Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals With Disabilities Program-Stepping-Up Technology Implementation (ETechM2 Program)

Overview

The purpose of the Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities Program (ETechM2 Program) is to improve results for children with disabilities by (1) promoting the development, demonstration, and use of technology; (2) supporting educational activities designed to be of educational value in the classroom for children with disabilities; (3) providing support for captioning and video description that is appropriate for use in the classroom; and (4) providing accessible educational materials to children with disabilities in a timely manner.

This competition includes one absolute priority. Absolute Priority: For FY 2025 this priority is an absolute priority. The absolute priority is from the allowable activities in, or otherwise authorized under, the statute.  We consider only applications that meet this priority. This priority is: Use of Evidence-based Technology-based Tools or Approaches that Improve Reading Outcomes for Children with, or At Risk for, Disabilities.

The purpose of this priority is to support the implementation of evidence-based technology-based tools or approaches that improve reading outcomes for children with, or at risk for, disabilities (hereafter referred to as “children with disabilities”) in pre-kindergarten (PK), elementary, middle, or high school instructional settings;

Through this priority, the Department intends to fund five cooperative agreements to establish and operate projects that achieve, at a minimum, the following expected outcomes:

(a) Improved reading outcomes for children with disabilities in PK-12 instructional settings using an evidence-based technology-based tool or approach; 
(b) Improved educator implementation of an evidence-based technology-based tool or approach to deliver evidence-based instruction and interventions to improve reading outcomes for children with disabilities; 
(c) Improved educator and family engagement regarding the use of an evidence-based technology-based tool or approach to improve reading outcomes for children with disabilities; and
(d) Sustained use of the evidence-based technology-based tool or approach within the instructional setting.

Application Requirements: At a minimum, to be considered for funding under this priority in the application, applicants must describe the—

(a) Evidence-based technology-based tool or approach that improves reading outcomes and is ready to use at the time of the application;
(b) Reading outcomes of children with disabilities that will be improved by implementing the technology-based tool or approach;
(c) Approach to increase educators' implementation of the technology-based tool or approach to improve the reading outcomes of children with disabilities in an instructional setting; and
(d) Accessible products and resources  that will help educators and families to effectively use and implement the technology-based tool or approach.

In addition to these application requirements, to be considered for funding under this priority, applicants must meet the following requirements:

(a) In the narrative section of the application under “Significance” describe how the proposed project will address the need for a technology-based tool or approach to improve reading outcomes for children with disabilities. To meet this requirement applicants must—

(1) Describe the developed technology-based tool or approach and core components that improve reading outcomes that are based on at least promising evidence;
(2) Describe the educators who will implement the technology-based tool or approach and the population of children with disabilities who will benefit from the technology-based tool or approach;
(3) Describe how the technology-based tool or approach is currently being implemented and has improved reading outcomes for children with disabilities, if applicable;
(4) Describe any Federal funding, if applicable, within the last five years related to this technology-based tool or approach, how the funding has supported development and current implementation, and demonstrated improved outcomes for children with disabilities;
(5) Describe how the technology-based tool or approach will improve educators' implementation of evidence-based reading instruction to improve outcomes for children with disabilities in PK-12 instructional settings; and
(6) Present applicable national, State, regional, or local data demonstrating the need for the identified technology-based tool or approach to enhance the reading outcomes for children with disabilities.

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

(1) Develop and refine products and resources that incorporate principles of universal design for learning to support full implementation and use of the technology tool or approach to improve reading outcomes for children with disabilities; 
(2) Recruit and engage educators and children with disabilities who are intended to benefit from the technology-based tool or approach; and
(3) Address barriers or challenges of implementation and utilize stages of implementation science with a variety of sites, such as public or private school buildings or early childhood settings, to support, sustain, and scale the evidence-based technology-based tool or approach.

To address this requirement, the applicant must include the following—

(i) Two product and resource development sites. Applicants must describe at least two proposed product and resource development sites, where the project would conduct iterative development of the products and resources intended to support the implementation of the technology-based tool or approach and produce, by the end of year one, preliminary feasibility and usability data. Applicants must include a letter in Appendix A from at least one site that indicates agreement to serve as a product and resource development site, at a minimum, in year one of the project.
(ii) Three pilot sites, one of which must be a site that is eligible for Title I funds under Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Pilot sites are the sites in which ongoing refinement of the developed products and resources, and the continued collection of feasibility and usability data, will occur. Applicants must describe how they would work with a minimum of three pilot sites no later than year two of the project, where the project would continue to refine the developed products and resources; collect feasibility and usability data; and demonstrate that the educational technology-based tool or approach is improving reading outcomes for children with disabilities.
(iii) Ten dissemination study sites, three of which must be sites that are eligible for Title I funds under Part A of the ESEA. Applicants must describe and complete work with a minimum of five dissemination sites by the end of year three and another five by the end of year four of the project period, to evaluate the performance of the technology-based tool or approach on educators' implementation and reading outcomes for children with disabilities. Dissemination sites would receive less implementation support from the project than development and pilot sites.

Pre-Application Webinar Information: The Office of Special Education Programs and Rehabilitative Services will record a pre-application webinar for this competition, available at www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/osers/osep/new-osep-grant-competitions, within five days after publication of this notice. In addition, applicants may view information on this competition at www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/osers/osep/new-osep-grant-competitions.

Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $400,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
Type of Award: Cooperative Agreements.