From ruby.sandberg at state.or.us Wed Jan 6 15:14:18 2016 From: ruby.sandberg at state.or.us (SANDBERG Ruby) Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2016 23:14:18 +0000 Subject: [SE-Dir] SLP/SLPA School District Shortage Survey - Please share with staff Message-ID: TO: All District and ESD Special Education Directors The message below is being sent to you on behalf of: Sarah Drinkwater, Ph.D. Assistant Superintendent Office of Learning/Student Services ______________________________________________ January 7, 2016 The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) recognizes the shortage of Speech and Language Pathologists and Speech and Language Pathology Assistants available for employment in Oregon's public school and Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education settings. ODE works collaboratively with local and national universities, the Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, the Oregon Speech & Hearing Association, among others, to address this shortage. In 2007, the Oregon State Legislature passed HB3141, providing $150,000 each biennium to support SLPs and SLPAs in pursuit of licensure to serve in Oregon's schools (this includes EI/ECSE). Recent legislative changes have led to the elimination of the Teachers Standards and Practices (TSPC) credential for new SLP graduates and there has been an increased capacity for Oregon's universities to issue Master's Degrees in Speech and Language Pathology. These changes, among others, necessitate an updated understanding of speech-language pathology services in school districts and EI/ECSE programs. The following survey is brief, 5-10 minutes: http://goo.gl/forms/QU0BWIYfH2 We are not collecting demographic information that will identify you personally, therefore your identity is anonymous. The information will be used to: 1) Determine the need (or lack of) for more licensed SLPs & SLPAs to serve in Oregon's school and EI/ECSE programs 2) Determine the degree of need by region or other demographics 3) Determine how to use the $150,000 available each biennium to support Districts/ESDs and Speech and Language Pathology Professionals in the years to come. Please take the survey and please consider forwarding it to your Speech-language Pathologists and Speech-Language Pathology Assistants: http://goo.gl/forms/QU0BWIYfH2 We sincerely appreciate your participation by February 8, 2016. If you have any questions, please contact Robin Shobe at robin.shobe at state.or.us. Ruby Sandberg, Executive Assistant Oregon Department of Education Office of Learning l Student Services 503-947-5738 l FAX: 503-378-5156 l 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: From ruby.sandberg at state.or.us Tue Jan 12 13:07:38 2016 From: ruby.sandberg at state.or.us (SANDBERG Ruby) Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2016 21:07:38 +0000 Subject: [SE-Dir] Lane v. Brown Settlement Agreement Approved Message-ID: TO: All District and ESD Special Education Directors The message below is being sent to you on behalf of: Sarah Drinkwater, Ph.D. Assistant Superintendent Office of Learning/Student Services ______________________________________________ January 12, 2016 The State of Oregon has been engaged in the Lane vs. Brown lawsuit for the past few years. After the hearing on December 7th regarding fairness of the settlement agreement for all parties, Judge Stewart signed the agreement making the settlement legally binding. Below is the official notification that accompanied that announcement: December 30, 2015 RE: Lane v. Brown Settlement Agreement Approved The Department of Human Services was informed late yesterday that U.S. Magistrate Judge Janice Stewart approved the Settlement Agreement in the Lane v. Brown case. This is the class action case involving employment services that Oregon provides to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I wanted to let you know about this important decision as quickly as possible. Judge Stewart's order approving the class action settlement is available at: http://www.oregon.gov/dhs/dhsnews/Documents/lane-v-brown-settlement.pdf. Below is the news release DHS issued about this decision. Media questions: Christine Stone, christine.l.stone at state.or.us; 503-602-8027 Settlement approved by federal judge on Lane v. Brown class action case Decision will continue improvement of employment opportunities for Oregonians with intellectual and developmental disabilities The Oregon Department of Justice, the Oregon Department of Human Services and the Oregon Department of Education expressed satisfaction today that a federal court accepted a settlement in Lane v. Brown, the class action involving employment services that Oregon provides to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. "We are pleased that the Judge upheld the settlement, confirming Oregon's commitment to integrated, community jobs," Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said. "This settlement ensures that we will continue efforts to improve employment opportunities and services for people with disabilities and effectively implement Oregon's Employment First policy," Mike Maley, Statewide Employment First Coordinator, Department of Human Services, said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Janice Stewart, who oversaw the case, ruled after a day of testimony from people affected by the settlement. Lane v. Brown was the first case of its kind in the country. The case was settled after the parties reached agreement on a number of issues. This resolution was reached after significant compromises were made by all parties. In 2013, with the adoption of Executive Order 13-04, Oregon changed the services it provides to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by committing to support people in "sheltered workshops" and those transitioning from school to find, gain and maintain employment in integrated settings. With this settlement of the Lane v. Brown case, Oregon has agreed to continue to implement the Executive Order and carry out other commitments already made by the state - including specific steps to decrease the number of people receiving services in sheltered workshops and to increase the number of people working in integrated community jobs. Highlights of the settlement include: * Substantial Progress: The agreement acknowledges that "Oregon has made substantial progress in providing employment services to and improving employment outcomes" for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The agreement is intended to "reflect and take into account this substantial progress." * Continue Existing State Reforms: The settlement is largely built around what Oregon has already set out to do. The state will continue to carry out a broad range of system reforms instituted under Executive Orders. These reforms include "closing the front door," or ending new entries to sheltered workshops, as well as providing career development plans to people who have worked in workshops, certifying service providers, coordinating more closely with the schools, and increasing services designed to achieve integrated employment. As provided in the Executive Order, the state will provide employment services to 7,000 people with I/DD, including those in workshops and transition-age youth. (The Orders are Executive Order 13-04, issued in April 2013, and Executive Order 15-01, issued in Feb. 2015.) * Competitive Integrated Employment: The Department of Human Services will help 1,115 people who have worked in workshops obtain community jobs at a competitive wage. The 1,115 job number was taken directly from DHS's Integrated Employment Plan. The state is agreeing to carry out the commitment that it made in its plan. * Goal of 20 hours of work per week: DHS will issue guidance that the recommended standard for services is the opportunity to work at least 20 hours per week, if that is what the individual chooses. DHS also will establish and promote a goal that all people with I/DD who want to work in the community will have an opportunity to pursue competitive employment that allows them to work the maximum number of hours consistent with their abilities and preferences. * Sheltered Workshops: In the next two years, DHS will carry out its plan to reduce the number of people with I/DD in sheltered workshops (from 1,926 to 1,530) and reduce the hours they work (from 93,530 hours to 66,100 hours per month). These goals are also taken from the Integrated Employment Plan. * Flexibility: The state has flexibility to revise its Executive Order. The state also can seek relief from the requirements in the agreement in the event of an economic downturn, as described in the agreement. * Monitoring: Oregon will continue to provide detailed data reports, and Oregon's performance under the agreement will be assessed by an independent reviewer. The full settlement is published and available at: http://www.oregon.gov/dhs/dhsnews/Documents/lane-v-brown-settlement.pdf. Ruby Sandberg, Executive Assistant Oregon Department of Education Office of Learning l Student Services 503-947-5738 l FAX: 503-378-5156 l 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: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 65 bytes Desc: image001.gif URL: From ruby.sandberg at state.or.us Thu Jan 21 08:54:33 2016 From: ruby.sandberg at state.or.us (SANDBERG Ruby) Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2016 16:54:33 +0000 Subject: [SE-Dir] 2015 Tax Exemption for Parents of Children with Disabilities Message-ID: TO: Special Education Directors and EI/ECSE Coordinators The message below is being sent to you on behalf of: Sarah Drinkwater, Ph.D. Assistant Superintendent Office of Learning/Student Services ______________________________________________ January 21, 2016 The following summary provides information for staff and parents regarding the Oregon tax exemption for parents of children with disabilities. Feel free to share this information as appropriate in your district and with parents. 2015 Tax Exemption for Parents of Children with Disabilities The Oregon Tax Code provides an additional tax exemption for parents of eligible children with disabilities in Oregon. The procedure for claiming an exemption for the 2015 tax year is explained in the Oregon Individual Income Tax Return and Instruction booklets. Who qualifies for the exemption? A child qualifies if he or she meets all of the following criteria: * Qualifies as a dependent of the parent(s) for tax year 2015; * Is eligible for early intervention services (birth to age 3), early childhood special education services (ages 3 to 5) or receives special education as defined by the State Board of Education of the state where the child attends school; and, * Is considered to have a disability as of December 31, 2015 under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and related Oregon laws. What documentation must be submitted with the tax return to qualify for this exemption? As the tax instruction booklet indicates, the child must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), as well as a current eligibility statement as a student with a disability. If you do not have these documents contact your District for a copy of the IEP/IFSP cover sheet, and eligibility statement. Copies of the IEP/IFSP cover sheet and eligibility statement are not required to be submitted with the tax return. However, parents are advised to retain a copy with their 2015 tax records as the Oregon Department of Revenue may ask the parents to provide such documentation. If you have any Special Education related questions, please contact Jeremy Wells at the Oregon Department of Education, Office of Learning/Student Services Unit, at 503-947-5782. A Spanish translation of this message is located on the ODE website http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=3847 . Oregon Department of Revenue Online Instructions and Forms For further information and assistance in completing Oregon tax forms, consult a tax professional or contact the Oregon Department of Revenue at 1-800-356-4222. Oregon income tax forms/publications are available at the DOR website (www.oregon.gov/DOR). That process will allow you to claim the additional tax exemption for the 2015 year. Ruby Sandberg, Executive Assistant Oregon Department of Education 503-947-5738 l FAX: 503-378-5156 l ruby.sandberg at state.or.us [OfficeOfLearning-StudentServices-Logo] 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: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 3307 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: From ruby.sandberg at state.or.us Tue Jan 26 06:39:57 2016 From: ruby.sandberg at state.or.us (SANDBERG Ruby) Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2016 14:39:57 +0000 Subject: [SE-Dir] Excess Cost Calculation Collection Message-ID: TO: District and ESD Special Education Directors The message below is being sent to you on behalf of: Sarah Drinkwater, Ph.D. Assistant Superintendent Office of Learning/Student Services ______________________________________________ January 26, 2016 The IDEA Excess Cost Calculation collection for Special Education is now open and will close on March 7, 2016. A webinar was hosted on January 20th, and the recording is posted on the Excess Cost webpage and District Training webpage. Additional documentation related to Excess Cost calculations can be found on the Excess Cost webpage or the district collection webpage. If you have questions related to this collection or how to access the templates, please contact one of the staff below. Jackie McKim, jackie.mckim at state.or.us or 503-947-5629 Cynthia Garton, cynthia.garton at state.or.us or 503-947-5696 Sarah Drinkwater, sarah.drinkwater at state.or.us or 503-947-5702 Ruby Sandberg, Executive Assistant Oregon Department of Education 503-947-5738 l FAX: 503-378-5156 l ruby.sandberg at state.or.us [OfficeOfLearning-StudentServices-Logo] 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: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 3307 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: