Special Education 101

Nori Cuellar Mora, Ed.D.ESC2

Nori.mora@esc2.us Associate Director of Instructional Services

361-561-8501December 7, 2007

Introduction

Agenda

IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Disabilities Identification The Principal as ARD Chair State Performance Plan Indicators Final Thoughts

Objectives

Understand the premise of IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Become familiar with the process for identifying disabilities in order to make appropriate decisions for referring students to special education

Practice chairing an Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) Committee: Principal as ARD Chair

Become familiar with the State Performance Plan Indicators as to how they relate to the campus plan

Think of what you will share at your next staff meeting

Change . . .

Acronym Activity

Sometimes it is all in how you

read something……

Administrative Expectations

What will you be doing????

Here are some assignments as reported by principals currently in the field.

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 more 38.3%

Dr. Debra Bravenec’s Study for Dissertation

IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Special Education

The Child-Centered Process

Definition of Special Education

Special Education:

Specially designed instruction,

At no cost to the parents,

To meet the unique needs of the student

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

CFR 300.26

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

Special Education

it is: personnel

curriculum

methodology

Special Educationis not a place.

It’s a SERVICE!!It’s a SERVICE!!

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

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.

G

E

N

E

R

A

L

Pre-referral Referral Special Ed.

ARD

Implementation

FIE / Yearly evaluation

Principles of IDEA

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

IDEA Recognized Disabilities

Disability categories in Texas(your students may carry one or more of these labels)

MR

OHI

AI

VI / Blind

AU

LD

ED

MDMD

DBDB

TBITBI

OIOI

SISI

DeafDeaf

NCEC (Texas only)NCEC (Texas only)

Students served in Texas public schools by disability

• Learning Disabilities 57.9%---- 46.81% (2007)

• Speech Impairments 15.5%---19.34% (2007)

• Mental Retardation 5.6%----5.74% (2007)

• Emotional Disturbance 7.9%---7.16% (2007)

• Other Health Impaired 7.8%----11.71% (2007)

• Multiple Disabilities 1%-----1.03% (2007)

• Autism 1%-----3.88% (2007)

• Hearing Impaired 1%----1.49% (2007)

• Orthopedically Impaired 1% ----0.98% (2007)

• Traumatic Brain Injury Less than 1% (.0018%)----0.27% (2007)

• Visually Impaired Less than 1% (.005%)----0.72%(2007)

• Deaf/Blind Less than 1% (.00016%) 0.02% (2007)

What is happening in Special Education?

Ages 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07

3-21 514,236 507,405 494,302

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/data/

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/

Do I really HAVE to do this?

Child-Centered Process

How do we get from general education to special education?

Reflect on your campus’ process for referring students to special education.

What does that look like?

Write the major steps down.

Appropriate Curriculum

What is the curriculum for Texas schools?

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%.

G

E

N

E

R

A

L

Pre-referral504 Referral to

Special Ed.

FIE / Yearly evaluation

ARD

Implementation

Pre-referral Process (Early Intervention Process)

Who?What?Where?When?How long?

Response to Intervention Model

A Sense of Urgency A student in the 10th percentile reads

about 60,000 words a year in 5th grade A student at the 50th percentile reads

about 900,000 words in a year in 5th grade

Average students receive about 15 times as much practice in a year

Growth in fluency requires a lot of accurate practice

So, You’re The ARD Chair?

What kind of “Chair” are you?

Think, Share, Pair

What statements

should you NEVER

hear at an ARD?

What statements should you ALWAYS hear at an ARD?

IEPIndividual Educational

Program

Background information to strengthen the

administrator’s role at ARD meetings!

Who is on the IEP team?

Parent(s) Regular Education teacher Special Education teacher Administrator Evaluation personnel Student Others

What would you do?

Superintendent calls you to meet with him at 10:00 a.m.

You have had a scheduled ARD for over a week on your calendar for the same time.

It is 9:45 a.m. and your sped teacher is asking for you to come to the meeting room.

Individualized Educational Program = Appropriate Education

What does the IEP have to have?

PLAFP (Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance)

Measurable annual goals

Special education & related services

Accommodations

Level of state assessment

Dates services are to be provided

Participation School activities

Transition

Progress

Age of Majority

What would you do?

The ARD meeting is in full swing, and the special education teacher does not review the annual goals for the child and says she will create them later.

Least Restrictive Environment

LRELeast 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,

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.”

What would you do?

The ARD committee begins the meeting by stating that little Joey will be served in the resource room for math because they have a great teacher to meet his needs.

To ensure LRE, the State...

Uses a system of placement neutral funding; Performance Based Monitoring and SPP for LRE

compliance; Clearer definition for “supplementary aids and

services”; Emphasizes the participation of students with

disabilities in the general curriculum;

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

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.

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!

Legal Framework:

. . . The answer to most of your questions!!

http://fw.esc18.net/frameworkdisplayportlet/

State Performance Plan:

Part of the Accountability System--- why every decision a principal has to make is so important!

Overview of SPP Six year plan submitted to OSEP. Evaluates the state’s efforts to implement IDEA Illustrates how the state will continuously improve Annual Performance Report (APR) shows progress

on measurable and rigorous targets and improvement activities

OSEP Determinations for Texas

Meets Requirements

Needs Assistance = Texas Needs Intervention Needs Substantial Intervention

TEA’s Determination Criteria for LEAs

•Performance on SPP compliance indicators (2008)

•Whether data submitted by LEAs is valid, reliable, and timely;

•Uncorrected noncompliance from other sources (complaints resolution, due process, and monitoring ;

•Any audit findings.

5 Monitoring Priorities20 Indicators (Performance and Compliance)

1. FAPE in the LRE

2. Disproportionality

3. Child Find

4. Transition

5. General Supervision

TEA Public Reporting 1. Graduation

2. Dropout3A-C. Adequate Yearly Progress4A-B. Suspension/Expulsion5A-C. Educational Environment, Ages 6-216. Educational Environment, Ages 3-57A-C. Early Childhood Outcomes8. Parent Participation9. Disproportionality in the sped program10. Disproportionality by specific disability11. Child Find12. Early Childhood Transition13. Secondary Transition14. Post-School Outcomes

Why should general education staff be concerned about the SPP?

Monitoring will be based on district data

Students with disabilities make up a districts’ overall student population

Students with disabilities graduate with the same diploma as their non-disabled peers

Consider Indicator #1 & #2: Graduation & Dropout

SO more sped dropout students means higher dropout rate for district and lower grad rate!

Consider Indicators 9, 10, 11:

SO if inappropriate referrals are made--- if inappropriate referrals are made---

Child Find numbers may create Child Find numbers may create OVERidentificationOVERidentification & disproportionality issues & disproportionality issues

General education teachers are the General education teachers are the first staff members to indicate if first staff members to indicate if students should be referred to students should be referred to special education,special education,

Disproportionality in Region 2

25 school districts out of 48 were identified

as being disproportionate

05-06 data

Baseline Data and Targets

We must meet or exceed State Targets for EACH indicator.

GENERAL EDUCATION communication is the key to improved results. Referrals Key members at ARDs Inclusion State Assessment knowledge

State targets

What are your district’s targets and how do you compare to the state?

Suggestions

Talk with your special education director Have principals well informed about the

implications of their ARD Decision-Making Inform all general education staff

Keep Your Eye on Data

SPEARS: http://hancock.tea.state.tx.us/tea.spears.web/

a. Child Countb. Instructional Settingc. Disproportionalityd. Exite. Disciplinary Actionf. Extended School Year

Final Thoughts

What will you take back to your staff meeting?

Fill out a “Next Steps” form.

Questions?