[Federal Register: March 24, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 56)]
[Notices]
[Page 13971-13978]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24mr97-98]
[[Page 13971]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part III
Department of Education
_______________________________________________________________________
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
_______________________________________________________________________
Children With Disabilities Programs; Grants Availability; Notice
[[Page 13972]]
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
Children With Disabilities Programs
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes priorities for 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 1997 and subsequent years. The
Secretary takes this action to focus Federal assistance on identified
needs to improve results for children with disabilities. The proposed
priorities are intended to ensure wide and effective use of program
funds.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 23, 1997 for the
Directed Research Projects proposed priority. Comments on all other
priorities must be received on or before April 23, 1997.
ADDRESSES: All comments concerning proposed priorities should be
addressed to: Linda Glidewell, U.S. Department of Education, 600
Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3521, Switzer Building, Washington,
D.C. 20202-2641. Internet: NPP__Research@ed.gov
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on these
proposed priorities contact the U.S. Department of Education, 600
Independence Avenue, S.W., room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington,
D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 260-9182. FAX: (202) 205-8717 (FAX is
the preferred method for requesting information).
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD)
may call the TDD number: (202) 205-8953. Individuals with disabilities
may obtain a copy of this notice in an alternate format (e.g. braille,
large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the
Department as listed above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains six proposed priorities
authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. These
proposed priorities would support the National Education Goals by
helping to improve results for children with disabilities.
The Secretary will announce the final priorities in a notice in the
Federal Register. The final priorities will be determined by responses
to this notice, available funds, and other considerations of the
Department. Funding of particular projects depends on the availability
of funds, the content of the final priorities, and the quality of the
applications received. Further, priorities could be affected by
enactment of legislation reauthorizing these programs. The publication
of these proposed 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.
Note: This notice of proposed priorities does not solicit
applications. Notices inviting applications under these competitions
will be published in the Federal Register concurrent with or
following publication of the notices of final priorities.
Priorities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary proposes to give an
absolute preference to applications that meet one of the following
priorities. The Secretary proposes to fund under these competitions
only applications that meet one of these absolute priorities:
Proposed Absolute Priority 1--Urban Center on Implementing Inclusive
Education for Children With Severe Disabilities as Part of Systemic
Education Reform Efforts
Background
During the past ten years research and demonstration activities
related to inclusive education have expanded dramatically. Increasing
numbers of State and local education agencies are involved in school
reform and inclusion efforts to ensure that all students, including
those with severe disabilities, are provided with equal educational
opportunities, meaningful access to the general curriculum, and
effective educational and related services in their neighborhood
schools.
However, in the midst of multiple social and economic problems,
urban districts are confronted with increasingly complex issues that
have made the pursuit of inclusion and systemic education reform
initiatives difficult. The need is compelling, considering that forty
percent of our Nation's students attend four percent of the country's
school districts.
Priority
This priority is national in scope and is designed to help bridge
the gap between the knowledge base and the state of practice in urban
districts by: (a) Incorporating extant theory and research findings
about the inclusion of students with disabilities, particularly
students with severe disabilities, into systemic educational reform
efforts, including efforts to improve education in multicultural
environments; (b) increasing the capacity of urban school districts to
provide high quality inclusive educational opportunities for students
with disabilities, particularly students with severe disabilities; and
(c) creating a national network of parents, education professionals
(including teacher's organizations and unions), and advocacy groups
interested in pursuing inclusion of students with disabilities,
particularly students with severe disabilities, as a component of
systemic education reform in urban districts in order to facilitate
increased exchange of information and collaborative problem solving
among these stakeholders.
The Center must--
(a) Prepare a synthesis of the relevant extant systemic reform,
systems change, and inclusion theory and research with emphasis on
urban schools with diverse populations to serve as the conceptual and
empirical basis for center activities;
(b) Translate this knowledge base into educational practices and
materials that promote the inclusion of children with disabilities in
regular education programs, and can be used by program implementers and
policy makers in urban areas at district, building, and classroom
levels;
(c) Provide training and technical assistance via direct technical
assistance as well distance learning and other innovative methods in
the adoption, use, and maintenance of inclusive educational practices
involving access to the general education curriculum in urban settings;
(d) Evaluate the effectiveness of the center's activities in
promoting inclusive educational practices in multiple urban settings by
assessing: (1) the number of school sites where activities are
conducted; (2) the number of people trained; (3) the types of follow-up
activities that appear most valuable; and (4) the number of children
with disabilities who are served in inclusive educational programs;
(e) Evaluate the effect of the Center's activities on results for
children with disabilities;
(f) Produce a variety of evaluation data, including: (1) factors
that contribute to the successful adoption, use, and maintenance of
inclusive educational efforts in urban districts; (2) descriptions of
the instructional contexts and settings, and classroom instructional
supports; (3) school governance, organizational, and administrative
patterns; (4) the attitudes and involvement of school administrators,
school personnel, union membership, families, students, and
[[Page 13973]]
other stakeholders; (5) information about student results and the
social validity of project activities; (6) information about how
project activities are integrated in broader school reform efforts; and
(7) analysis of policies, procedures, and fiscal implications at the
urban district level;
(g) Develop linkages with U.S. Department of Education technical
assistance providers and disseminators to communicate findings and
distribute products;
(h) Coordinate activities on an on-going basis with other relevant
efforts sponsored by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP),
including the Consortium for Inclusive Schooling Practices, and State-
wide Systems Change projects;
(i) Provide training and experience in translating research to
practice, materials development, technical assistance, dissemination,
and program evaluation for a limited number of graduate students
including students who are from traditionally underrepresented groups;
(j) Conduct topical meetings and other activities on issues and
emerging or promising inclusion practices in urban education; and
(k) Collect and ensure timely dissemination of information on
inclusion to urban policymakers and program implementers.
Under this priority, the Secretary anticipates making one award for
a cooperative agreement with a project period of up to 60 months
subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for continuation
awards. In determining whether to continue the Urban Center for the
fourth and fifth years of the project, the Secretary, in addition to
considering factors in 34 CFR 75.253(a), will consider--
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts
selected by the Secretary. The services of the review team, including a
two-day site visit to the project are to be performed during the last
half of the Center's second year and may be included in that year's
evaluation required under 34 CFR 75.590. Costs associated with the
services to be performed by the review team must also be included in
the Center's budget for year two. These costs are estimated to be
approximately $4,000;
(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 degree to which the Center's technical assistance,
evaluation, and dissemination activities demonstrate the potential for
significantly increasing the capacity of urban schools to serve
children with disabilities in inclusive school and community settings.
This award will be jointly funded under two statutory authorities:
(1) The Research in Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program;
and (2) the Program for Children with Severe Disabilities. The
Secretary has determined that this joint award is necessary to address
not only the needs of children with severe disabilities in urban
settings, but also the broader needs of all children with disabilities
in urban settings.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1441 and 1424.
Proposed Absolute Priority 2--Center to Promote the Access to and
Participation by Minority Institutions in Discretionary Programs
Authorized Under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Background
The Congress has found that the Federal Government must be
responsive to the growing needs of an increasingly diverse society and
that a more equitable distribution of resources is essential for the
Federal Government to meet its responsibility to provide an equal
educational opportunity for all individuals, including children with
disabilities. Specifically, the Congress has concluded that increasing
the participation in awards for IDEA grants, cooperative agreements and
contracts by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs),
other institutions of higher education whose minority enrollment is at
least 25 percent (OMIs), and other eligible institutions as defined
under section 312 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (OEIs) can
greatly improve our success in educating children with disabilities
from diverse backgrounds.
Priority
This priority is part of the Secretary's plan for increasing
participation of minority entities in grant competitions. The purpose
of this priority is to improve educational results for children with
disabilities from diverse backgrounds by supporting a national center
to: (a) promote the participation of HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs in personnel
preparation competitions authorized by IDEA; and (b) increase the
capacity of HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs to prepare personnel to work with
children with disabilities.
The Center must--
(1) Identify the universe of HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs;
(2) Establish and maintain contacts with the minority entities;
(3) Conduct needs assessments and negotiate technical assistance
agreements on an annual basis with each HBCU, OMI, or OEI requesting
assistance. The Center may propose cross-institutional activities if
similar objectives are established in several agencies, and if
combining activities could create cost savings or extend benefits to
minority entities requesting assistance. In developing these
activities, the Center must analyze the needs of each entity and
determine the most effective and cost efficient means of addressing
those needs. In developing each specific technical assistance
agreement, the Center must--
(i) Reconcile the needs identified by the entity with the Center's
resources and its ability to respond;
(ii) Describe the strategies and mechanisms it will use to respond
to the technical assistance and professional development needs;
(iii) Identify the persons involved in the technical assistance
activity;
(iv) Specify the beginning and end date of the activity;
(v) Describe how the technical assistance activity will contribute
to promoting the immediate and long-term goals of the project,
including improved educational results for children with disabilities;
and
(vi) Describe a plan for coordinating with other technical
assistance providers (e.g., the Regional Resource Centers) that may be
involved in related activities;
(5) Analyze the performance of grantees to serve as a basis for
providing technical assistance, especially in the areas of recruitment
and retention of students in personnel preparation programs, improving
the quality of those programs, placement of students after graduation,
and other areas that contribute to improved results for children with
disabilities;
(6) Develop materials and implement strategies that are necessary
to carry out the center's activities;
(7) Prepare and disseminate materials explaining personnel
preparation competitions under IDEA to the HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs;
(8) Analyze the results of each competition in terms of the degree
to which the HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs applied, and the degree to which
they were successful, and submit this analysis to the Department and
the HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs served by the project;
(9) Provide advice as requested by the Department on strategies to
further the
[[Page 13974]]
purposes of section 610(j) of the Act; and
(10) Disseminate state-of-the-art practices in personnel
preparation, recruitment, and retention through linkages with U.S.
Department of Education dissemination and technical assistance
providers, in particular those technical assistance providers supported
under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
The Secretary anticipates making one award for a grant with project
period of up to 60 months subject to the requirements of 34 CFR
Sec. 75.253(a) for continuation awards. In determining whether to
continue the Center for the fourth and fifth years of the project
period, the Secretary, in addition to the requirements of 34 CFR
Sec. 75.253(a), will consider----
(a) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated scope of work have been or are being met by the Center;
and
(b) The degree to which minority entities applied and were
successful in participating in personnel preparation programs under
IDEA.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1409(j) and 1431.
Proposed Absolute Priority 3--Technical Assistance to Parent Projects
This priority is issued under the Program for Training Personnel
for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities--Parent Training and
Information Centers. The purpose of this priority is to provide
technical assistance for establishing, developing, and coordinating
parent training and information projects (PTIs) supported under
Sec. 631(e) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The
project must:
(a) Plan and conduct one national and four regional conferences
each year;
(b) Conduct an assessment of the training and information needs of
the PTIs;
(c) Provide direct technical assistance and disseminate information
through a variety of mechanisms to individual parent training and
information projects on management processes or content areas (e.g.,
special education and related services issues, laws and regulation,
networking) as identified through the needs assessment;
(d) Maximize the computer and technological capabilities of the
Federally-supported network of PTIs, by: (1) Systematizing data
collection to conduct needs assessments (e.g., of who is and is not
being served, where and what kinds of problems or successes exist in
States, tracking effects of Federal and State initiatives), (2) linking
the PTIs together electronically using a web page and bulletin boards
that are user-friendly, enable PTIs to access and communicate with each
other, and link PTIs directly to the National Information Center for
Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY) and other information
sources, and (3) implementing other appropriate strategies.
(e) Identify effective strategies for working with parents,
families, and schools, and incorporate these strategies into training
materials, technical assistance activities, and conferences; and
(f) Provide direct technical assistance to PTIs that need such
assistance in order to better serve underserved and underrepresented
populations.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431(e).
Proposed Absolute Priority 4--Special Projects--National Initiatives
This priority is issued under the Program for Training Personnel
for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities. The purpose of this
priority is to support projects of national significance related to the
preparation of personnel needed to serve infants, toddlers, children,
and youth with disabilities. Projects funded under this priority must
address one of the following focus areas:
Focus 1--An Academy: Linking Teacher Education to Advances in
Research. The purpose of this project will be to link teacher education
programs with recent advances in research that have documented
successful methods and strategies for assisting children with
disabilities to achieve better results. The teacher education programs
shall benefit by integrating these research advances into their
respective preservice preparation programs for preparing personnel to
work with children with disabilities, including special education,
early intervention, related services personnel, and regular educators.
The researchers will benefit from understanding how the findings of
their research impact and improve the personnel preparation programs. A
preservice program is defined as one that leads toward a degree,
certification, or professional license or standard, and may be
supported at the associate, baccalaureate, master's or specialist
level.
The Academy must focus its staff and resources on research
advancements that improve results for children with disabilities in:
(a) teaching reading to children with learning disabilities; (b) using
technology to enhance educational results for children with
disabilities; and (c) using positive behavioral supports to teach
children with disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviors.
Activities
The Academy must--
(a) Design an approach, consistent with principles of effective
professional development, for linking teacher education programs to the
recent advances in research listed above. The professional development
approach must consider a range of strategies for facilitating the
exchange of knowledge between researchers and individuals who prepare
personnel to work with children with disabilities. Strategies may
include, for example, face to face meetings, electronic networks,
seminars, retreats, mentoring agreements, and building local resource
banks;
(b) Design a comprehensive approach for reaching out to teacher
education programs across the country in each of the three research
areas identified above;
(c) Design innovative tools to facilitate the exchange of
knowledge, such as experiential activities, videos, course syllabi,
interactive media, etc.; and
(d) Evaluate the progress of linking research advances to teacher
education programs.
Focus 2--Developing A National Plan for Training Personnel to Teach
Blind and Low-Vision Children. In recent years, the number of
institutions of higher education that offer teacher training programs
for teachers of blind and low-vision children has significantly
diminished. Today, very few vision training programs for teachers of
visually impaired individuals exist across the country. In some
geographic areas, no such program exists. There has also been a
concurrent reduction in the number of personnel available to meet the
needs of children who are blind or have low vision. Institutions
currently respond to this shortage by offering abbreviated courses,
off-campus courses, and distance learning. Both individual institutions
and regional organizations are seeking more effective responses to this
problem.
These problems are significant. Thus, immediate attention must be
devoted to developing a national strategy for addressing the need for
qualified personnel to teach blind and low-vision children.
Activities
The project must--
[[Page 13975]]
(a) Conduct a systemic and systematic needs assessment of the
personnel shortage identified above; and
(b) Design a comprehensive approach for preparing capable and
qualified personnel to educate blind and low vision students, including
strategies for solving this shortage problem, consideration and
comparisons of the merits of each alternative strategy, and a
recommended solution.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C 1431.
Proposed Absolute Priority 5--Research Institute on Secondary Education
Services for Children and Youth With Disabilities
This priority is issued under the Secondary Education and
Transitional Services for Youth with Disabilities Program. This
institute would support a strategic program of research to study a
variety of strategies to improve educational results for students with
disabilities in secondary education settings (including urban, rural,
and suburban community settings), and promote their successful
transition to postsecondary settings.
The secondary research institute must design and conduct a
strategic program of research to study--
(a) The range of effective support strategies, supplementary aids,
and services (e.g., counseling, tutoring, assistive technology) aimed
at improving educational results for students with disabilities in a
wide range of typical secondary education experiences (e.g., academic,
vocational, extracurricular) as well as their retention in school and
their engagement in the educational process;
(b) Effective strategies that secondary school personnel can use to
restructure academic and vocational courses to accommodate students
with disabilities with diverse learning needs and styles;
(c) The extent to which secondary schools are effectively
implementing the transition services requirement of IDEA;
(d) The extent to which secondary academic and vocational curricula
promote postsecondary education and employment; and
(e) Standards and models for developing instructional and
transition plans for students who are entering or enrolled in secondary
school programs.
