Applications for New Awards; Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities-National Technical Assistance and Dissemination Center Program
| Citation | 86 FR 42801 |
| Record Number | 2021-16832 |
| Published date | 05 August 2021 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Education Department |
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1
A. Migliore, J. Butterworth, and D. Hart, Fast
facts: Postsecondary education and employment
outcomes for youth with intellectual disabilities
(No. 1). Boston: Institute for Community Inclusion.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Postsecondary Programs for Students
with Intellectual Disabilities–National
Technical Assistance and
Dissemination Center Program
AGENCY
: Office of Postsecondary
Education, Department of Education.
ACTION
: Notice.
SUMMARY
: The Department of Education
(Department) is issuing a notice inviting
applications (NIA) for a new award for
fiscal year (FY) 2021 for the
Postsecondary Programs for Students
with Intellectual Disabilities–National
Technical Assistance and Dissemination
Center (PPSID–NTAD) program,
Assistance Listing Number 84.407C.
This notice relates to the approved
information collection under OMB
control number 1894–0006.
DATES
: Applications available: August 5,
2021.
Deadline for transmittal of
applications: September 7, 2021.
ADDRESSES
: For the addresses for
obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common
Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary
Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 13, 2019
(84 FR 3768), and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-
02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
:
Shedita Alston, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW,
Room 2B194, Washington, DC 20202–
4260. Telephone: (202) 453–7090.
Email: Shedita.Alston@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–
8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The
Postsecondary Programs for Students
with Intellectual Disabilities-National
Technical Assistance and Dissemination
Center (PPSID–NTAD) program
provides for the establishment of a
technical assistance center to translate
and disseminate research and best
practices for all institutions of higher
education (IHEs), including those not
participating in the Transition and
Postsecondary Programs for Students
with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID)
program, for improving inclusive
postsecondary education for students
with intellectual disabilities (SWIDs).
This center will help ensure that
knowledge and products gained through
research will reach more IHEs and
students and improve postsecondary
educational opportunities SWIDs.
Background: Historically in the
United States, the education,
employment, and independent living
outcomes for individuals with
intellectual disabilities have lagged that
of students without disabilities.
According to Migliore, Butterworth, and
Hart (2009), SWIDs have the lowest
rates of education, work, or preparation
for work after high school of all
disability groups.
1
Since 2010, through
the grants that the Department has
awarded under the TPSID program, we
have seen improvements in services for
students with disabilities, including
institutions of higher education more
frequently offering specially designed
instruction in inclusive and integrated
settings to support improved academic,
functional, and social outcomes, which,
in turn, lead to improved employment
and independent living outcomes.
The Department is particularly
interested in broadening the
dissemination of information that is
based on the work that has been
completed by projects that were funded
under the TPSID program (Assistance
Listing Number 84.407A). The
Department seeks to assist other IHEs in
learning about high-impact practices for
these students and sharing them with
the widest audience possible, including
other colleges and universities, local
educational agencies (LEAs), families
and students, and other stakeholders
who may be interested in developing,
expanding, or improving inclusive
higher education for SWIDs. Through
the dissemination of such information,
including research and promising
practices in the field of postsecondary
education for SWIDs, the PPSID–NTAD
program seeks to better support
comprehensive transition and
postsecondary education programs
across the country (including those
funded under the TPSID program) as
they work to increase the number of
individuals with intellectual disabilities
who are academically, functionally, and
socially prepared to obtain and retain
competitive employment in integrated
settings and to live independently as
full and active members of their
communities.
Priorities: This notice contains one
absolute priority and one competitive
preference priority. We are establishing
these priorities for the FY 2021 grant
competition and any subsequent year in
which we make awards from the list of
unfunded applications from this
competition in accordance with section
437(d)(1) of the General Education
Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232
(d)(1).
Absolute Priority: For FY 2021 and
any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition, this
priority is an absolute priority. Under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only
applications that meet this priority.
This absolute priority is:
The purpose of this priority is to fund
a cooperative agreement to establish and
operate a National Technical Assistance
Center for Postsecondary Programs for
Students with Intellectual Disabilities
(Center). This Center will translate and
disseminate to institutions of higher
education (IHEs) research and best
practices for improving inclusive
postsecondary education for (SWIDs).
The Center must be designed to
achieve, at a minimum, the following
expected outcomes:
(a) Increased accessibility to
postsecondary education courses,
including courses conducted in-person
and through remote learning, for SWIDs.
(b) Increased participation of SWIDs
in the same curriculum offered to
matriculating college students without
intellectual disabilities.
(c) Increased availability for SWIDs of
the same campus services and events
offered to matriculating students
without intellectual disabilities (such as
academic and career advising, on-
campus residential living that is not
restricted to matriculating college
students, employment, and student
orientation).
(d) An increased number of IHEs
offering comprehensive transition
programs (CTPs) for SWIDs.
(e) An increased number of SWIDs
obtaining a meaningful postsecondary
credential each year.
In responding to this priority, the
applicant must describe—
(a) How the Center will translate and
disseminate to all IHEs, including those
not participating in the TPSID program
and those not currently offering
Comprehensive Transition Programs,
research and best practices for
improving inclusive postsecondary
education for SWIDs;
(b) How the Center will assist IHEs,
including IHEs that do not currently
have CTPs, in the development,
evaluation, and continuous
improvement of such programs;
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(c) How the Center will assist IHEs in
the expansion of inclusive practices for
SWIDs across a wide range of academic
programs;
(d) How the Center will promote
improved academic, social, independent
living, and self-advocacy outcomes for
SWIDs;
(e) How the Center will increase the
capacity of faculty, campus service
providers, and families to meet the
needs of SWIDs; and
(f) How the Center will coordinate
with other federally funded technical
assistance centers to avoid duplication
of activities.
Competitive Preference Priority: For
FY 2021 and any subsequent year in
which we make awards from the list of
unfunded applications from this
competition, this priority is a
competitive preference priority. Under
34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to
an additional six points to an
application, depending on how well the
application meets this priority.
This priority is:
Projects designed to develop and
sustain partnerships between IHEs,
businesses, LEAs, vocational
rehabilitation agencies, community-
based organizations, or other non-profit
organizations to support improved
academic, social, independent living,
and self-advocacy outcomes for SWIDs.
Definitions: The following definitions
apply to this competition. We are
establishing the definition of ‘‘remote
learning’’ in this notice for the FY 2021
grant competition and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the
list of unfunded applications from this
competition, in accordance with section
437(d)(1) of GEPA. The definitions of
‘‘comprehensive transition and
postsecondary program for students
with intellectual disabilities’’ and
‘‘student with an intellectual disability’’
are from section 760 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended
(HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1140). The definition
of ‘‘institution of higher education’’ is
from section 101 of the HEA (20 U.S.C.
1001). The term ‘‘cooperative
agreement’’ is from 2 CFR 200.24.
Comprehensive transition and
postsecondary program for students
with intellectual disabilities means a
degree, certificate, or nondegree
program that—
(1) Is offered by an IHE;
(2) Is designed to support SWIDs who
are seeking to continue academic, career
and technical, and independent living
instruction at an IHE in order to prepare
for gainful employment;
(3) Includes an advising and
curriculum structure;
(4) Requires SWIDs to participate on
not less than a half-time basis as
determined by the institution, with such
participation focusing on academic
components, and occurring through one
or more of the following activities:
(i) Regular enrollment in credit-
bearing courses with nondisabled
students offered by the institution.
(ii) Auditing or participating in
courses with nondisabled students
offered by the institution for which the
student does not receive regular
academic credit.
(iii) Enrollment in noncredit-bearing,
nondegree courses with nondisabled
students.
(iv) Participation in internships or
work-based training in settings with
nondisabled individuals; and
(5) Requires SWIDs to be socially and
academically integrated with non-
disabled students to the maximum
extent possible.
Cooperative agreement means a legal
instrument of financial assistance
between a Federal awarding agency and
a recipient or a pass-through entity and
a subrecipient that, consistent with 31
U.S.C. 6302–6305:
(1) Is used to enter into a relationship
the principal purpose of which is to
transfer anything of value to carry out a
public purpose authorized by a law of
the United States (see 31 U.S.C.
6101(3)); and not to acquire property or
services for the Federal Government or
pass-through entity’s direct benefit or
use;
(2) Is distinguished from a grant in
that it provides for substantial
involvement of the Federal awarding
agency in carrying out the activity
contemplated by the Federal award.
(3) The term does not include:
(i) A cooperative research and
development agreement as defined in 15
U.S.C. 3710a; or
(ii) An agreement that provides only:
(A) Direct United States Government
cash assistance to an individual;
(B) A subsidy;
(C) A loan;
(D) A loan guarantee; or
(E) Insurance.
Institution of higher education—
(1) Means an educational institution
in any State that—
(i) Admits as regular students only
persons having a certificate of
graduation from a school providing
secondary education, or the recognized
equivalent of such a certificate, or
persons who meet the requirements of
section 484(d) of the HEA;
(ii) Is legally authorized within such
State to provide a program of education
beyond secondary education;
(iii) Provides an educational program
for which the institution awards a
bachelor’s degree or provides not less
than a 2-year program that is acceptable
for full credit toward such a degree, or
awards a degree that is acceptable for
admission to a graduate or professional
degree program, subject to review and
approval by the Secretary;
(iv) Is a public or other nonprofit
institution; and
(v) Is accredited by a nationally
recognized accrediting agency or
association, or if not so accredited, is an
institution that has been granted pre-
accreditation status by such an agency
or association that has been recognized
by the Secretary for the granting of pre-
accreditation status, and the Secretary
has determined that there is satisfactory
assurance that the institution will meet
the accreditation standards of such an
agency or association within a
reasonable time.
(2) Additional institutions included
for the purposes of the HEA, other than
title IV. The term ‘‘institution of higher
education’’ also includes—
(i) Any school that provides not less
than a 1-year program of training to
prepare students for gainful
employment in a recognized occupation
and that meets the provision of
paragraphs (i), (ii), (iv), and (v) of
paragraph (1); and
(ii) A public or nonprofit private
educational institution in any State that,
in lieu of the requirement in paragraph
(1)(i), admits as regular students
individuals—
(A) Who are beyond the age of
compulsory school attendance in the
State in which the institution is located;
or
(B) Who will be dually or
concurrently enrolled in the institution
and a secondary school.
Remote learning means programming
where at least part of the learning occurs
away from the physical building in a
manner that addresses a learner’s
education needs. Remote learning may
include online, hybrid/blended
learning, or non-technology-based
learning (e.g., lab kits, project supplies,
paper packets).
Student with an intellectual disability
means a student—
(1) With a cognitive impairment,
characterized by significant limitations
in—
(i) Intellectual and cognitive
functioning; and
(ii) Adaptive behavior as expressed in
conceptual, social, and practical
adaptive skills; and
(2) Who is currently, or was formerly,
eligible for a free appropriate public
education under the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act.
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Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking:
Under the Administrative Procedure Act
(5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally
offers interested parties the opportunity
to comment on proposed priorities.
Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however,
allows the Secretary to exempt from
rulemaking requirements regulations
governing the first grant competition
under a new or substantially revised
program authority. To ensure timely
grant awards, the Secretary has decided
to forgo public comment on the
priorities and definitions under section
437(d)(1) of GEPA. These priorities and
definitions will apply to the FY 2021
grant competition and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the
list of unfunded applications from this
competition.
Program Authority: Departments of
Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2021, H.R. 7614,
116th Congress (2020); the explanatory
statement accompanying H.R. 7614,
Congressional Record, December 21,
2020, H8635.
Note: Projects will be awarded and must be
operated in a manner consistent with the
nondiscrimination requirements contained in
the Federal civil rights laws.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The
Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR
parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and
99. (b) The Office of Management and
Budget Guidelines to Agencies on
Governmentwide Debarment and
Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR
180, as adopted and amended as
regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
part 3485. (c) The Uniform
Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for
Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as
adopted and amended as regulations of
the Department in 2 CFR part 3474.
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86
apply to institutions of higher education
only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Cooperative
agreement.
Estimated Available Funds:
$1,980,000.
Contingent upon the availability of
funds and the quality of applications,
we may make additional awards in
subsequent years from the list of
unfunded applications from this
competition.
Estimated Average Size of Award:
$1,980,000.
Maximum Award: We will not make
an award exceeding $1,980,000 for a
project period of 12 months.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any
estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: We are
establishing the following eligibility
requirement for the FY 2021 grant
competition and any subsequent year in
which we make awards from the list of
unfunded applications from this
competition, in accordance with section
437(d) (1) of GEPA. To be eligible to
apply for a grant under this competition,
the applicant must be an entity, or
partnership of entities, that has
demonstrated expertise in the fields of—
(a) Higher education;
(b) The education of SWIDS;
(c) The development of
comprehensive transition and
postsecondary programs for students
SWIDs; and
(d) Evaluation and technical
assistance.
2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This
competition does not require cost
sharing or matching.
b. Administrative Cost Limitation:
This program does not include any
program-specific limitation on
administrative expenses. All
administrative expenses must be
reasonable and necessary and conform
to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR
part 200 subpart E of the Uniform
Guidance.
c. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This
program uses a restricted indirect cost
rate. For more information regarding
indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated
indirect cost rate, please see
www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/
intro.html.
3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this
competition may not award subgrants to
entities to directly carry out project
activities described in its application.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Application Submission
Instructions: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for
Applicants to Department of Education
Discretionary Grant Programs,
published in the Federal Register on
February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and
available at www.govinfo.gov/content/
pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf,
which contains requirements and
information on how to submit an
application.
2. Intergovernmental Review: This
program is subject to Executive Order
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR
part 79. However, under 34 CFR 79.8
(a), we waive intergovernmental review
in order to make awards by September
30, 2021.
3. Funding Restrictions: We reference
regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
4. Recommended Page Limit: The
application narrative is where you, the
applicant, address the selection criteria
that reviewers use to evaluate your
application. We recommend that you (1)
limit the application narrative to no
more than 50 pages and (2) use the
following standards:
•A ‘‘page’’ is 8.5″ x 11″, on one side
only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom,
and both sides.
•Double space (no more than three
lines per vertical inch) all text in the
application narrative, including titles,
headings, footnotes, quotations,
references, and captions as well as all
text in charts, tables, figures, and
graphs.
•Use a font that is either 12 point or
larger, and no smaller than 10 pitch
(characters per inch).
•Use one of the following fonts:
Times New Roman, Courier, Courier
New, or Arial.
The recommended page limit does not
apply to the cover sheet; the budget
section, including the narrative budget
justification; the assurances and
certifications; or the one-page abstract.
However, the recommended page limit
does apply to all the application
narrative.
Note: The Budget Information-Non-
Construction Programs Form (ED 524)
Sections A–C are not the same as the
narrative response to the Budget section of
the selection criteria.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The following
selection criteria for this program are
from 34 CFR 75.210. The points
assigned to each criterion are indicated
in parentheses. Applicants may earn up
to a total of 100 points for the selection
criteria and up to six additional points
for the competitive preference priority.
(a) Need for project. (up to 10 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the need
for the proposed project.
(2) In determining the need for the
proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The magnitude or severity of the
problem to be addressed by the
proposed project.
(ii) The extent to which specific gaps
or weaknesses in services,
infrastructure, or opportunities have
been identified and will be addressed by
the proposed project, including the
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nature and magnitude of those gaps or
weaknesses.
(b) Significance. (up to 10 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the
significance of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the significance of
the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the results of
the proposed project are to be
disseminated in ways that will enable
others to use the information or
strategies.
(ii) The extent to which the proposed
project involves the development or
demonstration of promising new
strategies that build on, or are
alternatives to, existing strategies.
(c) Quality of the project design. (up
to 15 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the design of the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
design of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following
factors:
(i) The extent to which the design of
the proposed project is appropriate to,
and will successfully address, the needs
of the target population or other
identified needs.
(ii) The extent to which the design of
the proposed project includes a
thorough, high-quality review of the
relevant literature, a high-quality plan
for project implementation, and the use
of appropriate methodological tools to
ensure successful achievement of
project objectives.
(iii) The extent to which the design of
the proposed project reflects up-to-date
knowledge from research and effective
practice.
(d) Quality of project services. (up to
15 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the services to be provided by
the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
services to be provided by the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the
quality and sufficiency of strategies for
ensuring equal access and treatment for
eligible project participants who are
members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented
based on race, color, national origin,
gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the services to
be provided by the proposed project are
appropriate to the needs of the intended
recipients or beneficiaries of those
services.
(ii) The likelihood that the services to
be provided by the proposed project
will lead to improvements in the skills
necessary to gain employment or build
capacity for independent living.
(iii) The extent to which the services
to be provided by the proposed project
reflect up-to-date knowledge from
research and effective practice.
(e) Quality of project personnel. (up to
10 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the personnel who will carry
out the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of
project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the
applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are
members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented
based on race, color, national origin,
gender, age, or disability.
(3) In addition, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The qualifications, including
relevant training and experience, of the
project director or principal
investigator.
(ii) The qualifications, including
relevant training and experience, of key
project personnel.
(f) Adequacy of resources. (up to 20
points)
(1) The Secretary considers the
adequacy of resources for the proposed
project.
(2) In determining the adequacy of
resources for the proposed project, the
Secretary considers the following
factors:
(i) The adequacy of support, including
facilities, equipment, supplies, and
other resources, from the applicant
organization or the lead applicant
organization.
(ii) The extent to which the budget is
adequate to support the proposed
project.
(iii) The extent to which the costs are
reasonable in relation to the number of
persons to be served and to the
anticipated results and benefits.
(iv) The potential for continued
support of the project after Federal
funding ends, including, as appropriate,
the demonstrated commitment of
appropriate entities to such support.
(g) Quality of the project evaluation.
(up to 20 points)
(1) The Secretary considers the
quality of the evaluation to be
conducted of the proposed project.
(2) In determining the quality of the
project evaluation to be conducted of
the proposed project, the Secretary
considers the following factors:
(i) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation provide for examining the
effectiveness of project implementation
strategies.
(ii) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation include the use of
objective performance measures that are
clearly related to the intended outcomes
of the project and will produce
quantitative and qualitative data to the
extent possible.
(iii) The extent to which the methods
of evaluation will provide performance
feedback and permit periodic
assessment of progress towards
achieving intended outcomes.
(iv) The extent to which the
evaluation will provide guidance about
effective strategies suitable for
replication or testing in other settings.
2. Review and Selection Process: We
remind potential applicants that in
reviewing applications in any
discretionary grant competition, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR
75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the
applicant in carrying out a previous
award, such as the applicant’s use of
funds, achievement of project
objectives, and compliance with grant
conditions. The Secretary may also
consider whether the applicant failed to
submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable
quality.
In addition, in making a competitive
grant award, the Secretary also requires
various assurances including those
applicable to Federal civil rights laws
that prohibit discrimination in programs
or activities receiving Federal financial
assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
A panel of three non-Federal
reviewers will review and score each
application in accordance with the
selection criteria. A rank order funding
slate will be made from this review. An
award will be made in rank order
according to the average score received
from the combined peer review and
competitive preference priority point
grand total.
In a tie-breaking situation under this
program, if a tie remains after applying
any additional points from the
competitive preference priority,
preference will be given to the applicant
with the highest score under the
‘‘Quality of the Project Design’’
criterion. If there is still a tie after
implementing the first tiebreaker,
preference will be given to the applicant
with the highest score under the
‘‘Quality of the Project Services’’
criterion. If there is still a tie after
applying the secondary tiebreaker,
preference will be given to the applicant
with the highest score on the ‘‘Quality
of Management Plan’’ selection
criterion.
3. Risk Assessment and Specific
Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.206, before awarding grants under
this program, the Department conducts
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a review of the risks posed by
applicants. Under 2 CFR 200.208, the
Secretary may impose specific
conditions and, under 2 CFR 3474.10, in
appropriate circumstances, high-risk
conditions on a grant if the applicant or
grantee is not financially stable; has a
history of unsatisfactory performance;
has a financial or other management
system that does not meet the standards
in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant;
or is otherwise not responsible.
4. Integrity and Performance System:
If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that
over the course of the project period
may exceed the simplified acquisition
threshold (currently $250,000), under 2
CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a
judgment about your integrity, business
ethics, and record of performance under
Federal awards—that is, the risk posed
by you as an applicant—before we make
an award. In doing so, we must consider
any information about you that is in the
integrity and performance system
(currently referred to as the Federal
Awardee Performance and Integrity
Information System (FAPIIS)),
accessible through the System for
Award Management. You may review
and comment on any information about
yourself that a Federal agency
previously entered and that is currently
in FAPIIS.
Please note that, if the total value of
your currently active grants, cooperative
agreements, and procurement contracts
from the Federal Government exceeds
$10,000,000, the reporting requirements
in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix XII,
require you to report certain integrity
information to FAPIIS semiannually.
Please review the requirements in 2 CFR
part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant
plus all the other Federal funds you
receive exceed $10,000,000.
5. In General: In accordance with the
Office of Management and Budget’s
guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all
applicable Federal laws, and relevant
Executive guidance, the Department
will review and consider applications
for funding pursuant to this notice
inviting applications in accordance
with—
(a) Selecting recipients most likely to
be successful in delivering results based
on the program objectives through an
objective process of evaluating Federal
award applications (2 CFR 200.205);
(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain
telecommunication and video
surveillance services or equipment in
alignment with section 889 of the
National Defense Authorization Act of
2019 (Pub. L. 115–232) (2 CFR 200.216);
(c) Providing a preference, to the
extent permitted by law, to maximize
use of goods, products, and materials
produced in the United States (2 CFR
200.322); and
(d) Terminating agreements in whole
or in part to the greatest extent
authorized by law if an award no longer
effectuates the program goals or agency
priorities (2 CFR 200.340).
6. Continuation Awards: In making a
continuation award under 34 CFR
75.253, the Secretary considers, among
other things: Whether a grantee has
made substantial progress in achieving
the goals and objectives of the project;
whether the grantee has expended funds
in a manner that is consistent with its
approved application and budget; and if
the Secretary has established
performance measurement
requirements, the performance targets in
the grantee’s approved application. In
making a continuation award, the
Secretary also considers whether the
grantee is operating in compliance with
the assurances in its approved
application, including those applicable
to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit
discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance
from the Department (34 CFR 100.4,
104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application
is successful, we notify your U.S.
Representative and U.S. Senators and
send you a Grant Award Notification
(GAN); or we may send you an email
containing a link to access an electronic
version of your GAN. We may notify
you informally, also.
If your application is not evaluated or
not selected for funding, we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy
requirements in the application package
and reference these and other
requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining
the terms and conditions of an award in
the Applicable Regulations section of
this notice and include these and other
specific conditions in the GAN. The
GAN also incorporates your approved
application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Open Licensing Requirements:
Unless an exception applies, if you are
awarded a grant under this competition,
you will be required to openly license
to the public grant deliverables created
in whole, or in part, with Department
grant funds. When the deliverable
consists of modifications to pre-existing
works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately
identified and only to the extent that
open licensing is permitted under the
terms of any licenses or other legal
restrictions on the use of pre-existing
works. Additionally, a grantee that is
awarded competitive grant funds must
have a plan to disseminate these public
grant deliverables. This dissemination
plan can be developed and submitted
after your application has been
reviewed and selected for funding. For
additional information on the open
licensing requirements, please refer to 2
CFR 3474.20.
4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a
grant under this competition, you must
ensure that you have in place the
necessary processes and systems to
comply with the reporting requirements
in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive
funding under the competition. This
does not apply if you have an exception
under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period,
you must submit a final performance
report, including financial information,
as directed by the Secretary. If you
receive a multiyear award, you must
submit an annual performance report
that provides the most current
performance and financial expenditure
information as directed by the Secretary
under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary
may also require more frequent
performance reports under 34 CFR
75.720(c). For specific requirements on
reporting, please go to www.ed.gov/
fund/grant/apply/appforms/
appforms.html.
5. Performance Measures: The
Government Performance and Results
Act of 1993 directs Federal departments
and agencies to improve the
effectiveness of their programs by
engaging in strategic planning, setting
outcome-related goals for programs, and
measuring program results against those
goals. To assess the success of the
grantee in meeting these goals, the
Secretary has established the following
two performance measures for annually
assessing the effectiveness of the
PPSID–NTAD program:
(a) The percentage of inclusive
comprehensive transition and
postsecondary programs SWIDs assisted
by the Center that use the technical
assistance and/or best practices
knowledge disseminated by the Center;
and
(b) The percentage of SWIDs who are
enrolled in programs assisted by the
Center who complete the programs and
obtain a meaningful credential, as
defined by the Center and supported
through empirical evidence.
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42806
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 148 / Thursday, August 5, 2021 / Notices
1
For the purposes of this priority, the term
‘‘interim assessments’’ refer to assessments that are
administered several times during a school year to
measure progress. Another term that is sometimes
used to describe these assessments is ‘‘formative
assessments.’’
VII. Other Information
Accessible Format: On request to the
program contact person listed under
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
,
individuals with disabilities can obtain
this document and a copy of the
application package in an accessible
format. The Department will provide the
requestor with an accessible format that
may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or
text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3
file, braille, large print, audiotape, or
compact disc, or another accessible
format.
Electronic Access to This Document:
The official version of this document is
the document published in the Federal
Register. You may access the official
edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations at
www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can
view this document, as well as all other
documents of this Department
published in the Federal Register, in
text or Portable Document Format
(PDF). To use PDF, you must have
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at the site.
You may also access documents of the
Department published in the Federal
Register by using the article search
feature at www.federalregister.gov.
Specifically, through the advanced
search feature at this site, you can limit
your search to documents published by
the Department.
Michelle Asha Cooper,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary
Education.
[FR Doc. 2021–16832 Filed 8–4–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards;
Technical Assistance and
Dissemination To Improve Services
and Results for Children With
Disabilities and Technical Assistance
on State Data Collection—National
Assessment Center
AGENCY
: Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of
Education.
ACTION
: Notice.
SUMMARY
: The Department of Education
(Department) is issuing a notice inviting
applications for a new award for fiscal
year (FY) 2021 for a National
Assessment Center, Assistance Listing
Number 84.326G. This notice relates to
the approved information collection
under OMB control number 1820–0028.
DATES
:
Applications available: August 5,
2021.
Deadline for transmittal of
applications: September 7, 2021.
Pre-application webinar information:
No later than August 10, 2021, the
Office of Special Education Programs
(OSEP) will post a pre-recorded
informational webinar designed to
provide technical assistance (TA) to
interested applicants. The webinar may
be found at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/
apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html.
ADDRESSES
: For the addresses for
obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common
Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary
Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on February 13, 2019
(84 FR 3768), and available at
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-
02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
:
David Egnor, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW,
Room 5163, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202–5076.
Telephone: (202) 245–7334 or (202)
856–6409. Email: David.Egnor@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–
8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Programs: The purpose of
the Technical Assistance and
Dissemination to Improve Services and
Results for Children with Disabilities
program is to promote academic
achievement and to improve results for
children with disabilities by providing
TA, supporting model demonstration
projects, disseminating useful
information, and implementing
activities that are supported by
scientifically based research. The
purpose of the Technical Assistance on
State Data Collection program is to
improve the capacity of States to meet
the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) data collection
and reporting requirements.
Priorities: This notice contains two
absolute priorities. In accordance with
34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), Absolute
Priority 1 is from allowable activities
specified or otherwise authorized in the
IDEA (see sections 663 and 681(d) of the
IDEA, 20 U.S.C. 1463 and 1481(d)).
Absolute Priority 2 is from the notice of
final priority (NFP) for the Technical
Assistance on State Data Collection
Program—Targeted and Intensive
Technical Assistance to States on the
Analysis and Use of Diagnostic, Interim,
and Summative Assessment Data to
Support Implementation of States’
Identified Measurable Result(s)
published elsewhere in this issue of the
Federal Register.
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2021 and
any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition,
these priorities are absolute priorities.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider
only applications that meet both of
these priorities.
These priorities are:
Priority 1: Technical Assistance and
Dissemination to Improve Services and
Results for Children with Disabilities—
National Assessment Center.
Background:
Section 612(a)(16) of the IDEA
requires that all students with
disabilities are included in all general
State and districtwide assessments,
including assessments described under
section 1111 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended (ESEA), with appropriate
accommodations and alternate
assessments where necessary and as
indicated in their respective
individualized education programs
(IEPs). In accordance with Federal law,
there are several ways for students with
disabilities to participate appropriately
in State and districtwide assessments:
General assessments (with or without
accommodations), alternate assessments
based on grade-level academic
achievement standards, and alternate
assessments based on alternate
academic achievement standards for
students with the most significant
cognitive disabilities.
Despite the progress State educational
agencies (SEAs) and local educational
agencies (LEAs) have made in including
students with disabilities in assessments
and accountability systems, SEAs and
LEAs continue to face challenges, such
as (1) integrating data from dissimilar
tests (e.g., general without
accommodations, general with
accommodations, alternate) into a single
accountability system; (2) developing
consistent SEA and LEA policies on
assessment accommodations that
provide maximum accessibility while
maintaining test reliability and validity;
(3) analyzing and using diagnostic,
interim,
1
and summative assessment
data to improve instruction, learning,
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