Phoenix Union High School District

Exceptional Student Services (ESS) Special EducationAnnual Training

Topics to be Covered Today:

•Confidentiality•FERPA

▫Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act•Special Education Policies and Procedures•Child Find

▫Birth through 2 years 8 months▫2 years 9 months through 8th grade▫9th-12th grades: Campus Interventions Teams

•Discipline and Special Education•Graduation Requirements•Required Completion of Progress Reports

Confidentiality

• ANY Educationally relevant information is confidential – not just special education information

• Students may not be identified, including individual identifiers, e.g. social security number, student number, or biometric record

• Students may not be identified by other indirect identifiers: student’s DOB, place of birth, mother’s maiden name

• Information is not shared with co-workers or associates in or out of school

• Information is not shared with family or friends• Especially avoid discussion in public places

Confidentiality

• IEPs and other special education documents are to be locked in public areas, e.g. classrooms▫IEPs accessed through computer program (e-IEP

Pro) must not be left unattended where others may view.

▫IEPs may also be sent electronically. These PDF files will be password protected and must be maintained in a secure location by the teacher.

Who has access to information about a

student?

Disclosure may be given to school officials who have a legitimate educational interest

•Teachers – content, electives, clubs, athletics•Nurses•Administrators•Supervising staff in duty areas – security•Classified Staff – aides, bus drivers, cafeteria

staff, etc.

FERPAFamily Educational Rights

And Privacy Act

FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Parents have the right to ALL educational information about their child including:

•Cumulative File•Discipline File•Special Education File•Grades•Any teacher file – formal or informal

▫This also includes any emails pertaining to the student.

FERPA – Parents Rights

• to inspect and review records within 45 days of written request

• to make a written request to amend information in a student record believed to be inaccurate or misleading.

• to provide consent prior to release of information ▫EXCEPT for health or safety emergencies

(paramedics, CPS, law enforcement, etc.)• to file a complaint alleging school failure to

comply with FERPA requirements

How do parents request information?

•Verbal request to Principal to inspect and review file/records– ask parent to put request in writing - provide paper if needed (parents may request copies)

•Written request to Principal to inspect and review copies

•Special Education records: Written request is sent to the ESS Director at CES

How does the school respond?

•A school must honor a request to “inspect and review” their child’s records within a reasonable time not to exceed 45 days.

•A school may not destroy education records when there is an outstanding request to inspect them

How does the school respond?

•Administrative designee to review file with parent at a MUTUALLY convenient time

•The regulations add that a school must “respond to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the records.”

Special EducationPolicy and Procedures

Special Education Policies and Procedures

•Copies are available in Principal’s or ESS Director’s Offices

•ALL certified and classified staff need to review policies and procedures every year

•Documentation of participation in Special Education Policies and Procedures is maintained in the ESS Director’s office at CES

Who must initial/sign as a participant that training on Special Education Policies &

Procedures have been reviewed?

• Administrators• Teachers• Instructional Assistants • Office Staff • Security Staff• Cafeteria Staff• Maintenance Staff• Transportation Staff• All other campus staff

CHILD FIND – AZEIP

Arizona Early Intervention Program for developmentally delayed children from Birth to 2 years 8 months

Child Find – Birth through 2 yrs. 9 mos.

•The State of Arizona provides early intervention services for developmentally delayed infants and toddlers as mandated by IDEA through AZEIP

•The District Exceptional Student Service office has AZEIP contact referral information.

•The office must keep a record of and follow up all referrals using the AZEIP form.

Birth through 2 yrs. 9 mos.

•Refer the parent or contact the campus ESS Facilitator or District ESS office

•District ESS office will complete and FAX contact form to Maricopa County AZEIP Interim Service Coordinator

•The ESS office contacts AZEIP Interim Service Coordinator to assure form received and parent contacted.

Child Find

2 years 9 months through 8th grade

Child Find – 2 yrs. 9 mos. through 8th grade

Refer the parent or contact the neighborhood elementary school or elementary district office. Contact the campus ESS Facilitator or District ESS office if assistance is needed in determining the neighborhood elementary school district.

Child Find – 9th through 12th Grades•Complete 45 day screening form for all students

new to the district (Counselors provide training on how to complete the form)

Special Education students DO NOT need to have 45 day screening

• If any deficits are noted on the 45 day screening form; follow-up with the Intervention Team (I Team) procedures at your campus

DISCIPLINE and

Special Education

These rules apply to:

•Every student receiving special education; and

•Students undergoing an initial special education evaluation

* These rules also apply to students on a 504 plan

Suspensions

•Students can be suspended for NO MORE than 10 days TOTAL per school year without providing special education services. ▫Removal from the educational setting for a

portion of the school day will count as one full day of suspension

▫Students assigned to ISS MUST be provided appropriate class work from all subject areas

•Conduct Manifestation Determination within 10 school days of any decision to recommend removal of a student for 10 or more days; cumulative or consecutive.

Manifestation Determination• Discipline administrator contacts the campus ESS

Facilitator• The student’s MET convenes to determine if the

behavior is a manifestation of the student’s disability.

• The MET can recommend:▫ IEP changes, e.g. modifying behavior plan▫ Change in placement ▫ If no connection, school may proceed with discipline

proceedings but services must be provided after the 10th day of removal during the school year

Manifestation Determination

•Failure to implement the IEP will cause the team to determine that the violation of the code of conduct is related to the disability and the student may not be long term suspended

* STAY PUT will apply

Tips to remember•Proactively address behavior

concerns/problems•Develop positive behavior plan to address

replacement behaviors•Conduct Functional Behavioral Assessment and

write Behavior Intervention Plan. Consult campus Behavior Intervention Specialist.

Graduation Requirements

The IEP team determines how the student will meet graduation requirements.

Student/Parent General Education Teacher Special Education Teacher District Representative Person to Interpret the Educational Implementations

To graduate, the IEP team determines:•AIMS graduation requirements•Required course work

▫Cannot prevent a student from graduating if required course work has been met

▫Cannot require additional course work for graduation requirements for special education students.

▫ IEP team may substitute courses

•Students who do not follow a prescribed course of study may continue in school until the student receives a high school diploma or until the end of the school year in which the student turns 22 years of age.

Questions?

•Consult your campus ▫ESS Facilitator▫Psychologist ▫Behavior Intervention Specialist or▫Social worker

•Consult District Exceptional Student Services Office.

Aligning IEPS with Common Core

ESS PROGRESS REPORTS

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)

• Under the new framework known as Results-Driven Accountability (RDA), the OSERS Department will also include educational results and outcomes for students with disabilities in making each state's annual determination under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

It’s the Right Thing to Do

It is Part of Your Evaluation

---Attends IEP meetings and/or participates by providing feedback to Case Managers and/or IEP Team prior to IEP meeting for all assigned ESS students ---Teacher attends mandatory parent, counselor, and other stakeholder meetings during the professional day, unless excused. ---Teacher is able to provide current student academic performance status upon request. ---Effectively implements IEP’s for all ESS students assigned (Section: Service to Students)

Your feedback for IEP development is a state and federal requirement, regardless of whether you are the designated general education attendee.

How the Pieces Fit TogetherThorough progress report

that provides detailed information regarding:

Skills – what has been mastered (data)Concepts – developed or in developmentAcademic Behaviors – what are helping/hindering progress

IEP Goals are written using Common Core language with grade appropriate standard followed by

appropriate goal(s) based upon skills that need development in order to gain greater access to the

curriculum

Well written present level of

performance (PLAFF) using

information from the Progress

Report

PURPOSE OF AN IEPTo remove barriers and provide support for disable students to allow as much access as possible to the general education curriculum (AZ Common Core)

Appropriate and Relevant IEPs Must Include:

• Accommodations that minimize or eliminate curricular, instructional or assessment barriers (access), and

• Specially designed instruction that meets the unique needs of the student based on relevant present levels of performance and measurable goals (priority needs).

Question 1 (refer to your example)

What are the key goals/performance indicators associated with your course?

Provide a list of the foundational skills that the student needs to develop which will allow the greatest access to future courses in this content area.

Examples: • read specific text independently• find main idea of passage• summarize text• know order of operations• know/apply properties of math (associative, distributive,

commutative, identity)

Question 2How is the student currently performing in these areas (include any assessment scores you may have)?Look at classroom evidence regarding the key areas. Decide where the student falls on a continuum of competence on the standards as well as the skills they use for learning. Include any formative or summative assessment scores you may have.

Question 3In what ways is the student’s disability impacting performance?Discuss the various ways the student’s learning difficulties have an impact on their continued growth/performance. Examples:• Specific skill deficits in reading or math• Attention• Time management• Memory• Organizational skills• Communication skills• Processing skills• Learning Strategies

Question 4What accommodations/modifications will the student need to offset the impact of their disability?Think about what works and what hasn’t worked for this student in the classroom. For example, will they need memory aids, communication assistance, specific organizational strategies, calculators, times tables, more intensive instruction in certain areas. What can the teacher do to make the material more accessible.

Question 5What are the areas of strength and the areas of struggle for this student?This area should address student’s academic behaviors which are supporting and/or hindering continued progress. • Motivation includes personal characteristics that help students succeed

academically by focusing and maintaining energies on goal directed activities (e.g., completes assignments, asks for help, attends tutoring, takes responsibility for learning, completes assigned tasks).

• Social Engagement includes interpersonal factors that influence student’s successful integration into their environment (e.g., works well independently, works well in groups, is appropriate when redirected, accepts constructive criticism).

• Self-Regulation includes the thinking processes and emotional responses of students that govern how well they monitor, regulate, and control their behavior related to school and learning (e.g., tolerates frustration, perseveres through difficult tasks, manages stress, complies with classroom rules) .

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Analyze Standards – Help with Questions 1,2•Based on identified student need, what is the most powerful standard(s) to address in the IEP? •What is the purpose of the standard(s)? Can the student demonstrate the standard? How can the student demonstrate the standard?

MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT for Question 3

“Drill down” to determine what is required for a student to access the standard • Cognition (e.g., memory, retrieval, attention) • Meta-cognition (e.g., being strategic) • Linguistics (e.g., morphology, semantics, etc.) • Meta-linguistics (e.g., structure, sound system)

FINAL THOUGHT

Mission:Each year, progress toward IEP goals will result in the student acquiring those

skills, knowledge, and behaviors

necessary to move toward the stated outcome and the standards.

IEP goals are about skills/behaviors - not content.

FAQS

• Who do I contact if I need help?• How do I know what the student’s disability is

and how it impacts learning?• What happens if I don’t do it?• Why do I need to write a progress report if I

don’t teach Math or English?

Thank you for your time and have a terrific year!

Exceptional Student Services DepartmentPhoenix Union High School District