quality interdisciplinary 

projects that prepare special education, 

early intervention, and related services 

personnel at the master’s degree, 

educational specialist degree, or clinical 

doctoral degree levels for professional 

practice in natural environments, early 

learning programs, classrooms, school 

settings, and in distance learning 

environments serving children, 

including infants and toddlers, and 

youth with disabilities. 

Specifically, an applicant must 

propose an interdisciplinary project 

supporting scholars 6 from two or more 

graduate degree programs in special 

education or early intervention and one 

or more related services. 

An interdisciplinary project is a 

project that delivers core content 

through shared coursework, group 

assignments, and extensive and 

coordinated field and clinical 

experiences as part of two or more 

master’s degree, educational specialist 

degree, or clinical doctoral degree 

programs for scholars. Not all 

requirements (e.g., courses and field or 

clinical experiences) of each 

participating graduate degree program 

must be shared across all degree 

programs participating in the 

interdisciplinary project, but the 

interdisciplinary project must: (a) 

Identify the competencies needed to 

promote high expectations and address 

the individualized needs of children 

with disabilities who have highintensity needs using an 

interdisciplinary approach to service 

delivery; (b) outline how the project will 

build capacity in those areas through 

shared coursework, group assignments, 

and extensive and coordinated field or 

clinical experiences for scholars 

supported by the proposed project; and 

(c) identify the aspects of each graduate 

degree program that are shared across 

all participating degree programs and 

those that remain unique to each. 

Projects may include individuals who 

are not funded as scholars, but are in 

degree programs (e.g., general 

education, early childhood education, 

administration) that are cooperating 

with the applicant’s proposed 

interdisciplinary project. These 

individuals may participate in the 

shared coursework, group assignments, 

extensive and coordinated field or 

clinical experiences, and other 

opportunities required of scholars’ 

program of study (e.g., speaker series, 

monthly seminars) if doing so does not 

diminish the benefit for project-funded 

scholars (e.g., by reducing funds 

available for scholar support or limiting 

opportunities for scholars to participate 

in project activities). 

Personnel preparation degree 

programs that prepare all scholars to be 

dually certified can qualify under this 

priority by partnering with at least one 

additional graduate degree program in 

related services. 

Personnel preparation programs that 

prepare individuals to be educational 

interpreters for the deaf at the bachelor’s 

degree level can qualify under this 

priority and are exempted from (a) the 

interdisciplinary requirement and (b) 

the requirement for two or more 

graduate degree programs. All other 

priority requirements specified for 

graduate programs will apply to the 

bachelor’s program. While 

interdisciplinary projects are not 

required for educational interpreters, 

they are encouraged. 

Focus Areas: 

Within this absolute priority, the 

Secretary intends to support 

interdisciplinary projects under the 

following two focus areas: (A) Preparing 

Personnel to Serve Infants, Toddlers, 

and Preschool-Age Children with 

Disabilities who have High-Intensity 

Needs; and (B) Preparing Personnel to 

Serve School-Age Children with 

Disabilities who have High-Intensity 

Needs. 

Applicants must identify the specific 

focus area (i.e., A or B) under which 

they are applying as part of the 

competition title on the application 

cover sheet (SF 424, line 12). Applicants 

may not submit the same proposal 

under more than one focus area. 

Applicants may submit different 

proposals in different focus areas. 

Note: OSEP may fund out of rank 

order high-quality applications to 

ensure that projects are funded across 

both Focus Area A and Focus Area B. 

Focus Area A: Preparing Personnel to 

Serve Infants, Toddlers, and PreschoolAge Children with Disabilities who have 

High-Intensity Needs. This focus area is 

for interdisciplinary projects that 

deliver core content through shared 

coursework, group assignments, and 

extensive and coordinated field or 

clinical experiences for scholars across 

two or more graduate degree programs 

in early intervention or early childhood 

special education and one or more 

related services for infants, toddlers, 

and preschool-age children with 

disabilities or developmental delays 

who have high-intensity needs. 

Early intervention personnel are those 

who are prepared to provide services to 

infants and toddlers with disabilities 

ages birth to three, and early childhood 

personnel are those who are prepared to 

provide services to children with 

disabilities ages three through five (and 

in States where the age range is other 

than ages three through five, we defer to 

the State’s certification for early 

childhood special education). In States 

where certification in early intervention 

is combined with certification in early 

childhood special education, applicants 

may propose a combined early 

intervention and early childhood 

special education personnel preparation 

project under this focus area. 

Focus Area B: Preparing Personnel to 

Serve School-Age Children with 

Disabilities who have High-Intensity 

Needs. This focus area is for 

interdisciplinary projects that deliver 

core content through shared 

coursework, group assignments, and 

extensive and coordinated field or 

clinical experiences to scholars across 

two or more graduate degree programs 

in special education and one or more 

related services for school-age children 

with disabilities who have highintensity needs. 

Focus Areas A and B: 


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7For the purposes of this priority, 

‘‘competencies’’ means what a person knows and 

can do—the knowledge, skills, and dispositions 

necessary to effectively function in a role (National 

Professional Development Center on Inclusion, 

2011). These competencies should ensure that 

personnel are able to use challenging academic 

standards, child achievement and functional 

standards, and assessments to improve instructional 

practices, services, learning and developmental 

outcomes (e.g., academic, social, emotional, 

behavioral), and college- and career-readiness of 

children with disabilities. 

Applicants may use up to the first 12 

months of the performance period and 

up to $100,000 of the first budget period 

for planning without enrolling scholars. 

Applicants must clearly provide 

sufficient justification for requesting 

program planning time and include the 

goals, objectives, and intended 

outcomes of program planning in year 

one, a description of the proposed 

strategies and activities to be supported, 

and a timeline for the work. A 

description of the proposed strategies 

may include activities such as— 

(1) Outlining or updating coursework, 

group assignments, or extensive and 

coordinated field or clinical experiences 

needed to support culturally and 

linguistically responsive, 

interdisciplinary preparation for special 

education, early intervention, or related 

services personnel serving children with 

disabilities who have high-intensity 

needs; 

(2) Building capacity (e.g., hiring of a 

field supervisor, providing professional 

development for field supervisors, and 

training for faculty); 

(3) Purchasing needed resources (e.g., 

additional teaching supplies or 

specialized equipment to enhance 

instruction); or 

(4) Establishing relationships with 

programs or schools, including those 

with racially and ethnically diverse 

populations, to serve as sites for field or 

clinical experiences needed to support 

delivery of the proposed 

interdisciplinary project. 

Additional Federal funds may be 

requested for scholar support and other 

grant activities occurring in year one of 

the project, provided that the total 

request for year one does not exceed the 

maximum award available for one 

budget period of 12 months (i.e., 

$250,000). 

Note: Applicants proposing projects 

to develop, expand, or add a new area 

of emphasis to special education, early 

intervention, or related services 

programs must provide, in their 

applications, information on how these 

new areas will be sustained in their 

programs once Federal funding ends. 

Note: Project periods under this 

priority may be up to 60 months. 

Projects should be designed to ensure 

that all proposed scholars successfully 

complete the program within 60 months 

of the start of the project. The Secretary 

may reduce continuation awards for any 

project in which scholars are not on 

track to complete the program by the 

end of that period. 

To be considered for funding under 

this absolute priority, all program 

applicants must meet the requirements 

contained in this priority. 

To meet the requirements of this 

priority an applicant must— 

(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Significance,’’ how— 

(1) The project addresses national, 

State, regional, or district shortages of 

personnel who are fully qualified to 

serve children with disabilities who 

have high-intensity needs in the focus 

area under which the project is 

applying. To address this requirement, 

the applicant must— 

(i) Present data for all scholars in the 

program and provide disaggregated data 

for scholars of color that reflects the 

quality of each special education, early 

intervention, or related services 

personnel preparation degree program 

participating in the project, in areas 

such as: The average amount of time it 

takes for scholars to complete the 

program; the percentage of program 

graduates who receive a license, 

endorsement, or certification related to 

special education, related services, or 

early intervention services; the 

percentage of program graduates finding 

employment related to their preparation 

after graduation; the effectiveness of 

program graduates in providing special 

education, early intervention, or related 

services, which could include data on 

the learning and developmental 

outcomes of children with disabilities 

they serve; the percentage of program 

graduates who maintain employment for 

two or more years in the area for which 

they were prepared; and the percentage 

of employers who rate the preparation 

of scholars who complete their degree 

program as adequate or higher; and 

(ii) If available for the degree 

programs participating in the proposed 

project, present data on the quality of 

their interdisciplinary approaches to the 

preparation of special education, early 

intervention, or related services 

personnel; and 

Note: Data on the quality of a 

personnel preparation program should 

be no older than five years prior to the 

start date of the project proposed in the 

application. When reporting 

percentages, the denominator (i.e., total 

number of scholars or program 

graduates) must be provided. 

(2) The project will increase the 

number of personnel who demonstrate 

the competencies 7 needed to— 

(i) Promote high expectations and 

improve outcomes for children with 

disabilities; 

(ii) Differentiate curriculum and 

instruction; 

(iii) Provide intensive, evidence-based 

individualized instruction and 

intervention(s); 

(iv) Provide culturally and 

linguistically responsive instruction and 

services; 

(v) Provide instruction or 

intervention(s) in person and through 

distance learning technologies; 

(vi) Collaborate with diverse 

stakeholders, including those from 

racially and ethnically diverse 

backgrounds, using an interdisciplinary 

team-based approach to address the 

individualized needs of children with 

disabilities who have high-intensity 

needs, ages birth through 21, and 

designed to achieve improvements in 

learning or developmental outcomes 

(e.g., academic, social, emotional, 

behavioral), and support the successful 

transition from early childhood to 

elementary, elementary to secondary, or 

transition to postsecondary education 

and the workforce; and 

(vii) Exercise leadership to improve 

professional practice and services and 

education for children with disabilities 

who have high-intensity needs. 

To address this requirement, the 

applicant must— 

(A) Identify the competencies that 

special education, early intervention, or 

related services personnel need to— 

(1) Promote high expectations and 

improve outcomes for children with 

disabilities; 

(2) Differentiate curriculum and 

instruction; 

(3) Provide intensive, evidence-based 

individualized instruction and 

intervention(s); 

(4) Provide culturally and 

linguistically responsive instruction and 

services; 

(5) Provide instruction or 

intervention(s) in person and through 

distance learning technologies; 

(6) Collaborate with parents, families, 

and diverse stakeholders, including 

those who are from racially and 

ethnically diverse backgrounds, using 

an interdisciplinary team-based 

approach designed to improve learning 

and developmental outcomes; ensure 

access to and progress in academic 

achievement standards or alternate 

academic achievement standards, as 

appropriate; lead to successful 


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8For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-need 

LEA’’ means an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than 

10,000 children from families with incomes below 

the poverty line; or (b) for which not less than 20 

percent of the children are from families with 

incomes below the poverty line. 

9For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-poverty 

school’’ means a school in which at least 50 percent 

of students are from low-income families as 

determined using one of the measures of poverty 

specified under section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary 

and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended 

(ESEA). For middle and high schools, eligibility 

may be calculated on the basis of comparable data 

from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty 

school under this definition is determined on the 

basis of the most currently available data. 

10For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘school 

implementing a comprehensive support and 

improvement plan’’ means a school identified for 

comprehensive support and improvement by a State 

under section 1111(c)(4)(D) of the ESEA that 

includes (a) not less than the lowest performing 5 

percent of all schools in the State receiving funds 

under Title I, Part A of the ESEA; (b) all public high 

schools in the State failing to graduate one third or 

more of their students; and (c) public schools in the 

State described under section 1111(d)(3)(A)(i)(II) of 

the ESEA. 

11For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘school 

implementing a targeted support and improvement 

plan’’ means a school identified for targeted support 

and improvement by a State that has developed and 

is implementing a school-level targeted support and 

improvement plan to improve student outcomes 

based on the indicators in the statewide 

accountability system as defined in section 

1111(d)(2) of the ESEA. 

transition to college and career for 

children with disabilities, including 

children with disabilities who have 

high-intensity needs; and maximize the 

use of effective technology, including 

assistive technology, to deliver 

instruction, interventions, and services; 

and 

(7) Exercise leadership to improve 

professional practice and services and 

education for children with disabilities 

who have high-intensity needs and their 

families; 

(B) Identify the competencies needed 

by members of interdisciplinary teams 

to promote high expectations and 

improve early childhood, educational, 

and employment outcomes for children 

with disabilities who have highintensity needs; 

(C) Identify the competencies that 

personnel need to support inclusion of 

children with disabilities who have 

high-intensity needs in the least 

restrictive and natural environments to 

the maximum extent appropriate by 

intentionally promoting high 

expectations and participation in 

learning and social activities to foster 

development, learning, academic 

achievement, friendships with peers, 

and sense of belonging; 

(D) Identify how scholars will be 

prepared to develop, implement, and 

evaluate evidence-based instruction and 

evidence-based interventions delivered 

in person and through distance learning 

technologies that improve outcomes for 

children with disabilities who have 

high-intensity needs in a variety of 

settings (e.g., natural environments; 

public schools, including charter 

schools; private schools; and other 

nonpublic education settings, including 

home education); and 

(E) Provide a conceptual framework 

for the proposed interdisciplinary 

personnel preparation project, including 

any empirical support for project 

activities designed to promote the 

acquisition of the identified 

competencies (see paragraph (a)(2) of 

the requirements for this priority) 

needed by special education, early 

intervention, or related services 

personnel, and how these competencies 

relate to the proposed project. 

(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of project services,’’ how the 

project— 

(1) Will conduct its planning 

activities, if the applicant will use any 

of the allowable first 12 months of the 

project period for planning; 

(2) Will recruit and retain high-quality 

scholars into each of the graduate degree 

programs participating in the project 

and ensure 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. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe— 

(i) Criteria the applicant will use to 

identify high-quality applicants for 

admission into each of the graduate 

degree programs participating in the 

project; 

(ii) Recruitment strategies the 

applicant will use to attract high-quality 

applicants, including specific 

recruitment strategies targeting highquality applicants from traditionally 

underrepresented groups, including 

underrepresented people of color and 

individuals with disabilities; and 

(iii) The approach, including 

mentoring, monitoring, and 

accommodations, the applicant will use 

to support scholars to complete their 

respective degree programs; 

(3) Reflects current evidence-based 

practices, including practices in the 

areas of literacy and numeracy 

development, assessment, behavior, 

instructional practices, distance 

learning technologies and pedagogy, 

and inclusive strategies, as appropriate, 

and is designed to prepare scholars in 

the identified competencies. To address 

this requirement, the applicant must 

describe how the project will— 

(i) Incorporate current evidence-based 

practices (including relevant research 

citations) that improve outcomes for 

children with disabilities who have 

high-intensity needs into (a) the 

required coursework and extensive field 

or clinical experiences for each graduate 

degree program participating in the 

project; and (b) the shared coursework, 

group assignments, and extensive and 

coordinated field or clinical experiences 

required for the interdisciplinary 

portions of the project; and 

(ii) Use evidence-based professional 

development practices for adult learners 

to instruct scholars through both inperson and online courses and field or 

clinical experiences; 

(4) Is of sufficient quality, intensity, 

and duration to prepare scholars in the 

identified competencies. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe how— 

