FY2021: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Federal Special Education Entitlement Grant

Fund Code: 240

Purpose:

Within the articulated priority of Results-Driven Accountability by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, the purpose of this federal special education entitlement grant program is to provide funds to ensure that eligible students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education that includes special education and related services designed to meet their individual needs.

Priorities:

The priorities of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA4) are to:

• ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free and appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living;

• ensure that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected;

• assist States, localities, educational service agencies, and Federal agencies to provide for the education of all children with disabilities;

• assess and ensure the effectiveness of efforts to educate children with disabilities.

(34 CFR § 300.1; authority: 20 U.S.C. § 1400(d).)

Funds available under this federal entitlement program are intended for use by local education agencies (LEAs) in providing eligible students with special education services and activities deemed essential for students' success in school. Services and activities supported by this grant for students ages 3 through 21 must ensure compliance with state special education laws (M.G.L. c. 71B) and regulations (603 CMR 28.00), and the federal IDEA.

When considering fund use, each LEA should review results from its most recent Coordinated Program Review or Mid-Cycle Review, review LEA performance in relation to the indicators specified in the Massachusetts State Performance Plan, and review the Special Education Determination levels.

Additionally, to support effective planning and the strategic use of grant funds to support improved outcomes for students with disabilities, in FY21 some LEAs are required to participate in the Making Money Matter (M³) initiative.

Eligibility:

Funds are awarded to public school LEAs with approved Special Education Program Plan Statements based on an allocation formula that takes into account total school enrollment in both public and private elementary and secondary schools, and the number of children living in poverty in those same groups, as determined by the State.

Please note that the DESE reserves the right to require that these funds be used to correct areas of identified special education noncompliance.

The IDEA requires each LEA receiving IDEA grant funding (either Fund Code 240 or 262 or both) to meet two standards of maintenance of effort (MOE) to ensure that each maintains at least the same amount of local or state and local funds for the education of students with disabilities from year to year. MOE is one method of ensuring that IDEA funds are supplementing rather than supplanting state and local funds that would be used for educational services to students with disabilities. LEAs are only being asked to demonstrate one of the two standards, the eligibility standard for MOE, as part of the grant application process.

Eligibility Standard: This standard is a forward-looking measure of MOE. Meeting this standard ensures that a LEA has budgeted the same amount of local or state and local funds for educational services to students with disabilities as it did in the last year it met MOE using the same method. If a LEA fails to meet the eligibility standard for MOE (after taking into any applicable exception or adjustment), the LEA will not be eligible to receive IDEA funds for that fiscal year.

Funding Type:

Federal CFDA: 84.027A

Funding:

FY21 Fund Code 240 IDEA Allocations

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available for allocation, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

General Fund Use: All LEAs

Federal special education funds are awarded to school LEAs to assist them in providing appropriate special education services for eligible students and to address the priorities listed above. LEAs are reminded of their responsibility to maintain state/local effort in special education, as well as to use these funds for the excess costs of special education. See IDEA Local Educational Agency Maintenance of Effort Quick Reference Guide and Technical Assistance Advisory SPED 2011-1: Annual Fiscal Calculations.

IDEA also requires LEAs to designate federal funds to meet proportionate share obligations and expenditures for parentally placed private school and home-schooled students. All LEAs must complete the required proportionate share form within the FY21 IDEA Part B (Fund Code 240) grant application. See the Special Education Policy and Planning webpage for information on IDEA Equitable Services for Students with Disabilities enrolled by their parents in private schools.

Additional Directed Fund Use:

Coordinated Early Intervening Services(CEIS)
A LEA may voluntarily use up to 15% of its special education entitlement grant to develop and implement Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) to support students without disabilities who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment. See 34 CFR § 300.226. Allowable uses for CEIS include:

• Providing professional development for teachers and other school staff for the delivery of scientifically-based academic instruction and behavioral intervention, including scientifically-based literacy instruction and instruction in the use of adaptive and instructional software, and
• Providing educational and behavioral evaluations and supports.

Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS)
Any LEA identified with significant disproportionality is required to reserve 15 percent of its IDEA Part B funds (Fund Code 240 and Fund Code 262) to provide CCEIS to address factors contributing to the significant disproportionality. See 34 CFR § 300.646. CCEIS activities:

• May include Professional development and educational and behavioral evaluations, services, and support; and
• Must identify and address the factors contributing to the significant disproportionality, which may include,
  • a lack of access to scientifically based instruction; economic cultural, or linguistic barriers to appropriate identification or placement in particular educational setting;
  • inappropriate use of disciplinary removals;
  • lack of access to appropriate diagnostic screenings;
  • difference in academic achievement levels; and
  • policies, practices, or procedures that contribute to the significant disproportionality.

Any questions related to CEIS or CCEIS, contact Brian Coonley or 781-338-3374.

Making Money Matter (M³)
In FY21, LEAs required to participate in M3 are those with:

1. A 2018 or 2019 special education determination level of Needs Assistance (NA), Needs Intervention (NI), or Needs Substantial Intervention (NSI); AND
2. One or more schools with 2018 or 2019 MA accountability percentiles 1–10

For additional information regarding special education determination of LEA need for technical assistance or intervention, please review the 2018 or 2019 Determination of Need for Special Education Technical Assistance or Intervention.

M³ LEAs are required to direct at least 2% of their FY21 total special education entitlement allocation toward targeted LEA improvement of performance outcomes for students with disabilities.

M³ funds should be used to:

• Uncover system gaps,
• Identify high impact, evidence-based interventions to fill those gaps, that
• Emphasize Tier 1 inclusive instructional practices, services, and supports, and
• Build capacity and systems to implement and sustain identified practices with fidelity and at scale.

As part of the Fund Code 240 application, identified LEAs must complete the M³ tab. LEAs must identify the amount of funds (at least 2% must be directed toward the M³ initiative, but more is encouraged where targeted impact through this initiative would best meet district needs), complete a program description, and reflect the LEAs FY21 M³ Spending Plan in the grant application.

Note: All FY21 M³ funds must be identified from the LEAs Fund Code 240 allocation. Any questions related to M³, contact Abigail T. Slayton or 781-338-3517.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval – 6/30/2021 (Year 1)*

*The period of availability for this grant award can be extended 15 months beyond Year 1 by utilizing the multi-year feature for this Funding Opportunity in EdGrants. The extended period is broken up by fiscal year, as follows: 7/1/2021 – 6/30/2022 (Year 2); 7/1/2022 – 9/30/2022 (Year 3)

Program Unit:

Resource Allocation Strategy and Planning

Contact:

Federal Grant Programs at federalgrantprograms@mass.gov

Phone Number:

(781) 338-6230

Date Due:

Monday, October 5, 2020

Required Forms:

FY21 Consolidated IDEA Application Workbook

• Signature Page — Standard Contract Form (Tab 1 of the IDEA Consolidated Application) with an original signature of the Superintendent/Executive Director, one for each fund code. Note: Please sign and date your cover page and ensure the amount matches the amount budgeted. We cannot approve any grant without an uploaded, signed and properly dated signature page for each fund code. Electronic signatures cannot be accepted.

• IDEA, 240 budget must be entered both on the consolidated workbook tab as well as in EdGrants in the Budget Entry formlet. The budget tab in the workbook and the EdGrants budget should match.

• Schedule A Form (if applicable)

Schedule A Member Supplement (If applicable). Each member of a Schedule A consortium, applying for FC 240 must complete tabs calculating the proportionate share for equitable services, as applicable and a Maintenance of Effort tab if the member LEA is not submitting a FY21 IDEA Consolidated application).

FY21 Federal Grant Assurances — to be uploaded with the district's FY21 FC: 305 Title I submission in EdGrants. Signature Page (Page 1 only) completed and signed by the Superintendent/Executive Director. If your district does not receive a Title I grant (Fund Code 305), contact your district's DESE grant liaison or the federal grants programs office at federalgrantprograms@mass.gov for submission instructions. We cannot approve any federal entitlement grant without a signed, properly dated and uploaded Federal Grant Assurance signature page.

Additional Information:

• Fund Code 240 Quick Reference Guide on allowable and unallowable costs

• Allowable Costs for IDEA Entitlement Grants

• Prenatal through Young Adulthood Family Engagement Framework in Massachusetts

• IDEA Proportionate Share Quick Reference Guide

• IDEA Equitable Services for Students with Disabilities enrolled by their parents in private schools.

• FY21 M³ LEA List

Note: Applicants may only legally claim expenses to the grant starting from the date of final DESE approval. The start date for the grant is the date on which the LEA submits substantially approvable budget and information for the grant. Therefore, to expedite approval, it is essential to have LEA staff that can be reached in July and August to respond to questions, as needed.

Submission Instructions:

Submit the Application Submission and required grant materials in EdGrants.

In EdGrants, LEAs are required to create and name the project. Please use the following naming convention for your "Applicant Project Name" in EdGrants:

FY21 FC 240 IDEA Applicant Number
For example, Abington (0001) would name the file as FY21 FC 240 IDEA 0001

In EdGrants, LEA staff assigned the role of "control user" should enter the grant budget and attach a PDF of the FY21 Consolidated IDEA Application workbook along with a PDF of the Signature Page with an original signature of the Superintendent/Executive Director, the signed FY21 Federal Grant Assurances Signature page, and any other form applicable to your LEAs FY21 FC 240 Grants submission (e.g., Schedule A). The entire Consolidated IDEA Application Workbook must be uploaded with your FC 240 budget in EdGrants.

Note: This is the only place your entire FY21 IDEA Consolidated Application workbook will be uploaded. See Required Forms above for additional forms that may be required from some applicants.

For Guidance Documents regarding EdGrants, visit EdGrants: User Guides and Information.

Please note: It is up to the LEA to determine who they want to add as EdGrants Front Office users in order to submit grant application as well as payment request information. Please review the EdGrants: User Security Controls to make informed decisions regarding assigning your LEA level users.

Last Updated: July 23, 2020