Special Education 101 Nori Cuellar Mora, Ed.D. ESC2 Associate Director of Instructional Services December 7, 2007

Introduction

Agenda IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Disabilities Identification The Principal as ARD Chair State Performance Plan Indicators Final Thoughts

Objectives Understand the premise of IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Become familiar with the process for identifying disabilities in order to make appropriate decisions for referring students to special education Practice chairing an Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) Committee: Principal as ARD Chair Become familiar with the State Performance Plan Indicators as to how they relate to the campus plan Think of what you will share at your next staff meeting

Change...

Acronym Activity

Sometimes it is all in how you read something……

Administrative Expectations What will you be doing???? Here are some assignments as reported by principals currently in the field.

Survey done of 200 principals across the state of Texas reported on how much of a typical day is spent on special education issues: Amount of time/day Up to 25%24.3% 26 – 50%21.3% 51 – 74%13.5% 75% or more38.3% Dr. Debra Bravenec’s Study for Dissertation

IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Special Education The Child-Centered Process

Definition of Special Education

Special Education: Specially designed instruction, At no cost to the parents, To meet the unique needs of the student

Specially Designed Instruction: 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 disability To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum to meet the standards that apply to all children

CFR This definition and the laws governing special education in the nation’s schools are outlined by the Federal government.

Special Education it is: personnel curriculum methodology

Special Education is not a place. It’s a SERVICE!!

IDEIA says that a school must: find and identify students who may have a disability make sure parents participate in decision making evaluate students in a nondiscriminatory way develop an individualized education plan for each student

decide what special instruction and related services the school district will provide; make placement decisions; develop a transition plan for adult activities, including job opportunities; maintain education records/files; and have hearings/appeals for complaints and grievances.

GENERALGENERAL Pre-referral Referral Special Ed. ARD Implementation FIE / Yearly evaluation

Principles of IDEA

Identification FAPE: free appropriate public education Due Process Nondiscriminatory evaluation Individualized education program Least restrictive environment Parent/Guardian Surrogate Consultation Personnel Development, Inservice Confidentiality

IDEA Recognized Disabilities

Disability categories in Texas (your students may carry one or more of these labels) MR OHI AI VI / Blind AU LD ED MDDBTBIOISIDeaf NCEC (Texas only)

Students served in Texas public schools by disability Learning Disabilities 57.9% % (2007) Speech Impairments15.5% % (2007) Mental Retardation 5.6% % (2007) Emotional Disturbance 7.9% % (2007) Other Health Impaired 7.8% % (2007) Multiple Disabilities 1% % (2007) Autism 1% % (2007) Hearing Impaired 1% % (2007) Orthopedically Impaired 1% % (2007) Traumatic Brain Injury Less than 1% (.0018%) % (2007) Visually Impaired Less than 1% (.005%) %(2007) Deaf/Blind Less than 1% (.00016%) 0.02% (2007)

What is happening in Special Education? Ages ,236507,405494,

Do I really HAVE to do this?

Child-Centered Process How do we get from general education to special education? Reflect on your campus’ process for referring students to special education. What does that look like? Write the major steps down.

Appropriate Curriculum What is the curriculum for Texas schools?

Research tells us that if we intervene at the beginning point of difficulty with intensive, appropriate instruction – special education referrals would be reduced by 50%.

GENERALGENERAL Pre-referral 504 Referral to Special Ed. FIE / Yearly evaluation ARD Implementation

Pre-referral Process (Early Intervention Process) Who? What? Where? When? How long? Response to Intervention Model

A Sense of Urgency A student in the 10 th percentile reads about 60,000 words a year in 5 th grade A student at the 50 th percentile reads about 900,000 words in a year in 5 th grade Average students receive about 15 times as much practice in a year Growth in fluency requires a lot of accurate practice

So, You’re The ARD Chair? What kind of “Chair” are you?

Think, Share, Pair What statements should you NEVER hear at an ARD? What statements should you ALWAYS hear at an ARD?

IEP Individual Educational Program Background information to strengthen the administrator’s role at ARD meetings!

Who is on the IEP team? Parent(s) Regular Education teacher Special Education teacher Administrator Evaluation personnel Student Others

What would you do? Superintendent calls you to meet with him at 10:00 a.m. You have had a scheduled ARD for over a week on your calendar for the same time. It is 9:45 a.m. and your sped teacher is asking for you to come to the meeting room.

Individualized Educational Program = Appropriate Education

What does the IEP have to have? PLAFP (Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance) Measurable annual goals Special education & related services Accommodations

Level of state assessment Dates services are to be provided Participation School activities Transition Progress Age of Majority

What would you do? The ARD meeting is in full swing, and the special education teacher does not review the annual goals for the child and says she will create them later.

Least Restrictive Environment

LRE Least Restrictive Environment Each state shall establish: “procedures to assure that, to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities are educated with children who are not disabled,

and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.”

What would you do? The ARD committee begins the meeting by stating that little Joey will be served in the resource room for math because they have a great teacher to meet his needs.

To ensure LRE, the State... Uses a system of placement neutral funding; Performance Based Monitoring and SPP for LRE compliance; Clearer definition for “supplementary aids and services”; Emphasizes the participation of students with disabilities in the general curriculum;

May use funds to pay for the costs of special education and related services and supplementary aids and services provided in a regular classroom or other education-related setting ; Students with disabilities be included in statewide assessment (including a statement as to what modifications will be necessary in order for the student to participate). Performance goals which are consistent with goals and standards for other children

Most Important part…. Provide students with disabilities an appropriate education. This law has a clear preference for educating them in general education classrooms with their non-disabled peers and removing them from this setting only when an appropriate education there cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

Special education is not services based upon administrative convenience. Build for the individual student’s needs – you shouldn’t try to squash the child into an existing program!

Legal Framework:... The answer to most of your questions!!

State Performance Plan: Part of the Accountability System--- why every decision a principal has to make is so important!

Overview of SPP Six year plan submitted to OSEP. Evaluates the state’s efforts to implement IDEA Illustrates how the state will continuously improve Annual Performance Report (APR) shows progress on measurable and rigorous targets and improvement activities

OSEP Determinations for Texas Meets Requirements Needs Assistance = Texas Needs Intervention Needs Substantial Intervention

TEA’s Determination Criteria for LEAs Performance on SPP compliance indicators (2008) Whether data submitted by LEAs is valid, reliable, and timely; Uncorrected noncompliance from other sources (complaints resolution, due process, and monitoring ; Any audit findings.

5 Monitoring Priorities 20 Indicators (Performance and Compliance) 1. FAPE in the LRE 2. Disproportionality 3. Child Find 4. Transition 5. General Supervision

TEA Public Reporting 1. Graduation 2. Dropout 3A-C. Adequate Yearly Progress 4A-B. Suspension/Expulsion 5A-C. Educational Environment, Ages Educational Environment, Ages 3-5 7A-C. Early Childhood Outcomes 8. Parent Participation 9. Disproportionality in the sped program 10. Disproportionality by specific disability 11. Child Find 12. Early Childhood Transition 13. Secondary Transition 14. Post-School Outcomes

Why should general education staff be concerned about the SPP? Monitoring will be based on district data Students with disabilities make up a districts’ overall student population

Students with disabilities graduate with the same diploma as their non-disabled peers Consider Indicator #1 & #2: Graduation & Dropout SO more sped dropout students means higher dropout rate for district and lower grad rate!

Consider Indicators 9, 10, 11: if inappropriate referrals are made--- SO if inappropriate referrals are made--- Child Find numbers may create OVERidentification & disproportionality issues General education teachers are the first staff members to indicate if students should be referred to special education,

Disproportionality in Region 2 25 school districts out of 48 were identified as being disproportionate data

Baseline Data and Targets We must meet or exceed State Targets for EACH indicator. GENERAL EDUCATION communication is the key to improved results. Referrals Key members at ARDs Inclusion State Assessment knowledge

State targets

What are your district’s targets and how do you compare to the state?

Suggestions Talk with your special education director Have principals well informed about the implications of their ARD Decision-Making Inform all general education staff

Keep Your Eye on Data SPEARS: a. Child Count b. Instructional Setting c. Disproportionality d. Exit e. Disciplinary Action f. Extended School Year

Final Thoughts What will you take back to your staff meeting? Fill out a “Next Steps” form.

Questions?