[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 33 (Thursday, February 19, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8530-8536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-4138]
[[Page 8529]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part II
Department of Education
_______________________________________________________________________
Office of Special and Rehabilitative Services; Grants and Cooperative
Agreements: Availability, etc.: Children With Disabilities Programs;
Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 33 / Thursday, February 19, 1998 /
Notices
[[Page 8530]]
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Grants
and Cooperative Agreements: Availability, etc.: Children With
Disabilities Programs; Notice
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes priorities for two programs
administered by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services (OSERS) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA), as amended. The Secretary may use these priorities in Fiscal
Year 1998 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 on all proposed priorities must be received on or
before March 23, 1998.
ADDRESSES: All comments concerning proposed priorities should be
addressed to: Debra Sturdivant, U.S. Department of Education, 600
Independence Avenue, SW, Room 3521, Switzer Building, Washington, D.C.
20202-2641.
Comments may also be sent through the Internet: comments@ed.gov
You must include the term ``Technical Assistance and Dissemination
and Research and Innovation'' in the electronic message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on these
proposed priorities contact Debra Sturdivant, U.S. Department of
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW, room 3317, Switzer Building,
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. FAX: (202) 205-8717 (FAX is the preferred
method for requesting information). Telephone: (202) 205-8038.
Internet: Debra__Sturdivant@ed.gov
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 calling (202) 205-
8113.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains three proposed
priorities under two programs authorized by the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, as follows: Technical Assistance and
Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities (two proposed priorities); and Research and Innovation to
Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities (one
proposed priority). 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. 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.
General Requirements
All projects funded under the proposed priorities must make
positive efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified
individuals with disabilities in project activities (see Section 606 of
IDEA). In addition, all applicants and projects funded under the
proposed priorities must involve individuals with disabilities or
parents of individuals with disabilities in planning, implementing, and
evaluating the projects (see Section 661(f)(1)(A) of IDEA).
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 notice of final priorities.
Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and
Results for Children With Disabilities
Purpose of Program
The purpose of this program is to provide technical assistance and
information through such mechanisms as institutes, regional resource
centers, clearinghouses, and programs that support States and local
entities in building capacity, to improve early intervention,
educational, and transitional services and results for children with
disabilities and their families, and to address systemic-change goals
and 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--Center for Positive Behavioral
Interventions and Supports
Background
Problem behaviors are one of the most common reasons children with
disabilities are excluded from school, community, and work. Research on
positive behavioral support is rapidly developing and demonstrates how
school-wide approaches to positive behavioral interventions can enable
students with disabilities who exhibit problem behaviors to achieve
independence and become participants and contributing members in
school, community, and work.
Despite this growing body of knowledge, however, awareness of the
value of these approaches and their use in the educational environment
remains limited. There is clearly a need to develop a greater awareness
on the part of educators and others of the important contribution that
positive behavioral interventions can make in achieving successful
results for children with disabilities who exhibit challenging problem
behaviors and for improving the overall climate of schools.
Part B of IDEA includes provisions intended to guide and assist
schools in cases in which the behavior of a child with a disability
impedes learning. For example, the Act specifies that teams developing
individualized education programs (IEPs) consider, when appropriate,
positive behavioral supports and other strategies to address behavior
problems. The following priority is intended to assist schools in
designing and implementing effective school-wide positive behavioral
support programs by creating a greater awareness of these approaches,
including identifying effective State and local policies which support
the approaches, and by building the necessary knowledge base, momentum,
and resource network to encourage their widespread application.
Priority
The Secretary proposes to establish an absolute priority to support
a Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports that builds
awareness and motivation for schools to design and implement school-
wide support for children with disabilities who exhibit challenging
problem behaviors. The Center must, at a minimum:
(a) Evaluate the state of policy and practice regarding school-wide
behavioral support, including relevant State and local policies and
guidelines, and financing and cross-agency coordination strategies for
supporting
[[Page 8531]]
behavioral intervention services. Develop and apply criteria for
identifying exemplary programs of school-wide positive behavioral
support. Identify and publicize schools implementing such programs.
(b) Establish a coordinated network of researchers, educators,
parents, mental health professionals, and policymakers who will serve
as resources to schools and each other in designing and implementing
school-wide positive behavioral support programs. Conduct outreach
activities with relevant federally supported technical assistance and
information activities and projects (e.g., the National Institute of
Disability and Rehabilitation Research programs, the Federal Resource
Center, regional resource centers, the Office of Educational Research
and Improvement (OERI), the Office of Elementary and Secondary
Education's Safe and Drug Free Schools program, the Department of
Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, etc.),
State and local organizations and other relevant organizations and
projects to promote public awareness of positive behavioral support
practices and the availability of information, supports and services.
(c) Provide for information exchanges between researchers and
practitioners who direct exemplary behavioral support programs and
educators who seek to design and implement effective school-wide
programs. The exchanges must include, but are not limited to, two
regional forums during each of the first four years of the project, and
a national forum in the fifth year. The forums must be designed to
expand the coordinated network, develop awareness of research-based
practices, and create a dialogue about school-wide positive behavioral
support programs. The forums must include examples and descriptions of
exemplary school-wide programs and effective State and local policies,
and may include other appropriate activities such as visits to
exemplary sites.
(d) Provide information to the national information center for
children with disabilities. Collaborate with the national information
center for children with disabilities on the development and
dissemination of materials on behavioral intervention and supports.
Establish linkages with the national information center for children
with disabilities to ensure timely and accurate dissemination of
information to customers.
(e) Organize, synthesize, and report information to teachers,
administrators, parents, and other interested parties regarding
research, policy, and practice advances on positive behavioral support.
Develop and disseminate products that are easy to use and accessible
(e.g., print and electronic formats). Respond to written and telephone
inquiries with research-based information.
(f) Develop and implement a blueprint for providing technical
assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs), which includes
alternative designs of effective school wide positive behavioral
support programs and alternative approaches to delivering technical
assistance in their implementation. Identify barriers to assisting
school districts across the country in developing and implementing
school-wide positive behavioral support programs and develop strategies
for overcoming these barriers.
(g) Budget for two trips annually to Washington, D.C., for: (1) A
two-day Research to Practice Division Project Directors' meeting; and
(2) a meeting to collaborate with the Research to Practice Division
project officer and the other related projects, and to share
information and discuss findings and methods of dissemination.
(h) Conduct, every two years, a results-based evaluation of the
technical assistance provided. Such an evaluation must be conducted by
a review team consisting of three experts approved by the Secretary and
must measure elements such as--
(1) The type of technical assistance provided and the perception of
its quality by the target audience;
(2) The changes that occurred as a result of the technical
assistance provided; and
(3) The review team will examine the progress that the Center has
made with respect to the objectives in its application.
The services of the review team, including a two-day site visit to
the Center is 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.
Under this priority, the Secretary will make one award for
cooperative agreements 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 center 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 timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or is being met by the
Center; and
(b) The degree to which the Center's design and methodology
demonstrates the potential for advancing significant new knowledge.
Proposed Absolute Priority 2--National Center on Dispute Resolution
Background
Disputes within the education community affect systemic change and
results for children with disabilities. A dispute resolution process
such as mediation is less costly to schools and families, can help to
minimize adverse effects on a child's progress in school, and is more
apt to foster positive relationships between families and educators
than litigation. Technical assistance that focuses primarily on dispute
resolution procedures would assist State educational agencies (SEAs),
local educational agencies (LEAs), and families to resolve their
differences in a less adversarial and more responsive manner than
through standard due process hearing procedures, while enabling State
and local entities to achieve systemic change and promoting improved
early intervention, educational, and transitional results for children
with disabilities. This priority would support a national center to
provide technical assistance to SEAs, LEAs, and families on resolving
their differences. The center would provide technical assistance on
mediation and other effective dispute resolution procedures that do not
impede parental rights under IDEA or otherwise conflict with the
statute. As such the center would provide technical assistance as
needed in order to facilitate the effective use of due process
procedures. The chief aim of the center however, would be to provide
needed technical assistance to enable parties to effectively resolve
their disputes through more expedient and less confrontational means,
including mediation.
Priority
The Secretary establishes an absolute priority to support a
national technical assistance center on dispute resolution procedures,
including mediation. The center must--
(a) Provide technical assistance on dispute resolution procedures
(with an emphasis on procedures other than due process hearings) to all
States, outlying areas, and the freely associated States (to the extent
such States participate in Parts B or C of IDEA), and the Bureau
[[Page 8532]]
of Indian Affairs. At a minimum, the center must--
(1) Conduct annual needs assessments;
(2) Develop technical assistance agreements with each entity; and
(3) Provide technical assistance, training, and on-going
consultation based on the technical assistance agreements (including
technical assistance, training, and on-going consultation at the local
level, as appropriate).
(b) Coordinate with the existing technical assistance to parent
project to provide technical assistance to all parent training and
information centers and community parent resource centers on dispute
resolution procedures;
(c) Develop informational exchanges about dispute resolution
procedures between the center and other technical assistance and
information dissemination systems;
(d) Establish an advisory group of persons with complementary
expertise on dispute resolution procedures to advise the center on its
technical assistance activities;
(e) Collect information on the use and effectiveness of mediation
and other dispute resolution procedures. The effectiveness of any such
procedure would be based on the degree to which all parties feel
satisfied with the result and agree that an efficient and expeditious
process had been followed;
(f) Identify, and disseminate information on, best practices in
dispute resolution;
(g) Maintain an information data base that includes: (1) State
practices on dispute resolution, including information on mediator
training and the implementation of the mediation requirements in Parts
B and C of IDEA; and (2) research, literature, and products about
dispute resolution procedures.
(h) Examine the effectiveness of State efforts regarding mediation
and other dispute resolution proceedings. Analyze information on the
number of due process hearings, mediation sessions, and other dispute
resolution proceedings conducted and on the outcome of each such
hearing, session, or proceeding;
(i) Collaborate with the national information center on children
with disabilities regarding the dissemination of information to respond
to information needs. Establish linkages with the national information
center on children with disabilities to ensure timely and accurate
dissemination of information to customers;
(j) Serve as a clearinghouse for information on dispute resolution
procedures;
(k) Conduct an annual forum each year of the project that
identifies the unique features of dispute resolution procedures, the
strengths of the procedures, and the potential for adopting the
procedures. At least one forum must address the specific needs of under
represented and underserved populations; another must address dispute
resolution procedures (including mediator training issues) in the
context of general education reform;
(l) Evaluate the impact of the center's technical assistance system
and its components relative to the--
(1) Assessed needs of States and jurisdictions;
(2) Needs of parents; and
(3) Linkages with other technical assistance and information
dissemination systems; and
(m) Budget for two trips annually to Washington, D.C., for: (1) A
two-day Research to Practice Division Project Directors' meeting; and
(2) a meeting to collaborate with the Research to Practice Division
project officer and the other related projects to share information,
and to discuss findings and methods of dissemination.
(n) Conduct, every two years, a results-based evaluation of the
technical assistance provided. Such an evaluation must be conducted by
a review team consisting of three experts approved by the Secretary and
must measure elements such as--
(1) The type of technical assistance provided and the perception of
its quality by the target audience; and
(2) The changes that occurred as a result of the technical
assistance provided; and
(3) The review team will examine the progress that the Center has
made with respect to the objectives in its application.
The services of the review team, including a two-day site visit to
the center is 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.
Under this priority, the Secretary will make 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 center 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 timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or is being met by the
center.
(b) The degree to which the center's design and methodology
demonstrates the potential for advancing significant new knowledge.
Program Authority: Section 685 of IDEA.
Research and Innovation to Improve Services and Results for Children
With Disabilities
Purpose of Program
To produce, and advance the use of, knowledge to: (1) Improve
services provided under IDEA, including the practices of professionals
and others involved in providing those services to children with
disabilities; and (2) improve educational and early intervention
results for infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities.
Priority
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary proposes to give an
absolute preference to applications that meet the following priority.
The Secretary proposes to fund under this competition only applications
that meet this absolute priority.
Proposed Absolute Priority--Directed Research Projects
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 and natural
environments, to provide those children effective instruction and
interventions that enable them to learn and develop successfully. Under
this priority, projects must support innovation, development, exchange
of information, and use of advancements in knowledge and practice
designed to contribute to the improvement of early intervention,
instruction, and learning of infants, toddlers, and children with
disabilities.
A research project must address one of the following focus areas
and the Secretary intends to award at least one project in each focus
area:
Focus 1--Beacons of Excellence
Research projects supported under Focus 1 must identify and study
schools or programs achieving exemplary results for students with
disabilities in the
[[Page 8533]]
context of efforts to achieve exemplary results for all students.
Projects must develop and apply procedures and criteria to identify
these schools or programs, and to identify factors contributing to
exemplary learning or developmental results, and examine how those
factors and other factors relate to achieving exemplary learning or
developmental results for children with disabilities. Projects may
focus on early intervention, preschool, elementary, or secondary
levels, or a combination of levels. Following the second year of the
project, the Secretary may fund an optional six-month period for
additional dissemination activities.
Focus 2--The Sustainability of Promising Innovations
A growing body of practice-based research and model demonstration
work in schools, local districts, and early intervention programs,
including projects supported by the Office of Special Education
Programs (OSEP), has focused on meeting the needs of, and improving
results for, children with disabilities in schools, districts, or early
intervention programs involved in reform and restructuring initiatives.
Some of this work is yielding promising positive results for children
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 2 supports projects to study the implementation of practices
that have been found to be effective in meeting the needs of children
with disabilities by reform and restructuring initiatives in local and
district schools, or early intervention programs. The study must
address: (a) The extent to which practices that have been shown to be
effective have been sustained beyond the existence of the projects; and
(b) factors that influence the 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 agency, school organizational or
structural contexts, or both; (d) the level of penetration of the
innovation; (e) the actual or perceived, or both, cost and benefit for
participants; (f) constancy of site leadership, staff, and policy
requirements; (g) the extent of consonance or dissonance between
critical features of the innovations and existing (and emerging) school
and district or agency practices and policies; and (h) resource access
and allocation. Projects must provide comprehensive descriptions of the
targeted effective practices to be studied, and evidence of positive
results for children with disabilities. In addition, projects must
dedicate the bulk of support requested to research on the issues of
sustainability including the ability to sustain the project results
beyond the life of the project. The Secretary particularly encourages
an in-depth case study research design where the site or sites to be
studied is the case (unit of analysis).
Focus 3--Research on Improving Reading Comprehension Results for
Children With Learning Disabilities
In recent years, research has advanced our understanding of how
skilled readers comprehend and instructional strategies that support
children with learning disabilities to comprehend text. Comprehension
is not merely a text-based process where meaning resides in the text
and the role of the reader is to get the meaning. Meaning comes from
both the text and the reader. Many children with learning disabilities
need an instructional program that: (a) Teaches them how to access
prior knowledge (e.g., strategies such as story grammar elements,
semantic mapping, or think aloud sheets); (b) motivates and supports
persistence on a task (e.g., including expressions of a student's own
thoughts when reading and writing, questioning the expert or inquiry,
or using technology or grouping practices); and (c) teaches them
cognitive and metacognitive strategies for reading with understanding,
including how to monitor one's own progress (e.g., summarizing,
generating questions, mnemonics, or imagery). Therefore, becoming a
skilled reader is not automatic. Teachers need to teach reading
comprehension, and, in particular, children with learning disabilities
need effective instructional approaches.
Under Focus 3, a research project must pursue a systematic program
of applied research that focuses on one or more issues related to
improving reading comprehension results of children with learning
disabilities related to reading. These issues include, but are not
limited to:
(a) The extent to which children with learning disabilities need
differential strategies to comprehend narrative and expository text;
(b) The types of effective comprehension instruction for children
with learning disabilities in grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 inclusive; the
components of particularly effective programs for children with
learning disabilities; the basal materials, supplemental materials, and
instructional strategies used by teachers; and how families support the
instructional program;
(c) The types of effective questioning strategies used by teachers,
peers, and experts affecting comprehension; and
(d) The kind of contexts that promote critical analysis and
evaluation for comprehension and learning, and the grouping practices,
instructional strategies, and curricula that promote comprehension and
problem solving.
Focus 4--Studying Models That Bridge the Gap Between Research and
Practice
Educational research most often includes the following phases: (1)
Planning and preparation; (2) information gathering; (3) analysis and
interpretation; (4) reporting and dissemination; and (5) use of
findings. In traditional research models, the researcher is solely or
primarily responsible for all phases but the last. Using research
findings is seen as a job for the practitioner. However, it has been
observed that research knowledge rarely translates directly into
practice.
In recent years, a variety of promising models have been developed
to bridge the gap between research and practice by altering the roles
of researchers and practitioners for one or more phases of the
research. In some models (e.g., interactive research and development,
practitioner-researcher, partnership research) researchers and
practitioners collaborate in all phases of the research process. Some
of these models include parents on their site-based research teams. In
other models, practitioners, working individually (e.g., practitioner-
research linkers), in groups (e.g., practitioner study groups), or in
pairs (e.g., peer coaching) interpret extant research to understand how
to integrate research into practice. In some models, teachers conduct
research (e.g., action research, or collegial experimentation). To date
there have been few systematic examinations of the effectiveness of the
various models to improve practice in special education or early
intervention.
Under Focus 4, research projects must implement and examine a model
or models for using research knowledge to improve educational practice
and results for children with disabilities.
In studying a model or models, projects must apply methodologies
with the capacity to determine the effectiveness of the model or models
as implemented in practice settings. The projects must identify the
knowledge
[[Page 8534]]
utilization model or models to be studied, specify the components of
the knowledge utilization model or models selected or created, the
supports and policies necessary to support the model or models, both
alterable and unalterable factors affecting practice improvement, and
the effect of the model or models to improve organizational culture,
practitioner attitudes and practices, and child results. In judging
effectiveness, the projects must address improvements for researchers,
practitioners, and children with disabilities.
The projects must report their findings in a manner which can serve
as a ``blueprint'' so that practitioners in other school districts or
agencies can implement the model using research knowledge to improve
practice in special education or early intervention.
Focus 5--Inclusion of Students With Disabilities in Large-Scale
Assessment Programs
IDEA includes a number of provisions to ensure the participation of
students with disabilities in general State and district-wide
assessment programs. Students with disabilities must participate in
large-scale assessment programs if they are to benefit from the
educational accountability and reforms that are linked to these
assessments. While much information has been gained from prior efforts
to include disabled students in assessments such as the National
Assessment of Educational Progress, applied research is needed to build
on this base of information in order to provide technical and
implementation information to guide the effective inclusion of students
with disabilities in large-scale assessment programs.
Focus 5 supports projects that pursue systematic programs of
applied research to determine how State and local educational programs
can best meet one or more of the following requirements:
(a) Including students with disabilities in either general State or
district-wide assessment programs or both;
(b) Developing and using appropriate accommodations for students
with disabilities on general State or district-wide assessments, or
both;
(c) Developing and using alternate assessments for students with
disabilities who cannot participate in State and district-wide
assessment programs;
(d) Reporting on the participation or performance or both of
students with disabilities in either general assessment programs, or on
alternate assessments, or both; and
(e) Making decisions during the development of individualized
education programs concerning individual modifications in the
administration of State or district-wide assessments, or individual
participation in alternate assessments.
Focus 6--Synthesize and Communicate a Professional Knowledge Base:
Contributions to Research and Practice
Traditionally researchers have communicated their findings from
individual research projects and systematic lines of research through
journal publications and conference presentations. These findings are
communicated to other researchers and engage researchers in dialogues.
These dialogues contribute to innovation and development in special
education and early intervention. In recent years the Office of Special
Education Programs (OSEP) has sought to expand these traditional
approaches. While continuing to support innovation and development,
OSEP has established a goal to foster the use of a professional
knowledge base by professionals who serve children with disabilities
and parents who are involved in the education and development of their
children with disabilities.
Focus 6 supports projects that synthesize and communicate an extant
professional knowledge base on curricular, instructional, early
intervention, or organizational strategies and approaches that would
contribute to professional practice as a means for achieving better
results for children with disabilities. In past years, the Department
has supported syntheses on positive behavioral supports of children who
exhibit challenging behaviors, grouping practices in reading,
differences between children with learning disabilities and low
achieving students, instructional approaches for special education
students who speak English as a second language, generalization
strategies for using augmentative communication devices, interventions
for children with learning disabilities, and effects of setting on
social and academic outcomes. Building upon these previous efforts, the
Secretary intends to support and fund a limited number of new syntheses
in other areas such as--
(a) Effects of self-determination and self-advocacy interventions
on children with disabilities;
(b) Effects of interventions on children with disabilities that
promote generalization of academic or developmental skills;
(c) Effects of teacher or practitioner efficacy on children with
disabilities' achievement or development;
(d) Effects of technology for improving literacy results for
children with disabilities;
(e) Effects of school-wide approaches for improving reading results
of children with disabilities; or
(f) Effects of school-wide approaches for improving math results of
children with disabilities.
Under Focus 6, a synthesis project must--
(a) Identify the topical focus and the relevant and irrelevant
concepts under review, and pose hypotheses around which the synthesis
would be conducted;
(b) Identify and implement rigorous social science methods for
synthesizing the professional knowledge base (e.g., integrative reviews
(Cooper, 1982), best-evidence synthesis (Slavin, 1989), meta-analysis
(Glass, 1977), multi-vocal approach (Ogawa & Malen, 1991), and National
Institute of Mental Health consensus development program (Huberman,
1977));
(c) Develop hypotheses with input from potential consumers of the
synthesis to enhance the usability and validity of project efforts.
Consumers include researchers, technical assistance providers, policy
makers, educators, other relevant practitioners, individuals with
disabilities, and parents;
(d) Develop linkage of synthesis with technical assistance
providers and disseminators and prepare products for use by
practitioners, technical assistance providers, and disseminators;
(e) Implement procedures for locating and organizing the extant
literature and ensure that these procedures address and guard against
potential threats to the integrity, including generalization of
findings;
(f) Establish criteria and procedures for judging the
appropriateness of studies;
(g) Meet with the Office of Special Education Programs to review
the project's topical focus and methodological approach for conducting
the synthesis prior to the start of its synthesis;
(h) Analyze and interpret the professional knowledge base,
including identification of general trends in the literature, points of
consensus and conflict among the findings, and areas of evidence where
the literature base is lacking. The interpretation of the literature
base must address the contributions of the findings for improving the
practice of professionals serving children with disabilities; and
[[Page 8535]]
(i) Submit a draft report in the 21st month of the project and,
based on peer reviews, revise and submit a final report of the
synthesis in the 24th month. During the second year of the project, the
Secretary may fund an optional six-month period for additional
dissemination activities.
Focus 7--Improving the Delivery of Special Education and Related
Services or Early Intervention Services to Children Who Are English
Language Learners
Appropriate instruction and intervention for children with
disabilities who are limited in their English language proficiency can
be achieved in a variety of ways. Ultimately, the responsibility for
assuring that the English language learner is receiving appropriate
access to the curriculum or intervention rests with the school district
or agency in its provision of necessary training and ongoing support to
the teachers or practitioners. Providing native speakers of the child's
language in the classroom or intervention program, including parents,
may not be sufficient to assure delivery of appropriate education or
interventions. Limitations of resources and availability of qualified
bilingual personnel to provide special education, related services, or
early intervention services throughout the Nation suggest that other
approaches should be investigated that will enhance the availability
and assurance of the provision of meaningful education.
Under Focus 7 projects must pursue a systematic program of applied
research that focuses on one or more areas related to improved
approaches to the delivery of special education and related services or
early intervention services to children who are English language
learners. These areas may include, for example--
(a) Examination of early reading practices (K-3) for children with
learning and behavior issues who are limited in their English
proficiency;
(b) Improvement of reading comprehension in content area
instruction in grades 4-8;
(c) Examination of alternatives in the delivery of services to
children with disabilities who are English language learners (e.g., is
placement optimal in regular classes or programs with support from
special education resources or is the child better served in placements
with other children with similar disabilities with support from
bilingual resources?);
(d) The role cultural issues play in the provision of services
(e.g., how do the perceptions of families regarding disabilities and
services affect delivery of services?);
(e) The preferred strategies to support the transition from
bilingual to mainstream English speaking classes or programs (e.g.,
what teaching or intervention strategies are most effective?);
(f) Examination of specific instructional approaches that promote
problem solving and comprehension in reading, science, math, and social
studies;
(g) Examination of instructional or intervention approaches for
growth in English language learning for these children;
(h) Factors that improve the effectiveness of cooperative learning
and classwide peer tutoring for English language learners;
(i) The techniques that improve the transfer of proven practices to
practitioner; and
(j) The qualitative differences that exist in implementation of
proven practices with practitioner and children who are English
language learners who are located in inner-city schools or served
through inner-city agencies (e.g., what is the involvement of
families).
Focus 8--Educating Children With Disabilities in Inclusive Settings
Focus 8 supports research projects to (a) identify new or improved
systems change strategies that provide all children with disabilities,
including children with severe disabilities, effective access to the
general curriculum in regular classrooms as well as to nonsegregated
extracurricular activities, and (b) describe how these school inclusion
efforts as identified in (a) are aligned with systemic reform and
school improvement strategies for all students.
Each project will identify, describe, and examine: (1) The efficacy
and linkages of existing systemic reform and school inclusion
strategies; (2) how school systems provide administrative and other
supports in general education settings to meet the needs of students
with disabilities and other diverse learners; (3) how standards
established for all children and authentic assessment practices are
implemented for students with disabilities, and (4) social support
strategies, including peer mediated strategies, that promote positive
interactions among students with disabilities and their same-aged peers
to foster cohesive school and classroom communities.
To be considered for funding under Focus 8, 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 and demonstrate the benefits to
students including the reciprocal benefits of inclusive schooling for
all students.
Requirements for All Directed Research Projects
In addition to addressing one of the above mentioned focus areas,
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.
Executive Order 12866
This notice of proposed priorities has been reviewed in accordance
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order the Secretary
has assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory
action.
The potential costs associated with the notice of proposed
priorities are those determined by the Secretary as necessary for
administering this program effectively and efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this notice of proposed
[[Page 8536]]
priorities, the Secretary has determined that the benefits of the
proposed priorities justify the costs.
The Secretary has also determined that this regulatory action does
not unduly interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the
exercise of their governmental functions.
To assist the Department in complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Order 12866, the Secretary invites comment on
whether there may be further opportunities to reduce any potential
costs or increase potential benefits resulting from these proposed
priorities without impeding the effective and efficient administration
of the program.
Summary of Potential Costs and Benefits
There are no identified costs associated with this notice of
proposed priorities. Announcement of the priorities will not result in
costs to State and local governments, recipients of grant funds, or to
children and youth with disabilities and their families. The benefit
from these priorities will be to focus activities and Federal
assistance on improving results for children and youth with
disabilities.
Intergovernmental Review
All programs in this notice (except for the Research and Innovation
Projects) 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, SW, 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.
On request the Department supplies an appropriate aid, such as a
reader or print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public
rulemaking docket for these proposed priorities. An individual with a
disability who wants to schedule an appointment for this type of aid
may call (202)-205-8113 or (202) 260-9895. An individual who uses a TDD
may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339,
between 8 a.m., and 8 p.m., eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Electronic Access to This Document
Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the
following sites:
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html
To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing
Office toll free at 1-888-293-6498.
Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins, and Press Releases.
Note: The official version of a document is the document
published in the Federal Register.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers: Research and
Innovation to Improve Services and Results for Children with
Disabilities, 84.324; and Technical Assistance and Dissemination to
Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities, 84.326)
Dated: January 29, 1998.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 98-4138 Filed 2-18-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
