12144 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Notices 

Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 

(Fulbright-Hays Act) is to promote and 

develop modern foreign language 

training and area studies throughout the 

educational structure of the United 

States. To help accomplish this 

objective, fellowships are awarded 

through U.S. institutions of higher 

education to American doctoral 

dissertation fellows enabling them to 

conduct overseas research and enhance 

their foreign language proficiency. 

Under the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral 

Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) 

program, individual scholars apply 

through eligible institutions for an 

institutional grant to support the 

research fellowship. These institutions 

administer the program in cooperation 

with the U.S. Department of Education 

(US/ED). This information collection is 

the tool that can gather the information 

necessary to determine the performance 

of the fellows and the program. Since 

this collection is currently in a 

discontinued status, this collection 

package is a reinstatement with change. 

Dated: February 28, 2022. 

Kate Mullan, 

PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and 

Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division, 

Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of 

Planning, Evaluation and Policy 

Development. 

[FR Doc. 2022–04500 Filed 3–2–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

[Docket No. ED–2022–SCC–0028] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Comment Request; NCES 

System Clearance for Cognitive, Pilot, 

and Field Test Studies 2022–2025 

AGENCY: Institute of Educational Science 

(IES), Department of Education (ED). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is 

proposing an extension of a currently 

approved information collection. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before May 2, 

2022. 

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the 

documents related to the information 

collection listed in this notice, please 

use http://www.regulations.gov by 

searching the Docket ID number ED– 

2022–SCC–0028. Comments submitted 

in response to this notice should be 

submitted electronically through the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://

www.regulations.gov by selecting the 

Docket ID number or via postal mail, 

commercial delivery, or hand delivery. 

If the regulations.gov site is not 

available to the public for any reason, 

ED will temporarily accept comments at 

ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Please include the 

docket ID number and the title of the 

information collection request when 

requesting documents or submitting 

comments. Please note that comments 

submitted by fax or email and those 

submitted after the comment period will 

not be accepted. Written requests for 

information or comments submitted by 

postal mail or delivery should be 

addressed to the PRA Coordinator of the 

Strategic Collections and Clearance, 

Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 6W208B, 

Washington, DC 20202–8240. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

specific questions related to collection 

activities, please contact Carrie Clarady, 

202–245–6347. 

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: NCES System 

Clearance for Cognitive, Pilot, and Field 

Test Studies 2022–2025. 

OMB Control Number: 1850–0803. 

Type of Review: An extension without 

change of a currently approved 

collection. 

Respondents/Affected Public: 

Individuals and Households. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 600,000. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 240,000. 

Abstract: This is a request for a 3-year 

renewal of the generic clearance to 

allow the National Center for Education 

Statistics (NCES) to continue to develop, 

test, and improve its survey and 

assessment instruments and 

methodologies. The procedures utilized 

to this effect include but are not limited 

to experiments with levels of incentives 

for various types of survey operations, 

focus groups, cognitive laboratory 

activities, pilot testing, exploratory 

interviews, experiments with 

questionnaire design, and usability 

testing of electronic data collection 

instruments. 

Dated: February 28, 2022. 

Stephanie Valentine, 

PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and 

Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division, 

Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of 

Planning, Evaluation and Policy 

Development. 

[FR Doc. 2022–04514 Filed 3–2–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Educational Technology, Media, and 

Materials for Individuals With 

Disabilities Program—Innovative 

Technology-Based Approaches for 

Assessing 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 Educational 

Technology, Media, and Materials for 

Individuals with Disabilities— 

Innovative Technology-Based 

Approaches for Assessing Children with 

Disabilities, Assistance Listing Number 

84.327V. This notice relates to the 

approved information collection under 

OMB control number 1820–0028. 

DATES:

Applications Available: March 3, 

2022. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: May 2, 2022. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: July 1, 2022. 

Pre-Application Webinar Information: 

No later than March 8, 2022, OSERS 

will post details on pre-recorded 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Notices 12145 

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: 

Rebecca Sheffield, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 5040E, Potomac Center Plaza, 

Washington, DC 20202–5076. 

Telephone: (202) 245–6725. Email: 

Rebecca.Sheffield@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 

telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

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

8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The purpose of 

the Educational Technology, Media, and 

Materials for Individuals with 

Disabilities Program (ETechM2 

Program) is to improve results for 

students with disabilities by: (1) 

Promoting the development, 

demonstration, and use of technology; 

(2) supporting educational media 

activities designed to be of educational 

value in the classroom for students with 

disabilities; (3) providing support for 

captioning and video description that is 

appropriate for use in the classroom; 

and (4) providing accessible educational 

materials to students with disabilities in 

a timely manner. 

Priority: This competition includes 

one absolute priority. In accordance 

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

priority is from allowable activities 

specified in the statute (see sections 

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

with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); 

20 U.S.C. 1474(b)(2) and 1481(d)). 

Absolute Priority: For FY 2022 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition, this 

priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 

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

applications that meet this priority. 

This priority is: 

Innovative Technology-Based 

Approaches for Assessing Children with 

Disabilities. 

Background: 

Assessment is an essential component 

of being able to provide a high-quality 

education and learning opportunities to 

infants, toddlers, children, and youth 

with disabilities (children with 

disabilities). It involves regularly 

collecting information to be able to 

make individualized decisions about the 

services and supports needed to 

promote a child’s development, 

learning, and achievement. The COVID– 

19 pandemic caused a significant 

disruption to how children with 

disabilities were assessed and 

highlighted the need to leverage more 

equitable, innovative, reliable, and valid 

technology-based approaches for 

assessing children with disabilities. 

