Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 140 / Thursday, July 23, 2009 / Notices 36469 

authorize the take of harbor seals 

incidental to NBVC Point Mugu’s boom 

deployment exercises at Point Mugu, 

California, provided the previously 

mentioned mitigation, monitoring, and 

reporting requirements are incorporated. 

Dated: July 17, 2009. 

James H. Lecky, 

Director, Office of Protected Resources, 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–17545 Filed 7–22–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services; Overview 

Information; Technology and Media 

Services for Individuals With 

Disabilities—Center on Accessible and 

Supported Electronic Text To Improve 

Mathematics Achievement for 

Students With Disabilities; Notice 

Inviting Applications for New Awards 

for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

(CFDA) Number: 84.327H. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: July 23, 2009. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: August 24, 2009. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: September 1, 2009. 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The purposes of 

the Technology and Media Services for 

Individuals with Disabilities program 

are to: (1) Improve results for children 

with disabilities by promoting the 

development, demonstration, and use of 

technology, (2) support educational 

media services activities designed to be 

of educational value in the classroom 

setting to children with disabilities, and 

(3) provide support for captioning and 

video description of educational 

materials that are appropriate for use in 

the classroom setting. 

Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 

75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority is from 

allowable activities specified in the 

statute (see sections 674 and 681(d) of 

the Individuals with Disabilities 

Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. 1400 et 

seq.). 

Absolute Priority: For FY 2009 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards from the list of unfunded 

applicants from this competition, this 

priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 

CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only 

applications that meet this priority. 

This priority is: 

Technology and Media Services for 

Individuals With Disabilities—Center on 

Accessible and Supported Electronic 

Text to Improve Mathematics 

Achievement for Students With 

Disabilities. 

Background: 

IDEA and the Elementary and 

Secondary Education Act of 1965, as 

amended (ESEA), require increased 

accountability for the academic 

performance of students with 

disabilities. IDEA requires that students 

with disabilities participate in the 

general education curriculum to the 

maximum extent possible, and ESEA 

establishes the expectation that all 

students, including students with 

disabilities, will achieve proficiency on 

grade-level academic content. However, 

students with disabilities, on average, 

continue to demonstrate lower levels of 

academic performance when compared 

to their non-disabled peers. According 

to the 2007 National Assessment of 

Educational Progress, 40 percent of 

fourth graders with disabilities scored 

below ‘‘Basic’’ in mathematics 

compared to 16 percent of non-disabled 

students (Lee, Grigg, & Dion, 2007). 

Recently, the National Mathematics 

Advisory Panel (2008) called for more 

coherent and rigorous mathematics 

instruction focused on the higher-level 

mathematics skills needed for 

postsecondary education and the 

workplace of the future. Accordingly, it 

is necessary both to close the 

performance gaps for students with 

disabilities and to find new approaches 

for including students with disabilities 

in challenging curriculum reforms in 

mathematics. 

Educators can address these 

challenges by using technology tools 

that expand access to the general 

education curriculum and improve 

academic achievement for all students. 

Electronic text (i.e., text and graphics in 

a form that can be stored, manipulated, 

and displayed by a computer) is one 

such technology tool. Electronic text can 

be used to provide students with access 

to challenging academic instruction and 

can incorporate a variety of 

instructional supports to facilitate and 

extend learning (Higgins & Boone, 2001; 

Rose & Meyer, 2002; Stahl, 2004). 

Anderson-Inman (2004) described 

different types of supportive resources 

that can be added to electronic text, 

such as resources that provide: 

Assistance in visualizing information, a 

condensed view of information, 

enrichment that supplements required 

learning, and tools for learning in 

collaboration with others. 

In 2005, the Office of Special 

Education Programs (OSEP) funded, 

through a five-year cooperative 

agreement, the National Center for 

Supported Electronic Text (NCSET). 

NCSET investigated, at seven research 

sites across the country, how supported 

electronic text affected students with 

disabilities’ reading comprehension of 

content area material. Initial NCSET 

findings suggest that supported text can 

be effective in improving reading 

comprehension and content area 

learning. The following Web site 

provides more information on NCSET: 

http://ncset.uoregon.edu/. 

