# Research in Education of Individuals With Disabilities Program; Notice

> Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more.

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A94-18619

## Record

- **Collection:** Federal Register
- **Document type:** Uncategorized Document
- **Published:** August 1, 1994

## Text

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Research in Education of Individuals With Disabilities Program;
Early Education Program for Children With Disabilities; Technology,
Educational Media, and Materials for Individuals With Disabilities
Program; Special Studies Program; and Program for Children and Youth
With Serious Emotional Disturbance

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Priorities.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes priorities for five programs
administered by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services (OSERS) under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.
The Secretary may use these priorities in Fiscal Year 1995 and
subsequent years. The Secretary takes this action to focus Federal
assistance on identified needs to improve outcomes for children with
disabilities. The proposed priorities are intended to ensure wide and
effective use of program funds.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 30, 1994 for
the Research in Education of Individuals With Disabilities Program;
August 31, 1994 for the Early Education Program for Children With
Disabilities; the Technology, Educational Media, and Materials for
Individuals With Disabilities Program; and the Program for Children and
Youth With Serious Emotional Disturbance; and October 31, 1994 for the
Special Studies Program.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning proposed priorities, except for the
Early Education Program for Children With Disabilities, should be
addressed to: Linda Glidewell, U.S. Department of Education, 400
Maryland Avenue, S.W., Room 3524, Switzer Building, Washington, D.C.
20202-2641. All comments concerning the Early Education Program for
Children With Disabilities should be addressed to Joseph Clair, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Room 4622, Switzer
Building, Washington, D.C., 20202-2644.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The name, address, and telephone
number of the person at the Department to contact for information on
each specific proposed priority is listed under that priority.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains two proposed priorities
under the Research in Education of Individuals With Disabilities
Program, one proposed priority under the Early Education Program for
Children With Disabilities, one proposed priority under the Technology,
Educational Media, and Materials for Individuals With Disabilities
Program, one proposed priority under the Special Studies Program, and
one proposed priority under the Program for Children and Youth With
Serious Emotional Disturbance. The purpose of each program is stated
separately under the title of that program.
These proposed priorities would support the National Education
Goals by improving understanding of how to enable children and youth
with disabilities to reach higher levels of academic achievement.
The 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. Further, priorities could be affected by
enactment of legislation reauthorizing these programs. 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.

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 notices of final priorities.

Research in Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program

Purpose of Program:

The Research in Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program
is authorized by Part E of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (20 U.S.C. 1441-1443). The program provides support (1) to 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 in
regular education environments--to provide children with disabilities
effective instruction and enable them to successfully learn; and (2)
for research and related purposes, surveys, or demonstrations relating
to physical education or recreation, including therapeutic recreation,
for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.

Priorities

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Secretary proposes to give an
absolute preference to applications that meet any one of the following
priorities. The Secretary proposes to fund under these competitions
only applications that meet any one of these absolute priorities:

Proposed Absolute Priority 1--Examining Alternatives for Outcome
Assessment for Children with Disabilities

