Transcript Department of special Services 2013

DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL
SERVICES
2013-14 PROJECTIONS
PREPARED BY KIM CULKIN,
DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL SERVICES
MARCH 2013
WHAT IS SPECIAL
EDUCATION?
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004
(IDEA)
Specially designed instruction, at no cost to the
parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a
disability
("IDEA", 2004, p. § 602 (629)
SPECIAL EDUCATION
“Adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child…,
the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction:
• To address the unique needs of the child that result from the
child's disability; and
• To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so
that the child can meet the educational standards within the
jurisdiction of the public agency that apply to all children.”
("34 CFR", 2006 § 300.39 (b) (3))
IDEA
Special education: mandated by both state and federal law.
• Special education laws do not consist of a series of
specific mandates. Rather, they establish broad
requirements that school districts identify children with
disabilities that affect their educational performance and
provide them with a “free and appropriate public education”
tailored to their individual needs.
• Federal and state laws and regulations also impose
procedural, notice, and due process requirements for
implementing the overarching mandate.
MAINTENANCE OF
EFFORT
• For an LEA to qualify for federal IDEA funds, under the
maintenance of effort guidelines, they must demonstrate
that they have budgeted an amount of local funds, or a
combination of local and state funds, equal to or greater
than what was budgeted the previous fiscal year for the
education of students with disabilities.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Must fit one of enumerated categories according to
IDEA definitions
By reason of disability, must need special
education (specially designed instruction) and
related services
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
STUDENT AGE 3-21 MUST FIT ONE OF ENUMERATED
CATEGORIES ACCORDING TO IDEA DEFINITIONS
• Autism
• Deaf and Blind
• Developmental Delay
(ages 3-5 only)
• Emotional Disturbance
• Hearing Impairment
• Intellectual Disability
• Multiple Disabilities
• Orthopedic Impairment
• Specific Learning
Disabilities
• Speech or Language
Impairment
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Visual Impairment
• Other Health Impairment
• ADD/ADHD
CONDUCTING
EVALUATIONS
School districts required to conduct a full and individual
evaluation for each child being considered for eligibility for
special education and related services
IDEA 2004 provides the purpose of assessments is to gather
“relevant functional, developmental, and academic
information”
Evaluations must be sufficiently comprehensive to identify
all of the child’s educational needs, whether or not they link
to the disability category
EVALUATION TIMELINES
IDEA 2004 – must determine eligibility determinations within
60 calendar days of receiving parental consent for the
evaluation or within the state-determined timeframe (another
30 days to implement IEP)
In CT, an IEP must be implemented within 45 school days
from date of referral
COMPONENTS OF THE
IEP
Statement of special education and related services to be
provided
• Who, when (frequency,) where (setting)
• An explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will
not participate with non-disabled children in the regular
class and other school activities
• Statement of any individual appropriate accommodations
that are necessary to measure academic achievement and
functional performance of the child on district-wide or
statewide assessment tests
• Transition services and planning
CHILD FIND
Each public agency must locate, identify,
and evaluate all children with disabilities
enrolled in private schools located in the
school district served by the agency
LEAST RESTRICTIVE
ENVIRONMENT (“LRE”)
CONSIDERATIONS
All school districts must ensure that to the
maximum extent appropriate, children with
disabilities are educated with children who
are non-disabled
PROGRAMMING FOR
STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES
Region 14 provides a continuum of alternative
placements to meet the needs of students with
disabilities who require special education and
related services including:
• instruction in regular classes, special
classes, special schools, homebound
instruction and instruction in hospitals and
institutions. In addition, supplementary
services (such as a resource room) are
provided in conjunction with regular class
placement.
REMOVAL FROM
REGULAR EDUCATION
A child may be removed only if the nature or
severity of his or her disability is such that
education in regular education classes with the
use of supplementary aids and services cannot be
achieved satisfactorily
DETERMINING
PLACEMENT
• In determining the educational placement of a student with
a disability, including a preschool student with a disability,
the District ensures that the placement decision is made in
conformity with the LRE provisions of IDEA. The
placement decision is made by the PPT.
• The placement of each student with a disability is
determined, at least annually, based upon his/her IEP.
Students are educated as close to their home as possible.
DETERMINING
PLACEMENT (CONT.)
• In selecting the least restrictive environment, consideration
is given to any potential harmful effect on the student or on
the quality of services the student needs. Each IEP
includes an explanation of the extent, if any, to which the
student will not participate with nondisabled students in the
regular class and in extracurricular and other nonacademic
activities, and a justification for removal from regular
education.
• Each student requiring special education and related
services is educated in the school that he or she would
attend if he or she did not require special education and
related services, unless the IEP requires another
placement.
REGION 14
Focused Monitoring
- student file reviews
- four full days of embedded activities including further root cause
analysis of our data for students with disabilities
- a parent survey
- classroom observations
- staff and student interviews
- instruction in the educational benefit process
- facilitation of a reflective district self-study
- facilitation of the development of a Focused Monitoring Improvement
Plan on which we will offer the BSE periodic progress reports.
DISTRICT MANAGEMENT
COUNCIL
The Review will focus on how to raise achievement of
struggling students, increase equity for staff and manage
costs. The study will focus equally on general education and
special education.
DMC’s goal is described as meaningful, real improvement for
students and taxpayers, not just a bound report.