[SE-Dir] Input Requested-SWIFT Cntr/SLP Survey/SLP Scholarships

[SANDBERG Ruby]

TO:  All District and ESD Special Education Directors

The message below is being sent to you on behalf of:


Sarah Drinkwater
Interim Assistant Superintendent
Office of Student Learning & Partnerships
______________________________________________
February 11, 2013


RE:       Technical Assistance and Support Opportunity: SWIFT Center
Survey for Statewide Workforce Needs for Speech-Language Pathologists and Speech-Language Pathology Assistants
Recruiting Speech-Language Pathology Scholarship Candidates


Dear Colleague:

I write this letter to introduce myself and alert you to three items requesting your input and involvement.

Rob Saxton, Deputy Superintendent, Oregon Department of Education, recently appointed me as Interim Assistant Superintendent for the Office of Student Learning and Partnerships, following Petrea Hagen-Gilden.  Petrea provided much needed guidance and support to ODE, districts and staff, through a transition period, and in her time with us, met her goal of moving forward in improving outcomes for all students.  I, too, will strive to continue this important work inside and outside of ODE.

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SWIFT-School-wide Integrated Framework for Transformation (Dr. Wayne Sailor, University of Kansas):  The SWIFT Center will offer school, states and districts the ability to build capacity to scale up and sustain new practices for school-wide inclusive reform in urban, rural and high-need schools in grades K-8 for students with disabilities. The SWIFT Center will focus on improving the knowledge and skills of classroom educators to implement inclusive school-wide reform; increase the capacity of schools to implement fully inclusive reform in academic, extracurricular, and school-based settings; and increase family and community engagement in school-wide reform. SWIFT brings together special and general education in a comprehensive continuum of supports and services for all students.  For example, the model uses a multi-tiered system of support of increasing intensity of instruction for all students that includes addressing behavior issues that impede the learning progress, said Sailor.  Other features of the SWIFT model include:

*       Schools are structured to avoid "silos" and facilitate collaborative teaching between support and grade level teachers

*       All school staff, including security guards, paraprofessionals, support staff, etc., participate in the teaching and learning process; and

*       Schools use the SWIFT Center Dashboard to make data-driven decisions and monitor interventions.



We are recruiting four districts that are interested in participating in this collaborative project between ODE and the University of Kansas.  It is a multi-year commitment with intensive resources and support associated with the project.  It typically takes 3 years for transformation to occur with the ultimate outcome to be inclusive school reform.



Please let me know if you and your district are interested in participating in this project, as the timeline is moving forward quickly.  If you are interested in participating this year, or in future years (this is a multi-year project), please send me a separate email containing the following information.  I need a response by February 20, 2013.



1)     Name of school district/superintendent/special education administrator

2)     Name of specific school identified to participate/name of principal/grade levels served

3)     Acknowledged commitment from superintendent, principal and special education administrator to participate in the project.

4)     Is your district interested in participating beginning in 2012-13 or in a later year?



I look forward to hearing back from you.  I know that some of you may have spoken directly with Petrea about this opportunity, but please respond to me by email with the specific information requested above.  If we have more than four interested districts for this first year, we will institute a fair selection process.  sarah.drinkwater at ode.state.or.us<mailto:sarah.drinkwater at ode.state.or.us>





Statewide Workforce Needs for Speech-Language Pathologists and Speech-Language Pathology Assistants - Survey:  Please take a few minutes to complete the survey below as we strive to meet your district needs to provide speech and language services to students with disabilities.  If you have questions about the survey please feel free to contact Catherine Heaton (Catherine.Heaton at state.ode.or.us<mailto:Catherine.Heaton at state.ode.or.us>  503-947-5714).



Statewide Workforce Needs for Speech-Language Pathologists and Speech-Language Pathology Assistants - Oregon Department of Education<http://www.ode.state.or.us/surveys/template.aspx?sid=352>





Recruiting Speech-Language Pathology Scholarship Candidates:  The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) Office of Student Learning and Partnerships is recruiting scholarship candidates from districts and ESDs.  Scholarship recipients will enroll in the Oregon Cohort of the Speech Language Pathology Master's degree program through Nova Southeastern University (NSEU).  Through funding by the 2007 Oregon Legislature, more than 100 Oregon educators have been awarded scholarships for further education in Speech Language Pathology (SLP), a field identified with a severe shortage of professionals.  Districts/ESDs from across the state are involved with the SLP and SLPA cohort programs.



ODE plans to begin the next Oregon SLP cohort in July 2014 and invites your district or ESD to apply.  For additional information, see http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=3654.  If you have questions, please contact Catherine Heaton at Catherine.Heaton at state.or.us<mailto:Catherine.Heaton at state.or.us> or call 503-947-5714



I look forward to our continued work together for students in Oregon.

Sarah



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<mailto: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.




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