Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Summary February 14, 2011
Section II. B. Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
|
Overview
The Administration is committed to providing Americans with disabilities the opportunities and
services they need to succeed in school, in the workplace, and in the community. The 2012
request funds a wide range of programs that can improve educational, employment, and
independent living outcomes for people with disabilities.
The $12.9 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 $11.7 billion, an increase of $200 million over the 2011 CR level, to
maintain the Federal contribution toward meeting the excess cost of special education at
approximately 17 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure (APPE), and provide an
estimated average of $1,765 per student for about 6.6 million children ages 3 through 21.
Funding for the Preschool Grants program would be maintained at its 2011 CR level. Funding
for the Grants for Infants and Families program would increase by $50 million above the 2011
CR level.
The $249.5 million request for Special Education National Activities would maintain level funding
for most technical assistance, dissemination, training, and other activities that assist States, local
educational agencies, parents, and others in improving results for children with disabilities. The
proposed reduction of $10.7 million for the Technology and Media Services program reflects the
elimination of earmarked activities.
The request also includes funding for two new Special Education programs, $5.0 million for a
Mentoring for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities proposal, which would support activities to
increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in social relationships and other
aspects of community life, including education and employment, and $30 million for PROMISE:
Promoting Readiness of Minors in SSI, which would fund State-level pilots to improve the
educational, health, and employment outcomes for children with disabilities who are recipients of
Supplemental Security Income payments and their families.
For Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research, the budget provides $3.5 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 $3.1 billion request for the Vocational
Rehabilitation (VR) State Grants program includes the consolidation of the smaller VR-related
programs under the Rehabilitation Act in order to reduce duplication of effort and administrative
costs, streamline program administration at the Federal and local level, and improve
accountability. A total of $56.3 million would be made available to the VR State Grants program
from the consolidation of employment-related programs.
The budget also provides $103.7 million for a consolidated Grants for Independent Living
program that would replace the Independent Living State Grants and Centers for Independent
Living programs and would provide formula grants to States to support the provision of
independent living services through centers for independent living. Under the proposed
consolidation, each State would receive an amount that is equal to the combined amount
received in fiscal year 2011 from the two programs.
In addition, a new $8 million National Activities to Improve Rehabilitation Services program would
replace Demonstration and Training programs and consolidate the resources previously provided
under the Evaluation and Program Improvement programs. An increase of $1.2 million is
requested for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to support
its ongoing programs of research and development and evaluation. An additional $10 million for
NIDRR would support a Cloud Computing initiative that would seek to improve technology
access for individuals with disabilities by providing accommodations on-demand.
The Administration also is requesting $30 million for an interagency Workforce Innovation Fund
that would be used in combination with other funding provided by the Departments of Education
and Labor. Funds would be used to encourage innovation and support projects to identify and
validate effective strategies for improving the delivery of services and outcomes for
beneficiaries under programs authorized by the Workforce Investment Act, including individuals
with significant disabilities.
Special Education State Grants
Grants to States
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$11,505.2 |
$11,505.2 |
$11,705.2 |
|
|
|
|
Estimated average Federal
share per child |
$1,736 |
$1,735 |
$1,765 |
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 requested increase of $200 million, or 1.7 percent, over the 2011 CR level, would
maintain the Federal contribution toward meeting the excess cost of special education at about
17 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure and provide a per-child average of
$1,765 for an estimated 6,614,000 children with disabilities.
Under IDEA, States are required to provide a free appropriate public education to all children
with disabilities. Services are provided in accordance with individualized education programs
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 providedto the maximum extent appropriatein the least restrictive
environment, which for most children means in classes with children who are not disabled.
Students with disabilities also must be included in general State and district-wide assessments,
including the assessments required under ESEA, and 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 includes $29.0 million that would be reserved for technical assistance to improve the
capacity of States to meet the data collection requirements of the IDEA.
Preschool Grants
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$374.1 |
$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 request would provide an
estimated $511 per child for approximately 732,000 children to supplement funds provided under
the Grants to States program and help to ensure that young children with disabilities are ready to
learn when they enter school.
Grants for Infants and Families
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$439.4 |
$439.4 |
$489.4 |
This program provides formula grants to help States implement statewide systems of early
intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, so that State and
local agencies identify and serve children with disabilities early in life when interventions can be
most effective in improving educational outcomes. The request would increase the average
State allocation by $1 million, enabling States to provide high quality early intervention services
to approximately 360,000 infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.
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 $249.5 million.
State Personnel Development
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$48.0 |
$48.0 |
$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 in order to improve results for children with disabilities. The
request would support about 24 new and 23 continuation awards to State educational agencies to
improve the knowledge and skills of special education and regular education teachers serving
children with disabilities and help recruit and retain highly qualified personnel providing services
to children with disabilities.
Technical Assistance and Dissemination
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$49.5 |
$49.5 |
$49.5 |
This program funds competitive grants for technical assistance and dissemination of materials
based on knowledge gained through research and practice. The request, which is in addition to
the separate $29 million set-aside under the Grants to States program to help States meet data
collection requirements, includes about $8.4 million for new technical assistance, dissemination,
and model projects, and $41.1 million for continuation projects.
Personnel Preparation
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$90.7 |
$90.7 |
$90.7 |
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 both on 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, at least one activity in the broadly defined area of personnel development, and
enhanced support for beginning special educators. The request would provide $23.0 million for
new competitive grants and $67.7 million for continuation awards.
Parent Information Centers
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$28.0 |
$28.0 |
$28.0 |
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 would support new competitive grants and continuation awards for
about 102 centers as well as awards to provide technical assistance to the centers.
Technology and Media Services
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$44.0 |
$44.0 |
$33.3 |
This program makes competitive awards for research, development, and other activities that
promote the use of technology, including universal design features, in providing special
education and early intervention services. Funds also support media-related activities, such as
providing video description and captioning of films and television for use in classrooms for
individuals with visual and hearing impairments and increasing the availability of books in
accessible formats for individuals with visual impairments and other print disabilities. The
request, a decrease of $10.7 million from the 2011 CR level, eliminates funding for earmarks
while ensuring that sufficient funds are available to support competitive grants for projects that
will enhance the availability of technology and accessible educational materials for students with
disabilities.
Other Special Education Activities
Special Olympics Education Programs
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$8.1 |
$8.1 |
$8.1 |
This program supports the expansion of Special Olympics and the design and implementation of
Special Olympics education programs. The request includes funds to support Project UNIFY, an
education program designed to develop teamwork skills and increase awareness and social
acceptance of individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Mentoring for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
|
|
$5.0 |
This new program would support competitive grants for projects that conduct mentoring activities
to increase the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in social relationships and other
aspects of community life, including education and employment.
PROMISE: Promoting Readiness of Minors in SSI
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
|
|
$30.0 |
This new program would fund pilot demonstration programs in selected States to improve the
coordination and increase the use of existing services for which children receiving Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) payments and their families are eligible, such as those available through
the IDEA, Vocational Rehabilitation, Medicaid's care coordination services, Job Corps, Head
Start, and Workforce Investment Act programs. The goal of the program is to improve
outcomes of children who receive SSI, including their physical and emotional health and
educational attainment and employment, as well as to provide improved services and support for
the families of SSI recipients, including education and job training for parents.
Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) State Grants
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$3,084.7 |
$3,084.7 |
$3,141.0 |
This program, funded through a combination of mandatory and discretionary appropriations,
provides formula grants to State VR 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 2010, the VR program helped over 171,000 individuals with
disabilities92 percent with significant disabilitiesachieve employment outcomes.
The request for the VR State Grants program reflects the Administration's proposal to
consolidate the funds of the smaller VR-related programs and eliminate their separate funding
authorities under the Rehabilitation Act in order to reduce duplication of effort and administrative
costs, streamline program administration at the Federal and local level, and improve
accountability. A total of $56.3 million would be made available to the VR State Grants program
from the consolidation of employment-related programs, including Supported Employment State
Grants, Projects with Industry, and Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers, and the funds currently
provided to State VR agencies to support in-service training for agency personnel under the
Training program. The request also includes $37.4 million for grants to Indian tribes.
Client Assistance State Grants
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$12.3 |
$12.3 |
$12.3 |
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 64,400 individuals with disabilities.
Training
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$37.8 |
$37.8 |
$33.3 |
The Training 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. The
request includes a net reduction of $4.5 million from the 2011 CR level, reflecting the
consolidation of $5.7 million for the In-Service Training program with the VR State Grants
program and an increase of $1.2 million to the Training program for two training activities
previously supported under Demonstration and Training programs.
National Activities to Improve Rehabilitation Services
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
|
|
$8.0 |
This new program would support national activities that improve the administration and
effectiveness of programs and services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act or further the
purposes of the Act in promoting the employment and independence of individuals with
disabilities in the community. Funds would support technical assistance and projects designed to
improve program performance and the delivery of vocational rehabilitation and independent
living services.
Independent Living
(B.A. in millions)
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
Grants for Independent Living |
|
|
$103.7 |
State Grants |
$23.5 |
$23.5 |
|
Centers |
80.3 |
80.3 |
|
Services for Older Blind Individuals |
34.2 |
34.2 |
34.2 |
Total |
137.9 |
137.9 |
137.9 |
The independent living 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 budget includes $103.7 million for a new Grants for Independent Living program
that would replace the Independent Living State Grants and Centers for Independent Living
programs. The consolidated program would provide formula grants to States to support the
provision of independent living services through centers for independent living and hold States
accountable for implementing effective service systems. Under the proposed consolidation, a
State would receive an amount that is equal to the combined amount the State received in fiscal
year 2011 from the two programs.
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. The request would directly support 77 designated
State units under the Grants for Independent Living program and 56 grantees under the Services
for Older Blind Individuals program.
Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR)
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$18.1 |
$18.1 |
$18.1 |
This formula grant program funds systems in each State to protect and advocate for the legal
and human rights of individuals with disabilities, helping them to pursue legal and administrative
remedies to secure their rights under Federal law. The PAIR systems also provide information
on, and referrals to, programs and services for individuals with disabilities. The request would
support advocacy services to approximately 59,000 individuals with disabilities.
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$109.2 |
$109.2 |
$110.5 |
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 conduct rehabilitation research. NIDRR awards discretionary grants
that support Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers; Rehabilitation Research and Training
Centers; Model Systems projects for Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Burn
Injury; field-initiated research and development projects; and a wide range of additional research,
demonstration, and training projects that address diverse issues in rehabilitation, including ways
to improve educational, employment, and independent living opportunities for persons with
disabilities. The request would fund continuation awards as well as $18.8 million for new grant
activities, including new awards in two of the Model Systems programs, TBI and Burn Injury.
|
Access Through Cloud Computing
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
|
|
$10.0 |
This proposed program would support research and development aimed at giving individuals with
disabilities who use technology access any time, any place to needed accommodations that are
stored remotely. This NIDRR-directed project would develop on-demand accessibility features
and services and establish needed standards to facilitate implementation.
Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$9.2 |
$9.2 |
$9.2 |
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 98 clients in its
residential training and rehabilitation program and serve an estimated 1,700 individuals,
500 families, and 900 agencies through its regional offices.
Assistive Technology
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
$31.0 |
$31.0 |
$31.0 |
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 $25.7 million for the AT State grant program, $4.3 million for the Protection and
Advocacy for Assistive Technology program, and $1.0 million for technical assistance required
under the AT Act's National Activities authority.
Workforce Innovation Fund
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
B.A. in millions |
|
|
$30.0 |
These funds would be used in combination with other funds requested under the Adult Education
State Grants program and various Department of Labor programs for an inter-agency
Workforce Innovation Fund that would encourage innovation and support projects to identify and
validate effective strategies for improving the delivery of services and outcomes for
beneficiaries under programs authorized by the Workforce Investment Act, including individuals
with significant disabilities.
Special Institutions for Persons with Disabilities
(B.A. in millions)
|
2010 |
2011 CR |
2012 Request |
|
American Printing House for the Blind (APH) |
$24.6 |
$24.6 |
$24.6 |
National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) |
68.4 |
68.4 |
65.0 |
Gallaudet University |
123.0 |
123.0 |
118.0 |
Total |
216.0 |
216.0 |
207.6 |
The American Printing House for the Blind manufactures and distributes specially adapted
educational materials for students who are visually impaired, offers advisory services for
consumers and educational agencies, and conducts applied research related to the development
of new products. At the request level, APH would provide free educational materials to
approximately 60,350 persons with visual impairments at an average per student allotment of
$319, continue funding for initiatives to improve its technical assistance and outreach services,
and support a variety of new and continuing research projects.
The National Technical Institute for the Deaf provides postsecondary technical education and
training for students who are deaf as well as 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 1,263 undergraduate and technical students,
111 graduate students, and 147 interpreters for persons who are deaf. The request would
maintain the 2011 CR level for operations and reduce construction funding to $2.0 million for the
purpose of establishing a deferred maintenance account.
Gallaudet University offers undergraduate, continuing education, and graduate programs for
persons who are deaf and hearing. Gallaudet also maintains and operates the Kendall
Demonstration Elementary School and Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD). The
request provides $118.0 million for operations, including funds for the Endowment Grant
program. The $5 million decrease reflects the completion of previously funded construction
projects. The request would help Gallaudet serve an estimated 2,142 undergraduate and
graduate students and 280 elementary and secondary education students in the 2011-12 school
year.
Elementary and Secondary Education
Career, Technical, and Adult
Education
For further information contact the ED Budget Service.
This page last modifiedFebruary 14, 2011(mjj).