Weekly Update 12/4/09
by Lynn Ahrens
December 04, 2009
Good Afternoon:
I hope you and your families had a fantastic Thanksgiving Holiday. My sister had a foreign exchange student fro Vietnam at her house. It was interesting to hear her comments and entertain her questions about Thanksgiving. It was definitely a new view.
We have received the data back for the recent file review. As expected the following were concerns that need to be addressed:
1. parent concerns - Please put a * or - or something in the box to remind yourself to ask for and fill in the parental concern box. Then, go back and type it on the IEP before it is locked.
2. one of the three - frequency, location, duration of services - No one left out all three but many left out one of the three. Location was the one that was left out the most often. You must address all three when talking about the services needed for the student.
3. IEP team attendance (without an excusal from meeting form or designee) - the personnel that is required to be there must be there for the meeting. If issues that are not part of the IEP need to be discussed, the IEP meeting may be adjourned. If the administrator needs to leave for some reason, s/he may appoint a designee. This can be someone already present at the meeting. If someone has to leave, the excusal from meeting form may be used. There are 2 areas that can be checked. Use the area for leaving the meeting. Reminder: only 1 special education teacher needs to be present.
4. 10 day notices - check all the boxes necessary. The checks must be "readable" - not just random marks on the page. When transition begins (will be 14 before the next IEP),BE SURE TO INVITE THE STUDENT. HIS/HER NAME MUST APPEAR ON THE INVITED LIST. IT ISN'T ENOUGH TO HAVE THE STUDENT LISTED UNDER "THIS IEP IS FOR _____________.
To correct these issues, Ryan and I ask that you review and follow the checklist given to you for preparing an IEP. Another issue is - do not erase permanently placed information like potential harmful effects from the IEP.
DD label
There has been some misinterpretation of information given by SCKSEC about the DD label. Federal guidelines state,"IDEA 2004 gives states the option to recognize children ages 3 through 9 who need special education and related services because of specified developmental delays. States can recognize developmental delays in any subset of that age range, including ages 3 through 5." However, SCKSEC's policy is that a student with a DD label should be re-evaluated and placed or not placed based on one of the eligibility categories no later than the end of his/her 1st grade year or by age 7 whichever comes first. If at all possible, the DD label should be eliminated when the student enters kindergarten.
New Law Case that will give you comfort.
E.H. and K.H. ex rel. C.H. v. Board of Educ. of Shenendehowa
Cent. Sch. Dist., 109 LRP 65911 (2d Cir. 10/16/09, unpublished).
Autistic student
A district does not have to provide every service requested by a
student's parents. So long as a proposed IEP offers FAPE in the
LRE, the district has satisfied its FAPE obligations. Although the
parents here claimed their son needed a class with no more than six
students (the class had 12 students in it), there was no evidence
that he requires such a restrictive setting to receive
FAPE.
Due to the financial restriction of KPERS on retired classified staff, Sandy Hazlett will close the IMC each day at 3:30. If you need something and are going to come by later than that to pick it up, let Sandy know ahead of time and the material will be waiting for you. She will make exceptions when absolutely necessary.
If you have a change in attendant care personnel, let us know as soon as the change is made. We have to have the districts put those changes on their Medicaid billing list.