(i) The components of (a) each 

graduate degree program participating 

in the project; and (b) the shared 

coursework, group assignments, and 

extensive and coordinated field or 

clinical experiences required for the 

interdisciplinary portions of the 

proposed project will support scholars’ 

acquisition and enhancement of the 

identified competencies; 

(ii) The components of (a) each 

graduate degree program participating 

in the project; and (b) the shared 

coursework, group assignments, and 

extensive and coordinated field or 

clinical experiences required for the 

interdisciplinary portions of the 

proposed project will be integrated to 

allow scholars, in collaboration with 

other team members, to use their 

knowledge and skills in designing, 

implementing, and evaluating practices 

supported by evidence to address the 

learning and developmental needs of 

children with disabilities who have 

high-intensity needs; 

(iii) Scholars will be provided with 

ongoing guidance and feedback during 

training; and 

(iv) The proposed project will provide 

ongoing induction opportunities and 

mentoring support to graduates of each 

graduate degree program participating 

in the project; 

(5) Will engage in meaningful and 

effective collaboration with appropriate 

partners representing diverse 

stakeholders, including— 

(i) High-need schools, which may 

include high-need local educational 

agencies (LEAs),8 high-poverty schools,9

schools identified for comprehensive 

support and improvement,10 and 

schools implementing a targeted 

support and improvement plan 11 for 

children with disabilities; early 

childhood and early intervention 


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programs located within the geographic 

boundaries of a high-need LEA; and 

early childhood and early intervention 

programs located within the 

geographical boundaries of an LEA 

serving the highest percentage of 

schools identified for comprehensive 

support and improvement or 

implementing targeted support and 

improvement plans in the State. The 

purpose of these partnerships is to 

provide extensive field or clinical 

practice for scholars aimed at 

developing the identified competencies 

as members of interdisciplinary teams; 

and 

(ii) Other personnel preparation 

programs on campus or at partnering 

universities for the purpose of sharing 

resources, supporting program 

development and delivery, and 

addressing personnel shortages; 

(6) Will use technology, as 

appropriate, to promote scholar learning 

and professional practice, enhance the 

efficiency of the project, collaborate 

with partners, and facilitate ongoing 

mentoring and support for scholars; 

(7) Will ensure that scholars 

understand how to use technology to 

support children’s in-person and 

distance learning and children’s use of 

educational and assistive technology; 

and 

(8) Will align with and use resources, 

as appropriate, available through 

technical assistance centers, which may 

include centers funded by the 

Department; 

Note: Use the ‘‘Find a Center or 

Grant’’ link at https://

osepideasthatwork.org for information 

about OSEP-funded technical assistance 

centers. 

(c) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of the project evaluation,’’ 

how— 

(1) The applicant will use 

comprehensive and appropriate 

methodologies to evaluate how well the 

goals or objectives of the proposed 

project have been met, including the 

project processes and outcomes; 

(2) The applicant will collect, analyze, 

and use data related to specific and 

measurable goals, objectives, and 

outcomes of the project. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe how— 

(i) Scholar competencies and other 

project processes and outcomes will be 

measured for formative evaluation 

purposes, including proposed 

instruments, data collection methods, 

and possible analyses; and 

(ii) It will collect and analyze data on 

the quality of services provided by 

scholars who complete the graduate 

degree programs involved in this 

interdisciplinary project and are 

employed in the field for which they 

were trained, including data on the 

learning and developmental outcomes 

(e.g., academic, social, emotional, 

behavioral, meeting college- and careerready standards), and on growth toward 

these outcomes, of the children with 

disabilities who have high-intensity 

needs; 

Note: Following the completion of the 

project period, grantees are encouraged 

to engage in ongoing data collection 

activities. 

(3) The methods of evaluation will 

produce quantitative and qualitative 

data for objective performance measures 

that are related to the outcomes of the 

proposed project; and 

(4) The methods of evaluation will 

provide performance feedback and 

allow for periodic assessment of 

progress towards meeting the project 

outcomes. To address this requirement, 

the applicant must describe how— 

(i) Results of the evaluation will be 

used to improve the proposed project to 

prepare special education, early 

intervention, or related services 

personnel to provide (a) focused 

instruction; and (b) intensive 

individualized intervention(s) in an 

interdisciplinary team-based approach 

to improve outcomes of children with 

disabilities who have high-intensity 

needs; and 

(ii) The grantee will report the 

evaluation results to OSEP in its annual 

and final performance reports. 

(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

under ‘‘Project Assurances’’ or in the 

applicable appendices, that the 

following program requirements are 

met. The applicant must— 

(1) Provide scholar support for 

participants from two or more graduate 

degree programs partnering in the 

proposed interdisciplinary personnel 

preparation project. Consistent with 34 

CFR 304.30, each scholar must (a) 

receive support for no less than one 

academic year, and (b) be eligible to 

fulfill service obligation requirements 

following degree program completion. 

Funding across degree programs may be 

applied differently; 

(2) Include in Appendix B of the 

application— 

(i) Table(s) that summarize the 

required program of study for each 

degree program that clearly delineate 

the shared coursework, group 

assignments, and extensive and 

coordinated field or clinical experiences 

required of all project scholars to 

support interdisciplinary practice; 

(ii) Course syllabi for all coursework 

in the major of each degree program and 

all shared courses, group assignments, 

and extensive coordinated field or 

clinical experiences required of project 

scholars; and 

(iii) Learning outcomes for proposed 

coursework; 

(3) Ensure that a comprehensive set of 

completed syllabi, including syllabi 

created or revised as part of a project 

planning year, are submitted to OSEP by 

the end of year one of the grant; 

(4) Ensure that efforts to recruit a 

diverse range of scholars, including 

diversity of race, ethnicity, or national 

origin, are consistent with applicable 

law. For instance, grantees may engage 

in focused outreach and recruitment to 

increase the diversity of the applicant 

pool prior to the selection of scholars; 

(5) Ensure that the project will meet 

all requirements in 34 CFR 304.23, 

particularly those related to (a) 

informing all scholarship recipients of 

their service obligation commitment and 

(b) disbursing scholar support. Failure 

by a grantee to properly meet these 

requirements would be a violation of the 

grant award that could result in 

sanctions, including the grantee being 

liable for returning any misused funds 

to the Department; 

(6) Ensure that prior approval from 

the OSEP project officer will be 

obtained before admitting additional 

scholars beyond the number of scholars 

proposed in the application and before 

transferring a scholar to another OSEPfunded grant; 

(7) Ensure that the project will meet 

the statutory requirements in section 

662(e) through (h) of IDEA; 

(8) Ensure that at least 65 percent of 

the total award over the project period 

(i.e., up to 5 years) will be used for 

scholar support. Applicants proposing 

to use year one for program 

development may budget for less than 

65 percent of the total requested budget 

over the 5 years for scholar support; 

such applicants must ensure that 65 

percent of the total award minus funds 

allocated for program development will 

be used for scholar support; 

(9) Ensure that the institution of 

higher education (IHE) at which 

scholars are enrolled in the program 

will not require those scholars to work 

(e.g., as graduate assistants) as a 

condition of receiving support (e.g., 

tuition, stipends) from the proposed 

project, unless the work is specifically 

related to the acquisition of scholars’ 

competencies or the requirements for 

completion of their personnel 

preparation program. This prohibition 

on work as a condition of receiving 

support does not apply to the service 

obligation requirements in section 

662(h) of IDEA; 


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12For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘minority 

serving institutions’’ are institutions of higher 

education whose enrollment of a single minority or 

a combination of minorities exceeds 50 percent of 

the total enrollment (20 U.S.C. 1067k(3)). 

13For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘related 

services’’ includes the following: speech-language 

pathology and audiology services; interpreting 

services; psychological services; applied behavior 

analysis; physical therapy and occupational 

therapy; recreation, including therapeutic 

recreation; social work services; counseling 

services, including rehabilitation counseling; and 

orientation and mobility services. 

14For the purpose of this priority, ‘‘certification’’ 

refers to programs of study that lead to State 

licensure, endorsement, or certification that 

qualifies graduates to teach or provide services to 

children with disabilities. Programs of study that 

lead to a certificate of completion from the MSI, but 

do not lead to State licensure, endorsement, or 

certification, do not qualify. 

15For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘scholar’’ is 

limited to an individual who: (a) Is pursuing a 

certification, bachelor’s master’s, educational 

(10) Ensure that scholar support costs 

(e.g., tuition, stipends) are scholarship 

assistance and not financial assistance 

based on the condition that the scholar 

works for the grantee (e.g., as graduate 

assistants); 

(11) Ensure that the budget includes 

attendance of the project director at a 

three-day project directors’ meeting in 

Washington, DC during each year of the 

project. The project must reallocate 

funds for travel to the project directors’ 

meeting no later than the end of the 

third quarter of each budget period if 

the meeting is conducted virtually; 

(12) Ensure that the project director, 

key personnel, and, as appropriate, 

scholars will actively participate in the 

cross-project collaboration, advanced 

trainings, and cross-site learning 

opportunities (e.g., webinars, briefings) 

organized by OSEP. This network will 

be used to build capacity of 

participants, increase the impact of 

funding, and promote innovative and 

interdisciplinary service delivery 

models across projects; 

(13) Ensure that if the project 

maintains a website, relevant 

information and documents are in a 

format that meets government or 

industry-recognized standards for 

accessibility; and 

(14) Ensure that annual data will be 

submitted on each scholar who receives 

grant support (OMB Control Number 

1820–0686). The primary purposes of 

the data collection are to track the 

service obligation fulfillment of scholars 

who receive funds from OSEP grants 

and to collect data for program 

performance measure reporting under 

34 CFR 75.110. Applicants are 

encouraged to visit the Personnel 

Development Program Data Collection 

System (DCS) website at https://

pdp.ed.gov/osep for further information 

about this data collection requirement. 

Typically, data collection begins in 

January of each year, and grantees are 

notified by email about the data 

collection period for their grant, 

although grantees may submit data as 

needed, year round. This data collection 

must be submitted electronically by the 

grantee and does not supplant the 

annual grant performance report 

required of each grantee for 

continuation funding (see 34 CFR 

75.590). Data collection includes the 

submission of a signed, completed PreScholarship Agreement and Exit 

Certification for each scholar funded 

under an OSEP grant (see paragraph (5) 

of these requirements). 

Absolute Priority 2: Preparation of 

Special Education, Early Intervention, 

and Related Services Personnel 

Attending Minority Serving Institutions 

(MSIs), including Historically Black 

Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), 

Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), 

Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), 

and Asian American and Pacific 

Islander Serving Institutions (AAPISIs). 

Background: 

The purpose of this priority is to 

increase the number of ethnically and 

racially diverse personnel who are fully 

credentialed to serve children, 

including infants, toddlers, and youth 

with disabilities. Under this absolute 

priority, the Department will fund highquality projects within MSIs 12 that 

prepare special education, early 

intervention, and related services 13

personnel at the certification,14

bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, 

educational specialist degree, or clinical 

doctoral degree levels to serve in a 

variety of settings, including natural 

environments (the home and 

community settings in which children 

with and without disabilities 

participate), early learning programs, 

child care, classrooms, schools, and 

distance learning. 

Children of color represent a large 

proportion of the children receiving 

early intervention and special education 

services through IDEA. In 2019, 

approximately 50 percent of infants and 

toddlers with disabilities, ages birth 

through two are children of color; 

approximately 48 percent of preschool 

children with disabilities ages three 

through five are children of color; while 

approximately 54 percent of students 

with disabilities, ages five (in 

kindergarten) through 21 are children of 

color (U.S. Department of Education, 

2020). 

Despite the fact that children of color 

make up an increasing share of all 

children receiving early intervention 

and special education services, results 

from the 2017–18 National Teacher and 

Principal Survey show that teachers of 

color comprised about 20 percent of the 

public school teacher workforce, which 

is disproportionately low compared to 

the proportion of students of color 

enrolled in public schools (Taie & 

Goldring, 2020). 

Moreover, the demographics of 

personnel entering the early 

intervention and special education 

fields are not aligned with the 

demographics of the children and 

families served under IDEA. OSEP’s 

Personnel Development Program Data 

Collection System data reveals that 

scholars are more likely to be White. 

Specifically, the race/ethnicity of 

scholars obtaining a graduate degree to 

serve children with disabilities is 62 

percent White, 14 percent Hispanic, 9 

percent Black, and 3 percent Asian. 

Similarly, data from related services 

professional organizations reveal that 

the majority of those enrolled in related 

service personnel preparation programs 

are White with demonstrably smaller 

percentages of scholars of color enrolled 

in preservice programs (American 

Occupational Therapy Association, 

2020; American Physical Therapy 

Association, 2020; American SpeechLanguage Hearing Association, 2021). 

The data clearly demonstrates that there 

is a substantial shortage of ethnically 

and racially diverse special education, 

early intervention, and related services 

providers (Sutcher, Darling-Hammond, 

& Carver-Thomas, 2016). 

This is of concern, as research 

indicates that increasing the diversity of 

personnel can have positive impacts on 

all children, and this is especially true 

for children of color who demonstrate 

improved academic achievement and 

behavioral and social-emotional 

development when they are taught by 

teachers of color (Carver-Thomas, 2018). 

To address the need for a more 

diverse workforce, this priority aims to 

fund projects at MSIs that will prepare 

personnel in special education, early 

intervention, or a related service at the 

certification, bachelor’s degree, master’s 

degree, educational specialist degree, or 

clinical doctorate degree level. 

Priority: 

The purpose of this priority is to 

increase the number of ethnically and 

racially diverse personnel who have the 

necessary knowledge and skills to 

become fully credentialed to serve 

children, including infants, toddlers, 

and youth, with disabilities. The 

priority will support high-quality 

projects in MSIs that prepare special 

education, early intervention, and 

related services scholars 15 at the 


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specialist degree, or clinical doctoral graduate 

degree in special education, early intervention, or 

related services (as defined in this notice); (b) 

receives scholarship assistance as authorized under 

section 662 of IDEA (34 CFR 304.3(g)); (c) will be 

eligible for a license, endorsement, or certification 

from a State or national credentialing authority 

following completion of the program of study 

identified in the application; and (d) will be able 

to be employed in a position that serves children 

with disabilities for a minimum of 51 percent of 

their time or case load. See https://pdp.ed.gov/ 

OSEP/Home/Regulation for more information. 

Individuals pursuing degrees in general 

education or early childhood education do not 

qualify as ‘‘scholars’’ eligible for scholarship 

assistance. 

16For the purposes of this priority, 

‘‘competencies’’ means what a person knows and 

can do—the knowledge, skills, and dispositions 

necessary to effectively function in a role (National 

Professional Development Center on Inclusion, 

2011). These competencies should ensure that 

personnel are able to use challenging academic 

standards, child achievement and functional 

Continued 

certification, bachelor’s degree, master’s 

degree, educational specialist degree, or 

clinical doctoral degree levels for 

professional practice in natural 

environments, early learning programs, 

classrooms, school settings, and in 

distance learning environments serving 

children, including infants, toddlers, 

and youth, with disabilities. 

