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Archived News - 2014
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12-23-2014
Online Verification Screen for In-District & Other-District High Cost Public Placements
Starting with school year 2013-14, school districts must verify their In-District and Other-District High Cost Public Placements on the new STAC online screen-DVPUB.
Below are links to the memorandum, online instruction guide, and signature form regarding the 2013-14 online verification screen for In-District and Other-District High Cost Public Placements.
12-03-2014
New School Age Summer Related Services/SDI Approval Screen-(DSSRS)
Beginning with the summer of 2014, School Age Summer Related Services / Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) approvals for programs 9015 A-D can now be added under the newly designed DSSRS screen.
Guide for Adding/Amending School Age Summer Related Services / SDI approvals on the DSSRS screen
Please continue to use the DSSRL screen for Summer Related Services / Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) Service approvals for Summers of 2011, 2012, and 2013.
10-08-2014
Enhanced DSPUB screen
The DSPUB screen has been enhanced to include a Student Enrollment field. Districts will need to select either "Enrolled Full Year (Sept-June)" or "Enrolled Partial Year". Link to detailed instructions for utilizing the DSPUB screen:
https://www.oms.nysed.gov/stac/stac_online_system/online_instructions/guide_DSPUB.pdf
09-29-2014
***2013-14 DCERT/DSPRV Extension Period Ends Tuesday, September 30, 2014***
Districts have until September 30, 2014 to add missing or replace existing 2013-14 school-age 10-month private placement certifications (DCERT). Districts may also add or amend existing 2013-14 10-month school-age private placement approval requests (DSPRV) with the actual start date of service, regardless of the date of an existing 2013-14 DCERT (only through September 30, 2014). After September 30, 2014, no 2013-14 DCERTs may be added. Reimbursement for any DSPRV added or amended after September 30, 2014 will be limited to the date of the existing certification (DCERT).
Please note that CRP (Children's Residential Project) placements require Residential/In-State certifications.
A joint memorandum from the Office of Special Education and STAC/Medicaid Unit with additional information regarding State reimbursement for students with disabilities in approved private schools is available here.
09-15-2014
4201 2013-14 10-Month Online Verification Now Open (Deadline: 12/01/14)
Starting with the 2013-14 school year, school districts must verify STAC records for students
enrolled at §4201 State-supported schools using the new DVSSY screen on the STAC Online
System. Verification for the full September 2013 - June 2014 10-Month program opened on
September 1, 2014. Even if your school district already verified for the September -
December 2013 period, it must verify again for the full school year. Online verification must
be completed by December 1, 2014 to receive reimbursement.
Students Placed at §4201 State-supported Schools: STAC
Online Verification Deadline for Reimbursement of 2013-14 Tuition
(164 kb)
09-12-2014
Section 4408 of the Education Law requires that a student’s county of residence contribute 10% of the approved cost of July/August special education services provided to children with disabilities who are five through twenty-one years of age and eligible for such services pursuant to Articles 85, 87, 88, or 89 of the Education Law.
A report listing all 2013-14 4408 approvals as of September 9, 2014 has been mailed out to
county fiscal officers. The cover letter that went out with the reports is available on the
Preschool Correspondence page.
Est. Chargeback – Section 4408 of Education Law
(For 1314 4408 approvals)
(110 kb)
09-08-2014
Final Reminder Regarding 2013-14 DCERT/DSPRV Extension Period
Districts have until September 30, 2014 to add missing or replace existing 2013-14 school-age 10-month private placement certifications (DCERT). Districts may also add or amend existing 2013-14 10-month school-age private placement approval requests (DSPRV) with the actual start date of service, regardless of the date of an existing 2013-14 DCERT (only through September 30, 2014). After September 30, 2014, no 2013-14 DCERTs may be added. Reimbursement for any DSPRV added or amended after September 30, 2014 will be limited to the date of the existing certification (DCERT).
Please note that CRP (Children's Residential Project) placements require Residential/In-State certifications.
A joint memorandum from the Office of Special Education and STAC/Medicaid Unit with additional information regarding State reimbursement for students with disabilities in approved private schools is available here.
