California%20IDEA%20Reauthorization%20Summit

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California IDEA Reauthorization Summit

• California Department of Education
• Committed to Improving Results

Alice D. Parker, Ed.D. Assistant
Superintendent Director of Special
Education January 18, 2003
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Quality Assurance for Students with Disabilities
in California
Continuously Improving Services and Outcomes for
Children with Disabilities and their Families
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Reauthorization Priorities

• Accountability for Results
• An balance of student achievement, system
  accountability and procedural safeguards.
• Reduction of unnecessary paperwork/processes so
  that teachers can teach and focus on ensuring
  student results.
• A Unified System of Education
• All children are general education first and
  special education is not a place apart, but
  integral to education.
• Reduce federal complexity by focusing on
  consolidation of reporting, shared
  self-assessments, reports, etc.

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Reauthorization Priorities

• Interagency Coordination
• Public and private agencies organizations
  coordinate expertise and support services in a
  meaningful, effective and cost-efficient manner.
• Develop clear, consistent federal law regs that
  include children with disabilities in the
  Medicaid program.
• Early Intervention and Preschool Services
• Continued support for early identification and
  intervention for infants, toddlers and young
  children.

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Reauthorization Priorities

• Charter Schools and Other Choice Options
• Clarify Federal language about Charter Schools
  and the provision of special education services.
• Provide sufficient fiscal support for charter and
  choice options.
• Discipline/Positive Behavior Supports
• Streamline the law and regulations.
• Provide clear, simple expectations for
  disciplinary actions regarding any student.
• Education services should be provided to all
  studentsdisabled or nondisabledwho are expelled
  or placed on long term suspension.

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Reauthorization Priorities

• Full Federal Funding for IDEA
• Full federal funding for IDEA Part B grants,
  including Section 619.
• Provide increases in Part C and Part D.
• Funding for State Improvement Grants need to flow
  to states proportionally, not competitively.
• Qualified Personnel
• Noncompetitive funding for inservice and
  technical assistance for maintaining qualified
  personnel.
• Provision of financial incentives through grants
  to encourage IHEs to use a variety of methods to
  attract and train all new school personnel.

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Reauthorization Priorities

• Conflict Resolution System
• Insure a more fair, cost efficient and effective
  system through reducing the s of times notice of
  procedural safeguards must be given.
• Attorney fee awards only for activities solely
  related to due process hearings and court
  actions.
• Complaints limited to procedural issues and due
  process hearings used to resolve differences
  related to provision of services.
• Provide federal fiscal support for conflict
  resolution and alternate dispute resolution
  mechanisms.

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Reauthorization Priorities

• Transition
• Increase clarity of, and focus on, transition
  services beginning in middle grades (ages 14-16).
• Align all federal legislation related to
  transition.
• Create a pool of targeted monies from IDEA, VR,
  the Higher Education Act, TANF, Ticket to Work,
  VATEA, NCLB, WIA, and Medicaid.
• Simplify documentation and eligibility
  requirements between systems to remove one of the
  main barriers to timely and smooth transitions.

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Overall Recommendations for the Summit on
Reauthorization of IDEA and Federal Policy for
Education

• Clarify the purposes of IDEA
• Increase emphasis on educational issues and
  access to effective instruction
• Recommend ways for more time for teaching and
  less time for process.
• Align major pieces of federal education law such
  as NCLB, Rehab. Act, Higher Education Act, and
  IDEA, etc.
• Provide states with appropriate fiscal resources
  and clear direction on what the outcomes should
  be. Let states, districts, families, and other
  stakeholders determine how for themselves.

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The best way to predict the future is to create
it. Author Unknown
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• One can never consent to creep when one feels
  the need to soar
• Helen Keller

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Our Kids are Counting on You
Weve done much
California
And we have much to do