29064 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 101 /Wednesday, May 27, 1998 / Notice

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Notice Inviting Applications for New

Awards for Fiscal Year 1998

SUMMARY: On June 4, 1997, the President

signed into law Pub. L. 105–17, the

Individuals with Disabilities Education

Act Amendments of 1997, amending the

Individuals with Disabilities Education

Act (IDEA).

This notice provides closing dates and

other information regarding the

transmittal of applications for fiscal year

1998 competitions under two programs

authorized by IDEA, as amended. The

two programs are: (1) Special

Education—Personnel Preparation to

Improve Services and Results for

Children with Disabilities (two

priorities); and (2) Special Education—

Training and Information for Parents of

Children with Disabilities (one priority).

This notice supports the National

Education Goals by helping to improve

results for children with disabilities.

Waiver of Rulemaking

It is generally the practice of the

Secretary to offer interested parties the

opportunity to comment on proposed

priorities. However, section 661(e)(2) of

IDEA makes the Administrative

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

inapplicable to the priorities in this

notice. In order to make awards on a

timely basis, the Secretary has decided

to publish these priorities in final under

the authority of section 661(e)(2).

General Requirements

(a) Projects funded under this notice

must make positive efforts to employ

and advance in employment qualified

individuals with disabilities in project

activities (see Section 606 of IDEA);

(b) Applicants and grant recipients

funded under this notice must involve

individuals with disabilities or parents

of individuals with disabilities in

planning, implementing, and evaluating

the projects (see Section 661(f)(1)(A) of

IDEA); and

(c) Projects funded under these

priorities must budget for a two-day

Project Directors’ meeting in

Washington, D.C. during each year of

the project.

Note: The Department of Education is not

bound by any estimates in this notice.

Special Education—Personnel

Preparation To Improve Services and

Results for Children With Disabilities

[CFDA 84.325]

Purpose of Program: The purposes of

this program are to (1) help address

State-identified needs for qualified

personnel in special education, related

services, early intervention, and regular

education, to work with children with

disabilities; and (2) to ensure that those

personnel have the skills and

knowledge, derived from practices that

have been determined through research

and experience to be successful, that are

needed to serve those children.

Eligible Applicants: State and local

educational agencies; institutions of

higher education; other public agencies;

private nonprofit organizations; outlying

areas; freely associated States; and

Indian tribes or tribal organizations.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

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

85, and 86; (b) The selection criteria

included in regulations in 34 CFR

318.23; and (c) 34 CFR 318.31–318.33.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86

apply to institutions of higher education

only.

Priority: Under section 673 and 34

CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary gives an

absolute preference to applications that

meet the following priorities. The

Secretary funds under this competition

only those applications that meet these

absolute priorities:

Absolute Priority 1—Projects of National

Significance (84.325N)

The Secretary establishes an absolute

priority to support projects that address

issues of national significance and have

broad applicability. Projects supported

under this priority must develop,

implement, and evaluate innovative

models that will serve as blueprints for

improving the preparation and ongoing

development of early intervention

personnel, general and special

education teachers, administrators,

related service personnel, and

paraprofessionals who have

responsibility for ensuring that children

with disabilities achieve to high

standards and become independent,

productive citizens.

Priority: A project of national

significance must:

(a) Include a detailed description of a

personnel preparation model, including

descriptions of: the population(s) that

the model is designed to serve; the

content and expected outcomes of the

model; the processes for, and costs

involved with, implementation and

ongoing evaluation; and the

organizational and contextual factors

that may either facilitate or impede

implementation of the model. The

model must—

(1) Be guided by a conceptual

framework that integrates all proposed

model components; and

(2) Incorporate relevant, researchbased curricular content and

pedagogical practice;

(b) Provide substantial evidence that

the proposed model will serve a broadbased need;

(c) Establish an advisory panel of

relevant stakeholders and potential

users to provide guidance that will help

to assure that the model developed has

broad applicability;

(d) Conduct ongoing formative

evaluations of project activities, and a

final evaluation to assess the success of

the model in enhancing the skills,

knowledge, and practices of

professional personnel that will lead to

improved results for children with

disabilities;

(e) Produce a model ‘‘blueprint’’ or

case study that would permit others to

replicate the model and includes

comprehensive information related to

paragraphs (a) and (b), and

comprehensive outcomes of the final

evaluation required under paragraph

(d); and

(f) In addition to the annual two day

Project Directors’ meeting in

Washington, D.C. mentioned in the

General Requirements section of this

notice, budget for another annual twoday trip to Washington, D.C. to

collaborate with the Federal project

officer and other projects funded under

this priority by sharing information and

discussing model development,

implementation, evaluation and

dissemination issues, including the

carrying out of cross-project

dissemination activities.

Invitational Priorities

Within this absolute priority, the

Secretary is particularly interested in

applications that meet one of the

following invitational priorities.

However, under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) an

application that meets one or more of

these invitational priorities does not

receive competitive or absolute

preference over other applications:

(a) Projects that improve the ability of

school principals and other local

educational agency administrators to

provide leadership in meeting the needs

of children with disabilities through:

(1) Model preservice programs for the

training and certification of school

administrators (including principals and

other instructional leaders) that

incorporate relevant special education

content and provide for trainees to

apply special education knowledge in

field-based practice opportunities; or,

(2) Model projects that provide

ongoing training for practicing school

principals, LEA administrators, local

school board members, and other local
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 101 /Wednesday, May 27, 1998 / Notice 29065

decision makers in order to improve the

ability of such individuals to make

informed instructional and policyrelated decisions regarding the

provision of appropriate, beneficial

services and supports for children with

disabilities.

(b) Projects that improve the training

of paraprofessionals to meet the needs

of children, K through age 21, with

high- or low-incidence disabilities, in

general education classrooms through:

(1) Model preservice programs for the

training and certification of

paraprofessionals that incorporate

relevant special and regular education

content and provide opportunities for

trainees to apply their knowledge and

skills in field-based practice;

(2) Model inservice programs for

current paraprofessionals to improve

their knowledge, skills, and practices;

or,

(3) Model pre- or inservice programs

that incorporate content for teachers to

supervise and work more effectively

with paraprofessionals.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $200,000 for any single

budget period of 12 months. 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, is where an

applicant addresses the selection

criteria that are used by reviewers in

evaluating an application. An applicant

must limit Part III to the equivalent of

no more than 40 double-spaced pages,

using the following standards: (1) A

‘‘page’’ is 81⁄2′′ x 11′′ (on one side only)

with one-inch margins (top, bottom, and

sides). (2) All text in the application

narrative, including titles, headings,

footnotes, quotations, references, and

captions, as well as all text in charts,

tables, figures, and graphs, 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 18 characters per

inch. If using a nonproportional font or

a typewriter, do not use more than 12

characters to the inch.

The page limit does not apply to Part

I—the cover sheet; Part II—the budget

section (including the narrative budget

justification); Part IV—the assurances

and certifications; or the one-page

abstract, resumes, bibliography, and

letters of support. However, all of the

application narrative must be included

in Part III. If an application narrative

uses a smaller print size, spacing, or

margin that would make the narrative

exceed the equivalent of the page limit,

the application will not be considered

for funding.

Program Authority: Section 673 of the Act.

Absolute Priority 2—Partnerships to

Link Personnel Training and School

Practice [84.325P]

Background

Teachers need to be prepared to

provide effective instruction across the

full range of student abilities. More than

90 percent of all students with

disabilities spend at least a portion of

their school day in a general education

classroom. The movement toward

inclusive education in today’s schools

requires that general and special

education teachers work together to

meet the needs of students with

disabilities. However, extensive data

indicate that general education teachers

do not feel that they have the knowledge

and skills necessary to meet the

educational needs of these students in

their classrooms and that special

education teachers are required to

assume roles (e.g., consulting with

general education teachers, co-teaching

in general education classrooms, and

supervising paraprofessional staff) for

which they are insufficiently prepared.

In order to meet the challenge of

preparing general and special education

teachers to be effective in addressing the

needs, and improving the results, of

students with disabilities in inclusive

schools, teacher preparation programs

must be grounded in the structural,

organizational, and instructional

realities of schools, while schools must

facilitate continuous improvement of

teacher knowledge and skills.

Institutions that prepare teachers and

the schools in which teachers work both

have a responsibility to ensure that

teachers (special and regular education)

can effectively fulfill their roles in

working with children with disabilities.

Too often the sole relationship between

preparation programs and local schools

is limited to setting up practicum

settings for trainees. Faculty members at

Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs)

are often minimally involved in

practicum supervision. Universities and

schools can no longer afford to work in

isolation. Similarly, training regular and

special education teachers can no longer

be viewed as separate functions. The

following priority is intended to

develop models for building and

enhancing partnerships between

training institutions and local schools in

order to strengthen the quality and

effectiveness of preservice preparation

programs and ongoing professional

development activities for teachers and

instructional leaders (both special and

regular education) who serve children

with disabilities.

The power of the partnerships

supported through this priority should

not be underestimated. The Secretary

expects projects to develop models that

intersect between preservice and

inservice development for professional

personnel and will have a significant

impact on the improvement of

educational practices that will lead to

better results for children. It is intended

that these models will provide a means

by which local schools and IHEs can

simultaneously improve their work and

effectiveness.

Priority: The Secretary establishes an

absolute priority to support projects that

develop, implement, and evaluate

innovative models for engaging general

education and special education faculty

in IHEs and general education and

special education teachers and

instructional leaders in local schools

and districts in a dynamic and enduring

partnership to enhance and

simultaneously improve the quality of

preservice preparation and ongoing

professional development of teachers

and instructional leaders. Partnership

activities must be designed to ensure

that both special education and regular

education professionals have the

knowledge and skills necessary to

improve results for children with

disabilities.

Projects funded under this priority

must:

(a) Develop a partnership model for

linking IHE personnel training programs

with local school practice that is guided

by a conceptual framework

incorporating relevant, research-based

knowledge and practice. The

partnership model must include the

following features:

(1) A systematic approach to

professional development at all stages of

the training continuum by focusing on

continuous learning by teachers,

instructional leaders, and faculties of

IHE education programs;

(2) The integration of theory and

practice to produce more practical,

contextualized theory and more

theoretically grounded, broadly

informed practice;

(3) A strong commitment to researchbased change that is continually

responsive to personnel needs and to

advances in the knowledge base; and

(4) A description of the benefits that

will accrue to all stakeholders,

including, but not limited to, IHE

faculty, teachers in training, practicing

professionals in local schools, and

students with disabilities, as a result of
29066 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 101 /Wednesday, May 27, 1998 / Notice

the implementation of the proposed

partnership model.

(b) Provide substantial evidence that

the proposed model will serve a broadbased need.

(c) Establish an advisory panel of

relevant stakeholders and potential

users to provide guidance that will help

to assure the model developed has

broad applicability.

(d) Include the following partnerships

activities:

(1) Identification of a common core of

knowledge and skills that are

appropriate for all prospective general

and special education teachers, are

aligned with critical teaching standards

and with high student content and

performance standards, and for which

there is broad based support among all

stakeholders;

(2) Clarification of the current and

emerging roles and responsibilities of

special educators in inclusive schools,

including identification of the

specialized knowledge and skill

competencies that these educators must

perform effectively, and for which there

is broad based support among all

stakeholders;

(3) Modification of curricula and

materials used for preservice

preparation of general and special

education teachers that is consistent

with the requirements under paragraph

(a) and is conducted through

collaboration between IHEs and schools

or districts; and

(4) Development of an approach for

providing intensive, ongoing

professional development that will

advance the career-long learning of

school and IHE personnel and ensure

that children with disabilities achieve to

high standards.

(e) Conduct ongoing formative

evaluations of project activities, and a

final evaluation to assess the success of

the partnership model in enhancing the

skills, knowledge, and practices of

professional personnel that will lead to

improved results for children with

disabilities.

(f) Develop a plan for sustaining

implementation of the model beyond

the period of Federal funding for this

project.

(g) Produce a model ‘‘blueprint’’ or

case study that would permit others to

replicate or implement the model and

includes comprehensive information

related to paragraphs (a) through (d) and

comprehensive outcomes of the final

evaluation required under paragraph (e).

(h) In addition to the annual two day

Project Directors’ meeting in

Washington, DC, mentioned in the

General Requirements section of this

notice, budget for another annual twoday trip to Washington, DC, to

collaborate with the Federal project

officer and other projects funded under

this priority by sharing information and

discussing model development,

implementation, and dissemination

issues, including the carrying out of

cross-project dissemination activities.

