From Laura.Allran at ode.state.or.us Fri Jan 8 14:19:37 2010 From: Laura.Allran at ode.state.or.us (ALLRAN Laura) Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2010 14:19:37 -0800 Subject: [SE-Dir] OSL&P: Arts Opportunity for Students and Teachers Message-ID: TO: All District and ESD Special Education Directors The message below is being forwarded to you on behalf of: Nancy Latini, PhD Assistant Superintendent Student Learning & Partnerships ______________________________________________ January 8, 2010 RE: Arts Opportunity for Students and Teachers in Oregon Message: Please read the message below and share with anyone you think would be interested in getting involved. The deadline for submission is February 5 and we are very low on submissions from Oregon. Our goal is to include one student per state in a national touring exhibition. The opportunity is open to all students ages 5-15, but we are especially encouraging students with disabilities to apply. Plus, teachers have the chance to receive $1000 for use in their classroom, just by submitting their students' artwork! Thank you for any assistance you can provide. Sincerely, Jennifer Wexler VSA arts and CVS Caremark All Kids Can present All Kids Can...CREATE!, a national call for children's art Calling all children! VSA arts and CVS Caremark All Kids Can encourage you to share your creativity by submitting artwork to All Kids Can...CREATE!, a national call for children's art. The theme, State of the Art, invites young people with and without disabilities across the United States to explore their environments and discover the roles they play within their communities. All artwork submitted before the February 5, 2010 deadline will be included in an online art gallery and considered for display in a national touring exhibition that will debut in Washington, D.C. The exhibition will be on view during the month of June and will feature one piece of artwork from every state and the District of Columbia. All submissions will be included within the exhibition in an interactive kiosk even if they have not been selected for the touring show. The 51 selected artists will be invited to a congressional reception to celebrate the opening of the exhibition. While in Washington, D.C. for the opening reception, these young people will have a chance to join in the largest celebration of the arts and disability in the world: The 2010 International VSA arts Festival. Teachers -- by submitting your students' artwork, you are eligible to receive $1000 for your classroom! Visit www.artsonia.com/allkidscancreate for more information. Please visit www.vsarts.org/allkidscancreate for more information, including eligibility, entry instructions and a link to the online application. All submissions must be made through Artsonia (www.artsonia.com/allkidscancreate) Questions? Please contact Jennifer Wexler, Visual Arts Manager, at jcwexler at vsarts.org. ______________________ Jennifer Wexler Visual Arts Manager VSA 818 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 600 Washington, D.C. 20006 (202) 628-2800 (tel) (202) 429-0868 (fax) (202) 737-0645 (TTY) Participate in our Collaborative Art Project! www.vsarts.org an affiliate of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts If you have any difficulty viewing the attached links, please contact Laura Allran at laura.allran at state.or.us or 503-947-5674. Messages to and from this e-mail address may be made available to the public under Oregon law. ===========End of Message============ ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. 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URL: From Laura.Allran at ode.state.or.us Wed Jan 20 08:42:28 2010 From: Laura.Allran at ode.state.or.us (ALLRAN Laura) Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:42:28 -0800 Subject: [SE-Dir] OSL&P: Excess Cost Calculation Message-ID: TO: All District and ESD Special Education Directors The message below is being sent to you on behalf of: Nancy Latini, PhD Assistant Superintendent Student Learning & Partnerships ______________________________________________ January 20, 2010 RE: Excess Cost Calculation It is that time of year when each district must complete the annual excess cost calculation for special education. As you know, this is a federally mandated report under IDEA 2004, and districts must complete the calculation and meet the excess cost requirement at both elementary and secondary levels in order to retain their IDEA base and ARRA funds for 2009-2010. A work group of excellent school district business managers from around the state have provided our office with an improved template that makes it much easier to complete the calculation. In many districts the business manager completes this calculation, so we will be sending a copy of this message to all of the school district and ESD business manages as well. Because a failure by any district to complete the calculation will result in ODE being required to collect the equivalent of full repayment of district 2009-2010 IDEA ARRA and base grants, Superintendents will also receive a copy of this message. Attached you will find: 1. A spreadsheet, with tab instructions, to assist you in the calculation. It is not mandatory that you use this spreadsheet. It is a tool to help you should you choose to use it (second attachment). Please note Tab 4 of the spreadsheet. It contains the shortened form onto which you will report your expenses for elementary and secondary, have signed and dated by an authorized official of your district, and forward the original document/signature to my attention. 