12670 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 44 / Monday, March 7, 2022 / Notices 

1For 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 

Abstract: The Program for 

International Student Assessments 

(PISA) is an international assessment of 

15-year-olds, which focuses on 

assessing students’ reading, 

mathematics, and science literacy. PISA 

was first administered in 2000 and is 

typically conducted every three years. 

The United States has participated in all 

of the previous cycles and planned to 

participate in 2021 in order to track 

trends and to compare the performance 

of U.S. students with that of students in 

other education systems. PISA is 

sponsored by the Organization for 

Economic Cooperation and 

Development (OECD). In the United 

States, PISA is conducted by the 

National Center for Education Statistics 

(NCES), within the U.S. Department of 

Education. In each administration of 

PISA, one of the subject areas (reading, 

mathematics, or science literacy) is the 

major domain and has the broadest 

content coverage, while the other two 

subjects are the minor domains. PISA 

emphasizes functional skills that 

students have acquired as they near the 

end of mandatory schooling (aged 15 

years), and students’ knowledge and 

skills gained both in and out of school 

environments. The next administration 

of PISA will focus on mathematics 

literacy as the major domain. Reading 

and science literacy will also be 

assessed as minor domains, with 

additional assessment of financial 

literacy. In addition to the cognitive 

assessments described above, PISA 2022 

will include questionnaires 

administered to school principals and 

assessed students. To prepare for the 

main study, PISA countries will 

conduct a field test in the spring of the 

year previous, primarily to evaluate 

newly developed assessment and 

questionnaire items but also to test the 

assessment operations. The request to 

conduct PISA 2021 main study 

recruitment and field test was approved 

in December 2019 (OMB# 1850–0755 

v.23–24). This request: (1) Updates the 

package to reflect all of the changes 

made to respond to the global 

coronavirus pandemic, including 

delaying the field test that was 

previously scheduled for 2020 to 2021 

and the main study data collection to 

2022; (2) updates the field test 

recruitment materials and student 

video; (3) adds COVID–19 protocols; (4) 

replaces the state, district and school 

letters for the 2021 field test and 2022 

main study; and (5) adds coronavirus 

pandemic-related items in the school 

and student questionnaires. 

Dated: March 2, 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. 2022–04743 Filed 3–4–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; 

Technical Assistance and 

Dissemination To Improve Services 

and Results for Children With 

Disabilities—Early Childhood Systems 

Technical Assistance Center 

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 an Early Childhood 

Systems Technical Assistance Center, 

Assistance Listing Number 84.326P. 

This notice relates to the approved 

information collection under OMB 

control number 1820–0028. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: March 7, 

2022. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: May 6, 2022. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: July 5, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for 

obtaining and submitting an 

application, please refer to our Common 

Instructions for Applicants to 

Department of Education Discretionary 

Grant Programs, published in the 

Federal Register on December 27, 2021 

(86 FR 73264) and available at 

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

Please note that these Common 

Instructions supersede the version 

published on February 13, 2019, and, in 

part, describe the transition from the 

requirement to register in SAM.gov a 

Data Universal Numbering System 

(DUNS) number to the implementation 

of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). 

More information on the phase-out of 

DUNS numbers is available at 

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

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julia 

Martin Eile, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, 

Room 5146, Potomac Center Plaza, 

Washington, DC 20202–5076. 

Telephone: (202) 245–7431. Email: 

Julia.Martin.Eile@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 

telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay 

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

8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The purpose of 

the Technical Assistance and 

Dissemination to Improve Services and 

Results for Children with Disabilities 

program is to promote academic 

achievement and to improve results for 

children with disabilities by providing 

technical assistance (TA), supporting 

model demonstration projects, 

disseminating useful information, and 

implementing activities that are 

supported by scientifically based 

research. 

Priority: This competition includes 

one absolute priority. In accordance 

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

priority is from allowable activities 

specified in the statute (see sections 663 

and 681(d) of the Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); 20 

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

Absolute Priority: For FY 2022 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition, this 

priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 

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

applications that meet this priority. 

This priority is: 

Early Childhood Systems Technical 

Assistance Center. 

Background: 

Improving educational outcomes for 

children with disabilities is an essential 

element of our national policy of 

ensuring equality of opportunity, full 

participation, independent living, and 

economic self-sufficiency for 

individuals with disabilities. Infants, 

toddlers, and preschool children (young 

children) with disabilities and their 

families need equitable learning 

opportunities that help them achieve 

their full potential as engaged learners 

and contributing members of society. 

Enhancing equity for young children 

with disabilities requires early 

childhood systems that support 

equitable identification for IDEA 

services and equitable access to highquality, inclusive early childhood 

programs, and evidence-based 1 and 


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or evaluation findings that suggest the project 

component is likely to improve relevant outcomes. 

2For the purpose of this priority, ‘‘systems’’ 

include governance, finance, personnel and 

workforce, data, accountability and quality 

improvement, and quality standards (The Early 

Childhood Technical Assistance Center, 2015). 

3For the purpose of this priority, 

‘‘implementation supports’’ include professional 

development and training; ongoing consultation 

and coaching; performance assessments; data 

systems to support decision making; administrative 

supports; and systems interventions to align 

policies and funding mechanisms across multiple 

levels of a system (Fixsen et al., 2009). 

culturally and linguistically responsive 

interventions that are individualized 

and appropriate to support them in 

meeting high expectations. 

Enhancing equity for all young 

children with disabilities requires that 

State IDEA Part C and Part B, section 

619 programs have equitable and 

effective systems 2 in place so that all 

young children with disabilities and 

their families are identified at the 

earliest opportunity and receive the 

services and supports that they need in 

a timely manner and to which they are 

entitled. Recent IDEA section 618 (20 

U.S.C. 1418) child count data from State 

IDEA Part C and Part B, section 619 

programs indicate that these systems are 

not being implemented as effectively or 

equitably as they should be. The data 

show that there are groups of infants 

and toddlers, specifically Black, Asian 

and American Indian or Alaska Native 

and preschool children, specifically 

Black and Asian Americans, that are 

less likely to receive IDEA services. The 

data also show that there is a wide range 

in the percentage of young children 

with disabilities served under IDEA 

across States. 

