Children With Disabilities Programs

SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes priorities for 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 1997 and subsequent years. The

Secretary takes this action to focus Federal assistance on identified

needs to improve results for children with disabilities. The proposed

priorities are intended to ensure wide and effective use of program

funds.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 23, 1997 for the

Directed Research Projects proposed priority. Comments on all other

priorities must be received on or before April 23, 1997.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning proposed priorities should be

addressed to: Linda Glidewell, U.S. Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3521, Switzer Building, Washington,

D.C. 20202-2641. Internet: NPP__R[email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on these

proposed priorities contact the U.S. Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, S.W., room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington,

D.C. 20202-2641. Telephone: (202) 260-9182. FAX: (202) 205-8717 (FAX is

the preferred method for requesting information).

Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD)

may call the TDD number: (202) 205-8953. Individuals with disabilities

may obtain a copy of this notice in an alternate format (e.g. braille,

large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the

Department as listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice contains six proposed priorities

authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. These

proposed priorities would support the National Education Goals by

helping to improve results for children with disabilities.

The Secretary will announce the final priorities in a notice in the

Federal Register. The final priorities will be determined by responses

to this notice, available funds, and other considerations of the

Department. Funding of particular projects depends on the availability

of funds, the content of the final priorities, and the quality of the

applications received. 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.

Priorities

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), the Secretary proposes to give an

absolute preference to applications that meet one of the following

priorities. The Secretary proposes to fund under these competitions

only applications that meet one of these absolute priorities:

Proposed Absolute Priority 1--Urban Center on Implementing Inclusive

Education for Children With Severe Disabilities as Part of Systemic

Education Reform Efforts

Background

During the past ten years research and demonstration activities

related to inclusive education have expanded dramatically. Increasing

numbers of State and local education agencies are involved in school

reform and inclusion efforts to ensure that all students, including

those with severe disabilities, are provided with equal educational

opportunities, meaningful access to the general curriculum, and

effective educational and related services in their neighborhood

schools.

However, in the midst of multiple social and economic problems,

urban districts are confronted with increasingly complex issues that

have made the pursuit of inclusion and systemic education reform

initiatives difficult. The need is compelling, considering that forty

percent of our Nation's students attend four percent of the country's

school districts.

Priority

This priority is national in scope and is designed to help bridge

the gap between the knowledge base and the state of practice in urban

districts by: (a) Incorporating extant theory and research findings

about the inclusion of students with disabilities, particularly

students with severe disabilities, into systemic educational reform

efforts, including efforts to improve education in multicultural

environments; (b) increasing the capacity of urban school districts to

provide high quality inclusive educational opportunities for students

with disabilities, particularly students with severe disabilities; and

(c) creating a national network of parents, education professionals

(including teacher's organizations and unions), and advocacy groups

interested in pursuing inclusion of students with disabilities,

particularly students with severe disabilities, as a component of

systemic education reform in urban districts in order to facilitate

increased exchange of information and collaborative problem solving

among these stakeholders.

The Center must--

(a) Prepare a synthesis of the relevant extant systemic reform,

systems change, and inclusion theory and research with emphasis on

urban schools with diverse populations to serve as the conceptual and

empirical basis for center activities;

(b) Translate this knowledge base into educational practices and

materials that promote the inclusion of children with disabilities in

regular education programs, and can be used by program implementers and

policy makers in urban areas at district, building, and classroom

levels;

(c) Provide training and technical assistance via direct technical

assistance as well distance learning and other innovative methods in

the adoption, use, and maintenance of inclusive educational practices

involving access to the general education curriculum in urban settings;

(d) Evaluate the effectiveness of the center's activities in

promoting inclusive educational practices in multiple urban settings by

assessing: (1) the number of school sites where activities are

conducted; (2) the number of people trained; (3) the types of follow-up

activities that appear most valuable; and (4) the number of children

with disabilities who are served in inclusive educational programs;

