21230 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 91 / Thursday, May 9, 1996 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services

AGENCY: DOE.

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for

new awards for fiscal year 1996.

SUMMARY: This notice provides closing

dates and other information regarding

the transmittal of applications for fiscal

year 1996 competitions under two

programs authorized by the Individuals

with Disabilities Education Act.

This notice supports the National

Education Goals by improving

understanding of how to enable

children and youth with disabilities to

reach higher levels of academic

achievement. [CFDA No. 84.029A]

Training Personnel for the Education of

Individuals With Disabilities Program

Purpose of Program: The purpose of

Training Personnel for the Education of

Individuals with Disabilities Program—

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.

Eligible Applicants: Eligible

applicants are institutions of higher

education, and appropriate nonprofit

agencies.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

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

85, and 86; and (b) The regulations for

this program in 34 CFR Part 318.

Priority

Absolute Priority 1—Preparation of

Special Education, Related Services,

and Early Intervention Personnel To

Serve Infants, Toddlers, Children, and

Youth With Low-Incidence Disabilities

(84.029A)

The priority for Preparation of Special

Education, Related Services, and Early

Intervention Personnel to Serve Infants,

Toddlers, Children, and Youth with

Low-Incidence Disabilities in the notice

of final priority for this program,

published elsewhere in this issue of the

Federal Register, applies to this

competition.

Applications Available: May 10, 1996.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: June 19, 1996.

Deadline for Intergovernmental

Review: August 19, 1996.

Estimated Average Size of Award:

$150,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 47.

Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000

to $200,000.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Available Funds: In fiscal year 1996,

approximately $7,000,000 will be

available to support an estimated 47

projects (grant awards) under this

absolute priority (competition) for the

first 12 months (year) of the projects.

The total average award is estimated at

approximately $150,000. Multi-year

projects will be level funded unless

there are increases in costs attributable

to significant changes in activity level,

and funds are available.

For Applications and General

Information Contact: Ernestine Jefferson,

U.S. Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, S.W., Switzer

Building, Room 3072, Washington, DC

20202–2651. Telephone: (202) 205–

8761. FAX: (202) 205–9070. Internet:

ErnestinelJefferson@ed.gov

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the TDD number: (202)

205–8953. Applications are available in

alternative formats upon request.

For Technical 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: VernalHart@ed.gov

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.

[CFDA No. 84.237T]

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.

Eligible Applicants: Institutions of

higher education, State educational

agencies, local educational agencies,

and other appropriate public and

nonprofit private institutions or

agencies.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

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

85, and 86; and (b) The regulations for

this program in 34 CFR Part 328.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR Part 86

apply to institutions of higher education

only.

Priority

Absolute Priority—Center To Promote

Collaboration and Communication of

Effective Practices for Children With, or

At Risk of Developing, Serious

Emotional Disturbance (SED) (84.237T)

The priority Center to Promote

Collaboration and Communication of

Effective Practices for Children with, or

At Risk of Developing, Serious

Emotional Disturbance (SED) in the

notice of final priority for this program,

published elsewhere in this issue of the

Federal Register, applies to this

competition.

Applications Available: May 10, 1996.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: June 19, 1996.

Deadline for Intergovernmental

Review: August 19, 1996.

Estimated Average Size of Award:

$500,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 1.

Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Available Funds: In fiscal year 1996,

approximately $500,000 will be

available to support one project (award)

for the first 12 months (year) of the

project. It is anticipated that the project

will be level funded in years two

through five, unless there are increases

in costs attributable to significant

changes in activity level, and funds are

available.

For Applications and General

Information Contact: Claudette Carey,

U.S. Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, S.W., room

3525, Switzer Building, Washington,

D.C. 20202–2641. Telephone: (202) 205–

9864. FAX: (202) 20508105. Internet:

ClaudettelCarey@ed.gov

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the TDD number: (202)

205–8953. Applications are available in

alternative formats upon request.

For Technical 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:

TomlHanley@ed.gov

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the TDD number: (202)

205–8953.

Note: The Department of Education is not

bound by any estimates in this notice.

Information about the Department’s

funding opportunities, including copies

of application notices for discretionary
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 91 / Thursday, May 9, 1996 / Notices 21231

grant competitions, can be viewed on

the Department’s electronic bulletin

board (ED Board), telephone (202) 260–

9950; or on the Internet Gopher Server

at GOPHER.ED.GOV (under

Announcements, Bulletins, and Press

Releases); or on the World Wide Web at

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

However, the official application notice

for a discretionary grant competition is

the notice published in the Federal

Register.

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

Dated: May 3, 1996.

Judith E. Heumann,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 96–11472 Filed 5–8–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of final priorities.

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 deafblindness 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 ‘‘lowincidence’’ 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, multidisciplinary 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 lowincidence disabilities transition to

employment.

Discussion: The priority encourages,

but does not require, collaboration