The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:

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 • Spend Quickly to Save & Create Jobs • Ensure Transparency & Accountability • Thoughtfully Invest One-Time Funds • Advance Effective Reforms

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 program’s allotment formula .

8. VR ARRA Similarities (cont’d) 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 state’s 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 state’s 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 state’s 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 (cont’d) 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 (cont’d) 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 (cont’d) 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.gov.

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 (cont’d) 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 (cont’d) 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 (cont’d) 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 (cont’d) 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 (cont’d) 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 agency’s service delivery system Improving and expanding the agency’s 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. More Information www.ed.gov and www.recovery.gov FAQs, Hot Topics, etc Independent Living and Vocational Rehabilitation Questions: RSARecoveryActComments@ed.gov