08-05-2014
STAC ONLINE EFRT SYSTEM BACK ONLINE
The STAC Online EFRT System is now back online. Due to recurring access issues for some users, the EFRT Presentation Client has been converted to an ASP.NET web interface that doesn't rely on Java. This new version should be compatible with the most recent versions of all major browsers, including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. This change has necessitated a new web address:
Please update your bookmarks accordingly. The functionality of the system should be mostly identical to the functionality of the Java version.
Mozilla Firefox:
Because the new version of the EFRT Presentation client is now located on a secure
server, the first time you access it you might get a message in Firefox about the
connection being untrusted. If this is the case, you'll want to add a security exception
to your browser:
Click the arrow to the left of "I Understand the Risks", and click the "Add Exception..."
button. In the box that pops up, check the box to the left of "Permanently store this
exception" and click the "Confirm Security Exception" button.
UPDATED 08-12-2014: If you don't have a status bar at the bottom of your web browser, make sure you're using either Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox and follow the appropriate solution to Problem #6 on the potential problems page.
08-01-2014
STAC ONLINE EFRT SYSTEM DOWN ON MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2014
The STAC Online EFRT System will be offline for scheduled maintenance and system upgrades on Monday, August 4, 2014. During the scheduled outage, the STAC Online System will not be available. Complete any time sensitive STAC work prior to the start of the outage. The system should be back online on Tuesday, August 5th.
07-02-2014
REMINDER
DCERT Requirement for Summer 2014 Private Provider Reimbursement Approvals
All Summer 2014 private provider approvals will require that 2014-15 DCERTs be added to the STAC Online system prior to adding private provider reimbursement approvals (unlike Summer 2013 STAC processing).
A certification (DCERT) must be completed on an annual basis for ALL school age private placements (both 2-month and 10-month). One annual certification covers BOTH summer (2-month) and school year (10-month) private placements if the placement type remains the same for both periods. Please note, DCERTs are not required for Summer Related Services/Specialized Instruction reimbursement approvals.
Below is a link to the Field Advisory Memorandum from the Office of Special Education:
Private Placement Certification Field Advisory Memo
Below is a link to the updated "Guide to Online Entry of Private Placement Certifications":
Private Placement Certification Guide
06-26-2014
Preschool Summary File Layout Updated - "YN-Provider-Evaluator" Field
Authorized Municipality Representatives - §4410 of Education Law:
Effective with the 2014-15 year, preschool service approval requests for a center-based class, special class in an integrated setting (SCIS), and special education itinerant teacher (SEIT) services must include an answer to the question "Is this the same provider that conducted the most recent evaluation for this student?" More information regarding this change is available here.
The Preschool Summary File layout has been updated to include this additional data element. The Yes/No field "YN-Provider-Evaluator" contains one character, and is located in position 243. The file length was previously 242 characters. A description of the file layout is available here. Effective July 6, 2014 all weekly Preschool Summary Files placed in county outbaskets will be in this updated format.
For additional information please contact Ed Waaler in the STAC and Medicaid Unit at 518-474-7116.
06-05-2014
Updated Information Regarding 2013-14 DCERT/DSPRV Reimbursement Processing
Beginning July 1, 2014, districts may add missing or replace existing 2013-14 school-age 10-month private placement certifications (DCERT) until September 30, 2014, as appropriate. Districts may also add or amend existing 2013-14 10-month school-age private placement approval requests (DSPRV) with the actual start date of service, regardless of the date of an existing 2013-14 DCERT, until September 30, 2014. After September 30, 2014, no 2013-14 DCERTs may be added. Reimbursement for any DSPRV added or amended after September 30, 2014 will be limited to the date of the existing certification (DCERT).
A new joint memorandum from the Office of Special Education and STAC/Medicaid Unit with additional information regarding State reimbursement for students with disabilities in approved private schools is now available:
06-04-2014
Issue Getting onto EFRT: Security Exception due to unsigned entry in resource
Some users have been getting a SecurityException error that references an "unsigned entry in resource" when they attempt to log onto EFRT. This is caused by an outdated JAR file on the computer.
If you are trying to log onto EFRT and are receiving this error, please follow the instructions
in the PDF linked below:
EFRT Troubleshooting #9: SecurityException (Found unsigned entry in resource)
06-03-2014
DCERT Requirement for Summer 2014 Private Provider Reimbursement Approvals
A certification (DCERT) must be completed on an annual basis for ALL school age private placements (both 2-month and 10-month). One annual certification covers BOTH summer (2-month) and school year (10-month) private placements if the placement type remains the same for both periods. Unlike Summer 2013 STAC processing, all Summer 2014 private provider approvals will require that 2014-15 DCERTs be added to the STAC Online system prior to adding private provider reimbursement approvals. Please note, DCERTs are not required for Summer Related Services/Specialized Instruction reimbursement approvals.