Traditionally, most assessments are 

completed in-person by early 

intervention providers, teachers, and 

school-based clinicians. The pandemic 

required early intervention service 

providers and local educational agency 

(LEA) staff to utilize remote assessments 

and identify technology-based 

approaches to assess children with 

disabilities. While this was done with 

varied levels of success, the pandemic 

demonstrated that technology-based 

approaches to assessment have the 

potential to enhance both in-person and 

remote assessment processes. 

Innovative technology-based 

approaches to assessment provide a 

number of benefits, including— 

• Providing new sources of data on 

children’s performance. For example, 

technology can expand opportunities to 

conduct authentic assessments and 

observations of children with 

disabilities in natural environments and 

in multiple settings, both in person and 

online, with greater involvement from 

families. This can allow teachers and 

service providers to prioritize different 

data when making decisions about 

necessary services and supports for a 

child with a disability. 

• Enabling teachers and service 

providers to more efficiently collect, 

organize, and share data when 

monitoring children’s performance and 

progress. This can lead to improved 

coordination, collaboration, and datadriven decision-making among team 

members, which can enhance children’s 

outcomes. 

• Improving access to high-quality 

assessments for children with 

disabilities. Increased access can be 

particularly important in rural and 

remote areas to connect children with 

disabilities to specialists from 

professions experiencing critical 

shortages (e.g., functional vision and 

orientation and mobility assessments for 

children who are visually impaired or 

deafblind) (Landa-Vialard et al., 2018). 

• Connecting English learners with 

disabilities to providers who speak their 

home languages, to ensure appropriate 

and individualized support for 

children’s cultural and linguistic needs 

(Hoover, 2018). 

• Providing additional flexibility and 

innovative strategies for children with 

disabilities who are homebound, 

hospitalized, migratory, and 

experiencing homelessness. 

While there are many potential 

benefits to using technology-based 

assessment processes, there is limited 

knowledge of existing strategies and 

best practices for using technology to 

conduct assessments and deciding 

which types of technology-based 

approaches to use. Farmer et al. (2020) 

and Stifel et al. (2020) suggest that 

thorough analysis and guidance is 

necessary when using technical 

adaptations to assessments. Guidance is 

needed to support decision makers (i.e., 

school and program administrators, 

assessment administrators, teachers, and 

service providers) in examining the 

limitations of technology to ensure they 

maintain assessments’ validity and 

reliability as well as meet legal 

requirements. 

Additionally, it is important for 

decision makers to understand and track 

how technology-based approaches to 

assessment could inadvertently magnify 

cultural and socioeconomic disparities. 

Families and schools in high-need 

communities or in rural or remote areas 

may have less access to needed 

technology equipment, unreliable 

internet, or less comfort and experience 

using technology (Hanrahan et. al, 

2020). 

Finally, for technology-based 

approaches to assessment to be 

equitable, they must be accessible to 

children with various disabilities who 

use various communication modes (e.g., 

students with deafness, autism, visual 

impairment including blindness). 

Teachers and service providers need 

training, support, and professional 

development to successfully implement 

technology-based approaches to 

assessment. Although personnel 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
12146 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Notices 

1For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘assessment’’ 

and ‘‘assessing’’ refer to formal and informal 

methods to collect individualized data on 

children’s strengths and needs; developmental, 

academic, and functional skills; and learning 

progress to inform individualized family service 

plans (IFSPs) and individualized education 

programs (IEPs), eligibility determinations, 

instruction, and interventions. Program-wide or 

school-wide assessments, such as large-scale State 

and district wide assessments or universal 

screening, are not within the scope of this priority. 

2Note: This priority does not support the 

development or validation of procedures for 

technology-based administration of published 

standardized assessment tools. 

3For the purposes of this priority, a ‘‘rural or 

remote’’ area or population is an area or population 

within one of the U.S. territories, freely associated 

States, or outlying areas or within a reservation, or 

that is served by a school district whose locale type 

is classified as rural according to 2019 or 2020 data 

from the National Center for Education Statistics 

locale classifications. Please see https://nces.ed.gov/ 

programs/maped/LocaleLookup/. 

4Logic model (34 CFR 77.1) (also referred to as 

a theory of action) means a framework that 

identifies key project components of the proposed 

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

preparation programs may include 

standards to address the application of 

assessment tools and measures, these 

programs do not necessarily address the 

knowledge and skills involved in using 

remote or virtual assessment formats 

(Jenkins & Walker, 2021). 

The Department intends to fund two 

cooperative agreements to develop the 

knowledge base and disseminate 

information about technology-based 

approaches to assessment for children 

with disabilities. Through these 

agreements, the Department seeks to 

increase equitable access to high-quality 

assessment and build greater flexibility 

within assessment approaches, to 

respond to changing environments and 

technology. 

