Coordinated Early
Intervening Services (CEIS) Step by Step
Local Educational Agency
Conduct fiscal planning for comprehensive or voluntary CEIS.
LEAs identified with significant disproportionality are required to reserve 15 percent of IDEA Part B Section 611 and 619 funds to be used for comprehensive CEIS. Comprehensive CEIS must address the factors contributing to the significant disproportionality and can be used for children with and without disabilities age 3 through grade 12. They may be used for children with and without disabilities. Their use cannot be limited to children with disabilities.
LEAs not identified with significant disproportionality can voluntarily reserve up to 15 percent of IDEA 611 and 619 funds for CEIS, but funds must be reserved for children in kindergarten through grade 12 (with a particular emphasis on children in kindergarten through grade 3) who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services, but who need additional academic or behavioral support to succeed in general education.
LEAs that reduce maintenance of effort (MOE) under 34 CFR §300.205(a) and voluntarily reserve funds for CEIS are required to ensure that the combined amount of both does not exceed the lesser of the maximum amount available for CEIS or the maximum amount available for MOE reduction.
LEAs must follow any procedures put in place by their SEA to apply to use or to report the intended uses of funds reserved for CEIS. The approval process may take place through the IDEA subgrant application.
When IDEA funds are used for comprehensive or voluntary CEIS, they may be used for activities funded by and carried out under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) if the IDEA funds are used to supplement, and not supplant, funds made available under the ESEA for the activities and services. (See OSEP Letter to Hokenson.)
Relevant regulations
- 34 CFR §300.646
- 34 CFR §300.205(a)
- 34 CFR §300.226
- IDEA Regulations: Early Intervening Services
- Significant Disproportionality Final Regulations
TA centers that help with CEIS requirements
U.S. Department of Education Funded TA Centers
- Center for IDEA Fiscal Reporting (CIFR)
CIFR provides technical assistance to states to help staff better understand IDEA fiscal requirements and to build state capacity to calculate, collect, and report accurate special education fiscal data, including those for CEIS. - IDEA Data Center (IDC)
IDC provides technical assistance to SEAs and LEAs to help them address challenges encountered in collecting and reporting IDEA fiscal data, including MOE and CEIS data, as part of its mission of building state capacity to collect, report, analyze, and use high-quality IDEA data.
Resources to help understand CEIS requirements, including their relationship with MOE reduction
U.S. Department of Education Resources
- OSEP Memo 08-09: CEIS Funding
- OSEP Letter to Dale About Possible Uses of CEIS Funds
- Significant Disproportionality (Equity in IDEA): Essential Questions and Answers (pp. 21–25)
U.S. Department Education Funded TA Center Resources
- CIFR. Quick Reference Guide on the Local Educational Agency Maintenance of Effort Adjustment and Use of Freed-Up Funds
- IDC. A Comparison of Mandatory Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) and Voluntary Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS)
- IDC. MOE Reduction Eligibility Decision Tree
- IDC. MOE Reduction Eligibility Worksheets
- IDC. Navigating Voluntary Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS)
- IDC. Navigating Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE). CEIS Policy Forum
Do you know of other resources that are not listed here? Contact us.