Focus Areas: 

Within this absolute priority, the 

Secretary intends to support projects 

under the following two focus areas: (A) 

Preparing Personnel to Serve Infants, 

Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children 

with Disabilities; and (B) Preparing 

Personnel to Serve School-Age Children 

with Disabilities. Applicants must 

identify the specific focus area (i.e., A or 

B) under which they are applying as 

part of the competition title on the 

application cover sheet (SF 424, line 

12). Applicants may not submit the 

same proposal under more than one 

focus area. Applicants may submit 

different proposals in different focus 

areas. OSEP may fund out of rank order 

high-quality applications to ensure that 

projects are funded across both Focus 

Area A and Focus Area B. 

Focus Area A: Preparing Personnel to 

Serve Infants, Toddlers, and PreschoolAge Children with Disabilities. 

This focus area is for projects that 

prepare early intervention, special 

education, and related services 

personnel who are prepared to provide 

services to infants and toddler with 

disabilities ages birth to two, and those 

who are prepared to provide services to 

children with disabilities ages three 

through five (and in States where the 

age range is other than ages three 

through five, we defer to the State’s 

certification for early childhood special 

education). In States where certification 

in early intervention is combined with 

certification in early childhood special 

education, applicants may propose a 

combined early intervention and early 

childhood special education personnel 

preparation project under this focus 

area. 

Focus Area B: Preparing Personnel to 

Serve School-Age Children with 

Disabilities. This focus area is for 

projects that prepare special education 

and related services personnel to work 

with school-age children. 

Focus Areas A and B: 

Applicants may use up to the first 12 

months of the performance period and 

up to $100,000 of the first budget period 

for planning without enrolling scholars. 

Applicants must clearly provide 

sufficient justification for requesting 

program planning time and include the 

goals, objectives, and intended 

outcomes of program planning in year 

one, a description of the proposed 

strategies and activities to be supported, 

and a timeline for the work. A 

description of the proposed strategies 

may include activities such as— 

(1) Outlining or updating coursework, 

assignments, or extensive and 

coordinated field or clinical experiences 

needed to support preparation for 

special education, early intervention, or 

related services personnel serving 

children with disabilities; 

(2) Building capacity (e.g., hiring of a 

field supervisor, providing professional 

development for field supervisors, and 

training for faculty); 

(3) Purchasing needed resources (e.g., 

additional teaching supplies or 

specialized equipment to enhance 

instruction); or 

(4) Establishing relationships with 

programs or schools to serve as sites for 

field or clinical experiences needed to 

support delivery of the proposed 

project. 

Additional Federal funds may be 

requested for scholar support and other 

grant activities occurring in year one of 

the project, provided that the total 

request for year one does not exceed the 

maximum award available for one 

budget period of 12 months (i.e., 

$250,000). 

Note: Applicants proposing projects 

to develop, expand, or add a new area 

of emphasis to early intervention, 

special education, or related services 

programs must provide, in their 

applications, information on how these 

new areas will be sustained in their 

programs once Federal funding ends. 

Note: Project periods under this 

priority may be up to 60 months. 

Projects should be designed to ensure 

that all proposed scholars successfully 

complete the program within 60 months 

of the start of the project. The Secretary 

may reduce continuation awards for any 

project in which scholars are not on 

track to complete the program by the 

end of that period. 

To be considered for funding under 

this absolute priority, all program 

applicants must meet the requirements 

contained in this priority. 

To meet the requirements of this 

priority an applicant must— 

(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Significance,’’ how— 

(1) The project addresses national, 

State, regional, or district shortages of 

personnel who are fully qualified to 

serve children with disabilities in the 

focus area under which the project is 

applying. To address this requirement, 

the applicant must— 

(i) Present data for all scholars in the 

program and provide disaggregated data 

for scholars of color that reflects the 

quality of the special education, early 

intervention, or related services 

personnel preparation degree program 

participating in the project, in areas 

such as: The average amount of time it 

takes for scholars to complete the 

program; the percentage of program 

graduates who receive a license, 

endorsement, or certification related to 

special education, related services, or 

early intervention services; the 

percentage of program graduates finding 

employment related to their preparation 

after graduation; the effectiveness of 

program graduates in providing special 

education, early intervention, or related 

services, which could include data on 

the learning and developmental 

outcomes of children with disabilities 

they serve; the percentage of program 

graduates who maintain employment for 

two or more years in the area for which 

they were prepared; and the percentage 

of employers who rate the preparation 

of scholars who complete their degree 

program as adequate or higher; and 

(ii) Present data on the quality of the 

pedagogical approach to the preparation 

of special education, early intervention, 

or related services personnel; and 

Note: Data on the quality of a 

personnel preparation program should 

be no older than five years prior to the 

start date of the project proposed in the 

application. When reporting 

percentages, the denominator (i.e., total 

number of scholars or program 

graduates) must be provided. 

(2) The project will increase the 

number of personnel, including those 

from racially and ethnically diverse 

backgrounds, who demonstrate the 

competencies 16 needed to— 


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standards, and assessments to improve instructional 

practices, services, learning and developmental 

outcomes (e.g., academic, social, emotional, 

behavioral), and college- and career-readiness of 

children with disabilities. 

(i) Promote high expectations and 

improve outcomes for children with 

disabilities; 

(ii) Differentiate curriculum and 

instruction; 

(iii) Provide individualized, evidencebased instruction and intervention(s); 

(iv) Provide culturally and 

linguistically responsive instruction and 

services; 

(v) Provide instruction or 

intervention(s) in person and through 

distance learning technologies; 

(vi) Collaborate with diverse 

stakeholders, including those from 

racially and ethnically diverse 

backgrounds, to address the 

individualized needs of children with 

disabilities, ages birth through 21, and 

designed to achieve improvements in 

learning or developmental outcomes 

(e.g., academic, social, emotional, 

behavioral), and support the successful 

transition from early childhood to 

elementary, elementary to secondary, or 

transition to postsecondary education 

and the workforce; and 

(vii) Exercise leadership to improve 

professional practice and services and 

education for children with disabilities, 

including those from racially and 

ethnically diverse backgrounds. To 

address this requirement, the applicant 

must— 

(A) Identify the competencies that 

special education, early intervention, or 

related services personnel need to— 

(1) Promote high expectations and 

improve outcomes for children with 

disabilities; 

(2) Differentiate curriculum and 

instruction; 

(3) Provide individualized, evidencebased instruction and intervention(s); 

(4) Provide culturally and 

linguistically responsive instruction and 

services; 

(5) Provide instruction or 

intervention(s) in person and through 

distance learning technologies; 

(6) Collaborate with parents, families, 

and stakeholders, including those from 

racially and ethnically diverse 

backgrounds, to improve learning and 

developmental outcomes; ensure access 

to, and progress in, academic 

achievement standards or alternate 

academic achievement standards, as 

appropriate; lead to successful 

transition to college and career for 

children with disabilities; and maximize 

the use of effective technology, 

including assistive technology, to 

deliver instruction, interventions, and 

services; and 

(7) Exercise leadership to improve 

professional practice and services and 

education for children with disabilities, 

including those from racially and 

ethnically diverse backgrounds; 

(B) Identify the competencies that 

personnel need to support inclusion of 

children with disabilities in the least 

restrictive and natural environments to 

the maximum extent appropriate by 

intentionally promoting high 

expectations and participation in 

learning and social activities to foster 

development, learning, academic 

achievement, friendships with peers, 

and sense of belonging; 

