2024-325M 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 2024 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--

Personnel Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Personnel at

Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority

Serving Institutions (Assistance Listing Number 84.325M)

DATED MATERIAL: OPEN IMMEDIATELY

CLOSING DATE: February 20, 2024

FORM APPROVED—OMB NO. 1820-0028, EXP. DATE: 7/31/2025

GRANT APPLICATION PACKAGE ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER 84.325M

CONTENTS

Section A: Applicant Letter

Section B: Notice Inviting Applications

Federal Register Notice

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

Section C: Priority Descriptions and Selection Criteria

Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children With Disabilities--Personnel Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Personnel and Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority Serving Institutions (Assistance Listing Number 84.325M)

Section Criteria and Format for the Applications for New Awards--Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program--Personnel Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Personnel at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority Serving Institutions (Assistance Listing Number 84.325M) Competition

SECTION D: General Information on Completing an Application

Section E: Application Transmittal Instructions and Requirements for Intergovernmental Review

Application Transmittal Instructions

Section F: Appendix

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs

State Single Points of Contact (SPOCs)

Section G: Notice to All Applicants Ensuring Equitable Access and Application Forms and Instructions

Application Forms and Instructions for Grants.gov Applications

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, 4A10, Washington D.C. 20202 or by phone at 202-987-0156.

Section A: Applicant Letter

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--Personnel Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Personnel at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority Serving Institutions (Assistance Listing Number 84.325M).

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 37, 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 http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ application electronically can also be found in section E of this application package, Application Transmittal Instructions and Requirements for Intergovernmental Review.

Additional instructions for sending applications electronically are provided on page 90, 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 E 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 page 76 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

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

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

Section B: Notice Inviting Applications

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--Personnel Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Personnel at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority Serving Institutions

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) 2024 for Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities--Personnel Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Personnel at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority Serving Institutions, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.325M. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1820-0028.

DATES:

Applications Available: December 7, 2023

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:February 20, 2024

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: April 22, 2024

Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than December 12, 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 www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Tracie Dickson

400 Maryland Avenue, SW Room 4A10, Washington, DC 20202

Telephone: 202-245-7844

Email: Tracie.Dickson@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

http://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs http://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs mailto:Tracie.Dickson@ed.gov

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, 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.

Priority:

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 2024 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:

Personnel Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and

Related Services Personnel at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and other Minority Serving Institutions.

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). The Department is committed to promoting equity for children with disabilities in accessing educational resources and opportunities. The Department also places a high priority on increasing the number of personnel, including increasing personnel from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds and personnel who are multilingual, who provide services to children with disabilities. To support these goals, under this absolute priority, the Department will fund projects within Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) that prepare special education, early intervention, and related services personnel at the bachelor’s degree, certification, master’s degree, educational specialist degree, or clinical doctoral degree levels to serve in a variety of settings, including natural environments (the home and community settings in which children with and without disabilities participate), early learning programs, child care, classrooms, schools, and distance learning.

Over time, the population of children receiving services under the IDEA is increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. In 2021, approximately 50 percent of infants and toddlers with disabilities, ages birth through two, were children of color;

approximately 49 percent of preschool children with disabilities, ages three through five (not in kindergarten), were from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds; while approximately 54 percent of students with disabilities, ages five (in kindergarten) through 21, were from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds (U.S. Department of Education, 2022a).

While children of color make up approximately 54 percent of public school enrollment (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022) and greater than 50 percent of children receiving early intervention and special education services, results from the 2020-2021 National Teacher and Principal Survey (U.S. Department of Education, 2022b) show that about 80 percent of all public K–12 school teachers were non-Hispanic White.

Moreover, the demographics of personnel entering the early intervention and special education fields are not aligned with the demographics of the children and families served under IDEA, though IDEA specifically authorizes grants to recruit and prepare personnel, especially from groups that are underrepresented in the teaching profession. The U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Personnel Development Program Data Collection System data reveals that scholars supported under this program are predominantly White. Specifically, the race/ethnicity of scholars obtaining a graduate degree to serve children with disabilities in FY 2020 was 65.8 percent White, 14.5 percent Hispanic, 11.5 percent Black, 3.9 percent Asian, 0.7 percent American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.4 percent Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 2.2 percent Two or More Races. Similarly, data from related services professional organizations reveal that the majority of those enrolled in related service personnel preparation programs are White (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2022; American Speech-Language Hearing Association, 2021; Data USA, 2022).

The data demonstrate that there is insufficient ethnic and racial diversity among special education, early intervention, and related service personnel (Ondrasek et al., 2020; Carver-Thomas, 2018; Sutcher et al., 2016). This lack of diversity is of concern, as research indicates that increasing the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of personnel can have positive impacts on all children. Children of color and children who are multilingual, with and without disabilities, demonstrate improved academic achievement and behavioral and social and emotional development when they are taught by teachers who are from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds and multilingual teachers (Bryan, 2021; Carver-Thomas, 2018, April). States and policymakers are also highlighting the need to address the lack of racial and ethnic diversity of those working in early intervention and special education and are recognizing the need to develop career pathways and comprehensive strategies to recruit, prepare, develop, and retain educators from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds (Carver- Thomas, 2018; Colorado Department of Higher Education, 2022; Gardner et al., 2019).

Priority:

The purpose of this priority is to prepare and increase the number of personnel, including personnel from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds and personnel who are multilingual, who are fully credentialed to serve children with disabilities. Under this absolute priority, the Department will fund projects within HBCUs,1 TCCUs,2 and other MSIs3 that prepare scholars4 in special education, early intervention, and related services5 at the bachelor’s degree, certification,6 master’s degree, educational specialist degree, or clinical

1 For purposes of this priority, “Historically Black Colleges and Universities” means colleges and universities that meet the criteria in 34 CFR 608.2.

2 For purposes of this priority, “Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities” has the meaning ascribed to it in section 316(b)(3) of the HEA of 1965.

3 For purposes of this priority, “Minority-Serving Institution” means an institution that is eligible to receive assistance under sections 316 through 320 of part A of title III, under part B of title III, or under title V of the HEA. For purposes of this priority, the Department will use the FY 2023 Eligibility Matrix to determine MSI eligibility (see https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/eligibility.html).

4 For the purposes of this priority, “scholar” is limited to an individual who: (a) is pursuing a bachelor’s, certification, master’s, educational specialist degree, or clinical doctoral degree in special education, early intervention, or related services (as defined in this notice); (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 case load. Individuals pursuing degrees in general education or early childhood education do not qualify as “scholars” eligible for scholarship assistance.

5 For the purposes of this priority, “related services” includes the following: speech-language pathology and audiology services; assistive technology services; interpreting services; intervener services; psychological services; applied behavior analysis; physical therapy and occupational therapy; recreation, including therapeutic recreation; artistic and cultural services, including music, art, dance and movement therapy; social work services; counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling; and orientation and mobility services.

6 For the purposes of this priority, “certification” refers to programs of study for individuals with bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist, or clinical doctoral degrees that lead to licensure, endorsement, or certification from a State or national credentialing authority following completion of the degree program that qualifies graduates to teach or provide services to children with disabilities. Programs of study that lead to a certificate of completion awarded from an HBCU, TCCU, or MSI, but do not lead to licensure, endorsement, or doctoral degree levels to serve in a variety of settings, including natural environments (the home and community settings in which children with and without disabilities participate), early learning programs, child care, classrooms, schools, and distance learning. This priority will provide support to help address identified needs for personnel, including personnel from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds and personnel who are multilingual, with the knowledge and skills to promote high expectations and provide effective evidence-based7 interventions and services that improve outcomes for children with disabilities, including children of color with disabilities and children with disabilities who are multilingual.

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 by the 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: Personnel preparation degree programs that prepare all scholars to be dually certified can qualify under this priority.

Note: Applicants under this priority may not submit the same proposal under Preparation of Related Services Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities who have High-Intensity Needs, ALN 84.325R. Applicants may submit substantively different proposals under ALN 84.325M and ALN 84.325R. OSEP may fund applications out of rank order based on funding decisions across ALN 84.325M and ALN 84.325R in FY 2024 to ensure that similar personnel preparation projects are not funded within the same institution of higher education (IHE) across the ALN 84.325M and ALN 84.325R competitions.

Focus Areas:

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; and (B) Preparing Personnel to Serve School- Age Children with Disabilities.

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 both Focus Area A and B.

However, applicants may submit substantively different proposals for Focus Areas A and B. OSEP may fund out of rank order applications from HBCUs and TCCUs to increase certification from a State or national credentialing authority, do not qualify.

7 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).

the number of funded applications from these institutions. OSEP may also fund applications out of rank order 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.

This focus area is for projects that prepare early intervention, early childhood, special education, and related services personnel, including scholars from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds and scholars who are multilingual, to provide services to infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities. Programs preparing early intervention special educators and early childhood special educators must prepare graduates to meet State and national professional organization standards for early intervention special educators and early childhood special educators such as the Division of Early Childhood (DEC) Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards for Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (DEC, 2020). 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. Programs that prepare general early childhood educators are not eligible under this competition regardless of whether a degree in early childhood education complies with the State’s certification requirements for early intervention special educators or early childhood special educators.

Focus Area B: Preparing Personnel to Serve School-Age Children with Disabilities. This focus area is for projects that prepare special education and related services personnel, including personnel from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds and personnel who are multilingual, to work with school-age children with disabilities.

Focus Areas A and B:

Applicants may, but are not required to, use up to the first 12 months of the project period and up to $100,000 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, key personnel and collaborators, 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, course outcomes, scholar competencies, assignments, or extensive and coordinated field or clinical experiences needed to support preparation for special education, early intervention, or related services scholars, including scholars from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, scholars who are multilingual, and scholars with disabilities serving children with disabilities, including children of color with disabilities and children with disabilities who are multilingual;

(2) Building the capacity (e.g., hiring a field supervisor, providing professional development for faculty and field supervisors) of the project to prepare scholars, including scholars from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, scholars who are multilingual, and scholars with disabilities, to serve children with disabilities and their families, including children and families of color and who are multilingual;

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

(4) Establishing relationships, which may include developing memorandums of understandings or other formal agreements, 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),8 high-poverty schools,9 schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement,10 and schools implementing a targeted support and improvement plan11 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 serving the highest percentage of schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement or implementing targeted support and improvement plans in the State.

In addition to requesting up to $100,000 for planning, additional Federal funds may also be requested for scholar support and other grant activities occurring in year one of the project.

Note: Applicants proposing projects to develop, expand, or add a new area of emphasis

8 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.

9 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.

10 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.

11 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 as defined in section 1111(d)(2) of the ESEA.

within the curriculum of early intervention, special education, or related services 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 by the end of the 60 months.

To be considered for funding under this absolute priority, 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.

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 increase the number of personnel, including increasing the number from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, the number of personnel who are multilingual, and the number of personnel with disabilities, who are prepared to provide effective and equitable, evidence-based, and culturally and linguistically responsive instruction, interventions, and services that improve outcomes, including literacy and math outcomes, for children with disabilities;

(2) The proposed project will increase the number of personnel with competencies12 in the proposed preparation focus area to provide effective and equitable, evidence-based, and culturally and linguistically responsive instruction, interventions, and services, including through distance education, that improve outcomes, including literacy and math outcomes, for children with disabilities, including children of color with disabilities and children with disabilities who are multilingual; and

(3) The applicant has successfully graduated students from its program, including students who are from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, students who are multilingual, and students with disabilities, by including data disaggregated by race, national origin and primary language(s), and disability status; 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--

12 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).

(1) The project will conduct its planning activities if the applicant elects to use up to the first 12 months of the project period and up to $100,000 awarded in the first budget period for planning;

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

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

(ii) The specific recruitment strategies the project will use to attract a diverse pool of applicants, including from groups that are underrepresented in the field, including applicants from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, applicants who are multilingual, and applicants with disabilities; 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 from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, applicants who are multilingual, and applicants with disabilities, 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 laws.

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

(3) The project will promote the acquisition of competencies needed by special education, early intervention, or related services personnel in the project’s proposed preparation focus area to provide effective and equitable, evidence-based, and culturally and linguistically responsive instruction, interventions, and services that improve outcomes, including literacy and math outcomes, for children with disabilities, including children of color with disabilities and children with disabilities who are multilingual. 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, or school settings; work-based experiences; or other opportunities provided to scholars, and sequence of the components will enable the scholars to acquire the competencies needed by applicable personnel to serve children with disabilities, including children of color and children who are multilingual in a school or early intervention setting;

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

(iii) Describe the pedagogical practices that will be used to ensure that the program is inclusive regarding race, ethnicity, culture, language, and disability status so that scholars are prepared to create inclusive, supportive, equitable, unbiased, and identity-safe learning environments for children with disabilities; and

(iv) Describe how the project will engage various partners, including families of color, families who are multilingual, and parents with disabilities; public or private partnering agencies, schools, or programs, including those that serve racially and ethnically diverse populations, multilingual populations, and children with disabilities; and centers or organizations that provide services to children with disabilities, including children of color with disabilities and children with disabilities who are multilingual, 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;

(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 on 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, social emotional, and disability-related needs with the goals 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 (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), 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 relevant outcomes to be measured for both the project and the scholars, particularly the acquisition of scholars’ competencies; and

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

(2) Collect and analyze data on all scholars supported by the project, including data disaggregated by race, national origin, primary language(s), and disability status, to inform the proposed 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, a State educational agency, an early childhood or early intervention program located within the geographical boundaries of a high-need LEA, or an early childhood or 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; and

(ii) Four exemplars of course syllabi required by the degree program that reflect EBPs across the areas of assessment; social, emotional, and behavioral development and learning; inclusive practices; instructional strategies; and literacy if appropriate, and consider the unique needs of children of color with disabilities and children with disabilities who are multilingual;

(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 (A) informing all scholarship recipients of their service obligation commitment;

and (B) disbursing 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 at the request of OSEP;

(v) At least 65 percent of the total award over the project period (i.e., up to 60 months) 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; an allowance for room and board) is not conditioned on scholars working 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 ideas by discussing 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.

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 the competitive preference priority is addressed.

The…