Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) FAQ

8. What are CCEIS?

A PEA is required to reserve the maximum amount of funds available for comprehensive CEIS (CCEIS) if there is significant disproportionality based on race or ethnicity with respect to:

• (a) The identification of children with disabilities including the identification of children in specific disability categories;
• (b) The placement of children with disabilities in particular educational settings; or
• (c) The incidence, duration, and type of disciplinary actions, including suspensions and expulsions

9. What funds must be reserved by the PEA for CCEIS if a State determines significant disproportionality?

In accordance with 34 C.F.R. § 300.646, any PEA identified as having significant disproportionality, as defined by the state, is required to set aside 15% of their allocation for the development and provision of CCEIS for

1. Children who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment (ages 3–21)
2. Children with disabilities (ages 3–21), however a PEA may not limit the provision of CCEIS to only children with disabilities.

10. How does Arizona Determine Significant Disproportionality?

Arizona examines significant disproportionality among its PEAs annually. The State examines each PEA’s three previous school years of enrollment, special education, and discipline data and identifies the PEA only when it meets all criteria for significant disproportionality for three consecutive years.

For details regarding the criteria for measuring significant disproportionality, please see Arizona’s Calculating Significant Disproportionality Infographic.

11. What are the requirements regarding activities using CCEIS funds?

CCEIS activities must:

1. Address the needs of those student subgroups that were identified as the basis for causing the LEA to be identified as significantly disproportionate, but not exclusively for those student subgroups
2. Focus on academic and behavioral instructional services and professional development

12. May a PEA limit CEIS solely to members of the racial or ethnic group for which significant disproportionality was identified?

No. The requirement in 34 C.F.R. § 300.646(d)(2) is to provide comprehensive CEIS to serve “children in the PEA, particularly, but not exclusively, children in those groups that were significantly overidentified.”

For example, assume a PEA’s data shows significant disproportionality in the identification of African American students as children with disabilities and that most of these students are identified in the 4th and 5th grades in a majority of the PEA’s elementary schools. In this case, one appropriate way a PEA could implement CEIS would be to direct CEIS funds to all nondisabled 3rd and 4th-grade children in need of additional academic or behavioral support in those schools. It would not be appropriate, however, for the PEA to limit eligibility for CEIS only to nondisabled 3rd and 4th-grade African American students in those schools who needed additional academic or behavioral support.

13. What are the key differences between CEIS and CCEIS?

To view a table distinguishing CEIS and CCEIS, please see the Key Differences Between CEIS and CCEIS

14. What activities can be used with CCEIS funds?

A PEA may use CCEIS funds for the activities listed below. The activities must address factors and policy, practice, or procedure contributing to significant disproportionality. Funds can be used for students identified as needing special education or related services as well as children who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment.

• Hiring or contracting with individuals or organizations for tutoring services to carry out activities. Tutors may:
  • Participate in or provide professional development to enable teachers and other school staff to deliver scientifically based, academic, and behavioral interventions and, if appropriate, the use of adaptive and instructional software.
  • Support, reinforce, or follow up on the provision of educational and behavioral services provided by and under the supervision of an appropriately certified general education teacher.
     
• Professional development for teachers and other school staff to enable such personnel to deliver scientifically based, academic interventions, including scientifically based literacy instruction and, where appropriate, instruction on the use of adaptive and instructional software.
  • The professional development may be provided to all personnel who are responsible for students who need additional academic and behavioral supports to succeed in a general education environment as well as students who have been identified as needing special education.
     
• Salaries and fringe benefits of aides that are PEA employees or for costs for contracted aides who provide services to students receiving CCEIS. Aides must work under the supervision of an appropriately certified teacher and must perform duties consistent with the role of an aide while not assuming the role of a teacher.
   
• Paying for extended contracts or extended hours for staff directly involved with the coordination, supervision, or delivery of academic or behavioral interventions and progress monitoring.
   
• Salaries and fringe benefits, or a portion thereof, of staff that directly coordinate or supervise the delivery and monitoring of academic or behavioral interventions.
   
• RTI Coordinator. This position must align with the PEA’s activities as reported in the CCEIS narrative. CCEIS funds may be used to support RTI as long as the CCEIS funds are used to supplement, not to supplant, other funds used to implement RTI. 
   
• School guidance counselor, school psychologist, or social worker. Staff would be hired to implement behavioral interventions, progress monitoring, other CCEIS evaluations, and related professional development. These positions may not deliver reading or math instruction under CCEIS funding unless they also hold the appropriate endorsement to deliver reading or math instruction.
   
• Purchasing nominal items of low value to be used as part of the coordinated delivery of academic or behavioral interventions. The items should be educational in nature. The amount charged to the CCEIS grant must be reasonable and prudent. The following are not allowed as incentives: cash, cash cards, gift cards, or electronic devices (such as iPads, Kindles, etc.).
   
• Progress monitoring of supplemental interventions provided to those students determined to need additional academic and behavioral supports to succeed in general education.
   
• Travel costs are generated as a result of implementing activities funded by CCEIS, such as for professional development.
   
• Other activities include professional development and educational and behavioral evaluations, services, and supports which address the factors contributing to the significant disproportionality that can be articulated to Exceptional Student Services.