Exceptional Education

1

• Exceptional Education
• Action Plan Results
• (APR)
• July 27, 2005

2
Action Planning Process

• Gather and Review Data
• ( Internal and External)
• Large Discussion Groups
• Focus Groups
• Action Planning/Goal Setting

3
Top Themes Across Groups

• Communication
• Connection/Collaboration with other Departments
• Equipment/Materials
• Funding
• Professionalism/Accountability/
• Leadership

4
Exceptional Education Five Year Vision

• Student Centered Organization
• Time for planning, transitions, and
  accountability of roles and responsibilities.
• Funding for qualified personnel facilities,
  supplemental curriculum and technology materials.
• Acceptance and success for all students
• Open, current, effective and secure communication
  systems
• Common philosophy carried out by all
  stakeholders

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Exceptional Education Five Year Vision Continued

• Relevant Professional Development
• High expectations for students and staff
  resulting in students realizing their full
  potential
• Highly, desirable educational environment for all
• Collaboration and Communication between General
  Education, Special Education, Parents and
  Agencies
• Seamless and consistent integration of
  research-based innovations and best practices

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Action Plan Goals

• Eight goals identified

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Action Plan Goals

• Goal 1 Develop and define an organizational
  structure to include a definition of roles and
  responsibilities leading to increased
  accountability.
• Launch Steps
• Draft Organization Chart for the start of 2005-06
  year.

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New Org Chart
Draft Organization Chart
Exceptional Education Dept. 2005
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Action Plan Goals

• Goal 2
• TUSD will have clearly defined Policies and
  Procedures for Exceptional Education.
• Launch Steps
• Identify team members to draft a Policy and
  Procedures Manual

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Action Plan Goals

• Goal 3
• Create and maintain mechanisms for effective
  communication.
• Launch Steps
• Create a task force to review and implement
  effective communication strategies

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Action Plan Goals

• Goal 4 TUSD Exceptional Education Dept. will
  have a mechanism to disseminate the LEGAL
  REQUIREMENTS for Exceptional Education students
  to all (parties) customers.

Launch Steps Exceptional Education Management
System will be built with links to legal
resource info Task force will work with the
communication team to identify effective
strategies to disseminate information
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Action Plan Goals

• Goal 5
• Define the philosophies that will best lead us to
  our vision and mission which will empower school
  sites resulting in improved education, health
  and safety.
• Launch Steps
• Identify a committee (including principals) to
  develop appropriate responses to school safety
  and health issues.
• Continue to refine and define the departments
  mission statement

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Action Plan Goals

• Goal 6
• A budget that everyone understands and meets all
  departmental needs.
• Launch Steps
• Utilize a team approach to audit the current
  budget
• Examine allocation of current funds
• Redistribute money to maximize full potential

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Draft Mission Statement

• Instruction
• Respect
• Partnerships
• STUDENT SUCCESS

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Action Plan Goals

• Goal 7
• High quality professional development that
  supports strategies to increase student
  achievement realizing their full potential.
  (learning to teach, teaching to learn).
• Launch Steps
• Create a professional development committee
• Identify a process to collect data/needs
  assessment

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Action Plan Goals

• Goal 8
• Recruitment, Training and Retention of existing
  and potential employees.
• Launch Steps
• Develop questionnaire for exiting employees

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For More Information on the Action Planning
Process

• http//edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/exced/
• Strategic_Planning/Action_Plan_Main.htm

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FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE HOW WE DO BUSINESS
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IDEAIndividuals with Disabilities Act

• Provides the foundation for how States and School
  Districts provide special education.
• Allows for a funding mechanism to assist States
  and School Districts
• Identification, Evaluation, Placement, Procedural
  Safeguards and Least Restrictive Environment.

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Least Restrictive Environment

• IDEA requires students with disabilities be
  educated in the regular classroom with supports
• School Districts must make available a full
  continuum of service delivery options
• Students with disabilities must have access to
  the general education curriculum

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No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

• Mandates all students including those with
  disabilities demonstrate proficiency on state
  tests
• Allows for a state-developed alternate assessment
• Allows for accommodations as specified by the
  students Individual Education Plan team

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No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 IDEA

• Emphasis on Teacher Quality
• By June 30, 2006 special education teachers must
  be Highly Qualified in all of the Core subjects
  they teach
• Emergency or Provisional Certificates are no
  longer allowed

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Staff

• Approximately 20 of the special education
  teachers in TUSD have emergency certification
• 38 of TUSD Teaching Assistants have not met NCLB
  requirements for highly qualified

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STAFF/STABILTY

• Early Retirement Incentives 2003
• Transfers
• District Restructuring
• Solutions Teams-2004
• Reduction in Administration

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Exceptional Education Leadership
2002-2003
2003-2004
Executive Director
Assistant Superintendent Central Services
Director NE/SE Region
Director SW Region HR/Billing.
Director NW Region Ombudsperson
Director Gifted and Talented
Assistant Director Rosemont Service Center
Assistant Director Ajo Service Center
Assistant Director Transition Services
Assistant Director Medicaid Programs
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
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Exceptional Education Leadership Fall 2003

• Programs and Activities to be reassigned
• Ombudsperson
• Transition/Interim Alternative Placements
• Medicaid
• New Staff Orientation
• Service Centers
• Annual Data Collection
• Cost Study
• GATE
• Community Based Instruction
• Alternative Education Psychologist
• TBI Program Facilitator
• Supervision of 350 staff

Executive Director
Director
Assistant Director
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
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Exceptional Education Leadership 04-05
Interim Executive Director
Executive Director
Director
Interim Director
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Interim Assistant Director
Assistant Director
Interim Program Specialist
Program Specialist
Program Specialist (On Leave)
Program Specialist
Assistant Director GATE
Coordinator Professional Development
Coordinator Medicaid/ Special Projects
Coordinator Preschool Programs
Coordinator Child Find
Coordinator Assessment/ Technology/ Cost Study
Coordinator Direct Link (Homebound/ Tele)
Coordinator Service Centers Accountability Data
Coordinator Transition Programs
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Distribution of Exceptional Education Students
Total 12,472
Data from December 1, 2004
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Exceptional Education Students (GATE and
Special Education) comprise 20 of the total
TUSD Enrollment
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Exceptional Education Enrollment

• TUSDs special education enrollment has steadily
  increased which is consistent with nationwide
  trends
• Six Year Trend
• Exceptional Education increased 8.6 TUSD
  enrollment has gone down by 2.5.

Projections for 2005-06 show an increase of 244
students in Exceptional Education
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TUSD Demographics

• Special Education
• 37 Anglo
• 47 Hispanic
• 8 African American
• 5 Native American
• 2 Asian American

• Total Enrollment
• 35 Anglo
• 51 Hispanic
• 7 African American
• 4 Native American
• 3 Asian American

• Random sample from TUSD STATS page - enrollment
  on 12/1/04

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TUSD Demographics

• GATE
• 43 Anglo
• 44 Hispanic
• 5 African American
• 3 Native American
• 5 Asian American

• Gate Data as of 4/05

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Services to Private/Parochial and Home School
Students
The Old Rules
All public school districts were required by IDEA
1997 to provide and pay for special education
services to students with disabilities enrolled
in private/parochial schools as well as students
who are home schooled.
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Services to Private/Parochial and Home School
Students
The Old Rules
Example If your child lived in TUSD and
attended St. Cyrils parochial school, TUSD was
responsible for the cost of identification,
evaluation, placement and provision of services.
If your child lived in Amphitheater district and
attended St. Cyrils parochial school,
Amphitheater was responsible for those costs.
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New Rules (IDEA 04)

• IDEA 2004 States provisions governing
  parentally-placed private school children with
  disabilities apply to children who are enrolled
  in private schools located IN THE SCHOOL
  DISTRICT boundaries. (Section 300.130)
• There are 82 private/parochial schools within
  TUSDs boundaries.

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New Rules (IDEA 04)

• In other words, TUSD is now responsible for the
  cost of identification, evaluation, placement and
  service delivery for disabled students attending
  private/parochial schools as well as home
  schooled students whether or not the child lives
  in the TUSD area.

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Evaluation Costs

• The cost of an evaluation is approximately 2200
• If the student is not eligible for services there
  is no reimbursement from the state or federal
  dollars for the cost of the evaluation.

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• FUNDING

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District Fund
Exceptional Education Revenue Reimbursement
2004-05
10 million FEDERAL Grant
2.5 million Medicaid
12.5 million STATE ADM Weighted
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Cost of Providing Services to Students with
Special Needs

STATE FUNDS
FEDERAL GRANT
LOCAL
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Cost of Providing Services to Students with
Special Needs

STATE FUNDS 12.5 million
41 million Expenditures
FEDERAL GRANT 10 million
LOCAL DISTRICT
Medicaid
Medicaid 2.5 million
Medicaid
2 million DESEG
TUSD DISTRICT FUND
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Medicaid Revenue

• 2003-04 Funds2,500,000
• General Education
• Teacher Salaries 2,000,000
• K-3, Project More, Legal, 504, bilingual, fine
  arts, interscholastics, ADA requests, workers
  compensation, alternative education
• Exceptional Education
• Teachers and Technology 300,000

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Full Funding

• In 1975, when the Education for All Handicapped
  Children (now IDEA) was first enacted, Congress
  promised to pay for 40 of the cost of education
  of students with disabilities.

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Full Funding

• Congress has never provided 40
• State and Local education agencies are expected
  to be responsible for the majority of the costs

Current Federal Funding is 17
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Cost of Providing Services to Students with
Special Needs

STATE GRANT
CONGRESS NEEDS TO APPROPRIATE THE FULL 40!!!!!
FEDERAL GRANT
FEDERAL GRANT
LOCAL
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13
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Financial Challenges

• Exceptional Education Department budget cut
  200,000
• Federal/State Money cut 90,000
• Increase in cost for salaries/benefits 150,000
• Increase in student population by 244
• Increase is private/parochial/home schooled
  student services
• Personnel shortages leading to compensatory
  services 104,000 AND contractual services
  1,500,00

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(No Transcript)
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• Exceptional Education
• Action Plan Results
• (APR)
• July 27, 2005