2023-325K Application Package - 508 FINAL.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION & REHABILITATIVE SERVICES

OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20202

FISCAL YEAR 2023

APPLICATION FOR NEW GRANTS UNDER THE

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT (IDEA)

PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE SERVICES AND

RESULTS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

(ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER 84.325)

APPLICATIONS FOR NEW AWARDS;

PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE SERVICES AND

RESULTS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES PROGRAM--

PREPARATION OF EARLY INTERVENTION AND SPECIAL

EDUCATION PERSONNEL SERVING CHILDREN WITH

DISABILITIES WHO HAVE HIGH-INTENSITY NEEDS

(ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER 84.325K)

DATED MATERIAL: OPEN IMMEDIATELY

CLOSING DATE: JUNE 13, 2023

FORM APPROVED—OMB NO. 1820-0028, EXP. DATE: 07/31/2025

http://www.ed.gov/

GRANT APPLICATION PACKAGE ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER 84.325K

CONTENTS

Applicant Letter ...................................................................................................................... A1

Notice Inviting Applications .................................................................................................. B1

Federal Register Notice ...................................................................................................... B2

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants ............................................. B32

Priority Description and Selection Criteria........................................................................... C1

Personnel Development To Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities--Preparation of Early Intervention and Special Education Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs (Assistance Listing Number 84.325K) ............................................................................................................... C2

Selection Criteria and Format for the Applications for New Awards— Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program-

- Preparation of Early Intervention and Special Education Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs (Assistance Listing Number 84.325K) Competition ....................................................................................................... C20

General Information on Completing an Application ............................................................ D1

Application Transmittal Instructions and Requirements for Intergovernmental Review ..................................................................................................... E1

Application Transmittal Instructions .................................................................................... E2

Appendix .................................................................................................................................F1

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs ..................................................................F2

State Single Points of Contact (SPOCs) ..............................................................................F3

Notice to All Applicants Ensuring Equitable Access and Application Forms and Instructions ......................................................................................................... G1

Part I: Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)............................................................. G6

Part II: Budget Information (Form 524) ............................................................................. G18

Part III: Application Narrative ............................................................................................ G27

Certification Regarding Lobbying .......................................................................... G28

Part IV: Additional Information .......................................................................................... G30

DUNS Number Instructions ................................................................................... G30

Grant Application Receipt Acknowledgement ........................................................ G32

Grant and Contract Funding Information ............................................................... G32

PAPERWORK BURDEN STATEMENT

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1820-0028. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 45 hours and 40 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain a benefit (P.L. 108-446, Sec. 650 and 682). If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, please contact the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Discretionary Grant Programs, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S.

Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Potomac Center Plaza, room 5008C, Washington D.C. 20202-5076 or by phone at 202-245-7542.

A-1

APPLICANT LETTER

A-2

Dear Applicant:

This application packet contains information and the required forms for you to use in submitting a new application for funding under one program authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This packet covers one competition under the Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program (Assistance Listing Number 84.325) program—Applications for New Awards; Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program-- Preparation of Early Intervention and Special Education Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs (Assistance Listing Number 84.325K).

Please take the time to review all of the applicable requirements, definitions, selection criteria, and application instructions thoroughly. An application will not be evaluated for funding if the applicant does not comply with all of the procedural rules that govern the submission of the application or if the application does not contain the information required. (EDGAR §75.216 (b) and (c)).

Please note the following:

• GRANTS.GOV APPLICATION SUBMISSION AND SAM REGISTRATION.

Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (www.Grants.gov). Please read carefully the Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants document included on page A-32, which includes helpful tips about submitting electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site. Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration on SAM (www.sam.gov) which may take approximately one week to complete but could take as many as several weeks to complete. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an application until all of the Registration steps are complete. Please note that once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov. You cannot submit an application through Grants.gov until Grants.gov has received your SAM registration information. We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with SAM and Grants.gov, and strongly recommend that you register and submit early.

Applicants are required to upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your application as files in either Portable Document Format (PDF) or Microsoft Word.

However, it is recommended that applicants upload files as read-only flattened PDFs.

Information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe and links to download the latest version of Adobe are available on Grants.gov. Please note that you must follow the Application Procedures as described in the Federal Register notice announcing this grant competition. Information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically can also be found in section E of this application package, Application Transmittal Instructions and Requirements for Intergovernmental Review.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

A-3

Additional instructions for sending applications electronically are provided on page G-4, Application Forms and Instructions for Grants.gov Applications.

• MAXIMUM AWARD AMOUNT.

The competition included in this package has maximum award amounts. Please refer to the specific information for the priority/competition to which you are submitting an application (i.e., Section B of this package) for detailed budget information for the total grant period requested.

Please be advised that for the priority in this package, the maximum award amount covers all project costs including indirect costs.

• RECOMMENDED PAGE LIMITS AND LINE SPACING OF APPLICATION NARRATIVE.

The competition included in this package limits the Application Narrative to a recommended number of double-spaced pages. This recommended page limit and double-line spacing applies to all material presented in the application narrative. This recommended double-line spacing applies to all titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, reference citations, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, graphs, screen shots, and logic models included in the application narrative. (Please refer to the specific recommendations on page limits for the priority/competition to which you are submitting an application, Section B of this package).

• FORMAT FOR OTHER SECTIONS OF THE APPLICATION.

Additional information regarding formatting applications has been included on Pages D-3 and D-4 of the “General Information on Completing an Application” section of this package.

Appendix A: Reviewers will be instructed to review the content of Appendix A as they do the application narrative. Reviewers will not be required to review any other appendices.

Charts, tables, figures, graphs, screen shots and logic models that provide information directly relating to the application requirements for the narrative should be the only items included in Appendix A. Appendix A should not be used for supplementary information. Please note that charts, tables, figures, graphs, screen shots, and logic models can be single-spaced when placed in an Appendix A.

Abstract: For the application Abstract, applicants should use the template located at:

https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html.

• ABSOLUTE PRIORITY AND COMPETITIVE PREFERENCE PRIORITIES.

This competition includes one absolute priority and, within that absolute priority, one competitive preference priority. The Department will use peer reviewers to review and score applications on the selection criteria.

https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html

A-4

Prior to the peer review, Department staff will determine if an application has met the qualifications of the absolute priority and is eligible for peer review. An application that has not met the absolute priority will not be considered for funding and may not be reviewed.

• PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS IN RESEARCH.

The discretionary grant Application Form SF-424 requires applicants to indicate whether they plan to conduct research involving human subjects at any time during the proposed project period. The Protection of Human Subjects in Research Attachment is an integral part of the SF-424 form. It includes information that applicants need to complete the protection of human subjects item and, as appropriate, to provide additional information to the Department regarding human subjects research projects. Additional information on completing the protection of human subjects item is also available and can be accessed on the internet at:

www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/humansub.html

• RESPONSE TO GPRA.

As required by the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has developed a strategic plan for measuring GPRA performance. The program included in this announcement is authorized under Part D - National Activities to Improve Education of Children with Disabilities of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Projects funded under this competition are required to submit data on GPRA performance measures as directed by OSEP. See Performance Measures included in the Priority Description section of this application package. Applicants are encouraged to consider this information when preparing their applications.

• COPIES OF THE APPLICATION.

Unless you qualify for an exception in accordance with the instructions found in the Notice inviting applications, you must submit your application electronically. Therefore, you do not need to submit paper copies of the application. If you are granted an exception, current Government-wide policy requires that an original and two paper copies need to be submitted. Please note: If an application is recommended for funding and a grant award is issued, we will contact the applicant to request an electronic copy of the application in MS Word or a PDF file. The Department is moving toward an electronic grant filing system and an electronic copy of all applications that are being funded will facilitate this effort.

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/humansub.html

A-5

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

OSEP also provides information on developing performance measures and logic models at https://www.osepideasthatwork.org/logicModel to assist you in preparing a quality application.

For information about other U.S. Department of Education grant and contract opportunities, we encourage you to use the Department's grant information web page which can be accessed on the internet at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/grants/grants.html.

We appreciate your efforts to improve the provision of services for individuals with disabilities.

Sincerely, /s/ Lawrence J. Wexler, Ed.D.

