Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 83 / Friday, April 30, 2010 / Notices 22767 

following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/ 

fedregister. To use PDF, you must have 

Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at this site. 

Note: The official version of this document 

is the document published in the Federal 

Register. Free Internet access to the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the Code 

of Federal Regulations is available on GPO 

Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/ 

index.html. 

Delegation of Authority: The Secretary 

of Education has delegated authority to 

Daniel T. Madzelan, Director, 

Forecasting and Policy Analysis for the 

Office of Postsecondary Education, to 

perform the functions and duties of the 

Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary 

Education. 

Dated: April 27, 2010. 

Daniel T. Madzelan, 

Director, Forecasting and Policy Analysis. 

[FR Doc. 2010–10203 Filed 4–29–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

National Institute on Disability and 

Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)— 

Disability and Rehabilitation Research 

Projects and Centers Program— 

Disability Rehabilitation Research 

Project (DRRP)—Transition to 

Employment 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

(CFDA) Number: 84.133A–1. 

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice of final priority. 

SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for 

Special Education and Rehabilitative 

Services announces a priority for the 

Disability and Rehabilitation Research 

Projects and Centers Program 

administered by NIDRR. Specifically, 

this notice announces a priority for a 

DRRP on Transition to Employment. 

The Assistant Secretary may use this 

priority for a competition in fiscal year 

(FY) 2010 and later years. We take this 

action to focus research attention on 

areas of national need. We intend this 

priority to improve rehabilitation 

services and outcomes for individuals 

with disabilities. 

EFFECTIVE DATE: This priority is effective 

June 1, 2010. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Marlene Spencer, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 

Room 5133, Potomac Center Plaza 

(PCP), Washington, DC 20202–2700. 

Telephone: (202) 245–7532 or by e-mail: 

marlene.spencer@ed.gov. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD), call the 

Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 

1–800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice of final priority is in concert with 

NIDRR’s Final Long-Range Plan for FY 

2005–2009 (Plan). The Plan, which was 

published in the Federal Register on 

February 15, 2006 (71 FR 8165), can be 

accessed on the Internet at the following 

site: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/ 

list/osers/nidrr/policy.html. 

Through the implementation of the 

Plan, NIDRR seeks to: (1) Improve the 

quality and utility of disability and 

rehabilitation research; (2) foster an 

exchange of expertise, information, and 

training to facilitate the advancement of 

knowledge and understanding of the 

unique needs of traditionally 

underserved populations; (3) determine 

best strategies and programs to improve 

rehabilitation outcomes for underserved 

populations; (4) identify research gaps; 

(5) identify mechanisms of integrating 

research and practice; and (6) 

disseminate findings. 

Purpose of Program: 

The purpose of the DRRP program is 

to improve the effectiveness of services 

authorized under the Rehabilitation Act 

of 1973, as amended, by developing 

methods, procedures, and rehabilitation 

technologies that advance a wide range 

of independent living and employment 

outcomes for individuals with 

disabilities, especially individuals with 

the most severe disabilities. DRRPs 

carry out one or more of the following 

types of activities, as specified and 

defined in 34 CFR 350.13 through 

350.19: Research, training, 

demonstration, development, 

dissemination, utilization, and technical 

assistance. An applicant for assistance 

under this program must demonstrate in 

its application how it will address, in 

whole or in part, the needs of 

individuals with disabilities from 

minority backgrounds (34 CFR 

350.40(a)). The approaches an applicant 

may take to meet this requirement are 

found in 34 CFR 350.40(b). In addition, 

NIDRR intends to require all DRRP 

applicants to meet the requirements of 

the General Disability and 

Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) 

Requirements priority that it published 

in a notice of final priorities in the 

Federal Register on April 28, 2006 (71 

FR 25472). 

Additional information on the DRRP 

program can be found at: http:// 

www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/resprogram.html#DRRP. 

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) 

and 764(a). 

Applicable Program Regulations: 34 

CFR part 350. 

We published a notice of proposed 

priority (NPP) for NIDRR’s Disability 

and Rehabilitation Research Projects 

and Centers Program in the Federal 

Register on December 29, 2009 (74 FR 

68808). The NPP included a background 

statement that described our rationale 

for the priority proposed in that notice. 

There is one significant difference 

between the NPP and this notice of final 

priority (NFP) as discussed in the 

following section. 

Public Comment: 

In response to our invitation in the 

NPP, five parties submitted comments 

on the proposed priority. An analysis of 

the comments and of any changes in the 

priority since publication of the NPP 

follows. 

Generally, we do not address 

technical and other minor changes or 

suggested changes the law does not 

authorize us to make under the 

applicable statutory authority. In 

addition, we do not address general 

comments that raised concerns not 

directly related to the proposed priority. 

