13972 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 56 / Monday, March 24, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services

Children With Disabilities Programs

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services, Department of

Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities.

SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes

priorities for programs administered by

the Office of Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) under

the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act. The Secretary may use

these priorities in Fiscal Year 1997 and

subsequent years. The Secretary takes

this action to focus Federal assistance

on identified needs to improve results

for children with disabilities. The

proposed priorities are intended to

ensure wide and effective use of

program funds.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before May 23, 1997 for the Directed

Research Projects proposed priority.

Comments on all other priorities must

be received on or before April 23, 1997.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning

proposed priorities should be addressed

to: Linda Glidewell, U.S. Department of

Education, 600 Independence Avenue,

S.W., Room 3521, Switzer Building,

Washington, D.C. 20202–2641. Internet:

NPPlResearch@ed.gov

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

further information on these proposed

priorities contact the U.S. Department of

Education, 600 Independence Avenue,

S.W., room 3317, Switzer Building,

Washington, D.C. 20202–2641.

Telephone: (202) 260–9182. FAX: (202)

205–8717 (FAX is the preferred method

for requesting information).

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the TDD number: (202)

205–8953. Individuals with disabilities

may obtain a copy of this notice in an

alternate format (e.g. braille, large print,

audiotape, or computer diskette) by

contacting the Department as listed

above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice contains six proposed priorities

authorized by the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act. These

proposed priorities would support the

National Education Goals by helping to

improve results for children with

disabilities.

The Secretary will announce the final

priorities in a notice in the Federal

Register. The final priorities will be

determined by responses to this notice,

available funds, and other

considerations of the Department.

Funding of particular projects depends

on the availability of funds, the content

of the final priorities, and the quality of

the applications received. Further,

priorities could be affected by

enactment of legislation reauthorizing

these programs. The publication of these

proposed priorities does not preclude

the Secretary from proposing additional

priorities, nor does it limit the Secretary

to funding only these priorities, subject

to meeting applicable rulemaking

requirements.

Note: This notice of proposed priorities

does not solicit applications. Notices inviting

applications under these competitions will

be published in the Federal Register

concurrent with or following publication of

the notices of final priorities.

Priorities

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the

Secretary proposes to give an absolute

preference to applications that meet one

of the following priorities. The Secretary

proposes to fund under these

competitions only applications that

meet one of these absolute priorities:

Proposed Absolute Priority 1—Urban

Center on Implementing Inclusive

Education for Children With Severe

Disabilities as Part of Systemic

Education Reform Efforts

Background

During the past ten years research and

demonstration activities related to

inclusive education have expanded

dramatically. Increasing numbers of

State and local education agencies are

involved in school reform and inclusion

efforts to ensure that all students,

including those with severe disabilities,

are provided with equal educational

opportunities, meaningful access to the

general curriculum, and effective

educational and related services in their

neighborhood schools.

However, in the midst of multiple

social and economic problems, urban

districts are confronted with

increasingly complex issues that have

made the pursuit of inclusion and

systemic education reform initiatives

difficult. The need is compelling,

considering that forty percent of our

Nation’s students attend four percent of

the country’s school districts.

Priority

This priority is national in scope and

is designed to help bridge the gap

between the knowledge base and the

state of practice in urban districts by: (a)

Incorporating extant theory and research

findings about the inclusion of students

with disabilities, particularly students

with severe disabilities, into systemic

educational reform efforts, including

efforts to improve education in

multicultural environments; (b)

increasing the capacity of urban school

districts to provide high quality

inclusive educational opportunities for

students with disabilities, particularly

students with severe disabilities; and (c)

creating a national network of parents,

education professionals (including

teacher’s organizations and unions), and

advocacy groups interested in pursuing

inclusion of students with disabilities,

particularly students with severe

disabilities, as a component of systemic

education reform in urban districts in

order to facilitate increased exchange of

information and collaborative problem

solving among these stakeholders.

The Center must—

(a) Prepare a synthesis of the relevant

extant systemic reform, systems change,

and inclusion theory and research with

emphasis on urban schools with diverse

populations to serve as the conceptual

and empirical basis for center activities;

(b) Translate this knowledge base into

educational practices and materials that

promote the inclusion of children with

disabilities in regular education

programs, and can be used by program

implementers and policy makers in

urban areas at district, building, and

classroom levels;

(c) Provide training and technical

assistance via direct technical assistance

as well distance learning and other

innovative methods in the adoption,

use, and maintenance of inclusive

educational practices involving access

to the general education curriculum in

urban settings;

(d) Evaluate the effectiveness of the

center’s activities in promoting

inclusive educational practices in

multiple urban settings by assessing: (1)

the number of school sites where

activities are conducted; (2) the number

of people trained; (3) the types of

follow-up activities that appear most

valuable; and (4) the number of children

with disabilities who are served in

inclusive educational programs;

(e) Evaluate the effect of the Center’s

activities on results for children with

disabilities;

(f) Produce a variety of evaluation

data, including: (1) factors that

contribute to the successful adoption,

use, and maintenance of inclusive

educational efforts in urban districts; (2)

descriptions of the instructional

contexts and settings, and classroom

instructional supports; (3) school

governance, organizational, and

administrative patterns; (4) the attitudes

and involvement of school

administrators, school personnel, union

membership, families, students, and
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 56 / Monday, March 24, 1997 / Notices 13973

other stakeholders; (5) information

about student results and the social

validity of project activities; (6)

information about how project activities

are integrated in broader school reform

efforts; and (7) analysis of policies,

procedures, and fiscal implications at

the urban district level;

(g) Develop linkages with U.S.

Department of Education technical

assistance providers and disseminators

to communicate findings and distribute

products;

(h) Coordinate activities on an ongoing basis with other relevant efforts

sponsored by the Office of Special

Education Programs (OSEP), including

the Consortium for Inclusive Schooling

Practices, and State-wide Systems

Change projects;

(i) Provide training and experience in

translating research to practice,

materials development, technical

assistance, dissemination, and program

evaluation for a limited number of

graduate students including students

who are from traditionally

underrepresented groups;

(j) Conduct topical meetings and other

activities on issues and emerging or

promising inclusion practices in urban

education; and

(k) Collect and ensure timely

dissemination of information on

inclusion to urban policymakers and

program implementers.

Under this priority, the Secretary

anticipates making one award for a

cooperative agreement with a project

period of up to 60 months subject to the

requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for

continuation awards. In determining

whether to continue the Urban Center

for the fourth and fifth years of the

project, the Secretary, in addition to

considering factors in 34 CFR 75.253(a),

will consider—

(a) The recommendation of a review

team consisting of three experts selected

by the Secretary. The services of the

review team, including a two-day site

visit to the project are to be performed

during the last half of the Center’s

second year and may be included in that

year’s evaluation required under 34 CFR

75.590. Costs associated with the

services to be performed by the review

team must also be included in the

Center’s budget for year two. These

costs are estimated to be approximately

$4,000;

(b) The timeliness and effectiveness

with which all requirements of the

negotiated cooperative agreement have

been or are being met by the Center; and

(c) The degree to which the Center’s

technical assistance, evaluation, and

dissemination activities demonstrate the

potential for significantly increasing the

capacity of urban schools to serve

children with disabilities in inclusive

school and community settings.

This award will be jointly funded

under two statutory authorities: (1) The

Research in Education of Individuals

with Disabilities Program; and (2) the

Program for Children with Severe

Disabilities. The Secretary has

determined that this joint award is

necessary to address not only the needs

of children with severe disabilities in

urban settings, but also the broader

needs of all children with disabilities in

urban settings.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1441 and

1424.

Proposed Absolute Priority 2—Center to

Promote the Access to and Participation

by Minority Institutions in Discretionary

Programs Authorized Under the

Individuals With Disabilities Education

Act (IDEA)

Background

The Congress has found that the

Federal Government must be responsive

to the growing needs of an increasingly

diverse society and that a more

equitable distribution of resources is

essential for the Federal Government to

meet its responsibility to provide an

equal educational opportunity for all

individuals, including children with

disabilities. Specifically, the Congress

has concluded that increasing the

participation in awards for IDEA grants,

cooperative agreements and contracts by

Historically Black Colleges and

Universities (HBCUs), other institutions

of higher education whose minority

enrollment is at least 25 percent (OMIs),

and other eligible institutions as defined

under section 312 of the Higher

Education Act of 1965 (OEIs) can greatly

improve our success in educating

children with disabilities from diverse

backgrounds.

Priority

This priority is part of the Secretary’s

plan for increasing participation of

minority entities in grant competitions.

The purpose of this priority is to

improve educational results for children

with disabilities from diverse

backgrounds by supporting a national

center to: (a) promote the participation

of HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs in personnel

preparation competitions authorized by

IDEA; and (b) increase the capacity of

HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs to prepare

personnel to work with children with

disabilities.

The Center must—

(1) Identify the universe of HBCUs,

OMIs, and OEIs;

(2) Establish and maintain contacts

with the minority entities;

(3) Conduct needs assessments and

negotiate technical assistance

agreements on an annual basis with

each HBCU, OMI, or OEI requesting

assistance. The Center may propose

cross-institutional activities if similar

objectives are established in several

agencies, and if combining activities

could create cost savings or extend

benefits to minority entities requesting

assistance. In developing these

activities, the Center must analyze the

needs of each entity and determine the

most effective and cost efficient means

of addressing those needs. In developing

each specific technical assistance

agreement, the Center must—

(i) Reconcile the needs identified by

the entity with the Center’s resources

and its ability to respond;

(ii) Describe the strategies and

mechanisms it will use to respond to the

technical assistance and professional

development needs;

(iii) Identify the persons involved in

the technical assistance activity;

(iv) Specify the beginning and end

date of the activity;

(v) Describe how the technical

assistance activity will contribute to

promoting the immediate and long-term

goals of the project, including improved

educational results for children with

disabilities; and

(vi) Describe a plan for coordinating

with other technical assistance

providers (e.g., the Regional Resource

Centers) that may be involved in related

activities;

(5) Analyze the performance of

grantees to serve as a basis for providing

technical assistance, especially in the

areas of recruitment and retention of

students in personnel preparation

programs, improving the quality of

those programs, placement of students

after graduation, and other areas that

contribute to improved results for

children with disabilities;

(6) Develop materials and implement

strategies that are necessary to carry out

the center’s activities;

(7) Prepare and disseminate materials

explaining personnel preparation

competitions under IDEA to the HBCUs,

OMIs, and OEIs;

(8) Analyze the results of each

competition in terms of the degree to

which the HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs

applied, and the degree to which they

were successful, and submit this

analysis to the Department and the

HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs served by the

project;

(9) Provide advice as requested by the

Department on strategies to further the
13974 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 56 / Monday, March 24, 1997 / Notices

purposes of section 610(j) of the Act;

and

(10) Disseminate state-of-the-art

practices in personnel preparation,

recruitment, and retention through

linkages with U.S. Department of

Education dissemination and technical

assistance providers, in particular those

technical assistance providers

supported under the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act.

The Secretary anticipates making one

award for a grant with project period of

up to 60 months subject to the

requirements of 34 CFR § 75.253(a) for

continuation awards. In determining

whether to continue the Center for the

fourth and fifth years of the project

period, the Secretary, in addition to the

requirements of 34 CFR § 75.253(a), will

consider——

(a) The timeliness and effectiveness

with which all requirements of the

negotiated scope of work have been or

are being met by the Center; and

(b) The degree to which minority

entities applied and were successful in

participating in personnel preparation

programs under IDEA.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1409(j) and

1431.

Proposed Absolute Priority 3—

Technical Assistance to Parent Projects

This priority is issued under the

Program for Training Personnel for the

Education of Individuals with

Disabilities—Parent Training and

Information Centers. The purpose of this

priority is to provide technical

assistance for establishing, developing,

and coordinating parent training and

information projects (PTIs) supported

under § 631(e) of the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act. The project

must:

(a) Plan and conduct one national and

four regional conferences each year;

(b) Conduct an assessment of the

training and information needs of the

PTIs;

(c) Provide direct technical assistance

and disseminate information through a

variety of mechanisms to individual

parent training and information projects

on management processes or content

areas (e.g., special education and related

services issues, laws and regulation,

networking) as identified through the

needs assessment;

(d) Maximize the computer and

technological capabilities of the

Federally-supported network of PTIs,

by: (1) Systematizing data collection to

conduct needs assessments (e.g., of who

is and is not being served, where and

what kinds of problems or successes

exist in States, tracking effects of

Federal and State initiatives), (2) linking

the PTIs together electronically using a

web page and bulletin boards that are

user-friendly, enable PTIs to access and

communicate with each other, and link

PTIs directly to the National

Information Center for Children and

Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY) and

other information sources, and (3)

implementing other appropriate

strategies.

(e) Identify effective strategies for

working with parents, families, and

schools, and incorporate these strategies

into training materials, technical

assistance activities, and conferences;

and

(f) Provide direct technical assistance

to PTIs that need such assistance in

order to better serve underserved and

underrepresented populations.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431(e).

Proposed Absolute Priority 4—Special

Projects—National Initiatives

This priority is issued under the

Program for Training Personnel for the

Education of Individuals with

Disabilities. The purpose of this priority

is to support projects of national

significance related to the preparation of

personnel needed to serve infants,

toddlers, children, and youth with

disabilities. Projects funded under this

priority must address one of the

following focus areas:

Focus 1—An Academy: Linking

Teacher Education to Advances in

Research. The purpose of this project

will be to link teacher education

programs with recent advances in

research that have documented

successful methods and strategies for

assisting children with disabilities to

achieve better results. The teacher

education programs shall benefit by

integrating these research advances into

their respective preservice preparation

programs for preparing personnel to

work with children with disabilities,

including special education, early

intervention, related services personnel,

and regular educators. The researchers

will benefit from understanding how the

findings of their research impact and

improve the personnel preparation

programs. A preservice program is

defined as one that leads toward a

degree, certification, or professional

license or standard, and may be

supported at the associate,

baccalaureate, master’s or specialist

level.

The Academy must focus its staff and

resources on research advancements

that improve results for children with

disabilities in: (a) teaching reading to

children with learning disabilities; (b)

using technology to enhance

educational results for children with

disabilities; and (c) using positive

behavioral supports to teach children

with disabilities who exhibit

challenging behaviors.

Activities

The Academy must—

(a) Design an approach, consistent

with principles of effective professional

development, for linking teacher

education programs to the recent

advances in research listed above. The

professional development approach

must consider a range of strategies for

facilitating the exchange of knowledge

between researchers and individuals

who prepare personnel to work with

children with disabilities. Strategies

may include, for example, face to face

meetings, electronic networks, seminars,

retreats, mentoring agreements, and

building local resource banks;

(b) Design a comprehensive approach

for reaching out to teacher education

programs across the country in each of

the three research areas identified

above;

(c) Design innovative tools to facilitate

the exchange of knowledge, such as

experiential activities, videos, course

syllabi, interactive media, etc.; and

(d) Evaluate the progress of linking

research advances to teacher education

programs.

Focus 2—Developing A National Plan

for Training Personnel to Teach Blind

and Low-Vision Children. In recent

years, the number of institutions of

higher education that offer teacher

training programs for teachers of blind

and low-vision children has

significantly diminished. Today, very

few vision training programs for

teachers of visually impaired

individuals exist across the country. In

some geographic areas, no such program

exists. There has also been a concurrent

reduction in the number of personnel

available to meet the needs of children

who are blind or have low vision.

Institutions currently respond to this

shortage by offering abbreviated courses,

off-campus courses, and distance

learning. Both individual institutions

and regional organizations are seeking

more effective responses to this

problem.

These problems are significant. Thus,

immediate attention must be devoted to

developing a national strategy for

addressing the need for qualified

personnel to teach blind and low-vision

children.

Activities

The project must—
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 56 / Monday, March 24, 1997 / Notices 13975

(a) Conduct a systemic and systematic

needs assessment of the personnel

shortage identified above; and

(b) Design a comprehensive approach

for preparing capable and qualified

personnel to educate blind and low

vision students, including strategies for

solving this shortage problem,

consideration and comparisons of the

merits of each alternative strategy, and

a recommended solution.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C 1431.

Proposed Absolute Priority 5—Research

Institute on Secondary Education

Services for Children and Youth With

Disabilities

This priority is issued under the

Secondary Education and Transitional

Services for Youth with Disabilities

Program. This institute would support a

strategic program of research to study a

variety of strategies to improve

educational results for students with

disabilities in secondary education

settings (including urban, rural, and

suburban community settings), and

promote their successful transition to

postsecondary settings.

The secondary research institute must

design and conduct a strategic program

of research to study—

(a) The range of effective support

strategies, supplementary aids, and

services (e.g., counseling, tutoring,

assistive technology) aimed at

improving educational results for

students with disabilities in a wide

range of typical secondary education

experiences (e.g., academic, vocational,

extracurricular) as well as their

retention in school and their

engagement in the educational process;

(b) Effective strategies that secondary

school personnel can use to restructure

academic and vocational courses to

accommodate students with disabilities

with diverse learning needs and styles;

(c) The extent to which secondary

schools are effectively implementing the

transition services requirement of IDEA;

(d) The extent to which secondary

academic and vocational curricula

promote postsecondary education and

employment; and

(e) Standards and models for

developing instructional and transition

plans for students who are entering or

enrolled in secondary school programs.

The program of research must

include, but need not be limited to,

studying school based exemplars, or

designing and implementing

interventions using a rich array of

research methods to reach the intended

goals of this priority as articulated by

the proposed research hypotheses. In

addition, the research must be designed

in a manner that is likely to lead to

improved services and results for

children and youth with disabilities,

including those who are members of

cultural, linguistic, or racial minority

groups.

The institute must—

(a) Design and conduct a strategic

program of research across multiple

sites to represent organizational and

demographic diversity;

(b) Collect, analyze, and communicate

student results data and supporting

context data; and multiple results data

for teachers, parents, and

administrators, as appropriate;

(c) Collaborate with other research

institutes supported under the

Individuals with Disabilities Education

Act and experts and researchers in

related subject matter and

methodological fields, to design and

conduct the activities of the institute;

(d) Carry out the research within a

conceptual framework, based on

previous research or theory, that

provides a basis for the issues that will

be studied, the research methods and

instrumentation that will be used, and

the specific target populations and

settings that will be studied;

(e) Collaborate with communication

specialists and professional and

advocacy organizations to ensure that

findings are prepared in formats that are

useable for specific audiences such as

teachers, administrators, and other

service providers;

(f) Develop linkages with U.S.

Department of Education dissemination

and technical assistance providers, in

particular those supported under the

Individuals with Disabilities Education

Act, to communicate research findings

and distribute products;

(g) Provide training and research

opportunities for a limited number of

graduate students, including students

who are from traditionally

underrepresented groups;

(h) Coordinate research and

dissemination activities with other

relevant efforts sponsored by the U.S.

Department of Education and with the

U.S. Department of Labor, including

other research institutes, and

information clearinghouses; and

(i) Meet with the Office of Special

Education Programs (OSEP) project

officer in the first four months of the

project to review the program of

research and communication

approaches.

The Institute must budget for two

trips annually to Washington, D.C. for:

(1) A two-day Research Project

Directors’ meeting; and (2) another

meeting to collaborate with the OSEP

project officer.

Under this priority, the Secretary

anticipates making one award for a

cooperative agreement with a project

period of up to 60 months subject to the

requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for

continuation awards. In determining

whether to continue the Institute for the

fourth and fifth years of the project

period, the Secretary, in addition to the

requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), will

consider—

(a) The recommendation of a review

team consisting of three experts selected

by the Secretary. The services of the

review team, including a two-day site

visit to the project, are to be performed

during the last half of the Institute’s

second year and may be included in that

year’s evaluation required under 34 CFR

75.590. Costs associated with the

services to be performed by the review

team must also be included in the

Institute’s budget for year two. These

costs are estimated to be approximately

$4,000;

(b) The timeliness and effectiveness

with which all requirements of the

negotiated cooperative agreement have

been or are being met by the Institute;

and

(c) The degree to which the Institute’s

research designs, methodologies, and

activities demonstrate the potential for

advancing significant new knowledge.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1425.

Proposed Absolute Priority 6—Directed

Research Projects

Background

The Office of Special Education

Programs (OSEP) has, in prior years,

announced priorities for the support of

research projects under several of the

programs authorized by the Individuals

with Disabilities Education Act.

Separate research priorities

(competitions) have been announced

under the Early Education Program for

Children with Disabilities, Program for

Children with Severe Disabilities,

Secondary Education and Transitional

Services for Youth with Disabilities

Program, Program for Children and

Youth with Serious Emotional

Disturbance, and the Research in

Education of Individuals with

Disabilities Program. The purpose of

this priority is to group all priorities for

directed research and apply a single set

of requirements among the various

competitions. By consolidating multiple

priorities and announcements into one

priority, OSEP endeavors to avoid

unnecessary duplication and provide

consistent information for all research

competitions. The program authority for

each focus is listed following each focus

statement.
13976 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 56 / Monday, March 24, 1997 / Notices

Priority

This priority provides support for

projects that advance and improve the

knowledge base and improve the

practice of professionals, parents, and

others providing early intervention,

special education, and related services,

including professionals who work with

children with disabilities in regular

education environments, to provide

such children effective instruction and

enable them to learn successfully.

Under this priority, projects must

support innovation, development,

exchange, and use of advancements in

knowledge and practice designed to

contribute to the improvement of early

intervention, instruction, and learning

of infants, toddlers, children, and youth

with disabilities.

A research project must address one

of the following focus areas:

Focus 1—Beacons of excellence.

Research projects supported under focus

1 must identify and study schools

achieving exemplary results for students

with disabilities in the context of efforts

to achieve exemplary results for all

students. Projects must develop and

apply procedures and criteria to identify

those schools, and to identify factors

contributing to exemplary learning

results, and examine how those factors

and other factors relate to achieving

exemplary learning results for students

with disabilities. Projects may focus on

either secondary or elementary levels, or

both. During the third year of the

project, the Secretary will determine

whether or not to fund an optional sixmonth period for extended

dissemination activities arranged with

OSEP.

Program Authority: Research in Education

of Individuals with Disabilities Program, 20

U.S.C. 1441.

Focus 2—Prevention and early

intervention services for children with

emotional and behavioral problems.

Many young children with emotional

and behavioral problems experience

years of repeated preschool and school

failure, permanent damage to their selfesteem, and escalation of their

problems, before they receive

appropriate services. Research projects

supported under this focus must

identify, examine, and document

information about the specific factors

that contribute to effectiveness in

collaborative, community-based,

prevention and early intervention

services to prevent children with

emotional and behavioral problems

from developing serious emotional

disturbance. The target population for

these projects includes children in

preschool, kindergarten, and the

primary grades (1–4), and their families.

The research may focus, for example,

on child find, screening, early

identification, assessment, pre-referral

strategies, child and family intervention

and prevention services, and results.

Research must include but is not limited

to services and programs funded under

the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act. Additional programs

with collaborative, community-based

services appropriate for study may

include, where available, Head Start and

Early Head Start programs, other early

childhood service programs, primary

care and mental health programs, child

care center programs, and public and

private preschools and elementary

school programs. Each research project

must include an evaluation of the

collaboration and coordination of

prevention and early intervention

services across multiple service

providers and agencies working with

these children and their families.

Program Authority: Program for Children

and Youth with Serious Emotional

Disturbance, 20 U.S.C. 1426.

Focus 3—Students approaching

graduation and the supplemental

security income program. Many

children and youth with disabilities

receiving special education services also

receive Supplemental Security Income

(SSI). Administered by the Social

Security Administration, the SSI

program provides cash assistance,

Medicaid eligibility, and work

incentives such as the ImpairmentRelated Work Expense incentive and the

Plan for Achieving Self-Support.

National data indicate that these work

incentives are under-utilized and that

most working-age SSI recipients are

unemployed. To address this problem,

the National Academy of Social

Insurance (1996) recommended that

information about the SSI work

incentives should be incorporated in the

transition planning process required by

the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act. The SSI work incentives

may therefore enhance the employment

results of transitioning youth with

disabilities.

The purpose of focus 3 is to develop

and test innovative strategies for

increasing the utilization of the SSI

work incentives. Projects must: (a)

Examine the barriers to employment for

young adults with disabilities who are

receiving SSI benefits; (b) develop

innovative strategies and materials for

promoting the utilization of work

incentives through the transition

planning process; and (c) apply

qualitative and quantitative research

methods to determine the relative

efficacy of technical assistance

strategies, toward improving work

incentive utilization developed under

(b).

Program Authority: Secondary Education

and Transitional Services for Youth with

Disabilities Program, 20 U.S.C. 1425.

Focus 4—The sustainability of

promising innovations. A growing body

of practice-based research and model

demonstration work in schools and

local districts, including projects

supported by the Office of Special

Education Programs (OSEP), has

focussed on meeting the needs of, and

improving the results for, students with

disabilities in schools and districts

involved in reform and restructuring

initiatives. Some of this work is yielding

promising positive results for students

with disabilities. However, little is

known about the extent to which the

innovations developed and

implemented in these efforts are

sustained in project sites beyond the

term of time-limited external support

and assistance.

Focus 4 is designed to study the

implementation of practices that have

been found to be effective in meeting

the needs of students with disabilities in

reform/restructuring initiatives in local

and district schools. The practices must

have been included as part of projects

designed to implement those practices.

The study must address: (1) The extent

to which those practices have been

sustained beyond the term of the

projects; and (2) factors that influence

the determined level of sustainability.

Factors to be studied may include, but

are not limited to: (a) the nature of the

innovations and the extent to which the

innovations have undergone adaptation

or alteration over time; (b) the type and

extent of support strategies employed

during initial implementation stages

and over time; (c) planned and

unplanned changes in school

organizational or structural contexts or

both; (d) the level of penetration of the

innovation; (e) the actual and perceived

costs and benefits for participants; (f)

constancy of site leadership, school

staff, and school policy requirements;

(g) the extent of consonance or

dissonance between critical features of

the innovations and existing (and

emerging) school and district practices

and policies; and (h) resource access

and allocation. Within focus 4, projects

must provide comprehensive

descriptions of the targeted effective

practices to be studied, and convincing

documentation of resulting positive

results for students with disabilities. In

addition, projects must dedicate the
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 56 / Monday, March 24, 1997 / Notices 13977

bulk of support requested within focus

4 to research on the issues of

sustainability and on continuing

documentation of results for students

with disabilities. Within focus 4, the

Secretary particularly encourages an indepth case study research design where

the sites to be studied are the cases.

Program Authority: Research in Education

of Individuals with Disabilities Program, 20

U.S.C. 1441.

Focus 5—Educating children with

severe disabilities in inclusive settings.

Focus 5 supports research projects to (a)

identify new or improved strategies to

address the educational and related

service needs of children and youth

with severe disabilities in inclusive

general education settings and

extracurricular activities, and (b)

describe how the school inclusion

strategies as identified in (a) are aligned

with systemic reform and school

improvement strategies for all students.

Additional research is needed to

identify, describe, and examine: (1) The

efficacy and linkages of existing

systemic reform and school inclusion

strategies, (2) how school systems

provide supports and collaborative

teaming to meet the needs of students

with severe disabilities, and other

diverse learners; (3) how standards and

authentic assessment practices are

implemented for students with severe

disabilities and their impact on

inclusive and systemic reform efforts,

(4) social support strategies that

promote positive interactions among

students with severe disabilities and

other students, and their same-aged

peers to foster cohesive school and

classroom communities; and (5) the

types of peer-mediated strategies that

actively involve all students, including

students with severe disabilities, in

inclusive educational programs.

To be considered for funding under

focus 5, a research project must—

(a) Identify specific interventions or

strategies to be investigated;

(b) Design the research activities in a

manner that is likely to improve

services for all students in inclusive

classrooms, including students with

severe disabilities;

(c) Conduct the research in schools

pursuing systemic education reform and

school inclusion; and

(d) Use methodological procedures

designed to produce findings useful to

program implementers and policy

makers regarding the impact and

interaction effects of systemic reform

and school inclusion strategies in State

and local contexts.

All projects funded under focus 5

must identify and describe how these

inclusion efforts benefit students with

severe disabilities including the

reciprocal benefits of inclusive

schooling for all students.

Program Authority: Program for Children

with Severe Disabilities, 20 U.S.C. 1424.

Requirements for All Directed Research

Projects

In addition to addressing focus (1),

(2), (3), (4), or (5) above, projects must:

(a) Apply rigorous research methods

(qualitative or quantitative or both) to

identify approaches contributing to

improved results for children with

disabilities;

(b) Provide a conceptual framework,

based on extant research and theory to

serve as a basis for the issues to be

studied, the research design, and the

target population;

(c) Prepare dissemination materials

for both researcher and practitioner

audiences and develop linkages with

U.S. Department of Education

dissemination and technical assistance

providers, in particular those supported

under the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act, to communicate research

findings and distribute products; and

(d) Budget for two trips annually to

Washington, D.C., for: (1) a two-day

Research to Practice Division Project

Directors’ meeting; and (2) another

meeting to collaborate with the Research

to Practice Division project officer and

the other projects funded under this

priority, and to share information and

discuss findings and methods of

dissemination.

Selection criteria for evaluating

applications under proposed absolute

priority 6. The Secretary proposes to use

the following criteria to evaluate

applications under proposed absolute

priority 6—Directed Research Projects.

The maximum score for all the criteria

is 100 points.

(a) Importance (10 points). The

Secretary reviews each application to

determine the importance of the project

in leading to the understanding of,

remediation of, or compensation for, the

problem or issue that relates to the early

intervention with or special education

of infants, toddlers, children, and youth

with disabilities.

(b) Technical soundness (40 points).

The Secretary reviews each application

to determine the technical soundness of

the research, including—

(1) The design;

(2) The proposed sample;

(3) Instrumentation; and

(4) Data analysis procedures.

(c) Plan of operation (10 points).

(1) The Secretary reviews each

application to determine the quality of

the plan of operation for the project.

(2) The Secretary looks for—

(i) High quality in the design of the

project;

(ii) An effective plan of management

that insures proper and efficient

administration of the project;

(iii) A clear description of how the

objectives of the project relate to the

purpose of the program; and

(iv) The way the applicant plans to

use its resources and personnel to

achieve each objective.

(3) The quality of the evaluation plan

for the project including the extent to

which the methods of evaluation are

appropriate for the project and, to the

extent possible, are objective and

produce data that are quantifiable.

(Cross Reference: 34 CFR 75.590,

Evaluation by the grantee.)

(d) Quality of key personnel (10

points).

(1) The Secretary reviews each

application to determine the

qualifications of the key personnel that

the applicant plans to use on the

project.

(2) The Secretary considers—

(i) The qualifications of the project

director (if one is to be used); and,

(ii) The qualifications of each of the

other key personnel to be used in the

project; and

(iii) The time that each person

referred to in paragraphs (d)(2) (i) and

(ii) of this section will commit to the

project.

(3) To determine personnel

qualifications, the Secretary considers

experience and training in fields related

to the objectives of the project, as well

as other evidence that the applicant

provides.

(e) Underrepresented populations (10

points). The Secretary reviews each

application for information that shows

the extent to which the applicant, as

part of its nondiscriminatory

employment practices, employs

members of underrepresented

populations as project staff. The

Secretary looks for—

(1) Employees who are members of

underrepresented populations,

including members of racial or ethnic

minority groups and individuals with

disabilities; and

(2) Procedures to provide training and

other necessary support to retain and

advance qualified personnel from

underrepresented populations.

(f) Adequacy of resources (5 points).

(1) The Secretary reviews each

application to determine if the applicant

plans to devote adequate resources to

the project.

(2) The Secretary considers the extent

to which—

(i) The facilities that the applicant

plans to use are adequate; and
13978 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 56 / Monday, March 24, 1997 / Notices

(ii) The equipment and supplies that

the applicant plans to use are adequate.

(g) Impact (5 points). The Secretary

reviews each application to determine

the probable impact of the proposed

research and development products and

the extent to which those products can

be expected to have a direct influence

on infants, toddlers, children, and youth

with disabilities or personnel

responsible for their education or early

intervention services.

(h) Organizational capability (5

points). The Secretary considers—

(1) The applicant’s experience in

special education or early intervention

services; and

(2) The ability of the applicant to

disseminate the findings of the project

to appropriate groups to ensure that

they can be used effectively.

(i) Budget and cost effectiveness (5

points).

(1) The Secretary reviews each

application to determine if the project

has an adequate budget and is cost

effective.

(2) The Secretary considers the extent

to which—

(i) The budget for the project is

adequate to support the project

activities; and

(ii) Costs are reasonable in relation to

the objectives of the project.

Intergovernmental Review

Except for focus areas 1 and 4 in the

Directed Research Projects priority, all

other priorities included in this notice

are subject to the requirements of

Executive Order 12372 and the

regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. The

objective of the Executive order is to

foster an intergovernmental partnership

and a strengthened federalism by

relying on processes developed by State

and local governments for coordination

and review of proposed Federal

financial assistance.

In accordance with the order, this

document is intended to provide early

notification of the Department’s specific

plans and actions for this program.

Invitation To Comment

Interested persons are invited to

submit comments and recommendations

regarding these proposed priorities.

All comments submitted in response

to this notice will be available for public

inspection, during and after the

comment period, in Room 3524, 300 C

Street, S.W., Washington, D.C., between

the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.,

Monday through Friday of each week

except Federal holidays. Individuals

with disabilities who need assistance to

review the comments will be provided

with appropriate aids, such as readers or

print magnifiers. To schedule an

appointment call (202) 205–8113 or

(202) 260–9895. Persons using a TDD

should call the Federal Information

Relay Service.

Dated: March 19, 1997.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Numbers: Research in Education of

Individuals with Disabilities Program,

84.023; Training Personnel for the Education

of Individuals with Disabilities Program—

Grants for Personnel Training and Parent

Training and Information Centers, 84.029;

Program for Children with Severe

Disabilities, 84.086; Secondary Education

and Transitional Services for Youth with

Disabilities Program, 84.158; and the Program

for Children and Youth with Serious

Emotional Disturbance)

Howard R. Moses,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Special

Education and Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 97–7364 Filed 3–21–97; 8:45 am]

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