(C) Identify how scholars will be 

prepared to develop, implement, and 

evaluate evidence-based instruction and 

evidence-based interventions delivered 

in person and through distance learning 

technologies that improve outcomes for 

children with disabilities, including 

those from racially and ethnically 

diverse backgrounds, in a variety of 

settings (e.g., natural environments; 

public schools, including charter 

schools; private schools; and other 

nonpublic education settings, including 

home education); and 

(D) Provide a conceptual framework 

for the proposed personnel preparation 

project, including any empirical support 

for project activities designed to 

promote the acquisition of the identified 

competencies (see paragraph (a)(2) of 

the requirements for this priority) 

needed by special education, early 

intervention, or related services 

personnel, and how these competencies 

relate to the proposed project; 

(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of project services,’’ how the 

project— 

(1) Will recruit and retain high-quality 

scholars into the program and ensure 

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. To meet this requirement, the 

applicant must describe— 

(i) Criteria the applicant will use to 

identify high-quality applicants for 

admission into the programs; 

(ii) Recruitment strategies the 

applicant will use to attract high-quality 

applicants, including specific 

recruitment strategies targeting highquality applicants from traditionally 

underrepresented groups, including 

underrepresented people of color and 

individuals with disabilities; and 

(iii) The approach, including 

necessary supports and services that 

improve graduation rates such as, but 

not limited to, culturally and 

linguistically responsive mentoring and 

counseling, explicit strategies and 

support for standardized test taking 

(e.g., Praxis tests), monitoring, and 

accommodations, the applicant will use 

to support scholars to complete their 

program of study; 

(2) Will reflect current culturally and 

linguistically competent evidence-based 

practices, including practices in the 

areas of early learning and development, 

literacy and numeracy development, 

assessment, behavior, instructional 

practices, distance learning technologies 

and pedagogy, and inclusive strategies, 

as appropriate, and is designed to 

prepare scholars in the identified 

competencies. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe how the project will— 

(i) Incorporate current culturally and 

linguistically competent evidence-based 

practices (including relevant research 

citations) that improve outcomes for 

children with disabilities into the 

required coursework and extensive field 

or clinical experiences for the program; 

and 

(ii) Use culturally and linguistically 

competent evidence-based professional 

development practices for adult learners 

to instruct scholars through both inperson and online courses and field or 

clinical experiences; 

(3) Is of sufficient quality, intensity, 

and duration to prepare scholars in the 

identified competencies. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe how— 

(i) The components of the program of 

study, including the coursework, 

assignments, and extensive and 

coordinated field or clinical experiences 

required for the proposed project, will 

support scholars’ acquisition and 

enhancement of the identified 

competencies; 

(ii) The components of the program of 

study will be integrated to allow 

scholars to use their knowledge and 

skills in designing, implementing, and 

evaluating practices supported by 

evidence to address the learning and 

developmental needs of children with 

disabilities; 

(iii) Scholars will be provided with 

ongoing culturally and linguistically 

responsive guidance, mentoring, 

feedback, and other necessary supports 

during training; and 

(iv) The proposed project will provide 

ongoing culturally and linguistically 

responsive induction opportunities and 

mentoring support to graduates of the 

project; 

(4) Will engage in meaningful and 

effective collaboration with appropriate 


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17For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-need 

LEA’’ means an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than 

10,000 children from families with incomes below 

the poverty line; or (b) for which not less than 20 

percent of the children are from families with 

incomes below the poverty line. 

18For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-poverty 

school’’ means a school in which at least 50 percent 

of students are from low-income families as 

determined using one of the measures of poverty 

specified under section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary 

and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended 

(ESEA). For middle and high schools, eligibility 

may be calculated on the basis of comparable data 

from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty 

school under this definition is determined on the 

basis of the most currently available data. 

19For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘school 

implementing a comprehensive support and 

improvement plan’’ means a school identified for 

comprehensive support and improvement by a State 

under section 1111(c)(4)(D) of the ESEA that 

includes (a) not less than the lowest performing 5 

percent of all schools in the State receiving funds 

under Title I, Part A of the ESEA; (b) all public high 

schools in the State failing to graduate one third or 

more of their students; and (c) public schools in the 

State described under section 1111(d)(3)(A)(i)(II) of 

the ESEA. 

20For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘school 

implementing a targeted support and improvement 

plan’’ means a school identified for targeted support 

and improvement by a State that has developed and 

is implementing a school-level targeted support and 

improvement plan to improve student outcomes 

based on the indicators in the statewide 

accountability system as defined in section 

1111(d)(2) of the ESEA. 

partners representing diverse 

stakeholders, including— 

(i) High-need schools, which may 

include high-need LEAs,17 high-poverty 

schools,18 schools identified for 

comprehensive support and 

improvement,19 and schools 

implementing a targeted support and 

improvement plan 20 for children with 

disabilities; early childhood and early 

intervention programs located within 

the geographic boundaries of a highneed LEA; and early childhood and 

early intervention programs located 

within the geographical boundaries of 

an LEA serving the highest percentage 

of schools identified for comprehensive 

support and improvement or 

implementing targeted support and 

improvement plans in the State. The 

purpose of these partnerships is to 

provide extensive field or clinical 

practice for scholars aimed at 

developing the identified competencies; 

and 

(ii) Other personnel preparation 

programs on campus or at partnering 

universities for the purpose of sharing 

resources, supporting program 

development and delivery, and 

addressing personnel shortages; 

(5) Will use technology, as 

appropriate, to promote scholar learning 

and professional practice, enhance the 

efficiency of the project, collaborate 

with partners, and facilitate ongoing 

culturally and linguistically responsive 

mentoring and support for scholars; 

(6) Will ensure that scholars 

understand how to use technology to 

support children’s in-person and 

distance learning and children’s use of 

educational and assistive technology; 

and 

(7) Will align with and use resources, 

as appropriate, available through 

technical assistance centers, which may 

include centers funded by the 

Department; 

Note: Use the ‘‘Find a Center or 

Grant’’ link at https://

osepideasthatwork.org for information 

about OSEP-funded technical assistance 

centers. 

(c) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of the project evaluation,’’ 

how— 

(1) The applicant will use 

comprehensive and appropriate 

methodologies to evaluate how well the 

goals or objectives of the proposed 

project have been met, including the 

project processes and outcomes; 

(2) The applicant will collect, analyze, 

and use data related to specific and 

measurable goals, objectives, and 

outcomes of the project. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe how— 

(i) Scholar competencies and other 

project processes and outcomes will be 

measured for formative evaluation 

purposes, including proposed 

instruments, data collection methods, 

and possible analyses; and 

(ii) It will collect and analyze data on 

the quality of services provided by 

scholars who complete the degree 

program and are employed in the field 

for which they were trained, including 

data on the learning and developmental 

outcomes (e.g., academic, social, 

emotional, behavioral, meeting collegeand career-ready standards), and on 

growth toward these outcomes, of the 

children with disabilities served by the 

scholars; 

Note: Following the completion of the 

project period, grantees are encouraged 

to engage in ongoing data collection 

activities. 

