Special Education

30 Years of Connecting with Cerini & Associates, LLP

Celebrate Cerini & Associates, LLP's 30th Anniversary with Ken Cerini, Founder & Managing Partner! Today, we celebrate a milestone: the 30th Anniversary of Cerini & Associates, LLP. From a humble garage start-up to a leading firm with seven partners and...

OMIG Published New Compliance Program Self-Assessment Form

The Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) has recently published a new Compliance Program Self-Assessment form on its website. This form is designed to assist healthcare providers in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of their compliance programs based...

Miscellaneous SED Updates and Information

Changes to the 2023/24 Reimbursable Cost Manual are Minor: SED has released the 2023/24 version of the reimbursable cost manual, and the changes are minor: SED has clarified that non-attest services provided by your audit firm are non-reimbursable if such services...

Evaluating Your Accounting Software Needs

When was the last time your organization evaluated its accounting software… or maybe you are a start-up, keeping track of your organization’s finances on excel or even paper ledgers and now it is time to upgrade to a more sophisticated system. Many organizations tend...

Special Education Providers, It’s Audit Season

Anybody who receives government funding knows that funding from the government is a two-way street… yes, you receive funding on either a cost based or fee-based basis, but at some point in time, the government will be checking in to determine if you properly expended...

Budgeting and Financial Planning for Special Education Schools Strategies for Long-Term Sustainability

Many of New York’s special education schools struggle with financial sustainability due to limited funding, increasing costs, and changing regulations. These schools also operate under a cost-based reimbursement system with few avenues for profit. Together, these...

Benefits of an Automated AP Workflow

As the first quarter of 2023 comes to a close, the return to “normal” that began in 2022 has shifted the focus of schools from the crisis of the Pandemic to beginning to analyze what policies, systems, and procedures are here to stay and where businesses can improve...

2023 SED Landscape

Over the last few years, special education has undergone significant challenges and change. Between educator shortages and turnover, student learning loss brought about by remote learning and the pandemic, and the growing demand of students needing service...

K12 Data Protection Q&A Panel – Powerhouse Team

Join our Powerhouse Team for a Time-Critical Panel Discussion followed by a Question-and-Answer Session New York State Education Law §2-d took effect in 2020 and applies to school districts, charter schools, universal pre-K providers and BOCES. It also applies to...

Health Care Worker Bonus – Updated FAQ’s for Education Employers

When the NYS DOH pushed off the implementation of the HWB for educational organizations until October 2022, we all thought that signaled that revised regulations would be distributed to help education organizations work through the HWB maze. After all the HWB was...
OSC Audits …  The Saga Continues

OSC Audits … The Saga Continues

For many of you, the OSC audit is behind you, leaving only the mental scars of a nearly year-long process as a reminder of the importance for your program to maintain adequate records and establish appropriate controls to ensure your school is complying with SED...

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Around The Sector

Around The Sector

The landscape that special education providers have been operating in continues to be a difficult one. The rate-setting unit has yet again undergone leadership change with Tracey Coleman taking over the helm in place of Hal Matott and Brian Zawistowski being promoted...

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SED Update: Keeping you Posted

SED Update: Keeping you Posted

There seems to be a lot happening at SED. From a leadership perspective, Hal Matott is no longer head of the rate setting unit; Phyllis Morris has taken over the reins of the unit. From a rate perspective, the new methodology is due out sometime in April from SED. The...

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New Early Intervention Regulations

New Early Intervention Regulations

On December 5, 2018, the Department of Health (DOH) published final regulations impacting the Early Intervention Program. Some of these regulations are years in the making. Most provisions do not change practice in any substantive way, but rather they codify existing...

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Succession Planning… Preparing for New Leadership

Succession Planning… Preparing for New Leadership

The statistic is that 75% of nonprofit executives plan to leave their organization within the next 10 years. As a result, succession planning needs to be taken into consideration in order to prepare for the inevitable transition. The board, members of management, and...

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SED Bits and Pieces

SED Bits and Pieces

What Teachers Want: If you’re like every other special education provider, you are having a significant time attracting and retaining special education teachers and assistants. According to Education week, the top reasons teachers leave their current jobs are:...

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Special Class in an Integrated Setting

Special Class in an Integrated Setting

As you know, there has been an emphasis at the State level to provide more special education within an integrated environment, however, most providers will tell you that’s not what they are seeing. Most of the CPSE placements have been for self-contained, with...

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New York’s New Anti-Sexual Harassment Laws

New York’s New Anti-Sexual Harassment Laws

Effective October 19, 2018, all New York State employers will be required by law to implement a sexual harassment policy within their organizations. This law comes after a tidal wave of sexual harassment allegations that have plagued many American politicians,...

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