Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2025: Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Program Federal Entitlement Grant

Fund Code: 0262

Purpose:

The purpose of this federal special education entitlement grant program is to provide funds to ensure that eligible 3, 4, and 5-year-old children with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education that includes special education and related services designed to meet their individual needs in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are required to ensure that children, aged 3 through 5, who need special education and related services, receive these services through free and appropriate public education (FAPE), in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act — (IDEA4) — Part B, Section 619 and Massachusetts Special Education laws (M.G.L. c. 71B) and regulations (603 CMR 28.00).

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is guided by its education vision where:

All students in Massachusetts, particularly students from historically underserved groups and communities, will have equitable opportunities to excel in all content areas across all grades.
Culturally and linguistically sustaining classroom and school practices will support students to thrive by creating affirming environments where students have a sense of belonging, engage in deeper learning, and are held to high expectations with targeted support.

DESE partners with districts, schools, and programs to:

Cultivate systems to support the whole student and foster joyful, healthy, and supportive learning environments so that all students feel valued, connected, nourished, and ready to learn. Strategic Objective 1 — "Whole Student"

Promote deeper learning so that all students engage in grade-level work that is real-world, relevant, and interactive. Strategic Objective 2 — "Deeper Learning"

Develop and sustain a workforce that is diverse, culturally responsive, well-prepared, and committed to continuous improvement, so that all students have equitable access to effective educators. Strategic Objective 3 — "Diverse and Effective Workforce"

Applicants for this grant opportunity should be intentional in the use of grant funds to support at least one of these strategic objectives.

Priorities:

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

Serve eligible children, aged 3 to 5 years old, with disabilities through the provision of special education and related services deemed essential for student success;
Ensure services and supports are available for eligible children with disabilities, aged 3 to 5 years old, that are developmentally appropriate and specifically designed for 3 to 5-year old's;
Provide special education services and supports in accordance with the federal IDEA and Massachusetts Special Education laws and regulations;
Ensure young children have available to them FAPE that emphasizes special educational and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for future education;
Support young children with disabilities, aged 3 to 5, in inclusive and natural environments;
Ensure the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected;
Assist localities and educational service agencies to educate all children with disabilities; and
Assess and ensure the effectiveness of efforts to educate children with disabilities.

Funds available under this federal early childhood special education entitlement program are intended for use by LEAs in providing eligible students with appropriate special education services and activities to address the priorities as outlined in Section 619, Part B of the federal IDEA. Services and activities supported by this grant for students ages 3 through 5 must ensure compliance with state special education laws (M.G.L. c. 71B) and regulations (603 CMR 28.00), and the federal IDEA and related regulations (34 CFR Part 300).

When considering fund use, each LEA should review: results from its most recent Tiered Focused Monitoring Review; Special Education Determinations and LEA performance in relation to the indicators specified in the Massachusetts State Performance Plan specific to early childhood special education and family engagement. Specifically, consider the ECSE Strategic Areas:

Improving systems to engage effectively with families
Improving systems to assist transition from early intervention to prekindergarten and from prekindergarten to kindergarten
Improving instruction to increase educational outcomes in:
1. Social/Emotional Skills and Social Relationships;
2. Acquiring and Using Knowledge and Skills; and

Taking Appropriate Action to Meet Needs

Eligibility:

These early childhood special education entitlement funds are allocated to LEAs with a current, approved Conditions for Assistance: IDEA Part B Funding Certification based on a federal formula as required by Part B of Section 619 of the IDEA4.

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

The federal IDEA requires each LEA receiving IDEA grant funding (either Fund Code 0240 or 0262 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 considering any applicable exception or adjustment), the LEA will not be eligible to receive IDEA funds for that fiscal year.

Funding Type:

Federal CFDA: 84.173
Federal grant funds must adhere to:

UGG (2 CFR 200)
EDGAR As Applicable
EDGAR General Fiscal Administration 34 CFR Part 76

Funding:

FY25 Fund Code 0262 Early Childhood Special Education Allocations
When allocations become available, the RFP will be updated, and districts will be notified.

This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, 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 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. 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 Equitable Services obligations and expenditures for parentally placed private school and home-schooled students. All LEAs must complete the required Equitable Services section within the FY25 IDEA Part B (Fund Code 0262) 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% of its IDEA Part B funds (Fund Code 0240 and Fund Code 0262) 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.

For more information on CCEIS, please refer to the Significant Disproportionality Fiscal Implications Reference Guide .

If you have any questions related to CEIS and CCEIS, please contact the Office of Special Education Planning and Policy Development at specialeducation@doe.mass.edu .

Project Duration:

Upon Approval* - 6/30/2025 (Year 1)

The period of availability for this grant award can be extended 15 months beyond Year 1. The extended period is as follows: 7/1/2025 – 6/30/2026 (Year 2); 7/1/2026 – 9/30/2026 (Year 3).

*Grant start date cannot be prior to DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Goods and Services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date.

Program Unit:

Resource Allocation Strategy and Planning

Contact:

Federal Grant Programs

Phone Number:

(781) 338-6230

Date Due:

Monday, September 30, 2024

Required Forms:

FY25 Federal Grant Assurances: The FY25 Federal Grant Assurances Signature Page (Page 1 only) completed and signed by the Superintendent/Executive Director and uploaded in GEM$ in the LEA Document Library under Assurances, in folder Federal Entitlement Grant Assurances. We cannot approve any federal entitlement grant without a signed, properly dated and uploaded Federal Grant Assurance signature page.
FY25 Conditions of Assistance: IDEA Part B Funding Certifications: Every LEA must submit a new Conditions of Assistance: IDEA Part B Funding Certifications to the Department annually. Completed submissions must be uploaded into GEM$.
Proportionate Share Carryover Questionnaire for FY23 IDEA Funds: If, after the one-year carry-over period, the LEA is unable to expend the entire proportionate share of funds due to exceptional circumstances the LEA may request to use the unexpended funds to pay for other allowable Part B expenditures by submitting the questionnaire.
Written Affirmation of Consultation (optional). The signed written affirmations of consultation are required to be kept on-site at the school district however, it is optional to upload the signed written affirmations in GEM$.

Additional Information:

Fund Code 0262 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.
IDEA Equitable Services Allowable Costs Quick Reference Guide

GEM$ Submission Instructions:

The FY2025 0262 Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Program Federal Entitlement Grant will be completed and submitted in our Grants for Education Management System (GEM$). GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants.

Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.

Last Updated: July 2, 2024