Inclusive Schools Week
December 4–8: Draw Me In
Inclusive Schools Week celebrates the progress that schools are making to provide a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population, including students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference, and other factors. This year’s theme for Inclusive Schools Week is Draw Me In. You can learn more about this year’s theme and the impact representation in the arts can have on belonging and community here.
In Washington state, Inclusive Schools Week provides an important opportunity for our educators, students, community members, and parents to discuss what else needs to be done to ensure that schools continue to improve their ability to successfully educate all students. It also provides the opportunity to reflect on the progress we’ve made toward building inclusive school communities. To hear more about Washington state's Inclusive Schools journey, tune into the podcast Inclusion Stories produced by the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education (MCIE).
Inclusion Stories is a five-episode audio documentary series that tells the stories of families and school districts who have committed to pursuing authentic inclusive education. Chapters 3 and 4 tell the stories of three of Washington’s Inclusionary Practices Demonstration Sites. In Chapter 3, Everyone is an Inclusive Educator, you hear from McMicken Elementary in Highline School District and Sehome High School in Bellingham School District. In Chapter 4, Everyone’s In, No Exceptions, you hear from Ruby Bridges Elementary in Northshore School District and from Assistant Superintendent of Special Education from OSPI, Tania May and Executive Director of Special Education from OSPI, Cassie Martin about Washington’s next steps and vision for establishing meaningful inclusion for all students.
Reducing Restraint and Eliminating Isolation: Free Online Training with Dr. Ross Greene
December 14, 2023
Dr. Ross Greene is offering two virtual training sessions (morning and afternoon) that will provide an overview of the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) model as an alternative to "discipline-as-usual" behavioral intervention strategies, including: the nuances of assessment, engaging students in solving the problems that affect their lives, and strategies to reduce restraints and eliminate isolation.
More information and registration linked here.
Legislative Update
As of December 1, 2023, the Washington Legislature is accepting new bills submissions for the 2024 session. When bills related to special education are introduced, they will be listed on our public Special Education Bill Tracker. We encourage you to check the tracker for bill status updates and news on when public hearings and votes occur in committees and chamber floors. The Legislature does not typically release calendars and schedules until just a few days before session starts, but once they are available, they can be found here. We expect the session to begin January 8, 2024.
For information on OSPI proposals related to special education, please see the November legislative update. For all OSPI proposals, see OSPI decision package webpage.
Have questions? Please contact David Green.
Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) – February 27–28, Meeting and Community Forum
Washington state’s Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) will be conducting a virtual meeting on February 27–28, 2024. The meeting will be called to order at 8:30 am and will adjourn around 1:30 pm on both days. Those who have an interest in Washington state special education services are welcome.
More information can be found on the SEAC webpage, and the Zoom link for the meeting is here. There is no pre-registration. The agenda will be posted on the SEAC webpage two weeks prior to the meeting.
Public comment will be Tuesday, February 27 at 11:30 and is scheduled to last 30 minutes. The public can only make comment during this designated timeframe. If you would like to email your public comment prior to the meeting, send to OSPI Special Education. The SEAC is not required to respond to any comments, and generally does not. If there is no one interested in giving public comment, the executive chairperson will move forward to the next item on the agenda.
A virtual Community Forum will be conducted Tuesday, February 27, 5:30–6:30 pm. The Zoom link to join the community forum is here.
SAVE THE DATE: May 21–22, 2024 – An in-person and virtual SEAC meeting and community forum will be conducted at the Walla Walla Center for Children and Families in Walla Walla, WA. More information will be posted closer to the date on the SEAC webpage.
Consent Form to Share Student Information with State Transition Agencies-UPDATE
OSPI developed a consent form to share student information with agencies providing disability supports, including transition and employment services, prior to a student exiting the school system.
The consent form (posted in 2022) can be downloaded using the links below or accessed from the State Model Forms webpage.
As a reminder, the consent form is being piloted in the 2023–24 school year and is voluntary. The form will be fully implemented in the 2024–25 school year.
The Special Education office anticipates that the translated consent forms will be available on the State Model Form webpage by January 2024.
Additionally, to support schools as well as students and families, two informational one pagers are now available on both the Secondary Transition webpage and the State Model Form webpage.
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