Priority: 

The purpose of this priority is to fund 

two cooperative agreements to establish 

and operate projects on Innovative 

Technology-Based Approaches for 

Assessing Children with Disabilities 

(projects). Projects must achieve, at a 

minimum, the following expected 

outcomes: 

(a) Increased body of knowledge on 

equitable and innovative approaches for 

implementing and integrating 

technology into informal and formal 

assessments 1 to gather valid and 

reliable information on children’s 

strengths and needs; developmental, 

academic, and functional skills; and 

learning progress to inform IFSPs and 

IEPs, eligibility determinations, 

instruction, and interventions. 

(b) Increased awareness of existing 

and project-developed tools, methods, 

and frameworks to support informed, 

systematic decision-making for 

technology-based approaches to 

assessments by early intervention 

service providers, school districts, 

educators, and families.2

Focus Areas: 

Within this absolute priority, the 

Secretary intends to support one project 

under each of the following focus areas: 

(A) Innovative Technology-Based 

Approaches for Assessing Infants, 

Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children 

with Disabilities; and (B) Innovative 

Technology-Based Approaches for 

Assessing 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 and 

Abstract). Applicants that apply under 

both focus areas must submit an 

application for each focus area. 

Focus Area A: Innovative TechnologyBased Approaches for Assessing Infants, 

Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children 

with Disabilities. A project in this focus 

area must develop the knowledge base 

and disseminate resources to support 

the effective use of technology-based 

approaches to assessments with infants, 

toddlers, and preschool-age children 

and their families referred to, or 

receiving, early intervention and early 

childhood special education services. 

Focus Area B: Innovative TechnologyBased Approaches for Assessing SchoolAge Children with Disabilities. A project 

in this focus area must develop the 

knowledge base and disseminate 

resources to support the effective use of 

technology-based approaches to 

assessments of school-age children 

referred to, or receiving, special 

education services. 

Note: The Office of Special Education 

Programs (OSEP) may fund a highquality application out of rank order to 

ensure that projects are funded in both 

focus areas. 

In addition to these programmatic 

requirements, to be considered for 

funding under this priority, applicants 

must meet the following application and 

administrative requirements in this 

priority: 

(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Significance,’’ how the proposed 

project will— 

(1) Address the need in the field for 

knowledge and decision-making 

frameworks to support the effective use 

of technology-based approaches to 

assessments of children with 

disabilities, including technology-based 

approaches to conduct assessments of 

children in hard-to-reach settings with 

limited access to technology, with users 

that may have difficulty engaging with 

technology, and for children requiring 

specialized assessments (e.g., disabilityspecific assessments requiring specially 

trained assessors and assessments 

delivered in languages other than 

English). To meet this requirement the 

applicant must— 

(i) Demonstrate knowledge of existing, 

and emerging trends in, technologybased approaches to assessment of 

children with disabilities; 

(ii) Demonstrate knowledge of current 

educational and policy issues and 

national initiatives relating to 

technology-based approaches to 

assessments of children with 

disabilities; and 

(iii) Demonstrate knowledge of the 

implementation supports that are 

needed to implement new technologybased approaches to assessment for 

children with disabilities (e.g., 

personnel preparation and professional 

development, ongoing consultation and 

coaching, data systems, and 

administrative supports); and 

(2) Develop the knowledge base to 

increase the capacity of local and State 

early intervention and special education 

systems to make informed decisions on 

technology-based approaches to 

assessment and indicate the importance 

of systems developing this capacity. 

(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of project services,’’ how the 

proposed project will— 

(1) Ensure equal access and treatment 

for members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe how it will— 

(i) Identify the needs of the intended 

recipients for technical assistance (TA) 

and information; 

(ii) Ensure that services and products 

meet the needs of the intended 

recipients of the grant; and 

(iii) Address the needs of children 

with disabilities who live in rural or 

remote 3 areas and high-need 

communities who may experience 

barriers to assessment due to scarcity of 

qualified personnel or limitations in 

internet connectivity, and children from 

racially and ethnically diverse 

backgrounds, including those who are 

English learners; 

(2) Achieve its goals, objectives, and 

intended outcomes. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

provide— 

(i) Measurable intended project 

outcomes; and 

(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model 4

by which the proposed project will 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Notices 12147 

hypothesized to be critical to achieving the relevant 

outcomes) and describes the theoretical and 

operational relationships among the key project 

components and relevant outcomes. 

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

minimum, demonstrate a rationale (as defined in 34 

CFR 77.1), where a key project component included 

in the project’s logic model is informed by research 

or evaluation findings that suggest the project 

component is likely to improve relevant outcomes. 

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

information provided to independent users through 

their own initiative, resulting in minimal 

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

project staff. This category of TA also includes 

information or products, such as newsletters, 

guidebooks, or research syntheses, downloaded 

from the project’s website by independent users. 

Brief communications by project staff with 

recipients, either by telephone or email, are also 

considered universal, general TA. 

achieve its intended outcomes that 

depicts, at a minimum, the goals, 

activities, outputs, and intended 

outcomes of the proposed project; 

(3) Use a conceptual framework (and 

provide a copy in Appendix A) to 

develop project plans and activities, 

describing any underlying concepts, 

assumptions, expectations, beliefs, or 

theories, as well as the presumed 

relationships or linkages among these 

variables, and any empirical support for 

this framework; 

Note: The following website provides 

more information on logic models and 

conceptual frameworks: 

www.osepideasthatwork.org/logicModel. 

(4) Be based on current research and 

make use of evidence-based practices 

(EBPs).5 To meet this requirement, the 

applicant must describe— 

(i) The current research on practices 

to support assessment of children with 

disabilities, technology-based 

approaches to assessment, and the use 

of technology to improve access to 

assessment; 

(ii) The current research about adult 

learning principles and implementation 

science that will inform any proposed 

products; and 

(iii) How the proposed project will 

incorporate current research and 

practices in the development and 

delivery of its products and services; 

(5) Develop products and provide 

services that are of sufficient intensity 

and duration to achieve the intended 

outcomes of the proposed project. To 

address this requirement, the applicant 

must describe— 

(i) How it proposes to identify and 

develop the knowledge base on— 

(A) Current best practices and tools 

for implementing and integrating 

technology into informal and formal 

assessments to gather valid and reliable 

information on children’s strengths and 

needs; developmental, academic, and 

functional skills; and learning progress, 

to inform IFSPs and IEPs, eligibility 

determinations, instruction, and 

interventions; 

(B) Promising technology-based 

innovations and approaches to 

assessment, including practices and 

tools that could be used to gather valid 

and reliable information across a variety 

of settings and environments on 

children’s strengths and needs; 

developmental, academic, and 

functional skills; and learning progress, 

to inform IFSPs and IEPs, eligibility 

determinations, instruction, and 

interventions. Promising innovations 

and approaches may involve how to— 

(1) Design accessibility and support 

features for technology-based 

assessment; 

(2) Individualize assessment 

strategies; 

(3) Identify and address participation 

barriers; and 

(4) Provide training and professional 

development to relevant stakeholders on 

innovative strategies for assessment and 

data-based decision-making; 

(C) The strengths, limitations, and 

potential outcomes of existing and 

emerging technology-based assessment 

tools and methods in a range of forms 

and contexts (e.g., early childhood 

settings, homes, virtual schools, 

traditional classrooms), and the 

available evidence for these strengths, 

limitations, and outcomes; 

(D) Technology-based approaches that 

increase equity in the assessment of 

children with disabilities, including 

approaches to observing children and 

families; collecting valid and reliable 

child performance and progress data; 

and understanding and applying 

assessment findings to inform the 

development of culturally and 

linguistically appropriate IEPs and 

IFSPs; 

(E) Practices and strategies to enhance 

the accessibility and equity of 

technology-based approaches to 

assessment for all children with 

disabilities, including strategies for 

users that may have difficulty engaging 

with technology; in settings with 

limited access; and for children 

requiring specialized assessments to 

promote equitable developmental, 

academic, and functional outcomes; 

(F) Existing and emerging methods 

and approaches for preparation of 

personnel to select, implement, and act 

upon the results of technology-based 

assessments; and 

(G) Implementation supports and 

system capacity that are needed to 

implement technology-based 

approaches to assessment, including 

supports for administrators and other 

systems-level decision-makers to 

develop policies and procedures for 

State and local agencies regarding the 

selection, procurement, 

implementation, and use of technologybased approaches to assessments; 

(ii) How it proposes to develop, 

validate, and disseminate frameworks, 

based on research and identified 

promising practices, to support 

informed and effective decision-making 

on the systematic implementation and 

use of technology-based approaches to 

assessment, for use by practitioners, 

administrators, and local and State 

agencies; and 

(iii) Its proposed approach to 

universal, general TA,6 which must 

identify the intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients, that will receive the products 

and services, a description of the 

products and services that the project 

proposes to make available, and the 

expected impact of those products and 

services under this approach; 

(6) Develop products and implement 

services that maximize efficiency. To 

address this requirement, the applicant 

must describe— 

(i) How the proposed project will use 

technology to achieve the intended 

project outcomes; 

(ii) With whom the proposed project 

will collaborate, the process by which 

the project will collaborate with OSEPfunded projects and centers, and the 

intended outcomes of the collaboration. 

Projects must collaborate with the other 

project funded under this priority; and 

(iii) How the proposed project will 

use non-project resources to achieve the 

intended project outcomes; and 

(7) Develop a dissemination plan that 

describes how the applicant will 

systematically distribute information to 

varied intended audiences, using a 

variety of dissemination strategies. 

(c) In the narrative section of the 

application under ‘‘Quality of the 

project evaluation,’’ include a detailed 

and complete description of the 

evaluation activities and measures to be 

incorporated into the proposed project’s 

research plan and knowledge 

development activities. The description 

must include— 

(1) Formative and summative 

evaluation questions, including 

important process and outcome 

evaluation questions. These questions 

should be related to the project’s 

proposed logic model required in 

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

(2) A formative evaluation plan to 

address evaluation questions, consistent 

with the project’s logic model, that 

includes sources of data, a timeline for 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
12148 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Notices 

data collection, analysis plans, and staff 

assignments for completing the plan. 

The plan must show how periodic 

review and feedback will be 

incorporated in the formative evaluation 

and used to improve the project during 

the performance period. These data will 

be reported in the annual performance 

report (APR). The plan also must outline 

how evaluation data will be reviewed by 

project staff, when they will be 

reviewed, and how they will be used 

during the course of the project to adjust 

the project’s activities to increase and 

extend the usefulness and 

generalizability of the knowledge 

development activities; and 

(3) A summative evaluation plan, 

including a timeline and staff 

assignments for completing the plan, to 

collect and analyze data on stakeholder 

awareness of resources and decisionmaking frameworks developed and 

disseminated by the project. The plan 

must show how the knowledge 

development activities will be used to 

inform stakeholder decision-making 

about technology-based assessment 

approaches for children with 

disabilities. 

(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Adequacy of resources and quality of 

project personnel,’’ how— 

(1) The proposed project will 

encourage applications for employment 

from persons who are members of 

groups that have traditionally been 

underrepresented based on race, color, 

national origin, gender, age, or 

disability, as appropriate; 

(2) The proposed key project 

personnel, consultants, and 

subcontractors have the qualifications 

and experience to carry out the 

proposed activities and achieve the 

project’s intended outcomes; 

(3) The applicant and any key 

partners have adequate resources to 

carry out the proposed activities; and 

(4) The proposed costs are reasonable 

in relation to the anticipated results and 

benefits. 

(e) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of the management plan,’’ 

how— 

(1) The proposed management plan 

will ensure that the project’s intended 

outcomes will be achieved on time and 

within budget. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe— 

(i) Clearly defined responsibilities for 

key project personnel, consultants, and 

subcontractors, as applicable; and 

(ii) Timelines and milestones for 

accomplishing the project tasks; 

(2) Key project personnel and any 

consultants and subcontractors will be 

allocated and how these allocations are 

appropriate and adequate to achieve the 

project’s intended outcomes; 

(3) The proposed management plan 

will ensure that the products and 

services provided are of high quality, 

relevant, and useful to recipients; and 

(4) The proposed project will benefit 

from a diversity of perspectives, 

including those of families, educators, 

TA providers, researchers, and policy 

makers, among others, in its 

development and operation. This must 

include how the proposed project will 

engage a technical work group (TWG) 

comprised of individuals with expertise 

in assessment of children with 

disabilities, including those from 

culturally and linguistically diverse 

backgrounds, and technology-based 

approaches to assessment to provide 

technical advice and engage with 

stakeholders throughout the project 

period. 

(f) Address the following application 

requirements. The applicant must— 

(1) Include, in Appendix A, 

personnel-loading charts and timelines, 

as applicable, to illustrate the 

management plan described in the 

narrative; 

(2) Include, in the budget, attendance 

at the following: 

(i) A one and one-half day virtual 

kick-off meeting after receipt of the 

award, and an annual virtual meeting 

with the OSEP project officer and other 

relevant staff during each subsequent 

year of the project period. 

Note: Within 30 days of receipt of the 

award, a post-award teleconference 

must be held between the OSEP project 

officer and the grantee’s project director 

or other authorized representative; and 

(ii) A two and one-half day project 

directors’ conference in Washington, 

DC, during each year of the project 

period. If the conference will be 

conducted virtually, projects will be 

notified that they need to reallocate 

funds for travel no later than the end of 

the third quarter of each budget period; 

(3) Maintain a high-quality website, 

with an easy-to-navigate design, that 

meets government or industryrecognized standards for accessibility; 

(4) Ensure that annual project 

progress toward meeting project goals is 

posted on the project website; and 

(5) Include, in Appendix A, an 

assurance to assist OSEP with the 

transfer of pertinent resources and 

products during the transition to a new 

award at the end of this award period, 

as appropriate. 

References: 

Farmer, R.L., McGill, R.J., Dombrowski, S.C., 

Benson, N.F., Smith-Kellen, S., 

Lockwood, A.B., Powell, S., Pynn, C.P., 

& Stinnett, T.A. (2020). Conducting 

psychoeducational assessments during 

the COVID–19 crisis: The danger of good 

intentions. Contemporary School 

Psychology, 25, 27–32. https://doi.org/ 

10.1007/s40688-020-00293-x. 

Hanrahan, B.V., Ma, N.F., Betanzos, E., & 

Savage, S. (2020, June). Reciprocal 

research: Providing value in design 

research from the outset in the rural 

United States. ICTD2020: Proceedings of 

the 2020 International Conference on 

Information and Communications 

Technologies and Development, (31) 1– 

5. https://doi.org/10.1145/ 

3392561.3397585. 

Hoover, J.J., Erickson, J.R., Herron, S.R., & 

Smith, C.E. (2018). Implementing 

culturally and linguistically responsive 

special education eligibility assessment 

in rural county elementary schools: Pilot 

project. Rural Special Education 

Quarterly, 37(2), 90–102. https://doi.org/ 

10.1177/8756870518761879. 

Jenkins, M., & Walker, J.D. (2021, Spring). 

COVID–19 practices in special 

education: Stakeholder perceptions for 

teacher preparation. Teacher Educators’ 

Journal, 14, 83–105. https://

files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1296277.pdf. 

Landa-Vialard, O., Ely, M.S., & Lartz, M.N. 

(2018). Early learning visual impairment 

services training and advancement (EL 

VISTA) project: Leading the way for a 

new profession within a profession. 

Journal of Visual Impairment & 

Blindness, 112(1), 103–112. https://

doi.org/10.1177/0145482X1811200110. 

Stifel, S.W., Feinberg, D.K., Zhang, Y., Chan, 

M.-K., & Wagle, R. (2020). Assessment 

during the COVID–19 pandemic: Ethical, 

legal, and safety considerations moving 

forward. School Psychology Review, 

49(4), 438–452. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 

2372966X.2020.1844549. 

