Joint LEALES Regional Meeting

1
Joint LEA/LES Regional Meeting

• Focus on Transition C to B

2
Our Time Together

• Transition requirements for Part C and B
• Late referrals to Part C
• Joint evaluation/eligibility
• Data and Reporting
• Fab Five Process
• Child Outcomes
• Pre-K Endorsement

3
What does the IDEA Part C say about Transition?
4
IDEA, Part C Sect 637State Application and
Assurances

• Ensure Smooth Transition
• Include Family in Transition Plan
• Notify LEA
• Convene Transition Conference To
• Discuss services that the child may receive
• Review the child's program options
• Establish a transition plan

5
What does Early Steps policy say about Transition?
6
Early Steps HandbookNotification

• No later than 27 months of age
• Provide Understanding Notification brochure
• Parents indicate choice for opt-out no later than
  the IFSP meeting or periodic review closest to
  the childs 2nd birthday
• Even for inactive children
• Provide, childs name, childs date of birth, and
  parent contact information
• Written consent for anything else

7
Early Steps HandbookTransition Conference

• Between 27 months and 33 months of age
• Required participants are family and service
  coordinator
• Invite Local school district representative

8
Early Steps HandbookReferral

• LES refer all children potentially eligible to
  Part B
• Include with referral
• Current IFSP
• Evaluations and assessments
• Hearing and vision screening
• Copy of the written consent
• Additional available required information

9
Early Steps HandbookInitial IEP Meeting

• Make reasonable effort to participate

10
What guidance does Early Steps provide regarding
the Transition Conference?
11
Transition Conference Discussion Items

• Services available from the local school
  district.
• How and when the evaluation(s) and eligibility
  determination will occur.
• Other agencies and community providers that may
  benefit the child and family.
• Existing child/family information.
• Family concerns regarding transition.
• Strategies to address identified concerns.

12
More Transition Conference Discussion Items

• Childs options from the childs third birthday
  through the remainder of the school year
• Activities that need to be completed before child
  moves into the new setting
• Persons involved in completing identified
  activities
• Timeframes for completion of each activity
• Need for scheduling visits to program sites

13
Topics that need ongoing communication between
LES and LEA

• Family Consent Required to share child-specific
  information below
• Referral
• Outcomes Measurement
• Demographic Changes or Inactive Status
• Declining Part B Services
• Withdrawal from Part C
• Early entry to Part B
• Consent is not required to provide notification
  under IDEA

14
More Information on Transition
ProcessComing Soon

• Transition Session at Service Coordinator Meeting
• Early Steps Orientation Module 3 Revision
• IFSP Process Module Lesson 4

15
What does the IDEA Part B say about Transition?
16
IDEA Transition of Children from the Part C
Program to Preschool Programs

• The state is required to have policies and
  procedures to ensure a smooth and effective
  transition from Part C to Part B

17
IDEA Transition of Children from the Part C
Program to Preschool Programs (cont.)

• By the childs third birthday, an IEP must be
  developed and implemented for eligible children
  who participated in the Part C program
• The LEA will participate in the transition
  conference arranged by Part C

18
What are Florida rules about evaluation for Part
B eligibility?
19
LEA Responsibility for Evaluation

• The school district shall be responsible for
  conducting all initial evaluations necessary to
  determine if the student is eligible for ESE and
  to determine the educational needs of the
  student.
• 6A-6.0331(3)(c) General Education Intervention
  Procedures, Identification, Evaluation,
  Reevaluation and the Initial Provision of
  Exceptional Education

20
LEA Responsibility for Evaluation

• 6A-6.03026 Existing screening and evaluation
  information available from agencies that
  previously served the child and family shall be
  used, as appropriate, to meet the requirements
  for eligibility
• Appropriate and definition of what is current
  is not specified districts make these decisions

21
What about late referrals?
22
Late Referral to Part C

• 2.3.7 For children referred 45 days or less
  prior to their third birthday, the Local Early
  Steps is not required to conduct an
  evaluation/assessment, determine eligibility for
  Part C, develop an IFSP or hold a transition
  conference.
• 7.2.4 For children who become eligible for Early
  Steps after their 2nd birthday, the LES will
  provide a copy of the Understanding
  Notification brochure on the date the child is
  determined eligible for Early Steps.

