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Special Education Update
December 2021
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Inclusive Schools Week is December 6 to 10!
OSPI Special Education Staffing Updates
Please join us in congratulating Glenna Gallo on her nomination by President Biden to serve as Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Department of Education. Glenna will continue in her role as Assistant Superintendent of Special Education at OSPI as she moves through the Senate confirmation process.
Superintendent Reykdal understands the need for consistent state leadership to protect the rights of students with disabilities and their families and support special education programs in the delivery of special education services. Accordingly, he has implemented a proactive transition plan to ensure continuity of improvements made over the past four years, as well as to continue development and implementation of the state special education performance plan (SPP). To support this transition, Dr. Tania May has been promoted to Executive Director of Special Education Programs.
We are excited to share that Lee Collyer has been promoted to Director of School Health and Student Safety in our OSPI Student Supports division. Lee will continue to work closely with special education partners and will continue as agency lead for the elimination of restraint and isolation. Congratulations, Lee!
Paula Kitzke is also taking on an exciting new project in OSPI Special Education! Paula is our new Special Projects Leader, and her work will be focused supporting students with disabilities in nontraditional schools in the state (e.g., Alternative Learning Environments (ALEs), Non-public Agencies (NPAs), charter schools, and schools with correctional facilities). We can’t wait to see how Paula shapes this new leadership role!
Annual Special Education Determination Levels - Updated
Annual special education Determination Levels for 2020–21 were officially issued via email to the Superintendent and Special Education Director of each school district, charter school, state school, and Educational Service Agency (ESA) on November 1, 2021. The 2020–21 Determination Levels are now final. A summary can be found on the OSPI website.
If you have any questions, please contact the WISM team.
Literacy Screening & Implementation Intervention Survey
The Elementary English Language Arts (ELA) department of OSPI has developed a survey about district implementation of the literacy screeners and subsequent interventions. Elementary principals and teachers, teaching and learning directors, or other educational leadership are invited to complete the survey. Your participation will provide vital information about implementation processes and interventions districts are using. Access the survey here. You can also access the survey on the About Dyslexia page.
2021–22 OSPI Special Education State Design Team - Updated
As part of the State Design Team efforts over the 2021–22 school year, OSPI Special Education has been engaging partners across special education. We are honored that WestEd’s National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) continues to support our team in co-designing a systemic equity review throughout this process. Our joint priorities are to center partner voice, racial equity, inclusionary practices, and impact for students across all special education activities. Focus groups have been meeting between October and December 2021, and the next statewide State Design Team meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, from 3:30 to 5 pm PT. This session will summarize the recommendations from the focus groups and provide an update on the systemic equity review with NCSI. We will post the recorded session. Register for the January 11 session. Please contact OSPI Special Education at 360-735-6075 or the WISM team with questions.
Federal Special Education Data Reporting Deadlines
There are three data reports due in December. 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.
Summary of Key Updates to WAC 392-172A
Want to know more about the changes to WAC 392-172A? See our Summary of Key Updates for more information.
Questions? Contact the OSPI Special Education Office.
2021 Safety Net Survey Report
The 2021 Safety Net Survey Report is now available!
Questions? Contact the Safety Net team.
A Message from the iGrants Team
Please be patient as response times will be limited. The iGrants team will do their best to respond in a timely manner but responses will be delayed compared to normal due to staff retirement, new employee training, and the new grant system trainings.
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Grant Funding to Support Paraeducator Training
Starting in January 2022, LEAs and ESDs may seek grant funding to support paraeducators, who have completed the first half of the Fundamental Course of Study (FCS), in completing the second half of the training. This grant opportunity is available to any LEA or ESD, though applications will be prioritized for LEAs who participated in the IPP Pilot Project in 2019–20 and 2020–21.
The iGrants form package number will be FP 191. Applicants will be required to report how many paraeducators will be given training and if those participants are completing both days of the second half of the FCS training (hours 15–28) or just one day (hours 15–21). LEAs and ESDs will be reimbursed based on a set per day rate.
You can learn more about FCS on the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) webpage: General FCS information and District Implementation Resource. If you have questions about the upcoming grant, contact David Green. For questions about FCS, contact Zoe Hammes-Hefti at PESB.
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Washington Pyramid Model Annual Report (2020-21)
OSPI is pleased to present the 2020-21 Washington Pyramid Model Annual Report, a framework tailored to support inclusionary practice for all children. Washington Pyramid Model is a coordinated tiered delivery system within Washington’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework for enhancing the adoption and implementation of a continuum of evidence-based practices to achieve important outcomes for every student. By integrating WAPM and MTSS, schools may increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of their services (McIntosh & Goodman, 2016).
2022 Infant and Early Childhood Conference (IECC)
Make plans to attend the 2022 Infant and Early Childhood Conference (IECC), May 2–6, 2022, hosted completely virtual via zoom. IECC is currently seeking proposals for its 2022 conference through January 9th. The IECC conference is well known within the State of Washington for providing high quality, evidence-based training for families and professionals working with young children (ages birth to eight) and their families. Visit the conference website to learn more.
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Question: Are participants in an evaluation/eligibility meeting required to sign the evaluation report to document their attendance at the meeting?
Find out the answer here!
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OSPI Assessment and Student Information
Spring 2022 Paper Pencil Testing
WAW Message: Spring 2022 Test Design
Outside Partners
Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
Are Fewer Students with Disabilities Suspended When Schools Implement PBIS? This November 2021 evaluation brief from the Center on PBIS explores the relationship between (a) schools’ implementation of Tier 1 (universal) support within a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework and (b) the proportion of students with disabilities suspended. Download the brief.
Washington State Traumatic Brain Injury Council
Our TBI Council colleagues at the University of Oregon (UO) Center for Brain Injury Research and Training (CBIRT) have been hard at work researching and providing content and new worksheets on the Return to School – Washington Website - Home | Return To School. Resources include new videos, an FAQ for parents (in the Tools section), and a new, single-page WA Return-to-School Flyer.
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 Click the banner above, visit the Developmental Disabilities Endowment Trust Fund website or call 888-754-8798 ext. 1 for details.
Click the banner above, visit the Washington State ABLE program website or call 844-600-ABLE for details.
 Safe Kids - Road to the Snowlympics
Follow our favorite Olympic snowboarders as they navigate their way through the Snowlympics! Learn winter safety as they take us through experiences with their athletics, families and friends. Virtual Live Event presented with Kickstand Comedy.
Snowlympics on January 14, 2022 (2 – 3pm) and January 15, 2022 (10 – 11am)
Specific Learning Disability (SLD): Use of Revised Psychometric Assessments with the Discrepancy Table
The list of tests provided in the SLD Handbook is not an exhaustive list of instruments that may be used to determine SLD eligibility. In addition, revised tests may be published before OSPI revises this document. In this case, the practitioner should review the assessment’s technical manual and test reviews to ensure that it is valid and reliable for the purposes of determining SLD eligibility as specified in WAC 392-172A-03055. When feasible, it is recommended that practitioners use the most current version of tests and norms to determine eligibility.
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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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