CIFR 2023 Part B Communities of Practice (CoPs)

CIFR invites state staff with shared interests in IDEA Part B fiscal issues to attend a new round of Communities of Practice (CoPs) focusing on:

• Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS)
• IDEA Fiscal Timelines
• New IDEA State Fiscal Staff
• Part B State Set-Aside

Transcript

Facilitated by CIFR TA staff, CoPs are specially designed to meet the learning and networking needs of state staff to help improve the quality of states’ collecting, reporting, analysis, and use of IDEA Part B fiscal data. State staff will have opportunities to expand their knowledge and solve problems of practice through discussion and sharing of expertise. CoPs will meet 1 to 2 hours per month for at least 8 sessions from January to November 2023.

Interested staff should discuss with their colleagues which CoPs will meet the needs of their state. Joining more than one CoP is encouraged depending on your ability to commit the time. Please review each description before registering and plan to attend the introductory kickoff session in January.

Differentiated Monitoring and Support (DMS) CoP

• First Meeting: January 18, 2023, 2:00–3:00 p.m. ET
• Meets the second Wednesday of the month for 90 minutes at 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. CT/12:30 p.m. MT/11:30 a.m. PT/10:30 am AK/9:30 a.m. HI

In federal fiscal year (FFY) 2021, OSEP launched DMS 2.0 which established a five-year monitoring cycle focused on both SEA compliance and improved results to monitor each SEA’s general supervision system. Co-led by CIFR and the NCSI Fiscal Support Team (FST), the DMS CoP will help SEA staff:

• understand the Fiscal Management and Integrated Monitoring components of OSEP’s DMS 2.0 Framework;
• navigate the critical fiscal requirements monitored by OSEP;
• be prepared to participate in DMS fiscal activities;
• develop compliant policies, procedures, and practices; and
• increase understanding of IDEA fiscal requirements.

Discussion topics will include local educational agency (LEA) allocations, subrecipient monitoring, coordinated early intervening systems (CEIS), comprehensive CEIS (CCEIS), significant disproportionality, LEA maintenance of effort (MOE), and equitable services/proportionate share. Each online session will include an overview of the fiscal requirements, a preview of each DMS fiscal protocol, a review of historical findings and issues, and time for state sharing.

• After registering, you will receive a confirming email, and a CoP facilitator will contact you before the end of December to coordinate your participation. Priority will be given to state staff in DMS cohorts 2 and 3. Other registrants will be notified of their acceptance before the first meeting.
• This CoP’s schedule includes at least one onsite meeting for SEA staff to develop and revise selected fiscal procedures (TBD).

Register at https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/889b6d4b53b94d918698c6ab2869ff38

IDEA Fiscal Timelines CoP

• First Meeting: January 4, 2023, 2:00–3:00 p.m. ET
• Meets the first Wednesday of the month for 60 minutes at 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT/12:00 p.m. MT/11:00 a.m. PT/10:00 a.m. AK/9:00 a.m. HI

Co-led by TA staff from CIFR and NCSI, this CoP will follow the IDEA Part B Fiscal Timeline Tool through an entire calendar year of Part B fiscal activities and provide timely information on CIFR and NCSI’s topical areas. At each meeting, CIFR and NCSI TA providers will review both federally required and recommended timelines of upcoming fiscal activities and additional resources. Participants will be invited to discuss their current activities, challenges, and successes and give each other feedback.

• After registering, you will receive a confirming email, and a CoP facilitator will contact you before the end of December to coordinate your participation.

Register at https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/889b6d4b53b94d918698c6ab2869ff38

New IDEA State Fiscal Staff CoP

• First Meeting: January 18, 2023, 3:00–4:30 p.m. ET
• Meets on the third Wednesday of the month for 90 minutes at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT/1 p.m. MT/12 p.m. PT/11 a.m. AK/10 a.m. HI

Meet with colleagues across the country who, like you, are new to their state educational agency (SEA) role with IDEA fiscal responsibilities. Open only to staff who began their IDEA fiscal role on or after August 1, 2021, the goal of the New IDEA State-Fiscal Staff CoP is to increase participants’ knowledge of Part B fiscal requirements and foster strong connections between IDEA fiscal staff in other states. We will hear from content experts from CIFR, the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI), and veteran staff from other states on a range of topics. The focus of this CoP is on idea sharing and relationship building. Ask questions, share challenges, and discuss solutions collaboratively in a safe and informal setting. Explore a new topic each month, such as finding your way around the CIFR website and using CIFR tools and guidance resources, understanding basic IDEA fiscal processes, navigating within your SEA to meet the fiscal requirements, and other topics generated from your feedback. Because this is a closed group, attendance will be taken at each meeting.

• The schedule includes one in-person meeting in March. Details to come.
• After registering, you will receive a confirming email, and a CoP facilitator will contact you before the end of December to coordinate your participation.

Register at https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/c5c55cb4849b45d083d93d50933fa3ce

Part B State Set-Aside CoP

• First Meeting: January 19, 2023, 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET
• Meets on the third Thursday of the month for 90 minutes at 3:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. CT/1:00 p.m. MT/12:00 p.m. PT/11:00 a.m. AK/10:00 a.m. HI

To support SEAs with IDEA Part B state set-aside, this CoP is tailored for state directors, IDEA program staff, and IDEA fiscal staff responsible for tracking, reporting, and making decisions about these funds. Meetings will feature presentations by CIFR TA liaisons and state staff, reviews of CIFR products, discussion and Q&A, and practice with the interactive spreadsheet.

Proposed content includes:

• understanding state set-aside calculations and required and permissive uses;
• planning and prioritizing the use of funds, and using the interactive spreadsheet;
• tracking expenditures and potential budget adjustments, including the 10% variance for OSEP approval;
• other aspects such as high cost funds, commingling, and implications of reallocating LEA subgrants; and
• similarities and differences between Section 611 and Section 619.
• After registering, you will receive a confirming email, and a CoP facilitator will contact you before the end of December to coordinate your participation.

Register at https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/889b6d4b53b94d918698c6ab2869ff38

Questions? Please email your state TA liaison or CIFR’s Lizann Salazar at lsalaza@wested.org.

State Interagency Coordinating Councils (ICCs) advise the state lead agency (LA) and help it meet the fiscal requirements under IDEA Part C. To do this, ICC members and state LA staff must understand and engage with each other about the regulations and how they translate into practice. This CIFR quick reference guide provides a foundational understanding and examples of the ICC’s role to advise and assist.

A new toolkit developed by the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center in collaboration with CIFR and the Center for Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy) helps states plan and implement Part C fiscal monitoring at the state and local early intervention system levels. It includes state Part C fiscal indicators, a checklist, and a template as well as sample EIS-provider fiscal monitoring indicators and considerations for developing them.

Until passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, states were prohibited from subgranting for the provision of early intervention services. Now that they may, with certain restrictions, a new guide from CIFR helps lead agencies understand the differences between a contract and a subgrant and decide whether to pursue subgranting and why.

 

This updated practice guide from CIFR helps state staff develop effective data notes to respond to LEA allocation, MOE reduction, and CEIS data warnings and data quality inquiries from OSEP. The guide helps Part B fiscal specialists understand OSEP’s data quality review process and provides examples of inadequate and exemplar data notes for two common warning messages. Contact your state TA liaison for assistance.

 

The IDEA Part C grant cycle has several stages and timelines. CIFR’s Understanding the IDEA Part C State Grant Funding Cycle and Different Fiscal Years helps Part C coordinators and fiscal staff understand each stage and visualize how they overlap across years. This new graphic-based guide demonstrates the timeline for each stage to help lead agencies ensure that each grant is fully obligated and expended by the end of the grant cycle.

 

CIFR’s newest quick reference guide helps SEA and LEA staff understand the requirements of the LEA MOE adjustment under IDEA. Questions and answers highlight the fiscal requirements, with calculation examples and suggested processes for SEAs to monitor the funds freed up by the adjustment.

 

 

In 2022, CIFR’s second round of four CoPs brings together state staff with shared interests in IDEA Part B fiscal issues:

• Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS),
• IDEA Allocations to LEAs,
• LEA Maintenance of Effort (MOE), and
• New State Fiscal Staff.

Facilitated by CIFR staff, CoPs will meet monthly for 1 to 2 hours through November, depending on the needs and interests of participants. Each CoP will explore practical concerns and solutions for the topic of interest and will allow for discussion and questions about additional issues that address the needs of state participants. By meeting the networking and learning needs of state staff and tackling problems of practice, CoPs help improve the quality of states’ implementation and reporting around of IDEA Part B fiscal requirements.

State staff with IDEA fiscal responsibilities should register for as many CoPs as they have the time and interest to commit to. Please register to join us at the introductory sessions below! Members will set future dates at these kickoff meetings. Register here.

Upon registering, watch for a confirmation email from CIFR. The facilitator of the CoP(s) that you signed up for will contact you to coordinate your participation.

