[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 244 (Wednesday, December 21, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-31304]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: December 21, 1994]
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Part IV
Department of Education
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Special Studies Program; Notice of Final Priorities and Inviting
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1995
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Special Studies Program
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priorities.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces final priorities for the Special
Studies program. The Secretary may use these priorities in Fiscal Year
1995 and subsequent years. The Secretary takes this action to focus
Federal assistance on identified needs to improve outcomes for children
with disabilities. The final priorities are intended to ensure wide and
effective use of program funds.
EFFECTIVE DATE: These priorities take effect on January 20, 1995.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The name, address, and telephone
number of the person at the Department to contact for information on
each specific priority is listed under that priority.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Special Studies Program, authorized by
section 618 of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA), as amended, supports studies to evaluate the impact of the
IDEA, including efforts to provide a free appropriate public education
and early intervention services to infants, toddlers, children and
youth with disabilities. The results of these studies must be included
in the annual report submitted to the Congress by the Department.
Section 618 also authorizes the Secretary to provide technical
assistance to participating State agencies in the implementation of the
study design, analysis, and reporting procedures.
On August 1, 1994, the Secretary published a notice of proposed
priorities for this program in the Federal Register (59 FR 39236-
39237).
These final priorities support 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 these 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. Funding of particular projects depends on the
availability of funds, and the quality of the applications received.
Further, FY 1995 priorities could be affected by enactment of
legislation reauthorizing these programs.
Note: This notice of final priorities does not solicit
applications. A notice inviting applications under these
competitions 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
priorities six parties submitted comments. An analysis of the comments
and of the changes in the proposed priorities 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.
Absolute Priority 1--Center To Support the Achievement of World Class
Outcomes for Students With Disabilities
Comment: One commenter suggested that the center be required to
study formative as well as summative evaluation.
Discussion: Applicants may or may not agree that formative
evaluation is a critical topic for the center to address, and it would
be overly prescriptive for the priority to require that it be studied.
The priority as written has sufficient latitude to allow applicants to
include this topic if they feel it is appropriate.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter suggested that ``World Class'' be dropped
from the title of the priority.
Discussion: The expression ``world class'' is commonly used to
connote high educational standards and outcomes relative to
international criteria. The Secretary believes this principle is
important in Goals 2000, and that it is appropriately reflected in the
title of the priority.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter suggested that the priority should require
the center to have the capacity for successful coordination with State
educational agencies.
Discussion: The priority as written explicitly requires that the
center must work directly with States in a number of activities. The
capacity to coordinate and work with States is therefore an attribute
upon which applicants will be evaluated during the review process.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter suggested that the center should address
questions related to culturally different students with disabilities.
Discussion: Cultural differences are among a large number of
factors that are likely to be highly relevant to the center's
activities. The priority does not attempt to identify all of these
factors nor to prescribe a focus on any one of them. The center is
intended to benefit the full range of students with disabilities.
Applicants may categorize this population and define important factors
as needed to facilitate the achievement of world class standards.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter suggested that studies are needed to
determine the extent to which children with disabilities are included
or excluded in regular classrooms.
Discussion: While educational placement is not a central focus in
the priority, it is one of the factors that may be relevant to the
center's activities. Applicants may propose to address it as
appropriate.
Changes: None.
Comment: Two commenters suggested that the priority should be
expanded in a number of ways. One commenter suggested expanding the
priority in the following ways: (1) require the development of training
materials on the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), Section 504, and IDEA; (2) place greater emphasis on content
standards and accommodations, such as assistive technology,
accessibility, and telecommunications; (3) strengthen the training of
Regional Resource Centers and other technical assistance providers ``to
ensure their knowledge and expertise in the application of ADA, Section
504, IDEA, and best practice assistive technology and other educational
supports * * *''; (4) add specified elements to activities (b), (c),
and (d); (5) expand activities (f) and (g) to include classroom
inclusion, supports, and accommodations; (6) expand activity (h) to
include direct participation of individuals with disabilities and their
families; and (7) expand activity (i) to include providing necessary
assistance to infuse disability related issues into activities. The
other commenter suggested that the priority be expanded to require that
the center document intended and unintended consequences of the
inclusion of students with disabilities in State activities.
Discussion: The Secretary believes that activities such as those
suggested by these commenters might be valuable components for the
proposed center, but a priority that enumerated all of the possible
valuable components would be excessively long and prescriptive. The
Secretary prefers that applicants propose activities on the basis of
the requirements of the priority and an analysis of the approaches most
likely to achieve the center's purposes.
Changes: None.
Absolute Priority 2--Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Early
Intervention Services on Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities
Comment: One commenter suggested the resources that different
participants and programs contribute to implementing the components of
Part H must be measured in order to evaluate the impact of Part H on
participants and stakeholders. The commenter further indicated that the
effects of different Part H programs would be very difficult to
interpret without cost information.
Discussion: The Secretary believes that the priority as written
allows applicants to collect cost data as justified or to construct
cost estimates from service data. The Secretary does not want to
specify a requirement but prefers to ask applicants to propose the
research methodology most appropriate to the project.
Changes: None.
Comment: Two commenters suggested that the study focus on family,
as well as child outcomes.
Discussion: The Secretary agrees that the family-centered nature of
the Act makes family outcomes of critical importance for the
longitudinal study.
Changes: Language has been added to the priority to incorporate
these suggestions.
Comment: Two commenters suggested that information be collected on
State and local administrative structures, because the implementation
of Part H varies across the Nation. This would allow for an evaluation
of how State and local variables influence outcomes.
Discussion: The Secretary believes that the priority as written
allows applicants to gather data on State and local administrative
structures as justified. The Secretary does not want to specify such
variables, but prefers to ask applicants to propose the particular
research variables most appropriate for evaluation.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter suggested that the priority must be more
tied to components of the Federal statute that it is undertaking to
evaluate. This would allow for an assessment of the impact of
particular statutory components on outcomes.
Discussion: The Secretary believes that the priority as written
allows applicants to organize the study along the lines of the
components of the Federal statute as justified. The Secretary does not
wish to be overly prescriptive, and prefers to allow applicants to
propose the particular organizational structure most appropriate for
conducting a longitudinal study.
Changes: None.
Priorities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary gives an absolute
preference to applications that meet any one of the following
priorities. The Secretary will fund under these competitions only
applications that meet any one of these absolute priorities:
Absolute Priority 1--Center to Support the Achievement of World Class
Outcomes for Students With Disabilities
Background: The enactment of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act
(Pub. L. 103-227, March 31, 1994) will stimulate standards-based
assessment and reform in schools across the Nation. Most States already
conduct assessments of student achievement. However, surveys of States
conducted by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) funded
National Center for Educational Outcomes (NCEO) have revealed that most
States exclude large numbers of students with disabilities from
assessments. Typically, no accommodations have been provided to enable
students with disabilities to participate. In many States no policies
or guidelines exist to facilitate or encourage participation of
students with disabilities. NCEO has also observed that the development
of national and State content standards often do not explicitly
consider the needs of student with disabilities.
The new Federal law requires that students with disabilities be
included in the Goals 2000 reform efforts. Because so few students with
disabilities are currently included in assessments, States will need
considerable assistance to permit these students to participate. States
will need help developing accommodations for assessments and for
designing policies to cover the implementation of these accommodations.
States will also need assistance analyzing and reporting results of
these assessments. In addition, it is essential to document the
progress of the States in including students with disabilities in
assessments and other reform initiatives.
Priority: The Assistant Secretary establishes an absolute priority
for a center to assist States in implementing activities to improve
outcomes for students with disabilities and to assist in the
implementation of the requirements of Goals 2000 for students with
disabilities, and to document States' efforts in doing so.
The Center must--
(a) Work with Regional Resource Centers (RRCs), other technical
assistance providers, and directly with States;
(b) Develop and facilitate the use of appropriate accommodations
and adaptations of assessments in the States for students with
disabilities and advance and support the use of outcome related data
for these students;
(c) Document the extent to which students with disabilities are
included in State activities;
(d) Provide assistance in analyzing and reporting outcome data for
students with disabilities;
(e) Work with the Department to develop and report national level
data on the status of outcomes for students with disabilities and the
degree to which these students are achieving the National Education
Goals;
(f) Synthesize and report on technical advances in the
accommodation and participation of students with disabilities in State
activities, especially those related to Goals 2000, and ensure that
States are assisted in using such advances;
(g) Work with researchers and developers who are conducting related
work and facilitate the exchange of information among such projects,
including projects funded under the priority ``Examining Alternatives
for Outcome Assessment for Children with Disabilities'', and projects
funded under Goals 2000 authority;
(h) Assist States and the Department to ensure that standards-
setting and assessment processes and documents, as well as any other
Goals 2000 related activities, include the perspectives of the
disability community; and
(i) Conduct periodic examinations of the status of standards-
setting activities at the State and national level.
The center 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 with the project officer of the Office of Special
Education Programs to plan and review project activities and progress.
For Further Information Contact: David Malouf, U.S. Department of
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Switzer Building, Room 3529,
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8111. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Absolute Priority 2--Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Early
Intervention Services on Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities
Background: As Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act moves into full implementation, there is a critical need
to discern the immediate and long-term effects of this program on
children, families, and service providers. Although federally mandated
data collection activities provide some information on the ages of
infants and toddlers served by the program and on the services received
and their settings, little is known on a national basis about the
developmental and behavioral characteristics of children served by the
program. Moreover, a national systematic evaluation of the impact of
the Part H program on children, families and other stakeholders within
the context of child development is clearly lacking.
PRIORITY: The Assistant Secretary establishes an absolute priority
for a project to design and conduct a five-year longitudinal study of
infants and toddlers and their families served under Part H. The
project must assess the effects of the program over a five-year period,
and include an evaluation of the Part H program impact on children,
families, and service providers. The study design must consider the
interaction of program variables with variables related to childhood
development. The project must conduct analyses that:
(1) Compare and evaluate different patterns of child development
related to long-term outcomes for children and their families;
(2) Assess the effects of socioeconomic, demographic and health-
related variables on long-term developmental and behavioral
characteristics of the children;
(3) Isolate and explain the long-term effects of intervention on
children and their families;
(4) Incorporate factors related to medical variables (e.g.,
psychological, physiological, and anatomical structure or function),
personal functioning variables, and the interaction of the environment
with these variables that could result in a disadvantage limiting or
preventing the fulfillment of an age-appropriate role;
(5) Incorporate family variables, including family background and
the need for service; and
(6) Provide information on services, service-providers, and the
appropriateness of particular service settings.
The project must budget for three trips annually to Washington, DC,
for (1) a two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) an
additional two meetings, to meet and collaborate with the project
officer of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), and with
other relevant OSEP funded projects. The project must also coordinate
activities with the ongoing Policy Research Institute funded by OSEP.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Brown, U.S. Department of
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW., Switzer Building, Room 3522,
Washington, DC 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8117. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR Part 327.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1418.
Dated: December 15, 1994.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.159, Special
Studies Program)
Judith E. Heuman,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 94-31304 Filed 12-20-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
