2021-07261.pdf

18269 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 66 / Thursday, April 8, 2021 / Notices

Dated: April 2, 2021.

Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 2021–07189 Filed 4–6–21; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Department of the Air Force

Record of Decision for the United States Air Force Special Use Airspace Optimization at Holloman Air Force Base Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Department of the Air Force, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of availability of record of decision.

SUMMARY: On March 29, 2021, the Department of the Air Force (DAF) signed the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Special Use Airspace Optimization at Holloman Air Force Base Environmental Impact Statement.

ADDRESSES: Ms. Robin Divine, AFCEC/ CZN, 2261 Hughes Avenue, Suite 155, JBSA—Lackland Air Force Base, Texas 78236–9853, (210) 925–2730;

robin.divine@us.af.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of the Air Force has decided to expand the lateral and vertical boundaries of the existing Talon Military Operations Area (MOA) and associated Air Traffic Control Assigned Airspace (ATCAA) in eastern New Mexico. The expanded MOA/ATCAA will support training for pilots stationed at Holloman Air Force Base.

The DAF decision documented in the ROD was based on matters discussed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, inputs from the cooperating agencies, Native American Tribes, members of the public, and regulatory agencies, and other relevant factors. The Final Environmental Impact Statement was made available to the public on February 5, 2021 through a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register (Volume 86, Number 23, page 8356) with a waiting period that ended on March 8, 2021.

Authority: This Notice of Availability is published pursuant to the regulations (40 CFR part 1506.6) implementing the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.) and the Air Force’s Environmental Impact Analysis

Process (32 CFR parts 989.21(b) and 989.24(b)(7)).

Adriane Paris, Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 2021–07187 Filed 4–7–21; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 5001–10–P

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards;

Personnel Development To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities—Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Leadership Personnel

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2021 for Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities— Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Leadership Personnel, Assistance Listing Number 84.325D. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1820–0028.

DATES:

Applications Available: April 8, 2021.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: June 7, 2021.

Deadline for Intergovernmental

Review: August 6, 2021.

Pre-Application Webinar Information:

No later than April 13, 2021, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) will post pre-recorded informational webinars designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. The webinars may be found at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/ apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), and available at www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019- 02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Celia Rosenquist, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5158, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202–5076.

Telephone: (202) 245–7373. Email:

Celia.Rosenquist@ed.gov.

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877– 8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The purposes of this program are to (1) help address State-identified needs for personnel preparation in special education, early intervention, related services, and regular education to work with children, including infants and toddlers, with disabilities; and (2) ensure that those personnel have the necessary skills and knowledge, derived from practices that have been determined through scientifically based research and experience, to be successful in serving those children.

Priorities: This competition includes two absolute priorities and two competitive preference priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), the absolute priorities and competitive preference priorities are from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 662 and 681 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);

20 U.S.C. 1462 and 1481).

Absolute Priorities: For FY 2021 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are absolute priorities.

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet either Absolute Priority 1 or Absolute Priority

2. Applicants may apply under both absolute priorities but must submit separate applications if they do so.

These priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1—Preparation of

Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Faculty.

Background:

The purpose of this priority is to support existing doctoral degree programs that prepare special education, early intervention, and related services personnel who are well-qualified for, and can act effectively in, leadership positions as researchers and preparers of special education, early intervention, and related services personnel in institutions of higher education (IHEs). There is a well-documented need for leadership personnel to fill faculty positions within IHEs in special education, early intervention, and related services (Castillo et al., 2014; Montrosse & Young, 2012; Robb et al., 2012; Smith et al., 2011; Smith et al., 2010; Woods & Snyder, 2009). These leaders conduct

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18270 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 66 / Thursday, April 8, 2021 / Notices

1 For purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-need children with disabilities’’ refers to children or students (ages birth through 21, depending on the State) who are eligible for services under IDEA, and who may be at risk of educational failure or otherwise in need of special assistance or support because they: (1) Are living in poverty, (2) are English learners, (3) are academically far below grade level, (4) have left school before receiving a regular high school diploma, (5) are at risk of not graduating with a regular high school diploma on time, (6) are homeless, (7) are in foster care, or (8) have been incarcerated.

2 For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘scholar’’ is limited to an individual who (a) is pursuing a doctoral degree related to special education, early research to increase the knowledge of effective interventions and services for children, including infants and toddlers, and youth with disabilities. These leaders also teach practices supported by evidence to future special education, early intervention, related services, and regular education professionals who will work in a variety of educational settings and provide services directly to these children (deBettencourt et al., 2016; Robb et al., 2012; Smith et al., 2010; West & Hardman, 2012). Shortages in these leadership positions limit the field’s capacity to generate new knowledge of effective interventions and to prepare future professionals to improve outcomes for children with disabilities (Smith et al., 2011).

Leadership personnel in IHEs play an essential role in promoting high expectations for each child with a disability and provide, or prepare others to provide, effective interventions and services that improve outcomes for children, including infants, toddlers, and youth with disabilities. In addition to preparing future special education, early intervention, related services, and regular education professionals, future faculty at IHEs will also play a critical role in attracting diverse and qualilifed individuals to the teaching profession and in providing future educators in preparation programs with experiences in various roles in the field that would provide them with practical knowledge and resources for their future career in education (Billingsley et al., 2020;

Brownell et al., 2020). Critical competencies for special education, early intervention, and related services faculty vary depending on the type and the requirements of the preparation program but can include, for example, skills needed for postsecondary instruction, research, administration, policy development, professional practice, the use of technologies to support in-person and remote teaching and student learning, and leadership.

However, all leadership personnel need to promote high expectations and have current knowledge of effective interventions and services that improve outcomes for children with disabilities, including high-need children with disabilities. This knowledge should be applicable to children served in a variety of educational settings (e.g., urban or rural public schools, including charter schools) or early childhood and early intervention settings (e.g., home, community-based, Early Head Start and Head Start, child care, or public and private preschools). The interventions and services must include those that improve early childhood, educational, and employment outcomes.

Priority:

The purpose of this priority is to support existing doctoral degree programs that prepare special education, early intervention, and related services personnel at the doctoral degree level who are well qualified for, and can act effectively in, faculty positions in IHEs as researchers and preparers of personnel.

This priority will provide support to help address identified needs for personnel with the knowledge and skills to establish and meet high expectations for each child with a disability.

Programs must culminate in a doctoral degree, which may include a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree. Applicants must plan to recruit and enroll the proposed number of scholars in the application within the first 12 months of the project period or demonstrate that scholars enrolled after the first 12 months can complete the program by the end of the proposed project period.

Note: Project periods under this priority may be up to 60 months. Projects should be designed to ensure that all proposed scholars successfully complete the program within 60 months of the start of the project. The Secretary may reduce continuation awards for any project in which scholars are not on track to complete the program by the end of that period.

To be considered for funding under this absolute priority, program applicants must meet the application requirements contained in the priority.

All projects funded under this absolute priority also must meet the programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the priority.

Note: Preparation programs that lead to clinical doctoral degrees in related services (e.g., a Doctor of Audiology degree or Doctor of Physical Therapy degree) are not included in this priority. These types of preparation programs are eligible to apply for funding under the Personnel Preparation in Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services priority (84.325K) that the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) intends to fund in FY 2021.

To meet the requirements of this priority, an applicant must—

(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under ‘‘Significance,’’ how—

(1) The project addresses the need for leadership personnel to promote high expectations and provide, or prepare others to provide, effective interventions and services that improve outcomes for children with disabilities, including high-need children with disabilities.1

To address this requirement, the applicant must present—

(i) Appropriate and applicable data (e.g., national, State) demonstrating the need for the leadership personnel the applicant proposes to prepare; and

(ii) Data demonstrating the success of the doctoral program to date in producing faculty in special education, early intervention, or related services, such as: The professional accomplishments of program graduates (e.g., public service, awards, or publications) that demonstrate their leadership in special education, early intervention, or related services; the average amount of time it takes for program graduates to complete the program; the number of program graduates and the percentage of scholars who enroll who graduate; and the percentage of program graduates finding employment directly related to their preparation; and

Note: Data on the success of a doctoral program should be no older than five years prior to the start date of the project proposed in the application. When reporting percentages, the denominator (i.e., the total number of scholars or program graduates) must be provided.

(2) Scholar competencies to be acquired in the program relate to knowledge and skills needed by the leadership personnel the applicant proposes to prepare. To address this requirement, the applicant must—

(i) Identify the competencies needed by leadership personnel in order to provide, or prepare others to provide, effective interventions and services, including through distance education, that improve outcomes for children with disabilities, including high-need children with disabilities; and

(ii) Provide the conceptual framework of the leadership preparation program, including any empirical support, that will promote the acquisition of the identified competencies needed by leadership personnel.

(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under ‘‘Quality of project services,’’ how—

(1) The applicant will recruit and retain high-quality scholars 2

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18271 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 66 / Thursday, April 8, 2021 / Notices intervention, or related services; (b) receives scholarship assistance as authorized under section 662 of IDEA (34 CFR 304.3(g)); and (c) will be able to be employed in a position that serves children with disabilities for at least 51 percent of their time or case load. See https://pdp.ed.gov/OSEP/Home/ Regulation for more information.

3 For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-need LEA’’ means an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families with incomes below the poverty line; or (b) for which not less than 20 percent of the children served by the LEA are from families with incomes below the poverty line.

4 For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-poverty school’’ means a school in which at least 50 percent of students are from low-income families as determined using one of the measures of poverty specified under section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). For middle and high schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of comparable data from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty school is determined on the basis of the most currently available data.

5 For the purposes of this priority, a ‘‘school implementing a comprehensive support and improvement plan’’ is a school identified for comprehensive support and improvement by the State under section 1111(c)(4)(D) of the ESEA that includes (a) not less than the lowest-performing five percent of all schools receiving funds under Title I, Part A of the ESEA; (b) all public high schools in the State failing to graduate one-third or more of their students; and (c) public schools in the State described under section 1111(d)(3)(A)(i)(II) of the

ESEA.

6 For the purposes of this priority, a ‘‘school implementing a targeted support and improvement plan’’ means a school identified for targeted support and improvement by a State that has developed and is implementing a school-level targeted support and improvement plan to improve student outcomes based on the indicators in the statewide accountability system as defined in section 1111(d)(2) of the ESEA.

participating in the project and ensure equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. To meet this requirement, the narrative must describe—

(i) The selection criteria the applicant will use to identify high-quality applicants for admission in the program;

(ii) The recruitment strategies the applicant will use to attract high-quality applicants, including specific recruitment strategies targeting high-quality applicants from traditionally underrepresented groups, including underrepresented people of color, individuals with disabilities, and nontraditional scholars (e.g., returning military); and

(iii) The approach the applicant will use to help all scholars, including individuals with disabilities, complete the program within the proposed project period; and

(2) The project is designed to promote the acquisition of the competencies needed by leadership personnel to promote high expectations and provide, or prepare others to provide, effective interventions and services that improve outcomes for children with disabilities, including high-need children with disabilities. To address this requirement, the applicant must—

(i) Describe how the components of the project, such as coursework, internship experiences, research requirements, and other opportunities provided to scholars, will enable the scholars to acquire the competencies needed by leadership personnel the applicant proposes to prepare;

(ii) Describe how the components of the project are integrated in order to support the acquisition and enhancement of the identified competencies needed by leadership personnel the applicant proposes to prepare;

(iii) Describe how the components of the project prepare scholars to promote high expectations and to provide, or prepare others to provide, effective interventions and services that improve outcomes for children with disabilities, including high-need children with disabilities, in a variety of educational or early childhood and early intervention settings, including in-person and remote settings;

(iv) Demonstrate, through a letter of support from a public, parochial, or private partnering agency, school, or program, that it will provide scholars with a high-quality internship experience in a high-need local educational agency (LEA),3 a high-poverty school,4 a school implementing a comprehensive support and improvement plan,5 a school implementing a targeted support and improvement plan 6 for children with disabilities, a State educational agency (SEA), an early childhood and early intervention program located within the geographical boundaries of a high-need LEA, or an early childhood and early intervention program located within the geographical boundaries of an LEA serving the highest percentage of schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement or implementing targeted support and improvement plans in the State;

(v) Describe how the project will partner with diverse stakeholders to inform project components;

(vi) Describe how the project will use resources, as appropriate, available through technical assistance centers, which may include centers funded by the Department;

(vii) Describe the approach that faculty members will use to mentor or otherwise support scholars with the goal of helping them acquire competencies needed by leadership personnel and advancing their careers in special education, early intervention, or related services;

(viii) Describe how the components of the project will promote the acquisition of scholars’ critical leadership skills, including communication, networking, and collaboration; and

(ix) Describe how the components of the project will promote the acquisition of scholars’ knowledge of strategies and approaches in attracting, preparing, and retaining future educators who will work with and provide services to children with disabilities.

(c) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under ‘‘Quality of the project evaluation,’’ how the applicant will—

(1) Evaluate how well the goals or objectives of the proposed leadership project have been met. The applicant must describe the outcomes to be measured for both the project and the scholars, particularly the acquisition of scholars’ competencies; and the evaluation methodologies to be employed, including proposed instruments, data collection methods, and possible analyses;

(2) Collect, analyze, and use data on current scholars and scholars who graduate from the program to improve the proposed program on an ongoing basis; and

(3) Report the evaluation results to OSEP in the applicant’s annual and final performance reports.

(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative under ‘‘Required Project Assurances’’ or appendices as directed, that the following program requirements are met. The applicant must—

(1) Include in appendix B of the application—

(i) Course syllabi for all coursework in the major and any required coursework for a minor;

(ii) Course syllabi for all research methods, evaluation methods, or data analysis courses required by the degree program and elective research methods, evaluation methods, or data analysis courses that have been completed by more than one scholar enrolled in the program in the last five years; and

(iii) For new coursework, proposed syllabi;

(2) Ensure that the proposed number of scholars will be recruited and enrolled into the program within the first 12 months of the project period or demonstrate that scholars enrolled after the first 12 months can graduate from the program by the end of the proposed project period. The described scholar recruitment strategies, including recruitment of individuals with disabilities, the program components

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18272 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 66 / Thursday, April 8, 2021 / Notices and their sequence, and proposed budget must be consistent with this requirement;

(3) Ensure that efforts to recruit a diverse range of scholars, including diversity of race, ethnicity, or national origin, are consistent with applicable law. For instance, grantees may engage in focused outreach and recruitment to increase the diversity of the applicant pool prior to the selection of scholars;

(4) Ensure that the project will meet the requirements in 34 CFR 304.23, particularly those related to (i) informing all scholarship recipients of their service obligation commitment;

and (ii) disbursing scholarships. Failure by a grantee to properly meet these requirements is a violation of the grant award that may result in sanctions, including the grantee being liable for returning any misused funds to the Department;

(5) Ensure that prior approval from the OSEP project officer will be obtained before admitting additional scholars beyond the number of scholars proposed in the application and before transferring a scholar to another preparation program funded by OSEP;

(6) Ensure that the project will meet the statutory requirements in section 662(e) through (h) of IDEA;

(7) Ensure that at least 65 percent of the total award over the project period (i.e., up to 5 years) will be used for scholar support;

(8) Ensure that the IHE will not require scholars enrolled in the program to work (e.g., as graduate assistants) as a condition of receiving support (e.g., tuition, stipends) from the proposed project, unless the work is specifically related to the acquisition of scholars’ competencies or the requirements for completion of their personnel preparation program. This prohibition on work as a condition of receiving support does not apply to the service obligation requirements in section 662(h) of IDEA;

(9) Ensure that the project will be operated in a manner consistent with nondiscrimination requirements contained in the U.S. Constitution and the Federal civil rights laws;

(10) Ensure that a revised project budget will be submitted to OSEP should the project not be able to recruit and enroll the proposed number of scholars that can graduate from the program by the end of the project period;

(11) Ensure that the budget includes attendance by the project director at a three-day project directors’ meeting in Washington, DC, or virtually, during each year of the project. The budget may also provide for the attendance of scholars at the same three-day project directors’ meetings in Washington, DC, or virtually;

(12) Ensure that the project director, key personnel, and scholars will actively participate in the cross-project collaboration, advanced trainings, and cross-site learning opportunities (e.g., webinars, briefings) supported by OSEP.

This network is intended to promote opportunities for participants to share resources and generate new knowledge by addressing topics of common interest to participants across projects including Department priorities and needs in the field;

(13) Ensure that if the project maintains a website, it will be of high quality, with an easy-to-navigate design that meets government or industry-recognized standards for accessibility;

(14) Ensure that annual progress toward meeting project goals is posted on the project website;

(15) Ensure that scholar accomplishments (e.g., public service, awards, publications) will be reported in annual and final performance reports;

and

(16) Ensure that annual data will be submitted on each scholar who receives grant support (OMB Control Number 1820–0686). The primary purposes of the data collection are to track the service obligation fulfillment of scholars who receive funds from OSEP grants and to collect data for program performance measure reporting under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA). Applicants are encouraged to visit the Personnel Development Program Data Collection System (DCS) website at https:// pdp.ed.gov/osep for further information about this data collection requirement.

Typically, data collection begins in January of each year, and grantees are notified by email about the data collection period for their grant, although grantees may submit data as needed, year-round. This data collection must be submitted electronically by the grantee and does not supplant the annual grant performance report required of each grantee for continuation funding (see 34 CFR 75.590). Data collection includes the submission of a signed, completed Pre- Scholarship Agreement and Exit Certification for each scholar funded under an OSEP grant (see paragraph (d)(4) of this priority).

Absolute Priority 2—Preparation of Special Education and Early Intervention Administrators.

Background:

The purpose of this priority is to support existing doctoral degree programs that prepare special education or early intervention personnel who are well-qualified for, and can act effectively in, leadership positions in public school systems, such as SEAs, charter management organizations (CMOs), charter school authorizers, lead agencies (LAs), LEAs, early intervention services programs (EIS programs), or schools. Shortages of leadership personnel at State and local agencies to fill special education and early intervention administrator positions have been noted (Bellamy & Iwaszuk, 2017; Billingsley et al., 2014). The turnover rate for leaders in State and local agencies has also increased substantially over the past decade, which impacts the ongoing efforts at the State and local levels to improve educational practices (NCSI, 2018a;

NCSI, 2018b). These administrators supervise and evaluate the implementation of instructional programs to make sure that State or local agencies are meeting the needs of children with disabilities.

Administrators also ensure that schools and programs meet Federal, State, and local requirements for special education, early intervention, and related services (Billingsley et al., 2014;

Bruns et al., 2017; Boscardin & Lashley, 2018).

Special education and early intervention administrators play an essential role in promoting high expectations for each child with a disability and supervising the provision of effective interventions and services that improve outcomes for children, including infants, toddlers, and youth with disabilities. In addition to supervising the provision of effective interventions and services that improve outcomes for children, special education or early intervention administrators also play a critical role in attracting diverse and qualilifed educators and implementing strategies to retain effective educators (Billingsley & Bettini, 2019). Critical competencies for special education or early intervention administrators vary depending on the type of leadership personnel and the requirements of the preparation program but can include, for example, skills needed for implementing special education policies and laws, administration and supervision, organizational and system change, program planning and implementation, evaluation of educational programs, technology implementation for in-person and remote instruction, and collaboration with stakeholders (Boscardin & Lashley, 2018; Bruns et al., 2017).

However, all leadership personnel need to promote high expectations and

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7 For purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-need children with disabilities’’ refers to children or students (ages birth through 21, depending on the State) who are eligible for services under IDEA, and who may be at risk of educational failure or otherwise in need of special assistance or support because they: (1) Are living in poverty, (2) are English learners, (3) are academically far below grade level, (4) have left school before receiving a regular high school diploma, (5) are at risk of not graduating with a regular high school diploma on time, (6) are homeless, (7) are in foster care, or (8) have been incarcerated.

8 For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘scholar’’ is limited to an individual who (a) is pursuing a doctoral degree related to special education, early intervention, or related services; (b) receives scholarship assistance as authorized under section 662 of IDEA (34 CFR 304.3(g)); and (c) will be able to be employed in a position that serves children with disabilities for either 51 percent of their time or case load. See https://pdp.ed.gov/OSEP/Home/ Regulation for more information.

have current knowledge of effective interventions and services that improve outcomes for children with disabilities, including high-need children with disabilities. This knowledge should be applicable to children served in a variety of educational settings (e.g., urban or rural public schools, including charter schools) or early childhood and early intervention settings (e.g., home, community-based, Early Head Start and Head Start, child care, or public and private preschools). The interventions and services must include those that improve early childhood, educational, and employment outcomes.

Priority:

The purpose of this priority is to support existing doctoral degree programs that prepare special education or early intervention personnel to work as administrators in public school systems such as SEAs, CMOs, charter school authorizers, LAs, LEAs, private school networks, parochial schools, EIS programs, or schools in positions such as SEA special education administrators, LEA or regional special education directors, school-based special education directors, preschool coordinators, and early intervention coordinators.

This priority will provide support to help address identified needs for personnel with the knowledge and skills to establish and meet high expectations for each child with a disability. Doctoral programs in educational administration that include a focus on special education are eligible under this priority. Programs must culminate in a doctoral degree, which may include a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree. The preparation of school principals is not included under this priority. Under this priority, applicants may propose projects that enroll scholars who are concurrently employed (e.g., as special education teachers) while enrolled in the program. Applicants must plan to recruit and enroll the proposed number of scholars in the application within the first 12 months of the project period or demonstrate that scholars enrolled after the first 12 months can complete the program by the end of the proposed project period.

Note: Project periods under this priority may be up to 60 months. Projects should be designed to ensure that all proposed scholars successfully complete the program within 60 months of the start of the project. The Secretary may reduce continuation awards for any projects in which scholars are not on track to complete the program by the end of that period.

To be considered for funding under this absolute priority, all applicants must meet all of the application requirements contained in the priority.

All projects funded under this absolute priority also must meet all of the programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the priority.

To meet the requirements of this priority, an applicant must—

(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under ‘‘Significance,’’ how—

(1) The project addresses the need for leadership personnel to promote high expectations and supervise the provision of effective interventions and services that improve outcomes for children with disabilities, including high-need children with disabilities.7 To address this requirement, the applicant must present—

(i) Appropriate and applicable data (e.g., State, region, district, local) demonstrating the need for the special education or early intervention administrators the applicant proposes to prepare; and

(ii) Data demonstrating the success of the doctoral program to date in producing special education or early intervention administrators, such as:

The professional accomplishments of program graduates (e.g., public service, awards) that demonstrate their leadership in special education or early intervention; the average amount of time it takes for program graduates to complete the program; the number of program graduates; and the percentage of program graduates finding employment directly related to their preparation; and

Note: Data on the success of a doctoral program should be no older than five years prior to the start date of the project proposed in the application. When reporting percentages, the denominator (i.e., the total number of scholars or program graduates) must be provided.

(2) Scholar competencies to be acquired in the program relate to knowledge and skills needed by the leadership personnel the applicant proposes to prepare. To address this requirement, the applicant must—

(i) Identify the competencies needed by leadership personnel to supervise the provision of effective interventions and services, including through distance education, that improve outcomes for children with disabilities, including high-need children with disabilities;

and

(ii) Provide the conceptual framework of the leadership preparation program, including any empirical support, that will promote the acquisition of the identified competencies needed by leadership personnel.

(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under ‘‘Quality of project services,’’ how—

(1) The applicant will recruit and retain high-quality scholars 8 participating in the project and ensure equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. To meet this requirement, the narrative must describe—

(i) The selection criteria the applicant will use to identify high-quality applicants for admission in the program;

(ii) The recruitment strategies the applicant will use to attract high-quality applicants, including specific recruitment strategies targeting high-quality applicants from traditionally underrepresented groups, including underrepresented people of color, individuals with disabilities, and nontraditional scholars (e.g., returning military); and

(iii) The approach the applicant will use to help all scholars, including individuals with disabilities, complete the program during the proposed project period; and

(2) The project is designed to promote the acquisition of the competencies needed by leadership personnel to promote high expectations and supervise the provision of effective interventions and services that improve outcomes for children with disabilities, including high-need children with disabilities. To address this requirement, the applicant must—

(i) Describe how the components of the project, such as coursework, work-based experiences aligned with project components (e.g., internships, current employment), program evaluation, and other opportunities provided to scholars, will enable the scholars to acquire the competencies needed by

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9 For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-need LEA’’ means an LEA (a) that serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families with incomes below the poverty line; or (b) for which not less than 20 percent of the children served by the LEA are from families with incomes below the poverty line.

