PKG00253722-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;

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS: INCREASING THE

CAPACITY OF LEADERS TO IMPROVE SYSTEMS SERVING

CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

(CFDA 84.325L)

DATED MATERIAL: OPEN IMMEDIATELY

CLOSING DATE: SEPTEMBER 9, 2019

FORM APPROVED—OMB NO. 1820-0028, EXP. DATE: 07/31/2022

http://www.ed.gov/

GRANT APPLICATION PACKAGE CFDA 84.325L

CONTENTS

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

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

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

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants ............................................. B27

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

Leadership Development Programs: Increasing the Capacity of Leaders to Improve Systems Serving Children with Disabilities (CFDA 84.325L) ............................................... C2

Selection Criteria and Format for the Applications for New Awards— Leadership Development Programs: Increasing the Capacity of Leaders to Improve Systems Serving Children with Disabilities (CFDA 84.325L) Competition ....................................... C17

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

A-2

Dear Applicant:

This application packet contains information and the required forms for you to use in submitting a new application for funding under one program authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This packet covers one competition under the Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities (CFDA 84.325) program— Applications for New Awards; Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities—Leadership Development Programs: Increasing the Capacity of Leaders to Improve Systems Serving Children with Disabilities (CFDA No. 84.325L).

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-27, which includes helpful tips about submitting electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site. Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration on SAM (www.sam.gov) which may take approximately one week to complete, but could take as many as several weeks to complete. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an application until all of the Registration steps are complete. Please note that once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov. You cannot submit an application through Grants.gov until Grants.gov has received your SAM registration information. We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with SAM and Grants.gov, and strongly recommend that you register and submit early.

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

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

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

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

A-3

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

• MAXIMUM AWARD AMOUNT.

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

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

• RECOMMENDED PAGE LIMITS AND LINE SPACING OF APPLICATION NARRATIVE.

The competition included in this package limits the 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 PRIORITY AND COMPETITIVE PREFERENCE PRIORITY.

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

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

A-4

Applicants must demonstrate matching support for the proposed project at 10 percent of the total amount of the grant, as specified in paragraph (f)(1) 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 the competitive preference priority, up to a total of 5 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

A-5

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

B-1

NOTICE INVITING APPLICATIONS

B-2

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities--Leadership Development Programs: Increasing the Capacity of Leaders to Improve Systems Serving Children with Disabilities

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--Leadership Development Programs: Increasing the Capacity of Leaders to Improve Systems Serving Children with Disabilities, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.325L. These grants will fund States to implement leadership development programs that recruit, increase the capacity of, and retain State, regional, and local leaders to promote high expectations and improve early childhood and educational outcomes for children with disabilities and their families by improving the systems that serve them. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1820-0028.

DATES:

Applications Available: August 9, 2019.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: September 9, 2019.

Pre-Application Webinar Information: No later than August 14, 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.

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Pre-Application Q & A Blog: No later than August 14, 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 August 28, 2019. After the blog closes, applicants should direct questions to the person listed under

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

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:

Sarah Allen U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Room 5160, Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202-5076

Telephone: (202) 245-7875

Email: Sarah.Allen@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

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

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I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Purpose of Program:

The purposes of this program are to--

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

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

Priorities:

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

Absolute 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:

Leadership Development Programs: Increasing the Capacity of Leaders to Improve Systems Serving Children with Disabilities.

Background:

State, regional, and local administrators in early intervention and special education serve a critical role in ensuring that infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities (children with disabilities) are provided services and supports to which they are entitled under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and in helping improve results for children with disabilities.

Given the demands for leading within complex early intervention and special education systems and addressing current issues across systems, administrators must have the skills to collaborate with other agencies and programs. This would help ensure that children with disabilities are held to high standards and that their individualized needs are met across natural

B-5 environments and educational settings. In addition, the expansion of educational options1 has also added to special education administrators’ responsibilities to ensure that parents of children with disabilities are empowered to choose from a robust range of educational options and supports to identify those that best meet their children’s needs.

With the increasing demands placed on State, regional, and local administrators, it is essential that they have the knowledge, skills, and competencies to oversee the administration of early intervention and special education systems. Turnover of administrators and leaders across all levels of the system is high and increasing. In 2018, 70 percent of State Directors of Special Education had less than five years of experience, up from only 15 percent in 2010 (NCSI, 2018a). Similarly, 73 percent of Part C Coordinators had less than 5 years of experience in 2018, up from 39 percent in 2005 (NCSI, 2018b). Approximately 10 to 15 percent of local special education administrator positions turn over each year (Goldring & Taie, 2018).

Further, half of the States do not require a special education administration credential for local special education administrators or specifically address the preparation of administrators in the personnel preparation programs offered by institutions of higher education (IHEs) in their States (Boscardin, Weir, & Kusek, 2010). Even when an administration credential is required, preparation programs are at times difficult to find, hard for working professionals to access or complete, and varied in content coverage (Bellamy & Iwaszuk, 2017). Like credentialing programs, professional development programs that help administrators develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed for leadership positions often are not available, thus requiring State, regional, and local administrators to learn on the job.

In order to help meet the complex and varied needs of children with disabilities and their families, this priority will fund grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) or lead agencies for Part C to implement high-quality, sustainable leadership development programs to recruit, 1 For the purpose of this priority, “educational options” means the opportunity for a child or student (or a family member on their behalf) to create a high-quality personalized path for learning that is consistent with applicable Federal, State, and local laws; is in an educational setting that best meets the child’s or student’s needs; and, where possible, incorporates evidence-based activities, strategies, or interventions.

Opportunities made available to a student through a grant program are those that supplement what is provided by a child’s or student’s geographically assigned school or the institution in which he or she is currently enrolled and may include one or more of the following options: (1) Public educational programs or courses, including those offered by traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, public online education providers, or other public education providers; (2) Private or home-based educational programs or courses, including those offered by private schools, private online providers, private tutoring providers, community or faith-based organizations, or other private education providers;

(3) Part-time coursework or career preparation, offered by a public or private provider in person or through the internet or another form of distance learning, that serves as a supplement to full-time enrollment at an educational institution, as a stand-alone program leading to a credential, or as a supplement to education received in a homeschool setting; and (4) Other educational services, including credit-recovery, accelerated learning, or tutoring.

B-6 increase the capacity of, and retain State, regional, and local leaders who have the knowledge, skills, and competencies to improve systems serving children with disabilities and their families.

This 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.

The projects must be operated in a manner consistent with nondiscrimination requirements contained in the U.S. Constitution and the Federal civil rights laws.

Priority:

The purpose of this priority is to fund grants to achieve, at a minimum, the following expected outcomes:

(a) Development, improvement, or expansion of a high-quality, sustainable leadership development program to recruit, increase the capacity of, and retain a network of leaders at the State, regional, or local level to improve systems serving children with disabilities and their families;

(b) Development, improvement, or expansion of infrastructure and implementation supports,2 including but not limited to partnerships with relevant child-serving agencies and diverse stakeholders (e.g., IHEs, parent centers,3 State- and local-level administrators, technical assistance providers) to deliver and sustain leadership development programs; and

(c) Increased number of early intervention and special education leaders at the State, regional, or local level with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to improve systems serving children with disabilities and their families.

To be considered for funding under this absolute priority, all 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.

2 For the purpose of this priority, “implementation supports” means effective methods for changing practices, organizational structure, and systems at all levels.

3 For the purpose of this priority, “parent centers” refers to Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers funded by OSEP, which can be found at www.parentcenterhub.org/the-parent-center-network/.

B-7

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

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

(1) Address the need for early intervention or special education leaders at the State, regional, or local level with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to improve systems serving children with disabilities and their families. To meet this requirement, the applicant must--

(i) Present applicable data demonstrating the need to increase the number of early intervention or special education leaders with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to improve systems serving children with disabilities and their families;

(ii) Identify the knowledge, skills, and competencies that early intervention or special education leaders need to improve systems serving children with disabilities and their families;

and

(iii) Identify current educational issues and policy initiatives at the Federal, State, regional, and local levels that early intervention or special education leaders need to understand, including how innovation and the State’s efforts to expand educational options can be supported, and parents can be empowered to choose an education that best meets their children’s needs; and

(2) Address the need for infrastructure and implementation supports, including partnerships with relevant child-serving agencies and diverse stakeholders, to effectively develop, deliver, and sustain a leadership development program to recruit, increase the capacity of, and retain a network of leaders at the State, regional, or local level with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to improve systems serving children with disabilities and their families. To meet this requirement, the applicant must--

(i) Present data, if applicable, on the quality of existing leadership development programs or personnel preparation degree programs that prepare leaders to work in administrative or leadership positions in systems where children receive early intervention or special education services, including the effectiveness of the program(s) at (a) increasing the knowledge, skills, and competencies of program completers; and (b) retaining program completers to work in administrative or leadership positions in systems where children receive early intervention or special education services; and

(ii) Present information on the current capacity of the State, regional, or local systems to recruit, increase the capacity of, and retain leaders, including programs IHEs offer to credential or otherwise prepare early intervention and special education administrators, and the likely magnitude or importance of developing a network of leaders with the capacity to improve systems serving children with disabilities.

B-8

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

(1) Ensure equal access and treatment for members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability;

(2) Achieve its goals, objectives, and intended outcomes. To meet this requirement, the applicant must provide--

(i) Measurable intended project outcomes; and

(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model4 by which the proposed project will achieve its intended outcomes that depicts, at a minimum, the goals, activities, outputs, and intended outcomes of the proposed project;

(3) Use a conceptual framework (and provide a copy in Appendix A) to develop project plans and activities, describing any underlying concepts, assumptions, expectations, beliefs, or theories, as well as the presumed relationships or linkages among these variables, and any empirical support for this framework;

Note: The following websites provide more information on logic models and conceptual frameworks: www.osepideasthatwork.org/logicModel and www.osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptual-framework.

(4) Develop, improve, or expand a leadership development program or programs to recruit, increase the capacity of, and retain a network of leaders at the State, regional, or local level with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to improve systems serving children with disabilities and their families. To establish the quality of the proposed leadership development program, the applicant must include--

(i) Its proposed plan for partnering with diverse stakeholders to develop, improve, or expand a leadership development program to recruit, increase the capacity of, and retain a network of leaders at the State, regional, or local level to improve systems serving children with disabilities and their families. The stakeholders must include, at a minimum, representatives specifically identified from IHEs. Stakeholders must be involved as decision makers in how the leadership

4 “Logic model” (34 CFR 77.1) (also referred to as a theory of action) means a framework that identifies key project components of the proposed project (i.e., the active “ingredients” that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the theoretical and operational relationships among the key project components and relevant outcomes.

http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/logicModel http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptual-framework http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptual-framework

B-9 development program is developed, improved, or expanded, and serve as partners in delivering and evaluating the program;

(ii) The intended participants of the leadership development program;

(iii) Its proposed approach for developing or improving the content and delivery of the leadership development program. To meet this requirement the applicant must describe--

(A) The knowledge, skills, and competencies that participants will gain by completing the leadership development program. At a minimum, the applicant must ensure that participants demonstrate knowledge, skills, and competencies in the following areas:

(1) Federal laws, State laws, and State policies, procedures, and initiatives that impact children with disabilities and their families;

(2) Educational options for children with disabilities and how to support State’s efforts to empower parents to choose from a robust range of educational options and supports to identify those that best meet their children’s needs;

(3) Evidence-based5 practices to improve academic, learning, and developmental outcomes for children with disabilities, including differentiating interventions and instruction across multi-tiered systems of support;

(4) Partnering with parents, families, and diverse stakeholders to improve systems;

(5) Systems change, implementation science, and professional development methods to promote the implementation of evidence-based practices and use of data-based decision making; and

(6) Leadership practices (e.g., organizational visioning, collaborative decision making, communication and conflict management, relationship building);

(B) The current research and evidence-based practices that will guide the development of the content and delivery of the leadership development program, including but not limited to evidence-based professional development practices for adult learners and resources developed by projects funded by the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services;

5 For the purposes of this priority, “evidence-based” means the proposed project component is supported, at a minimum, by 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-10

(C) How the proposed leadership development program is of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration to prepare a network of leaders with the identified knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to improve systems serving children with disabilities and their families. To meet this requirement, the applicant must describe--

(1) The components of the leadership development program, which must include, but are not limited to, face-to-face activities, applied projects, peer interactions and collaboration opportunities, mentoring support, and ongoing coaching, and how these components are sequenced;

(2) How participants in the leadership development program will be provided with mentoring, ongoing coaching and performance feedback during the program, and ongoing coaching, networking opportunities, and support following completion of the program, including opportunities to interact with peers who completed the program; and

(3) How the proposed leadership development program is aligned to State standards for administrators or meets appropriate national professional organization standards for administrators or leaders;

(5) Implement and sustain the leadership development program to recruit, increase the capacity of, and retain a network of leaders at the State, regional, or local level with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to improve systems serving children with disabilities and their families. To meet this requirement, the applicant must describe its proposed approach to--

(i) Ensuring the infrastructure and implementation supports necessary to effectively build, deliver, and sustain the proposed leadership development program and to retain individuals who complete the leadership development program as a network of leaders at the State, regional, or local level able to improve systems serving children with disabilities and their families. The application must include the proposed approach to partnering with relevant child-serving agencies and diverse stakeholders to deliver and sustain the leadership development program, to retain a network of leaders, and to develop agreements with relevant child-serving agencies and diverse stakeholders that outline responsibilities, sharing of resources, and decision-making and communication processes. The application must include, at a minimum, representatives specifically identified from IHEs as part of its ongoing project leadership or stakeholder group that will build, manage, deliver, evaluate, and sustain the infrastructure and implementation of the proposed program;

(ii) Its proposed approach to recruit participants for the leadership development program;

ensure equal access and treatment for eligible participants who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability; and retain the participants once in the program. To meet this requirement, the applicant must describe--

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(A) Recruitment strategies that will be used to attract participants and specific recruitment strategies that will be used to reach potential participants from traditionally underrepresented groups, including individuals with disabilities; and

(B) Criteria that will be used to select candidates for participation in the leadership development programs offered, the number of cohorts that will complete the leadership development program, and the number of participants that the applicant proposes will complete program requirements within each cohort during the project period; and

(iii) Strategies for supporting and retaining participants to complete the leadership development program and use the knowledge, skills, and competencies learned following their completion of the program to identify, implement, and evaluate evidence-based practices to improve systems serving children with disabilities; and

(iv) Strategies to fund, manage, and sustain the leadership development program, and retain a network of leaders at the State, regional, or local level once Federal support ends; and

(6) Use technology, as appropriate, to support participants in achieving the outcomes of the proposed project, enhance the efficiency of the project, collaborate with partners, provide the leadership development, mentoring, ongoing coaching, and performance feedback to participants, and support collaboration among the participants once they complete the program.

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

(1) The applicant will use comprehensive and appropriate methodologies to evaluate how well the goals or objectives of the proposed project have been met, including the project processes and intended outcomes. The applicant must describe performance measures for the project that include participants’ acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies and for the retention of program completers in administrative and leadership positions; and

(2) The applicant will collect, analyze, and use data related to specific and measurable goals, objectives, and intended outcomes of the project. To meet this requirement, the applicant must describe how--

(i) Participants’ knowledge, skills, and competencies and other project processes and outcomes will be measured for formative evaluation purposes, including proposed instruments, data collection methods, and possible analyses; and

(ii) It will collect and analyze data on the quality of the leadership development programs offered; the infrastructure and implementation supports in place to deliver the program; the capacity of the State to retain a network of leaders at the State, regional, or local level; and the fidelity and impact of its implementation;

B-12

(3) The methods of evaluation will produce quantitative and qualitative data for objective performance measures that are related to the intended outcomes of the proposed project; and

(4) The methods of evaluation will provide performance feedback and allow for periodic assessment of progress towards meeting the project outcomes. To meet this requirement, the applicant must describe how--

(i) Results of the evaluation will be used as a basis for improving the proposed project;

(ii) It will report the evaluation results to OSEP in its annual and final performance reports;

and

(iii) Performance information (e.g., annual progress toward program goals) will be made publicly available on the project or State’s webpage.

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

(1) The proposed project will encourage applications for employment from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability, as appropriate;

(2) The proposed key project personnel, consultants, and subcontractors have the qualifications and experience to carry out the proposed activities and achieve the project’s intended outcomes;

(3) The applicant and any key partners have adequate resources to carry out the proposed activities; and

(4) The proposed costs are reasonable in relation to the anticipated results and benefits.

(e) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under “Quality of the management plan,” how--

(1) The proposed management plan will ensure that the project’s intended outcomes will be achieved on time and within budget. To meet this requirement, the applicant must describe--

(i) Clearly defined responsibilities for key project personnel, consultants, and subcontractors, as applicable; and

(ii) Timelines and milestones for accomplishing the project tasks;

(2) Key project personnel and any consultants and subcontractors will be allocated and how these allocations are appropriate and adequate to achieve the project’s intended outcomes;

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(3) The proposed management plan will ensure that the project’s products and services are of high quality, relevant, and useful to recipients; and

(4) The proposed project will benefit from a diversity of perspectives, including those of families, educators, faculty, technical assistance and professional development providers, researchers, and policymakers, among others, in its development and operation.

(f) Address the following application requirements. The applicant must--

(1) Demonstrate, in the budget information (ED Form 524, Section B) and budget narrative, matching support for the proposed project at 10 percent of the total amount of the grant;

Note: 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, supplies) that are contributed by a non-Federal third party at no charge to the grantee.

(2) Include, in Appendix A, personnel-loading charts and timelines, as applicable, to illustrate the management plan described in the narrative;

(3) If the project maintains a website, include relevant information about the revised program and documents in a form that meets government or industry recognized standards of accessibility;

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

(5) Provide an assurance that the project director, key personnel, and representatives from partner agencies will actively participate in the cross-project collaboration and learning opportunities (e.g., webinars, briefings) organized by OSEP. This cross-project collaboration will be used to increase capacity of participants, share resources, increase the impact of funding, and promote innovative leadership development models across projects; and

(6) Include, in the budget, attendance at a two- and one-half day project directors’ conference in Washington, DC, during each year of the project period.

Competitive Preference Priority:

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

B-14 following competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional 5 points to an application, depending on how well the application meets the competitive preference priority.

This priority is:

Matching Support (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 the requested Federal award (2 points);

(c) 60 percent of the total amount of the requested Federal award (3 points);

(d) 80 percent of the total amount of the requested Federal award (4 points); or

(e) 100 percent of the total amount of the requested Federal award (5 points).

Applicants must address this competitive preference priority in the budget information (ED Form 524, Section B) and budget narrative.

References:

Bellamy, T., & Iwaszuk, W. (2017, October). Responding to the need for new local special education administrators: A case study. CEEDAR Center. Retrieved from University of Florida, Collaboration for Effective Educator, Development, Accountability, and Reform Center website: http://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Responding-to-the-Need-for-Local-SPED-Admin-Oct-2017.pdf.

Boscardin, M. L., Weir, K., & Kusek, C. (2010). A national study of State credentialing requirements for administrators of special education. Journal of Special Education Leadership, 23(2), 61-75.

Goldring, R., & Taie, S. (2018). Principal attrition and mobility: Results from the 2016–17 principal follow-up survey first look (NCES 2018-066). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of

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Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.

National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI). (2018a). Leadership turnover: The impact on State special education systems. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.

National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI). (2018b). Leadership turnover: The impact on State early intervention systems. Retrieved from https://ncsi-library.wested.org/resources/200.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking:

Under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities. Section 681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment requirements of the APA inapplicable to the priority in this notice.

Program Authority:

20 U.S.C. 1462 and 1481.

Applicable Regulations:

(a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97, 98, and 99.

(b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485.

(c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and amended in 2 CFR part 3474.

(d) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 304.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to IHEs only.

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II. AWARD INFORMATION

Type of Award:

Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds:

$2,600,000.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2020 from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Estimated Range of Awards:

$150,000 to $200,000.

Estimated Average Size of Award:

$200,000 per year.

Maximum Award:

We will not make an award exceeding $200,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.

Estimated Number of Awards:

13.

Project Period:

Up to 60 months.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

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III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants:

SEAs or Part C lead agencies

2. Cost Sharing or Matching:

Cost sharing or matching is required for this competition.

3. Subgrantees:

A grantee under this competition may not award subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities described in its application. Under 34 CFR 75.708(e), a grantee may contract for supplies, equipment, and other services in accordance with 2 CFR part 200.

4. Other: General Requirements:

(a) Recipients of funding under this competition must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).

(b) Applicants for, and recipients of, funding must, with respect to the aspects of their proposed project relating to the absolute priority, involve individuals with disabilities, or parents of individuals with disabilities ages birth through 26, in planning, implementing, and evaluating the project (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA).

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IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Application Submission Instructions:

Applicants are required to follow the 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, which contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.

2. Intergovernmental Review:

This competition is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.

However, under 34 CFR 79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental review in order to make an award by the end of FY 2019.

3. Funding Restrictions:

We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

4. Recommended Page Limit:

The…