The effectiveness of supported 

electronic text in improving 

mathematics learning has not yet been 

explored and is not in the research 

plans for NCSET. We propose to address 

the lack of research on the types of 

electronic text supports that could 

facilitate learning in mathematics 

because of the potential benefits these 

supports could offer students with 

disabilities. 

As electronic text and other electronic 

media become more prevalent in 

schools, they are likely to play an 

increasing role in mathematics 

instruction. (Stevenson, 2006; Simba 

Information, 2008). Moreover, based on 

what we have learned to date on the 

effectiveness of supported electronic 

text in improving the reading 

comprehension of students with 

disabilities, we believe that supported 

electronic text has the potential for 

facilitating learning mathematics for 

students with disabilities. For example, 

learning in mathematics involves 

acquiring new vocabulary and concepts, 

applying previous learning to new 

learning, and constructing meaning 

from text, which are learning processes 

for which electronic supports have been 

developed and studied. Additional 

research is needed on the use of 

electronic supports for processes 

specific to mathematics learning such as 

interpreting word problems and solving 

them arithmetically, achieving 

automaticity in basic mathematics facts, 

and becoming proficient in complex, 

multi-step computational procedures 

(Bryant, Bryant & Hammill, 2000). In 

addition, electronic supports may also 

be used to improve access to 

mathematics content and mathematics 

learning for students with visual 

impairments where learning involves 

understanding visual stimuli (e.g. 

graphs, diagrams, and geometric 

shapes). 

For all of these reasons, OSEP is 

establishing a priority for a research 

center that will explore the effectiveness 

of supported electronic text in 

mathematics learning for students with 

disabilities. 


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36470 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 140 / Thursday, July 23, 2009 / Notices 

Priority: 

The purpose of this priority is to fund 

a cooperative agreement to support the 

establishment and operation of a Center 

on Accessible and Supported Electronic 

Text to Improve Mathematics 

Achievement for Students with 

Disabilities (Center). The Center will 

conduct a systematic program of 

research and development on the use of 

accessible, supported electronic text for 

improving the mathematics 

achievement of students with 

disabilities. 

To be considered for funding under 

this absolute priority, applicants must 

meet the application requirements 

contained in this priority. A project 

funded under this absolute priority also 

must meet the programmatic and 

administrative requirements specified in 

the priority. 

Application Requirements. An 

applicant must include in its 

application— 

(a) A review of research on 

mathematics learning and instructional 

technology in relation to students with 

disabilities that— 

(1) Documents the nature of 

difficulties these students experience in 

gaining access to mathematics content 

and in learning mathematics, and the 

types of instructional supports that have 

been incorporated into electronic text to 

address these difficulties; 

(2) Discusses previously developed 

instructional supports that need 

additional research validation in 

relation to mathematics learning as well 

as new instructional supports that might 

be developed or adapted for use in 

instructing students with disabilities in 

mathematics; and 

(3) Includes one or more ‘‘theories of 

change’’ that explains how features and 

components of the instructional 

supports can facilitate learning in 

mathematics. A theory of change 

provides a useful means for evaluating 

the potential efficacy of the 

instructional support and for tying it to 

its theoretical and empirical 

foundations. The applicant may apply a 

theory of change that is already 

available in the literature, or develop a 

theory of change based on the review of 

research. The review and theories of 

change must assume that students are 

working toward achieving proficiency 

on grade-level mathematics content 

standards. 

(b) A plan to conduct a program of 

research that answers the following 

questions: 

(1) What supports can be added to 

electronic text to increase access to 

mathematics content and to promote 

academic achievement in mathematics 

for students with disabilities? 

(2) What student characteristics (e.g., 

functional, language, and technology 

skills) and contextual factors (e.g., 

teacher training, curriculum, and 

student groupings) influence the 

effectiveness of the instructional 

supports in learning mathematics? 

The plan must include systematic 

procedures to develop or adapt (or both) 

existing instructional supports. These 

instructional supports should be based 

on ongoing formative evaluation and 

testing of the usability of the 

instructional supports and their impact 

on student mathematics learning in 

school settings. The theory or theories of 

change may provide a useful framework 

for developing research designs and 

instruments. 

(c) Research designs that: 

(1) Align with the research questions 

being addressed. For research questions 

involving impact on student learning, 

the evaluation of the effectiveness of the 

instructional supports developed or 

adapted by the Center must employ 

experimental designs whenever 

possible, or quasi-experimental group 

designs or strong single subject designs 

when experimental designs are not 

possible. 

