News You Can Use: Family Engagement and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

(IDEA)

Melody Musgrove, Melody Musgrove, Director, Office of Special Education Programs Director, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)(OSEP)

Kim Jones, Kim Jones, Executive Director, Advocates for Justice in EducationExecutive Director, Advocates for Justice in Education

Phil Moses, Phil Moses, Assistant Director, National Center for Appropriate Dispute Assistant Director, National Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution (CADRE)Resolution (CADRE)

Carmen SanchezCarmen Sanchez, Project Officer, OSEP, Project Officer, OSEP

May 19, 2011May 19, 2011

O S

E P

Agenda Welcome Logistics Family Engagement and IDEA, Melody

Musgrove Parent Training and Information Centers, Kim

Jones Tour of idea.ed.gov, Carmen Sanchez Technical Assistance and Dispute Resolution,

Phil Moses

O S

E P

Family Engagement and IDEA

O S

E P

IDEA and Families

Approximately 7 million children receive special education services in the United States In some states and localities, as many as 12% or

more of students receive special education services

Families of children with disabilities are friends and neighbors, and of every race, ethnicity, and socio-economic class

O S

E P

Preamble to IDEA 2004

““Disability is a natural part of the human Disability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the right experience and in no way diminishes the right of individuals to participate in or contribute to of individuals to participate in or contribute to society. Improving educational results for society. Improving educational results for children with disabilities is an essential children with disabilities is an essential element of our national policy of ensuring element of our national policy of ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities. “ sufficiency for individuals with disabilities. “ (IDEA Section 601, Findings)(IDEA Section 601, Findings)

O S

E P

Purpose of IDEA

“(c) (5)Almost 30 years of research and experience has demonstrated that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by--

(A) having high expectations for such children and ensuring their access to the general education curriculum in the regular classroom, to the maximum extent possible, in order to--

(i) meet developmental goals and, to the maximum extent possible, the challenging expectations that have been established for all children; and

(ii) be prepared to lead productive and independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible;

(B) strengthening the role and responsibility of parents and ensuring that families of such children have meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children at school and at home” (IDEA Section 601, Findings)

O S

E P

Parts B and C of IDEA Part C serves infants and toddlers, birth up to 3

years of age, Through interagency coordination As stated in Individualized Family Service Plan

(IFSP) Part B serves toddlers, children, and youth ,

ages 2 to 26 Through educational agencies As stated in Individualized Education Program

(IEP)

O S

E P

Family Engagement at the Child Level

Identification and referral Evaluation Eligibility Development of IFSPs and IEPs Settings and placement for service delivery Provision of services Review of IFSPs and IEPs Transition

O S

E P

Family Engagement on Advisory Groups

State Interagency Coordinating Councils – Section 641 of IDEA

State Advisory Panels – Section 612 of IDEA

More information at www.stateadvisory panel.org

O S

E P

Family Engagement in Part D of IDEA

Part D of IDEA covers the Department’s discretionary spending on special education IDEA requires the “children with disabilities

and their parents receive training and information designed to assist the children in meeting developmental and functional goals and challenging academic achievement goals, and in preparing to lead productive independent adult lives” (IDEA, Title I, Part D, Section 670)

O S

E P

Parent Centers: Helping Families, Linking Communities

Kim Y. Jones, Esq.Kim Y. Jones, Esq.Parent Training and Information CenterParent Training and Information Center

Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.

O S

E P

Parent Centers: IDEA

IDEA : The Individuals with Disabilities IDEA : The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act establishes Education Act establishes that children with disabilities are entitled that children with disabilities are entitled

to a Free and Appropriate Public to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)Education (FAPE)

the Parent Training and Information the Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRC’s)Resource Centers (CPRC’s)

O S

E P

PTIs and CPRCs

Funded by the Department of Education, Funded by the Department of Education, under IDEAunder IDEA

Designed to support and engage families and Designed to support and engage families and communitiescommunities

Unified by a common experienceUnified by a common experience Run by parents and caregiversRun by parents and caregivers Are in every State; each has at least one Are in every State; each has at least one

parent center and some states have severalparent center and some states have several

O S

E P

A National NetworkThe Power of Parents at Work...The Power of Parents at Work...

www.parentcenternetwork.orgwww.parentcenternetwork.org

O S

E P

Parent Centers …

Empower FamiliesEmpower Families Provide a window into to world of the Provide a window into to world of the

familyfamily Engage Community Providers/Partners inEngage Community Providers/Partners in

Supporting our families;Supporting our families; Caring about our issuesCaring about our issues

Partner in reforming educationPartner in reforming education

O S

E P

Empowering Families…

Parent CentersParent Centers

Educate familiesEducate families Support familiesSupport families Engage familiesEngage families

O S

E P

The World of the Parent…

Parent CentersParent Centers Are staffed by parents and caregiversAre staffed by parents and caregivers Have struggles that are unique to themHave struggles that are unique to them Value the support of similarly situated peopleValue the support of similarly situated people Want the best for their children – despite Want the best for their children – despite

circumstancecircumstance Parent to Parent…Peer to Peer…Parents as Parent to Parent…Peer to Peer…Parents as

Partners…Understanding our stories to improve Partners…Understanding our stories to improve the lives of othersthe lives of others

O S

E P

Engaging Communities…

Parent CentersParent Centers

Develop linkagesDevelop linkages Improve access to servicesImprove access to services Educate providers on the needs of Educate providers on the needs of

familiesfamilies Collaborate across disciplinesCollaborate across disciplines

O S

E P

Reforming Education… Parent Centers Parent Centers

Have a place at the tableHave a place at the table Inform policy makers about the consequences of Inform policy makers about the consequences of

their decisionstheir decisions Work with school systems to be open to the Work with school systems to be open to the

needs of our familiesneeds of our families Aid in the development of policies impacting our Aid in the development of policies impacting our

familiesfamilies

What’s Best for all Children: What’s Best for all Children: A Delicate BalanceA Delicate Balance

O S

E P

Resources on the Law: A Tour of idea.ed.gov

O S

E P

Technical Assistance for Families

Phil Moses, Assistant Director, Phil Moses, Assistant Director,

National Center for Appropriate Dispute National Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution (CADRE)Resolution (CADRE)

The National Center on Dispute Resolution in Special Education

Parent Resources From CADRE

Creating AgreementCreating Agreement

A joint effort involving national education organizations and coordinated by the IDEA Partnership that has led to a collaborative

Creating Agreement Creating Agreement Workgroup

Near Future Resources from CADRE

Research Brief – Encouraging Meaningful Parent/Educator Collaboration: A Review of Recent Literature

Dispute Resolution Comparison Chart and Related Resources Assisting Family Members to Prepare for the Range of Dispute Resolution Processes

www.nectac.org

www.tadnet.org

O S

E P

Thank You!

Presentation will be archived Contact information

Melody Musgrove, melody.musgrove@ed.gov Kim Jones, kim.jones@aje-dc.org Phil Moses, pmoses@directionservice.org Carmen Sanchez, carmen.sanchez@ed.gov

Please evaluate this webinar at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/F739RCK..