(e) Evaluate the effect of the Center's activities on results for

children with disabilities;

(f) Produce a variety of evaluation data, including: (1) factors

that contribute to the successful adoption, use, and maintenance of

inclusive educational efforts in urban districts; (2) descriptions of

the instructional contexts and settings, and classroom instructional

supports; (3) school governance, organizational, and administrative

patterns; (4) the attitudes and involvement of school administrators,

school personnel, union membership, families, students, and

[[Page 13973]]

other stakeholders; (5) information about student results and the

social validity of project activities; (6) information about how

project activities are integrated in broader school reform efforts; and

(7) analysis of policies, procedures, and fiscal implications at the

urban district level;

(g) Develop linkages with U.S. Department of Education technical

assistance providers and disseminators to communicate findings and

distribute products;

(h) Coordinate activities on an on-going basis with other relevant

efforts sponsored by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP),

including the Consortium for Inclusive Schooling Practices, and State-

wide Systems Change projects;

(i) Provide training and experience in translating research to

practice, materials development, technical assistance, dissemination,

and program evaluation for a limited number of graduate students

including students who are from traditionally underrepresented groups;

(j) Conduct topical meetings and other activities on issues and

emerging or promising inclusion practices in urban education; and

(k) Collect and ensure timely dissemination of information on

inclusion to urban policymakers and program implementers.

Under this priority, the Secretary anticipates making one award for

a cooperative agreement with a project period of up to 60 months

subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for continuation

awards. In determining whether to continue the Urban Center for the

fourth and fifth years of the project, the Secretary, in addition to

considering factors in 34 CFR 75.253(a), will consider--

(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts

selected by the Secretary. The services of the review team, including a

two-day site visit to the project are to be performed during the last

half of the Center's second year and may be included in that year's

evaluation required under 34 CFR 75.590. Costs associated with the

services to be performed by the review team must also be included in

the Center's budget for year two. These costs are estimated to be

approximately $4,000;

(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of

the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the

Center; and

(c) The degree to which the Center's technical assistance,

evaluation, and dissemination activities demonstrate the potential for

significantly increasing the capacity of urban schools to serve

children with disabilities in inclusive school and community settings.

This award will be jointly funded under two statutory authorities:

(1) The Research in Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program;

and (2) the Program for Children with Severe Disabilities. The

Secretary has determined that this joint award is necessary to address

not only the needs of children with severe disabilities in urban

settings, but also the broader needs of all children with disabilities

in urban settings.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1441 and 1424.

Proposed Absolute Priority 2--Center to Promote the Access to and

Participation by Minority Institutions in Discretionary Programs

Authorized Under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

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, including children with

disabilities. Specifically, the Congress has concluded that increasing

the participation in awards for IDEA 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) can

greatly improve our success in educating children with disabilities

from diverse backgrounds.

Priority

This priority is part of the Secretary's plan for increasing

participation of minority entities in grant competitions. The purpose

of this priority is to improve educational results for children with

disabilities from diverse backgrounds by supporting a national center

to: (a) promote the participation of HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs in personnel

preparation competitions authorized by IDEA; and (b) increase the

capacity of HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs to prepare personnel to work with

children with disabilities.

The Center must--

(1) Identify the universe of HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs;

(2) Establish and maintain contacts with the minority entities;

(3) Conduct needs assessments and negotiate technical assistance

agreements on an annual basis with each HBCU, OMI, or OEI requesting

assistance. The Center may propose cross-institutional activities if

similar objectives are established in several agencies, and if

combining activities could create cost savings or extend benefits to

minority entities requesting assistance. In developing these

activities, the Center must analyze the needs of each entity and

determine the most effective and cost efficient means of addressing

those needs. In developing each specific technical assistance

agreement, the Center must--

(i) Reconcile the needs identified by the entity with the Center's

resources and its ability to respond;

