Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities—Preparation of Special Education and Early Intervention Administrators

Overview

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. 

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

Absolute Priority: Preparation of Special Education and Early Intervention Administrators. Background: It is this Administration’s priority to prepare and increase the number of personnel who are well qualified for, and can act effectively in, leadership positions in State educational agencies (SEAs), charter management organizations, charter school authorizers, lead agencies, local educational agencies (LEAs), private school networks, parochial schools, early intervention services programs, or schools. Special education and early intervention administrators play an essential role in planning for and supervising the provision of effective instruction, interventions, and services that improve outcomes for children, including infants, toddlers, and youth with disabilities (children with disabilities) and their families. 

The purpose of this priority is to support doctoral degree programs to prepare and increase the number of personnel who are well-qualified for, and can act effectively in, leadership positions in SEAs, charter management organizations, charter school authorizers, lead agencies, LEAs, private school networks, parochial schools, early intervention services programs, or schools in positions such as SEA special education administrators, LEA or regional special education directors, school-based special education directors, preschool coordinators, and early intervention coordinators. Doctoral programs in educational administration that include a focus on special education or early intervention are eligible under this priority. Programs must culminate in a doctoral degree, which may include a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree. The preparation of school principals is not included under this priority.

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Applications from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority- Serving Institutions Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate the project will be implemented by or in partnership with one or both of the following entities: (a) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (as defined in this notice). (b) Minority-Serving Institutions (as defined in this notice). 

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Applications from New Potential Grantees (a) Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate that the applicant (i.e., the IHE) has not had an active discretionary grant under the ALN 84.325D or 84.325H, including through membership in a group application submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129, in the last 5 years before the deadline date for submission of applications under ALN 84.325D. (b) For the purposes of this priority, a grant is active until the end of the grant’s project or funding period, including any extensions of those periods that extend the grantee’s authority to obligate funds.

Eligible applicants include partnerships that are comprised of two or three IHEs with doctoral programs that prepare scholars and otherwise meet the eligibility requirements.

Project periods under this priority may be up to 60 months.

Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000–$300,000 per year for an individual IHE; $300,000–$700,000 per year for a two-IHE partnership application; and $450,000–$1,050,000 per year for a three-IHE partnership application. 

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,00 per year for an individual IHE; $500,000 per year for a two-IHE group application; and $750,000 per year for a three-IHE group application. 

Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding: $1,250,000 per project for a project period of 60 months or an award that exceeds $350,000 for any single budget period of 12 months for an individual IHE; $2,500,000 per project for a project period of 60 months or an award that exceeds $700,000 for any single budget period of 12 months for a two-IHE group application; and $3,750,000 per project for a project period of 60 months or an award that exceeds $1,050,000 for any single budget period of 12 months for a three- IHE group application.