State Special Education Advisory Committee Constituency Reports October 2018

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 2 of 21 October 2018 Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) Concern: Still operating under an order of selection. DARS is experiencing significant financial restraints at this time.

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 3 of 21 October 2018 Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) Concern: Would like to have an increase in parent involvement during special education meetings.   Highlights: Presented at Symposium for Court Involved Youth sponsored by Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center. Information and data was shared highlighting outcomes for students with disabilities.  An Orton Gillingham Fellow is scheduled to train 20 teachers in December 2018.  

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 4 of 21 October 2018 Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC) The top four current STATEWIDE trends from intakes: Restraint and Seclusion and where the regulations stand Eligibility issues (this is a daily call we receive) Eligibility meetings to change student’s eligibility Placement issues

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 5 of 21 October 2018 Superintendent Monitoring: Standards of Accreditation School Quality Profile Information and the Rules and Statistics used to create the Profile Regional Program Reforms and Funding Profile of a Graduate Teacher Recruitment and Retention

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 6 of 21 October 2018 Persons with a Disability Commendations: October is Disability History and Awareness Month, projects ongoing to raise disability awareness Application to apply for a grant of up to $2,000 to anyone that creates an inclusive event are available.

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 7 of 21 October 2018 Teacher Concerns: Family and Community Engagement Requested Training for all faculty and staff for Trauma Informed Schools/Care Equality in Caseloads Clarification of expectations and defined roles in co-teaching environments Increased access to therapeutic day treatments in schools

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 8 of 21 October 2018 Teacher Commendations: Increase of Pass Rate on SOLs Decrease of GAP for SOL pass rate of SPED population Increase support for ALL teachers in training for targeted group Increase in Collaboration Training for the Collaboration Teams Thanks to VDOE for Dyslexia modules Implementation of Orton Gillingham programs throughout Wilson Training provided and implemented in various schools Increased cross-curricular infusion of Social Studies and Science across the grade levels

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 9 of 21 October 2018 Transition Concern: Some localities do not have proper access to related services such as music therapists for students with severe disabilities

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 10 of 21 October 2018 McKinney-Vento Concern: 18,000 students are homeless 20 percent have an IEP Foster Care is still an issue

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 11 of 21 October 2018 Military Families Commendations: Two bills have been passed; families living in temporary housing, hope that they can enroll students electronically so that services can be in place when they arrive Purple Star designation: how well are you communicating to your parents

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 12 of 21 October 2018 Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD) Board Updates: Awarded three grants totaling which will focus on employment and healthcare Recruiting for Partners in Policymaking begins in December Department of Criminal Justice Services to collaborate on a crisis preparation plan for individuals with disabilities

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 13 of 21 October 2018 Region 1 Parent Representative Concerns: Inadequate staffing Inadequate support from Community Services Board in terms of waivers Bullying in Middle School Transition Graduation rates Lack of parental involvement Ann Holton’s Report on areas of concern: discipline, parental engagement, and staffing

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 14 of 21 October 2018 Region 1 Parent Representative Commendations: Resource Fairs including organization, business, and school related services; Social activities, including dance, football game, bowling night, horseback riding Staff training on self-determination (I’m Determined, Discover Me) Training of student outcomes and achievement, measurement of growth Active parents in some counties

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 15 of 21 October 2018 Region 2 Parent Representative Concerns: Increasing mental health support in school for psychologist, behavior specialists and school social worker. Increase further funding of character educational programs; empathy towards cultural differences. Commendations: Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports OLWEUS Bullying Prevention Virginia Tiered Systems of Support

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 16 of 21 October 2018 Region 3 Parent Representative Concerns: Eligibility Evaluations

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 17 of 21 October 2018 Region 4 Parent Representative Concerns: Inclusive Practices BCBA Funding Parent Involvement/SEAC Restraint and Seclusion Communication Commendations: I’m Determined Project VCU/ACE Grants and Project Search

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 18 of 21 October 2018 Region 5 Parent Representative Concerns: School divisions need guidance on restraint and seclusion SPED staffing continues to be a significant concern Flexibility with CSA funding Local flexibility in how to spend CSA dollars Commendations: Virginia IEP Program Orton-Gillingham Training Disability Awareness Activities

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 19 of 21 October 2018 Region 6 Parent Representative Concerns: The SEAC active parental membership/attendance Diploma options/eligibility Process Post-Secondary Transition Functional Life Skills and Job Training Skills Safety care for parents (Restraint and Seclusion) Family Outreach and Support regarding available resources Transportation as it relates to medical needs

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 20 of 21 October 2018 Region 6 Parent Representative Commendations: Special Olympics Locally developed Excellence in Education Award Collaboration with Parent Resource Centers and VDOE

SSEAC Constituency Reports page 21 of 21 October 2018 Private School Concerns: The ability for students with disabilities in private facilities to access SOLs on the computer Commendations: Thank you to the VDOE for providing a great conference for private facilities in September The Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Education Facilities will be holding its Fall conference on October 26, 2018, in Bristow, Virginia. The topic of the conference is recruitment and retention of quality teachers and staff