1. Welcome Back SC Public Charter School District Special Education Coordinators August 5,2015

2. Agenda Welcome, Introductions and Accomplishments  Updates and Changes  Comprehensive Program Review  CPR Expectations and DCAP v SCAP  Compliance within the IEP process  Comparable Services  Transfers  Accommodations  Finalizing Documents  IEP Compliance  Current Summary Report  Policies and Procedures  Potpourri  FAPE Continuum  Child Find  Restraint and Time Out  Disciplining SWD  Importance of PowerSchool  Confidentiality/FERPA  Exiting  Budgeting  EFA Coding in PowerSchool  Data  Dates  Teamviewer  BookShelf  Closing/Questions

3. Introductions

4. Who we are –  Robbie Compton, Ph.D.  Assistant Superintendent for Academic Services  803-734-8067; 803-230-9593 (cell)  Beckie Davis  Director of Special Services  803-734-8050; 803-603-9721 (cell)  Kendall Stewart  Student Information Coordinator (Enrich/data)  803-734-0164  Vamshi Rudrapati (Mr. V)  Director of Federal Programs  803-734-1105; 803-603-6433 (cell)

5. Who we are – District Special Education Coordinators  Emily Paul  803-230-9593 (cell)  epaul@sccharter.org  Nichole Adams  803-603-6590 (cell)  nadams@sccharter.org  Mary C. Scott  803-603-4065 (cell)  mscotts@sccharter.org

6. Look Back

7. Accomplishments and Milestones  Board approved 1 new charter into the District  9 new schools opened for the 2014-15 school year  Enrich was rolled out

8. Comprehensive Program Review

9.  The Comprehensive Program Review (CPR) is a transparent and collaborative process used by the South Carolina Public Charter School District (District) to monitor schools' compliance with the various rules and regulations governing the education of students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004. The CPR will consist of the following:  Online and virtual visits to the school;  Review of documentation: records, resources, materials, policy/procedures; and  Consultation with staff in person at the district office  Potential for on site audits in high risk situations Comprehensive Program Review (CPR)

11. Support Triangle Low Risk Schools  Adequate scores on CPR  Returning schools with no warnings/findings  No findings or reasons for concern  CURRENTLY 20 LOW RISK SCHOOLS High Risk Schools  New Schools  New Coordinators  Informal warnings  Letters of caution  Letters of noncompliance  Notice of Default  District/State/OCR findings  CURRENTLY 12 HIGH RISK SCHOOLS

12. District CPR Summary  32% of schools ended the year with a “2” in every area  23% of schools ended the year with an average score of 1.90-1.99  10% of schools ended the year with an average score of 1.80-1.89  35% of schools ended the year with an overall average 1.75 or less, all the way down to 1.120  There was an average of 19% growth at schools during the school year.  65% of schools ended the year with overall positive results on the Comprehensive Program Review.

13. CPR Expectations

14.  The CPR occurs annually during the Fall semester. The school will turn in CPR evidence and information to their assigned District Special Education Coordinator (DSEC).  How:  ALL School Procedures (regardless of status) :  Complete the Self-Assessment rating ON THE CPR FORM  School to provide ALL EVIDENCE ON ASSIGNED DATES District Procedures:  Examine the school's ratings and evidence for each rating  Provide justification or feedback for each rating of 0 or 1  Determine the level of priority Comprehensive Program Review (CPR)

15. District Corrective Action Plans vs School Corrective Action Plans Any rating that was not a two will require a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) If the school is an at risk school, or on the triangle, the district will write the CAP for the school. If the school is a low risk school the school will write their own CAP. All CAPs must be approved by the school’s DSEC.

16. Due Dates - August 15 1 - Policies and Procedures 2 - Special Education Staff 3 - Related Services Providers 4 - School Files

17. Due Dates September 15 6 - Tracking Disciplinary Removal 7 - Documenting Accommodations and Modifications 9 - Student to Teacher Ratios 13 - Comparable Services 14 - Finalizing Documents in Enrich

18. Due Dates October 15 5 - IEP Compliance 10 - Professional Development 11- Databases 12 - Services 16 - Transfer Meetings

19. Due Dates November 15 8 - Enrich Forms 15 - Progress Monitoring 17 - Annual Reviews 18 - Reevaluations

20. Due Dates December 15 5 - IEP Compliance - second submittal 19 - Evaluations 20 - Disciplinary Removals 21 - Procedural Safeguards 22 - Native Language 23 - IDEA Funds 24 - IDEA Inventory 25 - Timely and Accurate Data

21. Due Dates March 15  ALL ITEMS NOT PREVIOUSLY RATED A “2” WILL REQUIRE NEW EVIDENCE TO BE SUBMITTED FROM THE SCHOOL TO THE DSEC

22. Due Dates May 15  ALL ITEMS NOT PREVIOUSLY RATED A “2” WILL REQUIRE NEW EVIDENCE TO BE SUBMITTED FROM THE SCHOOL TO THE DSEC

23. Areas of concern from the CPR Data tells us, the areas that schools struggle with most are: 5 - IEP Compliance 7 - Accommodations and Modifications 13 - Comparable Services 14 - Finalizing Documents in Enrich 16 - Transfer Meetings 18 - Reevaluations

24. Compliance in the IEP Process

25. Reminders for Comparable Services The CPR SAYS: Comparable services meetings occur within the first 5 school days after enrollment and services that are 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. What do your Policies and Procedures say about transfers? Is your procedure working?

26. Reminders for Transfer Meetings The CPR SAYS: 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?

27. Accommodations The CPR says: 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?

28. Finalizing Documents in Enrich The CPR says: 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.

29. IEP Compliance The CPR says: 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.

30. Reevaluation The CPR says: 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?

31. Current Summary Report

32. Policies and Procedures

33.  Schools must adopt our policies.  The areas that schools need to review and validate are:  Cover page (including school logo)  Assurances (p. 4)  Child Find (p. 12)  Procedural Safeguards (p. 15)  Monitoring of Suspensions (p. 21)  IAES (p. 22)  Serving students aged 21 (p. 35)  Sending Paperwork (p. 35)  LEA Designee (p. 36)  Meeting Notices (p. 37)  Transfers (p. 43)  School’s must submit your signed copies of their Policies and Procedures to your district coordinator by August 15 th.

34. Potpourri

35. 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.

36. PowerSchool Work with the school’s PowerSchool staff. You will need to collaborate on:  Attendance  Incident management  Instructional setting  EFA codes  Exiting

37. DISCIPLINE AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES ▪ 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 include discipline. What does your school’s policies and procedures say about discipline? ▪Is the procedure that is in your school’s policies and procedures being followed?

38. DISCIPLINE AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES  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.

39. 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.

40. Restraint and Time Out

41. Procedures  Only staff members holding current CPI certification should restrain students and they should use CPI techniques.  The district offers CPI training. In order to receive training all the school must do is contact the district office and ask.

42. Restraint and Timeout 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.

43. Documentation  The administrator and parent need to be informed of restraint or a seclusion time out.  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.

44. Remember: An incident moves to a whole new level when a staff member puts his/her hands on a student!

45. 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; we can train you.  For more info: See S/R document from South Carolina Department of Education See S/R document from South Carolina Department of Education

46. Confidentiality Confidentiality/FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)

47. A Legal Protection of Privacy  A child’s educational records often contain private personal information about the child and the family

48. Confidentiality of Records  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.  This information includes social and medical history. As well as medical and other personal information about the student and other members of the family

49. FERPA (Confidentiality)  Family Education Rights and Privacy Act  Key Legal Terms  “Need to Know”  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 an filing system owned by the district. Beware, even sometimes, personal notes may be subpoenaed.

50. Viewing Student Records  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!  It’s okay to ask for help and support.

51. Sharing Student Records  Use the “need to know” standard  Some people do not need permission  Examples of people who do not need 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 need written permission  Examples of people who do need permission:  Outside private agencies  Family members not meeting the definition of a parent.  Physicians  When in doubt, don’t!

52. FERPA Examples  Casual conversation in the teacher’s lounge, hall, etc.  Sharing with your friends or family members  Sharing with the student’s friends or non- guardian family members  Can’t talk to grandma, aunt, etc. unless they are acting as the custodial parent or guardian

53.  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.

54. Sample School File “Check out” Procedures  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

55. FERPA  Additional FERPA training and resources will be discussed and made available during the monthly coordinator meetings.

56. Exiting from Enrich

57. Exiting  Here are the only options for exiting a child with an IEP:  No Longer Eligible for Services  ONLY done through a reevaluation  Certain 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 (District handles this one – send your signed revocation form to Mr. V.)  No such thing as revoking certain services

58. Medicaid

59. Following the on-site SDE visit, we no longer bill for Medicaid.

60. EFA Coding and PowerSchool

61. EFA Coding for Students with Disabilities South Carolina Education Finance Act of 1977 What does this mean? 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 *not necessary the primary disability, but the highest weighted disability.

62. EFA Weights

63. EFA Coding for Students with Disabilities  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.  Understand that we will check your documentation of indirect services

64. EFA  A school leader or special education coordinator CANNOT under any circumstances require that IEPs be changed to increase the number of minutes in order to receive EFA funds.  As with all decisions on IEPs, the number of minutes each student receives MUST be made by the team and be based on data and nothing else – not parent request, administrative convenience, funding, ….  Both state and district staff will be monitoring this as part of the compliance review  Data for all decisions made by an IEP team must be readily available to support decisions made

65. IDEA Funds

66.  Mostly same process as last year:  October (receive allocation)  School’s develop budget  One amendment (end of March)  NO EQUIPMENT may be purchased with Fund 203 without prior approval from the district (Director of Student Services)

67. Data Reports

68. What to Expect  Tables 1 & 3 (December 1 Count): October/November  Table 2 (personnel): February  Table 6 (Assessment): March, April, and May  ESY: June  Table 5 (discipline): June  Indicator 7 (COSF): June  Indicator 11 (60-day timeline): July  Table 4 (Exit): July  The yearly calendar is found on SharePoint

69. Monthly Coordinator Web Meetings

70.  It is expected that schools’ special education coordinators are in attendance.  The calendar with the Go-to-Meeting link is found on the BookShelf.  The meetings are on the 2 nd Monday of the month at 2:30pm Monthly Web Coordinator Meetings

71. Team Viewer and Bookshelf Let’s check them out online!!

72. WHO HAS WHAT SCHOOLS NicoleEmilyMary SCVCSFCHSEPA ConnectionsProvostCoastal GCPBridgesPee Dee GrayCREECSCalvert SC ScienceMontessoriLCL CyberPSAMMC YPARLOAImagine RiverwalkWhitmoreMSI QuestHigh Point NextYLA LeadSPS GREEN CFHS 72

73. Questions?