There is not always equitable access 

to high-quality inclusive early 

childhood programs for young children 

with disabilities. Families of young 

children with disabilities report that 

they have difficulty finding and keeping 

childcare, and young children with 

disabilities have difficulty accessing 

early childhood special education 

services in inclusive settings. In 2019, 

nationally, approximately 65 percent of 

preschool children with disabilities 

participated in general early childhood 

programs with peers without 

disabilities, and only 44 percent 

received IDEA early childhood special 

education services in regular early 

childhood programs with their same 

aged peers without disabilities (U.S. 

Department of Education, 2020). These 

percentages vary greatly among States, 

suggesting inequities in how young 

children with disabilities and their 

families are served. 

As States enhance and expand 

childcare and preschool, it is critical 

that these systems intentionally include 

young children with disabilities and 

support their full participation and 

success. This requires leadership from 

early childhood councils, such as State 

Advisory Councils for Early Care and 

Education and State Interagency 

Coordinating Councils and leadership 

from administrators within IDEA Part C, 

IDEA Part B, section 619, Head Start, 

Early Head Start, childcare, education, 

and home visiting programs to engage in 

the development and implementation of 

a coordinated system inclusive for all 

young children with disabilities and 

their families. State IDEA Part C and 

Part B, section 619 coordinators report, 

however, that they are not always 

included as partners on State leadership 

teams that address broader early 

childhood initiatives, and that other 

State administrators are not always 

aware of the needs of young children 

with disabilities and their families. 

Effective early childhood systems 

must include implementation supports 3

that enable local programs and 

practitioners to appropriately identify 

young children with disabilities and 

implement, with fidelity, evidencebased and culturally and linguistically 

responsive interventions in inclusive 

early childhood programs and natural 

environments. Most States, however, 

have identified areas for improvement 

within their systems. Data from State 

IDEA Part C and Part B, section 619 

coordinators document the need for TA 

to support infrastructure development, 

recruiting, preparing, developing, and 

retaining personnel, implementation of 

evidence-based practices at the local 

level, and increased stakeholder 

involvement (IDEA Infant and Toddler 

Coordinators Association (ITCA), 2021; 

Early Childhood Technical Assistance 

Center and the National Association of 

State Directors of Special Education, 

2021). 

The COVID–19 pandemic exacerbated 

the need for States to enhance their 

IDEA Part C and Part B, section 619 

systems to equitably deliver services 

and supports to improve outcomes for 

young children with disabilities and 

their families. During the pandemic, 

States reported challenges, including 

reductions in referrals to the IDEA 

program for young children suspected of 

developmental delays, the ability to 

conduct timely evaluations and 

assessments, the provision of IDEA 

services remotely, a shortage of 

personnel and challenges to fill open 

positions, a lack of inclusive early 

learning opportunities, and families that 

were overwhelmed with the 

responsibility of being key partners in 

the delivery of remote services for their 

child. (ITCA, 2021; Barnett & Jung, 

2021). As in-person services and early 

childhood programs have resumed, 

States continue to identify concerns 

with being able to provide equitable 

services and supports for young 

children with disabilities and their 

families (ITCA, 2021; Early Childhood 

Technical Assistance Center and the 

National Association of State Directors 

of Special Education, 2021). 

Establishing the capacity to 

implement effective IDEA systems and 

services that reflect evidence-based and 

culturally and linguistically responsive 

practices for young children with 

disabilities and their families requires 

change to the early childhood system at 

multiple levels and across multiple 

agencies. This requires administrators 

that have the leadership competencies 

to engage families and stakeholders in 

decision-making and use data to 

develop policies and implement 

practices to address factors across early 

childhood systems that influence 

disparities. The majority of States 

struggle with sustaining high-quality 

leadership due to the significant 

turnover of State administrators in early 

childhood, including IDEA Part C and 

Part B, section 619 coordinators. TA is 

needed to support States in improving 

their early childhood systems, including 

increased knowledge, skills, and 

competencies of early childhood system 

administrators, to equitably and 

effectively promote positive outcomes 

for all young children with disabilities 

and their families. 

This absolute priority will advance 

the Secretary’s priorities in the area of 

promoting equity in student access to 

educational resources and 

opportunities. 

Priority: 

The purpose of this priority is to fund 

a cooperative agreement to establish and 

operate an Early Childhood Systems 

Technical Assistance Center (Center). 

The Center will support State and local 

capacity to improve and sustain 

equitable systems that support access 

by, and full participation of, young 

children with disabilities across early 

childhood programs, to provide 

equitable access to IDEA services, and to 

provide effective IDEA services that 

reflect evidence-based and culturally 

and linguistically responsive 

interventions to improve the outcomes 

of all young children with disabilities 

and their families. The Center must 

achieve, at a minimum, the following 

expected outcomes: 

(a) Increased capacity of State and 

local early childhood systems, including 


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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 

hypothesized to be critical to achieving the relevant 

outcomes) and describes the theoretical and 

operational relationships among the key project 

components and relevant outcomes. 

IDEA Part C and Part B, section 619, 

childcare, Early Head Start, Head Start, 

child care, publicly-funded preschool, 

and home visiting programs to increase 

equitable access by, and full 

participation of, young children with 

disabilities in high-quality, inclusive 

programs that enable them to achieve 

their full potential; 

(b) Increased capacity of State IDEA 

Part C and Part B, section 619 programs 

to improve and sustain State systems, 

including governance, finance, 

personnel, data, accountability and 

quality improvement, and quality 

standards, to effectively implement 

IDEA regulations, ensure equitable 

access to IDEA services, and deliver 

equitable and effective IDEA services to 

improve outcomes for all young 

children with disabilities and their 

families; 

(c) Increased capacity of State IDEA 

Part C and Part B, section 619 programs 

to include implementation supports 

within their State systems to support 

local programs and personnel in 

identifying all eligible young children 

with disabilities, particularly 

historically underserved children, and 

delivering equitable and effective IDEA 

services and evidence-based and 

culturally and linguistically responsive 

interventions for young children with 

disabilities and their families; 

(d) Increased capacity of States and 

local early childhood IDEA programs to 

engage with families and other 

stakeholders to develop policies and 

implement practices to address factors 

that influence disparities in outcomes 

for young children with disabilities and 

their families such as timely and 

appropriate identification, supports and 

services in high quality inclusive 

programs, and exclusionary and 

inappropriate discipline practices; and 

(e) Increased knowledge, skills, and 

competencies of early childhood system 

administrators, including State IDEA 

Part C and Part B, section 619 

administrators, to lead systemic 

improvement efforts, analyze data on 

disparities in outcomes, collaborate on 

early childhood initiatives, engage 

families of children with disabilities 

and stakeholders in decision-making, 

and build more equitable, effective, and 

sustainable State systems that provide 

effective services and inclusive learning 

opportunities that improve outcomes for 

all young children with disabilities and 

their families. 