The program of research must include, but need not be limited to,
studying school based exemplars, or designing and implementing
interventions using a rich array of research methods to reach the
intended goals of this priority as articulated by the proposed research
hypotheses. In addition, the research must be designed in a manner that
is likely to lead to improved services and results for children and
youth with disabilities, including those who are members of cultural,
linguistic, or racial minority groups.
The institute must--
(a) Design and conduct a strategic program of research across
multiple sites to represent organizational and demographic diversity;
(b) Collect, analyze, and communicate student results data and
supporting context data; and multiple results data for teachers,
parents, and administrators, as appropriate;
(c) Collaborate with other research institutes supported under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and experts and researchers
in related subject matter and methodological fields, to design and
conduct the activities of the institute;
(d) Carry out the research within a conceptual framework, based on
previous research or theory, that provides a basis for the issues that
will be studied, the research methods and instrumentation that will be
used, and the specific target populations and settings that will be
studied;
(e) Collaborate with communication specialists and professional and
advocacy organizations to ensure that findings are prepared in formats
that are useable for specific audiences such as teachers,
administrators, and other service providers;
(f) Develop linkages with U.S. Department of Education
dissemination and technical assistance providers, in particular those
supported under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to
communicate research findings and distribute products;
(g) Provide training and research opportunities for a limited
number of graduate students, including students who are from
traditionally underrepresented groups;
(h) Coordinate research and dissemination activities with other
relevant efforts sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and with
the U.S. Department of Labor, including other research institutes, and
information clearinghouses; and
(i) Meet with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
project officer in the first four months of the project to review the
program of research and communication approaches.
The Institute must budget for two trips annually to Washington,
D.C. for: (1) A two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2)
another meeting to collaborate with the OSEP project officer.
Under this priority, the Secretary anticipates making one award for
a cooperative agreement with a project period of up to 60 months
subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for continuation
awards. In determining whether to continue the Institute for the fourth
and fifth years of the project period, the Secretary, in addition to
the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), will consider--
(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts
selected by the Secretary. The services of the review team, including a
two-day site visit to the project, are to be performed during the last
half of the Institute's second year and may be included in that year's
evaluation required under 34 CFR 75.590. Costs associated with the
services to be performed by the review team must also be included in
the Institute's budget for year two. These costs are estimated to be
approximately $4,000;
(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
Institute; and
(c) The degree to which the Institute's research designs,
methodologies, and activities demonstrate the potential for advancing
significant new knowledge.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1425.
Proposed Absolute Priority 6--Directed Research Projects
Background
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has, in prior
years, announced priorities for the support of research projects under
several of the programs authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act. Separate research priorities (competitions) have been
announced under the Early Education Program for Children with
Disabilities, Program for Children with Severe Disabilities, Secondary
Education and Transitional Services for Youth with Disabilities
Program, Program for Children and Youth with Serious Emotional
Disturbance, and the Research in Education of Individuals with
Disabilities Program. The purpose of this priority is to group all
priorities for directed research and apply a single set of requirements
among the various competitions. By consolidating multiple priorities
and announcements into one priority, OSEP endeavors to avoid
unnecessary duplication and provide consistent information for all
research competitions. The program authority for each focus is listed
following each focus statement.
[[Page 13976]]
Priority
This priority provides support for projects that advance and
improve the knowledge base and improve the practice of professionals,
parents, and others providing early intervention, special education,
and related services, including professionals who work with children
with disabilities in regular education environments, to provide such
children effective instruction and enable them to learn successfully.
Under this priority, projects must support innovation, development,
exchange, and use of advancements in knowledge and practice designed to
contribute to the improvement of early intervention, instruction, and
learning of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.
A research project must address one of the following focus areas:
Focus 1--Beacons of excellence. Research projects supported under
focus 1 must identify and study schools achieving exemplary results for
students with disabilities in the context of efforts to achieve
exemplary results for all students. Projects must develop and apply
procedures and criteria to identify those schools, and to identify
factors contributing to exemplary learning results, and examine how
those factors and other factors relate to achieving exemplary learning
results for students with disabilities. Projects may focus on either
secondary or elementary levels, or both. During the third year of the
project, the Secretary will determine whether or not to fund an
optional six-month period for extended dissemination activities
arranged with OSEP.
Program Authority: Research in Education of Individuals with
Disabilities Program, 20 U.S.C. 1441.
Focus 2--Prevention and early intervention services for children
with emotional and behavioral problems. Many young children with
emotional and behavioral problems experience years of repeated
preschool and school failure, permanent damage to their self-esteem,
and escalation of their problems, before they receive appropriate
services. Research projects supported under this focus must identify,
examine, and document information about the specific factors that
contribute to effectiveness in collaborative, community-based,
prevention and early intervention services to prevent children with
emotional and behavioral problems from developing serious emotional
disturbance. The target population for these projects includes children
in preschool, kindergarten, and the primary grades (1-4), and their
families.
The research may focus, for example, on child find, screening,
early identification, assessment, pre-referral strategies, child and
family intervention and prevention services, and results. Research must
include but is not limited to services and programs funded under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Additional programs with
collaborative, community-based services appropriate for study may
include, where available, Head Start and Early Head Start programs,
other early childhood service programs, primary care and mental health
programs, child care center programs, and public and private preschools
and elementary school programs. Each research project must include an
evaluation of the collaboration and coordination of prevention and
early intervention services across multiple service providers and
agencies working with these children and their families.
Program Authority: Program for Children and Youth with Serious
Emotional Disturbance, 20 U.S.C. 1426.
Focus 3--Students approaching graduation and the supplemental
security income program. Many children and youth with disabilities
receiving special education services also receive Supplemental Security
Income (SSI). Administered by the Social Security Administration, the
SSI program provides cash assistance, Medicaid eligibility, and work
incentives such as the Impairment-Related Work Expense incentive and
the Plan for Achieving Self-Support. National data indicate that these
work incentives are under-utilized and that most working-age SSI
recipients are unemployed. To address this problem, the National
Academy of Social Insurance (1996) recommended that information about
the SSI work incentives should be incorporated in the transition
planning process required by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act. The SSI work incentives may therefore enhance the
employment results of transitioning youth with disabilities.
The purpose of focus 3 is to develop and test innovative strategies
for increasing the utilization of the SSI work incentives. Projects
must: (a) Examine the barriers to employment for young adults with
disabilities who are receiving SSI benefits; (b) develop innovative
strategies and materials for promoting the utilization of work
incentives through the transition planning process; and (c) apply
qualitative and quantitative research methods to determine the relative
efficacy of technical assistance strategies, toward improving work
incentive utilization developed under (b).
Program Authority: Secondary Education and Transitional Services
for Youth with Disabilities Program, 20 U.S.C. 1425.
Focus 4--The sustainability of promising innovations. A growing
body of practice-based research and model demonstration work in schools
and local districts, including projects supported by the Office of
Special Education Programs (OSEP), has focussed on meeting the needs
of, and improving the results for, students with disabilities in
schools and districts involved in reform and restructuring initiatives.
Some of this work is yielding promising positive results for students
with disabilities. However, little is known about the extent to which
the innovations developed and implemented in these efforts are
sustained in project sites beyond the term of time-limited external
support and assistance.
Focus 4 is designed to study the implementation of practices that
have been found to be effective in meeting the needs of students with
disabilities in reform/restructuring initiatives in local and district
schools. The practices must have been included as part of projects
designed to implement those practices. The study must address: (1) The
extent to which those practices have been sustained beyond the term of
the projects; and (2) factors that influence the determined level of
sustainability. Factors to be studied may include, but are not limited
to: (a) the nature of the innovations and the extent to which the
innovations have undergone adaptation or alteration over time; (b) the
type and extent of support strategies employed during initial
implementation stages and over time; (c) planned and unplanned changes
in school organizational or structural contexts or both; (d) the level
of penetration of the innovation; (e) the actual and perceived costs
and benefits for participants; (f) constancy of site leadership, school
staff, and school policy requirements; (g) the extent of consonance or
dissonance between critical features of the innovations and existing
(and emerging) school and district practices and policies; and (h)
resource access and allocation. Within focus 4, projects must provide
comprehensive descriptions of the targeted effective practices to be
studied, and convincing documentation of resulting positive results for
students with disabilities. In addition, projects must dedicate the
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bulk of support requested within focus 4 to research on the issues of
sustainability and on continuing documentation of results for students
with disabilities. Within focus 4, the Secretary particularly
encourages an in-depth case study research design where the sites to be
studied are the cases.
Program Authority: Research in Education of Individuals with
Disabilities Program, 20 U.S.C. 1441.
Focus 5--Educating children with severe disabilities in inclusive
settings. Focus 5 supports research projects to (a) identify new or
improved strategies to address the educational and related service
needs of children and youth with severe disabilities in inclusive
general education settings and extracurricular activities, and (b)
describe how the school inclusion strategies as identified in (a) are
aligned with systemic reform and school improvement strategies for all
students.
Additional research is needed to identify, describe, and examine:
(1) The efficacy and linkages of existing systemic reform and school
inclusion strategies, (2) how school systems provide supports and
collaborative teaming to meet the needs of students with severe
disabilities, and other diverse learners; (3) how standards and
authentic assessment practices are implemented for students with severe
disabilities and their impact on inclusive and systemic reform efforts,
(4) social support strategies that promote positive interactions among
students with severe disabilities and other students, and their same-
aged peers to foster cohesive school and classroom communities; and (5)
the types of peer-mediated strategies that actively involve all
students, including students with severe disabilities, in inclusive
educational programs.
To be considered for funding under focus 5, a research project
must--
(a) Identify specific interventions or strategies to be
investigated;
(b) Design the research activities in a manner that is likely to
improve services for all students in inclusive classrooms, including
students with severe disabilities;
(c) Conduct the research in schools pursuing systemic education
reform and school inclusion; and
(d) Use methodological procedures designed to produce findings
useful to program implementers and policy makers regarding the impact
and interaction effects of systemic reform and school inclusion
strategies in State and local contexts.
All projects funded under focus 5 must identify and describe how
these inclusion efforts benefit students with severe disabilities
including the reciprocal benefits of inclusive schooling for all
students.
Program Authority: Program for Children with Severe
Disabilities, 20 U.S.C. 1424.
Requirements for All Directed Research Projects
In addition to addressing focus (1), (2), (3), (4), or (5) above,
projects must:
(a) Apply rigorous research methods (qualitative or quantitative or
both) to identify approaches contributing to improved results for
children with disabilities;
(b) Provide a conceptual framework, based on extant research and
theory to serve as a basis for the issues to be studied, the research
design, and the target population;
(c) Prepare dissemination materials for both researcher and
practitioner audiences and develop linkages with U.S. Department of
Education dissemination and technical assistance providers, in
particular those supported under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, to communicate research findings and distribute
products; and
(d) Budget for two trips annually to Washington, D.C., for: (1) a
two-day Research to Practice Division Project Directors' meeting; and
(2) another meeting to collaborate with the Research to Practice
Division project officer and the other projects funded under this
priority, and to share information and discuss findings and methods of
dissemination.
Selection criteria for evaluating applications under proposed
absolute priority 6. The Secretary proposes to use the following
criteria to evaluate applications under proposed absolute priority 6--
Directed Research Projects. The maximum score for all the criteria is
100 points.
(a) Importance (10 points). The Secretary reviews each application
to determine the importance of the project in leading to the
understanding of, remediation of, or compensation for, the problem or
issue that relates to the early intervention with or special education
of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.
(b) Technical soundness (40 points). The Secretary reviews each
application to determine the technical soundness of the research,
including--
(1) The design;
(2) The proposed sample;
(3) Instrumentation; and
(4) Data analysis procedures.
(c) Plan of operation (10 points).
(1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality
of the plan of operation for the project.
(2) The Secretary looks for--
(i) High quality in the design of the project;
(ii) An effective plan of management that insures proper and
efficient administration of the project;
(iii) A clear description of how the objectives of the project
relate to the purpose of the program; and
(iv) The way the applicant plans to use its resources and personnel
to achieve each objective.
(3) The quality of the evaluation plan for the project including
the extent to which the methods of evaluation are appropriate for the
project and, to the extent possible, are objective and produce data
that are quantifiable.
(Cross Reference: 34 CFR 75.590, Evaluation by the grantee.)
(d) Quality of key personnel (10 points).
(1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the
qualifications of the key personnel that the applicant plans to use on
the project.
(2) The Secretary considers--
(i) The qualifications of the project director (if one is to be
used); and,
(ii) The qualifications of each of the other key personnel to be
used in the project; and
(iii) The time that each person referred to in paragraphs (d)(2)
(i) and (ii) of this section will commit to the project.
(3) To determine personnel qualifications, the Secretary considers
experience and training in fields related to the objectives of the
project, as well as other evidence that the applicant provides.
(e) Underrepresented populations (10 points). The Secretary reviews
each application for information that shows the extent to which the
applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices,
employs members of underrepresented populations as project staff. The
Secretary looks for--
(1) Employees who are members of underrepresented populations,
including members of racial or ethnic minority groups and individuals
with disabilities; and
(2) Procedures to provide training and other necessary support to
retain and advance qualified personnel from underrepresented
populations.
(f) Adequacy of resources (5 points).
(1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine if the
applicant plans to devote adequate resources to the project.
(2) The Secretary considers the extent to which--
(i) The facilities that the applicant plans to use are adequate;
and
[[Page 13978]]
(ii) The equipment and supplies that the applicant plans to use are
adequate.
(g) Impact (5 points). The Secretary reviews each application to
determine the probable impact of the proposed research and development
products and the extent to which those products can be expected to have
a direct influence on infants, toddlers, children, and youth with
disabilities or personnel responsible for their education or early
intervention services.
(h) Organizational capability (5 points). The Secretary considers--
(1) The applicant's experience in special education or early
intervention services; and
(2) The ability of the applicant to disseminate the findings of the
project to appropriate groups to ensure that they can be used
effectively.
(i) Budget and cost effectiveness (5 points).
(1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine if the
project has an adequate budget and is cost effective.
(2) The Secretary considers the extent to which--
(i) The budget for the project is adequate to support the project
activities; and
(ii) Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the
project.
Intergovernmental Review
Except for focus areas 1 and 4 in the Directed Research Projects
priority, all other priorities included in this notice are subject to
the requirements of Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR
Part 79. The objective of the Executive order is to foster an
intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened federalism by relying
on processes developed by State and local governments for coordination
and review of proposed Federal financial assistance.
In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide
early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for
this program.
Invitation To Comment
Interested persons are invited to submit comments and
recommendations regarding these proposed priorities.
All comments submitted in response to this notice will be available
for public inspection, during and after the comment period, in Room
3524, 300 C Street, S.W., Washington, D.C., between the hours of 8:30
a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday of each week except Federal
holidays. Individuals with disabilities who need assistance to review
the comments will be provided with appropriate aids, such as readers or
print magnifiers. To schedule an appointment call (202) 205-8113 or
(202) 260-9895. Persons using a TDD should call the Federal Information
Relay Service.
Dated: March 19, 1997.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers: Research in
Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program, 84.023; Training
Personnel for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities
Program--Grants for Personnel Training and Parent Training and
Information Centers, 84.029; Program for Children with Severe
Disabilities, 84.086; Secondary Education and Transitional Services
for Youth with Disabilities Program, 84.158; and the Program for
Children and Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance)
Howard R. Moses,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 97-7364 Filed 3-21-97; 8:45 am]
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