PKG00251941-instructions.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION & REHABILITATIVE SERVICES

OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20202

FISCAL YEAR 2019

APPLICATION FOR NEW GRANTS UNDER THE

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT (IDEA)

PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE SERVICES AND

RESULTS FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

(CFDA 84.325)

APPLICATIONS FOR NEW AWARDS;

DOCTORAL TRAINING CONSORTIA ASSOCIATED

WITH HIGH-INTENSITY NEEDS

(CFDA 84.325H)

DATED MATERIAL: OPEN IMMEDIATELY

CLOSING DATE: JULY 29, 2019

FORM APPROVED—OMB NO. 1820-0028, EXP. DATE: 09/30/2019

http://www.ed.gov/

GRANT APPLICATION PACKAGE CFDA 84.325H

CONTENTS

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

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

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

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants ............................................. B30

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

Doctoral Training Consortia Associated with High-Intensity Needs (CFDA 84.325H) .......... C2

Selection Criteria and Format for the Applications for New Awards—Doctoral Training Consortia Associated with High-Intensity Needs (CFDA 84.325H) Competition ...................................................................................................................... C19

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) ............................................................................. G21

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

Part IV: Assurances and Certifications .............................................................................. G28

Assurances—Non-Construction Programs ........................................................... G28

Certification Regarding Lobbying .......................................................................... G31

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities ........................................................................... G32

Part V: Additional Information ........................................................................................... G33

DUNS Number Instructions ................................................................................... G33

Grant Application Receipt Acknowledgement ........................................................ G33

Grant and Contract Funding Information ............................................................... G33

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

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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 (CFDA 84.325) program— Applications for New Awards; Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities—Doctoral Training Consortia Associated with High-Intensity Needs (CFDA No. 84.325H).

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 B-30, 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/

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

• MAXIMUM AWARD AMOUNT.

The competitions included in this package have 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 competitions included in this package limit the Part III 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 PRIORITIES AND COMPETITIVE PREFERENCE PRIORITIES.

This competition includes one absolute priority and three competitive preference priorities.

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

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Applicants must demonstrate matching support for the proposed project at 10 percent of the total amount of the grant, as specified in (d)(15) of the priority requirements, for an application to be reviewed and be considered eligible to receive an award.

Prior to the peer review, Department staff will determine if an application has met 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. Department staff will assign competitive preference priority points to applications meeting one or more of the competitive preference priorities, up to a total of 10 points.

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

• RESPONSE TO GPRA.

As required by the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act (GPRA) 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 http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/gcsindex.html http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/humansub.html

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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/ 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

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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--Doctoral Training Consortia Associated with High-Intensity Needs

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

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY:

The mission of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is to improve early childhood, educational, and employment outcomes and raise expectations for all people with disabilities, their families, their communities, and the Nation. As such, the Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2019 for Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities--Doctoral Training Consortia Associated with High-Intensity Needs, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.325H. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1820-0028.

DATES:

Applications Available: June 12, 2019.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 29, 2019.

Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than June 17, 2019, OSERS will post pre-recorded informational webinars designed to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. The webinars may be found at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html.

Pre-Application Q & A Blog: No later than June 17, 2019, OSERS will open a blog where interested applicants may post questions about the application requirements for this competition and where OSERS will post answers to the questions received. OSERS will not respond to questions unrelated to the application requirements for this competition. The blog may be found at www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html and will remain open until July 1, 2019. After the blog closes, applicants should direct questions to the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

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

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Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 25, 2019.

Addresses:

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

For Further Information Contact:

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

Telephone: (202) 245-7373

Email: Celia.Rosenquist@ed.gov

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

FULL TEXT OF ANNOUNCEMENT

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program:

The purposes of this program are to--

(1) help address State-identified needs for personnel preparation in special education, early intervention, related services, and regular education to work with children, including infants and toddlers, with disabilities; and

(2) ensure that those personnel have the necessary skills and knowledge, derived from practices that have been determined through scientifically based research and experience, to be successful in serving those children.

http://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf mailto:Celia.Rosenquist@ed.gov

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Priorities:

This competition includes one absolute priority and three competitive preference priorities. In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(v), the absolute priority and competitive preference priorities are from allowable activities specified in sections 662 and 681 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. 1462 and 1481).

Absolute Priority:

For FY 2019 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:

Doctoral Training Consortia Associated with High-Intensity Needs.

Background:

The purpose of this competition is to support three doctoral training consortia that will prepare leaders with highly specialized skills, knowledge, and expertise to address the needs of children, including infants, toddlers, and youth (referred to as “children” hereafter), with disabilities with high-intensity needs. Each training consortium will prepare special education, early intervention, or related services personnel who are well-qualified for, and can act effectively in, leadership positions as researchers and preparers of special education, early intervention, or related services personnel in institutions of higher education (IHEs), or as leaders in traditional and non-traditional public school systems such as State educational agencies (SEAs), charter management organizations (CMOs), charter school authorizers, lead agencies (LAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), private school networks, parochial schools, early intervention services (EIS) programs, or schools. This priority is consistent with three priorities included in the Secretary’s Final Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grant Programs (Supplemental Priorities) (83 FR 9096). Specifically, the priority is consistent with Supplemental Priority 2--Promoting Innovation and Efficiency, Streamlining Education with an Increased Focus on Improving Student Outcomes, and Providing Increased Value to Students and Taxpayers; Supplemental Priority 5--Meeting the Unique Needs of Students and Children With Disabilities and/or Those with Unique Gifts and Talents; and Supplemental Priority 8--Promoting Effective Instruction in Classrooms and Schools.

Leadership personnel play an essential role in promoting high expectations for each child with a disability and provide, or prepare others to provide, effective interventions and services that improve outcomes for children, including infants, toddlers, and youth with disabilities. Children with disabilities with high-intensity needs refers to children with a complex array of disabilities

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(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 interventions (i.e., interventions that are specifically designed to address persistent learning or behavior difficulties, implemented with greater frequency and for a duration that is more extended 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-based1 interventions).

Gaps in the knowledge base of effective interventions and a shortage of educators with specialized preparation can negatively affect the quality of services provided to children with high-intensity needs (e.g., Bruce & Borders, 2015; Farmer et al., 2016; Guralnick, 2017;

Lemons, Vaughn, Wexler, Kearns, & Sinclair, 2018; Roberts & Kaiser, 2015; Browder, Wood, Thompson, & Ribuffo, 2014; Zwaigenbaum et al., 2015). Leadership personnel who have the knowledge, skills, and expertise are needed to effectively address the complexity of issues that children with disabilities with high-intensity needs may have; prepare educators with the specialized knowledge and skills to deliver effective intensive individualized intervention; and inform how intervention and services can best be coordinated to address these needs in different educational settings.

There is a well-documented need for leadership personnel to fill faculty and leadership positions in special education, early intervention, and related services (Castillo, Curtis, & Tan, 2014;

Montrosse & Young, 2012; Robb, Smith, & Montrosse, 2012; Smith, Montrosse, Robb, Tyler, & Young, 2011; Smith, Robb, West, & Tyler, 2010; Woods & Snyder, 2009). However, few university programs include specialized training to address the needs of children with disabilities with high-intensity needs, and those programs usually have a small number of faculty members, and sometimes just one.

The lack of faculty in high-need areas limits the number of future leaders and other educators (e.g., teachers) that can be prepared, restricts the curriculum and diversity of opportunities in preparation programs, and impacts the capacity of the field to advance the knowledge base of effective intervention and services needed to serve children with disabilities with high-intensity needs.

A doctoral training consortium approach can address the need for preparing future leadership personnel in high-need areas. OSEP has funded doctoral training consortia in sensory

1 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.

B-6 disabilities (blind and visually impaired, deaf-blind, and deaf and hard of hearing) since 2004 and a consortium that focuses on disabilities associated with academic and behavior-intensive service needs since 2014.

An initial evaluation of the 2004, 2009, and 2014 sensory consortia indicates the success of the approach in preparing future leaders. For example, a majority of the scholars completed their programs in a timely manner, are working in the field as faculty or in other leadership positions, and made contributions to the field through presentations and publications on improving outcomes and services for children with sensory disabilities. Scholars, after completing their doctoral degrees, have also received research and personnel preparation grants to improve interventions and services as well as grants to prepare personnel to address the needs of children with sensory disabilities (Kruemmeling, Hayes, & Smith, 2017). Although the consortium that focuses on disabilities associated with intensive service needs has not yet ended, preliminary data suggest scholars are making timely progress; contributing to the field through presentations, publications, course materials, and other scholarly activities on improving outcomes for children with disabilities who have intensive service needs; and engaging in collaborative projects across institutions. Additional information about the consortia and the scholars is located at the following websites: www.nlcsdproject.org/ and http://nclii.org/.

Each training consortium will prepare doctoral-level leaders with the knowledge, skills, and expertise needed to deliver effective intensive individualized intervention for children with disabilities with high-intensity needs; prepare educators with the specialized knowledge and skills to deliver effective, intensive individualized intervention; and inform how intervention and services can best be coordinated to address these needs in different educational settings. The consortia will prepare leaders who can act effectively in leadership positions in universities, traditional and non-traditional public school systems such as SEAs, CMOs, charter school authorizers, LAs, LEAs, private school networks, parochial schools, EIS programs, or schools.

Priority:

The purpose of the Doctoral Training Consortia Associated with High-Intensity Needs priority is to increase the number of highly skilled doctoral leaders by funding three cooperative agreements to support three doctoral training consortia to prepare leaders in special education, early intervention, and related services to address the needs of children with disabilities with high-intensity needs.

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

To be considered for funding under this absolute priority, program applicants must meet the application requirements contained in this priority. All projects funded under this absolute http://www.nlcsdproject.org/ http://nclii.org/

B-7 priority also must meet the programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the priority.

Note: Doctoral training consortia that lead to clinical doctoral degrees in related services (e.g., a Doctor of Audiology degree or Doctor of Physical Therapy degree) are not included in this priority. These types of training programs are eligible to apply for funding under the Personnel Preparation in Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services priority (CFDA 84.325K) that OSEP intends to fund in FY 2019.

Note: Applicants must demonstrate matching support for the proposed project at 10 percent of the total amount of the grant as specified in paragraph (d)(15) of the requirements of this priority for an application to be reviewed and be considered eligible to receive an award.

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

(a) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under “Significance,” how--

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

(i) Appropriate and applicable national data demonstrating the need for the leadership personnel the applicant proposes to prepare or, in cases where national data are not available, State, regional, district, or local data demonstrating the need; and

(ii) Data demonstrating the potential success of the project in producing leaders in special education, early intervention, or related services, such as the professional accomplishments of each individual consortium university’s program graduates (e.g., public service, awards, or publications) who demonstrate their leadership in special education, early intervention, or related services; the success of program graduates as preparers of teachers, service providers, or administrators, including any results from evaluating the impact of those teachers, service providers, or administrators on the outcomes of children with disabilities; the average amount of time it takes for program graduates to complete the program; the number of program graduates; and the percentage of program graduates finding employment directly related to their preparation; and

Note: Data on each individual consortium university’s program should be no older than five years prior to the start date of the project proposed in the application. When reporting

B-8 percentages, the denominator (i.e., the total number of scholars or program graduates) must be provided.

(2) The competencies each scholar acquires by participating in the consortium and by completing the university’s program of study relate to the knowledge and skills needed by the leadership personnel the applicant proposes to prepare. A proposed consortium must ensure that all scholars enrolled participate in and complete, in addition to the scholar’s university program of study, a unique consortium curriculum designed to supplement and enhance each university’s program of study by providing academic and professional opportunities and instruction. To address this requirement, the applicant must--

(i) Identify the competencies needed by leadership personnel in postsecondary instruction, administration, policy development, professional practice, leadership, or research in order to provide, prepare others to provide, or supervise the provision of, effective interventions and services that improve outcomes for children with disabilities with high-intensity needs; and

(ii) Provide the conceptual framework that will promote the acquisition of the identified competencies needed by leadership personnel, including knowledge of technologies designed to provide instruction, and how these competencies relate to the consortium’s specialized preparation area. For more information on conceptual frameworks, please see www.osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptual-framework.

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

(1) The project will recruit and support a minimum of 28 high-quality scholars.2 Consortium scholars must be first-time enrollees in a doctoral training program in special education, 2 For the purposes of this priority, “scholar” is limited to an individual who (a) is pursuing a doctoral degree related to special education, early intervention, or related services; (b) receives scholarship assistance as authorized under section 662 of IDEA (34 CFR 304.3(g)); and (c) will be able to be employed in a position that serves children with disabilities for either 51 percent of their time or case load. See https://pdp.ed.gov/OSEP/Home/Regulation for more information.

B-9 early intervention, or related service areas (with the exception of clinical doctorates).

The narrative must describe--

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

(ii) The recruitment strategies the applicant will use to attract high-quality applicants and any specific recruitment strategies targeting high-quality applicants from groups that are underrepresented in the teaching profession, including individuals with disabilities; and

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

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

(i) Describe how the components of the project, such as the consortium curriculum, work-based experiences aligned with project components (e.g., internships, current employment), research requirements, and other opportunities provided to scholars to analyze data, critique research and methodologies, and practice newly acquired knowledge and skills, will enable the scholars to acquire the competencies needed by leadership personnel for postsecondary instruction, administration, policy development, professional practice, leadership, or research in special education, early intervention, or related services;

(ii) Describe how the components of the consortium curriculum are integrated within and across the individual university program curricula in order to support the acquisition and enhancement of the identified competencies needed by leadership personnel in special education, early intervention, or related services, including knowledge of technologies designed to provide instruction;