Under this priority, the project period

is up to 60 months subject to the

requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for

continuation awards. In determining

whether to continue the project 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 project’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

project’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 grant

have been or are being met by the

project; and

(c) The degree to which the project’s

design and methodology demonstrates

the potential for advancing significant

new knowledge.

Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Maximum Award: The Secretary

rejects and does not consider an

application that proposes a budget

exceeding $300,000 for any single

budget period of 12 months. 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, is where an

applicant addresses the selection

criteria that are used by reviewers in

evaluating an application. An applicant

must limit Part III to the equivalent of

no more than 50 double-spaced pages,

using the following standards: (1) A

‘‘page’’ is 8′′ x 11′′ (on one side only)

with one-inch margins (top, bottom, and

sides). (2) All text in the application

narrative, including titles, headings,

footnotes, quotations, references, and

captions, as well as all text in charts,

tables, figures, and graphs, 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 18 characters per

inch. If using a nonproportional font or

a typewriter, do not use more than 12

characters to the inch.

The page limit does not apply to Part

I—the cover sheet; Part II—the budget

section (including the narrative budget

justification); Part IV—the assurances

and certifications; or the one-page

abstract, resumes, bibliography, and

letters of support. However, all of the

application narrative must be included

in Part III. If an application narrative

uses a smaller print size, spacing, or

margin that would make the narrative

exceed the equivalent of the page limit,

the application will not be considered

for funding.

Program Authority: Section 673 of IDEA.

Special Education—Training and

Information for Parents of Children

With Disabilities [CFDA 84.328C]

Purpose of Program: The purpose of

this program is to support local parent

organizations to help ensure that

underserved parents of children with

disabilities, including low-income

parents, parents of children with limited

English proficiency, and parents with

disabilities, have the training and

information they need to enable them to

participate effectively in helping their

children with disabilities.

Eligible Applicants: Local parent

organizations must meet the criteria in

section 682(g) of the Act, and also must

meet one of the following criteria—

(a) Have a board of directors the

majority of whom are from the

community to be served; or

(b) Have as part of its mission, serving

the interests of individuals with

disabilities from such community; and

have a special governing committee to

administer the project, a majority of the

members of which are individuals from

such community; examples of

administrative responsibilities include

controlling the use of the project funds,

and hiring and managing project

personnel.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

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

and 85; and (b) the selection criteria

included in 34 CFR 316.22.

Priority: Under sections 661(e)(2) and

683 of the Act, and 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3),

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—Community Parent

Resource Centers (84.029C)

The purpose of this statutory priority

is to support local parent training and
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 101 /Wednesday, May 27, 1998 / Notice 29067

information centers that will help

ensure that underserved parents of

children with disabilities, including

low-income parents, parents of children

with limited English proficiency, and

parents with disabilities, have the

training and information they need to

enable them to participate effectively in

helping their children with disabilities

to—

(a) Meet developmental goals and, to

the maximum extent possible, those

challenging standards that have been

established for all children; and

(b) Be prepared to lead productive

independent adult lives, to the

maximum extent possible.

Each community parent training and

information center supported under this

priority must—

(a) Provide training and information

that meets the training and information

needs of parents of children with

disabilities proposed to be served by the

project;

(b) Assist parents to understand the

availability of, and how to effectively

use, procedural safeguards under

Section 615 of the Act, including

encouraging the use, and explaining the

benefits, of alternative methods of

dispute resolution, such as the

mediation process described in the Act;

(c) Serve the parents of infants,

toddlers, and children with the full

range of disabilities by assisting parents

to—

(1) Better understand the nature of

their children’s disabilities and their

educational and developmental needs;

(2) Communicate effectively with

personnel responsible for providing

special education, early intervention,

and related services;

(3) Participate in decision making

processes and the development of

individualized education programs and

individualized family service plans;

(4) Obtain appropriate information

about the range of options, programs,

services, and resources available to

assist children with disabilities and

their families;

(5) Understand the provisions of the

Act for the education of, and the

provision of early intervention services

to, children with disabilities; and

(6) Participate in school reform

activities;

(d) Contract with the State education

agencies, if the State elects to contract

with the community parent resource

centers, for the purpose of meeting with

parents who choose not to use the

mediation process, to encourage the use

and explain the benefits of mediation,

consistent with Sections 615(e)(2)(B)

and (D) of the Act;

