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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 241 (Monday, December 16, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 101589-101595]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-29530]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Special Education Parent Information Centers--Parent Training and 
Information Centers

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, 
Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for 
Special Education Parent Information Centers--Parent Training and 
Information Centers (PTIs).

DATES: 
    Applications Available: December 16, 2024.
    Application Deadline: March 3, 2025.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 30, 2025.
    Pre-Application Webinar Information: The Office of Special 
Education Programs and Rehabilitative Services will record a pre-
application webinar for this competition, available at www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/osers/osep/new-osep-grant-competitions, within five 
days after publication of this notice. In addition, applicants may view 
information on this competition at www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/osers/osep/new-osep-grant-competitions.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an 
application, please refer to the Application Submission Instructions 
section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carmen Sanchez, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: 
(202) 987-0117. Email: [email protected].
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and 
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement

Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Special Education Parent 
Information Centers program is to ensure that parents of children with 
disabilities receive high-quality, relevant, and useful training and 
information to help improve outcomes for their children.
    Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 84.328M.
    OMB Control Number: 1820-0028.
    Eligible Applicants: Parent organizations.
    Note: Section 671(a)(2) of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act (IDEA) defines a ``parent organization'' as a private 
nonprofit organization \1\ (other than an institution of higher 
education (IHE)) that--
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    \1\ If you are a nonprofit organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you 
may demonstrate your nonprofit status by providing: (1) proof that 
the Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as 
an organization to which contributions are tax deductible under 
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a statement from 
a State taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that 
the organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the 
State and that no part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any 
private shareholder or individual; (3) a certified copy of the 
applicant's certificate of incorporation or similar document if it 
clearly establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) 
any item described above if that item applies to a State or national 
parent organization, together with a statement by the State or 
parent organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit 
affiliate.
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    (a) Has a board of directors--
    (1) The majority of whom are parents of children with disabilities 
ages birth through 26;
    (2) That includes--
    (i) Individuals working in the fields of special education, related 
services, and early intervention; and
    (ii) Individuals with disabilities; and
    (3) The parent and professional members of which are broadly 
representative of the population to be served, including low-income 
parents and parents of limited English proficient children; and
    (b) Has as its mission serving families of children with 
disabilities who are ages birth through 26 and have the full range of 
disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA.
    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested 
$33,152,000 for awards for the Special Education Parent Information 
Centers program for FY 2025, of which we intend to use an estimated 
$25,800,000 for this competition. The actual level of funding, if any, 
depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting 
applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if 
Congress appropriates funds for this program.
    Information on funding amounts for individual States is in the 
``Maximum

[[Page 101590]]

Award'' column of the table in this section.
    The Department considered population distribution, poverty rates, 
and low-density enrollment when determining the award amounts for 
grants under this competition. For the States listed in the funding 
table, one award may be made for up to the amounts listed in the table 
to a qualified applicant for a PTI to serve the entire State.
    Maximum Award: See table. We will not make an award exceeding the 
corresponding amount shown in the table for each State or region within 
a State for a single budget period of 12 months.
    Applications for one five-year award will be accepted to serve the 
area in the Pacific comprised of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States 
consisting of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 64. Based on the quality of 
applications received, the Department intends to fund one PTI in each 
of the States and regions listed below.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Maximum annual
                      State/region                             award
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama.................................................        $374,214
Alaska..................................................         250,000
Arizona.................................................         484,600
Arkansas................................................         250,000
California:
    CA Region 1.........................................         605,344
    CA Region 2.........................................         751,877
    CA Region 3.........................................         350,371
    CA Region 4.........................................         463,005
    CA Region 5.........................................         335,221
Colorado................................................         367,386
Connecticut.............................................         250,000
Delaware................................................         250,000
District of Columbia....................................         250,000
Florida:
    FL Region 1.........................................         351,158
    FL Region 2.........................................         325,620
    FL Region 3.........................................         608,398
Georgia.................................................         775,872
Hawaii..................................................         250,000
Idaho...................................................         250,000
Illinois................................................         819,598
Indiana.................................................         493,168
Iowa....................................................         250,000
Kansas..................................................         250,000
Kentucky................................................         330,002
Louisiana...............................................         340,291
Maine...................................................         250,000
Maryland................................................         385,237
Massachusetts...........................................         418,977
Michigan................................................         677,073
Minnesota...............................................         386,724
Mississippi.............................................         250,000
Missouri................................................         428,497
Montana.................................................         250,000
Nebraska................................................         250,000
Nevada..................................................         250,000
New Hampshire...........................................         250,000
New Jersey..............................................         563,367
New Mexico..............................................         250,000
New York:
    NY Region 1.........................................         698,920
    NY Region 2.........................................         544,158
North Carolina..........................................         733,745
North Dakota............................................         250,000
Ohio....................................................         798,050
Oklahoma................................................         307,681
Oregon..................................................         259,817
Pacific.................................................         250,000
Pennsylvania............................................         824,315
Puerto Rico.............................................         250,000
Rhode Island............................................         250,000
South Carolina..........................................         357,394
South Dakota............................................         250,000
Tennessee...............................................         489,171
Texas:
    TX Region 1.........................................         543,245
    TX Region 2.........................................         310,371
    TX Region 3.........................................         704,460
    TX Region 4.........................................         695,054
U.S. Virgin Islands.....................................         175,000
Utah....................................................         269,725
Vermont.................................................         250,000
Virginia................................................         571,252
Washington..............................................         484,832
West Virginia...........................................         250,000
Wisconsin...............................................         396,810
Wyoming.................................................         250,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Applications for five-year awards will also be accepted to serve 
regions in the following States:

California--

Region 1--Los Angeles county;
Region 2--Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego 
counties;
Region 3--Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, 
San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura counties;
Region 4--Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San 
Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma 
counties; and
Region 5--Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El 
Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, 
Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, 
Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba counties.

Florida--

Region 1--Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Clay, 
Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, 
Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, 
Levy, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Okaloosa, Putnam, Santa Rosa, 
Seminole, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, 
and Washington counties;
Region 2--Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, 
Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, 
Sarasota, and Sumter counties; and
Region 3--Broward, Indian River, Lake, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, 
Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, and St. Lucie counties.

New York--

Region 1--Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, and Suffolk 
counties; and
Region 2--The rest of the State of New York.

Texas--

Region 1--Atascosa, Bandera, Bastrop, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, 
Cameron, Comal, Dimmit, Fayette, Frio, Gillespie, Gonzales, Guadalupe, 
Hays, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, La Salle, Lee, Llano, 
Maverick, Medina, Real, Starr, Travis, Uvalde, Webb, Willacy, 
Williamson, Wilson, Zapata, and Zavala counties;
Region 2--Andrews, Archer, Armstrong, Bailey, Baylor, Bell, Borden, 
Bosque, Brewster, Briscoe, Brown, Callahan, Carson, Castro, Childress, 
Clay, Cochran, Coke, Coleman, Collingsworth, Comanche, Concho, Coryell, 
Cottle, Crane, Crockett, Crosby, Culberson, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, 
Dickens, Donley, Eastland, Ector, Edwards, El Paso, Falls, Fisher, 
Floyd, Foard, Freestone, Gaines, Garza, Glasscock, Gray, Hale, Hall, 
Hamilton, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Haskell, Hemphill, Hill, 
Hockley, Howard, Hudspeth, Hutchinson, Irion, Jack, Jeff Davis, Jones, 
Kent, Kimble, King, Knox, Loving, Lamb, Lampasas, Limestone, Lipscomb, 
Lubbock, Lynn, Martin, Mason, McCulloch, McLennan, Menard, Midland, 
Mills, Mitchell, Montague, Moore, Motley, Navarro, Nolan, Ochiltree, 
Oldham, Parmer, Pecos, Potter, Presidio, Randall, Reagan, Reeves, 
Roberts, Runnels, San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, Sherman, 
Stephens, Sterling, Stonewall, Sutton, Swisher, Taylor, Terrell, Terry, 
Throckmorton, Tom Green, Upton, Val Verde, Ward, Wheeler, Wichita, 
Wilbarger, Winkler, Yoakum, and Young counties;
Region 3--Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Collin, 
Cooke, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Franklin, Grayson, 
Gregg,

