September 2016 Special Education Update Dear Colleague Letters from the U.S. Department of Education July 26, 2016 Dear Colleague Letter on Resource Guide on Students with ADHD (http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201607-504-adhd.pdf) This guidance from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) provides a broad overview of Section 504 and school districts obligations to students with ADHD, including appropriately evaluating and providing services to such students, and ensuring due process. In addition, the Department also released a Know Your Rights document that provides a brief overview of the guidance. August 1, 2016 Dear Colleague Letter on the Inclusion of Behavioral Supports in Individualized Education Programs (http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/files/dcl-on-pbis-in-ieps--08-01-2016.pdf) The Department released a significant guidance document in the form of a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), which emphasizes the requirement that schools provide positive behavioral supports to students with disabilities who need them. It also clarifies that the repeated use of disciplinary actions may suggest that many children with disabilities may not be receiving appropriate behavioral interventions and supports. Additional resources related to school climate and discipline can be found at the Rethink Discipline website: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/schooldiscipline/index.html. August 11, 2016 Dear Colleague Letter on the Education of Children with Disabilities Attending Public Virtual Schools (http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/dcl--virtual-schools--08-05-2016.pdf) The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) issued guidance regarding the requirements in the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that apply to public virtual schools. Over the last decade, there has been a proliferation of educational models involving varying degrees of in-person and online instruction and practice. This letter addresses the state s general supervision responsibilities and the applicability of IDEA s child find provisions to children attending public virtual schools. The letter also clarifies the responsibility for the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to children with disabilities attending public virtual schools. To learn more about IDEA Opportunities and Challenges in Online Settings, please see the blog post by the Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities. IDEA Compliance Package (igrants Form Package 442/642) On or before September 30, 2016, the 2016 17 IDEA Compliance Package (igrants Form Packages 442/642) will be launched. Non-compliance identified through monitoring activities, safety net, district data submissions, and indicator performance during 2015 16 will be included in this form package. As a reminder, all issues of non-compliance are required to be corrected by the LEA/ESA as soon as possible, but no later than March 1, 2017 (see WAC 392-172A-07010 (3)). A summary of the correction must be processed through pages two and three of Form Package 442 (school districts) or 642 (ESAs). Form Package 442/642 is only required to be completed and submitted to OSPI if the LEA/ESA had non-compliance identified during the 2015 16 program year. IEPs that were submitted for safety net reimbursement in 2015 16 and were not funded due to compliance issues are listed on Page 2 Student Specific Corrections of igrants Form Package 442. Should the district wish to submit the IEP for safety net reimbursement in 2016 17, the IEP must be corrected by the district and verified by the ESD prior to submission. All non-compliant IEPs will be pro-rated from the date of 442 correction, if not corrected and verified prior to the beginning of the 2016 17 school year. Special Education Update 1 of 8 September 2016
Questions regarding these form packages should be directed to Valerie Arnold, Program Review Coordinator at 360-725-6075 or valerie.arnold@k12.wa.us. For assistance with accessing Form Package 442, contact your district security manager. A list of district security managers can be found under Obtain User Login Credentials on the main igrants login page. For the ESA (Form Package 642), contact customer support for assistance at 800-725-4311 or customersupport@k12.wa.us. State Board of Education Public Hearing on Procedures for Granting High School Credits for Special Education Students A reminder that a second public hearing will be held on September 15 at 9 a.m. at the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, on WSR 16-16-126, the proposed rules amending WAC 180-51-115, Procedures for granting high school graduation credits for students with special educational needs. Written comments are also welcome. Written comments should be emailed to sbe@k12.wa.us, or mailed to 600 Washington St SE, PO Box 47206, Olympia, WA 98504. Special Education Policies and Procedures Reminder If your district submitted draft special education policies and procedures as part of the district s igrants Form Package 267, please submit a copy of the district s final policies and procedures once they have been board approved. Final policies and procedures can be sent to Larry Ford at larry.ford@k12.wa.us. 2015 16 End-of-the-Year Impact Report Due September 30th Districts are required to complete an end-of-the-grant-year Impact Report to conclude the 2015 16 federal IDEA cycle. Download the Impact Report at https://eds.ospi.k12.wa.us/igrants/docs/15-16/formpackages/federal/specialeducation267/impact%20report.doc. The Impact Report must be submitted electronically to specialeddata@k12.wa.us