U.S. Department of Education: Promoting Educational Excellence for all Americans

A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Summary — February 4, 2008

 

Section II. B.  Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

Overview

The Administration is committed to working to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work, choose where to live, and participate in community life. The 2009 request funds a wide range of programs that can improve educational, employment, and independent living outcomes for people with disabilities.

The $12.3 billion request for Special Education programs focuses on improving educational and early intervention outcomes for children with disabilities. For the Grants to States program, the Administration is requesting $11.3 billion, an increase of $337 million, to maintain the Federal contribution toward meeting the excess cost of special education at about 17 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure (APPE), and provide an estimated average of $1,658 per student for about 6.8 million children ages 3 through 21. Funding for the Grants for Infants and Families and Preschool Grants programs would be maintained at their 2008 levels.

The $241.7 million request for Special Education National Activities would support a variety of technical assistance, dissemination, training, and other activities that assist States, local educational agencies, parents, and others in improving results for children with disabilities. Funding for State Personnel Development would more than double, to $48 million, to support the full cost of continuation awards and new awards, while Technology and Media Services would be reduced from $39.3 million to $30.9 million to eliminate funding for previously earmarked projects. The earmarks for Special Olympics programs also would be eliminated.

For Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research, the budget provides $3.2 billion to support comprehensive and coordinated vocational rehabilitation and independent living services for individuals with disabilities through research, training, demonstration, technical assistance, evaluation, and direct service programs. The request includes $2.9 billion for Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) State Grants to help over 200,000 individuals with disabilities obtain or maintain employment.

Consistent with the Administration's multi-year initiative to reform the Federal government's overlapping training and employment programs, the request does not fund Supported Employment State Grants, Projects with Industry, or the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers program because these programs provide services that can be provided by the larger VR State Grants program. The 2009 request would also eliminate funding for Recreational programs.

The 2009 budget proposal would provide $25.7 million for the Assistive Technology (AT) State grant program and National Activities. These programs enable individuals to acquire technology they might not otherwise be able to obtain, including technology that improves their quality of life and that enables them to work or participate in other productive activities. No funds are requested for the Protection and Advocacy (P&A) for Assistive Technology program, which duplicates services available through other P&A programs.

The request includes $105.7 million for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, which would fund a comprehensive program of research and related activities designed to generate new knowledge to improve the ability of people with disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the community, and also to expand society's capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for its citizens with disabilities.

Special Education State Grants

Grants to States

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $10,783.0 $10,947.5 $11,284.5
       
Estimated average Federal
   share per child
$1,584 $1,609 $1,658

The Grants to States program, which is authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), makes formula grants that help States pay the additional costs of providing special education and related services to children with disabilities aged 3 through 21 years. The request includes an increase of $337 million, or 3.1 percent, that would maintain the Federal contribution toward meeting the excess cost of special education at about 17 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure (APPE), and provide a per-child average of $1,658 for an estimated 6,796,000 children with disabilities.

Under IDEA, States are required to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to all children with disabilities. Services are provided in accordance with individualized education programs (IEPs) that are developed by teams that include the child's parents; a special educator; a representative of the local educational agency; a regular educator, if appropriate; and others. In addition, services must be provided—to the maximum extent appropriate—in the least restrictive environment, which for most children means in classes with children who are not disabled. Under IDEA, children with disabilities must be included in general State and district-wide assessments, including the assessments required under NCLB. States must provide appropriate accommodations, where necessary, to enable children with disabilities to participate in these assessments, or alternate assessments for those children who cannot participate in regular assessments.

The request also includes $15.0 million that would be reserved for technical assistance to improve the capacity of States to meet the data collection requirements of the IDEA.

PART assessments of the program were conducted in 2002 and 2005. In 2002 the program was rated as Results Not Demonstrated. The Department has addressed most of the concerns raised in the 2002 analysis, which led to an Adequate rating in the 2005 assessment.

Preschool Grants

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $380.8 $374.1 $374.1

This program provides formula grants to help States make a free appropriate public education available to all children with disabilities ages 3 through 5. The Preschool Grants program supplements funds provided under the Grants to States program and helps to ensure that young children with disabilities are ready to learn when they enter school. The request would provide an estimated $503 per child for approximately 743,300 children.

A 2002 PART analysis of this program produced a Results Not Demonstrated rating, primarily due to the absence of performance goals and data. In response, the Department has developed goals and measures and has undertaken a multifaceted approach to collecting data on child outcomes. Initial data on the status of children entering the program was reported to the Department in fiscal year 2007. Data on children entering and exiting the program is expected in fiscal year 2008.

