New publication replaces Whose IDEA Is This? for parents of children receiving special education services
Beginning this school year, the publication, A Guide to Parent Rights in Special Education replaces the former Whose IDEA Is This? as a key source of information for parents of children who are receiving – or may be qualified to receive – special education services. The 33-page guide on procedural safeguards for parents, developed by the Ohio Department of Education’s Office for Exceptional Children, contains the essential information included in the former publication, shortened and simplified for easier use. A Guide to Parent Rights in Special Education is available in 11 languages as well as in braille, large-print and compact disc formats. Districts should no longer use the obsolete Whose IDEA Is This?
Ohio's 2017 Special Education Determination
Every year, each state receives a rating from the U.S. Department of Education on its implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), known as its determination. The U.S. Department of Education uses both procedural compliance and student results data, giving each equal weight, to evaluate each state’s performance. These data result in one of four determinations — Meets Requirements, Needs Assistance, Needs Intervention or Needs Substantial Intervention.
Ohio is one of 34 states receiving a 2017 determination of Needs Assistance, as detailed in this letter and performance matrix. For additional details about how determinations are calculated, click here.
Ohio received Needs Assistance for the third consecutive year, primarily due to high rates of students with disabilities:
- Graduating by meeting modified requirements (i.e., requirements different from their nondisabled peers);
- Dropping out of high school; and
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Taking alternate assessments.
After receiving Ohio’s annual determination, the Ohio Department of Education makes determinations of each district’s special education program, known in Ohio as Special Education Ratings. The Department anticipates sending district Special Education Ratings in August.
For questions about Ohio’s determination, please contact determinations@education.ohio.gov.
Ohio Association for Pupil Services Administrators (OAPSA) Updates
The 2017-2018 Ohio Association for Pupil Services Administrators (OAPSA) membership application is now available online at: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/100906/ (bottom left hand of the screen). The dates for the upcoming OAPSA Conferences are: 9/29/2017; 12/8/2017; 2/1/2018 & 2/2/2018; and 5/4/2018. The February OAPSA Conference will be at the Embassy Suites on Corporate Exchange Drive in Columbus, and the other conferences will be at the Quest Center. More information about the conferences will be available soon. All registration forms for the conferences are on the OAPSA website. For more information about OAPSA, please contact Dr. Valerie Riedthaler at vriedthaler@woodridge.k12.oh.us.
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