(3) The methods of evaluation will 

produce quantitative and qualitative 

data for objective performance measures 

that are related to the outcomes of the 

proposed project; and 

(4) The methods of evaluation will 

provide performance feedback and 

allow for periodic assessment of 

progress towards meeting the project 

outcomes. To address this requirement, 

the applicant must describe how— 

(i) Results of the evaluation will be 

used to improve the proposed project to 

prepare special education, early 

intervention, or related services 

personnel to provide (a) focused 

instruction; and (b) individualized 

intervention(s) to improve outcomes of 

children with disabilities; and 

(ii) The grantee will report the 

evaluation results to OSEP in its annual 

and final performance reports; 

(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

under ‘‘Project Assurances’’ or in the 

applicable appendices, that the 

following program requirements are 

met. The applicant must— 

(1) Provide scholar support for 

participants. Consistent with 34 CFR 

304.30, each scholar must (a) receive 

support for no less than one academic 

year, and (b) be eligible to fulfill service 

obligation requirements following 

degree program completion. Funding 

across degree programs may be applied 

differently; 

(2) Include in Appendix B of the 

application— 

(i) Course syllabi for all coursework in 

the program, assignments, and extensive 

coordinated field or clinical experiences 

required of project scholars; and 

(ii) Intended learning outcomes for 

the proposed coursework; 

(3) Ensure that a comprehensive set of 

completed syllabi, including syllabi 

created or revised as part of a project 

planning year, are submitted to OSEP by 

the end of year one of the grant; 

(4) Ensure that efforts to recruit a 

diverse range of scholars, including 

diversity of race, ethnicity, or national 

origin, are consistent with applicable 

law. For instance, grantees may engage 

in focused outreach and recruitment to 

increase the diversity of the applicant 

pool prior to the selection of scholars; 

(5) Ensure that the project will meet 

all requirements in 34 CFR 304.23, 

particularly those related to (a) 

informing all scholarship recipients of 

their service obligation commitment and 

(b) disbursing scholar support. Failure 

by a grantee to properly meet these 

requirements would be a violation of the 

grant award that could result in 

sanctions, including the grantee being 

liable for returning any misused funds 

to the Department; 

(6) Ensure that prior approval from 

the OSEP project officer will be 

obtained before admitting additional 

scholars beyond the number of scholars 

proposed in the application and before 

transferring a scholar to another OSEPfunded grant; 

(7) Ensure that the project will meet 

the statutory requirements in section 

662(e) through (h) of IDEA; 

(8) Ensure that at least 65 percent of 

the total award over the project period 

(i.e., up to 5 years) will be used for 


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scholar support. Applicants proposing 

to use year one for program 

development may budget for less than 

65 percent of the total requested budget 

over the 5 years for scholar support; 

such applicants must ensure that 65 

percent of the total award minus funds 

allocated for program development will 

be used for scholar support; 

(9) Ensure that the IHE at which 

scholars are enrolled in the program 

will not require those scholars to work 

(e.g., as graduate assistants) as a 

condition of receiving support (e.g., 

tuition, stipends) from the proposed 

project, unless the work is specifically 

related to the acquisition of scholars’ 

competencies or the requirements for 

completion of their personnel 

preparation program. This prohibition 

on work as a condition of receiving 

support does not apply to the service 

obligation requirements in section 

662(h) of IDEA; 

(10) Ensure that scholar support costs 

(e.g., tuition, stipends) are scholarship 

assistance and not financial assistance 

based on the condition that the scholar 

work (e.g., as graduate assistants); 

(11) Ensure that the budget includes 

attendance of the project director at a 

three-day project directors’ meeting in 

Washington, DC during each year of the 

project. The project must reallocate 

funds for travel to the project directors’ 

meeting no later than the end of the 

third quarter of each budget period if 

the meeting is conducted virtually; 

(12) Ensure that the project director, 

key personnel, and, as appropriate, 

scholars will actively participate in 

cross-project collaboration 

opportunities, advanced trainings, and 

other learning opportunities (e.g., 

webinars, briefings) organized by OSEP. 

This network will be used to build 

capacity of participants, increase the 

impact of funding, and promote 

innovative service delivery models; 

(13) Ensure that if the project 

maintains a website, relevant 

information and documents are in a 

format that meets government or 

industry-recognized standards for 

accessibility; and 

(14) Ensure that annual data will be 

submitted on each scholar who receives 

grant support (OMB Control Number 

1820–0686). The primary purposes of 

the data collection are to track the 

service obligation fulfillment of scholars 

who receive funds from OSEP grants 

and to collect data for program 

performance measure reporting under 

34 CFR 75.110. Applicants are 

encouraged to visit the Personnel 

Development Program Data Collection 

System (DCS) website at https://

pdp.ed.gov/osep for further information 

about this data collection requirement. 

Typically, data collection begins in 

January of each year, and grantees are 

notified by email about the data 

collection period for their grant, 

although grantees may submit data as 

needed, year round. This data collection 

must be submitted electronically by the 

grantee and does not supplant the 

annual grant performance report 

required of each grantee for 

continuation funding (see 34 CFR 

75.590). Data collection includes the 

submission of a signed, completed PreScholarship Agreement and Exit 

Certification for each scholar funded 

under an OSEP grant (see paragraph (5) 

of these requirements). 

References: 

American Occupational Therapy Association. 

(2020). 2019 workforce and salary 

survey. www.aota.org/EducationCareers/Advance-Career/SalaryWorkforce-Survey.aspx. 

American Physical Therapy Association 

(APTA). (2020). APTA physical therapy 

workforce analysis. www.apta.org/ 

contentassets/ 

5997bfa5c8504df789fe4f1c01a717eb/ 

apta-workforce-analysis-2020.pdf. 

American Speech-Language Hearing 

Association. (2021). CSD education 

survey. www.asha.org/siteassets/ 

uploadedFiles/Communication-Sciencesand-Disorders-Education-TrendData.pdf. 

Boe, E.E., deBettencourt, L., Dewey, J.F., 

Rosenberg, M.S., Sindelar, P.T., & Leko, 

C.D. (2013). Variability in demand for 

special education teachers: Indicators, 

explanations, and impacts. 

Exceptionality, 21(2), 103–125. 

Browder, D.M., Wood, L., Thompson, J., & 

Ribuffo, C. (2014). Evidence-based 

practices for students with severe 

disabilities (Document No. IC–3). http:// 

ceedar.education.ufl.edu/tool/ 

innovation-configurations/. 

Carver-Thomas, D. (2018). Diversifying the 

teaching profession: How to recruit and 

retain teachers of color. Learning Policy 

Institute. 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 

20 U.S.C. 1400, et seq. (2004). 

McLeskey, J., & Brownell, M. (2015). Highleverage practices and teacher 

preparation in special education 

(Document No. PR–1). http://

ceedar.education.ufl.edu/wp-content/ 

uploads/2016/05/High-LeveragePractices-and-Teacher-Preparation-inSpecial-Education.pdf. 

National Professional Development Center on 

Inclusion. (August, 2011). Competencies 

for early childhood educators in the 

context of inclusion: Issues and guidance 

for States. The University of North 

Carolina, FPG Child Development 

Institute. 

Smith, J. (2010). An interdisciplinary 

approach to preparing early intervention 

professionals: A university and 

community collaborative initiative. 

Teacher Education and Special 

Education, 33(2), 131–142. 

Sutcher, L., Darling-Hammond, L., & CarverThomas, D. (2016). A coming crisis in 

teaching? Teacher supply, demand, and 

shortages in the U.S. Learning Policy 

Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.

org/product/coming-crisis-teaching. 

Taie, S., & Goldring, R. (2020). 

Characteristics of public and private 

elementary and secondary school 

teachers in the United States: Results 

from the 2017–18 national teacher and 

principal survey. First look. NCES 2020– 

142. National Center for Education 

Statistics. 

U.S. Department of Education. (2020). 

EDFacts Data Warehouse: ‘‘IDEA Part B 

Child Count and Educational 

Environments Collection’’ & ‘‘IDEA Part 

C Child Count and Settings Collection,’’ 

2019–20. www2.ed.gov/programs/ 

osepidea/618-data/static-tables/ 

index.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 priorities in this notice. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1462 

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. (d) 

The regulations for this program in 34 

CFR part 304. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 

86 apply to IHEs only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Discretionary grants. 

Estimated Available Funds: The 

Administration has requested 

$250,000,000 for the Personnel 

Development to Improve Services and 

Results for Children with Disabilities 

program for FY 2022, of which we 

intend to use an estimated $9,500,000 

for this competition. The actual level of 

funding, if any, depends on final 


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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. 

Estimated Range of Awards: 

$200,000–$250,000 per year. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$225,000 per year. 