New State Fiscal Staff CoP: January 25, 4:00–5:30 (ET)

Are you new to IDEA fiscal work within the past 18 months? This CoP will be guided by the IDEA Part B Fiscal Timeline and the Understanding the IDEA Grant Funding Cycle and Different Fiscal Years resource. The focus will be on what states should be working on at any given time to meet IDEA fiscal requirements. New-to-fiscal staff will learn how to navigate the CIFR website and see demonstrations of CIFR’s most popular resources and tools. Most importantly, the CoP will respond to participants’ questions about the when, why, and how of meeting IDEA fiscal requirements and provide opportunities and support for developing state processes. Here are examples of questions that will be addressed:

• What should I be working on now?
• What comes next?
• What questions should I be asking?
• What resources are available to help me answer these questions and guide me with my tasks?

Please note: If you were a member of the New to Fiscal CoP in 2021, we welcome you to continue with us in 2022.

Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) CoP: January 26, 3:00–4:30 (ET)

LEAs implementing CEIS, either voluntary or comprehensive, are experiencing unprecedented circumstances amid the COVID-19 pandemic while planning how best to use their supplemental IDEA funds provided through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. This CoP will focus on how SEAs can help LEAs understand the fiscal implications of CEIS and support their strategic use. SEA staff will share specific situations, strategies, and resources they have developed for addressing CEIS challenges. Facilitators from CIFR and NCSI FST will review relevant resources. Sessions will cover:

• Fiscal implications
  • Spending funds during the availability period
  • Potential effects on LEAs meeting maintenance of effort
  • Monitoring
• Allowable costs for voluntary CEIS
• Potential allowable costs by areas identified for significant disproportionality for comprehensive and voluntary CEIS
• Coordinating fiscal, program, and data offices to assist LEAs in implementing comprehensive and voluntary CEIS plans.

LEA Maintenance of Effort (MOE) CoP: January 27, 1:30–3:00 (ET)

LEAs across the country received supplemental IDEA funds through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, and some states have added or reduced LEAs’ funding for special education. This CoP will focus on how SEAs can help LEAs meet LEA MOE requirements or minimize failures amid the shifting funding landscape and the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. State participants will share challenges experienced by LEAs and strategies or resources they have developed for addressing them. CIFR facilitators will highlight CIFR resources on LEA MOE. Sessions will cover:

• Calculating adjustments resulting from an increase in IDEA allocation, including eligibility requirements and the use of freed-up funds,
• Calculating the five exceptions to LEA MOE,
• State special education funding methodologies and how each method impacts the tracking and reporting of special education expenditures used for LEA MOE calculation,
• Challenges of tracking and identifying local funds’ sources for the purposes of MOE, and
• Short- and long-term impacts of state funding increases and reductions on an LEAs’ ability to meet the MOE requirement.

Allocations CoP: January 31, 2:00–3:30 (ET)

SEA participants will identify, share, and respond to IDEA Part B subgrant allocation challenges. The emphasis will be on how SEAs can refine practices and procedures to ensure accurate calculation and distribution of IDEA Part B subgrants to LEAs. Participants will collaborate with their peers on current topics in their IDEA fiscal work generally and share challenges and successes. Participants will engage in conversation and share resources and ideas in both whole and small group virtual settings and contribute to the identification of topics and agendas for the community. Anticipated session topics include:

• Considerations related to population and poverty amounts, including revising allocations to new and expanding charter school LEAs during the year,
• Potential reallocation of available funds to other eligible LEAs or use of available funds for other state-level activities,
• Base payment adjustments because of changes in LEAs, including charter school LEAs,
• Supplemental funding amounts provided by the ARP, and
• Other timely topics and problems of practice identified by participants.

If you are interested in signing up for one or more CoP, please register here.

If you have any questions or need further assistance with the CoPs, please contact your state TA Liaison or Lizann Salazar at lsalaza@wested.org.

Thank you,

CIFR Part B TA Staff

When charging indirect costs an IDEA Part C grant, states must do so through an approved restricted indirect cost rate or a cost allocation plan that calculates costs on a restricted basis. To inform lead agency staff about these provisions, CIFR developed the Quick Reference Guide on Restricted Indirect Costs and Cost Allocation Plans for IDEA Part C Grants.

This resource provides state Part C and finance staff with information about restricted indirect costs that may be charged to the Part C grant, the regulatory requirements for calculating costs on a restricted basis, and the approval process.

If you have any questions or need further assistance related to restricted indirect costs, please contact your state TA Liaison.

CIFR’s Quick Reference Guide on the Use of IDEA Part C Funds provides lead agency staff, policymakers, and stakeholders a high-level overview of regulatory requirements related to the state’s management of IDEA Part C funds.

With this guide, readers will learn about the permissive use of Part C funds and costs that require prior approval. The resource also provides a summary of key reporting obligations relating to the use of funds in the federal Part C grant application and raises questions for states to consider. The guide may be particularly useful to new staff as they better understand the fundamentals, leading to improved data collection processes and state management of IDEA funds.