(ii) Describe the strategies and mechanisms it will use to respond

to the technical assistance and professional development needs;

(iii) Identify the persons involved in the technical assistance

activity;

(iv) Specify the beginning and end date of the activity;

(v) Describe how the technical assistance activity will contribute

to promoting the immediate and long-term goals of the project,

including improved educational results for children with disabilities;

and

(vi) Describe a plan for coordinating with other technical

assistance providers (e.g., the Regional Resource Centers) that may be

involved in related activities;

(5) Analyze the performance of grantees to serve as a basis for

providing technical assistance, especially in the areas of recruitment

and retention of students in personnel preparation programs, improving

the quality of those programs, placement of students after graduation,

and other areas that contribute to improved results for children with

disabilities;

(6) Develop materials and implement strategies that are necessary

to carry out the center's activities;

(7) Prepare and disseminate materials explaining personnel

preparation competitions under IDEA to the HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs;

(8) Analyze the results of each competition in terms of the degree

to which the HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs applied, and the degree to which

they were successful, and submit this analysis to the Department and

the HBCUs, OMIs, and OEIs served by the project;

(9) Provide advice as requested by the Department on strategies to

further the

[[Page 13974]]

purposes of section 610(j) of the Act; and

(10) Disseminate state-of-the-art practices in personnel

preparation, recruitment, and retention through linkages with U.S.

Department of Education dissemination and technical assistance

providers, in particular those technical assistance providers supported

under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The Secretary anticipates making one award for a grant with project

period of up to 60 months subject to the requirements of 34 CFR

Sec. 75.253(a) for continuation awards. In determining whether to

continue the Center for the fourth and fifth years of the project

period, the Secretary, in addition to the requirements of 34 CFR

Sec. 75.253(a), will consider----

(a) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of

the negotiated scope of work have been or are being met by the Center;

and

(b) The degree to which minority entities applied and were

successful in participating in personnel preparation programs under

IDEA.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1409(j) and 1431.

Proposed Absolute Priority 3--Technical Assistance to Parent Projects

This priority is issued under the Program for Training Personnel

for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities--Parent Training and

Information Centers. The purpose of this priority is to provide

technical assistance for establishing, developing, and coordinating

parent training and information projects (PTIs) supported under

Sec. 631(e) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The

project must:

(a) Plan and conduct one national and four regional conferences

each year;

(b) Conduct an assessment of the training and information needs of

the PTIs;

(c) Provide direct technical assistance and disseminate information

through a variety of mechanisms to individual parent training and

information projects on management processes or content areas (e.g.,

special education and related services issues, laws and regulation,

networking) as identified through the needs assessment;

(d) Maximize the computer and technological capabilities of the

Federally-supported network of PTIs, by: (1) Systematizing data

collection to conduct needs assessments (e.g., of who is and is not

being served, where and what kinds of problems or successes exist in

States, tracking effects of Federal and State initiatives), (2) linking

the PTIs together electronically using a web page and bulletin boards

that are user-friendly, enable PTIs to access and communicate with each

other, and link PTIs directly to the National Information Center for

Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY) and other information

sources, and (3) implementing other appropriate strategies.

(e) Identify effective strategies for working with parents,

families, and schools, and incorporate these strategies into training

materials, technical assistance activities, and conferences; and

(f) Provide direct technical assistance to PTIs that need such

assistance in order to better serve underserved and underrepresented

populations.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1431(e).

Proposed Absolute Priority 4--Special Projects--National Initiatives

This priority is issued under the Program for Training Personnel

for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities. The purpose of this

priority is to support projects of national significance related to the

preparation of personnel needed to serve infants, toddlers, children,

and youth with disabilities. Projects funded under this priority must

address one of the following focus areas:

Focus 1--An Academy: Linking Teacher Education to Advances in

Research. The purpose of this project will be to link teacher education

programs with recent advances in research that have documented

successful methods and strategies for assisting children with

disabilities to achieve better results. The teacher education programs

shall benefit by integrating these research advances into their

respective preservice preparation programs for preparing personnel to

work with children with disabilities, including special education,

early intervention, related services personnel, and regular educators.

