OSPIWASA Special Education Workshop

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Wise Investments in Special EducationTransparen
cy and Respectful Communication

• OSPI/WASA Special Education Workshop
• Early Childhood Education-Birth to 3
• August 5, 2009
• Kristin Hennessey
• Special Education Ombudsman
• kristin.hennessey_at_k12.wa.us

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Commitment to compliance, transparency, and
respectful communication

• Short and longer term investment returns are
  many
• Focus stays on the needs of the student.
• Disagreements stay more contained, rather than
  spiraling out to include less substantive issues.
• Emotional and physical energy are conserved, not
  wasted.
• Fewer meetings need to be held.
• Teaming with parents is more enjoyable and more
  rewarding.
• (GREATER JOB SATISFACTION)

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Compliance

• Compliance means doing what is required.
• Thoughts on compliance
• Believe there is a reason for the requirement.
• If you are not quite sure what is required, its
  always a good idea to check.
• When you become aware of non-compliance, its
  always a good idea to correct it as soon as
  possible, and pro-actively offer to make up for
  the non-compliance, when appropriate.

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Transparency here means

• Narrating special education procedures as they
  are occurring.
• Providing a verbal explanation of the Procedural
  Safeguards (parent rights), including options for
  families to have areas of disagreement or
  complaint formally resolved (mediation, citizen
  complaint, due process hearing).
• Encouraging families to learn more about special
  education.
• Once again, owning up to a mistake or lack of
  compliance when it has occurred (including
  inability to provide service), and proactively
  compensating for it when appropriate.

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Respectful communication here means

• Openly considering what parents bring to the
  tablea commitment to active listening.
• Doing your part to make meetings efficient, yet
  valuable for all parties.
• Arriving at meetings prepared and focused (draft
  IEPs).
• Inviting parent questions and answering them
  thoughtfully.
• Being truly present in your interactions with
  families, ever sensitive to the many and varied
  implications of having a child with a disability.

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Providers have a unique opportunity to

• Set the tone for positive communication between
  school districts and families.
• Emphasize the importance of family engagement in
  special education.
• Educate families about the basics of special
  education.
• Empower parents to participate.
• Inform parents about their rights related to
  special education.
• Thoughtfully share with parents some of the
  limitations of their rights related to special
  education (Ex., teacher assignments).

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IDEA partnership principles for parents and staff
(Kristins)

• Respectful communication skills (may or may not
  mean there is agreement).
• Sense of responsibility and ownership about role
  in building a successful IEP team.
• Basic understanding of special education.
• Willingness to learn more when necessary.
• Commitment to transparency and honesty.
• Healthy amount of trust.
• Good advocacy skills.
• Patience.

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Suggestions/ideas

• Find, bookmark, and utilize credible on-line
  special education technical assistance.
• Consider developing a list of special education
  resources to provide parents upon
  referral/eligibility determination.
• Allow enough time to schedule and prepare for
  IEP meetings.
• Consider developing, sending home, and requesting
  input on a draft IEP.
• Consider utilizing Parent Input state model
  form to prepare for annual IEP meeting.

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More ideas

• Educate parents about the importance of the IEP
  document and the three-year evaluation report (as
  well as the connection between the two).
• Consider ways to partner IEP parents with
  building and district wide general education
  committees, initiatives, and activities.
• Provide parent with name and contact information
  for staff members to contact with any follow-up
  questions.
• Consider ways to facilitate interactions and
  bridge-building between Part C staff and
  families, Preschool staff and families, and Part
  B staff and families.

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Remember

• Even
• Full IEP team is required at annual IEP meeting,
  unless team member is formally excused.
• When developing the IEP, positive behavioral
  interventions, supports, and other strategies
  must be considered for a student whose behavior
  impedes the students learning or that of
  others.
• Consider learning (more?) about and utilizing
  positive behavioral support to address discipline
  generating behaviors (instructive rather than
  punitive, BIPs before required, individualized).

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Productive IEP meetings

• Consider using the state IEP model forms to
  develop a protocol for running an IEP meeting.
• Create IEP task list
• Agenda, with meeting manager
• Purpose of meeting.
• Introduction of IEP team members (name and title
  only).
• Having utilized the Parent Input state model
  form and/or a draft IEP, quickly review items of
  agreement.
• Clarify issues of disagreement, and resolve when
  possible.
• State how meeting is ending and provide
  information about next steps, if any.
• Develop IEP in real time using computer and LCD
  projector?

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Quotes to share

• Every generalization is dangerous, especially
  this one.
• --Mark Twain
• Wise men talk because they have something to say
  fools, because they have to say something.
• --Plato
• The problem with communication ... is the
  illusion that it has been accomplished.
• --George Bernard Shaw

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Final quote

• "The best way to escape from a problem is to
  solve it.
• Alan Saporta

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Resources

• Technical Assistance Paper (TAP) 1 The
  Individuals with Disabilities Education Act A
  Review of the Basics (Developed prior to passage
  of IDEA 2004, but
• still provides good general information about
  special education)
• http//www.k12.wa.us/SpecialEd/pubdocs/TAP1.pdf
• The 10 Basic Steps in Special Education (NICHCY)
• http//www.nichcy.org/EducateChildren/Steps/Pages/
  default.aspx 
•  About the IEP  (NICHCY)
• http//www.nichcy.org/EducateChildren/IEP/Pages/de
  fault.aspx
• Developing Your Childs IEP (NICHCY)
• http//www.nichcy.org/InformationResources/Documen
  ts/NICHCY20PUBS/pa12.pdf
• Special Education Evaluation and IEP Technical
  Assistance Module http//www.k12.wa.us/SpecialEd/M
  odule.aspx

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Resources

• Model Forms
• http//www.k12.wa.us/SpecialEd/forms.aspxModel_St
  ate_Forms