Alexandra Aylward, Ph.D., Randall Owen, Ph.D., Ashley Greenwald, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA, and Ruby Batz, Ph.D., from the College of Education & Human Development recently published an article in SAGE Journals titled, "."
Their research investigates how Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) funds, available under IDEA Part B, can be used to address racial disproportionalities in special education. Through a case study, the article explores the challenges faced by a school principal in using these funds for academic and behavioral support services and suggests activities to address racial disparities in student identification, placement and discipline.
The case study examines how a veteran educator with nearly three decades of experience implements CEIS strategies to support students, particularly those at risk of being misidentified for special education in a diverse, Title 1 PreK-6 elementary school in the Mountain West.
Racial disproportionality in special education has long disproportionately affected students of color. According to the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, Black students are more likely to be identified with intellectual disabilities or emotional disturbances, and Native American and Alaska Native students are more likely to be identified with specific learning disabilities. These students often experience adverse long-term outcomes, such as lower graduation rates and higher interactions with the juvenile justice system.
The case study school (Mountain View Elementary – a pseudonym) is no exception. Racial disparities are evident—half of Black students and all of the Native American students at Mountain View have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), indicating potential overidentification. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school district voluntarily allocated IDEA Part B funds to support early intervention services, and in response, Mountain View Elementary hired an early learner paraprofessional to assist kindergarten through third-grade students needing extra academic or behavioral support using the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) system, a proactive framework to improve student behavior and create a positive school climate.
Despite these efforts, challenges emerged in implementing CEIS funding due to teacher attrition, which shifted the intended use of CEIS resources. The school leader felt that greater flexibility from the district in how CEIS funds were allocated would have been beneficial. He explained that “he would have preferred to invest in professional development for early childhood educators, especially in behavior and special education."
This case shows the challenges school leaders face when trying to apply federal policies and highlights the need for more flexible funding to ensure all students, especially those from historically marginalized groups, have equal opportunities to succeed. As schools nationwide work to address racial disparities, Mountain View Elementary’s experience reflects both the possibilities and challenges of using federal funding to tackle these long-standing issues.
School principals are faced with the challenge of addressing multiple competing priorities, often with fewer and fewer resources,” Alexandra Aylward, Ph.D., assistant professor of Educational Leadership said. “I hope to support current and future school leaders’ efforts to meet the needs of all their students by increasing our understanding of the various funding mechanisms available through voluntary coordinated early intervening services (CEIS) and mandatory comprehensive coordinated early intervening services (CCEIS) under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)-Part B. School leaders can learn to effectively use CEIS and CCEIS funds to dismantle practices that lead to racial disproportionality in special education, as recommended by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).”
