Funding and Budget for Special Education

¶ … local education plan best be developed to reveal the extent to which public, private, and non-profit funding methods meet fiscal and administrative requirements of IDEA? Why?

One of the two main components of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the grant program that provides federal funding to the states ("What School Financial Officers Need to Know about Special Education," 2014). Under the provisions of the Department of Education, funding is provided on a per-student basis, based on total enrollment. However, additional issues such as poverty levels, are also taken into account ("What School Financial Officers Need to Know about Special Education," 2014). The state and local education plans can best be developed to reveal the extent to which public, private, and non-profit funding methods meet fiscal and administrative requirements of IDEA by focusing on ongoing support services and statistical tracking of student performance. The fundamental requirements of IDEA include providing a "free, appropriate public education for children with disabilities," and as long as this core provision is addressed, the state and local education plan will be sufficient (Smith, 2005).

To reveal the extent to which all private, public, and non-profit funding methods meet the fiscal and administrative requirements of IDEA, both flow-through funds and allowable activities need to be taken into account ("What School Financial Officers Need to Know about Special Education," 2014). The use of IDEA funds to "pay excess costs of providing" the necessary services covered under the provisions of the Act must be grounded in fiduciary responsibility, which is why accountability is essential. Developing a state and local education plan requires a constant vigilance regarding funding distribution and allowances, ensuring that the funds are being channeled appropriately. One of the trickiest aspects of developing plans that ensure the provisions of IDEA are being met is providing equitable services for different types of schools including private schools, which are more difficult to monitor in terms of budgeting.

2. What innovation could most effectively be used to counteract the budget woes of special education programs?

Special education programs have been besieged with problems related to budget cuts and funding shortfalls, as well as issues related to funding allocations to special education training programs (Smith, 2005). One of the most promising innovations that can effectively be used to counteract the budget woes of special education programs is the Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT). The SWIFT model blends and conjoins several state and federal funding and pedagogical programs under a common umbrella. Using the SWIFT innovation, educators, financial officers, and administrators can work with legislators to continually revise budgets and ensure that special education is receiving the resources it needs to accomplish goals like those outlined in IDEA. Preliminary research into SWIFT shows that the program "can bring about more effective implementation and stronger buy-in and collaboration among key stakeholders for these initiatives, as well as improve sustainability for long-term impact on student achievement," (Kingston, et al., 2014, p. 1).