CDE Office Hours March 11 2021 1 CDE

CDE Office Hours March 11, 2021 1

CDE Team Introductions ESSER • Nazie Mohajeri-Nelson, Director of ESEA Office (mohajeri-nelson_n@cde. state. co. us) • De. Lilah Collins, Assistant Director of ESEA Office (collins_d@cde. state. co. us) Fiscal Experts • Jennifer Okes, Chief Operating Officer (okes_j@cde. state. co. us) • Kate Bartlett, Executive Director of School District Operations (Bartlett_k@cde. state. co. us) • Adam Williams, Financial Data Coordinator (Williams_a@cde. state. co. us) • Jennifer Austin, Director of Grants Fiscal Management (Austin_j@cde. state. co. us) • Robert Hawkins, Grants Fiscal Analyst (Hawkins_s@cde. state. co. us) • Steven Kaleda, Grants Fiscal Analyst (Kaleda_s@cde. state. co. us) …in partnership with the Governor’s Office and Office of the State Controller 2

ESSER Office Hours Topics • Updates • Using ESSER Funds to Support Students with Disabilities • Moira Blake • Questions and Answers 3

Updates 4

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) • As of March 10, passed House and Senate • Awaiting signature by President Biden • ESSER Fund under ARPA • $122. 775 billion to ESSER • • 5 $800 million to the USDE – identify and assist homeless children and youth to attend school and receive wrap-around services Remainder to SEAs – available through September 30, 2023 • Following Title I allocations – same as CARES and CRRSA Acts

ESSER Allocations to SEAs • 90% to LEAs following Title I allocations • Must use at least 20% to address learning loss • The portion not to LEAS (State Reserve): • • 6 Not less than 5% • carry out, directly or through grants and contracts, activities to address learning loss through evidence-based interventions such as summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive after school programs, or extended school year programs. Interventions are required to respond to students’ academic, social and emotional needs and address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on subgroups of students described in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Not less than 1% each • • Evidence-based summer enrichment activities Evidence-based comprehensive afterschool programs 2. 5% for other state activities ½ of 1% for admin

ARPA (Cont. ) • ARPA also includes additional one-time, supplemental funding • • • The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ($3 billion) Emergency Assistance for Non-Public Schools ($2. 75 billion) E-Rate (over $7 billion to help bridge the digital divide in education), among other measures. • This final bill includes the EANs program but does not include equitable services provisions. 7

Providing Support for Students with Disabilities with ESSER funds March 11, 2021 Exceptional Student Services Unit - CDE 8

ESSER and IDEA • With the passage of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) I and II Funds, LEAs have the ability to consider various approaches to continuing education during school closure and/or returning to normal operations. • Within these guidelines considerations are taken that fit the expenditures allowable under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which are reasonable, necessary and allocable. 9

Overview • What are allowable expenditures under IDEA in the ESSER funds application? • General areas of allowability. • Those expenditures which are not allowable. http: //www. cde. state. co. us/cdespedfin/allowableuseofideafunds https: //www. cde. state. co. us/caresact/crf-allowableexpenditures 10

What is Allowable? • It must be an excess cost of providing special education and related services. • When determining whether a cost is an excess cost, ask: A) In the absence of special education needs would this cost exist? B) Is this cost also generated by students without disabilities? C) Is it a child specific service, is it documented in the student’s IEP? • If you can answer “No” to A and B and “Yes” to C. the expenditure may be allowable under IDEA and therefore allowable under IDEA/ESSER funds. 11

Personnel/ Staff Costs: • Additional licensed and endorsed staff associated with Special Education responsibilities which ensure IEP service delivery e. g. , licensed special education teachers' salaries and benefits. • Additional contracted services/ purchased services of Special Education licensed and endorsed personnel including related and special service providers to ensure IEP service delivery e. g. , physical therapists, occupational therapists. • Additional training and staff development and associated costs e. g. , emergency certification for Educational Interpreters, Braillists. 12

Personnel / Staff Costs Contd. • Additional new hires and contract changes providing they are serving students with disabilities. • Overtime for serving students with disabilities to ensure IEP service delivery. • Expenses for added evaluations and re-evaluations for the administration of special education assessments for the identification of students regardless of age. • Child Find: additional salaries and benefits of child find personnel as a result of the pandemic. 13

Tuition and Transportation • Additional tuition costs if a student must be served at different location to ensure IEP objectives and services are met which are incurred as a result of the pandemic. • Travel and transportation costs as a result of additional costs incurred by getting a student to remote sites e. g. , private contracts with transportation companies to transport a student with disabilities to ensure physical distancing as a result of the pandemic. • Payments to parents for mileage to ensure physical distancing on transportation for a student with disabilities as a result of the pandemic. 14

Supplies • Expenses for remote work to facilitate distance learning for students with disabilities that are necessary to comply with State, Local public health orders. • Expenses for remote work to facilitate distance learning for students with disabilities such as online learning platforms, software, curriculum, braille texts and subscriptions to support remote learning for students with disabilities • Assistive technology which is required to achieve IEP objectives as a result of the pandemic. • Mental health supports for students with disabilities e. g. , curriculum supplies, support providers or stipends as a result of the pandemic. • 15 Please note if all students are provided with the “supply”, would not allowable.

Compensatory Services and the Extended School Year (ESY) • The increased costs as a result of having to provide compensatory services outside of the normal school year • Additional costs for ESY to meet a students IEP objectives and services: Which would include: • Instructional staff costs and benefits • Purchased or contracted services • Transportation costs • 16 https: //www. cde. state. co. us/cdesped/special_education_faqs

Other associated costs: • Expenses for outreach and specific support to students with IEPs to increase instructional hours that were reduced due to the pandemic. • Costs associated with increasing instructional hours for student with disabilities as a result of the pandemic. • Implementing a plan for return to normal operations for students with disabilities. • Mobile hotspots, internet access, bandwidth expansion, network infrastructure but ONLY for students with disabilities to ensure FAPE and IEP service delivery 17

Examples of costs which are not allowable • Not Allowable examples: a) Costs associated with working with at risk students b) Progress monitoring tools used for general education c) Legal representation of the district in the cases of due process and/ or mediation d) Professional development not related to special education e) Costs associated with transportation that general education students also use f) Any technology that is used and provided for ALL students g) Universal screenings. 18

Supplement not supplant • Funds must not supplant existing special education funding and may not be used to fill a shortfall in government revenue or cover expenditures that would not otherwise qualify under the statute. 19

The Federal Application PROJECT A: SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES Topic Allowed Not Allowed Description Allowable uses: ** Only the time associated with special education responsibilities may be funded by IDEA Part B funds. Time and effort documentation must be maintained to support the portion of salary and benefits that can be charged to IDEA Part B funds. • salaries and benefits of appropriately licensed and endorsed special education teachers, related service providers, speech/language pathologists, special education coordinators, and special education administrators. • salaries and benefits of appropriately licensed and endorsed early childhood special education teachers (for preschool children with disabilities ages three through five). • salaries and benefits of qualified special education paraprofessionals, job coaches, and other support staff. • salaries and benefits of appropriately licensed and endorsed speech/language pathology assistants (SLPAs), certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs), and physical therapy assistants (PTAs) who are registered through their organizations. Copies of their registrations must be on file in the district. • salaries and benefits of appropriately licensed and endorsed educational interpreters who provide services to students with disabilities who are deaf/hard of hearing and deaf-blind. These services may also be provided to parents of students with disabilities to promote participation in the special education process. • salaries and benefits of appropriately licensed and endorsed special education teachers to provide services to students with disabilities in home-hospital settings. • salaries and benefits of specialty teachers who provide services to students with disabilities. Only the time associated with special education responsibilities may be funded by IDEA Part B funds. Time and effort documentation must be maintained to support the portion of the specialty teachers’ salary that can be charged to IDEA Part B funds. • salaries and benefits of special education office support staff including special education record specialists, secretaries, program assistants, and accountants. • salaries and benefits of appropriately licensed substitute teachers for special education teachers. • salaries and benefits of appropriately licensed substitute teachers for general education teachers performing duties such as attending special education training, attending IEP meetings, or engaging in planning or consultation meetings specific to students with disabilities. • recruitment and retention of special education personnel including advertising costs, signing bonuses, and other salary incentives. • translation and interpretation of the IEP meeting and translation of the IEP content for families whose primary language is not English. R Personnel / Staff • salary and benefits of an appropriately qualified instructional technology coordinator whose role will be solely for the purpose of supervising and coordinating the following services for students with disabilities: data management, technology services and equipment that are above and beyond that provided to students without IEPS, computerized IEP support, budget management specific to special education, and management of resources specifically used for students with disabilities and special education staff. • salary and benefits of a parent liaison provided that individual is hired to work SOLELY with parents of children with disabilities or suspected of having disabilities. If the parent liaison is working with parents of children who do not have disabilities, only the portion of time spent on behalf of students with disabilities can be funded with IDEA Part B funds. Time and effort documentation must be maintained to support the portion of the parent liaison’s salary that can be charged to IDEA Part B funds. • salaries and benefits of school nurses, psychologists, social workers, and counselors for the portion of time spent providing related services required by IEPs or performing evaluations. Time and effort documentation must be maintained to support the portion of the salary that can be charged to IDEA Part B funds. • salaries and benefits of bus drivers for the portion of time spent transporting children with disabilities who require special transportation. Time and effort documentation must be maintained to support the portion of the salary that can be charged to IDEA Part B funds. 20 X Non-allowable uses: • salaries and benefits of appropriately licensed and endorsed special education staff for the purposes of working with at risk students. • salaries and benefits of foreign language interpreters for students with disabilities who have limited English proficiency. • salaries and benefits of members of a student consultation team (Rt. I) as these teams are not devoted to the identification, evaluation, or placement of children with disabilities. • salaries and benefits of superintendents, principals, and assistant principals.

Items to Remember • Only the increased costs associated with serving students with disabilities is allowable • If a cost is incurred for all students, it is very likely not allowable. 21

Contacts • Vicki Graham, Fiscal Supervisor, Exceptional Student Services Unit, CDE • Graham_V@cde. state. co. us 303 -866 -6442 • Moira Blake, Fiscal Specialist, Exceptional Student Services Unit, CDE • blake_m@cde. state. co. us 303 -866 -6639 • • 22 Kim Boylan, Project Specialist, Exceptional Student Services Unit, CDE boylan_k@cde. state. co. us 303 -866 -6690

Questions? 23

Questions? Future Topics? 24

CDE Team Contact Information ESSER • Nazie Mohajeri-Nelson, Director of ESEA Office (mohajeri-nelson_n@cde. state. co. us) • De. Lilah Collins, Assistant Director of ESEA Office (collins_d@cde. state. co. us) Fiscal Experts • Jennifer Okes, Chief Operating Officer (okes_j@cde. state. co. us) • Kate Bartlett, Executive Director of School District Operations (Bartlett_k@cde. state. co. us) • Jennifer Austin, Director of Grants Fiscal Management (Austin_j@cde. state. co. us) • Robert Hawkins, Grants Fiscal Analyst (Hawkins_s@cde. state. co. us) • Steven Kaleda, Grants Fiscal Analyst (Kaleda_s@cde. state. co. us) • Adam Williams, Financial Data Coordinator (Williams_a@cde. state. co. us) …in partnership with the Governor’s Office and Office of the State Controller 25