5718 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 22 / Wednesday, February 3, 2016 / Notices 

is described below. The Department of 

Education is especially interested in 

public comment addressing the 

following issues: (1) Is this collection 

necessary to the proper functions of the 

Department; (2) will this information be 

processed and used in a timely manner; 

(3) is the estimate of burden accurate; 

(4) how might the Department enhance 

the quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (5) how 

might the Department minimize the 

burden of this collection on the 

respondents, including through the use 

of information technology. Please note 

that written comments received in 

response to this notice will be 

considered public records. 

Title of Collection: 2016–17 

Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal 

Study (B&B:16/17) Field Test Data 

Collection. 

OMB Control Number: 1850–0729. 

Type of Review: A reinstatement of a 

previously approved information 

collection. 

Respondents/Affected Public: 

Individuals or Households. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 4,417. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 977. 

Abstract: This request is for the 

National Center for Education Statistics 

(NCES) to conduct a field test of the 

2016/17 Baccalaureate and Beyond 

Longitudinal Study (B&B:16/17). The 

B&B studies of the education, work, 

financial, and personal experiences of 

individuals who have completed a 

bachelor’s degree at a given point in 

time are a series of longitudinal studies. 

Every 8 years, students are identified as 

bachelor’s degree recipients through the 

National Postsecondary Student Aid 

Study (NPSAS). B&B:16/17 is the first 

follow-up of a panel of baccalaureate 

degree recipients identified in the 2015– 

16 NPSAS, and part of the fourth cohort 

(B&B:16) of the B&B series. The primary 

purposes of the B&B studies are to 

describe the post-baccalaureate paths of 

new college graduates, with a focus on 

their experiences in the labor market 

and post-baccalaureate education, and 

their education-related debt. B&B also 

focuses on the continuing education 

paths of science, technology, 

engineering, and mathematics (STEM) 

graduates, as well as the experiences of 

those who have begun careers in 

education of students through the 12th 

grade. Since graduating from college in 

2014–15 for the field test, and 2015–16 

for the full-scale study, members of this 

B&B:16 cohort will begin moving into 

and out of the workforce, enrolling in 

additional undergraduate and graduate 

education, forming families, and 

repaying undergraduate educationrelated debt. Documenting these choices 

and pathways, along with individual, 

institutional, and employment 

characteristics that may be related to 

those choices, provides critical 

information on the costs and benefits of 

a bachelor’s degree in today’s workforce. 

B&B studies include both traditional-age 

and non-traditional-age college 

graduates, whose education options and 

choices often diverge considerably, and 

allow study of the paths taken by these 

different graduates. The results of this 

field test will inform the B&B:16/17 fullscale data collection. 

Dated: January 28, 2016. 

Kate Mullan, 

Acting Director, Information Collection 

Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and 

Records Management Services, Office of 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2016–01933 Filed 2–2–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Applications for New Awards; State 

Personnel Development Grants 

Program 

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Department of 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Overview Information: State 

Personnel Development Grants (SPDG) 

Program Notice inviting applications for 

new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2016. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.323A. 

DATES:

Applications Available: February 3, 

2016. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: March 21, 2016. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: May 18, 2016. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The purpose of 

this program, authorized by the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education 

Act (IDEA), is to assist State educational 

agencies (SEAs) in reforming and 

improving their systems for personnel 

preparation and professional 

development in early intervention, 

educational, and transition services in 

order to improve results for children 

with disabilities. 

Priorities: This notice contains two 

absolute priorities. Absolute Priority 1 is 

from the notice of final priorities and 

definitions for this program, published 

in the Federal Register on August 2, 

2012 (77 FR 45944) (NFP). In 

accordance with 34 CFR 

75.105(b)(2)(iv), Absolute Priority 2 is 

from sections 651 through 655 of IDEA. 

Absolute Priorities: For FY 2016 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition, 

these priorities are absolute priorities. 

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider 

only applications that meet both of 

these priorities. 

These priorities are: 

Absolute Priority 1—Effective and 

Efficient Delivery of Professional 

Development 

The Assistant Secretary for Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services 

establishes a priority to assist SEAs in 

reforming and improving their systems 

for personnel (as that term is defined in 

section 651(b) of IDEA) preparation and 

professional development of individuals 

providing early intervention, 

educational, and transition services in 

order to improve results for children 

with disabilities. 

In order to meet this priority, an 

applicant must demonstrate in the 

SPDG State Plan it submits as part of its 

application under section 653(a)(2) of 

IDEA that its proposed project will— 

(1) Use evidence-based (as defined in 

this notice) professional development 

practices that will increase 

implementation of evidence-based 

practices and result in improved 

outcomes for children with disabilities; 

(2) Provide ongoing assistance to 

personnel receiving SPDG-supported 

professional development that supports 

the implementation of evidence-based 

practices with fidelity (as defined in this 

notice); and 

(3) Use technology to more efficiently 

and effectively provide ongoing 

professional development to personnel, 

including to personnel in rural areas 

and to other populations, such as 

personnel in urban or high-need local 

educational agencies (LEAs) (as defined 

in this notice). 

Absolute Priority 2—State Personnel 

Development Grants 

Statutory Requirements. To meet this 

priority, an applicant must meet the 

following statutory requirements: 

1. State Personnel Development Plan. 

An applicant must submit a State 

Personnel Development Plan that 

identifies and addresses the State and 

local needs for the personnel 

preparation and professional 

development of personnel, as well as 

individuals who provide direct 

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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 22 / Wednesday, February 3, 2016 / Notices 5719 

supplementary aids and services to 

children with disabilities, and that— 

(a) Is designed to enable the State to 

meet the requirements of section 

612(a)(14) and section 635(a)(8) and (9) 

of IDEA; 

(b) Is based on an assessment of State 

and local needs that identifies critical 

aspects and areas in need of 

improvement related to the preparation, 

ongoing training, and professional 

development of personnel who serve 

infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and 

children with disabilities within the 

State, including— 

(1) Current and anticipated personnel 

vacancies and shortages; and 

(2) The number of preservice and 

inservice programs; 

(c) Is integrated and aligned, to the 

maximum extent possible, with State 

plans and activities under the 

Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA); the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 

and the Higher Education Act of 1965, 

as amended (HEA); 

(d) Describes a partnership agreement 

that is in effect for the period of the 

grant, which agreement must specify— 

(1) The nature and extent of the 

partnership described in accordance 

with section 652(b) of IDEA and the 

respective roles of each member of the 

partnership, including, if applicable, an 

individual, entity, or agency other than 

the SEA that has the responsibility 

under State law for teacher preparation 

and certification; and 

(2) How the SEA will work with other 

persons and organizations involved in, 

and concerned with, the education of 

children with disabilities, including the 

respective roles of each of the persons 

and organizations; 

(e) Describes how the strategies and 

activities the SEA uses to address 

identified professional development and 

personnel needs will be coordinated 

with activities supported with other 

public resources (including funds 

provided under Part B and Part C of 

IDEA and retained for use at the State 

level for personnel and professional 

development purposes) and private 

resources; 

(f) Describes how the SEA will align 

its personnel development plan with the 

plan and application submitted under 

sections 1111 and 2112, respectively, of 

the ESEA; 

(g) Describes strategies the SEA will 

use to address the identified 

professional development and 

personnel needs and how such 

strategies will be implemented, 

including— 

(1) A description of the programs and 

activities that will provide personnel 

with the knowledge and skills to meet 

the needs of, and improve the 

performance and achievement of, 

infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and 

children with disabilities; and 

(2) How such strategies will be 

integrated, to the maximum extent 

possible, with other activities supported 

by grants funded under section 662 of 

IDEA; 

(h) Provides an assurance that the 

SEA will provide technical assistance to 

LEAs to improve the quality of 

professional development available to 

meet the needs of personnel who serve 

children with disabilities; 

(i) Provides an assurance that the SEA 

will provide technical assistance to 

entities that provide services to infants 

and toddlers with disabilities to 

improve the quality of professional 

development available to meet the 

needs of personnel serving those 

children; 

(j) Describes how the SEA will recruit 

and retain highly qualified teachers and 

other qualified personnel in geographic 

areas of greatest need; 

(k) Describes the steps the SEA will 

take to ensure that economically 

disadvantaged and minority children 

are not taught at higher rates by teachers 

who are not highly qualified; and 

(l) Describes how the SEA will assess, 

on a regular basis, the extent to which 

the strategies implemented have been 

effective in meeting the performance 

goals described in section 612(a)(15) of 

IDEA. 

2. Partnerships. 

Required Partners. 

Applicants must establish a 

partnership with LEAs and other State 

agencies involved in, or concerned with, 

the education of children with 

disabilities, including— 

(a) Not less than one institution of 

higher education; and 

(b) The State agencies responsible for 

administering Part C of IDEA, early 

education, child care, and vocational 

rehabilitation programs. 

Other Partners. 

An SEA must work in partnership 

with other persons and organizations 

involved in, and concerned with, the 

education of children with disabilities, 

which may include— 

(a) The Governor; 

(b) Parents of children with 

disabilities ages birth through 26; 

(c) Parents of nondisabled children 

ages birth through 26; 

(d) Individuals with disabilities; 

(e) Parent training and information 

centers or community parent resource 

centers funded under sections 671 and 

672 of IDEA, respectively; 

(f) Community-based and other 

nonprofit organizations involved in the 

education and employment of 

individuals with disabilities; 

(g) Personnel as defined in section 

651(b) of IDEA; 

(h) The State advisory panel 

established under Part B of IDEA; 

(i) The State interagency coordinating 

council established under Part C of 

IDEA; 

(j) Individuals knowledgeable about 

vocational education; 

(k) The State agency for higher 

education; 

(l) Public agencies with jurisdiction in 

the areas of health, mental health, social 

services, and juvenile justice; 

(m) Other providers of professional 

development who work with infants, 

toddlers, preschoolers, and children 

with disabilities; 

(n) Other individuals; and 

(o) An individual, entity, or agency as 

a partner in accordance with section 

652(b)(3) of IDEA, if State law assigns 

responsibility for teacher preparation 

and certification to an individual, 

entity, or agency other than the SEA. 

3. Use of Funds. 

(a) Professional Development 

Activities—Each SEA that receives a 

grant under this program must use the 

grant funds to support activities in 

accordance with the State’s Personnel 

Development Plan, including one or 

more of the following: 

(1) Carrying out programs that provide 

support to both special education and 

regular education teachers of children 

with disabilities and principals, such as 

programs that— 

(i) Provide teacher mentoring, team 

teaching, reduced class schedules and 

caseloads, and intensive professional 

development; 

(ii) Use standards or assessments for 

guiding beginning teachers that are 

consistent with challenging State 

student academic achievement and 

functional standards and with the 

requirements for professional 

development, as defined in section 9101 

of the ESEA; and 

(iii) Encourage collaborative and 

consultative models of providing early 

intervention, special education, and 

related services. 

(2) Encouraging and supporting the 

training of special education and regular 

education teachers and administrators 

to effectively use and integrate 

technology— 

(i) Into curricula and instruction, 

including training to improve the ability 

to collect, manage, and analyze data to 

improve teaching, decisionmaking, 

school improvement efforts, and 

accountability; 

(ii) To enhance learning by children 

with disabilities; and 

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5720 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 22 / Wednesday, February 3, 2016 / Notices 

(iii) To effectively communicate with 

parents. 

(3) Providing professional 

development activities that— 

(i) Improve the knowledge of special 

education and regular education 

teachers concerning— 

(A) The academic and developmental 

or functional needs of students with 

disabilities; or 

(B) Effective instructional strategies, 

methods, and skills, and the use of State 

academic content standards and student 

academic achievement and functional 

standards, and State assessments, to 

improve teaching practices and student 

academic achievement; 

(ii) Improve the knowledge of special 

education and regular education 

teachers and principals and, in 

appropriate cases, paraprofessionals, 

concerning effective instructional 

practices, and that— 

(A) Provide training in how to teach 

and address the needs of children with 

different learning styles and children 

who are limited English proficient; 

(B) Involve collaborative groups of 

teachers, administrators, and, in 

appropriate cases, related services 

personnel; 

(C) Provide training in methods of— 

(I) Positive behavioral interventions 

and supports to improve student 

behavior in the classroom; 

(II) Scientifically based reading 

instruction, including early literacy 

instruction; 

(III) Early and appropriate 

interventions to identify and help 

children with disabilities; 

(IV) Effective instruction for children 

with low-incidence disabilities; 

(V) Successful transitioning to 

postsecondary opportunities; and 

(VI) Classroom-based techniques to 

assist children prior to referral for 

special education; 

(D) Provide training to enable 

personnel to work with and involve 

parents in their child’s education, 

including parents of low income and 

limited English proficient children with 

disabilities; 

(E) Provide training for special 

education personnel and regular 

education personnel in planning, 

developing, and implementing effective 

and appropriate individualized 

education programs (IEPs); and 

(F) Provide training to meet the needs 

of students with significant health, 

mobility, or behavioral needs prior to 

serving those students; 

(iii) Train administrators, principals, 

and other relevant school personnel in 

conducting effective IEP meetings; and 

(iv) Train early intervention, 

preschool, and related services 

providers, and other relevant school 

personnel in conducting effective 

individualized family service plan 

(IFSP) meetings. 

(4) Developing and implementing 

initiatives to promote the recruitment 

and retention of highly qualified special 

education teachers, particularly 

initiatives that have proven effective in 

recruiting and retaining highly qualified 

teachers, including programs that 

provide— 

(i) Teacher mentoring from exemplary 

special education teachers, principals, 

or superintendents; 

(ii) Induction and support for special 

education teachers during their first 

three years of employment as teachers; 

or 

(iii) Incentives, including financial 

incentives, to retain special education 

teachers who have a record of success 

in helping students with disabilities. 

(5) Carrying out programs and 

activities that are designed to improve 

the quality of personnel who serve 

children with disabilities, such as— 

(i) Innovative professional 

development programs (which may be 

provided through partnerships with 

institutions of higher education (IHEs)), 

including programs that train teachers 

and principals to integrate technology 

into curricula and instruction to 

improve teaching, learning, and 

technology literacy and that are 

consistent with the definition of 

professional development in section 

9101 of the ESEA; and 

(ii) The development and use of 

proven, cost effective strategies for the 

implementation of professional 

development activities, such as through 

the use of technology and distance 

learning. 

(6) Carrying out programs and 

activities that are designed to improve 

the quality of early intervention 

personnel, including paraprofessionals 

and primary referral sources, such as— 

(i) Professional development 

programs to improve the delivery of 

early intervention services; 

(ii) Initiatives to promote the 

recruitment and retention of early 

intervention personnel; and 

(iii) Interagency activities to ensure 

that early intervention personnel are 

adequately prepared and trained. 

(b) Other Activities—Each SEA that 

receives a grant under this program 

must use the grant funds to support 

activities in accordance with the State’s 

Personnel Development Plan, including 

one or more of the following: 

(1) Reforming special education and 

regular education teacher certification 

(including re-certification) or licensing 

requirements to ensure that— 

(i) Special education and regular 

education teachers have— 

(A) The training and information 

necessary to address the full range of 

needs of children with disabilities 

across disability categories; and 

(B) The necessary subject matter 

knowledge and teaching skills in the 

academic subjects that the teachers 

teach; 

(ii) Special education and regular 

education teacher certification 

(including re-certification) or licensing 

requirements are aligned with 

challenging State academic content 

standards; and 

(iii) Special education and regular 

education teachers have the subject 

matter knowledge and teaching skills, 

including technology literacy, necessary 

to help students with disabilities meet 

challenging State student academic 

achievement and functional standards. 

(2) Programs that establish, expand, or 

improve alternative routes for State 

certification of special education 

teachers for highly qualified individuals 

with a baccalaureate or master’s degree, 

including mid-career professionals from 

other occupations, paraprofessionals, 

and recent college or university 

graduates with records of academic 

distinction who demonstrate the 

potential to become highly effective 

special education teachers. 

(3) Teacher advancement initiatives 

for special education teachers that 

promote professional growth and 

emphasize multiple career paths (such 

as paths to becoming a career teacher, 

mentor teacher, or exemplary teacher) 

and pay differentiation. 

(4) Developing and implementing 

mechanisms to assist LEAs and schools 

in effectively recruiting and retaining 

highly qualified special education 

teachers. 

(5) Reforming tenure systems, 

implementing teacher testing for subject 

matter knowledge, and implementing 

teacher testing for State certification or 

licensure, consistent with title II of the 

HEA (20 U.S.C. 1021 et seq.). 

(6) Funding projects to promote 

reciprocity of teacher certification or 

licensing between or among States for 

special education teachers, except that 

no reciprocity agreement developed 

under this absolute priority may lead to 

the weakening of any State teacher 

certification or licensing requirement. 

(7) Assisting LEAs to serve children 

with disabilities through the 

development and use of proven, 

innovative strategies to deliver intensive 

professional development programs that 

are both cost effective and easily 

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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 22 / Wednesday, February 3, 2016 / Notices 5721 

accessible, such as strategies that 

involve delivery through the use of 

technology, peer networks, and distance 

learning. 

(8) Developing, or assisting LEAs in 

developing, merit-based performance 

systems and strategies that provide 

differential and bonus pay for special 

education teachers. 

(9) Supporting activities that ensure 

that teachers are able to use challenging 

State academic content standards and 

student academic achievement and 

functional standards, and State 

assessments for all children with 

disabilities, to improve instructional 

practices and improve the academic 

achievement of children with 

disabilities. 

(10) When applicable, coordinating 

with, and expanding centers established 

under section 2113(c)(18) of the ESEA to 

benefit special education teachers. 

(c) Contracts and Subgrants—An SEA 

that receives a grant under this 

program— 

(1) Must award contracts or subgrants 

to LEAs, IHEs, parent training and 

information centers, or community 

parent resource centers, as appropriate, 

to carry out the State Personnel 

Development Plan; and 

(2) May award contracts and 

subgrants to other public and private 

entities, including the lead agency 

under Part C of IDEA, to carry out the 

State plan. 

(d) Use of Funds for Professional 

Development—An SEA that receives a 

grant under this program must use— 

(1) Not less than 90 percent of the 

funds the SEA receives under the grant 

for any fiscal year for the Professional 

Development Activities described in 

paragraph (a); and 

(2) Not more than 10 percent of the 

funds the SEA receives under the grant 

for any fiscal year for the Other 

Activities described in paragraph (b). 

Additional SPDG Requirements 

Projects funded under this program 

must: 

(a) Budget for a three-day project 

directors’ meeting in Washington, DC, 

during each year of the project; 

(b) Budget $4,000 annually for 

support of the State Personnel 

Development Grants Program Web site 

currently administered by the 

University of Oregon 

(www.signetwork.org); and 

(c) If a project receiving assistance 

under this program authority maintains 

a Web site, include relevant information 

and documents in a form that meets a 

government or industry-recognized 

standard for accessibility. 

Definitions. 

The following definitions are from the 

NFP and 34 CFR 77.1, as marked. 

For the purposes of this priority, the 

definition of ‘‘evidence-based’’ consists 

of the following definitions in 34 CFR 

77.1: 

Evidence of promise means there is 

empirical evidence to support the 

theoretical linkage(s) between at least 

one critical component and at least one 

relevant outcome presented in the logic 

model for the proposed process, 

product, strategy, or practice. 

Specifically, evidence of promise means 

the conditions in both paragraphs (i) 

and (ii) of this definition are met: 

(i) There is at least one study that is 

a— 

(A) Correlational study with statistical 

controls for selection bias; 

(B) Quasi-experimental design study 

that meets the What Works 

Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with 

reservations; or 

(C) Randomized controlled trial that 

meets the What Works Clearinghouse 

Evidence Standards with or without 

reservations. 

(ii) The study referenced in paragraph 

(i) of this definition found a statistically 

significant or substantively important 

(defined as a difference of 0.25 standard 

deviations or larger) favorable 

association between at least one critical 

component and one relevant outcome 

presented in the logic model for the 

proposed process, product, strategy, or 

practice. 

Large sample means an analytic 

sample of 350 or more students (or other 

single analysis units) who were 

randomly assigned to a treatment or 

control group or 50 or more groups 

(such as classrooms or schools) that 

contain 10 or more students (or other 

single analysis units) and that were 

randomly assigned to a treatment or 

control group. 

Moderate evidence of effectiveness 

means one of the following conditions 

is met: 

(i) There is at least one study of the 

effectiveness of the process, product, 

strategy, or practice being proposed that 

meets the What Works Clearinghouse 

Evidence Standards without 

reservations [What Works Clearinghouse 

Procedures and Standards Handbook 

(Version 3.0, March 2014), which can 

currently be found at the following link: 

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/

DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19], found a 

statistically significant favorable impact 

on a relevant outcome (with no 

statistically significant and overriding 

unfavorable impacts on that outcome for 

relevant populations in the study or in 

other studies of the intervention 

reviewed by and reported on by the 

What Works Clearinghouse), and 

includes a sample that overlaps with the 

populations or settings proposed to 

receive the process, product, strategy, or 

practice. 

(ii) There is at least one study of the 

effectiveness of the process, product, 

strategy, or practice being proposed that 

meets the What Works Clearinghouse 

Evidence Standards with reservations 

[What Works Clearinghouse Procedures 

and Standards Handbook (Version 3.0, 

March 2014), which can currently be 

found at the following link: http://

ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/

DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19] , found a 

statistically significant favorable impact 

on a relevant outcome (with no 

statistically significant and overriding 

unfavorable impacts on that outcome for 

relevant populations in the study or in 

other studies of the intervention 

reviewed by and reported on by the 

What Works Clearinghouse), includes a 

sample that overlaps with the 

populations or settings proposed to 

receive the process, product, strategy, or 

practice, and includes a large sample 

and a multi-site sample (Note: multiple 

studies can cumulatively meet the large 

and multi-site sample requirements as 

long as each study meets the other 

requirements in this paragraph). 

Multi-site sample means more than 

one site, where site can be defined as an 

LEA, locality, or State. 

Relevant outcome means the student 

outcome or outcomes (or the ultimate 

outcome if not related to students) that 

the proposed process, product, strategy, 

or practice is designed to improve, 

consistent with the specific goals of a 

program. 

Strong evidence of effectiveness 

means that one of the following 

conditions is met: 

(i) There is at least one study of the 

effectiveness of the process, product, 

strategy, or practice being proposed that 

meets the What Works Clearinghouse 

Evidence Standards without 

reservations [What Works Clearinghouse 

Procedures and Standards Handbook 

(Version 3.0, March 2014), which can 

currently be found at the following link: 

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/

DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19], found a 

statistically significant favorable impact 

on a relevant outcome (with no 

statistically significant and overriding 

unfavorable impacts on that outcome for 

relevant populations in the study or in 

other studies of the intervention 

reviewed by and reported on by the 

What Works Clearinghouse), includes a 

sample that overlaps with the 

populations and settings proposed to 

receive the process, product, strategy, or 

practice, and includes a large sample 

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5722 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 22 / Wednesday, February 3, 2016 / Notices 

and a multi-site sample (Note: multiple 

studies can cumulatively meet the large 

and multi-site sample requirements as 

long as each study meets the other 

requirements in this paragraph). 

(ii) There are at least two studies of 

the effectiveness of the process, product, 

strategy, or practice being proposed, 

each of which: Meets the What Works 

Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with 

reservations [What Works Clearinghouse 

Procedures and Standards Handbook 

(Version 3.0, March 2014), which can 

currently be found at the following link: 

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/

DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19], found a 

statistically significant favorable impact 

on a relevant outcome (with no 

statistically significant and overriding 

unfavorable impacts on that outcome for 

relevant populations in the studies or in 

other studies of the intervention 

reviewed by and reported on by the 

What Works Clearinghouse), includes a 

sample that overlaps with the 

populations and settings proposed to 

receive the process, product, strategy, or 

practice, and includes a large sample 

and a multi-site sample. 

Strong theory means a rationale for 

the proposed process, product, strategy, 

or practice that includes a logic model. 

The following definitions are from the 

NFP: 

Fidelity means the delivery of 

instruction in the way in which it was 

designed to be delivered. 

High-need LEA means, in accordance 

with section 2102(3) of the ESEA, an 

LEA— 

(a) That serves not fewer than 10,000 

children from families with incomes 

below the poverty line (as that term is 

defined in section 9101(33) of the 

ESEA), or for which not less than 20 

percent of the children served by the 

LEA are from families with incomes 

below the poverty line; and 

(b) For which there is (1) a high 

percentage of teachers not teaching in 

the academic subjects or grade levels 

that the teachers were trained to teach, 

or (2) a high percentage of teachers with 

emergency, provisional, or temporary 

certification or licensing. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1451– 

1455. 

Applicable Regulations: (a) The 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR 

parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, 

and 99. (b) The OMB 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 Uniform Administrative 

Requirements, Cost Principles, and 

Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 

in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and 

amended as regulations of the 

Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The 

NFP. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 

apply to all applicants except federally 

recognized Indian tribes. 

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 

apply to IHEs only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Discretionary grants. 

Estimated Available Funds: 

$8,810,279. 

Contingent upon the availability of 

funds and the quality of applications, 

we may make additional awards in FY 

2017 from the list of unfunded 

applications from this competition. 

Estimated Range of Awards: 

$500,000–$1,750,000 (for the 50 States, 

the District of Columbia, and the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico). In the 

case of outlying areas (United States 

Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, 

and the Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands), awards will be not 

less than $80,000. 

Note: We will set the amount of each 

award after considering— 

(1) The amount of funds available for 

making the grants; 

(2) The relative population of the State or 

outlying area; 

(3) The types of activities proposed by the 

State or outlying area; 

(4) The alignment of proposed activities 

with section 612(a)(14) of IDEA; 

(5) The alignment of proposed activities 

with State plans and applications submitted 

under sections 1111 and 2112, respectively, 

of the ESEA; and 

(6) The use, as appropriate, of scientifically 

based research and instruction. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: 

$900,000 excluding the outlying areas. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 9. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Not less than one year 

and not more than five years. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: An SEA of one 

of the 50 States, the District of 

Columbia, or the Commonwealth of 

Puerto Rico or an outlying area (United 

States Virgin Islands, Guam, American 

Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands). 

Note: Public Law 95–134, which permits 

the consolidation of grants to the outlying 

areas, does not apply to funds received under 

this competition. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This 

program does not require cost sharing or 

matching. 

3. Eligible Subgrantees: (a) Under 

75.708(b) and (c) a grantee may award 

subgrants—to directly carry out project 

activities described in its application— 

to the following types of entities: LEAs, 

IHEs, parent training and information 

centers, community parent resource 

centers, and other public and private 

entities. 

(b) The grantee may award subgrants 

to entities it has identified in an 

approved application. 

4. Other General Requirements: The 

projects funded under this program 

must make positive efforts to employ 

and advance in employment qualified 

individuals with disabilities (see section 

606 of IDEA). 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package: You can obtain an application 

package via the Internet, from the 

Education Publications Center (ED 

Pubs), or from the program office. 

To obtain a copy via the Internet, use 

the following address: www.ed.gov/

fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html. 

To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, 

fax, or call: ED Pubs, U.S. Department 

of Education, P.O. Box 22207, 

Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll 

free: 1–877–433–7827. FAX: (703) 605– 

6794. If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 

telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1–877– 

576–7734. 

You can contact ED Pubs at its Web 

site, also: www.EDPubs.gov or at its 

email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov. 

If you request an application package 

from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this 

competition as follows: CFDA Number 

84.323A. 

To obtain a copy from the program 

office, contact the person listed under 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in 

section VII of this notice. 

Individuals with disabilities can 

obtain a copy of the application package 

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

large print, audiotape, or compact disc) 

by contacting the person or team listed 

under Accessible Format in section VIII 

of this notice. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission: Requirements concerning 

the content of an application, together 

with the forms you must submit, are in 

the application package for this 

competition. 

Page Limit: The application narrative 

(Part III of the application) is where you, 

the applicant, address the selection 

criteria that reviewers use to evaluate 

your application. You must limit Part III 

to no more than 60 pages, using the 

following standards: 

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• 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 either 12 point or 

larger. 

• Use one of the following fonts: 

Times New Roman, Courier, Courier 

New, or Arial. An application submitted 

in any other font (including Times 

Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be 

accepted. 

The page limit and double-spacing 

requirements do 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 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 page limit 

and double-spacing requirements do 

apply to all of Part III, the application 

narrative, including all text in charts, 

tables, figures, graphs, and screen shots. 

We will reject your application if you 

exceed the page limit in the application 

narrative section or if you apply 

standards other than those specified in 

this notice and the application package. 

3. Submission Dates and Times: 

Applications Available: February 3, 

2016. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: March 21, 2016. 

Applications for grants under this 

competition must be submitted 

electronically using the Grants.gov 

Apply site (Grants.gov). For information 

(including dates and times) about how 

to submit your application 

electronically, or in paper format by 

mail or hand delivery if you qualify for 

an exception to the electronic 

submission requirement, please refer to 

Other Submission Requirements in 

section IV of this notice. 

We do not consider an application 

that does not comply with the deadline 

requirements. 

Individuals with disabilities who 

need an accommodation or auxiliary aid 

in connection with the application 

process should contact the person listed 

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT in section VII of this notice. If 

the Department provides an 

accommodation or auxiliary aid to an 

individual with a disability in 

connection with the application 

process, the individual’s application 

remains subject to all other 

requirements and limitations in this 

notice. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: May 18, 2016. 

4. Intergovernmental Review: This 

program is subject to Executive Order 

12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR 

part 79. Information about 

Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs under Executive Order 12372 

is in the application package for this 

competition. 

5. Funding Restrictions: We reference 

regulations outlining funding 

restrictions in the Applicable 

Regulations section of this notice. 

6. Data Universal Numbering System 

Number, Taxpayer Identification 

Number, and System for Award 

Management: To do business with the 

Department of Education, you must— 

a. Have a Data Universal Numbering 

System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer 

Identification Number (TIN); 

b. Register both your DUNS number 

and TIN with the System for Award 

Management (SAM) (formerly the 

Central Contractor Registry), the 

Government’s primary registrant 

database; 

c. Provide your DUNS number and 

TIN on your application; and 

d. Maintain an active SAM 

registration with current information 

while your application is under review 

by the Department and, if you are 

awarded a grant, during the project 

period. 

You can obtain a DUNS number from 

Dun and Bradstreet at the following 

Web site: http://fedgov.dnb.com/

webform. A DUNS number can be 

created within one to two business days. 

If you are a corporate entity, agency, 

institution, or organization, you can 

obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue 

Service. If you are an individual, you 

can obtain a TIN from the Internal 

Revenue Service or the Social Security 

Administration. If you need a new TIN, 

please allow two to five weeks for your 

TIN to become active. 

The SAM registration process can take 

approximately seven business days, but 

may take upwards of several weeks, 

depending on the completeness and 

accuracy of the data you enter into the 

SAM database. Thus, if you think you 

might want to apply for Federal 

financial assistance under a program 

administered by the Department, please 

allow sufficient time to obtain and 

register your DUNS number and TIN. 

We strongly recommend that you 

register early. 

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, 

it may be 24 to 48 hours before you can 

access the information in, and submit an 

application through, Grants.gov. 

If you are currently registered with 

SAM, you may not need to make any 

changes. However, please make certain 

that the TIN associated with your DUNS 

number is correct. Also note that you 

will need to update your registration 

annually. This may take three or more 

business days. 

Information about SAM is available at 

www.SAM.gov. To further assist you 

with obtaining and registering your 

DUNS number and TIN in SAM or 

updating your existing SAM account, 

we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet, 

which you can find at: http://

www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/samfaqs.html. 

In addition, if you are submitting your 

application via Grants.gov, you must (1) 

be designated by your organization as an 

Authorized Organization Representative 

(AOR); and (2) register yourself with 

Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these 

steps are outlined at the following 

Grants.gov Web page: www.grants.gov/

web/grants/register.html. 

7. Other Submission Requirements: 

Applications for grants under this 

competition must be submitted 

electronically unless you qualify for an 

exception to this requirement in 

accordance with the instructions in this 

section. 

a. Electronic Submission of 

Applications. 

Applications for grants under the 

SPDG competition, CFDA number 

84.323A, must be submitted 

electronically using the 

Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site 

at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, 

you will be able to download a copy of 

the application package, complete it 

offline, and then upload and submit 

your application. You may not email an 

electronic copy of a grant application to 

us. 

We will reject your application if you 

submit it in paper format unless, as 

described elsewhere in this section, you 

qualify for one of the exceptions to the 

electronic submission requirement and 

submit, no later than two weeks before 

the application deadline date, a written 

statement to the Department that you 

qualify for one of these exceptions. 

Further information regarding 

calculation of the date that is two weeks 

before the application deadline date is 

provided later in this section under 

Exception to Electronic Submission 

Requirement. 

You may access the electronic grant 

application for the SPDG competition at 

www.Grants.gov. You must search for 

the downloadable application package 

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for this competition by the CFDA 

number. Do not include the CFDA 

number’s alpha suffix in your search 

(e.g., search for 84.323, not 84.323A). 

Please note the following: 

• When you enter the Grants.gov site, 

you will find information about 

submitting an application electronically 

through the site, as well as the hours of 

operation. 

• Applications received by Grants.gov 

are date and time stamped. Your 

application must be fully uploaded and 

submitted and must be date and time 

stamped by the Grants.gov system no 

later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC 

time, on the application deadline date. 

Except as otherwise noted in this 

section, we will not accept your 

application if it is received—that is, date 

and time stamped by the Grants.gov 

system—after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, 

DC time, on the application deadline 

date. We do not consider an application 

that does not comply with the deadline 

requirements. When we retrieve your 

application from Grants.gov, we will 

notify you if we are rejecting your 

application because it was date and time 

stamped by the Grants.gov system after 

4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on 

the application deadline date. 

• The amount of time it can take to 

upload an application will vary 

depending on a variety of factors, 

including the size of the application and 

the speed of your Internet connection. 

Therefore, we strongly recommend that 

you do not wait until the application 

deadline date to begin the submission 

process through Grants.gov. 

• You should review and follow the 

Education Submission Procedures for 

submitting an application through 

Grants.gov that are included in the 

application package for this competition 

to ensure that you submit your 

application in a timely manner to the 

Grants.gov system. You can also find the 

Education Submission Procedures 

pertaining to Grants.gov under News 

and Events on the Department’s G5 

system home page at www.G5.gov. In 

addition, for specific guidance and 

procedures for submitting an 

application through Grants.gov, please 

refer to the Grants.gov Web site at: 

www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/

apply-for-grants.html. 

• You will not receive additional 

point value because you submit your 

application in electronic format, nor 

will we penalize you if you qualify for 

an exception to the electronic 

submission requirement, as described 

elsewhere in this section, and submit 

your application in paper format. 

• You must submit all documents 

electronically, including all information 

you typically provide on the following 

forms: the Application for Federal 

Assistance (SF 424), the Department of 

Education Supplemental Information for 

SF 424, Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs (ED 524), and all 

necessary assurances and certifications. 

• You must upload any narrative 

sections and all other attachments to 

your application as files in a read-only, 

non-modifiable Portable Document 

Format (PDF). Do not upload an 

interactive or fillable PDF file. If you 

upload a file type other than a readonly, non-modifiable PDF (e.g., Word, 

Excel, WordPerfect, etc.) or submit a 

password-protected file, we will not 

review that material. Please note that 

this could result in your application not 

being considered for funding because 

the material in question—for example, 

the project narrative—is critical to a 

meaningful review of your proposal. For 

that reason it is important to allow 

yourself adequate time to upload all 

material as PDF files. The Department 

will not convert material from other 

formats to PDF. Additional, detailed 

information on how to attach files is in 

the application instructions. 

• Your electronic application must 

comply with any page-limit 

requirements described in this notice. 

• After you electronically submit 

your application, you will receive from 

Grants.gov an automatic notification of 

receipt that contains a Grants.gov 

tracking number. This notification 

indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not 

receipt by the Department. Grants.gov 

will also notify you automatically by 

email if your application met all the 

Grants.gov validation requirements or if 

there were any errors (such as 

submission of your application by 

someone other than a registered 

Authorized Organization 

Representative, or inclusion of an 

attachment with a file name that 

contains special characters). You will be 

given an opportunity to correct any 

errors and resubmit, but you must still 

meet the deadline for submission of 

applications. 

Once your application is successfully 

validated by Grants.gov, the Department 

will retrieve your application from 

Grants.gov and send you and email with 

a unique PR/Award number for your 

application. 

These emails do not mean that your 

application is without any disqualifying 

errors. While your application may have 

been successfully validated by 

Grants.gov, it must also meet the 

Department’s application requirements 

as specified in this notice and in the 

application instructions. Disqualifying 

errors could include, for instance, 

failure to upload attachments in a readonly, non-modifiable PDF; failure to 

submit a required part of the 

application; or failure to meet applicant 

eligibility requirements. It is your 

responsibility to ensure that your 

submitted application has met all of the 

Department’s requirements. 

• We may request that you provide us 

original signatures on forms at a later 

date. 

Application Deadline Date Extension 

in Case of Technical Issues with the 

Grants.gov System: If you are 

experiencing problems submitting your 

application through Grants.gov, please 

contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, 

toll free, at 1–800–518–4726. You must 

obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case 

Number and must keep a record of it. 

If you are prevented from 

electronically submitting your 

application on the application deadline 

date because of technical problems with 

the Grants.gov system, we will grant you 

an extension until 4:30:00 p.m., 

Washington, DC time, the following 

business day to enable you to transmit 

your application electronically or by 

hand delivery. You also may mail your 

application by following the mailing 

instructions described elsewhere in this 

notice. 

If you submit an application after 

4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on 

the application deadline date, please 

contact the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in 

section VII of this notice and provide an 

explanation of the technical problem 

you experienced with Grants.gov, along 

with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case 

Number. We will accept your 

application if we can confirm that a 

technical problem occurred with the 

Grants.gov system and that the problem 

affected your ability to submit your 

application by 4:30:00 p.m., 

Washington, DC time, on the 

application deadline date. We will 

contact you after we determine whether 

your application will be accepted. 

Note: The extensions to which we refer in 

this section apply only to the unavailability 

of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov 

system. We will not grant you an extension 

if you failed to fully register to submit your 

application to Grants.gov before the 

application deadline date and time or if the 

technical problem you experienced is 

unrelated to the Grants.gov system. 

Exception to Electronic Submission 

Requirement: You qualify for an 

exception to the electronic submission 

requirement, and may submit your 

application in paper format, if you are 

unable to submit an application through 

the Grants.gov system because— 

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• You do not have access to the 

Internet; or 

• You do not have the capacity to 

upload large documents to the 

Grants.gov system; and 

• No later than two weeks before the 

application deadline date (14 calendar 

days or, if the fourteenth calendar day 

before the application deadline date 

falls on a Federal holiday, the next 

business day following the Federal 

holiday), you mail or fax a written 

statement to the Department, explaining 

which of the two grounds for an 

exception prevents you from using the 

Internet to submit your application. 

If you mail your written statement to 

the Department, it must be postmarked 

no later than two weeks before the 

application deadline date. If you fax 

your written statement to the 

Department, we must receive the faxed 

statement no later than two weeks 

before the application deadline date. 

Address and mail or fax your 

statement to: Jennifer Coffey, U.S. 

Department of Education, 400 Maryland 

Avenue SW., room 4097, Potomac 

Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202– 

2600. FAX: (202) 245–7617. 

Your paper application must be 

submitted in accordance with the mail 

or hand delivery instructions described 

in this notice. 

b. Submission of Paper Applications 

by Mail. 

If you qualify for an exception to the 

electronic submission requirement, you 

may mail (through the U.S. Postal 

Service or a commercial carrier) your 

application to the Department. You 

must mail the original and two copies 

of your application, on or before the 

application deadline date, to the 

Department at the following address: 

U.S. Department of Education, 

Application Control Center, Attention: 

(CFDA Number 84.323A), LBJ Basement 

Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20202–4260. 

You must show proof of mailing 

consisting of one of the following: 

(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service 

postmark. 

(2) A legible mail receipt with the 

date of mailing stamped by the U.S. 

Postal Service. 

(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or 

receipt from a commercial carrier. 

(4) Any other proof of mailing 

acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. 

Department of Education. 

If you mail your application through 

the U.S. Postal Service, we do not 

accept either of the following as proof 

of mailing: 

(1) A private metered postmark. 

(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by 

the U.S. Postal Service. 

Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not 

uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before 

relying on this method, you should check 

with your local post office. 

We will not consider applications 

postmarked after the application 

deadline date. 

c. Submission of Paper Applications 

by Hand Delivery. 

If you qualify for an exception to the 

electronic submission requirement, you 

(or a courier service) may deliver your 

paper application to the Department by 

hand. You must deliver the original and 

two copies of your application by hand, 

on or before the application deadline 

date, to the Department at the following 

address: U.S. Department of Education, 

Application Control Center, Attention: 

(CFDA Number 84.323A), 550 12th 

Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center 

Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260. 

The Application Control Center 

accepts hand deliveries daily between 

8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, 

DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, 

and Federal holidays. 

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper 

Applications: If you mail or hand deliver 

your application to the Department— 

(1) You must indicate on the envelope 

and—if not provided by the Department—in 

Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, 

including suffix letter, if any, of the 

competition under which you are submitting 

your application; and 

(2) The Application Control Center will 

mail to you a notification of receipt of your 

grant application. If you do not receive this 

notification within 15 business days from the 

application deadline date, you should call 

the U.S. Department of Education 

Application Control Center at (202) 245– 

6288. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Selection Criteria: The selection 

criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 

75.210 and are listed in the application 

package. 

2. Review and Selection Process: We 

remind potential applicants that in 

reviewing applications in any 

discretionary grant competition, the 

Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 

75.217(d)(3), 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 of 

Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 

108.8, and 110.23). 

3. 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. However, if the 

Department decides to select an equal 

number of applications in each group 

for funding, this may result in different 

cut-off points for fundable applications 

in each group. 

4. Risk Assessment and Special 

Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 

200.205, before awarding grants under 

this competition the Department 

conducts a review of the risks posed by 

applicants. Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the 

Secretary may impose special 

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. 

VI. 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 may notify 

you informally, also. 

If your application is not evaluated or 

not selected for funding, we notify you. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements: We identify 

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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. 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 

in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive 

funding under the competition. This 

does not apply if you have an exception 

under 2 CFR 170.110(b). 

(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 

under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary 

may also require more frequent 

performance reports under 34 CFR 

75.720(c). For specific requirements on 

reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/

fund/grant/apply/appforms/

appforms.html. 

(c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), 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. 

4. Performance Measures: The goal of 

the SPDG Program is to reform and 

improve State systems for personnel 

preparation and professional 

development in early intervention, 

educational, and transition services in 

order to improve results for children 

with disabilities. Under the Government 

Performance and Results Act of 1993 

(GPRA), the Department has established 

a set of performance measures, 

including long-term measures, that are 

designed to yield information on 

various aspects of the effectiveness and 

quality of the SPDG Program. These 

measures assess the extent to which: 

• Projects use evidence-based 

professional development practices to 

support the attainment of identified 

competencies. 

• Participants in SPDG professional 

development demonstrate improvement 

in implementation of SPDG-supported 

practices over time. 

• Projects use SPDG professional 

development funds to provide activities 

designed to sustain the use of SPDGsupported practices. 

• Highly qualified special education 

teachers, as defined in section 602(10) 

of IDEA, that have participated in 

SPDG-supported special education 

teacher retention activities remain as 

special education teachers two years 

after their initial participation in these 

activities. 

Each grantee funded under this 

competition must collect and annually 

report data related to its performance on 

these measures in the project’s annual 

and final performance report to the 

Department in accordance with section 

653(d) of IDEA and 34 CFR 75.590. 

Applicants should discuss in the 

application narrative how they propose 

to collect performance data for these 

measures. 

5. Continuation Awards: In making a 

continuation award under 34 CFR 

75.253, 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, 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 (34 CFR 100.4, 

104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23). 

VII. Agency Contact 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jennifer Coffey, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., 

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Washington, DC 20202–2600. 

Telephone: (202) 245–6673. 

If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the 

Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 

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VIII. Other Information 

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print, audiotape, or compact disc) by 

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Dated: January 27, 2016. 

Michael K. Yudin, 

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. 2016–02008 Filed 2–2–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

DOE Response to Recommendation 

2015–1 of the Defense Nuclear 

Facilities Safety Board, Emergency 

Preparedness and Response at the 

Pantex Plant 

AGENCY: Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: On November 24, 2015, the 

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board 

transmitted Recommendation 2015–1, 

Emergency Preparedness and Response 

at the Pantex Plant, to the Department 

of Energy. In accordance with section 

315(c) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 

as amended, 42 U.S.C. 2286d(c), the 

following represents the Secretary of 

Energy’s response to the 

Recommendation. 

DATES: Comments, data, views, or 

arguments concerning the Secretary’s 

response are due on or before March 4, 

2016. 

ADDRESSES: Please send to: Defense 

Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, 625 

Indiana Avenue NW., Suite 700, 

Washington, DC 20004. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Dale Govan, Office of the Departmental 

Representative to the Defense Nuclear 

Facilities Safety Board, Office of 

Environment, Health, Safety and 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES