The purpose of the Fund Code 274 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part B (IDEA) Federal Targeted Special Education Program Improvement Grant is to support schools and districts to implement IEP Improvement Project, with a strong emphasis on transitioning to utilization of the newly revised forms and processes.
Project Goal: To improve outcomes for all students with disabilities by providing guidance, technical assistance, and tools on equitable processes to school and district professionals, families, and students so that all students with disabilities have meaningful access to the curriculum frameworks and life of the school.
Theory of Action: If students with disabilities have meaningful access to the curriculum frameworks and the skills to engage in all aspects of the life of the school, then we will begin to close the opportunity and achievement gaps between students with disabilities and their age-appropriate non-disabled peers.
To do this, the education system must:
Increase effective and efficient collaboration between general educators, special educators, related service providers, parents, and students.
Support teachers to know how to respond to the needs of students with disabilities and use that knowledge to proactively work with students across the curriculum frameworks and the life of the school.
Promote a high-functioning process for evaluation and ongoing assessment across environments.
Develop student-centered IEPs driven by data and written to ensure that students will gain knowledge and skills to prepare themselves effectively for postsecondary opportunities, career training options, economically viable careers, and healthy, productive lives.
Support families of students with disabilities to understand how their student learns and interacts with the life of the school, as well as what the individualized program and outcomes will be during the course of the school year.
Promote student voice and engage students in their own IEP process.
The priorities of this grant align with the following DESE goals to support improved outcomes for students with disabilities in all modes of instruction:
Schools and districts are required to have started using the new forms in the fall of 2024. Schools and districts that have not fully transitioned to the new IEP will continue utilizing the IEP forms found at IEP Forms and Notices: English and Translated Versions.
Grant funds are available to public schools, charter schools, education collaboratives and approved special education schools providing special education services for students with disabilities.
Federal U.S. Department of Education CFDA: 84.027
Federal grant funds must adhere to:
FY25 Fund Code 0274 Allocations
An approximate total of $6,000,000 is available, subject to federal appropriation. Grantees are eligible for funding based on the number of Students With Disabilities (SWDs) enrolled:
LEA serves 2,000+ Students With Disabilities; Allocation $80,000
LEA serves 1,000+ Students With Disabilities; Allocation $40,000
LEA serves 500+ Students With Disabilities; Allocation $20,000
LEA serves 100+ Students With Disabilities; Allocation $10,000
LEA serves 50+ Students With Disabilities; Allocation $5,000
LEA serves less than 50 Students With Disabilities; Allocation $2,500
This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.
Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.
Grant funds are to be used to implement IEP Improvement Project, with a strong emphasis on transitioning to utilization of the newly revised forms and processes.
All expenditures must be for the costs related to special education IEP program improvement.
The following are allowable costs:
The following are not allowable costs:
Upon Approval* – 9/30/2025
* Grant start date cannot be prior to DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Goods and Services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date.
Special Education Planning and Policy Development Office
Bob Hanafin
(781) 338-3364
Friday, February 7, 2025*
*Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.
FY25 FC 0274 Appendix A
Applications can legally claim expenses to the grant only as of the DESE approved start date.
The FY25 FC0274 Special Education Program Improvement Grant will be submitted in our new GEM$ system. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants.
Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)
Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, 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 form can be accessed without logging in to the system.
Last Updated: January 30, 2025
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