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FASP DOE UpdateOctober 28, 2015
David Wheeler, Ph.D.School Psychology Consultant
Student Support Services Project/USFBEESS/FDOE
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Topics
• Student Services– Integrated Student Services– Section 504 Online Course– Medicaid Reimbursement
• FL AWARE & Youth Mental Health First Aid• Hot Topics • Legislative/Policy Update• MTSS & Child Find• Questions
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Medicaid Reimbursement
• District reimbursement– Medicaid School District Administrative Claiming (SDAC) program – Medicaid Certified School Match “fee for service” program
• FDOE certified school psychologists are eligible providers.• School-Based Medicaid Reimbursement Advocacy Roadmap –
NASP • Must use ICD-10 codes starting 10/1/15
https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/2015-ICD-10-CM-and-GEMs.html
• Medicaid in Schools - FL http://sss.usf.edu/resources/topic/medicaid/index.html (ICD-9 to ICD-10 Code Conversions)
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HOT TOPICS
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Role of Schools in Suicide Prevention
• Create safe, supportive learning environments.• Educate school personnel & students about
suicide prevention and intervention.• Establish school based protocols for suicide
prevention, crisis intervention and postvention.• Refer at-risk students for risk assessment and
intervention.• Contact parents and link to community resources.• Provide follow-up counseling and support.
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School Suicide Resources
• The Youth Suicide Prevention School-based Guide http://theguide.fmhi.usf.edu/
• A Promise for Tomorrow www.jasonfoundation.com • More Than Sad http://morethansad.org/ • Signs of Suicide Prevention Program (SOS)
http://mentalhealthscreening.org/programs/youth-prevention-programs/sos/
• After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools http://www.sprc.org/bpr/section-III/after-suicide-toolkit-schools
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Suicide Prevention Resources
• Florida’s Statewide Office of Suicide Prevention• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
http://www.afsp.org/ • Center for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/• National Alliance for Suicide Prevention
http://actionallianceforsuicideprevention.org• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ • Suicide Prevention Resource Center http://www.sprc.org/
• Critical thinking, problem solving, & creativity
• Self-regulation, conscientiousness, mind-sets, & motivation
• Social and emotional skills
Disparities in Discipline
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Resources to Address Disparities in Discipline
• USDOE – School Climate & Discipline http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/index.html
• Guiding Principles: Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline
• Addressing the Root Causes of Disparities in School Discipline: Action Guide for Educators
• Rethink School Discipline: School District Leader Summit on Improving School Climate and Discipline; Resource Guide for Superintendent Action
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Dyslexia
• Hot topic nationally & in FL– ~ 26 states have dyslexia legislation
• CASE (Council of Administrators of Special Education) Letter – NASP, NASDSE, NSBA, NEA
• Dear Colleague Letter from OSERS Assistant Secretary Yudin – October 23, 2015
• FCRR Technical Report #8 – Dyslexia: A Brief for Educators, Parents, and Legislators in Florida
RTI Action Network http://www.rtinetwork.org
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LEGISLATIONhttp://www.flsenate.gov
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2015 Legislation
• Involuntary Examination of Minors – Baker Act (SB 954)– Requires school principal to notify parent or
guardian if the student is Baker Acted from school, school transportation, or school-sponsored activity.
– Allows delays up to 24 hours if there is suspected abuse and the delay is in the student’s best interest, and a report has been submitted to DCF.
– Memorandum on Senate Bill 954 – DPS: 2015-77
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2015 Legislation (cont.)• Education Accountability (HB 7069)
– 3rd graders must score Level 2 or higher on the ELA assessment for promotion to grade 4.
– More flexibility to districts on student progression decisions – Eliminates reference to progress monitoring plan but requires that
struggling students be covered by a federal plan, school-wide, or individual progress monitoring plan.
– Removes remedial course requirement for middle & high school students scoring Level 1 or 2 on FSA.
– Reduces assessment requirements• Eliminates FSA and PERT requirement for grade 11.• Limits assessment to 5% of total school hours
– Personnel Evaluations: at least 1/3 based on student performance; at least 1/3 based on instructional practice; other indicators may be included.
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STATE BOARD RULESFlorida Statutes and State Board of Education Rules (Red book)
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District Evaluation/Consent Responsibility
• Conduct a “full and individual” evaluation that assesses all areas related to the suspected disability (6A-6.0331(5)(f), F.A.C.).
• Provide the parent with written notice of the evaluation procedures the district proposes to conduct (6A-6.0331(4)(a), F.A.C.) – Consent should identify the broad evaluation categories or
areas of assessment. – Identifying the suspected areas of disability as part of
evaluation planning process is congruent with the IDEA.
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Child Find & Consent• Conditions that trigger child find obligation:
– School-based team makes data-based determination that intensive interventions are effective but not sustainable with general education resources.
– School-based team makes data-based determination that student progress is inadequate with intensive, evidence-based interventions.
– Pre-K developmental screening indicates child may be a child with a disability.
– Parent requests an evaluation and there is evidence that student may be a student with a disability
• Request consent or provide notice of refusal within 30 days – unless the parent and school agree otherwise in writing.
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Consent & Refusal• Consent (Parent)
– Written and “informed”– Parent consents to evaluation in its entirety– Team considers parent request for specific evaluations.
• Written Notice of Refusal (District)– Only provide “Notice of Refusal” when refusing to conduct
an evaluation. – Document why a requested action is not being taken on the
consent (“description of other options the team considered & reasons why those options were rejected”) when rejecting evaluation procedures requested by a parent.
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Evaluation Timeline
• Initial evaluations must be completed within 60 days after consent – July 1, 2015.
• Calendar days that are not counted:– School holidays, Thanksgiving, Winter, & Spring breaks.– Summer vacation– Absences beyond 8 days in the 60 day period.
• 60 day timeline not applicable in certain situations.• Gifted evaluations must be conducted within 90
school days.
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Completing Evaluations in 60 Days
• Examples– Improving quality of MTSS & data-based problem solving (e.g.,
impact on referral rate)– Leveraging diagnostic assessments in general ed– Administering relevant tests/procedures– Reconsider test on demand policies while improving
collaboration with parents and other stakeholders– Report writing?
• Non-examples– Determining ineligible and obtaining consent in the same
meeting– Using speech eligibility as “end-around”
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Autism Spectrum Disorder• Definition
– Condition that reflects a wide range of symptoms & levels of impairment that vary in severity.
– Characterized by an atypical developmental profile with a pattern of qualitative impairments in social interaction and social communication, and the presence of restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.
• Eligibility criteria:– Impairment in social interaction– Impairment in verbal or nonverbal language used for social
communication– Restricted or repetitive, patterns of behavior, interests, or activities– Core features occur across settings
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Autism Spectrum Disorder – Evaluation• Behavioral observation
– Targets core features of ASD – Conducted by members of the evaluation team
• Social-developmental history• Psychological evaluation
– Academic & intellectual– Social-emotional & behavioral functioning
• Language evaluation– Pragmatic and social interaction aspects of social communication– Observation of social communication by SLP
• Standardized assessment of adaptive behavior• Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) if behavior concerns are present.
Need determined by evaluation team.
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Gifted Rules & Guidance
• Twice exceptional students– Gifted needs addressed on the IEP (6A-6.030191)– IDEA safeguards apply (6A-6.03313)– Gifted friendly language in IEP rule (6A-6.03028)
• Replaced “EP” with “educational plan” in ESE Transfer rule (6A-6.0334)
• Plan B and Community Eligibility Option– Student must be from low SES family or ELL
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Technical Assistance Papers• DPS 2015-60: Updated Guidelines and Template for
School District Policy, Practice and Procedures for the Use of Service Animals by Students with Disabilities
• DPS 2015-34: High School Graduation Options for Students With Disabilities
• DPS 2015-16: Waiver of Statewide, Standardized Assessment Results for Students with Disabilities
• DPS 2014-208: Statewide Assessment for Students with Disabilities
• DPS 2015-70: Student Progression
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TAPs on Deck
• General Education Intervention Procedures• Evaluation, Determination of Eligibility,
Reevaluation and the Provision of Exceptional Student Education Services
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
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GENERAL EDUCATION INTERVENTIONS & CHILD FIND
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Multi-tiered System of Supports
• District responsibility to develop and implement a multi-tiered system of support which integrates a coordinated continuum of instruction and intervention (6A-6.0331(1), F.A.C.).
