1. The Three S’s – Systems, Structure and Support
The Three S’s – Systems, Structure and Support
Presented By: Emily Paul and Laura Simmons

2. Agenda

3. Today
Turn and Chat – spend a few minutes talking to collogues – share your summer adventures!
Welcome
Roles and Responsibilities
CGI and CPR
Ask Us Anything/5 Minute Break
Program Compliance
Lunch
Confidentiality, Records, and EFA
Current Summary Report, ENRICH Reports, PWN & Delivery of Service
Resources
Wrap Up Activity

4. The Wonder Twins And Side-Kick

5. Emily Paul : 803-960-9686 epaul@sccharter.org
Wonder Twins
Emily Paul :
Tall Pines, SC Whitmore, SCVCS, Science, RLOA, PD, PSA, Odyssey, OCA, MSI, MM, LMS, LCL, Gray, Felton, EPA, CREECS, Bridges ,Coastal, Mevers
ENRICH, State Reporting
Laura Simmons:
YLA,YPA,SPS, Connections, Quest, NEXT, LEAD, HPA, GTCHS,GREEN (both), FCHS, Cyber, CFCS, Riverwalk, Greer, Legacy, Meyer, Brashier
SCALT, CPI

6. Side Kick Mr. Vee : 803-603-6433 VRudrapati@sccharter.org
Anything about Federal Programs and
Funding!!!
Or Anything you are afraid to ask us!! 

7. Roles and Responsibilities

8. The Role of the District as LEA
Provides programmatic assistance & support services in the areas of (1) assessment, (2) curriculum & instruction, (3) federal programs, (4) finance, (5) human resources, (6) public relations, (7) special services, and (8) technology
Distributes federal and state funds

9. Responsibilities of District
Support and Guidance
Compliance
All deadlines are met
All IEPs are compliant
All documentation accessible
Data Reporting
State and federally required data
PowerSchool
Enrich

10. The Role of the Special Education Coordinator
In a traditional district, your responsibilities would be divided among:
School Psychologists
Curriculum Coordinators
LEA reps
Special Education Coordinators
Special Education Director
Guidance Counselor
Data clerks
Special Education Teachers

11. Welcome to the SCPCSD! Your Role!
Child Find Activities
Referrals
Evaluations
Eligibility Determinations
Service Provision
Special education services as written in the IEP
Related service providers
Reevaluations
Research based curriculum and methods
Compliance
All deadlines are met
All IEPs are compliant
All documentation accessible
Data Reporting
State and federally required data
PowerSchool/Enrich

12. Ask Us Anything!
You will have several opportunities throughout today to pause and get your questions out. We will set the timer for 20 minutes, once 20 minutes is up you can hold your questions until the next ask us anything session, or post them to the ‘parking lot’ located on the wall near the door.

13. Child Find Responsibility
The Child Find Notice must match the District’s Child Find notice to be compliant
It is the school’s responsibility to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with a suspected disability, in a timely manner
This notice must be posted in a variety of locations to ensure access to all staff and community members

14. Service Provision
Ensuring services are provided as written in the IEPs
Comparable services for transfers
Progress monitoring
Appropriate type and amount of services
Communication with parents, teachers, staff, and students
Securing related service providers
School Psychologist OT PT
Vision teacher
Counselor
Hearing teacher

15. Each school must develop a comprehensive program that meets the needs of the children served.
This will look different from school to school by the nature of your charter.
The effectiveness and integrity of your program will be measured by student outcomes.
This is different than years past, but we must bring student learning to the forefront.

16. Ensure appropriate service providers are in place.
Coordination
Ensure appropriate service providers are in place.
Coordinate the delivery of services from various service providers (OT, PT, SLT,...).
Ensure service providers are knowledgeable about district-related processes, Enrich, progress monitoring, IEP development, and other important parts of the special education program.

17. Continuum of Services
The school must provide a continuum of services and be prepared to serve all students who enroll.
The school cannot deny enrollment to any student on the basis of the student’s disability.  
Contact Emily Paul or Laura Simmons immediately when your school has enrolled and accepted a child requiring intensive services and supports.

18. Compliance All IEPs are compliant.
All paperwork is complete, finalized, and uploaded into Enrich in a timely manner. Best practice is to finalize at the meeting so parents leave with a completed copy
All deadlines are met (initial evaluations, reevaluations, annual reviews, data reporting,...).

19. Data Reporting
Verification and submission of all required data, including data due in June, July, and early August.

20. CGI and CPR

21. Capacity and Growth Index (CGI)
The Capacity and Growth Index (CGI) is a transparent and collaborative process used by the District to provide schools with a practical way to ensure program capacity and move toward improving student outcomes. The CGI allows schools to apply the federal regulations outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 in a way that is practical and encourages program growth. The CGI will consist of the following:
Onsite visits to the school or telephone/video conference;
Review of documentation: records, resources, materials, policy/procedures; and
Consultation with staff

23. Why was a change needed?
Our CPR was exceptional at measuring paperwork compliance
We needed a measurement that matches our strategic goal of increased student outcomes while still monitoring paperwork compliance

24. Tier 1 (School Performance Framework equivalent of Good Standing)
CGI Implementation and Levels of Support – See Handout
Tier 2 (SPF equivalent of caution)
If the school is a:
Returning school with recently removed corrective action plan, corrective action plan with maintenance of items, returning school with new coordinator, or in district coordinator transfer depending on previous school's standing, with % on the previous year’s CGI.
The school will:
1. Complete a checklist for each item quarterly
2. Submit signed policies and procedures
3. Have 2 files reviewed in Enrich quarterly
4. Participate in monthly technical assistance calls
5. Maintain corrective actions per corrective action plan, if applicable
Tier 1 (School Performance Framework equivalent of Good Standing)
If the school is a:
Returning School AND returning coordinator with a strong record of performance for one or more years with 100% on the previous year’s CGI
The school will:
1. Complete a checklist for each item quarterly
2. Submit signed policies and procedures
3. Have 2 files reviewed in Enrich

25. Tier 3 (SPF equivalent of breach for returning schools)
If the school is a:
Returning school with a corrective action plan and/or new school/new coordinator with 89% and below on the previous year’s CGI.
The school will:
1. Complete the entire CGI with dates spread out throughout the year
2. Participate in weekly technical assistance calls
3. Maintain corrective actions per corrective action plan

26. CGI Data is due throughout the year
CGI Data is due throughout the year. Data will be reviewed and evaluated by Emily and Laura. Feedback and scores will be provided. Schools can move “up” and “down” the tiers for decreased support.
Our goal is for all schools to be at Tier 1 !!

30. 10 Minutes: Ask Us Anything Time/Quick Stretch

31. Program Compliance

32. Policies and Procedures
The P & P Manual is your guidebook to the your school’s program.  If we have questions about the special education program and services at your school, we are going to look at your P & P.

33. There are some requirements to completing the P & P template found on the Bookshelf.  
Schools must adopt District policies.
School-level procedures in many areas must be inserted and school-specific.
All schools should have District-approved P&Ps by the time their doors open for the school year!!

34. The Policies & Procedures Manual is a live document
The Policies & Procedures Manual is a live document.  It is dynamic, like the program in your school.
It must be reviewed and changes may be needed based on the ongoing review of what works in the school and what doesn’t.
The Manual must be distributed to those in the school who need that information.  This includes Other Services Providers (OSPs).
If a procedure doesn’t work, as evidenced by the outcome, then it should be revised.
Revisions should always be shared with the District team.

35. In the beginning, there are transfers. Yes, always!!
Compliance in the IEP Process
In the beginning, there are transfers.  Yes, always!!
Procedures to identify
Comparable services begin within 5 days of enrollment
IEP meeting (Amendment or Annual Review) within 30 days of enrollment

36. School Requirements
Verify the student’s special education status with the previous school district – even if the parent “marks no”
Make this verification call to the former school
If you find out that the child has an IEP:
Request full records from the previous district’s Office of Special Services.
At a minimum, you want:
Current IEP
Most current evaluation/reevaluation report
If, after a few attempts and reasonable amount time, you do not receive IEP records, contact Emily /Laura for assistance
**Please note, we will ask you for a log of attempts, which may include phone call notes, , fax dates, etc.

37. Reminders for Comparable Services
Comparable services begin within the first 5 school days after enrollment and services must be similar or equivalent to those that were described in the previous IEP are provided.
YOU DO NOT HAVE DATA TO MAKE CHANGES AT THIS TIME.  
Comparable means: similar is size, amount, or quality to something else.

38. Not dropping the fine motor goal because “we don’t have an OT”
Not going from 1950 minutes of special education services to 60 minutes
Not dropping the behavior/counseling goal because “we don’t do that here”
Not dropping the fine motor goal because “we don’t have an OT”

39. Transfer IEP meetings are conducted within 30 calendar days of enrollment.
YOU MUST HAVE COLLECTED DATA TO MAKE CHANGES AT THIS TIME AND IT MUST BE REFLECTED IN THE PRESENT LEVELS.
What is the school’s internal procedure to track these deadlines?  Note that they must be done in 30 CALENDAR days.  Who is tracking this?  How is it being tracked?  Who is following up to ensure deadlines are met?

40. Turn and Talk What Do You Think???
How do you identify newly-enrolled students who have IEPs?
How/who requests records?
Where do you request records from – school or district office?
What happens if you don’t get records within 5 days?
Once you get records, what happens?

41. 30 – Day Meetings
Between the transfer/comparable services initiation and the 30-day (Amendment or AR)
Gather data
Monitor/adjust
Try interventions
Gather Data

42. Teams can only make changes if there is new data to support making changes

43. Accommodations
The assurances say: The school has a means to document the provision of all accommodations and modifications required in IEPs.
Are ALL accommodations being documented?
How is the school documenting accommodations?
Not just that accommodations were communicated to staff, but that accommodations are taking place, and EVERY TIME accommodations take place.
Who is training staff?
Who is following up to make sure there is fidelity with documentations of accommodations?
Where is this documentation being kept?

44. Finalizing Documents in ENRICH
The assurances: All required information are finalized and attached in Enrich in a timely manner.
The school will need a procedure for compliance to include the time frame in which all documents are UPLOADED and FINALIZED.
Reminder that all outcome dates in Enrich are the dates on which the action actually occurred, not the date you are finalizing the action.
Per Policies and Procedures, PWN must be sent in no less than seven days. Legally this must be a finalized document (no drafts), this gives the school three additional days to upload documents, since the documents need to have been finalized prior to sending the parent their copies.

45. IEP Compliance
The assurances say: All IEPs are compliant as demonstrated by a review of (2-Returning and Low-Risk) (5-New or At-Risk) IEPs (transfer, annual, special/amended).
Who is checking IEP compliance?
When is it being checked? Before meetings?  After meetings?
What is the school’s internal policy?  Is it being followed?  
For CPR Evidence all schools MUST use the IEP Review Tool for EVERY IEP reviewed.

46. Part B General Oversite Audit
Audits
Our District will be audited for the school year by the SDE in two areas:
Transition
Part B General Oversite Audit

47. Reevaluation
The assurances say: All reevaluations have been conducted within appropriate timelines.
What is the school’s internal procedure to track these deadlines?  Who is tracking this?  How is it being tracked?  Who is following up to ensure deadlines are met?
Who is checking the compliance of the contents?
What is the school’s internal policy?  Is it being followed?

48. COSF and SOP
Childhood Outcome Summary Form (COSF) - This is for children under the age of six.  You need to identify these students now AND collect the COSF data from the previous school. More training will come later, but identify these students and collect the necessary documentation NOW.
Summary of Performance (SOP) - This is students who are aging out or graduating this school year.  There is necessary documentation for these students.  More training will come later, but identify these students NOW

49. PowerSchool
Build a relationship with the PowerSchool expert at your school.
You will need to collaborate on:
Attendance
Incident management
Instructional setting
EFA codes
Exiting

50. Discipline
School administrators are given authority to discipline students. Each school has a Code of Conduct that informs students of school rules and discipline procedures.
The school’s SPECIAL EDUCATION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES includes discipline.  What do your school’s policies and procedures say about discipline?
Is the procedure that is in your school’s policies and procedures being followed?

51. Students with disabilities can be suspended for up to 10 days like any other students (10 “free” days). However, students with disabilities have special rights if the school wants to suspend them for more than 10 days or expel them. Expulsion and suspensions over 10 days have such an effect on a special education student that they may be a change in placement.
School services for a child in special education must be decided by the student’s whole IEP team. The IEP team includes the child’s parent as well as school members. So, a school cannot just decide on its own to change a student’s placement.  A parent also cannot make a unilateral decision.

52. If a student is approaching 10 days of suspension, a pattern of removals has been established.  The IEP team should convene and review the current IEP to determine if a change in services or programming is needed in order to provide the child a FAPE.
The child’s area of disability will have an impact on the discussion at this meeting.

53. Manifestation Meeting
If a school wants to expel or suspend a student over 10 days, it must call a meeting of the IEP team. This meeting is known as a “manifestation meeting,” and it must be held within 10 school days of the school’s notice of suspension over 10 days or expulsion. This meeting is to determine if the behavior was caused by, or had a direct and substantial relationship to the child’s disability. The IEP team should also look to see if the child’s IEP was being followed.
****FBA/BIP,  Accommodations, Parental Contact, Documentation
If the IEP team decides that the behavior was a manifestation of the student’s disability, the district cannot expel the student or suspend them for over 10 days. If the behavior was NOT a manifestation, the district CAN expel or suspend the student for over 10 days. The student will still be entitled to educational services while suspended or expelled.

54. Restraint and Time Out Procedures
Only staff members holding current CPI certification should restrain students and then only when there is an immediate threat to the safety of the student or others and only with the use of CPI techniques. Must be trained initially and then refreshed every year. Trainings offered throughout the year at various locations.
Let’s talk about when physical restraint is necessary. Once you place hands on a child you are responsible for what happens from that point on!

55. A log should be kept of how often restraint or timeout is used.
What Should We Do?
When there is a recurring need to restrain a student or place them in timeout, it must be included in the IEP (FBA/BIP).
Nothing in the procedure prevents a staff member from using reasonable force to protect a student or staff member from imminent serious harm.
The administrator and parent need to be informed of restraint or a seclusion timeout.
A log should be kept of how often restraint or timeout is used.
The IEP Team should review the practice if restraint or timeout is frequently needed.

56. Seclusion Time Out Places the student in a room away from others.
Must be in the IEP (FBA/BIP).
Should be done by someone with CPI training
For more info: See S/R document from South Carolina Department of Education

57. LUNCH TIME

58. Confidentiality, Records and EFA

59. Confidentiality
Confidentiality/FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) and
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
A child’s educational records often contain private personal information about the child and the family.
In the course of determining a child’s eligibility for special education services and designing a program to meet the child’s needs, schools may acquire a good bit of information about a child. It may include information such as social and medical history and other personal information

60. FERPA Family Education Rights and Privacy Act
“Need to Know” refers to those with “legitimate educational interest”  
This is considered to be those who act in the student’s educational interest, including faculty, administrators, clerical and professional employees, and other persons who manage student record information.
“Personally Identifiable Information”-anything that identifies a specific child.
Example:  If there is only one blond boy in the school and you say, “that blond kid in my class did this,” you have violated the FERPA.
“Educational Record”-Must be connected in some way to personally identifiable information and must be shared with another school district employee or placed in a filing system owned by the district.  Beware, even sometimes, personal notes may be subpoenaed.

61. How would you respond? What would you do?
Work With A Partner
Scenario 1: Student lives with their aunt in SC while parent lives out of state. Aunt has limited power of attorney that states she control over decisions when the parent is unavailable. Aunt would like to hold meeting without parent, what do you do?
Scenario 2: Teacher approaches you in teacher’s lounge during lunch to discuss Tommy’ IEP meeting.
Scenario 3: Another student has seem violent outbursts and their parent wants to know what the school is doing about ‘that child’
Scenario 4: Grandma wants an update on student progress and reports ‘mom said it was fine to ask’
How would you respond? What would you do?

62. Viewing Student Records
Have a system in place to track who is looking and why.
Must have a need to know in order to view student records.
The superintendent cannot look at student files unless he or she has a need to know, even though they are the highest ranking official of the district.
When in doubt, don’t!  Give Emily/Laura a call and we’ll talk through it.

63. Sharing Records Some people require written permission:
Some people automatically have permission:
School Districts in which a student is seeking to enroll.
Biological parents
Adoptive parents
Legal guardian
Individual acting as a parent in the absence of a natural parent or guardian
DSS, when reporting abuse or neglect
Some people require written permission:
Outside private agencies
Family members not meeting the definition of a parent.
Physicians

64. Maintaining Records
The South Carolina Public Charter School District keeps a record of parties obtaining access to education records collected, maintained or used under Part B of the IDEA (except access by parents and authorized employees of the participating agency), including the name of the party, the date access was given and the purpose for which the party is authorized to use the records.  
The South Carolina Public Charter School District, including each school within, maintains a list of authorized employees who have access to educational records.
Each school needs to maintain a list of “authorized employees”
For everyone else who is not “authorized” they will need to sign showing access to the file.
The samples can be found on SharePoint.

65. Sample School File “Check Out” Procedure
Complete the orange “check out” sheet included in every active district file by providing…
The date the file was removed
The name of the person removing and keeping the file
The reason the file was removed
Place the orange card in the student’s empty hanging file
To return files…
Provide the date
Cross out the entire line
Return the orange “check out” card to the front of the file
Place the file in the student’s hanging file
A Sample Form is included on SharePoint

66. Exiting From Special Education in ENRICH
Here are the only options for exiting a child with an IEP:
No Longer Eligible for Services
ONLY done through a reevaluation
Related services (SLP/OT/PT) can be ceased through reevaluation
No consent required to exit a child
Graduates with a high school diploma
Moved known to be continuing (transferred to another district)
Reached maximum age (21)
Drops Out
Dies
Revokes consent for ALL SERVICES under IDEA

67. South Carolina Education Finance Act of 1977
EFA
South Carolina Education Finance Act of 1977
In order to enter into PowerSchool an EFA Disability-Related code (a code that carries a higher weight than the base EL, MS, and HS codes), the child must:
have a current IEP
match the EFA Disability-Related Code on the cover page of the IEP
meet the minimum number of minutes of instructional time per week as decided upon by the IEP based on the unique needs of the child
This is not necessarily the primary disability, but the highest weighted disability--your PS expert will be able to make this determination if you give them solid information

69. EFA Funding
The only students who can have disability-related EFA codes listed in PowerSchool are the ones with:
current IEPs
 AND
meet the minimum number of special education services per week (250 minutes per week for all categories, except speech which is a minimum of 50 minutes per week of speech services)
This is something that is checked during the District’s monitoring.
We will request your documentation of indirect services.

70. Ask Us Anything!
You will have several opportunities throughout today to pause and get your questions out. We will set the timer for 20 minutes, once 20 minutes is up you can hold your questions until the next ask us anything session, or post them to the ‘parking lot’ located on the wall near the door.

71. Current Summary ENRICH Reports, Reports, PWN and Delivery of Services

72. Current Summary Report
What is coming up
What you have open
What is OVERDUE

73. The top line will show you IEPs and service plans that are overdue
To figure out who is overdue, or coming up, click the number under that item

75. Scroll down to see things such as upcoming reevaluations and eligibility determinations-this will also show things that you have in draft form, such as evaluation reports

76. Reports In ENRICH

77. Most reports you will need will be in Shared With Me – If there is a specific one you need call Laura and she can help set up for you- in case all could use

78. Clicking the star will turn it to yellow as a “favorite” and will show up on homepage so you don’t need to keep searching

79. Expired IEP’s
For expired IEPs that are within the 3-year reevaluation period, provide comparable services
May or may not need to initiate a reevaluation depending on how current the “present” level info is
For expired evaluations (past the 3 year deadline), provide comparable services and initiate a reevaluation to gather additional information to determine educational needs

80. Prior Written Notice (PWN)
es, it says prior. No, that does NOT mean prior to the meeting!!!  You send the Prior Written Notice before you initiate the changes to the IEP or other process determined by the IEP team.
There are resources on the bookshelf to help you with PWNs.
Here in the SCPCSD we live and die by our PWNs.

81. be comprehensive enough to address each of the LEA’s proposed and/or refused actions. The PWN should eliminate all doubts and/or misunderstandings.
provide support for decisions communicated within the notice.
specify the reasoning behind any proposed and/ or refused action.
include and describe the facts of the meeting in a neutral tone and should be void of emotional, judgmental, or speculative statements.
avoid the use of acronyms, such as, IDEA, LRE, and IEE, without proper explanation.

82. Changes in an IEP cannot be implemented until the parent has received the PWN.

83. Documentation of Services
Service logs in Enrich
Other logs
Grade books
Student folders
Work samples
Sign-in sheets

84. Resources

85. Monthly Webinars
It is expected that schools’ special education coordinators are in attendance.
The calendar will be found on the Bookshelf once dates are decided.
The meeting topics/times will help be decided with your input!
Optional professional development opportunities!

86. SharePoint/Book Shelf
public.sharepoint.com/
All policies and resources are on The Bookshelf
Enrich resources
Samples
Other guidance and resources

87. We have plenty of resources for you:
Any previous training, PPT, handout
Other people’s training materials
Specifics about Enrich/data reporting
web.sharepoint.com/Pages/IDEAResources.aspx
Many “special education” books and resource guides
(just ask)
OSEP, OCR, and Court rulings
Years of special education
     experience

88. Final Questions????

89. Closing Activity
We have given you lots of information to think about and plan for, take a minute to list a priority item(s) based on this training focusing on systems, structures and supports - turn and share with someone next to you!
On the chart paper(s) by the door, please answer these questions:
What are webinar topics you would like to learn about?
How can Emily and Laura support us best?