(iii) Describe how the components of the project prepare scholars to promote high expectations and to provide, prepare others to provide, or supervise the provision of, effective 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;

(iv) Describe how the project will provide scholars with high-quality work-based experiences (e.g., internships, current employment) in a public, non-traditional public, parochial, or

B-10 private partnering agency, school, or program that includes a high-need LEA,3 a high-poverty school,4 a school implementing a comprehensive support and improvement plan,5 a school implementing a targeted support and improvement plan6 for children with disabilities, an early childhood and early intervention program located within the geographical boundaries of a high-need LEA, or an early childhood and early intervention program located within the geographical boundaries of an LEA serving the highest percentage of schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement or implementing targeted support and improvement plans in the State;

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

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

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

(viii) Describe how the project is designed to ensure that scholars have opportunities to work with faculty and scholars from other universities within the consortium on research

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

4 For the purposes of this priority, “high-poverty school” means a school in which at least 50 percent of students are from low-income families as determined using one of the measures of poverty specified under section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA).

For middle and high schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of comparable data from feeder schools. Eligibility as a high-poverty school is determined on the basis of the most currently available data.

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

6 For the purposes of this priority, “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.

B-11 and analytical projects in order to support the acquisition of the competencies identified in paragraph (a)(2)(i).

(c) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under “Quality of the project evaluation,” how the applicant will--

(1) Evaluate how well the goals or objectives of the proposed project have been met. The applicant must describe the outcomes to be measured for both the project and the scholars, particularly the acquisition of scholars’ competencies and their impact on the services provided by future teachers, service providers, or administrators, and must describe the evaluation methodologies to be employed, including proposed instruments, data collection methods, and possible analyses;

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

(3) Develop a plan, to be refined and finalized in collaboration with the other consortia, to evaluate the consortium model;

(4) Develop a plan to disseminate project outcomes, including the consortium structure and program components critical to attaining positive scholar competencies;

(5) Dedicate sufficient resources toward revising, refining, and conducting evaluation activities; and

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

(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative under “Required Project Assurances” or appendices, that the following program requirements are met. The applicant must--

(1) Ensure that the consortium is comprised of at least six IHEs with existing doctoral programs that will prepare scholars for leadership positions to address the needs of children with disabilities with high-intensity needs;

(2) Include at least one doctoral preparation program that has not received funding under CFDA number 84.325D or CFDA number 84.325H at any point in the preceding five fiscal years (i.e., FY 2014 - FY 2018);

(3) Establish policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines for the work of the consortium, in consultation with and approved by the OSEP project officer prior to implementation, in the following areas:

(i) Recruitment and selection of scholars who will be supported by the consortium;

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(ii) Distribution of tuition and stipends among participating scholars;

(iii) Fiscal management;

(iv) Measurement and reporting of scholar progress;

(v) Contingency planning in case of scholar or consortium faculty losses;

(vi) Governance of the consortium; and

(vii) Sustainability plan;

(4) Ensure that all scholars recruited into the consortium can graduate from the program by the end of the project period. The described scholar recruitment strategies, including recruitment of individuals with disabilities, the program components and their sequence, and proposed budget must be consistent with this requirement;

(5) Ensure scholars will not be selected based on race or national origin/ethnicity. Per the Supreme Court’s decision in Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena, 515 U.S. 200 (1995), the Department does not allow the selection of individuals on the basis of race or national origin/ethnicity. For this reason, grantees must ensure that any discussion of the recruitment of scholars based on race or national origin/ethnicity distinguishes between increasing the pool of applicants and actually selecting scholars;

(6) Ensure that 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 sanctions, including the grantee being liable for returning any misused funds to the Department;

(7) Ensure that prior approval from the OSEP project officer will be obtained before admitting additional scholars beyond the number of scholars proposed in the application;

(8) Ensure that scholars are full-time, reside in close proximity to the university, and remain active in their degree programs until completion of their degrees or until grant funding ends;

(9) Ensure that at least 65 percent of the total budget over the project period will be used for scholar support;

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

B-13 program. This prohibition on work as a condition of receiving support does not apply to the service obligation requirements in section 662(h) of IDEA;

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

Typically, data collection begins in January of each year, and grantees are notified by email about the data collection period for their grant, although grantees may submit data as needed, year-round. This data collection must be submitted electronically by the grantee and does not supplant the annual grant performance report required of each grantee for continuation funding (see 34 CFR 75.590). Data collection includes the submission of a signed, completed Pre-Scholarship Agreement and Exit Certification for each scholar funded under an OSEP grant (see paragraph (6) of this section);

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

(13) Ensure that the project will meet the statutory requirements in section 662(e) through

(h) of IDEA;

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

(15) Demonstrate, in the budget information (ED Form 524, Section B) and budget narrative, matching support for the proposed project at least 10 percent of the total amount of the grant. Applicants must propose the amount of cash or in-kind resources;

Note: Under 34 CFR 75.562, educational training grants under this program have an 8 percent limit on indirect costs. The difference between a grantee’s negotiated indirect cost rate and the 8 percent limit cannot be used to meet this requirement.

