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SC Public Charter School District Monthly Special Education Coordinator Meeting. October 09, 2012. Agenda. Introductions OEC Onsite Follow-up PWNs Caseload Sizes Discipline (handbooks) Lesson’s Learned Overall Compliance PWN Samples IEP Meeting Requirements
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SC Public Charter School District Monthly Special Education Coordinator Meeting October 09, 2012
Agenda • Introductions • OEC Onsite • Follow-up • PWNs • Caseload Sizes • Discipline (handbooks) • Lesson’s Learned • Overall Compliance • PWN Samples • IEP Meeting Requirements • Updated Comparable Services Form • Updates from Fall Administrators Conference • School Level Accommodations • Access to Extra-Curricular • IDEA Fund Update • Child Find • Contracting with School Psychologists • Contract Service • Changes to State-Wide Testing Accommodations • Update Yearly Calendar • December 1 Preparation • New Special Education Coordinator Training
Prior Written Notice • Globally, the PWNs need work. • It wasn’t clear if the proposed action was a proposal or refusal. • Proposed actions were lacking clarity as to what the action(s) are. • We’ll cover some additional PWN resources later in this session (see below).
IEP Cover Page • Dates are not aligning • For Annual Reviews: • Date of IEP Meeting • For Special Reviews: • Date of Special Review Meeting • IEP Initiation Date • DO NOT CHANGE • Date of IEP Meeting • IEP Ending Date
Caseload Sizes • The monitors were concerned that some of the virtuals and 1 brick-and-mortar school had caseloads that exceed state regulations. • State Regulations Concerning Caseload Sizes • Elementary • Middle • High • Though Charter Schools are exempt from student caseloads size, a school must provide FAPE for students with disabilities by making sure: • The caseload size is too much to handle • The Caseload size is impacting the performance of both the student and the teacher • The instructional minutes are provided according to the students minutes in the IEP.
School Handbook (Discipline section) • School handbooks (discipline section) were not aligned to State and Federal regulations for kids with 504 and IDEA protections. • Mr. V will be emailing you on the areas that needs immediate changes.
Global Compliance Issues • For most schools, the condition of the files submitted to the District prior to the monitoring visit lacked adherence to minimal IDEA compliance. • Global (systemic) Issues: • Proper Notification was not provided prior to an IEP meeting • Many student notifications (kids aged 13 and up) was missing • IEP team members were not properly excused • Alignment within the IEP (annual goals and accommodations not aligned to present levels). • Annual goals not measurable • Missing PWNs • Services dropped outside of a reevaluation
PWN Samples • Beckie has worked tirelessly and developed sample prior written notices for several types of meetings. • All the sample PWN will be placed in your Dropbox. • These are ONLY samples.
IEP Meeting Requirements • Every time an IEP team meets . . • Proper Notification • Properly Completed IEP (signed) • Meeting Summary • Prior Written Notice
Comparable Services • Based on an OSEP Letter, we’re changing our comparable services form. • Comparable services must be generated through an IEP Team meeting. • Two Options: • Conduct an IEP meeting OR • Agree to meet without a meeting • The comparable services form now includes an agreement to meeting without a meting and a PWN.
Comparable Services • Students transferring in with an IEP no more than 4 months expired should be treated like a transfer. • This means: • Comparable Services (after consultation with the parent/adult child) should begin immediately. This is documented on the comparable services form. • Within 30 days the IEP team needs to meet to either: (a) adopt the child’s IEP from the previous LEA, (b) amend the child’s IEP from the previous LEA, or (c) develop and implement a new IEP.
OEC Updates: Accommodations • Schools must be able document that accommodations are provided. • The SCDE will not accept “Mr. Compton said that he provided it.” • Ways to Document: • Oral Administration/Testing in a Different Location: • Written on the Test: • signature/initials of person providing accommodations • date/time/location indicated • Extended Breaks/Multiple Testing Days • Written on the test • signature/initials of person providing accommodations • Date/time of each session • Began: 9:35am 10/9/12 • Stopped 10:05am 10/9/12 • Began: 10:35am 10/9/12 • Stopped: 10:55am 10/9/12
OEC Updates: Extracurricular Activities • With the passing of the SC Charter School Law: • Charter School students are eligible to participate in any extracurricular activity (including sports) not offered by the child’s charter school. • This means that IEPs may need to address access to these nonacademic and extracurricular activities. • If something like this comes up, please notify Robbie ASAP.
IDEA Funds Update • The District’s IDEA application has been turned into the State and we’re waiting for approval. • Once the SCDE approves our application, we’ll notify you, your school leader, and school finance officer so they can begin seeking reimbursements. • Principals will be required so sign IDEA Financial Assurances.
Child Find • Please let Beckie know as soon as you’ve found a school psych so that she can mail out test protocols (unless the school psych has told you she/he will provide her/his own). • Try to submit referral packets as you complete them rather than in one lump sum. • Remember to “ride herd” on people responsible for completing parts of evaluations/reevaluations.
Contract Services • Please remember that many of you use outside contract services providers. In some cases, schools are sharing contract service providers. • Please remember: • Be professional • Provide plenty of notice • Please pay these services bills in a timely fashion • Any mishaps are a reflection of ALL charter schools and on the District.
State-Wide Testing SCDE Policy Change • Beginning in Fall 2012: Any student may use a highlighter to mark text in the test booklet. (Highlighter use during testing was previously allowed only for students with documented disabilities.) This new policy applies to EOCEP, ELDA, HSAP, and PASS test administrations. • Important Reminder for PASS March 2013: • The PASS Writing tests will be administered to students in all grades (3–8).
December 1 Preparation • Table 1 and 3 (December 1 Count): • The December 1 child count is a count of students with disabilities under the IDEA 2004 receiving special education and related services through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Services Plan (private school students). This is an Annual Data Report required for federal funding and accountability, which is submitted to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). This count includes the number of students by age and disability, disability and race/ethnicity, placement in the least restrictive environment by age and disability and placement by race/ethnicity. This information is used throughout the Continuous Improvement and Focused Monitoring System: 1) by OSEP to measure performance at a state level; 2) by the OSP to measure performance at a state and local educational agency (LEA) level; and 3) by LEAs to measure performance at the county and school level.
December 1 Preparation • Table 1 and 3 is pulled from the Student Demographic and Placement History Pages. • December 1 Prep Web- Session: 11/1/2012 @ 2:30 • School Level Feedback for December 1 will be sent out to schools after the 11/1/2012 training session.
New School Special Education Coordinator Training • We’re meeting with the new coordinators who did not make it to our August training. • 10/12/12 - The session is on-site and begins at 9:30am. • The following will be attending: • Margie Player • Margie Lee • Leslye Cobb • Tammie Allen
Dates to Remember: • New Special Ed Coordinators training: October 12, 2012 @ 9:30 am • Thursday, November 01, 2012 @ 2:30 pm: Web meeting: Table 1 & 3 (December 1Count) • Tuesday, November 13, 2012 @ 2:30 pm : Monthly Coordinators’ Meeting
