Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 177 / Tuesday, September 14, 2010 / Notices 55785 

that are coordinated and aligned with 

the Department’s technical assistance 

priorities. 

During the next fiscal year, Project 

Forum will conduct the following 

activities: 

(a) Identify, through contact with 

experts, research reviews, regular 

communication with State and local 

policy officials, and other types of needs 

assessments, the information that 

programs need to improve, both at the 

national, State, and local levels; 

(b) Collect, organize, synthesize, 

interpret, and integrate information 

needed for program improvement using 

a variety of methods and formats such 

as surveys, interviews, brief case 

examinations, and meetings among 

special education administrators, 

outside experts, representatives of 

students with disabilities and their 

families, and others; 

(c) Analyze emerging policy or 

program issues regarding the 

administration of special education, 

early intervention, and related services 

at the Federal, State, and local levels, 

and review, plan, and provide 

leadership in recommending multi-level 

actions that respond to emerging issues; 

(d) Communicate, collaborate, and 

form partnerships as appropriate and as 

directed by OSEP, with technical 

assistance providers at the national and 

regional levels, including those that are 

part of the OSEP-supported special 

education technical assistance and 

dissemination network; 

(e) Communicate regularly with OSEP 

to provide and receive information that 

may assist OSEP in improving its 

efficiency and effectiveness in 

administering IDEA; 

(f) As a result of the activities 

associated with paragraphs (a) through 

(e), at a minimum— 

(1) Complete three in-depth policy 

analyses; 

(2) Prepare ten policy syntheses; and 

(3) Convene one policy forum and 

write a proceedings document; 

(g) Disseminate documents noted 

under paragraph (f) to a wide audience, 

including State and local directors of 

special education; and 

(h) Maintain the project Web site. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification 

The Secretary certifies that the 

extension of project period and waiver 

do not have a significant economic 

impact on a substantial number of small 

entities. The only entity affected is 

Project Forum. 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

The extension of project period and 

waiver do not contain any information 

collection requirements. 

Intergovernmental Review 

This program is subject to the 

requirements of Executive Order 12372 

and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 

One of the objectives of the Executive 

order is to foster an intergovernmental 

partnership and a strengthened 

federalism. The Executive order relies 

on processes developed by State and 

local governments for coordination and 

review of proposed Federal financial 

assistance. This document provides 

early notification of our specific plans 

and actions for this program. 

Accessible Format: Individuals with 

disabilities can obtain this document in 

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

print, audiotape, or computer diskette) 

on request to the contact person listed 

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. 

Electronic Access to This Document 

You can view this document, as well 

as all other documents of this 

Department published in the Federal 

Register, in text or Adobe Portable 

Document Format (PDF) on the Internet 

at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/ 

news/fedregister. To use PDF you must 

have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at this site. 

Note: The official version of this document 

is the document published in the Federal 

Register. Free Internet access to the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the Code 

of Federal Regulations is available on GPO 

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

index.html. 

Dated: September 7, 2010. 

Alexa Posny, 

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. 2010–22880 Filed 9–13–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Office of Special Education Programs, 

Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Department of 

Education; Notice of Final Extension of 

Project Period and Waiver for the 

National Center on Educational 

Outcomes at the University of 

Minnesota (CFDA No. 84.326G) 

SUMMARY: The Secretary issues this 

notice to waive the requirements in the 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations, in 34 CFR 

75.250 and 75.261(a) and (c), 

respectively, that generally prohibit 

project periods exceeding five years and 

extensions of project periods involving 

the obligation of additional Federal 

funds. The extension of project period 

and waiver enable the currently funded 

National Center on Educational 

Outcomes at the University of 

Minnesota to receive funding from 

October 1, 2010 through September 30, 

2011. 

DATES: The extension of project period 

and waiver are effective September 14, 

2010. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

David Malouf, U.S. Department of 

Education, 550 12th St., SW., Room 

4114, Potomac Center Plaza, 

Washington, DC 20202–2641; 

Telephone: (202) 245–6253. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD), call the 

Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll-free, at 

1–800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Department published a notice in the 

Federal Register (75 FR 44234) on July 

28, 2010, proposing an extension of 

project period and a waiver in order 

to— 

(1) Enable the Secretary to provide 

additional funds to the currently funded 

National Center on Educational 

Outcomes at the University of 

Minnesota for an additional 12-month 

period, from October 1, 2010 through 

September 30, 2011; and 

(2) Request comments on the 

proposed extension of project period 

and waiver. 

There are no substantive differences 

between the notice of proposed 

extension of project period and waiver 

and this notice of final extension of 

project period and waiver. 

Public Comment 

We invited comments on the 

proposed extension of project period 

and waiver in the notice of proposed 

extension of project period and waiver. 

We did not receive any comments. 

Waiver of Delayed Effective Date 

The Administrative Procedure Act 

requires that a substantive rule must be 

published at least 30 days before its 

effective date, except as otherwise 

provided for good cause (5 U.S.C. 

553(d)(3)). No comments were received 

during the 15-day public comment 

period on the notice of proposed 

extension of project period and waiver 

and we have not made any substantive 

changes to the extension and waiver. 

The Secretary has determined therefore 

that, to ensure a timely continuation 

grant to the entity affected, a delayed 

effective date is not required. 

Background 

On August 8, 2005, the Department 

published a notice in the Federal 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
55786 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 177 / Tuesday, September 14, 2010 / Notices 

Register (70 FR 45712), inviting 

applications for new awards for fiscal 

year (FY) 2005 under the Technical 

Assistance and Dissemination to 

Improve Services and Results for 

Children with Disabilities program 

(TA&D), authorized under section 663 of 

the Individuals with Disabilities Act 

(IDEA), to support a National Technical 

Assistance Center on Assessment for 

Children with Disabilities. Based on that 

notice, the Department made one award 

for a period of 60 months to the 

University of Minnesota, National 

Center on Educational Outcomes 

(NCEO). Under this award, the Office of 

Special Education Programs (OSEP) 

funds NCEO to address national, State, 

and local assessment issues related to 

students with disabilities. NCEO also 

assists OSEP with analyzing State 

assessment data submitted in the State 

Performance Plan/Annual Performance 

Reports (SPP/APR) required under the 

IDEA. 

NCEO’s current project period is 

scheduled to end on September 30, 

2010. We do not believe it would be in 

the public interest to hold new 

competitions under the TA&D program 

until the Department has considered 

changes being made to the Elementary 

and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 

as amended (ESEA), during the process 

of reauthorizing that law and the 

Department has developed a 

coordinated strategy for the provision of 

technical assistance that is designed to 

help States, local educational agencies 

(LEAs), and schools effectively 

implement key provisions of the ESEA 

and IDEA and improve educational 

results for all students. We also have 

concluded that it would be contrary to 

the public interest to have a lapse in the 

provision of technical assistance 

provided under the TA&D program 

pending the reauthorization of ESEA. 

For these reasons, the Secretary waives 

the requirements in 34 CFR 75.250, 

which prohibit project periods 

exceeding five years, and the 

requirements in 34 CFR 75.261(a) and 

(c), which limit the extension of a 

project period if the extension involves 

the obligation of additional Federal 

funds, and issues a continuation award 

in the amount of $1,000,000 to the 

University of Minnesota (H326G050007) 

for an additional twelve-month period. 

Waiving these regulations and issuing 

this continuation award ensure that 

continued technical assistance is 

available to assist States with 

developing and implementing 

appropriate assessments of students 

with disabilities, as well as emerging 

issues related to the inclusion of 

children with disabilities in 

assessments, as the Department works 

on reauthorization of the ESEA and 

designs IDEA technical assistance 

competitions that are coordinated and 

aligned with the Department’s technical 

assistance priorities. 

During the next fiscal year, NCEO will 

(1) Provide, upon request, technical 

assistance to States regarding the 

inclusion of students with disabilities as 

they develop new academic 

assessments, including assessments that 

consortia of States may develop under 

the Race to the Top Assessment 

Program, and assessments associated 

with other Federal laws (e.g., the ESEA 

and IDEA); (2) develop and implement 

national and regional activities to 

ensure that students with disabilities are 

included in and benefit from emerging 

approaches to assessment (e.g., 

supporting communities of practice and 

convening national forums); (3) 

continue, update, and expand analyses 

of State SPP/APR assessment data; (4) 

collect, analyze, synthesize, and 

disseminate relevant information related 

to the assessment of students with 

disabilities, as appropriate; and (5) serve 

as a national resource for policymakers, 

administrators, teachers, advocates, and 

parents on the assessment of students 

with disabilities. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification 

The Secretary certifies that the 

extension of project period and waiver 

do not have a significant economic 

impact on a substantial number of small 

entities. The only entity affected is 

NCEO. 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

The extension of project period and 

waiver do not contain any information 

collection requirements. 

Intergovernmental Review 

This program is subject to the 

requirements of Executive Order 12372 

and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 

One of the objectives of the Executive 

order is to foster an intergovernmental 

partnership and a strengthened 

federalism. The Executive order relies 

on processes developed by State and 

local governments for coordination and 

review of proposed Federal financial 

assistance. This document provides 

early notification of our specific plans 

and actions for this program. 

Accessible Format: Individuals with 

disabilities can obtain this document in 

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

print, audiotape, or computer diskette) 

on request to the contact person listed 

under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT. 

Electronic Access to This Document 

You can view this document, as well 

as all other documents of this 

Department published in the Federal 

Register, in text or Adobe Portable 

Document Format (PDF) on the Internet 

at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/ 

news/fedregister. To use PDF you must 

have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 

available free at this site. 

Note: The official version of this document 

is the document published in the Federal 

Register. Free Internet access to the official 

edition of the Federal Register and the Code 

of Federal Regulations is available on GPO 

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

index.html. 

Dated: September 7, 2010. 

Alexa Posny, 

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. 2010–22904 Filed 9–13–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Office of Special Education Programs, 

Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services, Department of 

Education; Notice of Final Extension of 

Project Period and Waiver for the 

National Secondary Transition 

Technical Assistance Center (CFDA 

No. 84.326J) 

SUMMARY: The Secretary issues this 

notice to waive the requirements in the 

Education Department General 

Administrative Regulations, in 34 CFR 

75.250 and 75.261(a) and (c), 

respectively, that generally prohibit 

project periods exceeding five years and 

extensions of project periods involving 

the obligation of additional Federal 

funds. The extension of project period 

and waiver enable the currently funded 

National Secondary Transition 

Technical Assistance Center to receive 

funding from December 31, 2010 

through December 31, 2011. 

DATES: The extension of project period 

and waiver are effective October 14, 

2010. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michael Slade, U.S. Department of 

Education, 550 12th St., SW., room 

4083, Potomac Center Plaza, 

Washington, DC 20202–2641. 

Telephone: (202) 245–7527. 

If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD), call the 

Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll-free, at 

1–800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Department published a notice in the 

Federal Register (75 FR 44233) on July 

28, 2010, proposing an extension of 


jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES