special education 101
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Special Education 101. Nori Cuellar Mora, Ed.D. ESC2 [email protected] Associate Director of Instructional Services 361-561-8501 December 7, 2007. Introduction. Agenda. IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Disabilities Identification The Principal as ARD Chair - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Special Education 101Nori Cuellar Mora, Ed.D.
Associate Director of Instructional Services361-561-8501
December 7, 2007
Agenda IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Disabilities Identification The Principal as ARD Chair State Performance Plan Indicators Final Thoughts
Objectives Understand the premise of IDEA: Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act Become familiar with the process for identifying
disabilities in order to make appropriate decisions for referring students to special education
Practice chairing an Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) Committee: Principal as ARD Chair
Become familiar with the State Performance Plan Indicators as to how they relate to the campus plan
Think of what you will share at your next staff meeting
Administrative Expectations
What will you be doing????
Here are some assignments as reported by principals currently in the field.
Survey done of 200 principals across the state of Texas reported on how much of a typical day is spent on special education issues:
Amount of time/day Up to 25% 24.3%26 – 50% 21.3%51 – 74% 13.5%75% or more 38.3%
Dr. Debra Bravenec’s Study for Dissertation
Special Education:
Specially designed instruction, At no cost to the parents,
To meet the unique needs of the student
Specially Designed Instruction:
Adapting as appropriate, to the needs of an eligible child, the content, methodology or delivery of instruction:
To address the unique needs of the child that result from the disability
To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum to meet the standards that apply to all children
CFR 300.26
This definition and the laws governing special education in the nation’s schools are outlined by the Federal government.
IDEIA says that a school must: find and identify students who may have a
disability make sure parents participate in decision
making evaluate students in a nondiscriminatory
way develop an individualized education plan
for each student
decide what special instruction and related services the school district will provide;
make placement decisions; develop a transition plan for adult
activities, including job opportunities; maintain education records/files; and have hearings/appeals for complaints and
grievances.
Principles of IDEA Identification FAPE: free appropriate public education Due Process Nondiscriminatory evaluation Individualized education program Least restrictive environment Parent/Guardian Surrogate Consultation Personnel Development, Inservice Confidentiality
Disability categories in Texas(your students may carry one or more of these labels)
MROHIAI VI / BlindAULDED
MDMDDBDBTBITBIOIOISISIDeafDeafNCEC (Texas only)NCEC (Texas only)
Students served in Texas public schools by disability
• Learning Disabilities 57.9%---- 46.81% (2007)
• Speech Impairments 15.5%---19.34% (2007)
• Mental Retardation 5.6%----5.74% (2007)
• Emotional Disturbance 7.9%---7.16% (2007)
• Other Health Impaired 7.8%----11.71% (2007)
• Multiple Disabilities 1%-----1.03% (2007)
• Autism 1%-----3.88% (2007)
• Hearing Impaired 1%----1.49% (2007)
• Orthopedically Impaired 1% ----0.98% (2007)
• Traumatic Brain Injury Less than 1% (.0018%)----0.27% (2007)
• Visually Impaired Less than 1% (.005%)----0.72%(2007)
• Deaf/Blind Less than 1% (.00016%) 0.02% (2007)
What is happening in Special Education?Ages 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07
3-21 514,236 507,405 494,302
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/data/
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/
Child-Centered Process
How do we get from general education to special education?
Reflect on your campus’ process for referring students to special education.
What does that look like?
Write the major steps down.
Research tells us that if we intervene at the beginning point of difficulty with intensive, appropriate instruction – special education referrals would be reduced by 50%.
Pre-referral Process (Early Intervention Process)Who?What?Where?When?How long?
Response to Intervention Model
A Sense of Urgency A student in the 10th percentile reads
about 60,000 words a year in 5th grade A student at the 50th percentile reads
about 900,000 words in a year in 5th grade
Average students receive about 15 times as much practice in a year
Growth in fluency requires a lot of accurate practice
Think, Share, Pair
What statementsshould you NEVERhear at an ARD?
What statements should you ALWAYS hear at an ARD?
IEPIndividual Educational
Program
Background information to strengthen the
administrator’s role at ARD meetings!
Who is on the IEP team? Parent(s) Regular Education teacher Special Education teacher Administrator Evaluation personnel Student Others
What would you do? Superintendent calls you to meet with him at
10:00 a.m. You have had a scheduled ARD for over a
week on your calendar for the same time. It is 9:45 a.m. and your sped teacher is
asking for you to come to the meeting room.
