State Advisory Panel - GaDOE

State Advisory Panel

Nancy Woods, Chair

For Special Education

Linda Meiring, Vice-chair [email protected]

[email protected]

Twin Towers East • Suite 1870 Atlanta, GA 30334

Atlanta, Georgia 30334-5040

April 26, 2012 Time 1:00 – 1:30 Welcome, Panel Member Introductions and Update

1:30 – 2:00

GaDOE, Divisions for Special Education Services and Supports Update

Minutes Summary State Advisory Panel Meeting April 26-27, 2012 UGA Conference Center & Hotel Athens, GA

Events Nancy Woods, Chair, and Linda Meiring, Vice-Chair, welcomed members and opened the meeting. The GaDOE, Scott Bales and Lori Brown reported that they were recording the meeting. Members present included: Uzoma Anadu Wendy Baird Robin Blount Denise Burrell Steve Derr Christine Fleming Kristie Johnson-Gregory Linda Meiring Brian Mosley Cynthia Spaulding Wendy Stewart Donnie Winokur Mike Blake presented an update from Services and Supports.

Scott Bales Kyle Berry Lori Brown William Butler Jennifer Dixon Cody Fontenot Leslie Lipson Phillip Mellor Danette Rogers Cathy Smith-Jackson Natalie Whitlow Nancy Woods the Division for Special Education

The Division continues to focus on General Supervision. The recent Spring Leadership Conference provided information for school districts on general supervision. This process will look different at the state and district level. The Division is sponsoring the Institute Designed for Educating All Students (IDEAS), an upcoming conference geared towards teachers. The conference will be held at Epworth by the Sea on St. Simons Island from June 4-7, 2012. Dr. Blake reviewed the proposed state rule 160-4-2-.20. This rule addresses the coding of educational subjects/courses which provides information such as the category of the course, the name and type of course, the setting the course is conducted in, as well as other state and local information. Digit coding is provided to designate a number of designations including whether the course is a general education course delivered in a special education setting or a general education course delivered in a general education setting with special education supports. These digits would not be recorded on a

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Time

2:00 – 2:45

Events student’s transcript in order not to identify a student by their disability. This is a coding rule to properly code transcripts. When digit coding for special education courses is used with students who are participating in the Georgia Alternative Assessment (GAA) instruction will be aligned to the standards for the course and provide access to those standards.

Service Animals Q&A

Georgia is investigating the concept of having facilitated IEPs upon the request and agreement of school districts and families. At this time, IDEA specifies formal complaints and due process to resolve disagreements. There are many informal ways to address disagreements, such as a sound parent engagement program and voluntary mediation. CADRE (the Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Education) has offered training in facilitated IEPs to 6 states in order to help states establish a Facilitated IEP program. Georgia has agreed to participate in this program. There will be 2 prongs to establish the program. Prong 1 will be to hire established facilitators who have mediation skills and knowledge of IDEA. These facilitators would be available to schools and parents and would be able to attend a certain number of IEP meetings. Prong 2 will be to provide quality training in facilitation that can be offered to anyone interested in becoming a facilitator. Questions and comments were taken from the panel concerning the funding of the program and the need for the facilitators to be neutral. The division is not contemplating the facilitator being an employee of a district; rather the person applying for the position would be independent. The division would like to establish a stakeholder committee. The program would start with a pilot district; expand in FY14 with full implementation in FY15. Gregg Stevens, GaDOE Associate General Counsel, reviewed the Georgia Department of Education’s Question and Answer document regarding service animals. Service animals are possible under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Amendments have been added to clarify the role of service animals. Generally, any public entity shall modify policies, practices and procedures to permit the use of a service animal by an individual with a disability. Only dogs and miniature horses were considered. The types of services that can be provided include mobility assistance; interrupt specific behaviors, calm panic attacks, etc. Services expressly excluded were protection and companionship. Mr. Stevens reviewed the requirements for service animals. They must be individually trained. While this was not defined, it was meant to exclude pets. The animal must perform “work” or “tasks” and they must be under the control of the handler. They must also be housebroken. Restrictions on service animals were reviewed. The animals can’t fundamentally alter the service the public entity provides. For example, they can’t interrupt education. Animals trained to provide aggressive protection and wild animals, even those born and raised in captivity, are excluded.

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Events There are no breed requirements and school districts can’t require certification; however, the animal has to be individually trained. Mr. Stevens reviewed what districts can ask. Districts and agencies can’t ask about the nature or severity of person’s disability. They can ask what the animal does for the person and the extent the animal is required for assistance. Regulations are silent about inquiring about the health of the animal. Donnie Winokur, a panel member reported that the dog has to be trained in minimum of 3 tasks, they don’t have to wear vests, and they don’t have to carry health records. The ADA requires a minimum of 120 hours of obedience training.

2:45 – 3:00 3:00 – 4:00

ASPIRE Project

Panel members asked about agencies that assist families with getting service dogs. There are different models available in the US. One program is the Canine Assistance program, which provides animals at no cost to the person, but a medical disability is required. The second program, Four Paws, requires every family to be responsible for providing one half of the amount needed to train the dog. Guide Dogs is another organization which provides service dogs. BREAK Elise Lynch presented on Georgia’s Active Student Participation Inspires Real Engagement (ASPIRE) project. Ms. Lynch introduced Teresa and Lauren Bruce, a parent and student involved in the ASPIRE program. The ASPIRE program is in its second year. The program looks at how to engage students more in the IEP process in order to improve outcomes after graduation. This is accomplished by the IEP reflecting what the student would like to do. Ms. Lynch discussed selfdetermination and self-advocacy skills and how they tie into the program. At this time, training in the program is provided for middle and high school, but they are reaching down into the elementary level. Pre- and post-surveys are completed in order to see how the student, parents and teachers understand the IEP process. The program started in collaboration with the Georgia Council of Developmental Disabilities program “Partnerships for Success”. 70 schools were involved in the first year, 12 follow-up schools were included in the second year for a total of 82 schools. Teresa Bruce discussed that while they had always been involved in the process, this program challenged them to be more involved in the IEP process. It has also allowed Lauren to be more involved, knowing what is in her IEP and what her accommodations are, as well as increasing her selfadvocacy skills. Lauren Bruce presented a PowerPoint presentation that she had prepared for

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Events her last IEP meeting.

4:00 – 4:30

Public Comment Session

Questions and comments were taken from the panel. Two public comments were made at this panel meeting. Carmen Allen, from Forsyth County, made public comment via phone call and Sharon Capers, from Gwinnett County, submitted a written comment which was read to the panel by Nancy Woods, Panel Chair. The following is a summary of their comments. Mrs. Allen, Forsyth County, stated she was thankful for the opportunity to give comment from home and not the hospital. She stated that this has given her insight on what people with disabilities have to deal with. She learned what it is to be excluded and the frustration of not being able to get in car and advocate for full access to the SAP. She requested that SAP meetings be webcast and that every school system and agency give full notice of SAP meetings. She stated that the panel needs more parents that are not educators to give more input. She stated this in no way diminishes the value of parents that are educators. A written comment was submitted by Sharon Capers, Gwinnett County. She requested that an email she had sent to Senator Fran Millar be read to the panel. The following is a summary of the letter.

4:30 – 5:00

State Advisory Panel Planning for Future Meetings

Mrs. Capers stated that she supports the initiative to support literacy with “Read Across Georgia” initiative. http://gov.georgia.gov/00/press/detail/0,2668,165937316_165937374_1819 85923,00.html. This initiative is of greater importance in view of the new lower graduation rates. Georgia’s graduation rates for 2011 dropped form 80.9% to 67.4% using the new formula. The graduation rate for students with disabilities was 43.3%. She also discussed information that students with disabilities are disproportionally suspended for school. She provided the following suspension data for all students in Georgia: Total days in-school suspension (ISS): 939,360; Total days out-of-school suspensions (OSS): 749,014 and Total days of lost instruction: 1,688,374. She ended with a statement that Georgia has the highest incarceration rate in the nation and has one of the lowest graduation rates in the nation. She stated we need to decrease the suspension rates and consider other ways to address behavior in addition to improving literacy. Panel members provided input on meeting locations and topics for future meetings. The panel discussed the current meeting format of 1 and 1/2 days. There was concern that there was not enough time for more topics and more information. Suggestions were made for going longer through the day or compromising and having two-2 day meetings, and two-1 and ½ day meetings. Requests were also made to consider shifting meetings into the weekend, so members don’t have to take as much time off, and to consider technology and explore ways of meeting remotely. The following locations were suggested for meetings next year:

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Events Savannah Augusta Macon (Georgia Academy for the Blind) Athens (Piggyback to GCASE/Spring Leadership Conference) Kennesaw (Academy Program/Disabilities Club – CAST program) The following topics were suggested: Information about transitional diplomas/special education diploma Update on the implementation of restraint/seclusion: best practices, unintended consequences Update on Strategic Planning for GNETS PBIS, focusing on the issue of loss of instruction Presentation on increased abuse of students with disabilities More information on the CERT matrix; need to know the difference between rule and guidance document Revisit discipline disproportionality issues in schools; would like to see this tied into the pipeline to prison issue Trauma approach to counseling and helping people Parent choice with cyber schools, charter schools and access to FAPE Training for resource people Update on Standardized testing; discussing the need for the CRCT-M Information on SB-10; what has happened with this, how many families have taken advantage of it and do they come back? Information on the hiring of professionals with disabilities within the school system A review of American Psychological Association (APA) revision of the Autism definition A discussion of changing the name “Special Education” A student showcase presentation at Georgia Academy for the Blind on how students with visual impairments access the general curriculum

April 27, 2012 Time

Events

7:00 – 8:00

BREAKFAST

8:00 – 9:15 9:15 – 10:00

Committee Meetings Committee Reports

All committees met. Nancy Woods, Panel Chair, opened the meeting. Committees reported to the panel on current activities and recommendations.

Membership Committee: The panel received 29 applications for membership for next year. The panel needs to solicit either a parent or person with a disability for membership from Congressional District 2. Six panel members renewed for a second term.

Dispute Resolution Committee: The committee reviewed summary trend data

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Events for complaints, mediations and due process. The trend data for complaints is in line with previous years, with an uptick in the number noted in the spring. The number of mediations is down from previous years. An increase in the number of due process hearings has been noted from the previous year. The committee also reviewed 2 cases resolved since the last panel meeting. The first case involved Gwinnett County. The complaint was based on a district evaluation that the family felt was not appropriate. The family wanted an independent evaluation, while the district felt the evaluation was appropriate. The ruling was in favor of the district. The committee commented that this may have been a great opportunity for the facilitated IEP process. The second case involved Fulton County and concerned abuse in the school system. The committee stated this is a troubling case involving systemic abuse at school that may have extended beyond the individual case. The case has gone to the District Attorney’s office. The full decision can be found on the website, www.disabilityandabuse.org.

Family Engagement Committee: The committee continues to work on the

acronym list, cross referencing the list with parent rights. They would also like to recommend that DOE share the list with districts. The committee asked what districts are doing to share with parents that information is available related to the IEP process. They suggested that case managers have a meeting prior to the IEP meeting to explain the process to parents that are new to Special Education.

Procedures Committee: The committee has completed the process of

working through the procedures document. It has been renamed “Georgia State Advisory Panel Operating Procedures”. The language of the section on companions has been changed to Advocate/Assistant Attendance. The role of this person is to facilitate the member in sharing of thoughts, opinions, ideas, as well as asking questions on their behalf. This person may act as buffer for the panel member, representing how the panel member feels and their thoughts. A panel member may request that the advocate/assistant speak for them. It was suggested that this be included as a strong component in the new member orientation. The committee suggested one other item for consideration. If there is a need for an interpreter, should there be anything in the procedures about interpretation with fidelity? It was commented that there is a code for trained interpreters which includes interpreting with fidelity.

Public Comment Committee: Two comments were made during this

meeting. Both individuals will a receive letter thanking them for their comment. The first comment concerned public access to the SAP meetings. The committee suggested that the panel try to recruit more individuals with disabilities to serve on the panel. The second comment concerned literacy levels of Georgia students, the graduation rate and discipline disproportionality for students with disabilities. The committee noted that the statistics provided in this comment related to lost instructional time due to suspensions were shocking and suggested learning more about what districts are doing to address lost days of teaching. The committee also discussed suggestions on how to increase the number of public comments. One suggestion was to have each panel member solicit 1 person to make a

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Time 10:00 – 10:15 10:15 – 12:00

ESEA Flexibility Waiver and College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI)

Events public comment. Another suggestion was made to change the number of days in advance to request public comment from 3 to 2 days. BREAK Becky Chambers, Program Manager for College Readiness, presented on the Georgia’s ESEA Flexibility Waiver and the College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI). Mrs. Chambers discussed the background of the development of the school improvement tool. The GaDOE is committed to making sure we have a comprehensive school improvement and accountability program. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) looked at all students and that will not be changing; however, Georgia is looking at all students and subgroups, making sure we pay attention to subgroups such as English Language Learners, Economically Disadvantaged and Students with Disabilities. The GaDOE has been very involved at the national level and when we got the opportunity to apply for federal flexibility, we did so. She discussed the advantages of the waiver. Georgia will have to identify Reward, Priority and Focus schools as defined by the US Department of Education. Georgia added Alert schools in order to provide greater emphasis on subgroups. State assessments will continue to be a part of progress monitoring, but all assessments will be used, not just Reading, English/Language Arts and Math. Georgia will set performance targets, be able to exercise greater flexibility with federal funding and authorize districts to provide flexible learning programs instead of Supplemental Education Services (SES). The status of Reward, Priority, Focus and Alert schools will be included in the public reporting structure. There are also 26 school districts in Race to the Top that are piloting a new evaluation system for teachers. This will also be wrapped into the accountability system. The initial report will be provided to districts by December 2012. Mrs. Chambers discussed Priority Schools, which is a 3 year designation. There are three ways to be identified; all are State Improvement Grant (SIG) schools, have graduation rate of less than 60% over 2 years, and demonstrate poor achievement in the “All Students” group or a lack of progress on achievement over 3 years. She discussed Focus Schools. There are 2 ways to be identified; high schools with graduation rate of less than 60% over 2 years and not identified as a Priority school or that evidence the largest achievement gaps between the highest achieving subgroup and the lowest achieving subgroup within the school. Reward Schools were also reviewed. Title 1 reward schools will be identified in September. These schools are the highest performing schools in the “All Students” group and/or have a high graduation rate. They cannot be a Priority or Focus school.

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Events Mrs. Chambers reviewed Alert schools. This is a Georgia prerogative that was designed to identify schools with difficulties with subgroups. This category will focus on 3 alert categories. The first category, Graduation Alert, is for high schools and will focus on graduation rate. If a school’s graduation rate for a subgroup is lower than 3 standard deviations below the mean of the state’s subgroups’ graduation rate, then the school is identified as a Graduation alert school. The second category is the Subgroup Alert. This will look at achievement in elementary and middle schools. If a subgroup has an achievement rate 3 standard deviations below the mean for the state’s subgroups’ mean, the school is identified as a Subgroup Alert school. The third category, Subject alert, examines by subject. If the subject achievement level is 3 standard deviations below from the state’s meets and exceeds rate for that subject, the school is identified as a Subject Alert school. These alert schools are identified annually. Mrs. Chambers discussed the College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI). This index will be in draft form as they continue to get input from stakeholders and the public. She discussed the scoring system which looks at where you are, not a set bar. The indicators in the Performance Index for high School, middle and elementary schools were reviewed. Questions and Comments were taken from the panel. LUNCH

1:00 – 3:00

University of Georgia Disability Resource Center

SAP panel members participated in a tour and question and answer session at the University of Georgia’s Disability Resource Center.

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