Matching support can be either cash or in-kind donations. Under 2 CFR 200.306, a cash expenditure or outlay of cash with respect to the matching budget by the grantee is considered a cash contribution. However, certain cash contributions that the organization normally considers an indirect cost should not be counted as a direct cost for the purposes of meeting matching support. Specifically, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.306(c), unrecovered indirect costs cannot be used to meet the non-Federal matching support. Under 2 CFR 200.434, third-party in-kind contributions are services or property (e.g., land, buildings, equipment, materials, B-14 supplies) that are contributed by a non-Federal third party at no charge to the grantee;

(16) Ensure that the project director, key personnel, and scholars will actively participate in the cross-project collaboration, advanced trainings, and cross-site learning opportunities (e.g., webinars, briefings) supported by OSEP. This network is intended to promote opportunities for participants to share resources and generate new knowledge by addressing topics of common interest to participants across projects including Department priorities and needs in the field;

(17) Ensure the project will establish and maintain a website containing relevant information and documents relating to the participating universities and faculty, components of the consortium curriculum, and scholar accomplishments. The project’s website must be of high quality, with an easy-to-navigate design, that meets government or industry-recognized standards for accessibility;

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

(19) Ensure that the budget includes attendance by the project director at a three-day project directors’ meeting in Washington, DC, during each year of the project. The budget should also provide for the attendance of scholars at the three-day project directors’ meeting in Washington, DC, at least once during the project period;

(20) Ensure that the budget includes two in-person meetings for project scholars and faculty each year of the project. Meetings may be scheduled to coincide with a professional conference or meeting but must include designated time for a meeting of project scholars and faculty; and

(21) Ensure that each university program in the consortium dedicates sufficient resources (e.g., personnel, budget) to provide financial oversight and monitoring of project funds as established by the policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines of the consortium (see paragraph (3) of this section).

Note: For additional information regarding group applications, refer to 34 CFR 75.127, 75.128, and 75.129.

Competitive Preference Priorities:

Within this absolute priority, we give competitive preference to applications that address the following priorities.

Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional three points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1; up to an additional five points to an application, depending on

B-15 how well the application meets Competitive Preference Priority 2; and an additional two points to an application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 3. Applicants should indicate in the abstract if one, two, or all three competitive preference priorities are addressed.

These priorities are:

Competitive Preference Priority 1 (0 or 3 points).

Background:

Under this competitive preference priority, we will award three competitive preference points to a project that proposes a doctoral training consortium that prepares leadership personnel who will address the needs of children who are deaf and hard of hearing with high-intensity needs.

Shortages in leadership personnel that have the skills, knowledge, and expertise to address the needs of children who are deaf and hard of hearing have been documented (e.g., Benedict, Johnson, & Antia, 2011). The lack of leadership personnel (e.g., faculty) has been stated to be a contributing factor to the decline in the number of preparation programs that prepare personnel to address the needs of children who are deaf and hard of hearing (Benedict et al., 2011; Johnson, 2013), and some States do not have programs (C. Howley, Howley, & Telfer, 2017). Another concern is that the shortage of leadership personnel will limit the field in advancing the knowledge base of effective interventions and services for this population (Benedict et al., 2011).

Priority:

A doctoral training consortium that prepares leadership personnel who will address the needs of children who are deaf and hard of hearing with high-intensity needs.

To meet the competitive preference priority, a project must--

(a) Establish a consortium comprised of IHEs with existing doctoral programs that prepare scholars to work as doctoral-level leaders in addressing the needs of children who are deaf and hard of hearing with high-intensity needs; and

(b) Address in the project narrative how the opportunities provided to scholars through the consortium activities will promote the competencies needed to further advance the field on effective interventions and services to address the needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, including those with high-intensity needs.

Note: We will award competitive preference points under Competitive Preference Priority 1 to not more than one application. The application that addresses this competitive preference priority and receives the highest score based on the selection criteria will be awarded an additional three points.

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Competitive Preference Priority 2 (Up to 5 points).

An application that demonstrates matching support for the proposed project at--

(a) 20 percent of the requested Federal award (1 point);

(b) 40 percent of the total amount of…