Welcome to

1
Welcome to.

• What Every Board Member Needs to Know About
• Special Education
• You will have access to data relating to
  Special Education terms, issues, programs and
  services and will be better equipped to evaluate
  performance and monitor compliance with State and
  Federal Laws.

2
Your Presenters are

• Donna BuckSpecial Education Teacher, Elementary
  Principal, CSE and CPSE Chair
• Roberta ColacinoSpecial Education Teacher and
  Board President
• Thomas Ledbetter.Parent of a child with Autism,
  Parent Advocate, and BOE member

3
Vast and Complex

• The purpose of this presentation The first six
  weeks of this class we will teach you everything
  you ever need to know about Special Education.
• Seriously, Special Education is a huge and
  complicated subject and we could never hope to
  cover everything.
• Yet it is a vitally important issue to districts
  and boards so what we hope to do is give you a
  basic understanding of a boards role and
  responsibility in the process.

4
Housekeeping Packet

• Index Cards for Questions?
• PowerPoint Printout
• Process Brochure
• Glossary of Terms
• Glossary of Resources
• Sample of two different CSE Reports
• Sample Letter to Parents
• Excerpt from Legal Notice to Parents

5
Topics of Discussion

• Some Basic Terms
• The CPSE/CSEs Role
• The Boards Role Responsibility
• Legal responsibilities
• Budget/funding
• Policy
• A Board Members Role
• Basic knowledge
• Perceptions
• A Parents Perspective
• Questions and Answers

6
Some Basic Terms

• CSE Committee on Special Education and
  Subcommittee
• CPSE Committee on Preschool Special Education
• IEP Individual Education Program
• Special Education
• FAPE Free and Appropriate Public Education
• LRE Least Restrictive Environment
• Mainstreaming
• Education Setting
• Inclusion
• Related services
• RTI Response to Intervention
• 504 Plan

7
CSEs Role

• What is Special Education?
• Part 100, 200, 201 and 4410
• Who is involved in CSE/CPSE meetings?
• What information is need to know?
• What is just nice to know?

8
Steps in the Process

• Initial Referral for Special Education Services
• Independent Evaluation Process (IEE)
• Eligibility/Classifications- Categories
• Development of the IEP
• Annual Review
• Reevaluation every three years

9
A Districts Legal Obligations

• Required to provide a FAPE
• Federal funding for programming is contingent on
  compliance with the Law.
• Responsible for identifying, evaluating and
  delivering services to identified students who
  reside in the district and identified students
  who attend non-public schools within the
  district.

10
A Boards Role/Responsibility

• Your legal responsibility as a board.
• You must be in compliance with State and Federal
  Laws
• You must provide funding and resources for
  Special Education
• Your role as a board will depend on your board.
• Policy sets the Tone and Direction
• Public Perception-You always represent the Board
• Measure results with reports and evaluations.
• Monitor compliance
• Evaluate performance
• Your Accountability
• The Community
• State Performance Plan

11
A Board Members Role 1

• Primary role of Board Members
• NYSSBA To provide leadership for improving
  student achievement
• Your major roles as a board member are 
• Advocate - for students and public education
• Representative - of the entire community
• Steward - of the districts resources
• Leader - of the district Advocacy
• Basic Knowledge
• Attitude and Perception
• Leadership through Policy
• Affecting Culture Climate
• Your role as a board member is up to you

12
A Board Members Role 2

• Do you care? You decide at every meeting.
• Interpretation of Value/Worth?
• Adversarial Relationship (parents-schools)?
• What can YOU do?
• Learn about Special Education issues.
• Become involved with special education groups.
• Policy to do JUST what is required or?
• Policy to promote cooperation and understanding?

13
A Parents Perspective

• Needs, Concerns, Expectations and Rights
• Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in
  the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
• Inclusion To have an equal opportunity to be
  involved in what every other child gets to do.
• Mainstreamed in a General Education Setting
• Benefit from EXPOSURE
• The use of Programs with Proven Results
• A First CPSE Meeting!!!!
• Advocacy and Parent Groups and the DDPC
• Developmental Disabilities Planning Council
• What this means to a District?
• State Performance plan
• Regional Associates
• Impartial Hearing
• Burden of Proof

14
Where do we go from here?

• Resources (Glossary and Books)
• We must accept our legal obligations AND we must
  endeavor to improve education for ALL of our
  students through the one thing we can control
  School Policy.

15
Questions and Answers

• .