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Significant Disproportionality

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to monitor for significant disproportionality.

Significant disproportionality considers the over-representation of particular races or ethnicities among students with a disability. Significant disproportionality occurs when over-representation reaches a certain threshold within one of the monitoring areas:

  • Special education identification
  • Discipline
  • Educational placement

The Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education identifies intermediate school districts (ISDs) each spring based on data from the previous two school years. Beginning in 2019 Michigan identified ISDs with significant disproportionality instead of its member districts. Identification is based on the aggregate data of the member districts within the ISD.

Member districts identified in previous years must continue to comply with their federal requirements for being identified with significant disproportionality.

Business Rules/Procedures for Calculating Significant Disproportionality

The following documents are the business rules and procedures for calculating whether significant disproportionality has occurred for each category.

Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS)

Entities identified with significant disproportionality must use 15 percent of their IDEA Part B funds to create a CCEIS program. The required program design components for CCEIS are:

  • Budget
  • Target population
  • Target population rationale
  • Scientifically-based program details (e.g., personnel, salary, non-technology supplies, technology supplies)

Each entity identified with significant disproportionality must report data to the OSE on their CCEIS program and special education referrals at the end of the implementation year and subsequent two years. The program design process and subsequent data reporting take place in Catamaran.

Voluntarily Offering Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS)

Entities voluntarily offering CEIS may use up to 15 percent of their IDEA Part B funds to create a CEIS program. The required program design components for CEIS are the same as CCEIS.

Member districts may begin the voluntary CEIS process in Catamaran by submitting a proposal to the ISD for consideration. ISDs may begin the process without a proposal. The proposal, program design process, and subsequent data reporting take place in Catamaran.

ISDs and/or Districts Identified With Significant Disproportionality

Below are the lists for significant disproportionality in the past five years. Beginning in 2019, the calculations for significant disproportionality changed from member district to the intermediate school district.