Below is a link to the Field Advisory Memorandum from the Office of Special Education:
Private Placement Certification Field Advisory Memo
Below is a link to the updated "Guide to Online Entry of Private Placement Certifications":
Private Placement Certification Guide
05-22-2014
Reporting Whether Preschool Program Operator Also Evaluated Student Placed in Program
Regulations effective April 17, 2014 require the CPSE to submit written notice specifying whether a preschool student has been placed in a program operated by the same provider agency that conducted the most recent evaluation of the student, along with assurance that the placement is appropriate. This policy does not apply to related service placements. Further information on the regulation is available here.
The CPSE written notice is made via the Preschool STAC-1 form submitted to the county, and applies to all CPSE meetings held on or after April 17, 2014 . Please review the May 16, 2014 letter to CPSEs and Counties, posted on the Preschool Correspondence Page, for details.
The STAC Online System DSPRE (special class and SCIS) and DSSEI (SEIT) reimbursement approval request screens have been updated to enable counties to submit the CPSE report on whether the service provider also conducted the most recent evaluation. DSPRE and DSSEI Reimbursement approval requests may now be submitted for the 2014-15 school year.
Updated specifications for layout of data files submitted via the FTP process are available here. The file layout has been revised to use position 84 to report if the provider also conducted the most recent evaluation. Details on the new SRV-TR-YN-EVALPROV field are available on the Center-based and SEIT pages.
Please contact Jim DeMeo or Ed Waaler of the STAC Unit at 518-474-7116 with any questions.
05-21-2014
Revised-HIGH COST STUDENT DATA REPORT FOR STUDENTS W/ 10-MONTH EDUCATION RATES OF $94,999+
This form should be submitted with the High Cost STAC-3 Amendment Report (HCSAR) when the student’s name appears on the HCSAR and the 10-month annualized education rate exceeds $94,999. The 10-month annualized education rate can include costs for services from a school district, another school district, or multiple providers (which could also include a combination of district, BOCES, or outside related services providers).
Districts should not complete this form if all the services were provided by BOCES.
Districts should not complete this form until the program has been completed and the
actual costs have been determined.
If you have any questions, please contact the STAC, Special Aids & Medicaid Unit and ask for Anne Wolfgang or Edwin Truax at 518-474-7116
05-20-2014
Attention-School District Homeless Liaisons:
Below is a link to a Homeless STAC status report, which displays, by district, the number of 2012-13 Homeless reimbursement approvals currently on the STAC Online system. Although the 2011-12 year is closed for Homeless processing, the 2011-12 information has been included for comparison sake. This report and the Homeless Eligibility List screen (DQHOM) can be used to identify those Homeless STAC reimbursement approvals which still need to be entered for the 2012-13 year. Please utilize the Homeless Verification Screen (DVHOM) to verify all 2012-13 Homeless approvals by June 30, 2014.
05-19-2014
Counties were recently sent a reminder of the annual process of collecting preschool signature authorizations from their school districts. District signature authorizations allow the county to electronically transmit preschool information to the STAC, Special Aids and Medicaid Unit. The letter to Authorized Municipality Representatives and a sample signature authorization are available on the Preschool Correspondence page.
05-08-2014
UPCOMING JUNE 30, 2014 STAC DEADLINES
Below is a link to the memorandum regarding upcoming June 30, 2014 STAC Deadlines. June 30, 2014 STAC Deadline Memo (155 kb)
04-30-2014
Consultant Access to STAC Online System
SED’s Office of Counsel has cleared the STAC Unit to issue unique user codes and passwords to an educational entity for all consultants whose contractual agreements grant them access rights to the STAC Online System. Going forward, all educational entities will need to request STAC access for all qualifying private and BOCES consultants, including staff obtained via a COSER.
Responses must be signed and returned to the STAC Unit by June 1, 2014.
