1. MARSS Tells a New Story Early Year
Documenting Enrollment of Children in Early Childhood Special Education
“Leading for educational excellence and equity. Every day for every one.”

2. Why Tell the Tale? Overview: Uses of Data General Education Revenue
Compensatory Aid
State Special Education Aid
Federal Special Education Allocations
Part B
Part B section 619
Part C
Report to the Office of Civil Rights
Inform Policy Development
education.state.mn.us

3. Why Tell the Tale? Compliance Monitoring
State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR)
State Systemic Improvement Plan
Public reporting of local performance through District Data Profiles
Tuition Billing
education.state.mn.us

4. Once Upon A Time
Status Start Date: It is the date that a new tabulation of enrollment begins.
Last Location of Attendance: An indication of the students' last place of enrollment, or in certain cases, enrollment status.
State Aid Category (SAC): is used to determine which district generates state aid for students and which state aid students are eligible to generate.
education.state.mn.us

5. Data Elements that Set the Stage
District Number: The district number of the reporting/serving district.
Student Resident District Number: The number of the district where students have established residence for educational purposes. Only district types 1, 2 and 3 qualify as resident districts.
Grade Level: Used to assign pupil unit weighting to the students’ average daily membership (ADM). Prekindergarten children enrolled for evaluation or services are grade level EC. Kindergarteners with disabilities are grade level HK.
education.state.mn.us

6. Develop Your Lead Character
Gender: Required for federal reporting
Race/Ethnicity: A nonscientific designation as defined by the U.S. Dept of Ed. The collection process is described in Minn. R , Duties of District.
Home Primary Language: Obtained from the Home Language Questionnaire, the language first spoken by students when they began speaking, the language spoken most of the time, or the language usually spoken in the home. A Home Language Questionnaire signed by the parent should be on file for all students coded other than English.
education.state.mn.us

7. Develop Your Lead Character (2)
Birthdate: The year, month and day of the students' birth. Homeless Student Flag: Homelessness is defined according to federal law within the McKinney-Vento Education for Children and Youth who are Homeless. Limited English Proficient (LEP) is used in several federal reports which generate aid. The definition of LEP is included in M.S. §124D.59, Subd. 2 (1sp2003).
education.state.mn.us

8. Develop Your Lead Character (3)
Economic Indicator is reported for all public school students whether or not the students have access to a meal program. Used to calculate compensatory revenue.
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9. Develop Your Lead Character (4)
Primary Disability is reported if students had a disability and had an IEP/IFSP any time during the school year.
On the fall submission report the disability on the IEP/IFSP as of December 1.
If the Primary Disability changes during the year, the most recent disability is reported on the end-of-year file.
education.state.mn.us

10. The Plot Thickens: Special Education Evaluation Status (SEES)
Indicates the need for and participation in special education programs during an enrollment period.
Must be kept up-to-date throughout the year.
SEES Values used in ECSE
2: Child enrolled for evaluation
4: Child receives special education through an IFSP or IEP and the school is the only service provider
6: Child age 3-21 receives special education and receives services from one or more additional public agencies (e.g. Social Services, Public Health, Head Start)
9: Child age 3-21, receives indirect special education services only through an IEP.
education.state.mn.us

11. Special Education Evaluation Status
5=Student was evaluated & determined eligible but parents declined services
For ECSE only:
close the SEES 2 record with a status end of 50
Create a new record with a SEES of 5
Do not report attendance/membership hours in this record. Close same day with Status End Code 21
Primary Disability must be reported

12. The Plot Thickens: Primary Disability Instructional Setting
Must be reported for each child enrolled for service. Not reported for children enrolled for evaluation.
Settings are reported using three sets of setting codes that are age specific.
Must be current throughout year.
It is not possible for the MARSS reporter to determine the correct setting code to use once a child turns 3 from the IEP. Communication is required.
education.state.mn.us

13. Primary Disability Instructional Settings B-2
The environment in which the child primarily receives service
Program designed for children with developmental delays or disabilities e.g. Traditional ECSE classroom
Program designed for typically developing children e.g. ECFE, child care center or Early Head Start
Home
Hospital (in-patient)
Residential Facility (public or private)
Service provider location--school, clinic or hospital where the child receives services
Other Setting--any setting that is not included in the settings described

14. Primary Disability Instructional Settings for Ages 3-5
Requires communication with MARSS reporter!
Can only be determined by answering these questions:
Does the child attend a regular early childhood program—even if the child’s participation is NOT included on the IEP?
For how many hours per week does the child participate in the regular early childhood program?
Where does the child receive the majority of services?

