October 24, 2012 MPACT ENews

MPACT ENews

October 24, 2012

Greetings!

Did you miss an issue of the MPACT ENews? Delete it by mistake? Wish you could find a past article? Well you can! To view current and past issues of the MPACT ENews visit our website at http://ptimpact.org/News.aspx

Online Trainings offered through MPACT

MPACT has just added another online training to our resources, Extended School Year is now available along with:

Special Education: What I Need to Know
IDEA Transition Requirements
Transition to Post Secondary Experiences (Part 1 & 2)
Connecting Goals to Coordinated Activities and Services for Transition
Transition Resources - Disability Disclosure
Soft Skills

You can access them by going to our Training page and clicking on Online Training, or CLICK HERE .

In This Issue

MPACT Online Trainings

Parent Mentor Program

Proposed Changes to Part C State Plan (First Steps(

Model Curriculum Units

Algebra I EOC

Understanding ADA & Section 504

Legal Concept of FAPE by Wrightslaw

Quick Links

Surveys- Let us know how we're doing.
Contact Us!

MPACT Parent Mentor Program

MPACT Parent Mentors are available to offer support and guidance to parents of children with disabilities throughout the IEP process. Parent Mentors are volunteers who receive 24 hours of initial training, ongoing monthly training, and technical assistance from MPACT staff with regard to special education law, the IEP process, conflict resolution, and effective communication. Their goal is to help parents build a collaborative partnership with the school district so their child may receive an appropriate education. To view the list of current MPACT Parent Mentors, go to http://ptimpact.org/Volunteer/MentorList.aspx.

If your school district has had a MPACT Parent Mentor in attendance at an IEP meeting, please take a moment to complete a brief online survey located at http://ptimpact.org/Surveys.aspx if you have not already done so. A separate survey should be completed for each mentor who has provided services to parents in your district. These surveys assist MPACT and DESE with identifying and addressing areas of success and improvement with the Parent Mentor Program.

For more information about MPACT or if you have questions regarding the status of a Parent Mentor, please contact MPACT by telephone at (800) 743-7634 or by e-mail at info@ptimpact.org. You can also view the MPACT website at http://www.ptimpact.org.

Proposed Changes to Part C Missouri State Plan (First Steps)

The public comment period for the proposed changes to the Missouri State Plan for Part C (First Steps) ends Monday, October 29th.

Highlights include:

Clarified language on consent, early intervention, assistive technology, etc
Clarified language on newborn conditions
Added new language on procedures for evaluation, determining a child is eligible, ect
Added new language on the timely provision of services
Added new language on the use of paraprofessional and assistants and assistive technology providers
Clarified language on family cost participation and use of public and private insurance
Removed Part B eligible/summer birthday services language, removing Summer 3 birthday services

CLICK HERE to download the proposed changes chart.

CLICK HERE to view the proposed version.

Written public comments on the proposed changes in state regulations may be submitted during the webinars or through the following methods until close of business on October 29, 2012.

Mail: Office of Special Education, Attn: Pam Schroeder P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480

Email: Idea.Comments@dese.mo.gov, Attn: Pam Schroeder, Part C State Plan Comments

Fax: Attn: Pam Schroeder, (573) 526-4404

Missouri Model Curriculum Units

The Model Curriculum units created for Missouri educators and based on the new core standards are now accessible through an open link from the Department website. A "button" has been placed on both the main page and on the Model Curriculum home page.

Units in English language arts, mathematics, and social studies are currently available. Career and Technical Education units will be added as soon as possible.
The units may be found at https://k12apps.dese.mo.gov/webapps/ModelCurriculum/findunit.aspx

Algebra I End-of-Course Exam

To assist Missouri in increasing access to Algebra I for all middle school students, the U.S.
Department of Education approved our request to waive additional provisions of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Effective immediately, Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are no longer required to
administer both the grade-level-assessment (GLA) and end-of-course (EOC) assessment in the same accountability year to middle school students attaining
competencies in the
Algebra I course-level-expectations (CLEs). Instead, the LEA will need to determine which
assessment, the GLA or EOC, is the most appropriate measure for each individual student.

CLICK HERE for more information.

Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act and

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) was passed by Congress in

December 2008 and became effective January 1, 2009. This significant piece of legislation corrected

what Congress considered to be a departure from the intent of the original ADA (passed in 1990)

brought about by several narrow interpretations of the law through Supreme Court rulings. These

rulings weakened the law and made it difficult for people with disabilities to receive the protection

the law intended.

Section 504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs

and activities that receive federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education.

Section 504 states: "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall,

solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the

benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial

assistance . . . ."

CLICK HERE to view the Parent Advocacy Brief.

Wrightslaw - The Legal Concept of a Free Appropriate Public Education

If you have a child with a disability, your child is entitled to FAPE under the IDEA. What does this mean?Your child will receive a:

free appropriate public education (FAPE)
in the least restrictive environment (LRE)

In this issue of the Special Ed Advocate you will learn about the legal concept of FAPE, who is responsible for providing a free, appropriate public education and what the courts have said about how it is delivered.

FAPE: What the Law Requires

In order to provide FAPE, the law requires schools to provide services that are individualized to meet the unique needs of each child.

Read Individualized Instruction is Not One-Size-Fits All

"Meaningful Educational Benefit" v. "Best Education"

How will you know if your child is receiving "meaningful educational benefit"?

In Who is Responsible for Providing FAPE? Pete and Pam provide answers to your questions about how to determine if your child's IEP is appropriate and provides FAPE.

Caselaw: Your Roadmap to FAPE

How will you know if the school is providing FAPE? What factors make a special education program appropriate? Inappropriate?

The decision in Evans v. Rhinebeck provides a roadmap to FAPE. Learn about procedural and substantive issues, educational benefit, and how to use test scores to show educational benefit.

The Legal Concept of FAPE

The legal concept of FAPE is defined in IDEA at 20 U. S. C. § 1401(9).

The IDEA statute and implementing regulations emphasize the requirement to educate children with disabilities in regular classes with their nondisabled peers. Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition

Helpful Resources

Center on Instruction

Intensive Interventions for Students Struggling in Reading and Mathematics

This publication provides research-based guidance that reflects "best practices" for intensifying instruction in reading and mathematics for students with significant learning difficulties in K-12, including students with disabilities. It can also be used as a resource for instructional specialists and special education teachers who are searching for broad guidelines on the design and delivery of intensive interventions.

Reading Rockets

From Babbling to Books: Building Pre-Reading Skills

This 60-minute webcast from Reading Rockets features early learning experts who discuss children's language development and how parents and preschool teachers can support and build a foundation for reading and writing skills.

Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

This guide identifies well-designed, evidence-based social and emotional learning programs with potential for broad dissemination to schools across the United States. Based on CASEL's work in research and practice spanning nearly two decades, the Guide provides a systematic framework for evaluating the quality of classroom-based social and emotional learning programs.

Center on Education Policy (CEP)

The report finds that states are embracing higher standards on their exit exams. Based on data collected from state education department personnel in 45 states, the report discusses the present status of state exit exam policies, the future of these policies as states implement the Common Core State Standards and common assessments and lessons that can be learned from states' past experiences with implementing new exit exam policies.

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Military Dependent Students: Better Oversight Needed to Improve Services for Children with Special Needs, GAO-12-680, September 9

The Department of Defense (DOD) operates a worldwide school system to meet the educational needs of military dependents. Questions have arisen about whether DOD is meeting the special needs of some of these children, such as those with learning disabilities. This report describes the status of students with disabilities within the DOD school system and makes recommendations for improvement.

Free MPACT Trainings

MPACT trainings are provided free of charge to parents of children with disabilities. To sign up for an upcoming training, follow the links below, then click on the 'SIGNUP' button located next to the training name. Fill in your name, email address, phone number, the name ofthe training you wish to attend and the date it is being offered.

While registering for a training is not mandatory it does ensure that the trainer has an adequate amount of handouts. This also allows MPACT to contact you should a training need to be cancelled or rescheduled. To view a comprehensive list of all trainings provided by MPACT go to http://ptimpact.org/Training/Training.aspx.

Please be sure to double check the website training pages for any updates or changes to trainings offered.