(e) In order to serve parents and

families of children with the full range

of disabilities, network with appropriate

clearinghouses, including organizations

conducting national dissemination

activities under section 685(d) of the

Act, and with other national, State, and

local organizations and agencies, such

as protection and advocacy agencies;

(f) Establish cooperative partnerships

with the parent training and information

centers funded under Section 682 of the

Act;

(g) Be designed to meet the specific

needs of families who experience

significant isolation from available

sources of information and support; and

(h) Annually report to the Secretary

on—

(1) The number of parents to whom it

provided information and training in

the most recently concluded fiscal year,

and

(2) The effectiveness of strategies used

to reach and serve parents, including

underserved parents of children with

disabilities.

Competitive Priorities: Within this

Absolute Priority, the Secretary, under

34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), gives preference

to applications that meet one or both of

the following competitive priorities:

The Secretary awards 20 points to an

application submitted by a local parent

organization that has a board of

directors, the majority of whom are

parents of children with disabilities,

from the community to be served. These

points are in addition to any points the

application earns under the selection

criteria for the program.

The Secretary awards 10 points to an

application that provides parent training

and information in one or more

Empowerment Zones or Enterprise

Communities in a manner that meets the

competitive priority relating to

Empowerment Zones or Enterprise

Communities published in the Federal

Register on November 7, 1994 (59 FR

55534). A list of areas that have been

selected as Empowerment Zones or

Enterprise Communities is included in

the application package. These points

are in addition to any points the

application earns under the selection

criteria for the program.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Project Award: Projects will not be

funded in excess of $100,000 for any

single budget period of 12 months.

Program Authority: Section 683 of the

Act.

For Applications and General

Information Contact: Requests for

applications and general information

should be addressed to the Grants and

Contracts Services Team, 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)

205–8953.

Individuals with disabilities may

obtain a copy of this notice or the

application packages referred to in this

notice in an alternate format (e.g.

Braille, large print, audiotape, or

computer diskette) by contacting the

Department as listed above. However,

the Department is not able to reproduce

in an alternate format the standard

forms included in the application

package.

Intergovernmental Review

These programs 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 inter-governmental

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 those program.

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT APPLICATION NOTICE FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998

CFDA No. and name Applications

available

Application

deadline

date

Deadline for

intergovernmental review

Maximum

award

(per year)*

Page limit*

Estimated

number of

awards

84.325N Professional Development—Projects of National Significance ......................................................... 5/27/98 7/10/98 9/08/98 $200,000 40 15
29068 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 101 /Wednesday, May 27, 1998 / Notice

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT APPLICATION NOTICE FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998—Continued

CFDA No. and name Applications

available

Application

deadline

date

Deadline for

intergovernmental review

Maximum

award

(per year)*

Page limit*

Estimated

number of

awards

84.325P Professional Development—Partnerships to

Link Personnel Training and School Practice ............... 5/27/98 7/10/98 9/08/98 300,000 50 4

84.328C Community Parent Resource Centers ............... 5//27/98 7/17/98 9/15/98 100,000 NONE 10

*The Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that proposes a budget exceeding the amount listed for each priority for any single budget period of 12 months, except 84.328C, Community Parent Resource Centers.

**Applicants must limit the Application Narrative, Part III of the Application, to the page limits noted above. Please refer to the ‘‘Page Limit’’

section of this notice for the specific requirements. The Secretary rejects and does not consider an application that does not adhere to this requirement.

Electronic Access to This Document

Anyone may view this document, as

well as all other Department of

Education documents published in the

Federal Register, in text or portable

document format (pdf) on the World

Wide Web at either of the following

sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm

http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the pdf you must have the Adobe

Acrobat Reader Program with Search,

which is available free at either of the

previous sites. If you have questions

about using the pdf, call the U.S.

Government Printing Office toll free at

1–888–293–6498.

Anyone may also view these

documents in text copy only on an

electronic bulletin board of the

Department. Telephone: (202) 219–1511

or, toll free, 1–800–222–4922. The

documents are located under Option

G—Files/Announcements, Bulletins,

and Press Releases.

Note: The official version of a document is

the document published in the Federal

Register.

Dated: May 13, 1998.

Judith E. Heumann,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 98–13940 Filed 5–26–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P