FY 2001 Budget Summary - February 2000

Section C. Special Education and Rehabilitative Services


C. SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES

[TOP] Overview

The Administration is committed to promoting the empowerment and independence of Americans with disabilities. The 2001 budget request continues to support programs that expand opportunities for persons with disabilities and improve education and employment outcomes. These include programs providing direct services and those supporting systems change, research, demonstration, technical assistance, and training activities.

The request includes $6.4 billion for Special Education programs, an increase of $333 million or 5.5 percent over the 2000 level. A $290 million increase for Grants to States would raise the Federal contribution toward meeting the excess cost of serving the nearly 6.4 million children with disabilities to $827 per child, an increase of 4 percent over the 2000 level of $795. The budget also includes an increase of $8.6 million for Grants for Infants and Families.

In addition, the Special Education request provides significant increases for National Activities that support States in providing services to children with disabilities. For example, an additional $10 million for the State Improvement program would expand efforts to reform and improve State systems for providing educational, early intervention, and transitional services to improve results for children with disabilities.

Other increases include $10 million to demonstrate how research-based interventions, coupled with early identification, can improve results for children ages 5 through 9 with developmental delays in the areas of reading and behavior; $8 million to help meet State technical assistance needs; and $7.5 million to expand support for Parent Information Centers.

For Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research, the budget provides $2.8 billion, an increase of $91.7 million or 3.4 percent over the 2000 level. This total includes $2.4 billion for Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants, an increase of $60.8 million to help over 1.2 million individuals with disabilities receive the services they need to become employed. A $10 million increase for Centers for Independent Living would expand the network of centers by funding up to 56 new centers in 23 States.

A $13.5 million increase for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) would support two key technology initiatives: a $5 million Educational Technology Initiative to provide technical assistance and training on accessible information technology to elementary and secondary schools, and $8.5 million for a Technology for Independence Initiative aimed at helping people with disabilities live, learn, and work in an increasingly technological age.

Finally, a $41.1 million request for Assistive Technology, an increase of $7.1 million or 21 percent, would provide $15 million to help States establish or maintain alternative loan financing programs authorized under Title III of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998. These programs offer individuals with disabilities attractive options that significantly enhance their ability to purchase assistive technology devices and services.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

State Grant Programs

[TOP] Grants to States

  199920002001
Request
Dollars in millions$4,310.7$4,989.7$5,279.7
Children ages 3 through 21
Number served (thousands)
6,1336,2626,368

The Grants to States program makes formula grants that help States pay the excess costs of providing special education and related services to children with disabilities aged 3 through 21 years. The requested increase of $290 million would maintain the Federal contribution toward meeting the excess cost at 13 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure by providing more than sufficient funds to offset the impact of inflation and the additional cost expected to result from serving more children. These additional funds could be used by States for a variety of purposes, including services to help children with disabilities reach State established goals under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and to correct deficiencies found through State and Federal monitoring.

Included in the request is $16 million, an increase of $3 million over the 2000 level, for studies to carry out the required National Assessment of the Act and other studies.

[TOP] Preschool Grants

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$374.0$390.0$390.0

The Preschool Grants program provides formula grants to help States make a free, appropriate public education available to all children with disabilities ages 3 through 5 and to ensure that a minimum level of funding is available to serve these children. The request would maintain support for this program at the fiscal year 2000 level. Funding under the Preschool Grants program supplements funds provided to States 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 approximately $672 per child for approximately 580,500 children.

[TOP] Grants for Infants and Families

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$370.0$375.0$383.6

The Grants for Infants and Families program makes formula grants to States to help them implement statewide systems of early intervention services for all eligible children with disabilities from birth through age 2, and their families. These systems help States and local agencies identify and serve children with disabilities early in life when interventions can be most effective in improving educational outcomes. This program plays a major role in improving the school readiness of young children with disabilities and is the only Federal program focused exclusively on children with disabilities from birth through age 2. The request would provide an increase of $8.6 million or 2.3 percent to help offset the effect of inflation.

National Activities

Special Education National Activities programs provide a streamlined and coherent structure of essential support to the States in their efforts to provide early intervention services and equal educational opportunity to children with disabilities. The total request for National Activities is $315.6 million, an increase of $34.1 million, or 12.1 percent, over the 2000 level.

[TOP] State Improvement

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$35.2$35.2$45.2

This program provides competitive grants to help State educational agencies reform and improve their systems for providing educational, early intervention, and transitional services to improve results for children with disabilities. This includes their systems for professional development, technical assistance, and dissemination.

At least 75 percent of the funds provided to each State are reserved for professional development. The remaining funds are used to carry out State strategies for improving educational results, including efforts to hold school districts and schools accountable for the educational progress of children with disabilities, providing high-quality technical assistance to school districts and schools, and changing State policies and procedures to address systemic barriers to improving results for students with disabilities.

The request includes $15.7 million for new awards to an estimated 15 additional States, as well as roughly $29.4 million to continue some 28 awards made in prior years.

[TOP] Research and Innovation

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$64.5$64.4$74.4

Research and Innovation activities develop new knowledge through research, apply knowledge to create useful practices through demonstrations, and make knowledge available through outreach and other dissemination activities. The request includes a $10 million increase for new projects to demonstrate how recent research findings can be applied to improve results for children ages 5 through 9 with developmental delays in the areas of reading and behavior. The request also includes $25.7 million for new projects in other areas and $37.9 million for continuation projects.

[TOP] Technical Assistance and Dissemination

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$44.6$45.5$53.5

This program provides technical assistance and disseminates materials based on knowledge gained through research and practice. The request includes an increase of $8 million to provide grants to help States address their technical assistance needs, including those related to correcting deficiencies in IDEA compliance found through State and Federal monitoring. About $5.9 million would be available for other new projects. Continuation costs of $39.4 million include $10 million for the fourth year of a five-year initiative to inform educators, administrators, parents, and others of the impact of the IDEA Amendments of 1997.

[TOP] Personnel Preparation

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$82.1$82.0$82.0

This program makes awards to prepare personnel to serve children with low- and high-incidence disabilities, to train leadership personnel, and to fund projects of national significance, such as developing models for teacher preparation. The overall goal of the program is to help ensure that there are adequate numbers of personnel with the skills and knowledge of the best practices to help children with disabilities succeed educationally. For this reason the program focuses on both meeting the demand for personnel to serve children with disabilities and improving the quality of these personnel. A particular emphasis is placed on incorporating knowledge gained from research and practice into training programs. The request would provide $25.6 million for new awards and $55.7 million for continuation awards.

[TOP] Parent Information Centers

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$18.5$18.5$26.0

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 includes a $7.5 million or 40 percent increase that would be used to increase the size of the awards to State parent centers, establish 4 new centers for a total of 103, and provide additional technical assistance to centers. Three of the new centers would be community centers that are operated by local parent organizations and focus on meeting the needs of underserved parents, including low-income parents, parents of children with limited English proficiency, and parents with disabilities.

[TOP] Technology and Media Services

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$34.5$36.0$34.5

This program supports research, development, and other activities to advance the application of new and emerging technologies in providing special education and early intervention services. Funds are also used for media-related activities such as captioning films and television for individuals with hearing impairments and video description and recording activities for individuals with visual impairments. The $1.4 million reduction proposed for 2001 reflects the completion of a project to demonstrate the use of publicly-funded telecommunications systems in providing information to parents and teachers. The request includes about $18.3 million for continuation projects and $16 million for new activities.

REHABILITATION SERVICES AND DISABILITY RESEARCH

[TOP] Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) State Grants

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$2,304.4$2,339.0$2,399.8

The $2.4 billion request, an increase of $60.8 million or 2.6 percent, would assist State VR agencies in reducing the unemployment rate of people with disabilities and improve the quality of employment outcomes by strengthening the education and employment skills of VR consumers. The request would satisfy the statutory requirement to increase funding by at least the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index. The total includes the minimum statutory set-aside of $24 million for grants to Indian tribes.

Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants provide funds to State vocational rehabilitation agencies to help individuals with disabilities become gainfully employed. Funds are distributed on the basis of a formula that takes into account population and per capita income.

A wide range of services is provided each year to about 1.2 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. In the event that services cannot be provided to all eligible individuals with disabilities who apply, States must give priority to individuals with the most significant disabilities. Services are provided according to an individualized plan for employment. In 1998, the VR program helped over 223,000 individuals with disabilities achieve employment outcomes, with over 88 percent entering the competitive labor market or becoming self-employed. Approximately 83 percent of the individuals who achieved employment have significant disabilities.

[TOP] Client Assistance State Grants

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$10.9$10.9$11.1

This program makes formula grants to States for activities to inform and advise clients of benefits available to them under the Rehabilitation Act and to assist them in their relationships with service providers, including remedies to ensure the protection of their rights under the Act. The request includes an inflation increase to help State Client Assistance Programs maintain the current level of services.

[TOP] Training

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$39.6$39.6$39.6

This program makes grants to State and public or other nonprofit agencies and organizations, including institutions of higher education, to help ensure that adequate skilled personnel are available to provide rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities. Approximately $1.6 million would be available for new projects.

[TOP] Demonstration and Training Programs

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$14.9$21.7$21.7

Demonstration and Training programs develop innovative methods and comprehensive service programs to help individuals with disabilities achieve vocational outcomes. The program awards competitive grants or contracts to State vocational rehabilitation agencies, community rehabilitation programs, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, or other public or nonprofit agencies or organizations, and for-profit organizations. At the request level, approximately $4.9 million will be available for new awards.

[TOP] Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$2.4$2.4$2.9

This program awards competitive grants to State vocational rehabilitation agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide rehabilitation services to migratory workers with disabilities. States that receive funding under this program are consistently more aggressive in serving this population than those that do not. The $500,000 or 21 percent increase proposed for 2001 would fund 5 new projects.

[TOP] Recreational Programs

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$2.6$3.5$2.6

This program supports projects that provide recreation and related activities for individuals with disabilities to aid in their employment, mobility, independence, socialization, and community integration. The $2.6 million request, a reduction reflecting the completion of a one-time $925,000 grant award in 2000, would support 6 new projects and 18 continuations.

[TOP] Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$10.9$11.9$12.1

The request would support 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 proposed increase would cover the cost of inflation.

[TOP] Projects with Industry (PWI)

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$22.1$22.1$22.1

This program funds projects that help individuals with disabilities obtain employment and advance their careers in the competitive labor market. PWI promotes the involvement of business through Business Advisory Councils that participate in project policymaking and provide advice on available jobs and training requirements. PWI places over 11,000 individuals with disabilities in competitive employment each year. Most of the individuals served through this program are considered difficult to place due to significant disability or extended unemployment (at least 6 months at time of project entry). The request would be used to pay continuation costs for about 100 grantees.

[TOP] Supported Employment State Grants

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$38.2$38.2$38.2

This program makes formula grants to assist States in providing supported employment services for individuals with the most significant disabilities who have a goal of supported employment under the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) State Grants program. Supported employment placements are achieved by augmenting short-term VR services with ongoing support provided by other public or non-profit organizations. This program substantially supplements supported employment activities funded through VR State Grants. In 1998, for example, VR State Grants provided supported employment services to approximately 48,000 individuals, while Supported Employment State Grants extended such services to an additional 37,000 individuals.

[TOP] Independent Living
(BA in millions)

  199920002001
Request
Independent Living State Grants$22.3$22.3$22.3
Centers for Independent Living46.148.058.0
Services for Older Blind Individuals11.2
15.0
15.0
Total79.685.395.3

These programs provide services to individuals with disabilities to maximize their independence and productivity and to help integrate these individuals 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. Services for Older Blind Individuals assists individuals aged 55 or older whose severe visual impairment makes competitive employment difficult to obtain, but for whom independent living goals are feasible.

The request includes a $10 million or 21 percent increase for the Centers for Independent Living program, primarily to fund up to 56 new Centers in 23 States, with a focus on providing coverage in unserved or underserved areas.

[TOP] Program Improvement

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$1.9$1.9$1.9

The 2001 request would provide sufficient funds to continue support for technical assistance to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the VR program and for other program improvement and accountability efforts, including support for a national conference on the findings of the longitudinal study of the VR program. Most of the funds are used to support the National Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center.

[TOP] Evaluation

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$1.6$1.6$1.6

These funds are used to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of programs authorized by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The request would support: (1) extended follow-up of individuals in the longitudinal study of the vocational rehabilitation (VR) program, (2) evaluations of the Projects with Industry and the Training program launched in 2000, (3) dissemination and utilization activities in connection with the longitudinal study, and (4) one major new evaluation study.

[TOP] Helen Keller National Center

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$8.6$8.6$8.7

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; a network of 10 regional field offices which provide referral, counseling, and technical assistance; and an incentive grant program for public and private agencies that serve individuals with deaf-blindness. The requested increase of $167,000, combined with $220,000 available after completion of one-time construction projects in 2000, would permit the Center to increase staffing in its regional offices and help to offset the effect of inflation.

[TOP] National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$81.0$86.5$100.0

NIDRR supports a comprehensive and coordinated program of research, demonstration projects, and related activities dealing with the rehabilitation of persons of all ages with disabilities, including training of persons who provide rehabilitation services or who conduct rehabilitation research. NIDRR awards discretionary grants for support of rehabilitation research and training centers, rehabilitation engineering research centers, and disability and rehabilitation research projects that address diverse issues in rehabilitation, including the causes and consequences of disability and ways to improve educational, employment, and independent living opportunities for persons with disabilities. Grants or contracts are also awarded for utilization and dissemination of research results and for training.

The request includes a $13.5 million increase for technology initiatives, including a $5 million Educational Technology Initiative that would provide technical assistance and training to elementary and secondary schools regarding accessible information technology, statutory requirements and technology standards, and resources available. A Technology for Independence initiative would provide $3.4 million for employment projects to carry out research, training, and technical assistance to enhance employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through improved access to and use of technology, and $5.1 million for community independence projects to explore ways to use information and assistive technology to enhance community integration and participation by individuals with disabilities.

[TOP] Assistive Technology

  199920002001
Request
BA in millions$34.0$34.0$41.1

This program helps States improve the access of individuals with disabilities to assistive technology devices and services. The request would provide $41.1 million for Assistive Technology, an increase of $7.1 million or 21 percent. Approximately $26.1 million would be used for activities in Title I of the Assistive Technology Act, including the Assistive Technology State Grant program, protection and advocacy services related to assistive technology, and technical assistance activities. The remaining $15 million would support grants to States, authorized under Title III of the Act, to establish or maintain alternative loan financing programs. Currently, major service programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, special education, and vocational rehabilitation cannot meet the growing demand for assistive technology. Loan programs offer individuals with disabilities attractive options that significantly enhance their ability to purchase assistive technology devices and services.

[TOP] Special Institutions for Individuals with Disabilities
(BA in millions)

  199920002001
Request
American Printing House
    for the Blind (APH)
$8.7$10.1$10.3
National Technical Institute
    for the Deaf (NTID)
45.548.251.8
Gallaudet University83.5
86.0
87.7
Total137.7 144.3149.8

The American Printing House for the Blind provides special education materials for students who are visually impaired, offers advisory services for consumers, and conducts research. The proposed increase of $165,000, combined with $350,000 available after completion of one-time initiatives in 2000, would provide a 2 percent increase for education materials to help offset the effect of inflation, support the APH request level for advisory services and research operations, and fund a variety of special projects.

The National Technical Institute for the Deaf provides postsecondary technical education and training for students who are deaf. NTID also conducts research and provides training related to the education and employment of individuals who are deaf. The $51.8 million request includes an increase of $910,000 to help offset the effect of inflation as well as $5.4 million for the second phase of a major project to renovate dormitories.

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. The proposed $1.7 million increase, combined with $2.5 million available after the completion of construction activities in 2000, would increase funding for deferred maintenance activities and help offset higher operating costs due to inflation.

Direct any questions to Martha Jacobs, Budget Service


-###-

[Section B - Bilingual and
Immigrant Education]
[Table of Contents]
[Section D - Vocational and
Adult Education]