Background
Many students with disabilities are currently excluded from
national, State, and local outcome assessments and outcomes-based
accountability systems. This exclusion has the effect of weakening
educational accountability, limiting educational opportunities for
students with disabilities, and denying these students the potential
benefits of educational reforms.
This problem is addressed in new Federal legislation, ``The Goals
2000: Educate America Act.'' (Public Law 103-227, March 31, 1994).
Section 220 of this Act supports development and evaluation of State
assessments aligned with State educational standards, with a portion of
the funds reserved for developing assessments for students with
disabilities. Section 1015 calls for ``a comprehensive study of the
inclusion of children with disabilities in school reform activities
assisted under * * * [the Act].'' This study is to include ``* * * a
review of the adequacy of assessments and measures used to gauge
progress towards meeting * * * [education goals and standards], and an
examination of other methods or accommodations necessary or desirable
to collect data on the educational progress of children with
disabilities, and the costs of such methods and accommodations * * *.''
To support and complement such efforts, further research is needed on a
variety of technical and implementation issues.
Priority
The Assistant Secretary proposes to establish an absolute priority
for research projects that--
(a) Pursue systematic programs of applied research focusing on one
or more issues related to outcome assessment and/or outcomes-based
accountability for students with disabilities. These issues include,
but are not limited to:
(1) Testing accommodations and adaptations. When adaptations and
accommodations are made to permit students with disabilities to
participate in outcome assessments, how are the technical
characteristics of the assessments affected? How can the results be
interpreted? To what degree can these scores be aggregated with
nonadapted assessments? What are the best methods for selecting
appropriate accommodations and adaptations? How can testing
accommodations be related to instructional accommodations?
(2) Alternative assessments. When alternative assessments (such as
performance assessments or portfolio assessments) are provided for
students with disabilities, how can these assessments be compared with
conventional assessments? What technical criteria can appropriately be
applied to these assessments when used with students with disabilities?
(3) Development of assessments. How can general educational
assessments be developed to be more inclusive for students with
disabilities? How can problematic items and item formats be identified?
How can students with disabilities be adequately represented in test
development and validation samples? What are the effects when tests
developed for general populations are administered to students with
disabilities?
(4) Including students with disabilities in general assessments.
How should decisions be made and documented to include or exclude
students with disabilities in general educational assessments or
alternative assessments? What factors influence these decisions?
(5) Standards and outcomes. How can standards and outcomes be
developed for diverse populations? How can their appropriateness be
judged?
(6) System development. How can assessment and accountability
systems be developed with the range and flexibility to accommodate
diverse student populations? How can accountability and
individualization both be maintained?
(7) Basic concepts and principles. How can basic concepts and
principles in assessment be revised to reflect new approaches to
assessment and new roles and challenges in outcome assessment for
diverse populations?
(b) Produce and disseminate information that can be applied in
educational programs, as well as in subsequent research; and
(c) Coordinate their activities, as appropriate, with the Center to
Support the Achievement of World Class Outcomes for Students with
Disabilities, and with other related projects funded under The Goals
2000: Educate America Act.
A project must budget for two trips annually to Washington, D.C.,
for (1) a two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) another
meeting, to meet and collaborate with the project officer of the Office
of Special Education Programs and the other projects funded under this
priority, to share information and to discuss findings and methods of
dissemination.
For Further Information Contact: David Malouf, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Room 3521, Switzer Building,
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8111. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

Proposed Absolute Priority 2--Studying Models That Bridge The Gap
Between Research And Practice

Background
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 models have been developed to bridge
the gap between research and practice by altering the roles of
researchers and practitioners in the school district for one or more
phases of the research. In some models (e.g., interactive research and
development, teacher-researcher partnership research) researchers and
practitioners collaborate in all phases of the research process. Some
of these models include parents on their school-based teams. In other
models, practitioners, working individually (e.g., teacher research
linkers) or in groups (e.g., teacher 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, collegial experimentation). To date there have
been few systematic examinations of the effectiveness of these models
to improve practice in special education.
Priority
The Assistant Secretary proposes to establish an absolute priority
for research projects to implement and examine one or more models for
using research knowledge to improve education practice and outcomes for
children with disabilities.
In studying the models, projects must apply methodologies with the
capacity to judge the effectiveness of the model(s) as implemented in
practice settings. The projects must specify components of the
knowledge utilization model selected, the supports and policies
necessary to support the model, both alterable and unalterable factors
affecting practice improvement, and the effect of the model to improve
the school culture, teacher attitudes and practices, and student
outcomes. In judging effectiveness, the projects must address
improvements for researchers, practitioners, and children and youth
with disabilities.
The projects must report their findings in a manner which can serve
as a ``blueprint'' for practitioners and researchers in other school
districts to implement the model using research knowledge to improve
practice in special education.
A project must budget for two trips annually to Washington, DC, for
(1) a two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) another
meeting, to meet and collaborate with the project officer of the Office
of Special Education Programs and the other projects funded under this
priority, to share information and to discuss findings and methods of
dissemination.
For Further Information Contact Jane Hauser, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3521, Switzer Building,
Washington, DC 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8126. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

Proposed Absolute Priority 3--Student-Initiated Research Projects

This priority provides support for short-term (up to 12 months)
postsecondary student-initiated research projects focusing on special
education and related services for children and youth with disabilities
and early intervention services for infants and toddlers, consistent
with the purposes of the program, as described in 34 CFR 324.1.
Projects must--
(1) Develop research skills in postsecondary students; and
(2) Include a principal investigator who serves as a mentor to the
student/researcher while the project is carried out by the student.

