Special EDge
September 2019 FCPS Special EDge Hot Sheet
Special Education Bundle
Special Education has provided a Special Edition Bundle for September.
The bundle link is below entitled Meet Google Drive. It is organized in folders by month.
There are critically important documents in this bundle, including memos and technical assistance bulletins that area mandated for circulation. Please ensure you read this information carefully.
Welcome Back to a New School Year
The 2019 Special Education Symposium was held on August 27 and August 28. All resources, including screen casts, presentations, and Flexible Professional Time (FPT) Special Education option, can be found at this website: Special Education Symposium.
Special Education Service Delivery and Programming Descriptions
Child Find Services
Child Find is the process for screening, evaluating, and identifying all children from birth through age 21 with special needs, whether or not they are currently enrolled in Frederick County Public Schools.
Parents of school-aged children who suspect that their child may have an educational disability should contact their community’s school.
If the child is younger than five, contact FCPS Child Find at (301) 644-5292.
All special education service delivery and classrooms are non-categorical per Maryland regulations. Students identified with any handicapping condition may be served in any of these settings or programs, depending on the nature and severity of their individual needs and their individualized education program. These classrooms are characterized by a high level of diversity and individualization, and use a wide variety of materials, strategies, and instructional programs to address students’ learning styles and needs.
General Education in a Comprehensive Frederick County Public Schools
Special Education services are provided to students with disabilities who are learning along with their non-disabled peers with the implementation of their Individualized Education Program (IEP). There is a range of special education services in the general education setting offered at each building to meet students’ individual educational needs.
These services include:
Consultation
No direct services are provided to the student. Special educators and/or related service personnel review the student’s performance in general education classes at least quarterly. The provider of the consultative service also consults with the IEP team and general education staff who work with the student to discuss strategies that support the student’s continued progress.
Co-Taught
Co-teaching is a partnership or collaboration between two or more instructors. Frequently, this partnership consists of one general educator and one special educator, but it can be any pairing of instructional staff including but not limited to general educator, special education teacher, intervention teacher, school-based specialist or related service provider. It involves the distribution of responsibility for planning instruction and evaluation for a classroom of students.
Push In
Special educators schedule services on a flexible basis. Schedules are coordinated with the general educator based on student need in inclusive classrooms where student(s) with disabilities are accessing the general education curriculum. The push-in model is not a traditional “co-teaching” model. The special educator may provide services in multiple classrooms within the same instructional period. In the push-in model the special educator’s role can include, but is not limited to: modifying curricular resources, planning with the content teacher(s) and leading differentiated groups, as well as planning and implementing re-teaching or modified versions of any learning episodes.
Open Resource
An Open Resource room is available to students with an IEP at any point during their instructional day for access to accommodations, supplementary aids and services, test preparation or completion, completing assignments, guided practice with an emerging skill, and/or re-teaching. Students should not access the resource room during direct instruction of their content area classes. The resource room is open throughout the day and is monitored by a trained staff member (special educator, SEIA, general educator, etc.).
Pull Out Resource
Students are scheduled to meet with a provider to support IEP implementation, including accommodations, supplemental aids, goals/objective instruction, pre-teaching or re-teaching. The student’s service hours on his or her IEP reflect how often and how long a student is “pulled” for the resource. Best practice suggests that students are pulled during non-academic times or non-direct instruction. This location can be in a special educator’s classroom or in any specified room in the school.
Special Education Programs
Overview: FCPS provides free appropriate public education for children from birth to age 21 who need special education services due to developmental, cognitive, emotional, or physical disabilities. All schools provide special education services. Specialized programs are housed throughout the county in many general education buildings. Students may also receive special transportation and other related services as appropriate, determined through their Individualized Education Program (IEP).
1) Infants and Toddlers Program: This interagency program provides early-intervention services for children with developmental delays ages birth through the beginning of the school year following the 4th birthday. Services are provided during naturally occurring family routines. Services address each family's unique priorities for their child in areas such as social relationships; using knowledge and skills (reasoning, problem solving, early literacy and math skills); and taking action to meet needs (feeding, dressing, self-care and following health and safety rules). Early-intervention experts assist families in knowing their rights to services, communicate with people who work with the child and family, and help the child develop and learn. Services are provided at no cost. The Frederick County Health Department is the lead agency, working with FCPS, the Frederick County Department of Social Services and the Maryland School for the Deaf. For information, call the Frederick County Developmental Center, 301-600-1612.
2) Child Find Services: Child Find is a process for screening, evaluating, and identifying all children from birth through age 21 who have special needs. Parents of school-age children who suspect their child may have an educational disability should contact their community school. If the child is 2 years and 9 months or older and not enrolled in school, parents should contact the Child Find office at 301-644-5292. For information regarding the Child Find process for children younger than 2 years and 9 months, contact the Frederick County Developmental Center, 301-600-1611.
3) Special Education Pre-Kindergarten: FCPS offers a half-day educational program at selected sites for children ages 3-5 who require support through an inclusive special education pre-k classroom. Inclusive pre-k classes educate all students using academic standards while implementing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for eligible children who have been identified with a disability. Participation in this program provides opportunities for all students to strengthen their social and academic skills through an inclusive preschool setting.
4) Challenges Program: Challenges provides integrated support to students with autism and/or severe communication disorders in a small, structured classroom with opportunities for inclusion with non-disabled peers, as appropriate. Students learn functional academic and life skills and receive instruction in modified Common Core Standards. Students are provided with a variety of communication methods as they develop verbal speech and/or a functional communication system. After third grade, most pursue a High School Certificate of Completion. Graduation status is reviewed annually. The program uses a variety of instructional strategies, including principles of Applied Behavioral Analysis, based on individual student needs. Classes are staffed with a high adult-to-student ratio.
5) Learning for Life: L4L provides integrated support to students with a variety of developmental and cognitive disabilities in a small, structured classroom with opportunities for inclusion with non-disabled peers, as appropriate. Students learn functional academic and life skills and receive instruction in modified Common Core Standards. After third grade, students pursue a High School Certificate of Completion. Graduation status is reviewed annually.
6) Pyramid Program: Pyramid provides integrated support to students with significant social and emotional needs. Intensive special education and therapeutic services are provided in a small, structured setting within a general education school. Students have opportunities for inclusion in general education classes with non-disabled peers, as appropriate, and are pursuing a high school diploma.
7) SUCCESS Program: SUCCESS is a transition-education program for students ages 18-21 who have an IEP and are pursuing a Maryland High School Certificate of Completion. Students considered for the program have completed at least 4 years in a comprehensive high school, have had work experience and exhibit potential for competitive employment. The program focuses on developing skills for independent living and functional academics and offers students a range of employment opportunities.
8) Rock Creek: Rock Creek is a special education day-school that serves diverse functional academic, medical and behavioral needs, as appropriate, for students ages 3-21 who have significant cognitive disabilities and are working on a Maryland High School Certificate of Completion. While there is an emphasis on functional academics, instruction is also based on the Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards. Communication, decision-making, interpersonal, career/vocational, recreational/leisure and community-based skills as well as other IEP needs are addressed, as appropriate. Related services may include adapted art, music and physical education, assistive technology, occupational and physical therapy, and hearing, vision and speech/language services.
9) RISE (Responsive Interventions for Student Excellence): The Hillcrest Elementary RISE program at Frederick County under the authority of Sheppard Pratt Health System, Inc. is a Type II School program developed to assist students with autism spectrum disorders, emotional disabilities, or other appropriate disabilities, transition to a less restrictive setting. The school serves male and female students in grades 1-5 that are expected to earn a high school diploma. The program has a capacity of ten students and is a collaborative effort between the Sheppard Pratt Health System (SPHS) and the Frederick County Public School System (FCPS). SPHS provides classroom, related service and various support staff. FCPS provides classroom space, materials and access to the general and special education resources of Hillcrest Elementary School. The Frederick County curriculum (MD College, Career and Readiness Standards) is used as the basis for instruction. The school is located at Hillcrest Elementary.
At a minimum, the elementary school students begin in General Education Cultural Arts classes (Media, Physical Education, Art and Music). As a student progresses academically and socially they are integrated in general education classes based on their readiness in English, Math, Social Studies and Science. Students are encouraged to take part in extracurricular activities with general education students that range from academic, arts, and sports. SPHS staff (education assistants) provides support to the students in general education classes. All students in the RISE program at Frederick County program receive individual and or group therapy provided by the school’s Mental Health Provider. Student needs and time in sessions is determined by the IEP team and is specified in the IEP. Students learn social skills that will enable them to navigate within society and lead to increased adult and peer communication abilities. An example of a skill learned within the group is reading non-verbal cues and working as a team to learn the skills that improve student’s overall self-confidence. The speech pathologist also meets with students as prescribed by the student’s IEP. SPHS staff work closely with Hillcrest’s academic and administrative staff on behalf of all students within the school building daily.
The RISE program goals are for students to:
Obtain an appropriate and challenging education that develops productivity, creativity, problem-solving skills, and communication skills.
Acquire social skills that will help them maintain a successful path through secondary education, world of work, and adult life.
Internalize and master knowledge and technologies that will emphasize civic life, integrity and personal independence.
Integrate students into the public school instructional program to the greatest extent appropriate.
10) Nonpublic Placement: When the needs of a student with a disability cannot be met in a comprehensive public FCPS school, the least restrictive environment placement decision is a nonpublic special education school. Nonpublic approved special education schools are located across the state of Maryland to meet the needs of varied learners with disabilities. These decisions are made through the County IEP team meeting process.
A placement process is used to secure acceptance to an appropriate nonpublic placement. The process can take up to six weeks. During the referral process, applications are made to nonpublic schools who review and invite families to visit and observe with their child as a part of the application/acceptance process.
An interim placement is named at the County IEP team meeting. This placement is typically the student's sending comprehensive FCPS school placement.
A Message from the Department of Special Education
Specially designed instruction, progress monitoring and reporting through the IEP process is the cycle that will promote student achievement. Balancing instruction and compliance to the IEP process is critically important and one cannot be completed effectively without the other.
As we move forward with this vision, know that FCPS does NOT endorse a case management only versus instructional service delivery model. All special education teachers must be service providers with their average 10-15 student at elementary and 15-20 students at the secondary level.
The case management only model creates an imbalance in the caseload distribution and thereby has the potential to negatively affect the students' IEP mandated service delivery.
***If schools are implementing the case management only model, it must be abandoned by second semester of this school year.***
***If your team requires professional learning supports, such as OIEP training or WJIV administration, please contact your instructional coordinator or teacher specialist.***
Everyone's knowledge of instruction and compliance in order to eliminate the achievement gap is important because they will have the following:
- Experience in the instruction and pedagogy knowledge related to the ALP process
- Current curriculum updates
- Knowledge of the updates to the Online IEP
- Experience writing IEPs
- Experience assessing students
- Experience in IEP process compliance
Each and every special educator and related service provider should be visible, instructing students through the provision of specially designed instruction and progress monitoring while maintaining compliance to the IEP process.
Psychological Services and Behavioral Support Specialists
Please view this screen cast that describes the supports to special education.
FCPS IEP Parent Survey
The Department of Special Education and Psychological Services is continuing the online FCPS Parent IEP Team Meeting Survey for easy use to engage families meaningfully in the IEP process for school year 2019-2020.
The FCPS survey supports FCPS Aspirational Goal 4: FCPS will nurture relationships with families and the entire community sharing responsibility for student success and demonstrating pride in all aspects of our school system.
- Use the Parent IEP Survey postcards you have at your school. If you have not already done so, make them available to families in your IEP team meeting conference room and encourage parents to complete the survey at the conclusion of their IEP team meeting.
- Although the survey is anonymous, your administrative team has viewing rights to the responses of the survey for your school. If you need your administrative rights updated or initiated contact JoAnn O'toole at joann.otoole@fcps.org or (301) 644-5281.
- If your school is in need of more postcards, contact The Department of Special Education and Psychological Services at (301) 644-5289.
Please ensure you share the survey opportunity with families in the IEP process.
You can have the survey available on a device, at your school, for parents to complete after the IEP meeting.
OIEP 15 -Updates to the Online IEP
The Maryland Online IEP is on version 15. The changes are noted in the links below.
Changes in the OIEP 15 to Know About
Approved Changes to the OIEP 15 Form and Format
Summary of Changes to OIEP Version 15 include:
Participation Planning
Performance Summary
Evaluation Report and Determination of Initial Eligibility Form
Special Consideration: Assistive Technology
Instructional and Assessment Accommodations
Transition: Agency Linkage Redesign
Requested Changes
Remember-You must scan and upload completed Appendix D and Appendix A documents to the online IEP. Here is how:
How to Scan and Upload Student Documents to OIEP
Meaningful parental engagement and the documentation of this is key. All communications for parent contact must be documented on the Online IEP. Here is how:
5 Day Rule Guidance
In accordance with Section 8-405 of the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland and to allow parents the opportunity to meaningfully participate in the IEP process, FCPS requires that at least (5) business days before a scheduled IEP team meeting, the parents are to receive an accessible copy of each assessment, report, data chart(s), draft IEP, or other document the IEP team plans to discuss at the meeting, unless extenuating circumstances exist.
5 Day Rule Standard Operating Procedure SOP
2019-2020 Business Day Calendar Linked Here
These resources are linked in the Special Education Bundle and located on our Special Education website.
Missed Services MSDE Guidance
The Maryland Department of Special Education has released a Technical Assistance Bulletin on Missed Services linked here: Missed Services.
This communication serves as guidance regarding the need for special educators and related service providers to make up missed IEP services during upcoming testing windows, as well as field trips, or when the service provider is absent.
**The unavailability or absence of an individual student or the closure of the school for all students is the only acceptable reasons for not making up missed services.**
A student’s IEP team determines the amount, frequency and duration of services needed to provide FAPE to children with disabilities. It is the responsibility of each school to ensure that students with disabilities continue to receive the services outlined on their IEP during upcoming testing windows, field trips, or when the provider of the service is absent. This includes services provided by special education teachers and related service providers.
Special educators and related service providers should implement the following options when planning for making up missed sessions due to upcoming test windows, field trips, or service provider absence:
Front load services prior to, and/or after the time sessions are missed.
Group students differently to accommodate the modified school schedule due to testing, field trips, etc.
Consider using support funds to hire a qualified substitute service provider.
It is also worth reiterating that special education services can be delivered by the special educator, general educator, interventionists, specialists, etc., if documented as such through a student’s IEP services.
On a related note, because of the need for IEP services to be implemented and on occasion made up, please make an exerted effort to avoid scheduling responsibilities for related service providers and special educators, such as lunch, bus and/or recess duties and proctoring during state assessments, whenever possible.
Initial Eligibility Indicator 11 Timelines
Special Education Indicator 11 is the percent of children with parental consent to evaluate, who were evaluated within 90 days of the written referral and 60 days from the parental consent; whichever comes first.
Let’s celebrate together FCPS Indicator 11 compliance was close to 100%v for the 2018-2019 school year!
Let’s challenge us to meet the timeline of 100% this school year.
Our FCPS rigorous goal for the 2010-2020 school year is 100% of children for whom we have parental consent to evaluate, be evaluated and have their eligibility determined within 60 days. Anything less than 100% requires a Corrective Action Plan, or CAP when the reason for the delay is unacceptable. * Remember you are NEVER to use "Other" as a reason for the delay of eligibility. You should only use acceptable reasons for delay.
You can learn more about the compliance expectations at the Compliance Monitoring Indicator 11 Talking Points located on our Special Education Website, under Special Education Resources tab, Initial Eligibility Indicator 11 Compliance.
They are also linked here:
Indicator 11 Compliance Monitoring Information
ADA Fall Memorandum
Please take a moment to consider the ADA equipment and facility needs of your students.
The Fall ADA Memorandum is linked here: ADA Memorandum
MSDE Release Guidance on Restraint and Seclusion
Please review this guidance. The supplemental document for students with disabilities outlines guidance on IEP meeting processes before and after restraint and/or seclusion of a student with a disability.
FCPS regulation on restraint and seclusion is 400-44.
Welcome Back from Partners for Success/Family Support Services
Welcome back to the 2019/2020 school year. Partners for Success Coordinator , Cara Phillips, hopes you all had a fantastic summer! The Fall Newsletter is linked here.
You may be asking, what is Partners for Success/Family Support?
It is:
- Support families of children with special needs
- Strengthen communication between parents and schools
- Host workshops on special needs topics of interest
- Represent special education issues and concerns of families
Partners for Success/Family Support looks forward to you sharing and/or attending some of our events this school year.
Rochelle's Special Education Legal Tips
(Rochelle Eisenberg is a Maryland Special Education School System Attorney. These are her legal advice based upon her experiences in cases around the state.)
This has been a really bad summer for mosquitos. DEET is not even doing it. Your only recourse is to stay inside. But who stays inside in the summer? So here is an offbeat analogy, probably the result of too much sun. Compare the mosquito infestation to advocates who are looking to pounce on you if you are vulnerable. To avoid this, do not make mistakes that leave you vulnerable. How can you avoid being bit?
- Have an IEP in place at the start of the school year and implement it from Day 1, including related services. The IDEA does not provide an exception for the first week of school to the rule that IEPs must be implemented. This includes the BIP.
- If you are suddenly waking up from the summer doldrums and realize you do not have an IEP in place for the start of the school year or have not timely met to review assessments, schedule the IEP team meeting NOW, to be held prior to the start of the school year.
- Principals, be sure to tell your teachers at the start of the school year that they are entitled to their private lives and some off-time at night and not to spend their evenings responding to parents’ e-mails. Those emails are litigation nightmares. People make mistakes when they are tired or rushed when writing emails. If a parent has a lot of questions, schedule a conference.
- When the IEP or 504 team gathers to write an IEP or 504 Plan, do not throw in the kitchen sink. Only include what is necessary to provide a FAPE. There are advocates, attorneys, and some parents who will try to wear you down by ignoring your accurate explanations of why a particular goal/objective/accommodation/related service/hours of service is not needed.
- Remember that chocolate always helps!
Rochelle’s Special Education Tips (“Tips”) are designed to be helpful and thought provoking, but should not be considered legal advice as they may not be accurate for use in all situations. Tips are based on my opinions and positions in accordance with federal and Maryland law and my over 35 years of experience in the special education legal field. – Rochelle S. Eisenberg, Esquire
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