HouMet Conference - November 2012 Midge Robertson, M.Ed.Darcy Thompson, M.Ed. Special Education SupervisorIndependent Consultant Lamar Consolidated ISDLinda Hall, Ph.D. Senior Education Specialist

Let’s Get Started! Adapted from Ready, Set, Go Training for New Evaluation Personnel, (2007) Region 4 Education Service Center

Where do I Begin? Job Description Key Basics Legal Mandates Procedural Safeguards The Referral Process ARD/IEP Meetings Do Sweat the Big Stuff More Good Advice

Job Description - Become familiar with your role and responsibilities - Determine if you have any special responsibilities that you might not have expected - Review the evaluation personnel appraisal system

Review the district policy manual for diagnosticians Become familiar with the evaluation and special education policies and procedures Obtain a school district calendar If you have more than one school, determine if your schools follow the district calendar or if they have a separate calendar set by their site- based committee.

Obtain a copy of the State Board of Education/Commissioner’s Rules. Forms: Secure a copy of all forms used by our special education program.

Determine school assignment Know the sign-in policies for each campus. Identify the campus administrative contact for Special Education Learn if the school has a designated day scheduled for Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) committee meetings Identify procedure for scheduling on alternate day

Check with the school personnel to learn if there is a log of students referred for special education evaluations pending from the summer - Review the campus or computerized referral log Request a PEIMS printout to identify the list of reevaluations needed Identify the special education transfer students new to the district Locate where the special education records (the state eligibility folders) are kept. Learn who is responsible for maintaining these records. Follow the process for submitting the PEIMS data to update your evaluation and/or ARD information

Find out school policies and procedures for each campus. Who normally chairs the ARD committee meetings? What room has been assigned to you on each campus? Are there certain days the speech therapist is assigned to your campus? Who handles the transfer ARDs?

What staff development meetings should I attend? - Special education meetings - New Diagnostician trainings - Trainings on new test instruments - Legal issues - Evaluation process updates - Campus meetings as determined by Special Education Director and/or Campus Administration - Other How do I access workshops through the Region 4 Education Service Center? What funds are available for individual staff development?

Federal – Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 (20 U.S.C. 1400) – Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R. Part 300) – Case law – No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) – Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)

State – Texas Education Code (TEC) – Texas Administrative Code (TAC) – State Board of Education Rules – Commissioner’s Rules

Local –Policy and procedure manual –Special education department mandates –Updates from Lead Diagnostician or Evaluation Coordinator –Special education newsletters, s, and other postings

Region 18 Online Resource The Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Process

Parents – A copy of the procedural safeguards available to the parents of a child with a disability shall be given to the parents only 1 time a year, except that a copy also shall be given to the parents (i) upon initial referral or parental request for evaluation; (ii) upon the first occurrence of the filing of a complaint under subsection (b)(6); and (iii) upon request by a parent. – Access on TEA website or Region 18 Legal Framework * Distribute district copy with identified LEA contacts and resources (IDEA U.S.C [§ 615(d)(1)] )

Who is on the committee? What is the role of the diagnostician? What are other’s roles and responsibilities? Who tracks referral? Who monitors data entry? Who trains school staff?

Referral for full and individual initial evaluation Parent or adult student rights and written consent Completed forms received by Diagnostician Full and individual initial evaluation FIIE Report Multidisciplinary Team Meeting ARD/IEP Committee Meeting 60 Calendar Days 30 Calendar Days

Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) Committee Meeting

Written statement of the educational program designed to meet a child's individual needs Every child who receives special education services must have an IEP The IEP has two general purposes Set reasonable learning goals State the services that the school district will provide

Admission Initial Transfer Review Annual Reevaluation Review (e.g. progress toward goals, behavior) Dismissal

Tips on Taking Minutes Include attendance sheet Show efforts to cooperate with parent Show consideration of each evaluation Document decisions

10 Bad Things

1. Plan the environment and provide enough time 2. Actively involve parents in the meeting 3. Designate who will write minutes; read minutes aloud and make edits prior to obtaining signatures 4. Have the meeting chaired by the school administrator or ARD chairperson 5. Follow an agenda 6. Provide copies of the agenda to all participants

7. Involve parents in the development of the IEP 8. Complete all areas of the IEP prior to determining placement 9. Provide copies of the consensus IEP documentation (e.g. IEP goals, accommodations, modifications) to all appropriate instructional staff who work with the student 10. Provide copies of the consensus IEP documentation on participation in district and statewide assessment to all instructional staff who work with the student

1. “But we don’t do that on this campus!” 2. “I’m too busy. I have to get my class ready for the STAAR test!.” 3. “I treat all my students the same way or it’s not fair to the other children” 4. “She’s not eligible for that service due to her disability.” 5. “Our ESY program is for four weeks during the summer.”

6. “I’ve never done it that way before.” 7. “My supervisor will have to approve that.” (If something needs to be approved, ask for a recess and get someone there who has that power.) 8. “That’s just too much trouble for one child!” 9. “Your child can do it without all these modifications but he doesn’t apply himself. He’s lazy!” 10. “The other teachers are complaining that your child is slowing down the whole class.”

District Data Tracking Requirements Fall PEIMS Snapshot Date Special Education Management System SpEd Manager ESPED EasyIEP Other State Performance Plan Indicator 7 Childhood Outcomes Service Form (COSF) Indicator 11 Indicator 12 Indicator 14

A good planner will help – Manage time – Organize activities – Record events – Free working memory – Access resources

The Big Picture Review job description Review campus needs Develop long and short term personal goals Set priorities Schedule time for flexibility Develop resource contact list Who do I call for what Where will I find the answer Who is my mentor

Weekly Schedule Collaboration with general education staff Collaboration with special education staff Communication management management plan Evaluation slots – time to test Interpret data Report writing Required paperwork/data tracking PEIMS reporting Parent conference/support

Elementary versus Secondary Assignments Staff compliance with required paperwork Student schedule Missed classes Missed assignments/exams Block scheduling School programs and assemblies Homecoming week activities Student transitions – evaluation needs Elementary to middle school Middle to high school High school to post-secondary

Early Childhood (3 to 5 Years Old) Program exits Non-categorical early childhood (NCEC) reevaluations Early Childhood Transition ECI transition conference Three-is-three evaluation Other Unique Characteristics of Assigned Campus

Establish relationships with key personnel at each school (office personnel and special education department). Nurture these relationships! Track transfer ARDs due dates; monitor so that the Formal Placement ARDs occurs within 30 school days (with records received from previous campus or new evaluation completed). Identify your caseload. Review each file for which you have responsibility to determine the date of the last evaluation.

Develop a monthly schedule for your campus(es) to inform the special education teacher as to which students need ARDs. Establish a routine at each campus. This includes your schedule at that campus, staffing dates and procedures, ARD notification procedures, ARD schedules, and classroom observations. Keep special education and general education teachers in the “evaluation loop”. Collaborate and communicate evaluation results prior to the ARD committee meeting.

Understand what is the function and goal of special education Understand the function of your evaluation data (define disability but ultimate goal is to inform and drive instruction) Know the tests you give (strengths and weaknesses) and how results correlate to what is expected in the classroom...there is nothing worse than a teacher saying "I don't believe it!" S.B.

Can you effectively communicate assessment results to parents who often have no reference for what you are saying? If a parent can walk away and say "I understand how my child learns," then you have done your job. “Someone once told me that to be "good" at your job, you should spend 15 minutes a day reading relevant information that pertains to what you do. In this business, you have to be a life-long learner. Laws change, tests change, curriculum changes...does your learning keep up with it? “ S.B.

Find an organization system that works – get organized FAST, and use your system religiously. Return parent phone calls ASAP. Document, document, document. K.G.

The Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Process HouMet Texas Educational Diagnosticians’ Association TEA (updates continuously) Texas Education Agency Special Education Rules and Regulations STAAR Updates telpas/ telpas/

Ready, Set, Go Training for New Evaluation Personnel, (2007) Region 4 Education Service Center Texas Education Agency Statewide Leadership: Evaluation Network Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. (IDEA 2004, 20 U.S.C. 1400) Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R. Part 300) Commissioner’s Rules State Board of Education Rules