Mtn BOCES Special Education Updates
September
October Newsletter
Happy Fall!
Wow, it's hard to believe it's already mid-October! The beautiful fall colors are just another indication of how far we've come. For most of you the end of first quarter is either here or approaching quickly! We have some reminders about progress reports and several other updates including the introduction of our new Frontline Manual! Thank you for all you do for students! Be sure to check out the Shout Outs for a dose of great things going on in our districts!
BOCES Special Education Information
Progress Reports
End of 1st Quarter means progress reporting time for many of you! Remember that progress reports are due at the same time that students receive report cards. When completing progress reports, please make sure that you are entering data that matches the measurement in the goal. If the goal indicates that a percentage is the unit of measure, then the progress report should have information related to the current percentage. It is a good idea to keep copies of the data used to determine student progress and send home work samples to show families how their student is doing according to their IEP goals.
If you use “student did not work on this goal” in the progress report, please indicate why the student did not work on the goal in the comments section. There may be valid reasons, but you must explain it, otherwise it could be seen as a denial of FAPE (the IEP is not being implemented). The comments will help the parent/guardian(s) understand why they see this option listed on the progress report. The team must document progress in Frontline. Please be sure you send the progress report home and document when/how it was sent. Please see the following guidance which is also contained in the Shared Drive!
Dyslexia Awareness Month
Did you know October is Dyslexia Awareness Month? The CDE Handbook is uploaded in the Shared Drive and can be accessed at this link. CDE Dyslexia Handbook
Here are some additional links to resources about Dyslexia.
8 Dyslexia Resources for Educators
Webinars on dyslexia through Lexia Learning
Picture Symbol Software Update
Our license for Boardmaker is expiring in December. We are looking into making a switch from Boardmaker to SymbolStix, which is a component program through News 2 You/Unique Learning. If you currently use boardmaker, please sign up for a free 30-day trial of symbolstix here (Once you have created an account, be sure to click “Symbolstix” as part of your trial - you can also add additional programs to trial). We will send a follow up poll for input from those who have used both in order to determine next steps. Thank you!
Digital Assessment Library for Schools
We're continuing to roll out Pearson’s Digital Assessment Library for Schools and are getting good feedback from those who have dived in! As a reminder, DALS+ gives us unlimited licenses and access to Q-Global and Q-Interactive. Q-Global provides access to their full library of online manuals, stimulus books, digital scoring of assessments, and even some protocols that can be printed! Q-Interactive is the platform in which the assessment can be given directly to students via iPads. We have found some district firewalls are preventing the iPads from communicating between the client and practitioner (or other tech issues) They work at the BOCES office or outside of the school, but district security is preventing them from working in some schools. Please know we're working with local IT departments to correct these issues.
Click on this DALS+ Guide to see a full assessment list & what is included!
DALS+ Training
DALS includes many self-paces training modules to support you! You can skip to the practitioner's section if you have already received your account link to set up your account!
DALS Q-Global Training Modules
Getting started with Q-Interactive
Q-Interactive Start Up Guide (For Setting up iPads)
DALS Q-Interactive Training Modules.
To access training on each test included in Q Interactive click the following link:
https://qiactive.com/choose-share/support/index
(You will need to sign into Q-Interactive to access these training modules)
IPad Issues?
As we have begun rolling out this new assessment system, we have had some issues with technology. We’ve noticed that while the iPads are able to connect to Q-Interactive in the BOCES office, they are not always connecting in buildings when using district WiFi. We are working with district IT departments to fix this issue as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience as we work through this issue. As a reminder, you can still check out kits and protocols from the BOCES office using the link below.
Goalbook
We are excited to have provided some initial Goalbook training to all of our AU this year. We also had many attend the new trainings last week and had wonderful feedback from the groups. Here are the links for the recorded trainings that Amy Martinez did for Mountain BOCES. Please take the time to watch them to learn more about usng Goalbook for Present levels. Each school has a person with a Goalbook login so make sure you get the login for your school.
Goalbook Participants by School
Session 1 10/4/23 (10th Grade Profile)
Session 2 10/06/23 (7th Grade Profile)
20-minute Goalbook Toolkit Overview Training
BOCES Shared Drive
The BOCES Shared Drive includes all of our important information for staff! We are continually adding to this drive so check back often for:
- IEP Guidance
- Behavioral Guidance (Including Restraint/Seclusion and MDRs)
- Assessment/Evaluation Guidance
- Past Newsletters & Trainings
- Contact lists for all providers in Mtn BOCES
- Plus More!