In addition to these programmatic 

requirements, to be considered for 

funding under this priority, applicants 

must meet the application and 

administrative requirements in this 

priority, which are: 

(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Significance,’’ how the proposed 

project will— 

(1) Address the current and emerging 

needs of State and local early childhood 

systems to increase equitable access by 

and full participation of young children 

with disabilities in high-quality, 

inclusive early childhood programs and 

natural environments that enable them 

to achieve their full potential. To meet 

this requirement, the applicant must— 

(i) Present applicable national and 

State data demonstrating the needs of 

States and local early childhood 

programs to equitably increase 

opportunities for young children with 

disabilities to fully participate in and 

receive IDEA services in natural 

environments and inclusive early 

childhood programs; 

(ii) Demonstrate knowledge of current 

educational issues and evidence-based 

policy initiatives across early childhood 

systems and how these impact young 

children with disabilities and their 

families; and 

(iii) Demonstrate knowledge of the 

current capacity of State and local early 

childhood administrators and personnel 

to implement policies and practices that 

support access by and full participation 

of young children with disabilities in 

inclusive early childhood programs, and 

address factors that influence disparities 

in outcomes for young children with 

disabilities and their families; 

(2) Address the current and emerging 

needs of State IDEA Part C and Part B, 

section 619 programs to implement and 

sustain equitable and effective systems 

that have the implementation supports 

in place to support local programs in 

identifying young children with 

disabilities and delivering effective 

services and interventions within 

natural environments and inclusive 

programs to improve outcomes for all 

young children with disabilities and 

their families. To meet this requirement, 

the applicant must— 

(i) Present applicable national and 

State data demonstrating the needs of 

States to improve their systems, to 

implement IDEA, ensure equitable 

access to IDEA services, and recruit and 

retain personnel to deliver equitable and 

effective IDEA services, and implement 

evidence-based and culturally and 

linguistically responsive interventions; 

(ii) Demonstrate knowledge of current 

educational issues and policy initiatives 

relating to implementing IDEA in a 

manner consistent with its statutory and 

regulatory provisions, including the 

Equity in IDEA regulation; ensuring 

equity in access to IDEA services and 

interventions; and increasing the 

capacity of State IDEA Part C and Part 

B, section 619 coordinators to 

effectively lead and be engaged in 

systemic improvement; and 

(iii) Demonstrate knowledge of the 

current capacity of State IDEA Part C 

and Part B, section 619 administrators to 

implement and sustain equitable and 

effective systems, including the capacity 

of administrators and personnel to 

identify and address factors that 

influence disparities in outcomes for 

young children with disabilities and 

their families, and to support proactive 

strategies to prevent disproportionate 

identification, placement and discipline 

as children transition into school; and 

(3) Improve early childhood systems 

to ensure implementation of IDEA and 

build capacity to support local programs 

and personnel to implement, scale up, 

and sustain equitable access to effective 

services and inclusive early childhood 

programs, and indicate the likely 

magnitude or importance of the 

improvements. 

(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of project services,’’ how the 

proposed project will— 

(1) Ensure equal access and treatment 

for members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe how it will— 

(i) Identify the needs of the intended 

recipients for TA and information; and 

(ii) Ensure that services and products 

meet the needs of the intended 

recipients of the grant; 

(2) Achieve its goals, objectives, and 

intended outcomes. To meet this 

requirement, the applicant must 

provide— 

(i) Measurable intended project 

outcomes; and 

(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model 4

by which the proposed project will 

achieve its intended outcomes that 

depicts, at a minimum, the goals, 

activities, outputs, and intended 

outcomes of the proposed project; 

(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 


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

information provided to independent users through 

their own initiative, resulting in minimal 

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

TA center staff. This category of TA also includes 

information or products, such as newsletters, 

guidebooks, or research syntheses, downloaded 

from the TA center’s website by independent users. 

Brief communications by TA center staff with 

recipients, either by telephone or email, are also 

considered universal, general TA. 

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

based on needs common to multiple recipients and 

not extensively individualized. A relationship is 

established between the TA recipient and one or 

more TA center staff. This category of TA includes 

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

strategic planning or hosting regional or national 

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

such as facilitating a series of conference calls on 

single or multiple topics that are designed around 

the needs of the recipients. Facilitating 

communities of practice can also be considered 

targeted, specialized TA. 

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

often provided on-site and requiring a stable, 

ongoing relationship between the TA center staff 

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

negotiated series of activities designed to reach a 

valued outcome. This category of TA should result 

in changes to policy, program, practice, or 

operations that support increased recipient capacity 

or improved outcomes at one or more systems 

levels. 

variables, and any empirical support for 

this framework; 

Note: The following websites provide 

more information on logic models and 

conceptual frameworks: 

www.osepideasthatwork.org/logicModel 

and www.osepideasthatwork.org/ 

resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/ 

tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptualframework. 

(4) Be based on current research and 

make use of evidence-based practices 

(EBPs). To meet this requirement, the 

applicant must describe— 

(i) The current research on systems 

change, capacity building, equitycentered systems, leadership 

development, recruitment and retention 

of personnel, and inclusive policies and 

practices that will inform the proposed 

TA; 

(ii) The current research about adult 

learning principles and implementation 

science that will inform the proposed 

TA; and 

(iii) How the proposed project will 

incorporate current research and 

practices in the development and 

delivery of its products and services; 

(5) Develop products and provide 

services that are of high quality and 

sufficient intensity and duration to 

achieve the intended outcomes of the 

proposed project. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe— 

(i) How it proposes to identify or 

develop the knowledge base on— 

(A) Supporting equity within State 

and local IDEA Part C and Part B, 

section 619 systems to include, 

analyzing disaggregated data and 

policies and practices in the system to 

identify disparities, and identifying 

indicators of quality for more equitable 

systems; 

(B) Indicators of quality across the 

components (e.g., governance, finance, 

personnel and workforce, data, 

accountability, quality improvement, 

and quality standards) of State IDEA 

Part C and Part B, section 619 systems 

and how to support the implementation 

of these indicators; 

(C) Strategies to support recruitment 

and retention of personnel within State 

and local IDEA Part C and Part B, 

section 619 systems; 

(D) Implementation supports needed 

within the early childhood system to 

support personnel in ensuring equitable 

access to IDEA services and delivering 

effective services and evidence-based 

and culturally and linguistically 

responsive interventions to young 

children with disabilities and their 

families; 

(E) Indicators of high-quality 

inclusion and how to build the capacity 

of State advisory councils and early 

childhood administrators to implement 

policies and practices that support highquality inclusion; and 

(F) Leadership competencies of early 

childhood system administrators; 

(ii) Its proposed approach to 

universal, general TA,5 which must 

identify the intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients, that will receive the products 

and services, a description of the 

products and services that the Center 

proposes to make available and how it 

has assessed the need for these products 

and services, a plan for ensuring the 

intended recipients can easily access 

and use products and services, and the 

expected impact of those products and 

services under this approach. At 

minimum, the approach should include 

activities focused on— 

(A) Identifying and developing 

resources and materials that increase 

awareness at the national level of how 

IDEA Part C and Part B, section 619 

programs and young children with 

disabilities and their families can be 

intentionally included within broader 

early childhood initiatives; and 

(B) Identifying and developing 

materials, resources, and tools to help 

States, local early childhood programs, 

providers, and families implement 

effective systems, policies, and practices 

to support positive and equitable 

outcomes for all young children with 

disabilities and their families; 

(iii) Its proposed approach to targeted, 

specialized TA,6 which must identify— 

(A) The intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients, that will receive the products 

and services, a description of the 

products and services that the Center 

proposes to make available, and the 

expected impact of those products and 

services under this approach; and 

(B) Its proposed approach to measure 

the readiness of potential TA recipients 

to work with the project, assessing, at a 

minimum, their current infrastructure, 

available resources, and ability to build 

capacity at the local level; 

(C) Its proposed approach for 

increasing the knowledge, skills, and 

competencies of State IDEA Part C and 

Part B, section 619 administrators, to 

lead systemic improvement efforts, 

collaborate on early childhood 

initiatives, engage families of young 

children with disabilities and 

stakeholders in decision-making, and 

build more equitable, effective, and 

sustainable State systems; and 

(D) The process by which the 

proposed project will collaborate with 

other federally funded TA centers, 

including those funded by the Office of 

Special Education Programs (OSEP) and 

the Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS); 

(iv) Its proposed approach to 

intensive, sustained TA,7 which must 

identify— 

(A) The intended recipients, 

including the type and number of 

recipients from a variety of settings and 

geographic distribution, that will 

receive the products and services 

designed and the expected impact of 

those services under this approach; 

(B) Its proposed approach to measure 

the readiness of potential TA recipients 

to work with the project, assessing, at a 

minimum, their commitment to the 

initiative, alignment of the initiative to 

their needs, current infrastructure, 

available resources, and ability to build 

capacity within at the local level; 

(C) Its proposed plan for working with 

appropriate levels of the State IDEA Part 

C and Part B, section 619 and early 

childhood systems (e.g., Early Head 

Start and Head Start childcare, home 

visiting programs, publicly funded 

preschools), State advisory boards, and 

families of young children with 

disabilities to ensure that there is 

communication between each level and 

that there are systems in place to 

support the implementation of the 

project; 

(D) The process by which the 

proposed project will collaborate with 

other federally funded TA centers, 


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8A ‘‘third-party’’ evaluator is an independent and 

impartial program evaluator who is contracted by 

the grantee to conduct an objective evaluation of the 

project. This evaluator must not have participated 

in the development or implementation of any 

project activities, except for the evaluation 

activities, nor have any financial interest in the 

outcome of the evaluation. 

including those funded by OSEP and 

HHS; and 

(E) The process by which the 

proposed project will ensure the use of 

effective TA practices and continuously 

evaluate the practices to improve the 

delivery of TA; 

(v) How the proposed project will use 

non-project resources to achieve the 

intended project outcomes. 

(6) Develop products and implement 

services that maximize efficiency. To 

address this requirement, the applicant 

must describe— 

(i) How the proposed project will use 

technology to achieve the intended 

project outcomes; 

(ii) With whom the proposed project 

will collaborate and the intended 

outcomes of this collaboration; and 

(iii) How the proposed project will 

use non-project resources to achieve the 

intended project outcomes; and 

(7) Develop a dissemination plan that 

describes how the applicant will 

systematically distribute information, 

products, and services to varied 

intended audiences, using a variety of 

dissemination strategies, to promote 

awareness and use of the Center’s 

products and services. 

(c) In the narrative section of the 

application under ‘‘Quality of the 

project evaluation,’’ include an 

evaluation plan for the project 

developed in consultation with and 

implemented by a third-party 

evaluator.8 The evaluation plan must— 

(1) Articulate formative and 

summative evaluation questions, 

including important process and 

outcome evaluation questions. These 

questions should be related to the 

project’s proposed logic model required 

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

(2) Describe how progress in and 

fidelity of implementation, as well as 

project outcomes will be measured to 

answer the evaluation questions. 

Specify the measures and associated 

instruments or sources for data 

appropriate to the evaluation questions. 

Include information regarding reliability 

and validity of measures where 

appropriate; 

(3) Describe strategies for analyzing 

data and how data collected as part of 

this plan will be used to inform and 

improve service delivery over the course 

of the project and to refine the proposed 

logic model and evaluation plan, 

including subsequent data collection; 

(4) Provide a timeline for conducting 

the evaluation, and include staff 

assignments for completing the plan. 

The timeline must indicate that the data 

will be available annually for the annual 

performance report and at the end of 

Year 2 for the review process described 

under the heading, Fourth and Fifth 

Years of the Project; 

(5) Dedicate sufficient funds in each 

budget year to cover the costs of 

developing or refining the evaluation 

plan in consultation with a ‘‘thirdparty’’ evaluator, as well as the costs 

associated with the implementation of 

the evaluation plan by the third-party 

evaluator. 

(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Adequacy of resources and quality of 

project personnel,’’ how— 

(1) The proposed project will 

encourage applications for employment 

from persons who are members of 

groups that have traditionally been 

underrepresented based on race, color, 

national origin, gender, age, or 

disability, as appropriate; 

(2) The proposed key project 

personnel, consultants, and 

subcontractors have the qualifications 

and experience to carry out the 

proposed activities and achieve the 

project’s intended outcomes. 

Specifically, demonstrate how the key 

project personnel have the necessary 

qualifications and experience in early 

childhood equity including, but not 

limited to— 

(i) The intersection of race, ethnicity, 

and disabilities in early childhood, and 

the impact of race and ethnicity on the 

early learning experiences of young 

children with disabilities and their 

families; and 

(ii) Equity-centered practices to 

support young children with disabilities 

and their families from culturally and 

linguistically diverse backgrounds; 

(3) The applicant and any key 

partners have adequate resources to 

carry out the proposed activities; and 

(4) The proposed costs are reasonable 

in relation to the anticipated results and 

benefits. 

(e) Demonstrate, in the narrative 

section of the application under 

‘‘Quality of the management plan,’’ 

how— 

(1) The proposed management plan 

will ensure that the project’s intended 

outcomes will be achieved on time and 

within budget. To address this 

requirement, the applicant must 

describe— 

(i) Clearly defined responsibilities for 

key project personnel, consultants, and 

subcontractors, as applicable; and 

(ii) Timelines and milestones for 

accomplishing the project tasks; 

(2) Key project personnel and any 

consultants and subcontractors will be 

allocated and how these allocations are 

appropriate and adequate to achieve the 

project’s intended outcomes; 

(3) The proposed management plan 

will ensure that the products and 

services provided are of high quality, 

relevant, and useful to recipients; and 

(4) The proposed project will benefit 

from a diversity of perspectives, 

including those of families, including 

racially, ethnically, and linguistically 

diverse families, early childhood 

educators, early intervention and early 

childhood special educators, 

administrators, TA providers, 

researchers, and policy makers, among 

others, in its development and 

operation. 

(f) Address the following application 

requirements. The applicant must— 

(1) Include, in Appendix A, 

personnel-loading charts and timelines, 

as applicable, to illustrate the 

management plan described in the 

narrative; 

(2) Include, in the budget, attendance 

at the following: 

(i) A one and one-half day virtual 

kick-off meeting after receipt of the 

award, and a virtual annual planning 

meeting in with the OSEP project officer 

and other relevant staff during each 

subsequent year of the project period. 

Note: Within 30 days of receipt of the 

award, a post-award teleconference 

must be held between the OSEP project 

officer and the grantee’s project director 

or other authorized representative; 

(ii) A two and one-half day project 

directors’ conference in Washington, 

DC, during each year of the project 

period. The project must reallocate 

funds for travel to the project directors’ 

meeting no later than the end of the 

third quarter of each budget period if 

the meeting is conducted virtually; 

(iii) Four annual two-day trips to 

attend Department briefings, 

Department-sponsored conferences, and 

other meetings, as requested by OSEP; 

and 

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

meeting during the second year of the 

project period; 

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

for an annual set-aside of 5 percent of 

the grant amount to support emerging 

needs that are consistent with the 

proposed project’s intended outcomes, 

as those needs are identified in 

consultation with, and approved by, the 

OSEP project officer. With approval 

from the OSEP project officer, the 

project must reallocate any remaining 

funds from this annual set-aside no later 


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than the end of the third quarter of each 

budget period; 

(4) Engage doctoral students or postdoctoral fellows in the project to 

increase future leaders in the field who 

are knowledgeable on effective State 

IDEA Part C and Part B, section 619 

systems, implementation supports, 

equitable access to IDEA services, 

effective services and interventions to 

support inclusion in early childhood 

programs, and effective TA practices; 

(5) Maintain a high-quality website, 

with an easy-to-navigate design, that 

meets government or industryrecognized standards for accessibility; 

(6) Ensure that annual project 

progress toward meeting project goals is 

posted on the project website; and 

(7) Include, in Appendix A, an 

assurance to assist OSEP with the 

transfer of pertinent resources and 

products and to maintain the continuity 

of services to States during the 

transition to a new award at the end of 

this award period, as appropriate. 

Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project: 

In deciding whether to continue 

funding the project for the fourth and 

fifth years, the Secretary will consider 

the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), 

including— 

(a) The recommendations of a 3+2 

review team consisting of experts who 

have experience and knowledge in 

providing TA at the State and local 

levels to improve and sustain equitable 

systems that support access for and full 

participation of young children with 

disabilities. This review will be 

conducted during a one-day intensive 

meeting that will be held during the last 

half of the second year of the project 

period; 

(b) The timeliness with which, and 

how well, the requirements of the 

negotiated cooperative agreement have 

been or are being met by the project; and 

(c) The quality, relevance, and 

usefulness of the project’s products and 

services and the extent to which the 

project’s products and services are 

aligned with the project’s objectives and 

likely to result in the project achieving 

its intended outcomes. 

Under 34 CFR 75.253, the Secretary 

may reduce continuation awards or 

discontinue awards in any year of the 

project period for excessive carryover 

balances or a failure to make substantial 

progress. The Department intends to 

closely monitor unobligated balances 

and substantial progress under this 

program and may reduce or discontinue 

funding accordingly. 

References 

Barnett, W.S., & Jung, K. (2021). Seven 

impacts of the pandemic on young 

children and their parents: Initial 

findings from NIEER’s December 2020 

Preschool Learning Activities Survey 

[Research report]. National Institute for 

Early Education Research. 

Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center 

(2015). A system framework for building 

high-quality early intervention and 

preschool special education programs. 

https://ectacenter.org/sysframe/. 

Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center 

and the National Association of State 

Directors of Special Education. (2021, 

February 10). Presentation to the Office 

of Special Education Programs 

[Unpublished report]. U.S. Department 

of Education, Office of Special Education 

Programs. 

Fixsen, D.L., Blase ́, K.A., Naoom, S.F., & 

Wallace, F. (2009). Core implementation 

components. Research on Social Work 

Practices, 19(5), 531–540. 

IDEA Infant and Toddlers Coordinators 

Association. (2021, January 13). 

Presentation to the Office of Special 

Education Programs [Unpublished 

report]. U.S. Department of Education, 

Office of Special Education Programs. 

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

EDFacts Data Warehouse: ‘‘IDEA Part B 

Child Count and Educational 

Environments Collection’’ and ‘‘IDEA 

Part C Child Count and Settings 

Collection,’’ 2019–20. 

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: 

Under the Administrative Procedure Act 

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

generally offers interested parties the 

opportunity to comment on proposed 

priorities. Section 681(d) of IDEA, 

however, makes the public comment 

requirements of the APA inapplicable to 

the priority in this notice. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1463 

and 1481. 

Note: Projects will be awarded and 

must be operated in a manner consistent 

with the nondiscrimination 

requirements contained in Federal civil 

rights laws. 

Applicable Regulations: (a) The 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR 

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

and 99. (b) The Office of Management 

and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on 

Governmentwide Debarment and 

Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR 

part 180, as adopted and amended as 

regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 

part 3485. (c) The Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost 

Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as 

adopted and amended as regulations of 

the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 

79 apply to all applicants except 

federally recognized Indian Tribes. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 

86 apply to institutions of higher 

education (IHEs) only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

agreement. 

Estimated Available Funds: The 

Administration has requested 

$49,345,000 for the Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination to 

Improve Services and Results for 

Children with Disabilities program for 

FY 2022, of which we intend to use an 

estimated $5,400,000 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 $5,400,000 for a 

single budget period of 12 months. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 1. 

Note: The Department is not bound by 

any estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 60 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: State 

educational agencies; State lead 

agencies under Part C of the IDEA; local 

educational agencies (LEAs), including 

public charter schools that are 

considered LEAs under State law; IHEs; 

other public agencies; private nonprofit 

organizations; freely associated States 

and outlying areas; Indian Tribes or 

Tribal organizations; and for-profit 

organizations. 

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. 


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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. 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. 

2. Intergovernmental Review: This 

competition is subject to Executive 

Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 

CFR part 79. Information about 

Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs under Executive Order 12372 

is in the application package for this 

competition. 

3. Funding Restrictions: We reference 

regulations outlining funding 

restrictions in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

4. Recommended Page Limit: The 

application narrative is where you, the 

applicant, address the selection criteria 

that reviewers use to evaluate your 

application. We recommend that you (1) 

limit the application narrative to no 

more than 70 pages and (2) use the 

following standards: 

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

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

and both sides. 

• Double-space (no more than three 

lines per vertical inch) all text in the 

application narrative, including titles, 

headings, footnotes, quotations, 

reference citations, and captions, as well 

as all text in charts, tables, figures, 

graphs, and screen shots. 

• Use a font that is 12 point or larger. 

• Use one of the following fonts: 

Times New Roman, Courier, Courier 

New, or Arial. 

The recommended page limit does not 

apply to the cover sheet; the budget 

section, including the narrative budget 

justification; the assurances and 

certifications; or the abstract (follow the 

guidance provided in the application 

package for completing the abstract), the 

table of contents, the list of priority 

requirements, the resumes, the reference 

list, the letters of support, or the 

appendices. However, the 

recommended page limit does apply to 

all of the application narrative, 

including all text in charts, tables, 

figures, graphs, and screen shots. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this competition are from 34 

CFR 75.210 and are listed below: 

(a) Significance (10 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

significance of the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the significance of 

the proposed project, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The extent to which specific gaps 

or weaknesses in services, 

infrastructure, or opportunities have 

been identified and will be addressed by 

the proposed project, including the 

nature and magnitude of those gaps or 

weaknesses. 

(ii) The importance or magnitude of 

the results or outcomes likely to be 

attained by the proposed project. 

(b) Quality of project services (35 

points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the services to be provided by 

the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

services to be provided by the proposed 

project, the Secretary considers the 

quality and sufficiency of strategies for 

ensuring equal access and treatment for 

eligible project participants who are 

members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. 

(3) In addition, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The extent to which the goals, 

objectives, and outcomes to be achieved 

by the proposed project are clearly 

specified and measurable. 

(ii) The extent to which there is a 

conceptual framework underlying the 

proposed research or demonstration 

activities and the quality of that 

framework. 

(iii) The extent to which the services 

to be provided by the proposed project 

reflect up-to-date knowledge from 

research and effective practice. 

(iv) The extent to which the training 

or professional development services to 

be provided by the proposed project are 

of sufficient quality, intensity, and 

duration to lead to improvements in 

practice among the recipients of those 

services. 

(v) The extent to which the TA 

services to be provided by the proposed 

project involve the use of efficient 

strategies, including the use of 

technology, as appropriate, and the 

leveraging of non-project resources. 

(c) Quality of the project evaluation 

(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 provide for examining the 

effectiveness of project implementation 

strategies. 

(iii) The extent to which the methods 

of evaluation will provide performance 

feedback and permit periodic 

assessment of progress toward achieving 

intended outcomes. 

(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 


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quantitative and qualitative data to the 

extent possible. 

(d) Adequacy of resources and quality 

of project personnel (15 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

adequacy of resources for the proposed 

project and the quality of the personnel 

who will carry out the proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of 

project personnel, the Secretary 

considers the extent to which the 

applicant encourages applications for 

employment from persons who are 

members of groups that have 

traditionally been underrepresented 

based on race, color, national origin, 

gender, age, or disability. 

(3) In addition, the Secretary 

considers the following factors: 

(i) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of the 

project director or principal 

investigator. 

(ii) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of key 

project personnel. 

(iii) The qualifications, including 

relevant training and experience, of 

project consultants or subcontractors. 

(iv) The qualifications, including 

relevant training, experience, and 

independence, of the evaluator. 

(v) The adequacy of support, 

including facilities, equipment, 

supplies, and other resources, from the 

applicant organization or the lead 

applicant organization. 

(vi) The relevance and demonstrated 

commitment of each partner in the 

proposed project to the implementation 

and success of the project. 

(vii) The extent to which the budget 

is adequate to support the proposed 

project. 

(viii) The extent to which the costs are 

reasonable in relation to the objectives, 

design, and potential significance of the 

proposed project. 

(e) Quality of the management plan 

(20 points). 

(1) The Secretary considers the 

quality of the management plan for the 

proposed project. 

