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A Closer Look: The Special Education Plan

Jean B. InskipWestern Division Chief

Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education

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Authority

• Chapter 14 PA Regulations (June 28, 2008)

• 14.104 Special Education Plans

• Assurances to US Department of Education, the Office of Special Education Programs

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History• Done by paper• Done by electronic Special Education Plan (eSP)• Done within the Comprehensive Plan webbased tool.• Done in District Phases • Due in May• Guaranteed the Federal Government with our IDEA

Part B application that all districts have complete and approved Plans

• Guided by the district’s strategic plan

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The Comprehensive Plan• Includes: –Professional Education Plan– Educational Technology Plan– Special Education Plan–Approval and Disapproval notifications– Editing features–Process for submitting SEPRNs (soon)

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Requirements for School Districts

• Developed every three years• Specify Special Education Programs operated

by the district, intermediate units, vocational schools, other agencies

• Criteria for identifying students• Supplemental aids and services

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Requirements for School Districts

• Access to full continuum of placements• Approved policies and procedures• Procedures for behavior support services• Parent training• Procedures for special education in APS,

other institution

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Requirements for School Districts

• Procedures for nonresident students in private homes or institutions

• Plans need to be approved by the Department (Bureau of Special Education)

• Full range of services• Settings other than regular education• Time for submission• Formal tiered approval/disapproval procedures

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What is in the Special Education Plan?

1. DemographicsPrepopulated with the current information

Shenango Area SDAddress: 2501 Old Pittsburgh Rd New Castle, PA 16101-6095 Phone Number: (724) 658-7287 Phase: Phase 1 Superintendent InformationName: Michael Schreck E-mail address: mschreck@shenango.k12.pa.us Director of Special Education InformationName: Not Provided E-mail address: Not Provided

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Planning CommitteeSally Jones- Parent• Appointed to the Professional Education subcommittee by: Board of Directors

Jay Smith – Special Education Director• Appointed to the Professional Education subcommittee by: Board of Directors

Jarrett Black – Secondary School Teacher - Regular Education• Appointed to the Professional Education subcommittee by: Peer Teachers

Joy Smith – Ed Specialist - School Counselor• Appointed to the Professional Education subcommittee by: Educational Specialist

Jennifer Jones – Elementary School Teacher - Special Education• Appointed to the Professional Education subcommittee by: Peer Teachers

Julia Wilson – Ed Specialist-Speech/Language Therapist• Appointed to the Professional Education subcommittee by: Educational Specialist

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Special Education

• Special Education Student (Number)• Identification Method (Narrative)• Enrollment Difference Data (Prepopulated)• Non Resident Students Oversight (Narrative)• Incarcerated Students Oversight (Narrative)• Least Restrictive Environment (Narrative)• Behavior Support Services (Narrative)• Intensive Interagency/Ensuring FAPE/Hard to Place

Students• Strengths and Highlights

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Special Education Assurances

• Implementation of full range of services• Implementation of a child find system• Assure that SWD are included in general

education, extra curricular activities, etc. to the maximum extend possible

• Comply with revised notice process• Follow guidelines for assessing SWD• ACCESS reimbursement funds used appropriately

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24 P.S 1306 and 1306.2 Facilities

• Identify any facility located in your school district used for nonresident or incarcerated students. For each facility, record the entity (Intermediate Unit, School District or Other) that provides the educational services and the number of students receiving services for which you are the host SD under Section 1306 (nonresident students) or Section 1306.2 (incarcerated students) of the Public School Code.

Type: incarcerated or nonresidentIncarcerated Students Services provided by: Intermediate Unit XXStudent Count: 8

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Least Restrictive Environment Facilities

• Identify any facility where students are placed outside of the school district.

• List the Facility Name, choose the Type of Facility from the drop down menu, indicate the Type of Service (ES, LS, AS, etc.)

• Specify the Number of Students Placed in the facility from the district.

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Special Education Program Profiles• Identify all current and proposed programs operated by the school district

or operated within school district's buildings.

• A program can be thought of as a “teaching position”. Your program profile outlines the various positions you have at your district that provide Special Education services. Each program is a position. Within each program, a position may have 1 or more “segments”. A segment equates to an FTE and the total of all segments cannot be more than 1 FTE.

• Begin by clicking the “+ Program” button to add a new program. Then, click the “+ New Segment” button to add the specifics for that program. Enter the building location, grade and type, the support and service type, the low and high age, the caseload and the FTE. Click the “Submit” button. You will return to the Create Program page. (NOTE: your program is not yet saved). If additional segments need to be added, repeat the process by clicking the “+ New Segment” button again and completing the information.

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Special Education Program Profiles

• If the program (or position) is brand new, put a checkmark beside the “This program has not previously operated within this district” and then complete all the questions that display.

• After all appropriate segments have been added, click the “Create” button. This will save your program. You can then add the next program and its associated segments.

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Special Education Support Services• Identify all current support staff information who are employed by the

district. Support personnel may include Special Education Directors, Supervisors, psychologists, social workers, paraprofessional, related services practitioners such as OT and PT. This list is not conclusive. Enter the building(s) and Teacher Full Time Equivalent number.

• Director of Special Services• Location: Smith Area School District Teacher Full Time Equivalent: 1

• Paraprofessionals• Location: Smith Area School District Teacher Full Time Equivalent: 10

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Special Education Contracted Services• Identify all current contracted support services including the operator

(contractor, such as IU, agency or individual contract) and the amount of time per week that the operator is at the district. Do not list Speech and Language Support, Hearing Impaired Support, Vision Impaired Support Autistic Support etc. that are contracted through the Intermediate Unit. Those services must be listed on the Program Profile not on the Contracted Support Services.

• Occupational Therapy• Operator: Intermediate Unit Amount of Time per Week: 2 Hours• Physical Therapist• Operator: Intermediate Unit Amount of Time per Week: 105 Minutes• School Psychologist• Operator: Intermediate Unit Amount of Time per Week: 4 Days

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Special Education Personnel Development

• Autism• Reading NCLB• Behavior Support• Paraprofessional• Transition

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Special Education Personnel Development

• Description• Person responsible• Start date• End date• (Funding)• Program area addressed• Hours per session• Number of sessions• Number of participants• Provider• Provider type

• (PDE Approved)• (Knowledge Gain)• (Research and Practice)• For Classroom Teachers• For school or LEA

administrators• Training Format• Participants Roles• Grade Levels• Follow-up Activities• Evaluation methods

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Special Education Affirmations

• Electronic Signatures• Superintendent• Board President• Received by the Bureau of Special

Education by May 1st

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Contact Information

Jean B. Inskipjinskip@pa.gov717-783-6922