IDEA Money Watch
Vol. 1, Number 3         August 2009
In This Issue
The Balance Sheet
USED Releases Balance of IDEA funds
Wisconsin's Winning Guidance
Update on LEA Ratings
IDEA Money Watch
Quick Links
Blog Bytes
 
Check out these recent reports from around the states: 

- CALIFORNIA:State legislature levies big cuts on special education 

- MICHIGAN: Funding boost for schools has parents fearing worst for special education

Government
Accountability Office (GAO)
Following the Money ...

The GAO's bimonthly reviews, Following the Money, examine how Recovery Act funds are being spent and whether they are achieving the act's goals.  Reviews focus on 16 states and the District of Columbia, which contain about 65 percent of the U.S. population and will receive about two-thirds of the  grants funds available through the Recovery Act.  More...
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Greetings!

IDEA Money Watch, a project of The Advocacy Institute, is keeping track of the use of $11.3 billion in federal funds being provided to local school districts as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Special education advocates across the nation are keeping watch on the use of these funds and how the academic achievement of students with disabilities is improving as a result.

The ARRA was signed into law just 6 months ago! In that short time, we have built a website, created resources, conducted Webinars  and recruited state watchdogs. And, with this newsletter, we keep you up to date about what's going on with IDEA ARRA funds. The U.S. Department of Education has released the first half of IDEA Part B funds to states, so visit your state's IDEA Money Watch blog to learn about your state and share your comments.

Thanks for your interest in this project!

The Advocacy Institute
The Balance Sheet

Closer Look: How States Determine Local District Performance
    
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has made us look closely at provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that would otherwise have gotten little more than a nod.
 
The Center for Law and Education (CLE) has assisted with this closer look by authoring a  legal analysis of both the regulations and informal guidance to States issued by the U.S. Dept. of Education regarding how they should make performance determinations of local educational agencies. What CLE found is alarming!
 
Read this month's Balance Sheet and the CLE memorandum.
Here Comes (the rest of) the Money!
 
USED accelerates 2nd half of IDEA Recovery Act Funds
  
On August 3, 2009 the U.S. Dept. of Education announced plans to release the remaining 50% of IDEA Recovery Act funds to states "one month early to help save jobs and drive reform."

The remaining 50 percent of IDEA Recovery Act funds - $6.1 billion  - which was to be made available on September 30 will now be available on September 1, 2009.  Our IDEA State Facts look-up tool lets you see your state's total Recovery Act allocation (and a whole lot more).
 
The USEd's Press Release is available here.
Wisconsin's Winning Guidance

Nothing cheesy about this stuff!

We're been reading lots (and we mean lots!) of guidance developed by state departments of education regarding use of IDEA Recovery Act funds. Much simply echoes the information put out by the U.S. Department of Education - which, in our opinion, has lacked specificity, particularly about permissive use of funds.

We were downright giddy when we discovered the treasure trove of guidance available on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Web site. While some is specific to Wisconsin procedures, much is applicable to any school district -- packed with helpful tips and examples of how to determine permission uses of IDEA funds. Check it out.

So, we tip our hat to Wisconsin Special Ed Director, Stephanie J. Petska, and her staff for a job well done!
LEA Ratings Update
 
We won't give up until we have 'em all!
 
We  have now obtained and posted the LEA ratings of 35 states. And we are in hot pursuit of the remaining states!
 
Meanwhile, a current listing of the state LEA ratings posted to date is always available on the Blog Bytes section of the IDEA Money Watch homepage, so you can quickly check to see if your state is available now.
 
If you're new to IDEA Money Watch and don't yet know why these LEA RATINGS are so important, read What's in a Rating to get the scoop!
IDEA Money Watch relies on the support of dedicated parents and advocates across the country.

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