Updates: Office for Exceptional Children June 7, 2018

Preparing All Students for Success

Office for Exceptional Children Update’s Ohio’s Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities New ETR and IEP Forms Dispute Resolution Parent Notice Document

Office for Exceptional Children Update’s Innovative Strategies for Developing College and Career Readiness for Students with Disabilities - Grant Striving Readers Grant Parent Notice Document

Ohio Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities The Ohio Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities

Ohio Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities

Operating Standards Fall 2018/Winter 2019: Board Process Spring 2019: File rules with Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) Summer 2019: Rules are finalized Fall 2018/Winter 2019: Board Process Spring 2019: File rules with Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) Summer 2019: Rules are finalized

Operating Standards Winter/Spring 2018: OEC/ODE Internal Review Progress Fall 2018: Stakeholder feedback/Post rules for 30 days public comment Five year rule revision of the Operating Standards – 10 rules Definitions, FAPE, Child Find, Confidentiality, Procedural Safeguards, Evaluation, IEPs, Parentally Placed Nonpublic Children, Transportation, Delivery of Services, Visual Impairments Winter/Spring 2018: OEC/ODE Internal Review Progress Fall 2018: State Advisory Panel for Exceptional Children (SAPEC) Meeting/Post rules for 30 days public comment

New ETR and IEP Forms New IEP and ETR forms are posted on our website.

New ETR and IEP Forms New ETR and IEP forms posted on ODE’s website July 1 New ETR and IEP forms are posted on our website. Districts will start using forms July 1 Some of the highlights include: Emphasis on transition starting at age 14 in the areas of Post Secondary Training and Education, Competitive Integrated Employment, and Independent Living Emphasis on monitoring students progress to ensure they are making adequate progress on their goals Information about the student’s reading and monitoring improvement plan in the student profile Question: Is the student on track or off track for reading? Third Reading Guarantee and Is the child excused from the consequences of not passing required graduation tests? YES NO The child is excused from the consequences of not passing the required graduation tests in the following

Universal Support Materials Search: Universal Support Materials ODE has universal support materials available on our website to walk you through the process

Dispute Resolution Within the Office for Exceptional Children, we have a Dispute Resolution Team that works very closely with families and districts to assist with resolving concerns or disagreements. Early Complaint Resolution process – Parent contacts someone on the Dispute Resolution Team to help address questions or concerns about their child’s special education program Facilitation process, mediation, and due process Each year will collect data on the number of requests we receive for facilitations, mediations and due processes

Dispute Resolution Data Summary May 2016-2017 185 direct requests for facilitation May 2017-2018 245 direct requests for facilitation Facilitation – If a parent has a concern about the evaluation or reevaluation of their child for special education or about their child’s IEP OEC would arrange for a facilitator to attend the evaluation team meeting or IEP meeting. Facilitator is a neutral, third party who is not a member of the team and does not make decisions for the team Is a professionally trained mediator who has been trained on and knows about special education laws and requirements Helps to open up conversation between the parent and district Keep the meeting on track and helps to keep everyone respectful of the process Process is voluntary. Both the parent and the school district must agree to be part of the process. As you can see, during the 2016-17 school year, we had 185 requests for facilitation, for the 2017-18 school year we had 245 We are pleased to see that more parents are requesting facilitation and want to try and problem solve the issues they are having with the district.

Dispute Resolution Data Summary May 2016-2017 84 direct requests for mediation May 2017-2018 90 direct requests for mediation Mediation – The mediator is a neutral third party. The parent and school district agree upon a mediator The parent and the school district each share their concerns. The mediator helps the parent and the district settle the dispute and come to a final written agreement. The written agreement is binding and both the parent and the school district sign it. Mediation is voluntary and confidential 84 direct requests for mediation - 2016-17 90 - 2017-18

Dispute Resolution Data Summary May 2016-2017 164 due process filed 6 decisions rendered (4%) May 2017-2018 162 due process filed 2 decisions rendered (1%) Due Process – Parents can request a due process hearing The due process complaint must allege that federal or state special education requirements have been violated. Identification, evaluation, educational placement, or delivery of a free appropriate public education 164 due process filed 162 due process filed

Innovative Strategies for Developing College and Career Readiness for Students with Disabilities Application for Grant Funds

Application for Grant Funds To assist Ohio’s school districts, educational service centers, and Career Technical Planning Districts in utilizing evidence-based predictors and practices to improve the coordination and delivery of secondary transition services. Objective: To assist Ohio’s school districts, educational service centers, and Career Technical Planning Districts in utilizing evidence-based predictors and practices to improve the coordination and delivery of secondary transition services. These strategies will better prepare students with disabilities for successful post-school outcomes.

Application for Grant Funds Educational entity must be the lead agency/fiscal agent 16 Grants will be awarded; 1 per SST Region Up to $100,000 per grant award for FY19 Due June 15, 2018 by 5:00pm, no exceptions Grant awardees notified at beginning of July Applications should assess the current implementation of secondary transition services. Prioritize the needs for the transition-aged students with disabilities served in their district. Create an innovative strategy to improve current, or implement new, services based on the results of their needs assessment.

Application for Grant Funds Access Grant here: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Federal-and-State-Requirements/Secondary-Transition-and-Workforce-Development/College-Career-Readiness-for-Students-with-Disabil Contact Emilie Coen and Amy Szymanski with questions Emilie.coen@education.ohio.gov esclew_aszy@sstr1.org

Striving Readers Grants

Congratulations to our awardees! 46 Subgrantees 21 Consortia In March Application due: March 2. $33.25 million dollars will be awarded to single or consortia partners. 46 subgrant awardees Birth-Age 5: 20 awards K-grade 5: 23 awards Middle School: 28 awards High School: 26 awards 21 Consortia 112 consortia members $33.25 million dollars

Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement guides the literacy work of the department. Striving Readers subgrantees are required by the US DOE to have a local Literacy Plan that is aligned to the state plan.

Where to Find Ohio’s Plan education.ohio.gov Search keyword “Literacy” education.ohio.gov/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/Literacy If you have not yet had a chance to read this plan- we highly recommend that you take time to become familiar with this document. Section 4 outlines the Departments vision for literacy achievement in great detail.

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