Transition Times Workshop: Jan. 26

It’s not too late to sign up for next Thursday’s Transition Times Workshop. The workshop will be hosted on Thursday, January 26 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. and will provide information about post-high school employment opportunities for students with disabilities. Families and educators of 7-12th grade students on IEPs and students age 14 and older are invited to attend. Please pass on the flyer to students, families and teachers who may be interested in attending.

Originating Site: Heartland AEA 11 Johnston Office (6500 Corporate Drive)
Satellite Sites: Ames High School ICN Room and Panorama High School ICN Room

Student Curriculum Plan (8th Grade Plan) and Students with Disabilities

Please forward this announcement to your special education teachers and counselors.

As per Iowa Code 279.61, all students, including special education students, must complete the Required State Components of the state career planning system. To the extent appropriate, IEP students should complete the components in the same method as their peers. However, alternate assessments or programs may be used for the students who, for example, will not be able to complete the component even with accommodations. In these instances, assessments should still be done to determine interests and preferences, but at a much different level than is available through the electronic format. The school’s IEP team should be consulted as they are already working on transitions for these students. If you need further help, contact your Heartland AEA special education consultant or Barb Guy (barbara.guy@iowa.gov) at the Department of Education.

All student work done within the Guideways of I Have A Plan Iowa™ (www.ihaveaplaniowa.gov) will be reported to the state. However, student work completed through alternate methods should be reported on the forms found on the Department of Education website: http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1657&Itemid=2467#reporting

Schools using other programs will indicate students who complete through alternate methods on their annual report: http://www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1657&Itemid=2467#additional

All reporting is due June 15, 2011.

For additional information, visit the Student Curriculum Plan (8th Grade Plan) Iowa Department of Education web page: www.iowa.gov/educate/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1657&Itemid=2467

Exceptional Learner Course to Emphasize Matching Instruction to Learner Needs

The Exceptional Learner course to be held July 19-22, 2011 is for teachers seeking to gain knowledge regarding exceptional learners. This course is designed to address characteristics and needs of students with exceptional needs, skills and abilities. Major areas addressed will be special education procedures, learning stages and strategies, instructional and material adaptations, testing, grading and behavior management. Interested staff may register through the Heartland Professional Development catalog.

Earn a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Iowa

The University of Iowa was awarded a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs in the U. S. Department of Education to fund students wishing to acquire a Ph.D. in special education. The grant requires full-time study and the program can be completed in 3-4 years—which would be fully funded by the grant. It is designed to support strong candidates who are interested in leadership positions, particularly in colleges and universities as teacher trainers and/or educational researchers.

For more information, click here to download an informational flyer or contact John Hosp (john-hosp@uiowa.edu) or Bill Therrien (bill-therrien@uiowa.edu) Co-Directors, Special Education Leaders for Iowa (SELIA), Associate Professors, Department of Teaching and Learning.

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.

Individuals with Special Needs Sought to Demonstrate Social Media Tools

Family to Family Iowa is looking for young presenters (middle-school age through age 25) who can demonstrate how to use a form of social media (blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to adults attending the spring Family to Family conference held April 27-28 in Johnston, Iowa. Because Family to Family Iowa is a statewide network of navigators who provide assistance to families of children with special needs (developmental, behavioral, emotional, physical), the presenters would preferably have a special need. Parents or teachers are welcome to accompany and support presenters. Presenters will sit at tables and demonstrate to groups of about 10 persons at a time for about 20 minutes. The time of the presentation will be 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 28.

For more information or to nominate a young presenter, please contact Cheryl Risen at crisen@aea11.k12.ia.us or 515-270-0405 ext. 14587 by April 7.

For more information about Family to Family Iowa, contact Martha Hanley at martha-hanley@uiowa.edu or 319-356-0886.

The dissemination of information from external organizations by Heartland AEA does not infer sponsorship or endorsement of the information. It is being passed on to our stakeholders for its educational value.

Amendments to Iowa's Administrative Rules of Special Education

The state board recently made technical and conforming changes to Iowa’s rules. Since those changes are not numerous, the Department is providing an insert for your copies of the 2010 rules. Underlines are additions and strikethroughs are deletions. Click here for the amendment insert.

Updated Special Education Procedures and Documents now Available

Please find the updated editions of the Special Education Procedures, Special Education Procedures Documentation Guide and the March 1, 2011 Release Notes. Key changes include:

• Deferring standards-based IEP requirements to July 1, 2011
• Extended Educational Decision Maker procedures
• Early Childhood Setting Code procedures that reflect December 1, 2010 Web IEP changes
• Clarification of the two IMS codes (RRC & RRT) that denote a return to general education

These documents area also posted on the Iowa IDEA website.

Amendments to Iowa's Rules of Special Education

The following message comes to us from the desk of Thomas A. Mayes, Legal Consultant for the Bureau of Student & Family Support Services, Iowa Department of Education.

At its January meeting, Iowa’s State Board of Education adopted amendments to Iowa’s administrative rules of special education, which are effective on March 30, 2011. Those amendments:

1. Make the Department’s enforcement actions associated with LEA/AEA determinations mandatory (“shall”), rather than discretionary (“may”). This is a requirement of federal law.
2. Remove the term “preappeal,” and substitute “mediation” in its place. This is not a substantive change. The procedures associated with preappeal conferences will remain the same. The Department will still accept documents labeled as “preappeal requests.”
3. Substitute the term “intellectual disability” for “mental disability.” This non-substantive change is authorized by recent federal legislation.

Since these rules changes are not large in number, the Department will prepare an insert sheet for the current (orange-covered) rules. That insert sheet will be available on or before the effective date of the rules. Questions can be directed to Thomas A. Mayes at Thomas.Mayes@iowa.gov or (515) 242-5614.

2011 Diverse Learner’s Resource Fair & Mini Conference

Heartland AEA’s and Des Moines Public Schools’ Parent & Educator Connection coordinators are combining two informative events for one great day! The 2011 Diverse Learner’s Resource Fair & Mini Conference will be held on Saturday, February 5 at the Botanical Center in Des Moines. Please pass on the attached flyer to educators, parents and students who may be interested in attending.

Use and Storage of Video/Audio/Photography of Eligible Students

Flip Video camcorders are becoming more popular and are an easy, efficient tool to capture student behavior. Some of our special education staff are using Flip Video camcorders for intervention work (e.g., video self-modeling) with students in special education. We wanted to inform you of the legal requirements for using and storing video/audio/photography with eligible students. This information has been summarized and shared with AEA special education staff and Partnership Directors. To view the memo and flowchart, please click here.

If you have any questions about the contents of the memo or flowchart, please see your Partnership Director.

Additional Information: ARRA-Funded Opportunities for Special Education Teachers

Last week, we informed you of the ARRA-funded professional development opportunities aimed specifically for special education teachers. Please be reminded that substitute costs will be reimbursed to allow teachers to attend. Click here to download an updated list and summary of sessions along with activity numbers. Teachers can register through the Heartland AEA Professional Development Catalog. If you have any questions, please contact Cheryl Risen at crisen@aea11.k12.ia.us.

ARRA Funding Provides Opportunities for Special Education Teachers

With funding from America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) we will be providing special education teachers with opportunities to attend professional learning that is targeted specifically at instructional practices known to be effective with students with disabilities. Substitute costs will be reimbursed to allow them to attend. Click here to download a summary of the sessions. If you have any questions, please contact Cheryl Risen at crisen@aea11.k12.ia.us.

Appropriate Use of Special Education Funds Document Available

In October 2010, the Iowa Department of Education released a question and answer document about appropriate use of special education funds in local school districts and area education agencies. This clarification is the result of conversations and questions that have been discussed throughout recent months both in local school districts and AEAs. At Heartland we are discussing the answers that are provided and confirming that our practices are in alignment with the guidance contained in this recent Department of Education document found by clicking here.