2. A guidance sheet explaining how to secure the correct SECC number for use in the calculation. As you know, the October 2008 ADM count is used for your total student body count. (refer to first attachment) 3. A technical assistance document written by the United States Department of Education on excess costs is located on the link below. This document from the federal level addresses many of the questions that we have heard here in Oregon. http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/schoolanddistrict/funding/sped/excesscostcalculation.pdf This year the due date will be March 30, 2010. Because we have extended the time for you to complete the calculation it is critical that you complete this federally required exercise by the stated due date; otherwise we will be required to make you repay your IDEA base and ARRA funds for 2009-2010. There can no longer be extensions to our designated deadline. The object of the excess cost calculation is to ensure that you are spending at least the same amount per child on an IEP as you would spend on a child in General Education with regard to basic costs of operating your district and providing education. Only then can the money being provided through IDEA truly be considered as covering excess costs of providing special education and related services for students on IEPs, and not supplanting basic educational expenses that would be incurred even if IDEA funds were not granted. Federal law prohibits the use of your IDEA funds before you spend at this level in basic costs. Please feel free to call or write Eric Richards at eric.richards at state.or.us or 503-947-5786. If you have any difficulty opening the attached documents, please contact Laura Allran at laura.allran at state.or.us or 503-947-5674. Messages to and from this e-mail address may be made available to the public under Oregon law. =========== 2 Attachments ============ SECC Data for Excess Cost Calculation (12-30-09).doc Excess Cost 2008-09 timeplate-modified.xls ===========End of Message============ ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately and delete the communication and any attachments. 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Name: Excess Cost 2008-09template-modified.xls Type: application/vnd.ms-excel Size: 258560 bytes Desc: Excess Cost 2008-09template-modified.xls URL: From Laura.Allran at ode.state.or.us Wed Jan 20 15:17:00 2010 From: Laura.Allran at ode.state.or.us (ALLRAN Laura) Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:17:00 -0800 Subject: [SE-Dir] OSL&P: Modified Diploma and Essential Skills Message-ID: TO: All District and ESD Special Education Directors The message below is being sent to you on behalf of: Nancy Latini, PhD Assistant Superintendent Student Learning & Partnerships ______________________________________________ January 20, 2010 MEMORANDUM NO. XXX-2009-10 - Modified Diploma and the Essential Skills Re: Essential Skill requirements for students seeking a modified diploma. This went to all superintendents and I wanted to be sure you also had a copy. Nancy Latini, PhD Assistant Superintendent Oregon Department of Education Student Learning & Partnerships 503-947-5702 nancy.latini at state.or.us At their December meeting, the State Board of Education adopted OAR 581-022-0615: Assessment of the Essential Skills. This permanently adopts the revisions to the OAR made this last summer and reflects the revised phase-in timeline for the Essential Skills. This rule revision also elaborates on the Essential Skills requirements for students meeting the eligibility requirements for a modified diploma. The revisions to OAR 581-022-0615 clarify that, while students seeking a modified diploma must meet the Essential Skills requirements, school districts and public charter schools may modify certain assessment options adopted by the State Board for these students as described below. For students on IEPS or 504 Plans: School districts and public charter schools may administer modified work samples or OAKS assessments consistent with the requirements of the student's IEP or 504 Plan. When modifying an OAKS assessment, the school district or public charter school must also ensure that the modifications are in compliance with section 4(d) of OAR 581-022-0610: Administration of State Tests. Modified OAKS assessments will remain invalid for purposes of school and district accountability. For students who are not on an IEP or a 504 Plan: School districts and public charter schools may only administer modifications to work samples that are consistent with the modifications the student has received during instruction. Students must have received those same modifications during instruction in the content area to be assessed and in the year in which the work sample is administered. These modifications must be approved in advance by the student's school team responsible for monitoring the student's progress. Students who are not on an IEP or a 504 Plan may not receive a modified OAKS assessment. Modifications, as described in OAR 581-022-0610, are changes to the achievement level, construct, or measured outcome of an assessment. This means that IEP or school teams responsible for approving modifications for a student's assessment may adjust the administration of the assessment and / or the assessment's achievement standard. In December, the State Board also adopted revisions to OAR 581-022-1134: Modified Diploma, which brings the OAR in line with HB 2507. The final version of the modified diploma states that on or after July 1, 2009, a district school board or public charter school governing board may only award a modified diploma to a student who meets the eligibility criteria as specified in OAR 581-022-1134(2). Furthermore, all students first enrolled in the 9th grade after July 2007 must meet all the state's criteria for a modified diploma (14)(a); and, for students first enrolled in the 9th grade prior to July 2007 (primarily juniors and seniors), the student's team may decide to award a modified diploma based on the school district's units of credit or the state's units of credits(14)(b) A school district or public charter school may award a modified diploma to a student only upon the consent of the parent or guardian of the student. A district or school must receive the consent in writing during the school year in which the modified diploma is awarded. All of the implications associated with modifying assessments and curricula for the purpose of obtaining a modified diploma should be made clear to parents and decision-makers. You can find the OARS above, along with all other December State Board materials, at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=2857. Doug Kosty Nancy Latini Assistant Superintendent Assistant Superintendent Office of Assessment and Information Services Office of Student Learning and Partnership Oregon Department of Education Oregon Department of Education Modified Diploma and the Essential Skills - FAQ Q: What are the graduation requirements for students receiving a modified diploma? A: Students are required to earn 24 units of credit and complete the Personalized Learning Requirements (as described in OAR 581-022-1134), and demonstrate proficiency in the required Essential Skills (as described in OAR 581-022-0615). Q: What are the required Essential Skills? A: The Essential Skills will be phased in over the coming years. Students first enrolled in the 9th grade in 2008 will need to demonstrate the Essential Skill of Reading. Students first enrolled in the 9th grade in 2009 will need to demonstrate the Essential Skills of Reading and Writing. Students first enrolled in the 9th grade in 2010 or later will need to demonstrate the Essential Skills of Reading, Writing, and Apply Mathematics. This timeline and all associated requirements apply to students receiving a modified diploma. Q: Are modifications allowed in demonstration of the Essential Skills? A: Yes. See below for modification options. For students on IEPS or 504 Plans: School districts and public charter schools may administer modified work samples or OAKS assessments consistent with the requirements of the student's IEP or 504 Plan. When modifying an OAKS assessment, the school district or public charter school must also ensure that the modifications are in compliance with section 4(d) of OAR 581-022-0610: Administration of State Tests. Modified OAKS assessments will remain invalid for purposes of school and district accountability. For students who are not on an IEP or a 504 Plan: School districts and public charter schools may only administer modifications to work samples that are consistent with the modifications the student has received during instruction. Students must have received those same modifications during instruction in the content area to be assessed and in the year in which the work sample is administered. These modifications must be approved in advance by the student's school team responsible for monitoring the student's progress. Students who are not on an IEP or a 504 Plan may not receive a modified OAKS assessment. Q: May modified OAKS assessments be used for accountability purposes? A: No. Although modified OAKS assessments may be used to fulfill the Essential Skills requirement by students seeking a modified diploma, these modified assessments are still considered invalid for school and district accountability purposes (i.e., participation and performance). All of the implications associated with modifying assessments and curricula for the purpose of obtaining a modified diploma should be made clear to parents and decision-makers. Q: For modified assessments, can districts adjust the cut score needed to pass OAKS or the level of rigor needed for a successful work sample? A: Yes. Modifications, as described in OAR 581-022-0610, are changes to the achievement level, construct, or measured outcome of an assessment. This means that IEP or school teams responsible for approving modifications for a student's assessment may adjust the administration of the assessment and or the assessment's achievement standard. For example, an IEP team could decide that successful demonstration would be a 220 on the OAKS Reading instead of the regular "meets" cut score of a 236, or require a student to get a minimum score of 9 on each work sample as opposed to the minimum of 12 for a regular work sample. If you have any difficulty opening the attached documents, please contact Laura Allran at laura.allran at state.or.us or 503-947-5674. Messages to and from this e-mail address may be made available to the public under Oregon law. ================ 2 Attachments =============== Modified Diploma and the Essential Skills FAQ.doc Modified Diploma and the Essential Skills.doc =============== End of Message =============== ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately and delete the communication and any attachments. 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Name: Modified Diploma and the Essential Skills.doc Type: application/msword Size: 39424 bytes Desc: Modified Diploma and the Essential Skills.doc URL: From Laura.Allran at ode.state.or.us Tue Jan 26 11:56:36 2010 From: Laura.Allran at ode.state.or.us (ALLRAN Laura) Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:56:36 -0800 Subject: [SE-Dir] OSL&P: Approval Process for Alternate IEP Forms Message-ID: TO: All District and ESD Special Education Directors The message below is being sent to you on behalf of: Nancy Latini, PhD Assistant Superintendent Student Learning & Partnerships ______________________________________________ January 26, 2010 RE: Approval Process for Alternate IEP Forms OREGON ALTERNATE IEP FORM APPROVAL PROCESS Under Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 581-015-2215, all districts and ESDs in Oregon must use the Oregon Standard IEP form, unless they have applied for and been granted approval for use of an alternate IEP form by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE). Any districts or ESDs who received prior ODE approval for alternate IEP forms must reapply for approval of any alternate IEP forms if they decide not to use the Oregon Standard IEP. Forms are due to ODE no later than close of business on February 26, 2010. This same message will be sent to your director of special education. The Oregon Standard IEP form is available in two formats: for students age 15 or younger when the IEP is in effect; and for students age 16 and older when the IEP is in effect (transition age students). To review the Oregon Standard IEP form, go to http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1163. Districts and ESDs may now apply for approval for use of an alternate IEP form. The due date for submission of the application to use an alternate IEP form is February 26, 2010. The directions for submission of an alternate IEP form are attached and are also available online: http://www.ode.state.or.us/pubs/forms/iep/alternateiepguide.doc All questions related to the submission of alternate IEP forms can be directed to Robbi Perry, 503-947-5782 or e-mail robbi.perry at state.or.us . If you have any difficulty opening the attached document, please contact Laura Allran at laura.allran at state.or.us or 503-947-5674. Messages to and from this e-mail address may be made available to the public under Oregon law. ============= 1 Attachment ============ 2010 Guidelines for Alternate IEP Forms.doc ====== ===== End of Message =========== ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. 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Name: 2010 Guidelines for Alternate IEP Forms (2).doc Type: application/msword Size: 90112 bytes Desc: 2010 Guidelines for Alternate IEP Forms (2).doc URL: From Laura.Allran at ode.state.or.us Wed Jan 27 08:14:50 2010 From: Laura.Allran at ode.state.or.us (ALLRAN Laura) Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:14:50 -0800 Subject: [SE-Dir] OSL&P: Proper Use of Title IA Funds Message-ID: TO: All District and ESD Special Education Directors The message below is being sent to you on behalf of: Nancy Latini, PhD Assistant Superintendent Student Learning & Partnerships ______________________________________________ January 27, 2010 RE: Proper Use of Title IA Funds Many of you have been waiting for this information. It was also sent to your superintendent. Hopefully this will answer several questions many of you have been asking and will assist the staff at Tigard Tualatin School District as they move forward with our RTI initiative. Please open the attached letter titled, "Proper Use of Title IA Funds" and it's attachment. The purpose of the letter is to clarify the use of Title IA funds, particularly in Targeted Assistance Schools (TAS) relative to utilization of Response to Intervention (RTI) models. For further clarification please contact Tryna Luton, the Director who oversees programs under Title I. You can reach her at 503-947-5922 or tryna.luton at state.or.us If you have any difficulty opening the attached document, please contact Laura Allran at laura.allran at state.or.us or 503-947-5674. Messages to and from this e-mail address may be made available to the public under Oregon law. ============= 2 Attachments ============ Proper Use of Title IA Funds.pdf Question on Funds for Exclusion Purposes.doc ====== ===== End of Message =========== ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately and delete the communication and any attachments. This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses. ********************************************************************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Proper Use of Title IA Funds.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 84692 bytes Desc: Proper Use of Title IA Funds.pdf URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Question on Funds for Exclusion Purposes.doc Type: application/msword Size: 33280 bytes Desc: Question on Funds for Exclusion Purposes.doc URL: From Laura.Allran at ode.state.or.us Wed Jan 27 11:40:05 2010 From: Laura.Allran at ode.state.or.us (ALLRAN Laura) Date: Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:40:05 -0800 Subject: [SE-Dir] OSL&P: Division 37 OAR draft with comments Message-ID: TO: All District and ESD Special Education Directors The message below is being sent to you on behalf of: Nancy Latini, PhD Assistant Superintendent Student Learning & Partnerships ______________________________________________ January 27, 2010 RE: Division 37 OAR draft with comments At long last we have a set of draft rules for instructional assistants from the curriculum office. Our special education staff is reading them and commenting so I thought you would all want to see the initial proposed rules and timelines. There also is a survey as well, which you may or may not wish to complete. I suggest that if you have an ESD meeting coming up, these should be discussed. I plan to have our Special Education Director Advisory discuss them the next time we meet in February. Most of the ESD Special Education Directors attend that meeting. We will have time to discuss these rules and to make an impact, if you want to share your suggestions and thoughts. Thanks for any input you might have. If you have any difficulty opening the attached document, please contact Laura Allran at laura.allran at state.or.us or 503-947-5674. Messages to and from this e-mail address may be made available to the public under Oregon law. ============= 3 Attachments ============ Surveys.flyer.docx TIMELINErevised1-13.doc Draft ParaprofessionalsOAR1-26no markups.docx ====== ===== End of Message =========== ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately and delete the communication and any attachments. This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses. ********************************************************************** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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