(2) Describe methodologies and 

provide documentation that available 

sample sizes are sufficient to produce 

the statistical power needed to yield 

conclusive findings. Outcome measures 

may include experimenter-developed 

instruments, but instruments should 

have instructional relevance and be 

aligned with grade-level mathematics 

content; and 

(3) Limits research to specific 

segments of the population of students 

with disabilities, particular areas of 

mathematics, or particular student ages. 

However, the breadth of the project is 

one factor that may be considered by the 

reviewers in rating the significance of 

the project. 

(d) A plan that describes the project’s 

strategy for disseminating products and 

findings to appropriate audiences. The 

dissemination plan may include 

presentations and written products, but 

must include a final report that 

summarizes the project’s findings and 

their implications for using accessible 

and supported electronic text to 

improve mathematics learning and 

academic achievement for students with 

disabilities. The plan must also include 

materials to promote application of the 

research findings in educational 

practice; 

(e) A budget for a summative 

evaluation to be conducted by an 

independent third party; and 

(f) A budget for attendance at the 

following: 

(1) A one and one half day kick-off 

meeting to be held in Washington, DC, 

within four weeks after receipt of the 

award, and an annual planning meeting 

held in Washington, DC, with the OSEP 

Project Officer during each subsequent 

year of the project period in conjunction 

with either the technical work group 

meeting or the Project Directors’ 

meeting discussed below. 

(2) A one-day technical work group 

meeting to be held in Washington, DC, 

during each year of the project period. 

(3) A three-day Project Directors’ 

Conference in Washington, DC, during 

each year of the project period. 

(4) A two-day Technology Innovation 

meeting in Washington, DC, during each 

year of the project period; and 

(5) A one-day trip annually to attend 

Department briefings, Departmentsponsored conferences, and other 

meetings, as requested by OSEP. 

Project Activities. To meet the 

requirements of this priority, the 

project, at a minimum, must conduct 

the following activities: 

(a) Submit for OSEP approval, within 

the first six months of the project 

period, a comprehensive work plan that 

includes any necessary revisions to the 

research review, the theories of change, 

the research plan, the timeline for 

implementing this plan, the evaluation 

plan, and the dissemination plan. 

(b) Establish and maintain a technical 

work group that must meet in-person at 

least annually and by teleconference, as 

needed, to advise the project on 

research methods, review the designs, 

plans, activities, and outcomes of the 

Center, and provide technical support 

and advice throughout the project 

period. The technical work group must 

include individuals who in combination 

provide strong knowledge and expertise 

in— 

(1) Design and development of 

accessible and supported electronic text; 

(2) Mathematics instruction; 

(3) The instructional needs of 

students with disabilities; 

(4) Research design and statistical 

analysis; and 

(5) Technology implementation in 

schools. 

Persons with disabilities and parents 

of students with disabilities must be 

represented on the technical work 

group. The applicant must submit the 

names of proposed members of the 

technical work group to OSEP for 

approval within eight weeks after 

receipt of the award and hold the first 

meeting within the first four months of 

the project period. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 140 / Thursday, July 23, 2009 / Notices 36471 

(c) Implement the approved work 

plan according to the timeline. 

(d) Maintain a Web site that meets 

government or industry-recognized 

standards for accessibility, if applicable; 

and 

(e) Maintain ongoing communication 

with the OSEP Project Officer through 

monthly phone conversations, e-mail 

communication, quarterly progress 

reports, and annual performance 

reports. 

Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project: 

In deciding whether to continue 

funding the Center for the fourth and 

fifth years, the Secretary will consider 

the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), 

and in addition— 

(a) The recommendation of a review 

team consisting of experts selected by 

the Secretary. This review will be 

conducted during a one-day intensive 

meeting in Washington, DC, that will be 

held during the last half of the second 

year of the project period. The Center 

must budget for travel expenses 

associated with this one-day intensive 

review; 

(b) The timeliness and effectiveness 

with which all requirements of the 

negotiated cooperative agreement have 

been or are being met by the Center; and 

(c) The quality, relevance, and 

usefulness of the Center’s activities and 

products and the degree to which the 

Center’s findings, activities, products, 

and services may contribute to changed 

practice and improved results for 

students with disabilities. 

References 

Anderson-Inman, L. (2004). Reading on the 

web: Making the most of digital text. 

Wisconsin State Reading Association 

Journal, 44(2), 8–14. 

Bryant, D.P., Bryant, B.R., & Hammill, D.D. 

(2000). Characteristic behaviors of 

students with LD who have teacheridentified math weaknesses. Journal of 

Learning Disabilities, 33, 168–177. 

Higgins, K., & Boone, R. (2001). Adapting 

instruction for children with disabilities. 

In L. Searfoss, J. Readence, & M. Mallette 

(Eds.). Helping children learn to read: 

Creating a classroom literacy 

environment (4th ed., pp.330–365). 

Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. 

Lee, J., Grigg, W., and Dion, G. (2007). The 

nation’s report card: Mathematics 2007 

(NCES 2007–494). National Center for 

Education Statistics, Institute of 

Education Sciences, U.S. Department of 

Education, Washington, DC. 

National Center for Education Statistics. 

(2001). The Nation’s Report Card: 

Mathematics 2000, NCES 2001–517, by 

J.S. Braswell, A.D. Lutkus, W.S. Grigg, 

S.L. Santapau, B.S.-H. Tay-Lim, and M.S. 

Johnson. Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Education, Office of 

Educational Research and Improvement. 

National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008). 

Foundations for Success: The Final 

Report of the National Mathematics 

Advisory Panel. Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Education. 

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every 

student in the digital age: Universal 

design for learning. Alexandria, VA: 

Association for Supervision and 

Curriculum Development. 

Simba Information. (2008). School Library 

Market Report 2008–2009. Stamford, CT: 

Author. 

Stahl, S. (2004). The promise of accessible 

textbooks: Increased achievement for all 

students. Wakefield, MA: National 

Center on Accessing the General 

Curriculum; available at www.cast.org/ 

publications/ncac/ncac_accessible.html. 

Stevenson, K.R. (2006). Educational trends 

shaping school planning and design: 

2007. Washington DC: National 

Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities. 

U.S. Department of Education (2000). Office 

of Educational Research and 

Improvement. National Center for 

Education Statistics. The Nation’s Report 

Card: Mathematics 2000, NCES 2001– 

517, by J.S. Braswell, A.D. Lutkus, W.S. 

Grigg, S.L. Santapau, B.S.-H. Tay-Lim, 

and M.S. Johnson. Washington, DC: 

2001. 

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the 

Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 

U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers 

interested parties the opportunity to 

comment on proposed priorities and 

requirements. Section 681(d) of the IDEA, 

however, makes the public comment 

requirements of the APA inapplicable to the 

priority in this notice. 

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1474 and 

1481. 

Applicable Regulations: The Education 

Department General Administrative 

Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 

77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. 

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 institutions of higher education 

(IHEs) only. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Cooperative 

Agreement. 

Estimated Available Funds: 

$1,000,000. 

Contingent upon the availability of 

funds and the quality of applications, 

we may make additional awards in FY 

2010 from this competition. 

Maximum Award: We will reject any 

application that proposes a budget 

exceeding $1,000,000 for a single budget 

period of 12 months. The Assistant 

Secretary for Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services may change the 

maximum amount through a notice 

published in the Federal Register. 

Estimated Number of Awards: 1. 

Note: The Department is not bound by any 

estimates in this notice. 

Project Period: Up to 60 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: State 

educational agencies; local educational 

agencies (LEAs), including public 

charter schools that are considered 

LEAs under State law; IHEs; other 

public agencies; private nonprofit 

organizations; outlying areas; freely 

associated States; Indian tribes or tribal 

organizations; and for-profit 

organizations. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This 

competition does not require cost 

sharing or matching. 

3. Other: General Requirements—(a) 

The projects funded under this 

competition must make positive efforts 

to employ and advance in employment 

qualified individuals with disabilities 

(see section 606 of the IDEA). 

(b) Applicants and grant recipients 

funded under this competition must 

involve individuals with disabilities or 

parents of individuals with disabilities 

ages birth through 26 in planning, 

implementing, and evaluating the 

projects (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of the 

IDEA). 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package: Education Publications Center 

(ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 

20794–1398. Telephone, toll free: 1– 

877–433–7827. FAX: (301) 470–1244. If 

you use a telecommunications device 

for the deaf (TDD), call, toll free: 1–877– 

576–7734. 

