1. Special Education Meeting
November 11, 2014

2. Agenda
Welcome Sally Kilgore (ASAP teacher) and Joey Reed (SAM teacher)!
RJ Cooper Advertisement
RTI and LD
Easy IEP updates and Exiting Students from Special Education
Present Levels of Performance
Tribe Games Announcement

3. RJ Cooper

4. Evaluations for Specific Learning Disabilities under RTI

5. Initial Referrals
Documentation already provided throughout tiered interventions will be vitally important to the special education referral process. Included in this component is documentation of student progress, along with parental input, teacher input, and problem identification. This information is reviewed at a team meeting with the student’s parents prior to making a special education referral. Once a referral is made, parents will sign the consent for initial assessment form and will be provided a copy of their procedural safeguards and prior written notice.

6. RTI Team responsibilities
Student benchmark (universal screening) data
Student progress monitoring data (Tier II 8-10 data points if bi-weekly, or weekly; Tier III 8-10 if bi-weekly, or weekly; OR data points if student goes straight to Tier III)
If necessary, modify student intervention plans (consider changing research-method used or time, intensity, size of group, provider, etc.)
Fidelity monitoring checks (3 at Tier II where 2 must be a direct observation; 5 at Tier III where 3 must be direct observations and 2 must be a review of implementation data, i.e. student attendance, lesson plans, progress monitoring results)
Parent notification letters (every 4.5 weeks)
Rate of improvement and gap analysis (Tier II & Tier III)

7. Role of the School Psychologist
School Psychologists are available to assist school-based RTI Teams as needed (e.g. further systematic screening for skill deficits; support school-based RTI teams with intervention development ideas; data analysis for Tier III students)
School Psychologists MUST be involved in RTI meeting(s) in which Tier III data is analyzed for Rate of Improvement & Gap Analysis for consideration of need for a referral to special education
School Psychologist must complete a systematic observation after a referral is made and consent for evaluation obtained

8. RTI Meeting with Parent when a Referral is Made for Evaluation
Special Education Teacher attends with RTI Team
Sped Teacher goes in Easy IEP and creates Prior Written Notice & Consent for Initial Evaluation
Provide Parent with Prior Written Notice & Notice of Procedural Safeguards
Explain RTI data & comprehensive evaluation procedures
Obtain written consent for a comprehensive evaluation
If parent declines consent, continue with Tier III intervention, consider another change in intervention, continue to progress monitor & provide parent feedback

9. Special Education Teacher role after referral
General Education Teacher’s Input Form and Teacher Checklists
Parent Input Form
Systematic observation of routine classroom instruction
Printouts of student graphs of progress monitoring data from EasyCBM for Tier II and Tier III should be included in the referral file, along with all RTI Team documentation
Send all documentation to Kaye Gillenwater

10. Next steps:
The psych services department completes one additional systematic observation
A standardized achievement measure is administered
The report is written
An IEP meeting is held to review results and determine eligibility
An IEP is developed if applicable

11. Reevaluations
All reevaluations for students with a Specific Learning Disability will be grounded in progress monitoring data.
For students who qualified for services using the discrepancy model, it is assumed that the initial eligibility process was valid.
Existing student-centered data including ongoing assessments of progress and focused/diagnostic evaluations will be reviewed through the Reevaluation Summary Report to determine if additional information is needed.
Again, a gap analysis will be completed and the student’s ROI will be calculated in order to determine the amount of services/intervention required to close his or her achievement gap. The level of service required (special education versus general education) will be used to negate or substantiate continued eligibility.

12. For Students already Identified SLD
All SLD students should receive intensive, research-based intervention in the area of SLD that is as intensive or more intensive than that received by general ed students in Tier III
PLEPs – the area of exceptionality is the SLD area(s)
Write IEP goals in the area(s) of SLD (not other academic areas)
Collect progress monitoring data in the SLD area(s) at least monthly
Students with SLD in one area can also receive Tier II or Tier III intervention through the RTI process in another area of weakness identified by EasyCBM data or other assessments
E.g. Student may be identified SLD in Written Expression or Reading Fluency and have IEP goals in that area, and be in RTI Tier II or Tier III for intervention in Math Calculation or Reading Comprehension based on EasyCBM data, DRA assessment, etc.
Students in K-5 MUST go through full RTI before another SLD area can be identified, meanwhile….
The focus of special education intervention and the IEP should be on the original area of SLD; the focus of reevaluation is on whether special education has succeeded in closing the achievement gap in the original SLD area and the student can return to a less intensive intervention, or continues eligible in the original SLD area

13. Reevaluations for SLD Students
In the year the reevaluation is due, collect progress monitoring data in the area of SLD weekly (at least data points)
Calculate Rate of Improvement and conduct Gap Analysis
Convene IEP team to complete the Reevaluation Summary Report
Note: Section IV includes EasyCBM benchmark assessments, TCAP scores, observations, progress monitoring data, & Rate of Improvement and Gap Analysis
Based on all information gathered, determine if a comprehensive evaluation is needed
If a comprehensive evaluation is needed, complete the assessment plan in Section V: vision/hearing assessments (if not completed within the last two years); academic achievement; curriculum-based measurement; other (observations, fidelity monitoring checks)

14. At the IEP team meeting if the team decides to refer for a comprehensive:
Reevaluation Summary Report (parent gives written consent for comprehensive reevaluation in Section V)
Prior Written Notice of intent to conduct a comprehensive reevaluation
Exclusionary Factors Worksheet
Parent Input Form (can return later)
General Education Teacher’s Input Form and Teacher Checklists (give to teacher, can complete later)

15. After the meeting:
Gather additional student progress monitoring data as needed (minimum of data points during the reevaluation year if monitoring weekly)
Fidelity monitoring similar to Initial referrals: 5 checks required where 3 must be direct observations and 2 must be a review of implementation data; completed within the calendar year; implementation integrity was found to occur at 80% or greater)
Parent notification letter(s) regarding progress monitoring data, every 4.5 weeks during the weeks of data collection
Calculation of Rate of Improvement and Gap Analysis
Systematic observation of routine classroom instruction
Special education teacher sends all documentation to Kaye Gillenwater

16. Next steps:
The psych services department completes one systematic observation
A standardized achievement measure is administered
The report is written
The IEP team reconvenes to determine Eligibility and write a new IEP as needed

17. What about Reevaluations for SLD in Written Expression?
Implement and document research-based intervention(s) for Written Expression
Must have IEP goals in written expression and accompanying PLEP data
Progress monitoring tool: consider freeware at
Measures Total Words Written, Correctly Spelled Words, & Correct Writing Sequences (see handout for administration and scoring guidelines)
Has benchmark scores for grades 1 – 6 that allow us to calculate Rate of Improvement and perform a Gap Analysis

18. What if a student being served as SLD on an IEP is identified as Tier I by EasyCBM benchmark data?
Collect additional information regarding Present Level of Performance – use multiple sources of data (e.g. DRA, TCAP assessments, also winter EasyCBM benchmarks; Observations; Further systematic screening for skill deficits)
Continue providing a research-based intervention that is as intensive as that provided gen ed students in Tier III
Collect weekly progress monitoring data (minimum 8-10 data points) in the area of SLD
Calculate ROI and Gap Analysis
IEP team should review all information; consider possible need to conduct the 3-year Reevaluation early and dismiss student to a less restrictive placement (Tier II or Tier III), or refer for a comprehensive evaluation to determine continued eligibility for special education services

19. EIEP updates
All users should be updated at this time to the new 2014 user types
Let Brian or Linda know if there are issues
Dec. 1 report
Clear stop signs and clean up IEPs between now and Dec. 1
Eligibility process
Updated process review ppt on EIEP main page as a reference

20. Exiting Students from SPED
A student’s eligibility to receive special education and related services from Kingsport City Schools may be terminated under the following circumstances:
The IEP Team has concluded that the student no longer meets the Tennessee eligibility standards or no longer requires special education based upon the results of Re-evaluation Summary Report.
The student has graduated with a regular diploma.
Parents request in writing that the student be removed from special education, at which time the school system must stop all special education services and return the student to general education. The request must be in writing and is not effective until it is received by the school system.
 Prior Written Notice. Notice must be given in writing whenever: 1) It is determined that the child is no longer eligible to receive special education services; or 2) A meeting is held prior to the student’s graduation from high school. Documentation must be given at least 10 (ten) school days before any subsequent changes to the IEP are initiated, and a copy must be sent home if the parent, guardian or non-minor student is not present.

21. PLEPs Quiz PLEPs are based on multiple sources.
PLEPs can be up to three years old.
PLEPS describe what the student is currently able to do within a domain.
PLEPs describe specific skills, behaviors, and capabilities impacted by disability.
PLEPs are somewhat connected to measurable goals.
Observation data can be included in a PLEP.
PLEPs include few details
Reviewing previous IEPs can assist in determining PLEP.

22. Tips for Writing Present Levels of Educational Performance
Addresses individual student’s performance
Includes multiple sources of information
Includes dated results of evaluations, assessments, benchmark data
Performance data should be gathered within the last year
Results of assessments described in detail
Review the last IEP

23. Template for PLEP Narrative
(Student) has a disability that affects (his/her) performance in (list areas- reading, math, writing, behavior, motor, etc.) and requires specially designed instruction.
According to (data source) given on (date), (student) is functioning (at identified level).

24. PLEP Example
Steven has a comprehension deficit that affects his performance in reading and requires specially designed instruction. According to the Developmental Reading Assessment administered on October 10th, Steven is functioning at a DRA level 8. This is equivalent to a beginning first grade level.