State launches 15-district pilot to strengthen IEP practice and outlines Part B discretionary projects

SEA staff told the council that the department will pilot an "education benefit review" technical-assistance program with 15 selected LEAs to improve IEP development, transitions, and local processes. The pilot is one year long, includes monthly TA support, and carries awards scaled to district size ($5,000 to $25,000) for stipends, substitutes, materials or training costs.

"We're hoping then and one of the goals... these districts who have really championed this process then we'll share out during our director symposium to other directors throughout the state," the presenter said, describing plans to document and scale the protocol if outcomes justify continued discretionary funding.

Selection for the pilot was open to districts statewide; SEA staff said they used a scoring rubric to eliminate incomplete or ineligible applications and prioritized those that met application criteria and demonstrated coherent theory-of-action and budgets tied to the IEP work. SEA staff distinguished pilot TA from monitoring: monitoring teams identify noncompliance through indicators (IEP reviews, discipline, graduation/dropout metrics) and referral to TA produces root-cause analysis and corrective-action plans for districts deemed noncompliant.

Separately, the SEA outlined the Part B application posted for public comment and summarized discretionary projects funded through Part B administrative set-asides, including assistive-technology support (Crossroads), accessible educational materials (AEM) hosted by the school for the blind, a dispute-resolution database, ISU teacher-training programs (PASS), ICASE programs (ASIL and ASSET) to build special-education leadership and licensure pipelines, the new IEP system, Cambium contracts for the alternate assessment, and other projects such as early-childhood ICER support and pyramid-model behavioral supports. SEA staff noted discretionary funds can be used to continue pilots if the outcomes justify continued investment.

SEA staff also announced TA staffing additions (an assistant director for TA and a recently hired TA specialist) and discussed child-find December 1 counts (a net decline in early-childhood counts that the SEA will compare against the April one-count). Members asked for follow-up on residential placement capacity for ages 18–22; SEA staff agreed to investigate and follow up by email.

Next steps: pilot work begins in July with assigned TA specialists, SEA will collect pilot feedback for replication, Part B public-comment period remains open until the federal allocation is confirmed, and SEA will finalize the FY Part B submission by the federal due date.