November is 7–11 is National School Psychologists Week!
The theme for the 2022 National School Psychologists Week is “Together We Shine”, The National Association of School Psychologists are focusing on one aspect of how school psychologists shine together each day of the week. See some of the ways they will celebrate how school psychologists shine. To find out more about school psychology in Washington State visit the Washington State Association of School Psychologists webpage.
Team Spotlight – Ta’Reesa Saunders
1. What is something people might not know about your work as a Family and Community Liaison with the OSPI Special Education Division?
I am actually a therapist. I worked at a group home from 2014–2018. I worked with children removed from parental care, placement, adoption. The last two years there, I worked mainly with sex-trafficked teens. My therapy experience comes in handy when talking with families and advocates.
2. What are some resources or opportunities that you like to share and what do you like about those resources? How do they help and support families?
Sound Options is usually my number one go-to. They are very helpful and knowledgeable. They also offer and assist with IEP meetings, advocacy, and facilitation. Most families need that and do not know where to turn. I also recommend the Washington Education Ombuds Office. They start by completing an intake, and they know special education rules very well. This is key because most parents need support when it comes to the requirements. I also guide families and advocates to the OSPI page. Our webpage has so much to offer. It’s a little hard to navigate at times, but I tell everyone the search bar is your best friend. Just type in what you are looking for and, 9 times out of 10, it is there on our website. I also email the links to families so they know where to look and know what OSPI offers.
3. What's something you love to do for fun and to maintain balance between your personal life and your career?
My number one thing to do for fun is running... I know it sounds wild. But it’s a great stress reliever for me. I didn’t get serious about running until about 5 years ago. I will say it helped keep me sane through my divorce. I also love sewing. I make special orders for little girl dresses. I have a whole craft room, and I can be in there for hours and lose track of the time. I make tumblers as well. The craft room comes in handy! Reading is another hobby I have that helps me balance out life. I enjoy romance books and recently I’ve gotten into mysteries.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
NAEP Day 2022
In October 2022, the National Assessment Governing Board released of the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Mathematics and Reading results – the most comprehensive picture to date of the pandemic’s impact on student achievement. Results included national, state, and select district-level scores, for grades 4 and 8, in mathematics and reading, along with insights into students’ learning experiences. More information on WA state results is below, including the WA State dashboard. In this short 3-minute video, NAEP Day presenters discuss how we can learn from the data we have collected over the past 10 years, that there is not going to be a single individualized solution, the need for a greater focus on the mental health of our students and our educators, the importance of implementing evidence based practices, and how we all need to work together on behalf of our students across the nation.
NAEP Scores for WA State
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as "The Nation's Report Card, "serves as a common yardstick for measuring the progress of students' education across the country over time. In addition to assessing subject area achievement, NAEP collects information from participating students, teachers, and schools through survey questionnaires that measure contextual factors related to student achievement. Compared to 2019 (pre-pandemic), the 2022 Math and Reading report cards, for students grades 4 and 8, showed average scores declining in math and reading across both grades. Results also showed a decline in student confidence in math and reading skills. Washington State’s scores are consistent with the national averages overall, showing declining scores in both reading and math in 4th and 8th grades. Washington has a 30-point gap in 8th grade math scores between Hispanic/Latinx and white students and in 8th grade reading, a 29-point gap between Black and white students. To get a summary of other NAEP findings, visit Washington state’s dashboard.
Improvements to the LRE Platform
In response to user feedback, we made two improvements to the 2021 PK–12 Special Education LRE Data Platform
- Macintosh Apple computer users should now be able to manipulate data on the 5K–12 LRE by Race worksheet; and
- Formula errors on the K–12 Risk Ratios worksheet are now corrected.
These updates should not impact current users’ access to the data platform. Educational Service District and school district staff may email specialeddata@k12.wa.us to request access to the data platform.
Unpacking OSEP's Discipline Guidance
OSEP’s October 2022 national TA call focused on IDEAs discipline requirements, including addressing longstanding practices that have resulted in high rates of exclusionary discipline for children with disabilities, particularly children of color with disabilities. Through the discipline guidance package, OSEP seeks to shift from an overreliance on exclusionary discipline to a focus on prevention and proactive attention to addressing the behavioral needs of children with disabilities. The session included a review of the discipline guidance document, and resources to support states in their effort to address the needs of students with disabilities and avoid the disparities in the use of discipline. Video: (36) 2022 OSEP October National TA Call - YouTube. To find the PPT presentation, Dear Colleague letter and more, visit: Monitoring and State Improvement Planning (MSIP) | OSEP Ideas That Work.
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Click here for this month’s ECSE updates on the following topics:
- Reevaluations when Adding or Discontinuing Services
- Inclusion of Young Children with Disabilities: A Critical Quality Indicator for Early Childhood Education
- National Training Institute on Effective Practices: Addressing Challenging Behavior Conference
- Infant and Early Childhood Conference (IECC)
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Staffing
Question: How can districts provide students the basic education and special education services when facing continued staffing shortages?
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