Training and Information for Parents of Children With Disabilities Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview Information; Training and Information for Parents of Children With Disabilities; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Numbers: 84.328C and 84.328M.

Note:

This notice invites applications for two separate competitions. For key dates, contact person information, and funding information regarding each competition, see the chart in the Award Information section of this notice.

Dates:

Applications Available: See chart.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See chart.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See chart.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to ensure that parents of children with disabilities receive training and information to help improve results for their children.

Priorities: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv) and (v), these priorities are from allowable activities specified in the statute, or otherwise authorized in the statute (see sections 671, 672 and 681(d) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)). Each of the absolute priorities announced in this notice corresponds to a separate competition as follows:

Absolute Priorities: For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from these competitions, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), for each competition, we consider only applications that meet the absolute priority for that competition.

The priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1—Community Parent Resource Centers (84.328C)

Background:

Almost 30 years of research and experience has demonstrated that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by strengthening the role and responsibility of parents and ensuring that families of such children have meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children at school and at home (see section 601(c)(5)(B) of IDEA).

This priority supports Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) in targeted communities that will provide underserved parents of children with disabilities, including low-income parents, parents of limited English proficient children, and parents with disabilities in that community, with the training and information they need to enable them to participate cooperatively and effectively in helping their children with disabilities to—

(a) Meet developmental and functional goals, and challenging academic achievement standards that have been established for all children; and

(b) Be prepared to lead productive, independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible.

The following Web site provides further information on the work of previously funded centers: http://www.parentcenternetwork.org.

Priority:

To be considered for funding under the CPRCs absolute priority, applicants must meet the application requirements contained in the priority. All projects funded under the absolute priority also must meet the programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the priority.

Application Requirements. An applicant must include in its application—

(a) A plan to implement the activities described in the Project Activities section of this priority; and

(b) A budget for attendance at the following:

(1) A three-day National Technical Assistance for Parent Centers Conference in Washington, DC during each year of the project period.

(2) A two-day Regional Technical Assistance for Parent Centers Conference, in the region in which the CPRC is located, during each year of the project period. Applicants should refer to http://www.parentcenternetwork.org for a list of regions.

Project Activities. To meet the requirements of this priority, the CPRC, at a minimum, must—

(a) Maintain a Web site that meets government or industry-recognized standards for accessibility;

(b) Provide training and information that meets the training and information needs of parents of children with disabilities within the proposed targeted community to be served by the CPRC, particularly underserved parents and parents of children who may be inappropriately identified as having disabilities;

Note:

For purposes of this priority, “targeted community to be served” refers to a geographically defined, local community whose members experience significant isolation from available sources of information and support as a result of cultural, economic, linguistic, or other circumstances deemed appropriate by the Secretary.

(c) Carry out the following activities required of parent training and information centers:

(1) Serve the parents of infants, toddlers, and children, from ages birth through 26, with the full range of disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA.

(2) Ensure that the training and information provided meet the needs of low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient children.

(3) Assist parents to—

(i) Better understand the nature of their children's disabilities and their educational, developmental, and transitional needs;

(ii) Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with personnel responsible for providing special education, early intervention services, transition services, and related services;

(iii) Participate in decision-making processes, including those regarding participation in State and local assessments, and the development of individualized education programs under Part B of IDEA and individualized family service plans under Part C of IDEA;

(iv) Obtain appropriate information about the range, type, and quality of—

(A) Options, programs, services, technologies, practices, and interventions based on scientifically based research, to the extent practicable; and

(B) Resources available to assist children with disabilities and their families in school and at home, including information available through the Office of Special Education Programs' (OSEP) technical assistance and dissemination centers ( http://www.tadnet.org ), and communities of practice ( http://www.tacommunities.org );

(v) Understand the requirements of IDEA related to the provision of education and early intervention services to children with disabilities;

(vi) Participate in activities at the school level that benefit their children; and

(vii) Participate in school reform activities.

(4) In States where the State elects to contract with the CPRCs, contract with the State educational agencies (SEAs) to provide, consistent with paragraphs (B) and (D) of section 615(e)(2) of IDEA, individuals to meet with parents in order to explain the mediation process.

(5) Assist parents in resolving disputes in the most expeditious and effective way possible, including encouraging the use and explaining the benefits of alternative methods of dispute resolution, such as the mediation process described in section 615(e) of IDEA.

(6) Assist parents and students with disabilities to understand their rights and responsibilities under IDEA, including those under section 615(m) of IDEA upon the student's reaching the age of majority (as appropriate under State law).

(7) Assist parents to understand the availability of, and how to effectively use, procedural safeguards under IDEA.

(8) Assist parents in understanding, preparing for, and participating in, the resolution session described in section 615(f)(1)(B) of IDEA;

(d) Establish cooperative partnerships with any Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and any other CPRCs funded in the State under sections 671 and 672 of IDEA, respectively;

(e) Be designed to meet the specific needs of families who experience significant isolation from available sources of information and support;

(f) Be familiar with the provision of special education, related services, and early intervention services in the CPRC's targeted community to be served to help ensure that children with disabilities are receiving appropriate services;

(g) Annually report to the Department on—

(1) The number and demographics of parents to whom the CPRC provided information and training in the most recently concluded fiscal year, including additional information regarding the parents' unique needs and the levels of service provided to them; and

(2) The effectiveness of strategies used to reach and serve parents, including underserved parents of children with disabilities, by providing evidence of how those parents were served effectively;

(h) Respond to requests from the OSEP-funded National and Regional Parent Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs), and use the technical assistance services of the National and Regional PTACs in order to serve the families of infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities as efficiently as possible. Regional PTACs are charged with assisting parent centers with administrative and programmatic issues;

(i) In collaboration with OSEP and the National PTAC participate in an annual collection of program data for the PTIs and CPRCs funded under sections 671 and 672 of IDEA, respectively; and

(j) Maintain ongoing communication with the OSEP Project Officer through phone conversations and email communication.

In addition, the CPRC's board of directors must meet not less than once in each calendar quarter to review the activities for which the award was made and submit to the Secretary a written review of the CPRC's activities conducted during the preceding fiscal year.

Competitive Preference Priority: Within this absolute priority, we give competitive preference to applications that meet the following priority. For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is a competitive preference priority.

Competitive Preference Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this priority.

This priority is:

Applicants that propose to design a program with specific activities and services focused on meeting the unique needs of parents who have children enrolled in either high-poverty schools or persistently lowest-achieving schools within the area served by the CPRC.

Note:

The 5 points an applicant can earn under this competitive preference priority is in addition to those points awarded under the selection criteria for this competition (see Selection Criteria in section V in this notice). That is, an applicant meeting the competitive preference priority could earn a maximum total of 105 points.

Absolute Priority 2—Parent Training and Information Centers (84.328M)

Background:

Almost 30 years of research and experience have demonstrated that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by strengthening the role and responsibility of parents and ensuring that families of such children have meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children at school and at home (see section 601(c)(5)(B) of IDEA).

This priority supports Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) in the areas to be served by the centers that will provide parents of children with disabilities, including low-income parents, parents of limited English proficient children, and parents with disabilities, with the training and information they need to enable them to participate cooperatively and effectively in helping their children with disabilities to—

(a) Meet developmental and functional goals, and challenging academic achievement standards that have been established for all children; and

(b) Be prepared to lead productive, independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible.

The following Web site provides more information on the work of previously funded centers: http://www.parentcenternetwork.org.

Priority:

To be considered for funding under the PTIs absolute priority, applicants must meet the application requirements contained in the priority. All projects funded under the absolute priority also must meet the programmatic and administrative requirements specified in the priority.

Application Requirements. An applicant must include in its application—

(a) A logic model that depicts, at a minimum, the goals, activities, outputs, and outcomes of the proposed project. A logic model communicates how a project will achieve its outcomes and provides a framework for both the formative and summative evaluations of the project;

Note:

The following Web site provides more information on logic models: http://www.tadnet.org/model_and_performance.

(b) A plan to implement the activities described in the Project Activities section of this priority;

(c) A plan, linked to the proposed project's logic model, for a formative evaluation of the proposed project's activities. The plan must describe how the formative evaluation will use clear performance objectives to ensure continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project, including objective measures of progress in implementing the project and ensuring the quality of products and services;

(d) A budget for attendance at the following:

(1) A three-day National Technical Assistance for Parent Centers Conference in Washington, DC during each year of the project period.

(2) A two-day Regional Technical Assistance for Parent Centers Conference, in the region in which the PTI is located, during each year of the project period. Applicants should refer to http://www.parentcenternetwork.org for a list of regions; and

(e) A description specifying the special efforts the PTI will make to:

(1) Ensure that the needs for training and information of underserved parents of children with disabilities in the area to be served, including parents of children attending high-poverty schools and the State's persistently lowest-achieving schools, are effectively met; and

(2) Work with community-based organizations, including those that work with low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient children.

Project Activities. To meet the requirements of this priority, the PTI, at a minimum, must—

(a) Maintain a Web site that meets government or industry-recognized standards for accessibility;

(b) Provide training and information that meets the training and information needs of parents of children with disabilities living in the area served by the PTI, particularly underserved parents and parents of children who may be inappropriately identified as having disabilities, including parents of children attending high-poverty schools and the State's persistently lowest-achieving schools;

(c) Serve the parents of infants, toddlers, and children from ages birth through 26, with the full range of disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA;

(d) Ensure that the training and information provided meets the needs of low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient children;

(e) Assist parents to—

(1) Better understand the nature of their children's disabilities and their educational, developmental, and transitional needs;

(2) Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with personnel responsible for providing special education, early intervention services, transition services, and related services;

(3) Participate in decision-making processes, including those regarding participation in State and local assessments, and the development of individualized education programs under Part B of IDEA and individualized family service plans under Part C of IDEA;

(4) Obtain appropriate information about the range, type and quality of—

(i) Options, programs, services, technologies, practices, and interventions that are based on scientifically based research, to the extent practicable; and

(ii) Resources available to assist children with disabilities and their families in school and at home, including information available through the Office of Special Education Programs' (OSEP) technical assistance and dissemination centers ( http://www.tadnet.org ), and communities of practice ( http://www.tacommunities.org );

(5) Understand the requirements of IDEA related to the provision of education and early intervention services to children with disabilities;

(6) Participate in activities at the school level that benefit their children; and

(7) Participate in school reform activities;

(f) In States where the State elects to contract with the PTIs, contract with the State educational agencies (SEAs) to provide, consistent with paragraphs (B) and (D) of section 615(e)(2) of IDEA, individuals to meet with parents in order to explain the mediation process;

(g) Assist parents in resolving disputes in the most expeditious and effective way possible, including encouraging the use and explaining the benefits of alternative methods of dispute resolution, such as the mediation process described in section 615(e) of IDEA;

(h) Assist parents and students with disabilities to understand their rights and responsibilities under IDEA, including those under section 615(m) of IDEA upon the student's reaching the age of majority (as appropriate under State law);

(i) Assist parents to understand the availability of, and how to effectively use, procedural safeguards under IDEA;

(j) Assist parents in understanding, preparing for, and participating in, the resolution session described in section 615(f)(1)(B) of IDEA;

(k) Establish cooperative partnerships with any CPRCs and any other PTIs funded in the State under sections 672 and 671 of IDEA, respectively;

(l) Network with appropriate clearinghouses, including organizations conducting national dissemination activities under section 663 of IDEA and the Department's Institute of Education Sciences, and with other national, State, and local organizations and agencies, such as protection and advocacy agencies that serve parents and families of children with the full range of disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA;

(m) Annually report to the Department on—

(1) The number and demographics of parents to whom the PTI provided information and training in the most recently concluded fiscal year, including additional information regarding the parents' unique needs and the levels of service provided to them; and

(2) The effectiveness of strategies used to reach and serve parents, including underserved parents of children with disabilities such as parents of children attending high-poverty schools and the State's persistently lowest achieving schools, by providing evidence of how those parents were served effectively;

(n) Respond to requests from the OSEP-funded National Parent Technical Assistance Center and Regional Parent Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs), and use the technical assistance services of the National and Regional PTACs in order to serve the families of infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities as efficiently as possible. Regional PTACs are charged with assisting parent centers with administrative and programmatic issues;

(o) In collaboration with OSEP and the National PTAC, participate in an annual collection of program data for the PTIs and CPRCs funded under sections 671 and 672 of IDEA, respectively; and

(p) Maintain ongoing communication with the OSEP Project Officer through phone conversations and email communication.

In addition, the PTI's board of directors must meet not less than once in each calendar quarter to review the activities for which the award was made and submit to the Secretary a written review of the PTI's activities conducted during the preceding fiscal year.

Competitive Preference Priority: Within this absolute priority, we give competitive preference to applications that meet the following priority. For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition, this priority is a competitive preference priority.

Competitive Preference Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional 5 points to an application that meets this priority.

This priority is:

Applicants that propose to use technology to enhance communication with, and services provided to, parents of children with disabilities, particularly underserved and hard-to-reach families in order to improve the project's management efficiency and productivity. Applicants must include in the project narrative a sustainable plan for how they will use technology efficiently and innovatively in carrying out project goals and objectives.

Note:

The 5 points an applicant can earn under this competitive preference priority is in addition to those points awarded under the selection criteria for this competition (see Selection Criteria in section V in this notice). That is, an applicant meeting the competitive preference priority could earn a maximum total of 105 points.

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 and requirements. Section 681(d) of IDEA, however, makes the public comment requirements of the APA inapplicable to the priorities in this notice.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1472, 1473 and 1481.

Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99.

Note:

The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes.

II. Award Information

Type of Awards: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $6,384,325. Please refer to the “Estimated Available Funds” column of the chart in this section for the estimated dollar amounts for individual competitions. Information concerning funding amounts for individual States and target populations for the 84.328M competition is provided in the “Maximum Award” column of the chart in this section of this notice.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: See chart.

Maximum Award: See chart.

Estimated Number of Awards: See chart.

Project Period: See chart.

Note 1:

We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum award for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

Note 2:

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

Note 3:

For the Parent Training and Information Centers, CFDA Number 84.328M competition: Project Period: In order to allocate resources equitably, create a unified system of service delivery, and provide the broadest coverage for the parents and families in every State, the Assistant Secretary is making awards to PTIs in four-year cycles for each State. In FY 2011, applications for 4-year awards will be accepted for the following States: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin, as well as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Awards also may be made to eligible applicants in American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. These projects will be funded for a period up to 48 months.

Estimated Project Awards: Project award amounts are for a single budget period of 12 months. To ensure maximum coverage for this competition, the Assistant Secretary has adopted regional designations established within Florida and New York and has identified corresponding maximum award amounts for each region. Florida and New York applicants must complete a separate application for each region.

The Assistant Secretary took into consideration current funding levels, population distribution, poverty rates, and low-density enrollment when determining the award amounts for grants under this competition. In the following States, one award may be made for up to the amounts listed in the chart to a qualified applicant for a PTI Center to serve the entire State or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

In Florida one award up to the amount listed will be made to a qualified applicant for a PTI Center to serve each identified region. A list of the counties that are included in each region also follows.

Region 1 (Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington Counties) $169,645.

Region 2 (Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumpter, and Volusia Counties) $491,973.

Region 3 (Broward, Collier, Glades Hendry, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach Counties) $330,801.

In New York, up to three awards will be made to qualified applicants for a PTI Center to serve Region 1 (the 5 Boroughs of New York City) and one award will be made to a qualified applicant for a PTI Center to serve Region 2 (the remainder of the State, including Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island) in the following amounts:

Region 1—$632,439.

Region 2—$524,874.

One award up to the amount listed may be made to a qualified applicant from the outlying areas as follows:

Consistent with 34 CFR 75.104(b), we will reject any application that proposes a project funding level for any year that exceeds the stated maximum award amount for that year.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants:

Note:

Under section 672(a)(2) of IDEA, a “local parent organization” is a parent organization (as that term is defined in section 671(a)(2) of IDEA) that—

(a) Has a board of directors, the majority of whom are parents of children with disabilities ages birth through 26 from the community to be served.

(b) Has as its mission serving parents of children with disabilities from that community who (1) are ages birth through 26, and (2) have the full range of disabilities as defined in section 602(3) of IDEA.

Section 671(a)(2) of IDEA defines a “parent organization” as a private nonprofit organization (other than an institution of higher education) that—

(a) Has a board of directors—

(1) The majority of whom are parents of children with disabilities ages birth through 26;

(2) That includes—

(i) Individuals working in the fields of special education, related services, and early intervention;

(ii) Individuals with disabilities; and

(iii) The parent and professional members of which are broadly representative of the population to be served, including low-income parents and parents of limited English proficient children; and

(b) Has as its mission serving families of children with disabilities who are ages birth through 26, and have the full range of disabilities described in section 602(3) of IDEA.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost sharing or matching.

3. Other: General Requirements—(a) The projects funded under this program must make positive efforts to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities (see section 606 of IDEA).

(b) Applicants and grant recipients funded under this program must involve individuals with disabilities or parents of individuals with disabilities ages birth through 26 in planning, implementing, and evaluating the projects (see section 682(a)(1)(A) of IDEA).

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an application package via the Internet, from the Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), or from the program office.

To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address: http:// www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html. To obtain a copy from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.

You can contact ED Pubs at its Web site, also: http://www.EDPubs.gov or at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.

If you request an application package from ED Pubs, be sure to identify the competition to which you want to apply, as follows: CFDA Number 84.328C or 84.328M.

To obtain a copy from the program office, contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.

Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the person or team listed under Accessible Format in section VIII of this notice.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for each competition.

Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of the application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. You must limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than the number of pages listed under “Page Limit” for that competition in the chart under II. Award Information, using the following standards:

• A “page” is 8.5″ × 11″, on one side only, with 1″ margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
• Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions.
• Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
• Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font (including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.

The page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, the references, or the letters of support. However, the page limit does apply to all of the application narrative section (Part III).

We will reject your application if you exceed the page limit; or if you apply other standards and exceed the equivalent of the page limit.

3. Submission Dates and Times:

Applications Available: See chart.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: See chart.

Applications for grants under each competition may be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov), or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission Requirements of this notice.

We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements.

Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the application process, the individual's application remains subject to all other requirements and limitations in this notice.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: See chart.

4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for each competition.

5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the Department of Education, you must—

a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);

b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant database;

c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and

d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information while your application is under review by the Department and, if you are awarded a grant, during the project period.

You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number can be created within one business day.

If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service. If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.

The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.

In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf ).

7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under each competition announced in this notice may be submitted electronically or in paper format by mail or hand delivery.

a. Electronic Submission of Applications.

We are participating as a partner in the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site. The Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities Program competitions, CFDA numbers 84.328C and 84.328M, are included in this project. We request your participation in Grants.gov.

If you choose to submit your application electronically, you must use the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us.

You may access the electronic grant application for the Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities Program competitions, CFDA numbers 84.328C and 84.328M at http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.328, not 84.328M).

Please note the following:

• Your participation in Grants.gov is voluntary.
• When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, as well as the hours of operation.
• Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if it is received—that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system—after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
• The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
• You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for this program to ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home page at http://www.G5.gov.
• You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you submit your application in paper format.
• If you submit your application electronically, you must submit all documents electronically, including all information you typically provide on the following forms: the Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications.
• If you submit your application electronically, you must attach any narrative sections of your application as files in a .PDF (Portable Document) format only. If you upload a file type other than a .PDF or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material.
• Your electronic application must comply with any page-limit requirements described in this notice.
• After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification indicates that the Department has received your application and has assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your application).
• We may request that you provide us original signatures on forms at a later date.

Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.

If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing instructions described elsewhere in this notice.

If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

Note:

The extensions to which we refer in this section apply only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.

If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.328C or 84.328M), LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260.

You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:

(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.

(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service.

(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier.

(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:

(1) A private metered postmark.

(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application.

Note:

The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office.

c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.

If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.328C or 84.328M), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.

The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications:

If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department—

(1) You must indicate on the envelope and—if not provided by the Department—in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and

(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are listed in the application package.

2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as the applicant's use of funds, and compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report of unacceptable quality.

In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

3. Additional Review and Selection Process Factors: In the past, the Department has had difficulty finding peer reviewers for certain competitions because so many individuals who are eligible to serve as peer reviewers have conflicts of interest. The Standing Panel requirements under IDEA also have placed additional constraints on the availability of reviewers. Therefore, the Department has determined that, for some discretionary grant competitions, applications may be separated into two or more groups and ranked and selected for funding within specific groups. This procedure will make it easier for the Department to find peer reviewers, by ensuring that greater numbers of individuals who are eligible to serve as reviewers for any particular group of applicants will not have conflicts of interest. It also will increase the quality, independence, and fairness of the review process, while permitting panel members to review applications under discretionary grant competitions for which they also have submitted applications. However, if the Department decides to select an equal number of applications in each group for funding, this may result in different cut-off points for fundable applications in each group.

4. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system that does not meet the standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.

If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant.

3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).

(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, the Department has established a set of performance measures, including long-term measures, that are designed to yield information on various aspects of the effectiveness and quality of the Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities program. The measures focus on the extent to which projects provide high-quality materials, the relevance of project products and services to educational and early intervention policy and practice, and the usefulness of products and services to improve educational and early intervention policy and practice.

Grantees will be required to provide information related to these measures in annual reports submitted to the Department.

Grantees also will be required to report information on their projects' performance in annual reports to the Department (34 CFR 75.590).

5. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a grantee has made “substantial progress toward meeting the objectives in its approved application.” This consideration includes the review of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Agency Contact

For Further Information Contact: See the chart in the II.

Award Information section in this notice for the name, room number, and telephone number of the contact person for each competition. You can write to the contact person at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2550.

If you use a TDD, call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5075, PCP, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 245-7363. If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister. To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site.

Note:

The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.