[Federal Register: April 11, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 70)]
[Notices]
[Page 18011-18014]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11ap97_dat-142]
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Part IX
Department of Education
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Research in Education of Individuals With Disabilities Program; Notice
of Final Priority and Notice Inviting Application for New Awards for FY
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Research in Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priority.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces a final priority for the Research in
Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program. The Secretary may
use this priority 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. This final
priority is intended to ensure wide and effective use of program funds.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This priority takes effect on May 12,1997.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on this
priority contact the U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence
Avenue, S.W., room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-2641.
The preferred method for requesting information is to FAX your request
to: (202) 205-8717. Telephone: (202) 260-9182.
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD)
may call the TDD number: (202) 205-9860. 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: The Research in Education of Individuals
with Disabilities Program, authorized by Part E of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1441-1443), provides support to
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 in
regular education environments--to provide children with disabilities
effective instruction and enable these children to learn successfully.
On February 21, 1996, the Secretary published a notice of proposed
priority for this program in the Federal Register (61 FR 6754-6755).
This final priority supports the National Education Goals by
improving understanding of how to enable children and youth with
disabilities to reach higher levels of academic achievement.
The publication of this priority does not preclude the Secretary
from proposing additional priorities, nor does it limit the Secretary
to funding only this priority, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking
requirements. Funding of particular projects depends on the
availability of funds, and the quality of the applications received.
Note: This notice of final priority does not solicit
applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition
is published in a separate notice in this issue of the Federal
Register.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to the Secretary's invitation in the notice of proposed
priority, five parties submitted comments. An analysis of the comments
and of the changes in the proposed priority follows. Technical and
other minor changes--as well as suggested changes the Secretary is not
legally authorized to make under the applicable statutory authority--
are not addressed.
Priority--Research Institutes to Accelerate Learning for Children With
Disabilities With Curricular and Instructional Interventions
Comment: Two commenters noted that minority students comprise a
disproportionate number of special education students, and that as
students advance in grades the performance gap between African
Americans and their white counterparts increases. The commenter
recommended that the priority require involvement of minority
researchers either as staff of the project or require collaboration
with minority institutions of higher education to ensure that the
specific educational needs of minority group students with disabilities
will be addressed by the research institute.
Discussion: The priority, as written, requires research across
multiple sites to represent organizational and demographic diversity,
collaboration with experts and researchers in related subject matter
and methodological fields, as appropriate. In addition, the selection
criteria that will be used to evaluate applications include criteria
for determining how the applicant will provide equal access and
treatment for eligible project participants who are members of racial
or ethnic minority groups; and the extent to which the applicant, as
part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices, encourages
applications for employment from persons who are members of racial or
ethnic minority groups that have been traditionally underrepresented.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter recommended that the priority address the
needs of students with low-incidence disabilities as a main area of
concern. Specifically, the commenter recommended the priority emphasize
students with deafness, blindness, and physical disability, who also
experience secondary and tertiary disabilities such as developmental
disability, behavior disorder, and multiple disabilities.
Discussion: The priority as written does not preclude an applicant
from addressing the needs of students with low-incidence disabilities
as a main area of concern. The Secretary prefers that the language of
the priority be broad enough so that applicants may have the
opportunity to propose and justify their particular project focus.
Changes: None.
Comment: Two commenters recommended that the priority be broadened
to include students with disabilities through the eighth grade to
include more middle school students. One commenter noted that in many
States, students enter middle schools in the 5th or 6th grade, thus the
proposed limit of grade six may prevent school-wide intervention
programs in some areas. Furthermore, the commenters stated that it may
be useful to follow students in the upper middle school grades who have
completed interventions in grades K-6.
Discussion: The Secretary agrees with the commenters that it would
be very useful to follow students in the upper middle school grades in
addition to students in kindergarten through grade six. In order to
accomplish this, the Secretary believes that the most beneficial
approach would be to support two institutes instead of one. One
institute would focus on curricular and instructional classroom based
interventions that accelerate subject matter learning for children with
disabilities in kindergarten through grade three, and the second
institute would focus on grades four through eight.
Changes: The title and priority has been revised to establish two
research institutes to study curricular and instructional classroom
based interventions that accelerate subject matter learning for
children with disabilities and promote its sustained use by
practitioners. One institute would study curricular and instructional
classroom based interventions in kindergarten through grade three. The
other institute would study curricular and instructional classroom
based interventions in grades four through grade eight.
Priority
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary gives an absolute
preference to
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applications that meet the following priority. The Secretary will fund
under this competition only applications that meet this absolute
priority:
Absolute Priority--Research Institutes to Accelerate Learning for
Children With Disabilities With Curricular and Instructional
Interventions: Kindergarten Through Grade Three and Grade Four Through
Grade Eight
Background
The consequences of failing to learn are serious. Lack of learning
in one domain reduces an individual's capacity to benefit from
educational experience. Failure establishes a self-perpetuating cycle
and negatively affects the individual's disposition toward lifelong
learning, employment, and contribution to society. Most children with
disabilities face challenges to learning. These challenges are
amplified as calls are made for higher standards to be achieved by all
students, including children with disabilities, and as more children
with disabilities are educated in general education classrooms.
Evidence from the National Longitudinal Transition Study indicates
children with disabilities are not learning subject matter content. An
urgency exists to develop powerful curricular and instructional
interventions that maximize rates of development, promote generalized
learning, and reduce discrepancies between their performance and that
of their peers.
Intervention research has demonstrated that children with
disabilities possess the potential to learn, participate, and
contribute in school, home, community, and work place. Research on
instructional interventions for children with disabilities has been the
hallmark of special education research. For example, research on direct
instruction, behavioral management interventions, learning strategies,
peer mediated learning, and reciprocal teaching has led to improvements
in professional practice.
Yet, single solution interventions are insufficient for teaching
children with disabilities complex subject matter content. In many
instances, these interventions are content free. Moreover, little
empirical evidence is available on the context of the classroom for
supporting the implementation of these solutions.
Priority
The Secretary establishes an absolute priority for the purpose of
establishing two research institutes to study curricular and
instructional classroom based interventions that accelerate subject
matter learning for children with disabilities and promote its
sustained use by practitioners. One institute will be established to
study curricular and instructional classroom based interventions that
accelerate subject matter learning in kindergarten through grade three.
Another institute will be established to study curricular and
instructional classroom based interventions that accelerate subject
matter learning in grade four through grade eight.
Both institutes must examine--
(1) The effectiveness of the intervention for children with
disabilities; and
(2) The classroom context that supports the implementation of the
interventions that produce and sustain positive learning outcomes for
children with disabilities, including such factors as classroom groups;
classroom and cross-classroom management strategies; curriculum design
principles; classroom settings; instructional materials; amount of time
on task; integration into the curriculum; and teacher actions, skills,
and attitudes.
The research may include, but need not be limited to, studying
classroom based exemplars and models, designing and implementing
interventions, and collecting student and teacher data from exemplars,
using a rich array of research methods to reach the intended goals of
this priority and as articulated by the proposed research hypotheses.
Both the Kindergarten through Grade Three Research Institute, and
the Grade Four through Grade Eight Research Institute must--
(a) Design and conduct a strategic program of research that focuses
on helping students with disabilities learn subject matter content in
critical areas such as reading and math, and builds upon the existing
research knowledge for teaching children with disabilities;
(b) Design and conduct a strategic program of research across
multiple sites to represent organizational and demographic diversity;
(c) Collect, analyze, and communicate student outcome data and
supporting context data, and multiple outcome data for teachers,
parents, and administrators, as appropriate;
(d) Collaborate with other research institutes supported under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and experts and researchers
in related subject matter and methodological fields, as appropriate for
the program of research, to design and conduct the strategic program of
research;
(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 Education Department technical assistance
providers 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; and
(h) 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 project must budget for two trips annually to Washington, D.C.
for: (1) A two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) another
meeting to meet and collaborate with the OSEP project officer.
Under this priority, The Secretary will make two awards:
(a) One award for a Research Institute to Accelerate Learning for
Children with Disabilities with Curricular and Instructional
Interventions in Kindergarten through Grade Three; and
(b) One award for a Research Institute to Accelerate Learning for
Children with Disabilities with Curricular and Instructional
Interventions in Grade Four through Grade Eight.
Both awards will be for cooperative agreements with project periods
of up to 60 months subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for
continuation awards. In determining whether to continue the institutes
for the fourth and fifth years of the project periods, the Secretary,
in addition to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), will consider--
(1) The recommendation of a review team for each institute
consisting of three experts selected by the Secretary. The services of
the review teams, including a two-day site visit to the institutes are
to be performed during the last half of each 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 teams must also be included in each institute's budget for year
two. These costs are estimated to be approximately $4,000 for each
institute;
(2) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have
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been or are being met by each institute; and
(3) The degree to which each institute's research designs and
methodologies demonstrate the potential for advancing significant new
knowledge.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR Part 324.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1441-1443.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.023, Research in
Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program)
Dated: April 8, 1997.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 97-9401 Filed 4-10-97; 8:45 am]
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