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<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">TO: All District and ESD Special Education Directors</font></div>
<div style="padding-left: 36pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">The message below is being forwarded to you on behalf of:</font></div>
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<div style="padding-left: 36pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">Nancy Latini, PhD</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">Assistant Superintendent</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">Student Learning & Partnerships</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">______________________________________________ </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">March 31, 2009</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3" color="#000080"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">RE: <b>Findings of Disproportionality</b></font></div>
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<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">On February 23, 2009, ODE posted Oregon’s formula for calculating significant disproportionality in race and ethnicity in Special Education. This formula will be used to determine whether a district demonstrates
significant disproportionality within its Special Education population--by race and ethnicity. Significant disproportionality is determined according to how it impacts the student population in one or more of four possible ways: a) overall, b) by disability,
c) relative to least restrictive environment , and d) by incidence, duration, and type of disciplinary actions. </font></div>
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<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">This formula was presented during feedback sessions at the 2008 Oregon Fall Special Education Conference for School Administrators. Additional information was also presented during Systems Performance Review and
Improvement (SPR&I) trainings in the fall of 2008 and mentioned at the Data meetings statewide. This formula is now in effect. You can locate the formula at <a href="http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=653"><font color="#0000FF"><u>http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=653</u></font></a>.
</font></div>
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<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3"><b>The </b><b>determination</b><font color="#0000FF"><b> </b></font><b>of significant disproportionality is a federal requirement for all states and is a separate obligation from the existing obligation to monitor
disproportionate representation through the state's special education monitoring system. </b></font></div>
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<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">The implementation of this formula will result in three steps for a district found with significant disproportionality. Districts will then be required to:</font></div>
<div style="padding-left: 36pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">1) Provide for the review and (if appropriate) revision of policies, procedures, and practices; </font></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">2) Reserve the maximum amount of funds (up to 15%) *<font color="#0000FF"> </font>to be used for early intervening services (EIS); and </font></div>
<div style="text-indent: 36pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">3) Publicly report on the revision of the policies, procedures, and practices.</font></div>
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<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">Notification of determination of significant disproportionality will come by letter from the Department by April 15, 2009. This letter will include specific fiscal sanctions if 2009-2010 allocations are known at
that time. If not, a separate letter outlining fiscal sanctions will follow when allocation amounts are known.</font></div>
<div style="padding-left: 36pt; "><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">*A finding of significant disproportionality, under the IDEA, requires the Oregon Department of Education to impose fiscal sanctions on the district,<font color="#0000FF"> </font>including restricting the ability
of the district to lower its maintenance of effort base, removing the option of the district to use 15% of the IDEA grant for permissive EIS activities, and then requiring the district to utilize that 15% of its IDEA grant to primarily target the specific disproportionality
issue. </font></div>
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<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">For further clarification, contact Dianna Carrizales at <a href="mailto:dianna.carrizales@state.or.us"><font color="#0000FF"><u>dianna.carrizales@state.or.us</u></font></a> </font></div>
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<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">If you have any difficulty opening the above links, please contact Laura Allran at <a href="mailto:laura.allran@state.or.us"><font color="#0000FF"><u>laura.allran@state.or.us</u></font></a> or 503-947-5674.</font></div>
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<div><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="3">Messages to and from this e-mail address may be made available to the public under Oregon law.</font></div>
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