NIMAS/Florida

Is about student achievement!

What we’ll cover…

• NIMAS Basics• NIMAS Journey in Florida• Our Responsibilities• NIMAS Resources• Questions

The Legal Connection

• IDEA 2004–Core instructional materials in

specialized formats–Timely manner–NIMAS/NIMAC

NIMASNational Instructional Materials Accessibility

Standard

NIMAS is a “standard” that is used by K-12 textbook publishers when producing electronic files of their textbooks. NIMAS facilitates the creation of accessible core instructional materials for qualified students with disabilities.

• Repository that houses NIMAS XML files that can be converted into accessible formats for use with qualified K-12 students

• Books published after August 2006

• Maintains procedures to protect against copyright infringement of accessible core instructional materials

NIMAC National Instructional Materials Access Center

What does a NIMAS

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NIMAS/Florida at FIMC-VI

• Is the sole Authorized User (AU) for the State of Florida and orders all NIMAS-derived files from the NIMAC

• Arranges for files to be converted by an Accessible Media Producer (AMP)to the appropriate specialized format

• Delivers converted files to District Digital Rights Managers (DRMs)

• District DRM delivers accessible materials to school/student

What are “print instructional materials”?

IDEA defines them as…

“printed textbooks and related core instructional materials that are written and published primarily for use in elementary school and secondary school instruction and are required by a state education agency or school district for use by students in the classroom.” [20 U.S.C. 1474(e)(3)(C)]

FormatsIEP team determines appropriate accessible formats

Braille Audio

Large Print Digital Text

Specialized formats do not alter content of the print material.

NIMAS Eligible Students A Subset of Students who

Receive Special Education Services

•IDEA • NIMAS

From the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs Presentation NIMAS (RIM 2007)

http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,dynamic,TopicalArea,10,

NIMAS Journey in Florida

IEP Team Responsibilities Related to NIMAS

• Students with disabilities are to be provided access to the general curriculum with appropriate services, accommodations, aids and supports to make satisfactory education progress.

• Providing core instructional materials in an accessible format is an accommodation that may be considered by the IEP team.

IEP Team Responsibilities

The IEP team should examine information gained through • evaluation, • student progress monitoring, and • diagnostic educational testing

to determine if the student requires specialized formats.

IEP Team Responsibilities

According to the NIMAS TAP, the IEP Team must:

• Determine that a student is unable to read print material in a normal manner

• Ensure that the student is certified as

print-disabled by a competent authority• Determine specialized format

appropriate for the student and specify in IEP

Determine if student is unable to read print material in a normal manner

• Learning Media Assessments• Informal reading inventories• Current levels of performance (IEP)• Observations• Work samples• Medical diagnosis

Qualifying Information

For student’s with reading disabilities• Doctor of Medicine (competent authority)

completes the *Physician Certification/Physician’s Role form

• Once received by the school the certifying professional fills out the *NIMAS Qualifying Information form

Determine specialized format

and specify on IEP

• Braille• Audio• Large print• Digital text

What to document on the IEP

• Specific format(s) to be provided (braille, audio, digital text, or large print)

• Services and/or assistive technology needed to use the specialized format

• Individual(s) responsible• Use in other environments (i.e. home) to

receive Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

Where to document…

• Evaluation information should be included in the student’s present level of academic achievement and performance.

• Types of specialized formats of core instructional materials the student requires may be listed in the accommodations section of the IEP and/or in the section addressing supplemental aids and services section.

• If additional assistive technology and/or services are required to use the alternate formats of instructional materials, this may also be documented in the supplemental aids and services section of the IEP.

• If student requires instruction in the use of specialized/alternate formats and/or assistive technology, then an annual goal is needed.

Where to document…

After the IEP Meeting

Compile a list of needed textbooks and core instructional materials and corresponding ISBN numbers – *ISBN Tips & Tricks

– Get information directly from student’s textbooks

– With this information schools can search the NIMAC inventory at http://nimac.privatereserve.com/Search.aspxto see if files are in the NIMAC

After the IEP Meeting

Gather all information regarding the book’s:

• ISBN• Title• Author(s)• Copyright Date• Publisher

• Alternate Format required

• Shipping Location• Subject• Grade level• Alternate versions

*ISBN, or International Standard Book Number, is a unique numeric identifier. The ISBN has either 10 or 13 digits. A national edition of a textbook will have a different ISBN than a Florida Edition.

After the IEP Meeting

• Complete the *NIMAS Student Registration form

• Send information to district DRM to enter into the database

• District DRM receives acknowledgement from NIMAS/Florida that book order has been received and action is being taken.

While Waiting, Ancillary Titles, or Older Copyrights

Districts may need to:• Read text aloud to students• Create digital versions of text portions via

scanning• Record or enlarge portions of texts

needed by students• Transcribe text portions into braille and

graphics to tactile graphics

• Check availability at – Bookshare

http://www.bookshare.org/

– RFB&D

http://www.rfbd.org/

• Check other sources of online e-books such as Project Gutenberg, etc.

Other options to discuss with DRMs

• Catalog of Florida State-Adopted Instructional Materials

www.fldoe.org/bii/instruct_mat/catalog1.asp

• Florida State Book Depository

www.fsdb.com/browse_search.asp

Other options to discuss with DRMs

Contact publishers

Contact publishers directly to request an accessible version of needed core instructional and supplemental materials

• Web based html version• Locked/unlocked PDFs • CD version

Copyright

• NIMAS/FL, districts, schools, and student users are all bound by legal commitments to assure compliance with the exemption to copyright granted to students meeting the eligibility requirements under law.

• One file-one student

DRM NIMAS Responsibilities

• Register students and submit book requests using the web based system – NIMAS/Florida

• Gather complete and accurate information related to students and book titles, ISBNs, etc.

• Assure that files are managed appropriately with regard to IDEA and copyright laws

School NIMAS Responsibilities

• Schools may establish a school NIMAS committee and appoint school ATCs

• With regard to student:– What alternate formats needed?– What supports/services/training are in

place? What is needed?– Are students eligible?– Follow steps to obtain accessible

instructional materials

District NIMAS Responsibilities

• Establish a district NIMAS committee• Appoint DRMs – up to 7/district• Create district implementation plan with

goals, objectives, and timelines• Coordinate the provision of professional

development and technical assistance for school-based staff

State NIMAS Responsibilities

• Assign FIMC-VI as Authorized User• Develop and distribute a NIMAS Technical

Assistance Paper (TAP) - BEESS• Design a Statewide NIMAS

Implementation Plan• Provide statewide professional

development and support through FDLRS Tech

State NIMAS Resources

• FIMC-VI and NIMAS/Floridahttp://www.fimcvi.org/

Click on NIMAS/Florida icon

• FDLRS/Techwww.paec.org/fdlrstech/index.html

National NIMAS Resources

• NIMAC

http://www.nimac.us/• Center for Applied Special Technology

(CAST)

http://aim.cast.org/

http://nimas.cast.org/

Contact Information

• Suzanne Dalton, Supervisor, FIMC-VI, and NIMAS/Florida Authorized Usersdalton@fimcvi.org or (800) 282-9193 or (813) 837-7826

• David Davis, FDLRS Tech Coordinating Unitdavisd@paec.org or (850) 638-6131 x2242

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