SC Public Charter School DistrictMonthly Special Education

Coordinator MeetingAugust 21, 2012

Agenda• Transfers into the District• Onsite Audit• Confidentiality/File Access• SC-Alt• Notification of the IEP Meeting• Excent

– Forms to use– Proper Membership Counts

• Yearly Calendar• IDEA Funds• Initials/Re-Evaluations

Welcome to the 2011 – 2012 School Year

Schools (18) Special Ed CoordinatorCalhoun Falls Charter School Sheila Newton Bradely

Cape Romain Environnemental Ed. C. S. Rebecca DuBose

East Point Academy Lisa SmithFox Creek High School Tammie Alan

Imagine Columbia Leadership Academy Vacant

Lake City College Preparatory Academy Marva Cannon

Palmetto Scholars Academy Marlene BaberPalmetto State E-cademy Pam Sanders

Provost Academy Karen SwoffordRoyal Live Oaks Academy Roxane Adesso

SC Calvert Academy Samantha SloanSC Connections Academy Nichole AdamsSC Virtual Charter School Peggy Phillips

SC Whitmore School Tia FletcherSpartanburg Charter School Amanda GaultYork Preparatory Academy Mark RetanYouth Leadership Academy Vacant

MLD Higher Learning Academy Earl Jefferson

Transferring into the District

• Remember, enrollment is a guarantee under the SC Charter School Law.

• Kids with IEPs should make it through the process at the same speed/rate as their non-disabled peers.

Transferring into the District

• Transfers within the state are similar to transfers out-of-state.

• The ONLY exception is that you (the LEA) can question eligibility for out-of-state. – When you have a question about a child

meeting eligibility coming in from out-of-state, contact Beckie Davis. She’ll want to see the transfer IEP and most current evaluation/reevaluation.

Transferring into the District

• Students transferring in with an IEP no more than 4 months expired should be treated like a transfer.

• This means:– Comparable Services (after consultation with the

parent/adult child) should begin immediately. This is documented on the comparable services form.

– Within 30 days the IEP team needs to meet to either:• Accept (rare)• Amend (most common)• Conduct a full annual review (only if you used these 30 days to

gather data to drive your present levels. All areas within the present levels must be updated to be considered an annual review).

Transferring into the District

• Do not “accept” something that is non-compliant.• Do not “amend” an IEP leaving something that is non-

compliant. IDEA doesn’t care that “that’s what the other district put on their IEP.”

• What if the parent brings you an IEP?– Great, still contact the previous district to get a copy of (at

minimum) their most current IEP and most current evaluation/reevaluation.

– What if there is a current reevaluation that dismissed the child?

– What if the previous district did not do a reevaluation in a timely manner?

Transferring into the District

• Don’t forget to log this into Placement History:– Transferred in with an identified disability.– The “transfer in date” means the date he

transferred in with an identified disability and you began providing special education services.

Transferring into the District

• If the mom “revokes consent”:– We have a form for this.– Still transfer the child into the district with a

disability (into Placement History)– Send in your revocation paperwork and we’ll

take care of the rest.

Transferring into the District

• What if during the transfer:– The parent emails you saying “This is my notice that I do not

want special education services, but I still want speech?”

– The parent emails you saying, “I know my child needs self- contained, but here is my waiver to come into the charter school so only provide resource?”

– The parent doesn’t tell you about the fact that the child had an IEP?

Transfers into the District

Onsite Audit

• Congratulations to the following schools for submitting all of their pre-visit documents by the timeline:

Onsite Audit

SchoolCalhoun Falls Charter SchoolSouth Carolina Connections AcademySouth Carolina Virtual Charter SchoolPalmetto State E-cademySpartanburg Charter SchoolSouth Carolina Calvert AcademyProvost Academy South CarolinaMary L. Dinkins Higher Learning AcademyYork Preparatory AcademyPalmetto Scholars AcademyLake City College Preparatory AcademyEast Point AcademySouth Carolina Whitmore SchoolImagine Columbia Leadership AcademyYouth Leadership AcademyCape Romain Environmental Edu CSFox Creek Charter School

• Next Step:– We will follow-up with you all individually with any questions that we

might have.

– If you need to make changes to what you have submitted (or we’ve asked you to correct/resubmit), email those documents to Mr. V.

• In the meantime, please continue to review your files with the 80-question checklist. Remember, this checklist isn’t anything more than “minimal compliance.”

• If something doesn’t pertain to you, then consider it N/A – For example, consent for services for a child who transferred it.

Onsite Audit

• On the 28th, be on the lookout for an email from us with your “pulled caseload.” – Make sure your Excent (placement history) is

accurate (see later slides)

• We will also create a file in the DropBox (by school) for each individual student.

Onsite Audit

• By the 31st, the following need to be dragged into the DropBox (per student):– Most current IEP (unless the IEP was just initiated – in that

case, the 11/12 and 12/13 IEP)• This includes the signed signature page

– Most current letter of notification (don’t forget about the one for the student for kids 12 and up)

– Most current minutes/PWN– Most current set of progress reports– Most current evaluation/reevaluation

• Including letters of invite, minutes/PWN– For kids found eligible under our district:

• Consent for services, permission to evaluate, evaluation/eligibility report

Onsite Audit

• As you are reviewing the documents preparing them to send to us, please look for compliance issues. DO NOT wait for us to find them.

• If you find something that’s questionable or if something appears to be out of compliance, contact Robbie immediately.

Onsite Audit

• On Tuesday, September 4th, we’ll follow-up individually with questions or concerns.

• BE PREPARED that we might instruct you to hold an IEP meeting immediately, so keep this in mind while you’re planning your time during the week of September 3rd and 10th.

Onsite Audit

• Interviews/Focus Groups– We do not know who/what the groups will be

(special education teachers, regular education teachers, principals, students, and parents).

– Once we do, we’ll let you know the parameters (who and when) of the meetings that need to be scheduled (phone or web).

Onsite Audit

 District Focus Areas 1. FERPA2. Confidentiality3. Surrogate Parents4. IEP Process (Directly from the law)5. Curriculum Questions6. Placement Decisions7. State Complaints (Questions will be

directed to superintendent.) 

 Principal Focus Areas 1. Parent Involvement (regular and special

education)2. Involvement with teachers3. Discipline for special education students4. Suspensions5. Behavior Interventions6. Roles in IEP Meetings7. Interfacing with the Director of Special

Education8. Accommodations9. Professional Development 

 Special Education Focus Areas 1. Curriculum (What we’re teaching)2. Caseloads3. Schedules4. Discipline Issues5. Planning6. Coordinating with general education

teachers7. Accommodations 

 General Education Focus Areas 1. Staff Development2. Special Education Information (How they

receive information)3. Discipline Policies4. Discipline issues5. IEP Meetings6. Coordinating with special education teachers 

 Parent Focus Areas 1. Number of years their child has been in

special education program2. Attendance at IEP meetings3. Do they feel like a valued member of the

IEP team4. How they feel about their child’s program5. Is the district helpful6. Transfer of rights information7. Transition information8. Relationship with teachers

 

 Student Focus Areas 1. Their participation in the IEP process2. How they feel (Do adults listen to them)3. Ask about their day (How they are treated)4. Transition goals 

Onsite Audit

• September 19th is the first day of our visit.

• If you are in the Columbia area, please come by at 8:45am – 10:00am for our district presentation to the auditors.

Onsite Audit

• Please be easily accessible on September 19th and 20th in case the SC Department of Education has any follow-up questions or requests additional documentation.

Onsite Audit

Confidentiality/File Access

• Just a few reminders:– Authorized Employee List:

• Authorized employees of the South Carolina Public Charter School District and YOUR SCHOOL who may access each child’s education record when there is a legitimate educational interest in reviewing the records. These employees are exempt from obtaining parental consent prior to accessing and reviewing the child’s educational record (§ 300.614).

• This includes people who can see EVERY STUDENT file because of the position:– Principal– Data Clerks– Registrars– Special Education Coordinators

• Then there are people who can see only specific students:– Individual teachers– Special education case managers– Individual guidance counselors– parents

Confidentiality/File Access

• Even for authorized employees, there must be a legitimate educational interest in reviewing the records.

• Be prepared to defend this . . .

Confidentiality/File Access

– Access into a file:• If individual education records are accessed by

anyone other than the authorized employees, a log of the individuals obtaining access to ther child’s records showing the name of the person given access, date access was given, and the purpose for which the individual was authorized to use the records is maintained and available upon request.

SC-Alt

• The SC-Alt is an alternate assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities who are assessed against alternate achievement standards as they are unable to participate in the general assessment program even with accommodations.

• This is SC’s ONLY alternate to PASS and HSAP.

SC-Alt

• SC-Alt is NOT:– For kids who are off grade level.– For kids who are struggling with the general curriculum.– For kids who “will hurt our school report card.”

• SC-Alt IS:– For students with significant cognitive disabilities.– For kids who are on a modified curriculum.– For students who are accessing the curriculum through

SC’s extended standards. link to extended standards– For students who have current adaptive skills requiring

extensive direct instruction.

SC-Alt

• The student demonstrates a significant cognitive disability and adaptive skills that result in performance that is substantially below grade-level achievement expectations even with the use of accommodations.

• The student accesses the state approved academic standards at less complex levels and with extensively modified instruction.

• The student has current adaptive skills requiring extensive direct instruction and practice in multiple settings to accomplish the application and transfer of skills necessary for application in school, work, home, and community environments.

• The student’s inability to achieve state grade-level achievement expectations is not the result of excessive or extended absences or social, cultural, or economic differences.

SC-Alt

• Because of the updated guidance and clarification by the SC Department of Education on the documentation that IEP Teams need to review for SC-Alt considerations, you’ll need to contact Robbie PRIOR TO an IEP Team making a SC-Alt determination.

SC-Alt

Notification of an IEP Meeting

• Just a reminder:– § 300.321 IEP Team.

(a) General. The public agency must ensure that the IEP Team for each child with a disability includes—

(1) The parents of the child; (2) Not less than one regular education teacher of the child (if the child is, or may be, participating in the regular education environment);

(3) Not less than one special education teacher of the child, or where appropriate, not less then one special education provider of the child; (4) A representative of the public agency who—(i) Is qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of, specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities; (ii) Is knowledgeable about the general education curriculum; and (iii) Is knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the public agency.

Meeting Notification

The LEA

Excent

Forms that can be used• Notification of the

meeting• the IEP*• Progress Reports

Forms that cannot be used• Consent for

evaluation/reevaluation • Consent for services• FBA/BIPs• PWN• Multi-Disciplinary Team

Reports• Summary of Performance• *Goal Banks

Excent: Forms

• Membership comes out of Placement History.

• Make sure your Placement History is up-to-date.

• Are all of the kids served by the school entered as “transferred in with identified disabilities?”

• Are all of your 2011-2012 kids who didn’t return or withdrew exited?– Cannot drop “no shows” until the 11th day. On the 11th day they are

dropped (dropped out) and their exit date is the 1st day of school.– Withdrawals can be dropped at any time on the date you received

withdrawal notice from the parent or records request from another school district (this doesn’t have to be a request for special ed records; it could be a general records’ request).

Excent: Membership Counts

• Membership Counts (exits) need to be as up to date as possible by the end of the day on August 27th.

• When we’re reviewing the audit list for the onsite visit, we don’t want to have to hear back “Oh, that child withdrew last year.”

Excent: Membership Counts

Yearly Special Education Calendar

• Sent in the email that contained this ppt, and found in the Dropbox (and given to your school leader during the August Leaders Meeting), is the yearly calendar.

• There are two sections:– Meetings (dates are firm and shouldn’t change).

• These meetings are mandatory– Reports (dates WILL CHANGE once the SCDE

updates its data calendar)• Will update the data due dates ASAP (late September) • Please observe the reports that are due in the summer.

Yearly Calendar

IDEA Funds

• We should receive our allocation in the next two weeks. It takes about 2 days to figure the schools’ allocations.

• Schools’ Allocations are based on:– Weighted Per Pupil Formula that is based on:

• Returning schools (including Fox Creek): December 1, 2011 Count

• 4 new schools: 5th day count (separate email)

IDEA Funds

• These are “above and beyond” funds.

• For example, if you want every child at your school to have an iPad, you cannot use your 203 Funds (IDEA) to fund this. You can use these funds to buy an iPad for 3 kids because 3 kids have “use of an iPad” in their IEPs.

IDE Funds

Initials and Reevaluations

• Don’t forget to check the DropBox for the Referral Process info

• Don’t send in partial referrals.

• Have you tried your school’s intervention team first?

Initials and Reevaluations

• Beckie is updating the Psych List as new ones come in.

• If you want to use a school psychologist who is not on the list, contact Beckie FIRST.

• Brick-and-Mortars, please try to secure a “permanent” school psychologist. This will be easier and cheaper in the long run.

Initials and Reevaluations

Questions

• Dates to Remember:– August 28 – list of students for the onsite from

the district (email)– August 31 – all files uploaded in the DropBox– September 11 (2:30pm) – Coordinator Meeting– September 19 (8:45am) – Onsite Visit Day 1

Questions