15. Primary Disability Instructional Settings for Ages 3-5 (2)
Regular Early Childhood* programs include, but are not limited to:
Public or private preschools
Head Start
School Readiness / ECFE
Kindergarten
Group Child care
Reverse Mainstream Classrooms*
* Must include 50% OR MORE students without disabilities

16. Settings for Children Participating in Regular Early Childhood Programs
Hours per week in the regular early childhood program:
At least 10
Up to 10
The child receives the majority of special education in the regular early childhood program
Setting 31 33
The child receives the majority of special education in some other location 32 34

17. Primary Disability Instructional Settings for Ages 3-5 (4)
If the child DOES NOT attend a regular EC program or kindergarten, does the child attends a special education program?
A Special Education program enrolls less than 50 percent non-disabled children and includes, but is not limited to:
separate classrooms like an ECSE self-contained classroom,
separate schools, and
residential facilities

18. Primary Disability Instructional Settings for Ages 3-5 (5)
If the child DOES attend a special education program, choose the code that describes the program’s location?
MARSS Codes
41-Special Education Classroom in regular school buildings, portables, child care facilities, hospitals (out-patient); other community-based settings
42-Separate Schools
43-Residential Facilities

19. Primary Disability Instructional Settings for Ages 3-5 (6)
If the child does not attend a regular EC or special education program, does the child receive any or all of delivered special education services in the home? If “YES” then report the child as: 45-HOME If the child does not attend a regular EC or special education program, or receive special education services in the home then report the child as: 44-Service Provider Location

20. Decision Tree for Coding Instruction Settings for children ages 3 through 5

21. The Plot Thickens: Transportation Category
Transportation Category includes seven descriptors of to-and-from school transportation. Must be entered on each student record.
03 – Disabled. All students in this category must have a SPECIAL EDUCATION EVALUATION STATUS equal to 4 or 6 and must receive special transportation or special accommodations, such as an aide on the bus route.
There is no minimum distance requirement for students with disabilities. The special education transportation or special education accommodation must be written into the students’ IEP/IFSP/IIIP to be reported under the category.
education.state.mn.us

22. The Plot Thickens: Transportation Category (2)
00 – Walkers or Transportation Field Not Applicable for this Student. Students who walked to and from school because the district did not offer transportation should be reported in this category. Also, include students who may be transported to and from school, but who are not part of this reporting requirement (e.g., students enrolled during the summer months only). Students who are served in their home should be reported in this category.
education.state.mn.us

23. The Plot Thickens: Membership, Attendance & Special Education Service Hours
Districts must report three distinct data elements that describe service intensity received by young children with disabilities.
Membership
Attendance
Special Education Service Hours (SESH)
Because Percent Enrolled equals 999, Membership and Attendance are reported in hours rather than in days.
education.state.mn.us

24. The Plot Thickens: Membership
used in the calculation of average daily membership (ADM), which is the basis for many state aids, including general education revenue.
For students with an IEP/IFSP/IIIP, report the unduplicated number of hours scheduled for direct and indirect services and time in a regular education program at district expense.
“Kid time” + eligible indirect service

25. The Plot Thickens: Membership (2)
Include all service time within a fiscal year (July 1 through June 30).
Excludes lunch unless program is part day.
Staff travel time does not generate membership.
For EC students who received evaluation services only and no IEP/IFSP/IIIP was written, report the actual number of hours of evaluation provided, Membership should equal Attendance.

26. The Plot Thickens: Membership (3)
Indirect services eligible to claim:
Ongoing progress reviews
Cooperative planning
Consultation with regular education, special education, parents or paraprofessionals
Modifying/adapting curriculum, materials, environment
To the extent they are documented on the child’s IEP or IFSP
For audit purposes, document the provision of indirect services in a student contact log or daily record

27. The Plot Thickens: Membership (4)
Claiming time in Community Placements:
Must be placed through IFSP or IEP team process
Tuition must be paid by the district
Program must be licensed or employ a licensed teacher
Children in placements paid for by the parent cannot be claimed for membership except for time that a special education service or support is provided.

28. The Plot Thickens: Membership (5)
Claiming time in Head Start:
Must be placed through IEP team process
Only time during which the district expends resources to support the child’s participation in Head Start can be counted for membership.
Time of licensed special education staff in Head Start
Time of district paraprofessional as long as that time does not duplicate time of licensed staff

29. The Plot Thickens: Attendance
The total number of hours students were present in a given school year or for the period covered by a unique enrollment status record.
Equals membership (direct and indirect) minus absences.

30. The Plot Thickens: Special Education Service Hours (SESH)
Used to generate tuition bills for non-resident children served by district
Required for SOME students with disabilities including
Grade level Early Childhood (EC)
Grade level Handicapped Kindergarten (HK)
Includes direct and indirect time of licensed or certified personnel

31. The Plot Thickens: Special Education Service Hours (2)
Program and 1:1 paraprofessionals are not included
SESH are “stacked” meaning that time of multiple providers working simultaneously are counted.
Time in regular education setting with no direct special instruction or related service is not included in SESH—even if the district pays tuition for the placement
Evaluation hours do not count toward SESH

32. Create a New Chapter: A New Record is Required for Each of the Following Events
Beginning the school year
Change in STATE AID CATEGORY (SAC)
Change of school, district or grade of enrollment
Change of resident district
Change in SPECIAL EDUCATION EVALUATION STATUS
After re-entering school, whether after 15 consecutive days absence or upon transferring back to a prior school
When the SPECIAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONAL SETTING changes.
When TRANSPORTING DISTRICT NUMBER changes.
education.state.mn.us

33. Creating a New Chapter: Mid-Year Status End Codes
Status End Codes describes why the students' enrollment status has ended or changed.
Accurate and specific status end codes are extremely important.
These status end codes are appropriate for use when a child’s enrollment status changes during the year and a subsequent enrollment record will be created. These codes should not appear on a child’s final enrollment record within a school year.
education.state.mn.us

34. Creating a New Chapter: Mid-Year Status End Codes (2)
02: A child moves to a new school within the district. 14: A child is withdrawn after 15 consecutive days of absence and expected back 27: A child served under Part C is turning 3 and has been deemed eligible for services under Part B. 30: A toddler is exiting Part C at age three and Part B eligibility has not yet been determined.
education.state.mn.us

35. Creating a New Chapter: Mid-Year Status End Codes (3)
50: A new record is needed for a special education related reason such as change in primary disability category or instructional setting. Do not use for children exiting Part C.
99: A new enrollment record is needed and the reason is not related to a child’s participation in special education.
Note: Status End Date is inclusive. It is the last day of membership during a given enrollment status record.
education.state.mn.us

36. Special Chapters: Evaluation
Create an enrollment record with a SEES of 2
Status Start Date of this record is the date the district is in receipt of written consent
Status End Date of this record is the date that parents have received the evaluation results
Note: requires communication between IFSP/IEP manager and MARSS reporter

37. Special Chapters: Evaluation (2)
The Primary Disability reported on this record will be 00-nondisabled student
Status End Codes for the enrollment record with a SEES of 2:
25-was determined NOT Eligible for ECSE services, OR
50-was determined eligible (requires the creation of a NEW enrollment record)

38. Special Chapters: Evaluation (3)
Attendance and Membership during Evaluation
Attendance and membership must be equal for enrollment records with a SEES of 2
Each hour of evaluation generates one hour of attendance and membership
A warning message is generated when 40+ hours of evaluation time is claimed.

39. Special Chapters: Evaluation (4)
Attendance and Membership during Evaluation
Time eligible to claim:
the time of each team member is counted, even when multiple team members evaluate simultaneously;
time spent meeting with the parent to obtain evaluation information;
time spent administering, scoring and interpreting the evaluation
time spent writing the evaluation report
up to 2 hours of IEP/IFSP/IIIP writing for eligible children

40. Special Chapters: ECSE Service
Create an enrollment record with a SEES of 4 or 6 or 9
For EC children enrolling for services, not just evaluation, the Status Start Date is the first date that both of the following are true:
The district has received signed parental consent for services
Services have been initiated

41. Special Chapters: ECSE Service (2)
A gap between the record with SEES 2 and the record with SEES 4/6/9 is expected.
Do not create a record with a SEES of 3 to span the gap between SEES 2 and SEES 4/6/9 records.
Attendance, Membership and Special Education Service Hours must all be reported.

42. Special Chapters: ECSE Service (3)
If a child is evaluated during the spring and found to be eligible but special education services are not initiated until the following school year, the SEES remains a 2 during the current year; it becomes a 4 or 6 during the following school year when services are started.

43. Footnote Status Start and Status End Dates for Part C
The program for infants and toddlers under age 3 is a 12-month program. Therefore, the status end date for these children is the final day of service in a fiscal year and should be around June 30.

44. Special Chapter: Transition From Part C to Part B
Each toddler with an enrollment record with a SEES of 4 or 6 MUST have a new record created as he/she turns age 3 or must be exited from service.
Three possible scenarios exist as a child with a disability turns 3.
The child has been determined to be eligible for Part B.
The child has been determined to be NOT eligible for Part B.
Eligibility for Part B has not yet been determined.

45. Special Chapter: Transition From Part C to Part B (2)
Evaluated and eligible for Part B.
Close the existing record with a status end of 27 on the last service day prior to the child’s 3rd birthday.
Create a new record with a status start date equal to the first service day on or after the child’s 3rd birthday.

46. Special Chapter: Transition From Part C to Part B (3)
The child determined to be Part B eligible
The new enrollment record must include a 3-5 instructional setting code as continued use of an code will generate an error message
Communication must occur between the MARSS reporter and a member of the child’s IFSP/IEP team
It is not possible to accurately crosswalk from the 0-2 codes to the 3-5 codes

47. Special Chapter: Transition From Part C (4)
Determined to NOT be eligible for Part B:
Close the existing record on the last service day prior to the child’s 3rd birthday.
Communicate with the child’s IFSP manager to determine the appropriate Status End Code:
28-Not Part B eligible, exiting with referrals to other programs
29-Not Part B eligible, exiting with no referrals

48. Special Chapter: Transition From Part C to Part B???
Part B eligibility is not yet determined.
Close the existing record prior to the 3rd birthday using status end code 30.
Create an enrollment record with a SEES of 2 for the period of evaluation.
This record will be ended with a status end of:
25 (not eligible) or
50 (eligible, create new record).

49. Bringing Each Child’s Story to a Close: Status End Codes
These status end codes are appropriate for use when a child’s enrollment status changes during the year and NO subsequent enrollment records will be created by the district that year:
04: A child has moved outside the district and has a new resident district and enrolling district.
05: A child has moved outside the state or country.
11: A child has died.
education.state.mn.us

50. Bringing Each Child’s Story to a Close: Status End Codes (2)
21: Early Childhood withdrawal; IEP/ IFSP objectives were met. 25: Early Childhood (EC) students evaluated only. Used for EC students who were evaluated and determined not to need special education services. 26: EC students withdrawn by parents. Used when parents withdraw the child prior to meeting IEP/IFSP/IIIP goals or outcomes. 28: EC students not eligible for Part B exiting Part C with referrals.
education.state.mn.us

51. Bringing Each Child’s Story to a Close: Status End Codes (3)
29: EC students not eligible for Part B exiting Part C with no referrals. 34: Grade EC students that are exiting Part C and attempts to contact the family are unsuccessful. 40: End of year code for children enrolled on the last day of school.
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