Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/06/19/2015-15191/application-for-new-awards-national-center-for-information-and-technical-support-for-postsecondary
Timestamp: 2018-11-14 10:46:35
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Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 2', 'arts 1', 'art 4', 'arts 1', 'art 4', 'arts 75', 'art 180', 'art 3485', 'art 200', 'art 3474']

Federal Register :: Application for New Awards; National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students With Disabilities
Application for New Awards; National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students With Disabilities
Applications Available: June 19, 2015.
80 FR 35323
35323-35329 (7 pages)
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2015-15191 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2015-15191
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116D.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 3, 2015.
Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to support a National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities (the Center) to provide technical assistance and information on best and promising practices for students with disabilities as they transition to or attend postsecondary education. Institutions of higher education, as well as elementary and secondary schools, have legal obligations under two civil rights laws prohibiting disability discrimination, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) (42 U.S.C. 12101-12213). The technical assistance and information provided by the Center can help students, parents, and educational officials in determining how to meet these obligations and ensure the rights of students with disabilities. In particular, the Center can assist students with disabilities and their families in understanding that in institutions of higher education, students with disabilities do not have the same rights and protections they had in secondary school under section 504 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq., for eligible children with disabilities. Students with disabilities and their parents need to understand the differences in these rights and responsibilities as they enter college and pursue postsecondary education. Specifically, unlike students in secondary school, postsecondary students are responsible for requesting the academic adjustments, auxiliary aids and services, and other accommodations they need in order to succeed, and are expected to comply with reasonable requirements that an institution of higher education may have concerning documentation of disability and the need for accommodations under section 504 and the ADA.
A more detailed explanation of the differences in rights and responsibilities of students with disabilities in secondary school and postsecondary institutions can be found in two pamphlets issued by the Department's Office for Civil Rights. They are “Transition of Students With Disabilities to Postsecondary Education: A Guide for High School Educators,” available at: www2.ed.gov/​about/​offices/​list/​ocr/​transitionguide.html and “Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities,” available at: www2.ed.gov/​about/​offices/​list/​ocr/​transition.html.
Priorities: This notice contains one absolute priority and one invitational priority. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), the absolute priority is from section 777(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1140q(a)).
Entities that can demonstrate the experience and capacity to improve postsecondary recruitment, transition, retention, and completion rates of students with disabilities by providing:
1. Assistance to students and families. The Center must provide information and technical assistance to students with disabilities and the families of students with disabilities to support students across the broad spectrum of disabilities, including—
(a) Information to assist individuals with disabilities who are prospective students of an institution of higher education in planning for postsecondary education while the students are in secondary school;
(b) Information and technical assistance provided to individualized education program teams (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(B)) and teams determining services under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, for secondary school students with disabilities, and to early outreach and student services programs, including programs authorized under subparts 2, 4, and 5 of title IV of the HEA, to support students across a broad Start Printed Page 35324spectrum of disabilities with the successful transition to postsecondary education;
(c) Research-based supports, services, and accommodations which are available in postsecondary settings, including services provided by other agencies such as vocational rehabilitation;
(d) Information on student mentoring and networking opportunities for students with disabilities; and
(e) Effective recruitment and transition programs at postsecondary educational institutions.
2. Assistance to institutions of higher education. The Center must provide information and technical assistance to faculty, staff, and administrators of institutions of higher education to improve the services provided to, the accommodations for, the retention rates of, and the completion rates of, students with disabilities in higher education settings, which may include—
(a) Collection and dissemination of best and promising practices and materials for accommodating and supporting students with disabilities, including practices and materials supported by the grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements authorized under subparts 1, 2, and 3 of title VII, part D, subpart 4 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1140q);
(b) Development and provision of training modules for higher education faculty on exemplary practices for accommodating and supporting postsecondary students with disabilities across a range of academic fields, which may include universal design for learning and practices supported by the grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements authorized under subparts 1, 2, and 3 of title VII, part D, subpart 4 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1140q); and
(c) Development of technology-based tutorials for higher education faculty and staff, including new faculty and graduate students, on best and promising practices related to support and retention of students with disabilities in postsecondary education.
