Special Education Parent Involvement Survey
The OPI has moved from a paper and pencil survey to an electronic special education Parent Involvement Survey. With this, the agency has also moved from a sampling of parents to a census of parents (one parent per household). On March 4, 2024, all districts and cooperatives received several templates to provide to parents. Districts and cooperatives can provide the survey link to parents in the following manners: text, email, in person, or with the QR code. The survey is now open through June 30, 2024.
Starting in August of 2024, districts and cooperatives can provide the survey link to parents at any time throughout the year, such as at IEP team meetings, parent-teacher conferences, etc. There will be a Spanish and English version. The OPI has Braille copies, as well as the Duxbury file. If you have parents who are visually impaired or blind, please reach out to Danni McCarthy at dmccarthy@mt.gov or 406-594-3610 (call or text).
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Statewide SPED Directors Meetings
The statewide meetings scheduled for April 10th are canceled. The next meeting is scheduled for May 8th via Zoom. We look forward to seeing you in person at the MCEC/MCASE Conference in Missoula on April 3-5 and at the Joint Partnership Meeting in Helena on April 24.
Montana Paraprofessional Recognition Week April 1-5, 2024
Celebrate your paraeducators by giving recognition for their hard work! Please download and print this Paraeducator Recognition Certificate to give to your paraeducators to show your appreciation. Some have chosen to honor paraprofessionals in the following ways:
- Give a certificate of recognition at the school board meeting.
- Send information to parents and students acknowledging the role of paraprofessionals via the school newsletter.
- Advertise in the school or district newsletter about Montana Paraprofessional Week.
- Recognize one or two paraprofessionals each day, announcing their names and roles over the loudspeaker during the daily announcements.
- Recognize paraprofessionals on the school reader board.
- Organize an appreciation lunch, and an after-school tea, before school brunch, and have the paraprofessionals served by teachers and administrators.
Summer Institute 2024 Questions: Contact Tammy Lysons, 406-431-2309 or Anne Carpenter, 406-465-0922
Featured Speaker:
Dr.Zelphine Smith Dixon
Dr. Zelphine Smith-Dixon served as the Georgia State Special Education Director and the Board President for the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. She worked diligently to improve schools in both South Carolina and Georgia. Dr. Smith-Dixon leads with her heart and serves her local community as a voice of influence in national networks such as the IDEA Data Center, National Technical Assistance Center on Transition, CEEDAR Project, and Gates K-12 Education to Work Foundation.
SESSIONS: Inclusive Leadership: The Heart of the Matter and A Tiered Framework of Supports: Keeping Students First
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Featured Speaker:
Dr. Tessie Rose Bailey
Tessie Rose Bailey, Ph.D., is the Director of the PROGRESS Center and an advisor for the MTSS Center. In addition, she supports states and districts in implementing special education requirements and MTSS/RTI through several other national centers--National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) and National Center on Intensive Interventions (NCII)-- and state contracts. Dr. Bailey has conducted 100s educational workshops and presentations on effective implementation of MTSS/RTI, secondary MTSS/RTI and transition, special education law, and special education within MTSS/RTI in 46 states.
SESSIONS: Taxonomy of Intervention Part 1: Selection of Interventions and TI Part 2: Intensifying Interventions; Using Response to Intervention (RTI) to determine Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
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Mark your calendars for the Special Education Joint Partnership Meeting on April 24, 2024, at the Delta Colonial Hotel in Helena. The State Special Education Advisory Panel and CSPD State Council will meet on April 25 also at the Delta Colonial Hotel in Helena. For more information, email Danni McCarthy.
Special Education Community of Practice
April 10th Topic: Twice Exceptional
Alicia Herman, School Improvement Specialist, OPI, will be providing an overview of twice-exceptionality and how to support this population of learners.
What is the SPED Community of Practice: These meetings are one-hour sessions held the second Wednesday of the Month from 3:30-4:30. There will be a short 10-20 minute presentation on a topic followed by a discussion around that topic. The purpose of these meetings is to provide technical assistance and support for Special Education teachers as well as help build a network for teachers throughout Montana.
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Special Education Law Conference Montana – Save the Date Oct. 21-22, 2024
Watch for more information coming soon!
Before you leave for the Summer... Be sure to Certify the Behavior Incident List 23-24
REMINDER…Districts are strongly encouraged to input behavior data throughout the year and to periodically run Data Validation Reports in AIM/Infinite Campus to review incidents and address potential data issues before the end of the school year.
NOTE…Validation reports for Behavior data reporting are available in AIM/Infinite Campus and can be reviewed at any time during the school year and before certification. Behavior Certification for the 2023-24 school year will open on Monday, 5/13/24, and close on Friday 6/21/24.
FYI…all Montana public schools, including the Montana School for the Deaf & Blind (MSDB), must enter discipline data into their local AIM/Infinite Campus site. Behavior data collected by the OPI is used to meet federal reporting requirements for the U.S. Department of Education.
Behavior reporting encompasses any event that takes place from July 1 through June 30 and:
- Results in an out‐of‐school suspension or expulsion, regardless of the length of time, for any enrolled student; or
- Results in an in‐school suspension, regardless of the length of time, for an enrolled student with a disability* or enrolled in a 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC).
* In‐school suspensions can also be entered for general education students; however, the OPI will only include the special education events required for federal reporting.
Reporting deadline is June 21, 2024
Questions? Contact Shara Blair, SPED/AIM Data Specialist @ 444-0685
Learn more at the OPI Summer Institute on Tuesday 6/18 Lunch & Learn:
Deafblindness 101 for Educators
Objectives:
- Understand the term "deafblindness" from a functional perspective.
- Be able to articulate some of the ways in which a dual sensory loss is more than "deaf plus blind."
- Identify possible clues that a student may have a dual sensory loss.
- Be aware of resources available to support educational teams serving students with deafblindness.
Come to this “lunch and learn” session for key information about deafblindness and why it matters to you.
In-Person
April 6, 2024 @ 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM on the MSU-B Campus, Student Union Building, Beartooth Room, Billings
Ruth Ferris & Kathi Hoyt
Everyone loves a good time and pow-wows are a good time for all! Join us for this study of pow-wows and their significance to the tribal nations . . . the culture, traditions, history, and socializing! The first part of this workshop focuses on learning and understanding about pow-wows. The second part is the opportunity to attend the Montana State University Billings Native American Achievement Center's annual Pow Wow. Come and learn about pow-wows!
April 22, 2024 @ 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM at the Hampton Inn, Great Falls
Shawna Heiser
A thorough presentation of positive behavioral supports and interventions in a variety of school environments will be presented to conference attendees. Discussion will center around types of behaviors; task avoidance, escape motivation, attention seeking, behaviors that produce sensory consequences, and the role motivation plays in behavioral success in many settings. The audience will be able to apply the information presented through videos, activities, and examples of how to set up positive plans for the students in a variety of environmental settings immediately in their respective situations. The training will also contain discussions about setting limits that work and the application of positive interventions in the regular education setting. We will examine the common pitfalls that sabotage behavioral intervention plans and what to avoid when wanting to make significant behavioral changes. Discussions of how to implement 504 accommodations in a regular education setting, and how to conduct data collection for a variety of specially designed treatment strategies in the classroom. Using Antecedent/Behavior/Consequence ABC data collection and other simple data collection systems will be presented to attendees.
Virtual Events
2- Day Zoom Training:
Stacy York Nation
April 17 & May 1, 2024 @ 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Educators cross the thresholds of their classrooms every day and bring their own experiences with them. Participants will explore how they are emotionally wired and how these blueprints impact their teaching and their students. We will also explore and discuss strategies for educator wellness.
APRIL 8, 2024 @ 4:00 - 6:00 PM ZOOM
Elisabeth (Liz) Kuehn, Clinical Coordinator, Eastern Montana Office of MonTECH
Do you have questions like: How do I know if a student needs Assistive Technology (AT)? When do I check the box on the IEP? Who pays for this? What is AT anyway? Then this workshop is for you! You will learn the purpose of AT and when to consider using it with students. We'll answer frequently asked questions and provide you with valuable resources to help you use AT with your students on IEPs, 504 plans, or as part of Response to Intervention.
MonTECH provides technology, support, and services that improve the quality of life for Montanans with disabilities . . . assistive technologies and adaptive equipment.
April 22, 2024 @ 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Elisabeth (Liz) Kuehn, Clinical Coordinator, Eastern Montana Office of MonTECH
Stop guessing and start collecting data to drive your decisions about students' reading accommodations. In this workshop, you will learn how to use the Protocol for Accommodations in Reading (PAR) by Don Johnston. The PAR is designed to help teachers make informed decisions on reading accommodations to support instruction and is not a diagnostic reading assessment tool. The PAR is suited to students grades 1 through 10 with high-incidence disabilities; it is not suited for decision-making for students who are blind or have low vision. This workshop includes a paper copy of the PAR for you to keep.
May 6, 2024 @ 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Elisabeth (Liz) Kuehn, Clinical Coordinator, Eastern Montana Office of MonTECH
Students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities often struggle with reading and writing, even with high-quality intervention strategies. Assistive technology can help! We'll show you a variety of different reading and writing supports to help your students succeed in class. Our focus will be on the technology available on Chromebooks and iPads.
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Special Education General Information:
Contact Kelley Brown, 406-444-5661 or check out our webpage.
Danni McCarthy, Montana's State Special Education Director, 406-594-3610
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
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