Director Research to Practice Division Office of Special Education Programs https://www.osepideasthatwork.org/logicModel http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/grants/grants.html

B-1

NOTICE INVITING APPLICATIONS

B-2

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program-- Preparation of Early Intervention and Special Education Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs

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) 2023 for the Preparation of Early Intervention and Special Education Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs Program, Assistance Listing Number 84.325K. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1820-0028.

DATES:

Applications Available: April 19, 2023

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 13, 2023

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 14, 2023

Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than April 24, 2023, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services will post details on pre-recorded informational webinars designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. Links to the webinars may be found at https://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 December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs. Please note that these Common Instructions supersede the version published on December 27, 2021.

https://www2.ed.gov/%E2%80%8Bfund/%E2%80%8Bgrant/%E2%80%8Bapply/%E2%80%8Bosep/%E2%80%8Bnew-osep-grants.html https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs

B-3

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sunyoung Ahn U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Room 5012A, Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202-5076

Telephone: 202-987-0141

Email: Sunyoung.Ahn@ed.gov.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

FULL TEXT OF ANNOUNCEMENT

mailto:Sunyoung.Ahn@ed.gov

B-4

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Purpose of Program:

The purposes of this program are to (1) help address State-identified needs for personnel preparation in early intervention, special education, related services, and regular education to work with children, including infants, toddlers, and youth, 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, to be successful in serving those children.

Priorities:

This competition includes one absolute priority and, within that absolute priority, one competitive preference priority. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), the absolute priority is 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 Priority:

For FY 2023 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet this priority.

This priority is:

Preparation of Early Intervention and Special Education Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs.

Background:

The purpose of this priority is to prepare scholars who are fully credentialed to serve children, including infants, toddlers, and youth, with disabilities (children with disabilities) who have high-intensity needs.1 The Department is committed to promoting equity for children with

1 For the purposes of this priority, “high-intensity needs” refers to a complex array of disabilities (e.g., multiple disabilities, significant cognitive disabilities, significant physical disabilities, significant sensory disabilities, significant autism, significant emotional disabilities, or significant learning disabilities, including dyslexia) or the needs of children with these disabilities requiring intensive, individualized intervention(s) (i.e., that are specifically designed to address persistent learning or behavior difficulties, implemented with

B-5 disabilities to access educational resources and opportunities, and a high priority for the Department is to increase the number of personnel, including increasing the number of multilingual personnel and personnel from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, who provide services to children with disabilities. To support these goals, under this absolute priority, the Department will fund high-quality projects that prepare early intervention and special education personnel at the bachelor’s degree, certification, master’s degree, or educational specialist degree levels for professional practice in a variety of education settings, including natural environments (the home and community settings in which children with and without disabilities participate), early childhood programs, classrooms, schools, and distance learning environments; including increasing the number of multilingual personnel and personnel from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. Projects will also prepare such personnel to support each child with a disability who has high-intensity needs in meeting high expectations and to have meaningful and effective collaborations with other providers, families, and administrators.

For decades, State demand for fully credentialed early intervention and special education personnel to serve children with disabilities has persistently exceeded the available supply (Mason-Williams et al., 2020). The shortages have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and are at a crisis point nationally. According to a recent survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, most schools reported starting the 2022-23 school year short-staffed for both instructional and non-instructional staff, with the most severe shortages for special education personnel (U.S. Department of Education, 2022). Recent data related to the special education personnel pipeline also indicate discouraging trends. Enrollment in educator preparation programs has dropped 35 percent over the last five years, foreshadowing an insufficient pipeline of special education personnel (Council of Administrators of Special Education, 2020). Also, special education personnel continue to leave the teaching profession at nearly twice the rate of their general education colleagues (Council of Administrators of Special Education, 2020). These shortages limit the field’s ability to ensure that each child can meet challenging objectives and receive an education that addresses individualized needs and is both meaningful and appropriately ambitious, which is essential for preparing them for the future.

The need for personnel with the knowledge and skills to serve children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs is even greater. To effectively serve children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs, personnel require specialized or advanced skills and knowledge to work within a multidisciplinary team, collaboratively design and deliver evidence-based greater frequency and for an extended duration than is commonly available in a typical classroom or early intervention setting, or which require personnel to have knowledge and skills in identifying and implementing multiple evidence-based interventions).

B-6 instruction and intensive individualized intervention(s), and provide instruction and interventions in person and through distance learning technologies in natural environments, classrooms, and schools that address the needs of these individuals (Boe et al., 2013; Browder et al., 2014;

McLeskey & Brownell, 2015). Personnel also need leadership skills to strengthen professional practice and cultural and linguistic competencies to effectively deliver services and education for children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs, including children who are multilingual and children who are from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds.

To enable personnel to provide efficient, high-quality, integrated, and equitable services, both in person and through distance learning technologies, personnel preparation programs need to embed, into preservice training in early intervention settings, early childhood programs, and schools; content, practices, and extensive field or clinical experiences that are evidence-based and culturally and linguistically responsive. Therefore, this priority aims to fund high-quality projects that prepare scholars in early intervention and special education, including multilingual scholars and scholars from racially, and ethnically diverse backgrounds, who are fully credentialed to enter the field and serve children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs

Priority:

The purpose of this priority is to increase the number and improve the quality of personnel, including multilingual personnel and personnel from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, who are fully credentialed to serve children who have high-intensity needs2 in early intervention and special education. The priority will fund high-quality projects that prepare scholars3 in early

2 For the purposes of this priority, “high-intensity needs” refers to a complex array of disabilities (e.g., multiple disabilities, significant cognitive disabilities, significant physical disabilities, significant sensory disabilities, significant autism, significant emotional disabilities, or significant learning disabilities, including dyslexia) or the needs of children with these disabilities requiring intensive, individualized intervention(s) (i.e., that are specifically designed to address persistent learning or behavior difficulties, implemented with greater frequency and for an extended duration than is commonly available in a typical classroom or early intervention setting, or which require personnel to have knowledge and skills in identifying and implementing multiple evidence-based interventions).

3 For the purposes of this priority, “scholar” means an individual who: (a) is pursuing a bachelor’s, certification, master’s, or educational specialist degree in early intervention or special education; (b) receives scholarship assistance as authorized under section 662 of IDEA (34 CFR 304.3(g)); (c) will be eligible for a license, endorsement, or certification from a State or national credentialing authority following completion of the degree program identified in the application; and (d) will be able to be employed in a position that serves children with disabilities for a minimum of 51 percent of their time or

B-7 intervention and special education at the bachelor’s degree, certification,4 master’s degree, or educational specialist degree levels for professional practice in natural environments, early childhood programs, classrooms, school settings, and in distance learning environments serving children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs.

Note: Projects may include individuals who are not funded as scholars, but are in degree programs (e.g., general education, early childhood education, administration) that are cooperating with the grantee’s project. These individuals may participate in the coursework, assignments, field or clinical experiences, and other opportunities required of scholars’ program of study (e.g., speaker series, monthly seminars) if doing so does not diminish the benefit for project-funded scholars (e.g., by reducing funds available for scholar support or limiting opportunities for scholars to participate in project activities).

Note: Projects that partner with related services5 programs to prepare early intervention or special education personnel can qualify under this priority. In such situations, scholars in the partnering related services degree program (e.g., bachelor’s, master’s, or clinical doctorate degree) may receive scholar support to complete their related services degree. Degree programs across more than one institution of higher education (IHE) may partner together within a project. Personnel preparation degree programs that prepare all scholars to be dually certified, including dually certified in special education and a related service, can qualify under this priority.

Note: Applications that propose to prepare only related services personnel are not eligible under this priority but can qualify under Preparation of Related Services Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs priority (ALN 84.325R).

Focus Areas:

case load. Individuals pursuing degrees in general education or early childhood education do not qualify as “scholars” eligible for scholarship assistance.

4 For the purposes of this priority, “certification” refers to programs of study that lead to State licensure, endorsement, or certification that qualifies graduates to teach or provide services to children with disabilities. Programs of study that lead to a certificate of completion from the institution of higher education (IHE), but do not lead to State licensure, endorsement, or certification, do not qualify.

5 For the purposes of this priority, “related services” includes: speech-language pathology and audiology services; interpreting services; psychological services; applied behavior analysis; physical therapy and occupational therapy; recreation, including therapeutic recreation; social work services; counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling; and orientation and mobility services.