(2) In determining the quality of the 

management plan for the proposed 

project, the Secretary considers the 

following factors: 

(i) The adequacy of the management 

plan to achieve the objectives of the 

proposed project on time and within 

budget, including clearly defined 

responsibilities, timelines, and 

milestones for accomplishing project 

tasks. 

(ii) The extent to which the time 

commitments of the project director and 

principal investigator and other key 

project personnel are appropriate and 

adequate to meet the objectives of the 

proposed project. 

(iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for 

ensuring high-quality products and 

services from the proposed project. 

(iv) How the applicant will ensure 

that a diversity of perspectives is 

brought to bear in the operation of the 

proposed project, including those of 

parents, teachers, the business 

community, a variety of disciplinary 

and professional fields, recipients or 

beneficiaries of services, or others, as 

appropriate. 

2. Review and Selection Process: We 

remind potential applicants that in 

reviewing applications in any 

discretionary grant competition, the 

Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 

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

applicant in carrying out a previous 

award, such as the applicant’s use of 

funds, achievement of project 

objectives, and compliance with grant 

conditions. The Secretary may also 

consider whether the applicant failed to 

submit a timely performance report or 

submitted a report of unacceptable 

quality. 

In addition, in making a competitive 

grant award, the Secretary requires 

various assurances, including those 

applicable to Federal civil rights laws 

that prohibit discrimination in programs 

or activities receiving Federal financial 

assistance from the Department (34 CFR 

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

3. Additional Review and Selection 

Process Factors: In the past, the 

Department has had difficulty finding 

peer reviewers for certain competitions 

because so many individuals who are 

eligible to serve as peer reviewers have 

conflicts of interest. The standing panel 

requirements under section 682(b) of 

IDEA also have placed additional 

constraints on the availability of 

reviewers. Therefore, the Department 

has determined that for some 

discretionary grant competitions, 

applications may be separated into two 

or more groups and ranked and selected 

for funding within specific groups. This 

procedure will make it easier for the 

Department to find peer reviewers by 

ensuring that greater numbers of 

individuals who are eligible to serve as 

reviewers for any particular group of 

applicants will not have conflicts of 

interest. It also will increase the quality, 

independence, and fairness of the 

review process, while permitting panel 

members to review applications under 

discretionary grant competitions for 

which they also have submitted 

applications. 

4. Risk Assessment and Specific 

Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 

200.206, before awarding grants under 

this competition the Department 

conducts a review of the risks posed by 

applicants. Under 2 CFR 200.208, the 

Secretary may impose specific 

conditions, and under 2 CFR 3474.10, in 

appropriate circumstances, high-risk 

conditions on a grant if the applicant or 

grantee is not financially stable; has a 

history of unsatisfactory performance; 

has a financial or other management 

system that does not meet the standards 

in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 

fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; 

or is otherwise not responsible. 

5. Integrity and Performance System: 

If you are selected under this 

competition to receive an award that 

over the course of the project period 

may exceed the simplified acquisition 

threshold (currently $250,000), under 2 

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

judgment about your integrity, business 

ethics, and record of performance under 

Federal awards—that is, the risk posed 

by you as an applicant—before we make 

an award. In doing so, we must consider 

any information about you that is in the 

integrity and performance system 

(currently referred to as the Federal 

Awardee Performance and Integrity 

Information System (FAPIIS)), 

accessible through the System for 

Award Management. You may review 

and comment on any information about 

yourself that a Federal agency 

previously entered and that is currently 

in FAPIIS. 

Please note that, if the total value of 

your currently active grants, cooperative 

agreements, and procurement contracts 

from the Federal Government exceeds 

$10,000,000, the reporting requirements 

in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII, 

require you to report certain integrity 

information to FAPIIS semiannually. 

Please review the requirements in 2 CFR 

part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant 

plus all the other Federal funds you 

receive exceed $10,000,000. 

6. In General: In accordance with the 

Office of Management and Budget’s 

guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all 

applicable Federal laws, and relevant 

Executive guidance, the Department 

will review and consider applications 

for funding pursuant to this notice 

inviting applications in accordance 

with— 

(a) Selecting recipients most likely to 

be successful in delivering results based 

on the program objectives through an 

objective process of evaluating Federal 

award applications (2 CFR 200.205); 

(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain 

telecommunication and video 

surveillance services or equipment in 

alignment with section 889 of the 

National Defense Authorization Act for 

Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115–232) (2 

CFR 200.216); 


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(c) Providing a preference, to the 

extent permitted by law, to maximize 

use of goods, products, and materials 

produced in the United States (2 CFR 

200.322); and 

(d) Terminating agreements in whole 

or in part to the greatest extent 

authorized by law if an award no longer 

effectuates the program goals or agency 

priorities (2 CFR 200.340). 

VI. Award Administration Information 

1. Award Notices: If your application 

is successful, we notify your U.S. 

Representative and U.S. Senators and 

send you a Grant Award Notification 

(GAN); or we may send you an email 

containing a link to access an electronic 

version of your GAN. We may notify 

you informally, also. 

If your application is not evaluated or 

not selected for funding, we notify you. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements: We identify 

administrative and national policy 

requirements in the application package 

and reference these and other 

requirements in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

We reference the regulations outlining 

the terms and conditions of an award in 

the Applicable Regulations section of 

this notice and include these and other 

specific conditions in the GAN. The 

GAN also incorporates your approved 

application as part of your binding 

commitments under the grant. 

3. Open Licensing Requirements: 

Unless an exception applies, if you are 

awarded a grant under this competition, 

you will be required to openly license 

to the public grant deliverables created 

in whole, or in part, with Department 

grant funds. When the deliverable 

consists of modifications to pre-existing 

works, the license extends only to those 

modifications that can be separately 

identified and only to the extent that 

open licensing is permitted under the 

terms of any licenses or other legal 

restrictions on the use of pre-existing 

works. Additionally, a grantee that is 

awarded competitive grant funds must 

have a plan to disseminate these public 

grant deliverables. This dissemination 

plan can be developed and submitted 

after your application has been 

reviewed and selected for funding. For 

additional information on the open 

licensing requirements please refer to 2 

CFR 3474.20. 

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

grant under this competition, you must 

ensure that you have in place the 

necessary processes and systems to 

comply with the reporting requirements 

in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive 

funding under the competition. This 

does not apply if you have an exception 

under 2 CFR 170.110(b). 

