Introduction to Special Education Finance
EEND-600

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the principles and processes of special education finance.  Students will explore issues related to funding programs for student with special needs.  Further discussion will also focus on policies, practices, and issues related to special education finance at the local, state, and federal levels, including sources, legal mandates, and budgeting.

College of Education Mission

The mission of the College of Education is to prepare competent and caring educators who understand students, serve the community and develop professionally to become ethical decision-makers and leaders.

Understanding Students

To assist students in developing an awareness of issues related to special education funding in the state of Illinois.

Serving the Community

To assist students in gaining experience of community partnerships to broaden service options for local families and reduce expenditures.

Finding Our Professional Selves

To assist students in learning and practicing the knowledge and skills necessary to provide a school district with responsible stewardship of special education revenues and oversight for special education expenditures.

Access to standards referenced in this section can be found HERE

By the conclusion of the course, each participant will be able to do the following:

1. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that promote the needs of differing populations in a pluralistic society and the success of all students in the least restrictive environment based on the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context (IAC, 1A-1K, CEC SA3K1) .
2. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that demonstrate knowledge of the principles of human growth and development, ranges of individual variation, and their application to the school environment and instructional program (IAC 2A-2 KLMNQ, CEC SA2K1 and SA2K2).
3. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that lead the school community to operate within the framework of policies, laws and regulations enacted by local, State, and federal authorities and professional ethical standards (IAC 3C-3N, CEC SA1K1, SA1K6, SA1K12 and SA1k13).
4. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that promote public awareness, sound screening practices, and early identification of students with disabilities (IAC 4A-4I, CEC SA1K2).
5. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that demonstrate understanding of the continuum of placement options and array of services available to students with disabilities and knowledge of activities that promote a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environme (IAC 4-4L, CEC SA7K1).
6. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that demonstrate understanding of various federal, state and local funding sources, activities that result from these sources, strategies for developing and managing special education budgets and activities that obtain maximum reimbursement from all sources of funding (IAC 5BC-5EFG, CEC SA1K11).
7. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that demonstrate knowledge of the application of management techniques used to define roles, assign functions, and delegate accountability relative to achieving goals (IAC 6D-6S).
8. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that identify strategies for addressing barriers to achieving an educational vision and achieving educational goals through negotiation, collaboration, and consensus building (IAC 1G)
9. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that base decisions on the legal, moral, and ethical implications of policy options and political strategies (IAC 3H-3R).
10. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that demonstrate understanding of the groups that compose the school community (e.g. parents/guardians, business and industry, service organizations, local and county government) and the community resources that provide services to support the vision, mission, and goals of the school organization (IAC7A-7H, CEC SA10K1 and SA10K2).
11. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that identify and consider various political interests within the community in organizational decision making (IAC 7E-7O).
12. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that foster educational partnerships with a variety of persons and organizations to promote delivery of educational opportunities (IAC7F-7T).
13. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that promote high expectations for self, staff, and students (IAC 2H-2S, CEC SA9K1).
14. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that demonstrate understanding of practices and models for the management of an organizational system and operational policies and procedures that enhance student learning (IAC 6A-6H, 6I).
15. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that involve recruitment, selection, induction, and negotiation, that would result in the employment and retention of qualified personnel to support an effective learning environment (IAC6B-6L).
16. Candidates will facilitate and engage in activities that demonstrate knowledge of methods for identifying management functions that can be improved using technology and ensuring that organization management functions are supported by current technologies (IAC 6G-6V, 6W).

Assignment 1: Budget Basics

• Outcomes 2,3,6,9
• Standards IAC 2A-2 KLMNQ 3C-3R,5BC-5EFG; CEC SA1K6,1K11-13,2K1 and SA2K2

Assignment 2: Funding Sources

• Outcomes 2,3,6
• Standards IAC 2A-2,3C-N KLMNQ,5BC-EFG,CEC SA1K1,6,11-13,2K1 and SA2K2

Week 2 Activity: IDEA Codes

• Outcomes 3,6,16
• Standards IAC 3C-3N,5BC-EFG,6G-V,W;CEC SA1K1, SA1K6, SA1K11-13

Assignment 3: Medicaid

• Outcomes 5,6,9,16
• Standards IAC3H-R, 4-4L,5BC-EFG,6G-V,W; CEC SA1K11,7K1

Week 3 Activity: Parent Concerns

• Outcomes 1,2,5,9,12,16
• Standards IAC, 1A-1K,2A-K,L,N,N,Q,3H-R,4-4L,6G-V,W,7F-T; CEC SA2K1-2,3K1,7K1

Assignment 4: Special Education Personnel

• Outcomes 3,6,14,16
• Standards IAC 3C-3N,5BC-EFG,6A-I,V,W; CEC SA1K1, SA1K6, SA1K11-13

Week 4 Activity: Supervision/Evaluation of Programs

• Outcomes 5,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,15
• Standards IAC 1G,2H-S,3H-R,4-4L,6B-L,S,7A-T; CEC SA7K1,9K1,10K1-2

Assignment 5: Orphanage Act

• Outcomes 1,3,4,5,6,7
• Standards IAC1A-K, 3C-3N,4A-I,L,5Bc-EFG,6D-S;CEC SA1K1,2,6,11,12,13,3K1,7K1

Assignment 6: Student Data Entry and Private Facility Claim

• Outcomes1,3,4,5,6,7
• Standards IAC1A-K, 3C-3N, 4A-I, L, 5Bc-EFG, 6D-S; CEC, SA1K1, 2, 6, 11, 12, 13, 3K1, 7K1

Assignment 7: Capstone Project

• Outcomes 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16
• Standards IAC 1A-K,2A-2H,LMNQ,S,3C-N,R,4A-I,L,6A-V,W,7A-T; CEC1K6, SA2K1,2,6,12,13,3K1,7K1,9K1,10K1,2

Week 7 Activity: Resolving Parent Concerns

• Outcomes 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,10,11,12,13,14
• Standards IAC1A-K, 2A-2 H-S,3C-N,4A-I,L,5BC-EFG,6A-H,I,7A-T; CEC SA1K1,2,6,11-13,2K1 and SA2K2,3K1,7K1,9K1,10K1,2

Assignment 8: Funding Issues

• Outcomes 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16
• Standards IAC 1A-K,2A-2H,LMNQ,S,3C-N,R,4A-I,L,6A-V,W,7A-T;CEC1K6, SA2K1,2,6,12,13,3K1,7K1,9K1,10K1,2

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