8. What is CCEIS?

A PEA is required to reserve the maximum amount of funds available for comprehensive CEIS (CCEIS) if there is significant disproportionality based on race or ethnicity with respect to:

• (a) The identification of children with disabilities, including the identification of children in specific disability categories;
• (b) The placement of children with disabilities in particular educational settings; or
• (c) The incidence, duration, and type of disciplinary actions, including suspensions and expulsions

9. What funds must be reserved by the PEA for CCEIS if a State determines significant disproportionality?

In accordance with 34 C.F.R. § 300.646, any PEA identified as having significant disproportionality, as defined by the state, is required to set aside 15% of their allocation for the development and provision of CCEIS for

1. Children who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment (ages 3–21)
2. Children with disabilities (ages 3–21), however, a PEA may not limit the provision of CCEIS to only children with disabilities.

10. How does Arizona determine Significant Disproportionality?

Arizona examines significant disproportionality among its PEAs annually. The State examines each PEA’s three previous school years of enrollment, special education, and discipline data and identifies the PEA only when it meets all criteria for significant disproportionality for three consecutive years.

For details regarding the criteria for measuring significant disproportionality, please see Arizona’s Calculating Significant Disproportionality Infographic.

11. What are the requirements regarding activities using CCEIS funds?

CCEIS activities must:

1. Address the needs of those student subgroups that were identified as the basis for causing the LEA to be identified as significantly disproportionate, but not exclusively for those student subgroups
2. Focus on academic and behavioral instructional services and professional development

12. May a PEA limit CCEIS solely to members of the racial or ethnic group for which significant disproportionality was identified?

No. The requirement in 34 C.F.R. § 300.646(d)(2) is to provide comprehensive CEIS to serve “children in the PEA, particularly, but not exclusively, children in those groups that were significantly overidentified.”

13. What are the key differences between CEIS and CCEIS?

To view a table distinguishing CEIS and CCEIS, please see the Key Differences Between CEIS and CCEIS.

14. What activities can be used with CCEIS funds?

A PEA may use CCEIS funds for the activities listed below. The activities must address factors and policy, practice, or procedure contributing to significant disproportionality. Funds can be used for students identified as needing special education or related services, as well as children who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment.

• Hiring or contracting with individuals or organizations for tutoring services to carry out activities. Tutors may:
  • Participate in or provide professional development to enable teachers and other school staff to deliver scientifically based, academic, and behavioral interventions and, if appropriate, the use of adaptive and instructional software.
  • Support, reinforce, or follow up on the provision of educational and behavioral services provided by and under the supervision of an appropriately certified general education teacher.
     
• Professional development for teachers and other school staff to enable such personnel to deliver scientifically based, academic interventions, including scientifically based literacy instruction and, where appropriate, instruction on the use of adaptive and instructional software.
  • The professional development may be provided to all personnel who are responsible for students who need additional academic and behavioral supports to succeed in a general education environment, as well as students who have been identified as needing special education.
     
• Salaries and fringe benefits of aides who are PEA employees, or for costs for contracted aides who provide services to students receiving CCEIS. Aides must work under the supervision of an appropriately certified teacher and must perform duties consistent with the role of an aide while not assuming the role of a teacher.
   
• Paying for extended contracts or extended hours for staff directly involved with the coordination, supervision, or delivery of academic or behavioral interventions and progress monitoring.
   
• Salaries and fringe benefits, or a portion thereof, of staff who directly coordinate or supervise the delivery and monitoring of academic or behavioral interventions.
   
• RTI Coordinator. This position must align with the PEA’s activities as reported in the CCEIS narrative. CCEIS funds may be used to support RTI as long as the CCEIS funds are used to supplement, not to supplant, other funds used to implement RTI. 
   
• School guidance counselor, school psychologist, or social worker. Staff would be hired to implement behavioral interventions, progress monitoring, other CCEIS evaluations, and related professional development. These positions may not deliver reading or math instruction under CCEIS funding unless they also hold the appropriate endorsement to deliver reading or math instruction.
   
• Purchasing nominal items of low value to be used as part of the coordinated delivery of academic or behavioral interventions. The items should be educational in nature. The amount charged to the CCEIS grant must be reasonable and prudent. The following are not allowed as incentives: cash, cash cards, gift cards, or electronic devices (such as iPads, Kindles, etc.).
   
• Progress monitoring of supplemental interventions provided to those students determined to need additional academic and behavioral supports to succeed in general education.
   
• Travel costs are generated as a result of implementing activities funded by CCEIS, such as for professional development.
   
• Other activities include professional development and educational and behavioral evaluations, services, and supports that address the factors contributing to the significant disproportionality that can be articulated to Exceptional Student Services.

1. What is the statutory definition of the home school district?

A.R.S. § 15-761(9) "Home school district" means the school district or charter school that the child last attended or, if the child has not previously attended a public school in this state, the school district in which the person resides who has legal custody of the child, as provided in section 15-824, subsection B. If the child is a ward of this state and a specific person does not have legal custody of the child or is a ward of this state and the child is enrolled in an accommodation school pursuant to section 15-913, the home school district is the district that the child last attended or, if the child has not previously attended a public school in this state, the school district within which the child currently resides.

2. When did charter schools become part of the statutory definition of the home school district?

With the passage of Senate Bill 1177 in 2019, charter schools were added to the home school district definition, this change went into effect on August 1, 2019.

3. Where do I find the flowchart for determining the home school district and a student's enrollment history?

The flowchart is located at Flowchart for Determining the HSD. The ESS Vouchers Application under Help/Enrollment History is the best way to determine previous schools attended with an SSID# and date of birth. This displays several fields including grade level, entry date, exit date, entity IDs, and CTDS numbers. Please note: AzEDS Identity is a good method for locating an SSID#, but should not be used to determine previous schools attended/enrollment.

4. What entities cannot be used to determine the home school district?

When utilizing the flowchart in determining the appropriate home school district, these entities should be ignored when trying to determine the most recent schools attended:

• Accommodation schools
• Juvenile detention centers
• Bureau of Indian Affairs Education schools
• Parochial schools
• Private schools
• Correctional facilities
• Vocational schools

5. What does "age-appropriate" mean in terms of the flowchart?

Age-appropriate is referring to the district or charter serving the grade level of the student. A unified district serves students K-12, whereas an elementary district serves students K-8. For a student that is a 9th grader and most recently attended an elementary district (as reported in AzEDS), the elementary district is not age-appropriate and should be skipped in determining the home school district.

6. How is the flowchart used for children that are wards of the state?

If a specific person does not have legal custody of a child and parental rights have been severed, he or she is a ward of the state. To meet the best interest of the child within the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) if a parent still retains educational rights the child is not considered a ward of the state in terms of the flowchart.

7. What if the child has not attended a school district or charter school in Arizona, and the legal guardian resides out-of-state?

In this scenario, the HSD would be the age-appropriate school district of the entity that is responsible for providing the day-to-day care for the child, and the RTC's address would be used.

8. Can ESS assist in identifying a legal guardian or home address for a student?

ESS does not have any information pertaining to legal guardianship or home addresses for students in the educational voucher system. This information must be gathered through the appropriate state placing agency.

Page revision date: February 12, 2025

1. Who is responsible for the educational services when a student is on an Institutional Voucher? 

With the passage of HB 2863 during the Spring 2021 legislative session, the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (ASDB) is now considered a local education agency (LEA) for the provision of free and appropriate public education (FAPE). ASDB is responsible for the education and reporting of all data for students attending its Phoenix and Tucson campuses or leased space programs. ASDB shares operational space, including, but not limited to the Foundation for Blind Children (private school locations) and Simonton Elementary (public school) in the J.O. Combs Unified School District. PEAs will continue to report and be responsible for FAPE for students who attend their public schools and are receiving services from ASDB through a regional cooperative. The list of ASDB's sites is located on the State Institutions website.

2. What is the difference between vouchered vs. fee-for-service?

Students are identified as either vouchered (institutional) or fee-for-service, depending on where and how they are receiving services. If a student is vouchered, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) pays for the educational services for students placed at an ASDB campus or an ASDB program (which includes the regional cooperatives) through the Special Education Fund (A.R.S. § 15-1202). All fee-for-service arrangements are contractual agreements between the district or charter and ASDB.

3. Which tuition payer codes should PEAs report for vouchered and fee-for-service?

PEAs should use tuition payer code 7 for students on Institutional Vouchers, and tuition payer code 1 is used for fee-for-service students. For reporting questions, please contact ESS Data Management.

4. Why is my PEA receiving an Institutional Voucher Application?

Students are placed through the IEP process in alignment with ASDB's admissions statute (A.R.S. § 15-1342), which is the responsibility of the home school district (HSD) and ASDB. ASDB then applies for an institutional voucher listing the HSD. The HSD continues to function as a resource for ASDB to allow a student to transition back to the public school if the least restrictive environment (LRE) changes. Please reach out to ASDB for questions regarding the submission of applications.

5. What is an ASDB regional cooperative?

ASDB maintains multiple cooperatives throughout the state in which an ASDB staff will go to the district or charter to provide services. This determination occurs through the IEP process with an ASDB and PEA representative present per A.R.S. § 15-1342.

6. Who submits calendars for students on an Institutional Voucher? 

ASDB is the only entity able to submit calendars for their campus or leased space sites as they are the only ones that can report these students. The district or charter will submit calendars for students attending their public schools. For reporting questions, please contact ESS Data Management.

7. What are the statutes regarding Institutional Vouchers and ASDB?

The State Institution/Institutional Voucher statutes and administrative code are A.R.S. § 15-1201 to 15-1205 and A.A.C. R7-2-404. ASDB’s statutes are A.R.S. § 15-1301 to 15-1346.

8. For a student who is turning or has just turned 3 years old, should the district or charter be registering the student? 

The PEA/HSD should be registering the children in their systems (despite not technically admitting them to their campus). Prior to placement within ASDB's locations, the IEP team would require a PEA to determine the capacity of their facilities and placements. As such, the PEA/HSD would need to generate a student ID (if one does not exist) because eventually this information may be used for future requirements of special education (ex: Child Find).

9. What happens when an application is rejected?

When an application is rejected, it goes back to the entity that created the application (ASDB), the Approval History will show the reason for the rejection. Both ASDB and the HSD can edit applications and upload documents, but the HSD can only make changes when the application is "Pending with HSD."

10. What if the PEA contacts on the application are incorrect? 

ASDB maintains its own contact list and sends the Institutional applications. At the bottom of the application in the Approval History, you can see who from ASDB sent the application, please notify them of the correct contacts at your PEA.

Page revision date: August 15, 2025

1. Why does the district or charter have to do an evaluation? 

A.R.S. §15-765(E) - “When a state placing agency initially places a pupil in a private residential facility, the home school district must conduct an evaluation pursuant to §15-766 or review the educational placement of a pupil who has previously been determined eligible for special education services.”

A.R.S. §15-1183(B) - “If a state placing agency places a child in a private residential facility for care, safety, or treatment reasons, the state placing agency is responsible for requesting an initial residential education voucher and notifying the home school district of the placement. The home school district is responsible for completing screening or other identification procedures for determining if the child is a child with a disability as defined in section 15-761 and for reviewing the placement of a child with a disability to determine whether a residential special education placement is necessary.”

2. Who is responsible for monitoring the educational services while a student is at an ADE-approved residential treatment center? 

The Home School District

A.R.S. §15-1183. Placement; voucher application requirements (B): “Responsibility for monitoring the educational services during the time a child is placed in the residential facility and for planning for transition from the private residential facility to a public school remains with the home school district.”

A.R.S. §15-1185. School district responsibility; integration into a school (A): “For a child who is placed in a private residential facility pursuant to this article, the home school district is responsible for reviewing the child’s educational progress and planning for integrating the child into a public school when it is educationally appropriate.” (B): “The private residential facility and the state placing agency shall work with the home school district to integrate the child into a public school when it is educationally appropriate.”

A.A.C. R7-2-404(6)(a). The home school district (HSD) shall regularly monitor the progress of students, ensure the annual review and revision of IEPs, and complete three-year reevaluations as applicable.

3. Why is the public education agency (PEA) responsible for payment if the required documentation is not submitted? 

A.R.S. §15-1183(C) - “If an extension is denied or a home district fails to complete the requirements for a continuing residential education voucher, the home school district is responsible for payment of educational costs until the requirements of subsection B of this section have been met.” 

For seriously delinquent applications, the public education agency's IDEA Entitlement Grant funding may be suspended for not providing a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to the identified student(s).

4. How many students are placed through the residential voucher system each year?

There are about 1,500 students in the residential voucher system each year placed for care, safety, and treatment reasons by state placing agencies. In previous years, 55% of students were found not eligible for special education, while 45% were found eligible.

5. Who should the team members be for the review of existing data (RED)?

The group of people who would comprise a child’s individualized education program (IEP) team per IDEA 300.321 are:

(1) The parents of the child;

(2) Not less than one regular education teacher of the child (if the child is, or may be, participating in the regular education environment);

(3) Not less than one special education teacher of the child, or where appropriate, not less than one special education provider of the child;

(4) A representative of the public agency who -

(i) Is qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of, specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities;

(ii) Is knowledgeable about the general education curriculum; and

(iii) Is knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the public agency.

(5) An individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results, who may be a member of the team described in paragraphs (a)(2) through (a)(6) of this section;

(6) At the discretion of the parent or the agency, other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and

(7) Whenever appropriate, the child with a disability.

6. Can the review of existing data be done without parent consent?

Parent participation is highly recommended, but parent consent is not required before a review of existing data as part of an evaluation or reevaluation per IDEA 34 CFR §300.300. If after the review of existing data the team determines that more data is needed, then parent consent is required for the team to proceed.

7. If the parent cannot be located, does the PEA need to apply for a surrogate parent?

Yes, for complete multidisciplinary evaluations.

No, for a review of existing data only. 

Surrogate parent information is located on the Surrogate Parent Website.

8. Is the RTC representative a part of the multidisciplinary evaluation team?

Yes, the RTC representative is part of the team and should provide input into the evaluation per A.R.S. §15-765, but a written section of the report is not required from the RTC.

9. What if the student has no special education history?

The law is clear on what is required for a voucher to be approved. A PWN alone, stating that a student has no special education history will not suffice. Per A.R.S. §15-765(E) and A.R.S. §15-1183(B), an evaluation must occur. For ADE to approve a voucher for a non-SPED student, a Review of Existing Data, Non-Eligible determination (with team member names), and a PWN for Non-Eligibility are needed. Additional information is located at Required Documents for HSDs.

10. Does the PEA need to report residential voucher students including non-SPED students?

Yes, all students including non-SPED students need to be reported in a PEA's Student Information System (SIS). Tuition payer code 7 is used for SPED students and tuition payer code 4 is used for non-SPED students. Reporting guidance is located at Reporting Special Education Students Who Attend Residential Treatment Centers, Approved Private Day Schools, or Head Starts. If additional information is needed please contact ESS Data Management.

11. What is required for a student that was found ineligible for IDEA but eligible for a 504 plan?

The HSD should include the evaluation documents that found the student not eligible for special education but eligible for the 504 plan. The documents needed are a copy of the 504 plan, all prior written notices (PWNs) involved in the process, and the special education ineligibility determination. Required documents are located at Required Documents for HSDs.

