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Benefits of a Special Education Cooperative

Explore the advantages & procedures of Illinois Special Education Joint Agreements, history of cooperatives, essential components for cooperative agreements, benefits for specialized programs & services, and a new era of accountability in staff and schools.

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Benefits of a Special Education Cooperative

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  1. Benefits of a Special Education Cooperative • IASBO 60th Annual Conference • May 18, 2011 • Presented by: • Dr. Jim Surber • LADSE • jimsurber@ladse.org

  2. Contributors • Jim Surber, LADSE Executive Director, ISAC Board Member • Judy Hackett, NSSEO Superintendent • Tarin Kendrick, NTDSE Executive Director • Roxanne Kovacevich, LASEC Executive Director • Michael McElherne, LASEC Executive Director • Gineen O’Neil, SWCCCASE Executive Director • Neil Sanburg, GCSEC Executive Director • Tim Thomas, NSSED Superintendent • Michael Volpe, SASED Executive Director • Special Thanks to Northern Illinois Roundtable and the • LADSE Executive Council

  3. Illinois Special Education Joint Agreements: A Partnership • How Many Joint Agreements? • Sixty Seven Joint Agreements in Illinois • -27 Legal Entities • -40 Administrative Districts • -Centralized and Decentralized

  4. Two Types of Joint Agreements • Legal Entity: They must designate a governing board comprised of one member of the school board of each cooperating district and designated by such boards to act in accordance with the joint agreement. Functions as their own fiscal and legal entity. • Administrative District: One of the member districts must operate as the fiscal and legal entity. The articles of agreement define the role and responsibilities of the advisory board. The role can range from purely advisory to having regulatory authority over all financial and policy actions.

  5. Changes to Cooperative Articles of Agreement Required by PA 96-0769 and PA 96-0783 (8-29-09) • Required Components • Provisions for Administration (employment of a Director) • Staff • Programs • Financing • Housing • Transportation • An Advisory Body • Methods for disposing of property upon withdrawal or dissolution • Specific procedures for the withdrawal of districts

  6. History & Definition of Joint AgreementsWhat was the first Coop in Illinois? • 1957 LaGrange Area Department of Special Education • (LADSE) First Joint Agreement in the • State of Illinois • Joint Agreements are established by multiple Illinois school districts “to provide needed special education facilities and to employ a director and other professional workers” (105 ILCS 5/10-22.31) “for the purpose of providing comprehensive and cost efficient special education services” (Illinois School Code, 2006, p.281)

  7. The Mission Cooperatives provide progressive and visionary leadership through a collaborative partnership with the member school districts, parents, and communities to ensure the full continuum of specialized programs and services to meet the needs of all learners.

  8. What Are The Benefits of Cooperatives

  9. Specialized Programs and Services • 1. Provide leadership and technical assistance in the development • implementation, coordination and evaluation of instructional • programs and related services • 2. Maintain quality and consistency of programs and services • shift resources/staff when needs change & programs move • 3. Share resources within and across multi-district programs and • other cooperatives • 4. Assist with the implementation of best practices and service delivery models for participating districts (inclusion, RtI, PBIS, etc.)

  10. Specialized Programs and Services cont. • 5. Provide direction, training and assistance with new initiatives (RtI, PBIS, ASPIRE, etc.) • 6. Assist in providing a strong continuum of services • (resource-to-residential) • 7. Reduce the need for out-of-district placements • 8. Transition Services Transition Services

  11. Transition

  12. An Era of Accountability: A New Standard for Staff and Schools “If there is NOT a scientific basis for what you are doing with your students, you should not be doing it.” “You must be able to articulate the research that demonstrates that your methods have the greatest likelihood of producing positive student outcomes.” Dr. Chris Koch, Illinois State Superintendent 12

  13. Administration and Supervision • 1. Provide parents with information regarding the range of programs and services • 2. Facilitate compliance with state and federal regulations (expertise and Knowledge) • 3. Recruit, employ, supervise and evaluate highly qualified staff • 4. Provide technical support for data management and filing of student claims and personnel reimbursement (SIS, SWIS, Harrisburg, Easy IEP) • 5. Educate and inform parents and districts of local, state and federal requirements and initiatives

  14. Administration and Supervision cont. • 6. Develop child find, screening, and referral procedures by way of a Policies and Procedures Manual • 7. Complete initial evaluations and reevaluations • 8. Facilitate procedurally correct of IEP meetings • 9. Develop long range plans for future needs of the cooperative • 10. Secure funding by filing state reports and claims • 11. Prepare and administer a comprehensive budget • 12. Negotiate and manage a collective bargaining agreement

  15. Specialized Personnel • 1. Provide supervision and technical assistance for certified and non-certified staff • 2. Share expertise of staff (AT, autism, behavior specialists, RtI) • 3. Provide purchased services staff and coordinate flexible assignments of personnel (fractions of FTE, short term leaves, etc.) • 4. Develop and staff ESY programs (shared materials, equipment, space, staff, etc.)

  16. Specialized Personnel cont. • 5. Provide and train specialized assessment teams (ECE, AT, low incidence) • 6. Mentor, coach, and train new and existing staff to foster retention • 7. Actively recruit highly qualified staff • 8. Provide university practicum's, internships and student teaching placements for specialized personnel

  17. Rules and Regulations/Legal Issues • 1. Inform parents and districts of state and federally mandated procedural requirements • 2. Assist parents and districts with the interpretation and application of legislation/rules and regulations • 3. Assist parents and staff in conflict resolution, mediation, due process hearings • 4. Chair procedurally correct IEP meetings • 5. Support Timely and Meaningful Consultation and services to non-public parentally placed students

  18. “The ultimate test of the value of special education is that, once identified, children close the gap with their peers.” (Presidents’ Commission, 2002) 18

  19. Professional Development • 1. Provide specialized training (AT, Infinitec, Autism, Behavior, RtI, etc.) • 2. Allocate 5% of IDEA funds for Professional Development • 3. Allocate 15% of IDEA funds for Early Intervening Services • 4. Provide innovative, pertinent trainings for member district parents and staff upon request • 5. Partner with neighboring cooperatives and member districts to pool resources in order to secure state and national presenters • 6. Share knowledge of research-based best practices and house a Resource Library of evidence-based interventions.

  20. Professional Development cont. • 7. Collect, review, and distribute resources on scientifically- based interventions and materials • 8. Provide CEUs/CPDUs for certificate renewal • 9. Develop and provide parent workshops based on IDEA Needs Assessment • 10. Provide training for data management systems (Aimsweb, DIBELS, SIS, SWIS, etc.) • 11. Professional support networks for various disciplines (psychologists, SLPs, OT/PTs, nurses, administrators)

  21. Cost Efficiency/Economy of Scale • 1. Provide cost effective, fiscally responsible, high quality programs and services • 2. Develop and manage the IDEA Part B Flow Through, Discretionary, and Pre-School Grants • 3. Secure additional funding through Medicaid reimbursement • 4. Reduce district special education expenditures by promoting economy of scale through sharing costs (programs, administration, specialized staff, services, equipment, professional development and transportation)

  22. Cost Efficiency/Economy of Scale cont. • 5. Maximize use of personnel to avoid duplication of services • 6. Develop/maintain fiscally responsible cooperative programs to respond to the changing needs of students • 7. Provide fiscal safeguards to maximize district reimbursements from federal and state sources.

  23. Thank You

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