E6-20028. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information Training and Information for Parents of Children With Disabilities-Community Parent Resource Centers; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year ...

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.328C.

Dates: Applications Available: November 27, 2006.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 11, 2007.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 12, 2007.

Eligible Applicants: Local parent organizations, as defined in section III. Eligibility Information in this notice.

Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested $25,704,000 for the Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities program for FY 2007, of which we intend to use an estimated $1,000,000 for the Community Parent Resource Centers competition. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program. This priority may be used for competitions held in FY 2008 and later years.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $100,000.

Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $100,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

Estimated Number of Awards: 10.

Note:

The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to ensure that parents of children with disabilities receive training and information to help improve results for their children.

Priorities: This competition contains an absolute priority and two competitive preference priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv) and (v), these priorities are from allowable activities specified in the statute, or otherwise authorized in the statute (see sections 672 and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)).

Absolute Priority: For FY 2007 this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority.

This priority is: Community Parent Resource Centers. Background: This priority supports community parent training and information centers in targeted communities that will provide underserved parents of children with disabilities, including low-income parents, parents of limited English proficient children, and parents with disabilities in that community, with the training and information they need to enable them to participate effectively in helping their children with disabilities to—

(a) Meet developmental and functional goals, and challenging academic achievement goals that have been established for all children; and

(b) Be prepared to lead productive, independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible.

In addition, a purpose of this priority is to ensure that children with disabilities and their parents receive training and information on their rights, responsibilities, and protections under IDEA in order to develop the skills necessary to cooperatively and effectively participate in planning and decision making relating to early intervention, educational, and transitional services.

Text of Priority: Each community parent resource center assisted under this priority shall—

(a) Provide training and information that meets the training and information needs of parents of children with disabilities within the proposed targeted community to be served by the center, particularly underserved parents and parents of children who may be inappropriately identified as having disabilities when they do not have them;

Note:

For purposes of this priority, “community to be served” refers to a community whose members experience significant isolation from available sources of information and support as a result of cultural, economic, linguistic, or other circumstances deemed appropriate by the Secretary.

(b) Carry out the following activities required of parent training and information centers:

(1) Serve the parents of infants, toddlers, and children, from ages birth through 26, with the full range of disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA.

(2) Ensure that the training and information provided meets the needs of low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient children.

(3) Assist parents to—

(A) Better understand the nature of their children's disabilities and their educational, developmental, and transitional needs;

(B) Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with personnel responsible for providing special education, early intervention services, transition services, and related services;

(C) Participate in decision making processes, including those regarding participation in State and local assessments, and the development of individualized education programs under Part B of IDEA and individualized family service plans under Part C of IDEA;

(D) Obtain appropriate information about the range, type, and quality of—

(1) Options, programs, services, technologies, practices, and interventions that are based on scientifically based research, to the extent practicable; and

(2) Resources available to assist children with disabilities and their families in school and at home, including information available through the Office of Special Education Programs' (OSEP) technical assistance network and Communities of Practice;

(E) Understand the provisions of IDEA for the education of, and the provision of early intervention services to, children with disabilities;

(F) Participate in activities at the school level that benefit their children; and

(G) Participate in school reform activities.

(4) In States where the State elects to contract with the parent training and information center, contract with the State educational agencies to provide, consistent with paragraphs (B) and (D) of section 615(e)(2) of IDEA, individuals to meet with parents in order to explain the mediation process.

(5) Assist parents in resolving disputes in the most expeditious and effective way possible, including encouraging the use, and explaining the benefits, of alternative methods of dispute resolution, such as the mediation process described in section 615(e) of IDEA.

(6) Assist parents and students with disabilities to understand their rights and responsibilities under IDEA, including those under section 615(m) of IDEA upon the student's reaching the age of majority (as appropriate under State law).

(7) Assist parents to understand the availability of, and how to effectively use, procedural safeguards under IDEA, including the resolution session described in section 615(e) of IDEA.

(8) Assist parents in understanding, preparing for, and participating in, the resolution session as described in section 615(f)(1)(B) of IDEA;

(c) Establish cooperative partnerships with any parent training and information centers and any other community parent resource centers funded in the State under sections 671 and 672 of IDEA;

(d) Be designed to meet the specific needs of families who experience significant isolation from available sources of information and support;

(e) Familiarize themselves with the provision of special education, related services, and early intervention services in the areas they serve to help ensure that children with disabilities are receiving appropriate services;

(f) Annually report to the Department on—

(1) The number and demographics of parents to whom it provided information and training in the most recently concluded fiscal year, including additional information regarding their unique needs and levels of service provided to them; and

(2) The effectiveness of strategies used to reach and serve parents, including underserved parents of children with disabilities, by providing evidence of how those parents were served effectively;

(g) Respond to requests from the National Technical Assistance Center (NTAC) and Regional Parent Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) and use the technical assistance services of the NTAC and PTACs in order to serve the families of infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities as efficiently as possible. PTACs are charged with assisting parent centers with administrative and programmatic issues;

(h) Budget for a two-day Project Directors' meeting in Washington, DC during each year of the project. In addition, a project's budget must include funds for the center's project director to attend a Regional Project Directors meeting to be held each year of the project;

(i) If the community parent resource center maintains a Web site, include relevant information and documents in a format that meets a government or industry-recognized standard for accessibility;

(j) Prior to developing any new product, whether paper or electronic, submit for approval a proposal describing the content and purpose of the product to the document review board of OSEP's Dissemination Center; and

(k) In collaboration with OSEP and the NTAC, participate in an annual collection of program data for the community parent resource centers and the parent training and information centers.

Competitive Preference Priorities: Within this absolute priority, we give competitive preference to applications that address the following priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we will award up to ten additional points to an application that meets these priorities.

Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities or Renewal Communities

This priority is:

We will award five points to an application that proposes to provide services to one or more Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, or Renewal Communities that are designated within the areas served by the center. (A list of areas that have been selected as Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, or Renewal Communities can be found at http://egis.hud.gov/​egis/​cpd/​rcezec/​ezec_​open.htm).

To meet this priority, an applicant must indicate that it will—

(a)(1) Design a program that includes special activities focused on the unique needs of one or more Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, or Renewal Communities; or

(2) Devote a substantial portion of program resources to providing services within, or meeting the needs of residents of, these zones and communities;

(b) As appropriate, contribute to the strategic plan of the Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, or Renewal Communities and become an integral component of the Empowerment Zone, Enterprise Community, or Renewal Community activities.

Novice Applicants

This priority is:

To meet this priority, the applicant must be a “novice applicant.” This priority is from 34 CFR 75.225. We will award an additional five points to an application that meets this priority.

The term “novice applicant” means any applicant for a grant from the U.S. Department of Education that—

(1) Has never received a grant or subgrant under the program from which it seeks funding;

(2) Has never been a member of a group application, submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129, that received a grant under the program from which it seeks funding; and

(3) Has not had an active discretionary grant from the Federal Government in the five years before the deadline date for applications under this program (Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities—Community Parent Resource Centers). For the purposes of this requirement, a grant is active until the end of the grant's project or funding period, including any extensions of those periods that extend the grantee's authority to obligate funds.

In the case of a group application submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129, all group members must meet the requirements described in this priority to qualify as a novice applicant.

Therefore, for purposes of these competitive preference priorities, applicants can be awarded up to a total of 10 points in addition to those awarded under the selection criteria for this competition (see Selection Criteria in section V of this notice). That is, an applicant meeting the competitive preference priorities could earn a maximum total of 110 points.

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. However, section 681(d) of IDEA makes the public comment requirements under the APA inapplicable to the priorities in this notice.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1472.

Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99.

Note:

The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: The Administration has requested $25,704,000 for the Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities program for FY 2007, of which we intend to use an estimated $1,000,000 for the Community Parent Resource Centers competition. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on final congressional action. However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program. This priority may be used for competitions held in FY 2008 and later years.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $100,000.

Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $100,000 award for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

Estimated Number of Awards: 10.

Note:

The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: Local parent organizations. Under section 672(a)(2) of IDEA, a “local parent organization” is a parent organization (as that term is defined in section 671(a)(2) of IDEA) that must meet the following criteria:

(a) Has a board of directors, the majority of whom are parents of children with disabilities ages birth through 26 from the community to be served.

(b) Has as its mission serving parents of children with disabilities from that community who (1) are ages birth through 26, and (2) have the full ranges of disabilities as defined in section 602(3) of IDEA.

Section 671(a)(2) of IDEA defines a “parent organization” as a private nonprofit organization (other than an institution of higher education) that—

(a) Has a board of directors—

(1) The majority of whom are parents of children with disabilities ages birth through 26;

(2) That includes—

(i) Individuals working in the fields of special education, related services, and early intervention; and

(ii) Individuals with disabilities; and

(iii) The parent and professional members of which are broadly representative of the population to be served including low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient children; and

(b) Has as its mission serving families of children with disabilities who are ages birth through 26, and have the full range of disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not involve 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 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 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: [phone]. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734.

You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/​pubs/​edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: [e-mail].

If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.328C.

Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts Services Team listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII 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 Part III to the equivalent 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; the one-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, the references, or the letters of support. However, you must include all of the application narrative in Part III.

We will reject your application if—

• You apply these standards and exceed the page limit; or
• You apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit.

3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: November 27, 2006.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: January 11, 2007.

Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), 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 in this notice.

We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: March 12, 2007.

4. Intergovernmental Review: This program 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. We have been accepting applications electronically through the Department's e-Application system since FY 2000. In order to expand on those efforts and comply with the President's Management Agenda, we are continuing to participate as a partner in the new government wide Grants.gov Apply site in FY 2007. The Community Parent Resource Centers-CFDA Number 84.328C is one of the competitions included in this project. We request your participation in Grants.gov.

If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must use the Grants.gov Apply site at http://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 e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.

You may access the electronic grant application for the Community Parent Resource Centers-CFDA Number 84.328C competition at: http://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.

Please note the following:

• Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
• When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, as well as the hours of operation.
• Applications received by Grants.gov are time and date stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and must be date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your application if it is date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was date/time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
• The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
• You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for this competition to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/​help/​GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf.
• To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must complete all of the steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.grants.gov/​applicants/​get_​registered.jsp). These steps include (1) registering your organization, (2) registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization. Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/​section910/​Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf). You also must provide on your application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please note that the registration process may take five or more business days to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to allow you to successfully submit an application via Grants.gov.
• 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 may submit all documents electronically, including all information typically included on the following forms: Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Please note that two of these forms—the SF 424 and the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424—have replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance). If you choose to submit your application electronically, 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 above 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.
• After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. The Department will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send you a second confirmation by e-mail that will include a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your application).
• We may request that you provide us original signatures on 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 of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to enable you to transmit your application electronically, or by hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing instructions as described elsewhere in this notice. If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, please contact the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number (if available). We will accept your application 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 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.

Note:

Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability of or technical problems with the Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the deadline date and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

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 applicable following address:

By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.328C), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or

By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center—Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.328C), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.

Regardless of which address you use, 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, or

(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, or

(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 84.328C), 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 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—and suffix letter, if any—of the competition under which you are submitting your application.

(2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at [phone].

V. Application Review Information

Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.

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 also notify you informally.

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 specified by the Secretary in 34 CFR 75.118.

4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Department has developed measures that will yield information on various aspects of the Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities program. The measures focus on: the extent to which projects provide high-quality materials, the relevance of project products and services to educational and early intervention policy and practice, and the usefulness of products and services to improve educational and early intervention policy and practice.

Grantees will be required to provide information related to these measures.

Grantees will also be required to report information on their projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR 75.590).

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lisa Gorove, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4056, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: [phone].

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request by contacting the following office: The Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: [phone].

VIII. Other Information

Electronic Access to This Document: You may 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 [phone].

Note:

The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/​nara/​index.html.

Dated: November 20, 2006.

John H. Hager,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.