• Uses a data-based problem-solving process to implement and evaluate continuum of instruction and intervention.
• MTSS is a general education framework designed to support successful outcomes for ALL students.
• Multiple tiers of integrated academic, behavioral, and social-emotional instruction and intervention.
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MTSS in Special Policies & Procedures
• Describe the district policies and procedures for integrating a data-based, problem-solving process within a MTSS.
• Identify the academic and behavior progress monitoring tools used to monitor response to intervention & the frequency Tier 3 interventions are reviewed and monitored.
• Describe how the district monitors implementation and fidelity of the 4-step problem-solving process.
• Describe how parents are engaged in problem-solving, including frequency and format for sharing student response to intervention data.
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Assumptions of MTSS• Screen & progress monitor all students. • School-based teams are engaged in a data-based problem
solving process that addresses systemic and individual need. • Tiered supports are evidence-based and matched to student
need.• Interventions are implemented with fidelity.• Student progress is monitored, graphed, and compared to
expectations/peers.• Progress of students receiving supplemental and intensive
interventions is periodically reviewed.
Center on Response to Interventionhttp://www.rti4success.org
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Evidence-Based Interventions(6A-6.0331.(10(e), F.A.C.)
• Developed by a team.• Use a data-based problem solving process.• Match level of support to student need.• Implement in the general education environment • Collect progress monitoring data.• Share response to intervention data with parents in
understandable format (graph).
Center on Instruction http://www.centeroninstruction.org/index.cfm
IES Practice Guides – What Works Clearinghouse http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/default.aspx
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MTSS & Child Find
• MTSS as a systematic child find process. • How do we know which struggling students may need
special education?– By implementing evidence-based interventions &
monitoring student response to intervention as required by Rule 6A-6.0331, F.A.C.
• Problem solving team monitors student response to intervention data to identify students who may need special education.
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What the Team Needs to Know for Data-Based Decision Making
• Level of Performance – discrepancy between current level and age or state-approved grade level standards.
• Rate of Improvement – growth compared to grade-level expectations and rate of improvement of peers (slope of line)
• Gap Analysis – discrepancy in level of performance & rate of improvement.
• Distinction between Intensity (level of performance) AND Severity (rate of improvement)
• Base referral on discrepancy in both level of performance and rate of improvement – students with intense problem & poor response to intervention.
Gap Analysis for Insufficient Progress
SOURCE: Colorado Department of Education. (2008). Guidelines for identifying students with specific learning disabilities.
Peer
Aimline
Tier 2 Tier 3
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Progress Monitoring Response to Intervention
• Mastery Measurement– Index successive mastery of a hierarchy of objectives (intervention or
curriculum specific)– Progress monitor response to instruction in the core curriculum – Scores cannot be compared longitudinally
• General Outcome Measures – Repeated measures of performance that are curriculum independent but
predictive of performance on state assessments. – Reflects overall competence in the annual curriculum so rate of improvement
can be graphed. – Describes student progress over time (both “level of performance” and “rate
of growth”) • Understanding Types of Assessment within an RTI Framework at
http://www.rti4success.org/video/implementer-series-understanding-types-assessment-within-rti-framework
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Other “Red Flags”
• Multiple early warning system indicators• Academic concerns (e.g., failing/declining grades, work
completion, limited progress compared to peers). • Behavioral concerns (e.g., disciplinary referrals, chronic
absenteeism, social/interpersonal, withdrawal/depression).
• Medical/clinical diagnoses or services (e.g., medication, therapy, hospitalization/Baker Act, physician/clinician recommendation/referral).
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Contact Information:
http://sss.usf.edu