You can contact ED Pubs at its Web 

site, also: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/ 

edpubs.html or at its e-mail address: 

edpubs@inet.ed.gov. 

If you request an application package 

from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this 

competition as follows: CFDA number 

84.327H. 

Individuals with disabilities can 

obtain a copy of the application package 

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

large print, audiotape, or computer 

diskette) 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 the 

application narrative to the equivalent 


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of no more than 50 pages, using the 

following standards: 

• A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5′′ x 11′′, on one side 

only, with 1′′ margins at the top, bottom, 

and both sides. 

• Double space (no more than three 

lines per vertical inch) all text in the 

application narrative, including titles, 

headings, footnotes, quotations, 

references, and captions, as well as all 

text in charts, tables, figures, and 

graphs. 

• Use a font that is either 12 point or 

larger or no smaller than 10 pitch 

(characters per inch). 

The page limit does 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 one-page abstract, 

the resumes, the bibliography, the 

references, or the letters of support. 

However, the page limit does apply to 

all of the application narrative section 

(Part III). 

We will reject your application if you 

exceed the page limit or if you apply 

other standards and exceed the 

equivalent of the page limit. 

3. Submission Dates and Times: 

Applications Available: July 23, 2009. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: August 24, 2009. 

Applications for grants under this 

competition may be submitted 

electronically using the Electronic Grant 

Application System (e-Application) 

accessible through the Department’s eGrants system, or in paper format by 

mail or hand delivery. For information 

(including dates and times) about how 

to submit your application 

electronically, or by mail or hand 

delivery, please refer to section IV. 6. 

Other Submission Requirements 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: September 1, 2009. 

4. Intergovernmental Review: This 

competition 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. Other Submission Requirements: 

Applications for grants under this 

competition may be submitted 

electronically or in paper format by mail 

or hand delivery. 

a. Electronic Submission of 

Applications. 

If you choose to submit your 

application to us electronically, you 

must use e-Application, accessible 

through the Department’s e-Grants 

portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov. 

While completing your electronic 

application, you will be entering data 

online that will be saved into a 

database. You may not e-mail an 

electronic copy of a grant application to 

us. 

Please note the following: 

• Your participation in e-Application 

is voluntary. 

• You must complete the electronic 

submission of your grant application by 

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

the application deadline date. EApplication will not accept an 

application for this competition after 

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

the application deadline date. 

Therefore, we strongly recommend that 

you do not wait until the application 

deadline date to begin the application 

process. 

• The hours of operation of the eGrants Web site are 6 a.m. Monday until 

7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday 

until 8 p.m. Sunday, Washington, DC 

time. Please note that, because of 

maintenance, the system is unavailable 

between 8 p.m. on Sundays and 6 a.m. 

on Mondays, and between 7 p.m. on 

Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on Thursdays, 

Washington, DC time. Any 

modifications to these hours are posted 

on the e-Grants Web site. 

• You will not receive additional 

point value because you submit your 

application in electronic format, nor 

will we penalize you if you 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 attach any narrative sections 

of your application as files in a .DOC 

(document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF 

(Portable Document) format. If you 

upload a file type other than the three 

file types specified in this paragraph or 

submit a password protected file, we 

will not review that material. 

• Your electronic application must 

comply with any page limit 

requirements described in this notice. 

• Prior to submitting your electronic 

application, you may wish to print a 

copy of it for your records. 

• After you electronically submit 

your application, you will receive an 

automatic acknowledgment that will 

include a PR/Award number (an 

identifying number unique to your 

application). 

• Within three working days after 

submitting your electronic application, 

fax a signed copy of the SF 424 to the 

Application Control Center after 

following these steps: 

(1) Print SF 424 from e-Application. 

(2) The applicant’s Authorizing 

Representative must sign this form. 

(3) Place the PR/Award number in the 

upper right hand corner of the hardcopy signature page of the SF 424. 

(4) Fax the signed SF 424 to the 

Application Control Center at (202) 

245–6272. 

• We may request that you provide us 

original signatures on other forms at a 

later date. 

