[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 104 (Wednesday, May 29, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26996-26999]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13429]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Training Personnel for the Education of Individuals With
Disabilities--Grants for Personnel Training
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of Final Priority.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces a final priority for the Training
Personnel for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities--Grants
for Personnel Training program administered by the Office of Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) under the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act. The Secretary may use this priority in
Fiscal Year 1996 and subsequent years. The Secretary takes this action
to focus Federal assistance on identified needs to improve outcomes for
children with disabilities. This final priority is intended to ensure
wide and effective use of program funds.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This priority takes effect on June 28, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Brown, U.S. Department of
Education, 600 Independence Avenue SW., Room 3522, Switzer Building,
Washington, DC. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8117. FAX: (202) 205-
8105. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the TDD number at (202) 205-8953. Internet:
Scott__Brown@ed.gov
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) directs the Secretary to develop and implement a plan for
providing outreach services to minority entities and underrepresented
populations to assist them in participating more fully in the
discretionary programs under the Act (section 610(j)(2)(C)).
On March 26, 1996, the Secretary published a notice of proposed
priority for this program in the Federal Register (61 FR 13376-13377).
This final priority supports the National Education Goals by
improving understanding of how to enable children and youth with
disabilities to reach higher levels of academic achievement.
The publication of this priority does not preclude the Secretary
from proposing additional priorities, nor does it limit the Secretary
to funding only this priority, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking
requirements. Funding of particular projects depends on the
availability of funds, and the quality of the applications received.
Further, FY 1996 priorities could be affected by enactment of
legislation reauthorizing these programs.
Note: This notice of final priority does not solicit
applications. A notice inviting applications under this competition
is published in a separate notice in this issue of the Federal
Register.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to the Secretary's invitation in the notice of proposed
priority, five parties submitted comments. An analysis of the comments
and of the changes in the proposed priority follows. Technical and
other minor changes--as well as suggested changes the Secretary is not
legally authorized to make under the applicable statutory authority--
are not addressed.
[[Page 26997]]
Priority--Outreach Services to Minority Entities To Expand Research
Capacity
Comment: One commenter requested that the priority clarify whether
the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), other
minority institutions (OMIs), and other eligible institutions as
defined under section 312 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (OEIs)
that are the target of the linkage activities specified in the priority
need to be doctoral-degree granting institutions or providers of
Ph.D.'s in joint programs with other universities. The commenter stated
that, for a national effort whose major goal is to prepare scholars for
careers in research on special education and related services, the
focus should be on the doctoral-level programs since they are the ones
that typically apply for and receive grants and contracts for research
activities.
Discussion: The Secretary agrees that recipients of awards for
research activities are predominantly institutions of higher education
with doctoral-degree level programs. However, although many HBCUs,
OMIs, and OEIs do not have doctoral-level programs for students, the
project's linkage activities are also expected to target institutional
faculty members. Many of the faculty at these institutions are very
capable and experienced in conducting research. Strengthening the
capacity of these individuals, and thereby that of institutions, is
considered a useful component of strategies developed under the
priority.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter requested clarification as to the priority's
relative emphasis on building the capacity of individual minority
researchers as opposed to entire faculties of HBCUs, OMIs and OEIs.
Discussion: The purpose of the project is two-fold. The priority is
intended to increase the participation of HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs in
discretionary research and development grant programs authorized under
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and to increase the
capacity of individuals at these institutions to conduct research and
development activities in special education and related services. The
dual emphasis is important, since the ability of individual students
and faculty members to conduct research is a key contributing factor in
an institution's capacity to successfully compete for IDEA research
grants. The priority does not require the project to focus on entire
faculties at these institutions. The priority is intended to allow the
project to identify appropriate faculty members that will enhance the
ability of HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs to compete for grants.
Changes: The priority has been revised to clarify that its purpose
is to increase the participation of HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs in
discretionary research and development grant programs under the IDEA
consistent with Congress' direction, and to increase the capacity of
individuals at these institutions to conduct research and development
activities.
Comment: One commenter stated the an HBCU, OMI, or an OEI was the
only appropriate institution to conduct the type of project required by
the priority and suggested that eligibility for the grant award be
restricted to minority institutions. The commenter also recommended
that the language of the priority be strengthened to require the
project to have actual experience and knowledge of how to identify and
work with the strengths as well as overcome the barriers inherent in
the infrastructure. The commenter stated that a project designed to
recruit minority researchers and generate research in minority
communities would be received more favorably and responded to more
rapidly if conducted by a minority institution.
Discussion: The Secretary believes that limiting eligibility under
the priority to minority institutions would be unduly restrictive. The
critical factors that the performing entity must have are: (1)
Experience and familiarity in research on children with disabilities in
urban and high-poverty schools with predominately minority enrollment;
(2) experience in capacity development in special education research;
and, (3) a thorough understanding of the strengths and needs of HBCUs,
OMIs, and OEIs with respect to carrying out research programs. These
factors are included in the priority. Any advantage that a minority
institution can demonstrate in these areas may be considered in the
evaluation of applications.
Change: None.
Comment: One commenter recommended that the priority be revised to
strengthen the requirement that findings, results, and/or products be
communicated directly to SEAs with significant minority populations and
to educational decision makers in urban areas.
Discussion: The Secretary believes that dissemination of findings
should be carried out by the Department of Education's technical
assistance, training, and dissemination projects that have been
established specifically to accomplish this important task. To require
this project to conduct dissemination activities would unnecessarily
diffuse the project's focus, and would require it to conduct activities
that are not necessarily compatible with research and capacity building
activities.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter stated that the research agenda developed
for the project's workscope must be relevant to local communities and
address problems of real need. The commenter felt that needs
assessments must be developed with the local communities' (LEAs, SEAs,
and IHEs) participation, and complete articulation of research findings
with these stakeholders should be guaranteed. Another commenter
recommended that the project conduct a national assessment of needs and
convene an Advisory Panel with representation from in-service and
Comprehensive System for Personnel Development planning components with
appropriate State educational agencies.
Discussion: The priority requires that the project conduct research
on one or more specified issues. The Secretary believes that each of
the suggested research topics are particularly relevant to the overall
objectives of improving the delivery of special education services and
educational results for children with disabilities in urban and high-
poverty schools with predominately minority enrollments. The Department
of Education has collected sufficient data to warrant the focus of
research on these topics. Furthermore, the selection criteria that will
be used to evaluate applications require applicants to describe the
needs addressed by the project; how those needs were identified; and
how the needs will be met by the project. In view of these factors, the
Secretary believes that to require this project to conduct a national
assessment of needs would be unnecessary, would diffuse the project's
focus, and would impose requirements that are not necessarily
compatible with research and capacity building activities.
Changes: None.
Comment: Two commenters requested that the priority specify the
applicable indirect cost rate, and questioned whether the indirect cost
rate would be that of a training or a research grant. Both commenters
recommended that the project be considered personnel preparation and
carry an 8 percent indirect cost rate.
Discussion: Because the priority is primarily a research training
project, the grantee's negotiated cost rate applies to the priority.
Although the Education Department General Administrative
[[Page 26998]]
Regulations (EDGAR) at Sec. 75.562 authorizes an 8 percent cap on
indirect costs for educational training grants, ``research training
programs'' were specifically excluded from the scope of educational
training grants under that section. Furthermore, the Secretary believes
that the amount of the project budget that is devoted to direct grant
activities will reflect the level of commitment and effort offered by
each applicant, and will be considered in determining the relative
merit of applications. For these reasons, the grantee's negotiated
indirect cost rate used for research programs applies to the final
priority.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter stated that the balance between urban and
rural research agenda seems weighted toward inner city challenges. The
commenter recommended that the priority should place equal emphasis on
urban and rural problems.
Discussion: The priority requires that the project focus on issues
related to improving the delivery of special education services and
educational results for children with disabilities in urban and high
poverty schools with predominantly minority enrollments. Relevant
research indicates that approximately 47 percent of urban youth with
disabilities live in households with an annual income of less that
$12,000, compared to 34 percent of rural and 19 percent of suburban
youth with disabilities. Consequently, the Secretary expects the
project to emphasize the needs of children with disabilities in urban
areas given the disproportionate representation of special education
students who live in poverty and the high percentage of poor children
in urban settings.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter suggested that the project demonstrate the
high quality of its research through a peer or internal review, and
through mentoring during implementation.
Discussion: The Secretary believes that the methods suggested by
the commenter are two potentially useful approaches that a research
project might employ to ensure high quality of research results.
However, because there may be a variety of viable methodologies that
may ensure high quality research, the Secretary believes that
identifying two such methodologies would be unduly restrictive.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter noted that the priority does not mention the
importance of linking research findings to application and practice at
minority IHEs, and suggested that applicants describe the systems to be
used to translate research to practice and to infuse new knowledge into
existing personnel preparation programs.
Discussion: The priority requires that findings of importance to
audiences other than researchers be made available to the Department of
Education's technical assistance training and dissemination projects
for distribution to those audiences. The Secretary believes that this
approach, as opposed to requiring the grantee to undertake the entire
process of translating research to practice, will allow for a more
coherent research-to-practice effort, and a potentially larger, more
inclusive audience.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter requested that a single existing policy
research center for coordination or collaboration be omitted from the
priority or, in the alternative, that the role of such a center be
clearly defined.
Discussion: The Secretary agrees that it is not necessary to single
out a specific policy research center for collaboration or coordination
since the priority requires that the project collaborate with other
relevant OSEP-funded projects. Also, the Secretary is concerned that
referencing a specific policy coordination center could discourage the
project from coordinating directly with other relevant projects.
Changes: The reference in the proposed priority to coordination
with the ongoing Policy Research Institute has been deleted.
Priority
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary gives an absolute
preference to applications that meet the following priority. The
Secretary will fund under this competition only applications that meet
this absolute priority.
Absolute Priority--Outreach Services to Minority Entities To Expand
Research Capacity
Background: The Congress has found that the Federal Government must
be responsive to the growing needs of an increasingly diverse society
and that a more equitable distribution of resources is essential for
the Federal Government to meet its responsibility to provide an equal
educational opportunity for all individuals. The Congress has concluded
that the opportunity for full participation in awards for grants,
cooperative agreements and contracts by Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs), other institutions of higher education whose
minority enrollment is at least 25 percent (OMIs) and other eligible
institutions as defined under section 312 of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (OEIs) is essential if we are to obtain greater success in the
education of children from diverse backgrounds in special education.
This priority focuses on assisting HBCUs, OMIs and OEIs to prepare
scholars for careers in research on special education and related
services. This preparation shall consist of engaging both faculty and
students at HBCUs, OMIs and OEIs in special education research
activities. The activities focus on an area of critical emerging need
which has material application in today's changing environment and will
likely be the subject of future research efforts--the special education
of children in urban and high poverty schools with predominantly
minority enrollments. By building a cadre of experienced researchers on
this important topic, the chances for full participation in awards for
grants, cooperative agreements and contracts by HBCUs, OMIs and OEIs
will be increased.
The association between socioeconomic status and enrollment in
special education has been well documented. Available data from the
National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) show that 68 percent of
students in special education live in a household where the income is
less than $25,000 per year versus 39 percent of the general population
of youth.
The problem of this association is heightened in urban school
districts and, to a lesser extent, rural districts. NLTS data reveal
that only 34 percent of students in special education live in suburban
school districts compared to 48 percent of all youth. Data from the
Office for Civil Rights indicate that 30 percent of all inner-city
students live in poverty compared to 18 percent of students in non-
inner city areas. Moreover, findings from the National Longitudinal
Transition Study indicate that 47 percent of urban youth with
disabilities live in households with an annual income of less than
$12,000 (in 1986 dollars) compared to 34 percent of rural and 19
percent of suburban youth with disabilities (Valdes et al., 1990).
Urban school districts face a variety of challenges in meeting the
educational needs of their students. Their schools often have high per
student costs and limited financial resources. Their students are
disproportionately poor and the population of individuals with limited
English proficiency is among the fastest growing populations with
special needs in some of these districts. This disproportionate
representation of poor children in special education is also
[[Page 26999]]
likely to be uniquely influenced by culturally diverse and urban
settings, posing both opportunities and problems in the provision of
special education services.
Priority
The Secretary establishes an absolute priority for a project whose
purpose is to increase the participation of HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs in
discretionary research and development grant programs authorized under
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and to increase
the capacity of individuals at these institutions to conduct research
and development activities in special education and related services.
Each research activity of the program must implement the Congress'
direction in section 610(j)(2) to support outreach activities to HBCUs,
OMIs and OEIs to increase their participation in competitions for
research, demonstration and outreach grants, cooperative agreements and
contracts funded under the IDEA. Activities shall include:
(1) Conducting research activities at HBCUs, OMIs and OEIs as
explained below that link scholars at HBCUs, OMIs and OEIs with
researchers at institutions with an established research capacity in a
mentoring relationship to develop both individual and institutional
research capacity at those HBCUs, OMIs and OEIs with a demonstrated
need for capacity development; and
(2) Providing linkages between HBCUs, OMIs and OEIs with a
demonstrated need for capacity development and institutions with an
established research capacity to provide opportunities for researchers
at those HBCUs, OMIs and OEIs to develop first hand experience in the
grants and contracts application process.
All research activities must be conducted for the purpose of
capacity building. The research program must include one or more
projects that are focused on issues related to improving the delivery
of special education services and educational results for children with
disabilities in urban and high poverty schools with predominantly
minority enrollments. The program must examine the association between
minority status and identification for, evaluation for and placement in
special education. Other possible research topics may include:
(1) Effective intervention strategies that make a difference in the
provision of a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE);
(2) Practices to promote the successful inclusion of children with
disabilities in a least restrictive environment (LRE);
(3) Strategies for establishing high expectations for children with
disabilities and increasing their participation in the general
curriculum provided to all children;
(4) Increasing effective parental participation in the educational
process, especially for poor parents, minority parents, and parents
with limited English proficiency;
(5) Effective disciplinary approaches, including behavioral
management strategies, for ensuring a safe and disciplined learning
environment;
(6) The effect of school-wide projects conducted under Title 1 of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act on the delivery of special
education; or
(7) Effective practices for promoting the coordination of special
education services with health and social services for children with
disabilities and their families.
The program shall ensure that findings are communicated in
appropriate formats for researchers. The program shall also ensure that
if findings are of importance to other audiences, such as teachers,
administrators and parents, they are made available to Department of
Education's technical assistance, training and dissemination projects
for distribution to those audiences.
Projects must demonstrate experience and familiarity in research on
children with disabilities in urban and high poverty schools with
predominantly minority enrollments. The project must also demonstrate
experience in capacity development in special education research, as
well as a thorough understanding of the strengths and needs of HBCUs,
OMIs and OEIs.
The project must budget for two trips annually to Washington, D.C.
for: (1) A two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) an
additional meeting to meet and collaborate with the project officer of
the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and with other relevant
OSEP funded projects.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.029, Training
Personnel for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities
Program)
Dated: May 23, 1996.
Howard R. Moses,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 96-13429 Filed 5-28-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
