Members in Attendance
Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014 Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel PaTTAN Harrisburg * 6340 Flank Drive, Suite 600, Harrisburg PA 17112 MEETING MINUTES November 20, 2013 Members in Attendance: Dana Baccanti Judy Baker Daniel Clark Maria Edelberg Michael Harman Luz Hernandez Kyu Hwang Kay Lipsitz Bernard Miller Robyn Oplinger Gina Scala Cathy Taschner
PDE/OCDEL Representatives Chris Bunce, BSE Sharon Leonard, BSE Richard Moss, BSE Lisa Smith, PaTTAN Jane Sullivan, BSE Sandy Zeleznik, PDE Guests: Rhonda Beach Tyree Lydia Jerchau Angela Persing Lucille Piggott-Prawl Kim Rhodes Cathy Roccia-Meier Jessica Urbanik
Call to Order: Robyn Oplinger, SEAP chairperson, called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. Ms. Oplinger welcomed panel members. A quorum of members was present for the meeting. Approval of Minutes: The SEAP reviewed the September 2013 meeting minutes. Bernard Miller moved and Judith Baker seconded the motion to approve the minutes, as amended. Motion: Approve September 2013 meeting minutes, with following amendments:
Correct spelling of word “been” (add “n”) in third sentence from the bottom on page 2;
Complete sentence on top of page 7 to read, “Mr. Tommasini responded that the real value of professional development is what happens in buildings and classrooms when educators <work with students>”
Alternate Assessment: Dr. Chris Bunce, Bureau of Special Education (BSE) advisor, and Sharon Leonard, BSE consultant, presented, Aligning Instruction and Assessment to PA Core Standards for Students with Disabilities. Ms. Bunce credited the work of Diane Simaska (Bureau of Accountability and Assessment), Lynda Lupp (formerly with BSE), Audry Kappel and Allen Muir (PATTAN). The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) received a flexibility waiver regarding accountability. PDE is developing an aligned system of instructional support. Dr. Bunce and Ms. Leonard provided an update on the development of instructional resources aligned to the PA Core Standards and on alternate assessment. Ms. Leonard distributed an example Element Card. Element Cards are adapted from the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC; 2013). Element Cards include numerous elements: PA Common Standards; PA Connectors; Strand/Anchor; Big Ideas; Essential Questions; 1
Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014 Instructional Families; Foundational Knowledge; Progress Indicators; Suggested Instructional Strategies; and Suggested Supports and Scaffolds. Ms. Leonard shared Scripted and Systematic Instruction, a framework for instruction using the PA Core Standards and PA Connectors. She said that the Scripted and Systematic Instruction framework includes lesson components and supports. The framework includes Lesson Templates with such components as “building essential understandings.” Additionally there are Progress Monitoring Cards to assist the teacher in tracking success. There are currently approximately fifteen Math Scripted and Systematic Instruction (MASSI). There are currently six English Arts Scripted and Systematic Instructions (ELSSI). Dr. Cathy Taschner suggested that the Progress Monitoring Cards be made available in Excel to support tracking. Ms. Bunce described Alternate Assessment Item Tryouts to be piloted in the Spring of 2014. She said that the PDE was applying for a flexibility waiver so that students would not have to be double-tested. The alternate assessment item tryouts were for pilot purposes and would not be scored. For accountability purposes the student’s previous year’s score would be used. The SEAP discussed challenges with promoting awareness and use of the tools. Current strategies included presentations, webinars, PaTTAN trainings, roll-out to the Intermediate Units (IUs), training vignettes, and posting on the Standards Aligned System (SAS) Portal. Judith Baker commented that students do not necessarily have access to a computer on a daily basis. She wondered how schools would be brought on board with such radical change. Many schools don’t even know about PaTTAN. Even more challenging would be to get this information and resources to families. Ms. Bunce welcomed the opportunity to present to family groups. Dana Baccanti said that students with complex needs do not currently have the tools that they need to communicate, participate in the academic curriculum, participate in assessment, and be independent. She said there is a lot of technology now that could be used to support student communication and access. Given funding cuts, many schools do not have or provide assistive technology. Ms. Leonard agreed that much work is needed to support educators on how to support students, support communication, and to change cultures. Ms. Oplinger said that the tools were excellent but until we make a paradigm shift that people truly believe that children with complex needs have the capacity to do this, tools are useless. People will not use them. We must raise expectations. Teachers often lack access to the training, resources and tools that they need. Dan Clark commented that the strict eligibility criteria for student participation in Pennsylvania’s Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) currently eliminated students who would benefit from a more individualized approach to assessment. Lydia Jerchau said that there is an increased gap between students eligible for alternate assessment and those who could take the Keystone Exam. Many students who are accessing the general education curriculum were not accessing it well enough to be proficient on the Keystone Exam.
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Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014 Ms. Leonard said that the waiver eliminated other assessment options. It is either the Keystone Exam or alternate assessment. Ms. Jerchau said that during Individualized Educational Planning Team (IEPT) meetings many students are eliminated from the PASA by the team answering question number 4 negatively. She suggested that if Pennsylvania can only have two assessment tools it might make sense to reexamine the criteria to include more children. Dr. Cathy Taschner complimented the presented resources and expressed appreciation for the reproducible formatting. She emphasized the importance of propelling the urgency and need for using these tools to support students. It comes back to the belief that all students can learn rigorous content. It is a basic civil right for all children to be educated. The presenters invited questions. Contact Sharon Leonard at [email protected] for questions about the instructional materials. Contact Dr. Christine Bunce at [email protected] for questions about participation in the pilot. Secondary Transition Committee Report: Bernard Miller presented the Secondary Transition Committee Report, Draft Recommendations for November 2013 SEAP Meeting. The report included recommendations regarding information needs of parents, Parent Centers, Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and educators for clarification of newly adopted Chapter 4 regulations. Judith Baker moved and Mike Harmon seconded the motion to approve the committee report. All members voted in favor. Zero opposed. No one abstained. The motion carried. Motion: Approve Secondary Transition Committee Report, Recommendations for November 2013 SEAP Meeting. Before presenting the recommendations to BSE, the Secondary Transition Committee will reformat the document grouping questions by themes. Volunteering for Council for Exceptional Children (CEC): Gina Scala announced the CEC International Convention and Exposition at the Philadelphia Convention Center on April 7 – 12, 2014. Dr. Scala is in charge of organizing volunteers. She asked SEAP members to go back to respective groups to identify volunteers. She asked that lists of interested volunteers be mailed to [email protected] (see the Interested in Volunteering and Council for Exceptional Children Volunteer Information form). Dr. Scala provided the form electronically. Committee Work: The following SEAP committees met and identified chairpersons and committee members. SEAP members who were not present are encouraged to contact committee chairpersons to indicate their interest in a given committee. (1) Crisis Intervention/Restraint Reduction Committee – Dan Clark (Chair), Lucille Piggott-Prawl, Robyn Oplinger, and Cathy Taschner. (2) Secondary Transition Committee – Dana Baccanti, Maria Edelberg, Mike Harmon, Luz Hernandez, Kyu Hwang, Kay Lipsitz, Bernard Miller, Kim Rhodes, Cathy RocciaMeier, and Jessica Urbanik. (3) Mental Health Committee on Placement Transitions – Gina Scala (Chair), Judith Baker, Shaye Erhard, Lydia Jerchau, Angela Persing. (4) Mental Health Subcommittee on Bullying – Membership to be determined. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned from committee work.
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Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014 Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel PaTTAN Harrisburg * 6340 Flank Drive, Suite 600, Harrisburg PA 17112 MEETING MINUTES November 21, 2013 Members in Attendance: Judy Baker Daniel Clark Maria Edelberg Lisa Fulton Michael Harman Luz Hernandez Kyu Hwang Lydia Jerchau Kay Lipsitz Bernard Miller Robyn Oplinger Angela Persing Lucille Piggott-Prawl Kim Rhodes Cathy Roccia-Meier Gina Scala Jessica Urbanik
PDE/OCDEL Representatives Mary Anketell, EITA Carl Beck, BEIS, OCDEL James Coyle, OCDEL Kim Koteles, BEIS Richard Moss, BSE Lisa Smith, PaTTAN John Tommasini, BSE Elizabeth Zeisloft, BSE Guest: Rhonda Beach Tyree
Call to Order: Robyn Oplinger, SEAP chairperson, called the meeting to order at 8:10 A.M. She recognized Luz Hernandez for being awarded as one of 2013 Delaware Valley’s Most Influential Latinos. The Delaware Valley’s Most Influential Latinos award continues to highlight the great contributions of the Latino community to the City of Philadelphia and the region. Welcome of New Members: John Tommasini, Director of the Bureau of Special Education (BSE), announced the appointment of new members and reappointment of returning members. He read Governor Corbett’s announcement regarding the appointments. Mr. Tommasini presented copies of Governor Corbett’s letter to new and reappointed members. Chris Grandy (not present), Lydia Jerchau, Angela Persing, Lucille Piggott-Prawl, Kim Rhodes, Cathy RocciaMeier, and Jessica Urbanik were appointed to the panel. Maria Edelberg, Bernie Gavlick (not present), Kyu Hwang, and Bernard Miller were re-appointed to the panel. New and reappointed members will be formally sworn into the panel during the January 2014 meeting. Mr. Tommasini said that he valued the panel as the most vital advisory group to BSE. Bureau of Special Education Director’s Update: John Tommasini, Director of the Bureau of Special Education distributed Report from BSE Director, John Tommasini. The report included updates on: Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Updates: Acting Secretary of Education Says Hybrid Learning Benefits Students; Highlights Success of First-Year Pilot Program; Department of Education Releases 2012 – 13 School Performance Profile; 4
Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014
Department of Education Reminds Pennsylvanians of Changes to GED Test Beginning in January 2014; 2013 – 14 School Year Restraint Information System of Collection Tracking; 2013 – 14 Contingency Funds for Extraordinary Expenses; Governor’s School for Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University Accepting Applications for Summer 2014 Program; State Update: Pennsylvania Receives OSEP Grant for Deaf-Blind Project; National Update: National Center on Deaf-Blindness Awarded $10.5 Million Grant to Help Improve Services for Children who are Deaf-Blind; $4.6 Million in Grants Awarded for Research Projects Aimed at Helping Improve Lives of People with Disabilities; Upcoming Conferences and Statewide Training. Mr. Tommasini also shared a report, Half in Ten Report 2013: The Right Choices to Cut Poverty and Restore Shared Prosperity. He distributed a 2013 report from Achieve: The National Center on Educational Outcomes entitled, Graduation Requirements for Students with Disabilities: Ensuring Meaningful Diplomas for all Students. Mr. Tommasini emphasized the goal of all children graduating prepared for the next phase of their life. Mr. Tommasini and Dr. James Coyle talked about the BSE and the Bureau of Early Intervention Services (BEIS) efforts to support school districts and early intervention programs given changes to the school based access program. Mr. Tommasini said that a key issue being worked through was third party liability denial. For a school enrolled in school based access program to receive reimbursement, an insurer must deny the claim. He distinguished that for school age, school based access is reimbursement for dollars spent where for early intervention, school based access dollars are figured as a component of their budget. Dr. Coyle anticipated that the impact to early intervention programs would be more significantly experienced starting in 2014-15. Mr. Tommasini introduced Lynn Dell, Assistant Director of Special Education. Ms. Dell’s prior experience includes positions at PaTTAN, the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Capital Area Intermediate Unit, and Derry Township school district. Cathy Roccia-Meier asked about PDE response to recent complaints regarding educational services in Philadelphia. Mr. Tommasini said that the BSE was investigating and responding to every special education complaint. He offered to provide an update at the January SEAP meeting. Mr. Tommasini and Dr. Coyle indicated said that they were finalizing and would soon send a written reply to the SEAP letter dated August 26, 2013 regarding 2012 – 2013 SEAP motions. Bureau of Early Intervention Services Director’s Update: James Coyle, Director, and Carl Beck of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Early Intervention Services presented. Dr. Coyle provided an update on several topics. He said that BEIS meeting quarterly with preschool programs regarding fiscal issues, including the transition of school based access. He also said that OCDEL was working on the quality of their assessment of children. BEIS is targeting behavior grants to work on positive behavior supports in programs
5
Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014 based on restraint data. He said that OCDEL would soon release the Eligibility Announcement and a companion document to clarify what designates a child as eligible. Dr. Coyle talked about presentations given at a recent Leadership Meeting on brain development and risk factors for child development. He said that OCDEL was looking at the implications for early intervention services. He recognized Kyu Hwang, Cathy Roccia-Meier and colleagues for presentations by Elwyn’s parent partnership at this leadership meeting. Ms. Roccia-Meier said that the event was one of the few conferences where she was able to take the information directly back to benefit families. She hoped that more parents would be invited to future meetings. In December, OCDEL will hear whether it won a $50 million Race-to-the-Top grant to increase access to quality early childhood in Pennsylvania. OCDEL’s proposal includes efforts around standards, data collection, and community engagement pilots for improving network of support in communities with high risk factors. OCDEL is involved in a Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) Charter for planning change at the state level. DPW has a grant for increasing the relationship of the medical community to other social services including early intervention. The work includes streamlining the referral process, improving communication and interagency coordination. Dr. Coyle said that he hoped the CHIPRA Charter would help address social and economic factors that can sometimes interfere with children accessing services. Election of SEAP Officers: Judith Baker, SEAP secretary, reviewed the procedures and candidates for the election of officers. Gina Scala removed her name from submission for vicechairperson. Current and reappointed members voted. After tallying and double-checking ballots, Ms. Baker announced the election results, as follows: • • •
Chairperson: Bernard Miller; Vice-Chairperson: Kay Lipsitz; and Secretary: Robyn Oplinger.
Mr. Tommasini thanked Robyn Oplinger for her leadership as Chairperson. He welcomed Bernard Miller as Chairperson. Part B Preschool State Performance Plan: Kim Koteles (BEIS) and Mary Anketell (Early Intervention Technical Assistance) presented. See Pennsylvania’s State Performance Plan to OSEP, FFY 2012 (2012-13) Part B Preschool. Dan Clark said that the previous Part B Preschool SPP report included data about a few children who did not make progress. What are exact numbers? Were those cases reviewed? Ms. Anketell differentiated between a child making progress on his/her individual IEP goals from the reporting standard about children making progress compared to same age peers. The Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) category A of “not making progress” does not necessarily mean that children are not making progress on their IEP and IFSP goals. The reporting indicators are for the “percentage of children who substantially increased their rate of growth” and the “percentage of children who were functioning within age expectations.” She said that a deeper review of the data reflected that the children identified as “not making progress” compared to same age peers were often children who had more significant disabilities. However, individually those children may be making significant progress on their IEP goals.
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Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014 Maria Edelberg suggested that it might improve clarity to describe this category as “closing of the achievement gap per the standard” rather than talking about children “not making progress.” To suggest that a child is “not making progress” miscommunicates to the public, especially families. “Closing the achievement gap” would be consistent terminology with the way that schoolage talks about the gap between the performance of same age peers. Following discussion, Dr. Coyle said that he was taking away three key questions for Bureau review. How do we talk about this data? How can we give programs guidance about providing information to families about this data? What reflection process should teams go through when the data reflects that a child is “not making progress” compared to same age peers? Ms. Roccia-Meier asked whether only one question was used on the survey to collect data on the extent to which preschool early intervention programs facilitate parent involvement. She said that one question is too limited to reflect the family experience. Dr. Edelberg suggested that using a couple of questions and averaging responses might be more reflective of the broader perspective. The SEAP discussed the SPP data on where preschool children receive services. Home or service provider locations are not reflected in any of the SPP data fields. OSEP has provided a decision tree related this indicator. During the last year, OCDEL made changes to the PELICAN screens to better match the indicator. Mr. Beck explained that over 61% of children are receiving services “in another place.” Early intervention services go to the child where they are getting their early childhood education. Early intervention is about services going where the child is (not about bricks and mortar locations). Ms. Roccia-Meier asked whether there was a method to factor situations where there was less available space for programs, such as Head Start. Mr. Beck said that they had heard anecdotally from preschool staff about such situations. In addition to the SPP report for the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), OCDEL tracks least restrictive environment data for internal uses. In those reports, typically about 70% of children are identified in inclusive environments. The count includes home as an inclusive environment. Crisis Intervention/Restraint Reduction: Elizabeth Zeisloft, consultant with the Bureau of Special Education, presented on the Restraint Information System of Collection (RISC). See handouts, Reporting the Use of Restraints in Your Educational Program. SEAP discussion included the following points. Asked whether there are common elements among outliers (children with high numbers of restraints), Ms. Zeisloft said that there are clearly pockets in the state where work is needed. There is a need to better understand student transitions (i.e., early intervention to kindergarten; IU programs to schools; schools and residential treatment facilities). For example, as schools are bringing children back from IU programs and centers, schools might be unprepared for behaviors. These situations seem to be where injuries are occurring. Ms. Jerchau said that it would be helpful to see data on the relationship between numbers of restraints and programs that use positive behavior supports. Ms. Baker asked about data sharing across education and residential treatment facilities. Do we do cross comparison of Department of Public Welfare (DPW) data on treatment facilities and 7
Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014 data on districts? Is there any way to tell about numbers of restraints before and after a student transitions to or from a residential treatment facility? What happens if no restraints are occurring in a treatment facility and then restraints occur in schools? She said that children with behavior issues are being referred to the Juvenile system. Schools are involving law enforcement and children are getting criminal records. Schools with good behavior plans and support systems should address this. Dr. Edelberg said that Chapter 10, Safe Schools, clearly indicates that officers should have training with behavior reports. The focus is often on one regulation but we should be cross training with a focus on multiple regulations. This would be more applicable to all schools. Ms. Zeisloft said that she was working with other to resolve data sharing across BEIS/BSE and DPW/PDE data. She shared her email address, [email protected] and invited follow-up input or questions. Public Comment: None. Inclusive School Week: December 2 – 6 is Inclusive Schools Week, an annual event sponsored by the Inclusive Schools Network (ISN) and Stetson & Associates, Inc. The event is held each year during the first week in December. Adjournment: Ms. Baker made a motion to adjourn at 11:07 a.m. and Kay Lipsitz seconded the motion. All members agreed. The meeting adjourned.
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PDE/OCDEL Representatives Chris Bunce, BSE Sharon Leonard, BSE Richard Moss, BSE Lisa Smith, PaTTAN Jane Sullivan, BSE Sandy Zeleznik, PDE Guests: Rhonda Beach Tyree Lydia Jerchau Angela Persing Lucille Piggott-Prawl Kim Rhodes Cathy Roccia-Meier Jessica Urbanik
Call to Order: Robyn Oplinger, SEAP chairperson, called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. Ms. Oplinger welcomed panel members. A quorum of members was present for the meeting. Approval of Minutes: The SEAP reviewed the September 2013 meeting minutes. Bernard Miller moved and Judith Baker seconded the motion to approve the minutes, as amended. Motion: Approve September 2013 meeting minutes, with following amendments:
Correct spelling of word “been” (add “n”) in third sentence from the bottom on page 2;
Complete sentence on top of page 7 to read, “Mr. Tommasini responded that the real value of professional development is what happens in buildings and classrooms when educators <work with students>”
Alternate Assessment: Dr. Chris Bunce, Bureau of Special Education (BSE) advisor, and Sharon Leonard, BSE consultant, presented, Aligning Instruction and Assessment to PA Core Standards for Students with Disabilities. Ms. Bunce credited the work of Diane Simaska (Bureau of Accountability and Assessment), Lynda Lupp (formerly with BSE), Audry Kappel and Allen Muir (PATTAN). The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) received a flexibility waiver regarding accountability. PDE is developing an aligned system of instructional support. Dr. Bunce and Ms. Leonard provided an update on the development of instructional resources aligned to the PA Core Standards and on alternate assessment. Ms. Leonard distributed an example Element Card. Element Cards are adapted from the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC; 2013). Element Cards include numerous elements: PA Common Standards; PA Connectors; Strand/Anchor; Big Ideas; Essential Questions; 1
Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014 Instructional Families; Foundational Knowledge; Progress Indicators; Suggested Instructional Strategies; and Suggested Supports and Scaffolds. Ms. Leonard shared Scripted and Systematic Instruction, a framework for instruction using the PA Core Standards and PA Connectors. She said that the Scripted and Systematic Instruction framework includes lesson components and supports. The framework includes Lesson Templates with such components as “building essential understandings.” Additionally there are Progress Monitoring Cards to assist the teacher in tracking success. There are currently approximately fifteen Math Scripted and Systematic Instruction (MASSI). There are currently six English Arts Scripted and Systematic Instructions (ELSSI). Dr. Cathy Taschner suggested that the Progress Monitoring Cards be made available in Excel to support tracking. Ms. Bunce described Alternate Assessment Item Tryouts to be piloted in the Spring of 2014. She said that the PDE was applying for a flexibility waiver so that students would not have to be double-tested. The alternate assessment item tryouts were for pilot purposes and would not be scored. For accountability purposes the student’s previous year’s score would be used. The SEAP discussed challenges with promoting awareness and use of the tools. Current strategies included presentations, webinars, PaTTAN trainings, roll-out to the Intermediate Units (IUs), training vignettes, and posting on the Standards Aligned System (SAS) Portal. Judith Baker commented that students do not necessarily have access to a computer on a daily basis. She wondered how schools would be brought on board with such radical change. Many schools don’t even know about PaTTAN. Even more challenging would be to get this information and resources to families. Ms. Bunce welcomed the opportunity to present to family groups. Dana Baccanti said that students with complex needs do not currently have the tools that they need to communicate, participate in the academic curriculum, participate in assessment, and be independent. She said there is a lot of technology now that could be used to support student communication and access. Given funding cuts, many schools do not have or provide assistive technology. Ms. Leonard agreed that much work is needed to support educators on how to support students, support communication, and to change cultures. Ms. Oplinger said that the tools were excellent but until we make a paradigm shift that people truly believe that children with complex needs have the capacity to do this, tools are useless. People will not use them. We must raise expectations. Teachers often lack access to the training, resources and tools that they need. Dan Clark commented that the strict eligibility criteria for student participation in Pennsylvania’s Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) currently eliminated students who would benefit from a more individualized approach to assessment. Lydia Jerchau said that there is an increased gap between students eligible for alternate assessment and those who could take the Keystone Exam. Many students who are accessing the general education curriculum were not accessing it well enough to be proficient on the Keystone Exam.
2
Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014 Ms. Leonard said that the waiver eliminated other assessment options. It is either the Keystone Exam or alternate assessment. Ms. Jerchau said that during Individualized Educational Planning Team (IEPT) meetings many students are eliminated from the PASA by the team answering question number 4 negatively. She suggested that if Pennsylvania can only have two assessment tools it might make sense to reexamine the criteria to include more children. Dr. Cathy Taschner complimented the presented resources and expressed appreciation for the reproducible formatting. She emphasized the importance of propelling the urgency and need for using these tools to support students. It comes back to the belief that all students can learn rigorous content. It is a basic civil right for all children to be educated. The presenters invited questions. Contact Sharon Leonard at [email protected] for questions about the instructional materials. Contact Dr. Christine Bunce at [email protected] for questions about participation in the pilot. Secondary Transition Committee Report: Bernard Miller presented the Secondary Transition Committee Report, Draft Recommendations for November 2013 SEAP Meeting. The report included recommendations regarding information needs of parents, Parent Centers, Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and educators for clarification of newly adopted Chapter 4 regulations. Judith Baker moved and Mike Harmon seconded the motion to approve the committee report. All members voted in favor. Zero opposed. No one abstained. The motion carried. Motion: Approve Secondary Transition Committee Report, Recommendations for November 2013 SEAP Meeting. Before presenting the recommendations to BSE, the Secondary Transition Committee will reformat the document grouping questions by themes. Volunteering for Council for Exceptional Children (CEC): Gina Scala announced the CEC International Convention and Exposition at the Philadelphia Convention Center on April 7 – 12, 2014. Dr. Scala is in charge of organizing volunteers. She asked SEAP members to go back to respective groups to identify volunteers. She asked that lists of interested volunteers be mailed to [email protected] (see the Interested in Volunteering and Council for Exceptional Children Volunteer Information form). Dr. Scala provided the form electronically. Committee Work: The following SEAP committees met and identified chairpersons and committee members. SEAP members who were not present are encouraged to contact committee chairpersons to indicate their interest in a given committee. (1) Crisis Intervention/Restraint Reduction Committee – Dan Clark (Chair), Lucille Piggott-Prawl, Robyn Oplinger, and Cathy Taschner. (2) Secondary Transition Committee – Dana Baccanti, Maria Edelberg, Mike Harmon, Luz Hernandez, Kyu Hwang, Kay Lipsitz, Bernard Miller, Kim Rhodes, Cathy RocciaMeier, and Jessica Urbanik. (3) Mental Health Committee on Placement Transitions – Gina Scala (Chair), Judith Baker, Shaye Erhard, Lydia Jerchau, Angela Persing. (4) Mental Health Subcommittee on Bullying – Membership to be determined. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned from committee work.
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Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014 Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel PaTTAN Harrisburg * 6340 Flank Drive, Suite 600, Harrisburg PA 17112 MEETING MINUTES November 21, 2013 Members in Attendance: Judy Baker Daniel Clark Maria Edelberg Lisa Fulton Michael Harman Luz Hernandez Kyu Hwang Lydia Jerchau Kay Lipsitz Bernard Miller Robyn Oplinger Angela Persing Lucille Piggott-Prawl Kim Rhodes Cathy Roccia-Meier Gina Scala Jessica Urbanik
PDE/OCDEL Representatives Mary Anketell, EITA Carl Beck, BEIS, OCDEL James Coyle, OCDEL Kim Koteles, BEIS Richard Moss, BSE Lisa Smith, PaTTAN John Tommasini, BSE Elizabeth Zeisloft, BSE Guest: Rhonda Beach Tyree
Call to Order: Robyn Oplinger, SEAP chairperson, called the meeting to order at 8:10 A.M. She recognized Luz Hernandez for being awarded as one of 2013 Delaware Valley’s Most Influential Latinos. The Delaware Valley’s Most Influential Latinos award continues to highlight the great contributions of the Latino community to the City of Philadelphia and the region. Welcome of New Members: John Tommasini, Director of the Bureau of Special Education (BSE), announced the appointment of new members and reappointment of returning members. He read Governor Corbett’s announcement regarding the appointments. Mr. Tommasini presented copies of Governor Corbett’s letter to new and reappointed members. Chris Grandy (not present), Lydia Jerchau, Angela Persing, Lucille Piggott-Prawl, Kim Rhodes, Cathy RocciaMeier, and Jessica Urbanik were appointed to the panel. Maria Edelberg, Bernie Gavlick (not present), Kyu Hwang, and Bernard Miller were re-appointed to the panel. New and reappointed members will be formally sworn into the panel during the January 2014 meeting. Mr. Tommasini said that he valued the panel as the most vital advisory group to BSE. Bureau of Special Education Director’s Update: John Tommasini, Director of the Bureau of Special Education distributed Report from BSE Director, John Tommasini. The report included updates on: Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Updates: Acting Secretary of Education Says Hybrid Learning Benefits Students; Highlights Success of First-Year Pilot Program; Department of Education Releases 2012 – 13 School Performance Profile; 4
Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014
Department of Education Reminds Pennsylvanians of Changes to GED Test Beginning in January 2014; 2013 – 14 School Year Restraint Information System of Collection Tracking; 2013 – 14 Contingency Funds for Extraordinary Expenses; Governor’s School for Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University Accepting Applications for Summer 2014 Program; State Update: Pennsylvania Receives OSEP Grant for Deaf-Blind Project; National Update: National Center on Deaf-Blindness Awarded $10.5 Million Grant to Help Improve Services for Children who are Deaf-Blind; $4.6 Million in Grants Awarded for Research Projects Aimed at Helping Improve Lives of People with Disabilities; Upcoming Conferences and Statewide Training. Mr. Tommasini also shared a report, Half in Ten Report 2013: The Right Choices to Cut Poverty and Restore Shared Prosperity. He distributed a 2013 report from Achieve: The National Center on Educational Outcomes entitled, Graduation Requirements for Students with Disabilities: Ensuring Meaningful Diplomas for all Students. Mr. Tommasini emphasized the goal of all children graduating prepared for the next phase of their life. Mr. Tommasini and Dr. James Coyle talked about the BSE and the Bureau of Early Intervention Services (BEIS) efforts to support school districts and early intervention programs given changes to the school based access program. Mr. Tommasini said that a key issue being worked through was third party liability denial. For a school enrolled in school based access program to receive reimbursement, an insurer must deny the claim. He distinguished that for school age, school based access is reimbursement for dollars spent where for early intervention, school based access dollars are figured as a component of their budget. Dr. Coyle anticipated that the impact to early intervention programs would be more significantly experienced starting in 2014-15. Mr. Tommasini introduced Lynn Dell, Assistant Director of Special Education. Ms. Dell’s prior experience includes positions at PaTTAN, the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Capital Area Intermediate Unit, and Derry Township school district. Cathy Roccia-Meier asked about PDE response to recent complaints regarding educational services in Philadelphia. Mr. Tommasini said that the BSE was investigating and responding to every special education complaint. He offered to provide an update at the January SEAP meeting. Mr. Tommasini and Dr. Coyle indicated said that they were finalizing and would soon send a written reply to the SEAP letter dated August 26, 2013 regarding 2012 – 2013 SEAP motions. Bureau of Early Intervention Services Director’s Update: James Coyle, Director, and Carl Beck of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Bureau of Early Intervention Services presented. Dr. Coyle provided an update on several topics. He said that BEIS meeting quarterly with preschool programs regarding fiscal issues, including the transition of school based access. He also said that OCDEL was working on the quality of their assessment of children. BEIS is targeting behavior grants to work on positive behavior supports in programs
5
Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014 based on restraint data. He said that OCDEL would soon release the Eligibility Announcement and a companion document to clarify what designates a child as eligible. Dr. Coyle talked about presentations given at a recent Leadership Meeting on brain development and risk factors for child development. He said that OCDEL was looking at the implications for early intervention services. He recognized Kyu Hwang, Cathy Roccia-Meier and colleagues for presentations by Elwyn’s parent partnership at this leadership meeting. Ms. Roccia-Meier said that the event was one of the few conferences where she was able to take the information directly back to benefit families. She hoped that more parents would be invited to future meetings. In December, OCDEL will hear whether it won a $50 million Race-to-the-Top grant to increase access to quality early childhood in Pennsylvania. OCDEL’s proposal includes efforts around standards, data collection, and community engagement pilots for improving network of support in communities with high risk factors. OCDEL is involved in a Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) Charter for planning change at the state level. DPW has a grant for increasing the relationship of the medical community to other social services including early intervention. The work includes streamlining the referral process, improving communication and interagency coordination. Dr. Coyle said that he hoped the CHIPRA Charter would help address social and economic factors that can sometimes interfere with children accessing services. Election of SEAP Officers: Judith Baker, SEAP secretary, reviewed the procedures and candidates for the election of officers. Gina Scala removed her name from submission for vicechairperson. Current and reappointed members voted. After tallying and double-checking ballots, Ms. Baker announced the election results, as follows: • • •
Chairperson: Bernard Miller; Vice-Chairperson: Kay Lipsitz; and Secretary: Robyn Oplinger.
Mr. Tommasini thanked Robyn Oplinger for her leadership as Chairperson. He welcomed Bernard Miller as Chairperson. Part B Preschool State Performance Plan: Kim Koteles (BEIS) and Mary Anketell (Early Intervention Technical Assistance) presented. See Pennsylvania’s State Performance Plan to OSEP, FFY 2012 (2012-13) Part B Preschool. Dan Clark said that the previous Part B Preschool SPP report included data about a few children who did not make progress. What are exact numbers? Were those cases reviewed? Ms. Anketell differentiated between a child making progress on his/her individual IEP goals from the reporting standard about children making progress compared to same age peers. The Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) category A of “not making progress” does not necessarily mean that children are not making progress on their IEP and IFSP goals. The reporting indicators are for the “percentage of children who substantially increased their rate of growth” and the “percentage of children who were functioning within age expectations.” She said that a deeper review of the data reflected that the children identified as “not making progress” compared to same age peers were often children who had more significant disabilities. However, individually those children may be making significant progress on their IEP goals.
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Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014 Maria Edelberg suggested that it might improve clarity to describe this category as “closing of the achievement gap per the standard” rather than talking about children “not making progress.” To suggest that a child is “not making progress” miscommunicates to the public, especially families. “Closing the achievement gap” would be consistent terminology with the way that schoolage talks about the gap between the performance of same age peers. Following discussion, Dr. Coyle said that he was taking away three key questions for Bureau review. How do we talk about this data? How can we give programs guidance about providing information to families about this data? What reflection process should teams go through when the data reflects that a child is “not making progress” compared to same age peers? Ms. Roccia-Meier asked whether only one question was used on the survey to collect data on the extent to which preschool early intervention programs facilitate parent involvement. She said that one question is too limited to reflect the family experience. Dr. Edelberg suggested that using a couple of questions and averaging responses might be more reflective of the broader perspective. The SEAP discussed the SPP data on where preschool children receive services. Home or service provider locations are not reflected in any of the SPP data fields. OSEP has provided a decision tree related this indicator. During the last year, OCDEL made changes to the PELICAN screens to better match the indicator. Mr. Beck explained that over 61% of children are receiving services “in another place.” Early intervention services go to the child where they are getting their early childhood education. Early intervention is about services going where the child is (not about bricks and mortar locations). Ms. Roccia-Meier asked whether there was a method to factor situations where there was less available space for programs, such as Head Start. Mr. Beck said that they had heard anecdotally from preschool staff about such situations. In addition to the SPP report for the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), OCDEL tracks least restrictive environment data for internal uses. In those reports, typically about 70% of children are identified in inclusive environments. The count includes home as an inclusive environment. Crisis Intervention/Restraint Reduction: Elizabeth Zeisloft, consultant with the Bureau of Special Education, presented on the Restraint Information System of Collection (RISC). See handouts, Reporting the Use of Restraints in Your Educational Program. SEAP discussion included the following points. Asked whether there are common elements among outliers (children with high numbers of restraints), Ms. Zeisloft said that there are clearly pockets in the state where work is needed. There is a need to better understand student transitions (i.e., early intervention to kindergarten; IU programs to schools; schools and residential treatment facilities). For example, as schools are bringing children back from IU programs and centers, schools might be unprepared for behaviors. These situations seem to be where injuries are occurring. Ms. Jerchau said that it would be helpful to see data on the relationship between numbers of restraints and programs that use positive behavior supports. Ms. Baker asked about data sharing across education and residential treatment facilities. Do we do cross comparison of Department of Public Welfare (DPW) data on treatment facilities and 7
Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel Draft Minutes for 1/24/2014 data on districts? Is there any way to tell about numbers of restraints before and after a student transitions to or from a residential treatment facility? What happens if no restraints are occurring in a treatment facility and then restraints occur in schools? She said that children with behavior issues are being referred to the Juvenile system. Schools are involving law enforcement and children are getting criminal records. Schools with good behavior plans and support systems should address this. Dr. Edelberg said that Chapter 10, Safe Schools, clearly indicates that officers should have training with behavior reports. The focus is often on one regulation but we should be cross training with a focus on multiple regulations. This would be more applicable to all schools. Ms. Zeisloft said that she was working with other to resolve data sharing across BEIS/BSE and DPW/PDE data. She shared her email address, [email protected] and invited follow-up input or questions. Public Comment: None. Inclusive School Week: December 2 – 6 is Inclusive Schools Week, an annual event sponsored by the Inclusive Schools Network (ISN) and Stetson & Associates, Inc. The event is held each year during the first week in December. Adjournment: Ms. Baker made a motion to adjourn at 11:07 a.m. and Kay Lipsitz seconded the motion. All members agreed. The meeting adjourned.
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