1. Notice of Invitation vs. Prior Written Notice
Did you Notice?
Notice of Invitation vs. Prior Written Notice

2. Office of Student Assessment
Session Norms
Winter 2012 DTC Training
Silence your cell phones
Please check and/or reply to s during the scheduled breaks
Be an active participant
Do not hesitate to ask questions
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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3. Office of Elementary Education and Reading
State Board of Education Vision and Mission: 5-Year Strategic Plan for
Vision
To create a world-class educational system that gives students the knowledge and skills to be successful in college and the workforce, and to flourish as parents and citizens
Mission
To provide leadership through the development of policy and accountability systems so that all students are prepared to compete in the global community
©MDE – Office of Special Education
Literacy

4. Office of Elementary Education and Reading
State Board of Education Goals 5-Year Strategic Plan for
All Students Proficient and Showing Growth in All Assessed Areas
Every Student Graduates High School and is Ready for College and Career
Every Child Has Access to a High-Quality Early Childhood Program
Every School Has Effective Teachers and Leaders
Every Community Effectively Using a World-Class Data System to Improve Student Outcomes
©MDE – Office of Special Education
Literacy

5. Office of Student Assessment
Strong Readers=Strong Leaders Campaign
Winter 2012 DTC Training
Strong Readers=Strong Leaders Statewide public awareness campaign promotes literacy, particularly among PreK-3 students
Campaign aims to equip parents and community members with information and resources to help children become strong readers
The Strong Readers=Strong Leaders campaign supports the Literacy-Based Promotion Act by educating parents about the important of literacy and giving them resources to help children at home. Almost two-thirds of a child’s waking hours are spent with parents or other caregivers. Family involvement is key to helping children become successful readers.
The campaign officially launched in late May with a press conference at the Eudora Welty Library featuring our campaign spokesperson, Miss Mississippi Jasmine Murray. We partnered with the Mississippi Library Commission on this event and timed it to kick off the summer reading season. We got good local coverage of the event, which included Jasmine Murray reading to preschoolers.
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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6. Office of Student Assessment
Strong Readers=Strong Leaders Campaign
Winter 2012 DTC Training
How districts can get involved:
Post logo and link to strongreadersMS.com
on district website
Share PSA on website and social media
Like Strong Readers on Facebook and on Twitter
Help implement mentoring program
Distribute bookmarks and posters
We need your help to promote this campaign. You can download the logo, PSA, posters and bookmarks from the “Educators” section on the Strong Readers website. We would love for you to post the logo on your websites and link it to StrongReadersMS.com. Also, please follow Strong Readers on social media and encourage the parents in your districts to do the same. Follow up with your superintendents after the MASS conference to see about the feasibility of starting a mentoring program.
Also, please share any literacy information you have with us so we can post it on StrongReadersMS.com. You can your stories and photos to Jean Cook -
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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7. ©MDE – Office of Special Education
Teacher Listserv
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8. Office of Student Assessment
Notice of Invitation to Committee Meeting
Winter 2012 DTC Training
Notice of Invitation to Committee Meeting includes the invitation to the meeting as wells as a Committee Meeting Reply Form.
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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9. Office of Student Assessment
Notice of Invitation to Committee Meeting Reply
Winter 2012 DTC Training
These are suggested forms. Your district may have different forms.
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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10. Office of Student Assessment
The Purpose of Notice of Invitation
Office of Student Assessment
Winter 2012 DTC Training
To ensure that one or both of the parents of a child with a disability are present at Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) or each IEP Committee meeting or they are afforded the opportunity to participate. (Pursuant to Section § of Chapter 94, Rule and 34 C.F.R. § )
The purpose of the invitation is to ensure that parents/guardians are given every opportunity to participate in the MET meeting and/or each IEP Committee Meeting. The Invitation Reply gives parents/guardians the opportunity to let the IEP Committee know if they can be there, if they need to reschedule, and any other accommodations they may need including transportation, interpreter, etc.
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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11. Office of Student Assessment
Winter 2012 DTC Training
Notice of Invitation
The Notice of Invitation must indicate the purpose, time, and location of the meeting and who will be in attendance by name and position (substitutions by position for persons named to be in attendance are permitted).
§ Section (b)(1)
The Notice of Invitation must include the purpose, time, and location of the meeting as well as who will be in attendance. It is permissable to substitute by position…Mrs. Smith the Gen Ed Teacher cannot make it to the meeting due to unforeseen circumstances so Mr. Jones another Gen. Ed teacher familiar with the student serves as substitute.
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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12. ©MDE – Office of Special Education
Notice of Invitation
The Notice of Invitation must inform the parent of provisions in § (a)(6) and (c) (relating to the participation of other individuals on the IEP Committee who have knowledge or special expertise about the child).
©MDE – Office of Special Education

13. Office of Student Assessment
Winter 2012 DTC Training
When to Send Notice of Invitation
Parent must be given Notice of Invitation of the meeting early enough to ensure that they will have an opportunity to attend.
(Pursuant to Section § of Chapter 94, Rule and 34 C.F.R. § (a)(1)).
Invitations must be sent early enough that parents/guardians will be able to make arrangements to attend and/or be able to reschedule. There is not a firm timeline for this. It just has to be enough time that the parent/guardian can be there.
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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14. ©MDE – Office of Special Education
How Many Attempts?
A meeting may be conducted without a parent in attendance if the LEA is unable to convince the parents that they should attend. In this case, the LEA must keep a record of its attempts to arrange a mutually agreed-on time and place, such as-
Detailed records of telephone calls made or attempted and the results of those calls;
Copies of correspondence sent to the parents and any responses received; and
Detailed records of visits made to the parent’s home or place of employment and the results of those visits.
©MDE – Office of Special Education

15. Office of Student Assessment
Winter 2012 DTC Training
WPN
In the past, The Notice of Invitation to Committee Meeting has been referred to as the WPN…THERE IS NO WPN. Currently we have a Notice of Invitation to Committee Meeting and a Prior Written Notice. Now we are going to talk about the PWN.
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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16. Office of Student Assessment
Prior Written Notice (PWN)
Winter 2012 DTC Training
This is the suggested form for the Prior Written Notice.
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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17. ©MDE – Office of Special Education
Prior Written Notice (PWN)
©MDE – Office of Special Education

18. Office of Student Assessment
Prior Written Notice (PWN)
Winter 2012 DTC Training
Detailing Decisions
Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
So, Let’s talk about the PWN. The PWN details the decisions that were made at the MET meeting and each IEP Committee Meeting.
©MDE – Office of Special Education
Insert Program Name Here

19. Office of Student Assessment
Purpose of the PWN
Winter 2012 DTC Training
Written notice to parents:
You must explain the public agency’s proposal or refusal to carry out an action or actions that affect their child.
You must allow the parents time to seek resolution if they disagree with the school’s decision.
The purpose of the PWN is to explain to the parent the decisions that were made at the IEP/METmeeting and the public agency’s intent to either carry out an action or refusal to carry out an action. For example, if an IEP Committee makes the decision that a student requires additional special education services in the area of math, the PWN would explain why the student requires additional special education services, the duration/frequency of those services and the location. OR the IEP Committee may meet to determine if a student needs an Assistive Technology Evaluation. During the meeting the IEP Committee determines that an Assistive Tech evaluation is not necessary. The PWN would explain the refusal to request an AT eval.
The public agency MUST allow parents time to seek resolution if they disagree with the IEP Committee or MET Decision. This is where the seven days comes in.
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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20. Office of Student Assessment
When is a PWN given?
Winter 2012 DTC Training
Pursuant to § of Chapter 74, Rule a written notice that meets the requirements of paragraph (b) must be given to parents of a child with a disability seven (7) calendar days before the LEA proposes to change or refuses to change:
Identification, Evaluation, Educational Placement, or Provision of a FAPE to the child
The Policy above states….
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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21. Office of Student Assessment
When is a PWN given?
Winter 2012 DTC Training
After the decision is made, but prior to implementing the action(s).
So when is a PWN given…After the IEP Committee Meeting or MET meeting where decisions are made BUT prior to implementing the proposed/refused actions.
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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22. ©MDE – Office of Special Education
MET Decisions
Indicate if the MET proposes or refuses to evaluate the child.
Explain why the MET proposes or refuses to evaluate the child.
Describe each piece of data used as a basis for the proposal or refused action (each evaluation procedure, assessment, record, or report).
©MDE – Office of Special Education

23. ©MDE – Office of Special Education
MET Decisions
Eligibility Determination
MET/IEP Committee proposes or refuses to:
Identify a child as eligible for special education services in one or more of the 13 disability categories, or
Determines a child no longer meets eligibility criteria for one or more of the disability categories.
©MDE – Office of Special Education

24. ©MDE – Office of Special Education
Reevaluation
Reevaluation Process
IEP Committee proposes to:
Gather additional data, or
Determine continuing eligibility and child’s educational needs based on existing data; or
IEP Committee refuses to:
Gather additional data/assessment, or
Continue eligibility based on existing data.
©MDE – Office of Special Education

25. ©MDE – Office of Special Education
Educational Placement
Child’s participation with non-disabled peers.
Child’s special education and related services.
Location of those services.
These decisions will determine the child’s educational placement on the continuum of alternate placements.
©MDE – Office of Special Education

26. ©MDE – Office of Special Education
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
Initial IEP contains the LEA’s proposal to begin the provision of a FAPE, or
When a child is not eligible for special education services, the LEA must document the refusal to initiate the provision of a FAPE.
IEP Committee reviews the IEP and the IEP Committee may propose or refuse to change the provision of a FAPE.
©MDE – Office of Special Education

27. ©MDE – Office of Special Education
FAPE
IEP changes in a FAPE include:
Change in the measurable annual goal(s)
Change in the amount, or location of the special education and or related services.
Change in accommodations, modifications, supplementary aids, supplementary services, supports, and or assistive technology and
Removal of behavioral intervention plan.
Prior Written Notice must be provided within 7 days after the meeting.
©MDE – Office of Special Education

28. Office of Student Assessment
FAPE
Winter 2012 DTC Training
IEP changes in a FAPE include:
ESY Decisions
*Remember: If the committee proposes to “do” something, the decision is addressed under “proposes.” If the committee proposes “not to do” something, the decision is addressed under “refuses.”
Remember…For a student not eligible to receive ESY services, that decision would be addressed under Refusal
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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29. Office of Student Assessment
What is the Difference?
Winter 2012 DTC Training
Notice of Invitation to Committee Meeting
Provided prior to the meeting
Provided early enough to ensure that they will have an opportunity to attend
Prior Written Notice
Sent after the meeting prior to implementing an action
Must be given to parent within seven (7) days from the meeting date/decision
©MDE – Office of Special Education
Insert Program Name Here

30. Office of Student Assessment
Questions?
Winter 2012 DTC Training
©MDE – Office of Special Education
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31. ©MDE – Office of Special Education
Contact Information
Margaret Ellmer, Professional Development Coordinator
Sharon Strong Coon, Autism Instructional Specialist
Tanya Bradley, Bureau Director
MS Dept. of Education
Office of Special Education
P. O. Box 771
Jackson, MS
(601)
©MDE – Office of Special Education