SC Public Charter School DistrictSpecial Education Coordinator TrainingSeptember 5, 2013

Agenda• Welcome and Introductions• SCDE OEC On-site Monitoring Follow-up• Comprehensive Program Review• Policy and Procedures• School-level Procedures

• Compliance within the IEP process• Transfers• PLOP• Annual Goals• Progress Monitoring

• FAPE Continuum• Child Find

• Restraint and Time Out• Disciplining SWD• Importance of PowerSchool

• Excent• Attachments

• Potpourri• Excent• Confidentiality/FERPA• Exiting• Medicaid • Budgeting• EFA Coding in PowerSchool• Data• Dates

• Closing/Questions

Introductions

Who we are – • Robbie Compton, Ph.D.

• Director of Federal Programs and School Safety• 803-734-8067; 803-230-9593 (cell)

• Beckie Davis• Director of Special Services • 803-734-8050; 803-312-2491 (cell)

• Zenobia Ealy• Special Education Data Manager (Excent/data)• In addition to PowerSchool• 803-734-4151

• Vamshi Rudrapati (Mr. V)• Assistant Director of Federal Programs (forms)• In addition to Title I, Title III, and homeless • 803-734-1105; 803-603-6433 (cell)

Who we are – • Mariann Carter

• Upstate Regional Coordinator • 803-734-8067; 803-230-9593 (cell)• mcarter@sccharter.org

• Nichole Adams• Midlands and Virtual Regional Coordinator • 803-603-6590 (cell)• nadams@sccharter.org

• Debbie Dawsey-Davis• Lowcountry Regional Coordinator• 803-603-8424 (cell)• ddawsey-davis@sccharter.org

• Mr. V• Pee Dee Regional Coordinator • 803-735-1105; 803-603-6433 (cell)• vrudrapati@sccharter.org

LOOK BACK

• Over the past year, we’ve had:• 4 State Complaints

• 2 were withdrawn by parents• 2 were investigated• 1 found to be in violation which resulted in the school reviewing 100% of their IEPs for compliance. Out

of 105 IEPs, 101 were determined to be non-compliant.• 1 found to be in volition which resulted in the school reviewing 3 files.

• 1 request for mediation • 2 OCR Complaints

• 1: accommodations• 1: continuum of services

Reflection of 2012 - 2013

SCE ONSITE MONITORING FOLLOW-UP

SCDE Onsite Monitoring Follow-up• On March 5, 2013, the SCDE completed and sent to the district the results of their onsite

monitoring visit. The district was cited for non-compliance in a variety of areas (based on the review of the IEPs).

• As a result:• The district has updated it’s policies and procedures (with school-level procedures built in)• The district has provide training in a variety of targeted areas• The district has developed a school-level monitoring tool (Comprehensive Program Review)

• What’s left to do:• Individual student-level corrections• The district will send to everyone within a week a spreadsheet of the students who need some sort

of corrective action• This list will include instructions • The deadline to make the required corrections (as per the SCDE corrective action form) is October

18, 2013

COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM REVIEW

• Resulting from a variety of events (SCDE visit, NACSA visit, authorization best practices, and through our own observations), the district has created a monitoring tool called the Comprehensive Program Review (CPR).

• The Comprehensive Program Review (CPR) is a transparent and collaborative process used by the South Carolina Public Charter School District (District) to monitor schools' compliance with the various rules and regulations governing the education of students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004. The CPR will consist of the following:• Onsite visits to the school or telephone/video conference;• Review of documentation: records, resources, materials, policy/procedures; and• Consultation with staff

Comprehensive Program Review (CPR)

• The CPR occurs annually during the Fall semester. District staff and/or Regional Coordinators will schedule the CPR with each assigned school. Follow-up on progress with the Action Plan and/or Improvement Plan will be provided by March 15.

• How:• School Procedures:

• Complete the Self-Assessment rating • 0-Does not meet - No evidence of any degree of implementation or compliance• 1-Partially meets - Partial plan in place to meet legal requirements• 2-Meets - Plan is 100% in place and meets legal requirements

• Prepare and describe evidence for the various compliance requirements to be reviewed by District staff and/or Regional Coordinators

• District Procedures:• Examine the school's ratings and evidence for each rating• Provide justification for each rating of 0 or 1• Determine the level of priority:

• Low and Medium levels require an Improvement Plan (IP)* developed in conjunction with the Regional Coordinator• High level requires an Action Plan (AP) developed in conjunction with District staff

Comprehensive Program Review (CPR)

SHAREPOINT

SharePoint• http://sccharter-web.sharepoint.com/

• All forms, policies, and resources are on SharePoint

• Print as needed since these are updated often

• From Excent, use only the following:• IEP• Meeting Notice• Progress Report

• Forms and Procedural Safeguards cannot be modified.

Let’s Talk Policies

Policies and Procedures • As previously discussed, this year’s policies also include a section for the insertion of school-level procedures.

• Schools must adopt our policies.

• The areas that schools need to address are:• Cover page (including school logo)• Assurances (p. 4)• Child Find (p. 12)• Procedural Safeguards (p. 15)• Monitoring of Suspensions (p. 21)• IAES (p. 22)• Serving students aged 21 (p. 35)• Sending Paperwork (p. 35)• LEA Designee (p. 36)• Meeting Notices (p. 37)• Transfers (p. 43)

• School’s must submit their signed copies of their Policies and Procedures to their regional coordinator by Tuesday, September 17th.

PUTTING THE “I” IN IEP

TRANSFERS INTO THE DISTRICT

IEPs (Transfers)• VI (F)• Regardless of how the parent completes the enrollment information regarding previous

special education services, it is the responsibility of the new school to verify whether or not the student received special education and related services in the previous district.

• Since this is a transfer of educational records from the child’s previous LEA to the South Carolina Public Charter School District, no consent for release of documents is required.

Written, school-level procedures

• How do you identify newly-enrolled students who have IEPs?• How/who requests records?• What happens if you don’t get records within 5 days?• Once you get records, what happens?

School Requirements• Verify the student’s special education status with the previous school district – even if the

parent “marks no.”

• If you find out that the child has an IEP:• Request full records:

• At a minimum:• Current IEP• Most current evaluation report

• Make request to the former district’s director of special education, not the school (contact list located in SharePoint)

• If, after a few attempts and reasonable amount time, you do not receive IEP records, contact Robbie for assistance.

Comparable Services• “Comparable” services

• Not going from 1950 minutes of special education services to 60

• Not dropping the behavior/counseling goal because “we don’t do that here”

• Not dropping the fine motor goal because “we don’t have an OT”

• How do you determine comparable services?

comparable services• An IEP team determines comparable services. • It involves two things:• The transfer IEP• Parental Input

• There are two meeting options:• Full IEP meeting• Agreement to amend IEP

• 2 options = 1 form

• Comparable services meeting must take place within 5 days of enrollment.

Between Comparable Services to 30-day meeting

• Gather data . . . . .• Monitor/adjust . . . .• Try interventions . . . . .• Monitor/adjust . . . .• Gather Data . . . .

30-day IEP meeting

Team can only make changes if there are new data to support

making changes

IEPs (Transfers)• VI (F)(1)• Within thirty calendar days from the date of enrollment the South Carolina Public Charter

School District will:

• adopt the child’s IEP from the previous LEA,• amend the child’s IEP from the previous LEA, or • develop and implement a new IEP.

MEETING SUMMARY/PWN

• We require minutes and a PWN every time an IEP team meets.

• The minutes are not meant to be transcriptions but general notes and discussions for the IEP.

• Minutes are not required to be signed.

• PWN must be completely filled out every time in which the child’s FAPE was discussed. • Samples are found on SharePoint

• At the conclusion of the meeting, the parent will receive the signed IEP, minutes, and PWN.

IEPs (Minutes/PWN)

Changes in an IEP cannot be implemented until the parent has

received the PWN

PWNs

THE IEP: PRESENT LEVELS

• There must be a link throughout the complete IEP. The link begins with the present level and it expands to all areas:• Accommodations• Services• Annual Goals• LRE• PSGs• . . .

The Link

PLAAFP• Foundation of the IEP• All the rest of the IEP is built on these• Must include an individualized statement of how the disability affects the child’s

progress in the general education setting• Can’t just be a statement that says, “John’s learning disability adversely impacts his access

and progress in the general curriculum”• Must be• Current• Data-based• Descriptive• Understandable

ANNUAL GOALS

Annual Goals• Annual goals, or objectives, CANNOT have a mastery statement that says:• As evidenced by an increase on MAP by 5 points• As evidenced by passing the PASS (or HSAP)• As measured by a passing grade in Math.• As measured by a final grade of 83% in English IV• As shown by a standard score increase of 5 points on the Woodcock-Johnson.• By meeting 4 out of the 5 short-term objectives.

• For all the measurements above - MAP, PASS, HSAP, grades in class, and Woodcock-Johnson, the score reflects a global score and not a specific skill deficit. A RIT score cannot tell you if the child can tell time on a clock.

• The MAP, PASS, HSAP, and Woodcock Johnson are not meant to be given 4 times a year which is at least how often we need to be measuring progress and sending home progress reports.

• For passing a class . . . This is EVERY KID’s goal . . . There is nothing “special” about that education.

• Which objective is not important?

PROGRESS REPORTS

IEPs (Progress Reports)• The South Carolina Public Charter School District will report to the parents the

child’s progress towards each annual goal at a frequency defined by the IEP, but in no case less than progress is reported to the child’s non-disabled peers. The reporting may be carried out in writing or through a meeting with the parents (including documentation of information shared at the meeting)

• Must be every 9 weeks (at a minimum)

• Must be based on data; can’t just have a general statement that says “progressing” or “may meet annual goal by end of the year” without data to support. See handout: Seattle School District

ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodations

• If it’s listed as a testing accommodation, it MUST be listed as an instructional accommodation and used by the student during typical instruction.• Must have a method of documenting the provision of

accommodations from the IEP• How are you going to answer a parent, district staff, SDE staff,

OCR, … when we ask, “How do I know the student received the accommodations?”

RECORDS IN EXCENT

Records• The following must be uploaded into Excent as an attachment:• Transfer IEP and any previous evaluation/reevaluation reports (from the previous district)• Comparable services form• Completely signed IEP (not just the signature page)• Minutes/PWN• Evaluation/Reevaluation paperwork:

• Consent for evaluations• Consent for services• Signed Evaluation/Reevaluation Report

• Schools still need to maintain hard copies of the child’s IEP folder• What does not get uploaded:• Work samples• Notes between parents and teacher• Test protocols

FAPE CONTINUUM

• Every “eligible child” under IDEA is entitled to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) through the services of his/her IEP.

• Charter schools are expected to provide a continuum of services and placement options.• Not a FULL continuum in every school, but a continuum.

Continuum of Services

• http://sccharter-web.sharepoint.com/Documents/SPED%20Rights%20SWD%20to%20Attend.pdf

• For students who require special education services that are beyond what is reasonable for the charter school to provide, an IEP Team will be convened to arrange for provision of needed services.

• Charter schools within the SCPCSD are held to the same standards and regulations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as traditional public schools. In some cases, the parent’s request to remain in the school of choice (charter school) cannot be granted because the IEP team determines that in order to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to a student; the services must be provided in a different setting, such as a child’s district of residence. Just like a traditional district, individual schools are not required to provide an exhaustive list of placement options within that one school. This decision will be made through an IEP meeting. You will be invited to the meeting. When the meeting occurs, the IEP Team will determine what the child’s needs are and how those needs will be met. If the IEP team determines that a FAPE cannot be provided to the student within the current charter school setting, the SCPCSD will contact the school district of residence to determine if there is a program within that school district that can meet the child’s needs. If so, based on the IEP team’s decision, placement will be made, and responsibility will return to the school district of residence.

Continuum of Services

Continuum of Services• The district has the responsibility to provide a full continuum of services. This means that in

some cases, the district might set up a multi-district agreement in situations when FAPE cannot be provided in a particular school.

• This is a IEP team decision that involves district office staff.

• These are handled case-by-case.

• Contact Robbie immediately when you have had a child enroll and been accepted to your school who is coming with intensive services and supports.

• Latest OCR Complaint

REFERRAL PROCESS (CHILD FIND)

Child Find Procedures• In accordance with federal law, the South Carolina Public Charter School District

assumes responsibility for the location, identification and evaluation of all children age 3 and 21 who are enrolled in any of the schools chartered with the South Carolina Public Charter School District and who reside within the State of South Carolina and who require special education and related services. This includes children who are suspected of having a disability even though they are advancing from grade to grade (34 C.F.R. § 300.111(a)(c)).

Child Find

• Must be publicized• Easiest way to do this is on your school’s website• See district-provided sample

• Could send this out in the school newsletter• Post on bulletin boards at school• Must include information about how parents and staff refer a child

for an evaluation if there is a reason to suspect the child may have a disability under IDEA (contact name, contact information)

• Must also include contact information for the school district in which your school is located or a link to the OEC coordinators’ list

Child Find• Regardless of whether the parent supports the referral or not, school staff is required

by state and federal laws to refer the child for an evaluation• This means gathering the referral information• Scheduling an evaluation planning meeting• Requesting consent to evaluate

• The parent has the right to deny consent to evaluate• Typically this stops the process*

Initials

Student Name: Grade: Teacher:

Referral Packet Checklist I tems Needed Included

in Packet Referral Form: Parent Request (required if parent makes the request; optional if the school is making the request)

Referral Form: Teacher Request (required for all referrals)

SIT (RTI ) I nformation, including progress monitoring data

Developmental History Vision Screening Hearing Screening Other Relevant info (previous I EP, 504 Plan, outside evaluation reports, MAP or PASS Scores, etc.)

Student Grade Report Attendance I nformation Discipline Referrals* Behavioral I nterventions and progress monitoring data* Additional * if the referral concerns social/emotional issues, then these are required.

Student’s Name:

Submitted by:

My name above indicates that I certify that I have reviewed the information in the attached forms to ensure that all required information is included.

Referral Packets• These are to be sent to your Regional Coordinator• Packets must be complete• Referral information must be gathered promptly when there is reason to suspect the

child may have a disability• A referral cannot be delayed to implement RtI process if there is a reason to suspect

the child may have a disability• If the child has not been through the RtI/SIT process prior to referral, you’ll have to

run the RtI process during the evaluation process• The RtI progress monitoring data become part of the evaluation process

Initial Evaluation• Review existing information• Determine whether additional information is needed• If yes, get Parent Consent to Evaluate and give PWN• Gather additional information within 60 days• Review all information and determine eligibility/need within 15 days of completing

the evaluation• Sign the report

• Get Parent Consent for Initial Provision of Special Education Services • Develop an IEP within 30 days of eligibility determination• Implement IEP as soon as possible, but must be after PWN is provided

Permission to Evaluate• If the team determines that additional information must be

collected in order to determine eligibility, the team must get informed written consent to evaluate before gathering this additional information

• The consent for evaluation form is currently on SharePoint (school only)

YOU CANNOT GET CONSENT TO EVALUATE UNTIL THE EVALUATION PLANNING TEAM HAS MET AND DETERMINED WHAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THE TEAM NEEDS; UNTIL THE TEAM MAKES THESE

DECISIONS, THE PARENT DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE/SHE IS GIVING CONSENT FOR

Permission to Evaluate• If you do not get consent to evaluate signed at the evaluation

planning meeting, document the date you received the consent• Your receipt of the consent starts the 60-day evaluation timeline• If the parent REFUSES consent to evaluate, contact Beckie• If you make reasonable efforts to obtain consent to evaluate (and

document these attempts) and the parent does not respond, contact Beckie to discuss how to proceed• These attempts should be made within the 3 weeks following the

evaluation planning meeting

Reevaluations

Questions to be answered by a reevaluationDoes the student continue to have a disability or to have an additional disability?Does the student continue to need sp ed?What are the student’s present levels of education need?Do any changes need to be made to the IEP?

Reevaluations

• Same process as initial evaluation:• Review existing data• Determine whether additional info is needed• Get consent if need additional info• Review all info and determine continued eligibility/need• Sign the report

• Revise IEP, if needed

Permission to Reevaluate• If the team determines that additional information must be

collected in order to answer the reevaluation questions, the team must get informed written consent to reevaluate before gathering this additional information

• The consent for reevaluation form is on SharePoint• If the parent REFUSES consent to reevaluate, contact Beckie• If the team makes reasonable efforts to obtain consent to

reevaluate (and documents these attempts) and the parent does not respond, the team can go ahead and gather the additional information without parent consent

If the team suspects the child may be eligible under an additional disability category, involve your school

psychologist and/or speech-language therapist during the initial reevaluation planning meeting

RESPONSIBILITIESResponsibilities

PLEASE NOTE

The Evaluation/Reevaluation and Eligibility Determination Report is required for ALL initial evaluations and ALL reevaluations regardless of the student’s disability

category

(and yes, this means even “Speech-only” students)

• PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A FORMAL REPORT• MAKE SURE YOUR LANGUAGE IS PROFESSIONAL• COMPLETE SENTENCES• CHILD/PARENT-FRIENDLY LANGUAGE

WHEN WRITING, REMEMBER THAT OTHER DISTRICTS, PHYSICIANS, PSYCHOLOGISTS,… MIGHT BE READING THIS REPORT

Report

• Your Regional Coordinator will “proof” the report• You are responsible for attaching the report in Excent

with the signature page and getting a copy to the parent and any other team member who needs it

Gathering additional information

• The school special education coordinator is responsible for coordinating all initial evaluations and reevaluations and ensuring that the evaluations and reevaluations are completed within time lines• This means coordinating any outside assessment the team has requested

(OT, speech, doctor’s documentation for OHI)• This year this also includes contracting for assessments by a school

psychologist• You must have a school psychologist present for all evaluation planning

and eligibility meetings (except for speech-only evaluations where you must have an SLT)

• Staff assigned to gather additional information as part of initial evaluations and reevaluations are responsible for notifying you as soon as he/she has gathered his/her assigned information

Role as Special Education CoordinatorTo complete the gathering of additional information within the specified time line, this may mean you’ve got to

NAG, NAG, NAG

Evaluations/Reevaluations

As the special education coordinator, you are responsible

for completing all of the Evaluation/ Reevaluation and

Eligibility Determination Report

Signature Page

• Make sure to note anyone who attended via phone conference on both this report and the meeting minutes• The report gets signed once the evaluation/reevaluation process is

completed• Do not sign after the evaluation/reevaluation planning meeting• Do sign after eligibility/continued eligibility is determined

DISCIPLINING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

DISCIPLINE AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

DISCIPLINE AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

School administrators are given authority to discipline students. Each school has a Code of Conduct that informs students of school rules and discipline procedures.

The Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004), Section 504 of the

Rehabilitation Act, and South Carolina law tell the school administrators what steps must be taken when disciplining a student with a disability.

If a student has an Individual Education Program (IEP) or a 504 plan, then there are special procedures that the school district must follow when disciplining that student.

DISCIPLINE AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

• Students with disabilities can be suspended for up to 10 days like any other students. However, students with disabilities have special rights if the school wants to suspend them for more than 10 days or expel them. Expulsion and suspensions over 10 days have such an effect on a special education student that they are considered a change in placement.

• School services for a child in special education must be decided by the student’s whole IEP team. The IEP team includes the child’s parent as well as school members. So, a school cannot just decide on its own to change a student’s placement.

MANIFESTATION MEETING• If a school wants to expel or suspend a student over 10 days, it must call a

meeting of the IEP team. This meeting is known as a “manifestation meeting,” and it must be held within 10 school days of the school’s notice of suspension over 10 days or expulsion. This meeting is to determine if the behavior was caused by, or had a direct and substantial relationship to the child’s disability. The IEP team should also look to see if the child’s IEP was being followed.

****FBA/BIP, Accommodations, Parental Contact, Documentation

• If the IEP team decides that the behavior was a manifestation of the student’s disability, the district cannot expel the student or suspend them for over 10 days. If the behavior was NOT a manifestation, the district CAN expel or suspend the student for over 10 days. The student will still be entitled to educational services while suspended or expelled.

• Discipline of students with disabilities is the most litigious area of special education.

• This area of IDEA is poorly defined and clear as mud.

• Schools should develop an internal process to alert administrators to the fact that it’s a child with a disability and the number of days of ISS and OSS.

• Any changes of placement because of behavior involves a member of the district office staff.

• When in doubt, call.

Reminders

Restraint and Time Out

2 state workers charged with breaking youth’s arm • Two state Department of Juvenile Justice employees were arrested and charged with

breaking a juvenile’s arm while restraining him, State Law Enforcement Division officials said.

• Roy E. Alston, 47, of Gaston and Conrad Jacob Pearson, 32, of Irmo were each charged Tuesday with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.

• According to warrants, a juvenile asked for medicine on June 16,2004, and was ignored by the employees. As punishment, they took him to a room and told him to follow additional orders, but he refused. The employees restrained him, causing the injury, the warrants stated.

• The State : 07/22/2005

Remember:

An incident moves to a whole new level when a staff member puts his/her hands on a student!

Procedures

• Physical restraint should only be used when the student is posing immediate physical danger to self or others. (Not when he is obnoxious, noncompliant, or destroying objects).

• Only staff members holding current CPI certification

should restrain students and they should use CPI techniques.

News Flash!!!!

• The District will support you only if you use CPI approved techniques when you are restraining a student.

• Warning: A lot of our schools have cameras . . . So be aware.

CYA

• Following a physical restraint, the student must be examined by the school nurse (or administrator) before going home. The nurse should document the exam.

Documentation

• Administrators and parents should be verbally informed of the restraint the day it occurs.

• Call mom before she hears the student’s version of the story.

• Within 24 Hours, written description of the incident should be given to the administrator and to the parent.

In Addition:

• When there is a recurring need to restrain a student, it must be included in the IEP (FBA/BIP).

• Nothing in the procedure prevents a staff member from using reasonable force to protect a student or staff member from imminent serious harm.

Time Out Procedures

Time Out is a technique that moves a student from a highly rewarding environment to a less reinforcing situation.

It works because the student wants to return to the class he finds rewarding.

FLASH !!!!

•Time Out will backfire if the student finds the classroom boring or negative.

•The student may even do things to get put in Time Out to escape the class!

Time Out Continuum

•Remains in the group but can only observe.•Removed from group, still in the room.•Removed from room.•Placed in Seclusion Time Out.•Placed in a Locked Time Out

Seclusion Time Out:

•Places the student in a room away from others.

•Must be in the IEP ( FBA/BIP).

•Should be done by someone with CPI training.

Rules For Seclusion Time OutThe Room must:•Be well Ventilated• Free of Objects •Allow for continuous staff monitoring•Be of sufficient space and height•Window made of safety glass, not wire

glass.

A student can be placed in locked Time Out only if:

The lock is electromagnetic and automatically disengages during a fire alarm.

OR A staff member continually holds the

mechanism locking the door.

ORThe door is secured by a latch and the staff member is

continually holding the latch.

Warning: Don’t get in a tug of war with a student when using a latched door. The door could slam on the student’s hand causing injury.

Documentation

• The administrator and parent need to be informed of a seclusion time out.

• A log should be kept of how often Time Out is used.

• The IEP Team should review the practice if Time Out is frequently needed.

For more information• See S/R document from South Carolina Department of Education.

POTPOURRI

Excent

Excent • Don’t forget to update teachers’ caseloads (assigning rights): done through link

found on SharePoint.• Review the list from Zenobia – anyone who is not at your school that has something other

than “no role selected” needs to be removed.

• Zenobia or I can make mass changes (moving 100% of someone’s caseload to another teacher)

• Any student or IEP that needs to be deleted should be sent to Robbie

CONFIDENTIALITY

Confidentiality/FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) andIDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)

A Legal Protection of Privacy

• A child’s educational records often contain private personal information about the child and the family

Confidentiality of Records

• In the course of determining a child’s eligibility for special education services and designing a program to meet the child’s needs, schools may acquire a good bit of information about a child.

• This information includes social and medical history. As well as medical and other personal information about the student and other members of the family

FERPA (Confidentiality)• Family Education Rights and Privacy Act• Key Legal Terms

• “Need to Know”• those with “legitimate educational interest” This is considered to be

those who act in the student’s educational interest, including faculty, administrators, clerical and professional employees, and other persons who manage student record information.

• “Personally Identifiable Information”• anything that identifies a specific child.

• Example: If there is only one blond boy in the school and you say, “that blond kid in my class did this,” you have violated the FERPA.

• “Educational Record”• Must be connected in some way to personally identifiable information

and must be shared with another school district employee or placed in an filing system owned by the district. Beware, even sometimes, personal notes may be subpoenaed.

Viewing Student Records

• Must have a need to know in order to view student records• The superintendent cannot look at student files unless he or she

has a need to know, even though they are the highest ranking official of the district.

• When in doubt, don’t!• It’s okay to ask for help and support.

Sharing Student Records• Use the “need to know” standard• Some people do not need permission

• Examples of people who do not need permission:• School Districts in which a student is seeking to enroll.• Biological parents• Adoptive parents• Legal guardian

• Individual acting as a parent in the absence of a natural parent or guardian

• DSS, when reporting abuse or neglect.• Some people need written permission

• Examples of people who do need permission:• Outside private agencies• Family members not meeting the definition of a parent.• Physicians

• When in doubt, don’t!

FERPA Examples• Casual conversation in the teacher’s lounge, hall, etc.

• Sharing with your friends or family members• Sharing with the student’s friends or non-guardian family

members• Can’t talk to grandma, aunt, etc. unless they are acting as the

custodial parent or guardian

• The South Carolina Public Charter School District keeps a record of parties obtaining access to education records collected, maintained or used under Part B of the IDEA (except access by parents and authorized employees of the participating agency), including the name of the party, the date access was given and the purpose for which the party is authorized to use the records. The South Carolina Public Charter School District, including each school within, maintains a list of authorized employees who have access to educational records.

• Each school needs to maintain a list of “authorized employees”• For everyone else who is not “authorized” they will need to sign showing access to the file.

• See handout as a sample. The samples can be found on SharePoint.

Sample School File “Check out” Procedures

• Complete the orange “check out” sheet included in every active district file by providing…• The date the file was removed• The name of the person removing and keeping the file• The reason the file was removed• Place the orange card in the student’s empty hanging file

• To return files…• Provide the date • cross out the entire line• Return the orange “check out” card to the front of the file• Place the file in the student’s hanging file

• A Sample Form is included on SharePoint

FERPA• Additional FERPA training and resources will be discussed and made available during

the monthly coordinator meetings.

EXITING FROM EXCENT

Exiting• Here are the only options for exiting a child with an IEP:• No Longer Eligible for Services

• ONLY done through a reevaluation• Certain services (SLP/OT/PT) can be ceased through reevaluation

• No consent required to exit a child• Graduates with a high school diploma• Moved know to be continuing (transferred to another district)• Reached maximum age (21)• Drops Out• Dies • Revokes consent for ALL SERVICES under IDEA (District handles this

one – send your signed revocation form to Mr. V.)• No such thing as revoking certain services

MEDICAID

Medicaid

Following the on-site SDE visit, we no longer bill for Medicaid.

If you have questions about Medicaid, please contact Robbie.

EFA CODING AND POWERSCHOOL

EFA Coding for Students with Disabilities• South Carolina Education Finance Act of 1977

• What does this mean?• In order to enter into PowerSchool an EFA Disability-Related code (a

code that carries a higher weight than the base EL, MS, and HS codes), the child must:• Have a current IEP• Match the EFA Disability-Related Code on the cover page of the IEP*• Meet the minimum number of minutes of instructional time per week as

decided upon by the IEP based on the unique needs of the child

*not necessary the primary disability, but the highest weighted disability.

EFA Weights

EFA Coding for Students with Disabilities• IDEA does not say that all children must have an IEP that has at least 250

minutes a week in order to qualify for special education.

• IDEA does not say that all children who attend a particular program/school have “carbon-copied” IEPs.

• IDEA does not define the services based on the disability category.

• IDEA does not define a ratio of direct to indirect services.

• IDEA does say that an individualized plan must be developed in order for the child to:• Have access to the general curriculum• Be instructed in the general curriculum• Progress through the general curriculum

EFA Coding for Students with Disabilities• With this said:• The only students who can have disability-related EFA codes listed in PowerSchool are the

ones with:• current IEPs

AND• Meet the minimum number of special education services per week (250 minutes per week for

all categories, except speech which is a minimum of 50 minutes per week of speech services)

• This is something that is checked during the District’s monitoring.• Understand that we will check your documentation of indirect services,

EFA• A school leader or special education coordinator CANNOT under any circumstances

require that IEPs be changed to increase the number of minutes in order to receive EFA funds.

• As with all decisions on IEPs, the number of minutes each student receives MUST be made by the team and be based on data and nothing else – not parent request, administrative convenience, funding, ….• Both state and district staff will be monitoring this as part of the compliance review• Data for all decisions made by an IEP team must be readily available to support decisions

made

IDEA FUNDS

IDEA Funds• Mostly same process as last year:• October (receive allocation)• School’s develop budget• One amendment (end of March)• NO EQUIPMENT may be purchased with Fund 203 without prior approval from the district

(Director of Student Services)

• Changes:• Principal will sign assurances• District will monitor use of IDEA Fund

DATA REPORTS

What to Expect• Tables 1 & 3 (December 1 Count): October/November • Table 2 (personnel): February• Table 6 (Assessment): March, April, and May• ESY: June 2013• Table 5 (discipline): June 2013• Indicator 7 (COSF): June 2013• Indicator 11 (60-day timeline): July 2013• Table 4 (Exit): July 2013

• The yearly calendar is found on SharePoint

MONTHLY COORDINATOR WEB MEETINGS

• It is expected that schools’ special education coordinators are in attendance.

• The calendar is found on SharePoint.

• The meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month at 2:30pm

Monthly Web Coordinator Meetings

Questions?

If we don’t know the answer, we’ll be glad to make it up!