IDEA Money Watch
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Government
Accountability Office (GAO)
Following the Money ...
The GAO's bimonthly reviews, Following the Money, examine how Recovery Act funds -- including IDEA 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.
As of January 22, 2010, the 16 states and the District had drawn down,
in total, about $1.2 billion
(17 percent) of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part
B, Recovery Act funds available to them. More...
If you are in one of the following states, be sure to check out the GAO bimonthly reviews (April, July, September and December are available so far) and meet your GAO contact:
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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 IDEA Part B funds being provided to local school districts as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
All IDEA ARRA funds must be obligated by September 30, 2011 ...just 539 days remain!
Thanks for your interest in this project!
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The Balance Sheet
What Lies Ahead: Budget Dust and Double Trouble
This month's Balance Sheet blog posting reports on the President's proposed federal budget for Fiscal Year 2011. While Education gets a hefty increase overall, IDEA gets only a slight increase of just 2% - far short of what is needed to reach the funding promise of 40% of the excess cost of special education - and mere "budget dust" to members of Congress who care.
Meanwhile, with many districts across the country taking advantage of IDEA's provision allowing reduction to local spending on special education because of the IDEA funding boost in the Recovery Act, we now face double trouble with reduced local spending and shrinking school budgets. Read the Balance Sheet.
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March 26th Spending Report :: State Update
States report vast differences on "obligated" funds
The U.S.ED's latest report on Recovery Act funds "obligated" by States goes from 1% to 52% -- some jurisdictions (HI, OK) report as much as 52% of available IDEA Recovery Act funds already obligated, while others (DC, WY) report minimal funds obligated to date.
Across the States, the average is 25%. All Recovery Act funds must be obligated by Sept. 30, 2011. That's just 539 days away!
Find out where your state stands -- our state-by-state chart is here.
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"Excess Cost" Clarification
In June 2009, the Greater California Special Education Fiscal Support Alliance sent a letter to the U.S. Dept. of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) requesting clarification of the excess
costs, supplement not supplant, and local
maintenance of effort requirements in Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) and its implementing regulations.
OSEP's response is important because both regular IDEA federal funds and IDEA Recovery Act funds are subject to these provisions.
As we reported in the March Balance Sheet blog posting, a lack of understanding of "excess costs" can lead to misuse of IDEA Recovery Act funds.
Read OSEP's clarification of the "excess costs" provision of IDEA.
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Campaign for Educational Equity Symposium
The 2010 Symposium of the Campaign for Educational Equity took an in-depth look at the impact of the Recovery Act on educational equity
and on educational opportunity.
The Campaign has released its final report - STIMULATING EQUITY? A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF THE
FEDERAL STIMULUS ACT ON EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY- which recommends another round of ARRA funding
for education...but first, close the IDEA MOE loophole! Get the full report here.
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Special Ed Directors Oppose Data Collection
If yousupport the requirement for States to submit this additional data to the U.S. Department of Education (and for ED to make the data publicly available) consider contacting your elected officials in the Houseand the Senateand expressing your support for transparency and accountability. Be sure to send a copy of your message to your state director of special education. ________________________________________
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LearningPort to the Rescue
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Dept. of Education has launched "LearningPort" - an online library of materials from national associations,
state education departments, and technical assistance centers to support professional development.
LearningPortbuilds on OSEP's guidance document, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Using ARRA Funds Provided Through Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to Drive School Reform and Improvement, by providing easy access to a wealth of professional development resources.
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