This letter to the Division of Rehabilitation Services and Special Education at the University of Maine, Farmington, discusses the possible uses for CEIS funds including a tiered support system such as response to intervention (RTI) and funding teachers.
Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS)
Methods for Assessing Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education: A Technical Assistance Guide (Revised)
This technical assistance guide can be used by SEA staff members who analyze, interpret, and/or make decisions based on disproportionality data and analyses. This guide describes some of the more common methods for calculating disproportionality, summarizes the question each method answers, provides step-by-step examples of how disproportionality is calculated, and offers brief discussions on how to interpret the method and some considerations. It is intended to help SEA staff members determine which of their LEAs have significant disproportionality, data that are required as part of the EMAPS IDEA Part B MOE Reduction and CEIS data collection.
Navigating Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
This FAQ document developed by the OSEP-funded IDEA Data Center (IDC) focuses on helping SEAs and LEAs understand CEIS and its reporting requirements. These questions were developed to be used in conjunction with the OSEP Guidance Memo 08-09.
Spreadsheet Application for Calculating Disproportionality Measures and User’s Guide: Spreadsheet Application for Calculating Disproportionality Measures (Revised)
The Excel spreadsheet application and user’s guide are tools to help states in their assessments of racial/ethnic disproportionality in LEAs. The spreadsheet application calculates several disproportionality measures. The user’s guide includes an overview of the spreadsheet application, discussions on data requirements, instructions for using the spreadsheet application, and information on getting help with questions and/or problems. This resource complements IDC’s previously published technical assistance document, Methods for Assessing Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education: A Technical Assistance Guide (Revised), which provides additional information about the measures calculated by the spreadsheet. This spreadsheet is intended to help SEA staff determine which of their LEAs have significant disproportionality based on data that are required as part of the EMAPS IDEA Part B MOE Reduction and CEIS data collection.
Letter to Goodman
This letter responds to the Maryland Special Needs Advocacy Project and addresses two IDEA fiscal topics, one of which is CEIS. The CEIS question regards calculation of the proportionate share of IDEA funds that must be used by a local educational agency (LEA) to provide equitable services to children with disabilities who are parentally placed in private schools when that LEA is required to provide comprehensive CEIS. For comprehensive CEIS, an LEA is required to reserve exactly 15 percent of its IDEA funds to provide these services when it has been identified with significant disproportionality. OSEP explains that the calculations for the percentage of IDEA funds to reserve for comprehensive CEIS and the proportionate share must be based on the total amount of the IDEA subgrant the LEA receives under 34 CFR §§300.705 and 300.815.
Federal Register, Vol. 81, No. 243, 34 CFR Part 300: Assistance to States for the Education of Children with Disabilities; Preschool Grants for Children with Disabilities (Significant Disproportionality)
These final regulations on significant disproportionality, effective January 18, 2017, consist of an analysis of comments to the proposed regulations and changes to how states determine significant disproportionality and implement comprehensive CEIS based on significant disproportionality.
Significant Disproportionality (Equity in IDEA) Essential Questions and Answers (Q&A)
OSEP released a Q&A guidance document to answer questions as states begin engaging their stakeholders around the implementation of the revised significant disproportionality final regulations effective January 18, 2017. Section C “Remedies” of the Q&A document addresses policies, practices, and procedures regarding CEIS; funding comprehensive CEIS; implications for LEA Maintenance of Effort; and more.
Model State Timeline
Following the revised significant disproportionality regulations, effective January 18, 2017, OSEP released a Model State Timeline to help states prepare for full compliance in school year 2018-2019. States may use this suggested timeline in accordance with the Significant Disproportionality (Equity in IDEA) Essential Questions and Answers (Q&A) for guidance while preparing to implement the new rule.
A Comparison of Mandatory Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) and Voluntary Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS)
This chart, issued by the IDEA Data Center, outlines the differences in key elements between voluntary coordinated early intervening services and required comprehensive coordinated early intervening services (CCEIS) key elements. The key elements compared are grade level, ages, and groups served; funds; permitted activities; and reporting requirements. The chart also provides citations for IDEA regulations.
Rule Delay for Significant Disproportionality (Equity in IDEA) Regulations
Issued by the U.S. Department of Education, this final rule postponed the compliance date for implementing the significant disproportionality regulations (released December 16, 2016) by two years, from July 1, 2018, to July 1, 2020. The rule also postponed the date children ages 3 through 5 must be included in the analysis of significant disproportionality, from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2022. The rule announcement includes an analysis of public comments provided to the earlier notice of proposed rulemaking.