Maximum Award: We will not make 

an award exceeding $250,000 for a 

single budget period of 12 months. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 38. 

Project Period: Up to 60 months. 

Note: The Department is not bound by 

any estimates in this notice. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: For Absolute 

Priority 1, eligible applicants are IHEs 

and private nonprofit organizations. For 

Absolute Priority 2, eligible applicants 

are MSIs and private nonprofit 

organizations. 

Note: If you are a nonprofit 

organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you 

may demonstrate your nonprofit status 

by providing: (1) Proof that the Internal 

Revenue Service currently recognizes 

the applicant as an organization to 

which contributions are tax deductible 

under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 

Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a 

State taxing body or the State attorney 

general certifying that the organization 

is a nonprofit organization operating 

within the State and that no part of its 

net earnings may lawfully benefit any 

private shareholder or individual; (3) a 

certified copy of the applicant’s 

certificate of incorporation or similar 

document if it clearly establishes the 

nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) 

any item described above if that item 

applies to a State or national parent 

organization, together with a statement 

by the State or parent organization that 

the applicant is a local nonprofit 

affiliate. 

2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost 

sharing or matching is not required for 

this competition. 

b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This 

program uses a training indirect cost 

rate. This limits indirect cost 

reimbursement to an entity’s actual 

indirect costs, as determined in its 

negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, 

or eight percent of a modified total 

direct cost base, whichever amount is 

less. For more information regarding 

training indirect cost rates, see 34 CFR 

75.562. 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 50 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, 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 the proposed 

project will prepare personnel for fields 

in which shortages have been 

demonstrated; and 

(ii) The importance or magnitude of 

the results or outcomes likely to be 

attained by the proposed project, 

especially improvements in teaching 

and student achievement. 

(b) Quality of project services (45 

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 


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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 determining the quality of the 

project services, the Secretary considers 

the following factors: 

(i) The extent to which the services to 

be provided by the proposed project 

reflect up-to-date knowledge from 

research and effective practice; 

(ii) 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; 

(iii) 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 

(iv) The extent to which the proposed 

activities constitute a coherent, 

sustained program of training in the 

field. 

(c) Quality of the project evaluation 

(25 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 goals, 

objectives, and outcomes to be achieved 

by the proposed project are clearly 

specified and measurable; 

(iii) 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; and 

(iv) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation will provide performance 

feedback and permit periodic 

assessment of progress toward achieving 

intended outcomes. 

(d) Quality of project personnel, 

quality of the management plan, and 

adequacy of resources (20 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the project personnel, the 

quality of the management plan, and the 

adequacy of resources for 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 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; 

(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) The adequacy of support, 

including facilities, equipment, 

supplies, and other resources, from the 

applicant organization or the lead 

applicant organization; and 

(v) The extent to which the costs are 

reasonable in relation to the objectives, 

design, and potential significance of the 

proposed project. 

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 

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. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 24 / Friday, February 4, 2022 / Notices 6529 

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. 

(c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the 

Secretary may provide a grantee with 

additional funding for data collection 

analysis and reporting. In this case the 

Secretary establishes a data collection 

period. 

5. Performance Measures: For the 

purposes of Department reporting 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 

Personnel Development to Improve 

Services and Results for Children with 

Disabilities program. These measures 

include (1) the percentage of 

preparation programs that incorporate 

scientifically or evidence-based 

practices into their curricula; (2) the 

percentage of scholars completing the 

preparation program who are 

knowledgeable and skilled in evidencebased practices that improve outcomes 

for children with disabilities; (3) the 

percentage of scholars who exit the 

preparation program prior to completion 

due to poor academic performance; (4) 

the percentage of scholars completing 

the preparation program who are 

working in the area(s) in which they 

were prepared upon program 

completion; (5) the Federal cost per 

scholar who completed the preparation 

program; (6) the percentage of scholars 

who completed the preparation program 

and are employed in high-need districts; 

and (7) the percentage of scholars who 

completed the preparation program and 

who are rated effective by their 

employers. 

In addition, the Department will 

gather information on the following 

outcome measures: The number and 

percentage of scholars proposed by the 

grantee in their application that were 

actually enrolled and making 

satisfactory academic progress in the 

current academic year; the number and 

percentage of enrolled scholars who are 

on track to complete the training 

program by the end of the project’s 

original grant period; and the percentage 

of scholars who completed the 

preparation program and are employed 

in the field of special education for at 

least two years. 

Grantees may be asked to participate 

in assessing and providing information 

on these aspects of program quality. 

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, 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 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
6530 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 24 / Friday, February 4, 2022 / Notices 

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. 2022–02392 Filed 2–3–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

[Docket No.: ED–2021–SCC–0134] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget for Review 

and Approval; Comment Request; 

National Evaluation of the 2019 

Comprehensive Centers Program 

Grantees 

AGENCY: Institute of Education Sciences 

(IES), Department of Education (ED). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is 

proposing a new collection. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before March 7, 

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 Andrew 

Abrams, 202–245–7500. 

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: National 

Evaluation of the 2019 Comprehensive 

Centers Program Grantees. 

OMB Control Number: 1850–NEW. 

Type of Review: New collection. 

Respondents/Affected Public: Private 

Sector. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 259. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 106. 

Abstract: The 2015 update to the 

federal law governing K–12 schooling 

gave state (SEAs) and local education 

agencies (LEAs) increased 

responsibilities, and, therefore, extra 

demands on their time and capabilities. 

The Comprehensive Centers program, 

funded by the U.S. Department of 

Education at over $50 million per year, 

provides training, tools, and other 

supports to help these agencies carry 

out their education plans and take steps 

to close achievement gaps. The Centers’ 

services aim to build individual and 

organizational capacity to help identify 

and solve key problems. This evaluation 

will examine the delivery and 

usefulness of the Centers’ technical 

assistance, given potential new 

stakeholder needs and changes in the 

Center program that took effect with the 

20 new grants awarded in in 2019. 

Congress requires a periodic evaluation 

of the Comprehensive Centers program, 

with the results intended to inform 

ongoing program improvements. 

Dated: February 1, 2022. 

Juliana Pearson, 

PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and 

Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division, 

Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of 

Planning, Evaluation and Policy 

Development. 

[FR Doc. 2022–02391 Filed 2–3–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Project No. 6240–064] 

Watson Associates; Notice Soliciting 

Scoping Comments 

Take notice that the following 

hydroelectric application has been filed 

with the Commission and is available 

for public inspection. 

a. Type of Application: Subsequent 

Minor License. 

b. Project No.: 6240–064. 

c. Date Filed: August 27, 2021. 

d. Applicant: Watson Associates. 

e. Name of Project: Watson Dam 

Project. 

f. Location: On the Cocheco River in 

Strafford County, New Hampshire. The 

project does not occupy any federal 

land. 

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power 

Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)–825(r). 

h. Applicant Contact: Mr. John 

Webster, Watson Associates, P.O. Box 

178, South Berwick, ME 03908; Phone 

at (207) 384–5334, or email at 

Hydromagnt@gwi.net. 

i. FERC Contact: Michael Watts at 

(202) 502–6123, or michael.watt@

ferc.gov. 

j. Deadline for filing scoping 

comments: March 2, 2022. 

The Commission strongly encourages 

electronic filing. Please file scoping 

comments using the Commission’s 

eFiling system at https://

ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. 

Commenters can submit brief comments 

up to 6,000 characters, without prior 

registration, using the eComment system 

at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/ 

QuickComment.aspx. You must include 

your name and contact information at 

the end of your comments. For 

assistance, please contact FERC Online 

Support at FERCOnlineSupport@

ferc.gov, (866) 208–3676 (toll free), or 

(202) 502–8659 (TTY). In lieu of 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1