Analysis of Comments and Changes: 

Comment: One commenter suggested 

that the priority address the effect of 

State budget crises on transition 

programs. 

Discussion: Although the priority 

does not explicitly include a 

requirement for research on State 

finances, nothing in the priority 

precludes an applicant from proposing 

to examine the effect of this factor on 

transition programs and employment 

outcomes for youth with disabilities. 

However, NIDRR has no basis for 

requiring all applicants to focus on State 

finances. The peer review process will 

determine the merits of each proposal. 

Changes: None. 

Comment: One commenter asked how 

NIDRR envisions the relationship 

between this priority and other NIDRRfunded projects that address specific 

populations of youth with disabilities, 

and whether the priority requests a 

focus on different subpopulations or is 

inclusive of all youth with disabilities. 

Discussion: This priority focuses 

specifically on transition to 

employment, rather than on other 

aspects of transition, such as selfdetermination or community 

participation. Accordingly, the target 

population for this priority is transitionage youth with disabilities who are at 

risk for poor employment outcomes, 

rather than all youth with disabilities. 

We note that under paragraph (b) of the 

priority, applicants must identify the 

specific at-risk group or groups of 

transition-age youth with disabilities 


wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with NOTICES_PART 1
22768 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 83 / Friday, April 30, 2010 / Notices 

they propose to study, provide evidence 

that the selected population or 

populations are, in fact, at risk for poor 

employment outcomes, and explain 

how the proposed practices are 

expected to address the needs of the 

population or populations. 

Changes: None. 

Comment: One commenter asked 

NIDRR to elaborate on the definition of 

disability for purposes of this priority 

(e.g., whether the priority should focus 

on individuals with disabilities who 

have received services under the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education 

Act, individuals who are considered to 

have a disability under the Americans 

with Disabilities Act, or individuals 

with disabilities who are eligible for the 

vocational rehabilitation program). 

Discussion: The Rehabilitation Act 

(Section 7(20)(B)) defines ‘‘individual 

with a disability,’’ with respect to this 

program, as any person who ‘‘(i) has a 

physical or mental impairment which 

substantially limits one or more of such 

person’s major life activities; (ii) has a 

record of such an impairment; or (iii) is 

regarded as having such an 

impairment.’’ Within the broad 

constraints of this definition, applicants 

have the flexibility to specify their target 

population for the purposes of their 

proposed projects. 

Changes: None. 

Comment: One commenter questioned 

the relationship between the research 

activities to be conducted under 

paragraph (a) and the research activities 

to be conducted under paragraph (b) of 

the priority. The commenter asked 

whether proposals should determine the 

promising practice(s) to be studied 

under paragraph (b) before all of the 

research conducted under paragraph (a) 

has been completed. 

Discussion: Paragraph (a) of the 

priority requires the applicant to 

conduct research to identify promising 

employment-focused practices for 

transition-age youth with disabilities. 

Paragraph (b) requires the applicant to 

conduct research to determine the 

effectiveness of promising transition 

practices, using at least one of the 

promising practices identified in 

paragraph (a). NIDRR acknowledges the 

difficulty involved in planning to meet 

the requirements in paragraph (b) before 

the research activities proposed for 

paragraph (a) are completed, and 

therefore will change paragraph (b) to 

make clear that it is not necessary for an 

applicant to fully delineate the range of 

promising practices under paragraph (a) 

before planning the research under 

paragraph (b). 

Changes: NIDRR has revised the 

priority to remove the reference to 

paragraph (a) in paragraph (b) of the 

priority to clarify that the promising 

practices evaluated under paragraph (b) 

are not wholly dependent on the results 

of research conducted by the applicant 

under paragraph (a). 

Comment: One commenter asked how 

NIDRR defines employment outcomes 

for the target population. Another 

commenter asked whether the research 

projects funded under this priority 

should demonstrate effects on direct 

employment outcomes or on outcomes 

related to the employability of the target 

population. 

Discussion: There is a wide variety of 

valid definitions and measures of 

employment outcomes, many of which 

would be precluded if NIDRR specified 

those measures and outcomes in the 

priority. Therefore, NIDRR is not 

providing a definition of employment 

outcome nor is it specifying the types of 

employment outcomes an applicant 

should use. Instead, NIDRR encourages 

applicants to use definitions and 

outcome measures that are appropriate 

to the research projects being proposed. 

The peer review process will determine 

the merits of each application. 

Changes: None. 

Comment: One commenter 

recommended that the priority focus on 

effective practices and interventions for 

individuals who are deaf-blind. 

