ED - Program Plan
Table of Contents
Click on each of the links below to read the part of the Plan relating to each topic.
Objectives
Program Purpose
The purpose of the Special Education Grants to States program, as authorized under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is to provide grants to help States, outlying areas, freely associated States and the Department of the Interior to ensure a free, appropriate public education for children with disabilities that meets challenging standards and prepares them for higher education, employment, and independent living.
Public Benefits
The primary public benefits of this program accrue to individual children with disabilities and their families. The program addresses specific needs of children with disabilities by:
(1) ensuring access to education for such children by establishing basic service requirements that, in the absence of the program, might not be met;
(2) improving educational outcomes of students with disabilities; and
(3) providing financial assistance to States and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to help pay for special education and related services.
Measures
The measures have been revised to enrich the performance metrics for Recovery targets. In some instances, targets will not be available until additional baseline data has been collected.
Schedule and Milestones
| Milestone | Completion Date |
|---|---|
| The Department of Education shall award the first 50 percent of the ARRA IDEA Grants to States funds to States. | 2009-04-01 |
| The Department of Education shall award the second 50 percent of the ARRA IDEA Grants to States funds to States. | 2009-09-30 |
| The Department of Education will complete IDEA ARRA "use of funds" desk audits for the 57 States (or other entities that serve as fiscal agents) receiving funds under the IDEA Grants to States program. (29 States by January 2010, and the remaining States by September 2010. | 2010-01-29 |
Projects and Activities
Kinds and Scope of Program Activities
Funds provided to States and LEAs under the program must be used to help provide special education and related services to children with disabilities. States and LEAs must also use federal funds to locate, identify, and evaluate children to determine if they are eligible for special education and related services. In a limited number of situations, services may be provided to non-disabled students as a prevention effort. For example, LEAs may use a portion of their Federal funds to provide early intervening services (EIS) for children who have not been identified as needing special education or related services, but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment. With these services it may be found that these children will not ultimately require special education or that their special education needs may be reduced.
The Department has identified the following examples of specific projects that grantees might consider to achieve the objectives of the ARRA:
• Obtain state-of-the art assistive technology devices and provide training in their use to enhance access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities.
• Provide intensive district-wide professional development for special education and regular education teachers that focuses on scaling-up, through replication, proven and innovative evidence-based school-wide strategies in reading, math, writing and science, and positive behavioral supports to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.
• Develop or expand the capacity to collect and use data to improve teaching and learning.
• Expand the availability and range of inclusive placement options for preschoolers with disabilities by developing the capacity of public and private preschool programs to serve these children.
• Hire transition coordinators to work with employers in the community to develop job placements for youths with disabilities.
Review Process
Section 616(b) of IDEA requires each State to develop and implement a State Performance Plan (SPP) that must be used as a basis for evaluating the State’s efforts to implement the requirements under Part B of IDEA, and that describes how the State will improve its implementation of these requirements. Each SPP must include measurable and rigorous targets for quantifiable indicators in the following priority areas: providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE); reducing disproportionate representation of racial and ethnic groups in special education and related services, to the extent the representation is the result of inappropriate identification; and ensuring effective general supervision, including child find, transition, and dispute resolution.
In addition, section 616 of IDEA requires each State Educational Agency (SEA) to submit an Annual Performance Report (APR) to the Secretary on the State’s progress in meeting its SPP targets on the indicators the Department established in each of the priority areas under Part B of IDEA. There are 20 indicators under Part B including early childhood transition, secondary transition, postschool outcomes, graduation, and dropout prevention. OSEP issues annual letters of determination and response tables for each State under Part B of IDEA based in large part on the State’s APR data in each of these priority indicator areas. The Department issues annual determinations under sections 616 of IDEA, and each State is assigned one the following status designations:
(1) the State meets IDEA requirements;
(2) the State needs assistance;
(3) the State needs intervention; or
(4) the State needs substantial intervention.
Under section 616(e)(1) of IDEA, the Department is required to take enforcement actions for those States determined to be in “needs assistance” for two or more consecutive years, in “needs intervention” for three or more consecutive years, and any time a State is determined to be in “needs substantial intervention.”
In turn, SEAs must monitor and evaluate LEAs’ implementation of Part B of IDEA. Each year, the SEA must publicly report on the performance of each LEA on each of the indicators contained in the SPP and issue a local “determination” using the categories described above. Through such reporting, SEAs are responsible for ensuring both the continuous improvement of results and functional outcomes for children with disabilities and the timely correction of noncompliance with IDEA requirements.
Additionally, the Department conducts on-site monitoring visits to each State (or other entity) receiving funds under the Part B program. The State’s general supervision, data collection, data reporting, and fiscal accountability systems are examined to ensure that States have the necessary internal controls in place. Reviews of State fiscal accountability systems focus on the following three questions:
(1) Does the State have procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure the timely obligation and liquidation of IDEA funds?;
(2) Does the State have procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure appropriate distribution of IDEA funds within the State?; and
(3) Does the State have procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure appropriate use of IDEA funds?
Reports are issued following each monitoring visit, and technical assistance is provided to help States implement any necessary corrective actions.
Cost and Performance Plan
The Department provides performance information, in the form of State monitoring reports, verification visit letters, annual performance report letters, State performance plans and annual performance report letters, and State award packages, at the following Web address: http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/monitor/index.html
In addition, the Department posts grantee level data (by State), at the following Web addresses:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/
Energy Efficiency Spending Plans
Not applicable.
Program Plan Award Types
Formula Grants
Recipient Applicant Type:
Beneficiary Type:
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Source: Data provided by the Agency through the Office of Management and Budget.