Proposed Competitive Priority

Within this proposed absolute priority 3, the Secretary, under 34
CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii), will give preference to applications that meet
the following competitive priority. An application that meets this
competitive priority would be selected by the Secretary over
applications of comparable merit that do not meet the priority:
A project that would give a priority to providing support for
postsecondary students who are members of groups that have been
underrepresented in the field of special education research, such as
members of racial or ethnic minority groups (e.g. Black, Hispanic,
American Indian, or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander), and
individuals with disabilities.
A project must budget for a trip to Washington, DC for the annual
two-day Research Project Directors' meeting.
For Further Information Contact Melville J. Appell, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3529, Switzer Building,
Washington, DC 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8113. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

Applicable Program Regulations

34 CFR Part 324.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1441-1443.

Early Education Program for Children With Disabilities

Purpose of Program

The purpose of this program is to provide Federal financial
assistance (a) to address the special needs of children with
disabilities, birth through age eight, and their families; and, (b) to
assist State and local entities in expanding and improving programs and
services for these children and their families.
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 1--Early Childhood Research Institute:
Follow Through

Background
This priority supports an Early Childhood Research Institute to
develop, evaluate and disseminate strategies and procedures that will
move the successful practices of early intervention and preschool
programs into the early elementary school grades. These successful
practices include, but are not limited to, (1) family-friendly and
family-focused approaches to planning and providing special education
and related services, (2) extensive parent involvement in service
planning and delivery, (3) integrated and coordinated delivery of
services when multiple services are necessary, (4) multi-disciplinary
input into service planning and delivery, (5) developmentally
appropriate services delivered in ungraded/mixed-age and mixed ability
group settings, and (6) a pro-active approach to service planning and
delivery in which services (e.g., team teaching, assistive technology
applications, use of paraprofessionals) are integrated and concentrated
to ensure that as many children with disabilities as possible
successfully acquire critical skills taught in the primary grades
(e.g., beginning literacy, social skills) that are crucial to
children's progress and adjustment in school.
The Institute's research, development and evaluation activities
must (1) identify administrative, attitudinal, and programmatic
barriers to establishing these successful practices in kindergarten
through grade three (or equivalent) for children with disabilities and
their families; (2) develop and evaluate strategies and procedures that
are designed to overcome these barriers, such as strategies parents can
use to maintain their involvement once their child reaches school age,
and strategies school personnel can use to encourage and facilitate
continued parent involvement; and (3) identify effective ways to
disseminate the findings and products of the Institute so that
successful practices, or combinations of practices, can be adopted
easily by school systems.
The Secretary anticipates funding one 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 Institute for the fourth and fifth years of the project period, the
Secretary, in addition to applying the requirements of 34 CFR
75.253(a), considers the recommendation of a review team consisting of
three experts selected by the Secretary. The services of the review
team, including a two-day visit to the project, are to be performed
during the last half of the Institute's second year and may be included
in that year's evaluation required under 34 CFR 75.590.
Priority: The Early Childhood Research Institute considered for
funding under this priority must--
(a) Conduct a program of research that addresses the issues
identified above.
(b) Identify specific strategies and procedures that will be
investigated.
(c) Carry out the research within a conceptual framework, based on
previous research or theory, that provides a basis for the strategies
and procedures to be studied, the research methods and instrumentation
that will be used, and the specific target populations and settings
that will be studied.
(d) Collect, analyze, and report a variety of descriptive and
outcome data, including (1) specific information on the settings, the
service providers, the children and families targeted by the Institute
(e.g., age, disability, level of functioning and membership in a
special population, if appropriate); (2) multiple, functional outcome
data for the children and families who are the focus of the strategies
and procedures; and (3) multiple outcome data for the teachers,
administrators, and other school staff involved in the research.
(e) Conduct the research in typical school settings, including
settings that are, or will be, implementing different combinations of
the successful practices.
(f) Conduct the research using methodological procedures that are
designed to produce unambiguous findings regarding the effects of the
strategies and procedures, as well as any findings on interaction
effects between particular strategies or procedures and particular
characteristics of participants or settings. These findings will be
rendered through appropriate sample selection and adequate sample size
to permit use of the findings in policy analyses.
(g) Design all activities in a manner that is likely to lead to
improved services for children with disabilities and their families,
including those who are members of cultural, linguistic, or racial
minority groups.
(h) Develop, field test, and disseminate a variety of products that
can be used for training and technical assistance activities with
policy makers, administrators, school board members, parents, and
service providers and that are likely to facilitate the implementation
of the successful practices in early elementary school settings.
(i) Coordinate research and dissemination activities with other
relevant efforts sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education,
including other research institutes, technical assistance entities, and
information clearinghouses.
(j) Provide research training and experience for at least 10
graduate students annually.
In determining whether to continue the Institute for the fourth and
fifth years of the project period, in addition to considering factors
in 34 CFR 75.253(a), the Secretary considers the following:
(a) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of
the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the
Institute.
(b) The degree to which the Institute's research designs and
methodological procedures demonstrate the potential for producing
significant new knowledge and products.
In order to apply for funding for years four and five, the
Institute must set aside in its budget for the second year, funds to
cover costs associated with the services to be performed by the review
team appointed by the Secretary to evaluate the project in the second
year. These funds are estimated to be approximately $4,000.
For Further Information Contact: Gail Houle, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Room 4613, Switzer Building,
Washington, D.C., 20202-2644. Telephone (202) 205-9045. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the TDD
number at (202) 205-8169.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1423.

Technology, Educational Media, and Materials for Individuals With
Disabilities Program

Purpose of Program

The purpose of this program is to support projects and centers for
advancing the availability, quality, use, and effectiveness of
technology, educational media, and materials in the education of
children and youth with disabilities and the provision of early
intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities. In
creating Part G of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,
Congress expressed the intent that the projects and centers funded
under that part should be primarily for the purpose of enhancing
research and development advances and efforts being undertaken by the
public or private sector, and to provide necessary linkages to make
more efficient and effective the flow from research and development to
application.
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 1--Collaborative Research on Technology,
Media, and Materials for Children and Youth With Disabilities

Background
In 1993 an agenda was developed for the Technology, Educational
Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities Program which
set forth four program commitments. These four commitments were derived
from broad-based input from the field, and together they represent the
means by which the Office of Special Education Programs intends to
advance the use of technology, media, and materials with students with
disabilities. They are:
(1) Enable the Learner Across Environments. This means fostering
instructional environments, both in and out of school, that use
technology, educational media, and materials to enable students with
disabilities to access knowledge, develop skills and problem-solving
strategies, and engage in educational experiences necessary for their
success as adults.
(2) Promote Effective Policy. This means policymaking at all levels
in government, schools, and business to ensure accessibility,
availability, effective application, and consistent use of appropriate
technology, media, and materials.
(3) Foster Use Through Professional Development. This means
training and supporting teachers, administrators, parents, and related
service personnel on the benefits of instructional and assistive
technologies so that they can increase productive use of instructional
time, prepare students with disabilities for employment and
citizenship, and promote their intellectual, ethical, cultural,
emotional, and physical growth.
(4) Create Innovative Tools. This means encouraging development of
varied and integrated technologies, media, and materials which open up
and expand the lives of those with disabilities.
However, research is needed on how these interrelated commitments
can be applied in the complex reality of educational practice. This
priority addresses that need by supporting collaborative research,
which means research based on a partnership between researchers and
practitioners in which both are actively involved in all phases of the
research--initial planning and design, collection of information or
data, analysis of information or data, and reporting and dissemination.
This research strategy is intended to produce methodologically sound
research information that is relevant and applicable to practice and
reduces the gap between research and practice.
Priority
The Assistant Secretary proposes to establish an absolute priority
for collaborative research projects that--
(a) Formulate a research topic and design based on commitments (1),
(2), and (3), as described above, as they relate to improving education
and/or related services at the local level for students with
disabilities. This priority is not intended to support projects that
are primarily engaged in product development; thus, commitment (4) may
be included only as a supporting activity. In formulating the research
topic, projects must develop a focus in terms of curriculum areas,
grade/age levels, disabilities, types of services provided, and/or
specific types of technology, media and materials. In formulating the
research design, projects must apply the standards for conducting
rigorous social science research. The following research topics are
offered as illustrative examples and do not represent the full range of
possible topics. These examples are broad, and projects may opt for
more narrow focuses. However, projects must address all three program
commitments--either as background, contextual factors, or as components
of interventions or manipulations.
Example 1: Research on how local policies in schools and other
agencies restrict or facilitate the acquisition and use of assistive
devices, and how professional development within the context of these
policies can yield improved assistive technology services to better
enable students to access school, home, and community environments.
Example 2: Research on how local policies regarding curriculum and
accountability can be revised to promote interdisciplinary professional
collaboration in the effective use of technology, media and materials
to enable students with disabilities to acquire high-level problem-
solving strategies.
Example 3: Research on how policies and professional practices may
contribute to inequitable access and use of technology, media and
materials for some students with disabilities, and how the inequities
can be reduced by means of policy and/or professional interventions to
better enable students with disabilities to engage in beneficial
educational experiences.
(b) Conduct a program of collaborative research on the research
topic.
(c) Measure the effects of the intervention and relationships
