It Takes A Community . . .

1. These materials were developed through funds provided by the Ohio Department of Education, Office of Early Learning and School Readiness, to Kent State University/Family Child Learning Center. It Takes A Community . . . HMG LEA Community Preschools MRDD Head Start Child Care Serving Preschoolers with Disabilities: Understanding Eligibility and Services

2. 2 • It Takes A Community . . . • Has been developed in collaboration with Head Start Disability Coordinators • Includes this powerpoint presentation, a case study, and handouts for staff and families • Is divided into “topics” • The topics • Can be combined or used separately • The materials • Can be combined or used separately (powerpoint and/or case study and/or handouts) An Overview It Takes A Community . . . HMG LEA Community Preschools MRDD Head Start Child Care

3. Why Screening Is Important (Slide #7) Culture Matters When We Talk to Families (Slide #23) Head Start and LEAs Are Asked to Work Together (Slide # 32) Which Children Are Eligible for Preschool Special Education in Ohio? (Slide #40) How the Schools Decide If a Child Is Eligible: Methods and Timelines (Slide #56) Our Head Start Info Is Important (Slide #66) The IEP and Preschool Special Education Services (Slide #71) Information in This Powerpoint Presentation

4. Anthony: A Case Study The Top Eleven Myths Where Does Our Head Start Data Fit? List of Important Acronyms ODE Forms: PR-01,PR-04, and PR-05 Annotations for the New ETR PR-06 Form Annotations for the New IEP PR-07 Form Disability Categories from ODE’s Operating Standards Responsibilities During the Eligibility Process for Part B Preschool Education Eligibility for Part B Preschool Special Education Services The Individualized Education Program (IEP) Requirements of Part B Preschool Education Services Accompanying Handouts

5. So I can talk to families about developmental screening So I can understand how Head Start is asked to work with the schools So I will know what the schools do when I suspect a child might have a delay or disability So I can help families understand the process if their child has a suspected delay or disability So I can support and advocate for families Why Do I Need to Know This Information?

6. ODE: Ohio Department of Education LEA: Local Educational Agency (school district) IDEA (also known as IDEIA): Individuals with Disabilities Education (Improvement) Act Part B: The component of IDEA that applies to children 3-22 with disabilities Part C: The component of IDEA that applies to infants and toddlers with disabilities ETR: Evaluation Team Report IEP: Individualized Education Program FAPE: Free and Appropriate Public Education LRE: Least Restrictive Environment Important Acronyms

7. 7 It Takes A Community . . . Suggested Handouts: List of Important Acronyms Copies of the screening tools used in your program Your program’s protocol when a child fails a screening Responsibilities During the Eligibility Process HMG LEA Community Preschools Section 1:Why Screening Is Important MRDD Head Start Child Care

8. Developmental screening compares a child’s development to other children the same age (standardized norms) Developmental screening helps us understand if the child is learning basic skills when he or she should Screening ≠ Diagnosis Screening identifies children who should receive more intensive evaluation or diagnosis What is developmental screening? -- www.concernedaboutdevelopment.org

9. In the US about 17% of children have a developmental delay in any area (including social-emotional development and behavior) Less than half are identified before starting school Most of the time, children will not outgrow these problems Many of these children may need some additional help to benefit from programs like ours Why is screening important? -- www.concernedaboutdevelopment.org

10. Delayed development is common! 10 Yeargin-Alsopp et al., in Capute and Accardo, 2008

11. Understand how the children in our program are learning See if our children are “on track” Improve our teaching and curriculum strategies Talk to parents about their child’s development Identify which children might benefit from specialized services provided by their public school Screening helps us to . . .

12. What tools do we use? What developmental areas do we look at? When do we use them? What happens when a child doesn’t pass a screen? What does screening look like in our program?

13. 13 It Takes A Community . . . Suggested Handouts: List of Important Acronyms The Interagency Agreement between your Head Start and your local school(s) Responsibilities During the Eligibility Process HMG LEA Community Preschools Section 3:Head Start and LEAs Are Asked to Work Together MRDD Head Start Child Care

14. Head Start Act of 2007 • In fiscal year 2009, 10% of the children actually enrolled by each Head Start and each delegate agency will be children with disabilities who are determined to be eligible for special education and related services, or early intervention services, as appropriate, as determined by IDEA by the state or local agency providing services under 619 or Part C of IDEA.

15. 15 Head Start and Part B Preschool Similarities Differences • A concern for children with disabilities • A concern for “integration” • An emphasis on strengths • An emphasis on promoting child development • An increasing emphasis on outcomes and accountability • Budget and staffing concerns • Eligibility • School year • Purpose of the program • Regulatory oversight

16. Head Start to LEAReferral Process Each Head Start program must develop a written Disability Service Plan, which must include written procedures for making referrals to the LEA: • Why the referral is being made • What information should be included • A release of information to accompany all referrals • How parents will be advised of their rights HSPPS 1308.4

17. Head Start to LEA • With consent from the family, the HS Disabilities Coordinator must refer a child to the LEA for evaluation as soon as the need is evident. • The LEA is responsible for initiating the eligibility process. • If the child is eligible, the LEA is responsible for developing the IEP and ensuring a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). • Head Start should actively participate in the IEP process and in delivering services. ODE, 2007

18. Interagency Agreements • Each school district shall develop an annual review of interagency agreements with all partners to ensure a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is provided to all preschool children with disabilities between the ages of three through five residing in the school district.

19. 19 Interagency Agreement Partners At a minimum, LEAs (schools) must develop agreements with the following partners: • Head Start • FCFC-HMG • MRDD

20. Your Local Head Start -LEA Agreement Should define • What information is required by each agency • To whom and where to send it • How to go about the process The LEA evaluation must occurr within 60 days of written parental consent given to the LEA. LEA Head Start

21. 21 It Takes A Community . . . Suggested Handouts: List of Important Acronyms Eligibility for Part B Preschool Special Education Disability Categories (from ODE’s Operating Standards) Responsibilities During the Eligibility Process HMG LEA Community Preschools Section 4:Which Children Are Eligible for Preschool Special Ed in Ohio? MRDD Head Start Child Care

22. Part B Preschool:A Preschool Child with a Disability A preschool child with a disability is a child who Is at least 3 years old and not age 6 A child younger than 3 may meet the age requirement if the child will be 3 by December 1 of the current calendar year and may participate in special education and related services as a Part B preschool child before December 1 of the current calendar year ODE Procedures & Guidance, February 2009

23. Eligibility for Part B Preschool • Each school district must conduct a full and individual evaluation in accordance with rule 3301-51-06 of the Administrative Code before the initial provision of special education and related services to a preschool child with a disability ODE Procedures & Guidance, February 2009

24. Eligibility for Part B Preschool • The following developmental areas must be assessed with at least one source of information: • Adaptive behavior • Cognition • Communication • Hearing • Vision • Sensory/motor functioning • Social-emotional functioning • Behavioral functioning • Sufficient resources must be available to conduct evaluations during the summer months ODE Procedures & Guidance, February 2009

25. Eligibility for Part B Preschool • Sufficient info shall be obtained using a variety of sources • No single source of info can be used to determine eligibility • Multiple sources of information include (but are not limited to) • Information from Part C for children transitioning from early intervention services • Structured observations in more than one setting and in multiple activities • Information provided by the parent or caregiver • Criterion-referenced and norm-referenced evaluations ODE Procedures & Guidance, February 2009

26. Eligibility for Part B Preschool • Data obtained through the methods may not agree. • Based on the multiple sources of info, a group of qualified professionals and the parent of the child shall determine if the child has a disability and is eligible for special education and related services. ODE Procedures & Guidance, February 2009

27. 27 ODE Guidance • There are three scenarios that make a child eligible for preschool special education.

28. Scenario #1 Based on the evaluation, the child meets the criteria of a disability category.

29. Autism Cognitive disability Deaf-blindness Deafness Emotional disturbance Hearing impairment Multiple disabilities Orthopedic impairment Other health impairment Specific learning impairment Speech or language impairment Traumatic brain injury Visual impairment [Developmental delay] 29 A preschool child with a disability is a child who has one of the following disabilities*: *as defined in rule 3301-51-01 of the Administrative Code

30. Scenario #2 Based on the evaluation, the child does not fit a disability category but has a documented deficit in one of the developmental areas and meets the definition of developmental delay.

31. A school district may choose to use the term “developmental delay” for children three through five : Q. What is “developmental delay”? A. In addition to the required assessment, the tools and procedures indicate a delay of 2 SDs below the mean in one or more areas, or a delay of 1.5 SDs below the mean in two or more of the following areas: • Physical • Cognitive • Communication • Social or emotional • Adaptive ODE Procedures & Guidance, February 2009

32. Scenario #3 Based on the evaluation, the child meets the disability criteria of cognitive disability, emotional disturbance, or speech or language impairment AND the team feels the term “developmental delay” is more appropriate.