3. Information collection and dissemination. The Center will be responsible for building, maintaining, and updating a database of disability support services information with respect to institutions of higher education, or for expanding and updating an existing database of disabilities support services information with respect to institutions of higher education. This database shall be available to the general public through a Web site. This database and Web site must include available information on—
(a) Disability documentation requirements;
(b) Support services available;
(c) Links to financial aid;
(d) Accommodations policies;
(e) Accessible instructional materials;
(f) Other topics relevant to students with disabilities; and
(g) The information in the report described in paragraph (5) below.
4. Disability support services. The Center must work with organizations and individuals with proven expertise related to disability support services for postsecondary students with disabilities to evaluate, improve, and disseminate information related to the delivery of high quality disability support services at institutions of higher education.
5. Review and report. Not later than three years after the establishment of the Center, and every two years thereafter, the Center must prepare and disseminate a report to the Secretary and the Congressional authorizing committees analyzing the condition of postsecondary success for students with disabilities. The report must include—
(a) A review of the activities and the effectiveness of the programs authorized under title VII, part D of the HEA;
(b) Annual enrollment and graduation rates of students with disabilities in institutions of higher education from publicly reported data;
(c) Recommendations for effective postsecondary supports and services for students with disabilities, and how such supports and services may be widely implemented at institutions of higher education;
(d) Recommendations on reducing barriers to full participation for students with disabilities in higher education; and
(e) A description of strategies with a demonstrated record of effectiveness in improving the success of such students in postsecondary education.
6. Staffing of the Center. In hiring employees, the Center must consider the expertise and experience of prospective employees in providing training and technical assistance to practitioners.
Web sites established or maintained to carry out any project funded under this competition must meet WCAG 2.0 AA standards (Source: www.w3.org/​TR/​2008/​REC-WCAG20-20081211/​). Documents posted on grantee Web sites—at a minimum—must meet the Department of Education's accessibility standards set out at www2.ed.gov/​internal/​internalguidelines.html.
Entities that intend to collaborate with The National Technical Assistance Center on Improving Transition to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students with Disabilities (www.nsttac.org), the Center for Parent Information and Resources(www.parentcenterhub.org) and the National Collaboration on Workforce and Disability (www.ncwd-youth.info), and with one or more additional disability-related organization(s) of their choice.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1140q(a). Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR part 3474.
Estimated Available Funds: $2,475,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $2,475,000 for the entire performance period. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
1. Eligible Applicants: Under section 777(a)(3)of the HEA, an “eligible entity” is an institution of higher education that meets the definition in section 101 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1001); a nonprofit organization; or a partnership of two or more such IHEs or organizations, with demonstrated expertise in:
(a) Supporting students with disabilities in postsecondary education;Start Printed Page 35325
(d) The subjects necessary to support students across the broad spectrum of disabilities.
You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site: www.EDPubs.gov or at its email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.
If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this program or competition as follows: CFDA number 84.116D.
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. Any application addressing the invitational priority must address it in the abstract and the narrative. You must limit the section of the application narrative that addresses:
Please include a separate heading for the absolute priority and the invitational priority if you address it. Under no circumstances may the application narrative exceed 43 pages, using the following standards:
For purposes of determining compliance with the 43 page limit, each page on which there are words will be counted as one full page.
If you include any attachments or appendices not specifically requested, these items will be counted as part of the program narrative [Part III] for purposes of the page limit requirement. 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.
The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial assistance under a Start Printed Page 35326program administered by the Department, please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. We strongly recommend that you register early.
If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update your registration annually. This may take three or more business days. Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet, which you can find at: www2.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​sam-faqs.html.
7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for awards under this program must be submitted electronically unless you qualify for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the instructions in this section.
Applications for grants under the Center program, CFDA number 84.116D, must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not email an electronic copy of a grant application to us.
You may access the electronic application for the Center program at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.116, not 84.116D).
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will accept your Start Printed Page 35327application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: John Clement, National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., room 6006, Washington, DC 20006-8544. FAX: (202) 502-7877.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.116D), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260. You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original and two copies of your application, by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.116D), 550 12th Street SW., Room 7039, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
1. Selection Criteria: The following selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 75.210 and from section 777(a) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1140q(a)). We will award up to 100 points to an application under the selection criteria; the total possible points for each selection criterion are noted in parentheses.
a. Demonstration of eligibility. (Maximum 25 points) The Secretary considers whether the applicant has demonstrated expertise and experience sufficient to meet the requirements to be an eligible entity under section 777(a)(3). In considering eligibility, the Secretary considers the following factors:
1. Demonstrated expertise and experience in supporting students with disabilities in postsecondary education;
2. Demonstrated technical knowledge necessary for the dissemination of information in accessible formats;
3. Demonstrated experience working with diverse types of institutions of higher education, including community colleges; and
4. Demonstrated expertise in the subjects necessary to support students across the broad spectrum of disabilities.
b. Quality of the project design. (Maximum 15 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
1. The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population or other identified needs;
2. The extent to which the design for implementing and evaluating the proposed project will result in information to guide possible replication of project activities or strategies, including information about the effectiveness of the approach or strategies employed by the project;
3. The extent to which the proposed project will establish linkages with other appropriate agencies and organizations providing services to the target population;
4. The extent to which the proposed project is designed to build capacity and yield results that will extend beyond the period of Federal financial assistance; andStart Printed Page 35328
5. The extent to which performance feedback and continuous improvement are integral to the design of the proposed project.
c. Quality of project services. (Maximum 15 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project. In determining the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary considers:
1. The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or beneficiaries of those services;
2. The likelihood that the services to be provided by the proposed project will lead to improvements in the achievement of students as measured against rigorous academic standards;
3. The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners for maximizing the effectiveness of project services; and
4. The extent to which the technical assistance services to be provided by the proposed project involve the use of efficient strategies, including the use of technology, as appropriate, and the leveraging of non-project resources.
d. Quality of project personnel. (Maximum 15 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed project. In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
1. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal investigator;
2. The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of key project personnel; and
e. Quality of the Management Plan. (Maximum 10 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan, the Secretary considers the following factors:
1. The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks;
2. The adequacy of procedures for ensuring feedback and continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project;
3. The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products and services from the proposed project;
4. The extent to which the time commitments of the project director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project; and
5. How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of perspectives will be brought to bear in the operation of the proposed project, including those of parents, teachers, the business community, a variety of disciplinary and professional fields, recipients or beneficiaries of services, or others, as appropriate.
f. Quality of the project evaluation. (Maximum 20 points) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the evaluation to be conducted for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
1. The extent to which the methods of evaluation are thorough, feasible, and appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project;
2. The extent to which the methods of evaluation provide for examining the effectiveness of project implementation strategies;
3. The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data to the extent possible; and
4. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes.
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure Start Printed Page 35329information as directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/​fund/​grant/​apply/​appforms/​appforms.html.
4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the following Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) performance measures for the Center:
1. The extent to which the project serves students with disabilities, families of students with disabilities, individualized education program teams and individualized plan for employment teams, including growth in numbers served over time and improved user satisfaction ratings with the services received;
2. The extent to which the project provides information and technical assistance to faculty, staff and administrators of institutions of higher education aimed at improving accommodation, retention and completion rates of students with disabilities, including growth in the number of persons and institutions served over time and improved user satisfaction ratings with services received, baseline change over time in retention and completion rates of students with disabilities at the institutions served; and
3. The extent and growth over time in utilization of the database of disability services information by institutions of higher education, including improved user satisfaction ratings of the accessibility and utility of the information provided.
John Clement, National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street NW., Room 6006, Washington, DC 20006-8544. Telephone: (202)502-7520 FAX: (202) 502-7877. Email: john.clement@ed.gov.
[FR Doc. 2015-15191 Filed 6-18-15; 8:45 am]