[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 91 (Thursday, May 9, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21231-21235]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11473]



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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of final priorities.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces final priorities for two programs 
administered by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services (OSERS) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 
The Secretary may use these priorities in Fiscal Year 1996 and 
subsequent years. The Secretary takes this action to focus Federal 
assistance on identified needs to improve results for children with 
disabilities. These final priorities are intended to ensure wide and 
effective use of program funds.

EFFECTIVE DATE: These priorities take effect on June 10, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The name, address, and telephone 
number of the person at the Department to contact for information on 
each specific final priority is listed under that priority.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains three final priorities 
under two programs authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act, as follows: Training Personnel for the Education of 
Individuals with Disabilities Program (two final priorities); and the 
Program for Children and Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance (one 
final priority). The purpose of each program is stated separately under 
the title of that program.
    On February 21, 1996, the Secretary published a notice of proposed 
priorities for these programs in the Federal Register (61 FR 6754-
6758).
    These final priorities support the National Education Goals by 
improving understanding of how to enable children and youth with 
disabilities to reach higher levels of academic achievement.
    The publication of these priorities does not preclude the Secretary 
from proposing additional priorities, nor does it limit the Secretary 
to funding only these priorities, subject to meeting applicable 
rulemaking requirements. Funding of particular projects depends on the 
availability of funds, and the quality of the applications received. 
Further, FY 1996 priorities could be affected by enactment of 
legislation reauthorizing these programs.

    Note: This notice of final priorities does not solicit 
applications. A notice inviting applications under these 
competitions is published in a separate notice in this issue of the 
Federal Register.

Analysis of Comments and Changes

    In response to the Secretary's invitation in the notice of proposed 
priority, fifty-six parties submitted comments. An analysis of the 
comments and of the changes in the proposed priorities follows. 
Technical and other minor changes--as well as suggested changes the 
Secretary is not legally authorized to make under the applicable 
statutory authority--are not addressed.

Priority--Preparation of Special Education, Related Services, and Early 
Intervention Personnel To Serve Infants, Toddlers, Children, and Youth 
With Low-Incidence Disabilities

    Comment: Forty-two commenters expressed concern about the severe 
shortage of personnel specifically prepared to work with children and 
youth who are deaf-blind. The commenters felt that the priority should 
place more emphasis on preparing personnel to work with children and 
youth with deaf-blindness by specifically identifying deaf-blindness as 
a low-incidence disability. Identification of deaf-blindness, the 
commenters note, is necessary to preserve the uniqueness of this 
disability and to address the lack of qualified personnel who have the 
specialized skills to effectively work with deaf-blind children.
    Discussion: The proposed priority defined the term ``low-incidence 
disability'' to include a ``visual or hearing impairment, or 
simultaneous visual and hearing impairments.'' The proposed definition 
did not specifically identify deaf-blindness as a low incidence 
disability, although deaf-blindness clearly satisfies the definition. 
The Secretary agrees with the commenters that there is a need to train 
additional personnel to work with the deaf-blind and notes that the 
Office of Special Education Programs currently funds seven programs 
that prepare personnel to work with this population. Projects proposing 
to prepare special education, related service, and early intervention 
personnel to work with children who are deaf-blind are eligible to 
receive an award under the final priority and are encouraged to apply.
    Changes: The proposed priority has been amended to clarify that 
children with deaf-blindness would be considered individuals with 
``low-incidence'' disabilities.
    Comment: Four commenters expressed concern that there is a shortage 
of teachers of blind and visually impaired children. The commenters 
recommended that the Department establish a separate priority for the 
training of personnel to work with blind and visually impaired children 
since training programs for teachers of the visually impaired are 
highly specialized and rigorous.
    Discussion: The Secretary agrees that there is a shortage of 
teachers of the visually impaired and blind. The Secretary emphasizes 
that the final priority, like the proposed priority, authorizes funding 
of projects designed to train teachers to work with the blind and 
visually impaired.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: Five commenters questioned the collaborative, multi-
disciplinary aspects of the priority. Two commenters expressed concern 
that the priority required projects to demonstrate collaboration 
between their project and other departments and suggested that such 
collaboration is beyond the capability of most programs. In particular, 
one commenter stated that the complexity and intensity of training 
programs that prepare individuals to work with the visually impaired 
would make collaboration between these and other programs (e.g., 
nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and psychology) 
impossible. Other commenters mentioned the difficulty of an over-
crowded curriculum and a lack of time and personnel as additional 
reasons for opposing the development of collaboration among programs. 
However, one commenter recommended that projects demonstrate 
partnerships with rehabilitation programs, independent living centers, 
employers, and other community resources that become critical as youth 
with low-incidence disabilities transition to employment.
    Discussion: The priority encourages, but does not require, 
collaboration

[[Page 21232]]

among several institutions and between training institutions and public 
schools. The priority also encourages, but does not require, projects 
that foster successful coordination between special education and 
regular education professional development programs in order to address 
the needs of children with low-incidence disabilities in inclusive 
settings. The Secretary is sympathetic to the level and diversity of 
knowledge needed to work with many of the low-incidence populations. 
However, students with low-incidence disabilities may experience 
multiple problems that need to be addressed through services in several 
disciplines (e.g., occupational, physical and speech therapy, social 
work, psychology). Special education, related service, and early 
intervention personnel that work with low-incidence populations, 
therefore, must possess sufficient knowledge of other disciplines to 
communicate with professionals in those areas, to function as a team 
member when assessing the students, and to cooperate knowledgeably when 
developing individualized education plans (IEPs). Multi-disciplinary 
training projects are encouraged for purposes of assisting students 
with low-incidence disabilities in reaching their maximum potential. 
Personnel trained under the priority, however, are not expected to 
become fully knowledgeable in other disciplines.
    The Secretary realizes that the appropriateness of any 
collaboration and coordination is dependent upon the objectives of a 
particular project. Potential variation among projects is the reason 
that the collaboration and coordination is encouraged, not required.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: Some commenters requested that certain occupations be 
identified in the priority as types of careers to which training 
projects could be directed. Commenters suggested that transition staff, 
direct care professionals, case managers, orientation and mobility 
instructors, interveners and paraprofessionals be specifically 
mentioned in the priority.
    Discussion: The priority provides support for related services 
personnel who provide developmental, corrective, and other supportive 
services that assist children with low-incidence disabilities to 
benefit from special education. Transition staff, direct care 
professionals, case managers, orientation and mobility instructors, 
interveners and paraprofessionals are considered related service 
personnel under the priority. Because the population of individuals 
with low-incidence disabilities requires multiple services, it would be 
difficult to provide an exhaustive list of all types of related service 
personnel that can be trained under this priority. Also, any list of 
related service personnel could be viewed as overly prescriptive. The 
Secretary prefers to allow individual projects the latitude to propose 
and justify their particular project concentration.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: One commenter requested clarification of the language in 
the priority that authorizes training of related service personnel 
through ``comprehensive programs'' or ``specialty components of 
programs that emphasize children with low-incidence disabilities within 
a broader discipline.''
    Discussion: Comprehensive programs are those that are dedicated to 
the total area of preparation. Examples include, but are not limited 
to, programs that prepare psychologists to work with school-age 
children with disabilities, or physical therapy programs that prepare 
therapists to function within school settings. A specialty component of 
a program is a segment of a broader program devoted to a low-incidence 
disability. Examples include, but are not limited to, programs that 
prepare school psychologists to work with children who have traumatic 
brain injury or physical therapists to work with children birth to age 
three. Both types of preparation programs may be supported under this 
priority. The Secretary intends to include this clarifying information 
in the application package for the competition.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: One commenter described the potential difficulty in using 
the State Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) to 
substantiate a State's need for trained personnel to serve children 
with low-incidence disabilities and asked if other means might be used 
to document State needs.
    Discussion: The Secretary believes that the CSPD should be used to 
support the need for qualified personnel. However, the Secretary also 
recognizes that projects may have to supplement, where appropriate, 
information provided in a particular State's CSPD. In the past, if a 
State's CSPD did not support its need for qualified personnel, other 
sources of data have been accepted for purposes of documenting need. 
The Secretary agrees that applicants should continue to have the option 
to use documentation in addition to the CSPD to demonstrate the lack of 
qualified personnel in a particular State. Regardless of the 
documentation used, it remains the responsibility of the applicant to 
describe, support, and justify the personnel needs addressed by a 
particular project.
    Changes: The priority has been amended to allow projects to use 
documentation in addition to the CSPD to show how their proposed 
activities address the need for trained personnel in a particular 
State.
    Comment: One commenter asked that the priority emphasize the need 
to train males for careers in special education in light of the 
shortage of males who pursue such training.
    Discussion: The Secretary recognizes that the majority of personnel 
serving the needs of children and youth with low-incidence disabilities 
are female. However, the general shortage of qualified personnel able 
to serve the low-incidence population justifies the need for preparing 
all potential candidates, both male and female.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: Two commenters questioned the approximate percentages of 
available funds to be awarded to the three components in the priority--
55 percent for careers in special education, 30 percent for careers in 
related services, and 15 percent for careers in early intervention. One 
commenter sought a decrease in the percentage of funds allocated to the 
preparation of special educators, while another commenter recommended 
decreasing the percentage of funds reserved for special education and 
related services training projects in order to support a separate 
allocation for preparation of individuals who work with the visually 
impaired.
    Discussion: The priority combines elements of three previous 
competitions that were funded separately and are now being combined to 
target the needs of the low-incidence population. The percentages in 
the priority are approximates and have been developed in consideration 
of past levels of support for the different competitions. Funding of 
particular projects depends on the availability of funds, the quality 
of the applications received, and the results of the peer review 
process. However, the Secretary notes that the amount of proposed 
funding for this competition currently surpasses the total amount of 
past awards for the three separate competitions.
    Changes: None.
    Comment: One commenter requested the priority be limited to special 
education personnel and specifically questioned the appropriatness of 
related service and early intervention specialists to work with the 
low-incidence population. The commenter asserted that narrowly prepared 
related

[[Page 21233]]

service personnel may not find employment because children with low-
incidence disabilities are often widely dispersed among geographical 
locations. As a result, such programs may experience logistical 
difficulties and may be uneconomical.
    Discussion: The Secretary is aware of the logistical and economic 
difficulties associated with serving infants, toddlers, children and 
youth with low-incidence disabilities in rural and isolated areas, as 
well as in public school settings. The Secretary is also aware of many 
instances in which several children with low-incidence disabilities are 
educated within a single location. Regardless of setting, however, 
special educators, related service and early intervention personnel 
must be prepared appropriately to meet the needs of children with low-
incidence disabilities. The Secretary encourages programs preparing 
personnel to include information and experience with low-incidence 
disabilities so that graduates of their programs are able to serve 
their customers in their areas of expertise no matter where they are 
found, as single students in an isolated setting or as one of a group 
found in aggregate settings. Federal support of these programs is 
intended to reduce the need for special educators, related service and 
early intervention personnel to learn on the job, which could otherwise 
be detrimental to students.
    Change: None.

Priority--Center To Promote Collaboration and Communication of 
Effective Practices for Children With, or At Risk of Developing, 
Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED)

    Comment: One commenter wrote that the allocation of funds under 
this priority would be more effective if provided directly to States 
with flexibility on how these funds are used. The commenter felt this 
would allow each State to address issues relating to the education of 
students with emotional disabilities specific to the needs of that 
State as identified by school districts and other agencies.
    Discussion: One of the purposes of the Program for Children and 
Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance is, ``To provide information 
and training for those involved with, or who could be involved with 
children and youth with serious emotional disturbance'' (34 CFR 
328.1(b)(2)). The proposed Center is targeted toward the information 
aspect of this purpose as stated in the program regulations. There are 
other purposes of the Program, and some of those are also targeted by 
the priority, but to a lesser extent.
    Given the limited resources, the Department believes that it would 
be most efficient, and have the greatest impact, to concentrate the 
funds rather than to distribute the resources in significantly smaller 
portions to the States. Particularly, the Secretary feels that in the 
area of information development and transfer, multiple smaller efforts 
by the States would generate more duplication and redundancy, and would 
have less overall impact and efficiency than one Center.
    Changes: None.

Training Personnel for the Education of Individuals With 
Disabilities Program

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of Grants for Personnel Training is 
to increase the quantity and improve the quality of personnel available 
to serve infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.
    Priorities: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary gives an 
absolute preference to applications that meet any one of the following 
priorities. The Secretary will fund under these competitions only 
applications that meet any one of these absolute priorities:

Absolute Priority 1--Preparation of Special Education, Related 
Services, and Early Intervention Personnel To Serve Infants, Toddlers, 
Children, and Youth with Low-Incidence Disabilities

Background

    The national demand for educational, related services, and early 
intervention personnel to serve infants, toddlers, children and youth 
with low-incidence disabilities exceeds available supply. However, 
because of the small number of these personnel needed in each State, 
institutions of higher education and individual States are reluctant to 
support the needed professional development programs. Of the programs 
that are available, not all are producing graduates with the 
prerequisite skills needed to meet the needs of the low-incidence 
disability population. Federal support is required to ensure an 
adequate supply of personnel to serve children with low-incidence 
disabilities and to improve the quality of appropriate training 
programs so that graduates possess necessary prerequisite skills.
     Priority: The Secretary establishes an absolute priority to 
support projects that increase the number and quality of personnel to 
serve children with low-incidence disabilities. This priority supports 
projects that provide preservice preparation of special educators, 
early intervention personnel, and related services personnel at the 
associate, baccalaureate, master's, or specialist level.
    The term ``low-incidence disability'' means a visual or hearing 
impairment, or simultaneous visual and hearing impairments (including 
deaf-blindness), significant mental retardation, or an impairment such 
as severe and multiple disabilities, severe orthopedic disabilities, 
autism, and traumatic brain injury, for which a small number of highly 
skilled and knowledgeable personnel are needed.
    Applicants may propose to prepare one or more of the following 
types of personnel:
    (1) Special educators including early childhood, speech and 
language, adapted physical education, and assistive technology 
personnel;
    (2) Related services personnel who provide developmental, 
corrective, and other supportive services that assist children with 
low-incidence disabilities to benefit from special education. Both 
comprehensive programs and specialty components within a broader 
discipline that prepares personnel for work with the low-incidence 
population may be supported; or,
    (3) Early intervention personnel who serve children birth through 
age 2 with disabilities and their families. Early intervention 
personnel include persons prepared to provide training for, or be 
consultants to, service providers and case managers.
    The Secretary particularly encourages projects that address the 
needs of more than one State, provide multi-disciplinary training, and 
include collaboration among several institutions and between training 
institutions and public schools. In addition, projects that foster 
successful coordination between special education and regular education 
professional development programs to meet the needs of children with 
low-incidence disabilities in inclusive settings are encouraged.
    Projects must:
    (a) Show how their proposed activities address the demands for 
trained personnel to serve children with low-incidence disabilities in 
the State or States whose needs the project is expected to meet. The 
extent of the need for trained personnel in a particular State must be 
supported by the State's Comprehensive System of Personnel Development 
(CSPD), or the CSPD supplemented by other additional relevant sources 
which the applicant demonstrates to be reliable and accurate.
    (b) Prepare personnel to address the specialized needs of children 
with low-

[[Page 21234]]

incidence disabilities from different cultural and language 
backgrounds;
    (c) Incorporate best practices in the design of the program and the 
curricula;
    (d) Incorporate curricula that focus on improving results for 
children with low-incidence disabilities;
    (e) Promote high expectations for students with low-incidence 
disabilities and foster access to the general curriculum in the regular 
classroom, wherever appropriate; and
    (f) Develop linkages with Education Department technical assistance 
providers to communicate information on program models used and program 
effectiveness.
    Under this absolute priority, the Secretary plans to award 
approximately:
    <bullet> 55 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in special education, including early childhood 
educators;
    <bullet> 30 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in related services; and
    <bullet> 15 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in early intervention.
    For Further Information Contact: Verna Hart, U.S. Department of 
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3519, Switzer Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-5392. FAX: (202) 205-
9070. Internet: Verna__H<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e3829197a38687cd848c95"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4c2d3e380c2928622b233a">[email protected]</span></a>
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the TDD number: (202) 205-7381.

Absolute Priority 2--Preparation of Personnel To Serve Children and 
Youth with High-Incidence Disabilities

Background

    In many States, there are insufficient numbers of personnel 
available to meet the needs of children with high-incidence 
disabilities. In addition, the quality of personnel preparation 
programs needs to be improved so that professionals will be better 
prepared to help children with high-incidence disabilities reach their 
individual developmental goals and meet challenging standards.
    Priority: The Secretary establishes an absolute priority to support 
projects that increase the number and quality of personnel to serve 
children ages 3 through 21 with high-incidence disabilities such as 
mild or moderate mental retardation, speech or language impairments, 
emotional disturbance, or specific learning disabilities. This priority 
supports projects that provide preservice preparation of special 
educators, including early childhood educators and related services 
personnel.
    A preservice program is defined as one that leads toward a degree, 
certification, or professional standard, and may be supported at the 
associate, baccalaureate, master's or specialist level. A preservice 
program may include the preparation of currently employed personnel who 
are seeking additional degrees, certifications, or endorsements.
    Applicants may propose to prepare one or more of the following 
types of personnel:
    (1) Special educators including speech and language, adapted 
physical education, and adaptive technology personnel;
    (2) Related services personnel who provide developmental, 
corrective, and other supportive services that assist children with 
high-incidence disabilities to benefit from special education; and
    (3) Early childhood special education or related services personnel 
who address the needs of children age three through five with high-
incidence disabilities and their families.
    The Secretary particularly encourages projects that foster 
successful coordination between special education and regular education 
professional development programs to meet the needs of children with 
high-incidence disabilities in inclusive settings.
    Projects must:
    (a) Show through letters of acknowledgement from States or other 
documentation that the proposed professional development activities 
support the Comprehensive Systems of Personnel Development of the State 
or States where personnel prepared by the project are expected to be 
employed;
    (b) Show through letters of acknowledgement from States or other 
documentation that the proposed personnel preparation meets the 
standards for employment in the State or States where personnel 
prepared by the project are expected to be employed;
    (c) Prepare personnel to address the needs of children with high-
incidence disabilities from different cultural and language 
backgrounds;
    (d) Incorporate best practices in the design of the program and 
curricula;
    (e) Incorporate curricula that focus on improving results for 
children with high-incidence disabilities;
    (f) Promote high expectations for children with high-incidence 
disabilities and foster access to the general curriculum in the regular 
classroom, wherever appropriate; and,
    (g) Develop linkages with Education Department technical assistance 
providers to communicate information on program models used and program 
effectiveness.
    Under this absolute priority, the Secretary plans to award 
approximately:
    <bullet> 55 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in special education;
    <bullet> 30 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in related services; and,
    <bullet> 15 percent of the available funds for projects that 
support careers in early childhood education.
    For Further Information Contact: Martha Bokee, U.S. Department of 
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3078, Switzer Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-5509. FAX: (202) 205-
9070. Internet: Marth__a B<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#aac5c1cfcfeacfce84cdc5dc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0f60646a6a4f6a6b21686079">[email protected]</span></a>
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the TDD number: (202) 205-7381.

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

Program for Children and Youth With Serious Emotional Disturbance

    Purpose of Program: To support projects designed to improve special 
education and related services to children and youth with serious 
emotional disturbance. Types of projects that may be supported under 
the program include, but are not limited to, research, development, and 
demonstration projects. Funds may also be used to develop and 
demonstrate approaches to assist and prevent children with emotional 
and behavioral problems from developing serious emotional disturbance.
    Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary gives an absolute 
preference to applications that meet the following priority. The 
Secretary will fund under this competition only an application that 
meets this absolute priority:

Absolute Priority--Center To Promote Collaboration and Communication of 
Effective Practices for Children With, or At Risk of Developing, 
Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED)

Background

    ``Collaboration'' is one of the seven strategic targets identified 
in the National Agenda for Achieving Better Results for Children and 
Youth with SED, developed by the Office of Special Education Programs 
(OSEP) with extensive participation by a variety of individuals and 
organizations. Collaboration is critically important, at Federal, 
State, and local levels: ``To promote systems change resulting in the

[[Page 21235]]

development of coherent services built around the individual needs of 
children and youth with and at risk of developing SED.'' In the past, 
there has been too little interaction between agencies and service 
providers, e.g., education, mental health, child welfare, and juvenile 
justice. Lack of coordination between and across agencies has had a 
negative impact on children and families. The new direction, 
demonstrated in many of the projects currently funded by OSEP and other 
agencies, is toward more ``seamless'' and ``wrap-around'' service 
delivery models built around the needs of students, families, and 
communities--systems that coordinate services, articulate 
responsibilities, and provide system-wide and agency-level 
accountability.
    Many of these new model programs are only in their infancy, but are 
already documenting their effectiveness. It is essential that 
mechanisms be put in place to foster the identification, development, 
and exchange of information about these innovative projects--to 
communicate their findings and approaches nationally to other 
communities and agencies that are seeking solutions to the needs of 
children with mental health problems and their families.
    Priority: The Secretary establishes an absolute priority to support 
one cooperative agreement for a center to promote Federal, State, and 
local interagency collaboration and facilitate the identification, 
development, and exchange of information on effective practices to 
improve services for children with SED and for children with emotional 
and behavioral problems who are at risk of developing SED. The center 
must coordinate and collaborate with related centers and activities 
across agencies, including but not limited to: OSEP's ongoing 
activities to validate and communicate the SED National Agenda; other 
OSEP and Department-supported technical assistance and information 
exchange activities; and the two rehabilitation research and training 
centers (RRTCs) on children's mental health jointly funded by the 
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) 
and the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). The center must 
provide and support information identification, development, and 
exchange for Federal, State, and community-based projects and programs 
providing services for children with or at risk of SED in accordance 
with a plan that describes the centers schedule.
    The center must:
    (1) Establish working relationships with Federal, State, and local 
programs and projects to identify and develop useful and usable 
information for, and to foster the exchange of usable and useful 
information with--
    (a) Federal, State, and community-based programs and projects to 
assist them in their efforts; and
    (b) Broader audiences of individuals and organizations including 
parents and family members of children with or at risk of serious 
emotional disturbance.
    (2) Ensure and facilitate access, including electronic and 
telecommunication access, to information on SED, including information 
on projects funded by the Office of Special Education and 
Rehabilitation Services; other offices in the Department of Education; 
the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Justice; and 
other sources such as foundations and associations, as appropriate.
    (3) Evaluate the impact of information identification, development, 
and exchange activities.
    It is anticipated that initial information exchanges will rely 
heavily upon information already produced by programs and projects, but 
that additional information will be synthesized and developed by the 
center based on findings from the available research and information/
findings provided to the center by programs and projects.
    The center must also ensure that the targets and cross-cutting 
themes of OSEP's National Agenda for Achieving Better Results for 
Children and Youth with SED are addressed in the center's information 
activities. Four areas of particular interest that must be addressed in 
information activities are: (1) Early identification, intervention, and 
prevention; (2) behavior management, conflict resolution, and other 
approaches to creating more productive and safe educational 
environments for all students; (3) personnel preparation; and (4) 
evaluation of community-based (local) program and service 
effectiveness.
    Under this priority, the Secretary intends to award one cooperative 
agreement with a project period of up to 60 months subject to the 
requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for continuation awards. In 
determining whether to continue the center for the fourth and fifth 
years of the project period, the Secretary will consider, in addition 
to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), the factors noted below, and 
the recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts 
selected by the Secretary. The services of the review team, including a 
two-day visit to the center, are to be performed during the last half 
of the center's second year and must be included in that year's 
evaluation required under 34 CFR 75.590. In its budget for the second 
year, the center must set aside funds to cover the costs of the review 
team. These funds are estimated to be approximately $4,000.
    The Secretary will also consider the following:
    (a) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of 
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the 
center; and
    (b) The degree to which the center's evaluation methods and 
information activities demonstrate the potential for advancing 
significant new knowledge.
    The Secretary particularly encourages applicants for this 
cooperative agreement to incorporate technologically innovative 
approaches in all aspects of center activities, to improve their 
efficiency and impact.
    The project must budget for two trips annually to Washington, D.C., 
for: (1) A two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) another 
meeting, in the first quarter of each project year, to meet and review 
project plans and accomplishments with the OSEP project officer and 
other OSEP and other agency staff to share information on the project.
    For Further Information Contact: Tom V. Hanley, U.S. Department of 
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3526, Switzer Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8110. FAX: (202) 205-
8105. Internet: Tom__H<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fa9b94969f83ba9f9ed49d958c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4a2b24262f330a2f2e642d253c">[email protected]</span></a>
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the TDD number: (202) 205-8953.

    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1426.

    Dated: May 3, 1996.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 96-11473 Filed 5-8-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P

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