Project Narratives Colorado Department of Education June 2011

Project Narratives Any Administrative Unit or State-Operated Program planning to utilize federal funds from any source for the education of children with disabilities must obtain prior approval from the department for the use of such funds (7), C.R.S. and A-87 Prior approval is obtained through the application narrative.

Project Narratives Narratives are approved for three years, but may be amended periodically within established timelines throughout the approval period. The signature of the President of the Board of the administrative unit or the Executive Director of the State operated program is required for narratives, including narrative amendments. Signatures are not required if the administrative unit or State operated program is responding to requests for clarification from the Department.

Project Narratives Separate narratives and Board signatures must be submitted for IDEA Part B and for IDEA Preschool. Items submitted in the budget that are not supported by the narrative cannot be approved. The narrative cannot be amended to support the budget after items have been purchased. This does not meet the prior approval requirement. Performance reports must be submitted for each project narrative at the end of each fiscal year, and prior to the receipt of IDEA funds for the next fiscal year.

Project Narratives Objective: 1) Activities: 1a 1b 1c Evaluation: 1a 1b 1c Objective: 2) And so on Narratives must be numbered as follows. No other numbering sequence will be accepted.

Project Narratives All narratives must have a Project A. Project A: Special Education Services Project B: ESY or Summer School This project should be used for projects that span the fiscal year, e.g., an ESY program that is provided from June 15 through August 15.

Project Narratives Legal Authority: IDEA Regulation 34 CFR § Project C: Charter Schools

Project Narratives Same Treatment Principle under IDEA: Serve charter school students with disabilities in the same manner as students in traditional schools Distribute IDEA Part B funding to charter schools in the same manner and at the same time as funding is distributed to traditional schools Under Colorado law, charter school organizers may negotiate different service delivery and financial arrangements with their authorizer Project C: Charter Schools General Principles

Project Narratives Insurance Model: The Administrative Unit provides the special education services and the charter school pays a per pupil cost to the Administrative Unit (i.e., the premium) Contract Model: The Administrative Unit flows through all special education funds on a pro-rata basis to the charter school. The charter school is responsible for providing the special education services and typically contracts back with the Administrative Unit or 3 rd party contractor for services. Combination Model/Modified Insurance Model: Flexible model with characteristics of both the Insurance and Contract Models. Project C: Charter Schools Funding and Service Models

Project Narratives For school districts that are stand-alone administrative units : Describe the administrative units service delivery and funding model for each of its charter schools. For the insurance model only, there is no need to further identify objectives and activities – funding is accounted for in other projects. If the contract or combination model is used, describe how IDEA Part B funds are flowed to each charter school and how the administrative unit ensures that each of its charter schools are using IDEA funds for allowable uses. Project C: Charter Schools

Project Narratives For BOCES that are administrative units and that have charter schools within its member districts: Describe the service delivery and funding model for each charter school. If the insurance model is used for all charter schools, there is no need to further identify objectives and activities – funding is accounted for in other project narratives. If varying service delivery and funding models are used throughout the member districts, for those charter schools using a contract or combination model, describe how students with disabilities are being served and how the administrative unit ensures that each charter school is using IDEA funds for allowable uses. Project C Narratives (cont.)

Project Narratives An administrative unit may use up to 15 percent of its allocation for early intervening services for students in kindergarten through grade 12 (with particular emphasis on students in kindergarten through grade three) who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services, but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in general education. There is an interrelationship between the use of funds for early intervening services and for reduction of maintenance of effort. An example can be found in the workshop materials and in Appendix D of the IDEA Regulations. Project D: Early Intervening Services (Part B Only)

Project Narratives If an administrative unit uses IDEA Part B funds for early intervening services (EIS), it must report the number of children who received EIS on its special education end-of-year student count. If the Department makes a determination that an administrative unit had significant disproportionality in the identification of children with disabilities, the administrative unit must use 15 percent of its Part B allocation for early intervening services. Project D: Early Intervening Services (Part B Only) (cont.)

Project Narratives Funds used for early intervening services will have a separate grant project code and must be tracked separately from the rest of the administrative units Part B allocation. IDEA Preschool funds cannot be used for early intervening services. Project D: Early Intervening Services (Part B Only) (cont.)

Project Narratives A proportionate amount of an administrative units IDEA Part B funds may be used for schoolwide schools. Project E: Title I Schoolwide Schools

Project Narratives Legal Authority: IDEA Regulations – 34 CFR §§ Project F: Private Schools

Project Narratives IDEAs Private School regulations apply to: School age (age 6 and older) children with disabilities, not P-K students Voluntarily placed by the parent in nonprofit private elementary and secondary schools FAPE is not at issue, i.e., the child attending the private school solely due to parent choice

Project Narratives The administrative unit of attendance is responsible for complying with IDEAs Private School regulations, i.e., the administrative unit in which the private school is located.

Project Narratives Proportionate Share Requirement The administrative unit of attendance must calculate and set aside a pro-rata share of IDEA Part B funds to provide equitable services to private school children with disabilities Proportionate Share Calculation (See, IDEA Regulation, Appendix B)

Project Narratives IDEA Funds: May be used to meet the special education and related services needs of parentally placed private school children with disabilities May not benefit the private school May not be used to meet the general needs of the students enrolled in the private school May not be used to pay for services normally provided by the private school May be used to pay private school employees for provision of services, but only if the employees perform the services outside regular working hours and under the supervisor of the administrative unit General Principles