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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 131 / Tuesday, July 13, 2021 / Rules and Regulations and other educators when sharing expertise and resources. Another commenter noted that at least a dozen currently funded Regional Comprehensive Centers include literacy as part of their intensive, high-leverage capacity building TA and that wellplanned collaboration between those centers and this Center would benefit TA providers and TA recipients. One commenter encouraged early outreach to related professional organizations.
Discussion: The Department agrees that coordination between this Center and other federally funded TA projects focused on literacy as well as early outreach to related professional organizations would benefit the Center and its TA recipients. The Department will work with the Center to facilitate coordination and collaboration with similar Department-funded projects and professional organizations focused on improving literacy for students with disabilities.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter recommended embedding implicit bias training in Center activities, noting that implicit bias about individuals with disabilities is pervasive in society.
Discussion: The Department thanks the commenter and agrees that individuals with disabilities face implicit bias in school and life. As part of addressing the needs of students at risk for not attaining full literacy skills due to a disability, including dyslexia impacting reading or writing, or developmental delay impacting reading, writing, language processing, comprehension, or executive functioning, an applicant could also include implicit bias training as part of its TA.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter recommended requiring that the Center conduct a review of States that have passed laws related to screening and instruction for students with dyslexia and tailoring TA to aid effective implementation of these laws.
Discussion: We do not believe that it is necessary to require this activity. The priority requires the Center to address current and emerging training and information needs of SEAs, REAs, LEAs, TA centers, schools, and practitioners related to selecting and implementing classroom and remote learning environment evidence-based practices EBPs that will improve literacy outcomes for students with disabilities, including students with dyslexia impacting reading or writing, or developmental delay impacting reading, writing, language processing, comprehension, or executive
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functioning. It is expected that applicants will have knowledge of State laws related to screening and instruction for dyslexia. In addition, the grantee will provide targeted, specialized TA to a variety of recipients, including SEAs, as part of its project services. This targeted, specialized TA
could include conducting a review of State laws and tailoring TA for SEAs based on their needs.
Changes: None.
Measuring Center Outcomes Comment: One commenter recommended requiring parent or family perspectives or feedback as a Center outcome measure.
Discussion: The Center is required to provide TA to a variety of recipients including parents or families, SEAs, REAs, LEAs, schools, Head Start, and other early childhood programs and ensure that the products and services meet the intended recipients. In meeting these requirements, an applicant could include family or parent perspectives, including perspectives from organizations such as the OSEP-funded Parent Training and Information Centers, or feedback as a Center outcome measure. However, we do not believe it is necessary that perspectives or feedback from any of the recipients be required as a Center outcome measure.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter suggested requiring improvement in noncognitive skills, such as effort, curiosity, inquisitiveness, as a Center outcome.
Discussion: The Department recognizes the importance of noncognitive skills for student achievement. While the Center is required to address literacy outcomes, an applicant could also include noncognitive skills as part of its project services and evaluation. We do not believe that it is necessary to require noncognitive skills as a Center outcome.
Changes: None.
Managing the Center and Adequacy of Resources Comment: Two commenters addressed the requirement that the project director should be, at minimum, 0.5 full-time equivalency FTE
throughout the project. One commenter asked whether it would be permissible to split the 0.5 FTE for the project director and distribute the FTE at the applicants discretion to other Center personnel or co-project directors. The second commenter noted that the complexity of the scope of work requires a substantial involvement of leadership and expertise in order to
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result in a successful Center. This commenter recommended requiring a project director at a minimum of 0.75
FTE or two co-project directors at a minimum of 0.5 FTE each or a project director at a minimum of 0.5 FTE and a deputy director at 0.751.0 FTE.
Discussion: The Department believes that it is necessary to have a single project director responsible for understanding and coordinating Centers activities to ensure that they are conducted effectively and efficiently.
Accordingly, the Department agrees that the project director should dedicate significant time to this Center. Based on the Departments experience with this Center, having one project director at a minimum of 0.5 FTE is necessary to oversee the Centers complex and overlapping activities and produce highquality, relevant products and services that have strong scientific integrity. The Department also agrees that any coproject directors or deputy directors should also have a significant time investment in the project; however, the applicant can distribute the FTE of other Center personnel at its discretion.
Changes: None.
Comment: One commenter encouraged the Center to incorporate input from a variety of educators, including general education teachers, special education teachers, librarians, paraprofessionals, and specialized instructional support personnel, who serve a broad diversity of students in the Center activities. The commenter noted that educators offer valuable perspectives on specific types of literacy instruction to best address the differing populations of students they serve.
Discussion: The Department thanks the commenter and agrees that educators bring critical perspectives related to all Center services and activities. The proposed priority required applicants to address how the project will benefit from a diversity of perspectives, including those of families, general and special education teachers, TA providers, researchers, institutions of higher education, and policy makers, among others, in its development and operation as part of the Quality of the Management Plan requirements. We agree that expanding those requirements to include paraprofessionals, principals, other school leaders, and specialized instructional support personnel would improve Center services and activities.
Changes: Paraprofessionals, principals, other school leaders, and specialized instructional support personnel were added to paragraph e4 of the final Priority as groups to provide diverse perspectives that will
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