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: 

Under the Administrative Procedure Act 

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

generally offers interested parties the 

opportunity to comment on proposed 

priorities. Section 681(d) of IDEA, 

however, makes the public comment 

requirements of the APA inapplicable to 

the priority in this notice. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1474 

and 1481. 

Note: Projects will be awarded and 

must be operated in a manner consistent 

with the nondiscrimination 

requirements contained in Federal civil 

rights laws. 

Applicable Regulations: (a) The 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR 

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

and 99. (b) The Office of Management 

and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on 

Governmentwide Debarment and 

Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR 

part 180, as adopted and amended as 

regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Notices 12149 

part 3485. (c) The Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost 

Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as 

adopted and amended as regulations of 

the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 

79 apply to all applicants except 

federally recognized Indian Tribes. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 

86 apply to institutions of higher 

education (IHEs) only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

agreements. 

Estimated Available Funds: The 

Administration has requested 

$29,547,000 for the Educational 

Technology, Media, and Materials for 

Individuals with Disabilities program 

for FY 2022, of which we intend to use 

an estimated $1,000,000 for this 

competition. The actual level of 

funding, if any, depends on final 

congressional action. However, we are 

inviting applications to allow enough 

time to complete the grant process if 

Congress appropriates funds for this 

program. 

Contingent upon the availability of 

funds and the quality of applications, 

we may make additional awards in FY 

2023 from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition. 

Maximum Award: We will not make 

an award exceeding $500,000 for a 

single budget period of 12 months. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 2. 

Note: The Department is not bound by 

any estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 36 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: State 

educational agencies (SEAs); State lead 

agencies under Part C of the IDEA; 

LEAs, including public charter schools 

that are considered LEAs under State 

law; IHEs; other public agencies; private 

nonprofit organizations; freely 

associated States and outlying areas; 

Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations; 

and for-profit organizations. 

2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This 

competition does not require cost 

sharing or matching. 

b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This 

program uses an unrestricted indirect 

cost rate. For more information 

regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a 

negotiated indirect cost rate, please see 

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

intro.html. 

c. Administrative Cost Limitation: 

This program does not include any 

program-specific limitation on 

administrative expenses. All 

administrative expenses must be 

reasonable and necessary and conform 

to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR 

part 200 subpart E of the Uniform 

Guidance. 

3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this 

competition may not award subgrants to 

entities to directly carry out project 

activities described in its application. 

Under 34 CFR 75.708(e), a grantee may 

contract for supplies, equipment, and 

other services in accordance with 2 CFR 

part 200. 

4. Other General Requirements: 

(a) Recipients of funding under this 

competition must make positive efforts 

to employ and advance in employment 

qualified individuals with disabilities 

(see section 606 of IDEA). 

(b) Applicants for, and recipients of, 

funding must, with respect to the 

aspects of their proposed project 

relating to the absolute priority, involve 

individuals with disabilities, or parents 

of individuals with disabilities ages 

birth through 26, in planning, 

implementing, and evaluating the 

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

IDEA). 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Application Submission 

Instructions: Applicants are required to 

follow the Common Instructions for 

Applicants to Department of Education 

Discretionary Grant Programs, 

published in the Federal Register on 

December 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264) and 

available at www.federalregister.gov/d/ 

2021-27979, which contain 

requirements and information on how to 

submit an application. Please note that 

these Common Instructions supersede 

the version published on February 13, 

2019, and, in part, describe the 

transition from the requirement to 

register in SAM.gov a DUNS number to 

the implementation of the UEI. More 

information on the phase-out of DUNS 

numbers is available at https://

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

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

2. Intergovernmental Review: This 

competition is subject to Executive 

Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 

CFR part 79. Information about 

Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs under Executive Order 12372 

is in the application package for this 

competition. 

3. Funding Restrictions: We reference 

regulations outlining funding 

restrictions in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

4. Recommended Page Limit: The 

application narrative is where you, the 

applicant, address the selection criteria 

that reviewers use to evaluate your 

application. We recommend that you (1) 

limit the application narrative to no 

more than 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 listed below: 

(a) Significance (15 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 potential contribution of the 

proposed project to increased 

knowledge or understanding of 

educational problems, issues, or 

effective strategies. 

(ii) The extent to which specific gaps 

or weaknesses in services, 

infrastructure, or opportunities have 

been identified and will be addressed by 

the proposed project, including the 

nature and magnitude of those gaps or 

weaknesses. 

(iii) The extent to which the proposed 

project involves the development or 

demonstration of promising new 

strategies that build on, or are 

alternatives to, existing strategies. 

(b) Quality of the project design (35 

points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the design of the proposed 

project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

design of the proposed project, the 

Secretary considers the following 

factors: 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
12150 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Notices 

(i) The extent to which the goals, 

objectives, and outcomes to be achieved 

by the proposed project are clearly 

specified and measurable. 

(ii) The extent to which the design of 

the proposed project includes a 

thorough, high-quality review of the 

relevant literature, a high-quality plan 

for project implementation, and the use 

of appropriate methodological tools to 

ensure successful achievement of 

project objectives. 

(iii) The extent to which the design of 

the proposed project reflects up-to-date 

knowledge from research and effective 

practice. 

(iv) The extent to which the design of 

the proposed project is appropriate to, 

and will successfully address, the needs 

of the target population or other 

identified needs. 

(v) The extent to which performance 

feedback and continuous improvement 

are integral to the design of the 

proposed project. 

(c) Adequacy of resources and quality 

of the management plan (30 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

adequacy of resources and the quality of 

the management plan for the proposed 

project. 

(2) In determining the adequacy of 

resources and the quality of the 

management plan for the proposed 

project, the Secretary considers the 

following factors: 

(i) The adequacy of support, including 

facilities, equipment, supplies, and 

other resources, from the applicant 

organization or the lead applicant 

organization. 

(ii) The relevance and demonstrated 

commitment of each partner in the 

proposed project to the implementation 

and success of the project. 

(iii) The extent to which the time 

commitments of the project director and 

principal investigator and other key 

project personnel are appropriate and 

adequate to meet the objectives of the 

proposed project. 

(iv) How the applicant will ensure 

that a diversity of perspectives are 

brought to bear in the operation of the 

proposed project, including those of 

parents, teachers, the business 

community, a variety of disciplinary 

and professional fields, recipients or 

beneficiaries of services, or others, as 

appropriate. 

(v) 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. 

(vi) The adequacy of mechanisms for 

ensuring high-quality products and 

services from the proposed project. 

(d) Quality of the project evaluation 

(20 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the evaluation to be 

conducted of the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

evaluation, the Secretary considers the 

following factors: 

(i) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and 

appropriate to the goals, objectives, and 

outcomes of the proposed project. 

(ii) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation will provide performance 

feedback and permit periodic 

assessment of progress toward achieving 

intended outcomes. 

(iii) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation provide for examining the 

effectiveness of project implementation 

strategies. 

(iv) 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. 

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. 

6. In General: In accordance with the 

Office of Management and Budget’s 

guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Notices 12151 

applicable Federal laws, and relevant 

Executive guidance, the Department 

will review and consider applications 

for funding pursuant to this notice 

inviting applications in accordance 

with: 

(a) Selecting recipients most likely to 

be successful in delivering results based 

on the program objectives through an 

objective process of evaluating Federal 

award applications (2 CFR 200.205); 

(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain 

telecommunication and video 

surveillance services or equipment in 

alignment with section 889 of the 

National Defense Authorization Act of 

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

(c) Providing a preference, to the 

extent permitted by law, to maximize 

use of goods, products, and materials 

produced in the United States (2 CFR 

200.322); and 

(d) Terminating agreements in whole 

or in part to the greatest extent 

authorized by law if an award no longer 

effectuates the program goals or agency 

priorities (2 CFR 200.340). 

VI. Award Administration Information 

1. Award Notices: If your application 

is successful, we notify your U.S. 

Representative and U.S. Senators and 

send you a Grant Award Notification 

(GAN); or we may send you an email 

containing a link to access an electronic 

version of your GAN. We may notify 

you informally, also. 

If your application is not evaluated or 

not selected for funding, we notify you. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements: We identify 

administrative and national policy 

requirements in the application package 

and reference these and other 

requirements in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

We reference the regulations outlining 

the terms and conditions of an award in 

the Applicable Regulations section of 

this notice and include these and other 

specific conditions in the GAN. The 

GAN also incorporates your approved 

application as part of your binding 

commitments under the grant. 

3. Open Licensing Requirements: 

Unless an exception applies, if you are 

awarded a grant under this competition, 

you will be required to openly license 

to the public grant deliverables created 

in whole, or in part, with Department 

grant funds. When the deliverable 

consists of modifications to pre-existing 

works, the license extends only to those 

modifications that can be separately 

identified and only to the extent that 

open licensing is permitted under the 

terms of any licenses or other legal 

restrictions on the use of pre-existing 

works. 

Additionally, a grantee that is 

awarded competitive grant funds must 

have a plan to disseminate these public 

grant deliverables. This dissemination 

plan can be developed and submitted 

after your application has been 

reviewed and selected for funding. For 

additional information on the open 

licensing requirements please refer to 2 

CFR 3474.20. 

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

grant under this competition, you must 

ensure that you have in place the 

necessary processes and systems to 

comply with the reporting requirements 

in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive 

funding under the competition. This 

does not apply if you have an exception 

under 2 CFR 170.110(b). 

(b) At the end of your project period, 

you must submit a final performance 

report, including financial information, 

as directed by the Secretary. If you 

receive a multiyear award, you must 

submit an annual performance report 

that provides the most current 

performance and financial expenditure 

information as directed by the Secretary 

under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary 

may also require more frequent 

performance reports under 34 CFR 

75.720(c). For specific requirements on 

reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/ 

fund/grant/apply/appforms/ 

appforms.html. 

5. Performance Measures: For 

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 

ETechM2 Program. These measures are: 

• Program Performance Measure 1: 

The percentage of ETechM2 Program 

products and services judged to be of 

high quality by an independent review 

panel of experts qualified to review the 

substantial content of the products and 

services. 

• Program Performance Measure 2: 

The percentage of ETechM2 Program 

products and services judged to be of 

high relevance to improving outcomes 

for infants, toddlers, children, and 

youth with disabilities. 

• Program Performance Measure 3: 

The percentage of ETechM2 Program 

products and services judged to be 

useful in improving results for infants, 

toddlers, children, and youth with 

disabilities. 

• Program Performance Measure 4.1: 

The Federal cost per unit of accessible 

educational materials funded by the 

ETechM2 Program. 

• Program Performance Measure 4.2: 

The Federal cost per unit of accessible 

educational materials from the National 

Instructional Materials Accessibility 

Center funded by the ETechM2 

Program. 

• Program Performance Measure 4.3: 

The Federal cost per unit of video 

description funded by the ETechM2 

Program. 

The measures apply to projects 

funded under this competition, and 

grantees are required to submit data on 

these measures as directed by OSEP. 

Grantees will be required to report 

information on their project’s 

performance in annual and final 

performance reports to the Department 

(34 CFR 75.590). 

The Department will also closely 

monitor the extent to which the 

products and services provided by the 

project meet needs identified by 

stakeholders and may require the 

project to report on such alignment in 

its annual and final performance 

reports. 

6. Continuation Awards: In making a 

continuation award under 34 CFR 

75.253, the Secretary considers, among 

other things: Whether a grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the goals and objectives of the project; 

whether the grantee has expended funds 

in a manner that is consistent with its 

approved application and budget; and, 

if the Secretary has established 

performance measurement 

requirements, whether the grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the performance targets in the grantee’s 

approved application. 

In making a continuation award, the 

Secretary also considers whether the 

grantee is operating in compliance with 

the assurances in its approved 

application, including those applicable 

to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit 

discrimination in programs or activities 

receiving Federal financial assistance 

from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 

104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). 

VII. Other Information 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, 

individuals with disabilities can obtain 

this document and a copy of the 

application package in an accessible 

format. The Department will provide the 

requestor with an accessible format that 

may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or 

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

file, braille, large print, audiotape, or 

compact disc, or other accessible format. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. You may access the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
12152 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 42 / Thursday, March 3, 2022 / Notices 

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. 2022–04420 Filed 3–2–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Personnel Development To Improve 

Services and Results for Children With 

Disabilities—National Center for 

Development and Dissemination of 

Digital Open Educational Resources 

That Translate Research To Practice 

for Building the Capacity of Personnel 

Serving Students 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 the National Center 

for Development and Dissemination of 

Digital Open Educational Resources that 

Translate Research to Practice for 

Building the Capacity of Personnel 

Serving Students with Disabilities, 

Assistance Listing Number 84.325E. 

This notice relates to the approved 

information collection under OMB 

control number 1820–0028. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: March 3, 

2022. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: May 2, 2022. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: July 1, 2022. 

Pre-Application Webinar Information: 

No later than March 8, 2022, the Office 

of Special Education and Rehabilitative 

Services will post details on prerecorded informational webinars 

designed to provide technical assistance 

(TA) to interested applicants. Links to 

the webinars may be found at 

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

new-osep-grants.html. 

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for 

obtaining and submitting an 

application, please refer to our Common 

Instructions for Applicants to 

Department of Education Discretionary 

Grant Programs, published in the 

Federal Register on December 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: 

Sarah Allen, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 5160, Potomac Center Plaza, 

Washington, DC 20202–5076. 

Telephone: (202) 245–7875. Email: 

Sarah.Allen@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, 

including infants and toddlers, 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 and 

experience, to be successful in serving 

those children. 

Priority: This competition includes 

one absolute priority. In accordance 

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

priority is from allowable activities 

specified in the statute (see sections 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, this 

priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 

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

applications that meet this priority. 

This priority is: 

National Center for the Development 

and Dissemination of Digital Open 

Educational Resources that Translate 

Research to Practice for Building the 

Capacity of Personnel Serving Students 

with Disabilities (Center). 

Background: Well-prepared, 

culturally and linguistically responsive, 

and committed special education 

personnel are vital to improving 

developmental and learning outcomes 

(e.g., social, emotional, behavioral, and 

academic) for all students, especially 

students with disabilities (DarlingHammond et al., 2020). The Nation 

faces continued chronic shortages in the 

education workforce, especially special 

education personnel, and these 

shortages have been exacerbated by the 

COVID–19 pandemic (Billingsley & 

Bettini, 2019; Gecker, 2021; MasonWilliams et al., 2020). Between 2009 

and 2014, enrollment in higher 

education programs preparing personnel 

declined more than 30 percent 

(Espinoza et al., 2018). Schools and 

districts report increasing difficulty 

hiring personnel, especially personnel 

for special education and related 

services positions. As a result, many 

States lowered academic requirements 

to enter teacher preparation programs 

and are hiring personnel under 

emergency certifications (Putman & 

Walsh, 2021). The most effective way to 

ensure the use of evidence-based 

practices (EBPs) with cultural and 

linguistic competence by personnel 

serving students with disabilities is by 

(a) improving the quality of preparation 

programs through the incorporation of 

EBPs with cultural and linguistic 

competence into their program of study, 

and (b) providing ongoing professional 

development for the practicing 

workforce to ensure they have the 

knowledge and skills to use the most up 

to date EBPs (CEEDAR Center and 

Center for Great Teachers and Leaders, 

2020). 

Despite the gains made in identifying 

EBPs, use of those practices in delivery 

of instruction and interventions for 

students with disabilities continues to 

lag (Cook et al., 2021; Cook & Odom, 

2021). Given the importance of EBPs in 

supporting students’ growth and 

improving outcomes, it is critical that 

personnel serving students with 

disabilities have the updated knowledge 

and skills to choose and use these 

effective practices. 

To ensure that personnel serving 

students with disabilities have the 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES