2018 UpdateVirginia Department of Education

Special Education and Student Services

Pat HaymesDirector, Dispute Resolution and

Administrative Services

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6th Consecutive Year!

2018 USDOE State Determinations by State

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State

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Virginia

Top Score• For a sixth consecutive year, Virginia has earned the U.S.

Department of Education’s highest rating for improving outcomes for students with disabilities and for compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

• Virginia received a “Meets Requirements” designation on the federal education department’s 2018 IDEA report card.

• The Commonwealth earned the maximum number of possible points on all 10 compliance indicators and on eight of the 14 achievement-related indicators.

• The 2018 IDEA report cards are based on data from the 2015-2016 school year.

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Staff Changes

• John Eisenberg – Director of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education

• Maribel Saimre – Director of Student Services• Renee Simpkins – RDA Monitoring Specialist• Michael Greogory – School Social Work• Johnathan Harris – Family Engagement • Lisa Jones – Support for SEFFEE• Kathy Beasley – RDA Monitoring Specialist • Martha Montgomery – School Psychology • Kathyrn Jones – Coordinator of Due Process Services

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SESS Organization

• Five Offices• Multiple External Partnerships and Funding

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Special Education Instructional Services

• Specific Learning Disabilities, including Dyslexia and Standards – Based IEPs

• Visual and Hearing Impairments• Intellectual Disabilities, Multiple Disabilities• Traumatic Brain Injury• Related Services• Evaluation and Eligibility• Autism• Assistive Technology• Emotional Disabilities • Discipline• Early Childhood

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Special Education Program Improvement

• Monitoring• Data Analysis• Results Driven Accountability• Participation by Students with Disabilities in the

State Accountability Systemo Standard Assessmentso Alternate Assessments

• State Systemic Improvement Plan• Statewide IEP• Transition Services

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Student Services• Virginia Tiered Systems of Support• School Psychology• School Social Work• School Nurses• Medicaid• Military Liaison• Discipline, Crime and Violence• School Climate• Family Life Education• Homebound Services• Attendance

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Specialized Education Facilities and Family Engagement (SEFFE)

• Three major functions

– Parent/Advocate Engagement• Mission: Educating parents and advocates to improve collaborative,

meaningful, and productive parent engagement and advocacy around special education and student services.

– State Operated Programs (SOP)• Mission: To provide educational services to students (general ed and

special ed) who are in detention centers, mental health facilities, or hospitals.

– Private Schools for Student with Disabilities • Mission: To provide technical assistance and support to private

schools for students with disabilities and to ensure proper licensing through scheduled and unscheduled monitoring visits.

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Dispute Resolution and Administrative Services

• State Complaints• Due Process• Mediation• Facilitated IEPs• FERPA• Section 504• Regulatory and Legislative Functions• Back to Basics• Interagency Activities

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Fiscal Services

• Reviews annual plans• Provides approves funding• Processes external grants• Unit budgeting• Increasing emphasis on audit function

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Governor Northam’s Education Priorities

1. Improve the quality of and expand access to early childhood (0-5) care and learning environments for at-risk children.

2. Promote excellence and equity in all schools.

3. Build meaningful pathways from classrooms to the workplace.

4. Increase access to higher education and drive improved completion rates, with a focus on underrepresented Virginians.

Priority 1: Provide high-quality, effective learning environments for all students

Priority 2: Advance policies that increase the number of candidates entering the teaching profession and encourage and support the recruitment, development, and retention of well-prepared and skilled teachers and school leaders

Priority 3: Ensure successful implementation of the Profile of a Virginia Graduate and the accountability system for school quality as embodied in the revisions to the Standards of Accreditation

Virginia Board of Education’sComprehensive Plan Goals

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