Act 117: “Every Child A Learner”

1. Act 117: “Every Child A Learner” Presented by: Vermont Department of Education Vermont School Boards Association

2. Workshop Outline • Learn about evolution of Act 117 • Goals of Act 117 • Role of the School Board • Activities to implement goals • Connect with other state initiatives • Identify questions and issues

3. A Little History • 1975 EHAB/IDEA • Pre-1989 Study Committees • 1990 Act 230 • 1996 Act 157 • 1996-98 Cost Containment Com. • 1997 Act 60 • 1998-99 Blue Ribbon/Fiscal Review

4. Child Count • 1997 avg.11.1%(6.1-17.8%) • 1998 avg.11.8%(6.0-17.3%) • 1999 avg.12.4%(7.0-17.6%) • 2000 avg.12.8%(6.3-20.2%)

5. SPED Costs/ADM • 1998 avg. = $979($441-$1,377) • 1999 avg. = $1,088($467 - $1,607) • 2000 avg. = $1,231($510 - $1,789) • 2001 avg. = $1,365($632 - $2,324)

6. Factors Affecting SPED Costs • Inflation – health insurance – salaries • Cost shifts from human service agencies • Technology advances (cochlear implants) • Changes in technical center federal funding

7. Act 117 • Passed in the spring of 2000 • Strengthen capacity of education system to meet needs of all Vermont students

8. Act 117 Goals • Increase capacity of general education • Support consistency of special education • Promote cost containment and effectiveness

9. Act 117 Goals • Assess impact of human service costs • Assist with unusual special ed. costs • Identify factors affecting sped costs

10. Act 117 Activities • Dissemination of information • Annual ESS Survey • Training opportunities and materials • Monitoring and auditing

11. Act 117 Activities • New Special Education Consultants • Higher Education Collaborative • Conducted IEP study • Revised Special Education Rules

12. Role of the School Board • Work with administrators to define goals for educational support systems • Establish accountability systems • Direct creation of time lines • Monitor progress through benchmarks

13. Role of the School Board • Understand and use student data • Receive periodic Action Plan reports • Recognize and support staff efforts to improve student achievement and success

14. Role of the School Board • Ask right questions – provide informed oversight • Direct reallocation of funds when data supports it • Adopt key policies (ESS, prof. dev., assessment, action plan, evaluation, curriculum….)

15. Outcomes After 18 Months • Service Plans – slowed from 14.1 to 8.9% • Training 76 aspiring special education teachers • Greater school focus on Educational Support Systems • Identification of audit exceptions

16. Outcomes After 18 Months • Child Count - reduced from 6.3% to 3.2% • Medicaid – participation increased from 66.5% to 83.8% • Preschool – federal funding for costs over $12,000

17. Training Opportunities& Materials • Presentations and workshops • IEP Decision Model • Legal support • Paraeducator materials and models

18. Connections with Other State Initiatives • Act 60 and School Action Planning • Standards and Learning Opportunities • School Quality Standards

19. Connections with Other State Initiatives • Assessment and Accountability • Annual Child Count • Annual collection of demographic data

20. Next Steps for Dept. of Ed. • Annually conduct school surveys • Educational Support System funding • Review school Medicaid IEP reimbursements • Use of Act 60 high poverty Limited English Proficiency funds

21. Higher Education Partnership • UVM, State Colleges and St. Mike’s created special educator training program • 76 students enrolled in 4 VT regions • Licenses teachers currently on waivers • Trains future special educators

22. ESS HighlightsFrom 289 Schools • 283 = Have Ed. Support Team • 276 = Access to school nurse • 264 = School-wide discipline plans • 193 = Trained crisis response team • 144 = Student mentoring program • 140 = Home school coordinator • 95 = School social worker • 56 = Full day Kindergarten

23. Medicaid Reimbursements to 57 SUs • 53 = Covered 10% of admin. costs • 26 = Mental Health school clinicians • 24 = Home School Coordinators • 11 = After-school tutoring • 10 = Speech support • 9 = Occupational/Physical Therapy • 9 = Literacy support for at-risk

24. Act 60 Poverty Fund Use • Maintaining small class size • Increasing Kindergarten time for students • Strengthening literacy support • Expanding early education opportunities • Providing paraprofessionals • Creating after school programs

25. Recruit & Maintain Special Educators • Improve recruitment • Reduce staff turnover • Improve student outcomes • Reduce paperwork

26. Provide Legal Support, Information & Training • Develop model ESS policy and discipline plan for schools • Revise SPED regulations • Review administrative complaint process • Provide technical assistance

27. Provide Training & Development Opportunities • Delivered workshops to over 50 schools/supervisory unions • Presented at BEST Institute • Conducted Program & Fiscal Reviews at 14 sites • Developed materials & forms for schools

28. Improve Consistency & Cost Effectiveness of SPED • Analyzed 3000 IEPs • Use findings to create trainings • Revised SPED rules on eligibility • Monitored SPED programs and ESS systems in 22 supervisory unions • 22 additional supervisory unions will be monitored spring 2002

29. Hired 2 New Consultants for Disabilities & Autism • Developed Learning Disabilities Guide • Provided training & technical assistance • Established five start-up grants for schools • Created Autism Education Fact Sheet

30. Improve Cost Containment & Cost Effectiveness • Financial audit of every supervisory union and district • Develop IEP decision making model • Distributed 500 “Guidelines for Making Decisions About IEP Service” • Published FY2000 Annual Report

31. Assess Extent of Human Services Cost Shift • Collaborate with VTDOE, Agency for Human Services & schools to implement Act 34 • Review residential placement procedure • Hired Student Support Team manager

32. Provide Assistance for Unusual SPED Costs • Develop rules for unusual and unexpected special education costs • Implement rules • Collect data on use of funds for inclusion and report to legislature

33. Identify External Factors Affecting SPED costs • Inflation – 70M increase in 10 years - 20 M due to inflation • Health Insurance – 50% of benefits for professional staff is health insurance • Salaries – Professional salaries increased by 6.6% over three years • Human Service Cost Shift – Not measurable at this time but dramatic

34. Advances in Technology • Cochlear Implants – 10 Vermont children have received implants to improve hearing • No insurance coverage for recalibration, speech instruction and intensive therapy • Increased physical problems due to newborn survival

35. Changes in Federal Tech Center Funding • Carl Perkins funds reduced grant flexibility for special needs students • Costs shifted back to sending schools • Increased sending schools contributions statewide to $800,000

36. Next Workshop, March 11, 7:00 PM • Educational Support System and Team • Approaches to strengthening and increasing effectiveness of supports • Role of the School Board in the ESS