33. A school district may choose to use the term “developmental delay” for children three through five: • “Developmental delay” may be used only after considering the other disability categories • “Developmental delay” may be used in place of the following three disability categories (Scenario #3): • Cognitive disability • Emotional disturbance • Speech or language impairment ODE Procedures & Guidance, February 2009

34. 34 1. First decision must be: Does child fit disability category?

35. 35 2. If not: Does child fit developmental delay?

36. 3. Is delay a better fit than certain disability categories?

37. 37 It Takes A Community . . . Suggested Handouts: List of Important Acronyms Eligibility for Part B Preschool Special Education ODE’s PR-01, PR-04 and PR-05 forms Annotations for the New ETR PR-06 Form Responsibilities During the Eligibility Process HMG LEA Community Preschools Section 5:How The Schools Decide If a Child Is Eligible: Methods and Timelines MRDD Head Start Child Care

38. Eligibility for Part B Preschool • Sufficient info shall be obtained using a variety of sources • No single source of info can be used to determine eligibility • Multiple sources of information include (but are not limited to) • Information from Part C for children transitioning from early intervention services • Structured observations in more than one setting and in multiple activities • Information provided by the parent or caregiver • Criterion-referenced and norm-referenced evaluations ODE Procedures & Guidance, February 2009

39. Our Head Start information will be useful for the schools, too. We’ll talk more about our information in Section 5. The Multiple Methods: Info from Part C Head Start

40. The Multiple Methods:StructuredObservation(s) The intent: • To create a picture of the child’s capabilities. • To look across multiplesettings and multipleactivities. • Settings may include (but shouldn’t be limited to) home, school and/or childcare. • To use a standard or consistent form: same criteria for each observation or observer.

41. 41 The Multiple Methods: Interview(s) The intent: • A series of consistent questions that are • To be conducted with persons knowledgeable about the child’s functioning: • i.e., The parent or primary caregiver • Must be documented!

42. The Multiple Methods:Criterion-Referenced Assessments The intent: • Provide a point-in-time snapshot of the child • Are typically part of the program’s larger system of ongoing assessment • Provide baseline info for monitoring progress • Provide info for the IEP and instructional planning

43. The Multiple Methods: StandardizedNorm-Referenced Tests The intent: • To help make the determination that a child has a “developmental delay”: • A score of2 standard deviations below the mean in ONE area; or • A score of 1.5 standard deviations below the mean in TWO areas.

44. 44 Part B Timelines • Receive notification • Decide if disability is suspected • Obtain parent consent to evaluate • Evaluate to determine eligibility • Develop IEP ODE Procedures & Guidance, February 2009

45. Part B Timelines • From the date of notification, districts have 30days to suspect a disability • When the district is unsure that a child has a suspected disability, it can request additional data or undertake additional activities. • If district does not believe child has a suspected disability, PR-01 (Prior Written Notice ) is completed and given to parents. • If parents disagree, they can pursue the remedies listed in Whose Idea Is This? ODE Procedures & Guidance, February 2009

46. Part B Timelines • Once Referral for Evaluation (PR-04) is completed (i.e., disability is suspected), district must secure parents’ Consent for Evaluation (PR-05) within 30 days. • From the date of referral for evaluation, districts have 60 days to evaluate and determine eligibility. • From the date a child is determined eligible, districts have 30 days to develop and implement an IEP. ODE Procedures & Guidance, February 2009

47. 47 It Takes A Community . . . Suggested Handouts: List of Important Acronyms Annotations for the New ETR PR-06 Form Our screenings and reports Where does our Head Start info fit? Responsibilities During the Eligibility Process HMG LEA Community Preschools Section 6:Our Head Start Info Is Important! MRDD Head Start Child Care

48. At what point is our Head Start info important for the LEAs? • To help the LEA determine if a disability is suspected (to decide whether or not to proceed to evaluate the child) • To help the LEA during the evaluation process itself • As data informing the school about the child’s current developmental status • As one of the multiple sources of information • In order to be helpful, our data needs to bewell-organized, well-documented and convincing

49. What do we mean by “documented”? document: v. To support (a claim) with evidence. [< Lat. documentum, example < docere, teach] -- American Heritage Dictionary

50. 50 Why is it so important that we document our info on the child’s development? • To provide evidence that supports the decisions made • As a baseline to measure progress and changing needs of the child over time • To assure that procedural safeguards were provided during the eligibility process (i.e., we followed the required policies) -- Shackelford, 2002