1. Special Education Overview for New Administrators

2. Who are we?  Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign (OCSSR) Access and Equity Team:  Ellie Rounds  Coordinator of Access and Equity  OCSSR since August 2012  Melissa Gordon  Access and Equity Specialist  OCSSR since December 2014 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 2

3. Goals for today  Clarify charter school responsibilities with particular attention to special education.  Describe OCSSR’s Access and Equity monitoring in the charter school life cycle.  Preview charter schools’ other intersection points with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 3

4. OCSSR: Access and Equity  What we do:  Review prospectuses and applications for new schools.  Work with opening schools on special education, ELL, and civil rights including program accessibility.  Provide TA to opening and existing schools as needed.  Conduct site visits.  Consult with vendors regarding renewal inspections. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 4

5. Charter School Responsibilities related to Access and Equity  Recruitment and Retention plans  Admission and FAPE  Written Notice  Special Education program requirements  603 CMR 28.10 (6) (a)  Teacher qualifications  Program self-evaluations Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 5

6. Retention and Recruitment Plan  Every charter school must submit a Recruitment and Retention Plan every year as part of the Annual Report.  As defined in MGL c. 71 § 89 and 603 CMR 1.00, Massachusetts charter schools must receive approval from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for a Recruitment and Retention Plan which is updated annually.  The plan must list deliberate, specific strategies the school will use to attract, enroll, and retain a student population that includes students who are:  Limited English Proficient,  Special education,  Low income (free lunch and reduced-price eligible),  Sub-proficient on the MCAS,  At risk of dropping out of school,  Have dropped out of school,  Any others who should be targeted to eliminate achievement gaps. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 6

7. Recruitment and Retention Plan  Guidelines and instructions in Annual Report Guidelines  Compendium of Best Practices  http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/sped/Recruitmen tStrategies.pdf http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/sped/Recruitmen tStrategies.pdf Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 7

8. Admission and FAPE  You must admit all eligible students selected through the lottery, including but not limited to those identified as:  Behavioral  Severely involved  Needing related services: OT, PT, Speech, counseling, nursing/medical support services  Charter schools may not consider a student's disability or the services that may be required to serve a student- including students who may be in out-of-district programs at the time of application for admission-in determining whether to admit the student.  Charter schools can access circuit breaker.  http://www.doe.mass.edu/finance/circuitbreaker/ http://www.doe.mass.edu/finance/circuitbreaker/ Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 8

9. Written Notice (603 CMR 1.05 (4))  Written Notice: Charter schools shall notify all applicants in writing of the rights of students with diverse learning needs to attend the charter school and to receive accommodations and support services, including students who may have disabilities, require special education, or are English language learners. Charter schools must include this notice as part of the school's application and enrollment materials. Every charter school must make information regarding the availability of services for students generally available in the school's outreach materials, through the student handbook, and on the school's website. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 9

10. Written Notice (603 CMR 1.05 (4))  Student Right to Attend Notices  Outlines the educational rights of children with disabilities and ELLs to attend Massachusetts public charter schools.  Must it be given to all families as part of application and enrollment materials.  These documents are available on the OCCSR website: www.doe.mass.edu/charter/sped/default.html www.doe.mass.edu/charter/sped/default.html  Other notice for families about availability of services via  School’s outreach materials  Student/Family Handbook  Available on school’s website Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 10

11. Special Education Program Requirements  Search for, identify, assess and serve students in need of special education.  Make a full continuum of services available to students with disabilities within the school.  Have a current, signed IEP on file for each special education student.  Deliver services as described in the IEP.  Conduct a data based program self- evaluation. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 11

12. Special Education Terms  Full continuum of services  IEP team has available a full range of placement options from full inclusion to substantially separate and other programs as needed to meet the needs of students on IEPs.  As determined by the IEP Team, the school will provide services in a placement which is:  Full inclusion  The student is in the general education classroom for 80%- 100% of the school day.  Partial inclusion  The student is in the general education classroom 21%-65% of the school day.  Substantially separate  66% or more out of general education classroom during school day.

13. 603 CMR 28.10 (6) (a)  Technical Advisory:  http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/advisories/2014- 5ta.html http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/advisories/2014- 5ta.html  Charter schools responsibilities:  Have a full compendium of services available for students with disabilities.  Maintain communication with sending district of residence (SDOR) about students on IEPs.  Investigate in-district options at the SDOR with families as needed Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 13

14. Timeline of Events Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 14

15. In-district placement Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 15  Before placement meeting-  CS and parent agree on in-district option at charter school.  No agreement:  Placement team considers if SDOR has in-district program, either alone or supplement to services at CS.  If yes, Team must propose an in-district option:  Services may be delivered in charter school  Through a program located in SDOR or  Combination of both

16. In-district Placement continued  Different, possible options for charter schools:  Independently develop and offer the in-district program described in the IEP at the charter school.  Join, form, or purchase services from educational collaboratives or other partners to provide or support the provision of some or all of the services described in the IEP.  Collaborate with the student's SDOR to establish and operate a program at the charter school that meets the needs of the student.  Collaborate with the SDOR, including contracting with the SDOR to provide services to the student. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 16

17. In-district Placement continued  Important things to remember!  When in-district programming is proposed, the student remains enrolled at the charter school  The charter school retains financial and programmatic responsibility for the student  The charter school has full discretion over where it will deliver any in-district program.  The charter school is not required to contract with the SDOR for services unless the charter school chooses to do so.  The charter school may not require the parent to disenroll their child at any time as a condition for receiving any service.  Parents can chose to leave the charter school and enroll in the SDOR for any reason. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 17

18. Teacher Qualifications  Horace Mann CS teachers/staff must be licensed.  Except for teachers of English as a second language, teachers in Commonwealth charter schools (including special education teachers) are not required to be licensed.  But any staff implementing specialized instruction included in an Individual Education Plan (IEP) must meet the qualifications for service delivery provider. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 18

19. Teacher Qualifications for Special Education  Hold a valid (in or out-of-state) license or its equivalent as a special education teacher for the appropriate grades and severity level and/or  Have successfully completed an undergraduate or graduate degree in an approved special education program Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 19

20. Teacher Qualifications for Special Education  Specialized instruction provided by personnel who do not meet the above qualifications must be delivered in consultation with a qualified individual who provides supervision and oversight of the delivery of the specialized instruction.  The supervisory structure and relationships between qualified and non-qualified special education service delivery staff should be evident in the daily schedule and may be noted on the student’s IEP (in grid A on Service Delivery Page). Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 20

21. Program Self-Evaluations  Part of the site visit and renewal inspection process.  Has the school implemented a regular, systematic, data-driven analysis in order to verify that special education and ELL students have made expected academic gains?  Self-evaluations are your opportunity to get advance knowledge of the challenges facing your program, a head start on fixing them, and to make your case regarding program effectiveness. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 21

22. Program Self-Evaluations  The analysis may include, but is not limited to, the following elements:  data analysis (graphs, tables) presenting one or more of the following:  comparisons of measures of student achievement of the same ELLs, or students with disabilities, across time, showing changes, preferably on multiple assessments  comparisons of performance of students who are and are not English Language Learners or students with disabilities on the same assessment(s), (including, but not limited to, performance on MCAS)  comparisons of the performance of students who are ELL/special education in this school with ELL/special education students from the district(s) from which the school draws students on the same measure  interpretation and discussion of results to reach conclusion(s) regarding program effectiveness and,  recommendations for any needed changes in the ELL/special education program based on the conclusions reached Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 22

23. The MOST important things  You must have a current, signed IEP which you are implementing for each student eligible for special education.  Teachers must either be qualified to independently deliver services or be supervised by someone who is. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 23

24. Ongoing Access and Equity Monitoring The A&E team will participate in 3 basic types visits to your school:  Full  Check-in  Targeted  New schools only: two visits; one in fall and one in spring Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 24

25. Site Visits  Site visit teams are comprised of individuals with educational and organizational expertise and are led by a member of the OCSSR staff.  The primary purpose of a site visit is to corroborate and augment the information contained in a school’s annual report, and to gather evidence on progress the school is making toward meeting the standards articulated in the Charter School Performance Criteria.  Site visit reports are issued by the OCSSR. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 25

26. Charter Cycle, Years 1-4 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 26

27. Charter Cycle, Years 5+ Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 27

28. The ESE and You!  In addition to the OCSSR, your relationship with the Department will consist of the following major components:  PQA: Coordinated Program Review (CPR) process and the Problem Resolution System (PRS)  Coordinated Program Review process is the “compliance review”.  Problem resolution system is complaints filed in regard to your school.  ESE: Technical Assistance meetings, workshops and advisories  Check the ESE website frequently for news and information. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 28

29. Coordinated Program Review (CPR)  All public schools in MA are on a 6 year cycle for CPR activities.  Covers: Special Education, Civil Rights, ELL  Mid-cycle reviews occur every 3 years  You can find out where you are in the cycle on the ESE website under compliance and monitoring.  http://www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/review/psr/6yrcycle.html  Crash-ups (CPRs and Renewal Inspections) will occur due to differently timed cycles: the CPR will be deferred for 1 year if there is a crash-up. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 29

30. Complaints Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 30 OCCSRProgram Quality Assurance Related directly to charter school statute and/or regulations. Other federal state law or regulation related (often special education). Logged, filed and handled through OCCSR working directly with the school and parent. Handled through the Problem Resolution System.

31. Technical Advisories  DESE Website: check for updates and advisories, meetings and workshops:  www.doe.mass.edu www.doe.mass.edu  www.doe.mass.edu/sped/ www.doe.mass.edu/sped/  www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/ www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/  www.doe.mass.edu/charter/ www.doe.mass.edu/charter/ Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 31

32. Questions?  Ellie Rounds  erounds@doe.mass.edu erounds@doe.mass.edu  781.338.3212  Melissa Gordon  mgordon@doe.mass.edu mgordon@doe.mass.edu  781.338.3209