Grants for Infants and Families

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $436.4 $435.7 $435.7

This program makes formula grants to help States implement statewide systems of early intervention services for all eligible children with disabilities from birth through age 2 and their families. The Grants for Infants and Families program helps State and local agencies identify and serve children with disabilities early in life when interventions can be most effective in improving educational outcomes. The budget request will provide support to 57 State agencies serving approximately 323,000 infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

A PART analysis of this program in 2002 produced a Results Not Demonstrated rating. In response, the Department implemented a multifaceted approach to promote the development of State data systems and collection of child outcome data. States reported baseline data on the status of children entering the program to the Department in fiscal year 2007, and will report on children entering and exiting the system in fiscal year 2008.

Special Education National Activities

Special Education National Activities programs support State efforts to improve early intervention and educational results for children with disabilities. The total request for National Activities is $241.7 million.

State Personnel Development

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $22.6 $48.0

This program provides competitive grants to help States reform and enhance their systems for personnel preparation and professional development in the areas of early intervention, educational, and transition services. The fiscal year 2008 appropriation does not include sufficient funds to cover the 2008 continuation awards or provide new funding for the 6 States with projects expiring on September 30, 2008. The $25.4 million increase proposed for 2009 would pay the full cost of continuation awards to 41 States and new awards to 5 States aimed at improving results for children through the delivery of high quality instruction and the recruitment and retention of highly qualified personnel.

Technical Assistance and Dissemination

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $48.9 $48.0 $48.0

This program funds competitive grants for technical assistance and dissemination of materials based on knowledge gained through research and practice. This request is in addition to the separate $15.0 million to be set aside under the Grants to States program to help States meet data collection requirements.

A PART review of this program in 2004 produced a Results Not Demonstrated rating primarily because of the lack of meaningful performance measures. In response, the Department has (1) developed and implemented three annual measures as part of an agency-wide effort on common measures for technical assistance programs and (2) developed two long-term measures and one efficiency measure.

Personnel Preparation

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $89.7 $88.2 $88.2

This program helps ensure that there are adequate numbers of personnel with the skills and knowledge necessary to help children with disabilities succeed educationally. Program activities focus on both meeting the demand for personnel to serve children with disabilities and improving the qualifications of these personnel, with particular emphasis on incorporating knowledge gained from research and practice into training programs. The Department is required to support training for leadership personnel and personnel who work with children with low incidence disabilities. Funds must also be used to support at least one activity in the broadly defined area of personnel development, along with providing enhanced support for beginning special educators. At the request level, $20.2 million would be available for new competitive grants and $68.0 million for continuation awards.

A PART analysis completed in 2003 produced a Results Not Demonstrated rating for this program, leading the Department to develop new program measures that focus on outcomes and to undertake a new data collection. In addition, the Department is conducting a 4-year independent evaluation of the program, which began in fiscal year 2007.

Parent Information Centers

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $25.7 $26.5 $26.5

Parent Information Centers provide parents with the training and information they need to work with professionals in meeting the early intervention and special education needs of their children with disabilities. The request would support new competitive grants and continuation awards for about 100 centers as well as awards to provide technical assistance to the centers.

A PART review of this program in 2004 produced a Results Not Demonstrated rating, primarily due to the lack of meaningful performance measures. In response, the Department has developed both annual and long-term measures and an efficiency measure for the program.

Technology and Media Services

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $38.4 $39.3 $30.9

This program supports competitive awards for research, development, and other activities that promote the use of technologies in providing special education and early intervention services. Funds also are used for media-related activities, such as providing video description and captioning of films and television appropriate for use in classrooms for individuals with visual and hearing impairments and improving accessibility to textbooks for individuals with visual impairments. The proposed reduction reflects the elimination of funding for previously earmarked projects.

A PART review of this program in 2006 produced a Results Not Demonstrated rating due to a lack of performance measures or data to evaluate program outcomes. In response, the Department has established annual, long-term, and efficiency measures and has begun data collection for the annual performance measures.

Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) State Grants

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $2,837.2 $2,874.0 $2,874.0

This program, funded through mandatory appropriations, provides formula grants to State vocational rehabilitation agencies to help individuals with disabilities become gainfully employed. A wide range of services are provided each year to over 1 million individuals with disabilities, including vocational evaluation, counseling and guidance, work adjustment, diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental impairments, education and vocational training, job placement, and post-employment services. States that are unable to serve all eligible individuals with disabilities who apply must give priority to individuals with the most significant disabilities. Services are provided according to an individualized plan for employment. In 2007, the VR program helped over 200,000 individuals with disabilities—92 percent of whom have significant disabilities—achieve employment outcomes.

The $2.9 billion request would help State VR agencies increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in the labor force. The request also includes $34.9 million for grants to Indian tribes. The request does not include the inflation adjustment specified in the authorizing statute, which would increase the total by $100.6 million over the 2008 level. In the past 2 years, funding for this program increased by $153.9 million, or 5.7 percent.

Both the State Grants and the Grants to Indians programs, which were assessed in 2002 and 2004, respectively, received an Adequate PART rating. The Department is addressing PART findings by improving the quality, timeliness, and accessibility of program performance data, as well as the extent to which such data are used for program management and improvement.

Client Assistance State Grants

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $11.8 $11.6 $11.6

This program makes formula grants to States for activities to inform and advise clients of benefits available to them under the Rehabilitation Act, to assist them in their relationships with service providers, and to ensure the protection of their rights under the Act. The request would support advocacy services for approximately 56,800 individuals with disabilities.

Training

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $38.4 $37.8 $37.8

This program makes competitive grants to State and other public or nonprofit agencies and organizations, including institutions of higher education, to help ensure that personnel with adequate skills are available to provide rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities. A 2006 PART assessment, which produced a rating of Adequate, found that most of the scholarship recipients fulfilled the "payback" requirement to work in the public sector, but looming retirements, escalating tuition, and problems with grantee data present challenges to program effectiveness. The 2009 request includes $31.9 million for 239 projects receiving continuation awards and $5.1 million for 41 new awards.

Demonstration and Training Programs

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $8.8 $10.2 $8.8

Demonstration and Training Programs support competitive grants for projects that expand and improve the provision of rehabilitation and other services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act, including related research and evaluation activities. The request would cover the continuation costs of grants awarded in previous fiscal years while providing $3.5 million to support 7 new demonstration projects to obtain high quality employment outcomes for Social Security Disability Insurance beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income recipients. A 2005 PART assessment of this program produced a rating of Results Not Demonstrated and found that program management could be improved by long-range planning designed to direct resources to identified needs.

Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR)

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $16.5 $16.2 $16.2

This formula grant program supports systems in each State to protect and advocate for the legal and human rights of individuals with disabilities. These systems pursue legal and administrative remedies to ensure the protection of the rights of individuals with disabilities under Federal law and provide information on, and referrals to, programs and services for individuals with disabilities. The request would support services to approximately 71,345 individuals with disabilities.

Independent Living
(B.A. in millions)

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
Independent Living State Grants $22.6 $22.2 $22.2
Centers for Independent Living 74.6 73.3 73.3
Services for Older Blind Individuals 32.9 32.3 32.3

These programs provide services to individuals with disabilities to maximize their independence and productivity and to help them integrate into the mainstream of American society. The State Grants program awards formula grants to States to expand and improve independent living services and to support the operation of centers for independent living. The Centers for Independent Living program makes competitive grants to support a network of consumer-controlled, nonresidential, community-based centers that provide a broad range of independent living services. The formula-based Services for Older Blind Individuals program assists individuals aged 55 or older whose severe visual impairments make competitive employment difficult to obtain, but for whom independent living goals are feasible. At the requested level, program funds would directly support 340 Centers for Independent Living, 78 designated State units under the State Grants program, and 56 grantees under the Services for Older Blind Individuals program.

A 2003 PART analysis produced a Results Not Demonstrated rating for both the State Grants and the Centers programs, and the Department is working to develop evidence of program effectiveness through collection of performance data or evaluation.

Program Improvement

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $0.8 $0.6 $0.8

These funds, awarded through competitive grants and contracts, support activities that increase program effectiveness, improve accountability, and enhance the Department's ability to address critical areas of national significance in achieving the purposes of the Rehabilitation Act. The request would enable the Department to address the technical assistance needs identified as a result of monitoring and program improvement activities initiated in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 and implement the Rehabilitation Services Administration's VR Strategic Performance Plan.

Evaluation

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $1.5 $1.4 $1.9

These funds are used to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of programs authorized by the Rehabilitation Act. The request would enable the Department to continue support for a multi-year study of the post-program experiences of former VR State Grants program consumers and to initiate an independent, comprehensive evaluation of the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults.

Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $8.5 $8.4 $7.9

This program serves individuals who are deaf-blind, their families, and service providers through a national headquarters center with a residential training and rehabilitation facility and a network of 10 regional offices that provide referral, counseling, training, and technical assistance. At the request level, the Center would provide direct services for approximately 122 clients in its residential training and rehabilitation program, and serve an estimated 1,600 individuals, 450 families, and 1,050 agencies through its regional offices. In addition to the $7.9 million for operations, the Administration is seeking $500,000 under the Rehabilitation Evaluation program for a comprehensive evaluation of the Center.

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $106.7 $105.7 $105.7

The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) helps improve the lives of persons of all ages with disabilities through a comprehensive and coordinated program of research, demonstration projects, and related activities, including training of persons who provide rehabilitation services or who conduct rehabilitation research. NIDRR awards discretionary grants that support rehabilitation research and training centers, rehabilitation engineering research centers, and directed and field-initiated research and development projects that address diverse issues in rehabilitation, including ways to improve educational, employment, and independent living opportunities for persons with disabilities.

The request would allow NIDRR to continue to support programs integral to the President's New Freedom Initiative, including the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC) program, the Rehabilitation Research Training Centers (RRTC) program, and the Model Systems projects for Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Burn Injury. In recent years, the RERCs have sponsored innovative assistive technology research that has helped individuals with disabilities to achieve greater independence. The RRTCs conduct research, training, and information dissemination in identified problem areas. Model Systems projects focus on the delivery, demonstration, and evaluation of comprehensive medical, vocational, and other rehabilitation services for individuals with SCI, TBI, and Burn Injury.

NIDRR, which initially received a Results Not Demonstrated rating following a 2003 PART analysis, was reassessed in 2005 and earned an Adequate rating. Recommended follow-up actions include collecting baseline performance data for long- term performance goals; taking steps to ensure that complete, timely, and accurate performance information is available for funded activities; and establishing a regular schedule for announcing grant competitions and competition results to allow applicants to better schedule their workload.

Assistive Technology

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
B.A. in millions $30.5 $29.9 $25.7

Assistive Technology (AT) programs support grants to States to increase access to and funding for assistive technology devices and services for individuals with disabilities of all ages. The request includes $24.6 million for the AT State grant program and $1.0 million for technical assistance required under the AT Act's National Activities authority. No funds are requested for the Protection and Advocacy (P&A) for Assistive Technology program, which provides services that are authorized and can be provided by other P&A programs.

Special Institutions for Persons with Disabilities
(B.A. in millions)

  2007 2008 2009
Request
 
American Printing House
  for the Blind (APH)
$17.6 $21.6 $21.6
National Technical Institute
  for the Deaf (NTID)
56.1 59.7 59.2
Gallaudet University 107.0 113.4 119.4
Total
180.7

194.7

200.2

The American Printing House for the Blind provides special education materials for students who are visually impaired, offers advisory services for consumers, and conducts applied research. At the request level, APH would provide free educational materials to approximately 58,750 persons with visual impairments at an average per student allotment of $262.00, continue funding for initiatives to improve its technical assistance and outreach services, and support a wide variety of continuing and new research projects.

The Printing House received a PART rating of Results Not Demonstrated in 2005, primarily due to inadequate performance measures. In response, APH implemented 4 new performance measures and 2 new efficiency measures in fiscal year 2007.

The National Technical Institute for the Deaf provides postsecondary technical education and training for students who are deaf, and graduate education and interpreter training for persons who are deaf or hearing. NTID also conducts research and provides training related to the education and employment of individuals who are deaf. The request would support education and training for approximately 1,110 undergraduate and technical students, 110 graduate students, and 130 interpreters for persons who are deaf, and includes $1.2 million for a variety of construction projects to replace and update major equipment necessary to maintain the infrastructure of campus buildings.

NTID was rated Adequate by a 2005 PART analysis. The Department is working with NTID to identify strategies to further improve student outcomes.

Gallaudet University offers undergraduate and continuing education programs for persons who are deaf, and graduate programs for persons who are deaf or hearing. Gallaudet also maintains and operates the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD). The request provides $113.4 million for operations, including funds for the Endowment Grant program, and $6 million for construction to repair MSSD facilities. The University would serve approximately 1,900 undergraduate and graduate students and 365 elementary and secondary education students with these funds in 2009.

A 2005 PART analysis rated Gallaudet as Ineffective, primarily due to inadequate progress in achieving its annual and long-term performance goals in the key areas of persistence, graduation, and post-school outcomes. The University was reassessed in 2006 and received a rating of Adequate based on information provided by the University and actions taken by the Department to improve its oversight of Gallaudet. The Department plans to continue to work with Gallaudet on ways to improve program outcomes.

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This page last modified—February 4, 2008 (mjj).