Application Deadline Date Extension 

in Case of System Unavailability: If you 

are prevented from electronically 

submitting your application on the 

application deadline date because eApplication is unavailable, we will 

grant you an extension of one business 

day to enable you to transmit your 

application electronically, by mail, or by 

hand delivery. We will grant this 

extension if— 

(1) You are a registered user of eApplication and you have initiated an 

electronic application for this 

competition; and 

(2)(a) E-Application is unavailable for 

60 minutes or more between the hours 

of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, 

DC time, on the application deadline 

date; or 

(b) E-Application is unavailable for 

any period of time between 3:30 p.m. 

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

on the application deadline date. 

We must acknowledge and confirm 

these periods of unavailability before 

granting you an extension. To request 

this extension or to confirm our 

acknowledgment of any system 

unavailability, you may contact either 

(1) the person listed elsewhere in this 

notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) 

the e-Grants help desk at 1–888–336– 


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8930. If e-Application is unavailable 

due to technical problems with the 

system and, therefore, the application 

deadline is extended, an e-mail will be 

sent to all registered users who have 

initiated an e-Application. 

Extensions referred to in this section 

apply only to the unavailability of eApplication. If the E-Application is 

available, and, for any reason, you are 

unable to submit your application 

electronically or you do not receive an 

automatic acknowledgment of your 

submission, you may submit your 

application in paper format by mail or 

hand delivery in accordance with the 

instructions in this notice. 

b. Submission of Paper Applications 

by Mail. 

If you submit your application in 

paper format by mail (through the U.S. 

Postal Service or a commercial carrier), 

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 84.327H), 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. 

If your application is postmarked after 

the application deadline date, we will 

not consider your application. 

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. 

c. Submission of Paper Applications 

by Hand Delivery. 

If you submit your application in 

paper format by hand delivery, you (or 

a courier service) 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 84.327H) 550 12th 

Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 

Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–4260. 

The Application Control Center 

accepts hand deliveries daily between 8 

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 competition are from 34 

CFR 75.210 and are listed in the 

application package. 

2. Review and Selection Process: 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 

the 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 the 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. 

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). 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 

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: 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 multi-year 

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 

http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/ 

appforms/appforms.html. 

4. Performance Measures: 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 

Technology and Media Services for 

Individuals with Disabilities program. 

These measures focus on the extent to 

which projects are high-quality, are 

relevant to improving outcomes of 

children with disabilities, and 

contribute to improving outcomes for 

children with disabilities. We will 

collect data on these measures from the 

project funded under this competition. 

The grantee will be required to report 

information on its project’s performance 

in annual reports to the Department (34 

CFR 75.590). 

VII. Agency Contact 

For Further Information Contact: 

David Malouf, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 

Room 4119, Potomac Center Plaza 

(PCP), Washington, DC 20202–2550. 

Telephone: (202) 245–6253. 

If you use a TDD, call the Federal 

Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800– 

877–8339. 


erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with NOTICES
36474 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 140 / Thursday, July 23, 2009 / Notices 

VIII. Other Information 

Accessible Format: Individuals with 

disabilities can obtain this document 

and a copy of the application package in 

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

print, audiotape, or computer diskette) 

by contacting the Grants and Contracts 

Services Team, U.S. Department of 

Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 

Room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 

20202–2550. Telephone: (202) 245– 

7363. If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll 

free, at 1–800–877–8339. 

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. If you have questions about 

using PDF, call the U.S. Government 

Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1– 

888–293–6498; or in the Washington, 

DC, area at (202) 512–1530. 

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. 

Delegation of Authority: The Secretary 

of Education has delegated authority to 

Andrew J. Pepin, Executive 

Administrator for the Office of Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services to 

perform the functions of the Assistant 

Secretary for Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services. 

Dated: July 17, 2009. 

Andrew J. Pepin, 

Executive Administrator for Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services. 

[FR Doc. E9–17552 Filed 7–22–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services; Overview 

Information; Personnel Development 

To Improve Services and Results for 

Children With Disabilities—Leadership 

Preparation in Sensory Disabilities; 

Notice Inviting Applications for New 

Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

(CFDA) Number: 84.325V. 

DATES: 

Applications Available: July 23, 2009. 

Deadline for Transmittal of 

Applications: August 24, 2009. 

Deadline for Intergovernmental 

Review: September 1, 2009. 

