Procedural Support Services

Transcription

1 Overview Procedural Support Services The Procedural Support Services program supports the ability of Fairfax County Public Schools to provide special education services in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and to engage parents of students with disabilities in a collaborative decision-making process. Program goals and activities are directly related to IDEA and Section 504 mandates, as well as state requirements that derive from the federal legislation and regulations pertaining to services for students with disabilities in the public schools. The program provides direct assistance to school-based staff engaged in 504 Plan and IEP development and case management; interpretation of and compliance with regulations pertaining to special education; inclusive practices; and other identified school needs. Assistance is delivered to school staff through training and informational sessions provided on a school-wide, departmental, and targeted small group basis. In addition, families and school staff benefit from consultation and facilitation on an individual case basis. Budget information for Special Education Procedural Support is available at Student Summary This program serves over 25,000 students who are either suspected of having a disability, or who, either by qualification under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, or by eligibility under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, have been identified as a student with a disability. Students attending all Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) sites in pre-k through grade 12 are supported by the program. In addition to students attending FCPS school locations, procedural support staff coordinate planning and services with personnel from other agencies on behalf of Fairfax County students with special needs who may be enrolled in non-fcps programs. Approved Materials The Procedural Support Services section works collaboratively with the Due Process and Eligibility section to disseminate information regarding procedural and compliance requirements to all schools and centers. The procedural support liaison (PSL) often serves as a direct link between central office sources and school recipients in the delivery of training and informational updates. Assessments Assessments required to determine if a student is eligible as a student with a disability under Section 504 or IDEA, or the provision of a free appropriate public education, are determined on an individual basis after a team of professionals and the parent completes a review of existing data. These assessments may include, but are not limited to, psychological, sociocultural, educational, speech and language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, vision, hearing, or observations. Additional methods, including standardized and curriculum-based measures, may be 1 of 11

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3 employed to track progress of identified students on individual goals. Current Focus The Procedural Support section emphasizes the importance of engaging all parties involved in making decisions about special education programming for individual students in a respectful and collaborative process affording participants full opportunity to exchange information and ideas. A major role of the procedural support liaison is to serve as a resource to parents by providing information about services and facilitating communication between parents and school staff, thereby supporting a collaborative decision-making process, particularly in the context of parent involvement in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. Goal 1: FCPS will continue to meet state targets as measured by the VDOE Indicator 8: Parent Involvement. Continued focus on fostering a collaborative decision-making process should contribute to an ability to maintain or increase the percentage of parents who report schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities. The Procedural Support section is also engaged in continual support to schools to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations pertaining to the provision of services to students with disabilities. The results of this work can be reflected in the number of requests for due process hearings that are received. A due process hearing is a formal procedure involving a state-appointed hearing officer and review of evidence and testimony that can be time-consuming for school-based and central office staff. A number of factors can influence the incidence of requests for a due process hearing. The support provided at the school level by procedural support liaisons to ensure that instructional services are provided in compliance with procedural requirements, and to assist in the resolution of conflict between parents and school staff, should contribute to a reduction in the likelihood of problems that might result in a request for a due process hearing. Data collected and reported by the Due Process and Eligibility section indicates a trend in which the number of parent requests for due process hearings decreased from through before seeing a slight increase in Goal 2: Procedural Support efforts to support school staff and parents in collaboratively making sound instructional programming decisions that comply with state requirements governing services for students with disabilities, will contribute to a decrease in the number of parent requests for due process hearings for the school year by 2 from the number received during the school year, in order to maintain the rate at which these requests had been decreasing prior to the school year. Future Focus The Procedural Support section will provide administrative support to increase compliance with VDOE Indicator 11 Children with parental consent to evaluate, who were evaluated and whose eligibility was determined within 65 business days. This will be done by assisting schools with monitoring timely completion of the eligibility process and effective utilization of staff which includes psychologists, social workers, teachers, related services providers, and school-based staff. During the summer months, PSLs will also support Summer Clinic, which conducts screening, evaluation, and eligibility determination for special education. 3 of 11

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5 Data Narrative The FCPS Special Education Parent Involvement Survey, administered on a yearly basis, is intended to identify opportunities for improvement and strengths to build upon in the FCPS Special Education program. The initial administration of the survey took place in the fall of the school year and the next administration is planned for Spring of In this survey parents assigned ratings to items comprising of several themes related to their experience in obtaining special education services for their children. The table below reports parent ratings of the collaboration they experienced with school staff in the development of their child s IEP. Indicator 8: Parent Involvement Indicator 8 Parents who report schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities Division Performance State Target State Target Met 83.8% 79.0% Yes The number of parent requests for due process hearings decreased for four consecutive school years before leveling off in with a slight increase in as recorded by the Due Process and Eligibility section of the Office of Special Education Procedural Support, as illustrated in the following table. Continued focus on compliance with federal and state regulations and fostering a collaborative decision-making process should contribute to an ability to maintain or decrease the number of requests for due process hearings. School Year Number of Due Process Requests of 11

6 fy tial s ted to ings of leveling the pliance an 6 of 11

7 FCPS strives to meet the requirement of Indicator 11 of the State Performance Plan, which relates to completion of the eligibility process within mandated timelines over the course of the entire school year. As illustrated in the table below (source: VDOE Special Education Performance Report, June, 2013) FCPS did not meet the state target of 100% compliance with completion of the eligibility process within timelines over the course of the entire school year. 7 of 11

8 tion of he table of 100% ar. 8 of 11

9 Indicator 11 Full Year FCPS State Indicator 11 Division State Target Performance Target Met Children with parental consent to evaluate, who were evaluated and whose eligibility was determined within 65 business days 98.9% 100% No 9 of 11

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11 Locations Aldrin Elementary Annandale Terrace Elementary Armstrong Elementary Baileys Elementary Beech Tree Elementary Belle View Elementary Belvedere Elementary Bonnie Brae Elementary Braddock Elementary Bren Mar Park Elementary Brookfield Elementary Bucknell Elementary Bull Run Elementary Burke School Bush Hill Elementary Camelot Center Camelot Elementary Cameron Elementary Cameron Elementary ALC Canterbury Woods Elementary Cardinal Forest Elementary Centre Ridge Elementary Centreville Elementary Cherry Run Elementary Chesterbrook Elementary Churchill Road Elementary Clearview Elementary Clermont Elementary Colin Powell Elementary Columbia Elementary Colvin Run Elementary Crestwood Elementary Crossfield Elementary Cub Run Elementary Cunningham Park Elementary Daniels Run Elementary Deer Park Elementary Dogwood Elementary Dranesville Elementary Eagle View Elementary Fairfax Villa Elementary Fairhill Elementary Fairview Elementary Flint Hill Elementary Floris Elementary Forest Edge Elementary Forestdale Elementary Forestville Elementary Fort Belvoir Elementary Fort Hunt Elementary Fox Mill Elementary Franconia Elementary Franklin Sherman Elementary Freedom Hill Elementary Garfield Elementary Glen Forest Elementary Graham Road Elementary Great Falls Elementary Greenbriar East Elementary Greenbriar West Elementary Groveton Elementary Gunston Elementary Halley Elementary Haycock Elementary Hayfield Elementary Herndon Elementary Hollin Meadows Elementary Hunt Valley Elementary Hunters Woods Elementary Hutchison Elementary ELEMENTARY MIDDLE HIGH OTHER Hybla Valley Elementary Island Creek Elementary Keene Mill Elementary Kent Gardens Elementary Kings Glen Elementary Kings Park Elementary Lake Anne Elementary Lane Elementary Laurel Hill ES Laurel Ridge Elementary Lees Corner Elementary Lemon Road Elementary Little Run Elementary London Towne Elementary Lorton Station Elementary Louise Archer Elementary Lutie Lewis Coates ES Lynbrook Elementary Mantua Elementary Marshall Road Elementary Mason Crest Elementary McNair Elementary Mosby Woods Elementary Mount Eagle Elementary Mount Vernon Woods Elementary Navy Elementary Newington Forest Elementary North Springfield Elementary Oak Hill Elementary Oak View Elementary Oakton Elementary Olde Creek Elementary Orange Hunt Elementary Parklawn Elementary Pine Spring Elementary Poplar Tree Elementary Providence Elementary Ravensworth Elementary Riverside Elementary Rolling Valley Elementary Rose Hill Elementary Sangster Elementary Saratoga Elementary Shrevewood Elementary Silverbrook Elementary Sleepy Hollow Elementary Spring Hill Elementary Springfield Estates Elementary Stenwood Elementary Stratford Landing Elementary Sunrise Valley Elementary Terra Centre Elementary Terraset Elementary Timber Lane Elementary Union Mill Elementary Vienna Elementary Virginia Run Elementary Wakefield Forest Elementary Waples Mill Elementary Washington Mill Elementary Waynewood Elementary West Springfield Elementary Westbriar Elementary Westgate Elementary Westlawn Elementary Weyanoke Elementary White Oaks Elementary Willow Springs Elementary Wolftrap Elementary Woodburn Elementary Woodlawn Elementary Woodley Hills Elementary Carson Middle Cooper Middle Franklin Middle Frost Middle Glasgow Middle Hayfield Secondary Herndon Middle Holmes Middle Hughes Middle Irving Middle Key Center Key Middle Kilmer Center Kilmer Middle Lake Braddock Secondary Lanier Middle Liberty Middle Longfellow Middle Luther Jackson Middle Montrose ALC Poe Middle Robinson Secondary Rocky Run Middle Sandburg Middle South County Middle Stone Middle Thoreau Middle Twain Middle Whitman Middle Annandale High Bryant AIM Bryant ALC Bryant Alt High Cedar Lane Center Centreville High Chantilly High Davis Career Center Edison High Fairfax High Falls Bridge Falls Church High Hayfield Secondary Herndon High Jefferson Science & Tech High Lake Braddock Secondary Langley High Lee High Madison High Marshall High McLean High Mount Vernon High Mountain View Alt High Oakton High Pulley Career Center Quander Road Center Robinson Secondary South County High South Lakes High Stuart High West Potomac High West Springfield High Westfield High Woodson High AIM Mountain View 11 of 11