Disability Awareness Celebrations in October
Disability History Month
October is Disability History Month. Disability History Month aims to increase awareness, respect, and acceptance, and bring a greater sense of pride to people with disabilities. Visit the One Out of Five: Disability History and Pride Project webpage to find resources and instructional materials developed in WA state to teach about disability history and disability pride.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)
October is also National Disability Employment Awareness month (NDEAM), recognizing the contributions and innovations of persons with disabilities to our country's workforce. The theme for NDEAM 2022 is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation”, showcasing supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices. Learn more at the Department of Labor NDEAM webpage.
Dyslexia Awareness Month
In 2017 Gov. Inslee declared October Dyslexia awareness month, following the US Department of Education’s declaration in 2015. In 2016, the Washington State PTA (WPTA) adopted Resolution 18.32, to support early screening for signs and symptoms of language processing disorders, including but not limited to dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, with parental notifications and to support legislation and funding to support training of parents, teachers and other personnel in early identification of language processing disorders. Read a summary of the updated dyslexia guidance and find the complete updated guidance along with professional development opportunities in the Information from our Partners section.
Legislation Station
To get folks ready for the upcoming legislative session, starting January 9th, we wanted to share what OSPI Special Education is requesting from the Legislature as well as other OSPI requests.
Our department is excited to share our request to the Legislature to fully fund special education services by removing the 13.5% cap on state special education funding and increasing the special education tiered multiplier to fully cover the cost of special education services. This request also includes funding to sustain the State’s investment in inclusionary practices.
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Introducing Our Newest Team Member, Dr. Jaimee Kidder!
Dr. Jaimee Kidder (they/them) joined the OSPI Special Education Program Improvement team as a Program Supervisor in September! Jaimee has 17 years of experience working in the intersection of special education and positive behavior support and is passionate about inclusive and equitable practices for all students. Prior to joining the OSPI Special Education team, they served as the special education behavior specialist for Utah’s state education agency, and have also worked as a district behavior analyst, preschool special education teacher, and university instructor. Jaimee is experienced in partnering with educators and families to develop technical assistance and professional development grounded in the strengths and needs of school communities. Their work reflects their enthusiasm and drive to support educators in implementing best practices, disrupting limiting beliefs about students with behavior support needs, and building schools that celebrate and meaningfully include all students. Jaimee can be reached at jaimee.kidder@k12.wa.us.
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Congratulations to Our 2023 State Teacher of the Year!
Congratulations to 2023 Washington State Teacher of the Year, Dana Miles! Miles teaches Work Experience and Bilingual Applied Language Arts at the Washington School for the Deaf (WSD) located in Vancouver, WA. Miles has taught at WSD for 11 years, the last 6 of which have been spent teaching students English and American Sign Language interchangeably to prepare students for real-world contexts.
Miles' teaching in WSD’s Transitional Work Experience program focuses on self-advocacy, building work-place skills, and understanding rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. As part of the Deaf community herself, Miles shares the ways she advocates with her students, hoping they will apply strategies she has learned in her own life.
“The work Mrs. Miles does to prepare her students for the world after high school is phenomenal,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal. “The way she makes her students’ learning applicable to their lives and the use of real-world contexts sets them up for success after high school in a variety of ways.”
We look forward to Dana Miles representing WA State as she moves forward to compete for the National Teacher of the Year award, to be announced in Spring 2023.
Updates from the US Department of Education
Letter from Education Secretary Cardona on State Assessment Results
On September 13, 2022 Secretary Cardona issued a Dear Colleague letter in response to national assessment data from the 2021–22 school year. The letter provides information about how schools can access the necessary resources to effectively support students and calls for us to redouble our efforts to help students recover. The letter also reminds educators to use assessment data constructively to inform parents and families about their students’ schools. Read the letter in full to consider possible interpretations, use, and communication of the 2021–22 assessment data.
Helping kids and families get free, high-speed internet
As America’s kids get back to school and continue to recover from the challenges of the pandemic, ensuring that all families have access to affordable high-speed internet is more important than ever. Check out this new federal program that provides millions of children and families with free, high-speed internet through the Affordable Connectivity Program by signing up at GetInternet.gov.
The Affordable Connectivity Program “Back to School” Toolkit also provides information about how students and families can save on their internet bills.
Public Meeting Notice: Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC)
The Washington State Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) will be conducting a hybrid council meeting on October 18–19, 2022, in Medical Lake School District. The meeting is open to members of the public who have an interest in Washington special education services, including an opportunity to make public comment. The agenda for the meeting will be posted on the SEAC web page at least two weeks prior to the meeting date.
Special Education Advisory Council meeting | October 18–19, 8:30 am–4:30 pm
Community Forum | October 18, 5:30–6:30 pm
For participants who want to attend in person, both the council meeting and the community forum will be held at the Medical Lake School District Wellness Center, 317 N. Broad St., Medical Lake, WA.
Participants who want to attend virtually can join the meeting via this zoom link.
Captioning will be provided. If you would like to attend in person and you require accommodations, please email speced@k12.wa.us no later than three business days (Thursday, October 13) before this event. Please note that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not require OSPI to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.
State Design Team Meeting
Please join the OSPI Special Education State Design Team meeting on Monday, October 24, 2022, from 3:30–5 pm. We will discuss next steps for the continuing work groups and our Systemic Equity Review with our partners at the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI). We will also provide updates on our State Performance Plan (SPP) and plan additional activities in response to feedback provided from our State Design Team partners.
Please register in advance for the zoom meeting. We will offer closed captioning, American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, and Spanish language interpretation during the meeting. When registering, please let us know by October 16, 2022, if you need additional accommodations.
Post-School Survey Closes November 1, 2022!
The annual Post-School Survey is conducted with former students who were receiving special education services at the time of exit, one year after they have permanently exited high school. The survey gathers information about work and school activities that took place within the first year of exiting high school.
The Post-School Survey closes at 11:59 pm on November 1, 2022. As of October 1, 2022, the post-school survey data showed a statewide contact rate of 40.94% and a survey completion rate of 45.4%. If you have questions or need support, email the Center for Change in Transition Services (CCTS) at CCTS@seattleu.edu.
Important Links:
U.S. Supreme Court Reviews IDEA Cases
The U.S. Supreme Court’s docket of pending cases for the October 2022 term included several IDEA disputes, several from the 9th Circuit. Some cases to watch are:
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Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools, 79 IDELR 1 (6th 2021) and D.D. v. Los Angeles Unified School District, 80 IDELR 4 (9th Cir. 2021): Both cases involve a dispute over whether the IDEA’s exhaustion requirement applies to complaints brought under other statues when the student has settled the IDEA claims and only seeks money damages as a remedy. The U.S. Solicitor General’s Office has advised the Court to hear Perez v. Sturgis.
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Capistrano Unified School District v. S.W. and C.W., 80 IDELR 31 (9th 2021): The case concerns a dispute over whether a district has a duty to develop an IEP for a parentally placed private school student with a disability. The 9th Circuit affirmed the district court judgment, holding that when a student has been enrolled in private school by their parents, the school district only needs to prepare an IEP if the parents ask for one.
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Clarfeld v. Department of Education, State of Hawaii, 80 IDELR 210 (9th 2022, unpublished): This case addressed whether stay-put protections begin before the filing of a due process.
The Supreme Court granted certiorari—meaning the Court will hear arguments in the case—in Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools. The issue in front of the Supreme Court in Perez is whether and in what circumstances courts should excuse further exhaustion of the IDEA’s administrative procedures. Often, the Supreme Court hears cases that will allow them to clarify legal theories and law. Following the Court’s decision in Fry v. Napoleon Community Schools (2017) regarding the requirement to exhaust administrative remedies many lower court cases have attempted to tease out the circumstances where exhaustion requirements would be excused, creating a situation where clarification from the Court would be welcome, creating a situation where clarification from the Court would be welcome.
The Court's October 2022 term began on October 3, 2022, and will run through June 2023. Oral argument for Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools has not yet been scheduled. The Supreme Court denied certiorari in Capistrano and Clarfeld, which means the Supreme Court will not hear the case and the 9th Circuit judgments remain in place.
Timelines
Question: What are the guidelines and requirements for timelines associated with referral, parent consent, and initial evaluation?
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