Discussion: Paragraph (b) of the 

priority requires applicants to identify 

the specific at-risk group or groups of 

transition-age youth with disabilities 

they propose to study, provide evidence 

that the selected population or 

populations are, in fact, at risk for poor 

employment outcomes, and explain 

how the proposed practices are 

expected to address the needs of the 

population or populations. Provided an 

applicant meets these requirements, it is 

not limited in the characteristics of the 

subpopulations it may identify and 

therefore could choose to include youth 

who are deaf-blind in its proposed 

project. 

Changes: None. 

Comment: One commenter 

encouraged NIDRR to recognize 

organized recreational and competitive 

sports programs for youth with 

disabilities as a promising practice in 

helping to address poor employment 

outcomes among transition-age youth 

with disabilities. 

Discussion: Paragraph (a) of the 

priority specifies that the research 

conducted under this priority should 

generate new knowledge of promising 

transition practices, and paragraph (b) 

requires research on the effectiveness of 

transition practices for a particular 

subpopulation of transition-age youth 

with disabilities who are at risk for poor 

employment outcomes. The language in 

the priority does not specify the type of 

practices to be investigated. Therefore, 

the priority does not preclude an 

applicant from investigating the effects 

of recreational and competitive sports 

programs on employment outcomes for 

transition-age youth at risk for poor 

employment outcomes. However, 

NIDRR has no basis for requiring all 

applicants to conduct research on such 

programs. The peer review process will 

determine the merits of each 

application. 

Changes: None. 

Final Priority: 

The Assistant Secretary for Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services 

announces a priority for a Disability and 

Rehabilitation Research Project (DRRP) 

on Transition to Employment. The 

purpose of this priority is to identify 

and evaluate promising practices that 

will facilitate job entry and career 

development for transition-age youth 

with disabilities who are at risk for poor 

employment outcomes. 

A number of factors can affect 

employment outcomes for this 

population, including demographic 

characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, age), 

disability characteristics (e.g., disability 

type) and disadvantaged background 

(e.g., poverty, foster care, involvement 

in the juvenile justice system). The 

DRRP must build upon the current 

research literature and ongoing 

implementation and demonstration of 

promising practices in the field of 

transition to employment. 

Under this priority, the DRRP must be 

designed to contribute to the following 

outcomes: 

(a) New knowledge of promising 

employment-focused transition 

practices for transition-age youth with 

disabilities who are at risk for poor 

employment outcomes. The DRRP must 

contribute to this outcome by 

conducting research to identify such 

practices. These practices may include, 

but are not limited to: work experience 

during the secondary school years; 

involvement of employers in the design 

and implementation of the transition 

program; supported employment; and 

increased coordination among schools, 

State vocational rehabilitation (VR) 

programs, or other programs serving 

transition-age youth with disabilities. 

(b) New knowledge regarding the 

effectiveness of employment-focused 

transition practices for transition-age 

youth with disabilities at risk for poor 

employment outcomes. The DRRP must 

contribute to this outcome by 

implementing and evaluating at least 

one promising practice for a particular 


wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with NOTICES_PART 1
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 83 / Friday, April 30, 2010 / Notices 22769 

at-risk group of transition-age youth 

with disabilities. In evaluating the 

promising practice or practices, the 

DRRP must use scientifically based 

research, as defined in section 9101(37) 

of the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 

U.S.C. 7801(37)). Applicants must 

identify the specific at-risk group or 

groups of transition-age youth with 

disabilities they propose to study, 

provide evidence that the selected 

population or populations are, in fact, at 

risk for poor employment outcomes, and 

explain how the proposed practices are 

expected to address the needs of the 

population or populations. 

(c) Enhancement of the knowledge 

base of policy makers, State VR 

personnel, and personnel of other 

programs serving transition-age youth 

with disabilities. The DRRP must 

contribute to this outcome by 

conducting targeted dissemination of 

results from research conducted under 

paragraphs (a) and (b). 

• In addition, through coordination 

with the NIDRR Project Officer, the 

DRRP must contribute to this outcome 

by: 

(1) Collaborating with relevant 

technical assistance grantees from the 

Rehabilitation Services Administration, 

such as the Technical Assistance and 

Continuing Education (TACE) Centers; 

and 

(2) Collaborating with relevant 

technical assistance grantees from the 

Office of Special Education Programs, 

such as the National Secondary 

Transition Technical Assistance Center. 

Types of Priorities: 

When inviting applications for a 

competition using one or more 

priorities, we designate the type of each 

priority as absolute, competitive 

preference, or invitational through a 

notice in the Federal Register. The 

effect of each type of priority follows: 

Absolute priority: Under an absolute 

priority, we consider only applications 

that meet the priority (34 CFR 

75.105(c)(3)). 