The researchers will benefit from understanding how the findings of

their research impact and improve the personnel preparation programs. A

preservice program is defined as one that leads toward a degree,

certification, or professional license or standard, and may be

supported at the associate, baccalaureate, master's or specialist

level.

The Academy must focus its staff and resources on research

advancements that improve results for children with disabilities in:

(a) teaching reading to children with learning disabilities; (b) using

technology to enhance educational results for children with

disabilities; and (c) using positive behavioral supports to teach

children with disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviors.

Activities

The Academy must--

(a) Design an approach, consistent with principles of effective

professional development, for linking teacher education programs to the

recent advances in research listed above. The professional development

approach must consider a range of strategies for facilitating the

exchange of knowledge between researchers and individuals who prepare

personnel to work with children with disabilities. Strategies may

include, for example, face to face meetings, electronic networks,

seminars, retreats, mentoring agreements, and building local resource

banks;

(b) Design a comprehensive approach for reaching out to teacher

education programs across the country in each of the three research

areas identified above;

(c) Design innovative tools to facilitate the exchange of

knowledge, such as experiential activities, videos, course syllabi,

interactive media, etc.; and

(d) Evaluate the progress of linking research advances to teacher

education programs.

Focus 2--Developing A National Plan for Training Personnel to Teach

Blind and Low-Vision Children. In recent years, the number of

institutions of higher education that offer teacher training programs

for teachers of blind and low-vision children has significantly

diminished. Today, very few vision training programs for teachers of

visually impaired individuals exist across the country. In some

geographic areas, no such program exists. There has also been a

concurrent reduction in the number of personnel available to meet the

needs of children who are blind or have low vision. Institutions

currently respond to this shortage by offering abbreviated courses,

off-campus courses, and distance learning. Both individual institutions

and regional organizations are seeking more effective responses to this

problem.

These problems are significant. Thus, immediate attention must be

devoted to developing a national strategy for addressing the need for

qualified personnel to teach blind and low-vision children.

Activities

The project must--

[[Page 13975]]

(a) Conduct a systemic and systematic needs assessment of the

personnel shortage identified above; and

(b) Design a comprehensive approach for preparing capable and

qualified personnel to educate blind and low vision students, including

strategies for solving this shortage problem, consideration and

comparisons of the merits of each alternative strategy, and a

recommended solution.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C 1431.

Proposed Absolute Priority 5--Research Institute on Secondary Education

Services for Children and Youth With Disabilities

This priority is issued under the Secondary Education and

Transitional Services for Youth with Disabilities Program. This

institute would support a strategic program of research to study a

variety of strategies to improve educational results for students with

disabilities in secondary education settings (including urban, rural,

and suburban community settings), and promote their successful

transition to postsecondary settings.

The secondary research institute must design and conduct a

strategic program of research to study--

(a) The range of effective support strategies, supplementary aids,

and services (e.g., counseling, tutoring, assistive technology) aimed

at improving educational results for students with disabilities in a

wide range of typical secondary education experiences (e.g., academic,

vocational, extracurricular) as well as their retention in school and

their engagement in the educational process;

(b) Effective strategies that secondary school personnel can use to

restructure academic and vocational courses to accommodate students

with disabilities with diverse learning needs and styles;

(c) The extent to which secondary schools are effectively

implementing the transition services requirement of IDEA;

(d) The extent to which secondary academic and vocational curricula

promote postsecondary education and employment; and

(e) Standards and models for developing instructional and

transition plans for students who are entering or enrolled in secondary

school programs.

