Both federal and state laws require that every student with a
disability receive a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). This
includes students who are in a community corrections facility or juvenile
detention center. The school
district of residence remains responsible for the student’s access to
appropriate special education and related services while the student is in a
community corrections facility or juvenile detention center. School districts
should regularly review their special education policies and procedures to make
sure that they provide FAPE in a timely and appropriate manner to all students
with disabilities, including students in these facilities, and in accordance
with the Ohio Operating Standards for the
Education of Children with Disabilities. Please click here to access a new memo released by the
Office for Exceptional Children, titled Serving
Students with Disabilities in Community Corrections Facilities and Juvenile
Detention Centers. For additional resources, tools and guidance regarding
the education of students with disabilities in these facilities click here.
A district’s
responsibility is to make sure that children with disabilities receive a free
and appropriate public education. To accomplish this, districts must use a
process to make decisions about the workload for providers of services to
students with disabilities. Once a district determines the workload, it must
decide if the workload can be completed as it is assigned. If not, the district
must make changes. In addition, districts and service providers should evaluate
workloads at different points during the school year.
The Office for
Exceptional Children is providing a new workload calculator as an example of a
workload process. Your district can use this tool to make decisions about the
workloads of service providers based on information put into the calculator.
This process supports Rule 3301-51-09 of the Ohio Operating Standards for
the Education of Children with Disabilities. However, this calculator is
not the only way to calculate workload. Click here to access a new memo released by
the Office for Exceptional Children, titled Service
Provider Ratio and Workload Clarification. Click here to review guidance, tool and
supporting information.
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced a
change in reimbursement practices concerning the Medicaid Schools Program
(MSP). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have mandated that a child receiving services through an individualized education program (IEP) must have an order, referral or prescription from an actively enrolled Medicaid medical practitioner in order for participating school districts to receive reimbursement from MSP. Districts must come into compliance by Aug. 1, 2016.
A
webcast, hosted by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of
Medicaid, occurred on Jan. 27th. Click here for the webcast recording,
memo and the federal notification regarding this change.
MSP reimburses
participating school districts for services provided to children with
disabilities who are Medicaid eligible. Click here for a newly released memo that outlines
eligible services for reimbursement through the Medicaid schools program.
Please visit the MSP webpage and contact SchoolMedicaid@education.ohio.gov with questions.
The Ohio Department of Education's Office for Exceptional
Children will allocate up to $250,000 to 16 selected sites through an
Application for Grant Funds. The intent of the grant is to build capacity to improve the
Secondary Transition Services systems across Ohio. Please refer to this announcement for additional information.
Applications are due by 5 pm on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016. Questions may be directed to Amy Szymanski or Lawrence Dennis.
The Ohio Department of Education is partnering with
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities to increase the availability of
vocational rehabilitation services for students with disabilities beginning at
age 14. This innovative collaboration will change the nature and impact of
transition services for students with disabilities in Ohio. The new model will
help students with disabilities get a head start on becoming job ready and
better prepared to enter the workforce with the skills necessary to be successful.
As a result of this partnership, 26 dedicated vocational rehabilitation
counselors and 13 caseload assistants from Opportunities for Ohioans with
Disabilities will work with transition-age youth throughout the state. Click
here to review the fact sheet that provides a brief overview of the Ohio
Transition Support Partnership initiative.
For more information, please contact Amy Szymanski,
Ohio Department of Education, or Julie
Hance, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities.
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