Special Education Overview for New Administrators

Special Education Overview for New Administrators

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Who are we? Office of Charter Schools and School

Redesign (OCSSR) Access and Equity Team:

Ellie Rounds Coordinator of Access and Equity OCSSR since August 2012

Melissa Gordon Access and Equity Specialist OCSSR since December 2014


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Goals for today Clarify charter school responsibilities with

particular attention to special education.

Describe OCSSR’s Access and Equity monitoring in the charter school life cycle.

Preview charter schools’ other intersection points with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.


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OCSSR: Access and Equity What we do:

Review prospectuses and applications for new schools.

Work with opening schools on special education, ELL, and civil rights including program accessibility.

Provide TA to opening and existing schools as needed.

Conduct site visits. Consult with vendors regarding renewal

inspections.


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Charter School Responsibilities related to Access and Equity Recruitment and Retention plans Admission and FAPE Written Notice Special Education program requirements 603 CMR 28.10 (6) (a) Teacher qualifications Program self-evaluations


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Retention and Recruitment Plan Every charter school must submit a Recruitment and Retention

Plan every year as part of the Annual Report.

As defined in MGL c. 71 § 89 and 603 CMR 1.00, Massachusetts charter schools must receive approval from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for a Recruitment and Retention Plan which is updated annually.

The plan must list deliberate, specific strategies the school will use to attract, enroll, and retain a student population that includes students who are: Limited English Proficient, Special education, Low income (free lunch and reduced-price eligible), Sub-proficient on the MCAS, At risk of dropping out of school, Have dropped out of school, Any others who should be targeted to eliminate achievement gaps.


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Recruitment and Retention Plan

Guidelines and instructions in Annual Report Guidelines

Compendium of Best Practices http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/sped/Recrui

tmentStrategies.pdf

http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/sped/RecruitmentStrategies.pdf

http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/sped/RecruitmentStrategies.pdf


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Admission and FAPE You must admit all eligible students selected through

the lottery, including but not limited to those identified as: Behavioral Severely involved Needing related services: OT, PT, Speech,

counseling, nursing/medical support services Charter schools may not consider a student's disability

or the services that may be required to serve a student-including students who may be in out-of-district programs at the time of application for admission-in determining whether to admit the student.

Charter schools can access circuit breaker. http://www.doe.mass.edu/finance/circuitbreaker/

http://www.doe.mass.edu/finance/circuitbreaker/


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Written Notice (603 CMR 1.05 (4)) Written Notice: Charter schools shall notify all

applicants in writing of the rights of students with diverse learning needs to attend the charter school and to receive accommodations and support services, including students who may have disabilities, require special education, or are English language learners. Charter schools must include this notice as part of the school's application and enrollment materials. Every charter school must make information regarding the availability of services for students generally available in the school's outreach materials, through the student handbook, and on the school's website.


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Written Notice (603 CMR 1.05 (4)) Student Right to Attend Notices

Outlines the educational rights of children with disabilities and ELLs to attend Massachusetts public charter schools.

Must it be given to all families as part of application and enrollment materials.

These documents are available on the OCCSR website: www.doe.mass.edu/charter/sped/default.html

Other notice for families about availability of services via School’s outreach materials Student/Family Handbook Available on school’s website

http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/sped/default.html


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Special Education Program Requirements Search for, identify, assess and serve

students in need of special education. Make a full continuum of services

available to students with disabilities within the school.

Have a current, signed IEP on file for each special education student.

Deliver services as described in the IEP. Conduct a data based program self-

evaluation.

Special Education Terms Full continuum of services

IEP team has available a full range of placement options from full inclusion to substantially separate and other programs as needed to meet the needs of students on IEPs.

As determined by the IEP Team, the school will provide services in a placement which is:

Full inclusion The student is in the general education classroom for

80%-100% of the school day.

Partial inclusion The student is in the general education classroom

21%-65% of the school day.

Substantially separate 66% or more out of general education classroom

during school day.


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603 CMR 28.10 (6) (a) Technical Advisory:

http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/advisories/2014-5ta.html

Charter schools responsibilities: Have a full compendium of services available

for students with disabilities. Maintain communication with sending district

of residence (SDOR) about students on IEPs. Investigate in-district options at the SDOR

with families as needed




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Timeline of Events


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In-district placement Before placement meeting-

CS and parent agree on in-district option at charter school.

No agreement: Placement team considers if SDOR has in-district

program, either alone or supplement to services at CS.

If yes, Team must propose an in-district option: Services may be delivered in charter school Through a program located in SDOR or Combination of both


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In-district Placement continued

Different, possible options for charter schools: Independently develop and offer the in-district

program described in the IEP at the charter school. Join, form, or purchase services from educational

collaboratives or other partners to provide or support the provision of some or all of the services described in the IEP.

Collaborate with the student's SDOR to establish and operate a program at the charter school that meets the needs of the student.

Collaborate with the SDOR, including contracting with the SDOR to provide services to the student.


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In-district Placement continued

Important things to remember! When in-district programming is proposed, the student

remains enrolled at the charter school The charter school retains financial and programmatic

responsibility for the student The charter school has full discretion over where it will

deliver any in-district program. The charter school is not required to contract with the

SDOR for services unless the charter school chooses to do so.

The charter school may not require the parent to disenroll their child at any time as a condition for receiving any service.

Parents can chose to leave the charter school and enroll in the SDOR for any reason.


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Teacher Qualifications Horace Mann CS teachers/staff must be

licensed. Except for teachers of English as a second

language, teachers in Commonwealth charter schools (including special education teachers) are not required to be licensed.

But any staff implementing specialized instruction included in an Individual Education Plan (IEP) must meet the qualifications for service delivery provider.


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Teacher Qualifications for Special Education

Hold a valid (in or out-of-state) license or its equivalent as a special education teacher for the appropriate grades and severity level and/or

Have successfully completed an undergraduate or graduate degree in an approved special education program


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Teacher Qualifications for Special Education Specialized instruction provided by personnel

who do not meet the above qualifications must be delivered in consultation with a qualified individual who provides supervision and oversight of the delivery of the specialized instruction.

The supervisory structure and relationships between qualified and non-qualified special education service delivery staff should be evident in the daily schedule and may be noted on the student’s IEP (in grid A on Service Delivery Page).


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Program Self-Evaluations Part of the site visit and renewal inspection

process. Has the school implemented a regular,

systematic, data-driven analysis in order to verify that special education and ELL students have made expected academic gains?

Self-evaluations are your opportunity to get advance knowledge of the challenges facing your program, a head start on fixing them, and to make your case regarding program effectiveness.


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Program Self-Evaluations The analysis may include, but is not limited to, the

following elements: data analysis (graphs, tables) presenting one or more of the

following: comparisons of measures of student achievement of the same ELLs, or

students with disabilities, across time, showing changes, preferably on multiple assessments

comparisons of performance of students who are and are not English Language Learners or students with disabilities on the same assessment(s), (including, but not limited to, performance on MCAS)

comparisons of the performance of students who are ELL/special education in this school with ELL/special education students from the district(s) from which the school draws students on the same measure

interpretation and discussion of results to reach conclusion(s) regarding program effectiveness and,

recommendations for any needed changes in the ELL/special education program based on the conclusions reached


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The MOST important things You must have a current, signed IEP

which you are implementing for each student eligible for special education.

Teachers must either be qualified to independently deliver services or be supervised by someone who is.


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Ongoing Access and Equity MonitoringThe A&E team will participate in 3 basic

types visits to your school: Full Check-in Targeted New schools only: two visits; one in fall

and one in spring


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Site Visits Site visit teams are comprised of individuals

with educational and organizational expertise and are led by a member of the OCSSR staff.

The primary purpose of a site visit is to corroborate and augment the information contained in a school’s annual report, and to gather evidence on progress the school is making toward meeting the standards articulated in the Charter School Performance Criteria.

Site visit reports are issued by the OCSSR.


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Charter Cycle, Years 1-4


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Charter Cycle, Years 5+


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The ESE and You! In addition to the OCSSR, your relationship with the

Department will consist of the following major components: PQA: Coordinated Program Review (CPR) process

and the Problem Resolution System (PRS) Coordinated Program Review process is the

“compliance review” . Problem resolution system is complaints filed in regard

to your school. ESE: Technical Assistance meetings, workshops

and advisories Check the ESE website frequently for news

and information.


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Coordinated Program Review (CPR) All public schools in MA are on a 6 year cycle for

CPR activities. Covers: Special Education, Civil Rights, ELL Mid-cycle reviews occur every 3 years

You can find out where you are in the cycle on the ESE website under compliance and monitoring. http://www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/review/psr/

6yrcycle.html Crash-ups (CPRs and Renewal Inspections) will

occur due to differently timed cycles: the CPR will be deferred for 1 year if there is a crash-up.


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Complaints

OCCSR Program Quality Assurance

Related directly to charter school statute and/or regulations.

Other federal state law or regulation related (often special education).

Logged, filed and handled through OCCSR working directly with the school and parent.

Handled through the Problem Resolution System.


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Technical Advisories DESE Website: check for updates

and advisories, meetings and workshops: www.doe.mass.edu www.doe.mass.edu/sped/ www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/ www.doe.mass.edu/charter/

http://www.doe.mass.edu/

http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/

http://www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/

http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/

Questions?

Ellie Rounds [email protected] 781.338.3212

Melissa Gordon [email protected] 781.338.3209

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Special Education Overview for New Administrators