10 For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘high-poverty school’’ means a school in which at least 50 percent of students are from low-income families as determined using one of the measures of poverty specified under section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA. For middle and high schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of comparable data from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty school is determined on the basis of the most currently available data.

11 For the purposes of this priority, a ‘‘school implementing a comprehensive support and improvement plan’’ is a school identified for comprehensive support and improvement by the State under section 1111(c)(4)(D) of the ESEA that includes (a) not less than the lowest-performing five percent of all schools receiving funds under Title I, Part A of the ESEA; (b) all public high schools in the State failing to graduate one-third or more of their students; and (c) public schools in the State described under section 1111(d)(3)(A)(i)(II) of the

ESEA.

12 For the purposes of this priority, a ‘‘school implementing a targeted support and improvement plan’’ means a school identified for targeted support and improvement by a State that has developed and is implementing a school-level targeted support and improvement plan to improve student outcomes based on the indicators in the statewide accountability system as defined in section 1111(d)(2) of the ESEA.

leadership personnel the applicant proposes to prepare;

(ii) Describe how the components of the project are integrated in order to support the acquisition and enhancement of the identified competencies needed by leadership personnel the applicant proposes to prepare;

(iii) Describe how the components of the project prepare scholars to promote high expectations and to supervise the provision of effective interventions and services that improve outcomes for children with disabilities, including high-need children with disabilities, in a variety of educational or early childhood and early intervention settings, including in-person and remote settings;

(iv) Demonstrate, through a letter of support from a public, parochial, or private partnering agency, school, or program, that it will provide scholars with a high-quality internship experience in a high-need LEA,9 a high-poverty school,10 a school implementing a comprehensive support and improvement plan,11 a school implementing a targeted support and improvement plan 12 for children with disabilities, an SEA, an early childhood and early intervention program located within the geographical boundaries of a high-need LEA, or an early childhood and early intervention program located within the geographical boundaries of an LEA serving the highest percentage of schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement or implementing targeted support and improvement plans in the State;

(v) Describe how the project will partner with diverse stakeholders to inform project components;

(vi) Describe how the project will use resources, as appropriate, available through technical assistance centers, which may include centers funded by the Department;

(vii) Describe the approach that faculty members will use to mentor or otherwise support scholars, including scholars who are pursuing a degree on a part-time basis or are concurrently employed on a full-time basis, with the goal of helping them acquire competencies needed by leadership personnel and advancing their careers in special education or early intervention administration;

(viii) Describe how the components of the project will promote the acquisition of scholars’ critical leadership skills, including communication, networking, and collaboration; and

(ix) Describe how the components of the project will promote the acquisition of scholars’ knowledge of strategies and approaches in attracting, preparing, and retaining qualified educators, particularly educators from underrepresented backgrounds, who will work with and provide services to children with disabilities.

(c) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under ‘‘Quality of the project evaluation,’’ how the applicant will—

(1) Evaluate how well the goals or objectives of the proposed leadership project have been met. The applicant must describe the outcomes to be measured for both the project and the scholars, particularly the acquisition of scholars’ competencies; and the evaluation methodologies to be employed, including proposed instruments, data collection methods, and possible analyses;

(2) Collect, analyze, and use data on current scholars and scholars who graduate from the program to improve the proposed program on an ongoing basis; and

(3) Report the evaluation results to OSEP in the applicant’s annual and final performance reports.

