June Special Education Update

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 06/08/2021 03:16 PM PDT

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Special Education Update

Special Education Updates

Recovery Services – Updated

Recovery Services Guidance and Resources

Recovery services are similar in function to compensatory education—both are additional services for students with disabilities designed to address lack of appropriate progress on IEP goals due to missed or limited services or for other reasons as a result of the pandemic. OSPI’s expectation, consistent with the need to provide a free and appropriate public education (FAPE), is that schools consider the individualized need for recovery services for every student with a disability from PreK through age 21 and possibly beyond 21 if a student turned 21 during the pandemic.

Academic and Student Well-Being Recovery Plan: Planning Guide 2021
This planning guide was developed to support districts with the development of Academic and Student Well-being Recovery Plans, which were due to OSPI on June 1, 2021. These plans identify specific assessments by grade level to identify gap in learning/wellbeing for all students, including students with disabilities. The plans also outline general student recovery supports to address impacts of the pandemic, including additional instruction, well-being support, and extracurricular opportunities.
Washington’s Roadmap for Special Education Recovery Services
To support Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams with determining recovery services needed for students with disabilities due to the impact of COVID-19, OSPI developed the following guidance document: Washington’s Roadmap for Special Education Recovery Services: 2021 & Beyond. The document is being translated into additional languages, and the translations will be posted to the OSPI Special Education Guidance for COVID-19 page by the second week of June 2021. To support family and community engagement throughout the recovery services process, this guidance has been translated into 12 additional languages: Arabic | Chinese | Hindi | Korean | Marshallese | Punjabi | Russian | Somali |
Spanish | Tagalog | Ukrainian | Vietnamese
REVISED - Questions and Answers: Provision of Services to Students with Disabilities during COVID-19 in the 2020-21 School Year
The Q&A resource has been updated as of 6/1/2021 to clarify guidance on recovery services, including transition recovery services. See the last section of the Q&A for a list of questions that have been added, deleted, or revised. If you have questions, please contact Glenna Gallo, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education, or call at 360-725-6075.

Transition Recovery Services

Transition Recovery Services are additional transition services for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). These extra services can address lack of reasonable progress on IEP goals or the transition plan because of missed or limited special education and related services or for other reasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. OSPI Special Education hosted a webinar for school and district partners and an information session for families on transition recovery services. Both of these sessions were recorded and have been posted to our Monthly Webinars page:

Webinar for School and District Partners on Transition Recovery Services Recording | Presentation Slides
This webinar for school and district partners reviewed guidance for determining, documenting, providing, and funding transition recovery services, including for students with disabilities over age 21.
Information Session for Families on Transition Recovery Services Recording | Presentation Slides (with speaker notes)
This information session for families reviewed guidance on transition recovery services for students of transition age, including options for students over age 21. For specific questions on transition recovery services, families may call 360-725-6075 or email OSPI Special Education.

Invitation to Serve: Phasing out Severe Discrepancy for Identification of SLD – Updated

OSPI Special Education is continuing the multi-year transition and implementation timeline for phasing out severe discrepancy for identification of a Specific Learning Disability (SLD), including the following priorities and opportunities for input: 

Spring 2021: Formation of SLD Implementation and Transition Workgroup
This workgroup will gather input from partners across eastern and western Washington to explore necessary conditions and resources needed for implementation, along with WAC revisions and guidance development. If you are interested in serving on the SLD Implementation and Transition Workgroup, please complete the Invitation to Serve Form. The invitation to serve on the Implementation and Transition Workgroup opens May 15, 2021 and closes June 30, 2021.

Summer 2021: Formation of Workgroup to Revise the OSPI SLD manual 
An invitation to serve on the SLD Handbook Revisions Workgroup opens June 30, 2021.

For additional information regarding this initiative, please see the Specific Learning Disability section of our OSPI Special Education Resource Library or email OSPI Special Education.

Federal Special Education Data Reporting Deadlines

There are four end of year data reports. For more information about these data reports and when they are due, check out this Federal Special Education Data Reporting Deadlines handout.

Questions? Contact the Special Education Data Team.

Fiscal Updates

Check out the latest updates from the Special Education Fiscal Team. Topics include:

American Rescue Plan (ARP) IDEA Part B Funds
Special Education Base Payment Adjustments for Charter Schools
Excess Cost Reminder
Maintenance of Effort: Allowable Exceptions and Adjustments
Fiscal Monitoring Guide and Risk Assessment

Inclusionary Practices Project

Check out the latest updates on the Inclusionary Practices Project (IPP). Topics include:

Pilot LEA Fiscal Deadlines
UW Summer Institute: Reopening Inclusive and Equitable PreK-5 Schools
Inclusionary Practices Handbook Training Pilot Opportunity

Early Childhood Special Education

The Special Education division at OSPI is pleased to present an interactive map of all current Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) initiatives located on the OSPI ECSE webpage. Users can engage in the map via address lookup, legislative district, school district, and by ECSE initiatives.

Information from Our Partners

News from Assessment and Student Information

Bulletin 037-21: Fall 2021 Assessment

Information in this bulletin can assist as you plan for the fall test administration.

MTSS District Implementation Application is now open!

The application is for districts seeking support for district- and school-level MTSS implementation through professional development, coaching, and intensive technical assistance. Applications are due July 2, 2021 by 5 pm. Learn more about this event..

2021 Governor’s Employer Awards Nominations are live!

Presented to outstanding employers who have demonstrated efforts to recruit, hire and advance employees with disabilities, and to recognize Best Practices in the workplace. The nominations process is open through August 2021, and the selection process will be in September 2021. Learn more on the Governor's Committee on Disability Issues & Employment project website.

Professional Development & Conferences

Register Now! 2021–22 WASA/OSPI Special Education Conference Virtual Event

New Director Preconference | July 22 & 23, 2021, 8:30 am to 12 pm

Special Education Conference | Monthly through 2021, 8:30 – 11 am

August 5 | Renewing Hope: Accelerating Inclusive Learning
September 9 | Leading & Collaborating for Interventions – Cross-over session with MTSS Fest!
October 12 | Co-Designing Inclusive, Integrated Early Childhood Environments (Note the Date Change!)
November 4 | Building Equitable Pathways to Graduation and Post-School Success
December 9 | Celebrating District Innovations

Upcoming Conferences & Professional Development Opportunities

Voices of Change: Practicing Inclusive Pre-Employment Transition Services | FREE Virtual Transition Forum hosted by CCTS and DVR | June 21-24, 2021
2021 International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute I October 25-28 | Virtual Event

OSPI Office of System and School Improvement: Gate Equity Webinar Series

Improvement Science 101: Designing Empathy Interviews | June 9, 2021, 10:00 – 11:30 am

Improvement Science 201: Driving Equitable Supports with the Tiered Fidelity Inventory | June 9, 2021, 3:00 – 4:30pm

Reminders!

ALL STUDENTS PREPARED FOR POST-SECONDARY PATHWAYS, CAREERS, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

Led by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI oversees K-12 public education in Washington state. Our mission is to provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives.

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