MAY 2010 (Volume #8, Issue #3) - Packet #18, Article 2
The Individualized Education Program (IEP), Educational Development Plan (EDP), and Personal Curriculum (PC) are tools designed to meet specific student needs and guide individual students toward positive postsecondary outcomes.
Occasionally, a student is eligible to use two or three of these tools. While the purpose of each is different, the IEP, EDP, and PC will be most effective if they are coordinated and aligned so that the student’s postsecondary goals are consistent across all documents.
Continue | Comments {0}
MAY 2010 (Volume #8, Issue #3) - Packet #18, Article 1
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regulations (300.167) require that each state establish and maintain an advisory panel for the purpose of providing policy guidance with respect to special education and related services for students with disabilities in the state.
The Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) is Michigan’s State Advisory Panel to the State Board of Education (SBE) and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).
The mission of the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) is to support opportunities for all students in Michigan, especially those with disabilities, by gathering, sharing, and disseminating information to the public; advising the State Board of Education; and working with the Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services (OSE-EIS).
Continue | Comments {0}
FEBRUARY 2010 (Volume #8, Issue #2) - Packet #17, Article 1
This guidance and technical assistance article describes the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services (OSE-EIS) dispute resolution processes, including informal and formal resolution. Several procedure details changed when the new Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE) took effect on April 3, 2009. The OSE-EIS continues to encourage informal resolution of disputes.
This document is adapted from the document Resolving Special Education Disputes which can be found on the MDE, OSE-EIS Web site at www.michigan.gov/ose-eis.
Continue | Comments {0}
FEBRUARY 2010 (Volume #8, Issue #2) - Packet #17, Article 2
This guidance and technical assistance article reviews Michigan’s Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS) program. Medicaid partially reimburses intermediate school districts (ISDs) for some health care services provided by schools. Recent changes have occurred in the program since July 2008. The impact of those changes on school district staff, and the anticipated outcomes for children enrolled in special education programs and services in Michigan, including infants and toddlers and their families in Early On® programs, are described in this FOCUS on Results article.
Continue | Comments {0}
NOVEMBER 2009 (Volume #8, Issue #1) - Packet #16, Article 2
This guidance and technical assistance article tells the story of Suttons Bay Public Schools effectively mobilizing the skills and talents of diverse stakeholders to address the issue of over representation of the district’s Native American students receiving special education services at the high school level. The story is told from a variety of stakeholder perspectives in order to convey the collaborative thinking that has informed positive changes in Suttons Bay Public Schools.
Continue | Comments {0}
NOVEMBER 2009 (Volume #8, Issue #1) - Packet #16, Article 1
This guidance and technical assistance article tells the story of Flint Community Schools effectively mobilizing the skills and talents of diverse stakeholders to address the issues of dropout rate, over identification for students in special education, students in special education being taught outside of the general education setting (least restrictive environment), and rates of suspension and expulsion. This story shares the perspective of Flint Community Schools’ administrative staff who embraced the challenges of Continuous Improvement Monitoring by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services (OSE-EIS) and developed an improvement plan that lead to actions resulting in full compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Continue | Comments {1}
AUGUST 2009 (Voume #7, Issue #3) - Packet #15, Article 2
Disproportionate representation is identified when students from a particular racial/ethnic background receiving special education programs and services are over or under represented as compared to the overall student population. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regards disproportionate representation as a great concern.
This article reviews two sets of federal requirements known as “disproportionate representation as a monitoring priority area” and “significant disproportionality.” This article also explains the actions that are federally required of the state and local districts in response to existing disproportionate representation.
Continue | Comments {0}
AUGUST 2009 (Voume #7, Issue #3) - Packet #15, Article 3
The Reaching and Teaching Struggling Learners (RTSL) initiative, a Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services (MDE, OSE-EIS) Mandated Activities Project, strives to ensure positive outcomes for struggling learners by exploring effective secondary school practices and their impact on ALL students.
This guidance and technical assistance article explains the Reaching and Teaching Struggling Learners initiative, how Reaching and Teaching helps schools to reduce student risk for academic failure and dropout, and shares school success stories. The Reaching and Teaching Struggling Learners initiative is part of a coordinated, integrated system—known as Michigan’s Integrated Improvement Initiatives (MI3)—that promotes increased system efficiencies and effectiveness as well as improved student performance.
Continue | Comments {0}