B-8

Within this absolute priority, the Secretary intends to support projects under the following two focus areas: (A) Preparing Personnel to Serve Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs; and (B) Preparing Personnel to Serve School-Age Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs.

Applicants must identify the specific focus area (i.e., A or B) under which they are applying as part of the competition title on the application cover sheet (SF 424, line 12).

Applicants may not submit the same proposal under more than one focus area. Applicants may submit different proposals in different focus areas.

Note: The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) may fund out of rank order high-quality applications to ensure that projects are funded in both Focus Area A and Focus Area B.

Focus Area A: Preparing Personnel to Serve Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs. This focus area is for projects that prepare early intervention and special education personnel to provide services to infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities. In States where certification in early intervention is combined with certification in early childhood special education, applicants may propose a combined early intervention and early childhood special education personnel preparation project under this focus area. In States where the certification age range is other than birth through five, applicants must propose a preparation project that complies with the State’s certification requirements for early intervention and early childhood special education personnel.

Focus Area B: Preparing Personnel to Serve School-Age Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs. This focus area is for projects that prepare special education personnel to work with school-age children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs.

Focus Areas A and B:

Applicants may, but are not required to, use up to the first 12 months of the performance period and up to $100,000 of funds awarded in the first budget period for planning, including enhancing an existing program, without enrolling scholars. If an applicant chooses to use the first year for program planning, then the applicant must provide sufficient justification for requesting program planning time and include the goals, objectives, and intended outcomes of program planning in year one, a description of the proposed strategies and activities to be supported, and a timeline for the work. The proposed strategies may include activities such as--

(1) Updating coursework, group assignments, or extensive and coordinated field or clinical experiences in early intervention settings, early childhood programs, and schools needed to support preparation for early intervention and special education personnel, including

B-9 personnel from groups that are underrepresented in the field, including personnel with disabilities, multilingual personnel, and personnel from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, serving children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs;

(2) Building capacity (e.g., hiring a field supervisor, providing professional development for faculty and field supervisors) of the program to prepare scholars, including scholars from groups that are underrepresented in the field, including scholars with disabilities, multilingual scholars, and scholars from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, to serve children with disabilities with high-intensity needs and their families;

(3) Purchasing needed resources (e.g., additional teaching supplies or specialized equipment to enhance instruction); or

(4) Establishing relationships with early intervention and early childhood programs or schools to serve as sites for field or clinical experiences needed to support the project. These sites may include high-need local educational agencies (LEAs),6 high-poverty schools,7 schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement,8 and schools implementing a targeted support and improvement plan9 for children with disabilities; early childhood and early intervention programs located within the geographic boundaries of a high-need LEA; and early childhood and early intervention programs located within the geographical boundaries of an LEA

6 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 are from families with incomes below the poverty line.

7 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 in 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 under this definition is determined on the basis of the most currently available data.

8 For the purposes of this priority, “school implementing a comprehensive support and improvement plan” means a school identified for comprehensive support and improvement by a State under section 1111(c)(4)(D) of the ESEA that includes (a) not less than the lowest performing 5 percent of all schools in the State 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 in section 1111(d)(3)(A)(i)(II) of the ESEA.

9 For the purposes of this priority, “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 defined in section 1111(d)(2) of the ESEA.

B-10 serving the highest percentage of schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement or implementing targeted support and improvement plans in the State.

Additional Federal funds may be requested for scholar support and other grant activities occurring in year one of the project, provided that the total request for year one does not exceed the maximum award available for one budget period of 12 months (i.e., $250,000).

Note: Applicants proposing projects to develop, expand, or add a new area of emphasis to early intervention or special education programs must provide, in their applications, information on how these new areas will be sustained once Federal funding ends.

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 from the start of the project. The Secretary may reduce continuation awards for any project in which scholar recruitment is not on track or scholars are not on track to complete the program within the project period.

To be considered for funding under this absolute priority, all program applicants must meet the requirements contained in this 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 proposed project will address the need in the proposed preparation focus area to prepare personnel who are fully qualified to serve children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs;

(2) The proposed project will increase the number of personnel in the proposed preparation focus area who demonstrate the competencies10 needed to--

(i) Promote high expectations and improve outcomes for children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs;

(ii) Differentiate curriculum and instruction;

10 For the purposes of this priority, “competencies” means what a person knows and can do--the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to effectively function in a role (National Professional Development Center on Inclusion, 2011).

B-11

(iii) Provide intensive, evidence-based11 individualized instruction and interventions in person and through distance learning technologies in a variety of early intervention, early childhood, and school settings (e.g., natural environments; public schools, including charter schools; private schools; and other nonpublic education settings, including home education);

(iv) Provide culturally and linguistically responsive instruction and services;

(v) Collaborate with diverse partners, including multilingual individuals, individuals and families from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, and individuals with disabilities, using a multidisciplinary team approach to address the individualized developmental, learning, and academic needs of children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs, and support their successful transitions from early childhood to elementary, elementary to secondary, or transition to postsecondary education and the workforce; and

(vi) Exercise leadership to improve professional practice and services and education for children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs; and

(3) The applicant has successfully graduated students in their program, including students with disabilities, multilingual students, and students who are from racially, and ethnically diverse backgrounds, including data disaggregated by disability status, race, national origin and primary language(s), and the number of students who have graduated in the last five years.

(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under “Quality of project services,” how--

(1) The project will conduct its planning activities, if the applicant will use any of the allowable first 12 months of the project period for planning;

(2) The project will recruit and retain scholars. To meet this requirement, the applicant must describe--

(i) The selection criteria the project will use to identify applicants for admission in the program;

(ii) The specific recruitment strategies the project will use to attract applicants, including from groups that are underrepresented in the field, including applicants with disabilities, 11 For the purposes of this priority, “evidence-based” means, at a minimum, evidence that demonstrates a rationale (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1), where a key project component (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) included in the project’s logic model (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) is informed by research or evaluation findings that suggest the project component is likely to improve relevant outcomes (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1).

B-12 multilingual applicants, and applicants from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds to ensure a diverse pool of applicants; and

Note: Applicants should engage in focused outreach and recruitment to increase the number of applicants from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the field, including applicants with disabilities, multilingual applicants, and applicants from racial and ethnic diversity backgrounds, but the selection criteria the applicant intends to use must ensure equal access and treatment of all applicants seeking admission to the program and must be consistent with applicable law, including Federal civil rights law.

(iii) The approach that will be used to mentor and support all scholars, and any specific approaches to supporting groups that are underrepresented in the field, including individuals with disabilities, multilingual scholars, and scholars from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, for retention and completion of the program within the project period and preparing them for careers in early intervention or special education; and

(3) The project will be designed to promote the acquisition of the competencies needed by early intervention or special education personnel to support improved outcomes for children with disabilities with high-intensity needs. To address this requirement, the applicant must--

(i) Describe how the proposed components, such as coursework; field or clinical experiences in early intervention, early childhood, and school settings; work-based experiences;

or other opportunities provided to scholars, and sequence of the project components will enable the scholars to acquire the competencies needed by personnel working with children with disabilities with high-intensity needs;

(ii) Describe how the proposed project will reflect current evidence-based practices (EBPs) to prepare scholars to provide effective and equitable evidence-based culturally and linguistically responsive instruction, interventions, and services that improve outcomes for children with disabilities with high-intensity needs, in a variety of educational or early childhood and early intervention settings, including in-person and remote settings; and

(iii) Describe how the proposed project will engage partners, including: multilingual individuals and individuals and families from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds; public or private partnering agencies, schools, or programs; centers or organizations that provide services to children with disabilities and their families; and individuals with disabilities and their families, to inform and support project components.

(c) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under “Quality of the project personnel and management plan,” how--

(1) The project director and other key project personnel are qualified to prepare scholars in the project’s preparation focus area;

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(2) The project director and other key project personnel will manage the components of the project; and

(3) The time commitments of the project director and other key project personnel are adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project.

(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under “Adequacy of resources,” how--

(1) Information regarding the types of accommodations and resources available to fully support scholars’ well-being and a work-life balance (e.g., university and community mental health supports, counseling services, health resources, housing resources, child care) will be disseminated and how the project will support scholars to access those accommodations and resources in a timely basis, if needed, while the scholar is in the program;

(2) The types of accommodations and resources provided to support scholars’ well-being and a work-life balance will be individualized based on scholars’ cultural, academic, and social emotional needs with the goal of supporting them to complete the program; and

(3) The budget is adequate for meeting the project objectives and mitigating financial burden to scholars in completing the program of study.