Below are links to the documents that were recently mailed to all district superintendents and county/municipality representatives:
Letter, Consultant Status Report, and Request Form for Consultant Access to the STAC Online System
04-09-2014
Below are links to the memorandum and instruction guide regarding the 2014-15 Program Service Dates. Providers must use their assigned STAC Usercode to access their program information online and, if necessary, correct their program dates by June 13, 2014.
04-09-2014
Online Verification Deadline for State-supported School Placements
Starting with the September - December 2013 period, school districts must verify STAC records for students enrolled at §4201 State-supported schools using the new DVSSY screen on the STAC Online System. Online verification must be completed by June 1, 2014 to receive reimbursement during the current school year.
Click here for a list of the eleven State-supported schools across the State of New York.
This new verification process does not apply to the two State-operated schools located in
Rome and Batavia. Instructions for verification using the new DVSSY screen are available at
the link below:
State-supported Placement Online Verification Guide
If you have any questions, please contact Adam Lenhardt in the STAC Unit.
04-08-2014
New Preschool STAC-1 form
The Preschool STAC-1 form has been revised to include written notice on whether the CPSE
recommended service provider for special class, special class in an integrated setting or
special education itinerant services is the same provider that conducted the most recent
evaluation for the student.
Preschool STAC-1
(94 kb)
Updates to the STAC Online System and FTP file layout for electronic submission are in development and will be available shortly.
At their March 2014 meeting, the Board of Regents approved, through emergency action, an amendment to sections 200.16(c) and 200.20(b) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education to conform to section 4410 of Education Law, as amended by Chapter 545 of the Laws of 2013. More information on the amendment is available here.
While these regulations become effective April 17, 2014, they are also available for public comment prior to permanent adoption. Information on submitting public comment can be found here.
03-31-2014
Closeout of 2010-11 Preschool Claims
Counties are reminded that the final Automated Verification Listings (AVLs) for claiming of
approved 2010-11 preschool service and evaluations will be issued in mid-May. This will
allow time for counties to process and submit reimbursement requests by the statutory
deadline of June 30, 2014. Approval requests should be submitted to the STAC Unit as soon
as possible.
Closeout of 2010-11 Preschool Claims per the Statute of Limitations (121 kb)
03-17-2014
2014-15 Private Placement Certification Screen (DCERT) is now open for processing.
Reminders: A certification must be completed on an annual basis for ALL school age private placements (both 2-month and 10-month). One annual certification covers BOTH summer (2-month) and school year (10-month) private placements if the placement type remains the same for both periods. Unlike 2013-14 summer STAC processing, certifications (DCERTs) are now required for all summer private placements.
Below is a link to the Field Advisory Memorandum from the Office of Special Education:
Private Placement Certification Field Advisory Memo
Below is a link to the updated "Guide to Online Entry of Private Placement Certifications":
Private Placement Certification Guide
03-12-2014
The 2014-15 schedule for Preschool 4410 AVLs (Automated Voucher Listings) has been
posted on the Preschool AVL page.
AVL Schedule April 2014 - March 2015
(26 kb)
03-12-2014
Summer 4408, Summer Chapter, & Homeless APRs-Student Detail
Summer 4408, Summer Chapter, and Homeless Approved Payment Reports (APR) with Student Detail are now available on the STAC Online DQPAY screen. Please reference the pay period(s) as indicated on the table below. If no information appears for a specified pay number, your district did not receive payment for that period. The paper APRs will be mailed shortly. Please note, the STAC Unit is not certain if there will be enough money at this time for a 2013 4408 Summer transportation payment. If this payment is run, the percent will be 56% or less.
4408 Summer, Summer Chapter, and Homeless DQPAY Table
02-26-2014
2014-15 Reapplication Reminder
The 2014-15 reapplications will be available to the field by mid to late March 2014. In order for districts to fully utilize this reapplication process, the STAC Unit encourages districts to review all 2013-14 service approvals currently on the STAC online system. If necessary, districts should add any outstanding 2013-14 service approvals as soon as possible.
02-18-2014
- To be included in the February Approved Payment Reports, which will be paid prior to the end of March 2014, please verify online the following education/maintenance and transportation reimbursement approvals as soon as possible:
| Type | Year | Verification Screen Name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educ/Main | Trans | ||
| 4408 Summer | 2012-13 | DVSUM | DVSTR |
| 4408 Summer | 2013-14 | DVSUM | DVSTR |
| 4201 Summer | 2012-13 | DVST3 | |
| 4201 Summer | 2013-14 | DVST3 | |
01-31-2014
The 2011-12 SY Reconciliation Per Pupil Charges and 2013-14 SY Prospective Per Pupil
Charges for students enrolled at the §4201 State-Supported Schools have been posted.
Per Pupil Tuition Charges of the §4201 State-Supported Schools
01-27-2014
Attention-School District Homeless Liaisons
New Homeless Eligibility (DQHOM) screen-The DQHOM screen replaces the Homeless Eligibility reports that were mailed by the STAC Unit to Designated Districts of Attendance several times a year. The DQHOM screen will assist Designated Districts of Attendance in identifying those students who may be eligible for Homeless reimbursement and may need to be STACed on the DSHOM-"Non-Resident Homeless Approval" screen.
Designated Districts of Attendance can "inquire" on a selected school year to determine which students are eligible for Homeless reimbursement. This screen will then display for the Designated District of Attendance a listing of all students who are eligible for Homeless reimbursement for any part of the selected year and those students who have an open 202 from the prior year.
01-23-2014
Online Verification Reminder- To be included in the February Approved Payment Reports, which will be paid prior to the end of March 2014, please verify online the following education/maintenance and transportation reimbursement approvals by February 3, 2014:
| Type | Year | Verification Screen Name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educ/Main | Trans | ||
| 4408 Summer | 2010-11 | DVSUM | DVSTR |
| 4408 Summer | 2011-12 | DVSUM | DVSTR |
| 4408 Summer | 2012-13 | DVSUM | DVSTR |
| 4408 Summer | 2013-14 | DVSUM | DVSTR |
| 4201 Summer | 2010-11 | DVST3 | |
| 4201 Summer | 2011-12 | DVST3 | |
| 4201 Summer | 2012-13 | DVST3 | |
| 4201 Summer | 2013-14 | DVST3 | |
| Homeless | 2012-13 | DVHOM | |
| Incarcerated Youth |
2013-14 | DVINC | |
01-21-2014
Issues Getting onto EFRT with Java 7 update 51
The most recent version of the JAVA Plug-In automatically assumes that untrusted applications should be blocked. Your security settings for Java might need to be updated in order to access EFRT with Java 7u51.
If you are trying to log onto EFRT and are receiving security error(s) after upgrading your
Java, please follow the instructions in the PDF linked below:
STAC Online System - EFRT Troubleshooting #8: Java 7u51 blocks EFRT from Running
01-21-2014
School Age Summer Related Services Verification- Beginning with the summer of 2012-13, districts will be required to enter the cost of operating their 9015 summer related services programs. This operating cost should be entered in the box labeled "District-Operated 9015 Program-Education Costs Only" located on the Summer Related Services Verification Screen (DVSRL).
To determine this cost, districts should include the salaries and fringe benefits for in-district program 9015 teachers and related service providers plus the invoiced cost for outside contractors. These costs may only be claimed for the lesser of actual services provided or the level of services (group/individual) stipulated on the IEP.
Costs are to be included for the following district approved programs:
- 9015 A Related Services Only
- 9015 B Specially Designed Instruction
- 9015 C Specially Designed Instruction with Related Services
- 9015 D Home/Hospital Instruction
The following costs are not allowed and CANNOT be included in the district's 9015 program cost calculations: overhead expenses; equipment costs; and 1:1 aide costs.
Aid payments will not be completed for summers 2012-13 or subsequent summers until the STAC Unit's reconciliation has been completed and the operating costs have been entered by the districts on the DVSRL screen.
The STAC Unit is currently reviewing the claims for the 9015 programs for summers of 2010-11 and 2011-12. Although not mandatory, to expedite review and payment for these two summers, the STAC Unit encourages districts to enter the "District-Operated 9015 Program-Education Costs Only" for the summers of 2010-11 and 2011-12 as well.
01-17-2014
The STAC Unit has made a recent update to the Private Placement Certification screen (DCERT).
The newly added field is "Change of CSE Responsibility". This field is only to be
used when a student transfers into a district and continues with the same educational
provider. The date entered in this field becomes the effective date of the certification.
This "Change of CSE Responsibility" field allows the districts time to hold their CSE meetings
and complete their DCERTS in a timely fashion without adversely impacting reimbursement.
Go to 2013 Archived News