23
Late Referrals Impact on Child Outcomes

• Early Steps children who have an initial IFSP
  date after the age of 30 months (beginning 30
  months plus 1 day) will not be in the Early Steps
  child outcomes measurement system. However, for
  these children, a BDI-2 assessment administered
  by Early Steps when the child is 30 months plus
  one day, or older, may be used as the ENTRY
  assessment for preschool.
• This is the only exception to the defined
  assessment window and intended to promote
  collaboration between Early Steps and school
  districts.

24
Joint Evaluation/Eligibility

• If eligibility is being determined for Part C,
  then Part C needs parent consent
• If eligibility is being determined for Part B,
  then Part B needs parent consent
• If eligibility is being determined for both Part
  C and Part B at the same time, the Part C and
  Part B need parent consentsame time means
  eligibility decision for Part C and Part B is
  made at the same meeting

25
Joint Evaluation/Eligibility

• If data from Part C evaluation is later used to
  determine eligibility for Part B, then consent is
  not needed, but permission for release of
  information is needed
• Recommend documentation that eligibility was
  determined based on review of existing data from
  Part C and no further testing is needed
• Eligibility determination should be made without
  undue delay once parent has provided permission
  for release of information

26
Joint Evaluation/Eligibility

• If eligibility for Part B is determined based on
  Part C evaluation and further testing is needed,
  then parent consent is required for the
  additional testing and the clock would start on
  the 60 school day timeline
• Reminder IEP must be written within 30 days of
  determining eligibility for Part B

27
LEA Referrals from LES for Children Never Found
Eligible

• Children who did not have an IFSP may be referred
  by Early Steps to the LEA
• In this situation, the 60 school day evaluation
  timeline applies from the date of parent consent
• This is not C to B transition
• These children are not included in Part C child
  outcomes

28
How is Florida doing?
29
Data Cycle Timeline
30
SPP/APR Reporting for Part C
31
SPP/APR Reporting for Part B
32
Indicator B-12

• Verification Activity using 2007-08 data
• State increased from 68.5 to 90.2
• 30 districts had 100 compliance
• 26 districts had 76-99 compliance
• 6 districts had systemic noncompliance
• 5 districts did not have any children transition
  during 2007-08

33
Indicator B-12

• Systemic noncompliance 75 or lower
• Districts with systemic noncompliance must review
  policies, procedures, and practices and implement
  any needed changes
• Districts will use the BEESS General Supervision
  Web site to develop improvement plan and document
  status on activities to improve performance
• Web site http//beess.fcim.org

34
Whats the Fab Five?
35
OSEP National Transition Project

• Florida invited to participate in August 2007
• DLo Trejo Marilyn Hibbard participated in San
  Antonio Meeting November 2007
• Pilot of joint LEA/LES Improvement Activity began
  Fall 2008 Fab Five
• More information and resources
• http//www.nectac.org/topics/transition/ectransit
  ionta.asp

36
Fab Five Selection Process

• Districts ranked by SPP Indicator 12
• LESs ranked by SPP Indicator 8C
• Phase 4 or 5 Participants in Child Outcomes
  Measurement System
• Similar match in rankings between District and LES

37
Fab Five Process

• Problem Solving Activity
• Analyze local data
• Assess current transition practices
• Prioritize changes needed
• Develop action plan
• Provide monthly updates of progress
• Compare before/after performance

38
Fab Five Process

• Lessons Learned include the need to
• Cultivate good working relationships across
  agencies
• Share data to identify and accept ownership of
  issues
• Understand each others requirements and
  practices
• Determine who does what for each agency
• Hold joint meetings to share timelines and plan
  together
• Schedule joint meetings for tracking children and
  solving challenges
• Build alliance between LES and LEA
• Train all staff on requirements and procedures

39
Fab Five Process

• Cool Form

40
What about Child Outcomes?
41
Child Outcomes

• All LESs and LEAs have been phased in
• Full implementation for entry and exit
  assessments as of 07/01/09
• Entry assessment for all children anticipated to
  have IFSP or IEP for at least 6 months
• Exit assessment for all who had entry assessment
  and IFSP or IEP for at least 6 months
• LES and LEA are responsible for child outcome
  assessment of children
• LES and LEA are jointly responsible for shared
  data point assessment (C out B in)

42
Child Outcomes

• Revised/Final Flowchart!
• Conference call to discuss May 6th
• Web Data Manager coming soon
• FY 08-09 Data Collectionsave copies of the front
  page of the BDI-2 assessment or the Child All
  Scores Summary Report
• Scoring forms due in July more instructions TBA

43
Child Outcomes

• TATS website www.tats.ucf.edu
• Guiding Principals
• Flow Chart
• Color coded Phase-In chart
• Parent Flyers
• Q and A document
• Screening Memo
• Child Outcomes Measurement Question Board

44
What has the data shown us?
45
Part C Indicator 3A
46
Part C Indicator 3B
47
Part C Indicator 3C
48
Part B Indicator 7A
49
Part B Indicator 7B
50
Part B Indicator 7C
51
Changes in Part B Indicators

• Indicator 6
• OSEP accepting comments until April 23, will
  review all comments, and then will finalize
  indicator
• New baseline and targets will be set in SPP APR
  Feb. 2011
• Districts continue to be responsible for FAPE in
  the LRE as required in IDEA
• Indicator 12
• New data element number of children who were
  referred to Part C less than 90 days before their
  third birthday
• Not required until SPP APR Feb. 2011

52
What is the Pre-K endorsement requirement?
53
Pre-K Endorsement

• Required by July 1, 2011, for teachers who are
  certified in any area of exceptional student
  education (ESE), primary or early childhood, if
  they are teaching prekindergarten children with
  disabilities
• Rule expanded to permit adding endorsement to K-6
  Elementary certificate
• Not required for teachers with prekindergarten/pri
  mary (age 3-grade 3) or preschool education
  (birth-age 4) certificates.
• In lieu of the endorsement, take the subject area
  test for prekindergarten/primary or preschool
  education and add one of these certifications.

54
Pre-K Endorsement

• No provision for grandfathering in
• Teaching experience may be used in lieu of some
  of the required coursework
• A valid National Board Certificate in the area of
  "Early Childhood-Young Adulthood Exceptional
  Needs Specialist Early Childhood" can be used to
  add the prekindergarten disabilities endorsement
  to the teacher's Florida certificate
• A valid National Board Certificate in the area of
  "Early Childhood Generalist (ages 3-8)" can be
  used to qualify for a Florida certificate in
  prekindergarten/primary education

55
Pre-K Endorsement

• Requirements for the prekindergarten disabilities
  endorsement can be found at http//info.fldoe.org
  /docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-5309/dps-2009-021.pd
  f
• Additional information on the endorsement is in a
  memo found at http//info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsw
  eb/Get/Document-3866/k12_06_104memo.pdf

56
Professional Development

• Most public universities in Florida offer
  coursework relating to the endorsement. More
  information (including financial assistance) may
  be found at
• www.florida-ese.org/personneldevelopment
• Contact
• Lezlie Cline at Lezlie_at_fcim.org or 850.645.7132
  or
• Lori Massey at lmassey_at_irsc.edu or 772.462.7190

57
Want to know more?
58
Contact Information

• Department of Education
• Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student
  Services
• Marilyn Hibbard
• Marilyn.Hibbard_at_fldoe.org
• 850.245.0478
• Carole West
• Carole.West_at_fldoe.org
• 850.245.0478
• Department of Health
• Children Medical Services Early Steps
• Sally Golden-McCord
• Sally_Golden-McCord_at_doh.state.fl.us
• 850.245.4200, ext. 3211