What does the IEP have to have?
PLAFP (Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance)
Measurable annual goals
Special education & related services
Accommodations
Level of state assessment
Dates services are to be provided
Participation School activities
Transition
Progress
Age of Majority
What would you do? The ARD meeting is in full swing, and the
special education teacher does not review the annual goals for the child and says she will create them later.
LRELeast Restrictive Environment
Each state shall establish:“procedures to assure that, to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities are educated with children who are not disabled,
and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.”
What would you do? The ARD committee begins the meeting by
stating that little Joey will be served in the resource room for math because they have a great teacher to meet his needs.
To ensure LRE, the State...
Uses a system of placement neutral funding; Performance Based Monitoring and SPP for LRE
compliance; Clearer definition for “supplementary aids and
services”; Emphasizes the participation of students with
disabilities in the general curriculum;
May use funds to pay for the costs of special education and related services and supplementary aids and services provided in a regular classroom or other education-related setting ;
Students with disabilities be included in statewide assessment (including a statement as to what modifications will be necessary in order for the student to participate).
Performance goals which are consistent with goals and standards for other children
Most Important part…. Provide students with disabilities an appropriate
education. This law has a clear preference for educating them in general education classrooms with their non-disabled peers and removing them from this setting only when an appropriate education there cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
Special education is not services based upon administrative convenience. Build for the individual student’s needs – you shouldn’t try to squash the child into an existing program!
Legal Framework:. . . The answer to most of your
questions!!
http://fw.esc18.net/frameworkdisplayportlet/
State Performance Plan:Part of the Accountability
System--- why every decision a principal has to make is so important!
Overview of SPP Six year plan submitted to OSEP. Evaluates the state’s efforts to implement IDEA Illustrates how the state will continuously improve Annual Performance Report (APR) shows progress
on measurable and rigorous targets and improvement activities
OSEP Determinations for Texas Meets Requirements
Needs Assistance = Texas Needs Intervention Needs Substantial Intervention
TEA’s Determination Criteria for LEAs
•Performance on SPP compliance indicators (2008)
•Whether data submitted by LEAs is valid, reliable, and timely;
•Uncorrected noncompliance from other sources (complaints resolution, due process, and monitoring ;
•Any audit findings.
5 Monitoring Priorities20 Indicators (Performance and Compliance)
1. FAPE in the LRE2. Disproportionality3. Child Find4. Transition5. General Supervision
TEA Public Reporting 1. Graduation
2. Dropout3A-C. Adequate Yearly Progress4A-B. Suspension/Expulsion5A-C. Educational Environment, Ages 6-216. Educational Environment, Ages 3-57A-C. Early Childhood Outcomes8. Parent Participation9. Disproportionality in the sped program10. Disproportionality by specific disability11. Child Find12. Early Childhood Transition13. Secondary Transition14. Post-School Outcomes
Why should general education staff be concerned about the SPP?
Monitoring will be based on district data
Students with disabilities make up a districts’ overall student population
Students with disabilities graduate with the same diploma as their non-disabled peers
Consider Indicator #1 & #2: Graduation & Dropout
SO more sped dropout students means higher dropout rate for district and lower grad rate!
Consider Indicators 9, 10, 11:
SO if inappropriate referrals are made--- if inappropriate referrals are made---
Child Find numbers may create Child Find numbers may create OVERidentificationOVERidentification & disproportionality issues & disproportionality issues
General education teachers are the General education teachers are the first staff members to indicate if first staff members to indicate if students should be referred to students should be referred to special education,special education,
Disproportionality in Region 2
25 school districts out of 48 were identified
as being disproportionate
05-06 data
Baseline Data and Targets We must meet or exceed State Targets for
EACH indicator. GENERAL EDUCATION communication is
the key to improved results. Referrals Key members at ARDs Inclusion State Assessment knowledge
Suggestions Talk with your special education director Have principals well informed about the
implications of their ARD Decision-Making Inform all general education staff
Keep Your Eye on Data SPEARS:
http://hancock.tea.state.tx.us/tea.spears.web/
a. Child Countb. Instructional Settingc. Disproportionalityd. Exite. Disciplinary Actionf. Extended School Year