SAVING AND CREATING JOBS AND REFORMING EDUCATION

1
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

• SAVING AND CREATING JOBS AND REFORMING EDUCATION
• U.S. Department of Education
• Rehabilitation Services Administration
• April 2009

2
Guiding Principles
3
VR, IL, and OIB Funds Available to States by the
End of March

• Vocational Rehabilitation - 270 million (50)
• Independent Living - 52.5 million (100 of ARRA
  formula funds)
• State IL Services (IL Part B) Program - 18.2
  million
• IL Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind
  (OIB) - 34 .3 million
• Centers for Independent Living Program (CIL)
  87.5 million (to follow)

4
Balance Speed and Effectiveness

• Balance speed and stimulus with careful planning
  and effective reforms
• Maximize short-term investments with lasting
  results
• Minimize unsustainable ongoing commitments
• Integrate coherent improvement strategies that
  are aligned with the core reform goals

5
Accountability and Transparency

• All ARRA funds must be tracked separately
• Reporting template being developed for use by
  States to capture required information
• Transparency allows opportunity to
  quantify/define goals and mobilize support for
  improving results

6
Topics VR ARRA Funds

• Similarities with Regular VR
• Differences with Regular VR
• Reporting
• Miscellaneous
• Uses of VR ARRA Funds
• Pending Questions
• Common Inquiry Topics
• Questions and Answers

7
VR ARRA Similarities

• All VR ARRA funds must be used consistently with
  the statutory and regulatory requirements for the
  VR State Grants program, as well as applicable
  requirements in the General Education Provisions
  Act (GEPA) and the Education Department General
  Administrative Regulations (EDGAR).
• VR ARRA funds will be allocated to state VR
  agencies under the programs allotment formula .

8
VR ARRA Similarities (contd)

• A state does not need to submit a new or amended
  VR State Plan to receive the first 50 percent of
  the VR ARRA funds because these funds will be
  made available to each state based on the states
  eligibility established for FY 2009 VR funds and
  the provision in of the certification required by
  section 1607 of the ARRA.
• The assurances in the states FY 2009 State Plan
  will apply to these ARRA funds, as well as the
  requirements of the ARRA.

9
VR ARRA Funds Differences

• The ARRA waives the matching requirements for the
  VR ARRA funds. However, it does not waive the
  requirements to match the regular grant funds.
• In order to receive the remaining 50 percent of
  the states allocation of VR ARRA funds, states
  must submit information, for review and approval
  by the Department, that addresses the
  recordkeeping and reporting requirements in the
  ARRA.

10
VR ARRA Funds Differences (contd)

• The Department has assigned a new CFDA number to
  the VR ARRA funds in order to facilitate separate
  accounting for the funds.
• Generally, funds should be used for short-term
  investments that have the potential for long-term
  benefits, rather than for commitments that the
  State may not be able to sustain once ARRA funds
  are expended.
• All VR and ARRA funds must be obligated by
  September 30, 2011. Grant funds from the regular
  FY 2009 appropriation must be obligated by
  September 30, 2010 and may only be carried over
  into FY 2010 if the state has met the matching
  requirements for those funds.

11
VR ARRA Funds Reporting

• ARRA requires that recipients of funds made
  available under that act separately account for,
  and report on, how those funds are spent.
  Recipients will need to maintain accurate
  documentation of all ARRA expenditures to ensure
  that the data reported are accurate, complete,
  and reliable.
• States will be expected to monitor sub-recipients
  to help ensure data quality and the proper
  expenditure of ARRA funds.

12
VR ARRA Funds Reporting (contd)

• VR ARRA expenditures will be reported on the
  Recovery.gov Web site.
• State is required to submit reports containing
  the information required under section 1512(c) of
  the ARRA. These reports must be submitted not
  later than 10 days after the end of each calendar
  quarter. First one is due in October.

13
VR ARRA Funds Reporting (contd)

• OMB issued draft standard data elements for use
  in complying with the report requirements under
  section 1512 of the ARRA on April 1, 2009 in the
  FR beginning on page 14824.
• Further information on reporting instructions
  will be provided online at www.FederalReporting.go
  v.

14
VR ARRA Funds Miscellaneous

• A state may not count State Fiscal Stabilization
  funds or VR ARRA funds as non-federal funds for
  purposes of meeting the maintenance of effort
  (MOE) requirement for the VR State Grants program
  or the match that the state is required to make
  for the regular FY 2009 award.

15
VR ARRA Funds Uses

• Improving Performance and Serving More
  Individuals
• Staff Development
• State Agency Infrastructure including Technology
• Program Management including Quality Assurance
  and Improving Use of Data

16
VR Improving Performance and Serving More
Individuals

• Serving individuals on waiting lists in agencies
  currently using an order of selection
• Increasing services to eligible consumers
• Expanding services to traditionally underserved
  and unserved populations in the state, including
  students with disabilities transitioning from
  school to the workplace

17
VR Improving Performance and Serving More
Individuals (contd)

• Conducting intensive residential summer
  activities for transition-age youths, using
  available dormitories at local colleges and
  universities

18
VR Staff Development

• Supporting the enrollment of VR counselors in
  courses or training programs for the purpose of
  meeting the agency's personnel standard under its
  Comprehensive System of Personnel Development
• Internships for students enrolled in VR counselor
  training programs
• Increasing the proficiency of VR counselors and
  other personnel in job search and placement
  techniques

19
VR Staff Development (contd)

• Cross-training VR Program and Fiscal staff to
  improve coordination and planning
• Supporting staff participation in professional
  development programs
• Training of VR counselors and other personnel in
  the purchase and use of rehabilitation technology

20
VR Staff Development (contd)

• Training VR agency and school personnel in the
  provision of services to transition-age youths
  with disabilities
• Training to VR counselors and other persons who
  provide VR services on effective and innovative
  evidence-based VR practices to improve employment
  outcomes for persons with disabilities
• Training staff to improve the capability of the
  agency to analyze and use data to improve VR
  services and employment outcomes.

21
VR State Agency Infrastructure including
Technology

• Upgrading hardware and enhancing servers needed
  to support new or improved case management
  systems
• Purchasing equipment to enable and improve remote
  access of personnel in the field such as laptops
  and portable printers
• Converting from hard copy to electronic case
  files, including the purchase of equipment or the
  hiring of contractors to perform this task

22
VR State Agency Infrastructure including
Technology (contd)

• Purchasing, installing, and training staff on use
  of video conferencing systems to enhance
  communication between field offices and state
  office
• Improving the accessibility of technology used by
  agency counselors and employees with disabilities
• Upgrading data systems in order to realign with
  RSA reporting requirements contained in the
  revised RSA-911 and RSA-2

23
VR State Agency Infrastructure including
Technology (contd)

• Upgrading data systems to support real-time
  access to data report
• Conducting independent evaluation of VR agency
  program operations and performance

24
VR Program Management including Quality Assurance
and Improved Use of Data

• Developing employer databases for the purpose of
  matching individuals with disabilities with job
  openings
• Developing a long-range strategic plan
• Carrying out evaluation activities of various
  aspects of the agencys service delivery system
• Improving and expanding the agencys quality
  assurance systems

25
Pending Questions

• What do agencies have to do to receive the
  remaining 50 percent of their VR ARRA funds?
• What will the reporting requirements be for VR
  ARRA funds?
• Will agencies have to report on their VR ARRA
  funds as they do with their regular VR funds in
  addition to the ARRA-specific reporting
  requirements?
• Are CRPs sub-recipients for the purpose of ARRA
  reporting?

26
VR ARRA Common Inquiry Topics

• Construction The Rehabilitation Act allows for
  expenditure of VR program funds for construction
  for community rehabilitation program purposes
  therefore, VR ARRA funds may be used for this
  purpose as well. However, pursuant to 34 CFR
  361.61, no more than 10 percent of a state's
  allotment under the VR program may be spent on
  construction. While 34 CFR 361.60(a)(2) requires
  state VR agencies to provide a 50 percent match
  for construction activities done with regular VR
  grant funds, the ARRA waives the matching
  requirements for VR ARRA funds. States must
  comply with all relevant requirements pertaining
  to construction set forth in the ARRA,
  Rehabilitation Act, VR program regulations and
  EDGAR, as well as the terms and conditions
  attached to the state's grant award notification.

27
VR ARRA Common Inquiry Topics

• On the Job Training/Paid Internships
• Waiting Lists and/or Improving Infrastructure
• Reallotment

28
Topics OIB ARRA

• Similarities with Regular OIB
• Differences with Regular OIB
• Reporting
• Uses of OIB ARRA Funds
• Pending Questions
• Common Inquiry Topics
• Questions and Answers

29
OIB ARRA Similarities

• States must provide the requisite non-Federal
  share of 10 percent for all ARRA funds expended
  under the OIB program, in addition to the regular
  FY 2009 and FY 2010 appropriations. The
  carryover of ARRA funds until September 30, 2011
  is contingent upon meeting the matching
  requirement by September 30, 2010.
• States are eligible to receive ARRA funds under
  these programs based on their approved OIB
  applications and the provision of the
  certification required by section 1607 of the
  ARRA. The assurances in a state's OIB
  application, as well as the requirements of the
  ARRA, will apply to the use of ARRA funds. A
  state does not need to submit a new OIB
  application to receive its ARRA OIB funds.

30
OIB ARRA Similarities (contd)

• All ARRA funds for OIB programs under the
  Rehabilitation Act must be used consistently with
  the current statutory and regulatory requirements
  for those programs, as well as applicable
  requirements in the General Education Provisions
  Act (GEPA) and EDGAR.

31
OIB ARRA Differences

• The ARRA funds received by the State IL Grants
  and OIB programs will remain available for
  obligation by grantees until September 30, 2011,
  which includes one year of carry over in
  accordance with section 19 of the Rehabilitation
  Act.
• The Department has assigned a new CFDA number to
  the IL and OIB ARRA funds in order to facilitate
  separate accounting for the funds.

32
OIB ARRA Differences (contd)

• Generally, funds should be used for short-term
  investments that have the potential for long-term
  benefits, rather than for commitments that the
  State may not be able to sustain once ARRA funds
  are expended.

33
OIB ARRA Funds Reporting

• ARRA requires that recipients of funds made
  available under that act separately account for,
  and report on, how those funds are spent.
  Recipients will need to maintain accurate
  documentation of all ARRA expenditures to ensure
  that the data reported are accurate, complete,
  and reliable.
• States will be expected to monitor sub-recipients
  to help ensure data quality and the proper
  expenditure of ARRA funds.

34
OIB ARRA Funds Reporting (contd)

• OIB ARRA expenditures will be reported on the
  Recovery.gov Web site.
• State is required to submit reports containing
  the information required under section 1512(c) of
  the ARRA. These reports must be submitted not
  later than 10 days after the end of each calendar
  quarter. First one is due in October.

35
OIB ARRA Funds Reporting (contd)

• OMB issued draft standard data elements for use
  in complying with the report requirements under
  section 1512 of the ARRA on April 1, 2009 in the
  FR beginning on page 14824.
• Further information on reporting instructions
  will be provided online at www.FederalReporting.go
  v.

36
OIB ARRA Funds Uses

• Improving Performance and Serving More
  Individuals
• Staff Development
• State Agency Infrastructure including Technology
• Program Management including Quality Assurance
  and Improving Use of Data

37
OIB Improving Performance and Serving More
Individuals

• Develop and maintain Web sites to disseminate
  information and resources to consumers with
  disabilities.
• Improve availability of technology for consumers
  (e.g., upgrades, contracts, recycling and loan
  programs, peer support groups via technology).

38
OIB Staff Development

• Provide training to OIB staff in data analysis,
  evaluation, statistics, and program management
• Provide training to OIB staff on service delivery
  to older individuals who are blind and who often
  have multiple disabilities or health concerns
• Training current staff in effective ways of
  providing assistive technology to consumers
• Providing professional development opportunities
  that have both short-term and long-term benefits
  to service provider staff

39
OIB Staff Development

• Provide training to OIB staff in data analysis,
  evaluation, statistics, and program management
• Provide training to OIB staff on service delivery
  to older individuals who are blind and who often
  have multiple disabilities or health concerns
• Training current staff in effective ways of
  providing assistive technology to consumers
• Providing professional development opportunities
  that have both short-term and long-term benefits
  to service provider staff

40
OIB State Agency Infrastructure including
Technology

• Purchase portable devices for the laptops to
  allow staff to have wireless access to case
  management systems and to improve communication
  among staff who work in the field
• Purchase hardware, software, and training for
  designated state units (DSUs) and for OIB program
  managers to collect, analyze, and enter 7-OB data

41
OIB Program Management Including Quality
Assurance and Improved Use of Data

• Develop strategic plan
• Develop written policies and procedures
• Conduct program evaluation

42
Pending Questions

• What will the reporting requirements be for OIB
  ARRA funds?
• Will agencies have to report on their ARRA funds
  as they do with their regular funds in addition
  to the ARRA-specific reporting requirements?
• Are there OIB sub-recipients for the purpose of
  ARRA reporting?

43
OIB ARRA Common Inquiry Topics

• Supplanting
• Reallotment

44
More Information

• www.ed.gov and www.recovery.gov
• FAQs, Hot Topics, etc
• Independent Living and Vocational Rehabilitation
  Questions RSARecoveryActComments_at_ed.gov