2013 Principals’ In-serviceAugust 5, 2013

Process Procedure Manual/ Handbookhttp://intranet.rcas.org/administration/SE/Pages/PPM.asp

xhttp://intranet.rcas.org/administration/SE/Process/01%20

Special%20Ed%20Booklet.pdfPoints of Interest

Timeline for Special Education Teachers (p.9-10)Case Manager Responsibilities (p.11)Case Manager Overview Checklist for

paraprofessionals (p.12) due October 1st.

Best Practices Regarding Paraprofessional Assigned Responsibilities (p.14)

Staff Assignments (p.15-20)Meetings (p.24-25)

Skyward Training/Special Education Staff In-serviceSkyward TrainingAugust 20th

1:00-4:00Lincoln

For new Special Ed Staff

Special Education Staff In-service

August 22nd ; 8:00-3:00Please make sure

other staff are not getting planning time during this training as this creates inequities

Child Count1828 Students (December 2012 Child Count)Increase from 1777 (December 2011 Child Count) (51 Students)Increase from 1733 (December 2010 Child Count) (95 Students)

Make sure staff get their caseloads updated as this has staffing implications

Staff should send copy of front page to Specialists after each IEP meeting

BudgetSupply Allocations

Emailed to you last weekBe sure to check your monthly sheets to

monitor expenditures

Special Education Discipline“FAPE Free Zone”

When a student is suspended for less than 10 days the district is not obligated to provide services.

After 10 cumulative days within the same school year services must be provided On the 11th day services must be provided 10 days is the line of demarcation and the 10 day

rule does not start over after completing a “Manifestation Determination Review.”

What counts as a removalISS

Does not count if student is afforded the opportunity to appropriately

progress in the general curriculum Continue to receive the services specified on his/her

IEP and Continue to participate with nondisabled students

to the extent they would have in their current placement

Take caution in this removal also as academic progress can be limited

Bus SuspensionsPartial Days

Least Restrictive EnvironmentAs is specified in federal and state law, students with disabilities

are served in the least restrictive environment to the maximum extent possible. Thus, at all schools in the district there are special needs students participating as appropriate in general education classrooms and general curriculum. 

The Rapid City Area School District uses a wide variety of service delivery methods to meet the needs of students as identified in their IEPs. The following descriptions are examples of program designs used throughout the district to provide the continuum of service options needed by special education students.

General Ed/With Modifications = 80-100% (1 to 6 hrs. in a SpEd Setting)

Resource Rm = 40-79% (1-18 hrs. in a SpEd Setting)Self-Contained = 0-39% (18.1-30 hrs. in a SpEd Setting)

QUESTIONS?

504 Training

What is Section 504A nondiscrimination law, prohibiting

discrimination based solely on a person’s disabilityRequires that no person with a disability can

be excluded from or denied benefits of any program receiving federal assistance; this includes education

Everyone Has Section 504 ResponsibilitiesSchool Principals, Certified, and Classified

StaffConduct nondiscriminatory practices in

classroomsRefer/identify/evaluate students as appropriate

The district must identify and locate every qualified handicapped person residing in the district’s jurisdiction who is not receiving a public education; and

Take appropriate steps to notify handicapped persons and their parents or guardians of the district’s duty under Section 504

How are students identified for accommodations/services?The student has a mental or physical

impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities

Has a record of such impairment, orIs regarded as having such an impairment

Physical or Mental Impairment?Physical or Mental Impairment means (A) any

physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological; musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory, including speech organs; cardiovascular; reproductive, digestive, genito-urinary; hemic and lymphatic; skin; and endocrine; or (B) any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities.

Major life activities?Includes but not limited to functions such as

caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, communicating, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, working, helping, eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, bending, and operation of bodily function

District responsibilitiesProvide a FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public

Education)An appropriate education is the provision of

regular or special education and related aids and services that are designed to meet individual educational needs of handicapped persons as adequately as the needs of nonhandicapped persons

If a child is identified as having an impairment, it is not an option to not provide needed services.

Communication is ImportantKnowledge and Accomodations

QUESTIONS?

AUGUST 5, 2013

RCAS Response to Intervention (RtI) Information Session

RtI Revisited at RCASWhy Change?

The RtI process was revisited in order to standardize and unify the RtI process across all RCAS schools.

This was done to create uniformity and consistency in the RtI process and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of RtI interventions, data collection, and data-based decision making district-wide.

RtI Task Force Composition

Departments represented on the RtI Taskforce:

Literacy Mathematics Behavior Strategists Intervention Strategists Psychology Special Services Administration Title and Non-Title School Staff

RtI Taskforce Goals

Define the RCAS RtI model. What is included in each tier specifically?

Identify General Outcome Measures (GOMs) for benchmarking and progress monitoring that all team members can agree on philosophically.

Select benchmarking and progress monitoring assessments that measure the selected GOMs

Select data-based decision rules for movement across the tiers.

Identify professional development needs for RtI implementation.

RCAS District Goals

RCAS Four Critical Questions

1. What do we want students to learn?

2. How will we know if our students are learning?

3. How will we respond when students do not learn?

4. How will we enrich and extend the learning for students who are proficient?

RCAS District Goals and RtI Alignment

Response to Intervention, in its current form, addresses questions 1, 2, and 3. Perhaps question 4 will be addressed by RtI in the future.

RCAS District Goals and RtI Alignment

What do we want students to learn?

RtI addresses this critical question in Tier I. Tier I includes:

State Standards District Standards Common Core Standards School board adopted curricula

Balanced Literacy Inquiry Mathematics

These are the things that we want students to learn.

RCAS District Goals and RtI Alignment

How will we know if our students are learning?

RtI addresses this critical question in both Tiers I and II. Tier I benchmark data allow us to know which students

are advanced, proficient, basic, and below basic. This tells us how well our students are learning in Tier I.

Tier II progress monitoring data allow us to know how well our students are learning/progressing at Tier II.

This is how we will know if our students are learning.

RCAS District Goals and RtI Alignment

How will we respond when students do not learn?

RtI addresses this critical question throughout the Tiers. The RCAS RtI Matrix addresses how we will respond

when students experience difficulty learning.

The RtI Matrix

The RtI Matrix outlines the key components and procedures for implementing the RtI model.

The RCAS RtI Matrix

RCAS Matrix 4.0.docx

RCAS Middle School Matrix Pilot.docx

Emotional/Behavioral Data Collection

Tier I The Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS) is

administered between weeks 6 and 8 to all students. It is administered one time per year.

Office Discipline Referrals (ODRs) are reviewed each trimester. The BESS is completed by the teacher of any student entering the

district after one month of daily contact or 6 to 8 weeks of several-days-a-week interaction (in cases where attendance or other problems preclude daily contact).

Tier II Progress monitoring for the first stage of CICO (with the daily point

sheets) is conducted for 6-8 weeks. Progress monitoring for the second stage of CICO (with the daily

point sheets) is conducted for 6-8 weeks. Tier III

Special Education Procedures

Emotional/Behavioral Instruction or Intervention Tier II

The Check-In Check-Out (CICO) program is implemented in a two stage process: The first stage uses a daily point sheet with the areas of

“Safe, Respectful, and Responsible” with one concrete example from each area tailored to the student’s needs. This program is implemented for 6-8 weeks.

The second stage uses a daily point sheet with very specific target behaviors that are tailored to the student’s needs OR a behavior plan may be implemented and CICO then continues for an additional 6-8 weeks.

The student is referred to (but is not mandated to meet with) the school counselor.

Behavior strategists are available for consultation at Tier II.

Emotional/Behavioral Instruction or Intervention Tier III

All Tier I and II programs continue through the Multidisciplinary Assessment Team Meeting Date.

Tier II interventions discontinue if the student qualifies for Special Education.

Specialized Instruction is provided per the student’s Individualized Education Plan.

Emotional/Behavioral Tier Transition Data Rule

Tier I The data-based decision rule for Tier I to Tier II transition is a clinically

significant score on the BESS OR excessive ODRs (what constitutes excessive ODRs is determined by each school based on their unique circumstances).

Tier II The RCAS data-based decision rule is based on the presence of a dual

discrepancy: The first discrepancy is present when a student meets the behavioral or

emotional criteria for Tier II selection. The second discrepancy is present when a student fails to respond to a

research-based intervention that was implemented with fidelity. For behavioral and emotional Tier III selection the student’s expected rate of progress is determined by the Tier II Team based on student’s unique needs.

If a student is determined to be dually discrepant a referral for Tier III evaluation is made after reviewing attendance, medical, and other relevant data at the Tier II Transition Meeting.

Tier III Special Education Procedures