2. Partners in Educational Leadership Presentation on Special Education The Child-Centered Process Debbie Bravenec Sherrill Burge

3. Introduction Sherrill Burge sburge@esc2.netsburge@esc2.net Debbie Bravenec dbravenec@esc2.netdbravenec@esc2.net Breaks

4. Agenda The Child-Centered Process for: General Education Pre-referral RTI Tiered Model Exceptional Learners 504  Legal requirements Special Education  Legal requirements

5. Objectives Become familiar with the child-centered process which includes: General classroom Services from: 504 Special Education Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of effective leadership for the implementation of these programs

6. Change...

7. Class Norms Respect the speaker Participate Ask questions Have fun!!

8. Know – Want to Know - Learned

9. Acronym Activity

10. Sometimes it is all in how you read something……

11. Revisit your K – W - L

12. TExES Standards for Principals

13. Domain I: School Community Leadership Identifying common values Common Purpose Shared Vision Domain II: Instructional Leadership Improvement of curriculum and instruction for ALL students Staff development Domain III: Administrative Leadership Finance Facilities Safety

14. Domain I Sincere belief in achievement Aim high Implementation of the vision Expect high expectations Encourage Intellectual Stimulation Support Effective collaboration Respond to diverse needs Gather and analyze data Support plan with money, time, and people Ensure all students have equal opportunity for educational success Promote the continuous development of all students Advocate for all children Serve as an advocate for all students Apply legal guidelines Protect the rights of students and staff Determine if progress has been made by students Facilitate implementation of curriculum Facilitate the use of sound, research-based practice strategies

15. Domain I Facilitate the use of appropriate use of assessment Facilitate technology use to enrich campus curriculum Promote creative, critical, and problem solving thinking in curriculum design and delivery

16. Domain II Facilitate multiple opportunities to learn and implement research- based instructional strategies and programs so all students are successful Ensure that all students high quality instruction supported by resources and services to meet individual student needs Use formative and summative student assessment data for program goals and objectives Facilitate research-based practices for learning, classroom management, and discipline to ensure school safety Analyze the implications of factors (staffing, schedules, discipline practices) for teaching and learning Ensure responsiveness to diverse sociological, linguistic, clutural, and other factors that affect students’ development and learning All students, regardless of any factor, must have multiple research- based opportunities to learn and be successful Allocate appropriate time, funding, and other needed resources to ensure the effective implementation of professional development plans

17. Domain II Diagnose campus organizational health and morale and implement strategies to provide ongoing support to campus staff Implement procedures for gathering, analyzing, and using data from a variety of sources for informed campus decision making Encourage and facilitate positive change, enlist support for change, and overcome obstacles to change Apply skills for monitoring and evaluating change and making needed adjustments to achieve goals

18. Domain III Know that all legal regulations and district policies must be followed consistently Use effective planning, time management, and organization of personnel to maximize attainment of district and campus goals Apply local, state, and federal laws and policies to support decision making related to day to day programs and operations as well as emergencies Ask when you are not sure

19. Resource for the section: “Passing the, TExES Exam, Keys to Certification & School Leadership”, Elaine L. Wilmore

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

21. 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%

22. Disability categories in Texas (your students may carry one or more of these labels) MR OHI AI VI / Blind AU LD ED MD MD DB DB TBI TBI OI OI SI SI Deaf Deaf NCEC (Texas only) NCEC (Texas only)

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

24. Do I really HAVE to do this?

25. Child-Centered Process How do we get from general education to special education?

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

27. Appropriate Curriculum What is the curriculum for Texas schools?

28. Appropriate Instructional Opportunities For whom? African American 3.6% Hispanic 68.7% White 26.3% Native American.3% Asian/Pacific Islander 1.2% Economically Disadv. 61.3% ELL 6.5% At Risk45.4%

29. Enrollment by program: Bilingual/ESL 5.6% CATE20.1% Gifted/Talented 6.5% Special Education13.4%

30. Appropriate Instruction How are today’s children taught? How should today’s children be taught?

31. Present Populations:

32. 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%.

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

34. Pre-referral Process (Early Intervention Process) Who? What? Where? When? How long?

35. Response to Intervention (RTI)

36. RTI is the practice of: Providing high-quality instruction and/ or intervention matched to student’s needs AND Using learning rate over time and level of performance to AND Make important educational decisions

37. Definition of RTI Research-based intervention that produces : * high learning rates for most students Learning Rates & level of performance * a student’s growth in achievement or behavior competencies

38. Educational decisions Duration of interventions Move to another tier & intensity of intervention Decision for referral to special education

39. Three Tiered Model Assessment by response to intervention Tier 1 Provide classroom support Tier 2 Provide more intensive support Tier 3 Consider special education Monitor and evaluate at all stages

40. GENERALGENERAL Pre-referral Referral Special Ed. ARD Implementation FIE / Yearly evaluation 504 504 Planning Meeting

41. 504 Student Issues and Public Schools

42. No qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity which receives or benefits from federal assistance. 34 Code of Federal Regulations &104.4(a) Page viii

45. 504 Physical or Mental Impairment Substantial Limitation Major Life Activities

46. Impairment Physical Mental

47. Substantial Limitation…. An activity done in a way that is different from the rate, speed or duration of the general

48. Major Life Activity Walking Breathing Learning Others

49. The bottom Line on 504 Eligibility… Does the student have a physical or mental impairment… Which substantially limits… a major life activity?

50. School Obligations…Jigsaw Child Find…page 6, #1 Referral…page 6, #2 504 committee…page 6, #3 Evaluation…page 6 &7, #4 Placement…page 7, #5

51. Resources http://www.504idea.org/504resources.html Section 504 Overview A fifteen page introduction to the duty to provide a free appropriate public education under Section 504, the duty to not discriminate, and a look at border issues where the IDEA and 504 intersect. Includes citations to the 504 regulations, and OCR decisions. Updated versions are provided at each CESD 504 Conference Who is the Section 504 Student, and how does 504 fit? A one-page color graphic showing the 504 child in reference to the student population and special education students..

52. Resources Section 504 Decision-making Chart This handy three page chart walks you through the decisions that must be made by a 504 Committee and alerts you to the documents required at each step 504, Special Education & Dyslexia. A lengthy treatment of the Texas Dyslexia law and its relationship with the two federal disability laws in the provision of services to students with dyslexia.

53. GENERALGENERAL Pre-referral Referral Special Ed. ARD Implementation FIE / Yearly evaluation 504 504 Planning Meeting

54. The Law

55. Historical Perspective of Special Education Law Public Law 94-142 The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 more than 8 million handicapped children educational needs of MOST of these children were not being fully met more than half did not receive appropriate educational services

56. 1 million children were excluded from public education more unidentified children with handicaps who were unsuccessful in school families were forced to seek services outside of the public school system at their own expense and often at great distances.

57. Laws for Special Populations Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 94-142 Education for Handicapped Children Act Americans with Disabilities Act IDEA IDEIA

58. Students with disabilities In 2000-2001, 5.75 million children and youth ages 6-21 received special education and related services under IDEA. That translates to approximately 11.5% of the total school population in Texas alone. There has been an increase of over 20% of students receiving services in Texas since 1990-1991.

59. Definition of Special Education

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

61. 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

62. CFR 300.26 This definition and the laws governing special education in the nation’s schools are outlined by the Federal government.

63. Special Education it is: personnel curriculum methodology

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

65. IDEIA ’04 (currently waiting for final reg’s)

66. 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

67. 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.

68. Principles of IDEA

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

70. 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

71. Identification

72. How do you know what is appropriate? Is there a disability? Does the disability affect the educational performance? Does the child need special education & related services?

73. Eligibility Determination: The Rule Out Language A child shall not be determined to have a disability, if the determinate factor is: Lack of appropriate instruction in reading Lack of instruction in math Limited English proficiency

74. Free Appropriate Public Education

75. Nondiscriminatory Evaluation

76. What is appropriate evaluation? Eligibility Determination Educational Programming Individual Performance Monitoring Non-discriminatory racially or culturally

77. What is evaluation? A gathering of information related to enabling the child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum or, for preschool children, to participate in appropriate activities.

78. Does the system always work? Under or over identification of a disability Misdiagnosing the nature of the disability Inappropriate services

79. IEP

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

81. Individualized Educational Program = Appropriate Education

82. What does the IEP have to have? PLAFP Measurable annual goals Special education & related services Accommodations

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

84. Least Restrictive Environment

85. 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,

86. 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.”

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

88. 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

89. 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.

91. 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!

92. Parent / Guardian / Surrogate Consultation

93. Over 20 years of research and experience have demonstrated that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by …strengthening the role of parents and ensuring that families of such children have meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children at school and at home.”

94. Parents/Guardians must: Be given notice Give consent Provide input

95. Due Process

96. Inservice and Personnel Development

97. Confidentiality

98. Questions?

99. See you in July when I get back from vacation....

100. If you have any questions: Debbie Bravenec: dbravenec@esc2.netdbravenec@esc2.net Sherrill Burge: sburge@esc2.netsburge@esc2.net