New DE/AEA Return-to-Learn Special Education Documents

Additional documents and guidance related to special education were released this week on the DE/AEA Return-to-Learn Compendium of Resources for Districts, Schools and IEP Teams.

• New 8-11-20 R2L Collaboration Considerations: Roles, Infrastructure, Technology, Teaching, and Learning Skills - This document provides considerations for the following audiences: administrators, special educators, general educators, families/caregivers, paraprofessionals, and learners.
• New 8-11-20 R2L Considerations for Collaboration: Paraprofessionals - This document provides considerations around paraprofessionals and their role in virtual and hybrid environments.
• New 8-11-20 Tech Resources for Access and Instruction - This document provides technology resources around the following areas: Teacher Management, Self Regulation/Monitoring, Student Work Flow, Student Collaboration, Accessible Educational Materials, Mindfulness, Website/Digital Resource Evaluation Tools, and Tips and Tricks.
• New 8-11-20 R2L Support for Secondary Transition - This document provides ideas, supports, and resources for providing secondary transition services during typical and continuous/hybrid learning models during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is intended to be a resource, not only for special education teachers, but also for support staff members and non-certified staff who provide transition services to students (such as contracted staff with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services or IVRS).
• New 8-11-20 R2L Considerations for Collaborating - Overview - This document provides resources applicable for all students, but they are focused here for students receiving special education. These resources are grouped around the following areas: Pre-Planning (Independently), Collaborative Planning, Instruction and Access, and Post-Planning.
• New 8-11-20 The “Sweet Spot” of Building Positive Student Behavior and Engaging Climates for Learning - This document is broken up into three core classroom pillars that can provide the "sweet spot" of optimizing engagement and learning for students, which will give teachers and paraprofessionals ideas and examples of how to meet the ever changing needs of the students in their classroom.
• Updated 8-11-20 Return-to-Learn Compendium of Resources - This document organizes available resources and will be revised on an ongoing basis. The resources provided here are to address the standard of IDEA under the current pandemic situation.

DE Return-to-Learn Special Education Documents from 7/14/20 Webinar

Reminder: Be sure to stay current with the latest DE guidance on Return-to-Learn special education information on this tab of the DE’s Return-to-Learn website.

• New 7-15-20 Return-to-Learn Compendium of Resources - This document organizes available resources and will be revised on an ongoing basis. The resources provided here are to address the standard of IDEA under the current pandemic situation.
• New 7-13-20 Return to Learn and FAPE - This document builds from the Department of Education's guidance on the fundamentals of FAPE to include examples of FAPE considerations in continuous learning and hybrid learning environments.
• New 7-13-20 Return to Lean and Service Delivery Scenarios - The purpose of this document is to support teams in navigating between appropriate methods of service delivery for students in a Continuous Learning (i.e., virtual) model. These services can and may change throughout the school year and between settings as teams determine what is required to best meet student needs.

DE to Host Weekly Webinars Focused on Special Education Return-to-Learn

Beginning July 14, via Zoom the DE will host a series of weekly webinars focused exclusively on special education Return-to-Learn topics. These webinars are intended to delve deeper into the application of special education regulations to continuous learning and hybrid models of delivery. Please share this invitation with special education administrators and others in your district who might be interested. This week’s webinar will provide supports for IEP teams as they focus on identifying free appropriate public education (FAPE) for individuals eligible for special education. In addition to reviewing new documents on FAPE and service delivery, the discussion will address ways to include student needs to access, participate and progress in virtual and hybrid learning environments within the IEP.

Special Education Return to Learn Resources Released

The documents below were released on June 25, 2020 on the Return to Learn google site (Special Education). Since there was not any formal Return to Learn webinar describing these materials, links and descriptions of the resources are included below.

FERPA, IEPs, and Virtual Learning - This document is intended to answer common questions regarding obligations to meet FERPA requirements while serving learners with disabilities through virtual learning (i.e., Continuous Learning).

Electronic Signatures: E-Signatures for Informed Consent for Services in Special Education - This support document provides reminders of when consent is needed for IDEA administrative procedures and suggestions for ways to obtain the electronic signature. The information provided here is not to be confused with consent to receive electronic information or privacy requirements for provision of teleservices.

Considerations for Acquiring Technology to Ensure Access of Students Receiving Special Education - This document contains technology acquisition considerations developed to assist administrators in planning for the need and acquisition of instructional and assistive technology, ensuring that all learners have the tools they require to participate and make progress in the Iowa Core Standards. The following are a series of checklists organized by end user or grade level:

Technology Skills Checklist: PK-2 Learners with Disabilities with Family/Caregiver Support

Technology Skills Checklist: Grades 3-12 Learners with Disabilities

Technology Skills Checklist: Grades 3-12 Family/Caregiver Support of Learners with Disabilities

Technology Skills Checklist: Special Educator

Technology Skills Checklist: General Educator

Technology Skills Checklist: Paraprofessional

This first release of documents listed above is focused on equitable access to technology and special education. A second release of documents is scheduled for July 9 and will focus on resources for IEP Teams. A third and final release of documents is planned for late July/early August that will focus on resources that will be helpful for teachers serving students in special education.

Preschool Programs & Services Return to Learn Resources Released

The documents below were released on June 25, 2020 on the Return to Learn google site (Preschool). Since there was not any formal Return to Learn webinar describing these materials, links and descriptions of the resources are included below.

Preschool Resources for Return-to-Learn - This document supports district and community preschool partner locations implementing Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards (IQPPS) in preschool programming and services for young children and families in their local communities.

Considerations for Preschool Programs and Services for Return-to-Learn - This document provides suggestions and recommendations for districts and their community partners to consider as a local Return-to-Learn plan is designed in the local community context. While considerations representing IQPPS are provided, many topics and concepts may also inform programs implementing other approved preschool program standards and applicable programming requirements.

DE Guidance: Continuous Improvement, PD, Mitigation Survey

The Iowa Department of Education is releasing guidance on new Return-to-Learn resources addressing continuous improvement processes (Leadership B1), professional development (Infrastructure C1-C2), the mitigation survey and student/family connection log. All Return-to-Learn supports can be found on their Return-to-Learn Google site. The Department established a partnership with UnboundEd to provide educators with standards-based professional learning opportunities that align with the Return-to-Learn support document (overview document).