no later than September 30, 2016. Guidance to complete the end-of-the-year Impact Report is as follows: The purpose of the Impact Report is for the district to provide specific examples to illustrate how the funds were used to improve academic performance and functional outcomes for students receiving special education and related services during the 2015 16 school year. The examples 1) should only address the funding priority area(s) in which the district actually spent its federal funds, 2) may cover more than one funding priority area, and 3) must include one or more data points to support the district s illustration of improved student performance and/or outcomes. Here is a specific example for the Assistive Technology funding priority area: Assistive technology devices and software for students with disabilities Seven students were provided with ipads with communication software (1 preschooler, 3 elementary, 1 middle school, 2 high school); IEP progress data are being monitored. Specifically, the second grade elementary student is now able to carry on a three sentence back-and-forth exchange and practices this during lunchtime in a general education second grade classroom with typically developing peers. This is the first year he has participated in a general education classroom. His teachers and the SLP are working on getting him up to a five sentence exchange by the end of the year. For questions or additional information please contact Mary Ellen Parrish, Program Supervisor at Maryellen.parrish@k12.wa.us. Special Education Update 2 of 8 September 2016
School-based Healthcare Services Webinar from Health Care Authority Registration is open for the 2016 SBHS 101 Training Webinar, September 14, 2016 from 10 a.m. to noon. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. The SBHS program reimburses school districts for Medicaid covered health care related services provided to Medicaid eligible children requiring special education services consistent with section 1905(a) and section 1903(c) of the Social Security Act. These services must be included in the student's current Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and must be provided by a licensed health care provider. Questions regarding this webinar should be directed to Shanna Muirhead at 360-725- 1153 or shanna.muirhead@hca.wa.gov. Grant Award Reporting and Processes for Federal and State Grants Received Through the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for Fiscal Year 2016 17 Bulletin 041-16 sets forth the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 17 grant payment processes, expenditure reporting, budget revision policy, and information about carryover funds and indirect costs for federal and state grant programs that are issued through the igrants system. Directors may want to pay special attention to the grant expenditure deadlines for claim processing listed on page 4 of the bulletin. Download Bulletin 041-16 (PDF) Indicator 14 Post-School Survey Districts are required to collect and report on whether students who graduated or dropped out of school (program leavers) between September 1, 2014 and August 31, 2015 are (a) employed, (b) enrolled in a postsecondary school or (c) both. The State uses these data to meet annual state and district federal reporting requirements for Indicator 14 Special Education Post-School Outcomes. CCTS coordinates the online Post-School Survey in order to support districts in these collection and reporting requirements. Staff can access CCTS Online Training Modules to learn how to conduct and report the data for Indicator 14. These are located at: http://www.seattleu.edu/ccts/post-school-survey-andoutcomes/online-data-collection/ The survey tool opened June 1, 2016 and is found at: https://ccts.azurewebsites.net All student interviews for program leavers must be completed before November 1, 2016 in order for the district to be considered as having completed Indicator 14 reporting on time. (Note: Indicator 14 is one of the required reports identified for on-time submission under Indicator 18.) Districts having no students with IEPs that graduated or dropped out, are still required to report this information in the online survey. If you have questions please contact the CCTS Staff at ccts@seattleu.edu or 206-296-6494. Valid Value added to CEDARS Element B16 Disability Code A valid value has been added to CEDARS Element B16. Value 15 Diagnosed Physical/Mental Condition may only be reported for students under the age of 3. This disability code is not new for this age group, but was previously left out of the value list for CEDARS reporting. A complete list of valid values for Element B16 is located in CEDARS Appendix I and a complete description of valid value 15 is available in the CEDARS Reporting Guidance. Special Education Update 3 of 8 September 2016
ESD Liaison Assignments The Special Education Section at OSPI is pleased to announce the following ESD Liaison assignments for 2016 17. ESD Liaison Liaison Contact Information Northeast Washington ESD 101 John Bresko john.bresko@k12.wa.us ESD 105 Jennifer Story jennifer.story@k12.wa.us ESD 112 Janice Tornow janice.tornow@k12.wa.us Capital Region ESD 113 Val Arnold valerie.arnold@k12.wa.us Olympic ESD 114 John Bresko john.bresko@k12.wa.us Puget Sound ESD 121 Scott Raub scott.raub@k12.wa.us ESD 123 Tania May tania.may@k12.wa.us North Central ESD 171 Kasi Walker kasi.walker@k12.wa.us Northwest ESD 189 Abigail Westbrook abigail.westbrook@k12.wa.us Program Review Monitoring Schedule 2015 16 School Year Please see the table below listing the school districts scheduled for systems analysis activities (on-site visits and off-site desk reviews) through the Washington Integrated System of Monitoring (WISM) for the 2016 17 school year. Desk Review On-Site Review ESD District ESD District 121 Auburn 101 Central Valley 171 Brewster 113 Centralia 101 Cheney 189 Everett 114 Chimacum 105 Kittitas 123 College Place 189 Marysville 189 Coupeville 171 Moses Lake 101 Davenport 114 Port Angeles 101 Freeman 121 Highline 123 Kiona-Benton City 101 Mary Walker 121 Northshore 113 Raymond 121 Steilacoom Historical 113 Tenino 121 Tukwila 121 Vashon Island 112 Washougal Special Education Update 4 of 8 September 2016
