R 340.1754 Early childhood special education programs. R 340.1755 Early childhood special education services. Rule 54. Rule 55. All of the following provisions are specific requirements for early All of the following provisions are specific requirements for early childhood special education programs for young children with childhood special education services for young children with disabilities or developmental delay: disabilities or developmental delay in family and (a) An early childhood special education program with an approved community settings: early childhood special education teacher may be provided to young (a) Services shall be provided by an approved early childhood special children with disabilities or developmental delay who are 2 ½ through education teacher or approved related services staff to young children 5 years of age based upon the child’s individual needs as specified by birth through age 5 based upon the child’s individual needs as the individualized education program team. Early childhood special specified by the individualized education program or the combined education programs may include children under 2 1/2 years of age as individualized education/family service plan, as appropriate. specified by the individualized education program team. Approved related services staff shall work under the supervision of an (b) The program shall be available for a minimum of 360 clock hours approved early childhood special education teacher. and 144 days of instruction. If a preschool-aged child with a disability (b) Services shall be provided for a minimum of 2 hours per week, or developmental delay is placed in a non-special education program, but not less than 72 clock hours within 180 school days. Services then the individualized education program team shall consider the may be provided in appropriate early childhood community or family need for consultation by an early childhood special education teacher. settings. (Clarification: services may be less than 2 hrs/week, with (c) The program shall have not more than 12 students for 1 teacher FTE prorated according to actual service time provided.) and 1 aide at any one time, and the teacher shall have responsibility (c) Early childhood special education services shall have a parent for the educational programming for not more than 24 different participation and education component. students. (d) Early childhood special education programs shall have a parent participation and education component.

Pupil Accounting Manual – Section 5K

FTE - # of hours in a year / 450 FTE - # of hours per year / 180

450 / # of weeks program runs = expected hours per week for 1.0 FTE # of weeks program runs / 180 = expected hours per week for 1.0 FTE

Example: 36 week program Example: 36 week program 450 / 36 = 12.5 hrs./week for 1.0 FTE 180 / 36 = 5 hrs./week for 1.0 FTE Or .2 per hour of service a week

MDE comment about the distinction between rule 1754 and 1755:

• For Rule 1755, students pulled into a group by a service provider must have similar needs (per documented plan) that align with services provided by that service provider. • Otherwise, students with heterogeneous needs pulled into a group are Rule 1754. • This distinction is a current state pupil accounting issue – some nearby districts have lost FTE. • MDE acknowledges that these rules need to be revisited.