(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative under ‘‘Required Project Assurances’’ or appendices as directed, that the following program requirements are met. The applicant must—

(1) Include in appendix B of the application—

(i) Course syllabi for all coursework in the major and any required coursework for a minor;

(ii) Course syllabi for all evaluation methods or data analysis courses required by the degree program and for all elective evaluation methods or data analysis courses that have been completed by more than one scholar enrolled in the program in the last five years; and

(iii) For new coursework, proposed syllabi;

(2) Ensure that the proposed number of scholars will be recruited into the program within the first 12 months of the project period or demonstrate that scholars enrolled after the first 12 months can graduate from the program by the end of the proposed project period. The described scholar recruitment strategies, including recruitment of individuals with disabilities, the program components and their sequence, and proposed budget must be consistent with this requirement;

(3) Ensure that efforts to recruit a diverse range of scholars, including diversity of race, ethnicity, or national origin, are consistent with applicable law. For instance, grantees may engage in focused outreach and recruitment to increase the diversity of the applicant pool prior to the selection of scholars;

(4) Ensure that the project will meet the requirements in 34 CFR 304.23, particularly those related to (i) informing all scholarship recipients of their service obligation commitment;

and (ii) disbursing scholarships. Failure by a grantee to properly meet these requirements is a violation of the grant award that may result in sanctions, including the grantee being liable for returning any misused funds to the Department;

(5) Ensure that prior approval from the OSEP project officer will be obtained before admitting additional scholars beyond the number of scholars proposed in the application and before transferring a scholar to another preparation program funded by OSEP;

(6) Ensure that the project will meet the statutory requirements in section 662(e) through (h) of IDEA;

(7) Ensure that at least 65 percent of the total award over the project period (i.e., up to 5 years) will be used for scholar support;

(8) Ensure that the IHE will not require scholars enrolled in the program to work (e.g., as graduate assistants) as a condition of receiving support (e.g., tuition, stipends) from the proposed project, unless the work is specifically related to the acquisition of scholars’ competencies or the requirements for

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18275 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 66 / Thursday, April 8, 2021 / Notices completion of their personnel preparation program. This prohibition on work as a condition of receiving support does not apply to the service obligation requirements in section 662(h) of IDEA;

(9) Ensure that the project will be operated in a manner consistent with nondiscrimination requirements contained in the U.S. Constitution and the Federal civil rights laws;

(10) Ensure that a revised project budget will be submitted to OSEP should the project not be able to recruit and enroll the proposed number of scholars that can graduate from the program by the end of the project period;

(11) Ensure that the budget includes attendance by the project director at a three-day project directors’ meeting in Washington, DC, or virtually, during each year of the project. The budget may also provide for the attendance of scholars at the same three-day project directors’ meetings in Washington, DC, or virtually;

(12) Ensure that the project director, key personnel, and scholars will actively participate in the cross-project collaboration, advanced trainings, and cross-site learning opportunities (e.g., webinars, briefings) supported by OSEP.

This network is intended to promote opportunities for participants to share resources and generate new knowledge by addressing topics of common interest to participants across projects including Department priorities and needs in the field;

(13) Ensure that if the project maintains a website, it will be of high quality, with an easy-to-navigate design, that meets government or industry-recognized standards for accessibility;

(14) Ensure that annual progress toward meeting project goals is posted on the project website;

(15) Ensure that scholar accomplishments (e.g., public service, awards, program implementation demonstrating improved child outcomes) will be reported in annual and final performance reports; and

(16) Ensure that annual data will be submitted on each scholar who receives grant support (OMB Control Number 1820–0686). The primary purposes of the data collection are to track the service obligation fulfillment of scholars who receive funds from OSEP grants and to collect data for program performance measure reporting under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA). Applicants are encouraged to visit the Personnel Development Program Data Collection System (DCS) website at https:// pdp.ed.gov/osep for further information about this data collection requirement.

Typically, data collection begins in January of each year, and grantees are notified by email about the data collection period for their grant, although grantees may submit data as needed, year-round. This data collection must be submitted electronically by the grantee and does not supplant the annual grant performance report required of each grantee for continuation funding (see 34 CFR 75.590). Data collection includes the submission of a signed, completed Pre- Scholarship Agreement and Exit Certification for each scholar funded under an OSEP grant (see paragraph (d)(4) of this priority).

Competitive Preference Priorities:

Within Absolute Priorities 1 and 2, we give competitive preference to applications that address Competitive Preference Priorities 1 and 2. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional 3 points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1 and an additional 3 points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2.