Narrative: d. 2. C.

Roles and Responsibilities (including financial responsibilities) The Interagency Agreement between the Arkansas Department of Education, Special Education Unit — Arkansas Transitions Services; the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Career and Technical Education; and ARS is set forth to define each party’s responsibilities with regard to ensuring a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for eligible students, ages 16-21, and younger when appropriate, which are identified as having a disability in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). 1. The Department of Education, Special Education Unit, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, and the Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind jointly agree to the following: The Department of Education, Special Education Unit is the agency responsible for ensuring that a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is made available to eligible students pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(1). 2. School districts have the primary planning, programmatic, and financial responsibilities for the provision of education transition services and related services for students as a component of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and these services are provided to eligible students with disabilities, ages 16 to 21, and younger when determined appropriate through the implementation of the Individualized Education Program (IEP). The parties acknowledge that the Arkansas Department of Education, Special Education Unit has general supervisory responsibility over the educational program of any public agency providing FAPE to individuals with disabilities, ages birth to 21, as defined in state and federal statutes. 3. The distinction between transition and related services that are the planning, programmatic and financial responsibility of the school district will be determined based on a delineation of the customary services that the school provides under IDEA Part B. These distinctions will be made in coordination with the individual school district through a proposal and application process to work with Arkansas Rehabilitation Services towards describing the activities, supports, and funding that ARS will partner with the school district on to provide pre-employment transition services in the school setting or during the school day. 4. Division of Workforce Services - Arkansas Rehabilitation Services and the Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind are financially responsible for providing pre-employment transition services to students with disabilities who qualify under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 5. Division of Workforce Services - Arkansas Rehabilitation Services and the Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind are the agencies financially responsible for providing vocational rehabilitation, job training, and placement services pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 20 U.S.C. § 701, et seq. 6. The aforementioned parties have a common and concurrent interest in working cooperatively to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to the skills, training and necessary supports to transition successfully from secondary school to postsecondary activities, including but not limited to vocational training and employment. 7. The aforementioned parties have a common interest in assisting local agencies in developing and initiating vocational programs and services to individuals with disabilities. 8. The parties acknowledge that the goals of the Division of Workforce Services - Arkansas Rehabilitation Services and the Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind are to ensure that all students with disabilities have access to pre-employment transition services while in secondary school and to complete an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) before each student leaves the school setting in order to ensure there is adequate planning for all students with disabilities to achieve post-secondary success in training, post-secondary education or employment. 9. The parties acknowledge that the Division of Workforce Services - Arkansas Rehabilitation Services and the Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind are the Designated State agencies responsible for the administration and provision of vocational rehabilitation services. The aforementioned parties agree that the student and/or designated party have choice in the development of the IPE.