within and across the program commitments (1, 2, and 3).
(d) Disseminate information on the findings of the collaborative
research in a form conducive to use by other schools or service
providers, as well as other researchers.
(e) Coordinate their activities, as appropriate, with recipients of
grants under the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with
Disabilities Act (Pub. L. 100-407 as amended by Pub. L. 103-218).
A project must budget for two trips annually to Washington, DC, for
(1) a two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) another
meeting, to meet and collaborate with the project officer of the Office
of Special Education Programs and the other projects funded under this
priority, to share information and to discuss findings and joint
methods of dissemination.
For Further Information Contact: Ellen Schiller, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3523 , Switzer Building,
Washington, DC 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8123. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR Part 333.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1461.

Special Studies Program

Purpose of Program

To support studies to evaluate the impact of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), including efforts to provide a free
appropriate public education to children and youth with disabilities,
and early intervention services to infants and toddlers 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 1--Center to Support the Achievement of
World Class Outcomes for Students With Disabilities

Background
The enactment of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act (Public Law
103-227, March 31, 1994) will stimulate standards-based assessment and
reform in schools across the Nation. Most States already conduct
assessments of student achievement. However, surveys of States
conducted by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) funded
National Center for Educational Outcomes (NCEO) have revealed that most
States exclude large numbers of students with disabilities from
assessments. Typically, no accommodations have been provided to enable
students with disabilities to participate. In many States no policies
or guidelines exist to facilitate or encourage participation of
students with disabilities. NCEO has also observed that the development
of national and State content standards often do not explicitly
consider the needs of student with disabilities.
The new Federal law requires that students with disabilities be
included in the Goals 2000 reform efforts. Because so few students with
disabilities are currently included in assessments, States will need
considerable assistance to permit these students to participate. States
will need help developing accommodations for assessments and for
designing policies to cover the implementation of these accommodations.
States will also need assistance analyzing and reporting results of
these assessments. In addition, it is essential to document the
progress of the States in including students with disabilities in
assessments and other reform initiatives.
Priority
The Assistant Secretary proposes to establish an absolute priority
for a center to assist States in implementing activities to improve
outcomes for students with disabilities and to assist in the
implementation of the requirements of Goals 2000 for students with
disabilities, and to document States' efforts in doing so.
The Center must--
(a) Work with Regional Resource Centers (RCCs), other technical
assistance providers, and directly with States;
(b) Develop and facilitate the use of appropriate accommodations
and adaptations of assessments in the States for students with
disabilities and advance and support the use of outcome related data
for these students;
(c) Document the extent to which students with disabilities are
included in State activities;
(d) Provide assistance in analyzing and reporting outcome data for
students with disabilities;
(e) Work with the Department to develop and report national level
data on the status of outcomes for students with disabilities and the
degree to which these students are achieving the National Education
Goals;
(f) Synthesize and report on technical advances in the
accommodation and participation of students with disabilities in State
activities, especially those related to Goals 2000, and ensure that
States are assisted in using such advances;
(g) Work with researchers and developers who are conducting related
work and facilitate the exchange of information among such projects,
including projects funded under the priority ``Examining Alternatives
for Outcome Assessment for Children with Disabilities'', and projects
funded under Goals 2000 authority;
(h) Assist States and the Department to ensure that standards-
setting and assessment processes and documents, as well as any other
Goals 2000 related activities, include the perspectives of the
disability community; and
(i) Conduct periodic examinations of the status of standards-
setting activities at the State and national level.
The center must budget for two trips annually to Washington, DC,
for (1) a two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) another
meeting, to meet with the project officer of the Office of Special
Education Programs to plan and review project activities and progress.
For Further Information Contact: David Malouf, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 3521, Switzer Building,
Washington, DC 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8111. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