The program of research must include, but need not be limited to,

studying school based exemplars, or designing and implementing

interventions using a rich array of research methods to reach the

intended goals of this priority as articulated by the proposed research

hypotheses. In addition, the research must be designed in a manner that

is likely to lead to improved services and results for children and

youth with disabilities, including those who are members of cultural,

linguistic, or racial minority groups.

The institute must--

(a) Design and conduct a strategic program of research across

multiple sites to represent organizational and demographic diversity;

(b) Collect, analyze, and communicate student results data and

supporting context data; and multiple results data for teachers,

parents, and administrators, as appropriate;

(c) Collaborate with other research institutes supported under the

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and experts and researchers

in related subject matter and methodological fields, to design and

conduct the activities of the institute;

(d) Carry out the research within a conceptual framework, based on

previous research or theory, that provides a basis for the issues that

will be studied, the research methods and instrumentation that will be

used, and the specific target populations and settings that will be

studied;

(e) Collaborate with communication specialists and professional and

advocacy organizations to ensure that findings are prepared in formats

that are useable for specific audiences such as teachers,

administrators, and other service providers;

(f) Develop linkages with U.S. Department of Education

dissemination and technical assistance providers, in particular those

supported under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to

communicate research findings and distribute products;

(g) Provide training and research opportunities for a limited

number of graduate students, including students who are from

traditionally underrepresented groups;

(h) Coordinate research and dissemination activities with other

relevant efforts sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and with

the U.S. Department of Labor, including other research institutes, and

information clearinghouses; and

(i) Meet with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

project officer in the first four months of the project to review the

program of research and communication approaches.

The Institute must budget for two trips annually to Washington,

D.C. for: (1) A two-day Research Project Directors' meeting; and (2)

another meeting to collaborate with the OSEP project officer.

Under this priority, the Secretary anticipates making one award for

a cooperative agreement with a project period of up to 60 months

subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a) for continuation

awards. In determining whether to continue the Institute for the fourth

and fifth years of the project period, the Secretary, in addition to

the requirements of 34 CFR 75.253(a), will consider--

(a) The recommendation of a review team consisting of three experts

selected by the Secretary. The services of the review team, including a

two-day site 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. Costs associated with the

services to be performed by the review team must also be included in

the Institute's budget for year two. These costs are estimated to be

approximately $4,000;

(b) The timeliness and effectiveness with which all requirements of

the negotiated cooperative agreement have been or are being met by the

Institute; and

(c) The degree to which the Institute's research designs,

methodologies, and activities demonstrate the potential for advancing

significant new knowledge.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1425.

Proposed Absolute Priority 6--Directed Research Projects

Background

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has, in prior

years, announced priorities for the support of research projects under

several of the programs authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act. Separate research priorities (competitions) have been

announced under the Early Education Program for Children with

Disabilities, Program for Children with Severe Disabilities, Secondary

Education and Transitional Services for Youth with Disabilities

Program, Program for Children and Youth with Serious Emotional

Disturbance, and the Research in Education of Individuals with

Disabilities Program. The purpose of this priority is to group all

priorities for directed research and apply a single set of requirements

among the various competitions. By consolidating multiple priorities

and announcements into one priority, OSEP endeavors to avoid

unnecessary duplication and provide consistent information for all

research competitions. The program authority for each focus is listed

following each focus statement.

[[Page 13976]]

Priority

This priority provides support for projects that advance and

improve the knowledge base and improve the practice of professionals,

parents, and others providing early intervention, special education,

and related services, including professionals who work with children

with disabilities in regular education environments, to provide such

children effective instruction and enable them to learn successfully.

Under this priority, projects must support innovation, development,

exchange, and use of advancements in knowledge and practice designed to

contribute to the improvement of early intervention, instruction, and

learning of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.