Full Text of Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Purpose of Program: The purposes of 

this program are to (1) help address 

State-identified needs for highly 

qualified personnel—in special 

education, related services, early 

intervention, and regular education—to 

work with infants, toddlers, and 

children with disabilities; and (2) 

ensure that those personnel have the 

necessary skills and knowledge, derived 

from practices that have been 

determined through scientifically based 

research and experience, to be 

successful in serving those children. 

Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 

75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority is from 

allowable activities specified in the 

statute or otherwise authorized in the 

statute (see sections 662 and 681 of the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education 

Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.)). 

Absolute Priority: For FY 2009 and 

any subsequent year in which we make 

awards based on the list of unfunded 

applicants from this competition, this 

priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 

CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only 

applications that meet this priority. 

This priority is: 

Personnel Development to Improve 

Services and Results for Children with 

Disabilities—Leadership Preparation in 

Sensory Disabilities (84.325V). 

Background: During the ten-year 

period between 1996 and 2006 there 

was little change in the number of 

doctorates awarded annually in special 

education. The numbers ranged from a 

high of 288 doctorates awarded in 2004 

to a low of 213 doctorates awarded in 

2002; 237 doctorates were awarded in 

special education in 2006, the most 

recent year reported (Hoffer, Hess, 

Welch, & Williams, 2007). As a general 

matter, this number of doctoral 

graduates is insufficient to fill current 

and anticipated future vacancies for 

special education faculty at institutions 

of higher education (IHEs), special 

education teachers, and special 

education leaders at State and local 

public agencies. (Smith, Pion, & Tyler, 

2004; Smith, Pion, Tyler, Sindelar, & 

Rosenberg, 2001; Wasburn-Moses & 

Therrien, 2008). 

The lack of doctoral graduates in 

special education is even more acute in 

the area of sensory disabilities (e.g., deaf 

and hard-of-hearing, visual impairments 

and blindness, and deaf-blindness). 

These specialties have an immediate 

and critical need for doctoral-level 

personnel (Dilka, Haydon, & Mertens, 

2007; Huebner, Merk-Adam, Stryker, & 

Wolfe, 2004; Johnson, 2003). ‘‘The 

Study of Special Education Leadership 

Personnel: With Particular Attention to 

the Professoriate’’ (Smith, Pion, Tyler, 

Sindelar, & Rosenberg, 2001) reports 

that one-third of higher education 

faculty positions available in special 

education go unfilled every year, 

including many in sensory disability 

areas. For doctoral training programs in 

sensory disabilities that have only one 

full-time faculty on staff, the inability to 

fill a vacant position often results in the 

termination of the program. Because 

doctoral-level faculty also provide 

training for teachers and related services 

providers (e.g., orientation and mobility 

training) who work with children with 

sensory disabilities, faculty shortages at 

IHEs mean that there are fewer 

resources to train critical direct service 

staff. 

In 2004, the Office of Special 

Education Programs (OSEP) awarded a 

five-year cooperative agreement for the 

establishment of a National Center on 

Leadership in Visual Impairment 

(NCLVI) to address the ongoing shortage 

of doctoral-level leaders in the field of 

visual impairment and blindness. The 

14 universities participating in the 

NCLVI each offer doctoral degrees with 

an emphasis on doctoral leadership 

training in the areas of visual 

impairment, blindness, or deafblindness. The NCLVI, with OSEP 

input, established the terms of the 

student awards, offering full tuition 

awards and a stipend for living 

expenses for a maximum of four years 

to offset additional costs related to fulltime studies and general living 

expenses. Scholars were required to be 

full-time so as to ensure that they 

completed their doctoral studies as 

expeditiously as possible to address the 

immediate and critical need for doctoral 

professionals in the field. 

According to a recently published 

National Center of Education Statistics 

(NCES) report, ‘‘The Condition of 

Education 2007,’’ the 2003–04 average 

annual costs for a doctorate in education 

were $10,700 for tuition and $17,200 for 

living expenses, for a total of $27,900. 

According to NCES, the 2003–2004 

average annual costs for all other Ph.D. 

programs, excluding those in education, 

totaled $33,600, including an average 

annual tuition amount of $14,900 and 

living expenses of approximately 

$18,700. Without adjusting for inflation, 

the comparable average NCLVI annual 

tuition amount for 2007–08 was 

$10,673, and the average stipend was 

$20,535, for a total average NCLVI 

annual award of $31,208. Thus, based 

on the most recent NCES data available, 


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