Proposed Absolute Priority 2--Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Early
Intervention Services on Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities

Background
As Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act moves
into full implementation, there is a critical need to discern the
immediate and long-term effects of this program on children, families,
and service providers. Although federally mandated data collection
activities provide some information on the ages of infants and toddlers
served by the program and on the services received and their settings,
little is known on a national basis about the developmental and
behavioral characteristics of children served by the program. Moreover,
a national systematic evaluation of the impact of the Part H program on
children, families and other stakeholders within the context of child
development is clearly lacking.
Priority
The Assistant Secretary proposes to establish an absolute priority
for a project to design and conduct a five-year longitudinal study of
infants and toddlers served under Part H. The project must assess the
effects of the program over a five-year period, and include an
evaluation of the Part H program impact on children, families and
service providers. The study design must consider the interaction of
program variables with variables related to childhood development. The
project must conduct analyses that:
(1) Compare and evaluate different patterns of child development
related to long-term outcomes;
(2) Assess the effects of socioeconomic, demographic and health-
related variables on long-term developmental and behavioral
characteristics of the children;
(3) Isolate and explain the long-term effects of intervention;
(4) Incorporate factors related to medical variables (e.g.,
psychological, physiological, and anatomical structure or function),
personal functioning variables, and the interaction of the environment
with these variables that could result in a disadvantage limiting or
preventing the fulfillment of an age-appropriate role;
(5) Incorporate family variables, including family background and
the need for service; and
(6) Provide information on services, service-providers, and the
appropriateness of particular service settings.
The project must budget for three trips annually to Washington,
D.C., for (1) a two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) an
additional two meetings, to meet and collaborate with the project
officer of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), and with
other relevant OSEP funded projects. The project must also coordinate
activities with the ongoing Policy Research Institute funded by OSEP.
For Further Information Contact: Scott Brown, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Room 3522, Switzer Building,
Washington, D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 205-8117. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR Part 327.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1418.

Program for Children and Youth With Serious Emotional Disturbance

Purpose of Program

This program supports projects designed to improve special
education and related services to children and youth with serious
emotional disturbance. Types of projects that may be supported under
the program include, but are not limited to, research, development, and
demonstration projects. Funds may also be used to develop and
demonstrate approaches to assist and prevent children with emotional
and behavioral problems from developing serious emotional disturbance.
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 1--Nondiscriminatory, Culturally-Competent,
Collaborative Demonstration Models to Improve Services for Students
with Serious Emotional Disturbance and Prevention Services for Students
with Emotional and Behavioral Problems

Background
The rates of identification, placement, and achievement of children
and youth with emotional and behavioral problems vary across racial,
cultural, gender, and socioeconomic dimensions. For example, African-
American students are most likely to be identified as students with
serious emotional disturbance (SED). African-Americans comprise 16
percent of public school enrollment, but represent 22 percent of all
students identified with SED (based on data from the 1990 OCR survey of
school districts), and 25 percent of secondary students with SED (based
on data from OSEP National Longitudinal Transition Study). Rates of SED
identification for African-American students vary greatly across States
but, on average, States with the lowest overall African-American
enrollment have the highest SED incidence rates for those students and,
conversely, States with the highest overall African-American enrollment
have the lowest average rate of SED classification for these students
(based on data from the 1990 OCR survey of school districts). These
data suggest that African-American students may be over-represented in
SED programs in some States, and underserved in others, and that some
of these differences may be related to varying levels of familiarity
with African-American culture.
Diversity must be acknowledged and valued, and both prevention and
SED service delivery systems must be culturally-competent. Cultural
competencies represent the interpersonal skills and attitudes that
enable individuals to increase their understanding and appreciation of
the rich and fluid nature of culture and of differences and
similarities within, among, and between cultures and individuals.
Culturally-competent approaches recognize the cultural origins of
teachers' and service providers' views, behaviors, and methods. These
approaches also recognize the power of language and attend to the
communicative styles of students and their families. Culturally-
competent approaches address culturally- based definitions of family
and networks. They view family and community as critical parts of a
student's support system. Such approaches also demonstrate a
willingness and ability to draw on community-based values, traditions,
customs, and resources. Assessment, pre-referral, and preventive
approaches that are culturally-competent and linguistically appropriate
recognize and nurture the strengths--individual and cultural--that
students bring to school.
There is a need to improve the capacity of individuals and systems
to respond skillfully, respectfully, and effectively to students,
families, teachers, and other providers in a manner that recognizes,
affirms, and values their worth and dignity. To accomplish this,
collaboration must be fostered--among families, professionals,
students, and communities--to identify and provide culturally-competent
services for students with SED and prevention services that address the
needs of children and youth with emotional and behavioral problems.
Priority
The Assistant Secretary proposes to establish an absolute priority
for 3-year demonstration projects that develop, implement, evaluate,
and disseminate nondiscriminatory, culturally-competent, collaborative
practices to prevent children with emotional and behavioral problems
from developing SED, and to improve special education and related
services for ethnic and cultural minority students, in the least
restrictive environment. The projects must establish local, community-
based assessment, planning, prevention, and intervention teams that
involve participation from education, mental health, juvenile justice
agencies, other appropriate community service agencies, and
organizations representing families. The first stage of each project
must consist of the development and refinement of working agreements
between the various community agencies and organizations, to identify
approaches that improve the capacity of individuals and systems to
respond skillfully, respectfully, and effectively to students,
families, teachers, and other providers in a manner that recognizes,
affirms, and values their worth and dignity.
The first stage planning must include the collaborative
consideration and development, by all participating groups, of
nondiscriminatory, culturally-competent techniques that enhance the
fairness and effectiveness of key service delivery elements, including
but not necessarily limited to assessment, education, training,
transition planning, and the provision of related services. The second
stage of each project must consist of the implementation and evaluation
of the services delivered, across service providers, followed by
dissemination of the results.
A project must budget for two trips annually to Washington, D.C.,
for (1) a two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2) another
meeting, to meet and collaborate with the OSEP project officer and the
other projects funded under this priority, to share information and to
discuss findings and methods of dissemination.
For Further Information Contact: Tom V. Hanley, U.S. Department of
Education, Switzer Building, Room 3526, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20202-2640. Telephone: (202) 205-8110. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the deaf may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

Intergovernmental Review

The Technology, Educational Media, and Materials for Individuals
with Disabilities Program and the Program for Children and Youth with
Serious Emotional Disturbance 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, S.W., 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.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers: Research in
Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program, 84.023; Early
Education Program for Children with Disabilities, 84.024;
Technology, Educational Media, and Materials for Individuals with
Disabilities Program, 84.180; Special Studies Program, 84.159; and
Program for Children and Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance,
84.237)

Dated: July 27, 1994.
Howard R. Moses,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 94-18619 Filed 7-29-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A94-18619. Public record. Not legal advice.