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Special Education Update
October 2021
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October is Disability History and Awareness Month!
Disability History and Awareness Month (RCW 28A.230.158) takes place annually during the month of October to increase awareness, respect, and acceptance for people with disabilities, and to bring a greater sense of pride to people with disabilities. As a companion to content across this monthly update related to disability history and awareness, check out this compilation of disability history and awareness resources.
Notice of Final Rulemaking
Read the Notice of Final Rulemaking regarding Washington Administrative Code (WAC) Chapter 392-172A, Chapter 392-173, and Sections 392-140-60105 through -60685.
Mark Your Calendars! Upcoming Virtual Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) Meeting
The next virtual SEAC meeting is scheduled for October 26 & 27, 2021 from 8:30 am-1pm on both days.
Webinar information will be added to the SEAC web page as soon as it is available.
New OSERS Guidance - Return to School Roadmap: Development & Implementation of IEPs in the LRE under IDEA
“The pandemic didn't alter IDEA's guarantee of a free appropriate public education for children with disabilities,” said OSERS Acting Assistant Secretary Katherine Neas. “As more and more students return to in-person learning, the Department emphasizes the critical role that IEP Teams, including parents, have in making individualized decisions about each child’s educational needs, including assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and safety considerations and on providing appropriate special education and related services.”
Topics covered under this latest Q&A, focusing on Individualized Education Programs (IEP), include:
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Ensuring IEPs Are in Effect at the Start of the School Year
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Consideration of Special Factors, such as assistive technology, social emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs, and school related health needs of students with disabilities with underlying medical conditions
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Determining Appropriate Measurable Annual Goals & Considering the Child’s Need for Compensatory Services
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Considering Secondary Transition Services
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Making Educational Placement Decisions
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Resolving Disagreements Regarding a Child’s Educational Program
Read the Q&A on IEPs Under IDEA.
Updated Special Education COVID Q&A
The Special Education COVID Q&A resource will be updated and posted by October 7, 2021. The last section of the Q&A will show which questions have been added, deleted, or revised since the last update (July 12, 2021). The Q&A includes information for districts, educators, and families on FAPE for students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic to include: provision of services, early childhood considerations, secondary transition considerations, child care, communication with families, timelines, fiscal considerations, and additional resources. Information in the Q&A will be updated frequently to reflect current guidance as it is released. If you have questions, please email Glenna Gallo, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education, or call at 360-725-6075.
Special Education Data and Fiscal Scheduled Office Hours via Zoom
To allow districts regular scheduled access to chat about current issues and ask questions, the Special Education Operations Team has scheduled office hours via zoom from 1–2:00 pm on Wednesdays beginning October 6, 2021.
Participants are encouraged to send questions or topics they wish to have addressed during the office hour in advance, although that is not required. Participants are welcome to ask questions or raise topics during the meeting. Questions or topics can be submitted to the special education data team.
To access a meeting please use the link – Sandy Grummick’s Zoom Meeting Room.
Fiscal Reminders
LEAs who received awards in federal funds for Safety Net must complete and submit Form Package 123 to OSPI prior to November 15th, which is the last month to submit claims for the 2020–21 fiscal year.
LEA Maintenance of Effort 2.0 calculator is available. The calculator is located on our website under the Tools & Templates section. Email questions to the Special Education Fiscal team.
IDEA Compliance Package (iGrants Form Package 442/642)
The target launch date for the 2021–22 IDEA Compliance Package (iGrants Form Package 442/642) is November 1, 2021. Noncompliance identified through monitoring activities, safety net, district data submissions, due process decisions, and indicator performance during 2020–21 will be identified in this form package and is required to be corrected by the local education agency (LEA)/educational service agency (ESA) as soon as possible, but no later than March 1, 2022 (see WAC 392-172A-07010(3)). If you have any questions about the Form Package 442/642, please contact our WISM team.
IEP Review Form Revision
The IEP Review Form and the companion Evaluation Review Form are user-friendly review forms that can assist staff when reviewing their own evaluations, reevaluations, and IEPs for compliance. These forms can also be used in practice training activities by having staff review other evaluations and IEPs, such as the samples provided in the Evaluation and IEP Technical Assistance Module, for compliance.
Invitation to Serve: 2021–22 Special Education State Design Team (SDT) – Updated
Special Education Personal Qualifications Guidance and Endorsement Options - Updated
There are now five special education endorsements options for staffing:
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Special Education
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Early Childhood Special Education
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Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI)
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Deaf Education
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Deaf Education with American Sign Language (ASL) Proficiency
Additionally, the pre-endorsement waiver application has been updated to reflect the new special education endorsement options and the application will need to indicate which special education endorsement options the candidate is seeking the waiver for. Starting October 1, 2021, the Pre-Endorsement Waiver application and approval letter will be special education endorsement specific.
OSPI Special Education will be hosting a webinar on this topic on Tuesday, October 26, from 3 to 4:30 pm PT. The webinar will review the expanded special education endorsement options and the updated guidance for personnel qualifications along with changes to the application process for Pre-Endorsement Waivers. The content will be followed by a question-and-answer segment. The webinar will be recorded. Please register in advance.
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National ECSE Resources
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Special Education Responsibilities for Students Attending Open Doors/Reengagement Programs
Starting November 2021, the Open Doors state application process will require applicant districts to describe how the special education process, including the provision of services, will be implemented for eligible students in the program.
Read the full tip here.
eLearning for Educators
The eLearning for Educators Project offers affordable online courses and no-cost mini-trainings designed to support educators in serving students with disabilities. Educators statewide can access the online offerings anytime, anywhere to meet their professional development needs. They are offered asynchronously which means there are no registration deadlines and educators can start a course at any time. The mini-training modules are designed to address common training needs arising from corrective action plans in the Special Education Community Complaint (SECC) process. Developed in collaboration with OSPI, these modules—designed for group or individual access—provide an option for school districts looking for vetted training in response to a SECC or for the educator whose looking to sharpen their professional skills.
New Mini-training Modules
- Considering Paraeducator Support in the Special Education Process
- Service Delivery in the Special Education Process
New Course Offerings
- Inclusionary Practices: An Instructional Guide for Inclusive Educators
- Restorative Practices
- Understanding and Responding to Trauma
The new course offerings are available free of charge (select Free Offerings when registering) or for a nominal fee for clock hours.
OSPI Center for the Improvement of Student Learning (CISL)
Free Training Sequence: Overcoming Discipline Disparities
OSPI is offering training and technical assistance on reducing disparities in discipline rates between student groups. The approximately 12-hour sequence covers essential stages for reducing discipline disparities and increasing equitable outcomes: functional approaches to student behavior; discipline and disparity measures; using data to identify disparities and potential root causes; root cause analysis; and action planning using evidence-based practices and implementation or improvement science. This training will help districts and schools reduce the overrepresentation of Black and American Indian students, students with disabilities, and other disparately excluded groups. Target audience includes district and school administrators and/or coaches (e.g., MTSS, PBIS, behavior). Districts may use Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) funds to support staff participation in this training.
District teams will work on an action plan as part of the training and can receive on-going consultation to support implementation and progress monitoring after completing the sequence. The training portion can be scheduled over five or six sessions and can be scheduled weekly or monthly, based upon a group or district’s needs. If you are interested in this opportunity, provided as a free service by OSPI, please email Mark McKechnie.
OSPI System and School Improvement
Culturally Responsive Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports
Wednesday October 13, 2021 | 10:00-11:30am
Dr. Ruthie Payno-Simmons will share the essentials of culturally responsive discipline, including a primer on restorative practices and how they get integrated into classroom practices. Jonathan Love from Clover Park Public Schools will discuss how Clover Park has a multi-faceted approach to student discipline and their vision for the future. Free Clock Hours are available. Click here to register.
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Register Now! 2021–22 WASA/OSPI Special Education Conference Virtual Event
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October 12 | Co-Designing Inclusive, Integrated Early Childhood Environments (Note the Date Change!)
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November 4 | Building Equitable Pathways to Graduation and Post-School Success
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December 9 | Celebrating District Innovations
MTSS Professional Learning Community
Mark your calendars! OSPI will be hosting monthly MTSS webinars this year. There is no cost for attending. All are welcome. Webinars will be from 10:30 am–12 pm on the following dates: October 8, November 5, December 3, January 7, February 4, March 4, April 8, and May 20.
Additional information will be available here.
Upcoming Conferences & Professional Development Opportunities
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2021–22 Annual Activities Calendar
Recovery Services and Transition Recovery Services
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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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