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Exceptional Student Education

2012-13 Update

August 1, 2012

Principals, AP, and Other LEAs

Today’s ESE Update Topics

ESE Office Personnel Special Education Funding New ACTION Form Nursing Services on the IEP Transfer Procedures Changes to Self-Contained Programs Speech Referrals

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ESE Staff Highlights

Lead Psychologists Gayle Devers (District 504 Coordinator) Mary Kennington (Procedures, Assessment

Materials) Note – Assignment of Psychologists

Lead Teacher - Susan Conrad Intensive Resource Requests, Instruction,

EXCENT Lead Speech/Language – Kathy Hasting

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ESE Staff Highlights

Itinerant Staff Preschool – Nancy Thomason Vision – Lori Finnerty and Donna Workman Hearing – Alexandria Roman Transition – Brenda Graham

Therapists OTs, PTs, (licensed) ABA (trained)

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ESE Staff Highlights

ESE Office Staff Mary Van Lieu – Head Administrative Assistant

(referrals, Federal reports, State reports, ChildFind)

Diane Evans – Bookkeeping, Medicaid Carol Lambert - Medical Homebound, ESE

Homebased services (AES) Betsey Williams – IEP Compliance, referral

compliance Amanda Knight – Records, Transfers, Agency

Contacts04/19/23 5

What’s With The Funding?

Main Funding Sources for Special Ed. Federal Funds (IDEA, Medicaid) State Funds (EFA) Stimulus Funds (IDEA)

These funds are intended to pay for

salaries, equipment, staff development

and supplies

In the news this summer….

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Importance of EFA Funding

Students in Special Ed. are “weighted” to provide state funds for the increase in cost of providing specialized instruction.

To “maximize” our EFA funding: Improve communication between SIS clerk

and special ed. staff Turn in Special Ed. paperwork on time New ACTION Form

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New ACTION Form

3 pages Special Ed. compliance information EFA coding – Funding, Transportation & Testing

precodes

Conference Notes ACTION form is the “cover” document Due in my office within 5 school days NEW! My office will send the ACTION form

to the SIS CLERK

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Medicaid

Federal funds generated through services to Medicaid eligible students with IEPs S/L, OT, and PT sessions Psych re-evaluation assessment and reports Transportation (MUST be in the IEP) NEW! Nursing services

Must be a related service in the IEP (for funding) Must have a copy of the IHP/Nursing Plan in the

FLEX Center student folder Only bill for services described in the plan

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Tough Starts - Transfers

No change to Transfer Procedures Need to follow the Transfer Procedures

Procedures reviewed - Psychs (7/26) and all staff (8/11)

Define an “on call” order Packet must be completed and turned in to the

FLEX Center within 5 school days NO ONE is sent to the FLEX Center IDEA says “comparable services provided

immediately…04/19/23 10

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Changes to the Self-Contained ESE Programs

Last Year LD Self-contained EMD Self-contained TMD Self-contained PMD Self-contained ED Self-contained ASD Self-contained Dev.K Self-contained

New for 2011-12 MultiCat-I

MultiCat-II MultiCat-III ED Self-contained ASD Self-contained Transitional

Kindergarten

Multi-categorical Classrooms will… Provide special services to students with a

variety of disabilities under the case management of a single Special Education teacher and assistant.

Provide Special Education services in a structured, small-group setting, and

Address a range of abilities and needs, while supporting student access to the general curriculum.

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Why the Change?

Office of Exceptional Children (State Dept.) will now allow non-categorical self-contained classrooms

SC Certification and teacher prep includes Multi-categorical rather than Generic or additional categorical (no autism, OHI, etc.)

Research identifies Multi-categorical programs as less restrictive than Categorical programs

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Why the Change?

RHSD3 Collaborative and Resource programs have become more responsive to student needs More students are successful in intensive resource

programs More students are successful in

co-taught/collaborative programs (middle) Elementary RTI programs are specifying and

addressing student instructional needs

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Why the Change?

Recent on-site compliance review by the State Department Emphasis back to “needs-based” planning and

individualized services Best use of resources Closer geographic assignments Increase opportunity for success at high school

level

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The Plan – MultiCategorical

Change the name of the self-contained programs and USE THEM!

Continue “awareness” program Last spring This summer/fall

Initiate on-going training for MultiCat teachers Overview Best Practices for Multi-categorical instruction

Develop a task force to review and update self-contained request procedures for IEP teams

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Impacts So Far

Change in program names Minimal changes to class rolls 1 less elementary class Geographic home school proximity is additional

consideration Grade ranges in elementary classes beginning to expand Started defining skills/knowledge/characteristics for each

level (7/26) Self-contained transfers given extra consideration at

home school (intensive resource) Each middle school now has a Multicat-I class

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Targeted Staff Expectations

Direct and specific instruction of reading, writing, and math

Social skill instruction Positive behavior programs (classwide &

individual) Structured learning environment (daily/weekly

schedules, consistent routines and rules, behavior plans, etc.)

Integration of S/L, OT, PT, ABA (sensory diets, visual schedules, social stories, etc.)

Ongoing and specific data collection to monitor student progress

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Staff Training Agenda

Review of basic student characteristics related to various areas of disability

Ongoing staff development in instructional best practices Structured Learning Environment Managing Instruction Data Collection Social Skill Instruction Positive Behavioral Supports Curricular Modifications Collaboration

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Multi-Categorical Training Schedule

8 workshops; 3 hours each (1 ½ classtime; 1 ½ hour outside time)

24 renewal credits 4:00 – 5:30 Wednesdays 9/7, 9/28, 10/12, 11/2, 11/30, 1/11, 2/1, and

2/29

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There’s a Continuum of Services!

Consultative

CollaborativeResource (including “intensive”)

Self-contained

Homebased/Hospital

Self-contained classes are DISTRICT programs Requests for placements must follow procedures,

including request for intensive service consultation, even for resource students in the host school

Self-contained teachers can only carry self-contained students on their caseloads as set by the ESE office.

Coming: New Speech Referral

Due to findings of the April, 2011 on-site compliance review by the State Dept., Speech evaluations must follow the same referral procedures as other areas of disabilities

No more “speech only” referrals. No more separate speech referral

procedures. Speech referrals must come through the

school’s RTI process. 04/19/23 22

New Speech Referral Procedures

Speech referrals have been included in the School and Parent Referral Procedures

Revised Referral Procedures will be reviewed tomorrow

Fall 2011 staff development to review referral procedures which include referral for speech concerns Elementary principals S/L therapists Psychs RTI chairs Teachers

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New Eligibility Criteria Manual?

SEED Manual due to replace the Red Book any day now! Identification of students with Learning

Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Recap – Day 1

New ACTION Form Completed for EVERY special ed. meeting

and action ESE Office will send to SIS Clerk weekly

Nursing Services as a related service for ESE students with IHPs

Review TRANSFER Procedures Know your school’s ESE Transfer “call list”

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Recap – Day 1

Some self-contained classes have new names MultiCategorical I, II, and III Transitional Kindergarten

New Speech referral procedures coming soon New SC eligibility manual coming soon

(SEED manual)

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Questions?

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Did You Know…?

Annual IEP Reviews are the only meetings required to be face to face?

There is no funding for Sec. 504 accommodation plans?

Special transportation has to written into the IEP as a related service?

Re-evaluation meetings must include a psychologist?

Special Ed. paperwork is due at the FLEX Center 5 school days after a meeting?

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