Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Webinar—General Information Training will begin in a moment; all phone lines are currently muted and will remain muted throughout the presentation Press *0 on your telephone for technical assistance at any time; additional Raindance technical support: –By phone at (888) –Online at Submit questions at any time using the Question & Answer tool; questions will be answered during the Q&A session at the end of the webinar Webinar will be recorded

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Training and Technical Assistance for Family Involvement An overview of the Request for Proposals (RFP) clarifying the work to be performed

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Introductions & Information Kathy Barker – Acting Supervisor, OSE/EIS Support information –Sharon Dietrich (517) –Monica Butler (517)

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Agenda Why we are releasing this RFP How we determined what is needed Project purpose Outcomes Selection criteria Question/answer session

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Why this RFP? OSE/EIS has the authority & responsibility to assure that a system to support parents is in place We believe parent and family involvement is built upon: –Current/correct information –Collaboration among stakeholders –A view of parents as partners and leaders

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services How we determined what is needed Collected and analyzed data –Focus groups –Paper/Web-based surveys These activities were conducted by independent contractors

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Report of the Analysis “Parent Perceptions and Opinions” (March 6, 2006) Prepared by Public Sector Consultants Inc. Available online: – 2005ParentFeedbackReport _152582_7.pdf

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Key Learnings Parents are committed to ensuring that their children receive the supports they need by engaging in the processes and activities that result in those supports, including: –Involvement in development of individualized education programs (IEPs) and individualized family service plans (IFSPs) –Meetings with teachers or service providers outside of the IEP and/or IFSP process –Viewing teachers as essential support in working with “the system”

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Key Learnings Parents are committed to learning through attendance at training workshops and parent meetings High levels of parent involvement are not an indicator of parent satisfaction

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Key Learnings Parental satisfaction is highest for –opportunities for their children to be with non-disabled children –the service providers who work with their children Parental satisfaction is generally lowest for –postsecondary transition activities –workshops or meetings sponsored by the ISD or school district

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Project Purpose Create a comprehensive, integrated, responsive statewide system of support and information for parents and families of children with disabilities Accurate & timely data Resources & services Support for collaboration & partnering Systematic training for leadership

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Statewide Initiative for Family Involvement Leadership Knowledge application & technical assistance Information dissemination

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Statewide Initiative for Family Involvement Leadership Knowledge application & technical assistance Information dissemination

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Outcomes of Information Dissemination Information disseminated to parents of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities that is relevant and accurate and reflects research-based information Parents connected to organizations or resources that support their child’s development and learning

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Statewide Initiative for Family Involvement Leadership Knowledge application & technical assistance Information dissemination

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Outcomes of Knowledge Application Parents are active participants in the development and implementation of their child’s IEP and/or IFSP Parents demonstrate the capacity to facilitate change for their children

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Statewide Initiative for Family Involvement Leadership Knowledge application & technical assistance Information dissemination

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Outcomes of Leadership Parents serve as mentors and in advisory roles Parents are active participants in changes to state, regional, and local systems that affect children with disabilities

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Additional Goal PROJECT COORDINATION –Develop and implement systemic a plan to coordinate with other information, technical assistance, and training service providers

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services RFP Information RFP is available online: RFP-FamilyInvlvmtGrant_152581_7.pdf Pages 10 through 13 of the RFP describe the initiative’s goals in detail Proposals must include descriptions of procedures for obtaining feedback on the goals and objectives and for ensuring continuous improvement in the operation of the project

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Selection Criteria

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Funding Source IDEA mandated activity funds –$300,000 in first year –May reach $500,000 per year for up to five subsequent years

Office of Special Education & Early Intervention Services Question/Answer Session Before we take the phones off mute, please mute your own phone (*6 or phone’s mute function) If you prefer to ask a question using the telephone instead of the Question & Answer tool –Press *7 to take your phone off mute in order to ask a question –Press *6 to mute your phone again