Use of IDEA Part B Funds for Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS)

What is CEIS?

IDEA Regulations at 34 CFR §300.226 provides that an LEA may use up to 15 percent of the amount it receives under Part B of the Act for any fiscal year, less any amount reduced by the LEA pursuant to §300.205 (local maintenance of effort) to develop and implement coordinated, early interning service for students in kindergarten through grade 12. Part B funds may not be used for early intervening services in preschool.

School districts are encouraged to use Part B funds for CEIS.  Districts that opt to use Part B funds, as well as school districts mandated to budget 15% of their Part B allocation for CEIS, are obligated to comply with the following guidance. CEIS may be offered to students in kindergarten (including four-year-old kindergarten) through grade 12 who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services but who have been determined to need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment.  Districts are encouraged to implement CEIS in the primary/intermediate grade levels to address student needs at an earlier age and to enable greater impact on student learning.

CEIS includes:

  • Professional development for teachers and other school staff to enable them to deliver scientifically based academic instruction and behavioral interventions, including scientifically-based literacy instruction, and, if appropriate, instruction on the use of adaptive and instructional software;
  • Providing educational and behavioral evaluations, services and supports, including scientifically-based literacy instruction.

An LEA using up to 15% of IDEA Part B funds for coordinated early intervening services must annually report to the state education agency on:

  • The number of students who receive CEIS, and
  • The number of students who received early intervening services, who subsequently receive special education and related services within two years after receiving the early intervening.

IDEA Part B funds budgeted for CEIS may be used to supplement but not supplant services aligned with and activities funded by and carried out under any federally funded project (most notably the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) which includes Title I services). There is no “supplement, not supplant” requirement for state or local funds [34 CFR 208 (a)]. CEIS funds may be used to develop and support a multi-tiered system of prevention and intervention options, but may not be used to support the implementation of core (universal) activities designed to provide high quality instruction to all students in a grade, school or district.

Any individual whose personnel costs are charged to a federal grant must provide time and effort documentation whether or not it is a semi-annual certification or monthly personnel activity reports (PAR). Semi-annual certification is completed by those individuals who have a single cost object; monthly or pay-period personnel activity reports are completed by individuals who have multiple cost objectives. Under IDEA, any individual who is not 100% special education would need to complete monthly PARs. Time and effort reporting are a part of the allowable costs as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

Additional details about CEIS can be found in the guidance documents below:

  • Click here to view a document showing the applicable uses of funds for CEIS activities.

 

Last Modified: 6/27/2023 2:52:07 PM