Technical Assistance on State Data Collection-IDEA Data Management Center

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION <CFR>34 CFR Chapter III</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket ID ED-2024-OSERS-0001]</DEPDOC> <SUBJECT>Technical Assistance on State Data Collection—IDEA Data Management Center</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final priority. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The Department of Education (Department) announces a priority for the IDEA Data Management Center (Center) under the Technical Assistance on State Data Collection program. The Department may use this priority in fiscal year (FY) 2025 and later years. This priority replaces the priority published in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> on August 5, 2014, and the priority published on July 10, 2020. We will use the priority to award a cooperative agreement for a Center to provide technical assistance (TA) to improve the capacity of States to meet the data collection and reporting requirements under Part B and Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> The priority is effective July 25, 2025. </EFFDATE> <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Amy Bae, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4A224, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 987-1557. Email: <E T="03">Amy.Bae@ed.gov.</E> If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <E T="03">Purpose of Program:</E> The purpose of the Technical Assistance on State Data Collection program is to improve the capacity of States to meet IDEA data collection and reporting requirements. Funding for the program is authorized under section 611(c)(1) of IDEA, which gives the Secretary authority to reserve not more than one-half of one percent of the amounts appropriated under Part B for each fiscal year to provide TA activities, where needed, to improve the capacity of States to meet the data collection and reporting requirements under Parts B and C of IDEA. The maximum amount the Secretary may reserve under this set-aside for any fiscal year is $25,000,000, cumulatively adjusted by the rate of inflation. Section 616(i) of IDEA requires the Secretary to review the data collection and analysis capacity of States to ensure that data and information determined necessary for implementation of section 616 and 642 of IDEA are collected, analyzed, and accurately reported to the Secretary. It also requires the Secretary to provide TA, where needed, to improve the capacity of States to meet the data collection requirements, which include the data collection and reporting requirements in sections 616 and 618 of IDEA. In addition, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, Public Law 118-47, gives the Secretary authority to use funds reserved under section 611(c) of IDEA to “administer and carry out other services and activities to improve data collection, coordination, quality, and use under parts B and C of the IDEA.” Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, Public Law 118-47, Div. D, Title III, 138 Stat. 460, 685 (2024). <E T="03">Assistance Listing Number:</E> 84.373M. <E T="03">Program Authority:</E> 20 U.S.C. 1411(c), 1416(i), 1418(c), 1418(d), 1442; Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, Public Law 118-47, Div. D, Title III, 138 Stat. 460, 685 (2024). <E T="03">Applicable Program Regulations:</E> 34 CFR 300.702. We published a notice of proposed priority (NPP) for this program in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> on November 7, 2024 (89 FR 88185). That document contained background information and our reasons for proposing the priority. <E T="03">Public Comment:</E> In response to our invitation in the NPP, 14 parties submitted comments addressing the proposed priority. We received two additional comments unrelated to the priority. Generally, we do not address technical and other minor changes, or suggested changes the law does not authorize us to make under the applicable statutory authority. In addition, we do not address general comments that raised concerns not directly related to the proposed priority. <E T="03">Analysis of Comments and Changes:</E> An analysis of the comments and of any changes in the priority since publication of the NPP follows. We received comments on a number of specific topics, including the topics for TA. Each topic is addressed below. <HD SOURCE="HD1">General Comments</HD> <E T="03">Comments:</E> Eleven commenters specifically expressed support for the proposed Center, as it would assist States in collecting, reporting, and determining how to best analyze and use their Part B and Part C data. <E T="03">Discussion:</E> The Department appreciates the comments and agrees with the commenters that the Center funded under this program will provide necessary and valuable TA to States to improve the capacity of States to meet their IDEA data collection, analysis, and reporting requirements. <E T="03">Changes:</E> None. <E T="03">Comment:</E> One commenter suggested that the Center prioritize opportunities for automating required data reporting processes to improve efficiency and reduce the workload for State staff. <E T="03">Discussion:</E> The Department agrees the Center must support State educational agencies (SEAs) and lead agencies to implement services that maximize efficiency. In its proposed approach to intensive, sustained TA the Center must identify how it will maximize these investments and reduce inefficiencies. Additionally, the Center must describe how it will develop products and implement services that maximize efficiency. <E T="03">Changes:</E> None. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Alignment With Selection Criteria</HD> <E T="03">Comment:</E> None. <E T="03">Discussion:</E> In using this priority in a notice inviting applications, the priority's reference to selection criteria should align with the selection criteria being used. <E T="03">Changes:</E> We are revising the selection criteria headings with the priority by removing “Quality of project services” and “Quality of the project personnel” and replacing with “Quality of the project design” and just “Adequacy of resources.” We are also revising application and administrative requirements to align with the actual factors being used under “Adequacy of resources” and “Quality of the management plan” in the notice inviting applications. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Part C and Part B, 619 Preschool Data</HD> <E T="03">Comments:</E> All eleven commenters who wrote comments related to the Center providing TA on Part C and Part B, 619 preschool special education data were supportive of the expanded scope of the Center to enhance States' capacity to manage, collect, coordinate, report, and integrate Part C and Part B preschool special education data. Specifically, commenters supported expanding the scope to develop, in partnership with the Department, an open-source electronic tool to assist States with linking and integrating their IDEA Part C early intervention and IDEA Part B preschool special education data with other data or data systems associated with other Federal programs and services that support infants, toddlers, and young children and their families. <E T="03">Discussion:</E> The Department agrees that it is important to support the expanded scope to include Part C and Part B preschool special education data. The expanded scope supports States so that they can develop and implement Early Childhood Integrated Data Systems (ECIDS) that coordinate, link, and integrate child-level data in IDEA Part C and IDEA Part B preschool special education data with other early care and education program data in order to provide high-quality reporting of the IDEA Part C data and IDEA Part B preschool special education data required under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA; drive program improvement; improve results for children with disabilities; and improve compliance accountability. <E T="03">Changes:</E> None. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Capacity</HD> <E T="03">Comments:</E> Three commenters addressed specific challenges that make it difficult for many Part C lead agencies to engage in data linking and data integration activities. Commenters mentioned challenges such as lack of sufficient fiscal resources, major workforce shortages, technology, as well as State staff shortages and significant staff turnover. <E T="03">Discussion:</E> The Department acknowledges that States vary in their levels of interest, capability, and commitment to share, link, or integrate their Part C and Part B preschool special education data with data from other early learning data systems. Additionally, we recognize that engaging in TA regarding data sharing, linking, and integrating requires a significant commitment of State staff and resources. We also appreciate the recommendation to assess the readiness of States to engage in TA on this topic. To address these issues, applicants are required to identify the process by which the proposed project will measure the readiness of potential TA recipients to work with the project, assessing, at a minimum, their current infrastructure, available resources, and ability to build capacity at the State and local level. Additionally, as part of its intensive, sustained TA, applicants are required to identify the process by which the proposed project will address States' challenges associated with integrating IDEA Part B data within State longitudinal data systems (SLDS) and IDEA Part C and IDEA Part B preschool special education data within ECIDS. <E T="03">Changes:</E> None. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Focus</HD> <E T="03">Comments:</E> Two commenters suggested ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 53k characters. 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