OSPI Special Education November 2023 Update

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 11/14/2023 04:10 PM PST

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Special Education Update

November 2023

Special Education Updates
Program Improvement Updates
Fiscal and Data Updates
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Updates
Tips from the Special Education Division
Information from Our Partners
Upcoming Conferences & Professional Development Opportunities
Reminders!

Special Education Updates

Legislative Session Update

Click HERE for updates on OSPI bill proposals and other news on the upcoming legislative session.

Native American Heritage Month

The 2023 theme for Native American Heritage Month is Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity. To learn more about this year’s theme and about the history of Native American Heritage Month, visit the Bureau of Indian Education website.

According to the 2010 US Census, 24% of Native Americans and Alaska Natives have a disability, compared to 19% of the general population. This disproportionate number of Native Americans and Alaska Natives with disabilities necessitates a need for services, however, Native Americans and Alaska Natives remain unserved or underserved by support agencies and organizations across the country.

Valerie Williams, Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) consistently reiterates OSEP’s support to assist The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) in continuing their journey towards meeting requirements of IDEA and improving outcomes for students with disabilities in the 174 BIE-funded schools with academic programs across 23 states. Watch this short video from Director Williams where she discusses the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the urgency required to ensure that all students with disabilities are receiving high quality special education services. This includes recognition of the progress that has been made because of the work done by the BIE and the continued commitment from OSEP to support those efforts and improvements.

Resources for Military-Connected Children with Disabilities and Their Families

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), recently released a letter addressing the need to continue to help support military-connected children with disabilities and their families through the numerous educational and life transitions they may face.

Due to frequent transitions, the families of military-connected children with disabilities may have the added challenges related to family and support networks separation and disruptions in the continuity of early intervention services and special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

These resources can help to support states, districts, families, and others to meet the unique needs of military-connected children with disabilities and ensure the timely provision of required early intervention and special education and related services.

Special Education Division Staff Spotlight: Assistant Director of Dispute Resolution, Alyssa Fairbanks

What is your role at OSPI?

I am the Assistant Director of Special Education Dispute Resolution. This means I oversee our special education dispute resolution system in Washington, including facilitated IEPs, mediation, special education community complaints, and due process. I also support policy development, the development of guidance and technical assistance, and work with our Equity and Civil Rights Office and OSPI’s Legal Office. This year two of my priorities for the dispute resolution team are to dig more into data around the accessibility of the dispute resolution system and to focus on ensuring effective corrective actions in complaints.

What do you like about working in the Special Education Division at OSPI?

One thing I love about my job is seeing the impact on students eligible for special education in Washington. Even though many of the situations we deal with in dispute resolution are tense and emotional, the complaint decisions have a real impact on students. Several years ago, I got an email from a parent who had filed a complaint that has always stuck with me. The parent shared that following the complaint decision the student’s IEP had been implemented, the student was receiving services, and the student had ended the school year receiving straight A’s! It is outcomes like this that reinforce how important this work is and remind me that there are students at the center of all the work I do. My other favorite thing about working at OSPI is the wonderful, passionate, smart, and collaborative colleagues I get to work with every day.

What are your favorite things to do outside of work?

I read a ton, love to cook, spend time with family and friends, and exercise. I’ve been getting back into yoga and last spring started taking a tai chi class. I also bike, with my most recent big bike ride being the cycling portion of the Ski to Sea team relay race in May 2023. I also am in the midst of a multi-year reading quest to read a biography of every president in chronological order and visit a historical site associated with each president. I’ve just finished reading James K. Polk and I am about to start Zachary Taylor, and this summer I visited Berkeley Plantation in Virginia, which is where William Henry Harrison, who served the shortest presidential term, grew up!

Program Improvement Updates

Click here for this month’s Program Improvement updates on the following topics:

Annual IDEA Determinations – Issued November 1
WISM Office Hours

Fiscal and Data Updates

Click here for this month’s Fiscal & Data updates on the following topics:

IDEA MOE Reduction FY23
Special Education Data and Fiscal Team Office Hours
Special Education November Federal Child Count
Special Education Personnel Employed & Contracted
2023–24 Safety Net Application

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Updates

Click here for this month’s ECSE updates on the following topics:

Creating IEPs for Children in Preschool Settings
Funding Early Learning Activities in WA state
ESIT ACORN Launch Date Postponed
ECSE Inclusion Champions Resource Share

Tips from the Special Education Division

Tip of the Month!

Information from Our Partners

Click here for this month’s updates from the following partners:

Adaptive Inclusive Technology Grant Overview FP 282 Launching November 6th
2022–2023 Restraint and Isolation Data Reporting
ASD Prep: Preparing Teachers and Paraeducators for the Successful Inclusion of Autistic Children
Spotlighting Excellence: Celebrating the WAETAG 2023 State Award Honorees

Upcoming Conferences & Professional Development Opportunities

Click here for professional development opportunities and resources including:

MTSS Community of Practice – Continuum of Supports
Special Education Technology Center Update and Upcoming Webinars
OSPI + Glean Education Professional Learning Opportunity
WA Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth Workshop: Empowering Students with Hearing Differences through Cultural/Family Bonding & Academic Strategies

Reminders!

This section includes hyperlinks to important information shared in previous monthly updates.

Got questions? Ask OSPI! OSPI has launched a new publication that invites all Washington residents to ask OSPI questions directly and get answers publicly. Named, The Study Session, this publication is an opportunity for families and community members to engage with OSPI on all things public education. It is published once per month on the OSPI Blog. Click to learn more about The Study Session, including how to submit questions.
Special Education and Institutional Education Directory The Special Education and Institutional Education Directory is posted on the OSPI website. The directory is updated monthly, on the first working day of every month. Submit changes to speced@k12.wa.us. Please note, districts must update the contact information with the Special Education office to receive emails sent out from the Special Education office. Updating your district’s contact information in the Special Education and Institutional Education Directory does not update your district’s information in EGMS or GovDelivery.

Technical Assistance Survey: OSPI's Special Education division is still seeking your feedback about local needs and preferences for special education technical assistance (TA) and professional development (PD). This anonymous survey is intended to be completed by anyone who receives these monthly updates, takes about 7 minutes to complete, and will help our OSPI team develop improved TA and PD resources that are responsive to the current needs of our community. We can’t do this without your input! Click here to take the survey

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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