A research project must address one of the following focus areas:

Focus 1--Beacons of excellence. Research projects supported under

focus 1 must identify and study schools achieving exemplary results for

students with disabilities in the context of efforts to achieve

exemplary results for all students. Projects must develop and apply

procedures and criteria to identify those schools, and to identify

factors contributing to exemplary learning results, and examine how

those factors and other factors relate to achieving exemplary learning

results for students with disabilities. Projects may focus on either

secondary or elementary levels, or both. During the third year of the

project, the Secretary will determine whether or not to fund an

optional six-month period for extended dissemination activities

arranged with OSEP.

Program Authority: Research in Education of Individuals with

Disabilities Program, 20 U.S.C. 1441.

Focus 2--Prevention and early intervention services for children

with emotional and behavioral problems. Many young children with

emotional and behavioral problems experience years of repeated

preschool and school failure, permanent damage to their self-esteem,

and escalation of their problems, before they receive appropriate

services. Research projects supported under this focus must identify,

examine, and document information about the specific factors that

contribute to effectiveness in collaborative, community-based,

prevention and early intervention services to prevent children with

emotional and behavioral problems from developing serious emotional

disturbance. The target population for these projects includes children

in preschool, kindergarten, and the primary grades (1-4), and their

families.

The research may focus, for example, on child find, screening,

early identification, assessment, pre-referral strategies, child and

family intervention and prevention services, and results. Research must

include but is not limited to services and programs funded under the

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Additional programs with

collaborative, community-based services appropriate for study may

include, where available, Head Start and Early Head Start programs,

other early childhood service programs, primary care and mental health

programs, child care center programs, and public and private preschools

and elementary school programs. Each research project must include an

evaluation of the collaboration and coordination of prevention and

early intervention services across multiple service providers and

agencies working with these children and their families.

Program Authority: Program for Children and Youth with Serious

Emotional Disturbance, 20 U.S.C. 1426.

Focus 3--Students approaching graduation and the supplemental

security income program. Many children and youth with disabilities

receiving special education services also receive Supplemental Security

Income (SSI). Administered by the Social Security Administration, the

SSI program provides cash assistance, Medicaid eligibility, and work

incentives such as the Impairment-Related Work Expense incentive and

the Plan for Achieving Self-Support. National data indicate that these

work incentives are under-utilized and that most working-age SSI

recipients are unemployed. To address this problem, the National

Academy of Social Insurance (1996) recommended that information about

the SSI work incentives should be incorporated in the transition

planning process required by the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act. The SSI work incentives may therefore enhance the

employment results of transitioning youth with disabilities.

The purpose of focus 3 is to develop and test innovative strategies

for increasing the utilization of the SSI work incentives. Projects

must: (a) Examine the barriers to employment for young adults with

disabilities who are receiving SSI benefits; (b) develop innovative

strategies and materials for promoting the utilization of work

incentives through the transition planning process; and (c) apply

qualitative and quantitative research methods to determine the relative

efficacy of technical assistance strategies, toward improving work

incentive utilization developed under (b).

Program Authority: Secondary Education and Transitional Services

for Youth with Disabilities Program, 20 U.S.C. 1425.

Focus 4--The sustainability of promising innovations. A growing

body of practice-based research and model demonstration work in schools

and local districts, including projects supported by the Office of

Special Education Programs (OSEP), has focussed on meeting the needs

of, and improving the results for, students with disabilities in

schools and districts involved in reform and restructuring initiatives.

Some of this work is yielding promising positive results for students

with disabilities. However, little is known about the extent to which

the innovations developed and implemented in these efforts are

sustained in project sites beyond the term of time-limited external

support and assistance.