Note: Scholar support does not need to be uniform for all scholars and should be customized for individual scholars based on scholars’ financial needs, including consideration of all costs associated with the cost of attendance, even if that means enrolling fewer scholars.

Scholar support can include support for cost of attendance (i.e., tuition and fees; university student health insurance; an allowance for books, materials, and supplies; an allowance for miscellaneous personal expenses; an allowance for dependent care, such as child care; and/or an allowance for room and board), travel in conjunction with training assignments including conference registration, and stipends to support scholars’ completion of the program.

Projections for scholar support should consider tuition increases and cost of living increases over the project period.

(e) 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 project have been met. To meet this requirement, the applicant must describe--

(i) The outcomes to be measured for both the project and the scholars, particularly the acquisition of scholars’ competencies; and

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(ii) The evaluation methodologies, data collection methods, and data analyses that will be used; and

(2) Collect, analyze, and use data on scholars supported by the project to inform the project on an ongoing basis.

(f) Demonstrate, in the appendices or narrative under “Required project assurances” as directed, that the following requirements are met. The applicant must--

(1) Include in Appendix A of the application--

(i) Charts, tables, figures, graphs, screen shots, and visuals that provide information directly relating to the application requirements for the narrative. Appendix A should not be used for supplementary information. Please note that charts, tables, figures, graphs, and screen shots can be single-spaced when placed in Appendix A; and

(ii) A letter of support from a public or private partnering agency, school, or program, that states it will provide scholars with a field or clinical experience in a high-need LEA, a high-poverty school, a school implementing a comprehensive support and improvement plan, a school implementing a targeted support and improvement plan 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;

(2) Include in Appendix B of the application--

(i) A table that lists the project’s required coursework and includes the course title, brief description, learning goals, and relevant State or national professional organization personnel standards for each course;

(ii) Four exemplar course syllabi required by the degree program that reflect EBPs across the areas of assessment; social, emotional, and behavior development and learning; inclusive practices; instructional strategies; and literacy as appropriate;

(3) Include in the application budget attendance by the project director at a three-day project directors’ meeting in Washington, DC, during each year of the project; and

(4) Provide an assurance that--

(i) 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

B-15 scholarships. Failure by a grantee to properly meet these requirements is a violation of the grant award that may result in the grantee being liable for returning any misused funds to the Department;

(ii) The project will meet the statutory requirements in section 662(e) through (h) of IDEA;

(iii) The project will be operated in a manner consistent with nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal civil rights laws;

(iv) All the syllabi for the project’s required coursework will be provided if requested by

OSEP;

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

(vi) Scholar support provided by the project (e.g., tuition and fees; university student health insurance; an allowance for books, materials, and supplies; an allowance for miscellaneous personal expenses; an allowance for dependent care, such as child care; and an allowance for room and board) is not based on the condition that the scholar work for the grantee (e.g., personnel at the IHE);

(vii) The project director, key personnel, and scholars will actively participate in learning opportunities (e.g., webinars, briefings) supported by OSEP. This is intended to promote opportunities for participants to understand reporting requirements, share resources, and generate new knowledge by addressing topics of common interest to participants across projects including Department priorities and needs in the field;

(viii) The project website, if applicable, will be of high quality, with an easy-to-navigate design that meets government or industry-recognized standards for accessibility;

(ix) Scholar accomplishments (e.g., public service, awards, publications, conference presentations) will be reported in annual and final performance reports; and

(x) 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 34 CFR 75.110. 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 (f)(4)(i) of this priority). Applicants are encouraged to visit the Personnel Development Program Data Collection System website at https://pdp.ed.gov/osep for further information about this data collection requirement.

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Competitive Preference Priority: Within this absolute priority, we give competitive preference to applications that address the following priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional 3 points to an application that meets the Competitive Preference Priority.

Applicants should indicate in the abstract if they are addressing the competitive preference priority.

The priority is:

Competitive…