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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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AUGUST 2009 (Voume #7, Issue #3) - Packet #15, Article 1
The Continuous Improvement and Monitoring System (CIMS-2) is the revised monitoring system used by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services (OSE-EIS) and the Office of Early Childhood Education and Family Services (ECE&FS) to help locals (a comprehensive term used in CIMS-2 to describe local educational agencies, public school academies, service areas, and state agencies) and the state monitor, analyze, and interpret local district data. Using the CIMS-2 helps locals ensure compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 and the Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE).
This guidance and technical assistance article explains Michigan’s monitoring system and how the CIMS-2 process and tools work to help locals make improvements that lead to positive outcomes for all students. CIMS-2 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.
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JUNE 2009 (Voume #7, Issue #2) - Packet #14, Article 3
This FOCUS on Results article defines accessible instructional materials (AIM), outlines the paths available to students who are eligible to receive materials, and highlights the importance of expanding AIM availability.
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JUNE 2009 (Voume #7, Issue #2) - Packet #14, Article 2
This FOCUS on Results article presents the components of Michigan’s general supervision system, including a brief narrative describing each component. The information will help education stakeholders to understand the Michigan Department of Education’s (MDE) responsibility under federal law to monitor the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Guidelines established by the National Center for Special Education Accountability Monitoring (NCSEAM) are designed to create a system of general supervision to enforce the requirements and to ensure continuous improvement for all states.
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JUNE 2009 (Voume #7, Issue #2) - Packet #14, Article 1
This FOCUS on Results article explains the need for standards-based, or aligned, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and shows how these IEPs benefit students. It also provides general guidelines for making appropriate assessment choices for students with disabilities.
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FEBRUARY 2009 (Voume #7, Issue #1) - Packet #13, Article 1
This FOCUS on Results document provides an overview of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and delves into the need for comprehensive, systematic supports for students with ASD at the school building level. System level changes that better support students with ASD are also beneficial to other students with intensive education needs and are necessary to support all students across all school environments.
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FEBRUARY 2009 (Volume #7, Issue #1) - Packet #13, Article 2
In 1990, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) of 1975 was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Since that time, the IDEA has been reauthorized twice, bringing with it periods of sweeping change that have required states to align rising standards and increase accountability and public reporting.
This Focus On Results article looks at changes to Michigan’s Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE), shares the rule making process, and explains how Michigan’s rules are influenced by a combination of federal regulations, state initiatives, research and practice, and public input.
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