Focus 4 is designed to study the implementation of practices that

have been found to be effective in meeting the needs of students with

disabilities in reform/restructuring initiatives in local and district

schools. The practices must have been included as part of projects

designed to implement those practices. The study must address: (1) The

extent to which those practices have been sustained beyond the term of

the projects; and (2) factors that influence the determined level of

sustainability. Factors to be studied may include, but are not limited

to: (a) the nature of the innovations and the extent to which the

innovations have undergone adaptation or alteration over time; (b) the

type and extent of support strategies employed during initial

implementation stages and over time; (c) planned and unplanned changes

in school organizational or structural contexts or both; (d) the level

of penetration of the innovation; (e) the actual and perceived costs

and benefits for participants; (f) constancy of site leadership, school

staff, and school policy requirements; (g) the extent of consonance or

dissonance between critical features of the innovations and existing

(and emerging) school and district practices and policies; and (h)

resource access and allocation. Within focus 4, projects must provide

comprehensive descriptions of the targeted effective practices to be

studied, and convincing documentation of resulting positive results for

students with disabilities. In addition, projects must dedicate the

[[Page 13977]]

bulk of support requested within focus 4 to research on the issues of

sustainability and on continuing documentation of results for students

with disabilities. Within focus 4, the Secretary particularly

encourages an in-depth case study research design where the sites to be

studied are the cases.

Program Authority: Research in Education of Individuals with

Disabilities Program, 20 U.S.C. 1441.

Focus 5--Educating children with severe disabilities in inclusive

settings. Focus 5 supports research projects to (a) identify new or

improved strategies to address the educational and related service

needs of children and youth with severe disabilities in inclusive

general education settings and extracurricular activities, and (b)

describe how the school inclusion strategies as identified in (a) are

aligned with systemic reform and school improvement strategies for all

students.

Additional research is needed to identify, describe, and examine:

(1) The efficacy and linkages of existing systemic reform and school

inclusion strategies, (2) how school systems provide supports and

collaborative teaming to meet the needs of students with severe

disabilities, and other diverse learners; (3) how standards and

authentic assessment practices are implemented for students with severe

disabilities and their impact on inclusive and systemic reform efforts,

(4) social support strategies that promote positive interactions among

students with severe disabilities and other students, and their same-

aged peers to foster cohesive school and classroom communities; and (5)

the types of peer-mediated strategies that actively involve all

students, including students with severe disabilities, in inclusive

educational programs.

To be considered for funding under focus 5, a research project

must--

(a) Identify specific interventions or strategies to be

investigated;

(b) Design the research activities in a manner that is likely to

improve services for all students in inclusive classrooms, including

students with severe disabilities;

(c) Conduct the research in schools pursuing systemic education

reform and school inclusion; and

(d) Use methodological procedures designed to produce findings

useful to program implementers and policy makers regarding the impact

and interaction effects of systemic reform and school inclusion

strategies in State and local contexts.

All projects funded under focus 5 must identify and describe how

these inclusion efforts benefit students with severe disabilities

including the reciprocal benefits of inclusive schooling for all

students.

Program Authority: Program for Children with Severe

Disabilities, 20 U.S.C. 1424.

Requirements for All Directed Research Projects

In addition to addressing focus (1), (2), (3), (4), or (5) above,

projects must:

(a) Apply rigorous research methods (qualitative or quantitative or

both) to identify approaches contributing to improved results for

children with disabilities;

(b) Provide a conceptual framework, based on extant research and

theory to serve as a basis for the issues to be studied, the research

design, and the target population;

(c) Prepare dissemination materials for both researcher and

practitioner audiences and develop linkages with U.S. Department of

Education dissemination and technical assistance providers, in

particular those supported under the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act, to communicate research findings and distribute

products; and

(d) Budget for two trips annually to Washington, D.C., for: (1) a

two-day Research to Practice Division Project Directors' meeting; and

(2) another meeting to collaborate with the Research to Practice

Division project officer and the other projects funded under this

priority, and to share information and discuss findings and methods of

dissemination.

Selection criteria for evaluating applications under proposed

absolute priority 6. The Secretary proposes to use the following

criteria to evaluate applications under proposed absolute priority 6--

Directed Research Projects. The maximum score for all the criteria is

100 points.

