2024-326R Application Package - 508 FINAL.docx

U.S. Department of Education

OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION & REHABILITATIVE SERVICES

OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

WASHINGTON, DC 20202

FISCAL YEAR 2024

APPLICATION FOR NEW GRANTS UNDER THE

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT (IDEA)

Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program

(ALN 84.326)

APPLICATIONS FOR NEW AWARDS;

The National Center for Systemic Improvement

(ALN 84.326R)

DATED MATERIAL: OPEN IMMEDIATELY

CLOSING DATE: MAY 20, 2024

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

B-1 A-2

Contents

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. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 45 hours and 40 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to:

U.S. Department of Education Washington, DC 20202-4651 If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to:

Office of Special Education Programs U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Ave. SW Washington, DC 20202

Applicant Letter

A-4 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 Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities (Assistance Listing Number 84.326) program—Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities--The National Center for Systemic Improvement (Assistance Listing Number 84.326R).

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-52, 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 D of this application package, Application Transmittal Instructions and Requirements for Intergovernmental Review. Additional instructions for sending applications electronically are provided on page E-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 D 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 C-1 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 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. The Department will use peer reviewers to review and score applications on the selection criteria.

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:

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

RESPONSE TO GPRA.

As required by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Modernization Act of 2010, 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.

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/ David J. Cantrell, OSEP Deputy Director and Acting Research to Practice Division Director

A-2

Notice Inviting Applications

A-5 Federal Register Notice 4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities--The National Center for Systemic Improvement 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 the National Center for Systemic Improvement, Assistance Listing Number 84.326R. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1820-0028.

Dates:

Applications Available: March 21, 2024 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 20, 2024 Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 19, 2024 Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than March 26, 2024, the Office of Special Education Programs and Rehabilitative Services will post pre-recorded informational webinars designed to provide technical assistance (TA) to interested applicants. 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/d/2022-26554.

For Further Information Contact:

Perry Williams Telephone: (202) 987-0138.

Email: perry.williams@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 I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program:

The purpose of the Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program is to promote academic achievement and to improve results for children with disabilities by providing TA, supporting model demonstration projects, disseminating useful information, and implementing activities that are supported by scientifically based research.

Priority:

This competition includes one absolute priority. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), this priority is from allowable activities specified in the statute (see sections 663 and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); 20 U.S.C. 1463 and 1481(d)).

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:

The National Center for Systemic Improvement.

Background:

The Office of Special Education Programs’ (OSEP’s) most recent Part B findings from its Differentiated Monitoring and Supports (DMS) 2.0[footnoteRef:2] visits highlight ongoing concerns that States’ general supervision systems are not designed to identify and correct noncompliance in LEAs related to monitoring and improvement, fiscal monitoring, dispute resolution, early childhood transition, and significant disproportionality as well as other general supervision requirements. Further, IDEA section 616(d) determinations[footnoteRef:3] show that between 2014 and 2023, only seven Part B States consistently received the “meets requirements” determination in accordance with 20 U.S.C. 1416(d)(2)(A). [2: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/DMS-2.0-Overview.pdf.] [3: Consistent with IDEA section 616(d), the Department must make an annual determination as to the extent to which each State’s IDEA Part B program is meeting IDEA requirements. The Department can determine that a State meets the requirements and purposes of IDEA Part B, needs assistance in implementing Part B requirements, needs intervention in implementing Part B requirements, or needs substantial intervention in implementing Part B requirements. 20 U.S.C. 1416(d)(2)(A).]

In response to these ongoing findings, in July 2023, OSEP released to the field, Guidance on State General Supervision Responsibilities under Parts B and C of the IDEA.[footnoteRef:4] This guidance is intended to support States as they implement, monitor progress, and continuously update, with fidelity, reasonably designed general supervision systems to ensure statewide accountability to identify and correct noncompliance in a timely manner; increase accountability through the collection of timely and accurate data; and ensure the full implementation of IDEA for CWD and their families. [4: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/Guidance_on_State_General_Supervision_Responsibilities_under_Parts_B_and_C_of_IDEA-07-24-2023.pdf. ]

Priority:

The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative agreement to establish and operate the National Center for Systemic Improvement (project). This project will provide sustained TA to SEAs to support them to effectively implement IDEA, build the capacity of State directors and State-level staff to meet the requirements of IDEA and build statewide systems to advance educational equity, mitigate SEA turnover, and improve academic and functional outcomes for children and youth with disabilities.

The project must achieve, at a minimum, the following expected outcomes:

(a) Increased capacity of SEAs to support LEAs and schools in selecting and implementing evidence-based[footnoteRef:5] practices (EBPs) and high-leverage practices (HLPs)[footnoteRef:6] within frameworks supported by evidence that drive effective learning experiences, instruction, interventions, and services and supports to improve educational results and functional outcomes for CWD; [5: 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 included in the project’s logic model is informed by research or evaluation findings that suggest the project component is likely to improve relevant outcomes.] [6: For the purposes of this priority, “high-leverage practices” refers to a set of practices in special education that are essential to improving student learning and behavior and can be learned through coursework, deliberately practiced in clinical practice, and generalized in future field experiences. For more detailed information on high-leverage practices, see High-Leverage Practices in Special Education at https://highleveragepractices.org/.]

(ii) Present information and data about the current capacity of SEAs to support continuous improvement, and how the project will enhance SEA capacity to support LEAs and schools to implement, scale-up, and sustain the use of EBPs and HLPs with fidelity; and

Note: The following websites provide more information on logic models and conceptual frameworks: https://osepideasthatwork.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/ConceptualFramework_Updated.pdf and www.osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptual-framework.

Note: Within 30 days of receipt of the award, a post-award teleconference must be held between the OSEP project officer and the grantee’s project director or other authorized representative.

Fourth and Fifth Years of the Project:

References:

Blase, K., Fixsen, D., Sims, B., & Ward, C. (2014). Implementation science: Changing hearts, minds, behavior, and systems to improve educational outcomes. National Implementation Research Network, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. https://fpg.unc.edu/sites/fpg.unc.edu/files/resource-files/2014%20Wing%20Summit%20KB.pdf.

Heifetz, R. A., Linsky, M., & Grashow, A. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Harvard Business Press.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). Public high school graduation rates. Condition of education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/coi.

National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). (2018). Accessing ESSA: Missed opportunities for children with disabilities. https://hecse.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/18.-AssessingESSA_2018.pdf.

Pier, L., Hough, H., Christian, M., Bookman, N., Wilkenfeld, B., & Miller, R. (2021, January).