16010 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 64 / Thursday, April 3, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.029G]

Training Personnel for the Education

of Individuals With Disabilities—Grants

for Personnel Training; Notice Inviting

Applications for New Awards for Fiscal

Year (FY) 1997

Purpose of Program: The purpose of

Training Personnel for the Education of

Individuals with Disabilities Program—

Grants for Personnel Training is to

increase the quantity and improve the

quality of personnel available to serve

infants, toddlers, children, and youth

with disabilities.

Eligible Applicants: Eligible

applicants are institutions of higher

education, and appropriate nonprofit

agencies.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82,

85, and 86; and (b) The regulations for

this program in 34 CFR Part 318.

In some instances, the description of

the absolute priority identified below

differs from applicable regulatory

provisions in 34 CFR 318. These

changes, as well as any supplementary

information provided under the priority

that is not found in the regulations,

represent interpretative guidance and

are provided for purposes of

clarification. These interpretations do

not substantively change the

regulations.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR Part 86

apply to institutions of higher education

only.

Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3),

and 34 CFR 318, the Secretary gives an

absolute preference to applications that

meet the following priority. The

Secretary funds under this competition

only those applications that meet this

absolute priority:

Absolute Priority—Grants for

Preservice Personnel Training

(84.029G).

This priority supports projects

designed to provide preservice

preparation (leading toward a degree,

certification, endorsement, or licensure)

of personnel who serve infants,

toddlers, children and youth with

disabilities. Projects must address

either:

(1) The development of new programs

to establish expanded capacity for

quality preservice training; or

(2) The improvement of existing

programs designed to increase the

capacity and quality of preservice

training.

In addition, projects must address one

or more of the following training

components:

(1) Preparation of Personnel for

Careers in Special Education. This

component supports preservice

preparation of personnel for careers in

special education. Preservice training

includes additional training for

currently employed teachers seeking

additional degrees, certifications, or

endorsements. Training may occur at

one or more of the following levels;

baccalaureate, master’s, or specialist.

Under this component, ‘‘personnel’’

includes special education teachers,

speech-language pathologists,

audiologists, adapted physical

education teachers, vocational

educators, and instructive and assistive

technology specialists.

(2) Preparation of Related Services

Personnel. This component supports

preservice preparation of individuals to

provide developmental, corrective, and

other supportive services that assist

children and youth with disabilities to

benefit from special education. These

include paraprofessional personnel,

therapeutic recreation specialists,

school social workers, health service

providers, physical therapists,

occupational therapists, school

psychologists, counselors (including

rehabilitation counselors), interpreters,

orientation and mobility specialists,

respite care providers, art therapists,

volunteers, physicians, and other

related services personnel. For purposes

of this component, the Department

considers the term ‘‘interpreters’’ to be

limited to interpreters for the deaf.

(i) Projects to train personnel

identified as special education

personnel under training component (1)

are not appropriate for purposes of this

component, even if those personnel may

be considered related services personnel

in other settings (e.g., speech language

pathologists).

(ii) This component is not designed

for general training. Projects must

include inducements and preparation to

increase the probability that graduates

will direct their efforts toward

supportive services to special education.

For example, a project in occupational

therapy (OT) might support a special

focus in pediatric or juvenile psychiatric

OT; support those students whose

career goal is OT in the school; or

provide for practica and internships in

school settings.

(3) Training Early Intervention and

Preschool Personnel. This component

supports projects that are designed to

provide preservice preparation of

personnel who serve infants, toddlers,

and preschool children with disabilities,

and their families. Personnel may be

prepared to provide short-term services

or long-term services that extend into a

child’s school program. The proposed

training program must have a clear and

limited focus on the special needs of

children within the age range from birth

through five, and must include

consideration of family involvement in

early intervention and preschool

services. Training programs under this

priority must have a significant

interdisciplinary focus.

Invitational priority: Within this

absolute priority, the Secretary is

particularly interested in applications

that meet the following invitational

priority. However, under 34 CFR

75.105(c)(1) an application that meets

this invitational priority does not

receive competitive or absolute

preference over other applications:

Preservice personnel preparation

projects that prepare special educators

to work collaboratively with regular

educators to meet the needs of children

with disabilities in inclusive settings.

Applications Available: April 24,

1997.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: June 6, 1997.

Deadline for Intergovernmental

Review: August 5, 1997.

Estimated Number of Awards: 40.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Available funds: In fiscal year 1997,

approximately $8,200,000 will be

available to support this competition.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget for

any single budget period of 12 months

that exceeds: (1) $160,000 for

applications addressing a single

component; (2) $320,000 for

applications addressing two

components; and (3) $480,000 for

applications addressing all three

components. However, because of

budgetary considerations contingent

upon congressional action, the Secretary

may change the maximum amount

through a notice published in the

Federal Register.

Page Limits: Part III of the application,

the Application Narrative, requires

applicants to address the selection

criteria that will be used by reviewers in

evaluating individual proposals. For

applications that address a single

component, the applicant must limit the

Part III—Application Narrative, to no

more than 40 double-spaced 81⁄2′′ x 11′′

pages (on one side only) with one inch

margins (top, bottom, and sides). For

applications that address two

components, the applicant must limit

the Part III—Application Narrative, to

no more than 75 double-spaced 81⁄2′′ x
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 64 / Thursday, April 3, 1997 / Notices 16011

11′′ pages (on one side only) with one

inch margins (top, bottom, and sides).

For applications that address three

components, the applicant must limit

the Part III—Application Narrative, to

no more that 105 double-spaced 81⁄2′′ by

11′′ pages (on one side only) with one

inch margins (top, bottom, and sides).

This page limitation applies to all

material presented in the application

narrative—including, for example, any

charts, tables, figures, and graphs. The

application narrative page limit does not

apply to: Part I—the cover sheet; Part

II—the budget section (including the

narrative budget justification); and Part

IV—the assurances and certifications.

Also, the one-page abstract, resumes,

bibliography, or letters of support, while

considered part of the application, are

not subject to the page limitation.

Applicants should note that reviewers

are not required to review any

information provided in addition to the

application information listed above.

All sections of text in the application

narrative must be double-spaced (no

more than 3 lines per vertical inch). If

using a proportional computer font, use

no smaller than a 12-point font, and an

average character density no greater

than 14 characters per inch. If using a

nonproportional font or a typewriter, do

not use more than 12 characters to the

inch. Double-spacing and font

requirements do not apply within

charts, tables, figures, and graphs, but

the information presented in those

formats should be easily readable. The

Secretary rejects and does not consider

an application that does not adhere to

these requirements.

Note: The Department of Education is not

bound by any estimates in this notice.

Waiver of Rulemaking

It is the practice of the Secretary to

offer interested parties the opportunity

to comment on proposed priorities in

accordance with the Administrative

Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553). However,

this application notice restates existing

priorities in 34 CFR 318. In addition, the

Secretary has determined, pursuant to 5

U.S.C. 553(b)(A), that rulemaking

requirements do not apply to the

changes to applicable regulatory

provisions contained in this notice.

These changes reflect the Secretary’s

interpretation of existing regulations

and are provided solely for purposes of

clarification.

FOR INFORMATION OR APPLICATIONS

CONTACT: The Grants and Contracts

Services Team, U.S. Department of

Education, 600 Independence Avenue,

S.W., room 3317, Switzer Building,

Washington, D.C. 20202–2641. The

preferred method for requesting

information is to FAX your request to:

(202) 205–8717. Telephone: (202) 260–

9182.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

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

205–9860. 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.

Information about the Department’s

funding opportunities, including copies

of application notices for discretionary

grant competitions, can be viewed on

the Department’s electronic bulletin

board (ED Board), telephone (202) 260–

9950; on the Internet Gopher Server (at

Gopher://gcs.ed.gov); or on the World

Wide Web (at http://gcs.ed.gov).

However, the official application notice

for a discretionary grant competition is

the notice published in the Federal

Register.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431.

Dated: March 27, 1997.

Judith E. Heumann,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 97–8477 Filed 4–2–97; 8:45 am]

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