(a) Importance (10 points). The Secretary reviews each application

to determine the importance of the project in leading to the

understanding of, remediation of, or compensation for, the problem or

issue that relates to the early intervention with or special education

of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.

(b) Technical soundness (40 points). The Secretary reviews each

application to determine the technical soundness of the research,

including--

(1) The design;

(2) The proposed sample;

(3) Instrumentation; and

(4) Data analysis procedures.

(c) Plan of operation (10 points).

(1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the quality

of the plan of operation for the project.

(2) The Secretary looks for--

(i) High quality in the design of the project;

(ii) An effective plan of management that insures proper and

efficient administration of the project;

(iii) A clear description of how the objectives of the project

relate to the purpose of the program; and

(iv) The way the applicant plans to use its resources and personnel

to achieve each objective.

(3) The quality of the evaluation plan for the project including

the extent to which the methods of evaluation are appropriate for the

project and, to the extent possible, are objective and produce data

that are quantifiable.

(Cross Reference: 34 CFR 75.590, Evaluation by the grantee.)

(d) Quality of key personnel (10 points).

(1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine the

qualifications of the key personnel that the applicant plans to use on

the project.

(2) The Secretary considers--

(i) The qualifications of the project director (if one is to be

used); and,

(ii) The qualifications of each of the other key personnel to be

used in the project; and

(iii) The time that each person referred to in paragraphs (d)(2)

(i) and (ii) of this section will commit to the project.

(3) To determine personnel qualifications, the Secretary considers

experience and training in fields related to the objectives of the

project, as well as other evidence that the applicant provides.

(e) Underrepresented populations (10 points). The Secretary reviews

each application for information that shows the extent to which the

applicant, as part of its nondiscriminatory employment practices,

employs members of underrepresented populations as project staff. The

Secretary looks for--

(1) Employees who are members of underrepresented populations,

including members of racial or ethnic minority groups and individuals

with disabilities; and

(2) Procedures to provide training and other necessary support to

retain and advance qualified personnel from underrepresented

populations.

(f) Adequacy of resources (5 points).

(1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine if the

applicant plans to devote adequate resources to the project.

(2) The Secretary considers the extent to which--

(i) The facilities that the applicant plans to use are adequate;

and

[[Page 13978]]

(ii) The equipment and supplies that the applicant plans to use are

adequate.

(g) Impact (5 points). The Secretary reviews each application to

determine the probable impact of the proposed research and development

products and the extent to which those products can be expected to have

a direct influence on infants, toddlers, children, and youth with

disabilities or personnel responsible for their education or early

intervention services.

(h) Organizational capability (5 points). The Secretary considers--

(1) The applicant's experience in special education or early

intervention services; and

(2) The ability of the applicant to disseminate the findings of the

project to appropriate groups to ensure that they can be used

effectively.

(i) Budget and cost effectiveness (5 points).

(1) The Secretary reviews each application to determine if the

project has an adequate budget and is cost effective.

(2) The Secretary considers the extent to which--

(i) The budget for the project is adequate to support the project

activities; and

(ii) Costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives of the

project.

Intergovernmental Review

Except for focus areas 1 and 4 in the Directed Research Projects

priority, all other priorities included in this notice 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. Individuals with disabilities who need assistance to review

the comments will be provided with appropriate aids, such as readers or

print magnifiers. To schedule an appointment call (202) 205-8113 or

(202) 260-9895. Persons using a TDD should call the Federal Information

Relay Service.

Dated: March 19, 1997.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers: Research in

Education of Individuals with Disabilities Program, 84.023; Training

Personnel for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities

Program--Grants for Personnel Training and Parent Training and

Information Centers, 84.029; Program for Children with Severe

Disabilities, 84.086; Secondary Education and Transitional Services

for Youth with Disabilities Program, 84.158; and the Program for

Children and Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance)

Howard R. Moses,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative

Services.

[FR Doc. 97-7364 Filed 3-21-97; 8:45 am]

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