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Enhanced Rate Equitable Services (ARES) unit operations and case processing
2:58:59
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Council Member Rita Joseph inquires about the operations of the Enhanced Rate Equitable Services (ARES) unit, including case numbers, processing times, and staffing. DOE representatives provide details on the unit's performance and structure.
- Approximately 1,000 total applications received by the ARES process
- Almost half of the applications were found to be facially deficient
- DOE aims to resolve cases within 60 days of submission
- Over 90% of reviewed cases have been denied due to DOE's own service offers
- The unit is staffed by a combination of impartial hearing office staff (26) and litigation unit staff (120)
Rita Joseph
2:58:59
Can you please explain how many enhanced rate cases have been filed to the new new enhanced rate equitable services unit?
2:59:06
What is the average time to render a decision?
2:59:08
How many cases current on backlog?
2:59:10
And when does New York City Public Schools expect to resolve them?
Liz Vladeck
2:59:15
I have answers to some of those questions.
2:59:17
This is a new program.
2:59:19
We've received in the ballpark of a 1,000 around a 1000 total applications to the ARRIS process.
2:59:27
We found almost half of those to be facially deficient.
2:59:31
So for example, there was no, affidavit notarized affidavit from a parent affirming that they were aware of and interested in pursuing the claim.
2:59:41
We resolved these cases on a rolling basis.
2:59:44
We've this is, you know, a new process.
2:59:47
There are not applicable timelines, deadlines.
2:59:49
We have made a commitment to resolve cases within 60 days of they're being submitted.
2:59:54
It's early for us to have exact, outcomes there, again, because it is new and it is rolling.
3:00:01
But, I think we're we're definitely within range of that 60 day objective.
3:00:07
And in terms of the outcomes there as I mentioned earlier, I think it's safe to say over 90% of the cases that we've looked at, we have denied because we have made an offer of our own.
3:00:21
We understand that some families may wanna stick with a provider they've worked with for years who charges 200, $300, but our obligation, as you know, chair, is not to fund exactly what the family wants.
3:00:33
It's to make an offer that will meet the students' needs.
3:00:36
And in this era's enhanced rates process, that's what we've done, and I think we've been successful so far because of all the initiatives we've described about directly engaging more to arrange and provide the services.
Rita Joseph
3:00:48
Is there any cases where it's not resolved in 60 days?
Liz Vladeck
3:00:52
I don't know.
3:00:53
I'm there may be, and that's something we can look at and get back to you.
3:00:56
But we've we've also had to stand up a makeshift data tracking program in order to manage these cases, so we're still working out the kinks there.
Rita Joseph
3:01:06
And how many people you have staffed in that unit?
Liz Vladeck
3:01:10
Well, great question.
3:01:12
We've we've had to pivot, you know, because it is a new function.
3:01:17
I can tell you that we have an impartial hearing office that is responsible for case administration.
3:01:23
That unit has 26 staff.
3:01:26
It used to be larger, but moving the cases to oath has reduced some of that burden.
3:01:30
Our litigation unit has a 120, staff, and we have collaborated across those two offices to as we have worked through this process to figure out what aspects of the process are about administration and review and what aspects of the process require legal analysis.
Rita Joseph
3:01:50
Will you eventually need to scale up because of the the growing caseloads?
Liz Vladeck
3:01:55
Unclear.
3:01:56
As I said earlier, you know, if one might have expected that the drop off in due process filings, like, the the place for all those cases to go would have been over to the era's process, but we don't see that match.
3:02:13
And we think that as we continue to, you know, strengthen our own, metrics on directly providing services, we should see a decrease in both due process filings and the ARRIS system, it is our ambition, would become unnecessary.
3:02:30
But, you know, I can't predict the future so we'll have to see.