OSPI Special Education Update - April 2024

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 04/04/2024 07:50 AM PDT

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Special Education Update

April 2024

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
Professional Development & Conferences
Reminders!

Special Education Updates

April is Autism Acceptance Month

April is Autism Acceptance Month which provides another opportunity for us to acknowledge and celebrate the diverse experiences and contributions of individuals with autism. By celebrating and acknowledging neurodiversity, we can challenge stereotypes and misconceptions. This month encourages schools, districts, and the larger society to embrace the unique perspectives and strengths of individuals with autism, fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for all. This month is just one reminder to reflect on how our schools and communities are fostering a culture of acceptance, understanding and appreciation for diverse learners. We invite you to join us in celebrating Autism Acceptance Month by participating and engaging in events and discussions aimed at promoting acceptance and inclusion.

To learn more about students with autism, visit the OSEP Fast Facts: Children Identified With Autism (Updated 2024).

For digital materials and resources, please visit the CDC website.

Integrated MTSS Conference: Call for Proposals and Registration Open Now

WASA and OSPI are excited to announce the 2024 Integrated MTSS Conference. This year’s conference, Empowering Excellence: Co-Designing Systems through Instructional Leadership, will be held on the campus of Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman, Washington from July 31– August 2.

With our theme of Empowering Excellence: Co-Designing Systems through Instructional Leadership the focus of the conference will be on best practices and approaches that address the strands listed below:

Family, Student & Community Engagement
Reducing Restraint & Eliminating Isolation
Student Well-being & Mental Health
Tiered Academic Supports

You and your school district teams will not want to miss these dynamic three days of impactful learning. We encourage prompt registration as we expect this conference to fill quickly!

Conference dates and times:
July 31, 2024 | 8:30 am–4 pm
August 1, 2024 | 8:30 am–4 pm
August 2, 2024 | 8:30 am–2 pm

Registration is $199 per person. Up to 11 Washington state Approved Clock Hours are available (dependent on your participation in individual sessions) and are included in the registration. Register here. Questions? Contact Ryan Hickerson at Ryan Hickerson - WASA or 360-489-3640 with registration questions.

Call for Proposals
Deadline: April 18, 2024

With our theme of Empowering Excellence: Co-Designing Systems through Instructional Leadership, topics of interest to the Conference Committee include best practices and approaches that address the strands listed below:

Family, Student & Community Engagement
Reducing Restraint & Eliminating Isolation
Student Well-being & Mental Health
Tiered Academic Supports

Click here for the presenter application and more information about the call for proposals. Contact Amy Wright at WASA with questions about the proposal process.

Reminder: Notice of Public Comment Period for Annual State Application of Federal Year 2024 of the IDEA Federal Grant

Washington state’s annual application for federal IDEA funds for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2024 has been posted and will be available for public review for 60 days, with a comment period of 30 days, prior to final submission to the US Department of Education (DOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) by May 31, 2024. Check out this overview video about the application process, from Dr. Tania May, OSPI Assistant Superintendent of Special Education.

Two virtual/online Public Comment Hearings have been scheduled. One was already held in March, but there is still one more opportunity for Public Comment:

Wednesday, April 17, 2024, from 9–10 am | Zoom link

All members of the public are invited to attend the Public Comment Hearings and provide verbal or written comment on the annual application for IDEA funds and the proposed budget. The Public Comment Hearings are posted to the OSPI Rulemaking and Public Comment website. Comments may also be submitted in writing to OSPI Special Education no later than May 8, 2024.

Note that each scheduled meeting has a separate Zoom link. If participants need accommodations beyond closed captioning, please contact the OSPI Special Education division at OSPI Special Education or call 360-725-0725.

Program Improvement Updates

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

Disproportionality Workbooks due May 1 from Identified Districts
Special Education Data, Fiscal, and Program Office Hours

Fiscal and Data Updates

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

Data Reporting for Students with IEPs: End of Year Federal Special Education Data Reporting
Excess Cost
Safety Net Upates

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Updates

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

OSPI Resources to Braiding Federal and State Funds to Support Early Learning Programs
Biden-Harris Administration Releases Resources to Support Preschool Expansion and Early School Success
ECSE Inclusion Champions’ Featured Resources
Reminder: ECSE Office Hours
Key Strategies for Recruitment and Retention of Personnel Serving Young Children with Disabilities
Transition to Kindergarten
Professional Development Opportunities

Tips from the Special Education Division

Scheduling Annual IEP Meetings and Parent Participation

Tip of the Month!

How can school districts ensure parent participation at the annual IEP meeting?

Information from Our Partners

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

2024 Community Summit
Professional Educators Standards Board (PESB): Teacher of the Visually Impaired Update
Department of Health Releases Updated COVID-19 Guidance
Webinar: Learning Standards Review Project Update

Professional Development & Conferences

Click here for professional development opportunities and resources including:

Save the Date: Prepping for PROGRESS 2024
Behavior Supports in Schools Conference
Graduation Equity Webinar - Systems & Interventions for Attendance & Reengagement

Reminders!

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

Inclusionary Practices Technical Assistance Network (IPTN) website is LIVE!

The IPTN recently launched its website, offering insights into its vision for improved access to rigorous instruction and enhanced postsecondary outcomes for all Washington state students. Explore our evolving IPTN website and reach out to IPTN for 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 the Special Education email.

Please note, that districts must update their 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.

eLearning for Educators: An OSPI Inclusionary Practices Technical Assistance Network (IPTN) Partner

The eLearning for Educators Project offers affordable online courses in addition to no-cost mini-training modules and technical assistance trainings. Designed for busy educators, our online courses are offered asynchronously, available to all educators, and accepted by OSPI for certificate maintenance (clock hours). There are no registration deadlines. Register online via our website and you will have three months to complete the course and/or other offering. Questions? Contact us: eLearning for Educators

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.

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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