All special education teachers, related service providers, and administrators should have access to the BOCES Shared Drive. Other district employees may be added by request. If you have difficultly accessing the shared drive, please contact your Special Education Coordinator:
LaRee Bearss - Lake County & Salida
Elyssa Clark - Buena Vista & Park County
Legislative Updates & Policy Adoption
HB 22-1376 Safe Supportive Learning Environtments
We continue to learn more about restraint/seclusion policies and reporting procedures due to House Bill 22-1376 - Supportive Learning Environments for K-12 Students. We have adjusted the flowchart, and toolkit to reflect these changes. Links to these documents are below.
Reminders:
The bill has reduced the official time of restraint from 5 minutes to 1 minute.
ALL physical restrictive interventions (holds, restraints, seclusions) should be documented using the reporting google form.
EACH time a physical restrictive intervention is done, a team debrief should occur with a Mountain BOCES CPI instructor.
Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI)
CPI Trainings will be held at the Mountain BOCES office monthly this year. For more information about who should take CPI training
If you are new to one of our districts and need CPI training, please sign up for a FULL course. You will be signed up to participate in online modules and then invited to attend a refresher course to practice the physical holding techniques.
Check out CPI’s Top 10 De-escalation Tips for Educators here!
Upcoming Training Dates:
October 24, 2023 (Tuesday) 8-12
November 28, 2023 (Tuesday) 12-4
January 16, 2024 (Tuesday) 8-12
February 15, 2024 (Thursday) 12-4
March 8, 2024 (Friday) 8-12
April 15, 2024 (Monday) 12-4
May 2024 (Date TBD if necessary for ESY
Please sign up by pressing the button below!
National Provider Identifier (NPI) for OTs, PTs, & SLPs
If you are an OT, PT, or SLP participating in the School Health Services program for Medicaid reimbursement, you will need to make sure to register for a National Provider Identifier and enroll as a Health First Colorado Provider. This should be completed by October 2024. Please see the following document for more information.
Frontline Updates
Frontline Training Manual - Now Available!
December Count
We are in the process of working on the December 1 Count and preparing for that. Please look over each student on your caseload and be sure that the correct Team Members and Service Providers are listed. Please remove anyone that is no longer part of the team or providing the services. We need to be sure that we have accurate information in the system in order to provide the correct information to the State. Please keep in mind that the Sped Teacher is the Primary Service Provider for most students. (See How to Assign Team Members) The SLP will be the Primary Service provider for Speech students. Once the IEP has been finalized, there is a place to assign Service Providers. The service providers are not automatically updated and must be updated at this time. Please be sure that you finish all IEP meetings in a timely manner. In order for a student to be counted on the December 1 Count, the IEP must be finalized and services started. The IEP must be current too. The state gave us some leeway the past few years, but they will not be doing that this year. If the IEP is expired and the new IEP has not been created by December 1st we cannot receive funding for the student.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Professional Development Opportunities
Colorado Autism Consultants Training
We're excited to be partnering with the Colorado Autism Consultants for a 4-part series on Autism and best practices in schools. All trainings will be held virtually and links will be sent out prior to the training. We hope that you can attend all, but we will be recording the training and will send out links following if you are unable to attend the synchronous versions!.
November 2, 2023 (12:00-3:30, followed by Q&A 3:30-4:00)
All About ASD & EBP Interventions
Autism is a neurological difference that is across a broad spectrum. Learners diagnosed with ASD come to school with incredible abilities, but can manifest as challenges in the everyday school environment. Join us in this training as we dive into what the spectrum means and can look like, evidence-based practice in the field of ASD and walk away with immediate universal strategies to implement in the classroom.
December 7, 2023 (12:00-3:30, followed by Q&A 3:30-4:00)
The Intertwined Web of Social Skills & Neurodiversity
Students with vocal verbal language often present with higher language skills than their assessments might show. Learn to identify what assessments you can use to identify skill gaps and how to program to support students who are neurodiverse in social situations.
February 8, 2024 (12:00-3:30, followed by Q&A 3:30-4:00)
Understanding New Frameworks Around “Stimming”
It’s common for students with an autism spectrum disorder to engage in repetitive behaviors that are commonly referred to as “self-stim.” Guess what… all humans engage in self-stim! It just looks different. In this training we’ll review the shift in best practice around self-stim behaviors, how to help teach contextual behaviors around self-stim, and strategies you can use in the classroom to support students who engage in high rates of these repetitive behaviors.
April 25, 2024 (12:00-3:30, followed by Q&A 3:30-4:00)
Building A School-Wide Practice
The strategies that support neurodiverse students are also strategies that can help all students. In this training we’ll cover recommended universal supports that can be implemented at the school level, common tier 2 interventions to consider when a student is struggling, and what a supportive classroom environment looks like for neurodiverse students. This training will not cover tier 3 interventions, but continued resources on evidence-based practices will be provided.
BOCES Optional Professional Development
All Mountain BOCES Trainings will occur at the Mtn BOCES office
Click the title of the training to register.
- Dyslexia I Oct. 27th 8:30-12:00 (Fri.)
- Neurodiversity Jan. 17th 12:30-3:30 (Wed.)
- FBA to BIP Registration December 12th 1:00-3:00 (Tues)
- Dyslexia II Feb. 22nd 1:00 -3:00(Thurs.)
Upcoming Events
Dylsexia I
This course will provide an overview of dyslexia. In addition we will explore ways to assess and collect data that helps us as school professionals to identify or rule out the presence of dyslexia. We will practice looking at data to identify a dyslexic profile as well as practice how to report out that information to school teams and parents.
Register Here: Dyslexia I
Friday, Oct 27, 2023, 08:30 AM
27900 County Road 319, Buena Vista, CO, USA
Paraprofessional Training
This is our second year using the paraprofessional training offered by The Master Teacher. This program has 150 online courses written just for paraeducators. The courses provide instructional support in all academic areas as well as behavior, trauma and social and emotional learning. The courses are text-based and video-based. There will be some courses assigned to all paras, but then we will meet with teams to develop individual training plans. Here is a link to the courses so you can take a look and choose some that would be important for your school/classroom.
We encourage you as teachers to work with the para’s to engage in courses that will be manningful to their work.
CDE Optional Trainings
Preschool Professional Learning - Early Childhood Special Educator Community of Practice
CDE's preschool team will provide a professional learning opportunity for early childhood special education personnel. The ECSE Community of Practice will dive into inclusive preschool practices and strengthening skills for early childhood special educators. More information and a link to register can be found on the Preschool Special Education Targeted Professional Learning webpage. For more information, contact Missy Taucher, taucher_m@cde.state.co.us, or Michele Pugsley, pugsley_m@cde.state.co.us.
Special Education Evaluation Webinar Series
This webinar series will cover evaluations, family participation and collaboration, cultural considerations, building a thoughtful body of evidence beyond standardized measures and assessment interpretation and communication. Register here for the Special Education Evaluation Webinar Series.For questions, email Krista Klabo at Klabo_k@cde.state.co.us
Dates and Topics
October 24th- Meaningful Family Participation and Collaboration
November 28th - Cultural Considerations in Special Education Evaluation
January 30th - Assessment Interpretation and Communication
February 27th - Basics of Building a Thoughtful Body of Evidence
April 16th - Convergence of Data to Build a Stronger Body of Evidence
Resources for Parents
Parent Resources on Website
- Parent Friendly Procedural Safeguards/ Procedimientos De Seguridad y Derechos De Los Padres
Parent Input Form (Short Form)/ Opinión del Padre
Parent Input form (Detailed Form)/ Opinion del Padre Forma Larga
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
https://www.mtnboces.org/services/special-education/parent-resources
Spanish forms now available!!
Parent Trainings
We are partnering with Colorado Autism Consultants to offer 2 virtual parent trainings this year on Tuesday December 12th from 6:00-8:00 and Tuesday March 5th from 6:00-8:00. Please see the descriptions below. A flyer in English and Spanish will be coming soon and will be included in our first parent newsletter coming the end of October.
Parent Training Series Part 1 of 2
December 12, 2023 (6:00-8:00pm)
Do you have a child who struggles with everyday routines and transitions? Join as we discuss strategies you can use in your home to support a child with an autism spectrum disorder, or related disability.
Parent Training Series Part 2 of 2
March 5, 2024 (6:00-8:00pm)
Heading into summer can feel overwhelming for both kids and parents as the everyday structure of school changes with long summer days. In this training session we’ll review preventative strategies, discuss resources available to parents, and how to look at big challenges and chunk it down into manageable teaching moments.
Shout Outs
October Shout Outs
Thank you to those that gave a shout out to your colleagues!! Please click the link below to read all the great things going on in schools!
Mountain BOCES Board
BOCES Board Members
Mountain BOCES is governed by a five-member Board of Directors consisting of one representative from each member school district's local Board of Education and one representative from the Colorado Mountain College. Board members represent both their local districts' interests and the interests of Mountain BOCES as an organization.
Brett Mitchell (President)
Buena Vista School District
Mandy Paschall (Vice-President)
Salida School District
Larry Foster (Secretary/Treasurer)
Park County School District
Felicia Federico
Lake County School District
Ben Cairns
Colorado Mountain College
Mtn BOCES Board Meeting
Zoom Link Information: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86089875326
Meeting ID: 860 8987 5326Thursday, Nov 9, 2023, 01:00 PM
27900 County Road 319, Buena Vista, CO, USA
Future Board Meeting Dates
January 18th, 2023 1:00-3:00pm
March 14th, 2023 1:00-3:00pm
May 9th, 2023 1:00-3:00pm
Mountain BOCES
Website: www.mtnboces.org
Location: 27900 Cty Rd 319
Buena Vista, CO 81211