Competitive preference priority: 

Under a competitive preference priority, 

we give competitive preference to an 

application by (1) awarding additional 

points, depending on the extent to 

which the application meets the priority 

(34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting 

an application that meets the priority 

over an application of comparable merit 

that does not meet the priority (34 CFR 

75.105(c)(2)(ii)). 

Invitational priority: Under an 

invitational priority, we are particularly 

interested in applications that meet the 

priority. However, we do not give an 

application that meets the priority a 

preference over other applications (34 

CFR 75.105(c)(1)). 

Note: This notice does not solicit 

applications. In any year in which we choose 

to use this priority, we invite applications 

through a notice in the Federal Register. 

Executive Order 12866: This notice 

has been reviewed in accordance with 

Executive Order 12866. Under the terms 

of the order, we have assessed the 

potential costs and benefits of this 

regulatory action. 

The potential costs associated with 

this final regulatory action are those 

resulting from statutory requirements 

and those we have determined as 

necessary for administering this 

program effectively and efficiently. 

In assessing the potential costs and 

benefits—both quantitative and 

qualitative—of this final regulatory 

action, we have determined that the 

benefits of the final priority justify the 

costs. 

Discussion of costs and benefits: 

The benefits of the Disability and 

Rehabilitation Research Projects and 

Centers Programs have been well 

established over the years in that similar 

projects have been completed 

successfully. This final priority will 

generate new knowledge about 

transition to employment for youth with 

disabilities, through research, 

development, dissemination, utilization, 

or technical assistance projects. 

Another benefit of this final priority is 

that the establishment of a new DRRP 

will improve the lives of individuals 

with disabilities. The new DRRP will 

generate, disseminate, and promote the 

use of new information about transition 

to employment for youth with 

disabilities. This information will 

improve the options for youth with 

disabilities as they transition into 

adulthood and employment activities. 

Accessible Format: Individuals with 

disabilities can obtain this document in 

an accessible format (e.g., braille, large 

print, audiotape, or computer diskette) 

by contacting the Grants and Contracts 

Services Team, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 

room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 

20202–2550. Telephone: (202) 245– 

7363. If you use a TDD, call the FRS, 

toll-free, at 1–800–877–8339. 

Electronic Access to This Document: 

You can view this document, as well as 

all other documents of this Department 

published in the Federal Register, in 

text or Adobe Portable Document 

Format (PDF) on the Internet at the 

following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/ 

fedregister. To use PDF you must have 

Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at this site. 

Note: The official version of this document 

is the document published in the Federal 

Register. Free Internet access to the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the Code 

of Federal Regulations is available on GPO 

Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/ 

index.html. 

Dated: April 27, 2010. 

Alexa Posny, 

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. 2010–10183 Filed 4–29–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

Sunshine Act Notice 

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice of Virtual Public Forum 

for EAC Standards Board. 

DATE AND TIME: Monday, May 17, 2010, 

9 a.m. EDT through Tuesday, June 1, 

2010, 9 p.m. EDT. 

PLACE: EAC Standards Board Virtual 

Meeting Room at http://www.eac.gov. 

Once at the main page of EAC’s Web 

site, viewers should click the link to the 

Standards Board Virtual Meeting Room. 

The virtual meeting room will open on 

Monday, May 17, 2010, at 9 a.m. EDT 

and will close on Tuesday, June 1, 2010, 

at 9 p.m. EDT. The site will be available 

24 hours per day during that 16-day 

period. 

PURPOSE: The EAC Standards Board will 

review and provide comment on three 

draft chapters of the Election 

Management Guidelines. The draft 

chapters contain best practices and 

recommendations regarding: 

Accessibility, Elections Office 

Administration, and Technology in 

Elections. 

The EAC Standards Board Virtual 

Meeting Room was established to enable 

the Standards Board to conduct 

business in an efficient manner in a 

public forum, including being able to 

review and discuss draft documents, 

when it is not feasible for an in-person 

board meeting. The Standards Board 

will not take any votes or propose any 

resolutions during the 16-day forum of 

May 17–June 1, 2010. Members will 

post comments about the three draft 

chapters of the Election Management 

Guidelines. 

This activity is open to the public. 

The public may view the proceedings of 

this special forum by visiting the EAC 

Standards Board Virtual Meeting Room 

at http://www.eac.gov at any time 

between Monday, May 17, 2010, 9 a.m. 

EDT and Tuesday, June 1, 2010, 9 p.m. 


wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with NOTICES_PART 1