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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The message below is being sent to you on behalf of:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Sarah Drinkwater, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Assistant Superintendent<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Office of Learning/Student Services<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">______________________________________________
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">January 23, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">RE: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">On July 22, 2014, President Barack Obama signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) into law. The passage of this act is the first reform of the public workforce
system in more than 15 years and it updates and modernizes many youth programs. WIOA also strengthens the collaboration between schools and Vocational Rehabilitation to better serve youth with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">In anticipation of the impact WIOA will have on the provision of services to school age youth, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and the Department of Education (ODE) have begun
to work together on clarifying the roles and responsibilities for local VR and Local Education Agency’s (LEA’s) under WIOA. Local VR and LEA’s will be jointly responsible for implementing the services identified under WIOA with guidance from the state. In
the coming year VR and ODE will provide collaborative trainings to ensure that local VR and LEA’s are prepared to take advantage of the opportunities provided by WIOA to achieve the highest outcomes for students with disabilities in Oregon.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">It is important to understand that proposed federal regulation and guidance for the implementation of WIOA are expected to be
<b>early in 2015</b>. Following the publication there will be a public comment period followed by formal adoption of the rules and
<b>full implementation will not occur until early 2016</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">We know that there is a great deal of information and misinformation about the impact of WIOA out in the field and people are wondering what it means for their program. We
want to reassure you that VR and ODE will be providing guidance and support as WIOA regulations become formalized over the next year and we will be providing regular updates as new information becomes available.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">If you have specific questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. More information about WIOA can be found here:
<a href="http://www.doleta.gov/wioa/"><span style="color:windowtext">http://www.doleta.gov/wioa/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Keith Ozols, YTP Statewide Coordinator Sally Simich, Secondary Transition<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Vocational Rehabilitation Oregon Department of Education<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="mailto:keith.s.ozols@state.or.us">keith.s.ozols@state.or.us</a>
<a href="mailto:sally.simich@state.or.us">sally.simich@state.or.us</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">503-945-5679 503-947-5639
</span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Ruby Sandberg, Executive Assistant
<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Oregon Department of Education<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Office of Learning l Student Services
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt">503-947-5738 l FAX: 503-378-5156 l
<a href="mailto:ruby.sandberg@state.or.us"><span style="color:blue">ruby.sandberg@state.or.us</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt">The Oregon Department of Education is an equal opportunity agency and employer.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Messages to and from this email address may be made available to the public under Oregon law.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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