In This Issue of the OSEEL Newsletter
- OSEEL Staff Recognized at the 2022 DoSE Institute
- October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
- 2022 Special Education Teacher of the Year Finalists
- Division of IDEA Monitoring and Results New Resource
- Division of IDEA Implementation and Preschool New Guidance Resources
- Early Learning Update
- KSD Upcoming Events
- Gifted and Talented Guidance
 OSEEL Staff Recognized at the 2022 DoSE Institute
Jonathan Compton and Bill Buchanan were recognized at the 2022 Director of Special Education (DoSE) Institute as Employees of the Year for 2021 and 2022. Compton and Buchanan are integral staff members of the Office of Special Education and Early Learning (OSEEL) at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE). This award recognizes OSEEL employees who go above and beyond their duties in contributing to the agency's mission and vision.
Compton, IDEA fiscal liaison, has been providing intensive support to local school districts around the IDEA's maintenance of effort (MOE) compliance requirements. He has helped dozens of local districts meet the MOE compliance requirements, preventing local districts from returning approximately $8.5 million to the U.S. Department of Education.
Buchanan, early learning advisor, has an extensive background in early childhood policy and state-funded preschool program implementation. He is insightful, resourceful and a careful listener. The depth and power of his relationships with internal and external early learning partners single him out as being a highly effective leader. Buchanan is also a recipient of KDE's Strategic Excellence and Achievement Award.
Congratulations to Jonathan and Bill!
2022 Special Education Teacher of the Year Finalists
The Special Education Teacher of the Year recognition is sponsored by the Kentucky Department of Education Office of Special Education and Early Learning and the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children (KYCEC). The following finalists have been identified this year:
 Logan Brooks, Barren County (District Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher for Barren County)
 Ashley Smith, Greenup County (LBD Teacher at Greenup County High School)
 Shiloh Stanley, Garrard County (MSD/Lead Teacher at Paint Lick Elementary School)
The winner of the 2022 Kentucky Special Education Teacher of the Year award will be announced at the KYCEC Conference on Nov. 21 during the general session at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville.
The 2022 Kentucky Special Education Teacher of the Year winner will receive $500 awarded from KYCEC, along with a scholarship to attend the Special Education Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C. Each finalist will be recognized and honored with a cash prize of $250 awarded from KYCEC.
Division of IDEA Implementation and Preschool New Guidance Resources
Gifted and Talented Guidance: Special Considerations for Identifying Gifted Students
For there to be equity and opportunity for all students to receive gifted services, the gifted regulation addresses the exceptions and special considerations to the identification criteria.
According to the gifted regulation 704 KAR 3:285, Section 4(2): “School personnel shall take into consideration environmental, cultural, and disabling conditions which may mask a child's true abilities that lead to exclusion of otherwise eligible students, such as a student who qualifies as:
(a) an exceptional child as defined in KRS 157.200;
Knowing these special considerations can help to ensure all students have the opportunity and access to gifted identification and services across the Commonwealth.
The following resources are designed to support teachers and staff to continually seek students with gifts and talents:
OSEEL has Released the Following Guidance Resources
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Kentucky Mathematics Toolkit to Support Students with Disabilities. This toolkit includes resources to identify and measure effective mathematics instruction in the classroom to support students with disabilities. You can find the mathematics toolkit on KDE's State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) webpage.
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Kentucky’s Fast Facts. In response to the OSEP Fast Facts: Students With Disabilities Who Are English Learners (ELs) Served Under IDEA Part B, Kentucky Fast Facts infographics were designed to summarize key facts related to specific aspects of the data collection authorized by Section 618 of the IDEA. Data presented includes information from child count, educational environments and settings, discipline and exiting data collections. Kentucky's Fast Facts infographics can be found on KDE's Kentucky's Fast Facts IDEA Data webpage.
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Specially Designed Instruction (SDI): Supports for Admissions and Release Committee (ARC) Members. This guidance provides resources and tools that support ARCs in their decision making related to specially designed instruction for students with disabilities. These resources may be found on KDE’s Guidance Resources webpage.
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The Kentucky Profile of Transition Practices (KPTP). This resource is designed to guide district teams in reviewing, assessing and, when appropriate, making changes and improvements to postsecondary transition practices and programs for students with disabilities. The Overview of the Kentucky Profile of Transition Practices video is designed to increase awareness and understanding of the main components included in the KPTP. These resources may be found on KDE's Transition Resources webpage.
Early Learning Updates
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The Child Outcome Summary (COS) process is used to collect preschool outcome data for federal reporting. District training continues for this new system. Regional Training Centers (RTCs) are providing COS training free of charge to school districts throughout the fall. Districts can contact the RTC director to request additional training.
New Assistant Early Learning Administrator with the Office of Special Education and Early Learning
Alisha Reeves has taken on a new role at the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) as the assistant early learning administrator with the Office of Special Education and Early Learning (OSEEL).
Reeves has served 27 years as a special educator in Kentucky. She began her career as an elementary special education teacher and spent more than16 years as a director of special education and preschool coordinator. Reeves initially joined the OSEEL team in January 2020 as an early learning specialist.
Reeves attended Western Kentucky University where she received her bachelor’s in elementary education and special education (LBD and FMD), a master’s in interdisciplinary early childhood education and her Rank 1 in director of special education administration.
Reeves lives in Glasgow with her husband, Ron. They have three children: Sam, Drew and Megan.
KSD Upcoming Events
The Kentucky School for the Deaf (KSD) Outreach program will host regional Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Spelling Bees across Kentucky.
This event helps DHH students build skills in spelling and self-confidence, provides exposure to successful DHH adult role models, and allows them to absorb the many benefits of being immersed with similarly-abled peers of all ages.
 2nd Annual Arlene Finke 5K Run/Walk
Please plan to join us for the 200th Celebration KSD with the 2nd annual Arlene Finke 5K Run/Walk.
The event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 9 a.m. ET. The 3.1-mile course will start and finish on the campus of KSD. All ages are welcome to participate!
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