(b) At the end of your project period, 

you must submit a final performance 

report, including financial information, 

as directed by the Secretary. If you 

receive a multiyear award, you must 

submit an annual performance report 

that provides the most current 

performance and financial expenditure 

information as directed by the Secretary 

under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary 

may also require more frequent 

performance reports under 34 CFR 

75.720(c). For specific requirements on 

reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/ 

fund/grant/apply/appforms/ 

appforms.html. 

5. Performance Measures: For the 

purposes of Department reporting under 

34 CFR 75.110, we have established a 

set of performance measures, including 

long-term measures, that are designed to 

yield information on various aspects of 

the effectiveness and quality of the 

Technical Assistance and Dissemination 

to Improve Services and Results for 

Children With Disabilities program. 

These measures are: 

• Program Performance Measure #1: 

The percentage of Technical Assistance 

and Dissemination products and 

services deemed to be of high quality by 

an independent review panel of experts 

qualified to review the substantive 

content of the products and services. 

• Program Performance Measure #2: 

The percentage of Special Education 

Technical Assistance and Dissemination 

products and services deemed by an 

independent review panel of qualified 

experts to be of high relevance to 

educational and early intervention 

policy or practice. 

• Program Performance Measure #3: 

The percentage of all Special Education 

Technical Assistance and Dissemination 

products and services deemed by an 

independent review panel of qualified 

experts to be useful in improving 

educational or early intervention policy 

or practice. 

• Program Performance Measure #4: 

The cost efficiency of the Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination Program 

includes the percentage of milestones 

achieved in the current annual 

performance report period and the 

percentage of funds spent during the 

current fiscal year. 

• Long-term Program Performance 

Measure: The percentage of States 

receiving Special Education Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination services 

regarding scientifically or evidencebased practices for infants, toddlers, 

children, and youth with disabilities 

that successfully promote the 

implementation of those practices in 

school districts and service agencies. 

The measures apply to projects 

funded under this competition, and 

grantees are required to submit data on 

these measures as directed by OSEP. 

Grantees will be required to report 

information on their project’s 

performance in annual and final 

performance reports to the Department 

(34 CFR 75.590). 

The Department will also closely 

monitor the extent to which the 

products and services provided by the 

Center meet needs identified by 

stakeholders and may require the Center 

to report on such alignment in their 

annual and final performance reports. 

6. Continuation Awards: In making a 

continuation award under 34 CFR 

75.253, the Secretary considers, among 

other things: Whether a grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the goals and objectives of the project; 

whether the grantee has expended funds 

in a manner that is consistent with its 

approved application and budget; and, 

if the Secretary has established 

performance measurement 

requirements, whether the grantee has 

made substantial progress in achieving 

the performance targets in the grantee’s 

approved application. 

In making a continuation award, the 

Secretary also considers whether the 

grantee is operating in compliance with 

the assurances in its approved 

application, including those applicable 

to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit 

discrimination in programs or activities 

receiving Federal financial assistance 

from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 

104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). 

VII. Other Information 

Accessible Format: On request to the 

program contact person [persons] listed 

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 

can obtain this document and a copy of 

the application package in an accessible 

format. The Department will provide the 

requestor with an accessible format that 

may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or 

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

file, braille, large print, audiotape, or 

compact disc, or other accessible format. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

The official version of this document is 

the document published in the Federal 

Register. You may access the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the 

Code of Federal Regulations at 

www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can 

view this document, as well as all other 

documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Portable Document Format 

(PDF). To use PDF you must have 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 44 / Monday, March 7, 2022 / Notices 12679 

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. 2022–04699 Filed 3–4–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

[Docket No. ED–2022–SCC–0032] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Comment Request; Student 

Assistance General Provisions— 

Financial Assistance for Students With 

Intellectual Disabilities 

AGENCY: Federal Student Aid (FSA), 

Department of Education (ED). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is 

proposing an extension without change 

of a currently approved collection. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before May 6, 

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–0032. 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 6W208D, 

Washington, DC 20202–8240. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

specific questions related to collection 

activities, please contact Beth 

Grebeldinger, 202–377–4018. 

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: Student Assistance 

General Provisions—Financial 

Assistance for Students With 

Intellectual Disabilities. 

OMB Control Number: 1845–0099. 

Type of Review: An extension without 

change of a currently approved 

collection. 

Respondents/Affected Public: State, 

Local, and Tribal Governments; Private 

Sector. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 712. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 217. 

Abstract: As provided by the Higher 

Education Act of 1965, as amended, 

(HEA) these regulations allow students 

with intellectual disabilities, who enroll 

in an eligible comprehensive transition 

program to receive Title IV, HEA 

program assistance under the Federal 

Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental 

Educational Opportunity Grant 

(FSEOG), and the Federal Work Study 

(FWS) programs. This request is for a 

extension of the current recordkeeping 

requirements contained in the 

regulations at 34 CFR 668.232 and 

668.233, related to the administrative 

requirement of the financial assistance 

for students with intellectual disabilities 

program. The information collection 

requirements are necessary to determine 

the eligibility to receive program 

benefits and to prevent fraud and abuse 

of the program funds. 

Dated: March 2, 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. 2022–04753 Filed 3–4–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

EAC Progress Report; Survey and 

Submission to OMB of Proposed 

Collection of Information 

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC). 

ACTION: Notice; request for comment. 

SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort 

to reduce paperwork burdens, and as 

required by the Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995 (PRA), the U.S. Election 

Assistance Commission (EAC) gives 

notice that it is requesting from the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) approval for the information 

collection EAC Progress Report (EAC– 

PR). 

DATES: Comments should be submitted 

by 5 p.m. EST on Friday, April 8, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: To view the proposed EAC– 

PR format and instrument, see: https:// 

www.eac.gov/payments-and-grants/ 

reporting. For information on the EAC– 

PR, contact Kinza Ghaznavi, Office of 

Grants, Election Assistance 

Commission, Grants@eac.gov. All 

requests and submissions should be 

identified by the title of the information 

collection. 

Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be sent to 

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

Find this particular information 

collection by selecting ‘‘Currently under 

30-day Review—Open for Public 

Comments’’ or by using the search 

function. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES