Special Edition, Vol. 1, Issue 13

Previous Special Edition Newsletters are now accessible online. Please click here to access them.
Remember, the last day for Goalview access will be December 16. If you have any remaining Goalview questions, contact our Special Education Database Manager, Jason Gilmore, at gilmorej@sfusd.edu.
Still haven't tried out a demo our new web-based IEP system, SEIS? It's not too late! Log on to www.seis.org and type in bjones as the user name and demotest1 as the password so you can experience a preview of the site before training begins in 2012.
Do you know how to get support from our IT department? Click here to read more.
CSUEB is offering a program for authorization to teach students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Click here to review their flyer.

SEIS Transition Update

Great news: Phase 1 of the SEIS dataload, the staff and school information, has been uploaded to SEIS. It is clean and complete!

SFUSD staff are now working on Phase 2 of implementation for SEIS, the student dataload. We are correcting all CASEMIS errors to get a clean report for the SEIS dataload. We are also working on uploading the correct case manager and related service providers for each student.

We have also just created a SEIS page on the SFUSD intranet! Simply log in, click on the Special Education page, and then click on "SEIS" on the right hand side. The SEIS page has just launched, so there is not a lot of content yet, but be sure to check it for updates.

The SEIS page can be found at http://district.sfusd.edu/dept/sped/seis.

For any SEIS related questions, please contact our SEIS Coordinator, Sarah Ashton, at ashtons@sfusd.edu.

Articles for Reflection and Professional Development

This is an ongoing section where we will provide a current and relevant research article. The goal is to promote discussion and intellectual stimulation amongst SFUSD staff, schools, and the community.

In the article School Context and the Academic Achievement of Students with Emotional Disturbance, authors Andrew L. Wiley, Gary N. Siperstein, Kaitlin E. Bountress, Steven R. Forness and Frederick J. Brigham "examined the academic characteristics of 140 elementary-aged students served under the category of emotional disturbance (ED) from schools that differed in income level, performance on state testing, and suspension rates. School income accounted for a large amount of the variance in the reading and math achievement of students with ED as measured by the Woodcock-Johnson III. However, relative academic performance (as measured by performance on state testing compared with same-school peers and teacher ratings of academic competence) was similar across school income levels. Implications for intervention research and eligibility practices for students with ED are discussed."

Click here to read more.

Focus Group Request

California's K-12 Mathematics Curriculum Framework will be updated to incorporate and support the adoption of Common Core State Standards for Mathematics adopted by the State Board of Education in August 2010 and to incorporate the latest research on mathematics instruction. Four focus groups consisting of 10-15 members each is the first phase during the revision process. Please click here to view details.

Interested individuals (administrators and teachers) are encouraged to apply. County and district superintendents and charter schools are invited to nominate individuals. There is no stipend for service or reimbursement for travel costs or substitute replacements. Focus group meetings are planned in four locations around the state in February and March, 2012. To apply to be a member of a focus group please use the online applicationhere. Questions please direct to Deborah Franklin at dfrankli@cde.ca.gov

Inclusive Schools Week (ISW)

Inclusive Schools Week for this year is December 5-9, 2011.

About Inclusive Schools Week (ISW)

San Francisco Inclusive Schools Week is an annual, district-wide, K-12 celebration of our year-round efforts to promote and build inclusive, welcoming school communities that embrace and support people of all natural and diverse abilities, sociological and cultural backgrounds.

San Francisco ISW was established by Mayoral Proclamation in 2010 in keeping with National Inclusive Schools Week, founded in 2001 and celebrated around the country the first full week of December each year. For more information about, and links and resources for, inclusion please visit our inclusive schools web page.

Participate at your school!

Around SFUSD, schools will be participating in Inclusive Schools Week at their school sites through themed library and classroom readings, ability awareness activities during PE and recess, special events, assemblies and more.

Click here for a packet of useful resources.

Extended School Year 2012

Announcing instructional dates for Extended School Year 2012:

Elementary: June 11th-July 6th
Secondary: June 11th-July 13th

ESY services refer to special education and/or related services provided beyond the normal school year for the purpose of providing a FAPE to a student with a disability. Consequently, some students may require ESY services in order to receive a FAPE. Some students may suffer losses of social, behavioral, communication, academic, self-sufficiency, or other skills during periods of interruption of services that are so significant that they can jeopardize progress made during the academic school year.

The need for ESY services must be considered for every student with a disability at each Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team meeting. ESY services must be provided if the IEP Team determines that such services are necessary for the provision of a FAPE to the student.

Other factors that must be considered:

The determination of the need for ESY must be based on data.
LRE requirements for ESY services are not identical to LRE requirements for the academic school year.
ESY services are only provided for those annual goals identified as an area of concern and which are determined to require ESY services.

New annual goals are not developed for ESY services.

Please click here for further documents to support ESY decsion making.

Professional Development Opportunity

Special Education Services is excited to offer all educators and administrators the opportunity to register and attend a workshop presented by the Diagnostic Center-Northern California:

Creating Equity in Education for African American Children.

During this session you will:

Learn how disproprotionality is determined
Identify some of the root causes
Consider possible solutions
Develop a plan to address some of these root causes

Date: December 13, 2011

Location: Cabrillo Campus, Multipurpose Room, 750 25th Ave.

Time: 4:00-7:00 p.m.

Registration: Please register for this event through Cornerstone on Demand. Participants will be limited to 50.

Parking is available on a first come, first serve basis.

There will be no financial compensation, nor substitutes provided for this workshop.

If you have not received an email invitation to this event by the end of the day November 15, 2011 , please email csodhelp@sfusd.edu.

Sincerely,

Communications Team

Special Education Services, SFUSD

This newsletter is for SFUSD employees and community partners. If you do not have an SFUSD e-mail address and would like to receive this newsletter, please join our mailing list.

For newsletter feedback or more information, please contact us at spedfeedback@sfusd.edu.