12. If a student has obtained a GED, does the HSD have educational obligations?

A GED is not considered a recognized high school diploma. If a student with a GED wants to continue his or her education at the RTC, the student is eligible for funding. A.R.S. §15-821 states, “all schools shall admit children who are between the ages of six and twenty-one years who reside in the school district and who meet the requirements for enrollment in one of the grades or programs offered in the school. A school may refuse to admit a child who has graduated from a high school with a recognized diploma."

13. How do I upload the evaluation, PWN, and IEP documents?

Documents are submitted in HSD applications, instructions are located at Creating an HSD Application and Uploading Documents or Training for HSDs. Creating an HSD application is also the process for submitting a new IEP or reevaluation for students with current HSD applications. A new HSD application overrides the previous one, please make sure to change the new IEP and/or reevaluation date in the drop-down calendar within the application.

14. When do documents need to be submitted?

The evaluation documents are due in HSD applications by the expiration date of the Initial application, which is 60 days from the date of entry to the RTC or 90 days with an extension application.

15. How does the PEA/HSD submit an extension application?

An extension application extends the evaluation process by 30 days. The Initial application is valid for 60 days from the date of entry to the RTC, an approved extension application extends the evaluation to 90 days, but is only approved by ADE for valid reasons. Instructions are located at Extension Application Instructions. If the home school district has current evaluation documentation, it should be uploaded in an HSD application, not in an extension application. 

16. How do PEAs align their calendars with the RTCs' calendars?

RTCs submit their calendars to ESS at the beginning of each fiscal year. Calendars are located at RTC Calendars. PEAs can download these calendars to enter into their Student Information System (SIS). 

17. What is the exit date when a student transfers from one RTC to another RTC on the same day?

The exit date for transfer in the voucher system will be the day before the entry date at the new facility. 

18. What if the parent revokes consent?

If the student was receiving special education services until the parents revoked consent the HSD would choose non-special education (NSE) on the HSD application, upload the old MET, the document that revoked consent, and the prior written notice when the parent revoked consent. 

19. What happens when a student has promoted to high school while at the RTC?

The RTC must exit the student and use the flowchart to determine the next listed age-appropriate district or charter from the enrollment history. This typically occurs with 8th graders being promoted from an elementary district (K-8). The previous HSD will send a copy of the promotion certificate to the RTC and the new HSD. It is the responsibility of the elementary school district to forward all documents to the new HSD.

20. What should the IEP team do if considering a residential treatment center placement for a student?

If residential placement is considered by an IEP team please contact the ESS Vouchers team. We will provide the contacts for the ACC-RBHA (AHCCCS Complete Care-Regional Behavioral Health Authority). The ACC-RBHA will become part of the IEP team and conduct a behavioral health assessment. The placement must be in an ADE-approved RTC for voucher funding. The documentation must be approved by ADE prior to placement at the RTC and the IEP must include exit criteria and a reintegration plan. Additional information for Residential Special Education (RSE) placements is located at RSE Placements (IEP-driven).

21. Who processes the High-Cost Child (HCC) claims?

High-Cost Child (HCC) claims are processed through the ESS Vouchers and Claims system by ESS Program Management, not the ESS Vouchers team. Please make sure that you do not have the RTC, SPA, or Institutional Voucher role assignments as those roles will prevent you from accessing the ESS Vouchers and Claims system. For questions about HCC contact [email protected].

22. How do residential treatment centers become ADE-approved?

Residential treatment centers apply for annual approval through the ESS Special Education Program Approvals (SEPA) application. Here, RTCs provide their curriculum, SPED policies, liability insurance, First Aid/CPR information, and SPED-certified teacher(s) verification. In addition, RTCs sign the RTC Agreements.

23. How does a Home School District complete a Review of Existing Data for a student who never attended the HSD or has a limited educational history?

If you have limited data please allow the RTC approximately three weeks to get to know the student. Then, the RTC can provide input into the evaluation. The depth of the Review of Existing data is up to the team, the Required Documents for HSDs will provide additional information.  

Page revision date: January 23, 2025