Significant Disproportionality

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Significant Disproportionality/ Mandatory Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS)

The Equity in IDEA regulation on significant disproportionality requires the examination of data to determine if significant disproportionality based on race and ethnicity is occurring as described under §300.646(a)(1)(2)(3). The determination must be made with respect to: 

  1. the Identification of students with disabilities, including specific disability categories;
  2. the placement of students with disabilities in particular educational settings; and
  3. the incident, duration, and type of disciplinary actions

The regulation further requires local educational agencies (LEAs) determined to have significant disproportionality as described under 34 CFR §300.646(b)(2)(d) to reserve the maximum amount of federal funds (15 percent) under section 613(f) of the Act to provide comprehensive coordinated early intervening services. The LEA may use funds reserved to serve children age 3 through grade 12, particularly, but not exclusively, children in those groups who are significantly overidentified, who are not currently identified as needing special education and related services, and children with disabilities. The provision of CCEIS may not be limited to children with disabilities. The LEA must identify and address the factors contributing to the significant disproportionality in its CCEIS plan within its VI-B Grant application. The regulation also requires the LEA to review and, if appropriate, revise policies, practices, and procedures to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Act and requires the LEA to report to the public on any revisions to the policies, practices, and procedures as described under 34 CFR §300.646(c)(1) of the IDEA regulations.

North Carolina's Defined Areas of Flexibility

Under the amended regulations, States have the flexibility to set some of the criteria for identifying LEAs for significant disproportionality. These include determining reasonable risk ratio thresholds, reasonable minimum n-size(s) and cell size(s), and the extent to which LEAs have made reasonable progress under §300.647(d)(2) in lowering their risk ratios or alternate risk ratios. Based on data analysis and stakeholder involvement, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has determined the areas of flexibility as:

Number of years of analysis = three consecutive years

Minimum cell size, number of students in a specific analysis category = 10

Minimum n-size, number of students for comparison = 30

Ratio threshold = three

Reasonable progress = If an LEA’s current risk ratio or alternate risk ratio has decreased, remained the same or increased by a ≤ 0.2 percentage point in each of the two prior consecutive years and the LEA now has a risk ratio or alternate risk ratio ≤ 5.0, the LEA has made reasonable progress and receives a warning for the current year and is in danger of having significant disproportionality in future years.

Tab/Accordion Items

2021-22 SY Data

FY 2021 Significant Disproportionality Mandatory - Identification

FY 2021 Significant Disproportionality Mandatory - Discipline

FY 2021 Significant Disproportionality Warning - Discipline

FY 2021 Significant Disproportionality Warning - Identification

FY 2021 Significant Disproportionality Warning - Placement

2020-21 SY Data

FY 2020 Significant Disproportionality Mandatory 

FY 2020 Significant Disproportionality Warning - Discipline

FY 2020 Significant Disproportionality Warning - Identification

FY 2020 Significant Disproportionality Warning - Placement

In our collaborative effort to address the issue of significant disproportionality, the Division supports your efforts in developing comprehensive district-wide plans to address the academic and behavioral needs of at-risk students. For questions about significant disproportionality determinations please contact Kelley Blas at kelley.steen@dpi.nc.gov or 984-236-2595 or Matt Hoskins at matt.hoskins@dpi.nc.gov or 984-236-2552. For questions about CCEIS and mandatory use of funds, please contact your regional coordinator.

Disproportionality for Identification Tools

*NEW- Updated Version Available with 21/22 Enrollment Data*

21-22 Disproportionality for Identification Spreadsheet

20-21 Disproportionality for Identification Spreadsheet

Disproportionality for Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Tools

*NEW- Updated Version Available with 21/22 Enrollment Data*

21-22 Disproportionality for LRE Spreadsheet

20-21 Disproportionality for LRE Spreadsheet (Version 2.0)

Data Source: ECATS-Child Count Data

Knowing the Difference Between Voluntary CEIS & CCEIS

CEIS vs. CCEIS-one is voluntary, and one is required. This resource will walk LEAs and stakeholders through each type of service, describing when the service is voluntary and when it is required, and explain the fiscal components of each.

In December 2016, OSEP finalized new regulations on significant disproportionality (34 CFR §300.646). These regulations enforce the use of IDEA funds for mandatory CCEIS, which LEAs provide upon identification of significant disproportionality, and distinguish the use of funds for CCEIS from the use of IDEA funds for voluntary CEIS. The PDF below outlines the differences between CCEIS and voluntary CEIS.

CCEIS v. CEIS

Voluntary and comprehensive CEIS (CCEIS) are important for identifying and addressing learning and behavior difficulties early. Delays in providing support could result in a need for increased services at a greater cost to address a child’s learning difficulties. Both types of CEIS should help ensure that at-risk students are disciplined, placed, and referred properly.

Who can benefit from CEIS? Voluntary CEIS may be provided to children without a disability in grades K–12, emphasizing students in kindergarten through grade three. CCEIS may be provided to children with or without disabilities age 3 through grade 12, particularly, but not exclusively, children in racial/ethnic groups identified for significant disproportionality. CCEIS activities cannot be limited to only children with disabilities.

LEAs using voluntary CEIS or CCEIS funds must ensure the funds are used for permissible activities. Permissible activities include providing professional development and academic and behavior support, as well as planning around voluntary CEIS and CCEIS. For CCEIS, the LEA must also demonstrate to the NCDPI ED Division that it used the funds to address the policies, practices, and procedures that contributed to the identification of significant disproportionality.

LEAs must also track children who receive voluntary CEIS or CCEIS. LEAs should consider maintaining a child-level record to account for each child who received voluntary CEIS or CCEIS. For CCEIS, the LEA should demonstrate that it did not exclusively provide CCEIS to children with disabilities.

IDEA Grant Periods for CCEIS

LEAs may elect to set aside 15% of IDEA Part B Section 611 and 619 funds toward CCEIS from the previous Federal Fiscal Year’s (FFY’s) carry-over grant funds, the current FFY’s grant funds, or the upcoming FFY’s grant funds. The 15% of IDEA Part B funds cannot be split between grant periods.

Orientation to CCEIS Plan Development and Submission, April 27, 2023

Orientation Recording

Password: dpiCCEIS23

Recording length: 1:25