Flexible Funding Procedures

The flexible funding option provides for the use of a percentage of special education funds for the education of students not verified as having a disability as defined within 92 NAC 51 (Rule 51). The concept originated out of legislation passed in the 1997 unicameral session. In that legislation (Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-1142) school districts were allowed to channel a percent of their total allowable reimbursable special education costs to “preventative” support services for “students not identified or verified as having a disability... but who demonstrate a need for specially designed assistance in order to benefit from the school’s general education curriculum.” As approved by the State Board of Education, the flexible funding option is available to school districts and approved cooperatives to a maximum of five percent (5%) of the total allowable and reimbursable special education costs.

Guidelines

Applications and final reports are available to school districts through the NDE data collections portal annually on August 16^th - final reports are due upon completion of the project and no later than October 31.

Applications require the district to submit a narrative describing the support services designed for the targeted subgroups(s) who would benefit from preventative support services within the context of the general education curriculum. The proposal addresses new or expanded instructional approaches for that targeted student subgroup. The narrative requires districts to report the following:

· Targeted student subgroup(s)-the identification of the group of non-disabled students experiencing difficulty in general curriculum

· Number of students to be served

· How determination of subgroup(s) was reached- e.g. teacher evaluations, informal/formal diagnostic instruments, criterion referenced measurements

· Strategies/interventions- what will be done with student population? Student outcomes for the targeted subgroup(s) shall include the intended changes in student performance and incorporate indicators and timelines

· Staff development activities that would be funded under the proposal- those specific inservice activities which directly result in sub-group student interventions

· Description on how the proposal is different from what is currently available to the targeted subgroup(s)-strategies/interventions must be new to the student, new to the setting and/or a new method

· Position, role and responsibilities of those implementing the proposal and how their activities relate to measurable student outcomes

· Annual measurement of success to document changes in student learning/performance

· Proposed line item costs

· Name of the special educator(s) who is serving on the local School Improvement Committee.

· School improvement action plan-how does the proposal relate to the district's school improvement plan and is to include the relevant portion of the local school improvement plan that identifies the target area improvement goal, problem statement, and student outcomes from which the targeted flexible funding goals are determined and the linkages between school improvement and flex funding activities.

o linkages are to include:

§ Documentation that a special educator is on the local school improvement committee

§ Goals in the context of the school district or building level school improvement plan;

§ Description of how the proposal relates to goals within the local school improvement plan.

· Instructional approaches new to the targeted student subgroup(s) which are designed to improve student learning and performance.

2. Final reports are submitted upon completion of the project and requires districts to report the following:

· Total Number of Students Served

· Changes that occurred from what from initially proposed -changes in methodology in reference to student performance.

· Evidence of student progress, did it make a difference? Pre/post measurements of student performance as a result of teacher evaluations, informal/formal diagnostic instruments, and criterion referenced measurements, etc.

· Project actual line item costs

3. Claims for funding are reported on support services line 03-4-0000 within the special education school district final financial report. Reimbursements are provided in accordance with procedures outlined in 92NAC51-011 School District Budget Development and Reimbursement Process for School Age Programs.