2016 2017 Guide for Annual Activities, Reports, and Grant Packages The Guide for Annual Activities, Reports and Grant Packages 2016 2017 School Year has been posted to OSPI s Special Education website. This Guide informs districts of important activities, reports, and grant packages and includes: (1) the name, description and the date action needs to be taken by the district/esa, (2) whether the activity, report or grant is required or optional, and (3) a list of what areas are impacted. Please note that the Guide is not inclusive of all possible activities, reports, and grants throughout the school year. If you have any questions about the Guide, please contact the Special Education Office at 360-725- 6075. The Guide is located on the Special Education Resource Library Quick Links at: http://www.k12.wa.us/specialed/resourcelibrary/default.aspx. Updating District Contact Information Districts MUST update their contact information in igrants and with the OSPI special education office whenever changes occur. Updating Contact Information in igrants There are two places where districts need to update their contact information. The Required Pages section, District ID tab. This tab includes the district s igrants Administrator. The Contact tab within each form package. See page 9 of the igrants User Manual for more information on required pages. Updating Contact Information with the Special Education Office The Special Education and Institutional Education Directory is posted by the Special Education Office at: http://www.k12.wa.us/specialed/pubdocs/specialeddirectory.pdf. The directory is updated monthly, on the first working day of every month. Submit any changes for the 2016 17 school year to speced@k12.wa.us. Please note, updating your district s contact information in the Special Education and Institutional Education Directory does not update your district s information in igrants and vice versa. Legal Assistance List for Special Education Due Process Disputes The Office of Administrative Hearings maintains a list of attorneys, and agencies who have requested that they be included as a resource for parents. The list includes: 1) free or low cost legal service providers; 2) public (not for profit) organizations that assist parents but are not legal service providers; and, 3) attorneys who have experience and/or interest in special education law. This is the most recent list and is available for districts to provide to parents upon request. The list is maintained on OSPI s website at: http://www.k12.wa.us/specialed/pubdocs/legal_referral_list.pdf. Please make sure you are providing parents with the most current copy. Special Education Update 5 of 8 September 2016
State Needs Project Highlight elearning for Educators www.evergreen.edu/elearningforeducators elearningforeducators@evergreen.edu 360-867-6070 Our Services elearning for Educators provides statewide access to affordable online courses designed to support K 12 educators in serving students with disabilities. The project is located at The Evergreen State College. Participants earn clock hours from home, scheduling coursework around job and family. The courses are: Accessible anytime, anywhere. Available continuously register and start a course at any time. Available to all educators. Delivered 100% online. Offered at a reasonable cost. Accepted by OSPI for certificate maintenance. The courses are based on trainings developed by OSPI or other state needs projects, the IRIS Center, and other evidence-based resources. See the attached flyer for more information on elearning for Educators. New Course Coming this Fall: Special Education Consistency Index Those registering for this advanced and rigorous course should be experienced in conducting and reviewing special education evaluations and in developing and reviewing individualized education programs (IEPs). The course emphasizes the purpose and intent of the Special Education Consistency Index initiative; how to conduct a Consistency Index review using the research-based diagnostic tools; and how to use the webbased, companion Data Collection and Reporting Platform. Successful course completion certifies you as a Special Education Consistency Index Scorer and gives you access to the Consistency Index platform for three years. Cost: How It Works: How to Register: $120 including 30 clock hours As with our other courses, you can register and start at any time. You ll have three months to complete the course. Register online at www.evergreen.edu/elearningforeducators Other Course Offerings Below are other course offerings with more coming soon. For course descriptions and to register, go to www.evergreen.edu/elearningforeducators. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities... $40, 10 clock hours Classroom Assessment: Progress Monitoring... $40, 10 clock hours Classroom Management and Addressing Challenging Behaviors... $80, 20 clock hours Differentiated Instruction... $48, 12 clock hours Early Childhood Environments and Behavior Management... $40, 10 clock hours Early Literacy and Numeracy... $40, 10 clock hours Evidence-Based Practices... $48, 12 clock hours Functional Behavioral Assessment... $48, 12 clock hours Introduction to Transition Services... $40, 10 clock hours Special Education Update 6 of 8 September 2016
Secondary Transition: Agency Connections... $48, 12 clock hours Secondary Transition: All Roads Lead to Employment... $44, 11 clock hours Secondary Transition: Postsecondary Education and Training... $48, 12 clock hours Secondary Transition: Working More Effectively with Diverse Youth and Families... $32, 8 clock hours Students with Deaf-Blindness: Foundations... $80, 20 clock hours Universal Design for Learning... $40, 10 clock hours As new courses are added, special education directors will periodically receive email notifications from elearning for Educators. Please share with teachers and others who may be interested. For more information about elearning for Educators, contact: Carole Brewer, Project Director 360-867-6309 brewerc@evergreen.edu Elaine Kurlinski, Project Manager 360-867-6070 kurlinse@evergreen.edu Professional Development Events and Opportunities Pacific Northwest Institute on Special Education and the Law Conference The 33rd Annual Pacific NW Institute on Special Education and the Law Conference will be October 3 5, 2016 at the DoubleTree Portland. Registration is now open. All information for this institute is located at: http://depts.washington.edu/slawd/. Tips from the Special Education Section: Reminders to the Field Services for Transfer Students Many students eligible for special education will be transferring into new school districts throughout the state. There should be no interruption in IEP services when a student moves from one school district to another. Because eligibility for special education services is not the same in all states and territories in which the IDEA applies, WAC 392-172A-03105 address both intrastate and interstate transfers. Transfer within the state of Washington (Intrastate Transfer) When a student eligible for special education transfers from one Washington State school district to another and has an IEP that is in effect for the current school year, the receiving school district must provide FAPE to the student. The receiving school district, in consultation with parents, must review the student s IEP to ensure the district provides comparable services. The district may wish to consider issuing a prior written notice after consulting with the parents describing how the district intends to provide comparable services and when those comparable services will begin. The receiving school district must continue to provide comparable services until the district: Adopts the previous IEP, or Develops and implements a new IEP. Comparable services means services that are similar or equivalent to those described in the IEP from the previous district, as determined by the student s new district. See, 71 Fed. Reg. 156, 46681 (August 14, 2006) (comments to the final regulations). Special Education Update 7 of 8 September 2016
Transfer from outside the state of Washington (Interstate Transfer) When a student eligible for special education in another state transfers to a school district within the state of Washington and has an IEP that is in effect for the current school year, the receiving school district must provide FAPE to the student. The receiving school district, in consultation with parents, must review the student s IEP to ensure the district provides comparable services. The district may wish to consider issuing a prior written notice after consulting with the parents and document how the district intends to provide comparable services and when those services will begin. The receiving school district must continue to provide comparable services until the district: Conducts an evaluation to determine whether the student is eligible for special education services in the state of Washington, if the school district believes an evaluation is necessary to determine eligibility under Washington State standards; and, Develops and implements a new IEP, if appropriate, that meets the applicable requirements in 392-172A-03090 through 392-172A-03110. When the district determines that an evaluation from another state does not meet Washington State eligibility standards, and decides to evaluate the student, the evaluation of the student is an initial evaluation, and the school district must follow the needed steps for an initial evaluation and eligibility determination in Washington. School districts must also take steps to either adopt the IEP or develop and implement a new IEP within a reasonable period of time in order to avoid any undue interruption to the provision of special education services. See, Questions and Answers on IEPs, Evaluations, and Reevaluations (OSERS September 2011), Question A-4 available at: http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2croot%2cdynamic%2cqacorner%2c3%2c Special Education Update 8 of 8 September 2016
Learning for Educators An OSPI Special Education State Needs Project Online courses designed for busy K-12 educators working with students with disabilities. Earn clock hours from home, scheduling your coursework around your job and family. The courses are: Accessible anytime, anywhere. Available continuously. Available to all educators. Delivered 100% online. Accepted by OSPI for certificate maintenance. Take an online class anytime for just $4 a clock hour.
Check out our latest course offerings online we re always adding new courses to support you in your work. Learn about: Evidence-based practices Progress monitoring Addressing challenging behavior Functional behavioral assessment Differentiated instruction And more! Get started. Register at evergreen.edu/elearningforeducators