From ruby.sandberg at state.or.us Mon Nov 5 13:30:19 2012 From: ruby.sandberg at state.or.us (SANDBERG Ruby) Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2012 13:30:19 -0800 Subject: [SE-Dir] Informational Updates on Special Education Message-ID: TO: All District and ESD Special Education Directors The message below is being sent to you on behalf of: Petrea Hagen-Gilden Interim Assistant Superintendent Office of Student Learning & Partnerships ______________________________________________ November 5, 2012 Greetings from your colleagues in the Office of Student Learning and Partnerships (OSL&P). The attached memo represents an effort to increase communication regarding our work with you on behalf of children and youth with disabilities. It is our hope that this memo will be a "go to" document for you about resources, requirements, and initiatives from OSL&P. I expect to provide these updates to you at least quarterly, or more often if there is the need. This will not replace notices that are time urgent, and you will continue to receive individual school district notification regarding items such as grants and data collections. We welcome any suggestions for topics or articles for future memos! I want to thank all of you for your support and good wishes during my interim service in OSL&P. I would also like to extend an invitation to you to stay in close contact with our office through your county contact, our Directors, or with me directly. Also, please, remember that the State Advisory Council on Special Education is a good venue for providing input regarding services to students with disabilities in the state. Finally, please take a few moments today to reflect on the importance of the work we all do, and know that your efforts make a huge difference in the lives of children and families. Petrea Hagen-Gilden, Interim Assistant Superintendent, OSL&P Ruby Sandberg, Executive Assistant Office of Student Learning & Partnerships Oregon Department of Education 503-947-5738 FAX: 503-378-5156 ruby.sandberg at state.or.us The Oregon Department of Education is an equal opportunity agency and employer. Messages to and from this email address may be made available to the public under Oregon law. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: November update PHG.doc Type: application/msword Size: 168448 bytes Desc: November update PHG.doc URL: From ruby.sandberg at state.or.us Wed Nov 28 12:54:54 2012 From: ruby.sandberg at state.or.us (SANDBERG Ruby) Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:54:54 -0800 Subject: [SE-Dir] MEMORANDUM NO: 004-2012-13 - House Bill 2283 Message-ID: TO: All District Special Education Directors The message below is being sent to you on behalf of: Petrea Hagen-Gilden Interim Assistant Superintendent Office of Student Learning & Partnerships I understand that not everyone received this so I am re-sending to the Sped Directors listserv. Apologies if this message is a duplication. ******************************************************************************************************* MEMORANDUM NO: 004-2012-13 - House Bill 2283 To: Superintendents, Principals, and Special Education Directors From: Rob S. Saxton, Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction; Petrea Hagen-Gilden, Interim Assistant Superintendent, Student Learning & Partnerships; Heidi Sipe, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Improvement & Innovation Re: House Bill 2283 In 2011 the legislature passed HB 2283, which altered the definition of a school day for specific students. This law, which was an amendment to ORS 329.451, applies to students with disabilities who have received a modified diploma, an extended diploma, or an alternative certificate. It allows those students to continue in school through age 21 and obligates school districts to provide a school day for them that is the same length as is provided to students in public high school. Decisions about these students' instructional days are put in the hands of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. The program designed may include transition services and activities, related services, specially designed instruction, and instruction in regular education settings. Services that are provided by other agencies, such as Vocational Rehabilitation Services, that are coordinated by the IEP team, may be included in the total hours. The law does not specify that all of the hours must consist of instruction and services intended to meet the student's special education needs. As always, the IEP team may decide that a full day of school is not appropriate for a child. The law specifies that the team take into account the student's needs and performance level in making this decision. Factors such as health, stamina, and student preference to participate in other activities may be considered. Further, a district may not "unilaterally decrease" the total number of hours of instruction and services to which the student has access. If the team decides not to provide a full day for such a student, the district must provide written notice of its obligation to the parent. It has come to our attention that some districts are not providing full day programs for these students, or for certain classes of these students. Three points are important for districts to consider regarding this requirement. 1. The obligation to provide a full day of school to these students is a Division 22 Standard and is required by state law. The Deputy Superintendent may find districts that fail to provide those programs to be "non-standard," requiring remediation of that practice. 2. Offering a full-day program to certain students, such as those working on a GED or seeking a standard diploma, and not others, such as students with more significant disabilities, based on the severity of their disability, would constitute discrimination based on disability. 3. We suggest that when making decisions about individual students, IEP teams use as a point of reference the student's length of day in the period preceding the awarding of any certificate or diploma. School districts that make decisions based on their current or customary practice of offering a partial day program, rather than the determinations of an IEP team, may be found in violation of IDEA requirements. If you have questions about these requirements, you are encouraged to contact any one of us. Ruby Sandberg, Executive Assistant Office of Student Learning & Partnerships Oregon Department of Education 503-947-5738 FAX: 503-378-5156 ruby.sandberg at state.or.us The Oregon Department of Education is an equal opportunity agency and employer. Messages to and from this email address may be made available to the public under Oregon law. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: