[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 236 (Friday, December 9, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
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From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-30251]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: December 9, 1994]
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Part II
Department of Education
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Notice of Final Priorities; Special Projects and Demonstrations for
Providing Vocational Rehabilitation Services to Individuals With
Disabilities, Youth With Disabilities; Projects With Industry: Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year 1995; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
RIN 1820-ZA00
Special Demonstrations; and Projects With Industry
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final priorities.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces priorities under the following
programs administered by the Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): (1) Special Projects and
Demonstrations for Providing Vocational Rehabilitation Services to
Individuals with Disabilities, (2) Special Projects and Demonstrations
for Providing Transitional Rehabilitation Services to Youth with
Disabilities, and (3) Projects With Industry (PWI). The Secretary may
use these priorities for competitions in fiscal year (FY 1995) and
subsequent years. These priorities are intended to expand employment
opportunities for individuals with disabilities through the provision
of vocational rehabilitation services. In addition, the priorities
provide for a competitive preference to be given to projects providing
program services in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community
designated under section 1391 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended
by title XIII of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993. The
Secretary may use the competitive preference in FY 1995 and subsequent
years.
EFFECTIVE DATE: These priorities take effect on January 9, 1995.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Finch, U.S. Department of
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3038 MES, Washington,
D.C. 20202-2740. Telephone: (202) 205-9796. 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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains priorities under the
following programs:
Special Projects and Demonstrations for Providing Vocational
Rehabilitation Services to Individuals with Disabilities.
Special Projects and Demonstrations for Providing Transitional
Rehabilitation Services to Youth with Disabilities.
Projects With Industry.
The purpose of each program is stated separately under the title of
that program.
Funding of particular projects depends on the availability of
funds, the nature of the final priorities, and the quality of the
applications received.
On July 26, 1994, the Secretary published a notice of proposed
priorities for these programs in the Federal Register (59 FR 38086).
Note: This notice of final priorities does not solicit
applications. Notices inviting applications under these competitions
are published in separate notices 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. Two commenters indicated
strong support for the priorities as proposed. Four commenters, while
supporting the proposed priorities, asked for certain changes in or
clarification of the priorities. An analysis of the comments and of the
changes in the priorities since publication of the notice of proposed
priorities follows. Technical and other minor changes--and suggested
changes the Secretary is not legally authorized to make under the
applicable statutory authority--are not addressed.
Priority for Special Projects and Demonstrations for Providing
Transitional Rehabilitation Services to Youth With Disabilities
Comment: None.
Discussion: The Department of Education has withdrawn the general
priority for Special Projects and Demonstrations for Providing
Transitional Rehabilitation Services to Youth with Disabilities because
of insufficient fiscal year (FY) 1995 funds. The priority was
identified as Competition I under this program.
Changes: A single competition will be held in FY 1995 under the
Special Projects and Demonstrations for Providing Transitional Services
to Youth with Disabilities program, listed in the proposed priorities
as Competition II. This competition will be limited to projects that
propose to provide services to youth and young adults with serious
emotional disturbance (SED) or serious mental illness (SMI).
Comments Regarding Competitive Preference for Programs Within
Empowerment Zones and/or Enterprise Communities
Comment: Two commenters indicated that a competitive preference
should not be given to projects providing services within Empowerment
Zones or Enterprise Communities. Both commenters felt that location
should not be a factor in serving individuals with disabilities. One
commenter expressed a belief that this was an absolute priority.
Discussion: As indicated in the notice of proposed priorities, the
Empowerment Zone initiative is a critical element of the
Administration's community revitalization strategy. Communities
designated as Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities already will
have demonstrated a capacity for the type of cooperative planning that
is critical to successful rehabilitation partnerships. Therefore, the
Secretary has determined that it would serve the purposes of the
Special Demonstrations and the Projects With Industry programs to award
a competitive preference, providing bonus points to applications that
propose to serve these zones and communities.
Changes: None.
Comments Regarding the Absolute Priority to Provide Transitional
Rehabilitation Services for Youths and Young Adults with Serious
Emotional Disturbance (SED) or Serious Mental Illness (SMI)
Comments: Two commenters opposed the limitation of this priority to
the SED and SMI population and indicated the need to support
transitional services to youths with other disabilities.
Discussion: The Secretary notes that youth and young adults with
SED and SMI are among the most underserved individuals with
disabilities and, therefore, has decided to target funds under this
program to the specific needs of this population.
The Department currently supports other transition programs within
the Office of Special Education Programs. Competitions in Early
Education Programs for Children With Disabilities, Services for
Children with Deaf-Blindness, Postsecondary Education Programs for
Individuals with Disabilities, Secondary Education and Transitional
Services for Youth with Disabilities Program, and Program for Children
with Severe Disabilities will be held in FY 1995. In addition,
competitions and funds are available through the School-to-Work
Opportunities Act, jointly administered by the Departments of Education
and Labor. All of these programs serve a more general population of
youth with disabilities and provide the necessary services.
Changes: None.
Priority Relating to Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), the Secretary gives preference to
applications that are otherwise eligible for funding under the three
programs and that meet the following competitive priority. The
Secretary may implement this priority for fiscal year 1995 and for any
later fiscal year. The Secretary awards 10 bonus points to an
application that meets this competitive priority. These bonus points
would be in addition to any points the application earns under the
selection criteria for the program:
Competitive Priority--Providing Program Services in an Empowerment Zone
or Enterprise Community
Background
The Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program is a critical
element of the Administration's community revitalization strategy. The
program is a first step in rebuilding communities in America's poverty-
stricken inner cities and rural heartlands. It is designed to empower
people and communities by inspiring Americans to work together to
create jobs and opportunity.
Under this program, the Federal Government will designate up to 9
areas as Empowerment Zones and up to 95 areas as Enterprise Communities
in accordance with Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 1391, as amended
by title XIII of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Pub. L.
103-66). To be eligible for designation, an area must be nominated by
one or more local governments and the State or States in which it is
located or by a State-Chartered Economic Development Corporation. A
nominated area must be one of pervasive poverty, unemployment, and
general distress, and must have a poverty rate of not less than the
level specified in section 1392 of the IRC.
The Department anticipates that the Empowerment Zones and
Enterprise Communities will be announced by early January 1995.
Interested individuals may contact the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) at 1-800-998-9999 for additional information on the
Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program, including which
communities have applied for designation or which have been selected.
In the Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program,
communities are invited to submit strategic plans that comprehensively
address how the community would link economic development with
education and training as well as how community development, public
safety, human services, and environmental initiatives together will
support sustainable communities. Empowerment Zones and Enterprise
Communities will be designated by the Department of Agriculture and HUD
based on the quality of their strategic plans. Designated areas will
receive Federal grant funds and substantial tax benefits and will have
access to other Federal programs.
The Department of Education is supporting the Empowerment Zone and
Enterprise Community initiative in a variety of ways. It is encouraging
Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities to use funds they already
receive from Department of Education programs (including Chapter 1 of
Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Drug-Free
Schools and Community Act, the Adult Education Act, and the Carl D.
Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act) to support the
comprehensive vision of their strategic plans. In addition, the
Department of Education intends to give preferences to Empowerment
Zones and Enterprise Communities in a number of discretionary grant
programs that are well-suited for inclusion in a comprehensive approach
to economic and community development. In addition to the Projects With
Industry program and the Special Demonstrations programs under the
Rehabilitation Act, the Department intends to give preferences to
Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities in the Urban Community
Service program, the Parent Training program and Early Childhood
Education program under the Individuals With Disabilities Education
Act, and a variety of discretionary programs under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act.
Relationship of the PWI and Special Demonstrations Programs to the
Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community Program
The Special Demonstrations program for providing vocational
rehabilitation services makes grants to expand or otherwise improve
vocational and other rehabilitation services to individuals with
disabilities, especially those with the most severe disabilities.
Vocational rehabilitation services may include training with a view
toward career advancement, training (including on-the-job training) in
occupational skills, and rehabilitation technology services.
The Special Demonstrations program for providing transitional
services to youths with disabilities focuses on the delivery of job
training services. The goal of the services is to facilitate a smooth
transition of youths from school to work or to higher education.
Services under both of these Special Demonstrations programs are
designed to assist individuals with disabilities to live and function
as contributing members of society by enhancing their opportunities for
employment. Minorities with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS,
and youths and young adults with serious emotional disturbance or
serious mental illness are among the populations with a high incidence
of unemployment and poverty.
The purpose of the PWI program is to create and expand job and
career opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the
competitive labor market by engaging the talent and leadership of
private industry as partners in the rehabilitation process; to identify
competitive job and career opportunities and the skills needed to
perform those jobs; to create practical settings for job readiness and
training programs; and to provide job placements and career
advancement. In order to support the purpose of the program, all PWI
projects are required to have a Business Advisory Council comprised of
representatives of private industry, business concerns, organized
labor, and individuals with disabilities and their representatives.
The PWI and Special Demonstrations programs under the
Rehabilitation Act are ideally suited to play a key role in the
Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program because studies have
shown strong correlations between disability and unemployment and
between disability and poverty. These rehabilitation programs serve a
common purpose: to provide assistance to individuals with disabilities
in obtaining gainful employment. Employment is achieved by providing
job training, job placement, transition services, and related
vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities.
Just as Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities link economic
development and education and training efforts, the Special
Demonstrations and PWI programs support projects that strengthen
communities by preparing individuals with disabilities for employment
in local businesses.
Provision of rehabilitation services in an urban or rural high-
poverty area that has developed a strategic plan to link economic
development to education, training, public safety, and human services
will also help achieve the purpose of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
as amended (Act), to empower individuals with disabilities to maximize
employment, economic self-sufficiency, independence, and inclusion and
integration into society. Moreover, providing services in a zone or
community will help support the purpose of section 21 of the Act to
ensure that the needs of individuals with disabilities from minority
backgrounds and from other traditionally underserved populations are
addressed.
Communities receiving designations as Empowerment Zones or
Enterprise Communities already have demonstrated a capacity for the
type of cooperative planning that is critical to successful
rehabilitation partnerships. Projects funded under these programs will
provide models for partnerships in other distressed areas and will
further the National Education Goal that, by the year 2000, every adult
American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills
necessary to compete in the global economy and exercise the rights and
responsibilities of citizenship.
Accordingly, the Secretary has determined that it would serve the
purposes of the three programs in this notice to award a competitive
preference to applications that propose projects that serve these zones
and communities.
Priority
Under each of the following programs, competitive preference will
be given to applications that--(1) Propose the provision of substantial
services in Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities, as described
under each program listed in this notice; and (2) Propose projects that
contribute to the strategic plan of the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise
Community and that are made an integral component of the Empowerment
Zone or Enterprise Community activities. Ten bonus points will be
assigned to applications determined to be approvable on the basis of
their evaluation under the applicable program selection criteria.
Special Projects and Demonstrations for Providing Vocational
Rehabilitation Services to Individuals With Disabilities
Purpose of Program
This program is designed to provide financial assistance to
projects for expanding or otherwise improving vocational rehabilitation
and other rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities,
especially individuals with the most severe disabilities.
Priorities
Competitive Priority
Competitive preference of 10 bonus points will be given to
applications that meet the 2 requirements described previously under
the competitive priority for providing program services in an
Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community.
Under this program a project is considered to be providing
substantial services if a minimum of 51 percent of the persons served
by the project reside within the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise
Community.
Invitational Priorities
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(1) the Secretary is particularly interested
in applications that meet one or more of the following invitational
priorities. However, an application that meets one or more of these
invitational priorities does not receive competitive or absolute
preference over other applications:
Invitational Priority 1--Services to Minorities
The Secretary is particularly interested in applications that
propose to provide culturally sensitive vocational rehabilitation
services and make significant outreach efforts to identify and serve
individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds.
Invitational Priority 2--Services to People Living With HIV/AIDS
The Secretary is particularly interested in applications that
propose to provide vocational rehabilitation services to people living
with HIV/AIDS.
Applicable Program Regulations
34 CFR Parts 369 and 373.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 777a(a)(1).
Special Projects and Demonstrations for Providing Transitional
Rehabilitation Services to Youth With Disabilities
Purpose of Program
This program is designed to provide job training for youths with
disabilities to prepare them for entry into the labor force, including
competitive or supported employment.
Priority
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and section 311(b) of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, as amended, the Secretary gives an absolute preference to
applications that meet the following priority. The Secretary funds
under this competition only applications that meet this absolute
priority:
Absolute Priority--Transitional Rehabilitation Services for Youths and
Young Adults With Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) or Serious Mental
Illness (SMI)
Background
Young adults, between the ages of 17 and 26, with serious emotional
disturbance or serious mental illness are among the most underserved
individuals with disabilities. It is estimated that 4 to 9 percent of
the total population of young adults exhibit these disorders, but fewer
than 1.5 percent are provided services (Kauffman 1989). Youth with SED
or SMI display inappropriate behaviors or feelings that seriously
impair their abilities to work, live, and function successfully in
society. The outcome of successful integrated community employment
appears to be facilitated by a well-coordinated, multi-dimensional
service approach that uses community-based vocational services; the
peer group as a supportive setting; job training combined with other
training services that address work-related topics, such as stress
management, substance abuse, and medication issues; and individualized
long-term supportive services (Cook 1991).
Priority
The purpose of this priority is to support demonstration projects
that develop model systems of comprehensive service delivery to youths
and young adults, ages 17 through 26. Projects must provide job
training services to youths and young adults with SED or SMI to prepare
them for entry into the labor force.
Competitive Priority
Competitive preference of 10 bonus points will be given to
applications that, in addition to meeting the absolute priority
described under this competition, meet the 2 requirements described
previously under the competitive priority for providing program
services in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community.
Under this program a project is considered to be providing
substantial services if a minimum of 51 percent of the persons served
by the project reside within the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise
Community.
Applicable Program Regulations
34 CFR Parts 369 and 376.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 777a(b).
Projects With Industry (PWI)
Purpose of Program
Projects With Industry projects create and expand job and career
opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the competitive
labor market by engaging the talent and leadership of private industry
as partners in the rehabilitation process. PWI projects identify
competitive job and career opportunities and the skills needed to
perform those jobs, create practical settings for job readiness and
training programs, and provide job placement and career advancement
services.
Eligibility Requirement
Under section 621(e)(2) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as
amended, new grant awards under this program can be made only to
eligible entities, identified in the program regulations in 34 CFR
379.2, that propose to provide services to individuals with
disabilities in States, portions of States, Indian tribes, or tribal
organizations that are currently unserved or underserved by the PWI
program. Each applicant is required to explain in its application why
the geographic area it proposes to serve is currently unserved or
underserved by the PWI program.
Competitive Priority
Competitive preference of 10 bonus points will be given to
applications that meet the 2 requirements described previously under
the competitive priority for providing program services in an
Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community.
A PWI project may provide services at one or more sites. Under this
program a PWI project is considered to be providing substantial
services in a zone or community if a minimum of 51 percent of the total
number of persons served by the project, irrespective of the number of
sites, reside in a zone or community and at least 1 of the project
sites is located within the boundaries of a zone or community. If there
is only one project site, it must be located within the boundaries of a
zone or community.
Applicable Program Regulations
34 CFR Parts 369 and 379.
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 795g.
Intergovernmental Review
These programs 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
these programs.
Dated: December 5, 1994.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers: 84.235 Special
Projects and Demonstrations for Providing Vocational Rehabilitation
Services to Individuals with Disabilities; 84.235 Special Projects
and Demonstrations for Providing Transitional Rehabilitation
Services to Youth with Disabilities; and 84.234 Projects With
Industry)
[FR Doc. 94-30251 Filed 12-8-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
