|
Special Education Update
June 2022
|
|
Changes to Outdoor Volunteer and Contractor Vaccine Requirements
As of May 2022, the vaccine requirement for contractors and volunteers who primarily work outdoors is removed immediately (requirements for contractors and volunteers who provide medical care services – whether indoors or outdoors – remain in place). It is our understanding that this change will have the most immediate impact on volunteers and contractors for summer camps, road/infrastructure projects, and wildfire season, as examples. Local jurisdictions/agencies will decide what working “primarily” outdoors means for their line of work.
At this time, there is no change to vaccine requirements for employees, including school employees. This change is the next step as we continue our state’s transition from pandemic response to endemic readiness.
The Governor’s Office and Department of Health will continue monitoring state and local data on rates of vaccinations, cases, hospitalizations, and deaths to potentially consider additional actions later this spring and in the summer.
The Governor’s Office has published updated FAQs reflecting this change.
Special Education Staffing Updates
OSPI Special Education is excited to welcome the newest member of our Operations Team, Data Consultant Dean Runólfson. Dean brings to our office a wealth of experience and knowledge from his time with the Washington State Health Care Authority, Thurston County Board of County Commissioners, the Washington State Auditor’s Office, and the Seattle Office of City Auditor. Contact Dean Runólfson.
IDEA Part B Sections 611 and 619 form package and preliminary allocations
The 2022-23 federal funds for special education IDEA Part B Sections 611 and 619 form package and preliminary allocations are now available in iGrants and can be accessed by logging in to the Education Data System (EDS) at: EDS - iGrants. The form package number for LEAs is 267 and for ESA 112 is 497.
To receive a July 1, 2022 spending start date, submit the federal fund application no later than July 1, or submit certifications and assurances along with the request to obligate funds beginning July 1. Upon submission OSPI will review the request and notify the LEA of approval/denial.
LEAs that submit after July 1 will be granted the spending start date in which all required components are received or for those submitting by September 1, 2022, the spending start date will be September 1.
LEAs that submit on or after September 2, 2022 will receive the spending start date no earlier than the date all required components are received.
Budgets cannot be approved until pages 1–5 are complete, a signed copy of the assurances is received (upload to page 5, or email to Special Education Fiscal), and there are no other outstanding required reports due to the OSPI Special Education office. Federal funding for 2022-23 can be drawn down through the grants claiming system beginning in September 2022.
For further information on form packages 267, go to the instructions page, located below the profile page when you are inside the form package.
If you need assistance logging on to EDS or have any technical difficulties within the system, and if you need access to an application, contact your District Security Manager. A list of District Security Managers can be found on the main iGrants page, under Obtain user Login Credentials.
Note: As LEAs work with OSPI on revisions to finalize their grant, please email your OSPI lead when revisions are made and ready for review.
Fiscal Updates
-
2020–21 Form Package 267 Special Education Carryover
-
2021–22 Form Package 149 ARP IDEA B Carryover
Data Reporting Reminders
-
End of Year Federal Special Education Data Reporting
- Data and Fiscal Office Hours
Translated Procedural Safeguards Update
The translated versions—including eight new languages—of the Procedural Safeguards are now posted online and the available translations are: Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Chinese (Simplified), French, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer (Cambodian), Korean, Nepali, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
Tragedy in Texas: Resources to Support Students
After high-profile, tragic events, children may feel that they are in danger, or worry that friends and loved ones are at risk. They will often come to families, teachers, and other trusted adults with questions to find reassurance, but it isn’t always easy to know what to say. OSPI has gathered resources from experts across the web, including our own laws around school safety, to help inform and guide these conversations. Talking to children about their fears can help alleviate those fears and help young people feel secure.
|
DCYF ECEAP Partner Resources:
Topics include:
Government to Government Training
This training explores tribal sovereignty, tribal governments and local tribes. This training is for all ECEAP providers, and contractors who subcontract with tribes and is especially helpful for programs that serve tribal children or partner with local tribes.
Complex Needs Grant
The Complex Needs Grant for the 2022–23 funding year closed on May 6, 2022. DCYF received 42 grant applications totaling $8 million. The DCYF grant scoring team is currently reviewing applications for awards. Applicants will be receiving their award letters soon. The funding will be in the ECEAP service area contracts this year. Questions about the ECEAP Complex Needs Grant can be directed to dcyf.eceap@dcyf.wa.gov.
National Partner Resources:
Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center: Making Sound Preschool Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Decisions
The Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) process includes requirements and actions that ensure IEP teams have the information needed to discuss and consider access to and participation in high-quality inclusive settings for every young child with a disability during IEP placement discussions. The Making Sound Preschool LRE Decisions document lists important actions in the IEP development process along with guiding principles and practices that should inform placement decisions for young children with disabilities.
Culturally Responsive Practice as a Strategy for Diversifying the Educator Workforce
Culturally Responsive Practice as a Strategy for Diversifying the Educator Workforce, a resource from the Comprehensive Center Network (CCN) shows the importance of having racially diverse educators. A panel discussion at a town hall event focused on the importance of culturally responsive pedagogy, practices, and culture in recruiting, preparing, retaining, and supporting a racially diverse educator workforce. Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, renowned researcher and educator, moderated the panel of youth of color.
Parent Briefs & Video Series to Support Inclusion
This series of briefs and videos produced by the TIES Center are intended to explain the supports and processes used to include students with significant cognitive disabilities in the general education settings. These resources will cover how inclusion can be supported in school and at home.
eLearning for Educators
eLearning for Educators is offering a new online, mini-training module! Visit our website for more information on the following no-cost mini-trainings.
-
Discipline in the Special Education Process—NEW!
-
Considering Paraeducator Support in the Special Education Process
-
Progress Reporting in the Special Education Process
-
Prior Written Notice in the Special Education Process
-
Service Delivery in the Special Education Process
The asynchronous, online 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 who’s looking to sharpen their professional skills.
Post-School Survey open June 1–November 1
The annual Post-School Survey is conducted with former students one year after they have permanently exited high school and who were receiving special education services at the time of exit. The survey gathers information about work and school activities that took place within the first year of exiting high school.
Summer Camp Opportunity – Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners
Free summer camp August 8–19, hosted by the DO-IT Center and Center for Neurotechnology (CNT) at the University of Washington. Opportunity for neurodiverse high school students to engage in the free 10-day Neuroscience for Neurodiverse Learners (NNL) summer camp. NNL is hosted as a “hybrid” program. Some days will be online and some days will be onsite at the University of Washington (UW), Seattle campus. Applications for our 2022 Summer Camp are now available! Learn more online.
Spending Strategically with COVID Relief Dollars and Beyond
The federal government has invested nearly $190 billion to help K–12 education through the COVID-19 pandemic. This historic short-term funding gives states and school districts an opportunity to better support students with disabilities now and beyond.
Melissa Junge and Sheara Krvaric, co-founders of the Federal Education Group, PLLC, will discuss COVID-relief spending options for special education with an eye towards sustainability and better coordination among traditional federal funding sources like IDEA and ESEA. Wendy Tucker, Senior Director of Policy for the Center for Learner Equity will then share creative ways to use these funds to support students with disabilities, incorporating recent federal guidance on educating students with disabilities in the wake of the pandemic.
Join us for the conversation on Tuesday, June 14th from 2–3pm EST. Register here. We look forward to your attendance!
Professional Educators Standards Board
Transitional Certificates Available to Educators with Expired Certificates
Effective immediately, educators whose regular certificates expire by June 30, 2022 and are subject to renewal, are eligible to obtain a transitional certificate.
Due to the pandemic, educators may have had difficulty obtaining 100 clock hours for regular certificate renewal.
The policy change in transitional certificates is intended to provide flexibility for school districts in employing individuals whose certificates are expired. Individuals may maintain employment under a transitional certificate until their expired certificate is renewed.
The transitional certificate is issued upon request by a school district, approved private school, or educational service district upon request for an individual whose regular certificate has expired.
|
|
|
Special Education Policy and Procedure Revisions – Due September 1
Disproportionality and Significant Disproportionality Notifications
In consultation with the Center for IDEA Fiscal Reporting (CIFR), starting in 2022–23, OSPI will be issuing formal disproportionality and significant disproportionality notifications annually in early fall (late August/early September), rather than in May. This change is being made in order to provide districts designated as having significant disproportionality with more flexibility in determining which year’s allocation to use when applying the 15% required set-aside for Comprehensive, Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS).
To accommodate this change in the formal notification process, the Disproportionality Workbook, which is required to be completed by all districts designated as having disproportionality or significant disproportionality, will no longer be part of the district’s IDEA Federal Fund Application (iGrants Form Package 267). Instead, it will be due by May 1, 2023, in order to allow districts time to conduct the required root cause analysis and develop the plan for addressing the disproportionality.
If you have any questions about disproportionality or significant disproportionality designations or notifications, please contact Jennifer Story, Program Improvement Coordinator.
Every Minute Counts!
Every Minute Counts: Calculating IEP Services to Improve Student Outcomes is a partnership between members of the Institute for Innovation in Development, Engagement, and Learning Systems (IDEALS) at the Johns Hopkins School of Education and the Special Education Division at OSPI. The objective is to identify current practices related to IEP development and determine best practices for calculating the amount and type of special education and related services contained in students’ IEPs.
As part of this project, focus groups will be conducted with three key partner groups: (a) Directors of Special Education from local school districts in Washington state, (b) representatives from teacher preparation programs, and (c) preservice and in-service special educators. Each of these focus groups will consist of approximately 12 to 15 participants who will be asked open-ended questions related to their professional experiences and current practices associated with IEP development.
2021 Healthy Youth Survey Results Now Available
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) Youth Leadership Forum
|
|
 |
|
|
|
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.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