[[Page 101591]]

Harrison, Henderson, Hood, Hopkins, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Lamar, 
Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Palo Pinto, Panola, Parker, Rains, Red 
River, Rockwall, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Somervell, 
Tarrant, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, Wise, and Wood counties; and
Region 4--Aransas, Austin, Bee, Brazoria, Brazos, Brooks, Burleson, 
Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, DeWitt, Duval, Fort Bend, Galveston, 
Goliad, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, 
Jim Wells, Karnes, Kenedy, Kleberg, Lavaca, Leon, Liberty, Live Oak, 
Madison, Matagorda, McMullen, Milam, Montgomery, Newton, Nueces, 
Orange, Polk, Refugio, Robertson, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Trinity, 
Tyler, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Washington, and Wharton counties.
    Background:
    Family engagement is vital to student success and children's 
development. To support families of children with disabilities, and 
youth with disabilities, as they navigate complex systems to obtain 
educational and developmental opportunities children and youth with 
disabilities need to thrive, the Department funds PTIs. This 
competition will fund 64 PTIs designed to meet the information, 
training, and support needs of parents of children with disabilities 
and youth with disabilities.
    PTIs help families of children with disabilities have meaningful 
opportunities to participate in the education of their children. This 
is done through individualized assistance, training, and resources that 
help parents work with schools, providers, and educational systems to 
meet the unique needs of their children. PTIs also help youth develop 
their ability to advocate for their needs through individual 
assistance, training, and resources.
    PTIs provide support to increase parents' knowledge of evidence-
based practices, expand their capacity to help their children improve 
their educational and developmental outcomes, and develop their ability 
to be involved in school reform initiatives. PTIs help youth understand 
their rights and responsibilities and learn self-advocacy skills to 
lead as productive and independent lives as possible.
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2025 this priority is an absolute 
priority. The absolute priority is from the allowable activities in, or 
otherwise authorized under, the statute.\2\ We consider only 
applications that meet this priority.
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    \2\ See sections 671 and 681(d) of IDEA; 20 U.S.C. 1471 and 
1481.
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    An applicant may apply only once under the priority, except an 
applicant may apply for multiple regional centers within a single State 
and must submit a separate application for each region. For example, an 
applicant submitting for multiple regions within Texas must submit 
separate applications for each region.

Priority:

Programmatic Requirements

    At a minimum, the PTIs must increase--(a) parents' \3\ capacity to 
help their children \4\ improve their early learning, school-aged, and 
postsecondary outcomes; (b) parents' knowledge of educational and early 
learning best practices; and (c) youth's \5\ capacity to be effective 
self-advocates.
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    \3\ For the purpose of this priority, ``parents'' means the 
parents of children with disabilities.
    \4\ For the purpose of this priority, ``children with 
disabilities'' means infants, toddlers, children, and youth (ages 
birth through 26) with the full range of disabilities.
    \5\ For the purpose of this priority, ``youth'' means youth with 
disabilities.
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    In addition to these programmatic requirements, to be considered 
for funding under this priority, applicants must meet the following 
requirements:

Application Requirements

    (a) In the narrative section of the application under 
``Significance''--
    (1) Present information on the needs of all parents and youth in 
the State or region, including but not limited to those who are 
underserved, low-income, or with limited English proficiency, parents 
with disabilities, incarcerated youth, and youth in foster care; and
    (2) Demonstrate how the proposed project will address the needs of 
all parents and youth in the State or region by providing high-quality 
services that--
    (i) Increase parents' capacity to support their children's 
development, learning, and transitions;
    (ii) Increase youth's capacity to be effective self-advocates; and
    (iii) Are informed by knowledge of--
    (A) Best practices in providing training and information to parents 
and youth, and outreach and family-centered services;
    (B) Relevant and current education practices and policy 
initiatives; and
    (C) How to identify and work with appropriate State and local 
partners that serve children, families,\6\ and youth.
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    \6\ For the purpose of this priority, ``families'' means 
families of children with disabilities.
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    (b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of project services,'' how the proposed project will--
    (1) Use a project logic model (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) to guide 
the development of project plans and activities within its State or 
region;
    (2) Develop and implement an outreach plan to inform all parents 
and youth of how they can benefit from the PTI's services including, 
but not limited to, those who are underserved, low-income, or with 
limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, incarcerated 
youth, and youth in foster care;
    (3) Provide high-quality services that increase parents' knowledge 
of--
    (i) The nature of their children's disabilities, strengths, and 
challenges;
    (ii) The importance of having high expectations for their children 
and the early intervention and education practices that help children 
meet those expectations;
    (iii) The local, State, and Federal resources available to assist 
them and strengthen their connection to their communities;
    (iv) IDEA, Federal IDEA regulations, and State regulations, 
policies, and practices implementing IDEA, including their rights and 
responsibilities, procedural safeguards, and dispute resolution 
processes, how to participate on Individualized Family Service Plan and 
Individualized Education Program teams, and how services are provided;
    (v) The Rehabilitation Act (including section 504), the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the Americans with Disabilities 
Act (ADA), and other relevant educational and health care legislation, 
regulations, and policies that affect people with disabilities, 
including their rights and responsibilities, procedural safeguards, and 
dispute resolution processes;
    (vi) Transition services, at all levels, and available supports for 
re-entry of incarcerated youth to school and the community;
    (vii) How their children can have access to the general education 
curriculum, inclusive early learning programs, academic standards and 
assessments, extracurricular and enrichment opportunities, and other 
initiatives available to all children; and
    (viii) School reform efforts to improve student achievement and 
increase graduation rates;
    (4) Provide high-quality services that increase parents' capacity 
to effectively--
    (i) Support their children and participate in their children's 
education;

[[Page 101592]]

    (ii) Communicate and work collaboratively in partnership with the 
professionals working with their children;
    (iii) Resolve disputes; and
    (iv) Participate in school reform activities to improve outcomes 
for all children;
    (5) Provide high-quality services that increase youth's knowledge 
of--
    (i) The nature of their disabilities, strengths, and challenges;
    (ii) The importance of having high expectations for themselves and 
the practices that help them meet those expectations;
    (iii) The resources available to support their success in 
education, employment, and their communities;
    (iv) IDEA, the Rehabilitation Act (including Section 504), the 
WIOA, the ADA, and other legislation, regulations, and policies that 
affect people with disabilities;
    (v) Their rights and responsibilities while receiving services 
under IDEA, the Rehabilitation Act, and the WIOA, and after 
transitioning to post-school life under Section 504 and the ADA;
    (vi) How they can participate on teams that support them; and
    (vii) How to engage in supported decision making necessary to 
transition to adult life;
    (6) Provide high-quality services that increase youth's capacity to 
communicate and collaborate with providers and others, and make 
informed decisions and advocate for themselves;
    (7) Use best practices and various methods to deliver services;
    (8) Establish cooperative partnerships with Community Parent 
Resource Centers (ALN 84.328C) and other PTIs funded in the State or 
region;
    (9) Establish cooperative partnerships with the Parent Information 
and Training Centers funded under the Rehabilitation Act (ALN 84.235F) 
in the Regional Parent Technical Assistance Center's (Regional 
PTAC's)(ALN 84.328R) region to which they belong, and the Center for 
Parent Information and Resources (CPIR)(ALN 84.328R); and
    (10) Network with local, State, and national organizations and 
agencies that serve parents and families.
    (c) In the narrative section of the application under ``Quality of 
the project evaluation or other evidence-building,'' include an 
evaluation plan for the project. The evaluation plan must describe 
measures for evaluating the quality and reach of project services; 
progress in implementing project services; the outcomes of the 
project's activities; and the extent to which the project meets the 
goals described in the logic model.
    (d) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of project personnel and adequacy of resources,'' how--
    (1) The applicant and partners have adequate resources to carry out 
the proposed activities;
    (2) The costs are reasonable in relation to the anticipated results 
and benefits;
    (3) The project will encourage applications for employment from 
persons who are members of groups that have historically encountered 
barriers, or who have professional or personal experiences with 
barriers, based on one or more of the following: economic disadvantage; 
gender; race; ethnicity; color; national origin; disability; age; 
language; migration; living in a rural location; experiencing 
homelessness or housing insecurity; involvement with the justice 
system; pregnancy, parenting, or caregiver status; and sexual 
orientation; and
    (4) The key project personnel, consultants, and subcontractors have 
the qualifications and experience to carry out the proposed activities 
and achieve intended outcomes.
    (e) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under 
``Quality of the management plan,'' how--
    (1) The management plan contains clearly defined responsibilities 
of staff, consultants, and contractors, and project timelines to ensure 
that the project's intended outcomes will be achieved on time and 
within budget;
    (2) Key project personnel, consultants, and subcontractors are 
appropriately allocated to the project;
    (3) The management plan will ensure that services provided are of 
high quality, relevant, and useful to recipients;
    (4) The applicant will use its board of directors to provide 
appropriate oversight to the project;
    (5) The project will benefit from a diversity of perspectives in 
its development and operation;
    (6) Accurate and timely annual performance reports submitted to the 
Department will include at a minimum the number and demographics of 
parents and youth who received PTI services, the unique needs of those 
parents and youth, the levels of services provided, and information on 
the project's outputs and outcomes; and
    (7) The project management and staff will use the technical 
assistance (TA) available from the Office of Special Education Programs 
(OSEP)-funded Technical Assistance and Dissemination network, their 
Regional PTAC and the CPIR, and collaborate with the Regional PTAC in 
facilitating at least one site visit and developing individualized TA 
plans as needed.
    (f) Address the following application requirements. The applicant 
must--
    (1) Include, in appendix A, a logic model for the project;
    (2) Include, in appendix A, any applicable personnel-loading charts 
and timelines to illustrate the management plan;
    (3) Include, in the budget, travel funds to support the project 
director's annual attendance at one meeting sponsored by OSEP and one 
meeting sponsored by the Regional PTACs, at a minimum; and
    (4) Provide an assurance that it will maintain a website that meets 
government or industry-recognized standards for accessibility and meets 
the needs of the parents and youth in the State or region.
    Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are 
from 34 CFR 75.210 and are as follows:
    (a) Significance. (15 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed 
project.
    (2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the proposed project will provide support, 
resources, or services; or otherwise address the needs of the target 
population, including addressing the needs of underserved populations 
most affected by the issue, challenge, or opportunity, to be addressed 
by the proposed project and close gaps in educational opportunity.
    (ii) The likely utility of the resources (such as materials, 
processes, techniques, or data infrastructure) that will result from 
the proposed project, including the potential for effective use in a 
variety of conditions, populations, or settings.
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build 
local, State, regional, or national capacity to provide, improve, 
sustain, or expand training or services that address the needs of 
underserved populations.
    (b) Quality of project services. (35 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be 
provided by the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and 
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equitable and adequate access 
and participation for project participants who experience barriers 
based on one or more of the following:

[[Page 101593]]

economic disadvantage; gender; race; ethnicity; color; national origin; 
disability; age; language; migration; living in a rural location; 
experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity; involvement with the 
justice system; pregnancy, parenting, or caregiver status; and sexual 
orientation. This determination includes the steps developed and 
described in the form Equity For Students, Teachers, And Other Program 
Beneficiaries (OMB Control No. 1894-0005) (section 427 of the General 
Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1228a)).
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a 
rationale that is aligned with the purposes of the grant program.
    (ii) The likely benefit to the intended recipients, as indicated by 
the logic model or other conceptual framework, of the services to be 
provided.
    (iii) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified, measurable, and 
ambitious yet achievable within the project period, and aligned with 
the purposes of the grant program.
    (iv) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project were determined with input from the community to be 
served to ensure that they are appropriate and responsive to the needs 
of the intended recipients or beneficiaries, including underserved 
populations, of those services.
    (v) The extent to which the proposed project is informed by similar 
past projects implemented by the applicant with demonstrated results.
    (vi) The extent to which the proposed project will include 
coordination with other Federal investments, as well as appropriate 
agencies and organizations providing similar services to the target 
population.
    (vii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project involve the use of efficient strategies, including the 
use of technology, as appropriate, and the leveraging of non-project 
resources.
    (c) Quality of the project evaluation or other evidence-building. 
(15 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation or other 
evidence-building of the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the evaluation or other evidence-
building, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other 
evidence-building are appropriate to the context within which the 
project operates and the target population of the proposed project.
    (ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other 
evidence-building will provide performance feedback and provide 
formative, diagnostic, or interim data that is a periodic assessment of 
progress toward achieving intended outcomes.
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project proposes specific, 
measurable targets, connected to strategies, activities, resources, 
outputs, and outcomes, and uses reliable administrative data to measure 
progress and inform continuous improvement.
    (d) Quality of the project personnel and adequacy of resources. (20 
points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will 
carry out the proposed project and the adequacy of resources for the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the applicant demonstrates that it has 
project personnel or a plan for hiring of personnel who are members of 
groups that have historically encountered barriers, or who have 
professional or personal experiences with barriers, based on one or 
more of the following: economic disadvantage; gender; race; ethnicity; 
color; national origin; disability; age; language; migration; living in 
a rural location; experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity; 
involvement with the justice system; pregnancy, parenting, or caregiver 
status; and sexual orientation.
    (3) In determining the quality of personnel and the adequacy of 
resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the 
following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the project director or principal 
investigator, when hired, has the qualifications required for the 
project, including formal training or work experience in fields related 
to the objectives of the project and experience in designing, managing, 
or implementing similar projects for the target population to be served 
by the project.
    (ii) The extent to which the key personnel in the project, when 
hired, have the qualifications required for the proposed project, 
including formal training or work experience in fields related to the 
objectives of the project, and represent or have lived experiences of 
the target population.
    (iii) The adequacy of support for the project, including 
facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources, from the 
applicant or the lead applicant organization.
    (iv) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to 
the number of persons to be served, the depth and intensity of 
services, and the anticipated results and benefits.
    (e) Quality of the management plan. (15 points)
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The feasibility of the management plan to achieve project 
objectives and goals on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks.
    (ii) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality and 
accessible products and services from the proposed project for the 
target population.
    (iii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project.
    Performance Measures:
    For the purposes of Department reporting under 34 CFR 75.110, the 
Department has established a set of performance measures that are 
designed to yield information on various aspects of the effectiveness 
and quality of the Special Education Parent Information Centers 
program. These measures are:
     Program Performance Measure 1: The percentage of materials 
used by projects that are deemed to be of high quality;
     Program Performance Measure 2: The percentage of products 
and services deemed to be of high relevance to educational and early 
intervention policy and practice; and
     Program Performance Measure 3: The percentage of all 
products and services deemed to be useful to improve educational or 
early intervention policy or practice. Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: 
Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department 
generally offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on 
proposed priorities and requirements. Section 681(d) of IDEA, however, 
makes the public comment requirements of the APA inapplicable to the 
priority in this notice.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1471 and 1481.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR

[[Page 101594]]

parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of 
Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide 
Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted 
and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) 
The Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance in 2 CFR part 200, as 
adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 
3474.
    Note: As of October 1, 2024, grant applicants must follow the 
provisions stated in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance 
(89 FR 30046, April 22, 2024) when preparing an application. For more 
information about these regulations please visit: www.cfo.gov/resources-coffa/uniform-guidance/.
    Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses an unrestricted 
indirect cost rate. For more information regarding indirect costs, or 
to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please see www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ofo.
    Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include any 
program-specific limitation on administrative expenses.
    Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may award subgrants--
to directly carry out project activities described in its application--
to the following types of entities: IHEs and private nonprofit 
organizations suitable to carry out the activities proposed in the 
application.
    The grantee may award subgrants to entities it has identified in an 
approved application.

Other General Requirements:

    1. Recipients of funding under this program must make positive 
efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with 
disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).
    2. Each applicant for, and recipient of, funding under this program 
must involve individuals with disabilities, or parents of individuals 
with disabilities ages birth through 26, in planning, implementing, and 
evaluating the project (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA).

Application and Submission Information:

    1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to 
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of 
Education Discretionary Grant Programs (87 FR 75045, December 7, 2022).
    2. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
intergovernmental review under Executive Order 12372. Information about 
this process is in the application package.
    3. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, 
the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to 
evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the 
application narrative to no more than 50 pages and (2) use the 
following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, reference citations, and captions, as well as 
all text in charts, tables, figures, graphs, and screen shots.
     Use a font that is 12 point or larger.
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the 
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the 
assurances and certifications; or the abstract (follow the guidance 
provided in the application package for completing the abstract), the 
table of contents, the list of priority requirements, the resumes, the 
reference list, the letters of support, or the appendices. However, the 
recommended page limit does apply to all of the application narrative, 
including all text in charts, tables, figures, graphs, and screen 
shots.
    4. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider the past performance of the applicant in 
carrying out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, 
achievement of project objectives, and compliance with grant 
conditions. The Secretary may also consider whether the applicant 
failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of 
unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department.
    5. Additional Review and Selection Process Factors: In the past, 
the Department has had difficulty finding peer reviewers for certain 
competitions because so many individuals who are eligible to serve as 
peer reviewers have conflicts of interest. The standing panel 
requirements under section 682(b) of IDEA also have placed additional 
constraints on the availability of reviewers. Therefore, the Department 
has determined that for some discretionary grant competitions, 
applications may be separated into two or more groups and ranked and 
selected for funding within specific groups. This procedure will make 
it easier for the Department to find peer reviewers by ensuring that 
greater numbers of individuals who are eligible to serve as reviewers 
for any particular group of applicants will not have conflicts of 
interest. It also will increase the quality, independence, and fairness 
of the review process, while permitting panel members to review 
applications under discretionary grant competitions for which they also 
have submitted applications.
    6. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Before awarding grants 
under this competition, the Department conducts a review of the risks 
posed by applicants. The Secretary may impose specific conditions and, 
in appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the 
applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of 
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system 
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not 
responsible.
    7. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$250,000), we must make a judgment about your integrity, business 
ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards--that is, the 
risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make an award. In doing 
so, we must consider any information about you that is in the integrity 
and performance system (currently referred to as the Federal Awardee 
Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)), accessible 
through the System for Award Management. You may review and comment on 
any information about yourself that a Federal agency previously entered 
and that is currently in FAPIIS.
    If the total value of your currently active grants, cooperative 
agreements, and procurement contracts from the Federal Government 
exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 200, 
appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity

[[Page 101595]]

information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review these requirements if 
this grant plus all the other Federal funds you receive exceed 
$10,000,000.
    Award Administration Information:
    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN), or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We also may notify you 
informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you 
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to 
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in 
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of 
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those 
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent 
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or 
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. 
Additionally, a grantee that is awarded competitive grant funds must 
have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. This 
dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your 
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional 
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 
3474.20.
    4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements should you receive 
funding under the competition. This does not apply if you have an 
exception.
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary. The 
Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports. For 
specific requirements on reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    (c) The Secretary may provide a grantee with additional funding for 
data collection analysis and reporting. In this case the Secretary 
establishes a data collection period.
    5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the 
Secretary considers, among other things: whether a grantee has made 
substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of the 
project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether 
the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the performance 
targets in the grantee's approved application.
    In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department.
    Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an 
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an 
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text 
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print, 
audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible format.

Glenna Wright-Gallo,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2024-29530 Filed 12-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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